Disclaimer (1): I do not claim any rights to Harry Potter or any other fandom that might be referenced in the future, and so all the legal hoopla is in order precisely as is required by law.

Disclaimer (2): This story was written for the Houses Competition being hosted by MoonlightForgotten. All appropriate details can be found in the Author's Note at the end of the story.

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There he is – again.

Draco Malfoy, with his illustrious and lackluster repertoire, is sitting in the interrogation chamber in his usual seat. It very well should have his name on it by now. Unfortunately, Hermione cannot ignore that all the times before were distinctly different. Those times he was helping Harry with investigations pertaining to the Death Eaters that somehow remain elusive. Several years have passed since the war and yet, Draco Malfoy is still useful to the Aurors.

But today he's just another potential criminal.

The thing about Draco Malfoy is that he is rarely more than a "potential" anything. He squanders much of his talents on petty activities, such as dealing in the trade of dark artifacts, or by finding discreet ways to insult every single person in the room in a single sentence. Considering how cunning he has always been, the fool very rarely exerts any energy towards being legitimately good at any single task.

Until now, anyway…

"Did he ask for me specifically?" Hermione questions the wizard who found Malfoy. Not only is this the first month she's been in the Magical Law Enforcement department, but all of her work has been specifically with magical creatures too. There is no logical reason for her to be here during his interrogation. When the wizard nods his head curtly, it only causes new questions to sprout in her mind. "Did he mention why?"

"Says yer the only one he can trust," the man remarks, and it somehow reminds her of Hagrid. Perhaps it was the way he carries himself or the tone of his voice, or his accent, but it gives her some level of comfort. Thinking of Hagid now reminds her of how she spent much of her year standing up to Draco Malfoy's bullying shenanigans. Though she was not initially interested in coming down when she was summoned, she now embodies how the friendly giant always approached delicate matters: with his truest self. A smile breaks out over her lips for a moment but she peers through the enchanted glass down at Malfoy, and then promptly lets it fade from her face.

Hermione is the sort to ask questions and investigate things because knowledge is absolutely power. The obvious question returns to the forefront of her brain: He trusts her? Why he would trust her after the horrifying way he'd always treated her at Hogwarts? The whole concept is unthinkable to her.

The silence is interrupted when a new voice erupts unexpectedly. It belongs to the Auror who found Malfoy, in Cardiff of all places, and he's demanding to know what Hermione will do with the request. "Will she speak to this bloody tosser or not?"

She's already been told why Draco Malfoy is being held: suspicion of illegal trade of magical wares with a Muggle and intent to commit illegal trade of dark artifacts. Though these are minor crimes, when she considers that only a few years ago he was technically a Death Eater himself, and that his family name makes all of his activities look more frightening than they actually are in the grand scheme of things. In fact, last Hermione had known – Draco Malfoy disappeared almost completely outside of his contact with the Aurors. There were rumors that there was a sort of falling out with his parents over his fiancé, Astoria Greengrass, but nobody knew for sure. Not even Astoria…

Hermione shake the rumors from her mind, as they matter none in the current situation. She doesn't think the law is something to be trifled with but she is be blind to the flaws in the system either. It is her plan to bring about reform when she's in a position of power. This will eventually be a part of her job anyway, so…

"Yes, I want to see what he has to say."

As she walks down a flight of stairs to the actual entrance of the room, both gentlemen are prattling about what they need her to find out from Draco Malfoy. They want to know where he's getting his supply, why he's trading it with Muggles, and if he is willing to make a plea agreement on his charges if he trades his 'life of crime' for something far more helpful to the Ministry: being an undercover informant.

When she slinks in the door she is taken aback by how truly disastrous Malfoy looks. From above, he simply looked tired, but now that she sees him in close proximity - it becomes evident he's been living in subpar conditions for a considerable time. His hair is messy and starting to matt; his fingernails are caked with dirt and burn marks; and his shirt is haphazardly buttoned with stains covering the wrinkled sleeves.

And, of course, Malfoy speaks before she's even sat down, "Hermione Granger! If you don't mind my saying, the pleasure is all mine. In this instance, anyway…"

"Suave as ever, Malfoy." Hermione hums through gritting teeth, shutting down his playful jab at her submitting to his request. Normally she is not one to shut down and put a massive guard up around her thoughts, but Malfoy brings that out in her. Hermione reminds herself that she is levelheaded and capable of drawing answers out of him.

Unconsciously her hands went into her lap instead of on the table. With force, Hermione even straightened her back along the chair. Professional and concise, that's all she needed to be right now; even if he is laughing at her sarcasm while simultaneously taking credit for it. Her efforts to avoid appearing sheepish apparently didn't go unnoticed, "I guess I'm to blame for the self-esteem issues, aren't I?" Hearing him even acknowledge his treatment of her in any way is gut-wrenching. She is not sure if she wants to scream, cry, or vomit.

"Oh, Merlin's beard, Malfoy, why did you want to talk to me?" Though she wants to drop the nonsense banter, Hermione cannot shake the feeling of importance weighing on her shoulders. Draco Malfoy asked for her specifically and she's sure there was a reason for it. Before she can get the answers for her superiors, this one inquiry of a personal nature must be answered. She'll do her job but ignoring this detail feels unwise. Hermione can feel the war inside of herself over the matter, but she's already asked. Turning back on the question will make her look weak to Malfoy and her co-workers. She'll let no such thing happen.

Suddenly, Malfoy's hands are lifted in front of him, and he leans a bit forward. Hermione doesn't have to wonder what it is that he's doing because she can feel the magic as it leaves his hands. Wandless and wordless magic is rare, but it's possible he became practiced in the art out of necessarity. Ron has shared, wrongfully, a great many details about Draco Malfoy's upbringing that have become beneficial to the Aurors in multiple ways. For a brief second, Hermione considers what Ron might do in her situation. It likely would not be what she's doing, which is just letting him cast the protective barriers in the room. This could be the only way he'll talk openly to her and she doesn't want to compromise the abilities she has to get information.

Once he is sure that the others cannot hear him, see them, or pry on the conversation, a genuine panic flares in Malfoy's eyes. He is vulnerable in a way she's never seen before, and a gut instinct urges her tear the barrier down. Mania looming beneath the surface of an otherwise composed man could be dangerous for her. Yet, she knows she has to stay; she just knows it. Aurors will be summoned immediately to break the barrier even if she tries to do it herself, which means Hermione must work quickly to uncover important details.

"I wasn't trading with a Muggle. I swear it!" Draco declares wildly. He is now leaning over the table and has his torso nearly flat against the surface. Hermione notices how blond strands of hair flop into his eyes, and how this very nearly hides that they are watering. Defeat is obvious in his body language, almost as if he's already lost something. It is deeply unnerving.

So Hermione bites impatiently, "Evidence is against you. If he wasn't a Muggle, then what was he? The Ministry can prove he is definitely not a wizard!"
"His name is Jack Harkness! He promised me access to a rare plant I needed for my alchemy if I retrieved this strange phial for him! He showed me his magic otherwise I wouldn't have helped him if there wasn't proof! I swear it!" His voice cracks, waves through her mind with unfamiliar passion, and then dies at the end when his throat is too dry to finish at full volume. Something about his words does convince her that he really wasn't committing any crime on purpose. And certainly, at the very least, not committing crimes in a stable mindset.

But he seems to realize that she's begun to suspect as much and declares, "I'm not mad! Jack Harkness, some special agent for a hush-hush organization called Torchwood. I couldn't find anything on it anywhere in my library. He hangs around the Rummer Tavern! Go to Cardiff and ask to him!"

Draco Malfoy can be described perfectly in many ways – dramatic, egotistical, and petty – but he is very rarely ever desperate. On a few occasions, she's seen what he can be reduced to in the harshest of circumstances, and this is not like those times. The charges do not match the attention that is being given to him and Hermione starts to wonder if the entire situation is framed or manufactured.

"Why should I trust you?" Hermione demands, feeling as if maybe she doesn't need any other reason than that her gut is telling her to listen to him, to trust him. Draco Malfoy wouldn't have called her down just to mess with her head. Such a prank would be beneath him.

"Take a chance, Granger," he whispers with a squeak. "Take a chance on me, and I promise that you won't regret it."

Moments later the spell disintegrates and Malfoy puts himself properly back into his chair. To the others, the scene would appear to have been neutralized. Hermione puts all of her energy into reflecting Malfoy's general lack of interest for the interview.

Then the Minister of Magic shows up, Kingsley Shacklebolt himself, and he places a hand on Hermione's shoulder. Immediately her faith in Draco is being put the test with the Minister's presence. Not only is it grounds for dismissal to be lying to him, but he's also someone that she knows outside of work personally. Keeping Draco's remarks from is a professional and personal violation of loyalty, "Did Malfoy say anything relevant to the charges while the barriers were up, Miss Granger?"

The former enemies hold one another's gaze for what feels like an eternity though it is merely seconds. "Malfoy likes to taunt me occasionally. The old adage is true – old habits die hard, wouldn't you agree, Minister?" Hermione sense the smile that spreads over Kingsley's lips. Most people are aware that he has a sense of humor, but few ever try to appeal to it because he can be a daunting man to speak to at times. She takes a deep breath and changes her tone.

"He did share some information, though, and I have to admit that I'm not sure these charges with even hold. Malfoy claims that the Muggle was not of a sane mind, so he'd taken advantage of it to gain access to a rare plan for his alchemy. Carver upstairs says the evidence is against him about the Muggle, but he didn't make mention of any confiscations."

She doesn't have to see Kingsley to know his face sinks with disappointment. Carver is a good Auror but he is quick to target families known for associating with Dark Magic and the Death Eaters. Creating doubt in the Minister's mind comes all too easily. Continuing isn't necessary but I know my nature is to fully explain myself, and to stop talking now would be suspicious. So I assert my professional, though unwanted, opinion on the matter. "My unbiased opinion is that without any proof that he was trading an illegal artifact the only chance you've got in court is proving intent. I'm sure you understand how hard that can be, Minister, and if Draco were to call upon any on his scholarly associates – the jury wouldn't find him guilty. I'm certain of it."

My voice lingers in the room. Draco's eyes are on the table rather than me, keeping up his disinterested charade, and the Minister twists away from Hermione. He howls for Carver to come down into the room. It takes a few minutes of explaining, but ultimately the only thing they found on Draco's person when he was detained was a lockbox filled to the brim with Graymold. It is known for being used in some of the most powerful healing potions. Hermione knows how valuable it is and casts her gaze back to Draco with curiosity. What he would need it for is beyond her, but surely she will find out.

Kingsley raises his voice, "Circumstantial evidence, you mean?" The criticism in his tone is subtle but it stings Carver's ego, obvious in the way he literally hunches at the judgment. While he mutters apologies, Kingsley orders for Carver to be escorted to his office immediately. The Minister doesn't like to be embarrassed, and he doesn't like the Ministry of Magic to look incompetent. Though he will likely forgive Carver, the matter of Draco Malfoy needs resolution.

What a bloody chance I'm taking here, Hermione thinks to herself as he deliberates the best course of action, but if he is right about this Jack fellow conjuring magic as a Muggle, then there's something more going on than even the Ministry realizes. Kingsley nods to the Aurors before apologizing for scrutinizing Malfoy's activity so tediously. "However, some of the charges were valid, Malfoy. I'm afraid you must still pay the fine of seventy-five galleons. Consorting with Muggles, of a sound mind or not, is against the Statute of Secrecy. You will do well to respect those laws in the future. Is that clear?" he announces to Draco in a stern voice. It is likely more fatherly than Draco has ever heard, and it is surprising when he smiles and promises to appear with his fine the following morning. After he is released, Kingsley groans about needing to dispatch an Auror to wipe the memory of the Muggle in question. This Jack Harkness fellow, it seems.

So she seizes the opportunity.

"I'll do it, Minister," Hermione offers. She looks back across the table with a natural sneer settling over her features at the sight of Malfoy. Though today she is playing up the distaste to hide that her offer is made not because of her ambition and thirst to move up the ladder, but because of her newfound need to make a trip to Cardiff. Hermione meets Kingsley's gaze to ease any uncertainty he might have on the matter. Quelling even her own doubts pertaining to her motivations, she then asks permission in her unique way, "If you don't mind my intrusion, of course."

Author's Note:

Ravenclaw, Short Story (Taking a chance), 2,573 words