Shrieking Shack

Draco and Hermione were to start training on Monday; it was now Friday night and Hermione was contemplating on how she was going to tell her friends that she had to go on a business trip for an indefinite amount of time. The Minster told her a month, but something deep within her told her it would be longer. He wasn't telling them something. She knew there was more to unfolding the secrets of the Locked Room. She wondered why Dumbledore chose Draco and her. Dumbledore knew that they weren't the best of friends…heck they loathed each other.

Now she would be stuck with him in the same living quarters and she had to be civil towards him. She would rather relive the N.E.W.T.S over a million times than say something nice to Malfoy. Who was she kidding? She would love to retake the N.E.W.T.S. Maybe an Outstanding in the Defense of the Dark Arts would have landed her a better job…away from Malfoy.

She would be moving in with Malfoy tomorrow morning. She visited her new 'home' right after her meeting with Scrimegeour. It was quite amazing. Malfoy and her requested certain things and the Minister magically created the house right on the spot. Of course, she asked for an unlimited supply of books, paper, and writing utensils. Hermione didn't know what Malfoy requested because he discussed his desires in private. She wondered what he wanted to hide. It evaded her mind. Whatever it was, it must have been something really inappropriate…she assumed.

She would have to cancel plans for tomorrow night. She didn't want to because she was curious to the news that Harry and Ginny wanted to tell them, but she would ask tonight when she visited instead. She had a hint to what it was, but wasn't a hundred percent sure. Ginny hasn't been taken as many Healer internships as lately and she seemed positively glowing the last time that she saw her. If it were up to Hermione, she would say they were pregnant. Her heart bubbled over for them. Harry a father…she would have never imagined.

She would miss her friends and all of her clients, especially Miss. Pinky, a house-elf that was only a mere twenty, which was extremely young for a house-elf. Miss. Pinky has been relocated to six different owners due to her rebellious nature. Hermione liked Miss. Pinky's spunk and zeal. Kind of reminded Hermione of what she fought for.

It was already seven o'clock at night and she didn't look forward to seeing Malfoy in the morning. He seemed amused by the whole situation and it made her sick. She didn't know what to expect from him…she was actually kind of scared even though she would never admit it to him or anyone for that matter. Deep down inside, she was afraid of how she would act around him and what he would do to her or how he would treat her. She was anxious to see how they would cooperate with each other, but part of her didn't want to try because she liked being enemies with him. The idea of her being friends with Malfoy frightened her for reasons unbeknownst to her.

She was on her last box. She stopped for a moment and sat down on her overstuffed bed to relax for a moment. Her brown locks were anchored on top of her head, a few strands dangling in her face. She had on her jeans and an old tee shirt. Her forehead was dotted with perspiration and her cheeks red from her warm flat.

She was determined to complete this task, yet hesitant at the same time. How could she have so many mixed feelings? She knew she had to do this for the sake of mankind. It seemed too fake to her and so unreal that the world could end if this Locked Room wasn't uncovered. Her life was so normal yesterday…normal with no more Voldemort's or wars to worry about. Now she had to save the world again and with Malfoy of all people. It was so much easier when she stood beside her two best friends, in the entire world, but she decided that they needed the time to live their lives. She always thought about them before her…never worrying about her own needs and desires. She was a selfless person…what could she do about that? She didn't really want anything at the current moment, except to be good at her job. To tell you the truth…her job was the only thing she was good at…she didn't have any experience elsewhere.

She wiped her forehead with her arm and blew a strand of hair out of her face. She stood up slowly, stretching out her tired muscles. She finished packing her last box, magically apparating them to her home in the Ministry. She would visit her friends tonight at the Burrow. She would tell them what the Minster told her, but what would she tell them after a month? It would start to be a little suspicious. They would wonder what she was up to. She never lied to her friends…it wouldn't be easy. She would think of something. She was good at devising plans and carrying them out. She would know what to do when the time came.

"What'd I get myself into?" she sighed. She put on her jacket and walked into her apparition safe zone…well not really…she liked apparating from her living room, a bit obsessive compulsive. She left with a pop, her body undergoing a familiar gripping sensation around her navel, pulling her into a narrow tube that squeezed the lights out of her.

--

Unfortunately, Draco Malfoy still lived with his parents. It wasn't because he couldn't afford his own…his parents insisted. They wanted him to be close by, so they could easily make any necessary contact with him in an instant. It was true that he 'lived' there, but that didn't mean that he was always home. He was either at a woman's house for the night or drinking off his sorrows in a pub, a good distance away from the Malfoy Residence. He was disgusted by his family name and everything his father did. He hated the way their name and riches were flaunted and things that he was forced to do over the years. He had no choice, but to obey them or his father would take his disapproval out on Draco in a very unfriendly manner.

Draco had scars and bruises to back up his case. Even at twenty-two, he hated to admit that his parents ruled his life. He was such a coward…it wasn't even funny. He hated what his father could do. He wasn't talking about physically; he was talking about his life in general. Draco's father had many contacts that could ruin Draco's reputation and keep him from any job he wanted. One word from his father and Draco could be the next bum on Knockturn Alley.

This scared Draco beyond measure, but did it make him a coward to fear something that he grew up with? It was hard to imagine his life any other way because he never experienced being poor or having no food. He was always a rich brat and enjoyed every minute of it, until he became old enough to realize that his father was trying to coax him into being the same exact replica of himself. Draco knew that his father didn't love him or didn't care a shit about him. Lucius Malfoy only saw two things that Draco was capable of doing, reproducing and making money. That was it. Lucius didn't take Draco's ambitions, desires, or needs into heart…only his own.

Narcissa on the other hand loved her son very much, but was overshadowed by her husband, so she could never say anything or do anything to help Draco in anyway or she would be reprimanded. A cruel thing indeed, it was, to be a Malfoy.

Draco sat on a barstool, drinking is fifth fire whiskey. He decided to try out the Hog's Head. He felt that the atmosphere matched his attitude. He decided that he would buy new clothes and supplies when the need arose…in the morning to be more exact. He had more than enough savings to treat himself. He didn't want to go back to the Malfoy Manor for the fear of being questioned or contained. This was his way of escaping his family. He was pretty sure that they wouldn't worry, until they needed him to go on a date with an incestuous slut from a rich family. He did owl a letter to mum saying that he would be away for awhile. He would be on vacation searching for a 'wife' as he put it. He knew that she was stupid enough to believe it and stupid enough to exaggerate his plans enough, so his father would also believe him. Hopefully, the whole plan would work out. He didn't want to face them because he was afraid that he would slip and tell them the real reason…that he had to do business and with a mud blood. Oh, he would never hear the end of it.

Draco head spun and he felt a bit light-headed from the fire whiskey. He knew he should stop drinking, but what could one more do. He leaned his dizzy head on his fist that was propped on the dirt counter. He lifted his left hand, signaling the ugly, stout waitress over.

"One more," he slurred. The witch took her payments from a piled of coins lying in front of him.

She came back with a fresh shot of whiskey in an even dirtier mug.

"Honey, if this is about a girl I am pretty sure you can get someone tens times better," the barmaid nosily suggested. He didn't care about etiquette…he wanted to numb the thoughts of his family out of his mind.

Draco didn't like anyone butting into his business. He wasn't thinking about a girl. He was thinking about Granger, but she wasn't a girl. Well, she hasn't been a girl since Hogwarts. She was a full grown, blooming woman…beautiful woman. One that he would like to take into his warm bedroom and make love to, until she cried out his name in lust…in love. He tipsily thought. He groggily shook his head, completely disturbed, by the images of a naked Granger in his mind. He was blind drunk and having fantasies about a mud blood. Merlin, he must really be out of his arrogant mind.

He was completely unprepared for this mission given to him by the Minister. How was he going to cooperate with a girl…woman who didn't choose to listen? It was like trying to teach a snail to run. She was too damn stubborn. He could trust her all right, but her tight arse is a hard one to break. If his father found out that he was parading about with a mud blood, he would be chopped meat. He felt like chopped liver to be exact, but he didn't want his wish to come true. It was the truth when he said he didn't mind Granger, but she could be too damn annoying sometimes. That frustrated him and made him dislike the girl from the beginning. He didn't know how they were going to get over their differences. He didn't know how they would trust each other enough to become friends. He didn't know how they were going to complete this task set out before them. This would be one hell of a ride and he wasn't ready to face it. He didn't have a choice, as was always the case.

Before he knew what he was doing, he slammed his fist on the counter and stared viscously at the barmaid, completely out of his aristocratic mind.

"Why don't you shut your trap and mind your own business you old hag!" he bellowed mispronouncing half of the words in a drunken rage. Fire whiskey had a very quick effect.

The barmaid's face crinkled in disgust and ferocious anger. She reached her hand out and grabbed Malfoy by the scruff of his neck, pulling him to meet her face. She had unbelievable strength for a woman of her age. Draco turned his face as he met fetid breath.

"Watch your tongue boy or I will personally cut it out myself and serve it to my customers. Now scram," she pushed him away, causing him to land hard on his knees. He let out a gasp of pain. He brought his palms flat on the slimy floor and pushed himself up. He nearly tumbled over trying to gain balance on his legs; his knees were screaming for him to stop. He grabbed his coat fiercely and left without a second glance backwards.

He felt relieved when his hot skin met the frigid air of the winter night. He glanced up at the clear sky. There wasn't a moon out tonight. The stars were shining brightly; he could feel the peace that radiated off of them. That peace wouldn't reach his heart…he didn't know if it ever would.

He didn't know where he would go. He took a stepped forward into the snow-covered ground of Hogsmeade and decided to take a walk to the Shrieking Shack. He always felt oddly comforted by its loneliness. Many said that it was haunted, but he knew those were fables made up by local townsfolk, who had nothing better to do than tell stories.

The path to the forlorn house meandered to the left a bit. He came to a fence that blocked him from entering. This fence didn't stop him. He knew where there was an opening. He walked to his right about seven side steps and found a loose board that said 'Do Not Enter'. Behind it was an opening that a man his size could enter. It was a tight squeeze, but he managed to get through by taking his abnormally large coat off.

He straightened his body and looked up at the oddly welcoming house. This wasn't the first time he had spent his nights sleeping off his drink in this abandoned house. He could still feel the presence of its former occupants, a place where friendship was never sparse. His life could use a little companionship.

He walked up the creaky porch steps and opened the under-used door, walking into a warmer atmosphere, where his bones were already defrosting. A third person would be scared to enter this house, but not Draco. He was comforted by it. He felt like the house cared for him and would comfort him in a time of need like now…he couldn't count on anybody else to do that, not even his parents.

He found a familiar room with a cobwebbed decoration. He went over to the fireplace and lit it with a flick of his wand. He could here the tales of this place playing in his mind. He knew others preceding him found solace between these ancient walls.

Even the most troubled minds found peace…

He conjured a blanket in front of the fire, laying down, and placing his fur coat over his shivering body. He stared into the fervid flames and finally found peace as his mind drifted off into the unknown…

The key lies in winning her heart…his intuition played off his mind.

--

Hermione landed in the Burrow kitchen with a loud pop. Her sneakers made hardly any noise as she landed. Her friends were expecting her. She sent out an owl that morning saying she would stop over because she had some urgent news to tell them. Of course they got her message. Ginny and Harry were at the kitchen table drinking tea and Molly was cleaning up the kitchen.

Arthur was probably at the Ministry; Ron was traveling with his team in Romania. He said he would visit Charlie while he was there. Romanians wanted to further promote Quidditch as an exceptional sport. They wanted more people to become interested with other things, instead of Dragons.

"Hermione dear. It's been awhile. Please sit down. Do you want anything to eat? I have plenty of leftovers," Mrs. Weasley insisted. Hermione nodded; she was famished.

Hermione walked over and gave a smiling Ginny a peck on the cheek and continued to give Harry one. She took a seat in front of them.

"Hermione it is so great to see you. Harry and I wanted to tell you some good news, but I thought we were going to meet tomorrow night?" Ginny asked with a motherly concern lacing her words.

"Is everything all right?" Harry asked.

"Yea guys. Don't worry I'm fine. I just have to go away tomorrow. It is a last minute business trip that I have to take. I may be gone for awhile," she explained, trying to hide her burning cheeks.

"Hermione! Tomorrow? Why so soon?" Ginny asked.

"It's urgent…er…on of my clients has had a bad accident and has asked me to come stay with her for quite awhile," she lied, feeling her heart break from lying to her closest friends…family. "I already wrote a letter to my parents explaining the situation. That's why I came over here tonight because I won't be able to host dinner tomorrow. I hope you don't mind. I really don't mean to leave on such short notice. If there was any other way, I would take it, but I can't find another way." More lies kept on flowing out of her mouth. What was she turning into? She couldn't help but feel a little naughty. She was always conscientious, but she felt good telling little white lies even though she knew they were wrong. Don't get her wrong she still felt guilty, but it was a change compared to her good-girl ways.

"We don't mind. You can't really help emergencies," Ginny confided.

Harry stared at Hermione. He knew that she was holding something back. Ginny would usually catch something like that as well, but she was too overwhelmed with her own news to notice. Harry decided to let Hermione off the hook, knowing that Hermione would never put herself into dangerous positions. How wrong he was?

"I couldn't agree more," he feigned agreement.

"Ginny is right dear," Molly added, placing a hot plate of food in front of a starving Hermione. Her eyes opened wide in joy.

She tucked into her food and took little sips of pumpkin juice in between bites. She had almost forgotten that Ginny and Harry has news to tell her as well.

"What's the good news you were going to tell me?" Hermione's eyes sparkled, already suspecting what news was.

Harry and Ginny looked at each other, their faces breaking out into grins. Ginny's face turned a bright pink and Harry swiped a hand into his already tousled hair nervously.

"We just found out a couple days ago," Harry mentioned.

"We're pregnant!" Ginny exclaimed jubilantly.

"I'm not pregnant…she is," Harry jokingly replied.

"I know you dimbat," Hermione stood up and hugged Ginny, patting her stomach. She walked over to Harry and ruffled his hair even more.

"I can't believe my two best friends are going to be parents. Congratulations!"

Molly came back into the dining room table to clean up. "Oh, I hear you know. Isn't it going to be wonderful! I am going to be a Gran. If only you and Ron--"

Molly stopped when she saw the look both Harry and Ginny gave her. Her cheeks turned bright red, like her hair. "I am so sorry dear. I didn't mean to o--"

"Oh, shush. You didn't offend me in anyway. I know what you mean," she reassured, giving her two friends evil glares that said 'she's only a mother who wants the best for her son'. Even though it may seem arrogant of her, but it was true. "Ron and I agree that we are better off friends more than anything. I am sure he will meet someone that will give you more beautiful grandkids."

"Thanks hun, but you know how much I think of you as a daughter."

"And you as a mother," Hermione smiled, giving the slightly shorter woman a hug.

Hermione finished eating and chatted for a long time, until she glanced at her wristwatch and saw what time it was. It was almost midnight. She had to wake up early and start her new job. Tomorrow she would start both physical and psychological training for her new job in the Department of Mysteries with Malfoy. What a great way to start off your day…a nice grapple with Malfoy?

She bid everyone farewell and apparated back to her apartment. She took a long, refreshing shower and dressed into warm pajamas. It was pretty cold outside.

She climbed into her overstuffed bed and thought about her job once more. She didn't now how she would resolve things between her and Draco…would they ever become friends?

The key is to understand his past…to accept him…