Chapter 2: Complications Arise
It was a test. Maybe it was to test what she was really willing to do for the Order. Maybe it was to test her raw abilities. Perhaps, it was to test her trust in the others. It may even be a test of her bravery, but, already, she was afraid.
Truthfully, could she face the Malfoy clan with the kind of self-control that would be needed? Could she force herself to care enough to save Draco? Could she even bear to pretend to be in love with him? Honestly, she didn't know. It may very well be, she told her friends, the very first test Hermione Granger ever failed. And, with her life and another's resting on her passing grade, it was the most important test yet.
Unfortunately, she did not have the usual time to study for this examination, nor were there any books on deceiving the Dark Lord and living a false life alongside your enemy, as Ron pointed out. There was, however, a teacher from whom she could take a few notes.
"Bare in mind that you will be working together with Draco." Snape's soft voice droned. "Therefore, it is obviously vital to our plans that you refrain from killing each other."
"Step one: no murdering Malfoy. Got it."
He narrowed his eyes at her response, but continued: "Malfoy will be giving his father the impression that he is using you, and you will have to play along. However, it is important that you not bend too quickly, even if it makes things harder on you. You must be believable." He emphasized through his teeth. "Your first reaction, when you first plan on deceiving, should always be your true feelings."
"Step two: be furious with the Malfoys. That one is easier. Step three: play well with Draco. Hmm..."
He ignored her attempts at nervous humor. "As you do this, you will have to earn his trust and take advantage of certain situations that may arise in order to try and talk him into helping you and, eventually, the Order."
"Step four: be a diplomat in your spare time."
"Last, but not least, we need you to get any information you can about the Malfoy estate, their plans, or the Dark Lord himself. Information, no matter how simple or seemingly dull, gives us an upper hand. So, Step five: snoop. I think you have enough practice at that." He sneered, referencing his knowledge of her earlier school years, well, extracurricular activities. She blushed slightly.
"Most importantly, master your emotions and use your judgement!" He abruptly snapped, pulling her from her thoughts. "They will undoubtedly be trying to win you over. Beware. Their powers of manipulation are not to be underestimated. They are almost unequaled and very inconspicuous. Indeed, the Dark Lord is so subtle that his pull on your emotions and desires will be nearly undetectable at first. Do not let yourself be sucked in by your insufferable curiosity. In fear of sounding like Mad-Eye, I must tell you, retain constant vigilance."
His dark eyes bore down into hers. "Every ounce of your intellect will be needed here. This is why the task so well suits you. It is a mind game."
She did not miss the compliment.
"You will notify the Order of everything going on. We'll decide what role the two of you should play later." He finished.
She nodded, taking a mental appraisal of her position. There were certainly many layers to it. It could get confusing. "Sir, how am I supposed to report to the Order without them finding out, if they're going to watch me?"
"Observant. You will use this two way diary, similar to the one Riddle used in - was it your second year? It will appear as though you are writing your thoughts in a harmless journal. Actually, everything you write will appear in it's brother, which will be here at headquarters. If desperately needed, we may send a message to you through it and it will disappear almost instantly. The Malfoys will doubtlessly have a servant read your diary secretly, so your response must mislead them into thinking that their plans are working, but inside of your reports you must slip clues to us of what is really going on."
"Who will be reading it?" She tried to conceal her concern.
He raised his eyebrows. "It will be read aloud at meetings, like all reports."
"Oh. Yes."
"Are you ready Mrs. Granger?"
"Yes. I think so."
"You better hope so. Time is up. The owls have arrived at the Burrow and are being retrieved as we speak. You must sign in the next twenty four hours, as I'm sure you're aware."
Without a word, she pocketed the diary of which he had spoken. It was black, leather bound, with golden edges to the pages and a gold ribbon to mark her place slid inside. Lovely, really, but she eyed with a strong contempt. It was a manifestation of her new identity: Mrs. Draco Malfoy- no, his betrothed, she reminded herself.
She shuddered at the thought, as if a particularly nasty spider had scuttled down her arm.
As Hermione and the potions master approached the door to the kitchen where the meeting was to be held, she heard shouting reverberating through the doors. When Snape opened them, the two were met by a very odd sight indeed. It seemed that Mr. Weasley, Lupin, and Harry were arguing heatedly with Ron and Tonks.
"That was completely IDIOTIC!" Mr. Weasley yelled, red in the face.
"You've RUINED everything! How are we now supposed to explain Hermione accepting the Malfoy proposal?"
"All of our planning-!"
"He was only trying to help! Wouldn't Malfoy expect Ron to send one in as well?"
"He's put his own self in danger! The fool!"
"I will not let that pig get a hold of her!"
"Enough!" shouted Hermione, actually putting her hands on her hips at the hymn of her pencil skirt. "What's going on?"
Moody explained from the corner in which he leaned: "Your friend has gone and made a proposal for your hand in marriage in his sad little attempt to save you from such an ill fate. The others seem to think his reckless behavior has not only ruined their plan, as it would now not make any sense for you to accept the Malfoy proposal over another, but they also feel it also makes him a strong target.
"As Malfoy must secure your hand for his own gain, he'll want to destroy anyone in his path to that goal. They've undoubtedly made arrangements with, or threatened, most of the other pureblood families to keep from complicating things with additional proposals. They'll come after him now. You mark my words."
"Ron?" Hermione questioned breathlessly. He nodded in admittance.
"Hermione you can't really, I mean, I know you don't want-he's Malfoy! God knows what he'll do to you! I just didn't want it to be your only choice." He hung his head a little, and waited for her reply.
She wiped a hand across her forehead. "I know you were trying to do the right thing, but you really have complicated things. Moody's right. We can't say I'm forced into the Malfoy decision by the ministry law if I have another legitimate option. They'll question my motive and then the whole opportunity is gone! It's not your responsibility to save me, Ron." she added coldly.
"Perhaps, we can make Ron withdraw his proposal before Malfoy finds out." Harry offered.
"Too late. Malfoy knows." Moody growled.
"There is another letter." Lupin added quietly. "It's a request to have a formal courtship meeting with you, from Malfoy. That only happens when there is a rival to compete with."
"Well, that's out of the question." Hermione snapped.
"I'm afraid there is no question. It's his right to call for a meeting, and you are required to answer all requests of courtship meetings to all suitors." Lupin corrected politely.
"It's supposed to allow the suitors to each make their offers and intentions clear. In other words, he'll tell you how much gold he's got and such. No doubt his contract entails certain...requirements from you as well," added Snape.
"Requirements?" she echoed attentively.
"Yes. As they no doubt hoped to take you by surprise and, through clever timing and intimidation of other possible suitors, make their contract accepted by default by the Ministry, they will have cleverly tacked on several little, er, terms of the engagement."
"Such as?"
"Knowing the Malfoys, probably conditions that put you under their control as much as possible."
She let out a little growl of frustration.
"And, as the decision must be made today," McGonagall elaborated cautiously. "The meeting is set for today as well."
"What? When?"
"Tea. You'll be expected at Malfoy Manor in an hour, according to this."
Grinding her teeth in concentration, she thought hard on all that had changed in, once again, a few minutes. Things were going to be even more difficult than expected.
"How am I getting there?"
"Portkey."
She nodded, turned on her heel, and left the room.
Moments later, she found herself staring at her own reflection in an upstairs bedroom of Grimmauld place.
She had brushed her hair feeling, not for the first time, that her labor was in vain. She checked her freshly cleaned teeth and even applied a little lip gloss over her chapstick along with some tan blush. In fact, it wasn't until she was carefully painting the tips of her eye lashes with that pestilent mascara brush that realized she was trying to look nice and threw it down in frustration with herself.
Draco Malfoy's arrogant handsomeness and the doubtlessly elegance of his home would surely be as intimidating as ever, but damned if she was going to show it!
Just then, there was a knock on her door and she collected herself with a deep breath before opening it. Upon spying it was only Harry, however, she dropped her brave facade and grabbed him around the neck. He wrapped his arms patiently around her as they moved into her room. He shut the door behind them, placing a quick silencing charm on it, before she began to talk.
"Oh Harry! I-I- I just can't do this! That bastard may have had a hand in my parents death for all I know-"
"That bastard's father, Hermione," he softly corrected, to her immense surprise. Since when did he show pity towards Malfoy?
"We don't judge people by their families, do we? We aren't pureblood snobs after all. And of course you can do this, if you still have to that is. Besides, I may not have asked to marry you, but do you think I'd let anything happen to you?"
She smiled a little and hugged him thankfully, drying her eyes with her sleeve. "Of course not. I trust you all, it's just..."
"I know." He did know of course.
"Harry, do you think Ron-"
"He sent in his proposition before we knew of the plan." He mercifully answered before she could ask.
"Oh." Well, that was something else altogether. There was a rare awkward pause.
"Anyway," Harry told her. "I've been sent to tell you to dress more on the formal side. Apparently, in wizarding custom, a courtship meeting is a big deal."
Her eyes widened. "Not romantic they said," he was quick to reassure her. "It's more like political negotiations."
"Right. Okay, I was wondering," she steadied herself. "I'll just get ready then."
"Alright." He shut the door quietly, leaving Hermione to stare hopelessly at her own face in the mirror, still wondering, days after she'd been given her mission, if this was all really happening.
Her hair pulled back in a clip that matched her lavender robes, Hermione walked back into the kitchen with no trace of the breakdown she had suffered only moments before. She must have control over her emotions, she recalled Snape's stern advice.
"Ready?" Tonks asked her with a supportive smile. She nodded.
"You'd better get going soon." McGonagall warned.
Snape handed her, without a word of comment, a newspaper she didn't bother to identify. She closed her eyes for only a second as she felt the pull of it rip her from 12 Grimmauld Place, and opened them swiftly as she landed, with a slight stumble, somewhere entirely different.
A/N: Tea with Malfoys anyone? Leave a review if you'd like. I'd love to hear from you. Feel free to message me or find my original work on Amazon- Elsie Vandevere.