Professor McGonagall,
I would love to take the position! I can be at Hogsmeade at 7 p.m. this evening to discuss it further with you. I am sorry to hear about Madame Pomfrey. I would also like to petition to begin a new Healer Training program to interest students in the possibility of becoming a Healer. I look forward to seeing you again and being back at Hogwarts.
Sincerely,
Hermione Granger.
Professor McGonagall,
I accept your offer. I will be available tonight in the Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade at 7 p.m. tonight to discuss the job further with you.
Sincerely,
Draco Malfoy
Draco woke up just barely in time to get his letter sent off before going to get ready for his meeting with McGonagall. He drank a Sober-Up Potion just in case, and put on a pair of decent-looking dress robes. He couldn't wait to be back at that school, away from Grange-. He didn't finish that thought.
Hermione was accepting a job at Hogwarts as the Healer in place of Madame Pomfrey. Damn.
Draco began cursing his stupidity, taking the empty Firewhiskey bottles from the night before and smashing them against the bar. "Why?" he yelled to no one in particular.
When no answer came, he thought it was ironic that he expected one.
Draco sat down for a moment and thought. His quarters and classroom would be in the dungeons. It wouldn't matter; the Hospital Wing was on the top floor. Maybe he could avoid her, and they would only see each other when absolutely necessary, which was (hopefully) rarely.
Still sensing something was not right with the situation, he apparated to Hogsmeade and went into the Three Broomsticks with the expectation of seeing McGonagall sitting in one of the booths. What he found surprised him, although he should've been expecting it.
"Malfoy? What are you doing here?" Hermione questioned accusingly.
"I have a meeting with McGonagall to discuss my new job here as Potions Master and Head of Slytherin House," he responded icily.
"Oh, really? How did you know what time my meeting was? Why are you trying to sabotage it?" Hermione said, standing up and glaring at him.
"He did no such thing, Miss Granger. He is here to do as he said," McGonagall cut in, causing Hermione to flush in embarrassment.
"Now, Mr. Malfoy, Miss Granger, if you will kindly take your seats and refrain from arguing any more, we can get this over with," McGonagall said, eyeing them when they looked like they were about to start another argument.
"Professor, how much does this job pay?" Hermione asked, hoping it would not be too much of a pay cut.
"25,000 Galleons a year, Miss Granger, along with a room and all the supplies necessary for you," McGonagall answered.
"And mine?" Draco asked, much to both of their shocks.
"30,000 Galleons a year, along with a room and an apothecary's license to purchase all of your Potions supplies which will be paid for by the school."
The three of them sat there silently. Finally McGonagall continued, "You both will be expected to be available at any hour, as Healer and Head of House. Anything you will need will be available to you through me. Is there anything else you would like to know?" McGonagall asked.
Hermione, looking at Draco for a moment to see if he wanted to know anything before asking her question, said, "Professor, have you considered the idea I mentioned in my letter?"
"Yes, as a matter of fact. While it sounds good in theory, I believe you and I will have to discuss more details so as to get a better idea of what you have in mind. I might be able to have this available as a class as early as when the students come back from Easter Holiday," McGonagall said, watching as Hermione's eyes lit up on that last part. "Is there anything you would like to know, Mr. Malfoy?" McGonagall asked.
"No, Professor," he replied shortly.
"Good. Now, if you two will follow, me, we can visit the school and give you an idea of your quarters so you can move in and be set up by Monday next," McGonagall said, standing up and fastening her cloak around her neck.
Hermione glared at Draco, hoping to nix any ideas forming in his head as she fastened her thick scarlet traveling cloak around her neck. Draco stared right back at her, smirking.
The long, familiar walk up to the castle was awkwardly silent. Hermione's mind kept going back to Draco's accusing face as he stood behind his shield in her flat only the day before. She shuddered in revulsion.
Draco saw Hermione shudder as they walked through the cold back to the castle. It was particularly chilly out that day, so he decided to take initiative.
Wait, what was that thought? Was he really thinking these things? She was a mud-. He stopped himself from finishing that thought, not wanting to revert to the ways he had known as a student here. Still, he moved closer to Hermione to help her get warmer.
Hermione suddenly felt the presence of someone in her personal space. She glanced out of the corner of her eye and saw the flash of shaggy platinum hair that told her it was Malfoy. She immediately began moving faster, wanting to get out of his vicinity. They were almost at the castle now, finally.
Draco was glad that the tension he felt in the air lifted as they walked into the familiar castle. The Entrance Hall was the same as it had been in their days in school, repaired and exactly replicated with the magic with which it had been built. It felt pure, like the darkness that had overtaken it in Draco's seventh year had been slowly bled out, so as to prevent a recurrence.
Hermione felt the same and yet a different atmosphere overcome her as she walked into the entrance hall. Hearing the sound of students enjoying their dinner made Hermione smile, and she wished Harry and Ron were there to share in her experience.
McGonagall took them down the staircase that Hermione recalled led to the dungeons. They were going to Draco's room first then.
McGonagall turned right once and then right again, and Hermione immediately knew that she had never once been in this part of the castle. It was dark and cold, as like most of the dungeons. It was obviously a well-hidden area, as it was not well-detailed on the Marauder's Map. She then immediately turned left, facing a stone wall. "Hollyhead Harpies," McGonagall said to the wall. It sunk into itself and opened up to reveal an office area. It was cleared out, save for a mahogany desk. An oak door stood behind it, leading to what Hermione assumed would be Draco's dormitory. At least it would be a good distance from hers.
"We will leave you to explore, Mr. Malfoy. Please meet us in the Entrance Hall in two hours." They went back up to the Entrance Hall and turned right into the staircase area opposite the Great Hall.
Hermione followed McGonagall up to the familiar Third-Floor Hospital Wing, which she knew contained Madame Pomfrey's old chambers. She struggled with the idea that Draco's quarters were so far away if she ever needed a potion she didn't have on stock, and that she would have to go down there at any given time to ask him for some. Then she heard McGonagall say the password, "Flowers." The painting of a vase they were standing in front of swung open to reveal a small living area. A kitchenette was built off to one side. Various cauldrons were neatly organized on the other side of the door. It was painted a mint green, with various blues and golds accenting it. Madame Pomfrey must've been in Ravenclaw way back when then, Hermione thought. A floral-designed couch sat in front of a large fireplace, already roaring with warmth. Two bookshelves stood in the corner next to the fire, lined with medical books already organized alphabetically, while the rest must have been for Madame Pomfrey's personal enjoyment. A large window looked out over the grounds and the Quidditch Pitch. Hermione figured this was because Madame Pomfrey could observe for any more injuries had she already had one in a match.
A filing cabinet sat between the two bookshelves, filled to the brim with old-looking medical records, probably dating back to before the Middle Ages. It probably had an Undetectable Extendable charm on it just like Hermione's beaded purse. To the right of the bookcases was a set of spiral stairs leading up to her dormitory, which must be located above the room.
Hermione stood there in awe of the comfort of the space, so much better than her cramped flat, and reminding her so much of Gryffindor Tower. McGonagall reiterated that she was to be back downstairs in a little less than two hours. As soon as McGonagall was gone, Hermione pulled her wand out. She changed the color scheme of the room, making the walls cream and the blue and gold accents scarlet and gold, just like her old common room. Satisfied, she decided to examine the room itself. She climbed the stairs.
Pushing open the heavy wooden door, Hermione entered a circular room about half the size of the one below her. Her bed was opposite her, a plain four-poster queen-sized mattress. No drapes hung from the bed frame, yet Hermione knew that she would be able to bring some from her flat come Monday. The walls were the same mint green as the downstairs had been. A large wardrobe sat to the left of her bed, made of a dark rich wood. Hermione ran her fingers over it, thinking. The room had been completely removed of everything belonging to Madame Pomfrey except the wall color. No pictures, awards, or anything hung from the walls to alert her to any sign of a previous owner. She knew still though, that Madame Pomfrey had died in this very room. That thought frightened her a bit, but then she recalled McGonagall's mentioning that no ghost of Madame Pomfrey remained there. Sighing, Hermione opened the door to the loo.
A large glass shower-tub combination dominated the small space. A marble sink with a large mirror was to the left of it, while the toilet itself was in the small closet opposite the sink, allowing Hermione a bit more space to move around. It was simply designed, and she fell in love with it immediately. It reminded her so much of her old dormitory.
Deciding that her bedroom itself needed a little redecorating, Hermione once again pulled out her wand before casting a series of complicated spells to redesign the room with the Gryffindor colors in mind, scarlet and gold covering everything. Smiling, Hermione went back downstairs and pulled one of the books off the shelf.
She sat down and began reading, and did not notice the time passing. It had been two hours before she could even blink.
Draco stepped into the dormitory. It was larger than he expected, covered in Slytherin colors. Slughorn had probably not bothered to redecorate after Snape had relocated his quarters to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom and office. Two doors on each side of the short hallway led into a Potion-making room and the Potions Master storage closet, as Draco correctly assumed when he checked; and a study, where bookshelves lined the walls and a large hearth with various seats around it occupied the main space.
The hallway led into a bedroom, where a large four-poster bed decorated with silver and green silk sheets dominated the space. A large wardrobe was off to the right of it, while two windows very high up looked straight out even with the surface of the lake on a calm day. It gave the room a greenish glow, but not in a bad way like the Slytherin Common Room had. It also reflected the blue of the moon and the nighttime sky, feeling oddly comforting. A door which Draco assumed led to the loo was located off to the left of the room. It reminded Draco very much of his private suite his father had purchased him in his sixth year. Draco began mentally arranging the room in his head, barely noticing the time passing.
Before each of them knew it, it had been two hours, and they were expected to be leaving. McGonagall met with them at the Entrance Hall before walking them to outside the Hogwarts gates. Hermione kept her mouth shut, refusing to think about Draco and how he had inconvenienced her by taking the job here. Draco refused to think about Hermione, even though he noted how her eyes looked a little dreamy, yet hard still, like she was still angry with him. He figured the dreamy quality came from reading books, like Loony Lovegood got from reading the Quibbler. He didn't even hesitate to say goodbye to his former professor and now colleague as he apparated with a loud crack just outside of the Hogwarts gates. Hermione shook her head in disgust and apparated back to her flat, all the while calling the ferret vile names in her head for his display of arrogance and impoliteness for not saying goodbye.
Hermione could tell, Monday was going to be the bloody hell Ronald always referred to, yet she had a sneaking suspicion deep down that something was going to change. Damn that Malfoy for taking the job.
Draco could tell, working with the bloody bookworm was going to be the greatest cause of headaches for him, and yet a sort of curiosity to see what she was like outside of St. Mungo's came over him. Damn that Granger for planting the seed of curiosity in his mind.
AN: Hey guys, sorry for taking so long to update. School has been crazy-I swear one of my teachers hates me and is stalking me. But, still. I shall hopefully be all caught up on updates by next Friday-I know I need to post two more chapters before I update for Friday. Sorry for the short length, I was just finishing this right now, in the wee hours of morning. Anyway, thanks to my reviewers, although I KNOW there are some of you who don't review who like the story anyway. I'd appreciate it if you would! I don't like staying up this late and not finding any in my inbox. :( But anyway, please review! And sorry for not naming specific people this time; I need to sleep! Goodnight and Enjoy!
Becca
