A/N: In this fic, Lavender Brown survived the Battle at Hogwarts.
-5-
HERMIONE woke the next morning with a matted head of a hair and a real sense of foreboding. She must have been tossing and turning a lot in her sleep for her hair to have become this tangled. She attempted to rake her fingers through it before giving up and hopping out of bed to retrieve her comb from her trunk.
Hermione glanced around the room, rubbing the sleep from her eye. As of this moment, she was the only girl assigned to Room 3, so only her 4-poster bed had been made up with bedding. Her trunk had been sitting at the foot of her bed when she arrived from McGonagall's office the night before. Crookshanks was already making himself comfortable on the tufted rug in the middle of the room.
The Slytherin girls' dorm was both very similar and very different to the Gryffindor room she'd lived in during the past 6 school years. Both held the same 4-poster beds, with the linens, curtains, and even the rug all sharing the same color. Though, of course, instead of the deep maroon color she was used to, this dorm was adorned with a sinister green color, and instead of the lion mascot of the Gryffindor house, the rug in front of her bed displayed an entanglement of snakes in front of the Slytherin crest. It made Hermione shiver involuntarily.
Even the windows were different. In her old room, the windows had been made from regular glass panes, slightly fogged so they couldn't be seen through from the outside. But, unlike the Gryffindor dorms, which were situated in turrets of the castle, this dorm was far below where natural light could filter in, so seemingly magical stain glass windows had been installed to mimic light. Instead of a yellow hue, these widows filtered in an ominous green, to match the rest of the décor. Hermione tried to read by this light before sleeping, but they suddenly dimmed at 10pm, so she assumed they were on some magical timer.
She spent her morning getting dressed and ready for her first day as Junior Staff and, alternatively, Draco Malfoy's prison guard. After her talk with Professor McGonagall, Hermione had gained a new sense of importance knowing she had an ulterior purpose this summer, rather than just helping reconstruct the castle. Not that it wasn't an important job – contrarily, it was of upmost importance – but protecting others from formerly dangerous witches and wizards gave Hermione a thrill. She'd never wanted to be an Auror, that was always Harry's dream, but similar to her work with S.P.E.W. and the movement to free house elves from enslavement, Hermione could see how she could actually be helpful to people.
But was Malfoy really dangerous? Someone to guard others against? The image of their argument last night danced in her thoughts. In that moment, she had been truly heated and upset at the idea of being forced to spend so much time with him. She hadn't had much time to work through the trauma of the war and what happened after what happened at the Manor. Soto be stuck with a constant reminder of that trauma seemed like a cruel form of torture.
She remembered Draco raising his wand at her last night, ready to duel. It hadn't seemed like a bluff. He'd seemed deadly serious, expression scowled, his stance combative.
She wondered if he remembered the day at the Manor with as much clarity as she did – if it flitted through his mind when he saw her, like it did for her every time she saw him?
Her contemplation only made the thought of showing up at the library today that much more dreadful. She resigned to her looks, settled on a blouse and cardigan – McGonagall had sent word that no robes were required and that they would be adopting a similar dress code to the ministry, given the nature of the work they'd be doing – and made her way downstairs to breakfast.
According to her watch, she still had an hour until she needed to report to Madam Pince in the library, so she decided to take her time strolling to the Great Hall.
Once she stepped into the familiar dining hall, she was greeted by the same ambience that she'd come to love over the years.
The normal décor had been restored to its pre-war glory and the natural light coming through the window was helping her feel more awake.
She looked around the room hesitantly, hoping to avoid anyone with platinum blonde hair. But after a quick swipe across the few people lingering at the tables, she realized she must be a bit early for the normal breakfast crowd and took a seat at one of the tables, which already boasted a variety of delicious choices.
Despite the huge spread of breakfast foods in front of her, Hermione noticed she didn't have much of an appetite, so she took a few bites from a blueberry muffin and turned her attention to the envelope on the table. She brought with her the letters from Harry and Ron that McGonagall had given her before she left their meeting. She had waited to read them, knowing that she might need the extra boost from her friends to get her through the day.
When she opened the envelope, out fell two letters, one signed by Harry and the other by Ron. She guessed they must have met up back in one location, because the letters both came from the address of the Order's headquarters.
Harry's letter was quite upbeat, summarizing the work he'd been doing since the end of the war. He recounted a remarkable tale of his meeting with hordes of Giants alongside Minister Shacklebolt somewhere up North, and then began a rundown of his close call with a group of wizards and an enormous swarm of Cornish Pixies, which they'd all had some experience dealing with in their second year. Harry concluded his letter assuring he'd give more details when they were able to meet in person, and said that he hoped he could make it to Hogwarts within the next few weeks.
Hermione hoped so too. She could use the support of a friend.
Ron's letter was much more solemn. He went into much less detail about what he'd been up to, relaying only that they had laid Fred to rest in a plot next to where the Burrow used to stand. His family had decided to rebuild their home in the same area and were just waiting until Ron's dad returned to work at the Ministry before they started. Apparently, Arthur Weasley would be going back to work this week, so it was only a matter of time before they could move out of Grimmauld Place and into their own home.
Ron also mentioned briefly his new mission for the Order, which would mostly consist of helping his dad at the Ministry offices. He said it would likely only last a few weeks and then he planned to come to Hogwarts with Harry.
His conclusion acknowledged that he and Hermione had a lot to discuss, but didn't mention the topic on his mind. Of course, Hermione knew. She wanted to talk about it with him too. She wanted him to know that she didn't expect anything from him. In her view, their kiss was a moment of passion in a high stress situation. She hoped that he shared the same perspective.
Suddenly, piercing the quiet and sleepy atmosphere of the Great Hall on that fall morning, came a voice at a volume much too loud for 8AM -
"Hermione!"
She was so startled, she nearly tossed her muffin into the goblet of pumpkin juice in front of her. She looked around for the person attached to the ungodly loud voice and then couldn't escape her seat fast enough.
"Ginny?" Hermione ran towards the pretty red-head, who was standing at the end of the hall. They hugged affectionately,
"I got an owl saying that you might need some help here at Hogwarts this summer," Ginny smiled knowingly, making Hermione wonder exactly what her friend knew about her…current predicament. "Since everyone else in the family are off starting their own missions, I decided to come right away."
"I – I don't know what to say, except that I don't remember a time I've been so happy to see another person in my life."
Ginny chuckled, "I'm glad to see you too." They walked back to Hermione's spot at the table and Hermione took a good look at her friend. Ginny looked visibly worn, harboring deep circles under her eyes, but her smile seemed genuine.
"How are you?" Hermione asked, though she knew that this was a complicated question these days.
"I'm okay. Grateful the whole family could get together for Fred," Ginny swallowed, her eyes fluttering as if to keep out unwanted tears, "But even I was getting tired of Percy's ass-kissing." She smiled weakly and chuckled again. "He's insufferable these days. Trying to make up for his piss-poor behavior I guess. Dad still can't stand to listen to Percy's excuses for his actions. It was a true soap opera. I was ready to get out." Ginny reached for a sausage link and began on her own breakfast.
Between mouthfuls, Ginny asked, "How are you? I heard you went to visit your parents."
Hermione sighed sadly. She hadn't told anyone about her visit to her parents yet. Hoping it would relieve some of the pressure in her life to tell someone, Hermione said, "Yeah, I did. Right after the criminal trials were done, I went straight to see them."
Ginny could sense Hermione's hesitation. "Oh," was all she said, not wanting to press Hermione for any more details than she was willing to share.
Hermione continued her story, knowing the question that would be on everyone's mind.
"I decided to keep their memories wiped." Hermione wasn't successful like Ginny was at keeping her tears at bay. She'd held herself together since she arrived at the Leaky Cauldron after she retrieved her belongings from her house, but something about recounting it to a friend made her want to break down. Remembering where she was, she wiped her tears back with her sleeve.
"I'm so sorry, Hermione. I can't even imagine how hard that must have been," Ginny said. She gripped Hermione's hand in solidarity.
"S'okay," Hermione sniffed. "I knew it would be a risk to try and reverse the charm and I didn't want to cause any more harm to them. The worker from the Office of Magical Reversal and Remedies told me I'd be able to seek information on their wellbeing anytime I want. So, I just grabbed my things from the house and left. I hope they get the comfortable, normal life they deserve."
Ginny grasped her in another hug, this one meant to comfort and soothe. When Hermione felt in control of her emotions, she promptly switched the subject to an easier topic.
"Oh, what's your assignment? You're here to help with the Restoration, right?"
"Yeah, I'm meant to speak with Professor McGonagall at nine and then report to the Astronomy Tower. Apparently, I'm paired with Lavender Brown and Theodore Nott." She made a face as if she was less than thrilled at this reunion. Hermione began to protest that her mission was much less ideal but was so rudely interrupted by -
"Granger – you're late." She looked up into the face of the very person she'd been dreading seeing all morning. Draco had clearly taken his time walking down to breakfast, despite knowing it would make him late. Not a hair was out of place in his neatly coiffed hairstyle. He was dressed in a similar business casual fashion – slacks, a white collared shirt and a green, striped tie. Hermione was a little taken aback, seeing him dressed in such a muggle style. He looked so… put together.
Ginny looked back and forth between the pair, realization setting in. "Oh, god," she said. So Ginny hadn't known about Hermione's assignment this summer. Hermione looked at her friend hopelessly.
"Let's talk later," Ginny said to Hermione, glaring at Malfoy with a gaze as fiery as her hair. She stood up and didn't try to avoid knocking into Draco's shoulder as she turned back to ask, "Meet here for dinner? 6:30?"
Hermione nodded and watched Ginny walk off.
Draco reached across Hermione to grab a muffin. He tossed it in the air once before taking a bite. Hermione rolled her eyes. "Chop-chop Granger, that library isn't going to clean itself." His nonchalant nature pissed her off even more. Weren't they just screaming at each other last night? How could he show up this morning so willing to speak to her?
Hermione gripped her wand tightly, silently inviting Malfoy to give her a reason to use it today.
Glancing down at her watch she noticed – oh, shit! – she was late. It was five minutes past nine. She was never late for anything! This was a new low for her. Draco Malfoy calling her out for being tardy.
She stood from the table quickly and swept past Malfoy, racing out of the room with the rest of her muffin uneaten.
Thankfully, the library was not a far jaunt from the Great Hall. When she walked in, Hermione gasped involuntarily. Now she understood what McGonagall had meant about not being overwhelmed by the amount of work to be done. The damage was worse than she had been expecting.
The rows and rows of magical books were in complete disarray. While some shelves remained intact, others were completely bare and broken, the books laying in large piles on the floor. It didn't match the damage she saw when walking through the halls – a stone missing from the wall here and there, a statue collapsed in a heap of rubble in a corner. This was different. The library reminded her of the damage in the Department of Mysteries, when they fought off Death Eaters and the shelves collapsed. Somehow, what she was seeing in front of her felt even more devastating. This was her sanctuary at Hogwarts, her go-to place. To see it like this was heartbreaking.
"Ahem," came a cough from behind the library desk and it was then that Hermione noticed Madam Pince standing there, hands on her hips with a look of annoyance on her face.
"Good morning, Madam Pince," Hermione started, ringing her hands nervously. She'd never been late for anything. She didn't know how to apologize for it. "I'm so sorry I'm late, I assure you it won't happen again."
"Ms. Granger, I've seen a lot of you over the years to know you won't make a habit of it. But be aware that next time, it will need to be brought up to Professor McGonagall." Madam Pince come out from behind the desk and pointed towards someone entering the library. "The same applies to you, Mr. Malfoy. This first day will be excused. Don't let it happen again." She paused to look at both of them accusingly. "Remember that you are both acting as employees of sorts this summer."
Hermione nodded her understanding. Draco merely shrugged. They followed Madam Pince to a section of the damage that she assumed they'd be working on today.
"As you can see, the damage was extensive here. I didn't see it for myself, but someone said a Giant from Voldemort's side made it into the castle during the battle. Some other professors were in here trying to fight it off and well," she gestured to the piles of tattered books, "this was the result."
Even Draco looked bewildered by the extent of destruction. Or maybe he was in disbelief by the amount of work that had to be done.
"We have some wizards who specialize in the reconstruction of large fixtures coming soon to fix the shelves, as that can be highly dangerous work. While you're assigned to the library, the two of you will work on cleaning and sorting the books into piles based on their amount of disrepair. One stack of books will be for those which need only light repair, another stack for the books that will need more magical intervention before they can be put away. Then we will organize them alphabetically."
"Let's get to work," Madam Pince said, clapping her hands together in finality and began walking back towards her desk.
Fearing the idea of spending the next six hours playing teammate with Malfoy, Hermione called out, "Madam, don't you think we would get more done if we could work on two separate sections at the same time?"
Madam Pince stopped and considered the two students in front of her before continuing her walk away. Over her shoulder, she quipped, "The two of you are adults. I'll leave it to you to delegate the work as you see fit."
.
.
.
When Draco had walked into the library that morning, he'd been surprised to see it in such poor condition. He couldn't recall hearing about a battle in the library during the war. This was worse than he'd been expecting.
Selfishly, all he could think of was how much bloody time this would take them to clean up.
I'm getting paid for this, he thought. It'll be worth it when I save enough money to move out of the Manor.
He also noticed, as he looked around, that he was the only person there. Where was Granger? Had McGonagall changed her mind and decided to modify their assignments? Maybe their private conversation had been about letter her switch jobs.
It was for the best that they be switched. He couldn't imagine them being able to work together in a civil way. For 6 hours a day? This strange, spiteful, regretful emotion that surfaced when he was around her was enough to drive him crazy.
He resigned to sitting at a table to wait for the librarian, and whoever his new partner may be, when he saw the assignment sheet taped to the wall.
WEEK 1:
Granger, Hermione
Malfoy, Draco
WORK HOURS:
9AM to 3PM
30 Minute Lunch
So Granger was assigned to the library with him. It wasn't like her to not be obnoxiously early to… everything.
She was late?
He smirked to himself. What kind of partner would he be if he didn't check on the wellbeing of his co-worker?
Suddenly overcome with a sever hunger – and an aching need to call out Granger for being late for the first time in her life – Draco slipped back through the library entrance, ignoring the call of, "Mr. Malfoy!" behind him and sauntered to get some breakfast. He was starving.
As soon as he entered the dining hall, he understood why Granger hadn't shown yet. He'd notice that hair anywhere. One of the Weasleys was back. He grimaced. Regardless of his newly found philosophy on the topic of good versus evil, it'd take a lifetime of reconditioning to feel comfortable around the Weasley family. They were just so… red.
He made his way to where both girls were sat at the table and uttered a simple reprimand he'd thought up on the walk.
"Granger – you're late."
The look on her face was completely worth the walk downstairs. Her brown eyes glowered with disbelief. He paused. Her eyes were less brown than he remembered. They looked more…gold? He sneered. How Gryffindor of her.
After the Weasley girl left, Hermione eventually shot up from the table and darted towards the exit. Draco took one last bite of his muffin, set it down on the table next to hers, and followed, at a slower pace, back to the library.
And now here they were, stuck with a mess of books with no idea how to start their work. The librarian had just told them to delegate the work on their own, but neither of them had a good idea of how to do that yet, so they both took a seat by the shelves and began picking out books of various conditions and putting them into groups.
The worked quietly at first, using their wands to dust of stacks of books, then flipping through the contents before discarding them into their respective pile. He had an uneasy feeling the she was looking at him, but anytime he looked up to catch her, she was merely scanning books.
After about two hours of this monotonous work, Draco finally caught Hermione looking at… his hand?
He raised his wand and watched Hermione's gaze follow the movement.
"Why are you staring at me?" He hadn't mean to ask in such a childish way, but his thoughts were so muddled but an hour of meaningless thoughts. He couldn't come up with his normal sarcastic quip.
As if she'd been caught in the act, Hermione lowered her gaze back to the book in front of her.
"What do you mean? I've spent my whole morning trying to avoid you, why would I voluntarily look at you?" But her cheeks betrayed her, tinging pink. She raised the book in her hands a bit higher to her face, hoping to hide her inaudible confession.
"You've been avoiding me? Didn't know I caused you such grief, Granger," he said, but cringed as soon as it left his lips. Stupid choice of words, Draco. You don't have to be friends with her but you can at least try to be less of an asshole. You owe her that.
They both reached for a book, titled Magical Remedies in Minutes, their hands brushing together, feeling electric for all of two seconds before Hermione snatched her hand away, holding it against her chest as if she'd just been burned.
She stood suddenly. "Let's make some ground rules here. Okay? First rule: Don't touch me," she said and promptly moved to the other side of the mountainous pile.
Shit. He'd pissed her off. He needed to avoid a reoccurrence of last nights...feud.
Trying to lighten the mood, he replied, "Now that's no way to speak to your co-worker, is it?"
She locked eyes with his. "I clearly remember our assignment sheets listing you as my 'assistant', so please refer to yourself as your appropriate position title," she retorted, her voice slight louder now that she was further away.
"I clearly remember McGonagall telling us that I'm essentially as smart as you, so please be careful with how you speak to your assistant." He matched her tone, trying to keep it light.
"Well you can't spell assistant without ass, Malfoy. Regardless of your intelligence, it seems like a pretty fitting title for you."
A loud "SHHHHH" emanated from behind the shelves.
"Been thinking of my ass a lot lately, have you, Granger?" he whispered, hiding a grin behind his own book. Okay, so he really was a child.
"You think you're so fucking clever," she whispered back angrily, her brow furrowed.
"Clever enough to be top of Slytherin class, I guess."
He heard a growl come from behind her book and he chuckled quietly. Who knew Granger could be so fun to play with? Her reactions were so satisfying, he found himself wanting to keep talking so he could see what new facial expression he could get from her.
He glanced at his watch and decided he'd done enough damage to her nerves for today. Another hour had already passed and it was nearing lunch, so Draco stood and wiped the dust off his slacks.
"Where do you think you're going?" she asked, analyzing the mounds of books still waiting to be sorted.
"Lunch, Granger." He smiled. "This ass is famished."
As he turned his back to go find the staff break room, he heard another grumble from behind him.
He chuckled again. He began to wonder how many times he could cause Hermione to make that sound this summer.
This could be fun.