January 2, 2019
Hermione kept it to herself, but Lucius' demand that Draco drop everything the night before swearing-in for a campaign meeting was absolutely ridiculous. Swearing-in was always a long and taxing day, and this dinner meant that Draco couldn't have the relaxing, quiet evening that he wanted to before getting right back into the swing of things.
Lucius was putting his own ambitions before his son, and Hermione got the feeling that this wouldn't be the first or the last time that it happened.
As they drove to the Malfoy's Washington home, Hermione wanted to throw up. The idea of meeting Tom Riddle and Severus Snape was absolutely terrifying. She knew the situation was bad when Draco wasn't even consoling her; he told her he'd take care of her, but he didn't say that dinner would be fine. She was smart enough to understand the difference and had steeled herself for it.
"So you're certain your mother won't be there?" Hermione asked for the third time.
Draco sighed, clearly frustrated. "No. She's at a spouse's reception before swearing-in with my grandmother, they won't be back until later."
"Convenient," Hermione muttered. She was well and truly alone without a middling female influence.
"You need to take a deep breath, sweetheart," Draco warned, keeping his eyes on the busy one-way street as they drove closer and closer to his parents' home.
Hermione just nodded. He was right.
"Everything's going to be fine," Draco said quietly as he pulled into the short driveway that came with his parents' multi-million dollar home. Hermione had to stop herself from asking if he was trying to reassure her or himself.
As usual, he walked around the car and helped Hermione out. Today, she didn't even smile in amusement at his offer of assistance out of a small car.
Her spirits lifted when Abraxas was the one to open the door. This was as good of a start as she could've hoped for.
"My girl," the man greeted, pulling her into a tight hug before nodding at his grandson. "Draco, good evening."
Draco hugged the man. "Good to see you too."
"Better get used to being greeted second; even being president can't save you when you've a lady as lovely as both of ours on your arm," he said to his grandson.
Hermione gulped audibly at the mention of being president. That was far beyond her thoughts, and hopefully just as far past Draco's plans, at the moment.
"The interrogation brigade is already in the dining room. Cheap bastards, they brought a bunch of plastic-wrapped salads from Sweetgreen."
She tried not to laugh, but she did smile at Abraxas. His attempts at levity were very appreciated.
Lucius sat at the dining room table with two black-haired men, and Hermione had a silly little thought that the darkness surrounding them was foreshadowing for what was to come.
"Ah," Lucius stood up, nodding. Clearly, the group of men hadn't been speaking while they waited for Draco and herself.
"Father," Draco greeted.
The other two men stood up, and Hermione tried not to bite her tongue off as she tried to stem her nervous laughter at the sight of a very unamused Senate Majority Whip Tom Riddle.
Senator Riddle was just as unfairly attractive as he always appeared on television with fewer wrinkles than any man over 60 should have and cold brown eyes that had completed their passover of Hermione. By the way his stern expression visibly tightened, it was clear that her new dress and makeover a la Pansy didn't impress him.
His husband, Severus Snape, was a man Hermione had only seen hovering in the back of photos. He was never the focus of anyone's attention, and it seemed that that was where he thrived. His silky black hair was shoulder-length in a way she'd never seen a man of his age and stature wear, but judging by the dour look on his pale face, no one would ever bring that up to him. The couple looked extremely unwelcoming, which, Hermione supposed, was their goal.
"Tom, Severus, I'd like to introduce you to Draco's... partner, Hermione Granger."
Clearly, Lucius Malfoy had loved the way Draco described their relationship. She met eyes with Draco quickly, and by the expression on his face, it was clear that they'd both come to the same conclusion… Lucius wasn't going to be jumping to their defense that night.
Hermione received two terse nods from the newcomers, but no greeting as they sat back down. Abraxas rubbed her shoulder comfortingly as he pushed her seat in and sat to her right while Draco sat to her left. Tom and Severus were on the opposite side of the table, while Lucius was at the head. They were even seated for a proper showdown.
She found herself wondering if this was a 3 v. 3 fight or if Lucius was going to play the devil's advocate in the way a man like him certainly enjoyed doing. Time would certainly tell.
"Salad?" Abraxas asked with a regal tip of his head.
Hermione and Draco nodded, allowing the squeaking of the to-go salad containers to be the only sound in the room. She saw that the salad greens were kale and had a mental image of a vicious Tom Riddle ordering it just to spite them, knowing they'd eat it as to not look rude. As she flipped off the lid and noticed that everyone but her and Draco had already dug in, she stabbed a fork into the far-too-lightly dressed kale salad. They'd need a real dinner after this calamity.
"Well, why don't we cut to it?" Lucius asked. "You clearly don't want to keep your relationship private when you gallivant around the city and take flights together."
"I told you that we weren't keeping our relationship private, father."
Snape shook his head, his wide nostrils flaring in annoyance.
"Anything that isn't a public statement is private, Draco. The only person you're fooling with your deliberate obtuseness is yourself… and maybe the girl."
Hermione tried not to bristle at the man's tone. It was rich coming from him; wasn't he the one in a relationship with another man who masqueraded as a hardline conservative?
"What would you suggest then, Severus?" Abraxas cut in before Draco could snap back at his father's chief of staff.
The man's voice grew slightly less chilly as he addressed his first boss. Hermione tucked that away for later; maybe Abraxas was their key here.
"I am not the millionaire matchmaker, Brax, thank the good Lord for that. But you're either fully out to the public or you're hiding something. If Draco chose to engage in relations with a woman his own age, we could skirt around this. But since he's seen fit to date a child-"
"That's enough," Draco replied, voice tense.
Instead of backing down, Snape put on a nasty grin that made what Hermione thought to be a slightly unattractive face into a vicious one.
"Since he's seen fit to date a child," the man continued, "There are many reasons that you wouldn't want to go public. Anything but an overt statement is an agreement with all of those who will believe you to be an ashamed pervert."
"Good Lord, my boy," Abraxas shook his head at his former staffer. "Always gotta burr in your saddle."
Hermione had a harder time hiding her giggle at that, trying to focus on her salad while everyone else ignored the jibe. She was a northwest girl in a room of southern men.
"If I may," Tom Riddle spoke up for the first time.
Hermione had always been put off by how attractive but unemotional the man was. She would never forget how a video had gone viral of the man being confronted by a mother at a grocery store in Georgia. He was clearly just shopping when a woman approached him, and the entire world had seen his caustic disregard of the crying, polite lady as she begged him to join the House in passing expanded health coverage under Kingsleycare. She shared that her five-year-old son's cancer treatments were racking up bills that they'd never be able to afford, something that the legislation would help rectify.
The man had been silent as he checked the ripeness of peaches, not even flinching as one of his constituents pleaded with him and shared the tragic tale of her circumstance. The bill had eventually passed the Senate when the Democrats gained control of the chamber for a short two years, but the point still stood where Hermione was concerned. An elected official who ignored a crying mother with a terminally sick child was someone she'd never respect.
Tom took the silence of the room as permission to speak. "Public service is a sacrifice. It's an undertaking that the five of us chose; whether by swearing an oath to the Constitution or signing a contract as staff to an elected official... It was a choice. A knowing sacrifice. You'll hear, Miss Granger, that running for office is the product of vanity. Anyone who says so has no inkling of knowledge, of the blood, sweat, tears and sacrifice that one must undergo to put themselves on a pedestal for all to see. The scrutiny one undergoes under the bright lights with nothing to do but ask the voting populace to take you as you are is humbling for even those who enter into politics for self-aggrandizing purposes."
The man's dark eyes bored into Hermione's, like he was trying to blow a hole into her head with the sheer force of will. Upstart Hill staffer that she was, she kept eye contact the entire time.
"The name Malfoy means something in America; it's something that southerners in particular cling to, not that you would understand."
It was hard not to flinch at his scathing dismissal of her.
"The Malfoys are a symbol of the old ways, of the values that harken back to a simpler time… their reputation is built on duty, honor, and faith. Every marriage in the Malfoy-Black family has only increased the family's popularity. Malfoy is synonymous with patriotism; the family name is spotless. Spotless enough to allow three generations to reach the highest echelons of the United States government, with the Oval Office now within reach.
"These are good men… their wives are lovely women. And then there's you, Miss Granger. What a surprise you've been. The quintessential American story, riches to rags to riches once more after you met Draco."
"Tom," Draco warned, but the older man only held a hand up in a warning of his own before grabbing a manila folder from the sizable pile of papers in front of him and flipping it open.
"Let's see… Hermione Granger, born to Jillian Millen and Robert Granger. The pair were hardworking dentists, true upper-middle class Americans… paid their taxes, voted in every election, volunteered to help the less fortunate."
Hermione's eyes filled with tears as the man continued to pull out papers, including her parents' mugshots from their initial arrests.
All she could do was put on her thickest pair of mental earplugs to zone out what she knew would come next and try not to sob. They performed a comprehensive background check on her. As though she was coming into their lives to ruin them. As though she didn't tell Draco all of this already.
"I was sorry to hear about their unfortunate vices, Miss Granger… Drug addiction is the scourge of our lifetime. How tough it must have been to go through your formative years with the neglect and pain that comes from absent parents and a father in prison. These mugshots… what a pity."
"Enough!" Draco roared in a fiercer tone than Hermione had ever heard from him.
"Son… You need to know who she is before you give up everything for her and take your family down with you," Lucius replied, clearly on board the 'dig into Hermione's life and see what she's hiding' train.
Draco slammed a fist down on the table, sending the plastic silverware jolting in the air. Hermione had hoped that her salad would flip over so she wouldn't have to finish it, dry pile of greens it was. No luck.
"I know who she is! We had this conversation months ago without any need for a private investigator. Hermione has been completely transparent with me regarding her family."
Hermione had to swallow a sob at that and tried to focus on her anger rather than her mortification. These men would gladly drink her tears up if she let them.
Lucius looked aghast. Whether it was over the fact that Draco knew and didn't care or that his grand theatrical reveal was thwarted, Hermione didn't know. She just found herself hoping that his bulging eyes would pop right out of his handsome face.
"If you already knew, then I'm questioning your survival instincts," Tom snapped.
"This isn't the regency era, Tom," Draco snapped back, placing a hand over Hermione's in her lap and prying her fingernails away from where she'd been digging them into her thigh in an effort to stay calm and composed. "There is no expectation for Hermione to have a perfect family."
"If anything, doesn't it make her more relatable, not to mention admirable?" Abraxas asked before deepening his voice like a radio broadcaster. "Bright young woman struggles with adversity and her parents' addiction only to work her way through college and into a good job. It's the sort of 'pull yourself up by your bootstraps' story everyone loves."
It stung to know that even the kindest member of Draco's family was thinking of her as a political pawn and attempting to fit her into the mold of Republican talking points.
"The royals… they set a precedent there," Abraxas continued.
"The girl isn't Meghan Markle," Severus spat. "Draco isn't Prince Harry. He's the predatory Congressman son of a presidential candidate, no better than the likes of Anthony Weiner. The fall from grace would be just as monumental."
Hermione couldn't help but think that was a tad dramatic, especially in the man's silky low drawl.
"Are you going to sit here pretending you didn't date a senator?" Abraxas asked, left eyebrow raised.
"Not one who was 20 years my senior!"
"Close enough," Draco replied. "Now, is there anything that you actually need from us other than your failed attempt at surprising me?"
"Yes," Lucius replied with a sigh. His posture softened ever so slightly.
"Hermione, I can see that my son has stayed by your side when there are so many things about you that should have sent him running. So what I ask is that you take time this month to truly assess the state of your life and whether or not you are ready to be tied to our family. This is not a high school fling. I will not have my campaign be waylaid by silly romantic strife or drama; anything that diverts attention from my agenda will not be tolerated. Do you understand?"
"Yes sir," Hermione replied in a voice that was far weaker than she wanted. This conversation had effectively doused her fiery spirit.
"Girl," Snape said, black eyes boring into her own with extreme distaste. "I've been where you are. This is not fun. The prestige of events and having your name tied to a public official are not worth the hell coming your way if you have any doubts in your mind whatsoever about this… relationship. There is no hiding away and waiting for the storm to pass; you're half his age and an underling in his place of work, on the other side of the aisle no less. Your life for the next few years will be a relentless hurricane if you go through with this, and you're likely to lose your friends and your job along the way. Make sure you know what you're doing."
Hermione nodded, anger building up again to an unmanageable place. She had to speak.
"You act as though I'm a stupid child without a brain," she replied angrily, voice shaky but strong. "I know exactly what I'm doing. Draco knows exactly who I am, and I know who he is."
"You silly, stupid girl," Tom chided none too gently. "You don't have the slightest clue what you're doing. There's no way you possibly can. You've been through all of one Congressional election, and only a few weeks of it at that. I will only tell you once; get out while you can and live as any little girl would. Find yourself a nice consultant a few years down the line and forget the Malfoys ever existed."
"This burden is more than a girl like you can bear," the man's husband agreed, holding up a hand to Draco and tutting when he tried to interject.
Snape then turned to Hermione, black eyes glittering threateningly. "Whether you stay with him or not, consider yourself warned: Say a word about anything that has transpired with the Malfoys, for personal gain or even just a drunken conversation in a bar somewhere, and I will take pleasure in making your life a living hell. Is that understood?"
Hermione wanted to bristle at his threats and at the way they all talked down to her like she was an unruly youth, but she was still reeling from everything that had just transpired and could only nod.
"We're leaving," Draco replied, pushing back from the table. Hermione tried her best not to recoil from the hand that he reached out to her. He was the only real ally she had in the room, and it was hard not to feel that he'd left her a bit undefended, especially with Severus doling out threats.
The room was silent as they walked out; no one tried to stop them. Draco had no parting shots for the men. Abraxas didn't even reprimand the trio of terror.
It was impossible not to feel utterly alone. This was a time that she really did want someone to fight for her like she was a movie heroine. Draco couldn't even tell them to fuck off or go to hell? Even a scoff would've made her feel better.
"I want to go home," Hermione said quietly as Draco started the car.
"We are, sweetheart," he replied, neck craned out as he checked for oncoming traffic before pulling out of his parents' driveway.
"No," she shook her head. "My house."
"Hermione… we need to talk."
"I don't want to talk right now," she replied, voice sharp and high as she clasped her hands in her lap to stop them from visibly trembling.
Draco shook his head, "Not talking will only make this worse."
"I don't think this can get much worse," she replied, cursing the tear that started rolling down her cheek.
Why was it so hard not to cry when she was livid?
"Sweetheart. Grandfather is handing them their asses right now. He wasn't going to do it while you were there, not when they were trying their hardest to get you out of the picture."
"I'm not so sure about that. No one seemed too keen to stand up for me."
Draco looked away from the highway for a long moment, long enough Hermione thought they may die in a fiery car accident, and wouldn't that just be the cherry on top of the shit sundae her evening had become.
"Is that why you're upset?"
Her laugh was uncharacteristically vicious. "Partly. Would you want to go into a room and be attacked by some of the most powerful people in the world with no one to back you up?"
"Every time I walk into a room with my father he's still the Senate Majority Leader."
"So?"
"So I have to treat him with a deference that very few grown men on earth treat their father with. Especially in front of Tom."
"You could've prepared me better for it, Draco. I looked stupid and childish. They called me a little girl, to my face."
"I'm sorry, Hermione… I'm sorry."
The rest of the ride home was tense and silent, and Hermione only let a sob out when she saw that Pansy was leaning against the doorframe, clearly following her location on 'Find My Friends.' She hadn't even thought to let her roommate know that she was on the way home, but as always… Pansy just knew.
"Whose throat am I cutting?" Pansy asked as the car door opened, walking down the steps to meet Hermione.
Knowing just how crotchety Draco was about Pansy's insolence, Hermione just shook her head.
"I'll slit his. I don't need a job," Pansy warned. Hermione didn't look back to see Draco's expression, only accepting Pansy's arm over her shoulders as they walked back towards the house.
"He hates when you do that," Hermione shook her head, certain that Draco would stay parked in front of their house until they shut the door. Before, she always thought it was cute how he'd think that someone would jump out of the bushes and kill her on the short walk from the car to the house, but now it just pained her. Draco wasn't there for her when she needed him most.
"Think I give a shit?" Pansy replied with a snort. "Clearly he did something, and I will quit without notice. I couldn't care less about him or my job."
"Thank you," Hermione smiled wobbly. Pansy's coddling was rare and always made her emotional.
"Don't cry yet! You are sober, and I have two bottles of wine for us to drink before the tears can begin."
"I'm going to change," Hermione muttered, taking a moment upstairs to change into pajamas and take her makeup off.
When her face was clear and her hair was back in a bun, Hermione dragged her favorite blanket downstairs like she was a little girl seeking her parents out after a nightmare. Only she was headed down to see a woman about a bottle of wine.
"Ok, let's go," Pansy smiled, flipping her silky brown hair over her shoulder and patting the couch. There was already a cinnamon candle going, and it was clear that Pansy knew how badly this dinner would go.
Hermione sighed as she curled up on the couch, resisting the urge to nuzzle her head into Pansy's lap.
"It was awful."
"Drink first," Pansy directed, taking an instructive gulp of her own light pink wine.
Hermione followed along, taking down half the glass in one go.
"It was awful," she repeated.
"Tell me everything."
So Hermione did, with surprisingly few interjections from Pansy.
"Well… it sounds like it went better than I thought it would."
Hermione snorted.
"I'm serious, sis. I thought they'd offer you money to leave the family alone. At least they're giving you the final decision on whether or not you stay with Draco, even if they were total dicks about it. A choice is a choice, even if it feels like you're being forced out."
Hermione felt slightly hurt by the mere idea of a bribe; did they think she was easy enough to send away without even an offer of money? No, she decided. Lucius knew her well enough at this point to realize that she'd never accept money from them.
"So what now? They have made it evident that my very existence is repugnant, and I'm no one that they want anywhere near their son."
"Families like the Malfoys… families like mine, reputation and duty are the only things that matter. My father asks himself the same question every time he makes a decision; will it hurt our reputation?"
"That's ridiculous, Pansy! The entire time we were talking, they never once referenced that they were pleased to see Draco happy."
Pansy sighed. "That doesn't matter to them. You are an outsider in every way. You are the powder keg about to explode both their lives and Lucius' presidential campaign. At this point, you need to think very carefully about what you want to do. If you and Draco stay together, what you're telling them is that you are serious. That engagement and marriage and children will come next and that you'll be a dutiful political wife."
Hermione was too incensed to call out Pansy's reference to what she considered 'a ridiculously overrated musical.'
"Is this the 1700s? Like, honestly! How am I supposed to know that I'll spend the rest of my life with Draco? I'm not a psychic. No one knows if their marriage will last. He could die. I could die. One of us could cheat. I coul-"
"Stop! Just stop. You're not wrong. But you're also not operating under the same mindset as these people, and that's what you need to change if you want to stay with Draco and not lose your fucking mind. Thinking that your in-laws and their closest friends are awful people who want the worst for you is a pretty shit way to live."
"So?" Hermione asked, chin jutted out like a petulant child.
"So you need to think through what you want to do. This isn't a Hallmark movie. The Malfoys aren't going to realize the error of their ways and pull you into a group hug at the town Christmas festival right before the credits roll."
Hermione scoffed and almost spit out her sip of wine. They'd made their way through the first bottle, and her head was starting to get a little fuzzy. Clearly, Pansy had been binging movies over the holiday.
"For those of us in the Malfoy's circle, marriage isn't about love. It's about duty. My parents are more loveless than a caught fish and a hooked worm, and I've had an entire lifetime of resigning myself to the same fate. The Parkinsons are nowhere near the Malfoys in wealth and prestige, but there's still something to be gained from an advantageous marriage. Connections, property, seriously medieval shit that my parents think matters, but this is my life. Draco prolonged his fate for a while, but at the end of the day, he's still a Malfoy, and he still has expectations set on his shoulders, and his parents expected him to marry ages ago."
There was nothing to do but remain silent while Pansy drank more. The girl rarely ever talked about her life outside of quippy comments, and Hermione wanted to hear more.
"From what I can tell, Draco thought he was off the hook since he's so much older. That's clearly not the case. Whoever he marries is going to have to play their game… they're not going to hold you at gunpoint until you smile at public events for the rest of your life. It's an expectation of being with him, and you just have to ask yourself if it's worth it."
In her inebriated state, Hermione thought that holding her at gunpoint was precisely the sort of thing Tom Riddle and Severus Snape might do.
"No one can know if their significant other is the one!" Hermione felt the way her mouth couldn't quite perfectly form around her words; she was well on her way to being drunk.
"All they're saying is that you need to be relatively certain because everything that's coming with the campaign and Draco's career isn't for the faint of heart. You have to be all in. You have to really love him, sis."
Hermione teared up a bit, wine be damned. "I do! I love him… he is the only man who's ever made me laugh and challenged me intellectually and actually made me think twice about chivalry not being awful."
Pansy laughed loudly at that, refilling both of their glasses.
"But I don't know. It's not been that long, and it's not like I have a lot of past boyfriends to compare him to. How can anyone know?"
"It's called a leap of faith for a reason. But you either need to take the leap or be ready for someone to push you off or pull you back. There isn't much room for flexibility here, unfortunately."
Pansy was right. Draco was still a Malfoy. She was the new variable bucking up the immovable force that was Malfoy tradition. And she'd never ask Draco to irrevocably change his life so that they could be together. He loved his job. He loved his family. Even if he loved her… he wouldn't drop everything for her, and she didn't expect him to. Honestly, she didn't want him to put his ambitions aside for her. He'd be a shell of who she knew him to be if he did.
"I wish Draco was here," Hermione admitted, head pleasantly fuzzy and heavy as she curled up tightly against the arm of the couch.
"Call him then. I'm sure he's losing his shit," Pansy smirked.
"I don't know… I have a lot to think about."
"Better to talk to him drunk than sober, in my opinion."
Maybe Hermione was just drunk, but… Pansy may have had a point there.
Which is how she ended up tucked into bed with a piping hot pizza and Draco trying to shove a glass of ice water down her throat.
After she'd relented and swallowed down half of the glass, he sat down. Instead of snuggling up against her, he was lounging diagonally from her, legs crossed and his whole body stiff. She hated it.
"Happy?" Hermione asked, rolling her eyes. She'd almost forgotten that she was supposed to be angry with him. Or at least a bit pensive over the status of their relationship.
"No," he shook his head, his smug smirk turning into a frown. "I don't like that you just left without allowing us to talk things through."
"That's hardly fair, Draco."
"I'm not here to start a second fight, Hermione," he replied, clearly all too happy to take on the same snippy tone she'd used.
"We aren't fighting."
"Oh?"
The man could be just as irritating as someone half his age sometimes.
"We aren't fighting, Draco. I'm trying to reconcile our lives in my head."
Draco laughed a little and it just rankled her.
"Stop!"
"I know," he replied, a giggle in his tone. Giggle? Why was he giggling? "You're just a bit drunk, sweetheart."
"Don't call me that," she snapped.
"If you don't want to talk then I'll leave. You're the one who asked me over."
Draco was just as stern in his reply, and she felt herself get a bit weepy over him using that tone against her. He was never harsh with her.
"I'm just not sure what to say… tonight was tough to swallow."
"I agree with you, I have nothing to say. They went into tonight trying to shock me by revealing your past, and fighting with them would've only prolonged the night. I told them that I know about your past and that it isn't going to send me running. That's a much clearer defense to these men than screaming at them would've been. You need to trust me on that, sweetheart. They know that they aren't getting rid of you after tonight."
"I can't feel alone in this, Draco. I just can't," her shoulders were slumped in defeat, and she fought the intense desire to crawl into Draco's lap.
"I promise that you won't… I promise. I'll be here to defend you going forward, and I'm deeply sorry for not preparing you better for tonight."
"I accept your apology," she said primly, drawing a laugh from Draco.
"You're scrappy when you're drunk."
She just squinted at him; Draco was always catty at the most annoying of times.
He patted her blanket covered knee fondly, clearly trying to hide his amusement.
"Go on then, love. You look like you've got more to say. Tell me what's going on in that pretty head of yours. But drink some more water first, please."
She took another sip just to humor him as well as taking a large bite of the last slice of pizza for good measure before speaking.
"Since you ask… I don't think that anyone can be certain that they're meant to be with someone else. There's a reason that half of marriages end in divorce even though everyone says their wedding is the best day of their life. People don't know they're not meant to be together until they're actually together. So for your father and Senator Riddle and Mr. Snape to say that I'm ruining your life and career and your father's ambitions if I don't know one thousand percent that we're supposed to be together… That makes me uneasy. It also makes them sound stupid."
"I understand," Draco was laughing in agreement, much to her relief "Marriage is a high stakes game for normal people, and I'm under no illusions that we are anything close to normal. I wish I could tell you to take a chance on me, but that would be selfish. I love you, sweetheart. You have my heart, and I've lived this life long enough to come to terms with you leaving me and taking my heart with you."
Hermione's eyes watered, and she reached a hand out towards Draco. He seemed so far away, sitting with crossed legs on the other side of her queen bed. Thankfully, he took her hand in his own.
Draco loved her, and despite the timing, she didn't take his admission as a desperate plea to keep her around. She wouldn't hold it against Draco for telling her at such an inappropriate time. Not when all she really craved right now was confirmation of how much he cared, however unhealthy that might look to others.
"I'm not going to fight you. I'm not going to try to force you into this life as much as my instincts want me to. There's too much at stake for you to be with me as anything but a completely willing partner from the start. But if you stay… I'll cherish you every day, sweetheart. You are so precious to me. I love my job, but I'm certain that I can prove I love you more if you give me a chance. We'll have some bad days, but hopefully the good ones outweigh them."
Her voice was shaky, "We have a lot of bad days ahead."
"We do. A hell of a lot of bad days are ahead. We'll both lose friends, and there will be a lot of people who won't understand. But I'll fight for you every step of the way. You won't be alone anymore, Hermione. Not if you give me a chance."
"I'm scared," she whispered, tears falling down her makeupless face.
"I'm scared too," Draco said just as quietly. "I thought they were going to tell me that I needed to make an honest woman out of you, not bully you into leaving me. I don't want to lose you, Hermione, but I know the position that this puts you in. I won't force you to stay with me."
"Your family loves you. They'll stand by you even if we don't make it. I have no one to stand up for me if this all falls apart. I could lose my job, and if I lose my job… I'll be on the streets."
"That won't happen, Hermione. Even if we don't work out, I'll make sure you're taken care of. I wish I could swear a blood oath, but all I can do is give you my word."
"What if you lose your seat?"
"I'm not going to lose my seat, and I don't think anyone stands a chance against my father for the Republican Party's nomination."
"And then you'd be in the Senate if he wins the general."
Draco nodded, "The Senate would be easier…"
Hermione had to interject. "But you'll have to work closely with Senator Riddle. Especially if he's the majority leader, he'll have his thumb on your life for as long as you serve."
The blond sighed. "I'd be lying if I told you he was easy to work with. The good news is that if father wins his race, then he'll have to back off. He won't want to piss the president off, and more than that, he won't have a leg to stand on if the public accepts us."
"He scares me," Hermione whispered, embarrassed to even admit that.
"Then he did what he set out to do tonight. Men like him gain power by whatever means they deem necessary. He thinks you can be easily swayed because he doesn't know you, and you showed him that you're made of tougher stuff than that tonight. It's a lot to ask, but if we stay together, you'll just have to keep doing that."
"How's he even married?"
Draco snorted in the way that always made Hermione a bit smug.
"Tom is an extremely odd man. He had a traumatic childhood that my father and grandfather know nothing of, but it's led to his callousness and private nature. It's not an excuse, but it's as much of an explanation as we're ever going to get."
"So… how's he married?" Hermione asked again.
"Like attracts like. Both Tom and Severus would find more joy witnessing the murder of an adversary than the wedding of those they love. Well, Tom would be more likely to coordinate a murder than watch one, but that's besides the point."
"Not to rub salt in the wound, but maybe I'm just too young to remember… Did they really catch no flack when they announced their marriage? I can hardly believe that a gay, Republican couple didn't set people off in 1990s Georgia."
Draco shook his head. "It was the 90s. No smart phones, no social media… They couldn't even get legally married until a few years ago. By then, enough time had passed that no one cared anymore. Tom has never made a move without ensuring that it won't foil his next steps. His ambitions begin and end with becoming Senate Majority Leader. When father told him he was running for president, the man laughed and said that presidential aspirations are the folly of the vain."
Hermione laughed loudly at the thought of Lucius's anger over Tom's subtle, chastising response to something the blond man certainly thought he'd be applauded over.
"He isn't wrong," Draco continued. "The power of the Senate Majority Leader is unmatched. The president has the final signature, but the Majority Leader chooses what legislation to actually take up. Tom is a smart man, and he has bided his time and formed tight relationships inside and outside of the Capitol while father's been at the helm. He's set himself up well for a long reign, provided we keep the chamber in upcoming elections."
"That seems like a sad life," Hermione frowned. "He cares more about power than love… I hope he doesn't come to regret it."
"Tom and Severus have found love, however cold and unappealing it seems to warm-blooded humans like us. Unlike him, I can promise that I'll never hide you away, even if it's politically expedient. You are my partner, not someone I fear to be a political liability."
"Even though I am," Hermione smiled weakly.
"Even though you are," Draco replied kindly, pressing a kiss to Hermione's hand that he'd clasped in his own. "I don't know what is to come, which is why I'm not going to sugarcoat it or blame you if you leave. Just know I love you, and I'm not going to leave you to weather this storm alone. Now… why don't you go to sleep? We can continue this conversation tomorrow when you're sober."
Her normally racing mind was slow, and she knew that it was dangerous to weigh Draco's proclamation of love in her ever-growing mental list of reasons to stay together. It was far more nuanced than him simply having feelings for her; this was her life. She had no fortune, no family name to rest on, and she was completely dispensable at work. Congressman Potter may see her as a valuable asset in the office now, but she wasn't vain enough to think that she couldn't be replaced with the next hardworking college graduate who walked in the door. Love wasn't enough to throw her life away, even though she'd join a long line of foolish young women who'd done exactly that.
"You're right," she agreed. "Thank you for coming over tonight… Hopefully my brain feels a bit less scrambled in the morning."
"Alcohol will do that to you," Draco laughed. "Tomorrow will be a long day, but I'll text you when I'm leaving the Capitol."
"Okay," she smiled, feeling guilty at the reminder of Draco's early morning. "I'm sorry for keeping you up, I know you have a long day tomorrow."
Draco held a large hand up, "Don't apologize, Hermione. I care more about your feelings than getting eight hours of sleep."
The man sighed loudly as he stood up, and Hermione raised an eyebrow in question at the noise.
"I hear the TV blasting, which means Pansy's still up. I'll let her say her piece, you just stay up here and save yourself. Okay?"
"Bye," she laughed, waving to him as he grabbed the pizza box, shut her lights off, and headed downstairs. Pansy would likely threaten her boss, which would only cause him to grow more frustrated with her. But honestly… Draco deserved a little heat after the night she'd gone through. So she slept without worry for the heated conversation that was taking place downstairs.
xxx
January 4, 2019
It was only two hours into her first work day of the year, but Hermione was already relishing the freedom that came with no longer being tethered to the front desk of her office.
The only trouble so far was her proclivity to immediately reach for the office phone every time it rang, but that was more of a joy than a hardship to undergo. She was finally scooching her way up the totem pole.
Colin Creevey, their new staff assistant, was a bubbly, fresh-faced boy who would be knocked back down to earth just like Hermione and everyone else who came to DC with a dream and hope to enact change. But until then, Hermione would do what she could to help him settle into the role, especially when his success meant that she could solely focus on her new role as legislative correspondent.
"How was your break, Hermione?" Tonks asked with a smile.
"It was nice," Hermione sighed. "A bit weird, though, not checking my phones 24/7 thinking I'm going to miss an email."
"That will never get easier," Tonks laughed. "I feel phantom vibrations all of the time, but I've gotten to the point where I realize that I need to take time for myself and not feel bad about it."
"I need to get better at that. How did you celebrate?"
"Oh, just my pops, mom and me as usual. Lifelong party of three."
"That's so sweet," Hermione smiled, tamping down her curiosity on the family dynamic that Tonks always floated but never elaborated on. "They live here, right?"
"Yep," Tonks smiled. "They've lived in NoVa their whole life."
"I'm sure it's great to have him so close by… makes it a bit easier to see him when times are so hectic."
"You're telling me!" Tonks agreed. "Especially now when the bossman is stepping into his role as E&C chair, I have no idea what's ahead."
"Same here… hopefully it's smooth sailing," Hermione smiled, never feeling comfortable with anything edging on gossipy conversations when their office was so open.
"Sorry to bug you," Colin squeaked, walking into the back office with a wide eyed stare.
"What's up, bud?" Tonks asked with a sweet smile.
"Remus called… he needs someone to bring Ja- Mr. er… Congressman Potter a phone charger and iPad from his office. He's at a committee meeting."
"So bring it to him," Penelope yelled from her desk, not standing up. Leave it to the scheduler to be surly as always.
"I can just go into his office?" he asked in disbelief.
Hermione stood up, "I can show you how to get to the hearing room, I'm sure you'll be heading there quite a bit going forward."
"Thank you, Hermione!" he sighed, right on Hermione's heels as she went into James' office to grab the requested items before walking out into the hallway at a fast clip.
"No problem. I know it's a lot to learn," she smiled. "You did the right thing, asking for help."
"I don't want to annoy anyone, but I don't want to mess up!" he replied.
That was a conundrum Hermione knew all too well after a year of working on the HIll.
"It's better to ask too many questions than do something wrong, no matter what you've been told about independence and self-sufficiency in college. Up here, any mistake could prove a scandal for the Congressman, so I always err on the side of caution."
Colin just nodded seriously, "Thank you, Hermione. You're already saving my life."
She didn't reply, just focusing on not tripping in her heels after a few weeks without wearing them regularly.
"You wait out here, I'll run these in," she directed. The last thing they needed was for Colin to interrupt the first full Energy and Commerce Committee meeting of the year and piss Remus or James off.
It was Colin's first day, so she was happy to take the heat if there was any for how long it took to respond to Remus' request.
Walking into the full room, the first thing Hermione noticed was Draco in the top row of the dais seated directly to the left of her boss. Ranking Member Draco Malfoy certainly had a nice ring to it.
It was hard not to trip while walking up the steps on the left side of the room. Draco's eyes were tracking her so intensely that she could feel his heated gaze without even looking at him.
Remus and James didn't notice her, so she walked as quietly as she could behind the top row of seats and placed the iPad and charger on the long wooden table that served as the desk for the most senior members of the committee.
"Oh, thank God," James groaned as he looked up from the stack of papers in front of him and noticed the goods now in his possession. "Thanks, Hermione."
"Of course, sir," she replied quietly, grateful to find that his microphone was off while a staffer nanded out packets of paper to the Members. It really was like the first day of school around here.
Draco winked at her as she walked by, a move that seemed all too obvious to her. Regardless, she was smiling like an idiot as she walked out to Colin.
Draco had come over after swearing-in the previous night, and Hermione had felt much more prepared to have a serious conversation with him when sober.
She remembered everything that'd gone down while she was drunk, but being able to look at Draco with clear eyes and have him tell her he loved her was the reassurance that she needed to tell him just how much she cared about him. Nothing had changed, not even with the threats of 60-year-old men who felt the need to treat a 22-year-old girl like garbage.
She still hadn't told Draco she loved him, even if she knew it was true. The timing didn't feel right, honestly, not when there was so much ahead of them. A conversation with James and Remus. Lucius' announcement. Sharing their relationship publicly. She needed to make it through the impending conversation with her boss before she professed her love to him; there was too much on the line there for her to let him fully into her heart just yet.
Not surprisingly, Draco was sure enough of himself to not look dejected over her smiling instead of responding with the desired three words, which was just another check on the ever-growing 'Draco Malfoy is the perfect man' list.
"All good?" Colin asked as Hermione walked out of the hearing room. She'd made sure to walk in the attractive way that Pansy had taught her to on the off chance that Draco was watching her leave. Knowing him… he'd definitely kept his eyes on her. That had her smiling even more stupidly.
"I'm great," Hermione grinned sunnily. "The hearing rooms are like landmines, though, you need to be quiet and decisive in navigating them. Members are set up in three long rows in the E&C hearing room, and Congressman Potter will always be at the center of the top row since he's chairman. That just means that you'll have to be really careful when bringing him things, or try and have another staffer meet you on the side of the room so you don't need to walk into the middle of a hearing or meeting. The last thing you want to do is trip and have C-SPAN capture it for all to see."
"Got it," Colin replied, eyebrows scrunched as though he was trying to imprint the information in his head. He looked far younger than a recent college graduate had the right to with floppy golden blond hair and innocent hazel eyes. "Embarrassing myself on TV sounds like a nightmare."
"Of course," Hermione pulled her hand up to her face when she felt one of her phones vibrate.
Draco: You look beautiful today.
Hermione had to hide the giggle that threatened to come out of her at Draco's uncharacteristically boyish text.
Hermione: Thank you :) I thought I may trip walking up and down those stairs.
Draco: You navigated them like a champ, especially in those heels. And that dress…
Hermione: Down boy. You're in a professional meeting, Mr. Ranking Member.
Draco: Your boss talks enough for the both of us; I don't think anyone will notice me daydreaming.
Hermione: Well, our new hire is looking at me like I'm a loon. Try to avoid that on your end (Moody's always watching you…)
"That was so cool!" Hermione jolted as the boy tried to start another thread of conversation. "I could only see the top row, but Mr. Potter and Draco Malfoy and Alastor Moody were all in there! I feel like I'm working on a movie set or something!"
Hermione laughed a bit, "You'll get used to it, but you're right… being around elected officials is definitely a bit jarring."
"Wow… I wonder if I'll get to meet Speaker Dumbledore and get a photo with him!"
Colin's gaze was too innocent for her to speak as sternly as she wanted to. Honestly… this wasn't a comic con; it's Congress. She'd never understand staff and interns stopping Members for photos.
"No, absolutely not. Everything you do is directly tied to Congressman Potter, so asking another member for a photo is a huge no."
The boy blew out a gust breath. "Well, when you put it that way, I don't even want to go to happy hours! The last thing I need is to get drunk and make a fool of myself..."
"It's not that serious," Hermione smiled, realizing in that moment that she was reassuring herself as much as Colin. "Just put your head down, work hard, and always represent Congressman Potter as well as you can."
"I'll try! Thanks Hermione… I'm so happy you're here to help me. I think my head would've exploded if you weren't here to help."
She just laughed. If there were to be any heads exploding on Team Potter this year, she was certain it'd be her own.
xxx
January 8, 2019
Hermione had never been the dramatic type, but she felt soap opera level sighing was warranted at the moment.
Pansy had set up a post-work meeting between Draco and James with a vague call to James' scheduler, Penelope, that Congressman Malfoy had an important matter to discuss with her boss. It seemed that was all the explanation they needed to get it on the books for Tuesday and set Hermione up for the most nerve wracking day of her life.
They were both uncertain of how to share that she'd be a part of the meeting, and ultimately decided to leave it as a spur of the moment happening. James was a blabber mouth on the best of days, and giving hi]m a four-day lead time on the fact that his beloved young staffer and 40-year-old colleague needed to meet with him privately was a recipe for disaster.
So that's why Hermione meandered that evening, knowing that their meeting was set for 7pm and that everyone from her office would be gone by the time Draco showed up.
She'd barely gotten any work done all day, but who could blame her? Ideally, she would've loved to have had a productive maybe-last-day of work, but it had proven impossible.
She steeled herself when the door to the office opened and Draco walked in with a pinched expression on his face. Before she could even stand up, Remus was greeting the man.
Just like they'd been forced to practice by Pansy over the weekend, Draco just nodded and smiled. She'd been a drill sergeant, and even Draco was grateful for it. Somehow, Pansy could find the perfect balance of tone and disposition in every scenario. Draco, as her boss, couldn't ethically buy her a gift in thanks, but Hermione took care of that for the both of them.
"Actually, if Hermione's able to join us…"
Draco trailed off in the same uncertain way that Pansy had instructed. It would force Remus to just say yes without asking any questions. Even if Draco was a Malfoy and Remus thought the Malfoys to be the antichrist, he was still a Member of Congress. The chief of staff said yes just as they'd thought, and Hermione stood up and walked over to the duo.
Like clockwork, James' office door opened and he peeked his head out.
"Hermione, what are you still doing here? Go home!" he chastised, drawing a nervous laugh from her.
It was a bit of an awkward pause as the other three waited to see who'd speak first.
Draco took the lead, "Actually, James, I was hoping she could join us. Sorry to put this on you at the last minute."
"Sure… sure," James replied, eyes narrowing slightly as he looked between the pair. This was the suspicion they'd tried to nip in the bud.
Remus took his normal seat at the right hand of James' desk, and Hermione allowed Draco to pull up a third chair before taking a seat in the more comfortable one that matched the one her chief was sat in. Draco could suffer through the discomfort of a stiff chair.
"So what brings you here?" James asked, eyes darting between the three people in front of them.
"First, I ask that you allow me to speak without interruption," Draco said, voice a smidge icier than Hermione was sure he wanted it to be. His automatic reaction was to close himself off in the face of uncertainty, she knew, but he would need to lighten up if they were to get through this alive.
"Get to it," James flicked a hand impatiently, drumming his fingers on his desk. He was onto them.
"Well, I've never had a conversation like this, so bear with me here," Draco smiled as though he hadn't already drilled this story into his head. "Almost a year ago, I ran into Hermione up here and realized that we'd met while she interned up here. We'd got to talking, and discovered how much we had in common… which leads us here. We've been seeing each other since June, and we are at the point where we find it irresponsible to keep it from you any longer."
Hermione took a shaky breath, unable to lift her eyes from the hem of her dress to see the kind of expressions that were on James and Remus' face.
"I understand the position that this puts you both in, ethically, socially, and personally. Not to mention the rest of your staff. But I promise you that Hermione will be treated with nothing less than the same respect and deference that I've shown her throughout our relationship thus far. I hope that you can continue to see Hermione in the same light, regardless of who she involves herself with romantically. She's still the same intelligent, hardworking, kind and discreet woman she was before you learned about her personal life."
That last bit was definitely different than what they'd rehearsed, especially the protective tone he'd taken on. But it was so very Draco, and left her feeling warm inside… for the moment, at least.
Hermione flinched at the banging of a fist on a desk and looked up to see a frighteningly stormy expression on her boss' face.
"What the hell?" James asked, eyes darting between the pair. "She's half your age, Malfoy!"
The mere look on James' face had her feeling uneasy, and by the way that Draco shifted slightly in his seat, she knew he felt the same.
"I'm well aware of that," Draco replied simply.
"Don't get smart with me," James spat back, fingers now drumming even faster on his desk. "You're taking advantage of a young girl; she could be your daughter!"
"I know," Draco nodded. "We understand how this looks, both by the nature of our age difference and our professions. That's why we wanted to come to you."
"Stop speaking for her!" James snapped. "That's how men like you get away with this… Hermione? Is it true?"
She was taken aback by the protectiveness in his tone, and felt oddly touched despite the circumstance. The more she thought about it, though, James knew her as more than just one of the people on his payroll. She'd spent Thanksgiving with his family; she was friends with his own son. Clearly, she'd need to treat him in the same way she'd treat her own father if he would've cared enough to have this conversation with them.
"Yes sir," she gulped, feeling nervous in front of James for the first time since the early days of her internship. "And I appreciate your concern, but our relationship is consensual. I never expected to end up in a relationship like this, but Draco has treated me well and been nothing but receptive to my worries and my needs."
"That's not," James cut himself off, running a hand through his already messy black hair. "Hermione… he's twice your age. You do realize how this will look?"
"James," Remus warned.
The man held a hand up to stop his highest-ranked staffer. "I know, Remus. This isn't just about work. Hermione, this is your life… you have to have thought twice about this?"
She closed her eyes for a moment, feeling like the world was spinning a bit too fast as her boss showed more care about her life decisions than her parents ever had. How did she assure him that she was going to be just fine personally and professionally while staying with Draco?"
"I appreciate your concern," she acknowledged first, smiling as kindly as she could. "Draco and I have had many realistic conversations about what lies ahead, but I assure you that I wouldn't come to you and Remus if we weren't serious about this."
By the time she'd finished speaking, she felt a bit more like she was pleading for her parents to let her go to a party than talking to her boss, but James just nodded and turned a darker look towards Draco.
"Did you get her pregnant?" James asked suddenly, awkwardly getting into Draco's personal space despite the fact that the blond man hadn't stood up. Her boss's face was still red and his fists were still clenched, and clearly they'd not calmed him down as much as she'd hoped. If Hermione didn't know any better, she would've thought the man was about to punch Draco.
It was a bit shocking, given that he'd just spoken to her so kindly. But then again… was it? He clearly was protective of her like he would be if he had a daughter of his own, so she wasn't going to fault him for it. Not when she didn't have any parents to hold the shovel talk for her, as morbid as that thought was.
"James! Sit down," Remus ordered, standing up and pulling the man back to his desk. Clearly, he'd had the same thoughts of violence as Hermione.
"No, no," Draco replied, recovering from his horror much faster than Hermione, who would've let her boss know she was still a virgin in all the ways that mattered if she would've opened her mouth and let her nervous word vomit spew a bit more. He did, however, look deeply offended by James's question.
"She's not pregnant, but surely you know enough about my family and my values to know that if she was expecting, we'd be here sharing the news of our marriage with you," Draco said in a tight voice.
Hermione swallowed hard at the mention of marriage and pregnancy and the reminder that his family was old-fashioned and conservative.
"Us being together - and being here this evening - was not a hasty decision on either of our parts, James. Just like Hermione told you, we are here because we respect you enough not to hide our relationship and want to give you a chance to have a serious discussion about what this means for your office."
"You're serious about this?" James asked, looking oddly heartbroken once again. The man's emotions were vacillating so quickly, Hermione felt like she was watching a one-man tennis match.
"Yes sir, Draco's right," she swallowed a lump in her throat, trying not to let tears fall. "He's treated me with nothing but kindness, and I wouldn't jeopardize my job if I wasn't incredibly serious about him. I love working for you, and take your reputation seriously, sir. I… I understand if you want to fire me. I do. Just know that my work means the world to me."
The weight of pleading for her job broke Hermione's emotional shield, and she started to cry despite herself.
"Shh… it's okay," Draco consoled quietly, grabbing a tissue from the box on James' desk and dabbing at the never-ending flow of tears from Hermione's eyes like she was unable to do it herself.
Once she had pulled herself together, she noticed with embarrassment that James and Remus had watched Draco consoling her with wide eyes.
"I'm sorry," she said quietly, face red in mortification.
"You're okay, my dear," James smiled softly. His eyes were as fond as they always were, and that gave Hermione a bit of hope. "I'm just a bit in shock. Of all the things… I didn't expect this."
"I didn't either," she shrugged, feeling a lot calmer now that her nervous tears were out of the way. "But here we are, seven months later. It's hardly possible to keep our relationship private for the rest of my life, and you two were the first people I felt I needed to tell."
"Does your father know?" Remus asked Draco quietly, breaking his silence.
Draco nodded, "Yes, my parents know. Hermione stayed in Charlotte over Christmas, and she met my entire family."
"Sirius too?" James asked.
Hermione and Draco looked at each other and then both nodded.
James snorted. "That must be why Sirius was such an ass after Christmas. Every time I asked what his problem was, he said that if he told me he'd have to kill me."
Hermione and Draco shared small smiles at that.
"I'm honestly surprised he kept it to himself," Draco shook his head in wonder.
"So it's really serious…" James murmured. "I don't know what to say. I never would have expected this."
"We'll think it over," Remus replied. "You're absolutely right about this impacting more than just you, Hermione, no matter how unfair that may feel."
"Thank you," Hermione nodded, looking over at Draco who gave her a reassuring nod. "That's all I ask… I understand how hard this is. I don't want to burden anyone or negatively impact your ability to do your job, sir."
"Remus will kill me for saying this," Remus groaned at James' mention of his name. "But we love you and are so grateful for all you've done. Lee got sent over into the wild west of committee work so that we could give you the promotion you deserved. You're one of the best people we've ever hired, and I don't know if we'll find anyone as smart as you again."
"James," Remus sighed. "You really need to watch what you say."
"In front of these two illicit lovebirds? I'm not the one giving out juicy blackmail material," James replied, drawing eyerolls from around the room.
"We appreciate your discretion," Draco retorted with a meaningful glance at James.
"Of course," the bespectacled man rolled his eyes. "I'm hardly going to throw Hermione into the fire, whatever happens."
"I appreciate that," Draco said, not pushing back even though James left the possibility of retribution against him.
"Now… Hermione, would you mind popping out for a moment?" James asked.
She shook her head, though images of Christmas dinner at the Malfoy were popping into her head. This wasn't Draco's father asking, though; this was her boss. As annoyed as she was, she had to obey his request.
"I'm going to wash up," she smiled softly, gesturing to her face with the flourish of a hand. She'd worn waterproof mascara for a reason, but knew the rest of her makeup wouldn't hold up as well to an onslaught of tears.
"Thanks, dear."
The room was silent until she shut the thick wooden door with a resounding thud.
Even after Hermione had returned from cleaning her makeup-streaked face up, it took a good twenty minutes for the three men to emerge from James' office.
She'd wondered for a moment if she should head back in, but took the fact that no one came out to grab her as her cue there.
Regardless of what people wanted to think, Capitol Hill was a gentleman's club, and this was another example of that.
The trio was talking jovially when they finally exited, which Hermione took to be a good sign.
"Sorry for the delay, we got caught up talking," James smiled in apology.
"No worries," Hermione replied with a soft grin of her own, though she wanted to shake them all down and learn what they'd felt prudent to discuss without her there.
"Get some sleep, we'll see you tomorrow," Remus nodded, lifting a hand to wave before walking back into his office. Hermione was no fool. She knew that James and Remus would be having a long conversation once they were alone, likely prodded along by one of the many bottles of liquor in James' cabinets.
"Goodnight," Hermione and Draco said at the same time.
The sound of Hermione's heels clacking was the only noise as they walked down the hall.
"Well?" she asked impatiently once they were in the elevator down to Draco's car.
"Would you believe me if I told you it was nothing?" he asked with a small shrug.
"No."
Did she look stupid?
Draco sighed, "James threatened to kill me if I shared our conversation, but I promise that I'd tell you if it was anything you really needed to know. They ended on an optimistic note, for what it's worth."
She held a hand up in annoyance as Draco left her hanging. "And?"
The man looked back at her with an eyeroll of his own as they got closer to his car.
"And I think you can feel hopeful that they're committed to keeping you on the team as long as they can. There's nothing ethically against a relationship with a member who isn't your employer, as we both know, and they are well aware of that. There are obviously other implications they're concerned about, but they realize what an asset you are to their team."
"Thank you… I am annoyed that men felt the need to keep me out of a conversation again, but I trust that you would tell me anything that I should know."
"Of course, Hermione," Draco replied seriously as he started the car. "No more secrets. We're in this together."
"I like the sound of that," she smiled, accepting Draco's hand when he intertwined his fingers with her own.