Hullo my looooovelies, it is I again, I made it in time (wow, what is wrong with me?)! You'll have to excuse me though because there was some wonderful fanfiction that took up most of my time, I've always been more of a reader than a writer anyway. Speaking of writing, I had two ideas for new story but I would definitely need a co-writer for those - well, at least the second one. One is again Dramione, prompted by this super funny 9Gag picture in which Hermione kills Harry in the first movie (I always thought Hermione would be dangerously awesome as a Dark wizard) and the other is an HPxPJO crossover, an idea I got from a fanfic that said something about Draco never seeing his eye color anywhere outside of the Malfoy bloodline and I thought it'd be fun if we switched one bookworm with another and instead of Hermione Granger, he meets Annabeth Chase and is instantly fascinated by her eye color (completely AU of course). If anyone is interested, please let me know and I would also like your opinion on whether you actually like these ideas or not.
Thank you everyone for taking the time to read and review, you are all incredible and amazing and beautiful and all that jazz. It is now time to move on to what you all came here for, so, to infinity and beyond!
3 years ago
"Don't be angry with me, Mione, but I just have to ask. Are you sure this is the right choice? I mean, hell, I would fund you if that's what's pushing you"
Hermione glared at her best friend through her full body mirror and she smoothed over the none-existent creases in her navy blue shirt in a nervous habit. Truth be told, she wasn't sure and that bothered her immensely. She never acted without a carefully calculated plan - and several backup plans as well - that made the situation controlled and the result nearly always predictable. But this time no plan could foresee the outcome and calm her turbulent mind. She was meeting with the Malfoys after all, the most notoriously sly family of the wizarding world. And, even though she would never admit it aloud, she was scared. Malfoy had been after all the source of most of her anxiety throughout school and although she believed his "no more fighting" charade to be true, she couldn't help the second thoughts.
Glancing one last time at her mirror and checking that her black pencil skirt and low-heeled black pumps were appropriate for a business meeting, she turned to the Boy Who Lived Twice with what she hoped was confidence and determination on her face. She was a Gryffindor after all, brave and smarter than most. And Malfoy she had dealt with before.
"Yes, Harry, I am sure. And let's not kid ourselves, you have enough fund loss with your wedding alone. If it all goes well, my plans contain more than just a rehabilitation center. This is purely a business opportunity - and a great one at that - and they know better than to attempt anything right out of house arrest. The whole world thinks Draco should have served more time in Azkaban and Shacklebolt is not in a position to say no to the people if the snakes harm the Golden Girl. You and I both know that I'll be more than fine."
"You know we just worry, Hermione, no need to get all defensive" Harry said and raised his hands in mock surrender. "We care for you and Malfoy isn't known for his pure intentions, that's all. And maybe it would help Ron if-"
"Harry James Potter! If you think for even one moment that I'll sacrifice the greatest opportunity S.P.E.W. will ever have for Ronald's hurt feelings, I'm afraid you barely know me after 8 whole years. When he decides he wants to discuss this like the adults we all are, I'll be happy to reassure him about my hopefully then boss and his intentions towards elf's rights. Now if you will excuse me, I would not wish to be late on my interview. First impressions matter the most to future employees."
Things with Ron hadn't gotten better since that day at the Burrow. The one other time they tried to talk about it ended even worse, with her actually slapping him before storming out again. Harry and Ginny had tried many times since then to get them to talk but they were both too stubborn to back down. The brunette could admit to herself how much she missed one of her best friends but she would never back down from her dreams to please him. She wasn't willing to do that not even when they were together, much less now that their relationship was being barely held together. He'll understand once he pulls his head out of his arse, he'll see then.
She felt comfortable enough leaving Harry on his own in her small flat, he knew his way around and would either leave to go report back to Ginny or wait for her to return and ask her about her meeting. Clutching her small enchanted black bag close to her chest, she skipped down the stairs of her apartment building and found herself on the bustling streets of Diagon Alley. She had quickly moved after her graduation, working a part time job at Flourish and Blotts as she contemplated her next moves in life. She couldn't move in the Burrow, like Harry had done, and with her parents gone, she felt like she had needed a fresh new start. It was a plus that her building was located in the center of the wizarding world, a close distance to all possible places. Just like the small coffee shop the Malfoys had agreed to meet her at, respecting her wish for neutral ground and her untold fear of the Manor after the events that had taken place there.
The place was new, built months after the end of the War, seemingly high class and prestigious but open to everyone without prejudice, even while being ran by Pansy Parkinson, one of the highest ranking new era of Purebloods. She was quite easy to accept the new society and the papers speculated it was because of a well-hidden blood traitor in her family line. Even with the lenience she showed to half-bloods and muggleborns, she was still held high among her Pureblooded peers and thus her new shop was preferred for all pureblood-related business. Hermione herself had never spoken to the Slyhering princess and only knew her as the on-again-off-again girl of Draco Malfoy but she supposed she was better than some others of her housemates considering the support she showed in the new Muggleborn-including policies, even in such a small way.
Hermione took a moment outside of the quaint little shop to compose herself, making a small list in her head of all her demands and questions and putting on her most confident mask. In truth, the Gryffindor was terrified and ready to turn back and run but all that she had said to Harry was true; this was the greatest opportunity she would ever come across for her case. Straightening up her shoulders and with her head held up high, she climbed the small staircase and pushed open the dainty white door, decorated with class flowers, dragons and fairies. Upon entering, she received a small smile from Pansy as she was taking an order from a young couple, no more than sixteen judging from their fresh faces and awkward smiles to one another. She was surprised to see another familiar face coming out of the kitchen with a tray full of tea cups levitating in front of her, also dressed in the shop's regular waitress outfit consisting of a modest black dress with small pastel coloured flowers lining the hem. "Luna! What are you doing here? I haven't seen you in so long!"The brunette exclaimed, unable to startle her old classmate who turn to offer her a gentle, dreamy smile. "Hello, Hermione. I've been working here for a while, it's surprisingly devoid of Nargles. Come, Draco informed me they were waiting for you.'
Draco? Since when does anyone call him by his first name? Hermione tried to hide her surprise as she was led to the back of the cozy place and let her eyes wander around, instinctively checking for possible exits and attack points. It was a habit ingrained in her from her months in the wild with Harry and Ron, on their wild hunt for Horcruxes, once that she had desperately been trying to rid herself of since then. The walls were a soft pink, almost glowing in the rare sunlight pouring in from the large glass windows covering the front and the back of the shop. On them were painted flowers and moving fairies, following the motif on the door. With the corner of her eye, she caught sight of a breathtakingly crafted Occamy moving over the walls, its painted skin almost glittering as if the beast was alive and not a mere decoration. She didn't know much about decorating and otherwise the space was rather plain considering her experience with the interior of Pureblood homes but she was sure there had been much work put into it all to make such a simple result look so elegant and fascinating.
As she was gazing around, her eyes fell on familiar nearly white blonde hair just as Luna stepped to the side to reveal Narcissa and Draco Malfoy, elegantly poised in the small table at the corner, their backs upright, their features passive and aristocratic as always. The war hero could appreciate the placement of their chosen table, secured by the wall on one side and with a good view of the whole shop for everyone seated. Malfoy probably had the same instincts as she ingrained to his brain from an even younger age and she unconsciously gave him a nod of approval, completely unaware of the corner of his lips slightly lifting up at her gesture. He stood up to shake her hand and pulled her chair back for her, waiting until she sat to take his place opposite the young witch, next to his mother. Luna left delicate porcelain teacups in front of them and Hermione quickly ordered for an apple and cinnamon tea with a small smile towards her friend before turning back to her possible employees, her face and poise the picture of professionalism and confidence in herself.
"Miss Granger, we are glad you decided to join us. I must thank my son for suggesting your cause to me, his fresh ideas and bright mind are what will turn this family around. We hope to make a brand new start and put the past behind us, as I'm sure everyone is trying to do at this point in time. We understand the pain we've caused, which is why we decided we direct a large sum of the Malfoy fortune to charity and causes like yours, aiming to aid the weak and create a better future for us all." Narcissa addressed their situation as soon as Luna had gone out of earshot, not bothering with pleasantries and unnecessary flattering, her voice strong and regal. Hermione could appreciate her ways, she was not one for sweet talking or beating around the bush either; she was here for one reason and one reason only.
They spend hours discussing Hermione's cause, the contracts and her position in the foundation as well as what would be expected of her once under their protection and the family's own plans for their future. The conversation was mostly carried by Hermione and Narcissa, Draco butting in only when necessary, otherwise content with observing the two strong, fierce, brilliant witches before him. It was true he always admired his mother's intelligence and general build but he had failed for so long to notice the similarities to the other witch's personality, both of them stubborn and headstrong, powerful magicians, skilled in wit and negotiations. Only, Hermione was also a person who would stand up for her beliefs, fight for her rights and the rights of others, strive for perfection and only perfection. These were traits unique to her, these were what made her so much better than him and his mother. She had no qualms to declare her loyalty to the right side while they had cowered away under Lucius' reign and nodded along to everything being asked of them. Thankfully his joining the Death Eater ranks had satisfied Lucius enough and kept him from pressuring his mother to join as well but she had still agreed to many actions she disagreed with. This was their chance to turn a new leaf, right here before them, in a modest navy blue blouse and pencil skirt, the epitome of grace and power despite her previously considered poor upbringing and sullied blood.
He was shaken out of his thoughts when his mother stood and shook hands with Granger, his former school rival. "Thank you for taking the time and agreeing with our terms, the Malfoy foundation will be glad to embrace your cause and support it as if it was our own. Since I am more of the public face of the company, everything will be handled by Draco, but we have already discussed this and he is in full agreement with everything said today. Please contact him for any further inquires and make sure to drop by Nott firm, we will make arrangements for your own contract but they will need to discuss this with you as well as the foundation's respective lawyers. This has been a delight but I'm afraid we have other matters to attend to as well. Good afternoon, miss Granger, and welcome to the company." he heard his mother say, signaling the end of their negotiations for now, and he stood up, offering Hermione his hand to shake as well. His mother went on ahead of him, the bill already taken care of from before Granger's arrival, and he tugged on the brunette's hand to keep her from heading out as well.
"Hang on, Granger. I need to talk to you, without my mother present" Hermione could feel her face flush at his deep voice and turned to offer him a puzzled glance. He had changed a lot since she last saw him, his hair shorter than before but no longer gelled back, falling softly on his forehead, his shoulders slightly hunched over, probably from his time in Azkaban. His eyes were shadowed with a hidden pain and his face was dark, his rare smile never reaching his eyes. He had bags under his eyes, barely hidden with a concealer charm, and he had grown thinner but not unnaturally so, his somehow tolerable weight she suspected the elves of Malfoy Manor to be responsible for. "I know I've said it a lot before, but I wanted to thank you again for giving us this opportunity. I know it must have been hard, I am well aware of how the rest of the world sees us and I am certain your two friends don't care to differentiate much. Which is why I appreciate this more than you can imagine, for the company and me alike. Mother tries but she can't sympathize, she still loves Father and would go through this all again for him. I've struggled for months before the end with my conscience and your acceptance is helping me ease the guilt, even though I don't deserve to after everything we've done. It's alright if you choose to still hate me deep inside, I understand, just know that the past is over for me."
She nodded along to his every word, not really understanding his story but feeling the sorrow in his words. She knew guilt, she had her own for surviving, and she knew mental pain just like she knew how much talking about it with her friends had helped. But Malfoy had no one to talk to, not that she knew of. How could he tell his Mother, his friends and pureblood sympathizers that he regretted his choices? "I told you no more petty rivalries, Malfoy. A war changes people, why should you be any different? I know your prejudices are behind you, we wouldn't be here today if they weren't. And I know I'll never be able to fully grasp your own experiences, mine being different, but I've seen the toll it can take on a person. So, if you feel like extending the olive branch for more than professional reasons, I'd like to be your... non-rival. I wouldn't go as to say friend yes, I'm sure you can understand why, but I'm open to talking about your side of the story. You know me, knowledge above everything and if we plan on creating a fairer world, we need to know the whole side of this story."
Hermione saw it again at that moment, that small grateful smile he had given her back that day at Hogwards, as he nodded in agreement to her words. At that moment, as she stood face to face with her oldest enemy, shaking his hand with the best of intentions, she had to wonder about the man before her, the puzzle that he was, the riddle she had to figure out if she wanted him placed back in his little box in the back of her mind.
That was it for now, lovely muffins and chocolate cakes. This is where the biggest change happens since we could unofficially label it the start of their friendship. The changes will get bigger and bigger with each chapter, the both of them opening up more and more to one and another. But yeah, we'll see next week. Hopefully I'll make it in time again, I know I'm pretty unreliable but aren't we all? Please review, it helps a ton, and let me know if you have any thoughts or ideas about this all. It won't be a long story, probably over after 6 or 7 chapters but maaaybe I'll make it to 10? I dunno, I hope I can, we shall see. Enough rambling for now, thank you everybody for reading and supporting this, you are all amazing!