Sorry for the wait. I'm still heavily focused on my other fic right now.
Hope you enjoy!
-x-
Hermione sat in the living room with her feet perched up on the coffee table as she made some adjustments to a law a colleague had asked her to go over. After their discussion a few nights prior, they had come to an agreement over the use of her office. Draco had made a few rather convincing arguments in his defense and Hermione decided that she could make do without for a while, so long as he left her files and notes be. If she were being honest, she hadn't had anything significant to work on in quite some time.
She jotted down the last of her notes and tossed the file down on the couch beside her. She dropped her head back and rubbed her eyes from the exhaustion that was sweeping over her. She hadn't been sleeping well and had managed about two hours the night before. This was why she didn't fancy discussing the war.
The nightmares she had were just barely manageable as it was, but when the memories were pulled out from the depths of her mind where she so desperately tried to keep them locked away, it would bring her back to that time. Pick her up and drop her right smack dab in the thick of it all. She would reel herself back in, lock the memories back away, but it usually took her a few days to do so. Until then she would have to muscle through.
She closed her eyes in attempt at even a few minutes of sleep when she heard the sound of shattering glass followed by a slue of unsavory profanities coming from the study. An annoyed growl slipped past her lips as she stood, marching to the door. She flung it open to find a disgruntled Malfoy sneering and pacing behind the desk. The remnants of the ornate whiskey tumbler scattered across the floor.
"What the fuck Malfoy?" She spat.
He shot her an irritated scowl as he brandished his wand, pointing it at the broken glass.
"Repairo."
The pieces quickly fit back together and he levitated it back to its home on the top of the small liquor cabinet.
"There. Fixed." He said pointedly.
"I suppose that just makes it okay then does it?"
"It's fixed isn't it?"
"I told you that you were to respect my home while you stayed here. Or did I not make myself clear?"
He scoffed "I'm not some petulant child Granger. I heard you. Won't happen again."
"It shouldn't have happened to begin with."
"Spare me one of your lectures. Not now alright?"
"What the fuck is your problem Malfoy?"
"Nothing."
"Nothing. Oh okay. Tell me, is it a common occurrence for you to hurl expensive glasses at the wall when 'nothing' is wrong? Because if that's the case, I'd prefer you to lessen your standards to the cheap ones in the cupboard."
He stopped and turned to look at her. It wasn't until then that she noticed the dark circles under his eyes that seemingly mirrored that of her own. The case was obviously getting to him, and she felt that familiar pang of guilt stab at her for jumping at him so quickly.
"I'm going nowhere with this alright? Potter hasn't had any fucking luck with it either, and of course no one that knows anything will bloody talk to us."
He ran his fingers through his hair and she noticed how defeated he was beginning to look. It had only been a week since Lucius had escaped, yet you would think it had been months at the level of stress Draco seemed to be harboring.
"You want any help?"
His eyes shot up at the offer. Not that he was eager to accept, but he was surprised at the notion.
"Why on earth would you willingly throw yourself in all of this?" he had one hand fixed upon his hip and used the other to point around to the various stacks of parchment and files strewn around her previously kept desk.
She shrugged. "I've got nothing important to be working on, seeing as how this case is directly affecting both of us, if my help can help close it even a bit sooner then I might at well."
He gave her another cautious glance. It wasn't anything to do with trust. He knew if anyone could be trusted with such sensitive information it would be her. It was that nagging feeling within him. The one screaming at him to keep her as far away from this mess as he possibly could. The intense drive to keep her safe. He exhaled as if trying to calm himself.
"You better not. I'm sure you could help, but Harry and I agreed to keep this quiet."
"If that's what you want..." she trailed off.
"It's what's best. You could be a target, the less you know about the case the better."
"Hmm. Well if you change your mind let me know. I'm going to head to the ministry then, see if they have any work for me."
He gave her a nod as he began going through the files once more. Just as she was getting through the doorway Draco called out.
"I'm serious about you being a target Granger. Watch your back when you're there."
Her brows furrowed as she examined him for a moment. She threw him a look of understanding before continuing on her way.
Hermione stopped by her department, though there wasn't much, a few of her colleagues asked her to look over some proposals. She decided to drop by the auror department to check in with Harry.
She took one of the lifts down to his floor, after taking a few steps, she had the foreboding feeling that someone was watching her in the seemingly deserted corridor. She stopped to look around, but saw no one. As a precaution she slipped her wand out and grasped it firmly. She quickened her pace as she neared Harry's office, when only a few steps away from his door, a rush of footsteps came from behind. She turned, pointed her wand at the man
"Petri-"
"Expeliarmus!"
Hermione's wand flew away from her into the wizards hand.
"Tsk. Tsk. What do we have here? If it isn't the famous little mudblood."
"Honestly Nott, learn something new would you?"
Theordore Nott. Harry had suspected him for years and he didn't believe for a second that Nott was reformed. Him and Draco had tried to catch him on multiple offenses, but he always managed to narrowly slip their grasp.
"Careful Granger. It seems you are the one in the disadvantage here."
"What the fuck do you want?"
"Fiesty aren't we? Well truth be told I was here for Potter. But you. I imagine he will be much more satisfied with the know it all little mudblood over the chosen one."
Hermione only took her eyes off him for a second, spotting Harry at the edge of the hall. He pressed his finger to his lips to signal for her to not draw attention.
"And who is it exactly that wants me. Voldemorts been dead for years. None of you bottom feeders have the balls to try and start another uprising."
He gave her a sinister smile. "I supposed you're right, I guess it's a good thing that's not what we're after. You see Lucius doesn't want an uprising. He wants revenge, and he has placed quite the bounty on that bushy little head of yours. Almost as high for that blood traitor son of his."
Hermione released a defiant laugh. "You can't be that thick can you? Lucius was sentenced to Azkaban. He is no longer in control of his vaults, Draco is. I hate to break it to you, but you'll be collecting no bounty any time soon."
Her statement angered him tremendously and landed a hard smack across her face, causing her to stumble back and brace herself on the wall.
"Enough mudblood! I'm taking you to the Manor. You'd be wise to keep that filthy trap of yours shut."
He moved to grab her, but before he could lay another finger on her, Harry's voice reverberated off the walls.
"Stupify!' he bellowed, sending Nott flying through the air.
"Accio wand!" Hermione called, her wand zipping back to it's rightful owner.
Harry sent a full body binding hex towards the wizard before he could collect himself.
"You alright?" he said breathlessly as he reached her. He inspected her cheek, a small gash right below her eye caused by the blow Nott had dealt. "Shit. I'm sorry, I would have stopped him sooner-"
"I'm fine Harry. He was freely giving up information he wouldn't have released in an interrogation. You were right to wait."
"But you-"
"Will be fine." She cut him off again. "It's just a cut Harry, may have a bruise, but I'm fine."
Scurried footsteps approached as the pair turned to see Seamus and Dean running towards them.
"Get him into a cell, I'm taking her home."
The two men did not question him, moving directly past and dragging Nott off.
"You should attend to that. I can get back."
"I know, but I'm taking you to the floo, we're not taking any chances."
"Harry really I'll be-"
"Please don't fight me on this."
She nodded silently and allowed Harry to lead her towards the separate floo's that were located towards the back of the department reserved for auror use only.
"Tell Draco everything that happened. Let him know I will be by tonight with any information I get from Nott."
"Alright."
"Hermione...I'm sorry to do this. You need to stay at your house as well, do not leave under any circumstance."
"Harry there is no need-"
"Hermione" he gave an exhausted sigh. "I'm not requesting, I'm ordering you to stay there. Let me see what I can get out of him, we will discuss it more tonight."
"Okay."
She wanted to argue him, but now was not the time. She turned at once stepping into the floo and in an instant was standing in her living room only to find Malfoy taking up her previous position the couch.
"That was quick" he mumbled. He cracked open one eye to see Hermione in a disheveled state, her clothes wrinkled, and a drop of blood trickling down her cheek. Her eyes were wide as she scanned the room. Draco all but flew off the couch towards her.
"Granger, what happened?" he asked, placing a finger under her chin and lifting it slowly as he examined her cheek. The dark blue and purple bruise already starting to form. "Fuck. How did this-"
"It was Nott."
"Nott? As in Theo Nott?" he asked.
"That's the one." She answered.
Draco gritted his teeth in anger. That protective sense he had for the witch sweeping over him. He rested his hand on her back and was surprised that she didn't even flinch.
"Come on, let me take a look at this."
He moved her into the kitchen, pulling a stool at from the counter to have her sit. He brushed the stray hairs away from her face so he could inspect the wound.
"Bloody hell Granger. What the fuck did he do?"
She winced slightly at the pain as he assessed the damage.
"Gave me a rather harsh backhanding."
"Fucking arse." He mumbled under his breath. "I'm going to press on it for a second. It's going to hurt like a bitch, but I need to see if it's broken alright?"
She nodded, squeezing her eyes shut tight. "Just try and be quick."
He wrapped his one hand around the back of her neck to keep her from moving. Using his free hand he applied pressure to the area a few times, causing her to hiss in pain.
"Sorry" He released her as he finished. "It's not broken, but I'll need to seal the gash, I have a pain potion in my room, it's not too potent, but it'll be enough to dull it a bit. I'll be right back."
He made to leave but was stopped after Hermione's arm shot out grabbing his wrist. He turned around to see her staring at her hand. She slowly released it, as if the adreniline in her body had controlled the reaction, rather then her mind.
"Sorry." She said in a timid voice. "I'm just a bit shaken up."
"I'll be right back okay? You can tell me what happened after I fix you up."
She nodded again and Draco hesitated for a moment. He practically bolted up the stairs and back down, afraid she would go into a fit of panic. When he first started working in the field, he had a handful of close calls. The violence had a tendency of bringing flashbacks from the war. He himself had to drink himself to the point of blacking out a few times. He returned to the kitchen to find her in the same spot. She was visibly upset, but overall seemed to be holding it together.
He handed her the small vile. "Drink that. It works better if you take it before I do any healing charms." She took it from him and downed the bottle, grimacing at the taste. He retrieved a cloth out of the drawer and wet it in the sink. He made back to her, picking up where he left off. He carefully cleaned away the blood from her face. Hermione watching him the whole time, despite everything that had happened, she couldn't help but notice how gentle he was being, how even as he cleaned away her blood he didn't seem affected by it. He pulled out his wand, muttering out a few spells to heal the wound. "There. It'll still be sore for a few days, but the potions should help."
Hermione proceeded to tell Draco about the altercation in the ministry.
He became angrier with every detail, damn near sending on the verge of exploding once he learned that his father had a hand in it, not to mention how it would seem that the man was holed up in the manor. The only part out of the whole ordeal that seemed to calm him being the fact that Potter ordered her to stay in the house as well.
After she finished, Draco fumed silently as he paced the kitchen, asking her questions every so often. About an hour later, her fireplace came to life as Harry stepped through. Both of them meeting him with anxious looks.
"Did you get anything" Draco asked.
"Yeah...yeah we did. He wasn't under the unbreakable vow like the guard. Gave him the serum and he answered everything."
Harry went on detailing the entire interrogation. The pair remaining silent as he explained, reserving any questions for when he finished.
"So is it true? Is he at the manor?" Draco asked.
"Yes. He changed all of the wards, and we can't seem to penetrate them, it'll be a few days before we can break through them."
"Is that safe?" Hermione asked. "I mean how many of them are there?"
"Not many." Harry shook his head. "Mainly family members of imprisoned death eaters. Apparently a lot of the activity Draco and I had been following was all linked to this small group. Nott himself wasn't too sure how Lucius came to play in all of this, he also didnt know who bribed the guard. All he knew was that the group was offered help from an 'anonymous supporter'."
"So we still don't know if it's someone in our department or not?" Asked Draco.
"No, but he was telling the truth about them not wanting an uprising. They want us. He wants Ron and I, but you two are his top priority."
"Why? I mean, me I get, but why Granger?"
The look on Harry's face told Hermione the answer. "Because of my blood." She said.
The air became heavy as it settled in. It was Draco who spoke next.
"How did he get through my wards though? And how is he offering bounties? I'm the head of the house now, he shouldn't be able to do any of this."
"Yes well, we looked into that. On a legal standpoint he can't. He lost all rights when he was imprisoned. Your family does go back centuries though, and...magic trumps law sometimes."
"What do you mean?" Draco asked.
"Old magic protects your father as the family head until his death, or until it is rightfully earned by you." He gave them both a wary look.
"Rightfully earned? How do I do that?"
"That's the part you're not going to like."
-x-
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