AN: Written for a challenge on SAYS (Jessi's Off the Wall). Man, I had MAJOR writers block for this one. I hope it works and doesn't sound all strained and blah blah. Enjoy!
-
"Chang!"
Cho turned around, sighing. "What?" she snapped.
Draco sneered at her. "Someone in a tit today? Have you filed those reports?"
They glared at each other and then Cho said reluctantly, "yes, I have, but if you think I'm doing extra just because I finished early, you are bloody mad, Malfoy."
Draco raised a pale eyebrow. "You're the one who's mad, Chang," he drawled, inspecting his nails. "As if I'd let you do any of the important stuff. You're too dense, and we'd never be able to get ourselves out of the bog you'd make. No, we have an investigative assignment."
"An assignment?"
"Yes, Chang," Draco said sweetly, "you know, those things that we get about three times a month? The ones I unfortunately have to share with you because you are, regrettably, my partner."
Cho muttered into her coffee and when she looked up again, her eyebrows were still drawn together in a little storm cloud.
"What's the assignment for?" she asked finally.
"Something peculiar found in the butterbeer brew at the Three Broomsticks. We have to go undercover, get a bigger sample."
"Now?"
Draco sighed exasperatedly. "Yes, now, you utter idiot. We'll have to get disguises and that kind of thing, and then we have to leave. We've got about an hour or so."
"Fine," Cho muttered, and stood up, shrugging her coat on. They walked to the Cloaking Department quickly, not looking at each other. When they reached it, Cho opened the door, flicking it shut before Draco could get through. He came in a few seconds later, fuming, a small cut on his nose.
"Can I help you?" Georgina, the person in charge of Cloaking Department enquired, reaching for her pen even as she looked up.
"Malfoy and Chang," Draco drawled, "Case number three hundred and two of this year."
"Obviously it'd be of this year," Cho muttered, and Draco glared at her.
Georgina hummed as she looked through a box. "Hmm, ok, three hundred…and one, and two. Here we go."
She handed Draco a slip of paper, and he pocketed it before walking over to a desk on the other side of the room.
A small box labelled 'slips in here' sat on the desk, and Draco pulled out the slip of paper and pushed it into the opening. After a few seconds there was a whirring sound and two small bottles of potion came out of another glass box on the desk.
Draco picked them up, throwing one to Cho, and they both drank them quickly, grimacing at the familiar taste. After a few moments they looked over each other.
"Not bad, Chang," Draco said mockingly. "You look better like that."
Cho had turned into a middle aged woman, slightly dumpy, blonde hair curling around her ears. She glared at Draco.
"Well, you're bald, Malfoy. So you can shut up."
"I am not bald!" Draco said furiously, running a hand over his head. Cho smirked.
"Yes. You are. Now what exactly are we planning on doing?"
They looked over at the glass box, which now held a small parcel. Draco untied it, pulling out two small rings and a note.
"You have got to be kidding me," Draco said in a low voice. Cho grabbed the ring and put it on.
"Oh, stop being such a bloody whiner, Malfoy. It's not as though you're actually marrying me. Read the note."
Draco made a face at her and pushed the other ring on before unfolding the note.
"You're going to be…Alexandra, and I'm…Tom. Tom." he snorted derisively and then looked at the note again.
"Our last name is Bennet. We're friends of Rosmerta's at The Three Broomsticks. Got it all in your tiny little brain?"
Cho sniffed. "Let's just go, shall we? Tom."
Draco rolled his eyes. "My pleasure, your royal bitch-face-ness. Got the floo powder?"
Cho held up a small bag, choosing to ignore his comment. They walked up to the department's fireplace and threw in the powder.
"The Three Broomsticks!" Draco said clearly, and stepped into the flames.
-
"So when are we planning on getting the samples?" Cho whispered as they stood at the bar, waiting for Rosmerta. Draco glared at her.
"I don't bloody know. Why do I have to organise everything? Are you that stupid…no, never mind."
"Ha, ha," Cho said sarcastically, and Draco grinned.
"I thought it was good. Look, Chang, just keep your mouth shut and we should be fine."
Cho rolled her eyes and then smiled as Madame Rosmerta came up to them.
"Hello! Fancy seeing you here! How have you been? Getting up to any mischief?"
"Only the usual mischief," Draco said smoothly. Rosmerta laughed. Cho rolled her eyes again.
"You," Cho pronounced under her breath, so only Draco could hear her, "are an imbecile."
"And you," Draco said through his teeth, smiling at Rosmerta, "should shut your fat gob."
Cho laughed and jabbed him under the bar. He yelped a little and then grinned at Rosmerta, who was looking a bit confused.
"Well, I'm sorry to say hi and dash, but I have to get to my customers," Rosmerta said after a moment, and then added, "sit down and make yourselves comfortable. I'll get you a drink."
Draco smiled and pulled Cho to an empty table, sitting them both down heavily.
"What the hell did you think you were playing at? You want to get us caught?"
Cho made a snotty noise. "No I don't bloody want us to get caught. What I want is for you to go die in a hole."
"Oh, pleasant. Well I'm not exactly in love with you either, you know."
"Oh, I know. You're so horrible to me, how could I not? You're a complete dick."
They both folded their arms and looked away from each other, sulking.
-
Rosmerta watched her friends bemusedly. They didn't seem to be getting along very well. In fact, they seemed to hate each other. But they were usually so loving…it didn't make any sense. She polished a glass absentmindedly, still watching them. Maybe they were going through a difficult patch. It happened.
-
Harry sat down heavily, sighing. Rosmerta came over and he ordered a firewhiskey, whereupon she smiled at him and said something about him looking tired, which he didn't really catch. She left, looking sorry for him and bought back the firewhiskey a few minutes later.
He was looking around the room when he noticed something strange. There was a couple a few tables away, and they were scowling at each other. The strange thing, however, was that they seemed so familiar. He couldn't pick why, though. The woman turned quickly, and Harry caught a blur of another face, which nearly made him spill his firewhiskey.
Standing up, Harry walked over to them and sat down uninvited. He looked over at the woman, who was staring at him, aghast.
"What are you doing, Harry? We're not…"
Draco punched her casually in the arm and she glared at him. Harry stared at them both.
"I know you, I'm sure I do," Harry said. Cho shook her head minutely and he caught the face change again. He leaned forward and touched her face. His finger went through part of the skin to rest on the real skin beneath. A glamour. And not a good one, at that.
"Cho?" Harry whispered, and Cho scowled at him. He looked over at Draco. "And that's…Merlin, Malfoy! What are you doing here? And…" he caught sight of the rings. "You're not married, are you?"
Draco and Cho both glared at Harry. "No we're not bloody well married, Potter you great eejit," Draco muttered furiously, his face reddening. "And if you don't bloody mind, we have a job to do, so go be a famous prick somewhere else!"
"Why are you in glamours?" Harry asked, ignoring Malfoy. Cho put her head in her hands and moaned something that sounded like 'ruined, we're ruined!'
Draco shook his head at her. "We're undercover, Potter. Now sod off."
"But what are you undercover for?" Harry asked, having never gotten the whole 'secrecy' thing very well. Draco rolled his eyes at the stupidity that surrounded him. Rosmerta was coming up to them, looking curiously between them all. Draco leant forwards and whispered in Harry's ear.
"Undercover agents, Pothead. Secrecy. You are ruining our assignment. Slap yourself, very hard, in the face. Then get out."
-
Rosmerta set down the drinks and stared at her two friends. There was something…wrong about them. She couldn't tell what it was, though. And then Cho shook her head at something, and Rosmerta saw it. A glamour. Merlin! How many times would they try this? Rolling up her sleeves, she prepared to do some serious kicking out.
-
The door of the Three Broomsticks closed with a slam, and Draco and Cho shuddered from their seats on the ground.
Cho looked up at Draco, rubbing her elbow.
"Do you think we'll get those samples?" she asked, and Draco looked at her, fingering his lip, which was bleeding.
"Probably not. I don't think we're very good at this undercover thing. This is the fifth time this year that this has happened."
"Maybe we should set our differences aside for work, or something."
Draco laughed, patting her on the shoulder. "Yeah, right. That's gonna happen, Chang. You make me laugh."