Winds of Change

Chapter 7 - - The Winds of Change

- - -

Fridays were one of Hermione's favorite days of the week, and this one proved to be no exception. It was a beautiful fall day, the leaves just starting to turn, and she had plans for a trip into London with Ginny and Luna that evening. Mrs. Potter needed a night out, and Hermione was more than happy to oblige.

An hour remained before her favorite class, the seventh-year students, arrived. In the two years she had taught, she had always become very close with her seventh-year N.E.W.T. group. They had frequent deep, thought-provoking discussions, not only in the classroom, and they took two trips a year together. It never failed that the class formed a tight bond, not only with each other but also with her as well. She corresponded with many of her former students and readily provided letters of recommendation for those who wished to further their education.

This year's group was proving to be an interesting one. She had four from her house, two from Gryffindor, and three from Ravenclaw. As she did every year, Hermione planned to split the students into groups for the projects they would be assigned throughout the year. However, having an odd number of students meant that she couldn't put them in groups of two. She'd decided to make teams of three and increase the workload for each assignment.

Hermione was still considering how to group the students. The groups were very important, as they would remain unchanged for the first half of the year, and the students needed to work together in order to achieve success in their work. She always tried to put different kinds of people together and liked to pair them up based on complementary work habits and proficiency. Grouping three would undoubtedly prove more difficult than pairing two.

She skimmed her list of students. The Gryffindors would be separated; there was no doubt of that. Evan Turner, a tall, thin young man with glasses and sandy blond hair, and Corey Davidson, also tall, but slightly heavier than Evan, with dark brown hair and dimples, had been inseparable since their first year of school. They worked well together; so well, in fact, that often they could anticipate what the other would say or do. They needed to learn to work with new people, to get out of their familiar study habits and be exposed to other ways of thinking.

The three students in Ravenclaw were all exceptionally bright. They had each scored an "O" on their Arithmancy O.W.L.s, and Taro Chang, Cho's youngest brother, had achieved perfect marks in the written and practical exam. Taro was very shy and mostly stuck by himself. He didn't offer many answers in class, but whenever Hermione called on him, he always had the correct one.

Ketty Mason and Karalynn Baker were the other two in Ravenclaw. They weren't best of friends, Hermione could tell, but they were polite and tolerated each other well enough during class. Karalynn reminded Hermione of herself, and she cringed whenever Karalynn eagerly raised her hand to answer every question she asked.

Though Hermione would never say her quest for knowledge was anything to be ashamed of, Hermione had realized since school that she hadn't needed to let everyone know that she worked so hard. She had wanted to impress her teachers as well, but now that she was a teacher herself, she realized that it wasn't the student who was most vocal about giving the correct answer that professors most appreciated. Rather, it was the student who struggled when new concepts were introduced, but whose face lit up in triumph when he or she grasped them at last.

Ketty was quiet and had a sharp wit. When someone spoke out of turn, or made a sly comment, she always had a rejoinder at the ready, which led that person to flush with embarrassment and mumble an apology. At first, Hermione had thought she was doing it in order to gain favor with the teacher. Over time, however, it became clear that Ketty did it for herself, to keep the classroom in order so that those who wished to learn, could. She had exercised her acerbic tongue less frequently in her sixth year than her fifth, and Hermione concluded it was because the field of students had been whittled down to only the most serious, to those who, like her, wanted to master the subject.

Hermione considered putting Ketty and Karalynn together, since they weren't usually study partners. Plus, their personalities and work ethic would make them excellent teammates.

Finally, Hermione looked at her list of Slytherin students. Samaya Black was a distant relative of Sirius's family. Her father had been Sirius's father's second cousin, and the family had lived in Belgium for most of Samaya's youth. Though they didn't possess the typical Black ideals of a desire for pure-blood dominance, she was still very spoiled and thought she was better than most. She had been Hermione's most difficult student when she had started teaching. Not only did Samaya know many of her less than savory relations but she also displayed the same arrogance and superiority complex that had once plagued Draco Malfoy.

Not long after starting at Hogwarts, during Samaya's fifth year, Hermione calmly asked the girl to explain, to the entire class of twenty, the inherent differences between those of purported pure-blood and those who were Muggle-born. Samaya had started with the typical rubbish Hermione had heard all of her life, and Hermione refuted every claim. When Samaya had nothing left to say, she had left the classroom in a huff, calling Hermione a Mudblood on her way out. Hermione had smiled patiently and given her three weeks of detention.

For her detention, Hermione had required Samaya to study genetics, using both Muggle and wizarding sources, and to research the human genome. Then Hermione had Samaya find out if anyone had ever mapped wizarding DNA; someone had. Finally, Samaya had to find any differences between the wizarding and Muggle genomes and write a two-foot essay on each. There had been none. By the end of that year, Samaya was the student who defended Hermione the strongest against those who had a problem with her position as Head of Slytherin house.

Damian Reed and Edgar Terwilliger were the two Slytherin young men. Damian was typically thought of as the 'class clown,' who often pranked his fellow classmates and sent harmless but debilitating jinxes at students in the hallway. He was the seventh-year student most often in detention, but he was very good-natured and studious, and most of the teachers liked him. He reminded Hermione of Fred Weasley, and though she disapproved of his bolder antics, she couldn't help but adore him as well.

Edgar was the young man that all the females of Hogwarts wished would look their way. He was good-looking, friendly, and smart bordering on arrogant. Though he was a Slytherin, he had made it known in his younger years that he was not like most in his house. He was pure-blooded and certainly ambitious, and the Sorting Hat had placed him well, but he held no prejudice against those of different blood. He had grown up in Africa, where his parents moved when he was a small child. They were Healers and went to war-torn countries to offer their services. Growing up away from England, he hadn't been exposed to the prejudice found in the wizarding world.

Last on the list was Sheetal Patel. She was one of the most beautiful girls in her year, but she was as smart as she was pretty. She had a good imagination and a flair for the dramatic. Hermione thought that Evan Turner had something of a crush on the Slytherin, but had never acted upon it. As a general rule, there were few friendships and no dating across the Slytherin and Gryffindor houses.

The distance between her current and former house was something that concerned Hermione. Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff mingled well, with friendships forming easily among their students, but the old enmity still existed between them and Slytherin. Through Hermione's limited influence, her house had started mingling with Ravenclaw to some extent, but she realized something larger would be needed to bridge the gap between Slytherin and Gryffindor. If Sheetal would only notice Evan, and then the young man finally do something about his crush, perhaps that might be enough to start mending the divide.

She sighed. At least the problems of division weren't as stark as they once were. It was progress, and real, lasting change took time. Hermione knew that. Still, she was secretly hoping that Evan would make a move and that the object of his affections wouldn't spurn him. It would be a step in the right direction. She strongly debated ignoring the voice in her head that said she was interfering and put Evan and Sheetal in the same group. It wasn't a lot of interference, really; she would simply be making sure they spent a little more time together than they did at present. What came next would be out of her hands.

"Morning, Professor," said Karalynn, beaming as she took her usual seat and took out her things.

Hermione nodded and put the list of students in her desk. The remaining seventh-year students trickled in. Edgar, Damian and Sheetal entered and sat together. Next came Ketty followed shortly by Corey, then Evan, who glanced at Sheetal talking closely with Edgar and grimaced slightly. The last to enter were Taro and Samaya, the latter giving Hermione a friendly smile.

"Good morning, class," Hermione said, standing from her desk. "I trust you have had a good week?"

The general consensus was yes, and Damian and Edgar sniggered over a private joke.

"I'm glad to hear it. As you know, we are nearly through just over two weeks of the term, and the Monday after next, you will begin your term projects."

Everyone was silent, their attention focused on Hermione, each secretly running through the names of people with whom they would be happy to work.

"There will be three groups of three. Each of you will be given a series of numbers. Your assignment will be to discover the greatest magical combination that can result from these numbers. Remember to consider the special rules which apply to each number, if there are any."

Corey raised his hand and Hermione called on him. "Will you be putting us in groups today?" he asked.

"No. I'm still deciding. Monday you'll get your assigned groups, for sure. You will then be given some time in class to work in your groups on a short exercise, to get an idea of what the group dynamics will be. Friday you will be given your numbers, and then every Friday for the rest of the term will be spent out of class, working in your groups."

"Will we be able to come to you for help?" Karalynn asked.

"I will provide guidance, as always," Hermione said. "My aim is to group you in such a way that you won't need a lot of outside help. You are all very talented in different ways, and I want to see what you can do when you are challenged. I have great expectations, and I know I won't be disappointed. Now, as for your last homework assignment ..."

The double-period passed quickly, as it always seemed to with this class. Hermione was just about to call their attention from their in-class work, when the door to the room opened, admitting a small boy. He walked directly to Hermione's desk.

"Apologies for the interruption," he began. He fished a slip of parchment from his pocket and handed it to her. "From the Headmistress."

"Thank you," said Hermione, and waited until the boy left to read the note.

Professor Granger – Please stop by my office on your way to lunch. ~ Minerva

She frowned at the parchment, then put it away, her mind beginning to try to figure out what Minerva might want. The bell rang, startling Hermione. The class of seventh-years watched her, waiting for their assignments.

"Hand in your work on your way out, and for Monday, I want you to list three of your strengths and weaknesses." Most of them looked confused, as the assignment had nothing to do with the subject.

Hermione stood. "I know what you're thinking, that I've gone round the bend, but I assure you, there is a purpose to this. Please put some thought into your assignment and give examples of each. That is all."

She didn't wait for her room to clear out before gathering her things and leaving. Minerva had never sent a request to see her by a student during a class. Whenever she needed to speak to Hermione, she either mentioned it at the soonest meal or if they passed each other in the hallway. In the most urgent matter up to that point, Minerva had waited outside the Arithmancy room for the session to conclude. Whatever reason Minerva had for summoning her, it wasn't dire enough to come in person, but important enough not to wait until they saw each other.

Hermione walked quickly through the familiar halls, eventually coming to the conclusion that someone in her house had gotten into serious trouble. She reached the gargoyle statue and gave the password: lemon drop. Minerva ran the school in her own way, making the position of Headmistress hers, and not simply the post which was last held by Albus Dumbledore. However, one thing she had kept the same was the use of sweets as passwords. It was her way of paying homage to the man who had run the school with great passion and dedication.

When the spiral staircase reached the landing, Hermione saw that the door was slightly ajar. She knocked and heard the usual sharp tone of Minerva McGonagall bid her enter.

By the time she reached the Headmistress's office, Hermione had decided what she thought the matter was about. When she walked into the room, she expected to see two students who had gotten into an argument, one of which was in Slytherin...hence her presence. The other student would most likely be from Gryffindor, and she expected to see its head of house, Blaise.

Instead, she was stunned to see Draco Malfoy standing in front and to the left of Minerva's desk. He was dressed in immaculate black robes, and he looked taller than when she had seen him last, at the Quidditch match a few weeks ago. His blond hair fell around his face in front, longer in the back, and his hands were clasped in front of him. She faltered for an instant, and then moved beside him.

Minerva stood when Hermione entered. "Thank you for coming, Miss Granger." She glanced warily at Draco. "You have a visitor who would like to speak with you alone."

"That's fine, Minvera," Hermione said, her mind whirring. What could he possibly want?

The Headmistress looked for a moment as though she wasn't sure about leaving the two of them alone and then headed for the door.

"Thank you," said Draco over his shoulder just before the door clicked shut.

Hermione looked at him, unable to hide her curiosity. "Malfoy. What are you doing here?"

He glanced around the room for a few moments, taking it in. "Would you believe, in all my years here, I didn't set foot in this room until Snape was Headmaster?"

The admission surprised Hermione. She had always assumed that he'd gotten into plenty of trouble. He didn't seem interested in a response, just kept looking around. When his eyes fell on the portrait of Dumbledore, his cheeks flared and he began to pace the room in front of the large window behind the desk.

"You might want to sit," he said.

Hermione frowned, her heart starting to beat faster as she considered that something might be very wrong. "Malfoy, tell me what you want this instant," she demanded. "Why are you here in the middle of the day? Whatever you have to say, surely it could have waited until after classes were finished."

He stopped and turned his head, a strained smile on his face. "Professor Granger is very different than Hermione-reading-Potions-journals-on-an-orange-sofa." She made no response, and he continued. "I had a free hour, my last until this evening."

Not entirely satisfied with his response, she asked, "Why did Minerva send for me in the middle of class?"

Draco shrugged. "I can only theorize. Perhaps she knew it wise to send for you when she knew where you were. Is there a problem?"

"It's unusual, that's all. You've simply got me worried," she explained. "Is something the matter?"

Draco sighed and drew his fingers through his hair. "I have a proposition for you," he said. His voice sounded as though there was something there, just beneath the surface, fighting to break through. She couldn't tell if it was fear, triumph, joy ... she knew so little about the man standing before her.

"What kind of proposition?" she asked.

He started pacing again. "This ... is complicated. There is a task that I need help with. For reasons I can't go into at the moment, you are the best suited to this task. It is of extreme importance to me, and so I am willing to do whatever it takes to obtain your acquiescence."

Hermione nodded slowly. His manner was intense, his eyes shining with anticipation. He seemed completely unlike the man she'd spoken with almost a month before. Although, when she thought about it, his conversation then had been tight, closed, even though she had found him easy to talk to and his behavior had been friendly. She had talked at length about herself, whereas he hadn't offered anything extraneous about himself.

"What do you need help with?" she asked.

Draco let out his breath and met her gaze. He stared at her for a few seconds before speaking. "This is where it starts to get complicated. I'm afraid I cannot explain the precise nature of the task at this time. I ... I need you to say yes before I can tell you anything."

Hermione's eyes widened. "What is the nature of the task, can you tell me that?"

He considered her question while he resumed pacing. "Problem-solving," he said finally. It was a buzzword he heard Muggles say a lot during meetings.

She raised an eyebrow. "Problem-solving? And you think I am the best one to help? Surely you have other people, friends, your parents, advisors ... you could hire someone to help, I'm sure."

Draco frowned deeply. "No. I've thought about this more than you could imagine, and it has to be you. As I said, I will make it worth your time and efforts."

Hermione regarded him thoughtfully. "I can ask for anything?"

"No, but I think you'll find my offer to be generous."

"Let's hear it," she said, taking a seat in front of the desk.

He did not sit, but moved to stand beside the window. For a few moments he said nothing, merely looked out over the school grounds. The look on his face was tortured, pained, yet hopeful, and at that moment, Hermione would have given almost anything to know what he was thinking. By reputation, she knew he had become skilled in masking his emotions, hiding behind a solid wall of indifference. For him to be displaying his inner thoughts so readily, she knew he either trusted her completely or was so distraught that he hadn't even noticed he was being so open.

"Malfoy Incorporated provides a large array of services to the general wizarding population. I doubt you know that the bottles used to hold potions ingredients are made by one of our divisions. That's just one thing we do. Similarly, we make glass equipment for laboratories; a large client happens to be this school. Beyond that, there are three research labs under my employ, two of which are relatively small and are currently only used for the brewing of potions in order to sell them."

He paused, turning slightly, but not making eye contact with her. "The third is actively engaged in the type of research that interests you. The facility is only used at half capacity at present."

Hermione's heart was now pounding in her chest. She thought she knew where he was going with this, and the idea of it was so incredible that she was barely breathing, waiting for him to finish.

"You see, Hermione, I do my research too. I know what you want most, and I offer it."

"You know what I want most?" she repeated, unnerved by his bold statement.

He smirked. "Well, at least so far as research goes."

"What makes you so sure?"

"I know that you've been published six times, not once the lead researcher. Each article has been on potions for curing ailments or alleviating symptoms. I know you've applied, and been rejected, three times for a grant to study the Cruciatus curse."

Hermione held his gaze, not blinking when he correctly detailed her research history. "Are you saying you'll get my request approved?" She wasn't sure what to make of him. At the Quidditch games, he had been relaxed and had smiled easily. The man standing before her appeared to carry an enormous weight inside. His words were careful, his actions deliberate, as though he had to measure each action for its possible consequences.

"If you agree to help me, I will provide funding for your research. How you choose to spend it will be up to you. However, if you help me and we are successful, I will give you unhindered access to whatever equipment and personnel you desire, and unlimited resources with which to design and perform as many experiments as possible."

Hermione gasped at the enormity of his offer. He must be truly out of options to have approached her. She had already been inclined to help him, after his sincere apology and friendliness toward her, but now ... She simply couldn't refuse. The chance he was offering, the resources .... She would be able to pursue as many theories as she could develop, to carry out the much-needed research she believed would be beneficial to wizarding-kind.

"Think, Granger," he said, speaking before she had a chance to. "How many years would it take for you to work up to the prestige it would take to obtain funding for your ambitious experiments? I've read those reports; I know what you want to do. At this point, it could be ten, fifteen, even twenty years before you've got enough credibility behind your name to merit that kind of grant. I'm offering you the chance to skip all that."

She knew he was exactly right, but the enormity of his offer gave her pause. "Is this task dangerous? Illegal?" she asked.

He seemed to relax very slightly, encouraged that she hadn't turned him down outright. "There is the possibility of danger, though it isn't certain. I will do everything in my power to ensure that you are not harmed. And no, the task is not illegal."

"All right, I'm interested. What is this task?"

Draco frowned again. "As I've said, I want to take the proper precautions to ensure your safety. As such, I cannot tell you now."

"When can you?" she asked, an alarm going off at his avoidance of telling her the task.

"Certain things must come first."

"Like what?"

He took a deep breath and said, "Tea with me tomorrow, in Diagon Alley, followed by lunch someday next week in Hogsmeade, and finally dinner with me a week from tonight, at the location of my choosing."

Hermione thought she'd had her fill of surprises for the day. She'd been wrong. "You want me to ... go out with you?"

Draco chuckled. "I want it to look that way, yes."

"But why? I don't understand why you can't just tell me."

His gaze went hard, his eyes cold. "I have no way of knowing who might be watching me. For your safety, it needs to appear that our association is of a purely social nature, that no one suspects we are meeting regularly for any other reason."

If someone was following him, watching him, then there was a distinct possibility of danger. Probable, even, if she judged by the edge to his voice. "Let me get this straight. I have to agree, right now, to help you, even though I won't find out what the task is until after I've gone on three supposed dates with you."

"That's correct," he said stiffly.

"Is there any point at which I can back out?"

"Yes. Up until when I tell you what this is all about. Once you know the details, I'm afraid you're in."

"Will there be some kind of spell or blood-oath you'll require me to take?" She'd been partly joking, but his face remained as expressionless as it had before her comment. "I'm really going to take an oath?"

He shrugged. "I haven't decided. For my protection, I can't allow you to have all the knowledge I will impart unless you are going to assist me. You would make my life considerably more difficult if you divulge my secrets to anyone. I cannot run that risk."

"May I have time to think about it?" she asked, not holding any hope that he would say yes.

"I'm afraid not. I'm running over on time as it is; this was supposed to be a social visit to ask you to tea tomorrow, and it's been over twenty minutes now."

Her knee-jerk reaction was to say no. The through of agreeing to help without knowing the particulars was frightening, and Hermione never did anything without having all the facts. Past that initial feeling, however, she saw his pain, his hope that she would agree. Draco had made the effort to speak with her and to apologize for his past treatment of her. Then there was the promise of a lab of her own with virtually unlimited resources.

With no time to adequately weigh the pros and cons, Hermione decided to go against her initial reaction. "Okay," she said abruptly. "I'll do it."

Draco's face relaxed into the most transforming smile she'd seen him display. The previous smiles she had seen were genuine, but they also showed signs of weariness, of being unable to fully let himself be happy about something. Now, though, she was struck by how good-looking he could be.

"Thank you, Hermione," he said, coming around the desk and stopping a few inches in front of her. For a moment, she thought he might hug her, but he merely rocked on his heels and took a step back. "We have a reservation at Tea Leaves and Thyme for four tomorrow afternoon."

"Pretty confident, weren't you?" she said.

"I know you are a reasonable woman, and I was sure my offer would be sufficient to ensure your assistance."

"Tomorrow, then," Hermione said, her stomach performing a small flip-flop at the thought.

He nodded, looking at her warmly. "Thank you for your time, I must be off. Would you walk me out?"

"Sure," said Hermione after a moment of hesitation.

They started for the door, but Hermione stopped. "Oh, Malfoy ..." she said, grabbing his arm lightly to get his attention. When he looked at her quizzically, she dropped it. "I ... I do have one question. Should my friends know? I mean, not about my helping you, of course, but ... about us, seeing each other? I know it's just a pretense, but I wondered how far you wanted to take it." She reddened instantly when she realized how suggestive her statement sounded.

Draco smirked, but there was no malice behind it. "The more people that know, the better. As I said, this portion of my plan is for your protection. If your friends believe we are dating, then that will be for the best."

Hermione bit her lip. "I'm not sure that will go over well with some of them."

He tilted his head slightly, a new, unreadable expression on his face. "Are you seeing anyone?"

"No," she replied, feeling her face flush again.

"Good. That would have been awkward. May we continue now?"

"Yes."

They exited the office and, after some internal debate on both their parts, weighing the pros and cons and considering the time factor, they climbed into the rotating statue together. Hermione faced Draco and as soon as the statue started moving, she regretted it. Draco was entirely too close; she could see the fine detail on the collar of his robes, and every time she took a breath, she felt light-headed. He smelled of cloves, sage, and expensive ink...Hawthorne's Inks made with neroli oil, to be precise. Hawthorne's were her favorite. She would know it anywhere.

Her eyes came to his chin and she dared not look up. She could feel him watching her auspiciously. After the seemingly long ride, they reached the bottom. Hermione rushed out, eager to put some distance between them. His nearness was intense, overpowering, and confusing. She took a deep breath, thankful that her head had cleared but missing his delightful scent.

She started walking without waiting for him, and he caught up to her, chuckling amusedly to himself.

"What's so funny?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Nothing. I take it that you were referring to Weasley earlier, correct?"

"Yes," she said with a sigh. "I'm afraid he's still rather hesitant to accept you."

"Not surprising," said Draco.

"How long do you expect this to go on?" she asked.

"I can't say. Long enough that I will make an effort to be ... civil to him, should we ever be required to interact."

"That's very mature of you, Malfoy," Hermione said, casting him a playful smile.

They descended the main staircase and passed the Great Hall, the sounds and smells of lunch wafting through its opened doors. Hermione caught movement in her peripheral vision and saw Samaya heading out of the corridor that led from the dungeons.

"Professor Granger!" she called and met Hermione and Draco just before the doors leading out of the castle.

"Samaya, what can I do for you?"

The girl looked from Hermione to Draco, and back, and then her eyes widened and darted back to Draco. "You're Draco Malfoy, aren't you?"

He took a deep breath and nodded curtly. "I am."

"We're related," said Samaya.

Draco's eyes widened and he glanced at Hermione.

"Yes, well, Samaya, this is Draco Malfoy, Draco meet Samaya Black."

If he was surprised to be presented with a distant relation who obviously knew who he was, Draco didn't show it. In fact, he barely acknowledged recognizing the girl's surname.

"Is that so?" he said.

Samaya nodded. "Your mum's cousin's father's second cousin is my grandfather."

Hermione bit back a laugh.

Draco frowned. "Fascinating."

"What did you want, Samaya?" Hermione asked.

"Oh, it can wait," the girl said, giving Hermione a knowing look. Then she turned and headed back toward the dungeons.

When she was out of sight, Draco said, "That could prove interesting."

"How so?" Hermione asked. They resumed their path and exited the castle through the large front doors.

"I wonder how close her family is with my mother's. It wouldn't do for my mother to get a letter while on holiday, saying her son has been seen in the company of a woman."

"Are you ashamed of me already?" Hermione asked teasingly.

Draco fastened tightly the clasp on his cloak before answering. "Hardly. I would tell my mother in person if I am dating someone. Though in this case, with their extended leave, I'm afraid that won't be possible."

"Especially since I'm a Muggle-born." Hermione knew she was testing him and desperately hoped he passed.

He met her gaze unflinchingly. "That is beside the point. In our circle, there is a proper procedure for courtship. It's a load of antiquated rubbish if you ask me, but my mother, at least, expects me to follow the rules to the letter."

"Surely, in your circle, that means no Muggle-borns," she said sarcastically.

Draco's jaw flexed and he eyed her critically. "As I said, it's rubbish."

"Why is your mum in Paris?" Hermione asked.

"My parents are on holiday, originally for two months, but Father just sent word they'll be extending their trip another month," he said. The bitterness in his voice surprised Hermione. "It does afford me more time to finish this business with you."

"I imagine that's what you want, then? To have this finished before they return?" She didn't know where her sudden annoyance had come from. It wasn't as though she had agreed to actually date him, and so she didn't know why she felt slighted by the idea that he wouldn't want to tell his parents about her, wouldn't want them to know, or even suspect, that he was dating a Muggle-born. It would seem as though her deep-seated feelings of resentment toward Draco could not simply be magicked away as she had hoped.

"Yes," he said tersely. "Whatever you are implying, I would rather you be frank. I don't enjoy games and riddles."

"You don't want them to know you're seeing me, real or not."

He scowled at her, then rubbed his head in exasperation. "You're being absurd, though your concern is understandable. My desire to have this matter concluded before they return home has nothing to do with you and everything to do with my father. That is all you need know at this point."

She immediately felt terrible and scolded herself. "I'm sorry, Draco. That was ... brash of me."

"Let's walk to the gate," he said, not waiting for her to agree. He walked quickly, keeping a few steps in front of her. Once they'd put a hundred feet between the castle and themselves, he spoke again, this time gently. "I have no reason to expect you to see me in a favorable light, despite my apology. I only hope that over the course of our time together, you will see me differently than you do at present."

"I already do," she rushed.

He stopped in his tracks and she nearly ran into him. Then he looked at her, his face betraying nothing, and reached for her hand.

Hermione's first instinct was to draw back, but he caught her before she could, and placed a gentle kiss on the back of her hand. "Until next time," he said, his mouth barely off her skin and his eyes boring into hers. She felt his breath on her skin, causing the fine hairs on her hand to stand on end.

Hermione was so stunned that she only managed to tell him goodbye when he was twenty paces away. She stared after him until he disappeared from sight, and then slowly walked back to the castle.

Samaya was waiting for her just inside the door. "Are you seeing him?" she asked, falling in stride beside Hermione.

"That is certainly none of your business," Hermione said, straightening her back and starting for the Great Hall. She wondered if it really mattered that Samaya thought she was seeing Draco, since people were supposed to think she was seeing him very soon.

"He certainly is handsome. Dad said he was a Death Eater, is that true?"

"Yes," Hermione said, walking quickly between the Slytherin and Hufflepuff tables toward the staff table.

"He was in Slytherin, too. Most of my family is."

Hermione nodded.

"Interesting ... Enjoy your lunch, Professor," Samaya said. With a curious smile, the girl left Hermione to join her friends at the Slytherin table.

The rest of Hermione's day passed in a blur. She tried to remember everything she had heard or read about Draco over the last seven years and even went to the library to pull up old editions of the Prophet to search for references to him in there. She learned little; every single article in the past five years that even so much as mentioned him was business-related. Prior to that, the articles were about the war, then his trial, Narcissa's trial, and finally Lucius's trial, conviction and imprisonment. They said nothing about who he was, about the man whose lips she could still feel on the back of her hand.

Next Hermione turned to other wizarding publications. Witch Weekly provided her with the most information, but she suspected much of it was pure speculation. There were numerous pictures of him...usually with a beautiful woman on his arm...but the look on his face was always the same: business only. Not one of the moving pictures showed him looking at the woman with any kind of fondness. For their part, the women seemed to understand their roles. He seemed to prefer a new woman for each event, though here and there Hermione saw him with the same woman on different occasions.

There was always intense discussion in the articles following an issue in which Draco was shown with a new witch. His love life seemed a highly popular topic, though without any sort of confirmation from him or any of the beautiful women he associated with, the conversations quickly fizzled.

The pictures were always taken at public events. There were no snapshots of him darting out of a café holding hands with a woman or stealing a kiss when he thought no one was looking. He either hadn't had many relationships over the years or he'd kept them very private. Hermione suspected the latter; after all, someone like Draco Malfoy was bound to attract the attention of the opposite sex. Knowing what little she did of him, she doubted he'd want the world privy to his personal affairs.

Largely uninterested in the hearsay presented in the gossip rag, Hermione sought other sources of information. She stumbled across an interview conducted by a business journal from three years before. When nothing else showed promise on providing her with a glimpse into the character of Malfoy, she took the journal to her quarters, brewed a cup of her favorite tea, and sat down to read the article.

Most of it was strictly business, though she could tell it barely scratched the surface of what he did. Since refusing to tell her more about what he did for his father's company, her interest in finding out had grown, and she'd hoped her research provided a clearer picture.

Hermione also found herself fascinated with the things Malfoy said. His responses were articulate, well-presented, and thorough. While he didn't go into detail about what his company did, she learned that it was highly organized and efficient, branching into a large number of business fields.

The article provided an incomplete list of the various enterprises that Malfoy Inc. dabbled in: research, which she already knew, hardware (such as glass and iron products), investments (from which George and Ron would benefit), communication (though not specified), and parchment.

Then, near the end of the interview, the questions turned away from business.

The interview continued for a few more questions, but they turned away from anything personal. Hermione glanced at the clock and saw that she would have to hurry in order to make it to dinner.

ooo

Draco returned home from work that evening after nine. He was tired, but felt optimistic because of his conversation with Hermione. She had agreed to the first part of his plan, at least.

Once he was ensconced in his office, Draco ate dinner and opened his mail. Included in the day's stack was a letter from his mother. He had received sporadic communication from his parents. He might get five letters in a week followed by nothing for two. This was the first letter in over a week.

As he read, a new wave of dread washed through him.

Draco scowled at the reminder of his parents' extended vacation and pushed away his half-eaten dinner, suddenly not hungry. He crumpled the letter in his hand and then threw it in the fire. Next he called for Chippy and had the dishes removed. He was too angry to respond just then, but he made a note to do it in the morning. Finally, he threw himself on the sofa and Summoned a bottle of Chianti.

His parents were having a wonderful time while he was stuck trying to pay for it. They obviously didn't miss him or want him there with them. No, there would be no family holiday. Merlin forbid Narcissa have to share his father with him.

Though he understood and accepted that they needed time together, he still wished his father had wanted to spend some of the time with him. Even a week would have made Draco felt appreciated more than a thousand words could.

The only good thing that had come from their prolonged absence was that he and Hermione would now have more time to uncover the blackmailer. He'd been concerned that four weeks wasn't enough. They now had eight. Though by the time Hermione was caught up, it would be down to seven.

His ire retreated at the thought of her. Seeing her that day had made him feel light, the way he always felt when he was around her of late, despite the gravity of his message to her. When she had said yes, he'd nearly hugged her. Then, when they'd ridden down the lift together, he had thought he would drown in her. He'd been perfectly positioned to feel her soft feminine curves against his hard lines, to smell her intoxicating scent. He had groaned internally, scolding his body's reactions. He already knew he was attracted to her; he didn't need the constant physical reminder whenever he was in her presence. It would certainly make working together interesting, but he had no intentions of crossing the line between business and pleasure.

Besides, she wasn't the kind of woman to accept a casual relationship. He couldn't give her much of himself, and he didn't think she would accept less than all of him. If she ever wanted him at all.

He groaned and flipped onto his side, taking one last swallow of the dry wine. Exhausted and bone-weary, Draco fell asleep on the sofa in his office. His last tangible thought was of a pretty, brown-haired girl in a white sundress, laughing at something he had said.

ooo

Draco was awakened by a sharp, insistent knock on the office door. Blearily he opened his eyes and glanced around the room, at first not sure where he was. The light from the window told him it was the middle of the night. The knocking continued. Draco stood and stumbled to the door. Leaning one arm against the frame, he opened it a crack, ready to shank whoever had disturbed him.

A woman stood there in business robes that were a little too tight, a blouse a little too revealing and sheer, displaying her assets in a barely-there red brassiere. It was Carrie; of course, he didn't know if that was her real name.

She smiled seductively when their eyes met.

He scowled.

She cocked an eyebrow and then stood on her tiptoes to peek behind him. "Ooh, a desk? It looks solid enough."

"What are you doing here?" he growled.

"It's Friday," she said simply

"No," he said angrily.

"No?" She looked at him then, shock evident on her painted face.

He had never said no before. It was his arrangement, after all. Draco rubbed the bridge of his nose, trying to work out the way he felt, the funk he'd settled in. His mind was heavy with the weight of all that had happened in the last month. He didn't want to do this, he wasn't in the mood, and those were the very thoughts that made his decision. If he was considering sending her home, he clearly needed to get his mind off everything going on around him and lose himself in sensation.

"Go to my room," he said gruffly. "I'll be there shortly."

"That's what I thought," she said, reaching up to move a strand of his fringe from off his face.

He pulled away from her and she chuckled.

"Bad week?"

"Go," he grunted.

She complied, slowly removing articles of clothing as she went, leaving a trail. He scowled at her back, and the thought occurred to him that this was the perfect opportunity to release the tension he'd felt when around Hermione. He felt an undeniable attraction to her, and being in such close quarters had been ... interesting. The last thing he needed was for his thoughts to run wild...he needed his mind empty, his thoughts cleared, so he could focus on the work to be done. Finding the blackmailer was his highest...his only...priority.

ooo

A/N: Thank you for reading! I really hope you liked this one. THE FUN BEGINS! Beta thanks go to manda, z, pokeystar, and drcjsnider. Check out my profile page for links to the art and music. This chapter's art was done by the amazing melia_eothria. Music, as always, is thanks to inadaze22!