Edited by: Frogster

The Prying Game

He strutted arrogantly towards the drive of the bordello, his foul mood darkening, as he was greeted with the sharp lingering sweetness of perfume. Ignoring the sentinel's salutation, Draco made his way to the end of the room and entered the divertissement section.

As soon as he entered, girls instantly started swarming around him, competing for his attention.

Rejecting them as he usually did, Draco couldn't help but be irked at their salacious language.

He hated these amateurs. Especially the ones who talked. If they couldn't do their "job" properly, they shouldn't be there. Nobody had forced them for this path of career. Unlike him they didn't owe the world a chance at redemption. In fact, he was sure that the reason they were here, was cause they enjoyed their work.

As he whisked off a few persistent fingers from his forearm and started climbing the stairs, he heard them whispering.

They were all under the impression that he liked to try new things. Some new girl once a while. Well, he wasn't opposed to that, per se, but he was opposed to their nonsense of purring and dirty talking.

At sundown of a horrible day, when he'd have finished a pile load of shit and still have the same amount left for the next day, he'd simply crave for some one on one action. To lose himself in another. A dripping quim and an eager mouth from any one of them.

But what he got instead were some fake giggles, some bold attempt to grope him and few obscene suggestions of where he could stick his cock in their what's.

Draco didn't have any interest to listen to their paltry attempts of concern or to their hushed tones of how the most eligibly ineligible bachelor of wizarding Britain, visited them.

And that's why he usually preferred Vi. She'd simply give him what he took fancy for. Without the fake seduction. 'You want my mouth? Let me get in place,' she'd say. Or, if he felt like shagging her, she'd simply ask him, 'Should I ride you or should I get on my back?'

There were even times between them when he'd just crave for a drink and she'd pose: 'Would that be a straight up or should I just get the bottle?' before following his orders.

She didn't sweet talk him and that saved both his and her valuable time.

Walking quickly past the ladies, Draco entered the third door on reaching the landing. He flicked the candles to shimmer and removed his black cloak to toss it on the shady sofa. Unbuttoning his white shirt, he accioed a bottle of firewhisky from an open shelf and sank low on the couch, gulping down a mouthful of its content. He savored the moment's bliss by shutting his eyes as his throat accepted the warm tingling sensation.

A few quiet seconds later, he glanced around the room, his mind registering that he was one of the few individuals who were allowed entry in her private chamber.

Vi usually entertained her guests in one of the special rooms downstairs depending on the client's fantasy.

The rooms were specially designed and could be turned into an office, a dark dungeon or even a pavement of Diagon Alley among several other scenarios. The more absurd the fetish, the more number of galleons the witch made.

He smirked as he recalled how he had once spied his coworker request for Kings Cross platform 9 ¾ before summoning not one but three girls towards him.

Draco knew he wasn't that perverted and wanted just the physical gratification from them, sans the emotional attachment.

And Vi was rather good at providing it.

After he'd pour himself in her, he'd experience a moment's calmness. His brain would stop worrying for a few moments; until he had recuperated. Once he was calm, he'd remember his worthless life and he'd start getting dressed.

A few minutes was all he got. For his Nirvana. And tonight, he needed that again.

Draining the bottle, Draco heard the opening and closing of the door he had gained entrance from.

"Oh it's you," the new voice called from the doorway.

Without bothering to look at her, Draco raised his bottle in acknowledgement.

The witch's heels clinked on the wooden floor as she walked in his peripheral vision. She removed his discarded cloak and placed it on a nearby chair, making herself comfortable next to him.

Resting her head on his extended hand on the back of the sofa, the witch turned to peer over him.

"Rough day?" she finally voiced, after Draco had finished emptying his second bottle without a word to her.

More like rough week, Draco thought.

The blonde witch continued studying him, knowing better than to question him again.

After a while, Draco cast his third bottle aside and widened his legs. Snapping his fingers, he motioned for her to sit between them.

Vi pushed herself from the seat, kicked off her sandals and slithered out of her negligee, working them down her heavy bosom and waist, knowing that he was watching her every move. She was unhooking her bra when he stopped her with a firm shake of his head.

Giving him a sensual smile, she sank between his legs, rubbing his right thigh.

"I don't have much time today," Draco stated, his fingers stroking the hair on her head.

The witch nodded in return and her manicured hands gently pulled him free from the confinements of his pants, in front of her painted face.

She noticed that his dick was not even fully awake yet and knew that she'd be handsomely rewarded for her work later. Looking at his face, she closed her hand around his shaft and took it as a positive sign when his cock twitched in response.

She continued stroking him for a few minutes, making him groan in appreciation. Once she felt his cock turn into an iron pole under her ministrations, she moved to his balls, rubbing and weighing them with her thumb and palm.

A small bit of moisture leaked from the tip of his dick and she immediately sought his permission to do more.

Taking his heightened breath as an indicator, she slipped his tip into her mouth and sucked it like a straw.

Draco growled in response and tightened his hold on her hair, pulling her face to his now over enthusiastic knob.

Vi pressed his cock as deeply into her mouth as she could manage, gagging herself slightly as it hit the back of her throat.

His hands moved to the sides of her face as she slowly slid his swollen cock out and then back in again, playing her own game of peek-a-boo with it.

Draco watched her through half-lidded eyes, knowing that his tranquility was just a few seconds away.

When he felt her fingers rub the underside of his balls, he felt them tighten and grunted as his orgasm finally hit him. He continued holding her head as his hips spasmed spastically into her face.

Ever the thirsty, Vi took every drop of his seed and withdrew herself only when his fingers had left her face.

Breathing frantically, Draco crashed on the sofa when the last aftershocks from his body had subsided. He felt wonderfully stuporous and letting all thoughts leave his body, he took deep breaths.

Aware of the younger Malfoy's habit of sitting in solitude, Vi quietly moved away. She padded towards her closet and pulled a heavy coat to cover her naked body. Draping it on her shoulders, the witch sank on the bed, refreshed her mouth with her wand and summoned an old bottle of sherry for her to gulp from.

She observed Draco's rapid breathing turn into quiet exhalation and his relaxed face slowly contort in pain and knew that he'd be soon getting ready to call it a day.

Draco opened his eyes once his heartbeat had normalized and started adjusting his pants, pulling a small bag of galleons in process.

He got up from the sofa and eyed the witch who was enjoying her bottle without a tinge of worry on her face. Walking towards the mirror, he finger combed his hair and watched her lazy pose as she took another nip of her sherry.

He felt a pang of jealousy at her relaxed state and did a double take when he spotted her coat.

The memory of his fight with Granger from last week immediately sprang to his mind, making his jaw twitch indignantly in return.

Last Friday, he had simply asked the bitch to not clutter his lounge with her stuff. She had then pretended to be engrossed in some stupid book, ignoring him completely.

Her attention was definitely aroused when he had thrown her disgusting coat on her face, making her scream like a banshee before attacking him with a Petrificius Totalus. He had hastily cast a shield charm in defence, making him mentally thank his Auror training on quicker reflexes.

'How dare you throw my coat?' she had shrieked, stowing her coat aside herself and jumping down from the sofa.

'I'll throw it again if you don't fucking learn to keep it in your own room!' he had yelled back, blocking her stinging charm.

'I was about to put it away!'

'Put it away now! I don't wish to see your stuff here.'

'Don't behave as if you're doing me a big favour,' she had growled before blocking his stunning curse.

'I am doing a big favour by letting you stay here! For free! I don't want my mother to see your stuff when she visits me and think-'

'Favour? Is that what you call doing your job? And I'll pay you for your hospitality, you bastard. Just quote me a price!'

'As if you could afford paying me,' he had affronted, dodging her bat-bogey curse.

The fight that had ensued after that had ended without any fatalities only cause of the Minister's timely letter checking on their well-being.

He had been extremely tempted to use one of their Auror spells on her, when swearing loudly- to wake up even the dead, she had grabbed her coat and stomped off to his spare- no, her room.

Only the knowledge that Kingsley would probably use all the spells on him instead if he harmed his precious had stopped him from hexing her.

He was wondering which spell would have worked best on her when his thoughts were interrupted by Vi's soft sigh and was brought back to reality as he saw her stretching her upper body, propelling her breasts through her open coat.

His attention immediately turned towards her robe again and he noted that it was of a similar tacky fashion as that of Granger's.

He glared at the garment as its mere presence personally mocked him, reminding him of his helplessness.

"Do you want this?" Vi casually said, as she saw him eyeing her coat again.

He gave her a death glare before continuing to adjust his clothes.

Snatching his cloak, he flung the tiny bag on her dressing table and walked out of the bordello to apparate straight back to Highfield.

Normally, he'd have headed straight to bed after his session with Vi, but the latter part that had followed after his personal meeting tonight had fucked his mood.

Advancing towards his study instead, Draco grabbed a bottle of Odgen's on the way and sank on his desk chair.

He gulped down a mouthful and tried to null his brain into thoughtlessness, knowing that he'd be having a spitting headache the coming morning.

He felt the tight clasp of the coat around his neck as he swallowed the drink and in his haste to get up and loosen it, he misjudged the distance between the side table and himself and dropped the bottle on the floor.

A loud clink was emitted as the glass bottle violently broke into small pieces, the sound magnifying in the still night.

"Fucking hell," Draco swore and got up to repair the now empty bottle and lumbered to the lounge to fetch a fresh drink from the cabinet.

"M-master?" Ellie quavered in her sleep filled voice.

"Not now," Draco snapped, as he tried reading the bottle's name through his hazy, alcohol induced vision.

The sleepy elf gladly went back to her den, leaving her Master to sulk in peace.

Opening the bottle, Draco settled himself on the chaise lounge, being too tired to walk all the way over to his study.

Sampling his drink, he placed his feet on the centre table and before he could rest his eyes, he was interrupted again for the second time in mere minutes.

"Malfoy was that you?" Hermione's throaty voice called from the staircase.

He turned his head towards the stairs and saw a very sleepy Granger with her wild, disheveled mess of what she called hair, tumbled down the sides of her face in long ringlets. She stood there on the landing, clad in just her night shirt and a wand in her hand.

She let out a prodigious yawn as she waited for him to answer.

He smirked at her drowsy state when she held the hand rail for support.

"Go back to sleep, Granger," he grunted, regarding her over his bottle.

Hermione raised her hand to rub the bridge of her nose and her shirt slightly shifted, giving him an ample view of her cleavage and making him aware of her semi bare thighs.

"What the hell are you wearing?" he barked, slamming his bottle on the table, making its content fall on the surface.

"What?" she asked him in confusion, startled at his sudden angry outburst. "I thought I heard some noise, so I came to investigate," she explained, wrongly; bunching up her hair behind her head.

Her creamy night shirt rose further up and Draco could have sworn she was not wearing her brassiere when he saw the way the shirt nuzzled her areolar region as it ascended upwards. He spied light traces of small pebbular formation on the front of her shirt and he felt a strong urge of thumbing them.

Tilting his head to the right, his gaze shifted down to her stomach and he noticed the way the shirt clung to her belly. He almost missed a beat when he glimpsed her dark nether region and was sure he'd have dropped the bottle again in his astonishment, had he been holding it.

Draco found himself speculating whether the dark shadow that was visible through her shirt was in fact her bush or if she was wearing a dark coloured undergarment. He couldn't help but wonder if her lower mane was of the same colour as that on the top of her head, when the witch in question walked towards him and stood with her hands on her hips. "What?"

Not wanting her to think he was of loose character, Draco turned his head away and tried to shake off the image she had just presented. He felt a surge of anger at her for making him feel like- like what? what was the word for this sudden tightness in his chest? He wondered.

Nothing. It was nothing. No tightness. He was just high. His Slytherin instinct voiced. Shaking his head in self disgust, he answered her. Rudely. As his usual self. "That was me. Now get lost."

Hermione's eyes narrowed in revulsion, her sleep instantly waving her goodbye as her brain kicked in to make a riposte. "Are you out of your mind?"

Growling at her, Draco stumbled to withdraw his wand. His ears were suddenly filled with a light ringing sound, as he tried to convince himself that he had not just gawked at the snot.

Hermione watched his struggle with a pitied expression. "I am not going anywhere," she announced, crossing her arms.

"I don't remember inviting you for a glass. So, by all means take your fat ass back to your room," he slandered, forgoing his attempt of retrieving his wand and grabbing the bottle instead.

Hermione could not believe the jerk. Had he completely lost his mind? Was he so drunk that he couldn't even speak civilly with her? Of course, they had been cursing and calling each other names since they first met. But he had never yet made a personal comment on her appearance.

And her ass was not fat! Why it had been just last month when her colleague had praised her figure. Any fool could see that. Any fool with good taste, that is.

Anyway what did she care if he approved her or not. Her world did not revolve around him. And she'd rather cut her hand than ever admit that his words made her a bit self conscious.

Having had an experience of arguing with a drunken wizard in the past, Hermione was rather of the opinion that pure bloods and drinks didn't go too well.

She decided to ignore the way he had been looking at her and marched angrily towards the steps.

Draco watched her like a hawk as she mounted the steps. Her hips swaying on either side with her stride, enthralled him.

To his dismay, he noted that the hypnotizing bearing had stopped on reaching the landing.

And she had turned. To sass him. He was sure. "I don't think you should drink anymore."

He almost snorted out loud. The nerve of her. He saw her challenge him with her glare and so raising the bottle to his lips, he returned, "I don't think you should live here anymore."

A glint of hurt flashed in her eyes before she narrowed them and raising her insolent nose in the air, made her way to the room and slammed the door shut.

Draco waited for her to come back and yell at him. When she didn't, he relaxed his head on the headrest.

He was surprised with himself tonight. He had noticed Hermione Granger's curves right now. And not just noticed them. But he had- his face grimaced in remembrance- no, that couldn't be, could it?- he had found her appealing.

Of course, any semi naked witch would seem appealing to any lust filled wizard. But she wasn't exactly immodest. He had just overreacted because he had never imagined her to dress like that. Nerds like her weren't allowed to look so fetching.

An instant thought crossed his mind, worrying him. Had she spiked his drink? The Malfoy in him wondered.

He would have recognized the trace of contamination, wouldn't he? Odd. He didn't find it any different.

The fact that he had been staring at Granger's curves disconcerted Draco for more reasons than necessary, especially after his round with Vi.

He had been exceptionally tired, well blown and thoroughly drunk. But that had not stopped his hazy vision from gawking at her. He didn't know why he felt a stir inside him and as he rubbed himself raw, he noticed that his certain body part was clearly excited at the memory.

He needed a wank. Now.

Not wanting her to disturb him again tonight, Draco staggered to his bedroom.

After he had finished himself, he gladly welcomed sleep but not before deciding to meet Vi again.

The next day at breakfast, Ellie saw both her Master and Master's friend thoroughly ignoring each other as they helped themselves to their morning meal.

For several days, Ellie had seen them bicker about school or some weasel before they would floo together to the Ministry.

She still remembered how angry her Master had been when they had apparated back from Miss' home with her stuff. But Miss was no less. She had yelled back, if not louder, and had called Master names which Ellie was sure were definitely a lie.

If she was honest, she thought Miss was a nice witch for Miss had taken out time to speak to her on several occasions, before Master had asked her to not probe into his private familial matters. And since then Miss had refrained from talking much to her. Ellie didn't think Miss was being nosy. But she'd rather kick her own behind than admit it.

Serving some poached eggs on her Master's plate, Ellie waited for the storm to rise between them.

Draco chanced a glance at the other end as he finished his eggs and saw Hermione disappeared behind the paper again, which suited him just fine.

He had no wish to start his day by looking at her face. So far, not a single day had bode well with him since she had disrupted his life.

He remembered his last conversation with her and felt a tiny bit ashamed. He had noticed the way she had blinked at his insult before she could mask her expressions. He didn't understand why she had been affected by his words.

As per the latest count, she had even argued with Kingsley for the fourth time yesterday, to not make her live with him. Why she had to feel offended when he said the same thing, he couldn't understand. And nor did he want to.

Rubbing his forehead, Draco motioned for Ellie to get him some more hangover potion, as his head thudded heavily, reminding him of his poor choice of alcohol.

Ellie handed over the potion and Draco gulped it down in one shot making his eyes scrunch at the bitter taste of the potion.

His pounding headache was already making him feel like taking the day off, but he knew it was a futile attempt as he had to babysit his breakfast companion.

After normalizing his taste buds with some water, Draco gulped down a morsel of his black pudding when he heard Hermione snort from behind the paper.

He ignored her and focused on the pudding as he cut himself a large piece and heard her scoff again before turning the page.

Closing his eyes, he struggled to maintain his cool instead and finished his coffee in silence.

He picked up a freshly baked bread and having generously buttered it, he opened his mouth to nibble on it when he heard her tsk at some unfortunate article.

"What-" Draco broke in, laying his uneaten bread on the plate, "-is your problem?"

"Present company. Current economy. Politics. To name a few," Hermione recited from behind her paper.

He looked at her in consternation. She was impossible. Even having a simple breakfast with her was difficult.

He shook his head in dismay and picked up his bread to munch on it.

They almost finished their breakfast without another squabble when Hermione muttered a low tchah and folded the Prophet to eat her eggs.

"What does a man have to do in here to eat his breakfast in peace?" he yelled, shaking his head at the elf who tried serving some more eggs on his plate.

Pointing her knife towards him, Hermione said, "Excuse me? I was not disturbing you. I was simply reading the paper."

"Then stop giving your opinions about it. All this snorting and tsking is annoying me," he expressed, dropping the last piece of toast on his plate.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "I was not giving any opinions."

"Now that's news to me!" Draco sneered as he got up from the table, his half eaten toast lying forgotten on his plate, "Hermione Granger does not have opinions," and strode furiously to the salon, his headache worsening despite the hangover potion.

Just a couple more hours, Draco thought as he checked his watch again.

A few more hours and Theo would be here.

He was compiling a list of Hermione's past cases when his office door suddenly burst open.

"I see, still no manners, Macmillan," Draco taunted, as the stout wizard stormed inside his chamber. He hastily closed his report file and regarded his coworker.

Ernie's face turned a light shade of pink before he kicked the door shut behind him. "Sorry 'bout that," he smoothened, confidently.

Noticing the way Draco had hastily shut his file, Ernie looked at him in suspicion. "Looks like you were busy."

"More like being disturbed," Draco replied, casually stretching his triceps to distract the wizard. "You know, people usually knock before entering. But I'm sure it's too much of a rule for you to follow," he added.

"Hey cut it out, Malfoy! I apologised, alright?" Ernie maintained.

Shrugging at the wizard, Draco waited for him to continue.

"Right, so, umm… where was I?" Ernie asked, seating himself in front of his colleague.

"At the door. Not knock-ing," Draco intoned, over steepled fingers.

Ernie gave him a scathing look as he retrieved a paper from his pocket and announced. As though it was Christmas. "There's a breakthrough in Holyhead Harpies case! Potter needs backup."

"How delightful!" Draco drawled.

Ernie sneered at the pale wizard before belittling him. "Scared?"

"After witnessing your dance with Patil at the Ministry ball last year, I don't think I'll be scared of anything now. No," Draco leered and shook his head.

Ernie visibly flushed and clearing his throat, he changed the topic. "Well, I just thought you should know. After all you haven't had a case with muggle relations till now."

"We'll be leaving in sometime. You game?" he asked, as he got up to leave.

A line appeared between his brows as Draco decided on his answer. It had been just last week when he had asked Kingsley to let him exchange his case with Potter. But the old wizard had been adamant. He didn't want him working on any other case except for Granger's.

Even if he did decide to help Potter, he couldn't. Atleast not directly.

Sighing to himself, Draco answered, "I'll…let you know," and waited for the wizard to close the door shut behind him.

The thought of working on some real case rather than losing his mind over Granger enticed him.

Running his hand through his hair, he accioed two parchments towards his desk. He picked up his quill and first scribbled a response to his childhood friend.

Potter kicked in again. Some other time.

-Draco

Sealing his letter, he pocketed it and started dashing out his next response.

Granger,

Got some urgent work. Stay put until I'm back.

-DM

Casting the inter memoing charm on the paper, he saw it zoom through the window.

He decided it was better to inform her and leave for a couple of hours than worry about her safety.

For the last couple of days, he had dumbly shadowed her to all of her meetings whenever and wherever she had taken him. He didn't see any harm if for once he asked her to stay back.

This was the least she could do for him.

And besides, what Kingsley didn't know, wouldn't harm him. He had asked him to keep a watch on her and he was doing that. Almost like for twenty-four hours.

He didn't want to cancel his real Auror duties just to chaperone her.

And as much as he disliked working with Potter, the prospect of some substantial action thrilled him.

If it was a choice between him and Granger, he would choose Potter without blinking an eyelid. Atleast he didn't have to safeguard his own back with him. He couldn't say the same about her.

He was about to get up and locate Macmillan when a blue memo flew inside his cabin.

Grabbing it, he quickly opened the folded paper.

Malfoy,

I don't work according to your schedules. I'm meeting a client in four hours at The Leaky Cauldron. With or without you.

-HJG

Ungrateful bitch, Draco swore. Balling the paper in his fist, he basketed it in the trashcan and marched out of his cabin.

Someone might think that she was doing him a favour by keeping him informed of her meetings.

With or without you, her words taunted him.

If she thought he'd cancel his work to babysit her, then she was in for some rude surprise. He was solely tempted to send her a FUCK OFF howler in response, but changed his mind knowing it would only add to his problems.

As per the letter, her meeting was not for another four hours. And as Ernie had pointed out, they had to leave now for Holyhead Harpies.

He reckoned Potter must have already planned some strategy and so his role would be just to help execute it.

Plus, if Kingsley learnt later of his involvement, he wouldn't sulk like a witch if he realized that Granger had been safe the entire time.

Rubbing his hands together at his own cleverness, he ordered his team to get ready for the mission and made his way to the Owlery.

As he descended the stairs of the Owlery after dispatching a message to his friend, he heard some female voice calling him and raised his chin to find a beaming Melanie running at him instead.

She collided with him and he instinctively held her at the waist, making them both stop from stumbling down the steps.

"Oww…sorry," the witch huffed, as she steadied herself by placing her hands on his arms.

Draco was thoroughly annoyed with her clumsiness. He wasn't dying. Why the rush?

Only the knowledge that she was his eyes and ears in Hermione's office made him not to reprimand the witch.

"Never mind, pretty one," he lisped, smoothening his hair. "I'm actually in a hurry, so…?"

"Oh…" the witch exclaimed, embarrassed at his quick dismissal. "I didn't realize," she added, looking flustered. "I-I just finished my work and I thought we could meet for lunch," the witch explained, sounding hopefully.

"Aah! Such a tempting offer, Miss," Draco responded, pulling her aside in an empty corridor. "But I've rather got some urgent work I can't ignore. Maybe some other time?" he asked, giving her a fake pleading look.

Grinning, she put her hands behind his neck and whispered, "Of course, sir."

Draco roughly pulled her towards him and ran down a knuckle on her cheek.

Maybe he need not have to meet Vi tonight, he contemplated.

He had never mixed his work with pleasure before. But Melanie seemed too eager to be bedded by him. Definitely worth considering.

He heard Ernie yelling orders to their juniors and letting out a sigh instead, he dropped his hands.

"I'll hold you on to that," he said, kissing her hand. "But I've really got to go now."

The young witch looked genuinely let down as her forehead puckered in disappointment. "Yes, alright. I'll see you around?"

"You can count on it."

He winked at her and before she could even form a smile on her face, he left her stranded, but hopeful, in the empty corridor.

Twenty minutes later, the Auror team headed by Ernie and Draco made a spectacular sight as they walked towards the Ministry's lobby.

It was a sight to behold as the team together as one bolted towards the Ministry's fireplace and huddled collectively as they waited for their colleague's signal.

"Good luck!" Melanie shouted, waving at him from the hallway.

A bit embarrassed to be addressed in front of his team, Draco simply nodded in acknowledgement and gnashed his teeth at the junior who had the audacity to look amused in front of him.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Melanie adjusting her purse as she walked towards the opposite floo point, merrily chatting with some witch.

Despite himself, he couldn't help but wonder what the witch was up to.

He quietly retreated from his team and tapped her shoulder. "Where are you going?"

Melanie grinned at her companion giving her a what-did-I-tell-you look before turning to face Draco.

"Off to lunch," she replied, jerking her head towards the bespectacled witch. "Others have already gone ahead. We'll just be catching up with them. Oh! This is Sheila, by the way. Sheila Brooks. She works at the Department of Magical Accidents And Cata-"

"Pleasure," Draco replied dryly, ignoring the said witch. "What about your boss?"

"What about her?"

"Does she know that you're leaving?"

Was it safe for him to leave when Granger was not surrounded by her colleagues?

Giving him a bemused smile, Melanie snorted, "Obviously! What kind of a secretary do you think I am?"

She folded her arms in front of her chest and lifted her chin as she regarded him.

"Of course," Draco added and gave her a distracted smile.

He felt a tinge of uneasiness grip him. Why hadn't Granger joined these imbeciles?

"Oi, Malfoy! If you're done flirting for the day then get back here!" Ernie yelled at him.

Melanie giggled at his expense and pushed him towards his team. "I'll see you later. Now go."

Massaging his temples, Draco instructed her to return back on time. "I don't want to worry about you when I'm working," he lied, plastering a smile on his face.

He turned away from her to signal his team to start decamping.

She twittered happily at his instruction and sprinkled some floo powder on her palm. "Maybe I will be late," she confessed, batting her eyelashes. "It's not as if she will find out when I return."

Her words, her inconsequential words stopped him in his tracks. What did she say?

He back tracked to find Melanie ready to throw the floo powder into the fire, before she slow winked at him.

"Wait!" he shouted, pulling her away from the fire place.

"What do you mean?"

"By?"

"Cut it out, Melanie!" he yelled and immediately rubbed her arms in apology.

"Why won't she find out when you return?" he asked quietly, listening attentively to her reasoning.

"Why are you so interested to know?" the witch doubted, narrowing her eyes in suspicion.

"Well, you know, right, that she's helping me with some of my property disputes?"

Melanie nodded in reply.

"The bitch just asked me to drop by her office later today to discuss some things," he misled her.

Melanie relaxed at his explanation and shouted "Just a second" to her friend who looked thoroughly annoyed with the pair of them.

"I really have to go," Melanie said and withdrew herself from his grip. "I don't think she'll be able to make it for your meeting today," she speculated, grabbing some more floo powder.

"Hmm, I thought so too," Draco replied absentmindedly, as he remembered her meeting at The Leaky Cauldron and saw Melanie climbing into the fire.

She threw the powder into the flames and blew him a kiss before adding,

"Cause she already left half an hour back."