"Thanks." Rowan picked up her phone, dialed out to her secretary and rattled off a list of people she wanted found and sent to her office. When she replaced the phone, she found that Draco was unconsciously smiling at her.

"You know," he mumbled, catching himself quickly when he realized he'd been staring. "When I found out you were in charge, I half expected you to have a male secretary that was at your beck and call..."

"You're such a twit." Rowan replied firmly.

"But you love me." Draco countered, a smile playing on his lips. He knew of course she would say she didn't but he loved making her uncomfortable, especially in her own domain.

"I love the gum on the bottom of my shoe more than the mere thought of loving you." She answered flatly and then laughed. "But I do love your cocky, egotistical personality..."she paused as he blanched, astonished, and then finished, "as much as I would love a serpent to strike me dead."

Draco nearly died, when she began talking about his personality. He knew he'd given something away to Rowan, he blanched when she mentioned loving him. Why? Did he want her love? Remember what she has done to you... A voice strictly reminded him, she'd been awful to him and reproached him again and again.

Rowan nearly died of shock when she saw the surprised look on Draco's face at the mention of her loving a part of him. Was he shocked terrified? Or was he shocked because he had real feelings for her? Probably terrified...stick with the worst case scenario.

While they'd been arguing, a group of people had gathered outside of Rowan's office. Ashley, Rowan's secretary was trying to relate to them just who the trouble-making, outsider was, without speaking, it was difficult. Finally, fed up, one just knocked.

"Colonel?"Came a voice.

Rowan's head snapped up and Draco's head whipped around to see the assembled crowd.

"Let's see, everyone this is Lieutenant Draco Malfoy, from the IWO London," Draco lifted a pale hand to wave at them as Rowan began to mechanically list them off. "On the right there, that's Steven Willoughby, he works in the Research division, there's Tom Chapin who works the Surveillance with Ian McDowell and Ren Thompson, then Natasha Jones from the Task Force and finally, Ariel McCormack who is an Auror." Rowan paused to take a breath, a sneak a quick glance at Draco who looked as if he was trying to make mental notes about all of the visitors. "Could everyone please accompany me to the briefing room." Rowan moved around her desk, and through the group and into the hallway. They all began to move and Draco was swept into the crowd.

Once they were seated Rowan related to them the details of their joint operation and asked if any new information had been gathered. Only one man, Steven Willoughby raised his hand.

"Colonel. I spent last night compiling all the runes that have been stolen and tried to work out a connection or a specific message." He began, and Rowan beamed, glad that some one with some inkling of intelligence worked below her. "It seems that all of the runes talk about the future...most of them concern the attainment of power, like some ritual to be performed to have supreme power."

"Thank you, Steven, I'm glad some one has finally come through with some information."

"Okay," Draco began, "how come none of our ancient artifacts have had runic inscriptions?"

Steven began to look slightly nervous, "uh, Lieutenant," he mumbled, "we don't really know."

"Ah," Draco drawled, and in his upper class manner waved his hand as if giving orders, "I suggest, Mr. Willoughby, that you figure out what our stolen artifacts have to do with yours...that way we can at least make some progress in this case."

Steven looked away from Draco at Rowan, who was shaking her head in frustration and anger, "okay, anyone have anything else that they'd like to add?"

No one answered.

"Well, I suggest that we do like Lieutenant Malfoy suggests and try to find some connections...and some known criminals that would be hungering for power. Dismissed."

The men and women scrambled from the room and when it was completely empty, Rowan turned to focus her attention on Draco.

"Malfoy, who's in charge?"

"You?"

"That's what I thought. How about we start acting like it?" Rowan snapped and without waiting for what she knew would be a sarcastic or witty remark, swept out of the room.

Draco sat in silence, the brilliant lights of the briefing room heating his skin. What was it with her? One moment she was his best friend, and they confided in one another. The next moment, she was biting his head off and ordering him around...as if he were a mere...muggle. Women. Now, what was he supposed to do? Did he need to follow Rowan and work on the case more or was he supposed to occupy himself? He decided that it would be time to check in with Harry. Leaving the briefing room, he wandered around the halls until he found a wizard who wasn't as lost as he was. He pointed him in the direction of a communication room.

When Draco first stepped into the room, he was slightly astounded. It was a room full of fire places, all the fires were going and in several of the hearths Draco could see projections of witches and wizards in conversation with others standing before them. He made his way to the nearest unused hearth, took some of the powder from the shelf above the fireplace and throwing the powder in, whispered a few words.

"Yes?" Came a curious voice.

"Harry, it's Draco." He replied rather meekly and out of character.

"Hey, are you okay? You sound out of sorts."

"Oh, no I'm fine." Draco replied in his normal, obnoxious tone.

"You sure?" Harry questioned. He knew that something exciting had to have happened already and he didn't care if it had to do with the case.

"Actually no. I'm having quite a difficult time here. Things with Rowan haven't changed much. She still hates me, or at least that's what she lets on. I'm staying at her flat and last night we had like a heart to heart and I thought we really bonded but this morning things were exactly the same. And as for the case...one of the intelligent information gathering people figured out that all of the American artifacts all had runes dealing with attaining great power."

"Ah, well, what? Did you expect her to welcome you with open arms? I should hope not. Just remember how you treated one another, like the ground you walked on...like shit. It's going to take a while and I know you, you're planning to sit around and wait for her to do the changing. She's just like you and neither of you can see it. If you start changing, she'll change...and if she starts than you need to comply. It's not a one sided thing. And I know that she used to like you, deep, deep, deep down and you never knew...and you used to like her and she never knew...I bet you can make something work."

"Why do women have to be so difficult?"

"Why do Malfoys have to be so difficult?"

"Ouch, that stung."

"It's true. No, I have more business to attend to."

"How's your agent...? Not like Rowan I hope."

"She beautiful...in completely different, more like me type of way...Rowan's just a female version of you...you ought to love her since you love yourself so much."

"That stings too...man, you're breaking my heart."

"Suck it up, make up with Rowan and solve the case. By the way, thanks for slipping in that piece of info there, its good to know that some progress is being made."

"Talk to you later."

"Good luck."

With a pop, the image of Harry's head was gone from the fire. Draco turned and began walking back toward the door, and that's when he noticed Rowan. She was leaning against the doorframe, arms folded across her chest, looking as resilient as always.