Two Birds with One Stone

"Ha!" Hermione cried, slamming the Daily Prophet down in front of Ron's breakfast a month later. "How wrong he was!"

"How wrong who was?" Ron asked, obviously bothered that Hermione had disrupted his pancake breakfast.

"Fudge, of course!" Hermione exclaimed, a huge grin plastered across her red, blotchy face. She had obviously run all the way down to the Great Hall just to flaunt the Daily Prophet in front of Ron. "Aren't you going to read it?"

Glaring at Hermione, Ron picked up the copy of the newspaper and straightened it so that he could read the cover page. When he saw the headline, his jaw dropped in disbelief. "SPEW: Another Wrench in the Minister's Plans." Ron read. "Oh, my god!"

"I know!" Hermione cried, still incredibly excited. "Fudge directly told me that day in Dumbledore's office that SPEW would not hit the Daily Prophet. Well, wasn't he wrong! I wonder how they found out, though."

"Yeah." Ron agreed absentmindedly, grinning as he read the article. "Founded by you and Ace McGonagall. That's pretty impressive."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I saw that. I just don't get it. Who would tell the Daily Prophet? And how did that person know about Ace-" Hermione stopped in mid-sentence, realization dawning on her face. "Ace! Of course! That stupid, arrogant little twit!" Standing up, Hermione marched herself out of the Great Hall without another word, Ron staring confusedly after her. She half-walked, half-ran until she burst through the main doors out into the cool, spring weather. Once she was outside, she sprinted for what felt like eternity until she finally reached a spot far, far away from Hogwarts. Then, closing her eyes, Hermione focused on Ace McGonagall and the little home that he had been residing in.

CRACK!

The next minute, after Hermione had opened her eyes, the scenario had completely changed from a woodsy, outdoors scene to inside what looked like a log cabin, with Ace sitting in a chair at a small table drinking coffee and reading the Daily Prophet.

"You jerk!" Hermione cried.

Ace looked up in shock, but quickly recovered. "What have I done this time?"

"You informed the Daily Prophet about SPEW! Yes, I wanted them to know, but not now! We're not even ready! And of course you had to say that you co-founded, which you didn't, you lying, cheating, dirty-"

Ace shook his head, clearly unbothered by Hermione's anger. "Chill, Granger. I didn't tell the Daily Prophet anything."

Hermione glared at him, growing even angrier at Ace's blunt denial. "Of course you did! How else would they have-"

Ace shrugged his shoulders. "Beats me. But I didn't tell them, bottom line."

Hermione sunk into the chair across from Ace, a sudden surge of embarrassment washing over her. She refused to apologize, though. Either way the top spun, Ace was still a jerk. "So who did, then?"

"Don't know, don't care." Ace replied, taking another sip of his coffee.

"So, why haven't you bothered to keep in touch?" Hermione asked, eager to change the subject.

Ace shrugged again. "I figured you'd call on me when you're ready to."

Hermione examined him suspiciously. "Why are you so – zen – this morning?"

"Zen?"

"Cool, calm, not moronic." Hermione explained. "Why?"

"Why not?" Ace replied, sneakily.

Hermione glared at him once more, but did not answer his reply.

"So, what do we do now that the Daily Prophet knows about SPEW?" Ace asked, finally putting down his newspaper.

Now it was Hermione's turn to shrug. "Nothing, I suppose. I just wish the year was over already so we can start working."

"Well, is SPEW something you're planning to do with the rest of your life?" Ace asked.

Hermione was stumped. She'd never really thought about that before. Sure, she wanted to promote SPEW for a few years, but what happened if it failed? It won't fail, Hermione told herself. This was Hermione's creation, and she was not one to let something fail. "I'm not sure." She finally replied.

"If you're planning on sticking with SPEW, then I see no need for you to get your NEWTs. You're already in the president seat of your own company. NEWTs and Hogwarts are juvenile compared to what you're going to do once you're out in the real world."

Hermione stared at Ace. The words that he was saying seemed to be seeping into her like a sponge sopping up water. Everything he said was true. It was not some sort of scheme to get Hermione to drop out of school so that she did not have an education; the honest-to-god truth was, Hermione really didn't need her NEWTs.

"Think about it." Ace offered. "It's not like you have to drop out straight away. I suppose if you wanted to you could still say. There's just no point. If you're out of Hogwarts, you can start on SPEW right away. And you can always go back to school if the house-elf thing doesn't work out, right?"

That's true, Hermione told herself. Dropping out now is not dropping out forever. I can always come back if I wanted to.

"I have to go." Hermione said abruptly. She stood up. "I have Potions. I'll… I'll keep in touch, alright?"

Ace nodded silently, still sipping away at his coffee. "Later."

CRACK!

Two seconds later, Hermione was standing in the same spot she had been before Apparating to Ace's hut. She immediately began running towards the school, her thoughts all scrambling around in her head. Before she knew it, Hermione was standing in front of the Potions classroom, obviously late. She timidly knocked at the door.

"Well, what do you know?" Snape declared as he opened the large, wooden door to his classroom. "Miss Granger has decided to grace us with her presence. Class, please, a round of applause for Hogwarts new queen."

The Slytherins howled and stood up, clapping their hands as though they were at the Quidditch World Cup. Hermione made her way to her seat beside Ron, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

"That's twenty points from Gryffindor, Miss Granger. Perhaps we should send you back to pre-Hogwarts to learn how to be on time before I allow you into my classroom again." Snape smirked.

The Slytherins roared with laughter once more, while Hermione sunk lower and lower into her chair. Ron glared at Snape, but said nothing.

"Back to the lesson!" Snape ordered, whipping around and slamming his pointer against the instructions on the board. "I will put you into pairs, and you and your partner will come up with a potion to revitalize injured Hippogriffs. There will be a test in a month's time where there will be Hippogriffs present, and it is the job of you and your partner to cure their injuries. Any questions?"

Blaise's hand shot into the air.

"Mr Zabini?" Snape asked. It was well-known that as much of a Slytherin as Blaise was, Snape never really liked him. The reason was unknown; perhaps it had to do with Blaise putting a toad in Snape's desk in his third year, or perhaps it was Blaise's lack of family history that Snape did not like. Nevertheless, Snape certainly did not have the same soft spot for Blaise as he used to have for Draco.

"Can we pick our own partners?" Blaise asked, scooting his chair a bit closer to Goyle to indicate who he wanted to work with.

"I believe I already said that I would be putting you into partners." Snape replied, nastily. "Every time you work with Goyle, you always hand in less than worthy work, Mr Zabini." Suddenly, a light bulb seemed to have clicked on in Snape's head. He grinned evilly at Blaise, then turned his gaze to Hermione. "Miss Granger, you can work with Blaise."

Hermione's eyes opened widely as she glanced at Blaise, who immediately began to throw a silent fit as Snape continued pairing off the rest of the students.

Hermione's hand shot in the air.

"Yes, Mr Granger?" Snape asked, preparing for her upcoming arguments.

"Sir, I can't work with Blaise. I don't feel that I would be able to put 100 into the assignment if I am forced to work with him-"

"Well, aren't you just the spoiled little brat?" Snape replied, nastily. "One thing that you need to learn, among many others, might I add, is that you will always be forced to work with those who you do not particularly like. It is part of life, and as much of a bratty little child as you are, you will learn that someday."

Hermione looked as though she was about to cry at being called a spoiled brat by one of her professors.

"Sir, that is uncalled for!" Ron cried, noticing Hermione's watery eyes.

"Fifty points from Gryffindor for your rude outburst, Mr Weasley." Snape said, calmly. "I am the professor. You are the student. It is not your place to tell me what is uncalled for, especially as you are not Miss Granger-"

"But I am." Hermione replied, standing up. "You, sir, have been rude to me from day one. I'm not sure why. Maybe it's because I'm a Gryffindor, maybe it's because I'm friends with Harry."

"And maybe it is because you are an insufferable know-it-all." Snape replied, angrily. "I suggest you sit down this instant if you do not want to suffer severe consequences, Miss Granger."

"No." Hermione replied, quietly.

"Excuse me?" Snape demanded, his voice growing angrier and more impatient by the second.

"I said no."

"Well, then I suppose you will get the ... er, pleasure …of Professor Snape's consequences." Snape replied, grinning maliciously.

"No, I don't think I will." Hermione said as she began gathering her things together. "You see, sir, I'm leaving Hogwarts. I don't need to put up with you any longer, so I won't. Good day." Bravely, Hermione strode across the dungeon, her books tucked neatly under her arms as she clutched on to them out of anxiety.

"You shall not treat me in this manor!" Snape screamed after her, spitting with rage. But Hermione ignored him, and the entire class watched in amazement as she exited the Potions dungeon for the last time.

………………………….

"I didn't think you'd have made up your mind so quickly." Ace noted as Hermione allowed him entrance into her dormitory once lunch had ended. She had stayed cooped up in her bedroom since the Potions incident that morning, and surprisingly neither Ron nor Harry had shown up outside her bedroom door and demanded to know what exactly had happened. They probably thought that Hermione just needed some space; after all, Hermione Granger wouldn't really drop out of Hogwarts, would she?

Anyways, after lunch had ended and Hermione was sure that all of her friends were back in class, she had taken the liberty of summoning Ace to the dormitory to fill him in on what had happened.

"I wasn't quite planning on it." Hermione explained, pouring herself a glass of cold water from the jug on the nearest desk. "But then Snape…"

Ace grinned. "If anyone were to decide for you, it would definitely be Snape."

Hermione nodded. "You got that right. I'm just sick of letting him intimidate me all the time! No more, though. I'm my own woman now. It's all about SPEW."

"Talked to Dumbledore yet?" Ace asked.

Hermione shuddered. "No. I don't really I want to. I have to, of course. He's been so good to me. He's going to be disappointed that I've decided to do this. But I just can't base my decisions on other people anymore. I've got to look out for myself, and that's exactly what I'm doing."

"Smart." Ace commented.

Hermione eyed him suspiciously. "Seriously, what's going on with you? You're just not the same."

Ace smirked. "How am I not the same?"

"Well, for one, you haven't made a move on me at all today." Hermione noted.

"Maybe I've realized that you're just not as desirable as I used to think you were." Ace replied, kicking off his shoes and plopping himself down on the comfortable sofa in the middle of the room.

"Okay, obviously you are the same. Sorry I mentioned it." Hermione said coldly.

Ace laughed. "I'm just kidding, Hermione. Learn to take a joke."

"Oh, my god." Hermione said. "What happened to you? And don't give me that nothing bullshit, because that's exactly what it is. Bullshit."

Ace shrugged. "Maybe I just want to get along. We're going to be working together, in case I need to remind you. I think you need to work on your manors. Especially if you want to be working in the business that I co-founded."

Hermione let out an undignified sound. "Excuse me! Try the business that I founded."

"Whatever helps you sleep at night, babe." Ace smirked.

"You're so… frustrating!" Hermione cried, her hands balling into fists. "Get out of my dormitory. If McGonagall or Dumbledore find out that you've been here, they're going to be pissed. So get out."

Ace stood up and put his shoes back on. "Before I go, let me just give you something."

Before Hermione could ask what it was that he wanted to give her, Ace suddenly placed his hands on Hermione's waist and pulled her body right up against his, and before she could protest at all, he smashed his lips against hers, prying them open immediately and sliding his tongue into her mouth for a full-on passionate battle.

Finally coming to her senses, Hermione pushed Ace away from her and took a couple of steps backwards. "What the hell was that?"

"Just something that I wanted you to remember. Later, Granger."

Hermione watched as Ace climbed through the portrait hole and disappeared on the other side. Working with him was going to be incredibly difficult. She could already tell.

……………………………….

"Mother." Draco observed as he walked into the same tiny, dark room that he had been in a month before with Narcissa Malfoy. He walked towards Narcissa's open arms and allowed her to embrace him: he'd do anything to get as far away from the Dementors as possible. "You haven't kept in touch."

"I know." Narcissa admitted as she pulled away from her son. "I've been keeping busy."

"Does this have to do with the SPEW thing?" Draco asked with a cocked eyebrow.

Narcissa nodded.

"You never did tell me exactly what you had in mind. SPEW was Hermione's little thing. How have you even heard about it?"

Draco had been extremely frustrated with his mother. The last time she had visited, she asked him if he'd heard of SPEW. Naturally, he'd said yes. And then she left. Without a word, she left the little room and hadn't bothered to keep in touch or visit until now. And now that she was here, Draco was incredibly interested to know what his mother had in mind.

"I have my ways, dear." Narcissa replied. "Anyways, your darling little mudblood friend has decided to go public with SPEW. Make an incorporation out of it, I mean. She is dead-set on helping house-elves, god forbid. Fudge, on the other hand, is completely against it. Thinks that it is the most absurd idea in the history of magic, and that she should give it up immediately. Personally, I agree. Who has ever heard of free house-elves, working with people instead of for them? Actually earning gold. It's preposterous, not to mention ridiculous." Narcissa paused, staring at her son. "Draco? Are you even listening to me?"

No, he wasn't. The moment his mother had mentioned Hermione's intentions, he had internally grinned, thinking about how silly Hermione was. It was just like her to want to expand on SPEW. Probably trying to get over me, Draco smirked to himself. Though, secretly he could not help but think about how sweet that was. Then of course he mentally kicked himself for even thinking about the word sweet. Suddenly, he snapped out of his internal monologue and clued in to his mother's attempts at getting his attention.

"Of course I'm listening to you." Draco said. "Now, are you going to tell me what it has to do with my getting out of here?"

"Patience, son." Narcissa warned. "Now, as I was saying, Fudge is completely against the mudblood's idea. He felt that he would go to any lengths in order to see that her SPEW idea would not reach the Daily Prophet."

"And?" Draco asked, already knowing the answer.

"And I saw to it that SPEW would be on the cover of this past's Daily Prophet issue." Narcissa replied.

Confused, Draco asked, "Why would you do that? How does that help us?"

"The public is now aware of SPEW. And of Fudge's protests, of course. I think that he is afraid of a house-elf taking over as the minister for magic, or something. He is so angry that he will be willing to do anything to make sure that the mudbloods attempts at making a business out of SPEW will be unsuccessful. Including using you to ensure that that happens."

"Me?" Draco asked, growing more confused by the second. "What can I do?"

"You are the key, son!" Narcissa exclaimed. "You are the most important person in the mudbloods life, god forbid. You have the power to-"

Knock, knock!

Both turning around to see who was knocking, Narcissa and Draco noticed Fudge standing in the doorframe, accompanied by two Dementors. He looked uncomfortably anxious, and for once he did not have his green bowler hat with him. However, upon meeting Draco's gaze, he instantly puffed out his chest and strode into the room as though he were the most powerful man on earth.

"Narcissa, this had better be good." Fudge warned, taking a seat across from Draco and his mother. "I am a very busy man."

"Oh, indeed it is." Narcissa replied, grinning maliciously.

"You are aware that your son spit in my face?" Fudge asked, glaring at Draco.

"I am. You've told me before, several times." Narcissa said. "And I have told you before that Draco is incredibly sorry and ashamed of his actions."

"I am n-"

"Hush, boy." Narcissa hissed before Draco could say, I am not.

"So, what is it that you want to discuss?" Fudge asked.

Narcissa grinned once more. "Exactly how far are you willing to go to make sure that SPEW is not successful?" She asked Fudge.

Fudge's face crinkled up into a disgusted look. "SPEW. That crazy young girl. So much potential and she ruins it all on this absurd idea. Such a shame."

"You haven't answered my question, minister." Narcissa noted, locking eyes with Fudge. Sure, Lucius Malfoy had passed on, but whichever way the ball spins, Narcissa was still his wife. Therefore, she still had power. Power meant gold. And gold would come in very handy.

"Is there something you'd like to discuss with me, Narcissa?" Fudge asked. "Because as I said, I am a very busy man."

"Yes, there is. What if I told you that I have a way to ensure that SPEW is not a success? In fact, what if I could ensure that it will never work, and that I can personally guarantee it?" Narcissa asked.

"How?" Fudge countered, curiously.

"My son, of course. Draco Malfoy. The mudblood's lover. Do you have any idea how much he means to her?"

"Of course I do. He spit in my face for her, didn't he?" Fudge replied, casting another irate glare at Draco.

"If you release him from Azkaban, he can ensure that SPEW does not work out. The mudblood will hire him if he asks her, of course. And he will find such incriminating evidence against the damned business that the magical world will no longer shed any interest in it; all of the interest that may be there now will be gone. And if he cannot find any incriminating evidence, then he will plant some. Simple as that."

"Why doesn't he just ask her to shut it down?" Fudge asked, raising an eyebrow and obviously intrigued.

"Who's to say that she will not start it up again in a year's time? This way, the magical world will always remember that dirty little secret about SPEW, so they will never support it. Never. It's foolproof, minister. It's up to you, now."

"You want me to release the boy, huh?" Fudge asked, weighing his options.

"Yes, I do. And of course, their will be a little gift for you if you do the Malfoy family this one little favor." She reached into her purse and withdrew a pouch that must have held a thousand galleons. "It's a win-win situation, Cornelius. The only question is, do you want to win?"

Fudge thought hard for what felt like eternity, giving Draco time to think as well.

This was not discussed with him! He did not agree to sabotage Hermione's beloved SPEW. He couldn't do it. He loved her too much. Damn it, there's the L word again, Draco thought to himself. But it was true: he did love her. Doing this would be like tearing her heart out and stepping on it. It was just not worth it. Not even his freedom was worth it. He wouldn't do it, he refused…

Finally, Fudge extended his hand over the table. "You've got yourself a deal, Narcissa. Let's just hope that your end of the bargain holds up."

Narcissa grinned maliciously as she took Fudge's hand and shook it. Like hitting two birds with one stone, she thought to herself. Draco is free and that mudblood bitch is going down.