AN: Hey Guys, you can find this story on AO3 also xxx
Summary:
Six years after retreating from the wizarding world, Hermione Granger returns to face a challenging new role as an Auror—only to find herself partnered with Draco Malfoy, the last person she expected to see. Their reunion thrusts them into a high-stakes investigation that quickly becomes intensely personal.
As they delve into a series of chilling murders, they find themselves entangled in a dark web of deception and danger. The case brings them face-to-face with shady potion makers and hidden agendas, as allies from their past emerge as surprising threats, and the true enemy emerges from the shadows. When a tragic incident involving an innocent neighbour raises the stakes, Hermione and Draco's professional and personal lives are at risk.
Excerpt:
"I've got a job here," Hermione said curtly.
Malfoy's eyebrows shot up. "Really?" he asked, clearly surprised. "Which department?"
"The Department of Magical Law Enforcement." She replied, shifting her stance.
"Well, shit." Malfoy said, running a hand through his dishevelled hair.
"Well, shit indeed," Hermione responded, wondering if the rest of her day could get any worse.
Present - 2004
6 years after the war
Hermione sat alone in the cold darkness of her car, parked just outside the Ministry of Magic. The heavy winter morning enveloped her like an old, familiar friend. Although she knew that the more conventional method of travelling to the Ministry was by Floo powder, she preferred the routine and quiet simplicity of driving.
Today marked her first day as an Auror and her first real interaction with the wizarding world since the end of the Second Wizarding War. While much had changed for the better—new policies, a renewed sense of unity—Hermione had kept her distance. Unlike her comrades, who had quickly reintegrated and moved on, she had needed more time to heal.
The scars ran deep, and the battle had left her with wounds that weren't easily mended. As she stepped back into the world she once fought to save, she wondered if she was truly ready to face what had been left behind.
She inhaled deeply, her breath forming a faint cloud of condensation as she exhaled in the chilly air.
"You can do this," she whispered, glaring at herself in overhead mirrors.
Hermione opened her car door, the biting cold nipping at her face as she stepped out and closed it behind her with a solid thud. She quickly locked it and turned to cross the street. However, just as she took her first steps, a person in black clothes, their hood pulled low over their face, suddenly barreled past her, nearly knocking her over.
She opened her mouth to shout after them but instead held back as she watched them veer sharply into a dark alleyway behind the Ministry, his figure swallowed by the shadows. Instinctively, her hand twitched toward her wand, her senses sharpening as she hesitated between investigating or going straight to the Head of Aurors.
After hearing a clutter in the distance, her decision was made, and she swiftly went to see what was happening. The man had pulled out his wand and was muttering incantations at an inanimate object that she couldn't make out.
Hearing a sudden clatter in the distance, Hermione's decision was made instantly. She moved quickly toward the dark alley, her heart pounding. As she approached, she saw the person from before, who she had deducted was a man, with his back turned to her and his wand drawn and pointed at something she couldn't quite make out.
With her wand held steady in front of her, Hermione cautiously entered the alleyway, her footsteps almost silent against the cold pavement. The man was still there, his back to her, rummaging for something on the ground. He was medium to tall, with an athletic build that suggested he could easily overpower her if given the chance. She knew she had to act quickly to keep the upper hand.
Moving with practiced precision, Hermione quietly closed the distance between them. In one swift motion, she grabbed his shoulder and forcefully spun him around, slamming him against the wall. At the same time, she disarmed him with a flick of her wrist, his wand flying out of his hand and clattering to the ground.
She pressed him firmly against the cold brick, her wand trained on him as she prepared for whatever came next. He didn't resist as Hermione pinned him against the wall, so she swiftly pulled down his hood.
Her breath caught as she revealed a familiar head of icy blonde hair, starkly contrasting the alley's shadows.
The unexpected sight left her momentarily stunned as she studied the man's face from behind where he couldn't see her.
"Malfoy?" she said just loud enough for him to hear.
"Now that you know who I am, is there any chance you might release me and return my wand?" he said, his tone laced with a mix of arrogance and bemusement, as if he found the entire encounter amusing.
Hermione's grip tightened on her wand as she continued to study him, her curiosity piqued by his calm demeanor.
"What are you doing here?" She asked.
A small laugh escaped him. "That depends on who's asking," he replied sarcastically.
She pushed him harder against the wall, his face squashed against the cold brick. "I won't repeat myself," she said in a low voice.
"Alright, alright!" he winced. "I'll tell you, but only if this doesn't end up on the front pages of the Daily Prophet's gossip section. I promise this is not what it looks like."
She waited in silence, not entertaining his ways of avoiding answering the question.
"I'll take your silence as a yes," he said, waiting for confirmation.
Hermione remained steadfast.
"Fine," he sighed, clearly exasperated. "I went out for what I thought was casual drinks but ended up being a lot wilder than expected. I didn't have a spare set of robes with me, so I thought I might find something in this alleyway to transfigure without anyone seeing me. But clearly, that didn't work," he rolled his eyes. "Turns out, being a highly trained Auror doesn't exactly keep your basic transfiguration skills sharp. So, here I am."
Hermione tried to process what she was hearing. His tone was a blend of frustration and resignation as if admitting the failure stung more than the situation itself. Realizing that the one concrete way to verify his story was through his Auror identification, she decided to check.
"Show me your credentials," she said firmly.
"In the back pocket of my trousers along with the rest of my belongings," he responded.
Her gaze remained fixed on him as she reached into his pocket and pulled out its contents. Among the assorted items, she found official documentation confirming his status as an Auror since 2001. The embossed seal and the neatly printed text left no room for doubt.
"Now, do I finally get to find out who's accosting me when I am already at my lowest?" he asked, his voice tinged with curiosity. He turned slightly to catch a glimpse of her face as he spoke, clearly eager to identify her.
She held him steady for a moment, weighing her options, before finally resigning herself to the situation and releasing him. He was still facing away from her as he straightened and brushed off the remnants of rubble from his clothes. Slowly, he turned, and a feeling of dread rushed through her system.
"Can I have my wand ba-" His voice faltered as he met her gaze.
Hermione quickly and reluctantly placed his wand into his outstretched hand, which had not moved since he had turned to face her.
"Granger?" he asked, his eyes widening slightly.
"Looks like both of us have been caught off guard," she responded coldly, her voice carefully controlled as she tried to mask her own embarrassment.
"Wh-" he stuttered, still clearly taken aback. "What are you doing here?"
Hermione's mind was suddenly transported back to the last time they had been this close to each other, during the Battle of Hogwarts.
6 years ago - 1998
She was running. Running faster than her body should have allowed. Her legs and lungs burned with each frantic step, but there was no time to slow down. She clutched the basilisk fang in her pocket, and the only thing she could focus on was reaching the Room of Requirement to destroy the Horcrux within Rowena Ravenclaw's Diadem.
Spells whizzed past her, leaving trails of light in their wake. The air was filled with the sounds of shouting, spellcasting and explosions. Behind her, Ron struggled to keep up, his breathing labored as he fought to stay close amidst the turmoil. Every corner she turned seemed to bring new threats, but Hermione pressed on, driven by the urgency of their mission and the weight of the responsibility.
A deafening bang erupted behind her as she turned the final corner toward the Room of Requirement, followed by the ominous sound of crumbling rocks. Panic surged through her as she spun around, straining to see through the swirling clouds of debris. There was no sign of Ron behind her.
"Ron!" she screamed, her voice raw with panic.
Her shouts were just barely audible over the chaos, and she strained her ears, hoping for any sign of a response, her heart pounding with the fear that she might have lost him.
"Hermione," he called back, "I'm okay. Keep going on without me. I'll find a way to catch up."
A momentary wave of relief washed over her as she heard Ron's distant voice calling back. But there was no time to waste. With her heart still racing, Hermione pressed on, pushing herself faster as she ran toward the door of the Room of Requirement.
The door seemed to take an eternity to materialize, and each second potentially cost them everything in this battle. The distant echoes of more explosions and spells intensified her sense of urgency. As the handles finally began to solidify, Hermione's heart raced. She seized the moment, pushing through the door with all her strength and ducking swiftly to the side.
Remaining motionless, she listened intently and watched for any movement that might indicate someone was following her through. Just as the door was on the verge of vanishing, a lone figure came crashing through. It was Draco Malfoy, limping and covered with blood.
"Granger," he called out, his voice strained.
She froze, momentarily paralyzed by the situation, torn between the instinct to fight or to run. Suddenly, the sounds of the battle fell eerily silent. Draco's footsteps were the only sound, his shuffling feet echoing through the room as he desperately looked in every direction, searching for her.
"I know why you're here," Draco called out. "I have the Diadem."
The declaration cut through the stillness, and Hermione's mind raced. She quickly stood up from behind her hiding place, her wand aimed directly at his chest. The tension in the air was palpable as she locked eyes with him.
"I want to help you destroy it, " he said, his voice pleading, as he dropped his wand to the floor, the wood clattering against the stone.
"Who are you fighting for?" she demanded, desperately trying to make sense of the situation.
"My mother," Draco replied, his voice unwavering despite his evident exhaustion. The simple answer carried a heavy weight, which Hermione was all too familiar with.
Hermione stared at the defenceless and vulnerable figure before her, taking in the sight of his tattered school shirt, one sleeve entirely torn off, exposing the Dark Mark etched onto his arm. Her eyes searched his face, desperately seeking some form of clarity. But all she could discern from the stormy grey eyes locked onto hers was fear.
"Fine, throw me the Diadem." She said, extending her hand.
The dishevelled Draco hesitated for a moment before pulling the precious artefact from his pocket and tossing it to her.
"Are you sure you want to be the one to do it?" He asked, his gaze catching hers.
"Yes." She replied firmly.
She broke eye contact with him as she drew the basilisk fang from her pocket and without hesitation, drove it straight through the center of Rowena Ravenclaw's Diadem.
Present - 2004
Hermione's mind was still whirling from the flood of memories, her focus momentarily lost in the past.
"Granger?"
"Sorry, what was the question?" She asked, snapping back to the present.
Draco studied her intently, his gaze piercing through her as if he could see the whirlwind of thoughts she was grappling with.
"I said what are you doing here?" he paused. "I didn't know you had much contact with the wizarding world."
It was fairly common knowledge that after the war, the so-called 'Golden Girl' had retired from the public eye. Hermione had stepped back from the limelight, leaving Harry and Ron to navigate the media frenzy and take center stage. Her absence from the wizarding world had become a topic of speculation and intrigue.
"I've got a job here." She said curtly.
Malfoy's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Really?" he asked, clearly surprised. "Which department?"
"The Department of Magical Law Enforcement." She replied, shifting her stance.
"Well, shit." Malfoy said, running a hand through his dishevelled hair.
"Well, shit indeed." Hermione responded, hoping that the rest of her first day couldn't be worse than this.
