Written for the QLFC, Round 13
Team: Pride of Portree
Beater 2 Prompt: Trick Box: Ghost: Write about someone who is unable to let go of a grudge or resentment.
Optional Prompts:
8. (word) morose
9. (phrase) drop of a hat
14. (role) spy
Word count (not including AN): 1288
The Ferret
"I hate him." Hermione Granger turned up her nose as she walked past the object of her disdain, ignoring the way he courteously held the door open for her and her assistant, Rosa.
Rosa looked at her boss in confusion. "Draco Malfoy? But...he's always been such a gentleman! Never a cross word to any of us 'underlings.' What did he do to deserve such harsh language from you, Ms. Granger?"
Unlocking the door to her office, Hermione turned and scoffed. "What has he done? Malfoy will sell you out at the drop of a hat! I would have rather he fought to the death with some honor intact than to change sides last minute. What type of coward does that?"
Confused by the phrase drop of a hat, Rosa followed Hermione in. "One who has realized the error of his ways?" Rosa rarely argued with Hermione, but she just as rarely held her tongue.
"Rosa, Rosa, Rosa," Hermione shook her head, "Draco Malfoy only thinks about himself. He only left Voldemort's side when it was obvious Harry was going to defeat him anyway. He didn't want to be caught on the losing side and thrown in Azkaban." Setting her files on her desk, she caught sight of a bouquet of roses that had been delivered during her meeting. Oh, Ron… She made a mental note to owl him later. They really needed to talk. Again.
Rosa watched her boss. For months now, Hermione had been receiving flowers from Ron Weasley, her ex-boyfriend. The two had been inseparable for three years after the war, but apparently, Hermione was a single woman again, and Ron wasn't happy about it.
"Mr. Weasley again, Ms. Granger?" Rosa asked calmly.
Hermione nodded. "Of course. Could you do something with these, Rosa? I don't feel like throwing away good flowers, but I definitely don't want them in my office either." Rosa quickly grabbed the vase and took them to the general office area, removed the saccharine-sweet love note attached, and sat them on the nearest flat surface that wasn't a desk. Turning to return to the DMLE administration office where Hermione worked, Rosa almost collided with none other than Draco Malfoy.
"Oh! Mr. Malfoy! I'm so sorry!" Rosa reached out instinctively to make sure he was unharmed.
Draco smirked a bit at her actions. "It's truly no trouble, Miss—?" he said, reaching for her name.
"Rosa Davidson, sir. I should have been watching where I was going."
"Once again, no harm. Aren't you Granger's assistant?" he asked, looking behind her where Hermione's door stood open.
She nodded. "Yes, sir. And you're an Auror. I'm trying to learn everyone's name around here, but it's hard."
Draco smiled again. "Good on you. I'd better get back to work. Nice meeting you, Miss Davidson."
"You too, Mr. Malfoy," she called after him.
Draco reached his desk and leaned back with a sigh. Everyone had seemed to forgive Draco for his actions while at Hogwarts. Well, everyone except two: Hermione Granger and Draco himself. The blond Auror still felt responsible for the deaths he orchestrated during sixth year. His repairing of the vanishing cabinet in the Room of Requirement was to blame for that fiasco.
However, Harry Potter himself had reached out a hand in, not exactly friendship, but good faith. After his father had been imprisoned, Draco had worked diligently to clean up, not only the Malfoy name but the Black name as well. Bellatrix had muddied it enough, and Draco felt it his responsibility to make things right.
It was true: Draco had made great strides, but Hermione just wouldn't give in and forgive him. She still held it against him that he was Voldemort's spy, that his role in the war had almost killed her best friends.
Well, thinking of it like that, I can't blame her. Draco didn't know why it was so important that Hermione forgive him. When Potter had approached him, he felt some relief, but nothing significant. When Weasley had stuck out a reluctant hand in compromise, he'd felt even less. However, Granger's dismissal, no, hate of him struck a nerve, and he wished he could ignore the pain.
"Mr. Malfoy?" He looked up and saw that girl again. Rosa? At his sign of recognition, she smiled. "I was just wondering if you could follow me back to Ms. Granger's office? She needs a hand moving a shelf, and I'm no help when it comes to physical labor. Could you—?"
Draco didn't know why he jumped up so quickly, or why he followed this stranger into the lion's den (quite literally), but he did. He wanted to help Hermione Granger, earn her trust. And he didn't know why.
Hermione turned to see Draco walk into her office like he owned the place. However, the cool façade crumbled once he heard the door behind him close and lock into place. Looking at her worriedly, he pulled out his wand and attempted to unlock the door. After no success, he turned back to her.
"Granger, what's the meaning of this?"
Hermione couldn't believe her ears. "You're asking me? You're the one who walked in here, no warning, no knock...Why are you here in the first place?"
"Your assistant, Miss Davidson, told me you needed my help with something. I'm trying to turn over a new leaf, so I figured it wouldn't hurt to help out." Draco sat in one of the chairs in front of her desk without invitation.
"Why would I ask you for help, Malfoy? I'd be more trusting if an actual snake had slithered into my office. At least I'd know its intentions. Who knows what ulterior motives you have for waltzing in here?"
Draco looked at Hermione intently for a moment, then a fragile, morose expression clouded the blond's face. "I guess I deserve that. I've asked myself worse on a daily basis."
This shocked Hermione. "What do you mean?"
"I was a traitor of the worst sort at Hogwarts. I hurt people to ensure my own safety. One of my best friends died in Fiendfyre during the last battle while I clung to Potter, depending on him to help me escape." The guilty look on his face deepened. "I spied on my classmates for that bloody tyrant, thinking I was an important bloke. I almost watched you die at the hands of my crazy aunt, and I never said a word to stop her."
Hermione looked closely at Draco. "Why switch sides? Why decide to be 'good' when it was all going to hell? Malfoy, I can't stand a coward. Stand for something, for Merlin's sake!"
"What do you think I'm doing, Granger?" Draco half-yelled. "I spend each day in the field watching Harry Potter's back. I ensure Weasley's safety every time we go on a mission. I beat myself up every day just to make sure I don't bring more shame on the Malfoy and Black names. Granger, what could you possibly hold against me that I don't already hold against myself? The only one I haven't been able to convince that I've changed is you, and I don't know why that's so damn important to me, but it is."
Hermione sat down behind her desk. "Malfoy, I know why we're stuck in here. Rosa locked us in until we reach some agreement." She sighed. "I don't trust you. Not at all. However," she conceded, "I can agree to give you a chance. To allow you to prove yourself to me."
Draco smiled. "That's all I ask, Granger. All I ask."
A few minutes after Draco left Hermione's office, a message flitted to Rosa's desk. On it were two simple words:
Thank you.