CHAPTER 10

Hermione looked at Jenkins. Draco had just finished giving a rather blunt over view of exactly what the Resistance was up to, the problems it was facing, and how exactly Jenkin's could help.

'You have contacts,' he had said, frankly. 'With both the magic and muggle parliamentary. You could be very useful to us.'

He had finally stopped, and Jenkin's was looking faintly thoughtful. He glanced up at Hermione.

'You understand,' he said quietly, 'It's dangerous.'

'Yes,' she said, coldly. 'It will be quite dangerous. You will have to operate top secret. If you are found out, Voldemort's men will kill you.'

He sighed heavily.

'The Resistance might need me because of my contacts and my potion brewing skills. But the question is – do I need them?'

There was a silence for a few minutes. Then, Draco said,

'May I speak freely?'

Jenkins gave him a wry smile. 'Any freer than you just were? Is it possible?'

Draco gave him a gruff grin. 'It is. You want to know if you need the Resistance? Tell me, do you enjoy sitting in this office day in day out?'

Jenkins bristled. 'My job-.'

'Is crap.' Draco said, coolly. 'It's boring and monotonous, and I'm sure you want something different.'

There was another pause. Wilder Jenkins licked his lips.

'I'll need to think this one over.' he said, quietly. 'I will write to you this evening. You have my word that I will not tell anybody about this meeting.'

Draco surveyed him for a long moment.

'I trust you.' he said, finally. 'Ill expect your owl by nine.'

Without another word, he and Hermione got up, and flooed their way out of his office.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Back in the hotel, Hermione kicked off her shoes, and leaned back on the bed.

'Oh, my feet ache,' she moaned, softly.

Draco chuckled. 'if you wear shoes like that I'm surprised they didn't fall of. Well, what do you think, love?'

'About the shoes?'

'Don't play dumb.'

'I think he'll accept.'

'Honestly?'

'Oh yes. You knew just how to deal with him, Draco. You were open and frank and I think he respected that. And you were right about another thing- I'm sure he does find his job monotonous, he just didn't realize it. You're putting it flat on the table like that is going to make him think. And when he thinks it over, he's going to realize he wants to.'

'I think so to.' Draco agreed, flopping down beside her on the bed. 'I think we can regard our first mission as a success, don't you? At any rate, we'll get an answer by nine. Then we can leave this place tomorrow, and we'll be back in England.'

'Oh yes.' Hermione agreed. She glanced up at Draco again.

A heavy silence fell between then, as they lay side by side on the bed. Draco turned over, and gazed fondly at her.

'We'll have the wedding, when we get back, won't we?' he asked, softly.

She simply smiled, and put her arms around him. He hugged her back, and pulled her softly into his chest.

'I'll take that as a yes. It'll be marvelous.'

There was another soft silence.

'Draco,' Hermione said, suddenly. 'You know about how there are no secrets in marriage?'

'Hm…' Draco murmured softly, burying his face in her hair.

'So then- can I ask you a question?' she asked, timidly.

'No.' he replied, flatly.

She glanced up in surprise.

'I don't want to talk about where I went Hermione,' he said, quietly, but firmly. 'I think that's one of those things which are best kept secret.'

'Was it that bad?' she asked, tenderly.

He nodded. 'It was. But that's the past. And I'll tell you what's going to happen now. We're going to get married properly in a posh church. We're going to go back to the manor, not stay at the Burrow. I've been avoiding it all this time because it's filled with memories I don't want to keep. But I think it's high time we faced them. We're going to the manor, and we're going to love exciting lives, traveling around the world.'

'Of course.' Hermione replied. 'But have you ever thought about the future? Careers and so on?'

Draco said quietly. 'All that hangs on one question only- the final battle. Will Harry beat Voldemort? If that happens, I think we can plan the rest- careers etcetera. But until then, I think we should put all we've got into the resistance. By god, that's what I'm going to do.'

Hermione leaned forward, and kissed him softly on the lips.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

That night, they ordered in. They didn't feel like heading to the restaurant. A waiter brought in steaming platters of boiled fish and noodle soup, and spread it out on the glass table in their room, leaving with a polite salutation. Hermione quickly served herself and Draco and handed him a fork.

'It looks good.' she said.

'Yes it does.' Draco agreed. He was looking straight at her.

Hermione glanced up in surprise. She didn't think she was looking very good, in a furry bathrobe with bunny slippers. But then she saw where Draco's eyes were trailing and giggled.

'Don't stare. I forgot to tie it tightly. And I was talking about the food.'

'Oh.' he said. 'Oh.' And, 'Don't tie it. I like it where it is.'

Hermione smiled again, but didn't tie up the neck of her bathrobe.

'Fish?'

'Of course.'

'Time?'

'Five to nine.'

Instinctively, they both glanced towards the window, but all they could see was a dark patch of night.

'You think he forgot?' Hermione asked, quietly.

Draco shook his head. 'I doubt it. He-.'

But before he could continue, they heard a light tapping at the window. A brownish owl was hovering outside.

Immediately, Hermione was on her feet, unfastening the glass. The owl hopped in, and held out it's leg. She took the letter tied to it, and slowly unraveled it.

'What?' Draco asked, urgently. She didn't answer, so he walked up to her.

'What's the matter?'

She swallowed. 'It isn't from Jenkins. It's from the Singaporean Ministry. They knew that we went to visit him, and want to talk to us, because- he was fund murdered half an hour ago…'