The yoga instructor

Warnings: M-rating for language and more smut.
Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I own nothing but the plot, though I fervently wish I did.

This is the second part of what I call the press day which is why I'm updating just two days after I posted chapter 24, I hope you'll enjoy it!

HBSJ

Chapter 25, The interview

Hermione watched as Draco walked to the side room after the press conference to talk to mr. Brown. Dammit, Malfoy. Somehow, between his perplexing touch and his expert handling of the press conference and Rita Skeeter in particular, she had started to think of him as Draco again.

That was rather inconvenient, considering the fact that they had to spend about an hour in the vicinity of a woman who was trained in sniffing out secrets. Who also had absolutely no qualms making some stories up either if she didn't find what she was searching for. And who notoriously held grudges, having no trouble throwing her adversaries under an angry trampling hippogriff if it was to her advantage somehow.

And Hermione did not try to kid herself. Rita Skeeter absolutely loathed her.

She pushed her mild softening towards Draco away and walked to the conference room where she took her seat between Charlie and an empty seat. As it was primarily her and Draco's case, they sat in the middle with Charlie beside her and Harry beside Draco, ugh, whatever. Rita was setting up, fussing with the photographer about the best angles and so on.

The relative silence was deafening and she couldn't stop her fidgeting as they waited. Only ten minutes later when Draco walked back into the room did Rita finally sit down and sigh in her signature dramatic fashion.

Hermione wasn't sure what she thought about their seating arrangements. When they had talked about it, it made sense but not now. Not when she felt like this. Draco felt far too close. Much much too close. Every time she moved, she could feel his arm rubbing against her own and his scent was equally intoxicating and distracting. It sent shivers up and down her body. She didn't know what to do with herself. She felt overheated and flushed merely because of his proximity. She wanted to fan herself but of course, she couldn't, so she desperately maintained a calm exterior demeanour despite her inner turmoil.

Rita narrowed her eyes at each of them. "Where to start, where to start?" She trilled, obviously trying to contain her glee at being granted this exclusive interview. "This case is spectacular and extraordinary in so many regards. From former enemies working closely together to a fully-grown dragon practically tearing down a village in France. Let's start with the basics. Would you please introduce yourselves? It's just a formality of course."

They shrugged and Harry started. "I'm Harry Potter, head auror."

She interrupted when Draco opened his mouth to speak. "The Chosen One, the saviour of the wizarding world and the youngest head auror to ever grace the halls of the ministry!" Draco smirked at Harry's scowl and she couldn't stop the small quirk of her own lips either.

Harry rolled his eyes and his answer was curt. "You asked me to introduce myself and now I have. Draco?"

For interview purposes they had agreed to use each others first names, it sent a good signal and to be honest, none of them had any lingering grudges from the past anymore. Now they just had to deal with the more recent developments between them.

And she had to deal with her bloody treacherous body.

Draco nodded. "I'm Draco Malfoy, senior researcher in the Department of Magical Law."

Rita merely gave him a simpering smile before her sharp eyes turned to herself. She cleared her throat and kept her voice as even as possible. "I'm Hermione Granger, senior researcher and deputy head in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures."

Again, Rita spewed her nonsense. "The Golden Girl, the brightest witch of her age and just all-around good girl, aren't you?" Rita said the last bit through clenched teeth, no doubt recalling how she had imprisoned her in a jar and then blackmailed her years ago. Hermione just gave her a sugary-sweet smile in answer, refusing to rise to her bait.

Charlie nodded, satisfied that the attention had now moved to him. "Well, I'm Charlie Weasley,-" He had an ease about him that made her very happy that Charlie had joined them in the interview. He knew better that any of them how to keep a cool head in truly crazy situations. Plus, he knew very well how to recognize and adapt to a hostile presence around him. "-and I'm a dragonologist at the Romanian Dragon Sanctuary."

"Mr. Weasley. Let's start with you then."

Charlie grinned. "Yes, let's. I'm by far the most interesting person here." His grin took up his entire face and even Rita quirked her lips slightly.

"What, pray tell, where you doing in this country when a dragon attacked in central London? It was rather convenient that you were here, was it not?" Her question seemed innocent but Hermione knew differently.

Actually, she wanted to groan. Rita was obviously on the war-path with them and she had a feeling that they weren't going to like the articles resulting from this interview. But Kingsley's office had arranged it so she tried to keep her temper in check and a bland expression on her face.

Charlie just nodded, completely unfazed by her bile. "Yes, it was very convenient, I was already here working on the case with Hermione and Draco. They needed someone who knew about dragons and when they captured that Hungarian Horntail it was truly injured. Thankfully it has been treated and is with others of its kind now."

"And how could it possibly have escaped?" It seemed she was asking the room at large before focusing on Charlie again. "Do you have any speculation as to how that might have happened? And in a muggle area too. It must have been very distressing for everyone involved."

Charlie shook his head sadly. "All of our sympathies goes out to the muggles both here and in France who sadly lost their lives. That will always be the most horrible results of these vicious and unnecessary fights. But the Horntail and the other captive dragons were incredibly distressed by their ordeal, they were starved and tortured on a daily basis. Most dragons do not attack a human to eat it, a dragon usually only attacks in self-defence but these dragons were desperate and agitated."

Rita gave him a savage smile. "Do you know how the Horntail might have escaped?"

"As of now, no we do not. We have a possible idea that it might have been set free deliberately to keep us focused on the dragon and to divert attention from their facility. Which obviously failed spectacularly." Charlie grinned.

Rita expelled a small irritated huff, clearly not pleased with Charlie's easy handling of her questions before she turned to Draco. "Now, mr. Malfoy, you are notorious for so many reasons, how did you find working on a case with the entirety of the Golden Trio involved? And the Weasley-family too?" She added, almost as an afterthought. "The Malfoy-Weasley feud is, of course, widely known throughout our world. That must have quite shocking for you having to deal with so many of them."

Draco only cocked his head at Rita but otherwise kept his expression completely even. "I have no problem working with anyone. I endeavour to treat them with the same professional courtesy as they would treat me. It presents no problem for me."

"And how would you say you have been treated by your peers. Have they capitalized on the uneven backgrounds that exists between you?"

Draco smirked but otherwise didn't visibly reacted to her question. "I have been treated with professional curtesy and respect. Just as I have treated them."

Hermione's treacherous thoughts turned to several very un-professional moments between her and Draco, and they were all making her core clench with need. That particular morning on his kitchen island came to mind and she felt her pulse begin to race. Another one was the first day of their working on the case when he'd gotten an eyeful of her thighs. She squirmed in her seat and she could see Draco cough slightly, clearly trying to mask something too. She just hoped that her reaction wasn't visible on her cheeks.

Rita's scrutinizing eyes turned to her and she straightened her spine, preparing for the inane questions she sometimes had to endure from the press-witch. "Miss Granger, this case was passed to you as it grew from a simple follow-up to a larger investigation and has since grown to unprecedented proportions. How do you plan to end it?"

"As soon as possible with as few casualties as possible." She smiled briefly before continuing. "This case started out as a case that was dealing with a dragon egg smuggle ring but now it has escalated into an international dragon egg smuggler- and dragon fighting ring with muggle fatalities, it is something we do not take lightly. We did not anticipate that when we started the investigation."

"And how do you feel,-" She paused with a expression. "-working alongside mr. Malfoy?"

Hermione felt personally affronted at the question. She was clearly implying that Draco hadn't been truthful in his answers. She tried to contain the huff but failed somewhat and Rita smirked at having gotten to her. But she decided to make it clear to everyone still doubting Draco, he had changed from the misguided teenager he once was. "Draco have been absolutely indispensable for us on this case. That was why I called him in to help me as soon as I realized the magnitude of what I was dealing with. I have enjoyed working with him and would do so happily on future cases."

Rita narrowed her eyes at her. "Have you had any animosity to deal with during your working relationship with mr. Malfoy?"

It couldn't exactly be called animosity. It was more of a banter-thing they had going, baiting each other with slight jabs, which had sort of led to their spectacular couplings. It hadn't been much, before it had all gone askew that evening but it felt like more. It felt like it had lasted a lot longer. But maybe that was because she still felt it. She could still feel him ingrained on her and she wanted to feel tainted. She wanted, rationally, to get him out of her system. To rid herself of him. But she knew that her heart wasn't in it. And then what was she to do?

She shook off her mental ramblings and threw Rita a syrupy-sweet smile. "None whatsoever." She might have problems with Draco but she didn't want to give Rita any ammunition in her reckless pursuit of nastiness. It was to both Harry and Draco's credit that neither of them reacted to her words in any way.

Rita smirked and she was particularly unnerved by it. "Actually, there have been some very persistent rumours about yourself and mr. Malfoy. Concerning the very opposite of animosity."

Hermione stiffened visibly, but she tried to school her face and shrugged lightly. "I haven't heard of any rumours, please enlighten me." She fought to keep her tone pleasant. Somehow, this woman always had a way of creeping under her skin.

"There is chatter here and there that you are letting your personal feelings towards mr. Malfoy influencing the way you handle this case. But the most interesting is that your feelings towards mr. Malfoy seems to have changed completely from your time at school. The former hate have turned to something different." She paused and gave her a knowing look. "Something more."

Hermione shook her head. Her heart was pounding in her chest and she could she Draco shift slightly beside her. "No. Unequivocally no."

"Indeed?" Her eyes narrowed with suspicion. "I am told that the two of you looked quite cosy at the bar in Diagon Alley known as Vici some evenings ago. Are you quite certain?" Rita gave her a piercing stare, clearly daring her to refuse again.

Draco cut in, she wasn't sure why but she was grateful for the interruption. "Miss Skeeter, as you have been told, we will not answer personal questions during the interview so I believe we are ready for your next question."

She smirked with a glint in her eyes. "Oh no mr. Malfoy, you said no personal questions during the press conference."

He shrugged but his eyes were hard. "Semantics." He said nothing else and just gave her a blank stare.

She tilted her head questioningly. "I see. So you will give me leave to come to my own conclusions?" Her smile seemed evil in the extreme as her Quick-Quotes Quill whizzed across the parchment suspended beside her.

He just repeated himself a bit more forcefully. "As I told you, no personal questions."

Hermione couldn't stop the slight tremble that ran down her spine at his tone and she cursed her disloyal body. Beside her, she felt Draco stiffen slightly at her movement and his mouth hitched the tiniest amount. It made her set her mouth in a disproving pout. She didn't want him amused or aroused at her expense.

At least, she was quite sure she didn't want that. Wasn't she?

Unfortunately that short exchange gave them no choice but to speak about it, or at least to agree on some sort of front between them. Rita sounded very determined to write extensive articles about them and the wanted to bash her head on the walls in frustration. She didn't what to talk to him right now, she was too.. Too something!

Of course nothing had to be easy.

Of course she couldn't just be rid of him.

And of bloody course she couldn't just cleanse her body of her need for him. His proximity attested to that. She was much too aware of him.

Blissfully unaware of Hermione's inner chaos, Rita huffed and seemed to regroup for a moment before she looked between all of them. "Well then." She gave Draco an angry glare. "Could you possibly speculate as to how not one but two dragons went on a rampage and how they got loose? The Ironbelly especially, as it was a nesting dragon that vanished from the Romanian Dragon Sanctuary only moments before."

Charlie was the one who answered. They had agreed in advance that Charlie would handle most of the questions regarding the dragons themselves and the sanctuary. "Well Rita,-" His easy smile and rugged handsome looks had Rita melting a little bit towards the second oldest Weasley. "-you basically said it yourself. It disappeared moments before it appeared in a different county many many miles away. It accidentally touched a portkey that was meant for one of the eggs. Needless to say that the people who were waiting for the dragon egg dissapparated long before any authorities were on the scene."

Rita seemed completely enthralled by Charlie, captivated by his charm and information. "And how in the name of Merlin would it be possible for a nesting dragon or an egg to get into contact with a portkey?" She ended her sentence on a genuine small smile. Hermione stared with wide eyes because she had never seen Rita do anything remotely close to smiling other than those calculated grimaces.

He nodded. "We are still working on that but at this time we cannot reveal our theories to the public."

Rita shook her head slightly, trying to rid herself of the trance-like state Charlie's easy smiles had brought her into. Hermione was certain that the smirk on her face was mirrored by Draco and even Harry. It was fun rattling Rita's equilibrium, especially because it didn't happen often.

"Thank you mr. Weasley. It would seem that the ministry have made the right decision bringing you in to consult on this case."

Charlie smiled widely. "Hermione made the decision to bring on both me and Draco, she knew that the case was extraordinary, even when she was just investigating the eggs. In cases such as this, it can be paramount if you know who to ask for help and Hermione did."

She swiveled from Charlie to Harry. "And how do you fit into this case mr. Potter? When were you brought on?"

"Well, it isn't just me, the entirety of the auror department is at Hermione and Draco's disposal should they need it." Rita nodded and he continued. "We arrested a couple of muggles in wandering around Diagon Alley, they were looking very suspicious and they had been directed to find Knockturn Alley by someone. The initial auror who made the arrest was on holiday and couldn't help but notice the two men. They told him about finding something to handle scorching hot dragon eggs and luckily he had heard of Hermione's case. After further amicable questioning in the middle of Diagon Alley, he surmised that they needed to be brought in. They have since been obliviated and returned to their home in the muggle world."

Harry elegantly skated over the entire obliviated-by-a mole-in-the-depths-of-the-ministry-misère and none of them mentioned the mole who had obviously done it, also known as Herbert Redwood. She made a mental note that they had to ask him about that. They needed confirmation, if anything then at least for protocol.

Beside her, she felt Draco shift slightly in his seat, which brought his entire arm flush up against her body. She fought the blush with everything she had in her as Rita kept on pelting Harry with questions. They'd gotten to the part where they had located and subsequently raided the warehouse and as Harry continued, she didn't know where to look. Her body felt scorched by his mere proximity somehow.

Suddenly Rita's attention turned back to Draco and she couldn't fathom why. "Mr. Malfoy, may I ask why you did not participate in the raid on the warehouse?" Why in the name of Merlin's pants was that relevant?

Draco scoffed softly but answered good-naturedly enough. "I was busy questioning miss Brown at the time."

Rita smiled indulgently but all Hermione saw was danger danger danger. "But mr. Malfoy, you are an integral part of this investigation. How did you convince miss Granger and mr. Potter to do all of the hard work for you?"

Draco leaned forward and placed his elbows on his knees. "I didn't. We agreed to divide and get as much work done in as short a time as possible."

"I wasn't there either, you know." Charlie interjected with a shrug and a smile.

Rita smirked evilly and completely ignored Charlie's comment. "I'm sure that would have been your idea mr. Malfoy." Her voice was amicable but her eyes were hard as flint.

Hermione bristled and interrupted the interrogation the interview had suddenly turned into. "No actually. It was my idea."

Rita turned sharply to her and said challengingly "And on who's behest miss Granger? Hmm? Would it be wrong to assume that mr. Malfoy is the mastermind behind that particular plan?"

Draco frowned, his entire body going rigid. "What exactly are you accusing me of miss Skeeter?"

Rita raised an eyebrow at him and gave him a penetrating stare as she looked over her glasses. "Is there something I should be accusing you of mr. Malfoy?"

Hermione was shocked at the direction the interview had taken. Despite her sour relationship with Rita, she hadn't foreseen something like this at all. The fact that Rita was basically accusing Draco of interfering with the case was a very serious problem. She, Harry and Charlie of course all knew that he hadn't done anything close to what she was insinuating but it was still shocking that this was even something she would bring up. In her indignation over Rita's treatment of Draco, she completely forgot about her blasted feelings and Rita's probing questions for a moment.

But only for a moment.

Draco scoffed derisively and leaned back in his seat, giving her a hard glare. "No miss Skeeter, there isn't. Whatever you're trying to dig up, isn't there. I may have a past but that does not dictate my actions today."

Harry decided to end the farce of an interview. "Aaaand, I believe that was the end of the interview." He stood up briskly clapping his hands once. "We have no more time to spend on you miss Skeeter. Thank you for stopping by. We have bad guys to catch and dragons to help. I'm sure you understand. If you would please excuse us." Harry was so good at seeming sincere without caring remotely and that was the attitude that Rita received.

Rita's mouth contorted in anger but before she could utter another word, they'd all quickly exited the room, leaving her and the photographer alone in the conference room with her probing questions and deeply invasive information behind.

Thank you so much for reading! Please let me know what you think :-)

HBSJ

Comment answers:
Jola123: Me too! :-D IGOTEAMEDWARD: Thank you! JadeEmperess: Thank you! And there will be more smut, I'm getting there soon :-) ChrissyTRam: I hope you've gotten the explanation that you needed about that cuddling-scene and thank you! kiwihalloween10: Thank you, I'm working on it ;-) BellaStoria: Thank you, I like control-Draco too :-D BoredRavenvlaw620: Well, she's known as a fighter for a reason, right? And thank you! Ruthy4vrSmoaked: What can I say, Rita Skeeter is always making everything a bit more crazy :-D And thank you! dramdram613: Well, I sorta hope so too :-)