Chapter Three: Well, He's Good. There's No Denying That

It had been almost two months since Hermione had made her promise to Ginny. Most of the time she'd really be too busy to go anywhere and other times she'd be too exhausted. Ginny would ask over and over again, but Hermione would always have somewhere to be or something to do. Like, now, it was Saturday. Hermione's day off. She'd been doing interviews with actors and sending them to the casting director for their auditions. They'd found many of the actors they'd needed, except the lead witch and her handsome best friend, who was always around.

Hermione really wanted to get all these interviews out of the way, so that production could begin. Because the extra time would cost money. Money she really didn't have and money she really didn't want to spend. So, she'd told Ginny she wanted to sleep all day and couldn't go out, and Ginny believed her. Ginny had seen how busy Hermione had been all week and decided not to bug her about going out. So, Hermione had called around and gotten the remaining actors who had applied for the parts they needed filled and told them to come in today. She'd have her work done today, and then sleep Sunday ... all day.


Hermione took her time this morning, sipping coffee and eating two croissants. She dressed in a suit. A dark gray skirt that ruffled a little at the knee and a fitted blazer, cut exactly to her upper body. She sauntered off to work, feeling that she'd find her actors today, even if she had to hire anyone and just find a new actor right before the show actually aired, if it got picked up.

Hermione walked past her weekend secretary, Miss Hillenburg, waving at the elderly, but very able woman, before entering her office. It wasn't even a moment later that Miss Hillenburg said the first interview was here. Hermione told her secretary to have them come in, in exactly five minutes. Hermione put her suitcase down next to her file cabinets and cursed the actor who had come in, as she'd seen from her watch, twenty minutes before his appointed time. It was nice to be a little early, but this was ridiculous. She made sure her desk was clean and she took off her small blazer and hung it on her coat rack. She sat down in her chair and tried to find a comfortable, yet intimidating pose. She was still doing so when a small knock sounded out. She quickly stopped her movement as the person didn't even wait for her to invite them in before opening the door. Hermione's jaw dropped when she saw a tall, pale, long-haired, still blonde Malfoy standing in her doorway.

"I hope I'm not too early, Granger." He said, sitting down in the chair in front of her desk and leaning onto it.

It took a moment for Hermione to get composed again, but she did. "The name on the form said, Dragon Faith. Not Draco Malfoy."

"Yes, my application. Well, after I applied for another one of your studio's shows and I was denied an interview and even a kind word, I just decided to use another name and see how far I got. Happily, your old bat of a secretary didn't know me, so she didn't stop me from coming in."

"I don't remember you applying for any other shows." Hermione said, ignoring the obvious sympathy or guilt Malfoy was trying to get.

"Really? Well, someone decided I wasn't fit to work here and gave me a prompt call back saying the role had already been filled. My agent then let me know, weeks later, that the role actually wasn't filled until almost a week after I'd been thrown aside. Maybe you should scan over your employees and weed that person out." Draco Malfoy said, giving her a smirk and leaning back into the chair and off her desk. Hermione could feel herself getting angry. She had reconciled with Draco years ago after he'd traded sides at the last minute, and she hadn't seen him in almost a year. She'd forgotten how infuriating he could still be.

"Leave me to handle my own business, thank you." Hermione said, swallowing her anger. She'd give him a chance and then move on. She asked her first question. "So, what made you want to audition for this role?"

"Besides needing food and rent soon?" Draco laughed and Hermione stared at him, wondering if he was serious. Then he continued. "The character's somewhat like me; he's witty, clever, sarcastic, he's realistic, and he's handsome. That's got me written all over it."

"Okay. Um, do you work well with others?"

"Listen, Granger. We're not in primary school. I work great with others, I share my pumpkin juice and I act well. I fell in love with the character. Just let me go to the audition and prove myself. I know I'll be back here and you'll be telling me that I'm hired."

Hermione looked at Draco, a little angry that he was so confident, but maybe he could act. She remembered seeing him in a commercial. There weren't as many commercials on WizTv as on muggle television, so it was a big thing to be in one. He obviously was good enough for it, and if Malfoy really needed the money, she guessed it'd be okay to let him audition, but then a thought hit her.

"What do you mean you need food and rent? Doesn't your mother give you anything?"

Malfoy leaned towards Hermione again. "My mom gives money away to charities, wizard and muggle. Sort of to redeem herself. She had to pay my father's numerous debts. She's put some away for my wedding, if I ever get married. I let her hold onto that dream, I don't want to crush it. And she helped with many of the new developments in the wizarding world. She lives off the two companies my father left behind, and they don't do all that well. I used to own the other one, but it was taken as reparations to a few families my father had hurt. So, I have to work. It was either modeling or this. We both know I'm not too capable of anything else. And modeling, right now, isn't going as well as it should be. Every witch and wizard wants to be a model, and even though I'm good, they seem to want only models from ages 16-20. So, I just barely missed the age requirement. I feel like I'm 40, when I'm only 22."

Hermione took this all in and shook her head, still not sure if she was being taken for a fool. "Fine. I'll call you back with your audition time and we'll see what happens."

"Thank you, that's all I needed." Draco got up and started for the door. "See you on the set."

After he left, Hermione sighed, if any of the actors were like Draco, this would be a long day.


A week had passed and Hermione finished her interviews and the auditions were over. All parts, except the best friend part, were filled. Hermione sat at her desk, Ginny on one side and the casting director on the other. They looked at the two pictures in front of them. Dragon Faith, or Draco Malfoy, was one. Vencent Lark was the other. Both were great actors, both starting out. Draco had the pale, blonde, bad boy, but an angel look to him. While Vencent had the tanned, brown, 'I want to cuddle with you and then tell you all my hopes and dreams because you seem to really care' look.

On one hand, they wanted the wizard they picked to be charismatic, charming, and fun, but he also had to have a dramatic, 'I'll tell you the truth even if you don't want to hear it' attitude. Hermione and the casting director both thought that Draco seemed to fit the description a bit better, but Ginny was still a little resentful towards Malfoy and really didn't want him to get the part in the show she created.

"Listen, Ginny, we've only got one more day to pick a guy, then we have to shoot the pilot. Malfoy may not be who you want, but he fits the part like a glove." Cassie, the casting director said.

"She's right. Even I couldn't believe it when I saw his audition, but he's great for the part. He made it believable." Hermione heard herself saying, but not truly believing the words were coming from her mouth.

"I just don't know. I mean, he ... I ... okay. Fine. If you both think he'll be best." Ginny said, rolling her eyes and stretching. This was not what she ever would have imagined, but even she had to admit he was good. There was no denying it.


A/N: I hope this is good, I wrote it after my New Year's party. I was a little buzzed and too excited, but it seems good.
Thanks to my two reviewers.

A little something:
Harry: Why aren't Ron and I in this story?
Ron: Yeah.
Author: You are. You just haven't shown up yet.
Ron: Sure. I bet we have the smallest parts and the least words to say.
Author: That's not true. Harry has plenty of parts.
Harry: Thank you.
Author: You're welcome.
Ron: Wait-
Draco: Shut it, weasel. I should tell you why you don't have many parts ... but I won't.
Ron: How does he know how many parts I have?
Author blushes and looks away. Draco smirks.