Author's note: Okay, so this has been my dream. Honestly, I've been dreaming of writing this fanfiction like... for months. I really have high expectations for me, myself and my fantasy. I just hope that Ill live up to them.
Let's see... Yes. I'd like to make this fiction easy to read and understand, at the same time as I'm going to try new terms and words to have a development in my language. I'd also like you to tell me if there is something that I can do better, because I really want this to have results. :)
And yeah... One more thing before we start the journey. This time I want to point out that this will not be a fluffy fic like Forbidden, since I have already written one of that sort, and my main goal in this one is to keep the characters realistic and the whole progression between Hermione and Draco realistic and slow.
And of course, in advance, my apologies if there will be any mistakes regarding characters and stuff. Just tell me, and I will try my best to righten them up.
The whole story plot is 3 years Post- Hogwarts.
Hope you enjoy!
Disclaimer: Everything regarding Apocalypse is not mine stuff. It all belongs to J. K. Rowling. Perhaps, maybe the words "fan" and "fiction" will tell you the rest of this story, and Ill start with my fictional one.
Apocalypse
XxX
Intoxicated
XxX
The Ministry was always crowded and busy.
This was of course not entirely news to the laborers, but it was never less surprising how many people the corridors could handle without falling into one, massive devastation. Briefly said: the flux of people was immense.
Wizards and witches were constantly zipping from one department to another like busy ants, unwittingly bumping into each other and the walls that held the ancient construction of the Ministry. Most of them were totally obscured behind important documents and papers, while others were simply trying to push their way through the crowd to get either in or out from the mass of people. Sometimes it worked, while other times...
Well, let's just say that it would take a while to reach your destination.
You could especially see this working ecstasy on Mondays, when the weekend had reached its end and there were bunches of work to get done before Monday had become Friday again. People had just slept off the exhaustion they had been going through the week, and new tasks were already awaiting them on their desks with patience.
The head's in every department expected these tasks to be done as soon as possible, which meant that the beginning of the week was the most vivacious day. You really had to keep your sanity as a priority to get pass the long day without losing it somewhere down the road.
This ecstasy, if that is the right way to call it, could also be seen among the reporters in the main office of " The Daily Prophet'', located on the south side of Diagon Alley. The reporters from all over the Wizarding Britain were trying to pull out content to publish in the new outcast before they rushed in the door to write an article about the newest, and the most fresh developments. For instance, there has been rumors about Neville Longbottom proposing to the former Hufflepuff- member Hannah Abbott.
Or maybe someone would get the opportunity to write an article about the quidditch match between Bulgaria and Wales this weekend, where two wizards were sent away to St. Mungo's hospital after horrendous injuries. A terrifying scene in front of everyones eyes.
The press used most of the time to write small, daily- things like that, just to have some content filled on all the pages.
Of course there were exceptions as in everywhere, where bigger and more influential things would come out on the front page making people both gasp and gossip, but then again: there has not been any of that stuff in weeks. That was because the society was pretty much the same every day. Long, boring days, where everything that was colorful in reality seemed to be in a scale between black and white.
But then the tabloids were experiencing that frankly, people were pretty much too busy to have a requirement of the spuriously, meddlesome tabloids anyway.
No, the population had decided that there were other things that counted in their pitiable lives.
People were beginning to get busy and desperate after with finding the other half, their '' one, true soul mate'', as many chose to call it. And that meant everyone who had participated in the war, who had found that the result of time and awaiting had healed the deep wounds of square holes, and that they were now ready to fill these ordered holes with content and meaning, proverbial round pegs that could heal the rest.
Well, sure a lot of time had passed since the death of every Voldemort sympathizer, and no one could deny that a lot had already found themselves recovering quite quickly.
Harry Potter himself, for instance, was a proud husband with Ginevra Potter as his wife, even though that many could say with a hand on their heart that he was the one suffering the most during the hectic time of the war. No one understood how a boy with such a strong and cruel faith as Harry Potter could recuperate in just an year or so, but then there was this thing that many chose to disregard: it was all in his nature by birth. To fall into the darkest deepness, and then jump out of there into the highest clouds of light. It was all indents in a biography, and time by time it happened by itself.
Many would actually begrudge his capability of doing so in silence, by deafening the part of their tongue that broiled to admit their envy, but it was all naturally.
Through all, Harry Potter was a man to envy from the day his name was known, and that would probably never change.
Oh well, now as the truth is about to be spoken, there was actually one man who had this same, equal capability as Harry, only hiding it behind this frigid surface...
Draco Malfoy. The complete inverse to Harry Potter in so many ways. He was, and is the son of Lucius Malfoy who was mostly known as the former Death Eater and a dangerous man. Besides, he was something like a loyal Death Eater himself, a nuisance when it came to the word '' females'', and not just that... his name was the name of the perfidy to anything that could be seen as the good at the time of the war.
After the war, many chose to elide these small characteristics of him, giving the young boy a second chance to establish his life.
And Merlin, yes. He grabbed it with open hands.
Well, the half of him. The other half... remained identical.
The heavy doors that led into the section of '' The Daily Prophet'' flew open, and a dark silhouette entered it with a deep, aweary frown upon his face. It deepened even more when one of the wizards that were roaming around the desks almost crashed into his portmanteau, seeming agitated. The wizard muttered something like a gloomy apology over his shoulder, and you could have chilled bear to the expression on the blondes face now.
'' There we have the emotionally unbalanced prat. Right.'', he personally reminded himself in a low, capernoited voice, while passing a young female reporter.
However, he felt much more enthusiastic when he saw the green dress that the well-shaped girl was wearing today. It seemed to make up for everything that had been trashing his guts this morning, and he had to force himself to lift the corner of his lip when he noticed how people had begun to acknowledge his presence.
" Good morning, Mr. Malfoy.", a woman from the left side shot in.
There we go. Act and pretend to be happy, he mentally muttered, feeling how the quick energy shot up his spine like a coffee shock. The blonde wizard spun on his heel while walking backwards through the straight corridor in the middle, winking attractively towards the brunette that had just raised to acknowledge his presence. He was doing the thing that he was best in doing.
'' Good morning, Helena. You look enchanting as always, I must say.''
The young witches face became an innocent, unbalanced, rosy- colored expression, and she fell back into her office chair while nibbling her lip, turning back to the thing she was engaged in before she was interrupted.
With some people passed behind him, he continued walking down the corridor in the middle of the redaction with refined steps, keeping the curse directly towards the Editor's office.
He hoped to avoid the rest of the incredibly annoying ''good mornings'' until tomorrow, but he knew this would be a very hard task to accomplish, because the reporters who had eyes and fundamental senses had noticed the shining, outstanding figure by now.
Whispers and small chuckles were coming from the group of girls that were sitting around the desk on the left side, eying this particular wizard with curiosity, and more than just that, and people that wanted to take a peek on their star reporter were snapping their heads up from their work, stopping the production of whatever they were into.
'' Oh Draco, my dear!'', a familiar voice said, and Draco was stopped by a female arm appearing in front of him from nowhere. '' Glad to see me?''
He whisked his head upwards to meet a pair of green eyes that were buried deeply into his, and shivered when he recognized the eerie woman beside him. She provided him with a secure smile, and in this combination of new and old features Draco immidiately noticed the new hairstyle that the female reporter was testing out. The usually blonde curls were smoothed out, and were hanging loosely down along her jawline. He considered answering by a rapid, charismatic compliment, but then reminded himself that Skeeter was Skeeter.
She was curious, and seemed to need an executed conversation.
'' Rita.'', he smirked. '' Long time, no see. Where have you been?''
'' In Paris, of course! There were some interesting cases going on there, and Cuffe trusted me to check it out.'', she boasted, pulling up the glasses up her nose with her red-polished index finger.
Of course he should have known that without having to ask, when Cuffe had chattered his ears off about the cases going on in the middle Europe for days, but maybe the issue was that Draco's head was already overfilled with other information. Through all, there was always a threshold for how much a human brain could handle, especially a poor male's brain, and Draco could surely admit that his margin was reached.
'' Anything that could come us good in use on the front page?'', he asked anyway.
Rita shook her head in a decisive manner. '' Sadly, it's not worth our front page. Neither my time. Even a woman as great as me must have a break! Silly boy, do you honestly think that I would dig for treasures for the tabloids when I'm in the middle of Paris?''
'' No.'', Draco decided with a frown. '' I suppose I should have known that you wouldn't.''
The blonde woman gave him an approving grin, swiftly swinging her hips to walk in the direction where he had came from. And somehow, she still managed to throw a sentence over her shoulder before she left. '' Well, I trust you to not do the same mistake next time. Greet your mother from me!''
'' I will.''
Draco chewed on their odd conversation for a second, before he continued walking, and not even a second had passed before he was stopped again.
" Mr. Malfoy, I would like you to sign this.", a voice behind his left ear said, as a paper was reached out in front of him. He took hold of it while his eyes scanned down the lines, cocking an eyebrow towards the wizard, who was just as agitated as everyone else. For Merlin's sake, the man looked like a foolish, paranoid house- elf.
Draco was more than just impatient, and decided the best would be to get this done as soon as possible. '' What's this?''
The wizard blinked. '' A permission to publish some pictures taken by an unknown witness this weekend, Sir.''
'' I simply won't handle another-'', he began tiredly, while signing under a contract stretched out in front of him by an arm from the right side. '' - bunch of pictures taken by some sick, nature- crazy psychopath. Tell him to publish it elsewhere.''
The wizard's eyes grew in size. '' But Mr. Malfoy, this has nothing with nature to do. This may be our chance to finally publish something that people would not mind to read. Something big! I mean, look!''
The wizard's strong elation was rewarded with a pinched, annoyed look from the younger Malfoy, and Draco soon decided for himself that this stranger was not worth his time. '' I'm just a reporter for Godric's sake, not the bloody editor. Talk to Cuffe about it.''
'' But Mr. Mal-''
'' Talk to Cuffe about it!'', he boomed over his shoulder, feeling how a painful headache was beginning to appear in the front of his temporal already.
By the time his hand had reached the door handle of the Editor's office, he had managed to put his signature under four important contracts, revised three articles where two of them were about the selfsame topic and he had to decide which one suited the topic best, complimented the new dress that Braithwaite was wearing, and fired the coffee- retriever that he had hired the last week, because the over- energetic woman had managed to spill coffee over his black leather gloves.
It was not the fact that they cost a fortune that annoyed him. Money was not a problem at all. It had never been. He had no problems buying a quantity of gloves right away. Yes, he was a rich, little bastard, and was not ashamed of admitting so.
No, the poser was her laughter that followed the incident. That ugly sort of laughter that could remind of a train steering out of orbit. It would have actually been amusing to hear if it wasn't for the circumstances, but Draco just couldn't stand people who laughed without reason. Especially not on others chagrin.
She was lucky being a woman. Or else her face would have apparently looked much worse than it had when she had stumbled out the front door.
Well, it was not a big loss. She had been too cheerful for his taste anyway.
'' Ah, good morning Draco.'', the Editor said as the office door flew open. '' I have been expecting you, yes.''
The pale wizard flung the black topcoat he had worn that chilly September morning over the armchair that stood next to the door, doing the same with the portmanteau. But the one thing he had forgot when doing this in anger was the pair of dirty, coffee- covered gloves he was holding, and he accidentally smacked them against his white shirt when he bent down to lift the fallen portmanteau up.
There was now a haggish, brown spot in the middle.
'' For Godric's sake!'', he spat out, forgetting all about the elder wizard watching him deliberately. It was just when he had swore three times and threw his gloves on his coat that he remembered the company of his boss.
The Editor's glasses were resting on the tip of his nose, and he was intently studying Draco while muttering something. " You look horrible. Are you okay?''
'' I'm fine.'', he sniffed in a manner of displeasure, sitting down on the chair in front of Cuffe's desk. He felt how his shirt had glued itself onto his stomach.
'' Alright.'', the other wizard sighed in retreat, resting his elbows on edge of the desk.
It had apparently came to him that this '' good and kind'' - sort of talking was not affecting Draco's mood in a pleasant way, rather the opposite, and that's why he proceeded.
And he was absolutely right in doing so.
'' I saw you talking to Rita. Was there anything useful down in Paris, or was the time she used there futile?'', Cuffe asked.
Draco snorted. '' Futile must be the word. The woman did nothing.''
Barnabas slammed his palm against the desk, and Draco quickly managed to grab hold of the papers that had been affected by the displaced air. '' I knew she would defraud us soon or later! Dear Godric, we need sources and content to make people wake up, and when there is an opportunity she wastes it. I didn't expect that from her. Her, of all!''
The young reporter nodded,. '' Well, she has changed. The good- working morals are as good as flushed away the last weeks.''
Genuinely, he never thought he would have to say those words loud. Rita and work were the two things that were always associated with each other when talking of Skeeter generally. It was her and the poison pen together. For Merlin's sake, the woman never seemed to take a break even when it was rationale!There were plenty of witnesses on her strong, indestructible desire to make a story, a plot, and many would agree on her sanctifying her life to the Prophet, but now it just seemed like she had lost her enthusiasm as many others.
'' Ah, but then there is this thing that I always seem to forget. She is getting older too, Draco. Just as everyone else. Even the charismatic Rita Skeeter can't trick the nature laws residing over us all.'', Barnabas said with a sad smile and a hazy gaze.
Draco nodded, mentally knowing that the age was not the problem. He knew a little part of what Rita was experiencing through their conversations with his mother. He had overheard some of them, and knew that blaming her would be a sin.
Through all, she was just a human being, and if the society was falling apart in melancholy and depression than she would not use her efforts to get it back on track. She understood that only her efforts wouldn't help anyway, and decided to take a break as well.
Barnabas cleaned his throat, before he proceeded. '' You know, I was actually planning to give you the assignment. But then I thought it seemed like you had a lot to handle. My apologies, I hope I am not being offensive in any way.''
Draco offered the old man a smirk. '' Trust me when I tell you that I'm not offended. Your resolution was the right one. I really have been stuck somewhere between two worlds for a while, as many others. I mean, I didn't even know that my wife's sister was pregnant until yesterday. It appeared that she had been pregnant in a whole month, and I found out just now.''
Cuffe's eyes grew in size. '' Daphne? Oh, young Daphne! Tell her that we, I mean me and my family, are congratulating and wishing her all the best.''
'' I will, if it keeps stuck in my fatuous mind until the next time Ill get an opportunity to see her.'', Draco smiled under heavy lashes, mentally chuckling from the thought of him getting senile.
Barnabas took hold of the porcelain cup that was placed on his desk, taking a sip of something that seemed to be black coffee. He offered Draco a cup who politely declined, before he continued the conversation. '' While speaking of your wife... How is Astoria doing?''
'' Good. Good.'', Draco replied quickly, licking his lower lip to stop it from gritting onto his upper. '' She had this alleviative vacation to Spain together with Daphne this week, returning yesterday, when they broke the big news out to me.''
Barnabas nodded. '' Well, is she having any of her charity seminars in the nearest future?''
Draco took some time to think, even thought the temporary senility was hissing about its existence again. '' Not as I am informed of. But then there is this thing about her... She is independent, and doesn't seem to have any need to enlighten me. And Ill have to inform that I'm not really complaining.''
'' I recall something like that, yes.'', the old man chuckled, choking on the hot coffee that had apparently gotten stuck on its way down his throat.
Draco watched him with grey, severe eyes, considering to help the old man breathing, but before he could even make the decision to do so, the man had placed the cup of coffee down and was rummaging through some papers.
Thank Godric for that, because helping others was simply not in Draco Malfoy's nature.
'' Anyway, back to the reason for why you are here.'', the Editor said, squinting on the paper in front of him through his big glasses. Draco sat up on his chair, and rested his elbow on the desk before he took hold of the paper that the Editor had handed over. '' This is a medicinal report from the murder case going on here in Britain, in the periphery of London. The corpse was found yesterday-''
Draco frowned down at the paper. '' London? But I can't recall any cases-''
'' You couldn't have known, because it was never published.'', the Editor noted, pointing a proud finger towards the paper. '' This information is in our hands only. No other tabloid has got the same sources as us. We must use them wisely.''
'' Do you mean that we are the first ones?''
'' The only ones, Draco.'', Cuffe drawled, abruptly snapping the papers out from his hand again, waving them up in the air. '' We are the only ones who has enough information to be able to publish a complete article.''
Draco cocked an eyebrow while he adjusted his black suit jacket to cover the coffee speck. '' So what you are saying, is that there has been a murder, and no other tabloid was there right on the spot? I mean, the Quibbler's reporters are quite fast-''
'' The zone is quarantined. They just didn't have access.''
Barnabas cleaned his throat, and his eyes roamed nervously around the small location of his office. Draco couldn't help to notice that his jaw was being clenched, and the old man was biting on his lower lip in a deep concentration, as if he was trying to decide what to tell and what better not to. He had seen this before, and the only thing it could mean was that this case could be an outbreak for them all. If the right facts got out.
A solution to their shortage of content.
After a while the elder man stood up with his hands folded behind his back, beginning to wander around the office. '' You see, Draco, I have read the report myself. The young victim was intoxicated. It is no sort of potion that we have heard of, so the murderer must have accessed another row of ingredients.''
Draco chewed down the bubbling curiosity, and decided to take one thing at a time. '' A potion? But how is it that the zone is in quarantine because of a potion?''
'' But my dear, a potion can be many things if you know how to make one. I thought your father warned you about paying attention during the potion classes.'', Cuffe scolded as he looked Draco in the eyes. Draco resisted the urge to roll his eyes at him, and luckily there were no other comments coming from his boss. '' According to the report, the corpse had been just some hours old, and was already a complete decay. It looked like it had been dead for at least a week or so. The corpse was a green deadwood. There were black spots over his body, and the blood...''
The wizard stopped to look Draco in the eyes again, this time with an indescribable expression on his face. There was no amusement, neither sorrow or anxiety to find. There was just this typical severe expression that one used when giving a lecture, or trying to knock sense into something.
'' What?'', Draco asked carefully. '' Had the blood been tapped out of him?''
'' No, no. No such thing as that.'', the Editor assured, stopping in front of the window that led down to the Diagon Alley. '' The investigation says that his own bloodstream had built up those spots, and somehow... every single drop of his blood had gathered in them. Like a warehouse, you know. It's-''
Draco shivered from thought of it. '' Are you telling me that the potion had affected the bloodstream into building a sort of pestilence?''
'' Yes.'' The wizard nodded carefully while looking emptily out the window, and Draco thought he noticed his shoulders to sink. '' I want you to read the report yourself and enter into the depth of this case. If we follow from the beginning, it might be easier to publish something unique that will make a change to our society.''
Draco's brows snapped together. '' But that means that I will have to write an article-''
'' It certainly does, and I don't see the problem. You have written articles before, haven't you?''
Barnabas didn't see the problem, but Draco undoubtedly did. He had never deepened himself into the darkest depth of a case, and the thought of having the opportunity here and now in front of him was admittedly shocking. He had never thought of himself as anything else than a simple reporter, even thought that he knew very well that the reviews of his articles had been beyond excellent.
He always saw at it as luck and perhaps maybe a result of his superior, but maybe there was something more to it.
'' I don't know if this is a good idea. I mean yes, I won't deny that I am seen upon as a worthy reporter by the population, but-''
'' Draco, you have proven yourself worthy enough of times. Your articles are flawless!'', the Editor tried to prove. '' The wizarding Britain keeps on buying the Prophet because of the things you and Skeeter write. You are influential. Elsewhere, the Quibbler would have ousted us.''
'' I guess old Mr. Lovegood just don't lose any time.'', the blonde shrugged.
Barnabas spun around to face the young Malfoy. '' He doesn't, and if we don't act quick he will find out. So what will it be?''
Draco pondered on his possibility for a second, and there were no doubts of course. It was an ultimatum, and Draco would certainly take the way where he could find some advantage. '' Ill handle it. Just give me something to work with, and I certainly will.''
Cuffe's old smile stretched out over his face. '' I will have the report delivered to your desk immediately.''
Draco nodded thoughtfully, and stood up from his chair. He quickly maneuvered his hands up the buttons of his black suit jacket, buttoning it up to hide the big, inconvenient, coffee spot on his shirt, and walked towards his portmanteau and coat to leave for his desk. This time he took solicitude of his gloves that had dried during their conversation, and bent down to take hold of his leather portmanteau.
And just when he was about to leave the office, there was a voice from behind that stopped him.
'' One last thing before you leave.''
Draco turned around with an waiting frown.
'' I would like you to take an interview of the auror leading this case.'', Cuffe announced, peering down at a paper that laid on his desk. '' Ah, the name, of course. Here it is.''
Cuffee looked up from the paper and eyed the reporter through his glasses. ''Her name is Hermione Granger.''
Chapter comments:
I hope you have been enjoying so far, and that this hooked you up! I'd love to hear that you would like to follow the journey. No really, I really hope you do!
I promise ( well yes, Ill try my best to keep my promises.) you a journey full of interesting events, and interesting relationships between the characters. And hopefully something that is worth to use your time on.
And oh, there is this small thing: I might come in and edit something later, so I hope you won't be confused.
Read & review!
With love,
- Juliakri