Ambition's End: Fragments of Memories
Disclaimer: Nothing you recognize is mine. They all belong to JKR.
Rubbing at his eyes, Draco slowly but surely made his way down to breakfast the next day. While Hermione's birthday party was officially over at midnight, the stragglers didn't leave until the small hours of the morning. That normally was the only reason he needed for a lie-in, but he knew that his parents would be taking breakfast at their normal time. Once upon a time, he had been amazed at their fortitude, but he now knew that his mother was likely to retreat to her bedroom after taking a short walk through her gardens while his father was likely to spend the rest of the day napping in his favorite armchair in his study.
Unfortunately Draco didn't have the same luxury of time that the two of them had. After breakfast, he would head in to work. Not because there was anyone to scold him—that was one of the perks of being your own boss—but because there was so much on his plate to do that he couldn't afford to take off, not even for one day. Being responsible like that was one of the downsides to growing up.
The thought crossed his mind that what he planning to do right now wasn't very grown up. Going to his parents for help was more the act of a boy rather than that of a grown wizard. Draco allowed himself a small sigh. Once upon a time, when he was younger and infinitely more foolish, he thought nothing of leaning on his parents. Now he preferred not to, but he didn't have much of a choice. For one, his parents had more contacts within the Wizarding World simply as they had been around longer. Draco silently promised himself to work on making those contacts his own, perhaps with Hermione's help, once he dealt with more pressing issues. But regardless of that, he knew that he would have to ask his parents to act as intermediaries with society in the present case. There were plenty of people who would smile and nod if he defended Hermione to them only later to spread nasty rumors about him being under some spell behind his back.
His parents, on the other hand, were a different story. The mere idea of Hermione enchanting his father into accepting her was laughable at best. And as for the same to apply to his mother—well, Draco didn't think there was anyone foolish enough in the Wizarding World to harbor such a blatantly ridiculous notion. Hence they would be far more effective in counteracting whatever rumors Merlose was spreading. He hoped he could get them to agree to do so. He knew he should be able to for he was cognizant of what his parents' weaknesses and had every intention to use such knowledge to his advantage.
He paused ever so briefly, barely breaking stride, to check that he was presentable before entering the dining room. "Good morning," he called out, far more cheerfully than he felt. He walked over to his chair and sat down, drawing his napkin into his lap with his next motion. Breakfast appeared before him, the kitchen elves as vigilant as ever with their duties.
The eyebrows of both his parents were raised as they watched him. "Good morning, Draco," his mother said pleasantly. "I must confess that I didn't exactly expect to see you at breakfast this morning."
"Particularly not on time," his father added. "That must mean that he wants something."
"Indeed," his mother agreed.
Draco fought the urge to roll his eyes. His parents could be impossible to deal with when they decided to join forces against him. "And whatever could I possibly want?" he asked. "It seems to me that I have everything I want. Didn't you make sure of that?" he finished. A touch of bitterness infused his voice.
His parents' reaction was not what he had expected. They exchanged a glance, one indicative of them communicating with each other rather than feeling guilty for the mess they had made of his life. Then his mother gracefully inclined her head at his father. "Silly me, I guess. I thought perhaps you wouldn't be too happy with that one article in today's Prophet," she said lightly.
Draco closed his eyes. It was far too early for his parents to be testing his patience. "What article?" He silently swore revenge upon his contacts at the Prophet if anything negative has been written about his and Hermione's relationship. His father idly lifted a hand. The paper floated up from its spot on the table and swung through the air over to Draco.
Draco glanced down at it, then scowled. Pasted all over the front page was the news that not one, but two, pure-blood wizards were murdered sometime last night. "I can't believe it," he said. "First Higgs, and now Grissom and Hardin?" He snorted. "It's getting dangerous for young pure-bloods to be walking around. I can't believe the Aurors are taking these cases seriously. They don't seem to be making any progress."
"No," said his mother. "But that isn't what concerns you the most, now is it?"
He lifted his head. He knew that tone of hers. It was imperative that he chose his words carefully. "Trust me, Mother, I am concerned about the Aurors' lack of progress, especially as I know that I would make a tempting target. Tell me, what do you think that my biggest concern is then?"
His parents exchanged another glance, and this time his mother deferred to his father. "I am certain that it has not escaped your notice that the very first death was that of Marcus Flint. And he happened to die after his failed attempt upon your fiancée's life."
"I know that," Draco replied through gritted teeth. "I assure you that Hermione had nothing to do with that or any of these other murders."
"I wouldn't be so quick to leap to her defense," his mother muttered.
"Well I would," Draco snapped.
His father lifted an eyebrow. "Watch your tongue," he chided mildly. "Your mother only has your best interests at heart."
"That doesn't make her right."
"No, I'm afraid it doesn't. I happen to agree with you. I doubt that your Miss Granger had anything to do with these deaths. Particularly not these last two, seeing how she was present at the manor the entire evening. Don't you agree, darling?" Lucius sternly looked over at his wife.
She huffed but nodded her head. "Yes," she muttered savagely. "However, her friends weren't there the entire time."
"Very good, dear. I've always admired how quickly your mind adjusts to changing information," his father said drolly. "If Potter is truly out to get us…well, I don't think that there's much we could do to stop him."
"If it makes you feel better, I don't think that's the case," Draco noted.
"Neither do I. I have it on very good authority that Potter and Weasley have been working overtime just like all the rest of the Aurors," his father stated.
Draco was tempted to question his father about where he had learned that nugget of information. He knew that both his parents had contacts that he wasn't aware of. What Draco hadn't known was that his father had anyone in the ranks of the Aurors still willing to even acknowledge him. He tucked that particular question away to be looked into later. He settled for saying, "I do remember Hermione complaining that she almost never sees them these days as they're always either on duty or on call."
"That sounds about right," said his father.
"Astonishing then that they haven't made more progress. Seeing how they're supposedly always working," his mother put in sharply.
"There is that," replied Lucius calmly. "And do be careful when you're out and about, Draco. But to get back to my original point—"
"Finally," Narcissa said with a roll of her eyes. "I thought you would never get there."
"Hush, dear. You did defer to me, if I remember correctly," said Lucius. "Seeing how these rash of murders didn't start until after the attempt on Miss Granger's life, it's only natural for some people to associate her with it." He paused, his sense of dramatic timing as keen as ever. "What I find disturbing is the fact that her boss is fanning the flames against her."
His worst suspicions were confirmed. "So that is what the old fool was doing last night!" Draco exclaimed. There was more he wanted to say about how insufferable Merlose was, but he wisely held his tongue.
"Did you expect anything differently?" Though Lucius Malfoy's tone was very mild, the look he gave his son was anything but. Draco knew that his father was all but ordering him to get on with making his request.
Draco coughed nervously. "Not really. It's just unfortunate. Well you must know how it is. I can't very well say anything to defend her…people would just start talking about love potions and other such nonsense. On the other hand, if you two tried to counteract those rumors…."
"Undoubtedly, we would have more success," his father finished for him.
"Yes, that's exactly it," said Draco. He waited for a response from his parents, but none was forthcoming. An uncomfortably long silence filled the room, so long that he felt compelled to speak. "I just would like to do something nice for her. Seeing how she's already under so much stress trying to put our wedding together and that I inadvertently added to that stress because I wanted to get married so quickly." Draco regretted saying that as soon as the words left his mouth. It sounded like a very poor excuse, and he doubted it would convince his parents to help him out. He decided to switch tactics, appealing to their Slytherin sensibilities.
"But more importantly than all of that," he said, "just think of how it would reflect upon our family name. Society did its best to ignore us for so long because of our association with the wrong side in the previous war. After my engagement was announced, that began to change. We were welcomed once more. I would like to keep it that way, but the way Merlose slanders Hermione's good name…well, it is also not good for the Malfoy name."
"True enough," his father replied. "Very good the way you pulled that explanation out of thin air. But you didn't have to bother. I believed it when you said that you simply wanted to relieve your Miss Granger of a little bit of stress." Lucius' eyes strayed over to the figure of his wife. "Wouldn't you agree, Narcissa?"
She looked down at her hands, her mouth twitching into a frown. "Yes I suppose I do," she said, a touch sadly. Lucius reached over to grasp one of Narcissa's hands in his own before speaking again.
"So as you see, Draco, your mother and I are perfectly willing to help you combat Merlose's appalling lies." A smirk covered his face then, and the years faded from his face for that one instant. "You simply had to ask," he went on, gesturing with his free hand. "There was no need for such an elaborate set up. Just think of all the time you wasted by not being straightforward."
"I see," said Draco. While he was happy that his parents had agreed so readily, he hated this feeling of being lectured once more. He sighed. He supposed there was nothing he could do about it. In his parents' eyes, he would always be their little boy. Draco would simply have to learn to live with it—and exploit it as a weakness on their parts when necessary.
"Thank you," he told them both. The conversation changed to more pleasant topics. Before he knew it, he had finished with his breakfast and it was time for him to get to the office.
"Very good, darling," said Lucius to his wife after their son had left. "I had thought you would have put up more of a fight when it came to helping Miss Granger."
His wife rolled her eyes. "You do have an awful habit of underestimating me, my dear. Besides what aid I offer isn't for her benefit. It is for Draco's." She sighed. "The two of us have put him through so much."
"I know," he said, closing his eyes. That had been the hardest thing about losing the war—realizing that he had put his wife and his son through so much hardship and danger for nothing at all.
"So I feel that I owe it to Draco to see that his family name does not gain another blemish. Even though I do worry about whether Miss Granger is involved or not."
"Really?" He cocked an eyebrow up at that remark.
She looked down and away from him, apparently flustered. "Well…no, not really. But sometimes I wish that—"
He gently reached out to caress her cheek, taking care to wipe away the tear that was running down it. "You would have lost him one day anyway, my dear."
"I know," she said. "You were right about that. There is no point in wishing things were different, in hoping for a way I could draw him away from her. Especially not when they are so well suited for each other. It's just…the way he kept looking at her last night…it really made it clear that I've already lost him to her." She lifted her eyes to meet her husband's gaze. "I wasn't quite ready for that."
He leaned forward and pressed a kiss against her forehead. "My dear, I doubt there was any way you could have been prepared for such a notion. But you're accepting the fact and adapting to it…just like a good Slytherin should."
That coaxed a small smile out of her. "Thank you ever so much, dearest husband, for such effusive praise."
"Don't mention it."
She gave a small sigh of exasperation. "You are simply impossible, and you are well aware of that fact." She twitched her nose, an act he found utterly adorable. "I only hope that your son takes after you in that regard. That would serve her right." Her tone took on a savage touch.
He couldn't help but laugh. His wife was simply enchanting when she was feeling vengeful. "Well said, my dear, well said."
"I'm so glad I could amuse you," she said wryly. "Shall we start planning how to combat that awful upstart's slander against our son's intended?" A look of fierce determination covered her face, and she sat up straight in her seat. "For make no mistake. Regardless of my personal feelings towards her, I will not allow a fool like Merlose to get the better of a future Malfoy like that."
"And that's that," said Katie.
Hermione couldn't believe her ears. She gaped at her friend, whose only reaction was to grin broadly at her. "Do you mean we're done?"
"Yes."
"As in completely finished?"
"That too."
"As in all the little details dealt with and nothing left for us to do—"
"Yes, with nothing left for you to do except sit back and relax until your wedding day."
Hermione narrowed her eyes and glared at her friend. "Don't think that I didn't notice that."
"Notice what?" Katie's aura was one of complete innocence.
Hermione sighed and pressed on. "Notice how you distinctly stated that I have nothing else to do, while leaving out mention of yourself."
"Oh that. I never thought that I would get that past you. I am well aware of your reputation for being clever, you know."
She tapped her foot impatiently. "That's not answering my question. If there's something else to do, then let's do it. I'm not the sort of person to leave a project unfinished."
"Only you would refer to your wedding as just another project. Takes all the romance out of it," Katie said. "But don't worry about a thing. It's the bridesmaid's most sacred duty, I believe, to ensure that the bride makes it to her wedding day with her sanity intact. I'll just be keeping an eye on things to make sure that everything comes in the way it should. If anything happens that does require your attention, I'll let you know."
"So that's really it?"
"Yes. Haven't I said that before?"
Hermione let go of the breath she had been holding and sank back against the sofa. "What a relief! There were times I thought we would never finish."
"Here, here," agreed Katie. She too leaned back in her seat. "Some parts took much longer than I anticipated."
Hermione snorted. "Well who could have guessed that it would have taken us that long to get the seating arrangements down?"
Her friend groaned. "Merlin. Don't remind me. I think my mistake was inviting Mrs Malfoy to help us. And by help, I mean that loosely, very loosely."
"Yes," said Hermione. "To be fair though, I hadn't been aware of all the little feuds going on in pure-blood society."
Katie raised an eyebrow. "Defending your future mother-in-law now? Will wonders never cease?"
"More like future hag-in-law." She wrinkled her nose at the thought. "Except with less wrinkles."
"But so much more snark. It rather evens out, don't you think? And besides, we wouldn't have to worry about all one hundred of her closest friends if she hadn't been so difficult in the first place."
"Isn't that my point to make?" mused Hermione. "Can you believe that I originally just wanted a small wedding? With just fifty guests at most?"
Katie looked her friend up and down. "Yes, I can see that. But don't tell me you expected that, not with you marrying Draco Malfoy."
She sighed. "No I didn't really expect that. But I didn't expect it to get so large either. I was thinking maybe one hundred guests at most."
"More proof that you should never claim not to be an optimist," Katie noted. "If I were in your shoes, I would have counted it a victory to have a wedding with less than five hundred guests."
In mock horror, Hermione gasped and clasped her hands to her chest. "Dear Merlin! Don't even suggest such a thing!" She paused for dramatic effect. "Just think how long the seating arrangements would have taken then!"
The two witches collapsed in laughter. Tears of merriment fell down their faces as they traded jokes in the same vein. Hermione's sides began to ache from laughing so much. "Enough, enough," she said. She took a deep breath and tried to regain her composure. "We've better stop, otherwise I'll have nightmares of a guest list half a mile long."
"You and me both," said Katie. "It's too funny though. I completely lost track of time." She then frowned as something occurred to her. "Isn't it time for you to be going back home? Not that you're not welcome to stay, but it is getting rather late."
A quick glance at the clock told her that her friend was right. "Oh dear. I hadn't noticed that it was past ten," she said. She frowned to herself, thinking that it would be best for her just to Apparate back home, given what had been in the news this morning.
"Neither had I. I guess we were just having too much fun."
"There is that." Hermione rose from her seat, then paused. She needed to thank Katie for everything that the other witch had done for her. She knew very well that if her friend hadn't intervened and insisted upon helping her, then she would still be trying to iron out all the details for her wedding. However, just saying thanks didn't seem adequate enough—but it was the only thing she could think of saying at the moment.
"Thank you," she said simply. "For everything. Really, if it weren't for you—"
Katie raised up her hand, interrupting her words. "I know what you're going to say, Hermione, and trust me, it's not necessary. It's what you would have done if our situations were reversed."
Hermione winced. She didn't think that Katie would think that way if the older witch knew how she had been manipulated.
Katie pressed on. "And you might think this silly, but I kind of feel it should be me thanking you. It's awfully boring, just sitting around with nothing to do. Helping you plan your wedding…it was a real eye opener for me. It made me rethink what I'll be doing with my life. There are still so many opportunities for me, even though I'll never play Quidditch again."
"I think you would have found that out anyway," said Hermione.
"Maybe, but it would have taken me longer," said Katie. "So let's call it even, shall we? Besides, if you insist on effusive thanks, that will only embarrass me to no end."
"All right," said Hermione. Inwardly she promised herself that she would eventually find a way to make things up to Katie. She wouldn't try to rush to a solution either; she would take her time and figure out the right way to help her friend find love again. She spent several more minutes saying good-bye to her friend before she Apparated back home to her flat.
When she arrived, Hermione immediately scanned the wards. There was no sign of any breach, or for that matter, any attempt at breaching her wards. She emitted a soft sigh. She walked over to her sofa and sat down. Hermione closed her eyes, thinking of everything that had happened that day.
She hadn't arrived home until the early morning hours, lingering at Malfoy Manor and at the party the Malfoys had thrown for her twenty-first birthday. As such, she woke up a couple hours late. She had decided to eat breakfast and read the paper first before heading into work. However, she had lost all semblance of an appetite when she saw the news plastered all over the Daily Prophet. Two pure-blood wizards, Grissom and Hardin, had each been found dead in London the night before.
Hermione groaned out loud. That was the entire reason why she had Apparated back home instead of walking the way she usually did. She knew better than to make a target out of herself like that. While it was obvious to anyone who stopped to think that she couldn't have done in those two wizards as she had been at the party at Malfoy Manor all night long, she knew perfectly well that Wizarding society was beginning to believe that she had some connection to that rash of murders. And Hermione was willing to bet that Balthazar Merlose wasn't doing anything to quell that rumor.
Rather the opposite, I should think, if the way he acted last night is anything to go by, she thought to herself. And on the other side, I have...Givens.
She frowned to herself. While she had no concrete evidence that Givens was behind all the deaths, she knew that he had to be connected to them somehow. It wasn't mere coincidence that Flint had died while under his charge. Higgs had been a natural second target, seeing how that wizard had been on Flint's mailing list. She was surprised that Hyral hadn't been taken out yet for the same reason. She made a mental note to herself to look discreetly into that wizard's whereabouts. Maybe he had some information that would be useful in trapping Givens and whatever associates he had. Of course, that was only a possibility if he was still alive. Hermione couldn't discount the possibility that Hyral was already dead and the Aurors just hadn't found his body yet. She would have to be very careful to make certain that she wasn't the one to find any victims. That would only further blemish her reputation amongst the pure-bloods.
Convenient, isn't it, how I have enemies on both sides. She got up and began pacing back and forth. Though she was tired, she was on the verge of formulating a new plan, one which would bring both of her enemies down. It seems like I should be able to play one side off the other. The only question is how. She thought up of several different methods, but each had its own set of flaws.
The main problem with her idea was the fact that Merlose and Givens weren't naturally at odds. Merlose was in charge of the Department of Mysteries, while Givens headed the Aurors in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. There was no power struggle between the two of them there. And while Merlose was clearly sympathetic to the cause of pure-blood superiority, he didn't actually take up Voldemort's cause during the war. Instead he chose the path of eschewing the violent methods of the Death Eaters. Hence he wasn't a natural target for Givens' vengeance as so far Givens had only targeted wizards who families had supported the Dark Lord during the war.
Hermione decided to make herself a pot of tea to help herself relax. It was certainly an interesting thought exercise, trying to suss out a way to kill two birds with one stone. As she set the kettle on the stove, she wondered if it was actually possible to set her two enemies on each other. She leaned against her kitchen table, her hands gripping the edge to help keep her balance. Her forehead scrunched up as she continued to think of ways she could make her idea a reality.
I think it can be done, she decided. They seem to be such natural foils, and I can feed all the information I want to Givens...well assuming that my owl mail is truly compromised by someone at the Ministry. I must test that soon, to know if the Ministry is intercepting my mail and under what circumstances. And it might help if I can confirm it's Givens' doing, and not someone else's. That's the whole crux of my problems. I don't have enough information yet to come up with a plan to pull off getting rid of both Givens and Merlose. There has to be a way though! Absentmindedly she drummed her fingers against the wood. I just have to be patient and take my time in constructing a plan. Although...if I get the chance to get rid of Givens or find out who his allies are or anything like that, I have to take it. Because I can't let this murder spree keep going.
The sharp whistle of the water boiling brought her out of her reverie. She jumped up and turned the stove off, before proceeding to pour the water in her tea pot, which was charmed to remove the leaves once the tea was done. She then pulled out a chair and sat down as she waited for the tea to steep.
Yes, I think that's what I'll do. Go on and try to find out as much information about both Merlose and Givens. Try to find out if Givens is working with anyone. I should think that he is, otherwise he's been very lucky to have no one to stumble upon him. Or maybe someone already has and that's why two wizards were killed last night.
She shook her head, not happy about that last thought of hers. "It would be like Givens to get rid of anyone who might have seen him," she muttered to herself. "No matter. One way or another, I'll put an end to his string of murders." A smirk spread across her face, one that would not be out of place on any member of her fiancé's family. "And with any luck, I'll take care of Merlose at the same time too."
"You look like shit, to put it mildly, Chambers," Draco noted as his informant in the Aurors slumped down on the window sill. Draco himself leaned against a nearby pillar, casually keeping an eye out for any passers-by who might see them.
"Thanks for the observation, Malfoy, but I had already figured that out," the other wizard shot back. "You try working eighteen hour days for weeks on end and see how you look like. Something tells me you wouldn't be such a pretty boy then."
"You think I'm pretty?" Draco asked mockingly. "Thank you for the compliment Chambers, but I assure you I don't swing that way."
Chambers glared at him. "I don't believe our arrangement ever had me agreeing to deal with what passes for wit with you."
"Chambers, if you agree to deal with me at all, then you've agreed to put up with my wit," Draco returned. "But enough of this. I had been wondering why you hadn't been answering any of my owls asking for a meeting. Now I know why."
"You didn't before? I thought it was common knowledge that Givens is working the Auror unit to the bone these days," Chambers mumbled.
"Yes, everyone knows that the Aurors are supposedly working around the clock. However, because of certain rumors going around, at least half the Wizarding World believes you're just having fun and games when you are on duty."
"Really?" Chambers' tone was icy. "And you believed such rumors?"
Draco scoffed openly. "I know better than to believe every single shred of gossip that runs amuck. I had to wonder, however, why you couldn't be bothered to send me a short note back." He grimaced openly. "What is your boss thinking? Doesn't he know that you all are more likely to make mistakes if he keeps making you work when you're exhausted?"
"If you could get that through his thick skull, you would be the hero of not only myself, but just about the whole damn department. No, that idiot doesn't know that." Chambers scowled, his brow furrowing up. "And if I didn't know better, I would say he had it out for both me and Zabini."
Draco gauged the expression of the wizard before him. It was obvious that Chambers did believe that his boss had it in for him, although it didn't look like he was about to say why. He frowned. If he had to guess, he would say that the head Auror was prejudiced against Slytherins and so was especially hard on Zabini and his partner. It was unfortunately an attitude that pervaded the Wizarding World these days. "How is Zabini? He's been conspicuously scarce these last couple weeks. It's a wonder that there aren't any rumors going around something awful having happened to him."
"Let's just say, if you think I have it bad, he has it worse. Technically, he's still my partner but he's been chained to his desk, dealing with mountains of paperwork. And trust me, when Aurors run an investigation, they create a lot of paperwork."
"Dare I hope that you all are making any progress?"
"When it comes to ruling out potential suspects, we're making tons of progress. When it comes to actually figuring out who did it…let me get back to you on that one." Chambers' expression changed to one of chagrin. "There is something else though."
"And what, pray tell, is that?" Draco could feel his ire rising. From the way Chambers was hesitant to speak up, he knew it wasn't going to be anything he liked.
The other wizard took a good look at Draco's face and visibly gulped. He looked from side to side, as though searching for an escape route just in case. Draco was on the verge of hexing the damn fool to speak when he finally opened his mouth again. "There is an interesting thread of speculation going around. Hinges on when the attacks on pure-bloods started and all that." Chambers took a deep breath and then forged on. "Some say that Hermione Granger is at the heart of it all, that she's the one planning these murders."
"I see. Would you care to share with me why you thought that I might be interested in such rubbish?" Though his tone was as cold as ice, inwardly he was filled with fury about the whole situation.
Chambers winced. He was no fool, and he knew what a fine line he was treading. "Normally I wouldn't bother. I know better than to trust rumors, and I am certainly not the sort to go about repeating them. More often than not, they're completely false. Like that one about us Aurors not actually working. That's just the talk of But this one…this one comes from a fairly source, you could say."
"From Balthazar Merlose perhaps?"
"Ah yes. I know what you're going to say. That he's not to be trusted, given his current feud with your fiancée. But it's more than that. There's a timeline that goes with it. Flint dies after he attacked Granger. Coincidence, right? But Granger was seen in the vicinity of Diagon Alley when Higgs was found. And it's not common knowledge, but Higgs was one of Flint's associates. It's too convenient to be just coincidence."
"I suppose whoever volunteered the information that Hermione was seen in Diagon Alley that day failed to mention that I was there with her."
"The entire time? Where was she before you met?"
Draco lifted his eyes to glare full force at the other wizard. Chambers shrank back from his glower. "Before that she was being fitted for her wedding robes. Is she under investigation?"
"What? No, no. Not at all. Givens seems convinced of her innocence. Most of the Aurors are, her friends and Zabini included."
"It's a pity that obviously you're not one of them." Draco debated whether or not to cut ties with Chambers then and there. On one hand, the former Ravenclaw was seriously irritating him. On the other hand, it had been dastardly hard to find an informant amongst the Aurors. More importantly, if he was to distance himself from his feelings, he could appreciate how Chambers was bringing these rumors to his attention in order to warn him about Hermione. However, he had already realized how dangerous his witch could be and he had taken appropriate measures to ensure she would never raise her wand against him.
He couldn't help but mentally congratulate himself once more on that accomplishment. No, his witch was already too enamored of him to think of harming him. He had done a good job there. He congratulated himself silently before turning his attention back to the situation at hand.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Hermione would never harm me," he said with complete assurance. "She's not the sort to harm anyone really, not unless they've tried to do something to her first. Merlose is just being an opportunist and trying to bring her down by spreading nasty lies."
"I see," said Chambers cautiously. Doubt lurked behind his eyes.
"Do you?" Draco asked rhetorically. "In any event, I appreciate your warning about how vicious Merlose has become in his campaign against my fiancée. I trust that you will do everything in your power to counteract him."
"Of course," was Chambers' reply. "I must warn you, I don't think I can do much. Like I said, every single Auror I know believes in her innocence."
"Then the least you can do is never to repeat such rubbish ever again," Draco bit out.
The other wizard got his message. He bobbed his head up and down. "The only reason why I ever mentioned it was to be completely certain that you've heard of it. I am happy to learn that you already knew about them and are taking appropriate actions to protect your interests," said Chambers. Though his words were formal, his tone was anything but subservient. He met Draco's eyes for a minute, reminding the Slytherin not to push too far. "If you'll excuse me, I had best get back to work. My break is just about over."
A thought occurred to Draco about some other information he would like to know. "A moment, if you will. Tell me, do you know of anyone who truly believes in what Merlose is saying."
Chambers exhaled sharply. "None of the Aurors, like I already said. I think her fellow Unspeakables are also taking what Merlose is saying with a grain of salt—although some of them may not be above repeating his ideas in an effort to kiss up to the old man. I'll check into that," he added quickly before Draco could ask. "The Minister doesn't believe the rumors and so his staff would be quick to disavow them."
"So there is no one then?"
"I wouldn't say that. Obviously most people won't openly speak against her. She is one of the Golden Trio after all. No one wants to bring down Potter's wrath upon his head. Some of the older pure-bloods still working in the Ministry however…they've begun congregating. You can sometimes see them speaking amongst themselves. I can't confirm what they're talking about—they always break apart when someone approaches them—but that's who I would suspect of believing Merlose."
"Thank you," said Draco. He was happy to hear that Hermione's reputation was still sterling for the most part. As for the rest, hopefully his countermeasures would make them change their minds.
"Don't mention it," said Chambers. "Now I really must get back to work. That way I can get home with enough time for some sleep tonight." He stiffly stood up and glanced around. Seeing that there were no onlookers, he proceeded to walk back towards the central hallway that led to the lifts.
Draco hung back and waited for some time after. He didn't want to take any chances about anyone seeing him and Chambers in the same place. The fact that he was in no rush to get to his next destination also contributed to his decision to take his time in leaving the meeting spot. He hung back and waited patiently. To pass the time, he mentally ran through the roster of his Quidditch team, trying to figure out what holes he had to plug there.
It's been about fifteen minutes. I guess it's safe now. Time to head on over to Diagon Alley, he thought to himself. He strolled down towards the Apparition chamber at the Ministry. While he wasn't particularly looking forward to his next meeting, he didn't meander along either. Draco knew that he had to settle the question of where he and Hermione would live after they got married soon. If he did not, then he would have to rush when it came to closing the deal and making arrangements for the house to be habitable.
Not having as much time as he would have liked naturally narrowed down his options, and Draco had just about decided on the house he was going to visit now. It was just about perfect. It was a new development in Wizarding London, right outside of Diagon Alley, and already there was a waiting list half a mile long. He had only been able to jump the queue by liberal use of his family's fortune. That and the fact that he and Hermione were the ultimate poster couple for the new community being built. Diggory Square was the name the developers had given it, but it was better known as Unity Square. Already it was the rage amongst the younger set.
Of course, Draco wouldn't have even considered buying a home there if it weren't for the all amenities offered. The basic furnishings the house came with were anything but basic. They were luxurious enough to do for a start, although he expected they would eventually redecorate the entire dwelling. More importantly, layers and layers of spells were built into the house. Protection charms were grounded on the house's very foundation. The walls themselves were warded many times over, from simple charms to keep the house comfortable during the summer to complex spells that ensured the owner's absolute privacy while allowing him to eavesdrop on any conversation taking place indoors.
Last but not least, the reason why this particular residence was so attractive to Draco was the fact that it was all but ready to be lived in, unlike the other houses he had looked at. Once the purchase was finalized and the house was in his name, he would be able to start casting his own wards on the place right away. Draco knew better than to live in a house where he didn't personally check the wards and such to make certain that there weren't any nasty surprises in the spellwork. He also wanted to place his own privacy charms on top of the ones that were already built in. Because of all of this, he had all but made up his mind to purchase this particular house. Before he signed the purchase agreement, however, he wanted to walk through the residence to see if it was as advertised. That was why he had taken time out of his busy schedule to see the house today.
There was only one downside to the whole business deal, and that was also the reason why he was in no rush to get to his appointment to see the house. Draco had never relished having anything to do with Hufflepuffs, but unfortunately for his sensibilities, practically the whole development was run by Hufflepuffs. Even the damn estate agent was a Hufflepuff! The only good thing about that is that I should be able to get a bargain, he thought to himself. Everyone knows that Hufflepuffs are shit at negotiations. They should've hired a Slytherin for that job at least.
After arriving at Diagon Alley, Draco swiftly cast a Disillusionment charm on himself. He didn't want anyone following him. It wouldn't do to buy a house with all sorts of privacy wards only to lead some nosy reporter straight to it. He proceeded straight to his appointment, having no more time for delays. If the house was suitable for his purposes, then he wanted to do his best to all but seal the deal today. That way he could get his solicitor to start work on the contract tomorrow with an eye towards completing the deal early next week. Then he would be able to start layering his own charms and wards upon the piece of property.
If everything went well today, then it would be entirely possible that he could invite Hermione to see their new home next weekend. It would be entirely appropriate, he thought, if that was when he sprung his trap upon her. He allowed himself a small smirk. His victory over his lovely fiancée was so close that he could practically taste it. He could hardly wait. He could see it now, the expression on her face when he revealed all that he knew. While she was still in shock, he would broach the idea of him officially helping her with her plans for the Wizarding World in exchange for certain considerations.
Now that was a set of negotiations that he was looking forward to.
Author's note: An update that's on time for once! Isn't that nice? The next chapter should be up in two weeks as well.
My thanks to everyone who took the time to review the last chapter: misssweetsweet, pelagic, Chanteur d'ombre, RaineyDays, ebbe04, mkhtl, nonentity, DeliciousNewYork, Ayame89, twin-v, WinterhartZahneelCalina, karaburnes, mlui, Lea1286, Select Another, breenieweenie, DodgerMcClure, gitgit, and sarah murphy. Your comments were all lovely to read. :D