Chapter Nineteen Honey Trap

Draco arrived at work early only to find Potter already there. He looked like he'd been there all night since they'd left Granger's. His eyes were red rimmed with lack of sleep, and shadows hung beneath them like drapes.

Hermione's chair was conspicuously empty.

Draco forced himself not to pace, his fingers moving to tap out an impatient rhythm on his knee for a few moments before he caught himself. He got up, going to the filing cabinets, and pulled out the ingredients to make Potter a pick-me-up, figuring he could at least distract his hands, even if he couldn't distract his mind. He related what they'd discovered at the Manor the previous evening as he did so, and Potter listened interestedly to the information.

"Even without any information about suspects from your parents, we've still made massive strides now that we know whose wand is being used," he commented as he watched Draco compile and mix the ingredients with no apparent need for measurements.

Draco nodded. "I thought you might want to speak to Ollivander again about it," he replied, flicking his wand at the mixture in the floating bottle. "We know it's not Bellatrix –"

"Once the Squad confirm it's her remains from the grave."

"– so at least we'll be able to make a profile of people that would be able to use the wand. It's clear it's not resisting the murderer."

Potter nodded. "Although adding psychotic, Muggle-hating, torture enthusiast, blood purist to the list probably hasn't narrowed things down so much as confirmed our suspicions."

Draco's mouth twisted in a smirk. "Ollivander should be able to help with that. Done." He passed the flask to Potter, who inspected the pale blue potion.

"What is it?"

"A mixture of my own devising. You can't pull all-nighters too many times before you require magical intervention to stay awake, and there's nothing else really out there that fits the situation so well," Draco replied.

Potter was drinking the potion as Hermione entered, her expression pointedly neutral even as she avoided making eye contact with Draco.

"Morning," she said quietly.

Draco merely blinked, flasks still in hand as he cleared away the ingredients, and Harry nodded as he downed the potion.

An awkward silence settled over the room.

Draco opened his mouth, eyes fixed on Hermione, but was interrupted as a memo flew in, landing on Harry's desk.

He unfolded it wearily, sick to death of the sight of the things, scanning the contents, his expression transforming as he took it in.

"Guys…"

Draco and Hermione's heads lifted, their eyes meeting his – Draco's with curiosity and the slightest edge of wariness, Hermione's with apprehension.

"We've got the identity of the third victim." Harry pulled off his glasses to scrub his eyes. "It would seem that Muggles can withstand the Mark."

Grey and brown eyes widened.

Hermione let out a breath of air, and for a moment it seemed she would struggle to refill her lungs.

"This plan had better work." Draco's words plopped into the stunned silence that had fallen, and after a moment, Harry nodded in agreement. They didn't address the fact that they might not have a plan if Hermione didn't agree to take part.

Harry stood. "We need to see Kingsley."


As they marched through the Ministry to the Minister's office, they remained in stunned silence, the import of the information weighing heavily on them.

The woman had been a nondescript individual – an aged care nurse called Fiona Blake – a victim chosen at random from the street with the misfortune to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. She had no connection to any part of the magical community, didn't live in any of the areas favoured by wizards, and had never been near any wizarding location – hidden or otherwise. She was about as unrelated to the magical world as it was possible to be. And yet she was now dead.

The random callousness of it was shocking.

Hermione walked on the other side of Harry to Draco, unwilling to let the topic of her decision to be broached before absolutely necessary, still trying to figure out where she stood on the matter. She scrambled to work out an answer before they reached Kingsley's office, but all too soon the black door loomed before them, and they were inside, standing before the Minister.

"I hope you have good news for me," Kingsley said in his usual measured tones. He looked as tired as they all felt however, heavy lines weighing down his sombre expression.

Harry and Draco exchanged glances before looking to Hermione, whose eyes were focused on her shoes.

Draco was agonising of the advisability of making the suggestion. He had voiced it against his better judgement last night, driven to speak by the need to have some kind of a plan out there. He liked Granger, astonishingly enough, and when he really thought about it, he knew he probably would have liked her when they were in school if he hadn't had his head so full of blood prejudices and his own arrogance. But the idea was entirely without ulterior motive. He wanted to spend more time with her, but not like this – not when she was being pressured into a false situation by matters beyond her control. And he knew she would feel compelled to agree – no matter what her reservations were – because that was simply who she was. The time she was taking to agree simply made him anxious about how she felt about it all.

"We've been working on laying a trap to draw the murderer out," Harry began slowly, eyes still darting between his silent co-workers.

Kingsley nodded.

Harry cleared his throat with an anxious glance at Hermione. "And, er, Malfoy had a rather good suggestion – the only suggestion – for the bait."

"Oh?" Kingsley turned to regard Draco, who shuffled a moment.

"Well," his eyes were fixed on Hermione, who steadfastly ignored the gaze of everyone else, "we figured a person would be the best bait, so I suggested myself…and Hermione. Ahem. Announcing a relationship."

Harry jumped in. "It would take the papers by storm; there would be no doubt that they'd be the focus of wizarding Britain, if not the wizarding EU and beyond. There's no other way we could make a target so plain to tempt the murderer with."

There was a pause. "I see." Kingsley's gaze shifted to Hermione, and she slowly lifted her eyes to meet his, her expression a tapestry of the emotions at war within her. "And are you amenable to this, Miss Granger?"

Hermione swallowed, blinking, and she glanced nervously at Harry and Draco.

Harry gazed at her pleadingly. "Please, Hermione."

Hermione opened her mouth, but no words came out. She cleared her throat slightly. "I…I need to have a moment with Draco," she said quietly.

Draco gazed down at her, trying to interpret what was in her expression, anxiety chasing after fear on the heels of his confusion and anticipation.

Kingsley regarded them for a long moment, then nodded. "There is a side room through that door," he said, indicating a door to their right, "you may talk there."

Hermione nodded, and silently crossed to the door, Draco following her.

The moment he shut the door behind him, Draco spun on the spot to face her.

"What is your problem with this idea, Granger?" he demanded bluntly. He had meant to take a gentler approach, to tease out the problem from her, but they were running out of time – they didn't have the luxury of pussyfooting around her reservations.

Hermione's expression twisted.

"Is it because of Krum?" Draco forcefully ignored the dull stab the words made to his gut.

Her eyes widened, surprise filling them as she met his gaze for the first time. "No! Of course not – I told you there's nothing between us."

"Well…is there someone?"

Hermione gave him an incredulous look that was the closest she could come to being amused at that moment. "Have you seen how I work, Draco? What makes you think there's any time for a relationship?"

Draco shrugged, his heart simultaneously lifting and sinking with her words. "There's always time if we want to make room enough," he muttered.

"Well I don't have anyone to make room for," Hermione replied shortly.

Draco blinked, then blew out a short breath. "Is it because of me? Because it's me."

"I – no."

Draco frowned. "You hesitated. It is."

"No, it's not," Hermione protested, catching the darkening of his tone and fearing it for some reason. "It's really not." She met his eyes firmly to ensure he believed her. "I just…" she cast about for the words, but explanation defied her. She didn't understand her objections to the idea. It wasn't Draco – that was for certain – she liked him, more than she had ever thought was possible, but he did confuse her. He was intelligent, kinder than he thought, and his mind was whiplash fast, and she genuinely enjoyed being around him, especially during their training sessions. But then he could be brusque and argumentative, just like he had been in school, and whenever he was dealing with something that was important he shut himself off from her and everyone else. And that gave her pause for thought.

She'd lain in bed for a few hours after he'd proposed the idea last night, turning the matter over in her mind once she was capable of thinking. Logically, it made perfect sense. She couldn't understand why they hadn't thought of it before. The more she thought about it the more it seemed like their best shot. But emotionally there was a tangle that she couldn't begin to unravel, and it made her uneasy. It was the Pandora's Box again, and she really didn't want this to be the situation that knocked it open. If it was to be opened, she wanted to open it herself, carefully, at the right time. Not in the middle of possibly the most dangerous investigation she had ever taken part in.

"I don't know what my problem with it is." She gazed at him, appealing with her eyes. "I do think it's a good idea – I think it's probably the only idea that would work."

"Then why haven't you agreed?" Draco pressed, more gently now. He couldn't understand her. He'd learnt how to read her as they'd worked together, but the kaleidoscope of shifting emotions sweeping through her eyes moved too quickly for him to pin anything down.

Hermione felt trapped. She didn't know why she was so reluctant. There were no logical reasons for it. "I…I can't explain it," she replied lamely, her eyes fixed on his feet.

Draco took a step towards her. "Try." His tone was unbending.

"I can't," she muttered miserably. "I…you…"

"I wouldn't understand – is that it?" Draco's temper flared at the thought, and his anger made its way into his tone.

Hermione's head snapped up at that. "No! Of course not! But I don't even fully understand it myself – so how can I explain something I don't understand to you?"

"You could let me into your mind," Draco said softly. He knew he could simply slip in there. He could find out for himself before she drew another breath, but that would be foolhardy in the extreme.

Hermione's eyes widened and she shook her head firmly. "No."

He knew she meant it.

"Well damn it all, Granger – what are we meant to do? Are you just going to shy away from this?" he demanded roughly. "Are you really going to let the one chance we have to catch this person go because of some objection you have that you can't even explain? Tell me!" Draco knew what he was saying was unfair and manipulative, but this was their only shot, and he had to make her agree even if he hated how he had to convince her.

Hermione stared into his commanding eyes, scared and hesitant, but shook her head. "I want to stop them, Draco – you know I do, I just –"

"Look," Draco interrupted harshly, "we've got a homicidal maniac, probably a Death Eater, who we know is targeting Muggle-borns and reformed Death Eaters and blood purists, and you can bet your last knut that if they're on their hit list, then Muggles will be too. We know it from the latest victim. It's not speculation – it's fact. Everyone is a target. No one is safe, Granger. No one. Famous Muggle-borns and ex-Death Eaters are obvious, but the Muggles are totally random – they don't care who they kill, so long as they have dirty blood. If we can draw them out by making a big enough spectacle and hitting the papers, we're drawing their gaze off innocent people – most of whom are totally unaware of the danger. We can't tell all the Muggles that someone with a magic stick might be about to kill them at any moment. We can't protect them all with charms and Aurors: there are too many. But we can protect them with this. If we put a target on our backs the size of Brazil, they're safer. And we at least will be ready for an attack. We're trained for it. Of anyone, we stand the best chance. You've got to see that, Granger."

Hermione stared into Draco's intense gaze. His eyes were steely with an earnest urgency that appealed to her, and she could see he truly believed what he was saying. He wanted to help. He wanted to save lives.

She sucked in a slow, shaky breath, closing her eyes. The Pandora's Box be damned. This was bigger than her, bigger than her feelings and her reservations and her confusion about Draco. It wasn't going to be ideal, but she had made the best of the worst decisions before, and it was time to do that again. He had reminded her of that. "I'll do it."

"Look at me, Granger."

Hermione opened her eyes with great reluctance. He was standing close to her, all the anger and frustration that had been vibrating him gone and replaced with genuine concern. It was the softest expression she'd ever seen cross his face.

"Are you going to regret agreeing to this?"

Hermione met his eyes evenly. "No."

Draco regarded her for a few moments more, then nodded, leaning around her for the door handle. "We'd better tell Potter and the Minister."


They returned to Kingsley's office, and Harry leapt to attention, breaking out of his murmured conversation with the Minister and staring eagerly at them.

"Well?"

Hermione took a deep breath, and nodded. She suddenly looked resolved. "We're doing it. But," she held up a hand quickly, forestalling Harry's relieved exclamation, "Draco is not to be the focus of this. He hasn't been through the same training as I have." She turned to meet his confused and mildly affronted expression, her expression gentle. "I know you are capable of being in the field, and I trust you to have my back, but I have years of training experience. You don't have that. It makes sense that we try to make me the main focus for the murderer. You signed onto this as a permanent consultant – not as an Auror, and not as a sacrificial lamb."

Draco frowned. "I'm a little less vulnerable than a lamb, Granger."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "I know you dolt, but that's not the point. The point is you are wading into more than you signed up for. There are more things to consider than simply whether or not you can cast a shield charm. This puts you and your parents at risk until we catch the murderer."

Draco paused a moment. He'd had no intention of venturing into the field when he signed Potter's contract, but even then he'd had a vague idea floating in the back of his mind that there was something more to this case, and even then he'd known he would see things through to the bitter end. He blew out a breath and met Granger's steadfast gaze. "I know all that, Granger. And I put myself forwards, remember. I've thought it through – I know what I'm getting myself in for as much as you do. But you don't know the position I'm coming from. I had a chance once – multiple times – to try and stop Voldemort; and I didn't take them. That's not going to happen again."

Hermione took a deep breath, staring into Draco's eyes, willing herself to remain professional. She had seen all that there was to know of Draco Malfoy; she knew what drove him as only he did, and she could not in good conscience deny that he was speaking the truth.

Granger…

His voice was a husky whisper in her mind, and she balled her hands into fists to stop herself from shivering slightly.

You're cheating. You promised.

She said it as firmly as she could, but he was in her mind and he knew as well as she did that she was not upset. His low chuckle returned to her.

Slytherin, remember.

Hermione tutted.

Harry and Kingsley watched the silent exchange, one bemused and hopeful, the other observant.

Hermione eventually broke away, turning back to them. "Fine. But," she prodded Draco firmly in the chest, "Draco stays out of the line of fire as much as possible."

Draco pursed his lips sourly, eyes narrowed, but gave a curt nod.

Harry breathed a sigh of relief. Kingsley nodded, smiling faintly, but his eyes remained watchful, fixed intently on Draco and Hermione.


So I know I promised this update aaages ago but it turns out packing up all your possessions from two years takes more time than I'd thought " But, on the plus side, it's in time for Christmas! Also good news is that in the intervening time I found out that my thesis cleared with zero corrections (context: it was marked to a PhD level by a viva committee, and usually you'd expect AT LEAST typos if not minor corrections, all of which tacks on a minimum of 4 months+), and got to graduate at the start of December! Thank you all for your patience and your well wishes 3 They have meant so much in a very trying and busy year, and I can't wait to get back down to writing and producing some regular chapter updates for all you lovely people in the new year!

Anyway, onto the chapter! The central pivoting arc that I wrapped this story around is about to begin! Are you excited? I sure am! Also just really enjoying toying with all the feelings and ambiguity that's going on with them both.
The main thing I really wanted to coney though is that even though Draco is 100% pressuring Hermione into the plan, his motivations are genuine and coming from the fact that he wants to help rather than to create a situation he could take advantage of regarding his feelings for her. Because that would be gross and bad behaviour.

I know it's a short one and doesn't physically progress very far, but I hope you enjoyed it, and absolutely will endeavour to post the next one in a timely fashion.
Merry Christmas to you all! x

Please do review and/or favourite :) Tell me what you like or don't like :) Questions and speculations are always welcome :D As is incomprehensible flailing if that's what you go in for :)

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