The Ministry was buzzing with activity. The Floo network was busy with the employees rushing into work. Hermione quickly made her way to the Minister's office.
No one dare stop her and ask her for an ID, but she was Hermione, she insisted on being checked as thoroughly. What if she was just a Polyjuice version after all?
At ten, she was knocking on the door marked 'Kingsley Shacklebolt, Minister of Magic'.
"Ah! Hermione, have a seat, I am sorry, but the meeting will have to be delayed. An expert that needed to be called in for the meeting hasn't been contacted yet. A new secretary, you see. No one is as efficient as good old Brie was." The Minister smiled.
Brie was the secretary to the Minister for years, probably centuries. She looked that old. She had passed away because of a fall she had from chasing a pair of nifflers around her house. Merlin bless her soul.
The room was far more comfortable in ambience than it had been with the previous Ministers. It looked like it belonged to a man far more approachable than its previous inhabitants. A fact that stood true not just for the Minister himself but the Ministry as well. The Ministry post war had become more open about its operations and was more willing to take advice from the public.
Hermione made herself comfortable in one of the plush armchairs facing the Minister's desk. She looked around the office as the Minister discussed something with his secretaries in hushed urgent tones. He had owled her a week back to set up an urgent meeting regarding some unusual disturbances. She just knew that some expert was to join them for the meeting. As of now, she could see no one else in the room.
Draco Malfoy was the kind who turned into a irritated child if his daily routine was disturbed. He thrived on the stability of his routine. So, when in the morning his secretary came into his office to announce that the Minister had summoned him urgently, he became irritated. He knew it must have been important, but to be called in without any prior notice wasn't Malfoy's style.
At fifteen minutes past ten, he was rapping sharply on the Minister's door. He tried his best to look and behave less irritable than he felt, but up till now he had failed in his efforts.
As soon as the door opened, he noticed the Minister talking to his secretaries. He looked a little angry with them. Next his gaze followed the mop of caramel curls on the brunette's head.
"Malfoy?" Hermione's eyebrows shot up as her lips curved into a smile of recognition. Draco walked up to her and gave her his signature smirk and a firm handshake as he settled down in an armchair that mirrored hers.
The Minister joined them a few minutes later as his secretaries left in a rush with crestfallen faces.
"You sure were angry with them?" Hermione enquired.
"They forgot to owl Mister Malfoy the day I asked them to. I am sure it has caused him a lot of inconvenience to be here today on such a short notice for which I apologise." Shacklebolt said as he settled down in his chair.
He pushed a folder with 'Classified' stamped over it towards the duo, across the table. They both looked at him and then each other with a quizzical look. Each looked as clueless as the other.
"Minister, am not sure I understand? Is this something I should be aware of?" Hermione's curious nature kicked in.
Malfoy's heart rate had picked up, he was sure he was summoned for more information on the Dark Lord's remaining followers.
"Well actually no one understands and that's why you both have been called in. I am sure you both have heard of the Marshalnds? The ones ahead of the Forbidden Forest, towards the South?" Hermione nodded eagerly. She had read very little about the place. It was always just mentioned in passing. The only detailed accounts she had heard was when she was reading about will-o'-wisps in the magical world.
Malfoy had heard enough stories of voyages where sailors lost their way because of will-o'-wisps. He knew the more you knew about them and the lesser you saw them, the better it was. Growing up in a magical household had its advantages. You have access to more than just folklores and fairy tales.
"The Marshlands are famous for the will-o'-wisps that they have. They are often known for being the cause of many capable individuals drowning themselves because of how captivating they are. We have always had them, and anyone who ventures into the area often knows about them or is warned. The last known case of a victim falling prey to them was last seen back in the 1970s. A lunatic vagabond who probably ventured there without any thought." Said the Minister, encouraging Hermione to open the folder.
As Hermione opened the folder to study it, Malfoy felt relief wash over himself. This had nothing to do with him, the Dark Lord or the remaining Death Eaters. Which brought him to the question, "So why did you call us in Minister?"
Shacklebolt smiled and leaned against the desk, "You both don't miss anything, do you? Well you are both experts in your field. Miss Granger here has been researching about magical creatures and wilderness for their betterment and works for the Department of Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. She obviously has the best knowledge in this field, especially with her researching skills that the entire wizarding Britain is aware of." He passed a smile to Hermione who was too busy reading the folder to pay any attention to him.
"While you, Mister Malfoy, have clearly shown your skill with potions of all kinds. And you both have occasionally helped the Ministry with previous cases, both on-field and off-field. The thing is that suddenly, over the past two months, there have been at least seven individuals found in or around the Marshlands. And all were dead and not of natural circumstances or of the usual drowning. They were not even cursed with any kind of magical spell. They were just simply dead. No curse, no trace."
"I understand why Granger would be needed. Why would you need me? Am sorry, am still not clear Minister."
For a change Hermione was as confused as Draco and they both shared worried looks as they prompted the Minister for more answers.
"See the thing is, that there are traces of something in their body. It could be a potion as we suspect. And well…their blood is frozen. Almost as if it just froze in time inside the body. It's not cold or solid, just frozen in motion."
Hermione gasped and Draco did a double take. This was the weirdest thing that either of them had ever heard. And this was considering that they had both fought and survived in the Second Wizarding War.
"But, but Minister how is that possible? And…take this Malfoy, take a look at the victims in this folder…you possibly don't think it's a creature, do you?"
Malfoy took the folder from her. As he scanned through it, he realised that three of the victims were absolutely unidentified. There were no public records of them anywhere. They even wore strange robes almost as if they were from another era.
Malfoy made a mental note of it all, after all he did not expect Hermione to be updated with trends in wizard robes through the ages.
"It could be a creature or a very smart wizard or even both. To find out which one it is, is why we need you both. Miss Granger you are employed with the Ministry so you will be relieved of your other duties while you work on this assignment. Whereas for you, Mister Malfoy, you can certainly decline the offer to work on this case. In case you happen to decline, we will have to Obliviate you of course, to maintain the confidentiality of the case. I am aware that monetary compensation is not rewarding for you, but I can offer less licensing and permission hassles for your venture. The Ministry will have minimum interference with the work you do for your potions till the time you keep us updated timely."
Malfoy took a second before he said, "So I could say no?" He had spent his final year at Hogwarts working under the Head Girl, Hermione. She had taken up the cause of telling others to not treat him like a Death Eater despite the fact that she herself was unsure. He did not mind being her 'subject', but he might not love books as crazily as she did, but he knew his share of things. And as much as he respected her, there was only so much of that prude know-it-all attitude that he could take. It still was as insufferable as it was back in his first year.
He discreetly stole a sideways glance at Hermione who seemed to be too busy checking her hand and stealing glimpses of him. He wasn't sure if she would be comfortable working with him. But he needed a distraction and this distraction could also prove to be a brilliant chance to redeem the Malfoy name. He decided he might as well take the chance. If things got out of hand, he would simply have to request to be out off the case.
"I will do it if Granger is okay with it." He almost mumbled. The Minister was surprised at the Malfoy heir's thoughtfulness. He had never known him to put others before himself. Harry did mention that he had changed tremendously, so maybe he had been right about the boy. He really had changed.
"I do have my reservations about working with him, not because of what happened during the war, but because two highly functioning minds cannot be a good idea in one room. But we need to do what has to be done. And Malfoy you can stop smirking, it wasn't a compliment." She said turning towards the blonde and smirking.
Shacklebolt smiled at the two and duplicated the folder. "Here are your copies. The Ministry has the original records that you may access if need be, along with all the belongings of the victims. You can study them at home if you had like. You will be assigned two Aurors to work with you onsite and seeing the sensitivity of the case I have asked Harry to oversee the case himself with another capable auror of his choice. Also, Miss Granger, you will be assigned a room of your own to work in within your existing department. We heard you are being rather troubled by one of your co-workers. We don't want him to be a deterrent after all. Also, you may keep the room once this case winds up. Consider it as a hard earned perk for all you have done for creatures over the years."
He turned towards Hermione and gave her an amused look.
Hermione couldn't understand that how on Earth did Shacklebolt know about the constant refusal of Cormac McLaggen to understand the meaning of the word 'no'. He asked her out for coffee almost daily and after a polite yes to one, she had been saying no constantly. She had even resorted to working from the women's loo on occasion to hide from him.
They both took their leave from the Minister's office and towards the Dept. of Regulation and Control on Magical Creatures. She would be lying if she said she wasn't giddy about having her very own office. They got a few odd looks, but both were used to that kind of attention.
As Hermione finally had brought in the last pile of papers from her old desk, with Malfoy following suit, she settled into the comfortable chair and grinned to herself.
"So who was it troubling you?" Malfoy said. He was leaning against the desk with one elbow and a smirk plastered over his face. Sweat glistened over his porcelain like face. Hermione almost lost her chain of thoughts. The heat and work load was doing weird things to her mind.
It took her a while to say '"McLaggen."
Malfoy almost laughed and moved towards the door,"Figures. I'll be back with some tea for the two of us after owling my secretary to postpone all my meetings until after late afternoon. You want anything with your tea? Cakes?"
Hermione simply blushed and asked him to bring a few cookies if he could.
