Chapter 19
Draco brooded for the rest of the evening on his interaction with Granger; had he just ruined everything? Should he have declared his love loudly and effusively? Should he have just left it? His swirling thoughts led to a bad night's sleep, his dreams filled with images of cruelty and death, ending up with the usual ballroom scene and Grangers agonised screams. He lay in his bed catching his breath before kicking away the sheets that had tangled round his legs. Maybe he should go to Pomfrey for a dreamless sleep potion, at least during the run up to NEWT's.
He went to perform his ablutions at the crack of dawn as usual, bleary eyed and in a distinctly bad mood. He needed to get serious with revision from now on, realising that what he had said to Granger last night was actually true; he wasn't concentrating on his exams enough. When he got back to the common room there was a cluster of students around the noticeboard chattering excitedly. He shouldered his way through them until he could see what was causing such animation.
A large notice had appeared saying that there was to be a career's fair for the seventh years the following day. Representatives from different employers would be there for them to meet and ask questions, and no doubt to get a feel for those students who may be applying to them in the autumn for a job. Draco was still unsure quite what he wanted to do after Hogwarts, but he definitely needed to try and make a good impression regardless. He felt his mood lift a little; this could actually be something productive that he could do!
He walked briskly down to breakfast, eager to discuss this development with Theo. Theo, as usual, was stuffing his face with eggs and bacon, ignoring everyone else around him.
"Hey" said Draco, throwing his leg over the bench to slide in beside him. "Did you see the notice board?"
"Yep" said Theo, not looking up from his plate.
Ok. Maybe Theo was not as enthused as Draco. "Well, it will be interesting, don't you think?"
"Will it?" asked Theo sullenly, shovelling another forkful of scrambled egg into his mouth.
"Yes." Said Draco, reaching for a plate of sausages. "It will be interesting to see who is hiring, and an opportunity to try and make some connections before we graduate."
"As if." Muttered Theo. "No one is going to be interested in me. My grades aren't going to be high enough to negate the stain of the Nott name. Particularly when I'm standing next to the likes of Longbottom and Granger."
The comparison with Granger Draco understood, but "Longbottom?!"
"Yeah. I will probably get similar grades to Longbottom; Average. But he is lauded for being brave, righteous, a good leader. He even managed to grow about 3 feet and get rid of that god-awful haircut that made him look like a loser. How am I going to look next to that? Average, cowardly, evil-looking as well as doing." Theo angrily jabbed at a sausage with his fork.
"Morganna's tit's Theo!" Draco interjected. "Could you be any more dramatic!?"
Theo scowled, not rising to Draco's provocation.
"Yes, you will possibly get average grades, but so will half the students here. Neither you or I will look good next to Granger, or even Longbottom, but they will only be able to take one job each, so they'll be plenty left over!" Draco said, as much to convince himself as well as Theo.
Theo huffed, but started to eat a little less aggressively. Draco had wanted to discuss what jobs Theo was interested in and use him as a sounding board for his own ideas, but it was pretty clear that Theo was not going to oblige him. I didn't matter, Draco told himself, because the person he really want to speak to about all this was currently not speaking to him.
Almost involuntarily he looked over at the Gryffindor table, quickly spotting a big curly ponytail that could only belong to Hermione. He was once again besieged with uncertainty; had he made the wrong choice? Did she think that he had given up on them?
He had obviously been staring at Hermione for a while, because he jumped when Theo tossed down his cutlery. "Coming to Arithmancy?" Theo asked.
"Yeah." Said Draco, getting up from the bench; turned out he wasn't that hungry after all.
The day seemed to go ok; he got a few looks here and there, but nothing overtly hostile came his way. Hermione hadn't spoken to him, and had been careful not to look at him either, but he was playing it just as cool. Maybe they might be able to speak briefly in the library after dinner? He genuinely would like to discuss the career's fair with her.
Stew and dumplings tonight, stodgy and delicious, and all the more appreciated by Draco now that he knew he wasn't going to get them at home. He recalled what Theo had said before about missing school; maybe he had been too hasty to deny having those feelings. If he didn't manage to find employment fairly swiftly once school finished things would be pretty bleak for him stuck in that house all day with his mother.
"Are you doing the Arithmancy essay tonight?" asked Theo, taking another slice of Bakewell tart from the platter in front of them.
"Maybe." Draco replied, carefully avoiding looking at the lumps of Bakewell tart disappearing into Theo's mouth; that boy really needed to brush up on his table manners. "I want to finish some alchemy research before I start it."
"Does that mean you'll be camping in the library tonight?" asked Theo snidely.
"Yep." Draco said shortly. Even if he didn't manage to speak to Hermione, he wanted to spend a little time looking at her without having to worry about other people noticing.
"And it's got nothing to do with trying to see Granger, I suppose?" asked Theo tauntingly.
"Nope." Draco was determined not to rise to the bait and give Theo the satisfaction of being right.
"So it wouldn't matter if I came along to the library with you then?" Theo was pushing it now, snidely trying to get a reaction from him.
"That would be fine," said Draco nonchalantly, "Maybe you could read through my essay on salt volatilisation to see if I have described it well enough for someone else to understand it. I only have another foot or so to add until it is finished…"
"No, you're alright." Said Theo, his voice coloured with disgust. As expected, roping Theo into doing some work that wasn't compulsory put a stop to him trying to come along.
"Well, I'm done!" Draco announced, setting down his cutlery and getting up from the table. "I'll see you later."
Instead of replying, Theo just stuck up his middle finger, making Draco roll his eyes as he left the great hall. Still, he practically bounded down the stairs to the dormitory to get his alchemy work so he could bag his usual table in the library before anyone else.
He was one of the first students in the library after dinner and he noticed the other students, mainly fifth years and seventh years, arriving in dribs and drabs as it got further into the evening. He didn't have to wait long for Hermione to show, and he pretended that he hadn't seen her whilst he watched to see what she would do.
His eyes followed her as she perused the shelves, looking somewhat uncomfortable, before she started to approach his table.
"Hi." She said softly when she got close enough, her voice quieter than was strictly necessary even for the library.
"Hi." Draco replied, unsure of what she was going to say but pleased that she had come over anyway.
"Are you doing the Arithmancy homework?" she asked, raising a smile from Draco; seemed like Arithmancy was a hot topic today!
"I'm just finishing our Alchemy essay, but yes, then I'll make a start on it." He told her, indicating to his parchment with his quill.
She set down a dog-eared copy of Arithmancy: A Lexicon on the table, and he let out a breath he hadn't realised that he was holding; she was going to sit with him like normal.
"I got the last copy," she said, like she needed an excuse to sit with him. "We can share it..."
"That's great. Thanks Granger." He said, lowering his head back to his parchment to hide his smile. Turned out that Potter had actually given him some good advice when he had told him to cool it with Hermione; of course, he didn't have her back yet but she was making an effort to talk to him, which was much more than he had been expecting two days ago!
They worked in silence for a while.
"Are you excited about the careers fair tomorrow?" she asked, when he set down his quill for a moment to look something up.
"Yes," he told her. "I think it will be interesting to see who's hiring, and it's never too early to try and make connections."
"I know!" she burst out excitedly. "I want to see what departments in the ministry have vacancies, but also what other roles are out there! There could be some great possibilities that we haven't even heard of yet!"
Draco grinned at her enthusiasm; he had known that she would be like this. It was a nice contrast to Theo's ever present gloom.
"Are you going to look for anything in particular tomorrow?" she asked, looking back down at her Arithmancy chart.
"Yes. I want to see how many healers St Mungo's are looking to train this year, and also if Gringotts have any vacancies for trainee cursebreakers. I know that our Alchemy training could be helpful with both of these, and I'm going to need all the help I can get if I want to get anything decent." Draco was careful to keep his voice neutral, he didn't want to come off as a whiny git nor like he was fishing for sympathy.
"I think they would be foolish if they overlook your academic ability because of your name." she said primly, and as much as he wanted to believe her, he knew that it was unlikely to work out that way.
"Thanks Granger." He said, noting a slight flush on her cheeks as she kept her head down perusing her chart. He took this as an encouraging sign that she still had some feelings for him.
I didn't take him long to finish what he needed to for his Alchemy essay, and got started on Arithmancy work. He quickly fished out the appropriate chart for the homework questions, and got to work, making good progress by the time the library closed and he had to head back to the common room.
He and Granger made a little more small talk throughout the evening, and he was content with the interaction between them. She obviously didn't hate him, and if he was reading the signs correctly then she still had feelings for him. It was the best he could hope for really.
When he got into bed that night, he found himself brooding on the careers fair the following day. What if the employers really wouldn't give him the time of day due to his reputation and family name? He thought that he had already prepared himself for this possibility, but now that he was about to find out for sure, and the implications were suddenly terrifying! It was going to take him a while to fall asleep tonight.
He woke up the next morning later than he liked, meaning that the other occupants of the dorm were also getting up and wanting to use the bathroom, etc. Draco hated having to interact with his dorm-mates before breakfast; he preferred to tackle their negative attitudes and snide remarks after he had fortified himself with breakfast. Today they seemed to barely notice him, maybe being a house quidditch champion actually made a difference in their behaviour!
He made it down to the great hall without incident, and filled his plate with enthusiasm. The house elves must have been trying something new today as there was a selection of pastries on offer that he hadn't seen before, and he wasted no time in filling his plate with the different types.
When the house tables were looking fairly full, Headmistress McGonagall stood to make an announcement.
"As you are no doubt aware, there is a career's fair this morning for the seventh years. This means that there will be no seventh year classes until after lunch. Once you have finished your breakfast, take some time to think about what questions you may have for the prospective employers who will be represented here today. Also remember that you are representing both yourselves and this school, so I expect you to conduct yourselves in a manner that is appropriate and respectful." She scanned the tables with a gimlet eye, before continuing.
"Report back to the great hall at 9.30, once the fair has been set up. All other years, your classes will be as normal." She sat back down, and picked up her goblet before turning to professor Flitwick and starting a conversation.
So, thought Draco, just over an hour until he could start finding out if he had any prospects for the future. He grabbed another of the little jam filled pasty rolls before Theo could finish off the platter, then downed the rest of his pumpkin juice. Time to go and hide out in the library and think about what he was going to ask the employers that would make him stand out from the rest of the year group!
An hour later, he still didn't have a clue what he was going to say, besides his academic achievements and his desire to work for them. Which surely was exactly what every other student was going to say, and wouldn't make him stand out at all.
He made his way back down to the great hall, joining the crowd of seventh years milling around waiting for the doors of the great hall to be opened to them. He spotted Granger, standing with Potter and Longbottom, chatting excitedly. Draco idly wondered what Longbottom would go into; it was pretty obvious that Potter was going to be going straight into Auror training from school. Longbottom would probably be interested in that too, but academically he wasn't capable enough to reach the required standard to apply. Would they overlook that due to his reputation? Maybe.
"Seventh Years!" came the strident tones of Professor McGonagall over the chatter of the gathered students. "Please make your way into the great hall. Remember the representatives are here all morning, so there is no need to push, Mr Finnigan!"
Draco followed his classmates as they shuffled forwards through the doors to the hall beyond. The house tables were gone, and now there were booths set up all around the room, some showing what industry they were representing with colourful posters and displays, others were more obscure.
He could see the stand for St Mungo's across the room, and it already had a group of students forming around it. Deciding to try and take a methodical approach, he went to the nearest booth so he could work his way around the stalls.
It was for the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophe's; not something that Draco was interested in, but he'd give it a chance! The small, balding man seemed quite pleased to talk to Draco once he had told him his expected grades, and pressed a leaflet and application form into his hands, obviously with no idea who he was. Draco wondered if he should introduce himself at the next booth to get a more realistic idea of his chances of employment.
Become an Apparition Instructor; Use your determination and deliberation to reach your destination in a new career! A poster on the next booth proclaimed. Draco recognised the man in the booth as Examiner Twycross, the same instructor who gave Draco his apparition test. The man looked as wispy and insubstantial as before, but was quite animated as he spoke to the students around him.
"Hello Examiner Twycross," said Draco politely when he got to the front, wondering if he would remember him.
"Hello," said Twycross pleasantly, then frowned slightly as he realised who Draco was. "Are you interested in becoming an Apparition Instructor?"
"I'm not sure yet," said Draco, which really meant it would be a last resort, but Draco wanted to see how the man would react to him.
"Well, if I remember rightly, you were quite able to apparate, passed you test the first time?" Twycross hastily shoved a leaflet at him.
"Yes, that's right." Draco told him.
"That's not all you need though," he continued. "You need to have patience and people skills. Maybe you should think about whether you have the right temperament for this sort of work?"
There it is, thought Draco; not an outright refusal, but a rejection all the same.
"I will consider that carefully," he said with a forced smile. "Thank you for your time." As much as Draco wanted to tell Twycross where to shove his leaflets, he refrained. At least it was only mild disapproval; it could get much worse as he progressed round the room.
He walked past the Ollivanders booth, not only did he have no interest in wand making; there was no way Mr Ollivander would consent to teach him anything.
The next one he stopped at was Gringotts. There was a sharp-eyed goblin manning the booth, and several intimidated looking students looking at the leaflets he had set out. Draco already knew that he should get the grades needed to apply, and knew that his additional classes in Alchemy would be seen as beneficial here. He also knew that goblins would be more likely to value effectiveness over moral fibre, so this could be his best choice post-Hogwarts.
"Hello," said Draco. "You are looking for trainee curse-breakers this year?"
"We are." The goblin rasped. "Although I didn't think you would be interested in working for a living young Malfoy."
At least the goblins were going to be honest in their questions for him, he thought.
"I wouldn't have been, but as you know, things have changed." Draco knew how to navigate exchanges like this; it was having to walk the line between thinly veiled insults and politeness that he struggled with.
"Your grades are good?" asked the goblin. "I imagine you are capable?"
"Yes." Draco confirmed. "I am also taking alchemy classes with McGonagall." The goblin would know what this meant; McGonagall didn't waste her time with imbeciles so he had to be reasonably accomplished in the subjects needed.
"Very good Mr Malfoy." Said the goblin shrewdly. He slid an application form over the table to him, something that he hadn't done to the any of the others in front of Draco. "Return this with a copy of your NEWT results."
"Thank you." Said Draco, taking the parchment and tucking it under his arm before moving away from the booth. He carefully kept the triumphant smile off his face, but inside he was buzzing with a mix of relief and jubilation. There was at least one job option for him, and it was one of the ones he was genuinely interested in!
He carried on around the booths, taking leaflets here and there and gauging the reactions of the representatives once they realised who he was. The journalist manning the Daily Prophet stall seemed very interested in him, although whether it was to offer him job or to do a story on him he couldn't decide.
He finally reached the booth for St Mungo's, his heart starting to pound. He hadn't realised quite how much he had been thinking about becoming a healer until this moment; he really wanted the opportunity to do the further training and see if he could do some good. What a revelation to have, slap bang in the middle of the great hall surrounded by the noise and chaos of the careers fair he thought wryly; Draco Malfoy wants to do good!
He glanced around whilst he waited for his turn to speak to the Mediwitch from St Mungo's, catching sight of Hermione talking impassionedly to the wizard at the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. She had a stack of leaflets tucked under her arm, looking animated and completely engaged in what she was saying to the portly wizard who was manning the booth. He couldn't help but smile, whatever she was saying had the man looking at her in a mix of bewilderment and awe, something which Draco was quite familiar with. Taking another long look at her for inspiration, he turned back to the booth; it was his turn.
