Songs - Seven Nation Army by White Stripes, Delicate by Taylor Swift, and Young and Beautiful by Glass Animals (Quarantine Covers)

Chapter Twelve: The Interview

"It's going to be fine," Draco promised, holding her hand tightly as they walked into the café.

It will most certainly not be fine, Hermione thought as her eyes fell on the curly-haired woman seated at a table near the back of the restaurant.

"I wish I shared your confidence," she admitted sadly.

The last reporter she had tried to reason with had spent the last ten plus years scandalizing people she cared about, and she didn't have high hopes for whoever had replaced her. She wished more than anything that they didn't have to do this, but she knew if they wanted to keep Rodolphus out of the papers – and they did – that they didn't have much of a choice. And so, despite every cell in her body screaming at her to run away, she kept walking toward whomever the Daily Prophet had sent to dig into her and Draco's relationship.

"Oh wonderful, you're here!" the woman announced, slapping her hands together excitedly when she caught sight of the couple. "Misty Bispelling," she said, standing up and extending her arm to shake each of their hands, "it's a pleasure to finally meet you both."

"You too," Hermione mumbled half-heartedly as she sat down in the chair Draco had pulled out for her. She relaxed a bit as Draco pulled his own chair closer to her and sat down, leaning back as he rested an arm protectively around her shoulder.

"Thank you for agreeing to meet with me," Misty said, her fingers tapping anxiously on the pile of her illegible notes.

"Of course," Draco replied.

A young waitress suddenly appeared at their table, almost as if she had been waiting for her opening to approach from the moment that Draco and Hermione had walked in the front door, and asked if she could get them anything, blushing deeply when her eyes fell on Draco.

"No, thank you," Hermione and Draco muttered in unison, neither interested in creating a situation in which they would have to linger any longer than necessary.

The waitress frowned slightly in response, obviously bothered that she wouldn't get to interact with the new it-couple, but moved away from the table when she felt Hermione's eyes bore into her with annoyance.

"I know you're both extremely busy, so I will try not to take too much of your time" Misty began, smiling as she looked at the couple from across the table. "Shall we get started?"

"Please," Draco said softly, gesturing toward the list of questions Misty had moved in front of her.

Before she spoke again, Misty pulled a small, back device out of her bag and placed it next to her list of questions. "Is it alright if I record our conversation?" she asked, her fingers drumming lightly on the large, red record button at the top of the device. "I find it's less distracting than trying to take notes as you talk."

Draco nodded, answering for the both of them. "That's fine."

Whatever gets us out of here the fastest.

"You two have known each other for a long time, correct?" Misty prompted after pressing record and settling back into her chair.

Draco nodded. "Yes. We've known each other since we were 11. We went to Hogwarts together," he explained as if the world didn't already know this.

"Is it correct that you didn't like each other when you were at Hogwarts?" Misty asked.

"That would be the simple answer," Draco replied, readying himself for the inevitable follow-up.

"And the difficult answer?" Misty amended quickly, smiling again as if to promise the couple that she was simply a friend offering them chance to tell their love story before someone else made a travesty of it.

Draco didn't need to read her mind to know that this was all just part of her game. She was clearly no Rita Skeeter, but she was still dangerous, and he and Hermione would have to play their roles perfectly in order to walk away from the interview unscathed. More importantly, they couldn't afford to slip up when the questioning turned to how they really ended up together. Their assignment, and more importantly, actual human lives depended on their ability to skirt the edge of complete honesty without giving too much away.

"We were in different Houses," Draco offered, his fingers making small circles along Hermione's back as he spoke. "I was–" he paused for dramatic effect, allowing Misty to capture a flicker of well-placed agony on his face. "I wasn't very kind to anyone outside of my inner circle of friends and definitely not to anyone sorted outside of Slytherin, but I was particularly cruel to Hermione because of my prejudices at the time."

None of this information was news to Misty; it wouldn't have been to anyone. Draco's past actions and beliefs were certainly no secret. After his return, his history and curious change of heart was all people wanted to talk about, and whether he thought this line of questioning was still necessary or not, it definitely wasn't a surprise.

"Just to clarify, what exactly were those prejudices?" Misty inquired, her eyes flickering nervously to Hermione as the last word left her mouth.

So predictable, Draco thought as he continued the slow moment of his fingers along Hermione's spine.

"I'm sure you already know the answer to that," Draco replied before he could stop himself. "Your newspaper dedicated a significant amount of time covering my past mistakes and questioning my motives for returning home when I first became an Auror."

"Of course. We all know your story," Misty responded quickly, meeting his icy gaze with surprising ease, "I just want to set the stage for our readers who are dying to know how two people with such… different backgrounds ended up together."

Fighting back an eye roll, Hermione's hand tightened around Draco's knee, warning him to take it easy. The interview had just started after all, and they hadn't even made it to the worst parts.

Draco, realizing that he was toeing a dangerous line, nodded and inhaled deeply (mostly for the show of it, but also to give himself a moment to calm down before he said anything rash). "I believed that muggle-born wizards and witches were less than those born into all magic families," he finally explained, grabbing a hold of Hermione's hand. "Which is a ridiculous notion," he added, making an effort to stare longingly into Hermione's eyes, "that I regret ever entertaining."

If she wants a fucking show, Draco thought, I'll give her a fucking show.

Hermione smiled at the man next to her as he spoke, trying her best to keep up her end of the bargain with the Minister. Tell them what they want to hear, he had told Draco and Hermione with a piercing glare. You're going to have to put your dislike for the press aside. Make them believe you're happy to be talking about your relationship.

"He was a bit of a git," Hermione added, realizing she had been quiet for too long. "I slapped him in the face during our third year, so I guess you could say neither of us particularly liked each other back then."

"You slapped him?" Misty asked, seemingly surprised.

It had been Draco who suggested that she bring this particular incident up, and despite her initial objections, Hermione had eventually relented that it wasn't the worst idea ever. And of course, as he had predicted, Misty ate it right up.

"Yes," Hermione (fake) giggled, bringing a hand to her mouth. "He definitely deserved it."

"Bloody hurt as well," Draco chimed in, almost laughing at the ease at which Hermione was handling the interview so far. "I definitely don't recommend pissing her off."

"So, you two never harbored any romantic feelings toward each other during your time at Hogwarts?" Misty continued after allowing herself a small laugh.

"Oh Merlin, no!" Hermione exclaimed (and it was mostly true). "I knew he was handsome, objectively speaking, but no, I never had a crush on him or anything like that." (There was no way she was going to tell either of them about the time she had touched herself after catching sight of him with his shirt off after Quidditch practice).

Sure, you didn't, Granger, Draco wanted to jest but thought it best to keep it to himself.

"I found her attractive," Draco admitted (and despite his behavior towards her at the time, it was the truth). "But no, I wouldn't say I had romantic feelings for her. Those are relatively new," he finished. (He definitely wasn't going to admit how many times he jerked off to the image of her in that damn dress from the Yule Ball).

Why do you look so guilty, Malfoy? Hermione wanted to ask but knew it was better to save for later.

Draco and Hermione eyed each other with mirrored smirks, while Misty, who seemed satisfied with their answers, paused to contemplate her list of questions.

When Misty spoke again, she directed her gaze to Hermione, who felt the next question coming before the words had even left the journalist's mouth. "What did you think when you found out Draco had taken the Dark Mark?"

You knew this would come up, she told herself, happy at that moment to feel Draco's fingers close around her hand again. Just breathe and keep it simple.

"I was surprised, but he was just a kid. We all were," Hermione replied (truthfully), dropping her voice slightly. "I may not have understood why he did it at the time, but he wasn't given much choice in the matter."

"Didn't it bother you?" Misty countered, her voice losing its cheerful tone as her eyes narrowed suspiciously. "He was one of You-Know-Who's followers. He was ordered to kill Dumbledore."

For fuck's sake, Hermione thought. Hadn't the press covered this particular piece of Draco's past enough yet?

"Well– yes, of course it bothered me at the time," she mumbled, caught a little off guard by Misty's sudden change in tone. While both Draco and Harry had warned her that this would likely happen at some point in the interview, it still bothered her that it was even necessary to talk about any of this. "But he's not a murderer. He never wanted to kill anyone," she continued after taking a few deep breaths.

"Why didn't you kill Dumbledore?" Misty asked, her eyes flicking over to Draco.

"Because I didn't believe in what I was doing anymore," Draco explained (very truthfully) as he had done countless times before, including in front of the Wizengamot upon his return to the Wizarding world. "If I could have ensured the safety of my parents, I would have switched sides then and there," he added.

His answer seemed to satisfy Misty, or at least, she had decided that this line of questioning wasn't going to get the rise she had wanted out of Hermione, and she moved on.

"Did you two see each other during the war?" Misty asked, her fingers absentmindedly tapping on the edge of her teacup.

This woman won't quit, Hermione thought as she glanced worriedly over at Draco.

"Yes," Draco replied, swallowing heavily as he prepared to talk about the one thing he regretted above all others. "Once at Malfoy Manor when Harry, Ron, and Hermione had been captured and then again a few times during the Battle of Hogwarts."

He had never gone on the record about that day at Malfoy Manor, and neither had the Golden Trio, all of them wishing to forget the horror of what had befallen Hermione, and so Draco was hesitant to supply more details than necessary. Misty, however, seemed to sense his discomfort, and decided to probe.

"What happened at Malfoy Manor?"

"Bellatrix tortured me," Hermione supplied before Draco could gloss over the details of that day, her eyes glazing over slightly at the memory. She had spent long enough hiding from this memory, and if they were going to have to put on a show for the press, she might as well give Misty another juicy bit of information to keep her from digging dangerously in their more recent escapades.

Misty gasped, covering her mouth with her hand, her quill dropping onto the table from its position in her other hand.

"Tortured?" she managed after a few moments.

"Nothing worse than many others experienced during the war," Hermione said quietly, dropping her eyes to her lap. "She used the Cruciatus Curse on me."

"And I did nothing to help," Draco added somewhat angrily, surprised with Hermione's sudden honesty, but quickly grasping her reasoning for it.

"Why didn't you help her?" Misty asked, turning to Draco after recovering from their words.

"Not doing anything to help her is the biggest regret of my life," Draco confessed, locking eyes with Hermione as the words left his mouth so she knew how much he meant it. "Bellatrix was powerful, so I was scared, but knowing what I know now, I should have died to protect her."

It was the truth. Hermione's screams still haunted him. While they had talked about a lot of things from their past, and while he had apologized for all the ways he had wronged her, neither of them had found the courage to discuss the specifics of this particular event. Out of all the horrible things he had done in the name of blood purity, Draco wished more than anything that this was the one thing he could go back and do again. He should have protected her.

Fuck, Hermione thought, swallowing heavily as she caught the tortured look in Draco's eyes. He's not lying. He really means that.

Hermione placed a hand on his cheek as his eyelids fluttered shut, happily ignoring Mistry as she stared awkwardly at them from the other side of the table, no doubt kicking herself that she didn't have a photographer with her. They didn't need to speak to have the conversation they needed to have.

Her touch – It's okay, I'm here.

His eyes – I'm so fucking sorry.

Her thumb, tracing across his jaw – I don't blame you.

His sigh – I do.

"Ahem," Misty coughed, her cheeks burning as she looked back and forth between the couple.

They reluctantly tore their eyes away from each other. Hermione shifted awkwardly in her seat, hoping Misty had enough sense to move on, while Draco tried to shove the pain that had bubbled to his normally calm exterior back deep down inside.

After giving them a few more moments to recover, Misty continued. "What happened when you saw each other during the Battle of Hogwarts?"

"Early in the battle, I cornered Harry, Ron, and Hermione trying to get my wand back from Harry," Draco answered, quickly dropping the emotion out of his eyes. "One of my schoolmates attacked them with Fiendfyre," he continued, cringing for effect (although truthfully, he wasn't particularly excited about reliving this memory either). "Despite what I had done to them over the years, despite what I had failed to do to help them that year, the three of them saved me from the ensuing destruction."

"We didn't see each other again until later, when it appeared that Voldemort had successfully killed Harry after their encounter in the Dark Forest," Draco continued, images of the destruction from that day flooding his mind. "I didn't speak to her – I didn't speak to anyone, but what I saw that day made me hate myself more than I could ever put into words," he paused, taking a breath to steady himself only. "I left with my parents before the final battle between Harry and Voldemort took place, and I left home shortly after that."

Misty let out a hmm as she jotted down a few notes on her parchment before, thankfully, shifting her questioning to the less depressing moments of their relationship.

"How long was it before you saw each other again?"

"Probably four years," Hermione replied, thinking back to the first time she saw Draco after his return. "I was already working in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement when he was hired as an Auror."

His return, and subsequent appointment as an Auror, had sent the entire Ministry into a tizzy. Initially, both Harry and Kingsley faced backlash for their roles in his hiring, but the outcries were quickly silenced when Harry let it slip who was really responsible for the capture of the wanna-be Death Eaters two years prior. Most of the remaining skeptics were won over a few months later when Draco risked his own life to save a young girl who had been kidnapped by a crazed former snatcher. By the end of Draco's second month as an Auror, people were singing his praise all over Britain – even the Prophet stopped their attacks – but Hermione was one of the few who had never been quite convinced.

"And were you happy about his hiring?" Misty asked, once again focusing her gaze on Hermione.

"I didn't understand it," Hermione offered (honestly), "but no, I wouldn't say I was upset about it. I trusted that both the Minister and Harry knew what they were doing."

Misty frowned slightly. It was obvious she had been hoping to learn that Hermione's dislike for Draco continued well past their years at Hogwarts, but Hermione was not about to give her the satisfaction. Draco had been through enough in the past few years, he certainly had been targeted enough during this interview, and there was absolutely no way she was going to provide anymore ammo for people to doubt his position at the Ministry or their relationship.

"Did you interact with each other much during those first few years?" Misty continued, her eyes once again moving between the couple on the other side of the table.

"No, not really," Draco answered this time. "I saw her around, but our assignments never overlapped."

Misty's eyes traveled back to Hermione as if she didn't believe the words coming out of Draco's mouth, but Hermione nodded in agreement. "I don't think we actually spoke to each other again until a few months ago," she affirmed.

"If you weren't on speaking terms," Misty began, cocking her head slightly, "how was it you two ended up working together on something so important?"

Draco raised his eyebrows while his fingers tapped lightly on the table in front of him. Time to sell this lie, he thought, brushing back a strand of hair that had fallen over one of his eyes.

"I assume you're referring to our foundation?" Draco asked, knowing full-well that's what Misty meant.

Misty nodded. "Yes. How did the two of you join forces to create your foundation?" she rephrased, her voice emphasizing the last two words of the question.

"We ran into each other in a staff room one day, and we ended up talking over a cup of tea," he said, laying out the start of the somewhat-lie they had meticulously prepared with Harry.

Keep it as close to the truth as you can, Harry had told them. It will be easier to sell the lie if it's not entirely made-up.

"He apologized for the things he had done to me in the past," Hermione added, turning to look at Draco. "We talked about what he did after the war, about how he had changed, and I realized he was a different person than the boy I had grown up with. It was obvious we were both hurt by the war, and… well things just happened from there," she finished, (purposefully) not shifting her eyes away from Draco as she spoke.

"So, one conversation and then you two decided to take on the responsibilities of running an entire foundation together?" Misty asked, incredulously.

Draco smiled. "What can I say?" he began, biting down on his lip as he paused to take a breath through his nose, "I was already enamored. She didn't know it yet, but Hermione could have asked me to do anything after that and I would have done it."

Misty blushed slightly at Draco's words.

That was bloody easy, he thought, catching the look on the reporter's face.

Hermione held back a laugh. "I was impressed with the man Draco had become, but I definitely wasn't interested in him romantically in the beginning," she said (lying). "It was obvious we both wanted to do more to help those affected by war, and it didn't take me very long to see the benefits of working together."

"You really weren't as enamored with Draco as he was with you?" Misty inquired doubtfully as she twirled her quill between her fingers.

"Oh, no," Hermione said, innocently (which was by the far the biggest lie she'd have to tell all day). "I was definitely attracted to him, but it wasn't until we started working out the details of the foundation that I realized I had feelings for him," she paused, smiling at Draco. "I kissed him the day we submitted the papers to officially launch the foundation, and we've been together ever since."

"Why keep your relationship a secret?" Mindy inquired.

"It wasn't so much about keeping it a secret as it was about enjoying our time together without prying eyes," Hermione explained, truthfully.

"We also didn't want our new relationship to get in the way of the foundation," Draco supplemented, circling back to the reason they were supposed to be together in the first place. "It was important to us that people take it seriously."

"So, what were you two doing at St. Mungo's the day you were... umm – when you were caught together in the alleyway nearby?" Misty asked, stumbling over her words, apparently too embarrassed to describe exactly what they had been doing when the photographer had caught them.

"We were meeting with one of the Healers who had been there during the war to discuss ways we could help the hospital prepare for any future threats," Draco offered, making sure to give Misty his biggest smile.

Luckily, when Draco had approached the Healer in charge of the young boy's care, she had been more than happy to provide Draco and, by association, Hermione an alibi for their ill-timed discovery outside that day. Harry and the others, fortunately, had not been seen outside of the hospital, and so at least for now no other backstory was needed to cover up Draco and Hermione's obvious mistake of getting caught latched to each other's faces while working on a top-secret assignment.

"The incident in the alleyway," Draco continued, trying his best to not laugh, "was entirely my fault," he paused, smiling to himself before he continued. "You see, Hermione is the most brilliant, beautiful witch I have ever met, and I am completely incapable of keeping my hands off of her."

Hermione laughed (half for show, and half because she was trying to hide the blood rushing to her face). "I can't let him take all the credit," she said, smiling at Draco when she recovered. "I was definitely not on my best behavior that day."

"If you hadn't been caught that day, would your announcement at the banquet been any different?"

Well, she's certainly not daft, Draco thought, quickly trying to think of a response that wouldn't seem terribly suspect.

But Hermione spoke first. "No," she asserted, her voice calm and level as her eyes locked on Draco's. "We didn't want to hide it anymore."

This damn interview may not have been our choice, Hermione thought, but he's my choice, and I'm not going to let anyone think otherwise.

Misty asked a few questions clarifying the specifics of their foundation, but thankfully seemed content with the answers both Draco and Hermione had given her with regard to their relationship and ended the interview portion of their meeting a few minutes later. It seemed that for now, they had successfully persuaded the Prophet's new gossip columnist of their backstory, and they both breathed a sigh of relief when Misty ushered them to the park nearby for a series of photographs they had promised to pose for.

"Pretend it's just you and me," Draco whispered in Hermione's ear as he buried his hands in her hair and pulled her in for a kiss.

You and me and every single person that reads the Prophet, Hermione grumbled internally before Draco's lips made her forget that anyone was watching, let alone taking their picture.

"That honestly wasn't as bad as I thought it would be," Hermione muttered as Draco ushered her away from the park, leaving Misty and the photographer far behind them. "I really was expecting more of a fight."

"Well," Draco began, curling his fingers around her hand, "we seemed to have appeased her for now. But I doubt we've heard the last from her or the Prophet."

It had been a long couple of days waiting for this interview, and now that it was over, Hermione realized it really was still just the beginning of the attention they would have to put up with as the public interest in their love affair grew.

"Hermione," Draco said quietly, pulling her to a stop behind in a collection of trees near the far end of the park.

"Mmm?" she mumbled as she drew herself closer to him, the scent of him overwhelming her senses as she rested her head against his chest.

"I should have apologized for what happened to you at Malfoy Manor sooner," he told her, nervously. "I'm sorry it took someone else asking questions for me to talk about it."

"Draco it's–"

"No, it's not okay," he asserted, his eyes darkening as the memory of that day once again flooded his brain. "I could have helped you. I should have– I should have stopped it," he paused, swallowing heavily while Hermione's reached up and began tracing her fingers softly along his jaw. "I will never forgive myself for standing by doing nothing while Bellatrix hurt you."

"Draco, you refused to identify Harry. That alone could have gotten you killed. You certainly were in no position to help me," Hermione replied as she locked eyes with him, sensing this was something that had been eating him up inside for quite some time. Perhaps even longer than they'd been together. "Bellatrix would have killed you if you tried to intervene. Or Voldemort would have. There was nothing you could have done that wouldn't have put you or your family in danger."

"It doesn't matter," he said, raising his voice slightly and drawing a shaky hand through his hair. "Death is better than being a coward."

Hermione moved her hands to the sides of his face and kissed him softly.

"What happened to me that day is not your fault," she said as she pulled away, her eyes drawn to the storm swirling in his own. "I survived. I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere."

"That doesn't excuse my inaction," he replied, his face still twisted in torment. "I don't understand how you could ever possibly forgive me for that."

"Do you really think I blame you for what Bellatrix did to me?" Hermione asked, seriously.

"You should," Draco replied quickly, his hands hanging sadly at his sides.

"I refuse to hold you accountable for something that was out of your control," she asserted. She knew he would probably never fully forgive himself for his role in the war, especially not that day, but she was not going to let him think that she blamed him in any way for what had happened that day.

"Why?"

I love you, she almost said.

"You were not the one who casted the curse, Draco," she said instead, burying her hands in his hair after pausing to take a deep breath. "I wouldn't be here with you right now if I thought you were in any way responsible."

Draco was quiet for a moment before he bent his head forward and rested it against Hermione's forehead.

"I don't deserve you," he whispered as he wrapped his arms around her waist. "I really don't deserve you," he repeated, his breath catching in his throat as he felt her fingers travel along the side of his neck.

"You do," Hermione affirmed, feeling his heartbeat quicken under her touch. "I choose you, Draco. I don't want anyone else," she paused, licking her lips as her fingers moved to trace the outline of his lips, "I want you."

As soon as the words had left her mouth, she Apparated them to her flat where she kissed him fervently as they stumbled down the hallway toward her room.

"I choose you," she repeated, gasping into his mouth as he picked her up and laid her down on the bed. "I'll always choose you."

It didn't make sense, her wanting him, but he knew that he had never been happier, and Draco knew he was going to do everything in his power to make her happy.

I love you, he wanted to say.

"I'm yours" he said instead before moving in between her legs. "I'll always be yours," he promised as he moved his hands underneath her dress, his fingers lingering over the edge of her knickers.

Hermione threw her head back as she felt his thumb graze over her lace covered clit, and when he finally ripped her knickers from her body, she moaned. She shivered as he moved his hands to her thighs, tracing his fingers softly and slowly upward toward her now quivering center.

"Mine," she whispered as she impatiently reached for the button on his pants, released it, and frantically pulled the zipper down.

She felt him shudder as her hand closed around him, and in that moment, she realized she couldn't stand the thought of ever being without him. She didn't care what anyone said. She didn't care what anyone wrote. She was his and she wasn't going to let anything, not even his reluctance to accept her forgiveness, get in the way of that. With a feat of agility that she wouldn't have thought possible moments before, she flipped them over on the bed, his cock still in her hand as she straddled his thighs.

"Mine," she repeated as she sat back on her knees, her hand moving slowly up and down his hardened length. And before Draco could answer, before he could take back control, she bent forward and took him into her mouth, swirling her tongue around his tip as he threw his head back and groaned in surprise.

"Fuck," he hissed.

Draco watched her with lidded eyes as she moved her mouth up and down his cock, his body screaming in pleasure. Not once did she take her eyes off of him, and each time she took him all the way in, his tip hitting the back of her throat, he nearly lost it.

"Hermione, I'm–" he tried to warn when the feeling of her warm, wet mouth became too much, but she didn't stop, choosing instead to hum in anticipation as she quickened her pace.

He came hard, releasing himself in the back of her throat as he made a sound somewhere between a strangled cry and a moan. In that moment, nothing else mattered: not his past, not his mistakes, not even the demands Kingsley had thrown at them. All that mattered was her.

"Mine," she said again as she straightened back up, wiping seductively at the side of her mouth.

"Yours," he responded, quickly flipping her on her back before kissing his way down her body.

I'll always be yours.