A/N/smiles/ you guys are so SWEET /touched/. I went to the mall with my beta (Holy Pancake) and my other friend (Moonlightshadows) over the last weekend of July, and took a break from the computer (yay!). It was fun, and I realized for the first time my beta is a shopaholic /shudder/. Also I got a new story idea I shared with both of them, and I can't wait to start that. But no worries, I'm planning to finish this story first. Okay, without further ado, here's your long awaited Chapter 3.

Oh yeah… and its 8/2/2005 right now. Sorry for the late start on updates. /nervous laugh/

Thanks to Titansgirl27, sienna, and Silverbunnie for the clarifications on Ginevra.

A/N: part 2: oh hah, I actually FINISHED this chapter yesterday (9/6/2005) but did some re-edits and going to send it off to my beta. So sorry guys for not updating. This chapter's not TOO good, but it sets the grounds for the next chapter and the meeting of Malfoy /cheer!

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Mayhem at the Ministry… and Snorklaks exposed

Issue: Monday, October 23

John Wicklewhither and Sean Castles were found obliviated this morning when they had arrived at their later-than-usual time at The Quibbler Headquarters (TQH). "They seemed very lost and unsure of why they were here, armed with only a camera, and dust gathered on them like a second shed of clothing," commented Susie Underwood, a correspondent for Quibbler magazine who ran into her two obliviated friends of her section, "I had greeted them as usual, assuming that Shicklewelling Beasts have sneezed on them on the way to work, since they were covered in white dust on their suits and whatnot, and they had looked very lost. It was absurd that they didn't know why they were here, much less remembered their names." After a few further questionings from other employees that had talked to the two confused and highly esteemed reporters, The Quibbler concluded that they were indeed brainwashed, and if it wasn't for the business cards that John Wicklewhither found in the inner pocket of his suit, they would have never made it back to their workplace with such evidence of the Ministry hiding a very rare but prestigious beast, Snorklaks.

"Oh, for the love of… Ginny! You don't expect me to keep reading!"
"Don't be stubborn, it's getting good!"

Yes, that's right. The Ministry of Magic is hiding Snorklaks.

After some of The Quibbler photographers removed the negatives from the camera found in the possession of Sean Castles, what they found was astonishing. Perfectly preserved Snorklak footprint pictures. Astounded, the photographers asked where the pictures were taken, but to no avail, all the two obliviated correspondents remembered was leaving the Ministry of Magic and trying to make their way back to TQH. At first, the people of Quibbler could not believe their ears, why would the Ministry be hiding such a rare creature? After close examinations, they concluded that this wasn't some haywire story that the two brainwashed citizens claimed, but indeed, was true. On the wastebasket that the Snorklak had stomped ever so gracefully upon, were the initials complete with crest, "M.o.M" the trademark of only Ministry of Magic itself. "It can't be possible," exclaimed a photographer turned investigator who refused to give his name and insisted to remain anonymous, "Why would the Ministry want to hide them? Is there something more to these fascinating creatures? I'd like to say no, but after seeing these two reporters obliviated, it's hard to. They might have stumbled upon something secretive." Perhaps. Further investigations are being

"That's it."

"You didn't turn the page, 'Mione!"

"I don't want to read anymore, Gin." Hermione shook her head, and shoved the paper unceremoniously to her side as she tried to purposely slosh the paper with the warm soup Ginny had brought up with her for Hermione's brunch.

Ginny saved it though before the soup could much less touch a corner of The Quibbler magazine.

"Fine then, I'll read it for you. 'held out, as Quibbler tries to find where the footprint must have been-'"

"Please. Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes easily fixed it up with Reparo. I think they did some renovations as well. I like the nice periwinkle touch on my walls. Calming, they are." Hermione huffed, stuffing the spoon furthermore into her mouth.

Ginny looked down incredulously at Hermione from her perch on the tabletop, her mouth twisted into a sort of lopsided smile.

"Stubborn. I mean, really."

"Mmph." Hermione grunted back.

"So anyway," Ginny said, stuffing the magazine into her back pocket, ("Throw it away, Gin!" protested Hermione, but Ginny ignored her), "I heard you got your reports."

"Yes, I tried seeing my ex-boss for where Malfoy might be at the moment."

"Ex-boss? But I just checked on Nathan Glash this morning, he seemed perfectly fine… Hermione you didn't kill-"

"No, no, not yet. ("Yet?" asked Ginny with a raised eyebrow) But I'm assuming I kill him before I go off on my mission. I'm trying to get used to the ring of 'ex-boss,' it has that amusing tone in it, doesn't it? Ex-boss." Hermione repeated the word to herself over and over, smiling maniacally and nearly snapping her spoon in half in her glee. Ginny looked slightly frightened, seeing as the spoon was made of bewitched metal, which was virtually unbreakable, and Hermione was bending it easily.

"Err… right. So any clue where Malferret is?"

"No, Glash just recently had a 100 ft. restraining order on me apparently." Hermione nodded knowingly, "Doesn't stop me from cursing his head to oblivion. I have stupendous aim, you know."

Ginny giggled uneasily, last she heard from Harry, Hermione had nearly cursed HIM to oblivion when she had been meaning to hit Malfoy. And Malfoy was 1 foot away in FRONT of Hermione, where as Harry had been across the hall speaking with Dumbledore, BEHIND her.

"Besides, he shouted some of the information behind those crowbars meant to stop me from getting too close. He said something about the Creevey brothers individually handing me a manila folder filled with info some time today. You know, since they're so studious and nosy, they're bound to dig up more information than any other, including that one reporter, Rita Skeeter."

"Rita Skeeter? Wasn't she the one that Pansy had sex with, that one time?"

"No, no… Rita Skeeter was that illegal ladybug animagus out to get Harry, I believe that the one Pansy slept with was Rita Sheetsker." Hermione looked up in thought, "Wait no, no… it was Rita Sleeter," she said, naming the various Rita's on fingers, "Oh no, I think she had sex with all three of them."

"Oh?" Ginny inquired.

"Yeah well, I wouldn't be surprised if she did."

They nodded.

"Anyway, when's Lavender coming?" Ginny asked.

"What? How did you find out about that?"

"George."

"How'd he find out?"

"Mum."

"How'd Mrs. Weasley find out?"

"It's complicated."

"Why am I always the last one to know these things?" Hermione looked a bit aggravated being so slow on the uptake and always being last in the latest gossip.

"Harry tells me sometime around 11:30 tomorrow."

"11:30? How come he never tells me these things?" Hermione's mind started reeling about how she could get out of the Ministry and out of London before 11:30.

"You forget he's best friends with Ron, making me a second hand source. Besides, Harry said you might run so I'm not supposed to tell you, lest you get out of town and avoid Lavender all together."

"Now, why would I think of running out of town?" Hermione chuckled uneasily. Ginny didn't know occlumency, did she?

"Oh please, I'd run too if I saw Lavender coming over to give me sex advice."

"I wouldn't dare. Lavender is such a great frie-"

"And Pansy is a saint. Please, Hermione."

Hermione looked fidgety.

"Speaking of saints, Hagrid passed by earlier!"

"Hagrid?" That's a name she hadn't heard for awhile except in newspapers.

"Yes, Hagrid."

"How does he relate to saints?" Hermione asked.

"Well, eh-heh. Anyway, he passed by and gave me this to give you from his last vacation. I think it's a Coastguard." Ginny handed Hermione a 5" by 8" card, with a picture of a Hawaiian sunset with the caption, Magic at the Luau, and on the back was what was indeed in Hagrid's scribbly writing.

"Postcard?"

"No, no, Hagrid said very clearly, 'Oast Ard' you know his accent, fill in the letters and what do you get…"

"Right. Anyway, I'm going to start looking for the Creevey brothers, it's been two to three hours since I last saw them, and that's enough time for them to download the whole world on their computer."

"Downloed? Komputah?"

"Never mind. Ginny, thanks for everything."

"Nothing to it, Hermione. I'm going to be up in an old classmate's department. I think the fourth floor. So I'll see you again. I have work tomorrow so I'm going to catch up with some friends."

"Sure, Gin, sure."

Later…

Hermione sipped her coffee slowly, reveling in the sweet sunset that caressed the reading section of the Ministry's library. She always liked it here and she had this whole section to herself. Mondays were always like this, everyone had something better to do than spend their time at the library apparently. Hermione wasn't everyone. She loved to nestle in a good book over the week, you know, snuggle next to the warm fire that the librarian always kindly kindled every night just for her since she knew Hermione not only from her extraordinary intelligence, but because she was a daily visitor (the librarian, who was usually strict with the non-food/drink policy would let Hermione drink or snack on some biscuits because they were practical colleagues in the book industry). There was nothing better than finishing a stressful day off in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet or maybe a rereading of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea- both books which the librarian knowledgably approved as, "Classic literature" with a smile.

But no, Hermione would not be dreaming about Moby Dick or cursing characters in Hamlet today. Today, she was here to clear her mind before she OFFICIALLY started the mission that she so willingly and yet so unwillingly accepted.

Hermione had stared at the manila folder for quite sometime now, sitting and sipping the same cup of coffee for a few hours to the point that the ever-filling mug in her hand protested that she had enough caffeine today and refused to heat the coffee that refilled itself for the hope that Hermione might stop drinking it. So, Hermione was sitting and sipping the same cup of cold coffee for quite sometime now, wondering whether or not to meet her doom head on, or wait a few more minutes for it to settle in.

Finally she made her decision, and before she could change it, she nimbly grabbed the thin manila folder in her hand, and flipped it open. The first page contained the usual formalities- the Ministry of Magic title complete with crest, her name beside the word "agent" and the mission title, part she was currently doing, and her primary objectives. The mission was appropriately called "Seduction," the first part being to get Malfoy to trust her and vice versa.

She turned the page, where she found a picture of Draco Malfoy's face, looking to be 17 with the year "1998" etched in it. She unclipped the picture so she was able to read underneath. It was titled "Profile" which was, indeed, a profile of Malfoy, three pages of font 10 Times New Roman on the evil ferret. From his favorite candy, to a timeline of his life, it was practically all there. Hermione looked at the 5 paragraphs that followed the word "profile," the Creevey brothers really did some digging, as they had also categorized the paragraphs, naming them the following: NAME MEANINGS; FAMILY; APPEARANCE; DRACO at HOGWARTS; SKILLS, INTERESTS, ETC. The rest of the pages were filled with half-finished notes and small nothings about Malfoy that might be useful to Hermione later.
Unfortunately, Hermione didn't have the attention span to read up on her worse enemy, so she settled with skimming, which got her a gist of what he was- intelligent, tall, a writer.
She turned the page again.

- - - - - - - - - -
MoM
Agent: Hermione Granger

Mission 1: Seduction

Part i: trusting Malfoy, and him to trust you.

Briefing: Draco Malfoy is located currently taking a tour that is apparently for entertainment purposes. Top class tour of France, courtesy of Beauxbatons. The tour is called: Accueillir à Beauxbatons; and we have booked you a spot in the tour (which is starting in about two days). The necessary things have been set in place- you have a room booked in the highest tower of Beauxbatons under your name, which is two rooms down from Malfoy's, you also have seat arrangements where he's in talking distance etc. The rest is up to you. Keep us briefed, Hermione! We're counting on you.
- MoM/Nathan Glash

Agent Granger, we're also sending off with you some equipment you may find useful on your trip, just in case. A package from Weasley's Wizard Wheezes is also included, and top class just for the trip.
- Department of Magical Law Enforcement

Hey, Hermione! I hope you found everything fit. We put a lot of thought into this, since we want to have revenge on him too! Haha, well thanks for all you've done. Keep us posted about how it's going, and remember if you need anything, we'll be standing by.
- Creevey brothers

- - - - - - - - - -

Hermione smiled lightly. 'Do it for the Creevey brothers then, 'Mione,' she thought silently to herself. 'Prepare yourself Malfoy, a year in Heaven is nothing compared what I have planned for you…'
But just as she thought this, a familiar voice said from behind her,
"Figures, Hermione. But really now, A library, on Monday?"

Hermione turned around and gaped.

A/N: okay, one-two months of break from this story, lol. Special thanks to Hp-Lexicon, since I got most of all that Background info on Malfoy from their site, and some editations by me, and also thanks to flytobeauxbatons (the site, you could probably find them via google). since their name gave me the idea of the tour.

As for why I hadn't updated in so long- I've been distracted. So sorry! And yes, I know you're probably itching for when Hermione FINALLY gets down to the seducing business. I know, the ficcie is so SLOW /sigh/ but I hope I'll have something for you two chapters down. I already know what the next chapter has, and no, that won't have any Draco-ness in it (that I plan anyway), but the chapter after that WILL. So be reassured. And stay tuned! Thanks for everything, guys!

-yoshi09