"Malfoy, I wouldn't trust you to help an octogenarian across Diagonal Alley, let alone to aid the entire Muggle-born and halfblood populations of the wizarding world. I'm not mad, so what are you here for?" Hermione asks impatiently, ready to be rid of Malfoy and his poorly crafted lies.
"Truly, Granger, you ought to be thanking me; I am, after all, at your service."
"And why, exactly, would that be the case?"
Draco grins even more widely before saying, "Ever hear of the successful wizarding law firm known as Smith & Baker?"
Suddenly, Hermione has the distinct notion that her workdays are about to become much, much more stressful. "No" is all she can sputter out in the wake of this news.
"Yes, Granger; I'm the new liaison with the firm that you requested."
"When I asked for more help, I supposed that someone with a smidgen or two of compassion for those who aren't purebloods would take the job. You do realize that the laws I'm hoping to have eradicated are unfair to people with family backgrounds like mine, yes?" she asks, almost hoping against hope that Malfoy will stand and yell "Truly?!" before marching out of the room.
Instead, of course, he just says, "The cases will be quite popular with the majority of the wizarding population who are for equality, wouldn't you say? And they could potentially cause some to forget the missteps of one who, in youth and foolishness, may have said and done some things to offend this particular sect of the population?"
Hermione throws him a rueful smile, replying, "Looking for an easy way to climb the next rung of your company's ladder, Malfoy?"
"Granger, please; I truly care for all the sorry lot of your style of breeding."
"A pleasure to work with you then, you miserable power-hungry cretin," Hermione says with disgust before pushing away from her desk to rise out of her chair and shake Draco's hand. If he draws it back with fingers that are more jelly-like in texture than before, she certainly doesn't act as if she has anything to do with it.
"Malfoy? Seriously?" Harry asks her later that evening in the pub, looking as shell-shocked as she feels. "Has the Ministry gone mad?"
Hermione has just finished relating her news to the gathered group: Harry, Ginny, Ron, and Lavender have been huddled around the table interjecting exclamations of surprise and indignation since she began a half hour ago. While the topic is new, the gathering is not; she has been meeting at the pub with her friends almost nightly since the war ended, though the group has undergone its shifts. Lavender is a more recent addition than the rest; she and Ron have only been back together as a pair for the last two years or so, though it's been over four years since he and Hermione realized that their friendship wasn't quite enough to make their relationship last.
Though she used to loathe her rather intensely, Hermione has become increasingly good friends with Lavender; the girl bonded with her quickly after Hermione saved her in battle, and she's grown up considerably. Hermione supposes they all have. Harry and Ginny are now married, happily discussing the prospects of future children and other plans whenever they are given the chance, and Hermione would bet her best cauldron on Ron proposing to Lavender in the next six months. Everyone's lives are advancing so swiftly, it feels as if they ought to be knocked right off their feet by the pace of their daily schedules.
Only Hermione seems to be experiencing the sort of epic disasters that include things like having to cooperate with Draco Malfoy, however.
"So, he basically told you it's a power play on his part?" Ginny asks, concern scrunching together the skin just between her eyebrows.
"He absolutely told me so, though it's not as if that matters. If he helps to eradicate the laws, it certainly will clean up his family's name and his own, no matter what sort of individual he truly is," Hermione replies, slumping forward onto the table and muttering, "I am going to spend the next several months working with the man who believes my name is interchangeable with the word mudblood."
"'Mione, if he creates problems, Harry and I can always take care of him for you," Ron says, slamming his fist into his other hand in a way that obviously signals how, exactly, Draco Malfoy ought to be treated.
"Oh, good grief, Ron, you and Harry are not first years anymore, so stop with the threats of violence. Besides, Hermione is plenty capable of handling the scummy Malfoy heir. There's a reason she's so good at jinxes, hexes, and the like, after all," Lavender says, sending a knowing smile her way from across the table.
"Thank you, Lavender," Hermione says, adding, "You're perfectly correct, of course; Malfoy has already been reminded today of how handy I am with the jelly-finger curse."
The table's occupants burst into laughter at this, and Hermione relaxes into her seat just a little more.