DISCLAIMER: I do not own HP or MC/MU ect.
CHAPTER 4: How do you do, Mr Malfoy?
The Trio looked in shock as they saw Malfoy for the first time since the war and the defeat of his father's Master Tom Riddle. However, unlike his father, Draco had not fought in the war as a Death Eater, especially after being saved by Harry Potter. He had not been seen in the Wizarding World since his father's imprisonment in early January 1998; only returning to England late last year to take over his families company Malfoy Enterprises from his mother. Rumour has it that he had voluntarily worked in Healing Centres around the world after completing his Medi-Wizard degree at Scholar Wizards in Bristol during December 1998.
'You three look like stunned mullets,' Draco proclaimed, watching the Trio with interest. 'I know that I am hot but please close your jaws- it's not polite to gawk'.
Weasley made a move to throw a nearby vase at Malfoy's head, but was stopt by Hermione.
Draco smirked. 'Why being so hostile, Weasley?'
'You know damn well-'
'Oh of course, I apologise for my lack of hospitality. Do come in and take a seat' Draco motioned to the three chairs before his desk. 'And tell me about your proposition. Lavender and Pansy were- ahem- quite 'shocked', I suppose is the appropriate term'
'And you weren't shocked, Malfoy?' Ron asked, ignoring Malfoy's gesture to sit down. Hermione and Harry however, had entered Malfoy's office and were now sitting down on a rather comfortable chair each.
'Since the war, Weasley, nothing really shocks me' Malfoy said before, once again, he gestured for Ron to sit in the vacant chair opposite him. 'Mr Weasley,' Malfoy addressed formally. 'Can we get to business soon? I have another appointment at-'
'For goodness sake Ron! Sit down!' Hermione commanded, pulling on his jumper so that he would follow her order. He glared at Malfoy while going to sit down.
'Thankyou, Miss Granger, for your assistance' Malfoy said sincerely, while watching Ron with amusement instead of looking at Hermione, who was surprised.
Hermione's attention was diverted to the chair to her right as Ron gave a yelp, clutching his bottom.
'Sorry Mr Weasley, that chair bites' Draco apologised as Hermione and Harry stifled giggles. 'Here.' Draco waved his wand, causing the chair that Ron had sat on to disappear. Another flick of his wand and Draco had created a new chair from thin air.
Ron glared at the new chair.
'C'mon mate,' Harry urged. 'You're not scared of a chair, are you?'
This prompted Ron to sit down, although a bit hesitantly. But the chair didn't bite.
'Now that the fun is over, let us get to the serious business' Malfoy stated, as Ron continued to glare at him. 'I was rather concerned when I read your letter, Mr Potter, and the code that you sent with it' his attention was diverted to Hermione. 'How long did it take for you to decipher the code Miss Granger?'
Hermione appeared startled at being addressed in such a formal manner by Malfoy, but she quickly recovered herself. 'A couple of hours or so. I lost track of time so I can't give an exact time…'
'Yes, it can happen to the best of us' Malfoy interrupted, looking slightly dazed. 'Your work is to be applauded, Miss Granger. I have read your contributions to Advanced Charms: Revised and your many articles in 'Scholar Wizards'. But, then again, you are the 'Smartest Witch of Our Time'…'
Malfoy was looking at the door instead of Hermione, before averting his attention back to Harry. '…ahem. Potter. Tell me your plan'.
As Harry retold the proposition that he had earlier explained to Malfoy's assistants, Hermione took the opportunity to look at Draco properly- something she had never done before.
'What has happened to you Malfoy?' she thought to herself, staring at the person she thought that she once knew.
Draco's attitude towards herself and her friends had changed dramatically although, in Ron's case, that claim could be negotiable. Draco's obvious maturity was striking considering the Malfoy she remembered from her childhood; even though he was smart he never displayed this with his actions, preferring to boss people around to do his bidding.
His appearance also caught Hermione's attention. No longer as pale as his school-self, Draco's skin was a shade darker then she remembered and it had a healthy glow (unlike before when he was practically translucent). His body, Hermione noticed with a blush, had developed into that of a man; the athletic build of his body and broad shoulders as well as a toned stomach caught her attention before it was diverted to his calloused but soft- looking hands ("probably from Quiddich" she thought to herself).
Finally, her eyes drifted to Draco's face.
Hermione was shocked to find him watching Harry intently, paying attention to his ex-enemies every word. This captivated Hermione more so then Draco's matured body. His hair moved slightly as he nodded in agreement with Harry; his hair was layered and reached just above his shoulders, hanging freely around his face.
And although he still looked like he was wearing a mask without depicting any emotions, Draco Malfoy's face appeared to be serious (which was such a change from when they were at Hogwarts).
Hermione got quite a shock when Draco turned his attention from Harry to her and looked straight into her eyes. Hermione tried to look away from his- were they grey or blue?- eyes, but felt herself drawn to them. They appeared so vacant, as though the mask that Malfoy wore on his face was also pulled over his eyes…
'As you can see Miss Granger, I have 'grown up'' Draco answered Hermione's silent question as though she had asked it out loud.
'I….uh…' she stuttered, earning some amused looks from her friends as Hermione never stuttered.
'As I said earlier, Mr Potter…' Draco turned his attention back to Harry, saving Hermione from further embarrassment.
Silently scolding herself with a 'do not under any circumstances stare at Malfoy so freely again', she shook her head slightly in an attempt to remove the mental image of Malfoy's eyes gazing into hers.
'I was intrigued by your letter and even more so by your proposal. I am prepared to do whatever is necessary in order to protect the Miss Magick contestants and help the Auror team capture the 'New Dark Lord'' Draco shook his head in disbelief at the name.
'What's in it for you?' Ron questioned Draco, earning a glare from Harry.
'Safety, Harmony and World Peace in Wizarding Society is all that I am after, Ronald' Draco stated in a serious, rehearsed speech, causing Ron to snort. 'I thought it sounded convincing' Draco smirked, earning a smile from Harry and Hermione. 'Fine. By protecting the girls and the Wizarding World, I also protect the reputation of Malfoy Enterprises'.
'The reputation is already tarnished' Ron mumbled, earning a scowl from Draco.
'Regardless of the fabrications that you have obviously been hearing about, Weasley, Malfoy Enterprises has become a respectable company since my appointment as Manager…'
Ron interrupted him, 'But what about when it was run by your Death Eater father? 'Murders at M.E.' the newspapers reported. Are you going to tell me that those were fabricated?'
The room fell silent.
Hermione and Harry were both looking from a clearly agitated Ron to a seemingly passive Draco Malfoy. Even now, Malfoy was still wearing a mask, although Hermione thought that she a brief flicker of something similar to anger in his now-grey eyes. When she looked again, however, they were as unreadable as ever.
'My father was a fool' Malfoy stated simply, returning his attention back to Harry.
Hermione was in shock. The Draco Malfoy she knew would have attempted to hex Ron on the spot.
Malfoy asked Harry, 'do you know exactly when, during the pageant, that this New Dark Lord will attack? And what weapons he will possibly use?'
'The attack can take place at practically any time during the pageant. The weapons will more then likely be muggle-made, and I doubt that these weapons would be either poison or guns as they were used during the two previous attacks in the Wizarding World. The New Dark Lord has taken credit for those attacks' Harry explained.
'Oh yes, Miss Granger explained this in the Charms book' Draco's attention was diverted back to Hermione, and she was trying to stare out of the window behind him instead of looking into his eyes again. 'You do realise Potter' Draco once again looked at Harry. 'That all of the Miss Magick contestants have been chosen and contacted. They will all be arriving in London in a weeks time to commence training for the semi-finals on the following Saturday. How do you propose that I tell one of them that they have been replaced?'
'I-' Harry started but was cut off by Hermione.
'That wont be necessary, Mr Malfoy' Hermione glanced at him as she spoke, and noticed that his- as well as her friends- full attention was placed on her.
'What do you suggest, Miss Granger?' Draco challenged her.
'What I suggest, Mr Malfoy' Hermione answered, 'is that you add another country into the pageant. I have researched that you have a candidate from the United Kingdom which includes Northern Ireland, but you do not have a candidate from the Republic of Ireland…'
'So, you are suggesting that the undercover Auror should pose as the representative for the Republic of Ireland?'
'That's correct'
'But you don't have an Irish accent, Miss Granger'
'Ooh, but tha' can change, lovey' she mimicked a saying that she had heard from an Irish sitcom that she had watched on television.
'That was convincing, 'Mione!' Ron exclaimed in surprise; Hermione shrugging her shoulders as if to say 'I do it all of the time'.
'So what do you say Malfoy?' Harry asked.
For a few seconds, Malfoy just stared at his hands before looking at the Golden Trio. Then…
'Miss Granger' he addressed Hermione. 'From this moment on, you are the Miss Magick contestant who will be representing the Republic of Ireland. I trust that you will assume an appropriate new identity for yourself, and that you will be completely involved in all aspects of this competition- both as an Auror and an contestant'.
Both Harry and Ron had given 'whoops!' of happiness, jumping off their chairs and hugged Hermione, who just sat in shock.
'Now Mr Potter and Mr Weasley, if you'll excuse us, Miss Granger and I have some pageant business that we need to attend to. Poppy…' Draco clicked his fingers, causing the house-elf to appear.
'What does Master want with Poppy sir?'
'See to it that Mr Potter and Mr Weasley are escorted to the Dining Room, where they will meet me and the new Miss Magick contestant in approximately two hours'.
Ron looked like he was about to protest, but before he could both him and Harry were quickly escorted from the room by Poppy, leaving Hermione alone with Draco.
She just looked at him in amazement before asking, 'Was that necessary?'
'Was what necessary, Miss Granger?' he replied, looking confused.
'You know damn well what, Malfoy!' Hermione exclaimed heatedly, but calmed down slightly as Draco still looked confused. She decided to elaborate, 'was it necessary to escort Harry and Ron out of your office? And-'
'I believe so, Miss Granger'
'-And why are calling me 'Miss Granger'?' Hermione finished, glaring at Draco.
Draco just drummed his fingers on the desk in an unabashed way.
'As I said to Poppy, we have some pageant business to attend to. Business that your fellow Auror's don't need to be a part of…' Hermione opened her mouth to ask what this business was but '…beautification, Miss Granger. And I call you 'Miss Granger' because it is the civilised way of addressing a fellow person'
'What?' Hermione asked stupidly, looking at Draco as though he had just proclaimed his undying love for Harry Potter.
'I am not who I once was, Miss Granger' Draco replied simply. 'Anyway, back to business. Your beauty regime…'
'My what?' Hermione asked, somewhat exasperated.
'Miss Granger, Miss Magick is not just a competition between intelligent and verbally competent witches; it is also a beauty pageant. In your present state…' Draco motioned to Hermione's baggy clothes and bushy hair.
Hermione stood quickly, almost knocking her chair to the floor. 'Back to the insults I see, Malfoy' Hermione snarled at him. 'Next thing I know, you will be calling me 'Beaver-teeth' and 'Mudblood''
'Miss Granger, I sincerely apologise if what I said to you sounded like an insult- it was not my intention. Also, I would never resort to taunting you as I had during our schooling years together at Hogwarts'
'I don't believe you' Hermione said stubbornly, plonking herself rather inelegantly into her chair.
Draco swore under his breath and decided to try another approach to discussing beauty with Hermione Granger.
'Granger' Malfoy said, causing Hermione to give him a look that clearly said 'So you are finally back to normal'. 'What would you do if you were diagnosed with pediculosis?'
Hermione's jaw practically dropped to the floor.
'Are you implying that I have…' Hermione fumed.
'It's a hypothetical situation' Draco reminded her.
'Well, obviously I would have to get treatment for it'
'So you would look after yourself?' Draco asked.
His reply was a look by Hermione that clearly said, 'well duh!'
'Well…ahem… your body also needs professional maintenance' the look on Hermione's face prompted him to continue hurriedly. 'Grooming, shall we say. It is obvious that your body is in good condition- I mean, you are an Auror' Draco had to add, as Hermione raised an eyebrow at him questioningly. 'Miss Magick is always dignified, intelligent, friendly and impeccably groomed. You fit the first two- okay three!- criteria, but you need some help with the fourth. Someone to tame your bushy mane, for example'.
Hermione shot Draco a look of pure anger that he chose to ignore.
'Miss Brown, send up Claude' Draco spoke to the ceiling. Just as Hermione thought that Draco had gone completely insane, she heard Lavenders voice reply 'straight away, sir,' which echoed from the ceiling.
'How?'
'This house-' did he just say house? '-is enchanted. I just perform a simple spell if I wish to talk to anyone in this house and they will be able to hear me' Draco explained.
'That's quite advanced magic!' Hermione couldn't help but say.
Draco just shrugged his shoulders. This gesture confused Hermione.
What? No gloating from Malfoy?
Hermione then noticed that Draco was pointing his wand at her, with a look of concentration on his face. As she was about to pull out her own wand just in case Malfoy decided to hex her, she heard a voice from behind her.
'Ah, iz this Hermione Granger? Ze Smartest Witch of 'er time?' the voice asked, in a heavy French accent which was quite obvious.
'No Claude' Draco replied, lowering his wand which he had used to open the door. 'This is the new Miss Magick contestant who is representing the Republic of Ireland'
'Ah, but of course!' Claude responded. 'Now Mademoiselle, please follow moi' Hermione stood and followed Claude as he led her to the door that was beside the bookcase.
'But Claude!' Draco protested.
'Non monsieur, we must get ready in private'
'But that is my room!'
Hermione had to stifle her laughter at Draco's last comment. 'That is definitely Malfoy' she thought to herself.
'Vell, what do you suggest?' Claude asked impatiently.
'The parlour' Draco explained calmly, as he muttered a spell to his wand and waved it at one of the bookcases. The bookcase slowly moved outwards to reveal a door.
'Very well, monsieur' Claude stated happily, and with a skip in his step he opened to door, motioning for Hermione to join him. 'Mademoiselle, please come. You're more perfect self awaits you'.
Hermione grimaced slightly as she followed Claude through the door.
Lying on a massage table in her bathrobes, with a green avocado mask covering her face and foil poking out from her still-bushy hair, was Hermione Granger.
Hermione had gasped when she first entered the parlour just over an hour ago. It was the size of a basketball stadium with lights hanging from the ceiling and three walls which were adorned with elegant shelves which contained beauty products, both muggle and magical. Against the other wall was a giant cupboard that was beside basins used to wash hair, and a golden framed mirror that was covered by a sheet of green silk.
Hermione had already been waxed, had a massage, body scrub and facial, and was now mentally preparing herself for getting her hair tamed. She failed to notice that Draco had entered the room until he spoke to her.
'I have bought you an outfit' he stated professionally. 'I shall put it in the cupboard'. Then he left.
'I hope that it's not a boob-tube and hot pants' Hermione mumbled to herself, as she remembered the scantily-clad Auror that Harper had ogled at when they had searched the MOMA database.
She was getting a bit anxious wondering what sort of 'outfit' Malfoy had left for her to wear, so she was relieved when Claude and Lavender arrived to help complete the next stage of her transformation.
After having her avocado mask rinsed off, Hermione had to endure half an hour of pain: getting her hair tamed. This was followed by Claude styling her hair and Lavender doing her makeup.
'Zer! We ar' finished, Mademoiselle. You may get changed' Claude announced, and went to leave the room with Lavender but stopped. 'What is your name again, Mademoiselle? For I will need to introduce you at dinner'.
Hermione told him and watched as both he and Lavender left the room. Hesitantly, she walked over to the cupboard and opened it; she was shocked by the ensemble that Draco had left for her. She looked in the other part of the cupboard, but they were no other outfits.
'Who would have thought that Malfoy has taste in female clothes…?' Hermione mumbled to herself as she got changed.
A/N: As promised, I have uploaded two new chapters! Sorry for taking so long, but holidays can do that to people ; ) The next chapter should be uploaded sometime this week. Please remember to read and review! And thanks to all the people who keep on reviewing- you guys are awesome!
