Hermione was greeted by the sight of Elphias Doge's photograph on the front page of the Daily Prophet. The Ministry received a backlash when the Education Bill was leaked with most of the populace saying that it's no different from the ones they had proposed back in Fudge's term. The response prompted Doge to step down and had fully endorsed Hermione as the principal writer of the bill. Hermione reached the end of the article, reading Doge's last statement.
After careful thought and discussion with my staff, I am relinquishing my management of the Education Reform Act. I hope to remain a part of the process, but I won't be working directly with the Ministry anymore. DMLE Head Hermione Malfoy will be managing the bill now and I feel very confident placing the bill in Mrs. Malfoy's capable hands.
A small smile crept up over her face as she flicked the newspaper onto the next page. Getting rid of Doge was the easy part, writing the bill was another different struggle. She'll have to pay a visit to McGonagall and get her opinion on this as well as some of the board of Governors. Theo and Kingsley's opinion of her hinged on the success of this bill.
"Good news?" Lucius said across the table as he took a sip of his Earl Grey, interrupting her thoughts.
"Good," she replied, her smile going wider. "Very good."
"I'm glad."
"How's the expansion going?" she asked, not looking up from the paper. "Is Mr. Higgs still giving you a hard time?"
She heard Lucius sigh. "We can't seem to come to an understanding."
"Then fire him."
"Excuse me?" Lucius sputtered, the tea nearly going to the wrong hole.
Hermione looked up from her paper and gave her husband a condescending look. "You heard me."
"I can't just fire someone because he disagrees with me, Hermione," Lucius scoffed. "That would be counterproductive."
"It is if he's preventing you from achieving your goals."
"William has been in the company before I was even born. He's irreplaceable."
"Everyone's replaceable, Lucius," she shot back.
"Not you, though," he said softly, causing a faint blush to rise to her cheeks.
"Are you going sentimental on me?"
"Must be the old age," he smirked at her.
"Oh please," Hermione rolled eyes at him and returned to reading the paper. "Stop fishing for compliments, husband. Insecurity is very unbecoming of you."
Lucius continued to observe her as she read the paper. Even at twenty-nine, Hermione still looked as beautiful as the day he married her despite a line or two marring her lovely heart-shaped face. After a moment, he set his cup down, picked up a slice of bread, and started buttering it. "Your birthday is coming up in two weeks. You know, I ask every year—"
"And my answer remains the same," Hermione said as she closed the paper and folded it in half, placing it beside their plates of breakfast food. "You've already given me enough gifts, Lucius. I have a room full of dresses, shoes, and jewelry I rarely even wear."
"Well, I thought we could have dinner," he gave her one of his winning smiles. "That way you could wear those said gifts."
She leaned back to her chair and sighed. "Only if it's someplace where nobody will recognize us. I don't want anyone walking up and—"
Lucius raised a hand. "I mean here at home. Just a simple dinner. I'll cook something."
Hermione looked at him as if he had sprouted three heads.
"You remember what happened the last time you tried to cook?" she narrowed her eyes at him. "You nearly burned down half of the Manor. It was just an egg, Lucius."
"Don't exaggerate, dear. That's Rita Skeeter's job," Lucius huffed as he brandished the bread he was holding in Hermione's direction. "And besides, I've been practicing."
"Really?" she cocked an eyebrow. "Why didn't I know it? Winky would've mentioned something."
"It's because the elf doesn't know," he said smugly. "Astoria's been teaching me."
"Astoria?" Hermione's eyes widened. "Since when?"
"Since I almost burned down half of the Manor, as you so bluntly said," Lucius exasperatedly rolled his eyes at her. "I stop by the townhouse every two weeks. Mostly Wednesdays where you're quite busy although Astoria and I haven't practiced for a while now. Something about not feeling well lately. If she didn't look like she was on the verge of death, I'd say she's pregnant."
Hermione bit the inside of her cheek. She promised Draco she wouldn't tell Lucius about the pregnancy yet but maybe she could point her husband in the right direction. "Maybe she is? Not all women react positively to pregnancy. Did Draco check up on her?"
"They said it's probably just a lingering dark curse from one of Astoria's recent project," Lucius shrugged. "Why that woman chose to be a curse breaker, I'll never know. That job is hazardous and doesn't even pay well."
How ironic, Hermione mused as she pursed her lips to prevent herself from saying anything. She could only hope that Draco would get his shit together and find the courage to tell his father about Astoria's condition. He would need all the help he could get.
Harry woke up feeling like a bludger had hit him squarely in the head. It reminded him of that time when he got knocked off his broom during the Quidditch match in his second year at Hogwarts. He staggered slightly as he stood and made his way downstairs. The smell of freshly brewed coffee wafting from the kitchens was a godsend to his senses.
"And so he rises," Ginny said as Harry crossed the threshold. She grabbed a vial from the cupboard and shoved it in his hands. "Drink. It's a hangover potion."
"Thanks, Gin," Harry murmured as he drank the translucent liquid in one go. The potion took effect immediately, his entire body already felt lighter in an instant. "Oh Merlin, that feels so much better."
"You need to pay for that," Ginny placed a steaming mug of coffee in front of him. "I'm tight on a budget right now and every sickle counts."
Harry rolled his eyes before taking a sip of the coffee. "I'll even treat you to dinner later."
"Deal," Ginny grinned as she placed plates of bacon, eggs, and sausages on the table. They sat across each other and proceeded to eat breakfast with Ginny glancing at Harry now and then. "Seriously, though, Harry. What has gotten into you? I've never seen you that drunk since you and Draco—"
Harry immediately silenced her with a pointed look. Ginny was sure he would've said something if his mouth wasn't full of bacon. But she knew Harry since they were kids. She knew how he tended to keep things to himself. She also knew how to prod those things out of him.
"Look, Harry. I'm worried, okay? You're lucky the Prophet's busy with that leak going on in the Ministry and nobody saw your drunk ass crawling out of The Leaky," Ginny sighed in frustration when Harry only continued to poke and shove the eggs in his plate. "Harry. Did you run into Draco again?"
Harry shook his head no. After a few seconds, he cleared his throat. "It's just something Lucius Malfoy said last night."
Oh. "What did he say?"
"It's nothing," he glanced at the clock hanging above the wall. It was quite early to go to work but he didn't want to talk about what Malfoy Sr. said to him last night. He quickly finished his food and placed the dishes in the sink. Ginny followed his movements like a hawk. "Really, Gin, I'm fine. I'm going to shower and head to work. Owl me what you want for dinner."
Harry turned to go but Ginny caught his hand. "Harry—"
"I'll tell you later," he cut her off, eager to get away but stopped by the door. Harry turned around and smiled at Ginny reassuringly. "You're a good friend, Gin."
Ginny watched him disappear and continued to eat her breakfast.
Seven years ago, Hermione had come knocking into the Burrow where Ginny was currently living at that time. It's must've been important because Hermione was practically unwelcomed in the house since she and Ron broke up.
It's Harry, she said, eyes wide with worry. I'm sorry, Ginny but I don't know who to go to anymore.
Grimmauld Place was a mess when they arrived. Empty bottles of firewhiskey littered the floor and there was Harry, sprawled on the couch, passed out from inebriation. Ginny already knew the gist of the story when she'd read the morning paper and saw the news about Narcissa Black's murder.
Ginny stayed with Harry through the ordeal. Even though their ship had sailed long ago, she still loved him dearly. He was her first love, after all, and that kind of love doesn't quickly fade away.
And when Ginny mentioned moving out of the Burrow after she got accepted to the Holyhead Harpies, Harry offered his home to her and they've been living in a comfortable coexistence since. Ginny eventually realized she liked Harry more as a friend than a lover. And besides, there's someone else occupying her attention now.
She can only hope that Harry would eventually move on from Draco and find some semblance of happiness. If there was someone who deserved it, it was definitely Harry.
The wide yet cluttered expanse of the Auror headquarters was quiet as Dennis Creevey arrived. All the cubicles were still empty save for one on the far end, opposite Robard's office. Dennis tried to remember who it belonged to, but his memory came up short. He still had half an hour before people started trickling in. Plenty of time to head down to the canteen and grab something to eat.
As soon as he stood, the sound of a memo whizzing could be heard, and was shocked to see it landed on his desk. Dennis picked it up and felt his appetite slipped away instantly.
DoM entrance. Now. -B.
The paper disintegrated into ashes as soon as Dennis finished reading it. He chucked his bag inside his desk drawer and made his way to the lifts. Plans of having a nice quiet breakfast were thrown out the window.
"Is all the paperwork ready?" Lucius asked in his signature haughty drawl. William Higgs had been fidgeting since he sat across Lucius five minutes ago and it had started to grate on his nerves.
The elder wizard cleared his throat before answering. "Some of the more senior staff are trickier. There's severance and—"
"But we shouldn't run into any legal issues?" Lucius cocked an eyebrow.
"No, no. We use at-will employment contracts across the board."
"I want all of the exit interviews done by lunch," Lucius said as he tapped a quill impatiently against his desk. "There's no point in prolonging the inevitable."
"Mr. Malfoy," William sighed. "I just can't help but think that this is a mistake."
"We've discussed this already, William," Lucius leveled his office manager with a stern look.
"I know, I know," William raised his hands placatingly. "But I just have to say it for the sake of my conscience. I think that you are dismantling what your father and grandfather have built for decades and I… I think the way you're handling this is… Is cruel."
Lucius could already feel his temper rising. If he was still the same wizard he was before, he wouldn't hesitate to dole out severe punishment for talking out of turn like that. Damn, this new world. He took a deep breath to steady his nerves. "I know it's not easy, William. But it's necessary."
"You have always asked me to be honest with you just like Abraxas and Septimus did. That's how we work together. I disagree with something, I say it. Well, I disagree, 100%. Please, Mr. Malfoy, don't do this."
A moment passed in silence with Lucius contemplating the words to say.
"I respect your opinion, William. And I appreciate you sharing it with me, but I'm not going to change my mind," Lucius waved his hand dismissively. "Call Justin on your way out."
William nodded resignedly before getting up to leave. "If that's what you want."
As the doors to his office closed, Lucius remembered a part of his conversation with Hermione this morning and can't help but consider that maybe his wife was right.
Dennis Creevey had never set foot inside the Department of Mysteries. It was on the ninth level, the last department, and there's a good reason why. The entire department screamed of secrecy and intrigued. He vaguely remembered a previous Minister for Magic who tried to shut it down but failed miserably and ended up dying due to the pressure of handling it. It prompted the succeeding Minister to grant it a certain level of independence.
Blackness surrounded Dennis as the lifts opened. He could barely spot the black door at the far end of the corridor. Plain black tiles lined the walls, ceiling, and floors while the only source of light was from the torches that were hanging on the walls.
It was a different kind of quiet that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. There was no sign of any employee or Unspeakable and he had to wonder if they adhere to the same working hours as the rest of the Ministry employees.
"Probably not," he muttered. It's probably the reason why Blaise chose this as their meeting place.
A figure stepped out from the shadows, startling Dennis. "Jesus Christ, you scared me."
Blaise gave him a confused look.
"It's a Muggle expression," Dennis lamely explained.
An awkward silence enveloped them before Blaise spoke. "I want you to tail him again. I have a source that says he'll be at the same establishment again tomorrow night."
McLaggen, Dennis thought anxiously. He's going in there again. Sweat started to find its way into his hands.
"Is there another—" he didn't get to finish the sentence because Blaise sent him a cold, hard look.
"Make sure you catch him in the act this time," Blaise grabbed the younger wizard's collar and pulled Dennis's face closer to his. "Don't fuck it up, Creevey, or else," he then shoved Dennis away before turning around to head back to the lift. The unspoken threat ringing in Dennis's mind.
He'll make sure to catch McLaggen this time. One way or another. Dennis just wanted to get Blaise off his back for good. Something in the back of his mind told him it's impossible but he pushed it away.
Dennis waited three minutes before entering the lifts. As the doors were sliding close, he noticed a faint shimmering by the wall near where he and Blaise recently stood but Dennis just chalked it up to the light from the torches producing a glow when it reflected from the tiled walls.
Hermione felt at home as she walked across the Hogwarts grounds towards the headmaster's office. She hadn't stepped foot inside her alma matter since she became the head of DMLE and the school still looked the same as the last time. The walls and corridors still felt familiar as were the paintings and statues that lined the walls.
"Pixie puffs," Hermione declared to the sapient gargoyle guarding the staircase. McGonagall had carried on Dumbledore's tradition of naming the passwords after sweets when she assumed the position of the headmistress.
The said headmistress was just settling down a pot of tea when Hermione entered the office. "Hello, Minerva."
"Hermione. It's been too long." McGonagall sauntered over and gave the younger witch a tight hug.
"It is," Hermione agreed as she pulled back. McGonagall ushered her to a nearby table and together they sat and caught up with the current events between the Ministry and the school.
After an hour, Hermione finally brought up the reason for her visit: The Education bill. She pulled out her notes from her handbag and handed it to the headmistress.
"This is a major reform. A complete overhaul," McGonagall said as she quickly perused the documents. "This would take more than a month, Hermione."
"I only have days, not months. A week at most," Hermione said before taking a sip of her tea.
"But think about the process."
"That's why I came to you, Minerva. Now I realized it is a difficult task, but we have the opportunity to make history here."
"You would need more than one person to write this bill if you want to finish it within a week," McGonagall said as she placed the notes on the table.
"Who do you suggest?"
"Professor Longbottom and Professor Binns although I'm not sure Cuthbert would be amenable to it. I'll approach Madam Pince too. We will need her extensive knowledge about the library's contents," McGonagall pondered for a moment. "Why isn't Lucius helping you with this bill? He's more well versed than I am when it comes to the laws regarding the school."
"He's going to help too, but he wouldn't be directly involved. Only as a consultant," Hermione answered. "A lot is going on his company right now, and I don't want to burden him with other matters. Not if I can help it."
McGonagall sighed as she picked up her tea. "Well, you're lucky the school term isn't starting in a week else accomplishing this would've been nearly impossible."
Hermione smiled. "Indeed, I am."
Lucius saw the last employee leave the conference room hunched over and sniffling. He waited a few more minutes in case someone returned before he entered the room. William was arranging a pile of documents as Lucius sat down across the elder wizard. "How did it go?"
"There were a few tears here and there and some anger," William sighed. "But nothing unexpected."
There was a heavy silence as Lucius pondered over his next words.
"I'm going to need you to leave us today too, William," at this, the elder wizard looked up in shock. "I just can't have anyone doubting about the direction I'm taking."
"You just had me fire over twenty people," William said incredulously.
"I know," Lucius said calmly. It was harder to do this than he initially thought. William had dedicated most of his life to the Malfoy business and had no wife and children. It felt like betraying a family member.
"I'm 74 years old. Nobody hires anybody my age. I—"
"You will be hugely compensated. And if you still want to work, I will write you any kind of recommendation—"
"To do what? Sweep the floors in some shop at Diagon Alley?"
"I'm sorry, William, truly—"
"No, you're not. You don't give a fuck!" he seethed. "You became different after you married that Mudblood whore. Your father and grandfather may be dark wizards but at least they took care of their own!"
At the mention of the M word, Lucius finally snapped. His hands slammed down the long table shaking some of the neatly piled documents. "GET OUT! Don't you ever dare show your face to me!" he bellowed.
"Your father wouldn't hesitate to kill me this instant for this disrespect. You've always been a coward, Lucius, and one day, you will bring this company to ruins."
William abruptly pushed his chair back and fled the room before Lucius could say anything. When the doors forcefully slammed shut, Lucius pulled out his wand and destroyed every piece of furniture in the room until his anger dissipated, leaving a hollow, numbing feeling in the pit of his stomach.