CHAPTER 3
May 19th 2001
Draco Malfoy paced back and forth in his living room. The chess tiles in his city apartment were far too vibrant for his own liking. He was used to dark floorboards that creaked of old age beneath teenage feet inside his family home. But after years of no longer living there, he sought comfort in the creativity of his personal living space.
"Would you please stop with the paranoia? You're making me dizzy." Groaned Pansy Parkinson as she lay on his black leather sofa in the centre of the room. Not the most comfortable piece of furniture he had to admit, but it had style.
"How many times have I told you, I need complete silence to think." Draco gritted through his teeth, continuing to walk back and forth.
"Honestly, Draco. I really don't care. I really really don't care." She sighed, lifting herself up to a seated position. "I came here to have sex. I did not come here to watch you make a fuss over a silly business trip."
Sex was the last thing from Draco's mind right now. Whilst he appreciated the casualty of sleeping with his former Slytherin girlfriend, today was no time for such activities.
Granger and himself were to leave for Romania tomorrow, and there was an uneasiness stirring inside of him. He had not been with his workmate outside the walls of the ministry since the day the war ended. The delicacy of their hateful companionship had yet to be burnt by the sun of the wounded wizarding world that they lived in.
"You know, if you're not too careful over there, you very well may come out of this little getaway as Granger's new mistress." Pansy teased playfully as Draco finally sat next to her on the sofa.
"Please," he dragged, "You are the only woman I am paramour to, Pansy Parkinson"
Draco cupped his hand over her knee, running circles with his fingers over the bone. He didn't really care for the damage he was causing her relationship with Theodore Nott with hidden affairs; that was for Parkinson to cover up. He had waited over the years for her to say, 'I cannot do this anymore. I love Theo', but it never came, so they never stopped.
"I'm serious Draco… You are much more attractive than the ginger that rides a broomstick for a living she is betrothed to. Watch yourself, or her muggle-born hands will be all over you by the end of this week."
"Granger and I are work acquaintances at best, Parkinson. Nothing more."
"If you say so."
Pansy stood from her seat next to him, turned and lowered herself across his lap, chest to chest. She began to suckle at his neck, sliding her hands to his waist pants.
"In the meantime, let me distract you." She breathed against his skin.
"If you say so."
She squealed as Draco flipped her to lay back on the hardened sofa once more, his domineering stature leaning in between her spread thighs. Maybe this will keep his mind off the inevitable disasters that were to unfold this week.
May 20th 2001
Hermione Granger bounced her knee up and down sitting in the foyer of the International Travel Department, waiting for her co-worker to arrive at their scheduled departure time. The crunch of Ron eating care-free beside her, irritated every bone in her body.
"Relax, 'Mione, he'll be here. That twat never gives you a chance to one up him."
"I know, I know." She twirled a curl in her fingers nervously, "I just don't like being tardy with a first impression."
"Bugger that, they'll love you over there."
Ron put his palm against her back and rubbed it up and down her spine, not as gently as she needed though. The couple had arrived half an hour early to her meeting time, knowing that she'd probably be a nervous wreck regardless of the far more dangerous battles they had conquered together.
A wave of peace washed over Hermione the moment Malfoy glided into the room, one hand in pocket, the other holding his trunk.
"Granger," he nodded to her in acknowledgement, "Weasel." now doing the same to her fiance.
"Get a new joke, you git." Ron twitched at the humour of his former arch nemesis,
"Now why would I do that, when it reddens your food engorged face still to this day?"
Hermione stood and picked up her charmed hang bag, filled with a library of books and a number of clothes more suited for a month-long trip, ready for any occasion. Ignoring the two men bickering, she faced Ron to bid him farewell.
"Right, well. Please stay safe at your matches, don't do anything silly." She quickly blurted out, reaching on her tiptoes to give him a quick peck on the lips. But before she could walk away, Ron pulled her back into his solid form and kissed her… hard. If she didn't know any better, she would think he was kissing her so forcefully in front of Malfoy as a declaration of territory.
Pulling back with embarrassment, Hermione cleared her throat and patted his chest lightly. Keeping her head down she said a quiet good-bye and swiveled to meet Malfoy where his head also hung low before the two made their way to the appointed portkey room.
"What? No 'I love you'?" He asked as they walked in step down the hall,
"He knows I love him." She replied.
"Really? A snog like that makes me think that he's trying to prove something."
"Is this what you're going to be like the entire trip, Malfoy?" She asked in annoyance at the ease at which he antagonized her.
"I'm excited to see what you're like on this trip, Granger. Two years of working together, and yet we have never spent any time together outside of these cold halls."
"Trust, I tried to keep it that way."
"Come now, where has fun Granger gone? The moment that ring slipped on your finger, it's like you're a benchwarmer in our game of beater versus beater. Get back on the field, I promise I won't throw too many bludgers at you!"
She didn't like the cheer in his voice, it was creepy for the broody former Death Eater. She also didn't like that he was probably right. Her mood was lowering to a more melancholy ambiance ever since she and Ron had announced their intentions to marry. She hadn't meant for it to, the idea of organising a big wedding just wasn't on the forefront of her plans this year.
"Let's just get through this excursion without murdering one another, shall we?" Hermione urged, but she could see in her peripheral vision that the blond fell behind her to a slower pace at the mention of his demise.
"Are you okay?" She asked, coming to a stop, seeing his eyes locked on the floor stalling next to her. Something was ticking in that sadistic mind of his. He looked back up at her, letting a grin spread against his cheeks.
"Let's go, Granger. We've got a portkey to catch."
Hours later they stood in the lobby of a hotel built similar to all the castles Hermione had imagined in fairytales growing up. Gold framed portraits, china vases overflowing with seasonal flowers, candle lit chandeliers hanging from the high rise roof. It all took the witch's breath away. She could tell this was nothing spectacular in the eyes of Malfoy, he likely grew up in holiday houses on the coast of Italy much nicer than this.
"Here are your room keys." Smiled the clerk working at the check-in desk, "Ve velcome you to your stay here at our beautifool hotel, Mizz Granger and Master Malfoy." As the two walked over to the grand staircase at the centre of the entrance hall to the third floor, Malfoy ran his hand through his hair at the side.
"You do that a lot, you know?" Hermione told him.
"Do what?"
"Run your hand through your hair. It's very Danny Zuko of you."
"Who the fuck is Danny Zuko?"
She sighed, forgetting for a moment whom she was talking to and what world she came from.
"It's a muggle thing, never mind."
They climbed in silence until they approached the entrances of their respective rooms. The floors of the hallway were made of marble, and the doors were as high as the roof painted in an offwhite. Hermione looked at the key in her hand, it was old and bronze like the one that Harry caught in their first year trying to save the Philosopher's Stone. Exhaustion was creeping up on her. She couldn't wait to crawl into bed and fall asleep immediately.
Malfoy opened his door but remained frozen at the crossline. Hermione watched his furrowed brow deepen even further as he looked directly into the room.
"Everything okay?" She asked, twisting the key into her own lock. He slowly peeled his eyes off what was in his room and back to her.
"Splendid, Granger." He said cooly, "I will see you tomorrow."
Draco Malfoy stepped into his hotel room, closing the door behind him with a quiet click leaving the nosy woman in the hallway. He could see out of the corner of his eyes there was a door connecting his and Granger's suites on his left, and a bed covered in too many on his right. That didn't matter though, what did matter was the man standing on the balcony before him. Through the sheer curtains, he could see he was leaning against the railing, arms crossed at his chest, and wand within his clutch. Dressed in an all black suit, supporting a well trimmed beard, Draco could tell this man was waiting for his arrival.
"Who sent you?" He asked bluntly with a raised volume.
"I can't tell you that." The surprise guest replied with a heavy Scottish accent.
Draco relaxed his tensed shoulders, dropping his bag at his feet and undoing the cufflinks on his robes. "My father, then."
Though he gave off a heart palpitating look, this man was not a threat.
"You underestimate his power." The Scottsman accused as he walked through the window hanging back into the suit.
"I am well aware of the might my father believes he still has, but his hand was withdrawn from the pockets of powerful men long ago."
Both wizards stood at the centre of the room at a standoff.
"I was sent here with a mission, and was told not to return until it was completed."
Draco could hear the taps turning and water streaming in the room opposite his. Granger must be having a shower.
"My father usually sends men like you with a message. So just get on with it, I don't have time for foreplay."
"Return home, or you both die."
"Mmm. Very tempting."
"You're being watched. I'm not the only one sent here to Romania as a warning."
The air in the room suddenly changed. The faint sounds of traffic in the streets below suddenly turned into a piercing ringing. Draco felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up and an instinct in him caused the grip on his wand to tighten. Someone else was in the room. Before he could turn and face the hidden visitor, a sharp burning sensation spread across his spine making his knees buckle to the ground. Screaming out in pain, Draco heard the roar of a 'Crucio'.
His muscles twitched as he lay curled on the floor. Both men stood above looking down on his crumbled self. The second wizard had dark skin and a sharp jawline, a close resemblance to his friend, Blaise Zabini. The newcomer squatted down next to him, lifting Draco's chin with his wand.
"Don't get too cocky." He smirked.
Steadying his breath, Draco locked eyes with the hitman before sweeping his leg to knock him over and pin him to the ground. His knees nailed his opponents hands down. The bearded wizard behind him used his arm to trap Draco in a headlock. The blond could feel the circulation of blood being cut off in his throat, but he flung his arm up to point his wand at the first hitman's face, casting a 'Stupefy'.
As the body behind him collapsed to the ground, Draco held one hand on the throat of the darker skinned assassin below him, raising his other with the intention to send forth a more dangerous spell. A knock on the door caused Draco's head to snap to the wall dividing his and Granger's room.
"Malfoy? Are you okay in there?" She called out in a worried tone.
Panic surged through Draco's body.
"Everything's fine. I'm just-just working out." The excuse rushing out of his lips.
"Are you sure? I thought I heard voices com-"
"I SAID I'M FINE, GRANGER. BUGGER OFF!"
He didn't mean to yell but it was the only way for her to shut up. The silence on the other side of the door following his outburst meant that she got the message.
The man Draco was sitting on wiggled below him, squirming to get out of his grasp. Draco tightened his grip on his jugular, making his eyes bulge out with lack of oxygen.
"I won't kill you this time, twat. But give my father a message, will you? Tell him, 'I'd rather die'."
Draco let go of the wizard's neck and stood to his feet, brushing any dirt off his robes before sitting on a chair in the corner of the room. He had made his supremacy clear. The hitman stumbled over to his partner who was still unconscious on the floor.
"You know this isn't the end, Draco." He croaked, "If he can't hurt you, he'll hurt her."
The two assassins apparated from the room with a pop, Draco flicked his eyes over to the door that cut off his room to hers. That was what he was hoping to avoid. He hoped the fat fuck of a man, Crawford, was coming through on his end of the deal sooner rather than later.
"I need a fucking drink." Draco mumbled to himself.