"So how did you two meet?" Vivien asked as she folded the small aluminum sheet over Hermione's hair.
Hermione paused for a moment before responding, "Father is an amateur Roman historian. During his spare time he gather's information on the Roman's expansion into England. I met James at the Salisbury Cathedral, while Father was visiting Salisbury collecting information of Rome's involvement at Stonehenge."
Vivien peered at the folder laying on the edge of the sink. She continued to fold aluminum sheets over Hermione's hair.
"You're too stiff hon. It sounds like you're reciting for an exam." Vivien smiled at Hermione through the mirror.
Hermione nodded in response to Vivien, which only resulted in having her hair jerked.
"Sorry about that, didn't anticipate you nodding." Vivien continued with the coloring process.
The comment barely registered with Hermione, as she had been preoccupied thinking of how to make her guise seem natural. One arm rested across her stomach while the other was propped up with her fingers slightly rubbing her collar-bone. She peered into the mirror at herself. Focus. That's what she needed to do, focus. She closed her eyes trying to imagine being Alice de Lacey, accompanying her father to Salisbury, and meeting James. Her thoughts were interrupted by two hands gently massaging her shoulders. Her eyes flew open.
"Relax hon, you're too tense," Vivien waved off Hermione's unspoken protest. "I know this is a serious assignment, but for it to be successful, you have to relax. Let's see if we can't work through this another way." She took another sheet and began folding. "Tell me how you met your first love."
First love. Hermione wasn't sure if Ron fell into that category. First boyfriend yes, but first love... well she wasn't sure. More to the point, she wasn't sure what a first love was. In a practical sense she understood, but love was such a varied emotion. Hate is universal, but love; the English language had no way to describe it. The Greek had about eight different words for the different types of loves. English poets were to be admired for being able to describe that painful mystery which all humans wish to attain.
Vivien could tell Hermione was mulling the situation. She decided to change tactics, "How about if you describe the first time you met your best friend?"
The foil sheets folding was all that was heard over the workshop noise. Hermione closed her eyes and went back to remember her first year at Hogwarts. "I had been sitting in the bathroom for a few hours, crying some after coming to the realization that no one at Hogwarts liked me." At an early age she had found her intellect caused people to distance themselves from her. This time her bathroom excursion turned out differently. It wasn't the troll that made the difference, its that two people went out of their way to find her. "That's when I was interrupted by a troll and consequently saved by Harry and Ron. Since then we've stuck together through everything."
"That happened during the Halloween Feast, and I know for a fact that wasn't the first time you saw Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley."
Hermoine's eyes shot open. Through the mirror, she saw Draco standing behind the chair next to her.
"But it was the first time I met my best friends." Hermione's voice held a slight edge to it.
Draco's expression was unreadable through the mirror. She decided it was best to steer the conversation away from its current topic. She wasn't in the mood to discuss those memories at the time, much less with Draco.
"Have you gone through the folder?" It was more of a challenge then a question.
Accepting the challenge, Draco retorted, "I just finished reading through it in my office."
"Memorized?" Hermione looked directly into his reflected eyes.
"Of course," Draco responded, he then turned to Vivien. " Ms. Moreley, how long do you believe it will take till Ms. Granger's hair is done?"
Vivien folded the last foil in Hermione's hair. "She needs to sit there for about twenty minutes, ample enough time for me to start on your hair. So sit."
Attempting to reach for her folder, Hermione swiveled in her chair. Vivien picked it up for her and handed it to her.
"Don't move hon, I don't want to foils to come out." Vivien smiled, kindly.
Hermoine looked through the folder again. Randomly, she allowed her eyes to stray and look through the mirror to see how Draco was doing. In a matter of hours, he would become her sole companion. Her husband to the world no less! Luckily they wouldn't need to be affectionate in public, as no one ever accused the English of being the lovers of the world. She once again peered over to him. It almost made her laugh imagining Draco as affectionate.
"Do you need something Ms. Granger?" Draco had managed to make the formal form of address sound like an insult.
The question hung between them. She hadn't wanted anything, having only looked at him out of mild curiosity. Despite the seriousness of the situation, she was interested in seeing how Aurors work. But his question did make her think. It wouldn't be a bad idea if they studied their guises together.
"We should study this together," she held up her folder.
"I've memorized it Alice, or had you forgotten already?" Draco smirked at her through the mirror.
Draco's words were taken as a challenge, one that Hermione wasn't going to back down from. She had few hours to establish her role in this mission, and she wasn't going to let him take command solely on the fact that he was an Auror. She closed her folder and faced him through the mirror.
"James, dear, do you remember when we first met? Hermoine leaned back in her chair, arms draped on the arm-rests.
"How could I forget?" His voice lost the usual sarcastic note, instead it was lighter, Hermione could almost convince herself it was playful. Almost. "It was Salisbury Cathedral, I had accompanied Mother, and there you were, sulking at the entrance."
"I wasn't sulking." Her fingers wrapped around the arm-rests.
"Oh but you were," His voice took an unnatural eager lilt, "and I must say you're absolutely adorable when you sulk." His smirk was growing, as he had the upper hand.
"I do have the good fortune of looking well at any time, where as you, dear, shouldn't smirk so, it doesn't compliment your features." Hermione retorted.
They hadn't engaged in one of their verbal fencing match in years, and both knew they were just warming up.
Before they could continue with their sparring, Addison walked in followed closely by a rather short young man with mousy hair.
"Dennis, you know Mr. Malfoy," Addison gestured towards Draco who was getting the last few cuts done to his hair. "The beautiful young woman next to him is Hermione Granger- Hogwarts '98 top student, the youngest Unspeakable to date, and best friend to one Harry J. Potter."
Dennis flashed her a smile and bent over her, taking her hand in his. He swiftly brought it to his lips and gave it a chaste kiss. He winked as his smile became a boyish grin.
"Remember me?" His voice sounded as if it were to burst.
Hermione stared at the short young man before her. She thought back to Hogwarts and was finally able to place his face.
"Dennis Creevey?" Hermione asked. How could she forget Colin Creevey's brother? He followed his brothers footsteps, Harry's footsteps, h is first year at Hogwarts. Besides shadowing Colin and Harry he had the knack of getting into the worst situations imaginable. In his fourth year he decided to try and climb up the Whomping Willow to get a second year Hufflepuff's ball. He kept Madam Pomfrey company for quite a few days afterwards, but he did manage to complete his task. The boy was either fearless, or incredibly stupid. In Hermione's opinion it was a little of both, as a bit of fear was healthy.
"Of course she would remember you, but we have business at hand," Addison positioned himself between Hermione and Draco's chairs trying to regain control of the conversation.
In his arms was yet another pair of files, he passed those over to them. Hermione's eyes rested on Draco through the mirror for a moment as she got her file. His light blond hair was coated in a mud like substance, Hermione was sure it was henna, it gave off the same smell as Ginny's henna did.
"Now Dennis here has been developing Muggle pictures of Harry roughly at the age of sixteen." Addison spoke rapidly while flipping though his own file. "The stated reason for your travel is that Hermione here is searching for her half brother. Her father had been indiscreet and had Harry out of wedlock. Harry went to France under the name William Donahy."
Hermoine looked through the pictures in her file, there she saw Harry smiling back at her. Soon she would get to see the real thing.
Addison continued talking while going through the folder, but she let his words wash over her without taking them in. As he spoke, Vivien came back to her chair and removed the foils from her hair. Soon her seat was turned so that her head was in the sink near by. Addison's words mixed in with the water rushing at her. She closed her eyes, allowing the water to sooth her worries. Soon her stomach grumbled, and she realized she hadn't eaten since she left the Burrow. Eating never was one of her priorities, and she usually forgot to eat if she was working intensely on something. Ron felt that was a sin.
She had taken both Ron and Harry to see the Lord of the Ring movies, eager to see it since her father had read the books to her as a child. Ron had formed an odd sort of kinship with the hobbits, for days after the movie he insisted on having a second breakfast. He was surprised he had been able to survive without it. During that time she felt what must of been's Aragorn's pain and confusion. The concept of having a second breakfast a few hours after the first one seems illogical. Since the time in between the first and second breakfast isn't great its is thought that once can last with out it. Unfortunately for both Aragorn and Hermione such is not the case. These hungry creatures, hobbits and Ron, will not allow their second breakfast to be sacrificed. Their fight for their food was great and so eventually both received their nutrients.
The water had stopped and her head was gently being lifted out of the sink. She looked into the mirror and saw Vivien washing Draco's hair, while hers was being dried by Dennis. Somehow, between the time she started having her hair done and now, Addison had left. Noticing that her eyes were open, Dennis smiled at her.
"I thought you worked with photographs?" Hermione was confused as to why he was brushing and drying her hair.
"I do loads of things here," Dennis responded with a wink. "Though my main goal is to become an Auror. See, I haven't been able to pass the physical examination yet."
Hermione was surprised, as he had always been physically active, sometimes to the extreme, at Hogwarts.
Dennis, seeing her surprise, answered the unspoken question, "It's on account of my height. So, I worked a deal with the Chief. He would let me do odd jobs around the office while I wait for my growth spurt. All I really need is a couple of inches."
"Well, the pictures you've created are wonderful," Hermione smiled at him, it was nice to speak with an old classmate that she didn't hate. Even though they had been three years apart, Dennis's attraction to all things dangerous had him spending lots of time with Hermione, who often was the one who found him.
"Thanks. Colin taught me how to work in photography, so that's mainly where I spend most of my time here." With that said, Dennis turned off the hair dryer.
He brushed out her hair one last time, saying, "All done."
Hermione removed the sheet that covered her new clothes and stood up. She looked herself over in the mirror and was surprised to see how the subtle alterations to her appearance changed her. Her hair was still brown but it had auburn highlights which brought out her slight tan. The clothes hung beautifully on her body, tailored outfits usually did. In the mirror, she saw Draco stand and walk toward her.
His hair was still blond, but now had more dimension to it, with darker shades mixed into it. Next to her, he leaned over and whispered in her ear, "Vanity is a sin, Alice."
Before she could respond, Addison returned, out of breath. Struggling to get his words out, he announced, "We must meet with Miles Avery, we haven't much time left."