Truth and Lies

Sitting outside the office of Kingsley Shacklebolt while his secretary snuck sideways glances when she thought Draco wasn't looking was fast becoming the most irritating moment of his life. Hermione was perfectly content to sit in silence but Draco was sure he could feel his hair growing as he sat there waiting for the Minister to arrive for their appointment. He had demanded this meeting at eleven and now he was thirty minutes late.

"The Minister will see you now," the secretary said, breaking Draco from his silent brooding.

He rose and adjusted his robes before offering his arm to Hermione. She took it tentatively without glancing his way. Her face was a mask of indifference to match his. Draco adopted the persona he had cultivated for a lifetime: the casually cruel, entitled heir.

The large corner office had a view of Diagon Alley and was furnished with high backed leather chairs, deep blue curtains, and large bookcases lining one wall. Behind the mahogany desk in the center of the room, the Minister stood with a dour expression on his face as they entered.

"Ms. Granger, lovely to see you again," Shacklebolt said in a friendly tone. He turned to Draco then with a smile. "Mr. Malfoy, a pleasure to see you."

So Shacklebolt was going to play it like this then. Well, Draco could hold court with the best of them.

"Minister, it's lovely to see you again." Draco said through a forced smile. "Though this meeting is much more pleasant, to be sure."

"Yes, to be sure," the Minister said flatly.

"Minister, to what do we owe the pleasure of your invitation?" Hermione asked sweetly.

"Ms. Granger, I think the reason for my owl should be rather clear," the Minister replied.

"No, Minister, I cannot say that it is," she said with a smile. "Mr. Malfoy and I are very pressed for time planning our wedding. If you could get to the point of this meeting, we would appreciate it. We have plans this afternoon and the late start to this meeting is already setting us behind schedule."

Draco looked at the woman to his right, ever the picture of poise and grace. She smiled demurely but spoke with authority.

"Excuse me," the Minister said with a bit of annoyance.

"As I believe Ms. Granger just informed you, we have a rather tight schedule to keep to. I'm sure you're aware we are getting married next week," Draco said in his usual bored drawl.

"I will cut to the point," Shacklebolt said in a clipped tone. "This smear campaign needs to end."

The Minister stared them down in what Draco felt was a spot-on impression of McGonagall. Both Draco and Hermione remained nonplussed. If he thought this was enough to make either of them crack, he was delusional.

"Minister, all we have done is share our story," Hermione said with her demure smile. "If you have nothing to say beyond idle chit chat, we really do have things to attend to this afternoon."

"Ms. Granger, are you truly going to pretend like those interviews were anything but an outright attack on the Ministry?" Shacklebolt asked with rising anger.

"Minister, I will remind you, our pairing was a choice made by the department you created. We are merely telling our story; we have shared only facts. If that is something that upsets you, then I would encourage you to consider your own agenda. If you have nothing else but baseless accusations, Draco and I will be leaving," she said as she rose and turned to look at Draco.

Draco smiled. He stood and adjusted his robes before offering his arm to Hermione.

"Mr. Malfoy, I would urge you to consider this outright defiance of the Ministry," Shacklebolt said with a dark tone.

Draco stiffened slightly but Hermione didn't miss a beat. "Minister, idle threats don't become you and punishing the man you arranged to marry the 'Golden Girl' is a bad look. Have a lovely day. We'll see you next Monday in the Peace and Unity Gardens as you are, of course, invited to our wedding."

She took Draco's arm and without further word, they walked out of the office. Draco guided her to the lift as heads poked out of cubicles. They entered the lift arm-in-arm, creating a quiet flurry of interest from the other lift passengers. Draco swore he heard one woman whisper to her friends 'It's them, I told you I saw them earlier'. He caught the eye of the whispering woman and smiled his most dashing smile. The lift jostled to a halt and he guided Hermione toward the exit. As they passed the gossiping trio, Draco winked and all three women blushed. Hermione chuckled quietly.

Draco and Hermione exited the Ministry into Diagon Alley to a flurry of reporters. They both stopped abruptly as one rushed forward.

"We have reason to believe you were meeting with the Minister for Magic this morning, can you give us any details about this meeting. Is the law going to be repealed?"

Another jumped in. "Ms. Granger, you have been against this from the beginning, yet you and Mr. Malfoy seem to be falling in line rather quickly. Our readers wonder if you have changed your opinion when offered a life of luxury?"

Accusations, questions, and theories rained down as Draco attempted to push past the throng of reporters.

"Do you think we could just Apparate on the spot?" Draco leaned into Hermione's ear to whisper.

"I think that is a great idea," Hermione said, to his surprise, as she gripped his arm more firmly.

Draco spun them on the spot, leaving behind the chaos outside the Ministry. They landed in Hermione's townhouse and she groaned before collapsing onto the sofa.

"I can only imagine the headlines tomorrow," Hermione grumbled.

Draco took a seat next to her before answering. "I imagine it will be a mixed bag but I wouldn't waste too much time worrying about it, none of it will be true. Half will support us and the other half will hate us. I don't know about you but I am still getting at least five howlers a day since the original articles were published," Draco said as he flashed her a winning smile.

Hermione rolled her eyes but he saw a smirk pulling at the corner of her mouth before she could school her expression. She took a breath and changed the subject. "I didn't actually lie to the Minister earlier, we do have plans this afternoon if you are willing," she said cryptically.

"Planning to elaborate, Granger?" Draco asked with a raised brow.

She swallowed hard and Draco felt a knot of concern forming in his gut. Why did she look so nervous?

"I asked McGonagall if it would be alright to visit Hogwarts early. I figured you hadn't been back since the final battle and, like me visiting your home, I thought it may be better to see it without prying eyes," she said with a sheepish smile.

Draco felt momentarily stunned. In truth, he hadn't truly considered his feelings on returning to Hogwarts. After the plan was made to hold the wedding on the grounds, he pushed the thought to the back of his mind. Now, with this offer to return today, he was forced to reconcile with a number of emotions jockeying for position in his body. He stood abruptly, walking to the cabinet he knew held the Firewhiskey and pouring a glass to quickly drain it.

"Draco, we don't have to do this if you aren't—"

"It's fine. I just need a moment," he said as he carded his hands through his hair, leaving it disheveled.

"We made the plan to hold the wedding at Hogwarts and I knew that meant returning. I just really hadn't allowed myself to consider the implications of that decision. I am grateful you considered asking McGonagall for permission to come this week," he said composing himself. "When are we expected?"

Hermione thankfully didn't pick at his bravado or the slight shake that was still evident in his hands as he adjusted his robes.

"She's expecting us at half twelve so we should leave shortly. She opened her Floo to me so we can Floo directly to her office," she said with an encouraging smile.

"Well, we best not keep the Headmistress waiting then," he said as he offered his arm so they could Floo together.

Stepping into the Headmistress' office was a surreal experience. Draco had only been a handful of times during his time at Hogwarts, and only when he had done something particularly stupid and gotten caught. McGonagall rose from her desk as they stepped through the Floo.

"Good afternoon, Headmistress," Hermione said in a warm greeting as she dropped Draco's arm like it was made of Fiendfyre.

Draco took a breath to ground himself as the women exchanged pleasantries.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Malfoy," McGonagall said, glancing around Hermione and eyeing him critically, as she always had.

Draco reflexively straightened but fought back his signature sneer. He wasn't that haughty boy any longer and McGonagall had every reason to be skeptical of him. "Good afternoon, Headmistress. Thank you for agreeing to allow me to return to Hogwarts at all. I realize my history is—"

"Mr. Malfoy, I do not need you to recite to me all of your infractions, all parties in this room are well informed. I assure you I do not hold the actions of a scared and threatened young man against you. I have it on good authority that you are much changed and I trust we can simply move forward and leave behind the unfortunate events of our shared past," she said with her typical imperious tone.

"Of course, Headmistress. Thank you," Draco forced out.

"I wondered if I might have a word with you both before you start your tour?" she asked curiously. They both nodded and took a seat in front of her desk as she continued. "I hope you know that I have shared your opinion since this law was first introduced," she said in a serious tone.

Draco and Hermione shared a look. This was an unexpected topic of conversation.

"I appreciate your solidarity, Headmistress, but unfortunately enough of the wizarding world did not," Hermione lamented.

"As you may or may not know, as Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, I am privy to the list of all Muggleborn students from the time they are born," she said conversationally. "We know how many witches and wizards will be joining us one day. The Minister knows as well." She paused and gave them a significant look.

Draco considered her words for a moment and interjected. "If I may, Headmistress, are you saying that the Ministry's claim that this marriage law is necessary to help repopulate the wizarding world is fraudulent? I have a suspicion you're telling us that magic is not finite and maybe instead of more children born to wizarding families, more children are being born to Muggle families. If you ask me, it seems fitting after centuries of Pureblood supremacy," Draco finished dryly.

The Headmistress smiled at him. "I knew you were a clever one, Mr. Malfoy. I myself brought this to the attention of the Minister but he chose not to include these findings when this law was proposed. I'm telling you now because I am quite sick of Kingsley Shacklebolt playing god. He may have gotten us through the war as a vital member of the Order of the Phoenix and continued to do admirable work during the earlier days of restoration, but I think it's high time that we have new blood in the office of the Minister for Magic. Kingsley may not harbor Pureblood supremacy ideals, but he's certainly unwilling to accept that there will be more Muggleborn witches and wizards in the coming decades than there are Pure or Half-bloods," the Headmistress said with a look of thinly veiled disgust.

Hermione gaped at her. This was exactly what they needed. This was proof that the ministry had other options and chose to ignore them.

"Headmistress, can I prove this somehow? Because this is it, this is the skeleton we have been searching for," Hermione exclaimed.

"As one of the oldest Wizarding families in Britain, Mr. Malfoy's family holds a position on the Board of Governors for Hogwarts. As such, he could easily request the information," McGonagall explained.

"You know, I find I am interested in aiding the next generation of Muggleborn students, being that my future wife is Muggleborn herself. I find I would like to set up a trust and need to know how many students will be in the upcoming classes so that I might ensure the trust is funded properly," Draco said with a glint in his eyes.

McGonagall sat back with a small, satisfied smile on her lips and winked at Draco.

"I think I might take it even further after Hermione and I are married. We might host a charity gala to really raise awareness of this growing need," Draco said in his most posh, aristocratic tone.

Hermione had been uncharacteristically quiet as Draco and the Headmistress shared conspiratorial quips.

"Well, I won't keep you, off you go," the Headmistress said with a vague wave of her hands, as though she were shooing first years along.

Draco and Hermione made their way to the spiral staircase which deposited them in front of the golden eagle that stood sentry in front of the Headmistress' office.

Draco inhaled another fortifying breath as he took in the school that had once been his home. The smell was familiar, the feel of the magic. At one time, these halls had provided him comfort and solace. Unbidden, the familiar guilt crept in, a knot forming in his stomach as he remembered letting in the horde of Death Eaters and watching the light leave Dumbledore's eyes before he fell to the stone courtyard beneath the Astronomy Tower. He didn't realize he staggered until he felt Hermione gripping his forearm and his shoulder.

"Do you need another moment before we keep going?" she asked kindly.

"No, I'll be fine, let's just keep going," Draco replied through a grimace.

He could hear the portraits murmuring as Hermione led him down the corridor.

"I say, is that Mr. Malfoy with Ms. Granger?"

"It couldn't be…it is!"

"Matilda, look who it is! Can you believe those two aren't at each other's throats?"

The murmuring continued as they passed down the corridor, making their way down the moving staircases towards the Great Hall. Hermione and Draco shared a laugh at the commentary from the portraits.

"At least if we've accomplished nothing else today, we've given the portraits some gossip to sustain them until term starts," Hermione said with a smile.

The tightness in Draco's chest seemed to ease the further they walked. The happy memories of his time in school began to filter through all of the bad that clouded his memory for so long.

Hermione seemed to sense the change and finally spoke up. "Is there anywhere you wanted to go or see since you're here?" she asked curiously.

"Part of me wants to see if we can get into the Slytherin common room just to go see my old room one more time. However, I doubt that portrait would let us in," he said, a little put out. "Anywhere you want to go, Granger? Let me guess, the library?" he asked with a sneer.

"Actually, I would enjoy going through the library for old time's sake but I don't think it would be kind of me to subject you to such torture," she teased back.

Draco smiled. "Are you suggesting, Granger, that I can't read and it would be torture for me to go to the library? Remember, you're not talking to the Weasel or Potter. The Manor's library is at least three-quarters the size of Hogwarts and I've read at least half of the books in the Manor's library. The other half are genealogies and I have no desire to read them. Additionally, some of the books in our library bite and I am not a fan of being bitten, at least not by a book," he quipped, raising a suggestive eyebrow.

Hermione rolled her eyes and changed direction.

"Fine, then let's go to the library," she said breezily and began to practically skip off down the hall.

Draco shook his head and laughed at the swot on the way to her temple. As he followed behind her, his mind drifted back to all those times he saw her in the library with her nose scrunched up in concentration, chewing on a sugar quill. How many times had he imagined those lips wrapped around something else? He chastised himself and quashed those thoughts; they were entirely unhelpful.

Draco knew there would be no secret affair in the library today. Granger might be acting kindly toward him right now but something was still going on, she was holding him at arm's length. Draco wished she would just talk to him but he knew that no amount of pushing on his part was going to change the stubborn witch's mind. No, he was entirely at her mercy. It would have to wait until she deemed the appropriate time to inform him of her thoughts.

When had he become such a pushover? The moment Hermione Granger entered his life, that's when.

Hermione pushed through the library doors. Even with her back to him, he could tell her face lit up in excitement when her entire countenance changed.

"It's just as I remembered," she said fondly.

"Granger, you were only here four years ago, of course it's the same as you remember," Draco said dryly.

"Hush, Malfoy. Don't you have a place in this school that just brings back all the fond memories—" She stopped and turned slowly to look at him a bit sheepishly. "I'm sorry, I'm forgetting myself and the reason why we're here."

Draco cleared his throat before answering her. "I think the Quidditch pitch is probably one of the only places I would still find solace. At one time, the top of the Astronomy Tower was a haven for me and the other members of the snake club. It's rather tarnished now," he said quietly. "Though it might be good to go up there. Full circle, you know? Kind of like your returning to the Manor," Draco said pensively.

"We can go wherever you want, Malfoy. I've been back here many times since I graduated, I have tea with the Headmistress at least once a month," she said with a smile, but her expression quickly soured as she continued. "Which is one reason I'm so very peeved that she withheld the information she shared with us today. To have this information for that long and not share it with me when it could have meant a fair fight against this law!" she fumed.

"I think McGonagall knew there would have been no feasible way for you to access that list. Do you personally know anyone else on the Board of Governors so well that you would discuss such matters as the list of Muggleborn witches and wizards being born?" Draco asked skeptically. "It's not as though Minerva McGonagall could give you that list of Muggleborn students outright. Such an action would arouse too much suspicion and also put her in a position to lose her job," Draco reasoned.

Hermione huffed and begrudgingly replied, "I suppose you're right. It's not as though I would have come to you to ask a favor, and it's not as though you were even in the country to do such."

"Granger, I find it laughable that you would even think you'd have ever approached me for assistance," Draco said with a note of bitterness.

"I'll have you know I had fully accepted that one day we would become friends because I'm friends with all of your friends. You just never deigned to show up," she said angrily and stomped away from the library, back towards the staircase that would take them out of the castle.

Draco called after her but she didn't listen and continued to march her way towards the Astronomy Tower. She was halfway across the courtyard when Draco caught her arm. She whirled on him then.

"Granger, are you really going to act like an impetuous child all day because I stated a fact? You may have become friends with all of my friends but none of them taunted you in the way that I did, not even Pansy. At least not to your face. We may have become friends-adjacent but it would have been years before we would have considered becoming actual friends. The only reason we're friends now is because we have been forced together. Be honest with yourself, Granger, you would have tolerated my presence at best," Draco said.

"Do you truly think so little of me that you think I wouldn't have gotten over petty childhood squabbles?" Hermione retorted back.

"No, Granger, I just didn't think your opinion of me would be so easily swayed. I figured I would have to work to ingratiate myself into your life. I half expected to be stunned on the street in the middle of Muggle London. The fact that you were so willing to accept me that first day…I was in shock. I was prepared to fight that day and all you said was 'okay'. I panicked because the Hermione Granger whose hair stood on end when she was upset and defending her corner was gone. The fiery little witch who punched me in the face instead of crying when I insulted her was gone. No, Granger, I do not ever think poorly of you and I won't have you insinuating it ever again," Draco said darkly as he loomed over her.

They both breathed heavily, standing nearly chest to chest before Draco turned on his heel and continued off towards the Astronomy Tower. A few moments later, he heard her shoes clipping against the cobblestone letting him know she had followed after him.


Draco and Hermione walked back to the Headmistress' office after spending time wandering the halls of their former school and the location of their wedding. Draco shuddered at the thought. In a week, he would be married and Hermione would be shackled to him for life, whether she wanted it or not. One minute she was kissing him, the next she was pulling away. And yet, she organized this thoughtful trip to allow him to return to Hogwarts without the pressure of his wedding day. The yelling match in the courtyard was followed by a stilted sort of truce between them. Draco continued to feel confused about the witch next to him as they climbed the stairs behind the golden eagle back to the Headmistress' office.

The Headmistress sat at her desk, scanning a piece of parchment as they entered. She glanced over her spectacles at the pair. "I trust your visit was successful?" she asked.

"Yes. Thank you so much, Headmistress, for allowing us to come visit and to use the grounds for this farce of a wedding," Hermione said tersely.

Her stiff tone and forced politeness was beginning to grate as they said their goodbyes. Draco led Hermione to the Floo and threw the powder in as he called out for her flat.