A/N: Hello all so there is going to be some jumping around for the next several chapers I have it pretty clearly marked when we are in the Dream that Draco and Hermione are in which is set after the war. Just assume that the war happened as it did in Cannon. When we are in the Present then we are in AU.For the most part each shift is broken up by diffrenet chapters but I belive there is one that isn't. So with out further Adu...
In the dream
"It is the most unusual of cases Lady Granger. My department has tried over these last four years to discover what has caused this reaction to occur. Never before has a Karma Curse had this kind of result. It's fascinating to be sure, but the time limit on it is what we are most concerned about. By our calculations Mr. Malfoy only has one year left before this change in his appearance becomes permanent. I know you have some…. interesting history with the subject but you did speak on his behalf during his and his mother's trials and I was hoping you'd at least see and talk to him about his options,"
That speech had found Hermione standing right in front of the last place she'd ever expected to be. The gates of Malfoy manor, but over time the once grand and illustrious home had taken on such an odd look. The once bright white brick was stained a dingy grey, windows were broken and even sections of walls were crumbling while the roof had complete sections of it missing. The large ominous gates were covered in ivy and vines that seemed to want to swallow the iron whole. All and all it appeared as if no one had lived in it for decades but she knew that to be false.
Six years had passed since the last time she saw this place but the memories were still in her head, not as fresh as they once had been but vivid enough to cause her stress. Swallowing her fears, she walked with purpose towards the front door. Knocking she almost fell over at the door swung open violently.
"If you here to sell picture of Master you has nother thing comings!" A high-pitched voice said a Hermione looked down in shock at the house-elf who had answered the door. She was wearing a patchwork dress that looked like it belonged on a Raggedy Ann doll. Her fine hair was pulled back in pigtails and held in place by bright pink bows that matched the ones that were haphazardly pinned all over her apron.
"No. I'm not here about the ad in the prophet," Hermione said gulping.
Once word had reached that none other than Draco Malfoy had been cursed to look like a beast the daily prophet had offered a substantial reward for a picture of him. Even four years later no one had achieved such a feat and Hermione guessed that this house-elf was the reason why.
"I'm Lady Hermione Granger head of the Department for Magical Progress and I've been asked by the head of the Spell Study Department to lend my eye," she said as the house-elf sighed in annoyance.
"Mr. Williams is not treating the master well, I hoping you be different," the elf spoke as she waved Hermione forward.
As she did the door closed. The manor seemed to take on the air of foreboding the outside had into its interior. As they made their way through Hermione visibility stopped as they seemed to be approaching the door, she dreaded the most.
"Don't worry Granger I locked down that room myself. No one has stepped foot in there since that day," a voice said from above. She knew it had to be Draco. Even though the deep almost growl-like timber in the voice didn't match what she remembered he sounded like. "Or is it Lady Granger now?"
"No need for formalities," she spoke her voice wavering as she forced herself to look away from the door, her arm twitching as she did so.
"I highly doubt that the first Muggle-born and woman to be given a seat on the Wizgamont, should not be shown anything but the up most respect," the voice said as Hermione blushed.
"I never asked for it," she defend honestly.
She never wanted the spot to begin with. Harry had taken on the spot for the house of Potter as had Neville for the house of Longbottom. And in the power vacuum that was established after the war. Andromeda had taken the regent role for the house of Black till Teddy was older. The Weasleys had been promoted when several houses had been wiped out or kicked out. And to top it all off Hermione had been given a seat making her the first true female to hold a seat in the Wizgamont, rather than just a woman who had taken the regency till the male heir was of age. The house of Granger was established and with it came land and a title that Hermione wanted nothing to do with. She was much happier in the role that the Minister for magic had personally developed for her.
"I never doubted that, however now that I no longer have such a seat you understand my need for formalities," the voice finally said as she groaned in annoyance.
"Oh, come off it, Malfoy!" Hermione shouted in anger.
She was hoping that at least Malfoy would treat her the same as he had before. Even Rita Skeeter treated Hermione with a deference that had the witch long for the time when she and the journalist would argue. Then again after Hermione had treated Skeeter to another little vacation via her indestructible jar for trying to blame the war on Harry after the dust had settled, she couldn't really blame the woman for being so… considering.
"So, you're here to see the beast then is it?" The voice growled in anger as Hermione swore, she saw a rather large shadowy figure move above within the rafters.
"I want to help!" Hermione shouted shaking her head convinced what she had seen was just a trick of the light as she heard the elf gasp as she popped away.
"Help!? You think you can help me!" He laughed ruefully.
"Well, I might if you'd just come down so I could see you!" She shouted in anger not thinking that he would do so.
The thunk that reverberated through the area as the large mass fell to the floor caused a loud squeak to fall out of the girl. The mass turned towards her and approached. Walking into the light Hermione bit her tongue attempting not to scream. The figure easily towered over her by over two feet. Dark fur covered the body, most of it matted and looking uncomfortable, shredded bits of clothes covered his lower half looking just like the patchwork the elf had been wearing from the waist to the clawed feet that seemed to rock on their balls. Looking up she noted that claws had replaced where hands had once been, and following up the arms she found the face. Large fangs protruded from the lips leaving his mouth in a constant sneer. But his eyes. His eyes had stayed the same, silver orbs gazing down at her with what appeared to be a mix of disappointment and hope mixed in.
"Are you just going to stare!?" He growled in annoyance as he broke Hermione out of her head.
"Well at least your face hasn't changed that much, you still have your trademark sneer," Hemione giggled as she made her way towards a table nearby.
"Ha ha, joke all you want Granger," He huffed in annoyance.
"Do I need to call the humane society?" She laughed setting her case down.
"I have no idea what that is Granger, are you just going to stand there or are you going to help me?!" Draco growled, the large incisors in his mouth becoming more prevalent as his sneer increased.
"Alright. First things first I need a hair sample," she said pulling out a plastic bag from her case.
"What for?" his annoyance growing by the minute as he leaned away from her.
"Well I'm assuming that Mr. Williams has done all the Magical options, so I'm going to try a few Muggle ones." She spoke matter of factly.
"You've got to be kidding me," he growled under his breath.
"Now hold still this might hurt," she said as she quickly reached forward and yanked several hairs off of his arms, as Draco literally roared in pain.
"That hurt!" He shouted covering the throbbing spot with a large clawed paw as Hermione check to make sure she had a few with the roots still on them before placing them in the bag.
"Well, it wouldn't hurt as much if you bathed every once in a while. The last time I saw this much-matted fur I was helping out a dog rescue," she said returning the bag and pulling out her wand. "Now I'm going to make you more comfortable, and I expect you to be bathed when I get back in two days. It smells like you haven't done so in quite some time," She said as she waved her wand and watched as Malfoy lost almost half his fur leaving just the front of his face with the overcoat, while the rest of his body was just covered in a light-colored undercoat that matched what his hair had looked like before the transformation, which in her option had proved how little Malfoy had bathed.
"What did you do that for?" He leaned in growling in her face clutching on to his pants as they no longer fit properly.
"Well it had to have been hard to move like that, plus I personally cannot stand the smell of mold and mildew. How your house-elves and you can is beyond me," she said pulling out a needle and syringe. "Now I need a little blood," she said as Draco jumped away baring his fangs at her.
"What the hell Granger! First, you pull out my hair then you shave me and now you want my blood what are you going to do with it curse it?!" He howled jumping up again. Now in the light, she noticed that he was indeed hanging on to the support beams.
"No, I'm going to run some tests on some of it then put some under a microscope and take a look at it!" She said stopping her foot in anger.
"Oh no, I'm not letting you take my blood,"
"If you want my help, I need to do these tests," she retorted.
"Then bring your stuff here!" Draco shouted leaning over her.
"I can't! Do you know how fragile most of the equipment I use is!" She screeched.
"Well, that's just too damn bad!" He said as he left off the pole and onto the second floor disappearing down the corridor.
Hermione cursing that she couldn't follow due to the state of the stairs. She'd been warned that apparition within the grounds was not possible, as it was one of the symptoms of the curse. And she hadn't worn the right clothes to go gallivanting off after Draco as she had popped over after a mandatory session of the wizgamont and the Basterds had a formal dress code that had to have come out of the Victorian era, no matter how much she protested the code. Even Neville and Harry both agreed it was a battle not even worth fighting. Though she did point out that they weren't required to wear "clothes that flatter the feminine physic", and the heels she had to wear were only useful as torture devices no matter how robust the cushioning charm she used on them were.
"Yous upset master," the same voice said as Hermione turned to find the same house-elf behind her.
"Yeah, well, he's still a prat," she groaned turning back to her case and putting the syringe away.
"But yous also helps him, not treat hims like he's a creature," she said almost frowning. "Master not letting us help him at all,"
"What's your name?" Hermione asked as she knelt to be eye level with the elf.
"Kiki," she said with a little bow.
"Kiki how many other house-elves are here?" the woman questioned.
"Oh five. Master let others bond elsewhere after the mean one went away again. Wes stay cause we love it here and I's even born here. Master is not the same as hims father. But he doesn't see it, thought," Kiki pouted as he played with the hem of the apron she was wearing.
Hermione studied the elf, chewing her lip as she thought about her conundrum. Kingsley had asked her personally to help out with this case. If she wanted to fund her next project and pass a few more legislatures, she knew she needed to actually make some progress with this. Mr. Williams had only made initial reports and any subsequent reports were identical to the first, a fact that the ICW was not happy about.
"Kiki I have a question," Hermione said as a satisfied smile crossed her face.