Previously: The logical choice seemed to be Henry. Which meant Draco's plans had just hit a downward spiral, with likelihood of a crash landing.
"No chance, I could offer you money?" the older man shook his head.
"You see it would be unfair to make you pay for something which will one day be yours."
Chapter 18: Shocks
"Me?"
"Yes you Draco. You see I have no family of my own, or none that keep in touch with me anyway. So I was thinking of my options, I could sell my businesses, but what would I spend the money on at my age? So I thought it best to have an heir. And after much consideration I believe you would be the best for the job." The older gentleman carefully watched Draco, "I only ask that you serve it well"
"I'm not sure what to say Lord Ardenbrook, of course I will, but I'd rather some money changed hands."
Harry considered Draco's point, "How about, an advertisement purchase, sponsorship from Malfoy and Son, you provide the brooms, and the merchandise, while getting your logo throughout the stadiums and on the kits and you take a small portion of the profits from said merchandise, a bit like you've bought a stake."
"And then when I finally leave this place, or decide to retire- you will take over the helm, after a few years behind the scenes learning the ropes"
Draco had to admit it did go a long stretch of the way to helping his dastardly plan to unfold, once he had control he could publically humiliate the Ginger git, everything was falling into place.
"So five-hundred-thousand galleons should do the trick then?" Draco asked.
He watched as a twinkle formed in the older man's eyes, before a smile found its way onto his wrinkling face. "I believe Draco my boy that will do perfectly, when would you like the transfer to take place?"
"As soon as possible. The sooner it's sorted, the sooner, I can get my finances in order, which brings me to my next proposal" Harry waved his hand for Draco to continue as he leant further forward in his seat, intrigued as to where their already elongated meeting was going to.
"I'm organising a consortium bid for a stake of sizable proportion in Weasley Wizard Wheezes, and am offering you a chance to be part of it." Draco was stopped as the office door opened and seconds later closed, as in walked a silver tabby cat, who settled itself on the desk in front of Harry as he leisurely began stroking the cats spine, it purring with contentment as soon as he did so.
Draco however stared at the cat, he for some reason recognised the cat, but for the life of him couldn't remember where from, he knew it was obvious but it was as if someone had obliviated his memory. The cat stared back, intently, tilting its head to the side and looked as if it was arching its eyebrow waiting for its identity to twig with Draco.
But he was stopped from working out the conundrum by Harry's voice, "So you want me to add some money to this consortium? How would this work?"
"Each member of the consortium has a stake in a middle company, in this case Scorpion Limited it's equal to prevent quarrels, we contact Weasley Wizard Wheezes, offering them a bid, for a decided stake in the company. They either accept or decline, though we will negotiate with them should they choose to decline our first offer."
"You mean the same Scorpion Limited company which is your own personal branch off of Malfoy and Son? The one hardly anyone knows about?" Draco nodded his head, "Good idea, a fairly unknown company looking into buying shares, less suspicious. However it begs the question why are you doing this?"
"I'm doing it on behalf of a friend." Was Draco's straight answer.
"Is she worth it?"
Draco's eyes briefly left the elder man's to look out of the window before they rested back on the suspiciously open newspaper on the desk, "Yes. Undoubtedly she is." The blond's eyes flickered back to Harry's, "I'd lay down my whole fortune for someone if they were worth it."
"Then I'll let you in on a little secret, I already own some shares in Weasley Wizard Wheezes, not to mention I know a few secrets that I wouldn't mind sharing about a certain Miss Granger and her husband." At the point the silver tabby hissed, turning to look at the older man, who stared back, seemingly having forgot the cat's attendance. "Though I do not wish to speak out of turn" he rushed immediately.
Draco could tell that their meeting was winding down, and he still had much to do in the day, so having said his goodbyes, he departed Lord Ardenbrook's estate, a smirk gracing his features, leaving two heated voices in the office, as he left the manor.
-DM-
"You had no right Harry and you know it!" a stern voice lectured the eighty year old man.
"You could see it in his eyes darling, he loves her. Always has, always will. You told me that."
"Yes. And it's the truth. But certain things she needs to tell him!"
-DM-
Having left one manor, Draco returned to his own manor, where once again Pansy was waiting for him.
"Drake, you read the article didn't you?"
"Read is a bit of an overestimate but I skimmed the shit that's wrote in their yes, and I must say someone has a good deal of imagination. However I noticed they didn't eagerly post their name on the article, I want to know who wrote it Pans, soon. They will learn the hard way to not step in the way of a Malfoy, they clearly don't care about self-preservation whatsoever."
"I've got people working on it Drake, it looks like it may have come from Lavender Brown by all accounts." A growl erupted low in Draco's chest. "I managed to pull the story from the rest of the presses for today, but its already out there. And I know they, all the reporters out there have been following Granger all morning. She's apparently barricaded herself in her office until the final lot of reporters are dragged out of the Ministry. She's not letting anyone in her office, extremely advanced magic or so I've been told."
Draco stood from the seat he'd reclined into; muttering "I'm going to her"
Pansy stopped him at the door way, "I don't think that's a very good idea, you're just going to fuel the fire of accusations, and you won't even make it into her office. Reporters will be all over you the second you reach the atrium of the Ministry."
"I'll just have to change my appearance then won't I?"
With an intricate flourish of his wand, Draco's notorious blond hair changed into a dark chocolate brown colour, and his eyes into an emerald colour. His skin darkened to a tanned skin pigment, he remained the same height but his build was slightly smaller. The only noticeable trait of a Malfoy he showed was the smirk and crook of his eyebrow.
Nobody would recognise him would they?
-HG-
-Meanwhile-
Hermione had spent the early part of the morning finalising the details of her divorce with the Minister for Marriages, and having signed many a papers, she was officially Hermione Granger once again. However the moment she had stepped into the Ministry that bright April morning she had been followed by reporters taking photos of her. The walk to her office an hour after the meeting had begun brought even more hassle; every reporter in England was there to get her photograph, or an interview, each mentioning something about an affair, a newspaper article, Draco Malfoy, and Death Eater. She had absolutely no reply to any of them not knowing what they were going on about, until she reached the sanctity of her office and saw a copy of the Daily Prophet on her desk and she proceeded to flick on through it.
Stopping on the third page, she immediately noticed what had the reporters swarming around her, a slander filled article, of lies, deceit, affairs, use of power for personal means. With each paragraph she gasped.
On the second paragraph down she realised the reporters had reached her office, so with a flick of her wand she locked the door, added a silencing charm so that they couldn't hear her, before bringing her eyes back to the newspaper. And more importantly the photograph.
She recognised the scene. Though it was clearly adapted, Hermione had to admit it looked much like them, and suddenly she had a flashback to their last kiss. In this exact room, she remembered the butterflies that started in her stomach as his head had began descended towards hers. How he managed to make her forget all about Ronald's infidelity with one simple kiss. How he'd put everything to one side to help her since finding her in the cemetery. Closing her eyes, the past few days played over and over in her mind.
-HG-
Hermione awoke with a start as banging on her office door could be heard, before someone tried the door handle, looking towards the door she could see a lone figure through the window pane, a fairly largely built man, who didn't look to be a journalist, his brown hair covering his eyes partially before his eyes looked through the pane.
"Hermione Granger? I really need to speak to you"
Taking the silencing charm down she replied "I'm not talking to anyone at the moment"
She could hear her assistant Elizabeth say something along the lines of "I told you sir" before the figure scribbled something onto a piece of parchment, and gave it to Elizabeth to give to Hermione. Before he began a leisurely pace out of the office space. Seconds later Elizabeth came into the newly unlocked room holding the parchment she passed to Hermione.
'"Sometimes only in the most intense of situations, do we do the right thing."
Loyalty. One of many traits we have in common'
She immediately recognised the quote as something she'd said during her seventh year, and 'Loyalty' was the password to the Heads common room, that herself and Draco had chosen. That meant that man, was Draco.
Rushing out of the office, she managed to catch up to the brown haired man half way to the lifts.
"I knew you wouldn't disappoint me Princess" his husky voice spoke as she grabbed his arm. She didn't reply simply gave him a curt nod to follow her back to her office.
Only once again in the safety of her locked office, with a silencing spell and the window panes having a disillusionment spell on them, did Draco lift his glamour charm.
"I must say you are one very hard woman to get to see"
"What are you doing here Draco?"
He pointed towards the newspaper, "I came to see if you were alright, and to give you this" he held up a square box that he held in his hand.
"I'm fine." She stated as she took the box out of his hand not bothering to open it as she placed it onto her desk.
Draco rubbed his shoulder and neck, "How are the divorce proceedings going?"
"They finished today." Once again she answered curtly.
Draco immediately noticed her curt and dismissive tone, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing"
Grabbing her shoulders, Draco moved her towards the rooms couch, making her sit down, before proceeding to give her a neck and shoulder massage. Asking her to lie onto her front he continued down the expanse of her back, moans and groans coming from the brunette as he reached a rather kinked area of muscles. Once finished with her back he undid her shoes and leisurely began massaging one foot and then the other, before unconsciously massaging to her knees where he stopped, earning a rather docile moan from Hermione.
Deciding to leave her to have a pleasant nap, he penned a note on a spare piece of parchment he found lying about, kissed her forehead before he left the office. Much to the surprise of the ladies in the office, who hadn't realised exactly who had entered Hermione's office.
-HGDM-
A/N: And there we have it Chapter 18, I am truly sorry for the wait guys, I have been uber busy, with University, and working. However I finally managed to find a few hours instead of doing my essay, to pen this for you. Think of it as a belated Christmas present!
Please as usual leave me a review. I like to know what you guys think.
Til next time Scorpio219 -x-