Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter and this isn't making me any money at all. Wonder why I'm still writing it, sometimes.


Home wasn't built in a day.

-Jane Sherwood Ace


Hermione arrived at work the next morning to find a cup of steaming breakfast tea on her desk. She stared at it a moment, puzzled, until she was interrupted by a cough from the doorway. She turned around to see Hooper standing there, a new stack of files under his arm.

"You?" she asked, gesturing at the cup. The younger wizard smiled bashfully and nodded his head.

"I thought you might need some. We have a long day ahead of us."

"Have you taken over my assistant's position, Hooper?" Hermione asked primly as she settled into her chair without thanking him. While she appreciated his help and thought he was extremely efficient, his behavior in the last week was starting to border on creepy. She'd had more than her fair share of adoring nerds in her life thus far and Hooper was definitely beginning to take on some of their tendencies. It would have been less than noticeable in the last few years because of how busy she'd been with the department and within her own marriage- and she would never have dreamed he was behaving untowardly in the last few months because of the wards business, but now? Now she was coming out of the haze of death and depression and noticing him more and it was starting to creep her out a bit.

In response to her question, he stiffened a bit and shook his head. "Er, no, Ms. Potter. I just- we're all trying to help as much as possible. I'm sorry if it's unwelcome."

Hermione felt bad then and shamed herself for overreacting. She was pregnant and grieving and was inclined to see suspicion even within her own office now- and when she'd just been thanking her lucky stars for Hooper the day before. She was the one being creepy, wasn't she? She smiled at him gently. "No, it's fine, Hooper. But I would rather have you focusing on your job and leaving my assistants to theirs. I appreciate the tea, really. Now, is that all?"

Hooper seemed placated and nodded before leaving, the files still tucked under his arm. He pulled her door to on his way out. Only Princzak, Hermione's assistant, gave him a passing glance as he walked by. She barely noticed the smirk on his face.


George owled his father and asked him to bring Percy by as soon as he could not thirty minutes after arriving at work that morning. He'd made a special delivery to the aurors the night before of Hooper's file and the results had been waiting for him as soon as he walked into his office. Now, his brother seated in front of him, he stared gravely at the papers.

"You were right about Hooper, Percy," he murmured. "But it still doesn't prove anything. We have a trial in three days and Muggle Relations is going to get put through the wringer if we don't get some kind of solid evidence."

"Well if you don't think Hooper's a candidate, then why am I here?"

George smiled tightly. "Because I want to know what it is about him that makes you suspicious."

"His file was tampered with!"

"Anyone could have done that."

"Yeah? Well guess what I found out this morning when you thought I was asleep?"

George gestured for him to go on and Percy leaned forward. "Hooper is one of five people working in close connection with Muggle Relations who had a parent or sibling taken out by Lucius Malfoy personally."

George sat up a little straighter. "Get out."

Percy seemed a little taken aback and actually started to stand when George let out a guffaw of awkward laughter and put out a hand. "No, no, you idiot. You know what I mean. Is that information public record?"

Percy settled back into his seat and nodded. "It is. Why, are you thinking someone may have gone to all this trouble to elaborately frame Hooper; maybe some of the other wizards and witches as well?"

"It's a possibility," George replied. "I'm going to speak with Hermione today; see if she's noticed any sort of odd behavior from him."

"What about the others?"

"Leave the list with me, I'll speak to their supervisors as well. For the rest of today, I want you to focus on those five as well. See if you can figure out who would benefit from framing them. Work on some conspiracy theories for me, would you?"

"Just me?"

"Just you."

Percy's face grew thoughtful and he scratched at his three-day stubble. "Why just me?"

"You're a git, Perce, but you're my brother. I'd like to see you redeem yourself, if you can, never mind that you're bloody brilliant- an idiot about it sometimes, but brilliant just the same. And, frankly, I'd like to keep this investigation under wraps as much as possible. I sent Hooper's file to the Aurors, but I didn't tell them why. No doubt they'll be whispering about it themselves, but there's no need to spread our suspicions around. Not when we're dealing with someone who, for whatever reasons, thought it was perfectly reasonable to allow half of London to be destroyed, killing thousands of innocent people in the process. Merlin only knows what else an individual like that has up his sleeve."

Percy stood up then, nodding in agreement. "I understand. Keep it quiet, then. Shall I keep working on it from home?"

"Yes. Here, have one of these- cell phone, handiest thing ever invented. At Draco's suggestion, we had them spelled so they'll receive signal underground. That's how I want you to reach me when you know anything."

Percy stared down at the small gadget in his hand. "How does it work?"

"Ask Dad to show you; he had Harry teach him a long time ago, now." George's face went soft for a moment and Percy was quiet as well. "Bugger," the younger brother finally murmured. "Don't suppose that will ever get any easier."

"Suppose not," Percy answered. They stood before each other silently, sadly for another minute and Percy finally cleared his throat. "Well, I'll be off then. Thanks for this, George. And…I'll figure it out for you. I swear I will."

"I know, Perce. I'll talk to you soon," George replied. He watched his brother go with a heavy heart, but confident that they would be able to put some ghosts to rest between the two of them. Somehow.


"In short, our paperwork is entirely in order," Hermione announced to the other witches and wizards. She'd gathered the staff of her department together for a meeting to go over things. As the trial was just after the weekend, she wanted everyone to be up to date on all information. She wasn't sure who might be called as witnesses, aside from herself and Hooper, but she figured it was best that everyone be prepared as possible. "Furthermore, we are completely blameless in the matter of the wards and the lives lost in catastrophe. I hope you will all take some time to review the write-up Hooper has been so good to prepare for us, so that we can hold our heads up high at the trial. Which is going to be Monday morning, starting at ten."

No one groaned or even batted an eyelash. Instead, after a polite round of applause acknowledging their coworkers' hard work, everyone stood and shuffled back towards their desks and offices. Hermione watched them go, satisfied with their performance. Everyone was working extra hard, taking cautions in their work and double checking every form and file that was processed. It was just the sort of good, conscientious behavior she liked to see in her employees- in other people, period.

"Hermione," a voice called and she looked over to see George walking into the department. Many of the witches and wizards greeted their former supervisor enthusiastically as they moved past him and he returned their smiles while making his way towards Hermione.

"George," she returned brightly.

"Feeling better today?" he said as he reached her and she smiled.

"Much. Oh, the morning sickness is still there, but Draco's spells have helped a great deal. Still, I'm not eating much for breakfast- don't want to risk it."

"Wonderful- that you're finding some balance, I mean. Listen, can I have a moment with you?"

"Sure, I got your memo a few minutes before we had the meeting. Come on in- you know the way," she laughed, gesturing towards her office. He preceded her inside and she shut the door behind them, then settled herself behind the desk. "Now, what is this about?"

"I just wanted to have a word with you about a couple of your employees. The administration is doing a review of some promising witches and wizards and we-"

"Cut the crap, George," Hermione interrupted, waving a hand. "I wasn't born yesterday. This is about our conversation the other day, isn't it? Well, let's hear it. What have you found out? Do you suspect someone in my department?"

George shook his head. "At least pretend that this is secret, please. I really don't want this getting around and our department- your department- while efficient and intelligent, is a bit of a gossip mill, let's be honest."

"Fine. What employees do you not suspect of anything whatsoever, then?"

George rolled his eyes. "You're impossible."

"You didn't hire me because of my looks," she returned, smiling.

"Well," George replied, finally taking a seat, "why don't you tell me about Princzak, to start with?"

"My assistant? She's wonderful. Why?"

"She's one of five our intelligence returned that has a personal tragedy associated directly with Lucius Malfoy."

Hermione gave a slight start at that. "Draco's father? Are you focusing on him?"

"He is the head of the department, the person of them who is most in the spotlight. It makes sense to assume that whoever is doing this- if one of our own is behind it- would have a personal vendetta with someone in authority."

"I suppose you're right," Hermione allowed, leaning back in her seat. "But I don't like it."

"You don't have to," George replied. "I don't like it, for that matter, but it's a possibility. There are too many possibilities, in fact, but we're trying to narrow things down, starting with Draco and these five."

Hermione had an awful thought and her face went pale. "You don't suspect Draco, do you?"

"Don't be ridiculous," George scoffed. "I've got someone looking at all angles, but I can promise that no one thinks less of Malfoy, especially not after how you two saved the day. Which, if we could get back to the subject at hand, brings me to Hooper."

"What about him?" Hermione was instantly alert.

"Have you noticed any strange behavior lately?"

"Aside from being over-organized?"

"You know what I mean."

"Well, he has been…just this morning, I thought- I was being absurd, but-"

"Hermione."

"Well, alright. I thought he was being a bit creepy. Like Draco when I was pregnant creepy."

"You think he fancies you?"

"No, it's not exactly the same…rather unsettling, though. Don't you think it's just hormones on my part, though?"

George rubbed his chin. "Could be, but you've never been off, even when you are being a woman."

"George!" Hermione exclaimed, face flushing and he laughed at her.

"Sorry, sorry. Well, you've just put him at the top of the list."

"What, just because he's acting over-solicitous?"

"We don't have anything else to go on, do we?" George replied. "Besides, we don't have much time, either. I'll be working over the weekend, but for now this is the best we can do. I'll be in touch. Thanks, Hermione."

"You're welcome. Look, don't come take him away just yet, please? He's really very useful."

George smiled. "Now you're defending him? When he might be a mass murderer and conspirator?"

"I just can't see it," Hermione murmured, shaking her head. George stood up and walked to the door.

"Well, if you think of anything else, give me a call. I'll talk to you again soon. Don't worry too much about Draco, eh? I'll take care of him."

"I know, George. You're doing a fine job."

She waved at him as he went and then stared at the door once it was shut again. So, George suspected Hooper. Hermione drew out some paper and a pen and began to try and review Hooper's and Princzak's behaviors for the last several months, starting just before George began to worry seriously about the wards. She called her copies of their personnel files over to her and started to sift through them. If she was going to be fair to either of them, she needed to look at them both as suspects; it would allow her to see any behavior that might be suspicious in a new light as she hadn't been paying attention at all previously.


It took her until well into her lunch hour, but by the time she finished she felt she'd treated both cases as fairly (or unfairly, to be more accurate) as possible. Princzak, of course, turned up nothing. The woman was spotless. She'd even, Hermione had realized, been making cow eyes at one of the wizards in Muggle Relations for the last few months. So she, as she'd told George already, was not to be suspected. Of course, she supposed it was possible to view her assistant's attachment to the fellow as getting one foot in the enemy camp, so to speak, but she doubted the woman had that much cunning. After her own years at Hogwarts and then that hard year with Harry and the war, Hermione seriously doubted any woman of suspicious morals could avoid her powers of observation. Hadn't she herself been one of the best in her own time? No, she thought, she was too familiar with intrigue and secrets to not notice the same tricks at work in another woman. Another man, however…

With a sigh she took up Hooper's paper again. His behavior, up until the last few weeks, had been squeaky clean and no one's behavior in the ministry was that clean. Not even her own. Hermione stared at the paper a moment more and set it back down again. She wasn't getting anywhere, not really, because every time she thought she'd pinpointed some suspicious activity on Hooper's part, she'd convince herself she was imagining the whole thing and think of how sweet and accommodating he'd been to her. She shook her head. She needed a break. She looked over at her inbox and was just reaching for a file on a good old fashioned cauldron explosion in Knockturn Alley when there was a light knock on her office door.

"Come in," she called out, not looking up from the file.

The door creaked open and Draco looked inside. "Am I interrupting?" he asked.

Hermione's head snapped up and she stared at him with wide eyes. "Yes- no. No, you're not. Please, come in. Er, leave the door open, if you don't mind," she said as she saw him shutting it behind him.

He stopped the movement and looked back at her. "I'd rather not, unless you want to discuss what happened last night in front of your entire office," he said, lowering his voice. A second later, his trademark smirk leapt into place. Hermione wished she could wipe it off. Or kiss it off. She shook her head, resisting the temptation to return his smile.

"Close it, then," she sighed. "How is trial prep going for your department?" she asked, superseding his choice of topic.

"Well, thanks," he replied easily, taking the seat before her. "Better than we'd anticipated. Our previous reputations aren't going to do us any favors, but our behavior since the war speaks well for most of us. At worst, we'll have an investigation ordered and maybe lose a man or two, but it looks like it can't be helped."

"You're taking it well," Hermione said dryly. "Better than you were."

"Well, I did kiss a beautiful woman last night," he responded.

"Draco!"

The smile fell from his face and he leaned forward. "I know and I'm sorry. I just- damn it, this is awkward." His voice fell away and he covered his eyes briefly. Hermione felt her heart constrict and she sighed again.

"If it helps any, I agree wholeheartedly." Her remark earned a laugh from him and looked up at her again.

"It does help, thanks. I actually wanted to- well, not apologize. I'm not sorry for what we still have between us, but I am sorry for the timing. We both need to take things more slowly, for now. It's only fair to everyone- our families and friends…our spouses. I think I promised you we could take things as slowly as needed, didn't I?"

"Not in so many words," Hermione allowed. "In your actions, yes. You've really been quite a gentleman, for the most part. And I wanted that kiss as much as you did, if I'm being honest with myself. But you're right. Slow is best. For all of us."

"Agreed. That said, can I take you to lunch?"

"Draco!" Hermione repeated, but there was laughter in her eyes this time. She quieted down just as quickly. "I don't understand how we can go from work to play to serious so soon. I know loss, I'm so familiar with it, now, but I worry that my heart is being too practical about things sometimes."

"And I'm certain my heart is being nothing but impractical," Draco replied, a sad, wistful look on his face. "I love Pansy, still; I went to every length I could for her, but as soon as I saw you again, I…" his voice trailed off and he stood up. "This is no good. Come on, at least join me in the cafeteria. I'll buy."

After a moment's hesitation, Hermione stood up as well. "You'll do no such thing," she replied primly. "I'll buy and you can cry on my shoulder a bit more. It's nice to talk about it with someone else who knows what it's like."

"And no more awkward because I want to kiss you half the time and break your head the other half?"

"No," she said thoughtfully, "that actually makes it easier, I think. In fact, I think you should come to this group I've been attending," she said.

"A group?" Draco asked. He wondered if she was talking about the Mungo's support group; and as they escorted one another out of the department; and headed up the levels towards the cafeteria, he let her explain it to him…and talk him into going. Perhaps, he mused, getting to know one another as the adults they were would actually be fun. Healthy. Good for them. It was, admittedly, a new concept for him, but one he thought he'd enjoy exploring.


AN: Hoo-wee! Another chapter and a pretty good one, at that! Isn't that something. Cookie, please.