Chapter 11 – The Plan
The next day they rendezvoused at Draco's to discuss the next part of the plan.
"Alright, so when it comes to the question of what to do next; there's obviously a plan." Draco said as he filled their glasses with whiskey. "Granger, if you'd be so kind."
"Right. So, the first time Malfoy sets his foot in the magical world in six years the news value will be high for three reasons. One; Draco Malfoy is returning to the Wizarding World. Two; he's engaged. Three; he's engaged to a Muggle. We'll use this to our advantage by giving the press a molehill, which they then will make a mountain out of. Hence when we launch our products there will already be a demand." she explained.
Tom smiled and Draco took a confident sip of his whiskey.
"Now, we'll have to expect two sides here; one which will say Malfoy is still a prejudice prat and that this is all for show and one which will say he's truly a changed man and who they now thinks a hero. As far as business goes; we really don't care what people are saying as long as they are talking about you. The key here is letting the public do the talking and all we do is giving them something to talk about, we don't address anything of what's happening hence creating a demand for the story and ultimately our products as they will be closely associated with you. This all starts with Malfoy retrieving his wand. Now, we have about a month until that day, and we're going to need that time to plan this down to the last detail because we only get one shot at this." Hermione said and both Draco and Tom leaned forward listening intently.
June 22nd 2005.
Draco and Tom walked into the atrium at the Ministry of Magic at nine o'clock that morning where a photographer from the Daily Prophet, Rita Skeeter and her Quick Quote Quill were the first to welcome them.
"Mr Malfoy, do you have any comment on your six years without magic?" she beamed as the photographer blinded both Draco and Tom with his flash.
"No, I don't, Rita. Now, if you'll excuse me I have business to attend." Draco answered coolly and put his hand on the small on Tom's back and escorted him past the ogling Rita Skeeter and her Quick Quote Quill that raced across the note pad.
They walked up to information desk further down the atrium still close enough for Skeeter to be within earshot.
"Draco Malfoy here to collect my wand." Draco said to the clerk Seamus Finnegan and handed over a piece of paper.
"Right, Malfoy. Welcome back to our world." Seamus said and looked up from the files he'd been stamping. "Who's this you've got with you?"
"Kindred." Draco answered.
"Right, all visitors must be registered. If you'll hand me your wand Mr… ?" Seamus said.
"Garret, sir, Tom Garret. And I don't have a wand. I'm a muggle." Tom said.
Seamus looked from Draco to Tom in shock.
"May I ask the nature of your relationship?" Seamus asked narrowing his eyes at the two men.
"This, Finnegan, is my fiancé." Draco answered airily.
Behind them Rita Skeeter's Quick Quote Quill nearly burnt through the paper from the frenetic writing.
"You're engaged to a muggle, Malfoy?" Seamus asked in disbelief. "I'm sorry to say I have trouble believing the sincerity of this."
"Right, why don't you call for Hermione Granger and she can tell you that this is true." Draco sneered.
"You mean as in the war heroine and Golden Trio member Hermione Granger?" Seamus mocked.
"Yes, that is exactly the Hermione Granger I'm referring to. She works at the Department of Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures." Draco informed Seamus matter-of-factly.
"I know where she works, you twat." Seamus sneered.
"Good. Then you also know how to call her then, I trust." Draco sneered back. "She had unicorn business around where we live a few months ago and she's met Tom. She knows we're engaged."
"Right, one moment please." Seamus muttered.
"So, Tom, when we're done here do you want to go and get some ice cream?" Draco turned to Tom and gave him a smile.
"I'd love to! Can't wait to try some magic ice cream!" Tom grinned back and touched Draco's arm barley noticeable but affectionately.
Ten minutes later Hermione Granger stepped out of the elevator and made her way to the information desk.
"What's going on, Seamus. What's the emergency?" she asked as she came up to them. "Oh, hi Malfoy, Tom. Good to see you lads again." she added with a polite nod and gave them a quick smile before she turned back to Seamus.
Seamus' jaw dropped.
"Um… Hermione, do… do you know these men?" he stuttered.
"Yes, I do. The blond man is Draco Malfoy, we were in the same year at Hogwarts, remember? The other man is Tom Garret." Hermione smiled bemused.
"Do you happen to know the nature of their relationship?" Seamus asked.
"Well, if I'm not mistaken they're engaged." Hermione said and turned to Draco and Tom and smiled at them.
Draco let a triumphant smirk spread across his lips.
"Right, I'll get the department of magical law Enforcement." Seamus sighed.
After another 20 minuets of waiting the elevator doors opened again and to Draco's great disappointment Harry Bloody Potter appeared and made his way to the information desk.
"Hiya Harry. Malfoy and his kindred, who's a muggle by the way, are here to collect Malfoy's wand." Seamus said.
"Welcome back Malfoy. You've certainly been a shadow for the past six years." Harry said. "What have you been up to?"
"Not answering questions is what I've been up to, Potter." Draco sneered as he, Tom and Harry made their way to elevators.
"Still as charming as ever I see." Harry sighed to which Tom gave a small chuckle.
"I'm sorry, I didn't introduce myself. I'm Harry Potter." Harry said and reached out his hand to Tom as they stepped into the elevator.
"Right, nice to meet you Mr Potter. I'm Tom Garret." Tom smiled brightly at Harry as they shook hands.
"So, you're Malfoy's kindred. May I ask how?" Harry asked attempting to make some small talk as they stepped out of the elevator and made their way down a corridor.
"We're engaged." Tom smiled.
"What? You've got to be joking?" Harry said so surprised he completely forgot his professionalism.
"Are we laughing, Potter?" Draco drawled.
"You can't mean to tell me you're gay, Malfoy?" Harry said as they entered the room where Draco's wand was stored.
Draco leaned in and whispered into Harry's ear:
"Do you really think I teased you all those years cause I hated you?"
"Um, well… I… I don't…" Harry stuttered and blushed.
"I'm having a piss at you, Potter. I did cause you're annoying." Draco drawled.
"You're a fucking cunt." Harry muttered and went to look for Draco's wand.
After having filled out about 13 forms, signed at about 47 X:es and stamped about 62 stamps Draco once again was in possession of his wand and was now sitting with Tom at Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour enjoying the sunny weather of the warm June-day. Draco was eating a pecan and caramel sea salt swirl and Tom a chocolate and raspberry with chopped nuts as a beetle was crawling in the vacant chair in front of them.
"So, this is your world?" Tom asked and observed the (in his mind) bizarrely dressed witches and wizards walking past them.
"Yeah, full of parts as you can see." Draco sneered.
"Potter seems nice though." Tom shrugged.
Draco decided not to dignify that statement with an answer but just snorted.
"So what's this place called?" Tom asked changing the subject.
"Diagon Alley. Thought it could be a nice place for business. What do you think?" Draco said and looked around.
"Yeah, I think it could work." Tom agreed.
"Want a taste?" Draco asked and offered Tom a spoon full of his ice cream.
Tom nodded and Draco fed him the spoon.
"Hang on, you've got a little on you." Draco said leaned in and brushed away some ice cream from the corner of Tom's mouth. His touch lingered just a bit and when he was done he put the finger in his mouth and licked it clean. The men both smiled sheepishly and Tom blushed slightly.
"Come on, let's head home." Draco said and stood up.
"Yeah, lets!" Tom agreed.
"Alright, hold on to me hard. I've haven't done this in six years so it might be a bit bumpy." Draco said and wrapped his arm around Tom's waist and apparated them both home.
At six o'clock that evening Hermione apparated into Draco's sitting room where Draco and Tom already waited with a glass of whiskey ready for her.
"How did it go?" she asked.
"Bloody brilliant! Right according to the plan." Draco grinned.
"Excellent! Was Skeeter at the Florean Fortescue's?" Hermione asked eagerly.
"Yeah, me made sure she heard us talking about getting ice cream at the Ministry and we both saw the beetle at the parlour. She heard us talking about businesses and Draco even licked some ice cream of my bloody face." Tom laughed.
"Good job you two. I'm sure we can expect very interesting headlines in the Prophet tomorrow." Hermione grinned.
"So, what do we do now?" Draco asked.
"Now, gentlemen; we start making potions." Hermione said and raised her glass in a toast. "Cheers!"
The end