Antithesis of Virtue
Summary: He never thought they'd be able to get along, let alone fall for her. And he never imagined that she'd join him on the dark side.
Disclaimer: I own…wait. I don't even own a Harry Potter poster! cries and yes, J.K. Rowling owns all.
Prologue: London, October 29, 1999
A young woman sat in a hard, straight-backed chair in front of her superior. Her long brown hair was pulled back into a ponytail, her curls straining to get free. Dressed in a no-nonsense suit, a casual passerby might've thought she was either extremely competent or cold. Unless they looked closer, they'd miss the sparkle in her eyes, or the glitter in her jewelry. Then they would have missed the run in her left stocking and the fact that her black leather heels were scuffed.
At nineteen, she was the youngest code breaker the Ministry had ever hired. She was freshly graduated and full of over-the-top plans to make both the Muggle world and the Wizarding world better. She inspected the chipping wine-red nail polish on her fingernails, before shifting in her seat.
A knock on the large oak door, followed by it opening and a young man walking in caused her to turn in her seat. He stood there, looking around the room, and then rubbed his left fore arm. He glared at the young woman through silvery-blonde hair and sat in the chair next to hers, clearly displeased. Unlike his companion, he was clearly not someone you would find with scuffed shoes. True to that fact, he was dressed in a Muggle-style male suit, impeccably clean and his shoes were almost mirrors. He could've been the same age as the young woman. Subconsciously, both young people clenched their teeth. The woman in front of the two young people smiled at them.
"Well, now that we're all here, we can properly start this meeting," she said. "Now, I know you both know each other, seeing as you went to school together." She looked down at the papers on her desk. The young man spoke up.
"Excuse me, ma'am, but I haven't been in school for about a year. And if we went to school together, it's most likely that she hasn't either," he smiled charmingly at the girl. She merely raised an eyebrow in response.
"Oh. I see," said the older woman. Then she smiled. "Then let me reintroduce you two." She looked up briefly. "Miss Hermione Granger, Mister Draco Malfoy. Mister Draco Malfoy, Miss Hermione Granger." In the brief seconds it took to say those two words, both Hermione and Draco's faces became closed, full of fury and in the case of Draco's close to throwing up. He jumped out of his chair.
"I am not going to be near that…that mudblood over there, ever! Not even if you paid me!" he shouted, pointed at Hermione and moved to leave. She barely even flinched. His boss' cold voice cut through his movements.
"Mister Malfoy, I suggest you sit down." Draco obeyed, though sullenly. "And not only are you going to be near here, but you are going to work with her. And I will not tolerate you using derogatory names. Her name is Hermione Granger and you are allowed to call other people by their names, Mister Malfoy." He hung his head it what almost looked like shame, then looked up, his eyes steely and annoyed.
"Then what are we-"he choked out the word 'we'. "-going to work together on?" he finished asking, and glared out the window.
"Ah," the two young people's boss said, leaning over her desk towards them. "It is a very, very interesting project we have for you. I have good, strong letters of recommendations from all your teachers saying that you are the only ones for the job. First I will give you the rules. One, you are to call each other by your proper, given names. First or last, it doesn't matter. But none of this name-calling like children. Rule two is that you have to at least pretend to get along for this assignment. It is vital for the project to not fail." She paused and looked at them closely, peering at them through her spectacles. "Now, onto the project…"
Hermione and Draco walked out of the office, both grim and unhappy. Hermione was about to turn away, into a different hallway, when Draco grabbed her arm and pushed her against the wall.
"Listen, Granger," he started, speaking in a heated whisper. "I don't get why we have to do this and I don't understand how on earth they think you and I could work together, but," he paused to breathe. "Don't think that this means we're friends, because we aren't, and DON'T touch me at all, unless you have to." He stopped to breathe again when she cut in.
"Look, Malfoy, I don't think this has gotten through your thick skull but this is important for the good of the entire world, not just our Wizarding one! And what makes you think I'd want to touch you of my own free will? One last thing; I never saw it as a friendship offer. Now let go of me!" She wrenched her arm out of his grasp and walked off, pushing through the door. Draco looked at his hand and scowled, disgusted. Then he stalked away as well, aiming for a bathroom to wash his hand.
Oooooh. What drama. What intrigue. Tell me what you think of it. I'm not posting another chapter until I get about five reviews.
MTYCH