A/N: For day 5 of #dhrfavorites or dhrfaves on tumblr. I would have just posted this there except I started doubting that plan when this hit 2000 words.
FAKE
[December 3rd, 1998 4pm]
Hermione walked purposefully down the street, not one that someone like her would typically be expected to be on. Her bright cheery red coat stood out against the dark colors of the houses lining the streetwalk that seemed to loom over the street. Even with the knowledge that it is just after noon the street has the atmosphere of being late evening. Hermione deliberately avoids the bright lettering of the graffiti on the sloped steps she walks up.
She knocks twice, hard, and then keeps her eyes focused on the peeling green of the door. The wait outside seems to take forever before she hears the relieving sounds of someone moving inside the house. She shivers, despite her feeling warm with nervousness.
She feels an odd sense of overwhelming release when the door opens, and she musters up a realistic fake smile at the wizard in front of her. He is stunned, she can see that clearly on his face, and she takes a moment to let it sink in that it was her before she clears her throat.
"Granger?" He says first, and then there's a pause, one so long she's about to break before he opens his gab again. He ruffles up his hair and does a routine of shaking his head and blinking a few times. "I'm hallucinating aren't it? I knew I shouldn't have asked the bloke next door for sugar. He must have given me some of that wonky powder instead - shit."
His mind made up and settled on a conclusion, he made to go back inside, but Hermione couldn't let him do that. She needed him, and letting him slip away could potentially have severe consequences.
"Malfoy!" she shrieked, and by the way he tensed his shoulders at the name she knew he would keep listening. "Listen to me, I'm not a hallucination. I've got some information you'd like to hear though." She looked around at her dull surroundings. "Do you mind letting me in?"
He turned to face her and straightened. There was obscure expression on his face, that held traces of his infamous smirk along with a tinge of fear. "Oh? And what sort of information is it, that'd make me want to open the door for you? We weren't exactly chums in school you know."
Hermione looked down at her boots and sighed heavily. "Malfoy, you're in danger, and I need your help."
Another stunned silence before he opens the door. She ducks her head and goes in, immediately taking note of the setting. A dumpy looking couch sat in a corner, facing an old tall bookcase that was full the brim. She helps herself to a seat on one of the mismatched chairs next to it, and Malfoy flopped down on the sofa.
"Alright Granger, I can see you're itching to explain and get the hell out of this dump." When she made to protest he shook his head. "Nah don't worry, I'd like to do so too. Now do you care to disclose why exactly you've come to your schoolyard rival?"
Hermione pinched the bridge of her nose, unsure of how to phrase it. "I've got a question first. How come you're living in the Muggle world? The court didn't order you to."
Although Draco and the other Slytherins were technically acquitted of all charges, they'd been given the order of community service and mandatory Muggle living conditions for a year and a half. Grumble as he may about it, Draco had to concede that he had gotten off easy, and had thus far followed all orders, as painstaking as it was. He was still allowed to be around magic, but he was bereft of a wand for a full 18 months. This was a week into the seventh, but he already felt like a decade had passed.
"I moved to the muggle world because I couldn't stand the feeling of loss that surrounded me there. You never realize what you have until suddenly everyone has it and you don't. So I grabbed as many expensive items as I could and ran off, selling them where I could so I could afford at least this place. At least here I get less scathing looks and everyone had the same abilities I do." He shook his head abruptly, and Hermione could tell he hadn't meant to reveal so much. Perhaps it was the lack of human contact that made him want to spill over, even if it was her of all people.
"But you're avoiding the subject Granger. Let's here the proper reason why you're here."
The election was last month, and while the Minister was someone as forgiving as Shacklebolt, the new Wizengamot was not so kind. Filled with men and women who had lost in the war, they moved as one body, intent on getting revenge for the fallen. They were ruthless, and viewed being a Death Eater as a disease that could be passed down genetically.
Malfoy knew this, his subscription to the Prophet still stood from 1996, and he devoured news from his home world, even the articles that heralded that people in high positions were out to get him. He didn't get her point.
"But that's the thing Malfoy, they are out to get you, and now they have a plan that has a possibility of passing." she took a deep breath and shifted in her rickety chair.
"Are you familiar with the concept of internment camps? During the second Muggle world war, thousands of muggles from Germany, Austria, and Italy either living or seeking refuge in Britain, were pulled from their homes to live in a camp, and regarded as "aliens". The government used this as a sort of preemptive attempt to stop the possibility of future crimes." Hermione made sure to maintain eye contact with him. "Do you see where I'm going with this?"
Another silence, but this one was filled with a tension that differed from the one a few minutes ago. "B-but they can't do that!" Malfoy exclaimed. "There's so many of us!"
"Exactly." Hermione pressed grimly. "There are too many of you to be sure who is a threat and who's not, so they plan to just round up anyone with a history or connection with the Death Eaters. I heard it from Mr. Weasley, they're at least only debating it so far."
He seemed to mull this over. "Then where do I come in?"
This caught her off guard. "What?"
"How come you've come to me then? I understand that you're a obnoxiously righteous person who's business is to butt into other people's problems, but I don't understand how this connects you to me of all people."
"I'm sorry, but you weren't exactly my first thought!" she looked incensed. "If this law passed, people I actually cared about would be sent away! You know Andromeda Tonks? Your other aunt who lost everything but her grandson? She'd be taken away from him and put among the very people she tried to escape! I won't let that happen just because you're an egotistical piece of-"
"Granger! Granger, goodness I get it! I'd be getting sent off too you know? You have no reason to get mad at me, especially if you're saying you need my help!" He had his hands outstretched in front of him as if physically warding off an attack, and Hermione realized she was getting a tad touchy.
She conceded, and surprisingly, her cheeks turned redder, and she looked away at his motley bookcase. "Oh! Well I was getting to that! Er, we were discussing it over brunch the other day at the Burrow, and some people thought it was a grand idea, you see, to send hordes of people away to some remote location for being vaguely related to an asshole!" Her voice was increasing in volume now, obviously she was remembering a passionate argument. "I disagreed of course - it's never turned out well before, and well, it's just blatant prejudice!"
She continued on, now full on ranting. "It turned out into a bit of a fight actually, and I was yelling that the law would prohibit any chance of any of the younger members from the possibility of change, and he was yelling about how I would know that that's even possible and I might have screamed that Iwasinasecretrelationshipwith Draco Malfoy."
"Sorry?" He had heard her, but he fervently hoped he'd misunderstood.
She ignored him. "And then I went down to the Ministry's archives, - got in through only my face, they need to tighten up security down there - found your address and then Apparated here." Hermione took another deep breath, and looked at him and hoped.
"Merlin's rod."
Hermione had to agree with the sentiment. "But I think this could work in our favor actually, you know. I've-"
"What the hell? How is it supposed to work in our favor? Not only have I got this threat of being sent to an internment camp, I've also got the pressure of Weasley breaking down the door to kill me for cheating with his girlfriend!"
"Wait, I'm not Ron's girlfriend."
"You're not?"
"I'm not." She clarified.
There was a quiet while Malfoy contemplated this for a few seconds before he launched back into raving. "Still! What could possibly be the silver lining in this situation?"
"Well, I actually thought about it! We could put on the pretense that we've been dating in secret from the past few months and we can prove to the public that if you're capable of redemption and changing your views then so should all the others!"
"That's a bit of a stretch though isn't it? How is us parading in front of the papers supposed to shift the entire wizarding world's perception? I'm willing to bet it wouldn't work if this were after that Muggle war."
Hermione was not willing to budge on this. "But that's because the Muggle world is so much bigger than ours! We're scores smaller, so we at least have a chance."
Please Malfoy? If you have no other reason to do it, do it to get out of this 'hellhole' as you call it."she gestured to the building, the shabby bookcase in particular. Books should never be placed in such a situation. "You can live in my flat."
"Huh. I'll think about it."
He was evading giving his answer, although she knew he had one. "Malfoy."
"Fine fine! I don't have much of a choice do I? I'll do it."
Hermione groaned her relief, and stood up. "Alright then Malfoy." She extended her hand to him. "Be my boyfriend to show the whole world you're not an asshole anymore?"
He took it and shook firmly. "It'll be difficult, but I think I can do that."
[December 4th, 1998 7pm]
"Well this it. Home sweet home." She gestured around her as they stepped out of the fireplace. Draco shifted the boxes in his arms slightly as he took it in. It was a sizable flat, furnished with shades of maroon and gold. It looked very lived-in with a heavy quilt thrown over the sofa and books everywhere, in various stages of sizes and progress.
It was considerably smaller than what he was used to as a Malfoy, but it was loads better than where he'd been since the war. "Nice. Anywhere I can put these down?"
"Oh! Yeah here, you can just put them in the guest room, that'll be yours anyway." She led him over, and he was pleased to see that the Gryffindor hues of the living room weren't present here. He put down his stuff and took a seat on the bed to face Hermione.
"So um, I don't think I mentioned this earlier, but I called Harry and Ginny over for dinner and-"
"What when? How could you spring this one me? For fuck's sakes Granger, I only just came to terms with this an hour back."
"Sorry sorry, I know! I just- I panicked earlier alright - Ron was yelling and I'd just blurted that I was secretly dating their enemy and I was spouting all sorts of shit while trying to get the hell out of there - and I saw Ginny's red face and Harry, well." she scrunched her eyes closed, as if she was there again. "Well he just looked betrayed! And I told them hurriedly that they should come for dinner, because I would show them that you're not awful or whatever. I'm sorry, I know I got a bit ahead of myself sorry."
The last thing Draco wanted at the moment was to deal with Potter and his girlfriend. Actually, all he really wanted to do was take a lengthy nap on the comfortable bed he was currently sitting on, and pretend that today had never happened. But looking at Granger, who had given him the possibility of a nap, made him realize that although she spoke of needing his help, he owed her as well.
He sighed, loud and dramatic, just to assure that she knew that he was making an effort for her. "Alright, what do I need to do?"
She clapped her hands together, a smile on her face that she probably didn't realize that she was pointing at him. "Nothing much, just try to find something a bit more nicer to wear, and make an effort to be nice to my friends? I know you dislike them but we'll need their support."
"Wait, we're telling Potter and Weasley about the fake part?"
Granger wrung her hands. "No, because I'm trying to prove a point to the whole world, which includes them."
She wasn't the type to lie to her friends, and she could tell by her expression that she was loathe to do it. He nearly opened his mouth to say something, but stopped himself when he realized what he was doing. This was Granger after all, and it hadn't been too long ago that he'd taken pleasure in her discomfort.
"Okay.." he said instead. "So what's for dinner?"
She snapped back into the conversation, and shrugged. "It doesn't matter really, I think I'm just going to go order pizza. They'll be here in about twenty minutes anyway, and it'd take too long to make anything.
And she left the room, leaving Draco with no idea of how he'd ended up in this position.
"Oh no, that won't do! Come on Hermione, you two have been enemies since you met, if you expect us to believe you went from that to shagging," Hermione gasped, "then you don't know us at all!"
Harry and Ginny had been here for five minutes so far, and it had been one entire long awkward moment since. Ginny had been filling the discomfort thus far with random questions and small talk, with Hermione and Draco fumbling to answer. Harry had not spoken a word.
"Um, Sainsbury's." Hermione answered, naming the first place she could think of. She looked at Draco, who was nodding as if he was remembering the same thing.
"Yeah, although I'm more of a Tesco's bloke myself this one was closer to my work and I needed, um, chocolate." It was a tiny blunder, but he kept on going valiantly. "Let's see, I was getting frustrated at one of those talking checkout things, and Granger here took pity on me and decided to helped me out."
Hermione was nodded along, getting into the story. "Yeah, and then when you said thank you I looked up and our eyes just connected-"
"-and yours flashed with recognition the same time that mine did-"
"-and you went 'Granger?' really slow and dumb because you just couldn't believe it and-"
He glared at this assessment but continued. "-and you stammered out a Your Welcome and tried to run away, but then the checkout thing started screaming something about bagging area, and you had to stop to help out."
"Seeing you trapped into helping me inspired me into asking you to coffee to catch up. It became a weekly thing, and although it was just as friends at first, but then once we realized we liked each other-"
"- which I only knew 'cause you blurted it like a dunderhead over hot chocolate when I mentioned how much I liked snow!"
Draco smiled, and although he was very aware of Potter and Ginny was it? he continued to look directly at Hermione, who was smiling at him as well. She was very convincing wasn't she, for someone who claimed to hate lying. That or she was amazing under pressure. "It wasn't my fault you know, that you were hiding your feelings! And if I'm the dunderhead who blurts things, what do you call the person who knocks over their drink when they reach over and plant one on me?"
The doorbell rang and Hermione deliberately broke his gaze, clearing her throat."That must be the pizza!" She then practically sprinted to the door, and in the two seconds she was away, Ginny Weasley's face completely morphed in front of him. The casually interested look she had affected while the two were storytelling transformed to one of intrigued mischief, if such an emotion even existed.
Thankfully Granger returned before Weaslette could do anything, Now that things had somewhat calmed down, dinner went over in a much more subdued tone, with mostly Hermione and Weasley talking, except for a few things contributed here and there by Draco. Conversation didn't come near their relationship again, and although there were a few stilted remarks that verged on going into politics, usually a well placed nudge by Granger brought it back to gardening or whatever. Potter still hadn't said a word except drink his wine and pick the pineapple off his pizza like a barbarian.
"That's what I said! But Hermione won't believe me, you see she still seems to think that the only value sports has is exercise!"
"That's absolutely tragic. Just when I thought she'd finally get over her fear of heights and become the star Quidditch strategist I know she could be. What a shame, really." Malfoy nudged her shoulder gently, and gave her an adoring smile, one that she returned weakly. Not for the first time tonight, she was amazed at how enigmatic he could make his normally ashen face.
Hermione had been feeling the dread pool in her stomach throughout dinner, even while discussing the new jasmine flowers her plant in the corner had recently grown. Although she was impressed with Draco's acting ability, and she supposed Ginny did seem to be getting along with him and laying off the offense, the sinking feeling that rushed into her stomach every time she so much as glanced at Harry spoke volumes.
He wasn't purely upset about the fact that it was his school rival - she was attuned to his feelings, you didn't live in a forest with someone for months without picking up on a few things - but her keeping it a secret was also as issue. Even with her memorised speech, just knowing that she'd have to be the one to confront him first put a bad mood over her pizza.
"Oh look at the time! We're really sorry Hermione, but I've got Quidditch early tomorrow and if I want to be alive for practice we've got to leave now." Ginny jumped up from the table, and everyone else followed automatically, creating for a simultaneous screeching of their three chairs on the kitchen tile. "As always I'm thankful to you for treating us to one of Muggles' most magical creations." She grinned, nodding to the now empty pizza box.
"Of course!" Hermione replied, summoning a smile onto her face, "I'm glad you two finally got to properly meet Draco!" She said, channeling all her fake enthusiasm as she felt blindly for Malfoy's arm. Thankfully he had understood her gesture, and eased an arm around her waist. She marveled at the feeling for a second, before regaining focus.
"Well thanks again!" Ginny lightly shoved Harry, who had been slowly trying to escape via the fireplace. "Wait Harry, don't forget that word you wanted to have with Hermione!"
She disappeared at his weak "What, but-". Clearly Ginny wouldn't allow him going home without speaking to Hermione first. Harry sighed and opened his mouth to speak before he was cut off.
"Uh, I'll go do the dishes alright?" Malfoy blurted, before nodding his head and shuffling to the kitchen.
For the first time that evening. Hermione was alone with Harry, and with this realisation she sighed, all the tension suddenly leaving her body. "Alright Harry, say what you want about him. You'll have to be quiet though, the kitchen is only the next room."
Harry just shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know what to say really. I mean," he took a long sigh before flopping down on the sofa. "What can I say? What more could you be hiding, only to blurt out randomly later?"
"Harry, that was a mistake alright? What Draco and I were hiding was something so-" she scrambled for words that would make her lies into half-truths, but Harry cut her off.
"No need to explain it to me, I believe all the bullshit you're undoubtedly going to throw at me about how he's reformed or whatever. Hell, I agree with you on the whole internment camp thing don't I? No no, you've got to explain it to Ron. Remember him, your ex boyfriend?"
Hermione, who had felt her stomach rolling with discontent all throughout dinner finally snapped, at the mention of Ron, and she stood up, towering over Harry.
"Harry James Potter, if you are going to insinuate that I am orchestrating a whole hoax simply to spite the man I dated for a total of two weeks? You think that I'd still be hung up on a man who disagrees with me on whether or not to send innocent people to exaltation?"
"What? That's- that's not what I'm saying Hermione." he stood up, blinked long and slow, and made toward the fireplace. "I'm just saying that this whole thing with Malfoy looks a bit fishy given the circumstances."
"Leaving so soon Potter? I was thinking we could have a nightcap. The wife's got an excuse but you're free aren't you?"
Malfoy's sudden appearance behind them shocked both of them, but alas there he stood, brandishing a bottle of firewhiskey he must have nicked from Hermione's cabinet.
Harry shook his head, the shock wearing off and returning to the expression from before. "I'll have to decline Malfoy sorry to say." He picked up the floo powder and was about to throw it in when he turned back, as if something were bothering him. "And Ginny's not my wife."
The both of them waited two seconds after the flames died down from his departure before they moved in sync. Hermione groaned and fell onto the couch, her head in her hands as Draco proclaimed "That went well!"
"He's suspicious you know." Hermione said from the cocoon of her arms.
"Oh I know." Malfoy answered, in a sweet sarcastic tone that fit him perfectly. Unlike his smirk from their Hogwarts days however, it didn't seem to hold any malice. "I'd recognize that look anywhere."
He nudged something cool to her elbow, and she looked up to seem him seated next to her, offering her a glass of the firewhiskey she hadn't noticed him pouring.
"The question is, how are we going to convince him not to be?" He continued, taking a long sip.
Hermione's eyes widened. "You mean you're going through with this? Even after the disaster that was tonight?"
He shrugged. "Why not? I've got nothing else to do for the next fourteen months. Besides, this is a challenge, and goodness knows I couldn't ask for a better partner." He nodded at her, and Hermione reflexively rolled her eyes.
"Well then." Hermione sat up, and took a sip. "We've got to have a set plan of which officials to convince and how we're going to sway the public-"
"Obviously we can't just wing it. I'd expect no less from Hermione Granger." She knew he was poking fun of her, but it did feel nice to be appreciated for the work that got put in. He'd also implied that he'd be helping with that stage, which made her break into a full smile.
"Alright then," she raised her glass to see him smiling as well. "time to overturn some laws!"
FIN