Sorry it took so long.
Disclaimer: I do not own the lyrics or Harry Potter.
Chapter 3: It's all over now
See, my friend, you won't have time to change your destiny,
Everyone can see the choice you made was wrong, all wrong.
It's All Over Now ~ Tania Maria
Hermione Granger walked through the white double doors and into the new building where she worked. Pausing to wave at the smiling receptionist, she began her trek up the 24 steps and into her office. Sienna was sitting at her desk putting some multi-coloured paper-clips into her hair.
"Oh hi. I never saw you enter," She smiled.
"That's okay," replied Hermione, "How's the patient?"
"He doesn't speak much," Sienna pondered, "In fact, I don't think he's spoken a word to me!"
"That's very... peculiar. It's not like a Malfoy not to speak. Usually they try to insult everything - especially at other people's expenses."
"Look Hermione," Sienna said, beginning another of her 'lectures', "If you don't believe people can change, why are you here? This department of the ministry," She enunciated every syllable clearly, "is here to change Death Eater's views! We help them to understand that believing in blood purity is... wrong." She finished earnestly.
Hermione looked at her feet and the dark purple carpet below. "Malfoy's not like those other Death Eaters. He's not human enough to be a person! He's believed in blood purity for his whole life and I don't think that's about to change now."
"How do you know?"
"Huh? Know what?"
"That he accepted it as the truth for his whole life."
"Trust me: if you had seen his behaviour at Hogwarts, you would understand why I fail to consider your statement as if it were even slightly the truth."
"Whatever."
"Is there something you're not telling me, Sienna?" Hermione hated not knowing pieces of information.
"Maybe," She taunted, "Let's just say he talks in his sleep – well, 'screams' would be a better word to use."
"What did he say?"
"Just some stuff about someone called Kelsey. I think she might have been a friend who he used to know. Every so often he yells 'no' and one time he whispered 'not my mother'."
"His mother died a fortnight ago," Hermione explained.
"What? Really? How did you find out?"
"It was on the form he filled out."
"Oh... Do you have that? If not, I may have accidentally lost it... Please don't be mad!"
"It's okay Sienna," Hermione patted her friend's back, "I have it here."
Hermione took the original copy with the calligraphic handwriting out of her coat pocket (she preferred not to wear robes since she liked to ride muggle transport to work) and smoothed it out on the wooden desk.
"Do you think we should let him do something to commemorate his parents?" Sienna asked, twirling a strand of her auburn hair around her delicate fingers.
"What do you suggest?"
Hermione was slightly sceptical of whether Sienna would be able to think recommend anything sensible. That would just be out of character.
"Perhaps a bluebell flames vigil?"
"He's not even permitted cutlery and you've just asked to allow him fire! Did you read the rulebook or did you just use it as confetti?" Hermione teased, familiar with her sub-ordinate's tendencies. They were the reasons she never enabled Sienna to borrow her books. It wasn't that she was being mean – it was well known that her colleague used just about anything in her 'creations', and if you let her do that you'd never see that object again.
"What about if he's supervised?" She battered her long dark-blue mascara-tinted eyelashes, trying to appeal to her friend's better nature.
"He would not like that."
"It's better than nothing and surely he can recognise that! Please!" Sienna sank to her knees and clasped her hands together, begging. "For me?"
Hermione groaned. Sienna could always change her mind and most annoyingly, she couldn't stay angry at her for long.
"Fine. Who's going to watch over him then?"
"Well... He refuses to communicate with me so..."
The brown-haired witch narrowed her eyes, "You owe me so bad."
"Yay!" Sienna cheered, "I'm going to tell him right now!"
She flounced out of the room only to return a few moments later.
"According to the rulebook, you are forbidden to bring anything muggle or metal that may potentially harm the patient into his room. I'm still wearing my paperclips..." She grinned sheepishly.
"Well done. I was wondering when you'd notice." Hermione smiled cheekily at her co-worker.
"Very funny," Sienna replied sarcastically in her soprano voice.
She left again, this time without her colourful stationery accessories.
Hermione turned and sighed when she caught sight of the amount of files on her desk, wondering how on Earth she could have accumulated so much parchmentwork when they had only received their first patient in two months the day before. She picked up a fancy letter on her desk that she had not seen before and proceeded to open it. Inside, it read:
The Daily Prophet would like to interview you, Ms Hermione Granger, concerning your work and the newly located, Mr Draco Malfoy. Please contact us through your secretary in order to inform us of when you are available so that we may set up a meeting.
- Lavender Brown, Editor of the Daily Prophet
Hermione read it again. She still couldn't believe that Lavender had managed to become the editor of the leading Wizarding newspaper. She had always assumed that her dorm mate would be more interested in Witch Weekly to be completely honest but, thinking about it, it was much more like Lavender to be only interested in the most important newspaper.
After scribbling a letter to Harry asking whether an interview would even be allowed at this stage in the investigation, she began to descend the stairs to the secretary who would then send the letter on by owl.
Suddenly, she heard a female squeal from the direction of Malfoy's room. At once, she ran to his door and pushed it open. Malfoy and Sienna were hugging.
Well, if you wanted to be technical, Sienna was hugging Malfoy but, most importantly, he wasn't pushing her away. That is, before he caught sight of Hermione. His pales eyes speared her to the door, as cold as icicles.
"Oh, hello!" Sienna beamed at Hermione (who was becoming unnerved by the different expressions of the people in the room), "Did I forget something?"
"No, no. I'll tell you later..." Hermione tried to invent an excuse, "You're obviously making, um, progress here."
Although it was only Malfoy and Sienna, she felt like she was invading on something private. This was Malfoy's first acceptance of a stranger and was something of a momentous occasion for the healing of his psyche.
At that moment, Malfoy was still struggling slightly to get out of Sienna's vice-like grip but Hermione knew that was almost impossible. For such a delicate and slight girl, she was a very strong hugger.
"Good luck with that, Malfoy."
"Hermione! He said yes!"
"I'm not sure why you're so excited about that. It won't exactly benefit you." Hermione couldn't help it – being around Malfoy always made her snappy.
"I'm going to get some containers now!" Sienna skipped out of the room excitedly, finally releasing Malfoy much to Hermione's dismay. She would have liked to see him suffer a bit more.
Hermione stood motionless in the room not wanting to attract attention from the prisoner, no, patient. She averted her gaze from his person and began to face the door.
"Don't think I don't know what you're doing," He commented sharply.
She turned back to him, "And what exactly would that be?" Hermione narrowed her eyes, closing in on her target.
"You're distancing yourself from me." He stepped closer and tried to use his towering presence to intimidate her. Hermione was never very tall but was a respectable 5'5" compared to his 5'10".
"Why would I be doing that?" She pressed.
"I don't know," He smirked, "Perhaps you're scared."
"Scared? Of you? You're just a cowardly ferret. Why on Earth would I be scared of you?" Hermione saw a flash of anger run through his eyes as he glared at her.
"You don't know anything about me and you're scared of that," He spat, "You don't like being ignorant of anything... I noticed that – back in Hogwarts," He shook his head and brought his hand to his hair.
"Actually, you don't know anything about me," Hermione said, huffing and turning away from him.
"I certainly wish I didn't."
Hermione thought about asking him about it but didn't want to give him the satisfaction of her 'wanting' him. Even if it was only to answer a question. She'd find out eventually.
They glared at each other silently and it somehow turned into a non-confirmed staring match. Neither was going to lose willingly.
There was meant to be extra but this was about 1500 words and I hadn't gotten to the main point of what was going to happen so that'll be until next chapter. I suppose that means this is a filler. Thanks for the reviews but please, if you're going to read this REVIEW!
I'd quite like a few more reviews to be honest. And I know a lot of people have added this to faves/story alerts so I'm pleading for reviews now...
They'll make me update faster :D