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I think perhaps this chapter might be subtitled...what Hermione did next...enjoy
By the time she arrived at the Ministry on Monday, Hermione, felt more on edge, than she had done following her night in Azkaban. She never thought she would ever hear herself say this or even think it, but she was anxious to get back to Malfoy Manor.
Her worries for Lucius, went without saying. But after Saturday morning's little display, she was also concerned for Draco, she knew Lucius would never harm his son, from the temper displayed in some of those baby pictures she had seen; if Lucius Malfoy had not hexed his son by now, he never would. But attempts at humour aside, Lucius mood swings could escalate, especially if the incident with Ronald was anything to go by, and alone in that huge house, Draco was actually more than a little vulnerable.
She was also nervous about her conversation with Kingsley, she felt sure the Minister of Magic would endorse her plan, but with all the distractions in her head she wanted to make sure she put her case appropriately to him. She had lost count of the conversations she had had with herself in the mirror on Sunday, role playing her interaction with the colourful wizard.
Arriving very early, she immediately wrote an interdepartmental memo to the Minister, requesting a few moments of his time, today, when of course it was convenient. A little after 9am Hermione received a cheery reply from Kingsley Shacklebolt telling her to pop along as soon as she liked, that she would be a delightful start to his morning. Hermione wondered if he might feel the same way after she had spoken to him.
The door had opened as Hermione approached, a beaming Minister waiting to greet her.
"Hermione, twice in only a few days, I am torn between worried and delighted." His big brown eyes looked concerned, despite the smile that lit his round face.
"You did say your door was always open Kingsley, I am cheekily taking advantage of that offer." She returned his smile, hoping she looked a lot more confident than she felt as this moment.
"Well don't take this the wrong way but you are far more pleasing sight than, the assistant Head of Magical Law Enforcement, with whom I should be meeting now. Apparently, he had a nasty encounter with a couple of Mandrakes in his potting shed at the weekend and is indisposed."
The Minister's out and out laughter was infectious, she didn't dare ask what had happened, remembering Neville Longbottom's similarly unpleasant happenstance with the nasty little plants back in their second year at Hogwarts.
"Please sit, let's have some tea, it's not often my week starts off at a pace that allows me to indulge in such pleasantries."
She willingly accepted both of the Minster's offers. Hermione loved his office, often quite distracted by the artefacts she found herself surrounded by, colourful reminders of the places he had visited, and strange gifts from various magical minsters around the world. It was a bit like a Muggle museum.
"So Hermione what brings you to my office, so early on a Monday morning? Nothing frivolous I am sure."
Hermione pretended to look a little hurt by his suggestion that she was always so serious, even if he was actually, as always, quite right.
"Well I won't beat about the bush Kingsley; I need your help."
"My help!" Even the Minister for Magic was a little taken a back, whilst a lot older and more experienced than the young witch, for her to come to him to enlist help was quite a surprise.
"Most decidedly nothing frivolous then. If it is anything to do with your work Hermione, I am not sure how I can assist, you know you always have my full support, but your sphere of expertise is far outside of mine."
Hermione was delighted to hear those words; they gave her courage to continue. She also knew the Minister's penchant for getting to the point, and quickly!
"Well Kingsley it is very much related to my work, and the current subjects that I am working on, but this is more of a diplomatic issue. One which I feel certain you will be able to assist with."
"Now Hermione I am truly intrigued, flattered too, although I am not sure how much of a Wizarding Diplomat I am."
This was going better than she had hoped, and totally not as she had planned, all those conversations and roles plays she had done over the weekend, none had resembled this in the slightest. She didn't want to detract from her main aim, or even the point too much, but she felt a little aide memoire wouldn't go amiss.
"Do you recall our conversation, when you offered me the job here, about understanding what I did and how I wished I could have spoken to certain people to even get a better understanding myself."
"I do indeed Hermione, I recall finding the concept both fascinating and beneficial to us all in many ways."
Music to Hermione's ears, she carried on quickly, making a little light of the conversation, all the while driving towards her ultimate goal. "Yes I was sadly lacking in test subjects…. However,"
She gave Kingsley a winning smile, watching as his expressive face became even more interested.
"You have someone in mind?" He asked shifting forward in his seat, his colourful robes rustling at the sudden movement.
Hermione was delighted with Kingsley's interest and it would appear his evident excitement.
"I do; it came to me last week when I was in Azkaban. Sitting in a cell all day, certainly gives you time to think, about all manner of things. One of which was the people I knew who had spent time here, mostly of course no longer with us, with the exception of Hagrid and Lucius Malfoy."
The Minister regarded Hermione sagely, he doubted his diplomatic skill, what there was of it, would be needed with the gentle half giant, gamekeeper and Professor at Hogwarts, who of course Hermione knew very well herself. Which of course left the dark wizard and former Death Eater. He could see exactly where she was going with this, and intrigued as he was, at both the idea and the possible outcome. He was not entirely sure he was happy with Hermione talking to Lucius Malfoy about his time in Azkaban, or poking around inside his dark mind at all, come to that.
Hermione saw the flicker of apprehension in his dark eyes.
"Hermione you know you have my backing when it comes to your work, and I know talking to people is invaluable, but I have to say I have my reservations about this."
He had said reservations, Hermione told herself, he hadn't said no. Hermione decided a different track was in order: "In what respect Kingsley, perhaps I can alleviate your concerns."
"I suppose in reality, I should not fear for a young woman who stood and fought against Voldemort, took on Death Eaters in the Department of Mystery's, let alone spent a night in Azkaban herself. But, well this is Lucius Malfoy we are talking about."
Kingsley Shacklebolt knew that determined look on Hermione Granger's face only too well. He could put up as many excellent reasons why she should not do this, as he could think of, and he knew she would counter every one with an intelligent logical reason as to why she should.
In truth he was curious as to what she would get out of the former Death Eater, but he was still worried. He knew Lucius Malfoy was a changed man, he himself had borne witness to that, but he had also borne witness to the loss of temper he had displayed, only last week with Ronald Weasley. In all fairness the young Weasley boy had not been without blame, but Malfoy's reaction had been fast and a tad harsh. He didn't want to chance something similar happening to Hermione. Although Kingsley imagined, Lucius Malfoy would end up on his aristocratic arse long before anyone would get the upper hand that quickly with her. For all his misgivings he also wondered what made the young witch think he would even talk to her…. Suddenly the sickle dropped, this was where she needed his help.
"I don't think, for all of his past misdemeanours I would put Lucius Malfoy in Voldemort's league, but I will confess to him being just as foreboding as a night in Azkaban."
"I think I would be inclined to agree with that. So clearly Hermione, and knowing you as I do, you have not come to me unprepared or without a plan of some sort. So tell me the plan and what it is you need from this old wizard."
"Well in practice Kingsley it is all very simply, and I won't over complicate it, which Harry is always telling me off for. For the last few weeks, as you know I have been dividing my time equally between St Mungo's and Azkaban. I had intended to fit in a visit to Hogwarts at some point but I think, this will be far more useful. If of course we can get Lucius Malfoy to agree, and of course when I say we, I mean you."
The wily wizard chortled, his brown eyes twinkling, no one liked a cunning plan more than the current Minister of Magic.
"If you can get Lucius Malfoy to agree I thought I might spend some time talking to him, well for however long I can get him to, or as and when I run out of questions. I don't think he will just agree to sit down and chat to me over a Butterbeer, but I do think if you ask him to do it, suggest it's Ministry business and vital blah blah, butter him up a bit, flatter that massive ego of his."
Kingsley smiled knowingly, a conniving look dancing across his face.
"Well as I mentioned last week, he is keen to get back on good terms with the Ministry and looking for something for young Draco to do. If I get him to help us out with this, I might be able to do something for him in return. I will invite him along to a meeting, I have some free time later today, I am sure he will only be too pleased to accommodate me."
"Kingsley that would be wonderful, if of course I am not messing with your day any more than I have done already."
Hermione could see Kingsley was enjoying their little conspiracy, certainly a lot more fun than the meeting with the Assistant Head of Magical Law Enforcement.
"Think nothing of it, I have a feeling it might be a rather entertaining meeting. One which I feel that as The Head of Wizard Welfare & Rehabilitation, you should definitely be there for. I will have a little chat with Lucius first, perhaps informally over a late lunch, just to lay the foundations, put him at his ease, butter him up as you put it and then you could join us here. How does that sound."
"It sounds perfect, thank you Kingsley, I really do appreciate this and of course you unrelenting support."
"Nonsense, Nonsense. As have said I like to think of myself as a forward thinking Minister, but I genuinely believe that the work you are doing is of a huge benefit to not only us here, but also to our world in general."
Hermione felt a little guilty as she left Kingsley's office, yes this did very much form part of the job she was doing her at the Ministry, it was fully within her prevue as Head of Wizard Welfare and Rehabilitation, it was also something she had trained to do. However, a little part of her was doing this for personal reasons, although she had vowed those personal reasons would not interfere, not again.