"That-"Patil leant across her desk to snatch it from Malfoy, unsuccessfully. She huffed in annoyance "-Is not for prying eyes."

"I'm not prying, I'm enquiring." Draco said, pulling the file further back from her reach. "Tell me what this is."

"It's complex." She explained. "It's an assignment I can't find the right fit for. No one suits the role."

"What's the requirement?" Draco asked, gently lowering his hand. "Maybe this PA can help?"

"How do you propose to help me? You can't even get your own work done."

"I write up the reports of Auror missions, I know these people inside and out." Malfoy placed the file on the desk, facing his direction. "Maybe I can help you find someone to take this on."

He tried to sound sincere, knowing full well that wasn't the type of help he was offering. Maybe her negligence of leaving a confidential file open to discovery would be an opportunity to persuade his boss to let him off the leash?

"It doesn't work." Parvati sighed. She drew forward and placed her index finger over the animated picture of Professor Hermione Granger. "She isn't worth investigating."

"Why not?" He asked, drumming his right hand over the document, keeping slight contact just in case Patil tried to dive for it again.

Patil surveyed the office, all the Aurors were out. She shifted forward slightly and looked directly into his stone-grey eyes. "They think she's working with a group that plans to rehabilitate a selection of war criminals in Azkaban and let them loose into the muggle world."

Draco laughed. "Well, that's fucking mental."

"That's what I mean, it's complex. They've based this action report on circumstantial evidence only." Patil explained. "Regardless, it's not something we can handle."

"Ah right, I see," Malfoy scoffed "because she's the nation's sweetheart she's off the hook?"

"Here we go, I wondered how long it would take you to get a swipe in." Parvati rolled her eyes. She pushed her fingertips forward, so the file edged towards him a few inches. "Read it. Take it to your desk and read it."

Draco raised his brow and snatched the file up before Patil could change her mind.

"You have until the end of the day, and I want it back." She commanded. "Write up a list of potential Aurors with a rationale as to why they're best suited to the role. You'll find a list in there which has Auror names she's already aware of."

Patil looked up at him and noticed he was not paying attention to her words; he was instead focussing on the image of Hermione.

"Malfoy!"

"Yeah, yeah I heard you." He waved his free hand in dismissal.

Draco didn't wait for a response; he sauntered back to his desk and threw his body into his chair. He hunched over the file and rubbed the bottom right corner of the parchment between his fingers.

He hadn't seen her since the war. The decade that had passed looked good on her, much to his annoyance.

Draco slowly peeled back the file cover, his heart pounding in his ears at the potential that lie ahead for him.

NAME

GRANGER, Hermione Jean

DOB

19THSeptember 1979

POB

England, Great Britain

BLOOD STATUS

Muggle-born

MARITAL STATUS

Single

RESIDENCE

6b, Hogwarts private castle apartments,

Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry,

Scotland,

Great Britian

OCCUPATION

Professor of Charms at Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry.

MAGICAL EDUCATION

Hogwarts School of witchcraft and wizardry 1991-1997

"Boring." He muttered under his breath, he cast is eyes to the next page of parchment.

ASSIGNMENT BRIEFING:

Current intelligence suggests that Professor H.J. GRANGER has been engaging with an unauthorised group, self-titled 'The rehabilitation unit' -This group is being separately investigated by Senior Auror Hawkins and her team.

The summary of the groups objective is to bind the magic and clear the memories of selected war criminals currently residing in Azkaban prison.

By doing so the goal is to re-introduce them into the muggle world as non-magic folk.

This group is not sanctioned by the ministry and directly violates 'SECTION 2(c) of the war JusticeAct 1999'as implemented by Minister Kingsley.

Enquiries into this group have opened up concerns about Granger and her knowledge of complex memory charms and her experiences within the muggle community.

It is believed that someone matching Granger's specific credentials is an active member of this unit and without which, the unit would be unsuccessful.

Granger has been seen and captured by the designated 'EYE-SITE 'security cameras in HOGSMEAD, entering the public house known as the 'THREE BROOMSITCKS' on Thursday evenings at precisely 2000HRS.

Other person(s) of interest have also been seen using the 'EYE-SITE' surveillance footage in this location at this specific time.

The units views on the prisoners threatens the integrity of the justice system and by extension the minster himself.

The methods surrounding this unit are, to the best of our knowledge untested, however accelerating fast.

This poses a risk to our community as well as the lives of muggles. If this group is not stopped, there is potential for a national/international crisis.

*See attached photographs taken from camera EYE-SITE 09*

AUROR REQUIREMENTS:

The individual will go covert.

There is soon to be a vacancy at Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry for the role of professor of defence against the dark arts.

This vacancy has been leaked to the Auror office for vetting purposes and an opportunity will be taken to fill the role internally by an undercover Auror.

Due to the nature of Granger's knowledge of Aurors who were formerly her school companions, the individual needs to be an unknown within our organisation, and it is imperative that he/she/they have an unbiased view on the subject to be monitored.

Duties will include:

· interpersonal surveillance of individual

· intelligence gathering

· Living and working at Hogwarts school as a professor

· Weekly reports to handler on progress

Please note that duties are subject to change and Auror may be pulled out of assignment if handler deems it necessary.

All material gathered will be handed over to handler, failure to do so will result in extreme disciplinary action.

Malfoy smirked. "Oh, you've got yourself into a right little mess, haven't you Granger?"

Although Draco had devoured the file back to front within half an hour, he kept it on his desk, sliding it between his own work whenever anyone walked by.

For him in this moment, even just having the knowledge of this assignment humming around in his brain felt like a victory - It felt like progress.

Malfoy stuck to his word and wrote a recommendation of an Auror who would be right for the job, and when the working day neared its end, and Patil was finally alone at her desk, Draco gathered the document and walked towards her. An amusing whistle played on his lips.

Parvati looked up from her work, pleased to see the file in one piece and nearly back in her possession. "So?"

"So…" He teased. "Here's the file and here's my Auror recommendation." Draco dropped the document and a separate folded piece of parchment intentionally over her still wet inked pages. She hissed in aggravation

Reaching for it before her ink sunk into the back of the file, she noticed the image of Hermione that was previously hanging off the right corner was missing. "Where's the photo?"

"Oh," Malfoy gave her a confused look, he looked over his shoulder at the path he'd just taken to get to her. "Y'know my desk is full of papers, probably got caught up in all that crap."

"And this list, you've based this off the criteria?" Patil asked, grabbing it in both hands.

"I am capable of making a list." Draco replied bluntly.

Patil unfolded the parchment and once open she slammed it on the desk and shot him a dangerous look. Malfoy chuckled, he cast his eyes downwards and admired the arrow he'd drawn now pointing in his direction from her view.

"No." Patil snapped. "You told me you made a list and instead give me this?"

"I told you I'm capable of making lists, which is true." He smiled, flashing his teeth slightly. "This didn't require a list."

"No." Parvati repeated, reaching to take the arrow ridden parchment and rip it up. Malfoy swiftly slammed his own hand down on top of hers and squeezed it, pinching the skin on the back of her hand between the pressure and the 'M' engraved signet ring that sat on his little finger.

"I don't wish to point out the obvious to my superior, but you Patil have, little to no choice on the matter." She tried to jerk her hand away. "You carelessly left a confidential document open to the eyes of a low-level ministry employee. Now, If I was going to take a guess, I think that amounts to a breach of data - data that should not have been given to a certain, controversial yet charming admin assistant to read."

"Are you threating me?" Patil spat.

Malfoy smirked, quirking a brow. This movement disturbed a lock of hair which fell across his forehead. "Yes, yes I am."

He withdrew his hand and took a step backwards, he had to be careful on his next move, he didn't want to make Patil his enemy, not over this at least. He needed her on his side, this would only work if he had an ally and, in this office, that was hard to come by.

Draco placed both his hands in his pocket, relaxing his demeanour. "Look, it's a win win. I get my chance and you, well, you get yours."

"What do you mean by I get mine?" She asked, curious more than aggravated.

"Let me have this, I can prove myself an asset, an asset you know I am." He explained "Be my handler. I report back to you, and you take the intel to Hawkins. I know you don't like desk work and neither do I. This is a chance for us both."

"She knows you; it won't work." Patil said shaking her head. "Besides they won't approve you going in."

"She knows me as a 17-year-old traitor, nothing more. I'm changed now, you know the sacrifices I've had to make to be here, and they weren't taken lightly." Draco's tone sounded calm and confident despite the desperation in his actions. "This is my redemption arc Patil, give me this and I promise I won't let you down."

"They won't approve this." She replied, motioning her head towards the closed door to her right which hid a stairway to the senior Auror office. "They don't trust you."

"But you do." He breathed. "Convince them. If it goes wrong pull me out and I'll take the verbal spanking bent over like a good boy. But…"

"But?" She glared.

"When it goes right, and it will go right – we will both get the credit we deserve, and more importantly, I will owe you one."

Patil removed her hand from the file and relaxed back into her chair. "What about her? Mm? You didn't exactly get along at school. She won't trust you." She looked directly into his soul when she said these next few words. "Hermione, she's a friend, despite this frankly bullshit report, she's a friend and I swear to you Malfoy, if by the grace of Merlin my boss approves this… If you dare use this chance to settle some ridiculous score against her and manipulate this situation – "

"I won't" He interrupted harshly. "I don't care about her, I care about taking this group down and if she leads me – us, to it then it's a win. If she doesn't, she doesn't."

"And you're confident she doesn't know you work for us?" Patil asked.

"No one really does. I'm a private person; I don't burden myself with the emotional drain of social connections and I certainly don't intend on doing so."

"Y'know, you'll have to be semi likeable in order for this to work."

"I will do whatever it takes for this assignment to be successful – and it will be done in the right way." Draco assured her.

He paused for a moment wondering if he believed his own words. He quickly concluded that the 'right way' can and probably would be open to interpretation.

"And what If 'they' say no?" Patil challenged.

"They won't, this assignment is mine." Draco stated, he looked at Patil and saw the intrigue in her face. With a silent agreement made, it was up to Patil to uphold her end of the deal. She let out a short huff of oxygen and stood sharply. No time like the present.

Parvati grabbed the file, shot Malfoy a glare and headed towards the door which separated the masters from their donkeys. Grabbing the brass doorknob, she gently whispered the password.

'Triumph'

Draco nearly threw up in his mouth upon hearing this.

As he watched her disappear behind the door he looked down at his right hand, still cradled in his pocket. He pulled out the now creased image of Hermione Granger.

He ran his thumb across her wild curls and spoke directly to her. "See you soon."