A/N: I'm sorry for the delay!
What I thought was going to be the next chapter or two, will probably be the next five or six. I had to redo most of what I'd written. I've also been writing midterm exams the past few days so I couldn't dedicate as much time to writing this as I would have liked.
In this chapter, Hermione and Draco receive their first mission. While they aren't working directly together, the mission will result in a lot of close contact between the pair. It's rather complex (I had to make a spread sheet to keep everything in order), but hopefully the parts which matter are sufficiently explained. Draco is working with Harry and Hermione with Ron. Both of them are responsible for tracking Death Eaters and interviewing one Death Eater. Draco and Harry are interviewing Goyle Sr., Hermione and Ron are interviewing Travers.
All of the Death Eaters mentioned were created by JKR (as well as the world they live within), most of the Aurors were also created by her, but I added a few of my own.
Thanks to everyone for reading! I hope I don't disappoint. Stay with me, we're building up to intimacy slowly. It takes time, but will be well worth it, I hope.
Thanks again for following, favouriting and reviewing!
Chapter 3: Friends and Family
When she arrived at the Auror Office, Hermione went straight to the dining hall, the only room in the department which could hold all the Aurors. She looked around, most had already arrived, Harry a notable exception. She saw Alex sitting at a table, his head resting on the surface. She saw Ron sitting up right, eyes closed, apparently snoozing. And she saw Malfoy drinking a cup of coffee, he looked like death.
Chapter 4: The Mission
Draco felt like death. He rubbed his eyes for the umpteenth time, hoping that enough pressure on his sockets might alleviate his headache
Why are these lights so bright? He thought, who the fuck needs lights this bright to see their food? He blinked rapidly a few times and then took another sip of his third cup of coffee. Granger had just walked in and sat next to Weasley. She too looked tired. Hell, everyone looked tired.
It had been an early morning. Draco awoke at 6am having only slept for a few hours. He heard his cat meowing somewhere in the flat. Extracting himself from the limbs of the girl he had brought home the night before, he left his bedroom to see what Sappho's fuss was about.
He walked into the dining room, following her noise, to see her sitting on the window ledge, looking outside.
"Sappho, we've talked about this. You can't go outside here, it's too dangerous," He said, petting the cat on the head. She meowed again, still peering outside.
It was then that Draco noticed the owl. He opened the window, allowing creature to enter. Sappho meowed again, turning on the spot, and jumping to the ground, clearly unimpressed by the invasion.
Draco took the parchment from the owl's leg, and then closed the window once it had flown away.
"You were just trying to tell me I had a message, eh?" He said to Sappho. "That's a good girl," he bent down to rub the cats head as she wound her way around his legs.
Draco read:
"Mr. Draco Malfoy,
Your presence is required this morning at 8am. This is an urgent Auror meeting. Please be prompt.
Yours,
Jeffrey Quincy,
Assistant to Gawain Robards
Auror Office, Department of Magical Law Enforcement
Ministry of Magic
Whitehall, London, England"
"Fuck," Draco said under his breath. He was supposed to have Sunday off.
He walked back into the bedroom, to where Ally was sleeping soundly in his bed.
"Hey," he said softly, rubbing her shoulder lightly.
"Ally, wake up," he said again.
"Mmm," She moved slightly, clearly a slow riser, "Malfoy?"
"Yeah, you've got to leave," Draco said, a little louder now.
"What? What do you mean?" She asked, sitting up slightly in the bed, covering her still naked body with his sheet.
"I have to go to work. Urgent business. You have to leave," Draco said again.
"Oh," Ally replied, sitting up fully, "Okay then, just give a sec," She asked.
Draco complied, leaving the bedroom to make himself a cup of coffee.
A few minutes later, Ally reappeared fully clothed.
"So, I guess I'll be going then," She said, standing a few feet away from Draco in his kitchen.
"Yeah, sorry about this. I was supposed to have the day off," Draco explained as he walked her to the entrance. "You can dissaparate on the landing," he told her, opening the door for her exit.
"Can I see you again?" She asked, pausing to look at Draco before disappearing, her lips pouted slightly.
"Um…" Draco hated this part. "Look, last night was great. But I'm just not really seeing anyone right now. Sorry."
As much as Draco hated the look of disappointment on her face, he hated the idea of having a steady girl in his life more.
"Okay. Well bye, then," Ally said, begrudgingly. At least she didn't shout at him, Draco hated the ones who shouted at him.
After Ally dissapeared, Draco walked back into the kitchen where Sappho sat perched on the kitchen counter. Her blues eyes judged him.
"Don't look at me like that. A man has needs, Sappho," he said.
"You want breakfast?" He asked the cat. She jumped down to where her bowl sat empty, pacing the floor in front of it, looking up at Draco. He charmed the spoon to scoop some kibble into her bowl.
"I've got to go into work early today," He explained to her, "I don't know when I'll be home. So don't eat all of that now."
Sappho looked up at him from her munching as if to say she understood.
After a shower, some breakfast and another cup of coffee, Draco apparated to the Ministry.
He found his fellow Aurors sitting in the dining hall, arranged in a circle facing Robards, who stood pacing.
Draco made himself a cup of coffee before taking a seat beside Morris. Weasley and Granger sat in front of him, to his right. All the Aurors were present, except Potter. It was now five after eight. When Potter finally arrived a few minutes later, sitting himself beside Granger, the meeting began.
"Right. Now that everyone is present," Robards glared at Potter as he spoke.
Draco too looked toward Potter who seemed undisturbed by the scolding, sitting with a blissful, silly grin on his face, his eyes glazed over. Well somebody got laid last night, Draco thought.
"We'll begin," Robards continued, "Granger, who are the most wanted Death Eaters still on the loose?"
"Rabastan and Rodolphus Lestrange," Granger answered without hesitation.
'Good," Robards complimented. Draco had gotten used to Robards' staccato style of speaking: a short sentence, followed by a question, followed by the word "good." But this morning, the halting nature of his speech seemed to worsen Draco's headache.
"Malfoy, who are they?" Robards asked. Draco rubbed his face again, it was too early for a pop-quiz.
My uncles, Draco thought, but he knew enough not to provide that answer. While all of the Aurors knew Draco was a former Death Eater, he tried his best to keep from reminding them. Tried his best to keep from reminding himself.
"Rodolphus was Bellatrix's husband, right hand to the Da-" Draco caught himself in time, amending his answer, "Voldemort's right hand. The Lestrange Brothers are sons of Lestrange Sr., one of Voldemort's first followers, fought in the first war."
"Good," Robards said to Draco before turning to Morris, "Morris, where are they?"
"Rumor has it they've been hiding in South America since the end of the war," Alex said.
"Good. Weasley, tell us what you heard last night," Robards commanded.
"Well, I was in Hogsmeade, right? Just left The Three Broomsticks. I see this bloke walking down the street, looked kind of shady. When I got closer, I saw he looked like one of the Death Eaters on our wanted posters, only his hair's the wrong colour. Bad disguise, really. I followed him into an alley where he met up with Jugson. I'm pretty sure it was Selwyn. They were talking about a meeting, didn't say exactly when it was going to be, but I gathered it would happen around the end of the month. They specifically mentioned Rodolphus and Rabastan by name, said they needed to talk through "the plans". I flooed straight here when Selwyn went inside," Ron explained.
Draco was impressed, turned out the weasel knew how to do some solid detective work. Before Robards had a chance to say "good," one of the older Aurors, Proudfoot, spoke up from across the room.
Draco hadn't really had the chance to meet Proudfoot before, a man who, apparently, did most of his work in the field. From the size of the bags under his eyes, Draco gathered Proudfoot hadn't slept in years.
"Savage and I were tracking Jugson last night. We lost him in Hogsmeade when he threw on an invisibility cloak. We found him again about an hour later. He met up with Rowle. They were talking about finding a place for their "guests" to say while they were London. I gather they were talking about the Lestranges," Proudfoot explained.
"Good, good," Robards commended.
"Weasley," Robards turned once again to where Weasley sat, this time, the look on his face not only serious, but stern, "What's the number one rule we follow in this office?"
Draco could see Weasley's ears turn slightly pink before he answered: "Never leave your partner."
"Good," Robards said and then repeated, "never leave your partner. Why do we have that rule?"
"Because it's dangerous to do field work alone," Weasley replied.
"Good, and what did you do last night?"
Weasley looked down, "Tracked a Death Eater alone."
"Good. I would take you off duty Weasley for violating the rule if we could spare a body. As it stands, I expect you not to go looking for Death Eaters again. Got it?"
Weasley nodded.
Robards turned his attention now to the entire group.
"As you know, we've been tracking Jugson and Rowle for six months. We hoped they would lead us to more Death Eaters. Our work has paid off. If we're going to capture Rodolphus and Rabastan, we need to be at that meeting. We need to be prepared. This will take the entire team. Trainees, this if your first mission, don't fuck up."
Draco gulped but listened intently as Robards continued.
"You will be divided into pairs. We will track Selwyn, Rowle, and Jugson in two day shifts. I want to know where they go, who they talk to, and what they say. When you're not tracking, you will go to Azkaban. Each pair will be assigned one Death Eater to interview. Review their files. Many of them have contact with the outside world. I want to know everything they know about this plan. I expect a report. Got it?"
Draco saw everyone in the room nod their heads.
"You are," Robards glared at Weasley when he continued, "Under no circumstances, to leave your partner. Unless your life is in immediate danger. If that is the case, you report immediately to the Auror office, get backup, and we go back for your partner. Is that understood?"
Nods. A few people added a "Yes, Sir," for good measure.
Robards flicked his wand before resuming his speech, "A schedule has been posted on the bulletin board. Learn it. Failing to report for duty will result in probation. Clear?"
Nods.
"You will have two days of scheduled rest. Use them wisely, I don't know when you'll get another break," Robards ran his hand through his hair, pausing, it seemed to Draco, to collect his thoughts.
"When you're interviewing, you may tell your subject that any information provided which results in the capture of Rabastan and Rodolphus will mean a commutation of their sentence from life to 20 years. I want answers. Got it?"
Nods.
"The pairings and corresponding Death Eater interviewees are as follows:
Boot and Goldstein – Avery Jr.
Dawlish and Williamson – Rookwood
Fredericton and Zhang – Mulciber
Morris and Stebbins – Crabbe Sr.
Weasley and Granger – Travers
Potter and Malfoy – Goyle Sr.
…
Draco tuned out the rest of the speech, his mind swirling with the idea of the working with Potter. His eyes though, seemingly of their own volition, wandered over to where Granger was sitting. To Draco, it seemed she looked sad, her gaze focused far away. He couldn't for the life of him imagine why. He bit into his finger nail. He realized then that he had grown accustomed to her presence in his life over the past month. While she was still an insufferable know-it-all, she was at least somewhat courteous. Potter on the other hand, Draco had barely spoken to. He sighed, his fate was sealed, and there was no point in dwelling on what-ifs now.
Hermione sighed to herself. It wasn't that she didn't want to work with Ron, or that she didn't like Ron, who was, after all, one of her best friends. It was just that since they had broken up nearly eight months before, they had rarely spent time alone together. Now, she would be forced to be with him practically 24/7 for the foreseeable future.
Sensing eyes on her face, Hermione turned to her left to make direct eye contact with Malfoy. She quickly turned away, blushing. She thought vaguely of what it would have been like to work with the former Death Eater. As much as she hated to admit it, he was an extremely talented wizard. And his behaviour was at least predictable, something which she could not say of Ron's.
When the meeting ended, Ron turned to her quickly, "Right. So what do we do?"
Hermione rolled her eyes. Leave it to Ron to always expect her to have a plan. Truthfully, she wasn't exactly sure what their next move should be.
"I think we should check the schedule," Hermione replied.
Together the two new partners walked over the bulletin board beside the door which lead from the dining hall into the Auror's main office space. A few other Aurors stood surrounding the newly posted schedule as well.
Hermione read it quickly: "Looks like we're tracking Selwyn first, for two days, and then Azkaban for two, and then tacking Rowle, four more days in Azkaban, and then Jugson. Then we have two days off, and the last two days on the schedule we're back in Azkaban."
The look on Ron's face made it seem as though he hadn't understood a word.
"So we need to find Selwyn," Ron said at last.
"Seems that way. I think we should start where you saw him last. You said it was in an alleyway in Hogsmeade, so that's where we should go. If he used an unlocking charm to get in that door, it's pretty likely that he's living there. Hopefully we can catch him leaving," Hermione said, devising a plan as she talked.
"Brilliant," Ron replied. "We need to get some things. I think we should bring an invisibility cloak, just in case."
"Good idea," Hermione replied, and then added, "and an extendable ear."
"Right," Ron agreed. "I'll get the cloak and ear, and I'll meet you in the Lobby in fifteen minutes."
Fifteen minutes. Hermione had fifteen minutes to prepare for her very first mission as an Auror. First things first, she went to the washroom. Next, she went back to the dining hall to make a thermos of coffee for her and Ron. She added the thermos to her extended bag, with a sweater and few books she thought might be helpful.
When she felt as ready as she could, Hermione walked over the elevator where Dawlish and Williamson, two of the more experienced Aurors were already waiting.
"Granger," Dawlish said, "don't be nervous. You'll do well. Robards wouldn't have trusted you with a mission if he didn't think you could succeed."
The reassuring words from the man old enough to be her father did little to diminish Hermione's butterflies. Despite her attempt to smile, it seemed Williamson saw through her façade.
"Seriously though. I splinched myself on the first day of my first mission. Ended up spending the rest of the assignment in St. Mungos recuperating. Trust me, you can't possibly fuck up as much as I did. And I'm still here," Williams said.
Hermione smiled more genuinely this time. It seemed this first mission, although certainly a chance to prove her worth, was not a make or break moment. When the elevator arrived, Hermione, Dawlish and Williamson entered, and ascended the two floors to the lobby.
Leaving the elevator, Hermione turned and waved goodbye to her fellow Aurors who in turn wished her luck. She saw Ron standing opposite her near the new statue.
"Are you ready to go?" She asked, approaching him.
"Yep. Got the cloak and ear right here," Ron said, patting the pouch on his side. Hermione smiled. As a birthday gift the year before, Hermione had made Ron is very own extendable pouch. It filled her with warmth knowing he relied on it so heavily.
"We should apparate to Hogsmeade," Hermione suggested.
The two walked out to the court yard. A small square of concrete indicated the place where the appiration barrier had been lifted. It was only here that Wizards and Witches could leave from and arrive at the Ministry. The square was protected by a security guard who checked the wands of any wizard coming in.
Ron and Hermione arrived just in time to see the swirling figures of Dawlish and Williamson disappear from sight.
Climbing onto the raised platform, Hermione braced herself as Ron grabbed her arm. Her body began turning through time and space.
Draco's stomach turned, he felt vaguely like he was going to vomit.
He and Potter had both remained seated separately as their fellow Aurors moved around them. By now, they were the only two left in the dining hall.
When Potter stood, an image flashed through Draco's mind of Potter's fist hitting him square the jaw, adding injury to his already broken nose. His clenched his fists, prepared.
He was surprised however when Potter approached him and merely extended his hand.
"Malfoy," he said.
"Potter," Draco replied, shaking his hand, his cool blue eyes meeting Potters shining green ones. An unspoken truce.
"We should check the schedule," Potter suggested. Together, he and Draco walked to the bulletin board. His eyes scanned: they were to spend the first four days in Azkaban, then two days tracking Jugson, followed by another two in Azkaban. Then Rowle, two days off, and then Selwyn. When he'd finished reading, Draco turned to Potter.
"We should start with the files," he said, "Learn what we can about Goyle."
"Right," Potter agreed.
Two hours later, Draco and Potter were seated on a picnic table outside in the Ministry courtyard. It was a bright sunny day and the little breeze which was present was blocked by the building on all four sides. They had started the morning at Potter's desk but quickly realized there simply wasn't enough space for them to work effectively. And Draco wanted a cigarette. Outside Draco read Goyle Sr.'s file while Potter read Goyle, Jr.'s.
"Malfoy?" Potter asked suddenly, breaking the nearly hour long silence.
"Mm?" Draco replied, not bothering the raise his eyes from the report in front of him. He had been reading trial manuscripts.
"Malfoy," Potter said, more urgently this time. Draco lowered the quill he had been using to take notes and looked up to Potter who sat across from him.
"What do you know about Goyle's relationship with his father?" Potter asked.
Draco thought about it. He'd known the Goyles since before he could walk. Both Goyle Sr. and Lucius had been Death Eaters during the first war. While he wouldn't say the two had been close, their sons had been. Draco had learned a fair amount about Goyle while rooming together at Hogwarts.
"I don't think it's great. But, with pureblood families, a lot of pressure is put on the heir, the one who will carry the blood and the name to the next generation. They weren't close. But that's typical of pureblood families," Draco explained.
It was much the same with his father. While Lucius and Draco never quite got along, there was an unspoken bond between them. He was the bearer of the Malfoy name, and to Lucius, this meant he was special.
"So Goyle would protect his son, if he had to?" Potter suggested.
"I think so," Draco responded, and then, because his curiosity had been peaked, he asked, "Why?"
"Well, Goyle's on probation. Except he violated that probation last month when he was seen talking to Nott. He isn't supposed to have contact with any Death Eater affiliates. He has a trial next week," Potter explained, looking at his notes as he did.
"So?" Draco asked.
"I think we can use this against Goyle Sr. Tell him his son is up for the kiss, see if that makes him spill," Potter said.
Draco thought for a moment, biting into his nail again.
"I hate to say it Potter, but I think that might be a good plan," Draco said, and then added, "Assuming Goyle actually gives a shit about his son."
"We need to go to Azkaban and ask him," Potter said, already closing the file in front of him and rising.
"Hold on, Potter," Draco replied, astounded by Potter's reluctance to actually think through a plan.
Draco reached into his pocket for his cigarettes, extracted one from the pack, and lit it with his wand. Potter, thank goodness, said nothing.
"He'll know we're lying. I know Goyle was about as smart as a pile of bricks at Hogwarts, but his father's not. You can't rank so highly in the Death Eaters without at least some intelligence," Draco explained.
"So we need to convince him," Potter said, "we need to go to Azkaban."
"Yeah," Draco agreed. But, he had some issues with that idea, "Listen Potter. My family is the most hated wizarding family in the world right now. I can't just stroll into Azkaban and ask Goyle to tell us his secrets. He won't trust me. And you can't go to Azkaban alone. Remember, partners and all."
"Right," Potter looked a little defeated. Draco couldn't help but feel guilty. It was, after all, his fault, that they wouldn't be able to just waltz right into Azkaban and get the answers they needed.
"We need a plan. Some way we can both go to Azkaban, but only get you to talk to Goyle," Draco said.
Potter huffed, reopening his file. Draco too began to read again, hoping a clue lay somewhere in the papers in front of him.
Hermione's feet hit solid ground. She looked around quickly, surveying her surroundings. There were trees on all three sides around her, a forest. The ground beneath her feet was dirt. She turned, off in the distance behind a tall wire fence was a small house. The Shrieking Shack, Hermione thought. She turned around again to see Ron standing a few feet behind her.
"Sorry. I didn't want anyone to see us," Ron explained, gesturing around himself to the abandoned forest.
"Good idea," Hermione said, "We can walk to Hogsmeade from here."
The two set off down the trail in the woods on which they had walked a dozen times before. Although Hermione tried to stay focused on the task in front of her, her mind kept wandering to the night before.
"How was your date?" She asked skeptically.
Ron looked over to her, his eyes appearing to search her face. She tried to present a smile.
"Good. I guess. Ended quickly though, once I saw Selwyn. Couldn't bloody well take a girl on a date to track a Death Eater," Ron exclaimed.
"Right," Hermione replied, looking down. She couldn't help but feel slightly relieved.
"I can't believe Harry was late this morning," Ron said a moment later.
"Well, I guess he and Ginny had a good night," Hermione giggled.
"Oh yeah. Did you see his face this morning? Looked like he was going to about burst from happiness."
"Yeah. I'm happy for him," Hermione said.
"Me too. Do you reckon I get to be the best man?" Ron asked.
"Probably. Although maybe Hagrid," Hermione said. Both laughed at the image conjured in their heads of the half-giant standing beside their best friend as he got married, dressed in a fur tuxedo.
As the two walked they continued to chat idly about the wedding, and before long, they could see the Three Broomsticks across the path. They had entered Hogsmeade.
"I think we should put on the invisibility cloak," Ron suggested to Hermione, "if we see Selwyn, we're going to have to follow him."
"Right," Hermione agreed. This would be odd. The two had been under Harry's invisibility cloak together before, but not since they'd had sex. Hermione felt a little awkward as she crouched down close to Ron so they would both fit.
"Okay. So, the last time I saw Selwyn, he was in the alleyway between the Potions shop and the Library. Across from the Hog's Head," Ron whispered.
"Where was the door he went in?" Hermione asked.
"In the Potions Shop. Looked like it went down to the cellar."
"Okay, so that's where we need to wait," Hermione said.
The two walked small steps along the streets of Hogsmede, darting out of the way of locals. Before long, they'd arrived in front of the Potions shop. They entered the alleyway and looked around.
It was a narrow space, about seven feet wide. Two high brick walls ran parallel to each other on either side of them. At one end, the alley was blocked off with a tall wooden fence, the other end opened to the streets. Along the right hand wall were a series of crates stacked atop one another, no doubt crates which has previously held library books. On the other side, the wall was blank save one large metal door - green, with paint cracking off, revealing rust underneath.
"That's it," Ron said, pointing toward the door.
"We can sit over there," Hermione suggested, turning to face the crates behind them.
Quickly and carefully, Hermione and Ron worked together to climb two levels of crates just opposite the door. They struggled, their movements restricted by the cloak which bound them together. When they were comfortably seated side by side, their legs dangling beneath them, their backs up against another row of crates behind them, Hermione sighed.
"You okay?" Ron asked.
"Yep," Hermione replied. She reached into her bag, retrieving her thermos and two small cups she had packed away. Handing one of the cups to Ron and balancing the other on the crate at her side, she opened the thermos and poured each of them a small mug of coffee.
Ron clutched it with both hands, bringing it to his nose to smell, before saying thanks. Putting the thermos away, Hermione clutched her cup as well, savouring the taste of the still-warm coffee.
"Now, we wait," She said, relaxing against the crates behind her.
"Let me get this straight, you still see Goyle?" Potter asked, a look of astonishment on his face.
"Look Potter, it's not like we're best mates, but yeah, I get a drink with him every now and then," Draco replied.
"And you've been keeping this from me because?" Potter said, now he looked angry.
"I didn't mean to. Honestly, Potter. The last time I saw him was more than two months ago," Draco replied. Before I started training, he added in his head.
"The point is, I can get into contact with him if I need to," Draco said, taking a drag of his cigarette. It had been four hours since Draco and Potter had first began devising their plan and it seemed at every step there was a new problem.
They'd solved the first, the problem of Draco appearing at Azkaban with Potter and potentially sabotaging their opportunity to get any information from Goyle. Malfoy would simply wear an invisibility cloak while Potter interviewed. If he wanted to add anything, he would signal Potter and they would leave the room to discuss the issue. Now the problem was how to convince Goyle Sr. that his son was in mortal danger.
An hour earlier, Potter had suggested a polyjuice potion. At first, they'd talked about Malfoy taking a potion to appear to be Kingsley. If Goyle wouldn't believe Potter, then he would believe the Minister of Magic. But, as Draco had pointed out, they were pretty sure impersonating the Minister was illegal.
Next, they had thought of merely impersonating another Death Eater, someone with some more authority. The problem with that plan was convincing another Auror to give up their DNA. Potter was sure Weasley would be willing, but Draco had insisted a more esteemed Auror was necessary.
"What if you impersonated Goyle Jr., use his own son against him," Potter suggested.
Draco thought about it. He certainly knew Goyle well enough to reasonably impersonate his character.
"That could work," Draco agreed, "but the guards aren't going to let an imprisoned Death Eater talk to his son."
"The guards don't have to know he'll be there. We have an invisibility cloak, remember?"
Sneaky, Draco thought. Potter should have been a slytherin with cunning like that.
"Right. So we can go to Azkaban, you tell the guards you're interviewing Goyle, I'll be Goyle Jr. in disguise, hidden beneath the cloak. When we get into the interview room, I reveal myself, and I try to convince my father to help me avoid the kiss. Right?" Draco summarized.
"Right. Now all we need is a cloak, some polyjuice potion, and a strand of Goyle's hair. Actually, more like a handful of strands, in case we need to go back again," Potter said.
"Right. And I can meet with Goyle and get the hair, while you get the cloak and the polyjuice," Draco said.
"I think we should go to Azkaban without the potion first. Just me and Goyle Sr. I'll try to convince Goyle first, when he doesn't believe me, we'll show up the next day with you as Goyle Jr." Potter added.
"Alright. I need to owl Goyle. See if he'll meet me tonight," Draco said.
Potted nodded.
And then added a moment later, "I'll go track down a polyjuice potion. We'll head to Azkaban first thing tomorrow morning. Meet here."
Draco nodded. He closed the folder in front of him which contained Goyle's file and put away his quill and parchment. When he rose, he was surprised to see Potter's hand extended once again. He shook the hand quickly, before retreating from the picnic table into the Ministry.
After returning to the Aurors office briefly to return his files, Draco went back outside to the dissapiration point. Despite his desire to walk home as he usually did when he left the Ministry at the end of a day's work, Draco decided he was in too much of a rush for the delay. From the courtyard, Draco disappeared, reappearing on the landing outside his flat. He performed his usual unlocking charms, before entering and taking off his boots.
Almost immediately, Sappho was at his feet.
"Hi, Sap," Draco said, tossing his bag on the sofa in his small living room. He knew the cat would be mad at him for not greeting her nicely, but he had things to do.
Draco went quickly to his bedroom where a sliding door lead outside to a small balcony. He climbed through the door, stood on the balcony and gave a small whistle. He waited. Another whistle. Then he saw him: a handsome gray owl flying low through the sky.
As the animal approached, Draco backed away from the rail, bumping into the small chair on the balcony. Still, he wanted to allow the majestic creature room to land comfortably.
"Hey, Grouch. I need you to deliver a letter for me. Wait here," Draco commanded. Grouch had been his owl for nearly half his life. Draco let him roam around wherever he pleased, confident that when he whistled, Grouch would always come. The animal had never failed him.
Draco walked back into the living room again. He sat on the couch, digging in his bag for a quill and a piece of parchment. Make this sound casual, Draco thought as he began to write.
Goyle,
Drinks tonight? My place, 10:00.
DM
Draco folded the letter, magically sealing it with the Malfoy green and black coat of arms.
When he walked back onto the balcony, Draco paused to open the small wooden box which sat atop the small glass table Draco kept outside. The box held owl treats, a fact which Grouch had quickly learned. Draco reached his hand in to retrieve one treat. The owl squawked. Fine, Draco thought, reaching into grab another. Greedy Grouch.
He tied the parchment to the owl's leg, and then fed him the two treats. "To Goyle, Gregory," Draco commanded. The owl nipped his finger before flying off into this distance. Draco went inside then to give Sappho some proper attention. He had a few hours before Goyle would arrive, a few hours before he had to put the plan into motion.
Now, we wait, Draco thought. Easing onto the couch with Sappho at his side.
"Hermione," Ron wined, "we've been sitting here all day. Don't you think we would have seen something by now?"
"Patience Ronald," Hermione scolded.
"You've been saying that since 2, it's nearly 9 now. I'm hungry and tired. We need to go somewhere, do something. We can't just sit here. We should meet up with Dawlish or Proudfoot, see if Selwyn is with Jugson and Rowle," Ron suggested.
"Ron, you said yourself you saw Selwyn unlock this door with his wand. He lives here. He'll either come back or come out eventually. We need to wait," Hermione said again. It had been like this all day: Ron suggesting the two go somewhere else, and Hermione insisting they stay.
"That, or we was only here for the night. Or visiting someone," Ron said.
Hermione knew he might be right, but something in her told her this was where they were going to find Selwyn. They'd been huddled together under the invisibility cloak sitting atop the crates for hours now. There was no end in sight. Hermione scolded herself silently for not thinking to bring snacks. And they'd run out of coffee a few hours before. She too was starving, her stomach grumbling when she thought about the leftovers Molly had insisted she take with her the night before, now waiting in her fridge at home.
"I know, Ron. I just think we need to wait a little longer," Hermione said again.
"How much longer?" Ron asked, "We can't bloody well sit here all night."
Hermione knew he was right. They hadn't been prepared enough. She felt like she had failed her first Auror mission.
"We'll stay until 10:00."
That meant one more hour. If Selwyn hadn't appeared by then, they would have to devise a new plan the next day.
As the next thirty minutes passed, Ron and Hermione remained silent. Ron, brooding. He grew increasingly irritable, his constant leg jiggling was driving Hermione just about crazy. She looked up at the darkened sky through the invisibility cloak, the stars were beginning to shine above.
"Hermione, look," Ron whispered suddenly, elbowing her in the ribs to get her attention. Hermione followed his eyes to the mouth of the alleyway where a man now stood in the space that before had been empty.
Hermione watched as the man faced outwards, into the street, looking both ways. He was clad in a long black robe, a hood over his head. His wand was in his hand. Seemingly satisfied, the man turned and began walking slowly, quietly down the alleyway toward Ron and Hermione.
Although his face was mostly hooded, Hermione saw it did resemble the picture of Selwyn posted in the Auror Office. A long thin nose, thin lips, dark brown almond shaped eyes. Bits of his long hair hung in his face. It wasn't the same dark brown hair which appeared on the poster, dyed Malfoy-blonde now, but Hermione was sure the man was Selwyn.
Upon that realization, she felt her pulse quicken. She reached into her pocket for her wand, gripping it firmly in her clenched first. She felt Ron move slightly closer to her, placing a protective arm around her shoulder. His wand securely in his hand as well.
"It's him," Ron whispered into her ear.
At the sound of Ron's voice, Selwyn paused. He was close enough now that if Hermione had extended her leg, she could kick him. She slowed her breathing, wishing herself and Ron to be as quiet as possible.
This was the first time in a long time Hermione had felt she was in serious danger. Not since the Battle of Hogwarts had she felt fear like this. A Death Eater, a known killer, stood a mere foot from where she and Ron sat.
Selwyn turned, cocking his head to listen intently.
"Homonym Revelio," the Death Eater whispered, his wand pointing at the pile of crates Hermione and Ron sat on.
Hermione felt her breath catch in her throat. Ron's hand gave her shoulder a squeeze as if to say "this is it, get ready to fight."
But, nothing happened. The cloak stayed put. Hermione's brain swam with questions. This shouldn't be possible, a ministry cloak was no match for a strong revealing charm, it should just fall right off them, showing the figures huddled underneath.
But Selwyn didn't move. He couldn't see them. They were safe.
Selwyn, satisfied that nobody had followed him, turned and whispered a few unlocking charms under his breath. Opening the heavy metal door with a flick of his wand, he walked into the blackness beyond. The door slammed shut with a bang and Hermione let out the breath she'd been holding.
They were silent for a moment, ensuring Selwyn was far enough from ear shot.
"Good thing I brought Harry's cloak," Ron said. Now Hermione understood. Only the true invisibility cloak, made by death himself, could withstand a revealing charm.
Hermione's heart rate slowly returned to normal, "we should be more careful though, next time."
"At least we know where he lives now," Ron commented. "Now we can leave, come back tomorrow morning early and try to catch him leaving."
"I think we should put up an alarm," Hermione said.
"What?"
"An alarm. Remember when we came to Hogsmeade before we went to Hogwarts. When Aberforth rescued us? Remember the alarm when we landed? I've been doing some research, and I'm fairly certain we can set up an alarm in this alley. That way we'll know if anyone tries to leave or enter," Hermione explained.
The look on Ron's face told her he was skeptical.
"Hermione, Selwyn will notice if bloody alarm goes off every time he leaves his flat," Ron pointed out.
"I know that," Hermione snapped, "We can set up a silent alarm."
"Good. I'm pretty sure that will do nothing though, seeing as if it's silent, we won't be able to hear it."
"Ron, will you just listen for a moment? We can set up a Caterwauling Charm, like the one the Death Eater's used when they set a curfew. Only we can add a Protean Charm to it, like I did with the D.A. Galleons. You remember right?"
Ron nodded.
"We can arrange it so that my watch makes a beeping sound, the alarm, when the real Caterwauling charm is triggered. If we're sitting in the alleyway, we can turn off the watch, and the alarm won't sound," Hermione finished.
"Blimey Hermione, you know how to do that?" Ron said, an astonished look on his face.
"Obviously Ron, I wouldn't have suggested it if I couldn't," Hermione replied.
"I just need a moment," Hermione moved to get up, but was held down by Ron's arm.
"I don't think you should get out under the cloak," he said, "You never knew who's watching, you know."
So, the two of them slowly stood up, stretching the sore muscles in their legs as they went. They climbed down carefully from the crates and Hermione began performing the complex set of spells.
Draco paced around his kitchen. It was nearly ten, time for Goyle to arrive. He'd received confirmation of the meeting an hour before. He was nervous. It had been awhile since he had seen Goyle and wasn't sure if his former best friend would continue to trust him after he became an Auror.
Plus, Draco had to get some of Goyle's hair and still wasn't entirely sure how he was going to accomplish the task. He knew this was his only opportunity and he couldn't afford to fuck up.
He picked up Sappho, cradling her in his arms. He spoke softly into her ear, "You need to be hidden when Goyle arrives. He won't like you. But you can stay in my room. I'll even leave the balcony door open for you if you promise not to jump down."
The cat purred in his arms. When he placed her on the bed, Sappho instantly jumped to the ground and walked over the sliding door which lead to the balcony. Draco opened it a few inches, allowing the cat to step outside. Good on her word, Sappho took a few more steps into the centre of the balcony and then sat down. She turned and blinked at Draco as if to tell him she wouldn't jump.
"Good girl," Draco said, "I'll come get you when he's gone."
When Draco exited his room, shutting the door behind him, he heard the knock.
He walked over the entrance, opening the door to reveal his old friend and dorm mate. Goyle was tall, much taller than Draco, and broader. His short brown hair was nearly buzzed, a few curls on top. He wore a green polo shirt and dark jeans. Draco, for his part, had been sure to wear one of the few t-shirts he owned, revealing his Dark Mark. He thought it best to remind his friend, especially one who doubted him, that he had once been a Death Eater, that he had the power here.
"Hey mate," Draco said, inviting Goyle in. "Sorry for the short notice. I needed a drink, it's been a hard few weeks."
"No doubt," Goyle replied, "I heard you're an Auror now? What'd Lucius have to say about that?"
"Don't give a fuck what Lucius thinks," Draco said, turning and walking toward the kitchen. Goyle followed, smirking.
Draco waved his wand, and two glasses appeared, one before himself and one before Goyle. A bottle of firewhiskey poured a drink in both.
"Besides, I work with Potter and the Weasel and Granger. You should see the looks on their faces when I beat them at duels," Draco boasted. A lie, he'd hadn't dueled Potter or Weasley since arriving at training. And he was pretty sure Granger beat him as often as he beat her.
Goyle laughed. Fucking idiot, Draco thought. He honestly couldn't fathom how he had spent so many years talking with this fool.
After an hour or so passed and Draco still hadn't been close enough to Goyle to get a piece of his hair, Draco began to panic. Time was running out. He needed a plan.
The pair still stood in the kitchen, Draco resting his back against one counter, Goyle sitting atop the opposite one, next to the sink. Draco ran his hand through his long hair, thinking quickly while pretending to listen to Goyle's story about some girl he'd slept with a week before.
It was then that Draco saw the pile of plates stacked on the shelves above Goyle's head. He had an idea. Slyly, Draco reached his hand into his back pocket and retrieved his wand. Goyle was too drunk to notice. He held the wand firmly in his hand and pointed it toward the plates.
"Levi-O-sa," Draco said in his head, careful to place the emphasis on the correct syllable. The plates rose, hovering in midair. Draco moved his wand slightly, and the plates left their shelf, now hovering directly above Goyle's head.
Draco let them fall with a crash.
Each of the plates smashed over Goyle's head, one by one. Before Goyle even had a chance to shout, he had passed out, falling from the counter to Draco's kitchen floor. The plates lay broken all around him.
Perfect, Draco thought. He bent down over Goyle, ripping a couple of hairs from his skull and placing them carefully in a cup on the counter opposite the mess. A little dramatic perhaps, but the plan worked.
Draco quickly cleaned up the mess, reassembling the plates and placing them back on the shelf above the counter. When he was finished, he revived Goyle, who looked, above all, extremely confused as to why he was lying on the floor.
"You passed out, mate," Draco said.
"Huh?" Goyle asked, straining to sit himself up.
"You passed out. Drank too much, I suppose," Draco said, extending his hand to help the man to his feet.
"What? That hasn't happened to me since fifth year in the common room," Goyle exclaimed. It was actually bizarre to think that a man of his size could be rendered unconscious by a few drinks. But Draco knew Goyle was dumb enough to buy the lie.
"Counterfeit firewhiskey, more poisonous than usual," he lied again. Plausible.
"Should have warned me, mate," Goyle responded.
"Right," Draco replied, "Sorry about that. I'm feeling a little woozy myself. Should be off to bed. Early morning."
Truthfully, Draco had barely had a drink. When Goyle had gone to the washroom earlier, he'd charmed a glass of water to look like Firewhiskey.
"Yeah. Listen, sorry about that, didn't mean to fall over on you" Goyle said.
"Happens to the best of us," Draco replied, walking Goyle over.
Phase one complete, Draco thought as he shook the hand of the man he would soon become.
A/N 2: Next chapter: Draco and Harry interview Goyle, Ron and Hermione interview Travers. During a tracking mission, Draco makes a discovery that forces him to ask for Hermione's help. Can she put aside their differences for the sake of the mission?