Chapter 12

And some leads they were. Times, places, dates. Whoever Dennis' lead was they were damned impressive. Hermione was practically rubbing her hands in glee over dinner.

Draco laughed "I never thought I would see you this excited about anything you hadn't found in a dusty old book. Unless, of course, it was the dusty old book itself."

She smiled up at him "Oh, I don't know… I seem to recall being pretty impressed by an afterhours office visit. I still can't quite face my ficus."

He grinned wickedly, "Really? Then I will have to arrange a few more office visits. And maybe bring in a new plant…"

"Draco Malfoy, don't you dare! I have visitors in that office."

He waggled his eyebrows "Perhaps, but none as entertaining."

"Well… Madame Pince did come by once with a book that was being retired she wanted to give me as a gift."

"Did you honestly just compare me to a dusty old librarian?"

"Well... it was really more about the book…"

"Of course, as if I had believed otherwise. It does seem you need a refresher course in practical application of skill over book learning."

"Why Mr. Malfoy" she teased "I cannot imagine what you think I could practice in a physical setting that I could not read in a book."

He moved towards her so suddenly she squealed. Scooping her up and tossing her over his shoulder he gave her a firm swat on her backside. "Then you Ms. Granger, have been neglecting your studies. Shameful. What would your professors say about their Gryffindor Princess having fallen so far behind?"

She giggled as he carried her towards their room "Let them get their own Slytherin Prince to corrupt them. I already found mine."

"Sullivan, Ranquist, I need the two of you covering the front, Farrin, Solona you two will cover the rear, Arnaud and Whittaker cover the side entrance. We cannot afford to screw this up." Hermione had planned tonight's operation thoroughly. According to Dennis' lead the halfbood heir of Zonko Joke Shop fortune was the target.

Zonko had joke shops all over the wizarding world and late in life had married and had a son with a muggleborn. Now, according the lead dennis had provided, this heir was in danger and the attack was to be carried out this night at a popular young wizarding nightclub known as The Coven. Hermione was determined not only to stop the attack but to capture the perpetrators putting an end to the attacks once and for all.

Against her wishes Kingsley had forbidden her to be present during the actual take down. And Draco had annoyingly agreed with him. Irritated by their high handed assumption that she could not handle herself in a wand to wand fight, after all, she had helped take down Voldemort himself. Hermione had no choice but to capitulate.

She spent the night instead pacing back and forth in her office waiting for news. A thump at her door startled her. Not a knock precisely but something was definitely thumping at her door. Opening it she found Draco with an armload of take out and a bottle of wine.

She glared at him as she stood aside to let him unload. Unperturbed he grinned back. "I knew you would not leave to get dinner, so I brought it to you."

She had to admit to being somewhat grateful. Slightly. But she was still annoyed and let him know with her frowns.

"Now, love, you know in your position you cannot go brawling in an alley. How would it make your officers look if you were to take down all of the bad guys by yourself?"

"Plus this ridiculous notion you and Kingsley have that I will end up damaged in some way."

"There is that. I want you to come home with all of my favorite parts still firmly attached. After all, I intend to make liberal use of them on a regular basis."

"You already do that" she grumbled.

"Are you complaining?" he asked with his best lascivious smirk.

"One day your charm is going to wear off Malfoy."

"Oh undoubtedly, but that day is not this day." He put their dinner on her desk and stalked towards her purposefully with a gleam in his eye.

"What are you up to Malfoy?

"Taking your mind off of the wait."

She had to admit, he was very good at taking her mind off of waiting for news.

When the arrests were made they were exactly who Hermione had expected. And somehow, not at all who she has expected at the same time.

Four pureblood sons and daughters of known death eaters were waiting for her to interrogate down in the cells below the ministry. Two women, Alicia and Alyssa Gibon, the twin daughters of Alec Gibbon who had fired the dark mark the night Dumbledore was killed, Jude Nott, son of Theodore Nott, and Corban Yaxley Jr.

All very plausible suspects. Their parents would certainly have twisted their minds enough to hate anyone not pureblood. But she could not help as she looked across at Draco while looking down at the names that his father had done the same. That he had lived in the same home with Voldemort himself and had not come out the other end the sort of man who would attack people for their blood status outside of a nightclub.

Draco watched her pace and asked quietly "Not what you were expecting?"

"No…. the names were… and should be exactly who I was expecting and still…" she resumed pacing.

He waved a hand towards the memo asking permission and she nodded dismissively. Reading the names he sighed bitterly. "They are as good as condemned then, infamous ancestry, caught red handed. The trial will be a joke."

She frowned "I… just feel like this is too.. neat. I don't trust things that are too neatly finished."

He looked at her in surprise "Hermione… they were caught attacking someone wearing death eater masks. I don't like it because it may well restart old prejudices but… this seems pretty cut and dry."

"What if it were you or Scorpius, would you want me to treat it so cut and dry then? What if…?"

He came and wrapped his arms around her from behind "Love, it would never be me or Scorpius, you know that."

She turned and buried her face into his chest and nodded. "That is the problem" she said "I DO know, I believe in you 100%. These kids have no one to believe in them."

He stroked her back "Hermione... not everyone deserves for you to believe in them. Maybe you are too close to this; maybe you should let someone else…"

"NO!" she cried "then they really wouldn't get a fair investigation. I just have to be more objective."

"Alright love, alright. I will see you at home tonight." He collected his cloak kissed her one last time and left.