Disclaimer: I do not own any of the original characters or elements of J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter. Anything written here is purely for entertainment and will not be making any profit.

The Wheels Are Falling Off the World

Summary: Hermione has worked her way up in the Ministry, and is now starting her new post rewriting the old laws biased towards pureblooded society. Her job entails taking a path less-travelled, in more ways than one, as she comes across some familiar faces in her new line of work.

Main Characters: Hermione Granger, Draco Malfoy, Lucius Malfoy.

Rating: T (currently)

Warnings: None, as yet.

Genre: Romance, Drama, Family, EWE.

The Wheels Are Falling Off the World

- Chapter One -

Hermione grasped her glass of red as she curled up on her sofa, turning another worn page of Wuthering Heights, one of her favourite novels. She paused in her reading, focussing on the hourly Wizarding Wireless Network News bulletins coming from the radio in the corner of her flat's living room.

Since her desolate travels with Harry and Ron many years ago, she had grown accustomed to the background murmurings after Ron's obsessive tuning into Potterwatch, finding the sound a comfort.

The news reported today was vastly different to that of those awful years, nowadays merely comprising of trivial titbits, an engagement here, a new birth there, occasional political pieces.

Hermione drifted in and out of the reports, catching the end of a wedding announcement of former-fellow student, Adrian Pucey with one of the Greengrass girls, she didn't catch whom, before the journalist launched into a report on the reforms of the Auror department that Ron was heading up.

She smiled at her friend's success now that Harry was spending more time at home with eight-months pregnant Ginny and their toddler, James. She was glad Ron had taken her advice and finally begun to shape his life into something other than basking in the glory and notoriety of being a war hero.

When they were engaged, Ron had been quite happy to take things as easily as possible, accepting handouts at every opportunity, given because of his name. Hermione had gently encouraged him to get a job and join her in earning some money, in order to save up for their own place.

Once he'd settled in at George's shop, earning very little for a few hours helping out on the shop floor here and there, she had finally insisted that they sit down to discuss their future.

They quickly realised that Hermione's focus on her career and need to prove herself as more than just the brains of the Golden Trio conflicted quite strongly with Ron's laid-back attitude towards life, and his lack of any kind of ambition.

And it was then that they decided to part ways as lovers, and continue on as best friends once again. After all, their relationship had simply been a close friendship with occasional and awkward fumblings in the dark. There was little in the way of true romance or intimacy between them, and they both knew it was the right decision to separate.

As she touched the space on her finger where her engagement ring used to sit, Hermione sighed, recalling the disappointment of the rest of the Weasley clan.

Her relationship with the family had become a little rocky; although they still welcomed her, she was no longer the second daughter that she used to be. Her invitations to dinner at the Burrow became less and less frequent, not that she minded too much. She had come to enjoy the solitude.

Ginny, however, remained solidly loyal, and for that she was eternally grateful, if only for being able to maintain some kind of contact with the outside world during those times when all she had felt like doing was curling up in a ball under her duvet, with just her cat to keep her company.

D'Artagnan, her ginger tom, brushed his way past her foot resting against the coffee table, bringing her back to the present as he settled on a particularly comfortable section of the large woven rug that covered the pale floorboards of her living room.

She smiled and leant down to scratch behind his ears, as he purred in contentment. Glancing up at the clock on the mantelpiece Hermione waited a few moments, taking another sip of her wine, before flicking off her radio and moving over to settle in next to the fireplace, expecting Harry's head to appear any moment.

Sure enough, the tell-tale whoosh sounded, just as the messy head of jet-black hair and unmistakeable green eyes appeared in her fireplace. As Harry coughed out a few ashes, he straightened his glasses before smiling up at her.

''Mione!' He called in greeting.

'Hi Harry,' She replied, 'How's the family?'

'Oh, you know, the usual.'

'Still not quite used to Ginny's mood swings, then?'

'Merlin, I don't think I ever will be.' He grimaced, before glancing over his shoulder, undoubtedly checking for his wife's presence. 'But you know, just under a month to go, now.'

'Don't roll your eyes, Harry James Potter, I know you're as ridiculously excited as the rest of us.'

A glorious smile broke across his face; one Hermione knew he didn't share on a regular basis with too many people.

'Yeah, I know,' He grinned, sheepishly. 'He's going to be a special one, this one. I can feel it.'

'More so than James?'

'Oh, not like that. I just mean...' He trailed off. 'I don't know. I do know that he's going to need a good name of course.'

'Of course. He's a Potter-Weasley.'

He chuckled, before looking up to scrutinise his long-time best friend's face.

'You look tired. Are you sleeping properly?'

'Honestly, Harry, you most certainly do not need to take the fatherly attitude with me. I am more than capable of taking care-'

'Of yourself, yes I know. But still. You can't expect me not to worry. It's a big day tomorrow after all.'

'I suppose.'

'You suppose? Come on, this is the job of a life-time for you!'

She smiled down at him, 'I know. I'm just nervous.'

'I'd be horrified if you weren't. I remember those fateful O.W.L.S. ...'

'Yes, well be glad you weren't there for my N.E.W.T.S. That was quite something to behold.'

'Oh, Ginny's told me many a tale.' He grinned.

Hermione swatted at him with the small coal shovel that she kept close to the grate.

'Hey! Besides, you wouldn't be our Hermione if you didn't turn into a hyperventilating mess when faced with any kind of test...' He teased, before raising his arms over his face to protect himself.

'Just you wait, Harry James Potter. I'll be coming for you.'

'No doubt about it. Anyway, you feeling prepared for tomorrow?'

'Not in the slightest.'

'Naturally.'

'This is going to be so much tougher than anything I've done before. I mean, passing through new bills for the protection of underprivileged non-humans is one thing, but it's a completely different task rewriting old laws. These pureblood-biased decrees are going to take a huge amount of work, not to mention all the hoops I have to jump through, the people I have to speak to, and the approval I have to gain. You know, I'm supposed to correspond with people who have specific experience of the use of these old rulings? And not just Ministry officials. Citizens. Members of the public.'

'Kingsley wouldn't have put you up to the job if he didn't believe in you. Besides, didn't he say he's got a few leads for you already?'

'I know. And I'm looking forward to it, really. Oh, did I mention I'm supposed to be getting an assistant?'

'Oh really? Anyone we know?'

'Yes, actually. Anthony Goldstein. He was in our year.'

'Ah yes, Ravenclaw, right?' Hermione nodded, sipping at her wine again. 'Well, it'll be good to have someone to share the job with.'

'No,' she corrected him, 'Not sharing. Assisting. He'll be my assistant. I'm head of the project; I'll be calling the shots. But yes, it'll be nice to be able to delegate a little.'

'I'm pleased for you. This is right up your street. And hey, you'll be just up the hallway from Ron and I, what with you transferring to Magical Law Enforcement.'

'Oh joy.' She teased him.

Harry glanced back over his shoulder as Hermione heard murmured voices from the Potter-residence.

'Ginny says to remind you about dinner Friday night.' Harry told her, turning back to the fire.

'Of course.' She replied, as Harry was promptly shoved to the side, his wife appearing in the space he had been occupying.

'If I'm not allowed out for fun because of this damn bump, you're sure as hell coming to me, Granger!'

'Now how could I refuse an offer like that?' Hermione smirked, raising her wine glass in a toast. 'Besides, I want to hear all the news.'

'And there is so much to tell!' Ginny crowed. 'Anyway, I need to go pee again. Apparently Arnold the Second likes to use my bladder as squeeze-toy.'

'We are not naming the baby after your darned pygmy-puff!' Harry squawked from across the room.

'Of course not dear,' Ginny called back.

'Still not picked a name, yet?'

'Not quite. Hey, come armed with a few ideas this weekend. He's starting to make up words just for the sake of filling up his own list.'

'I dread to think.'

'Right. You need to go and sleep, Harry's right, you do look tired.'

'Thanks, Gin.'

'No worries.'

'Well I suppose I'd better get a decent night in. Early start tomorrow and all.'

'Yes! Oh I can't wait to hear how your first week goes!'

'I promise to tell you all about it. Now, go pee.' Hermione sent her love to the young James, before saying goodbye to the Potters and shutting off her Floo.

She stood up, yawning and stretching as D'Artagnan wove around her legs.

'Right then, D'arts.' She bent down to pick him up, 'Bed time, I think.'

She hummed a familiar tune to herself as she gathered her glass and book, flipping off lights as she wandered through her flat, placing her cat down at his food bowl before heading off to her bedroom, intent on appearing fresh-faced and ready for work in the morning.

A/N: For some reason, my author's note had been left off this chapter, so I apologise to those of you who have read this so far without a quick explanation! The title itself is taken from a Jamie Cullum song, 'Wheels', which seems to coincide quite well with what I have planned for this story. However, it's not set in stone as yet, so we'll see where the characters decide to take the plot. Hermione's cat's name is taken from The Three Musketeers, amongst the other work that D'Artagnan appeared in. For those that don't know, the name is roughly pronounced: 'dar-tan-yan'.

This will, of course, be a multi-chapter - we can't very well have a Dramione fic without Draco making an appearance. Apparently I write most fluently in the early hours of the morning, but I'm hoping there's at least some acceptable level of coherency here. My beta is completely snowed under at the moment, and I'd really rather not add to her pile, so this is going along as a bit of a 'post as I write'. At the moment it's T-rated, mostly just to be on the safe side more than anything, but this may change. I'll give plenty of warning if this is likely to happen though.

And lastly, this wouldn't be an author's note without some kind of suggestion that you leave a review. I'm planning on weekly updates for this, as I'm still writing, but if there seems to be a good reception I may be persuaded into posting sooner. I'm trying to balance this with my Uni deadlines as well as my extra-curricular, but I'm having a hard time concentrating on essays when Hermione and Draco are clamouring to be written about.

Thank you for reading,

SimpsonSortia.