Wrongful Accusations

Chapter 1

Hermione Granger,

I know what you and your company did. I will make you pay for what happened. Your greed took a life and you will answer for it.

Harry read the note through three times before he looked up at his best friend sitting across his desk from him. Hermione looked pale and shaken. She'd said that she'd found the note among her other mail that morning when she arrived at her office.

"Your assistant doesn't know who sent this?" he asked.

"No. It came in with a bunch of letters. I usually have her sort them, but this morning I was in early so I just had her give them all to me," she explained.

Harry looked again at the note. He wasn't sure how to handle this. This was clearly a serious threat on Hermione's life and she needed protection. He already knew she would fight his suggestion to hire a bodyguard for her. He would do it himself, but at that moment he had just taken over as Head of the Aurors Office and it wasn't possible to leave all his other responsibilities to spend every moment guarding Hermione. Plus, she would never let him.

"I want someone with you until this unsub is caught."

"Harry, you know I can take care of myself. I don't want someone following me around. Who knows how long this will take?"

"Finding this person is my top priority right now. This is only temporary. They won't be with you forever. I know you're capable, but even you don't have eyes in the back of your head. Please, just do this for me?"

She looked like she was about to argue, but then relented. "Fine. I'm lodging my official protest, but I am not going to continue arguing with you."

She got up and left his office.

Harry put his head in his hands and sighed. That went easier than he'd expected.

Harry called his assistant into his office and asked her to send an owl to The Evening Prophet to place an ad for personal security guards to apply to his office immediately. Information would be disclosed during the interviews starting tomorrow. Frankly, there wasn't enough time to find the perfect candidate, but Harry had no choice.

The next day, Harry interviewed the first batch of applicants. He didn't think any were up to the job and began to lose hope. He considered placing Hermione in a safe house somewhere, like Grimmauld Place or Shell Cottage.

He sighed and grabbed the next folder as the corresponding applicant walked in the door. When he looked up, he saw the last person he would have ever expected to come voluntarily to his office.

Hermione started her day like any other. She was extremely busy with the end of the year and final quarter closing, and today she was also getting her—however much she would insist she didn't need one—bodyguard. Harry was bringing him to her office that morning so they could go over schedules and duties. Harry hadn't told her who it was, only that he thought he was the best person for the job.

When she arrived at her office, her assistant, Mary, was fidgeting and informed her Harry was already waiting inside for her. Hermione loved Mary. Mary Thomas was a middle aged woman who'd lost her husband a few years ago and had no children. She was gentle and kind, but got her work done quickly and efficiently.

Faintly wondering what was bothering Mary, Hermione collected her messages and letters, and with an encouraging smile for Mary, pushed open her office door to meet the person who would be stalking her for the foreseeable future. If she'd had any expectations about who she might see on the other side of the door, it was not the person she found in the room, staring at her bookshelf.

Draco Malfoy himself stood in her office.

Confusion blurred her vision as she took him in. When the shock wore off a little, she caught sight of Harry, sitting on her couch along the wall opposite of her desk. His hands were clapped together in his lap and his legs were bouncing up and down. She opened her mouth, trying to formulate words as she stared at him, but he sprang up and rushed to explain.

"He was the best candidate for the job," he stammered out. "The others would have been useless and I didn't have time to keep looking. I wanted someone with you as soon as possible. This is only temporary, until we catch the unsub. You know that's my highest priority right now." His pleading look was the only reason she didn't protest.

She couldn't believe there wasn't anyone else Harry thought was qualified for the job. She couldn't believe that he had applied for the job, for that matter. She looked at Malfoy, still standing in front of the bookshelf, but now facing the two of them with his signature smirk on his face.

Though the smirk was not new, she noticed other changes since the last time she'd seen him. At his trial, he'd been thin and worn out, much like how he looked at the Battle of Hogwarts. Now, he was more filled out and his skin was no longer sickly pale. His hair was still the same blinding blonde, but he wore it shorter now. His eyes hadn't changed of course; they were still the piercing grey she remembered from their days in school. His attitude hadn't changed, either.

"Granger, if you don't want me to be your… bodyguard, just say so. I'm the best person for the job, but I won't stay where I'm not wanted," Malfoy stated with clipped tones.

Without acknowledging him, she turned to Harry. "You honestly think this is a good idea?" she asked.

"There wasn't much time. If it doesn't work we can find someone else, but for now, he really is the best we have," he explained.

"Harry, I still think that you are overacting! I am able to take care of myself," she said with her chin aimed up.

"Hermione, please just try for me. He's really not that bad anymore," Harry pleaded.

Malfoy scoffed at that and cut into their conversation. "Oh, don't mind me at all."

Hermione threw him a glare and Harry blinked at him as though he'd forgotten he was there.

"Well Malfoy," she said icily, "if you think you can handle spending every minute with me and following me around, there are a few rules and procedures I'd like to go over with you. You may change your mind." With that, she strode to her desk and took her seat.

Harry could tell that this was going to be difficult as he and Draco sat down opposite Hermione. Hermione looked flustered and clearly still didn't trust Malfoy. Malfoy was acting his usual arrogant self and making the situation more difficult than it needed to be. By the end of this, if there was an end to it, Harry was going to need a long, stiff drink. As long as Malfoy did his job and kept Hermione safe, that was all that mattered.

Until they arrested the unknown subject responsible for the death threat, he privately swore he would go without sleep – not that Ginny, his fiancée, would allow that. But the longer it took, the more likely Hermione and Malfoy would end up killing each other.

Draco fumed.

She didn't think he was good enough to protect her, or she hated him still and wouldn't see past it. Either way, it stung to be doubted and the look on her face that said she would take anyone else instead wasn't helping either.

He didn't understand why she would still hate him. He'd been cleared of all charges after the war, a decision that was heavily influenced by the testimonies of the very two people in this office. He rarely saw anyone from his old life anymore. The only friend he kept in contact with was Theo Nott. He rarely even knew what was going on in the wizarding world except for the occasional time he would read The Prophet if it was lying around.

With all his spare time, he practiced offensive and defensive magic, as well as learning some Muggle forms of offensive and defensive fighting. He'd felt weak and out of control while he was under Voldemort's powers and he never wanted to feel that way again.

Although he had no real experience protecting someone, he saw how his mother's guards protected her and he didn't think it would be that difficult. Though, in his defense, he only thought that before he found out who it was he was charged with.

Granger was going over her schedule now. Draco noted that she worked a lot and rarely spent any time outside of work. He wasn't very surprised to hear this though. Harry piped in now and then to give him more information. He was to be with her six days a week, all day, with Sundays off, when she'd have Potter with her. They informed him that he would be staying at her house in a guest room. That gave him pause, but her house couldn't be that bad.

They continued to go over every detail of the assignment. Potter made it very clear that he was to keep his identity hidden while out in public. People would have a fit if they saw Draco Malfoy following Hermione Granger around. When they were alone, such as in her office while she worked, Granger made it clear that she wished him to stay out of the way and to keep it more informal. She also informed him that she would be travelling in the near future, and unless the unsub was caught before then, he would be going with her.

After they finished going over everything, they both looked at Draco expectantly. He looked into Granger's eyes for what he thought must've been the first time. What he saw staring back at him startled him. He saw her fear and doubt. About him.

In that moment, he was overcome by the desire to prove Granger wrong about him. He would take this responsibility and he would keep her out of danger. Draco nodded at Potter in acceptance of their terms.

Potter stood from his seat and the others followed. He grasped Draco's outstretched hand and shook it.

"Keep her safe, Malfoy. I'm counting on you. Don't make me regret this," Potter said. After a quick hug from Granger, Potter walked out the door.

Author's note:

Sorry for the constant updates and changes to this story! I'm hoping that the following chapters will post much more smoothly now. Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think!

A special thanks to the best, most helpful beta, Moot, for helping a new author and making this chapter better!