Cast No Shadow | By : ColdWaterFairy Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Draco/Hermione Views: 13632 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0 |
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story. |
Hello There
AN: Thanks so much, you guys, for your reviews. I really appreciate you taking the time.
Miahdrake - I like triangles too, always good fun.
Paigeey07 - Thanks, hopefully you'll keep reading
Jess - I'm not a huge fan of her either, but there is just something wicked about them being together, don't you think?
Wicked - Thank you
Kittycat30 - I hate when one character is a complete ass, making it easy to run into the arms of someone else. The real good parts are the struggle.
Ravenna - Thank you
Three months had passed since her first day on the job, and Hermione felt she had a good handle on everything. She sat at her desk looking over old accounts of the war given by Death Eaters who had been captured. She was startled into attention by the appearance of Helen, an ex-Auror who'd switched to this department after being offered the position as head of the magical encryption sub-unit. Helen was five years older than Hermione, her dark hair and eyes a testament to her half-Japanese heritage.
"Want to join me for lunch?"
Hermione smiled. "I'd love to."
She closed the folder and locked it into a desk drawer with a key that she kept on a chain around her neck. She glanced around her desk to make sure nothing of importance was left out that should be locked up. They headed to a café a couple of blocks away from the Ministry. After getting their food, they headed for a table near the front window. Helen was the first friend Hermione had made at work. Besides Harry she was probably the closest person to Hermione. She knew that whatever she said to Helen would stay between them. They had started having lunch together pretty regularly after they'd spotted each other sitting alone one day. Hermione liked the fact that Helen didn't ask questions about where Hermione had been before she came to the Ministry and why she'd left.
"I heard an interesting rumor," Helen began, ripping off a piece of French bread to dip into her soup.
"Hhhmmmm," was Hermione's reply.
"Supposedly Number One is going to be in the office today."
Hermione knew who Helen was referring to. She had heard the rumor as well. "I can neither confirm nor deny. I honestly don't know."
In the three months since Hermione had started working at the Ministry she'd only received orders from Mrs. Howell, who would vaguely reference "Number One" on occasion. She wasn't too worried about it, although she was curious.
"I know you can't tell me the identity, but you can still give me your impression," Helen said, lifting a brow.
Hermione sighed and said, "We'll see." They finished eating and returned to the Ministry.
Hermione was still at her desk at ten o'clock that night, trying to piece together her report that was due in two days' time. She was certain everyone else had gone home already. Mrs. Howell had left an hour ago, telling Hermione she should head home herself. Hermione leaned back in her chair thinking about how "Number One" had never shown up after all. On her way home Helen had stopped by to lament the no-show.
"Oh well, they'll have to show up eventually." Hermione just shook her head, amused with everyone's obsession with "Number One".
Suddenly there was a noise from down the hall, as if someone had run into something. Hermione paused and listened, but it was quiet. She got up and walked into the hallway. To her left were Mrs. Howell's and the Director's office, and to the right were the cubicles. Out of the darkness off to the left came what sounded like a gasp of pain. Hermione turned around and walked back into her office to grab her wand. No way was she going to investigate empty-handed.
She crept back out into the hallway. Hugging the shadows, she moved forward. She wondered if maybe she should just leave and alert Security. Just then a moan of pain sounded. Whoever it is, she thought, can't be too much of a threat if they're hurt. She headed to the Director's door after a quick glance told her no one was in Mrs. Howell's office. The door wasn't all the way closed. She silently pushed it opened and walked in, the carpet making her entrance silent. She turned to the right, where a light was shining.
There in a little room off the office a man was standing over the sink, with a very nasty-looking gash in his side. Upon seeing the wound Hermione gave an involuntary gasp of surprise. The man swung around, his wand pointing directly at her. Her eyes were still on his wound, so she didn't see the look of surprise that crossed the man's face. When he lowered his arm to his side, Hermione finally looked up into his face and met his startled gray eyes. Her brain just could not seem to comprehend why Draco Malfoy should be standing in this office with a gash in his side. She said the first thing that came to mind.
"I thought you were dead."
Draco smirked and turned back to the sink to wet a towel. He wiped the dirt and blood from his side, wincing from the pain. "Obviously not, if I'm standing here," he said, turning his head to look at her.
Hermione started forward, then stopped when she realized what his presence in this office meant. "You're the Director?"
Draco, having at this point lost all his patience, just stared at her and deadpanned, "No, I'm Mrs. Howell dressed in men's clothing. Don't tell anyone; it makes my secret places tingle."
Hermione glared and then remembered his wound. "You need to go to St. Mungo's."
Draco shook his head. "Think, Granger—I'm supposed to be dead, you said so yourself. Don't worry your bushy little head about it; someone is coming to take care of it. Just go home."
Hermione was at a loss. She wanted to leave and go home to think about what all this meant. At the same time, though, she didn't want to leave him. He looked even paler than his natural skin tone and he seemed to be having trouble standing up.
"Are you going to go or stand there all night looking stupid?" His voice cut into her thoughts.
Too bad his wound had done nothing to affect his mouth. "I would leave, Director Malfoy, but I wouldn't want you to fall and get a concussion—although from my point of view it would be an improvement. If I'm lucky you'll be knocked unconscious and I won't have to listen to your wittiness."
Just then he swayed. Hermione rushed forward, going to his uninjured side, and supported him, directing him to sit on the toilet. Then Draco passed out. Hermione had no idea what to do. Was someone really coming or had he just said that to get her to leave? She propped him up on the toilet and went to grab her wand. She did a cleaning charm and anything else she could think of that might help. She had finally decided to go contact Mrs. Howell when she heard a voice from the outer office.
"In here," she called.
A tall man with red hair stepped in. He took in Draco's unconscious state and frowned. He pushed Hermione out of the way and started to work. Twenty minutes later Draco's wound was stitched and bandaged. The Healer—for so he apparently was—turned to Hermione and handed her a bottle. He told her to give some of its contents to Draco when he woke up. She started to protest and then closed her mouth and nodded. The Healer left without a goodbye. Now what was she supposed to do? She looked around the bathroom like it would give her a clue.
It was then that she noticed another door. She walked over and opened it to find that it led into another room, one with a small bed and a nightstand with a lamp on it. She debated how best to get Draco to the bed. She went back to his uninjured side to hoist him up. God, he was heavy; then again, after six years he had filled out, just like Harry. Except Harry's abs weren't that defined. Hermione! she thought. Stop that train of thought right now. Since Draco was a dead weight, she had trouble maneuvering him in the small bathroom and accidentally knocked his injured side into the door jamb.
"For fuck's sake, Granger. Like I'm not in enough pain."
"Sorry," she mumbled. She was tempted to just drop him where he was and leave, but she finally got Draco over to the bed. She tried to lower him down but ended up collapsing on the bed on top of him.
"I know you've been gone for a while, but rape is illegal in the wizarding world too, Granger." Hermione hissed and got up, but not before she made sure she knocked into his injured side, getting a certain sick satisfaction out of it when he winced and cursed.
She went and got the bottle the Healer had left and found a glass. She poured a bit of the elixir into it and held it out. "Drink this." He looked at the glass in her hand not taking it. "I swear to Merlin, if you don't take this glass I'm going to shove it down your throat."
He smirked and took the glass, but not before muttering, "Like you could." Hermione chose to ignore that. He settled back on the bed, putting the empty glass on the nightstand. He stared at her.
"What are you doing here so late?"
"I was working on a report." Spotting a chair in the corner, she pulled it over to the bedside. She was starting to get uncomfortable. He just kept staring at her; his cold grey eyes seemed to be trying to read her every secret.
She started to make a pithy comment when Draco said, "Go home, Granger. I'm fine now."
"I'll wait until you fall asleep and then leave."
His eyes narrowed like he was going to argue with her but instead he said, "Fine." They sat in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. Hermione just wanted to go home and think. When she next glanced at the bed his eyes were closed. She stared at him a few seconds and thought, I'll just stay here for a few more minutes to make sure he's asleep.
She let her mind wander. She hadn't seen Draco Malfoy since her last year at Hogwarts. She shifted uncomfortably, remembering the hatred and maliciousness with which Draco Malfoy had treated her. The last she'd heard, he had died in a duel between some Death Eaters and Aurors. Obviously that had been false. So what had really happened? How had he managed to become the Director of this new division? How had he gotten that gash in his side? This was not good.
Although he wasn't calling her Mudblood or trying to curse her, Hermione definitely didn't think he liked her. His rude comments proved that. How could he be her boss? She thought about quitting and then dismissed the thought. To hell with him; she had every right to be here. A movement on the bed caught her attention.
Her eyes traveled down from Draco's face to his chest. He obviously exercised; his arms were muscular and well defined, just like his abs. He had taken off his shirt but not his trousers. Her eyes followed the line of hair that disappeared into the waist of his trousers. She quickly jerked her eyes back up to his face. What was she doing, checking him out? His face was still angular ,but not as pointy as it had been back at Hogwarts. He had grown into his features. His white-blonde hair was no longer greased back close to his scalp. Instead it was a little long, hanging past his ears. He looked a lot nicer when he was sleeping. No smart mouth to mar the handsomeness of his body.
She didn't like where her mind was wandering. No good could come from having those kinds of thoughts. She stood up, looking down at the even rise and fall of his chest. Why did she feel like everything had just shifted?
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