"I think I'm going to faint," Hermione said, watching an owl fly closer and closer while she stood by a window in the apartment she shared with Draco in Hogsmeade.
Hermione knew it had to be the owl bearing her test results. Mr. Weasley had mentioned it to her the night before when she'd been visiting Ginny at the Burrow. Ginny was always careful to invite Hermione to the Burrow when she knew Ron wouldn't be visiting. He rarely visited anyway, it seemed, preferring to spend his time in London.
Hermione had been helping Mrs. Weasley prepare a celebratory dinner for Ginny, who had just found out that she'd made the all-female Quidditch team, the Holyhead Harpies, as a reserve player. Ginny was beyond thrilled, as it had always been her dream to play for the team.
That news had been dampened, for Hermione anyway, by Mr. Weasley's announcement that the N.E.W.T. scores should be delivered the following day. She'd been a nervous wreck since then.
Draco wrapped his arm around her waist. "Why are you worried?" he asked. "You know you aced it. And it doesn't matter anyway. You already have a job."
Hermione sighed. "But it affects my future!" she said. "It'll determine if I'm qualified for advanced positions."
Draco raised his eyebrows. "Do you really believe that?"
Hermione stepped out of his embrace, feeling stifled and flustered. "I don't know," she said stress and worry threatening to overtake her. "I know I failed everything."
Draco wrapped his arms around her, and she buried her face in his shoulder. "Is this how you always are with exams?" he asked. "You were a wreck at Hogwarts the whole time you took the N.E.W.T.s."
Hermione hiccupped in response and nodded into his shoulder.
"I never would have dreamed you were so insecure about your test performance," Draco said. "If your past history is any indication, you've aced them all."
The owl landed on the open windowsill. "Well," Draco said, "Are you going to open it?"
"I can't look," Hermione said, not moving her head from his shoulder.
Draco extricated an arm and took the letter from the owl, who shook his feathers importantly and took back off out of the window. Around Hermione, he opened the letter.
"Just as I thought," he said. "All Outstandings."
"Even Defense Against the Dark Arts?" Hermione asked, stunned.
"All I see are O's," Draco replied.
Hermione snatched the parchment from him, scanning the page. Sure enough, she'd managed all Outstandings this time. Maybe since Harry wasn't there, she'd been able to impress the examiners enough. Or maybe something of what he'd known had rubbed off on her in the year they'd spent roaming the countryside together.
A huge wave of relief passed over Hermione. "I did it," she said. "I've finished magic school with the highest scores possible. My younger self would never have dreamed I'd be able to pull this off."
Draco hugged her again. "I'm proud of you," he said. "And of course you beat me. I only got three Outstandings."
"But you got Exceeds Expectations for everything else," Hermione countered. "And that's very impressive."
"Still," he said. "I'm a failure for not doing as well as a Muggle-born. Or, at least, that's what I was always raised to think. Now, I don't give a damn."
Hermione kissed him. "And that's how it should be," she said. She glanced at the clock.
"I better get to work," she said. "What are you going to be up to?"
"I'm meeting with Professor Slughorn," Draco said. "He has a business proposition for me."
"Does he?" Hermione asked, raising her eyebrows. "Do you think it has to do with his little side business?"
Draco laughed. "I think it has everything to do with that," he said. "I'm curious to see what he has to say."
"Don't put me in a bad situation," Hermione said. "As a Ministry employee, I might find that I have to report you."
"Don't worry," Draco said. "What you won't know, won't hurt you." He winked at her and then seeing her incredulous face, added, "Just kidding. I actually have a proposition for him, which we'll see what he thinks about."
"What is it?" Hermione asked, curious.
"Now, now, Miss Granger," Draco said. "Hadn't you better be getting off to work? Magical creatures can't control themselves after all."
"Actually, they can," Hermione said hotly. "That's more wizarding arrogance."
"Yes, yes, and you're doing amazing things from the inside to help change that," Draco said, referring to the fact that Hermione now worked in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures where she currently worked to improve the lives for all sentient creatures. "It's a good thing you're close with the Minister."
Hermione glared at him. "Kingsley didn't give me the job," she said hotly. "And you know it."
"And you know that he put in a good word for you," Draco said. "There's absolutely nothing wrong with that. That's how the world works. Connections. The sooner you accept that, the better off you'll be."
Hermione shrugged. "I do need to go," she said. "I'll see you later." Kissing him goodbye, Hermione Disapparated.
After living with her parents for a few weeks, Hermione had moved in with Draco after she got her job at the Ministry. Hermione refused to move in with Draco until she could split the rent with him. Now, Hermione's salary helped them both start saving for the future. At first, Hermione's parents didn't like the idea of her living with a man unmarried, but she didn't care and they accepted it since she was a grown woman.
Similarly, Ginny hadn't wanted to move in with Harry until she could support herself. Besides, they all knew Mrs. Weasley couldn't handle an empty nest just yet.
Hermione's work in the office involved a lot of paperwork, meetings with different Ministry officials, and so much bureaucracy. She often asked herself how she'd ever get anything done. Things moved at a snail's pace and she often got disheartened.
When she got home later that day, Hermione found dinner ready. Draco, of course, didn't cook, but the last time he'd visited his family, he'd freed the house-elf who'd replaced Dobby and offered the house-elf, Werf, a paid position with him. His father had been absolutely furious with him when he found out. But that was nothing new these days, Draco had said. Hermione was thrilled that Draco made the life of this house-elf better. Draco had convinced his mother to hire some staff to help around the house instead.
Draco wasn't sure how long his father would allow that, because despite being filthy rich, his father didn't like to spend money "unnecessarily." And house-elves didn't cost money. Hermione hoped to get new laws in place to give house-elves fair wages and time off before Lucius Malfoy obtained another house elf.
Werf, like many of his fellows, felt strange about the idea of receiving wages and protested it many times. Eventually, however he started to get used to it and appreciate the wages. Hermione appreciated having him around so that she could learn more about house elves. Whenever she visited Harry, she'd also talk to Kreacher to learn from him. Kreacher had warmed up to Hermione after the whole incident with Regulus' locket, seeming not to be bothered by her Muggle heritage anymore.
Thanking Werf for the food, Hermione and Draco ate together and talked about their days. Hermione complained about all the bureaucracy she had to wade through before making any progress.
"But enough about that," she said. "Tell me about your meeting with Slughorn."
"Well," Draco said. "I proposed helping him expand the Slug Club."
"Expand the Slug Club?" Hermione asked, raising her eyebrows.
"Yes," Draco said. "In my family, we've gotten to where we are through our connections. Slughorn knows the value of connections, which is why he's cultivated his club. I think we could take this much further than mere school gatherings."
"And why would you do this?" Hermione asked, bemused.
"To create a network of people that are in a position to make change," Draco said. "Change for the benefit of society, I mean."
Hermione took in his words. "How can you make sure that this group has the benefit of society in mind?"
"That's a tough one," Draco said. "And one I can't answer immediately. It would take some intentional curation of the people allowed to be part of the group. And some checks and balances with the leadership."
"Would you cut out people like McClaggen and Zabini then?" Hermione asked.
"Just because they're unpleasant and self-centered, doesn't mean they're bad people," Draco pointed out. "Zabini never sought to become a Death Eater and McClaggen, while idiotic, despises the dark arts."
"Even so, I wouldn't be able to deal with them," Hermione said.
"Ah, but I know just how to," Draco said. "It's what I was raised to do. Manipulate and pull strings from behind the scenes. And I see the value of it. But I want to do it for the good of all, rather than for personal gain."
"I don't see how this can work," Hermione said. "Wouldn't it end up turning for personal gain anyway?"
"Perhaps. But you'll keep me honest," Draco said. "I'm depending on it. Besides, weren't you just complaining about bureaucracy? This might help move things along faster."
"I don't know…" Hermione said. "It sounds a bit dodgy. Like bypassing the law."
"And yet," Draco said. "As we've talked about, many laws, regulations, and bureaucracy are all put in place for the gain of those in charge. What if we were able to manipulate that somehow so that more people benefit? Perhaps even the good of all."
"And where would you start?" Hermione asked.
"Well," Draco said, thoughtfully. "I'd start by supporting you, of course. Trying to find ways to help get some of the changes and reforms you want to make get through faster."
"I don't know if I want to kiss you or slap you," Hermione said, thoughtfully. "This doesn't sound ethical to me."
"Why not both?" Draco said, mischievously. "And besides. This is how the world already works, babe. Why not accept it and use it for your advantage when you know what you're doing is good?"
"But what if I think I'm doing good things and then I'm really doing the wrong thing?" Hermione mused.
"That all depends on perspective," Draco said. "And we'll need to think of ways to measure that."
"Perhaps we could work with the press and have polls and interviews of the public sentiment," Hermione mused.
"See," Draco said, getting up and coming over to her, pulling her into his arms. "This is why I need you." His lips met hers.
Wrapping her arms around his shoulders, Hermione could tell that this idea filled Draco with a sense of purpose she'd never seen in him before. He really felt like it could work. After getting to know the real Draco, she trusted him. But, like he said, she'd be there to keep him honest.
Hermione pulled away and looked at him. "I can see you're really keen on this idea," she said. "It's an area I know virtually nothing about. But you're right, throughout history, there are always groups that move things behind the scenes. I'm just worried about something starting off good and then turning to ill."
Draco put his forehead against hers. "With your brains and my cunning, we'll figure out a way to make sure that doesn't happen."
Their lips met once more. All in all, the future looked hopeful to Hermione. Both she and Draco had found a direction to start working towards. She'd decided to try making change from the inside out, while Draco, it seemed, would support her by making change from the outside in.
