Adrenaline coursed through Hermione as she and Draco rushed from the Ministry of Magic fireplaces, through the bustling ground floor, and over to the lifts. She pressed the button several times impatiently and tapped her foot on the marble floor as she waited for it to arrive. She knew they were close to a breakthrough that would solve the Lucius case, and she knew that it was linked to Astoria's disappearance somehow.
"Come on," she mumbled at the lift doors.
"Hermione, calm down. We don't even know that the guard has anything to do with either case."
"He does, Draco, I know it. I can feel it."
Draco shrugged his shoulders rather than argue with her. The bell announcing the lift's arrival finally pinged, and Hermione had pushed her way into it before the doors had fully opened. The people already in the lift tutted loudly as they passed her and stepped out, but Hermione paid no attention as she was now hammering the gold button for the second floor.
When the doors opened once more, she rushed out and began speed-walking down the corridor to the office bearing Gawain's name and title of Head Auror. She knocked loudly three times and resumed her foot tapping. When he didn't answer she knocked again, this time louder, but still there was no answer. She had just raised her fist to bang on the glass again, when an angry-looking woman stepped out of the office next door. She had perfectly straight jet-black hair, an extremely pale face and a rather pointed chin. She scowled at Hermione before noticing who was standing behind her.
"Draco?"
"Hi, Magda," he replied. "We're looking for Gawain, have you seen him?"
"He's out all morning, won't be back until at least one."
"Typical!" Hermione huffed and began to walk back down the corridor.
Draco thanked Magda over his shoulder as he set off after Hermione. When she abruptly stopped outside of Harry and Ron's office, he bumped into her.
"Sorry," he spluttered. "What are you doing now?"
"Seeing if Harry and Ron are back," she explained as she opened the door. She looked around at the empty office and sighed loudly. "They must still be out trailing their mystery suspect."
"They've got a suspect? They didn't tell me." He sounded disgruntled.
Hermione explained about the owl Harry had sent her. "He obviously didn't want me coming in when there wouldn't be anything to do here. You're not actually on this case, remember?"
He gave a non-committal grunt before turning away from her and heading back toward the lift.
"Where are you going?" Hermione asked as she followed him.
"Lunch," he replied, pressing the button for the lift, "coming?"
"But what about-"
"Gawain isn't going to be back for at least an hour, we'll come back up then."
"Fine," Hermione said, stepping into the lift. She was frustrated at the idea of having to wait, but saw no alternative option as they had no idea where Gawain was to find him.
They headed to the Ministry cafeteria and each bought sandwiches and a drink before finding and empty table by the door to sit at. They ate in a comfortable silence and Hermione found herself wondering how her life had taken such a funny turn lately, one that resulted in her separation from Ron and a developing friendship with Draco Malfoy.
"What are you smiling about?" Draco asked suddenly.
Hermione hadn't realised that she had been, but she explained her thoughts, making him chuckle.
"Yes, it is a bit odd isn't it? I mean, I've been working with Potter and Weasley for years and we can only just about tolerate being in the same room as each other. Then you come along and in just a few weeks we're having lunch, dinner, and coffee together. Friends with Hermione Granger," he mused, testing the foreign phrase.
"I'm not sure I like the sound of that," she teased and he shot her a glare over the top of his coffee mug as he took a drink.
Just then, a loud chortle came from the doorway to the cafeteria and made the pair look up. Fellow ex-Hogwarts student, Michael Corner had come in, with a very pretty blonde girl, and he was laughing a little too hard at something she had just said.
Draco narrowed his eyes at Michael's retreating back. "You know, I've never had a conversation with him in my life, but I really don't like him."
Hermione laughed, "Yes, I can imagine a lot of people feel that way about him. I don't know what he's like now but he was awful in our Hogwarts days."
"No need to tell me that. Don't you remember the library?"
Hermione knew the moment Draco was talking about. She remembered it well, and it had crossed her mind several times recently, having spent so much of her time with Draco since starting the Astoria case.
It was just a few weeks after Hermione had returned to Hogwarts to take her NEWTs. She had just finished dinner and had left the Great Hall promptly to get to the library and start on a particularly challenging essay Professor Slughorn had set on medicinal potions. She had walked past Michael Corner and his group of friends, who were sitting in front of an abandoned pile of blank parchment, quills, and books. She resisted the urge to use her Head Girl privileges to make them stop laughing and focus their attentions on their obviously not yet started homework, or kick them out of the library altogether; assuming that Madam Pince would soon be along to save her the argument. Instead, she headed to the section just behind them, in which she knew she would find the books she needed, and began to browse.
Once she had a stack of books that would at least get her through the introduction of her essay, Hermione turned to come out of the section and head to a table, levitating the books in front of her. She was at the end of the row when she heard a snippet of the whispered conversation Michael and his friends were having.
"…don't know what he thinks he's doing coming back here. He's far from welcome."
Hermione paused, curiosity getting the better of her.
"Exactly," one of the girls agreed. "We're finally rid of You-Know-Who and things are getting back to normal then a Death Eater comes back to school!"
"Please, Claudia, call him Voldemort. He's dead now, there's nothing to be scared of," another girl said.
"Yeah, just one of his followers walking around the school as if he's got any right to be here," Claudia snapped back.
It was clear to Hermione now who they were talking about. Draco Malfoy's return to Hogwarts had been the subject of gossip since September First and there were no signs of it letting up. Though Hermione had been surprised to see him back, she felt as though Claudia's opinion that he had no right to be there was a little harsh. He had been a shell of his former self every time Hermione had seen him in classes or around the castle. His head was always down, he rarely spoke unless spoken to, he was always alone rather than surrounded by Slytherin cronies; he sat alone, walked alone, and worked alone. It made her curious and she felt uncomfortable that she caught herself thinking about him so often. She continued to listen to the conversation, against her better judgment.
"He's got some nerve. All the kids that go here who have lost family because of him and the people he supported, Merlin knows how they must be feeling having to see his face every day."
A shuffling movement from behind Hermione made her jump; she quickly turned around preparing to scold whoever had been sneaking up on her. When she saw who it was, however, she quickly stopped herself. Draco Malfoy was staring at her, with a set of books in front of him just like Hermione. His expression was pained: he had heard the conversation too.
They continued to stare at each other for several moments. Hermione had an overwhelming desire to do something; to say something to comfort him, but she was unsure what, or why. Why should she make him feel better? She didn't completely disagree with what the group was saying: it wasn't fair on the students who had lost family at the hands of Voldemort or his supporters to have to have the constant reminder in the form of Draco. But then, he was different now, there was no denying that. And then there was the way he was looking at her now; like she was the only person in the world that could help him; like his future happiness depended on what she did or said next.
Hermione took a tentative step forward and reached out to Draco's hand that hung limply by his side. She gave it a squeeze and walked away without another word, her stack of books hovering behind her.
Draco stared at Hermione intensely from across the table and she realised that it had been several minutes since he had spoken.
"You remember that?" she asked, pulling herself from the memory.
"Of course. When I was listening to that conversation, I was telling myself that I should just leave Hogwarts, that getting my NEWTs wasn't worth all of the whispering, the looks, the feeling of being unwelcome. I was going to go to McGonagall and tell her I'd had enough…and then you squeezed my hand. I knew that if you were willing to comfort me, even in a tiny way, after everything I'd done, then somehow the rest of the wizarding world would one day realise I was sorry."
"I don't know why I did it," Hermione blurted out.
"I know. I could tell. But you still did it, and that made all the difference. I wouldn't be here now if you hadn't. I wouldn't be doing a job that I love, even if it is with Potter and Weasley," he joked, trying to lighten the situation.
Hermione reached across the table and, mimicking her action from four years ago, she gave his hand a gentle squeeze. "I didn't know whether I believed it or not then, but you really have changed. I can see that now."
He rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand and smiled at her, before quickly realising what he was doing and giving an awkward cough. "Er-we should go and see if Gawain is back yet."
"Yes," Hermione said quickly, pulling her hand back. "It's after one now, he should be."
They cleared away their lunch dishes and made their way back up to the second floor, both avoiding eye contact and neither speaking to the other. Hermione was relieved to find Gawain in the corridor as soon as she stepped out of the lift and she quickly made her way over to him, Draco hot on her heels.
"Draco? What are you doing here, shouldn't you be in Knockturn Alley?" The head Auror asked as soon as he saw the pair.
"He wasn't there. I'll go back tomorrow. I ran into Hermione while I was there though and-"
Hermione cut him off. "I need to go and see Stan Shunpike, now."
"Shunpike? What for? We've already interviewed him twice, he's not going to be any more use to us."
Hermione explained as quickly as she could about the updated version of the book she had found the body-switching spell in, and her suspicions about the guard. She cleverly avoided mentioning Narcissa, or Draco's involvement, instead telling Gawain that someone must have visited Stan to do the body-switching spell.
"Okay, calm down, Hermione. You can go, I'll owl the head guard now to tell them to expect you."
He turned to leave but Hermione stopped him. "Wait! Can you tell them that we don't want Corbin to be the guard that escorts us, and that he can't know we're going? I know he's up to something, and I don't want him to do anything that will jeopardise what could potentially be the strongest lead we have."
"As you wish," he said, before turning his attention to Draco. "You'll escort her? I can't send anyone to interview an Azkaban inmate without a trained Auror, no matter how brilliant they are."
Hermione blushed and Draco nodded.
"Good," Gawain said, "now get going, I'll send the owl."
He entered his office and the door clicked closed behind him. Hermione and Draco went in the opposite direction, back into the lift for what felt like the millionth time that day. Once again, the feeling of rushing adrenaline filled Hermione as she pressed the button for the ground floor. She and Draco were about to take a big step in the right direction, she knew it.