The Minister of Getting It Done.
Draco looked worried. Julia was worried, Draco was trying not to show how worried he was. Because a lot of hell had just hit his shoulders since apparently Granger was missing. It had been an uninteresting few weeks since all the death eater trials and now, this. He stared at the old man wanting to talk to her. "Did she run away already?" he asked smugly. He'd keep up appearances.
"No. She was at the residence when I left." He looked at his auror, who shrugged. He wasn't the usual guard, he was one of the others. "Can you go check on her?" He nodded, calling in, then frowning. "What?" Draco asked.
"The other auror isn't answering. Stay up here while I send someone to check in person, Mr. Malfoy." He jogged off to go to the office. He hoped it was just her being sick or something and that auror holding her hair.
Draco looked at the older man, who was looking confused. "I think we're possibly having a dry run of our first problem but I have no idea. Can we shelve this for a few hours perhaps?"
"Yes, I suppose so. I wanted to look at what she had planned for upcoming submissions."
Draco considered it then got him his list. "This is the list I've been researching from." He handed it over. "It's my version, hers differs slightly."
"That's a good place to start. Thank you, Draco." He walked off, seeming happier. At least until the Ministry went into lockdown. There had been an explosion at a noble house. There was a missing Minister. Things were not looking pleasant today. Even Lucius looked confused at the lockdown. They didn't let him check on his son but he was clearly talking to someone in the office. So he wasn't the problem there.
***
Hermione was helped into the Ministry building. She should be in a hospital bed. She really should be in a hospital bed. She wanted to be cuddled by her mother right now too. But she had a duty. She looked at the people staring at her, making them flinch back. She walked into the Wizengamet chamber, making them all stare at her and a few gasp as they backed away. She flipped on the broadcast setting in there, moving the microphone.
"Miss Granger," Lucius warned. "That means a live broadcast and could cause alarm." He wasn't going to upset her overly much right now. She was covered in blood, cuts, and was limping.
"I'm aware, Mr. Malfoy. Thank you for trying to make sure I have intentions today." She stared at him as she turned the microphone on. "Today, I give my first address to the people that Fate has seen me serve," she noted, staring at him. "Though today's message is not a totally happy one. Today, someone did something foul that meant an auror died while on duty. Guarding me actually. And I mourn his loss.
"Though some would say it was his duty, it was not how anyone should have been taken out. So tomorrow, and every year afterwards, we will have a moment of silence for those lost on duty as aurors. As the muggles do, to respect their passing doing their duties to us all. The one who was guarding me tried to protect me from people who had actually managed something heinous.
"The aurors are busy cleaning it up as we speak and I want to assure people that this sort of thing will *never* happen again. In any manner. Because they could not manage what they tried to do and then tried something else ridiculous. But still heinous. Thankfully, I learned the way of getting free." She stared at a few members of the chamber.
"I will be making sure Madam Bones has every single law she needs to make sure it never happens again. But I do wish to respect those who served our community so bravely that they lost their lives, even though none of them should have had to. So tomorrow morning, at ten, I will encourage everyone to have a moment of silence for all the lost aurors we have seen over the years.
"Do have a better day knowing that upcoming darkness was also stopped from becoming major." She hung up the broadcast and found Draco beside her. "Your uncle is dead," she said bluntly. "He was trying to summon a demon for some reason, Draco. Which didn't work, thankfully. Then his house rather exploded. The aurors got there and found over sixty bodies in his basement."
"The auror with you?" he asked, wincing at that.
"Died quickly but by a curse. He wasn't tortured." She pushed her hair back. He caught her hand but she pulled it free. "I'll live. I'm going to get medical checks right now. I just need people to not worry that this is ever going to happen again because rumors are starting. The press got there before the aurors when I blew up his house."
She limped off, letting the auror with her help her. "I think I'd like a healer," she admitted, staring at him. "And then perhaps my mother." She stifled her feelings but the auror nodded, taking her to the hospital via portkey they all carried.
Draco looked at his guard, who was shaking his head. "Find out how and why. Find out if there's another. I want to know by tonight if possible and have trials starting tomorrow. Tell Bones she has our backing because if my uncle was that stupid, he's not fit to be a Malfoy anyway." The man nodded, calling that in. He got a report he took notes on, handing them over. Draco looked at them then handed them to his father. "Well."
His father read, grimacing. "Are they certain?"
"Yes," the auror said quietly.
"Fuck."
"Definitely," Draco agreed, looking at them. "Apparently my uncle decided to pretend to be a demon summoner by killing a whole lot of people. Mostly children." A few winced at that. "All his friends were there to help him torture the new Minister. And they're all dead. Some had their whole families there. And they're also dead." He crossed his arms, looking at them.
"There's a difference between dark and evil. Dark, I don't personally care about. My family has leaned that way in the past. Evil, we don't accept. And if you want me to take over, are you certain?" he asked one, staring at him, making him flinch. He walked off. "Her being there gives me time to organize and fix things. Plus get pointers on how to govern for when it's my turn. I want her there first. That's why I didn't push too hard." He walked off, slamming the door behind himself. His auror followed quickly.
Lucius handed over the notes. "I believe we'll be sitting here waiting on reports today. Mostly about who's missing." He looked at the empty seats. "Get people here by later? Say by after lunch? They should be able to give us a body count by then." That got a nod from the secretary, who was summoning people to come in for an emergency meeting.
He sighed. His son had now seen the bad side of politics but he could not fault Granger's strength she was showing, even if it was a facade. She knew you had to look strong, appear strong, even if you weren't. He still didn't like her blood status but she was solving a lot of problems for his son's future and saving him being threatened. He sat down, waiting on news, getting a Malfoy elf to bring his wife a note.
Madam Bones walked in at two. "Sorry I'm later than expected, we found an auxiliary basement." She came down to present the information. "She did good creating the explosion."
"How did she do that?" Dumbledore asked.
"Blood runes on the wall. Drawn in her own blood." He shuddered at that. "I don't know where she learned it but it worked this time." She looked at the others. "Yes, they kidnaped her this morning to torture her. Got her having tea. Did injure her. She'll survive. She's strong that way." She looked at them.
"There were a hundred-nineteen bodies found with that auxillary basement. Some older, some probably even a few year old. He had a nice torture chamber filled with pseudo-demon summoning things. He had an audience section.
"Which was right overtop of the cellar that he stored bodies in. Though we are missing a few from the basement. Whole families, but one, and we know they're dead as well." One heaved. "If you have any information we'd like it."
"The one in the river last year?"
"Probably came from there," she agreed. "His family was there." She looked at the rest of them again. "Everyone involved is dead. Down to the house elves in the house. I don't know if they went up with the structure or he had killed them earlier. They were just in the cellar." She cleared her throat. "We do have laws to prevent that. I need to be able to enforce a few older ones." She handed the secretary her notes. "For the two Ministers."
"She's at the hospital," he told her.
"Good! She should've went there instead of putting up a memorial for the lost auror." She sighed, then swallowed. "Though we do appreciate the moment of silence." She left. "I'll put in a full report in a week. Once my people are no longer drunk." She didn't let the chamber door slam. She went to check on Hermione, who was in bed but staring at her hands. All the cuts on her hands. She stared at her. "You should've come directly here," she said in greeting after staring at her.
"I had to prove I was all right," she said, staring at her. "They needed to know they didn't win. Won't win." She sighed. "My mother's been by and she'll be back later." She sniffled but nodded. "Can we put up a memorial?"
"Yes, we have one at the academy. We can put his name up on it tomorrow." She nodded at that. "You won't be walking."
"Bullshit. If I'm in a chair that's fine, but he died trying to protect me. He didn't deserve that." She looked at her hands again. "None of you do."
"Still, Hermione."
She shook her head. "I owe it to him."
Bones stared at her. "You're not in trouble."
"I should be investigated. That's a spell no one else seems to know about."
"It's technically still a crime," she admitted. "But I'm not going to charge you with protecting yourself. Not at all, Hermione." She patted her on the bandaged foot. "You did what you had to do. The same as any of us do in the aurors." The girl looked at her. She nodded. "I would've done that if I could've made it work. Most of us can't make that work."
"I think desperation came into it. How many?"
"I'm not going to answer that. Ever." She left her there to think since she heard Lily outside getting angry at a nurse. "Go ahead. She's awake. Could use a hug. Her mother will be back in a bit." Lily rushed in there to cuddle her. She put aurors on the halls to protect her. "Friends only and her family." They nodded, going to take up security detail positions. She looked at the nurse. "She'll be fine."
"We hope," she agreed. "Don't you have a memorial?"
"At the academy." She left, going to arrange for that ceremony. Mad Eye was doing it for her. Which got him a hug. "She wants to be there."
"She'll be in bed."
"She's stubborn. Said she owes it to him."
He nodded. "She's got a good head on her shoulders but she's young."
"She's been fighting since she was a first year, Moody. She's not a newbie who just got her eyes opened." She stared at him. "The file is sealed. No one, even her, into it." He nodded at that. "She doesn't need to know who was there or how many. Am I clear?"
"Crystal. You're protecting the young thing."
"No one deserves that sort of knowledge. Even in a war. Only psychopaths count kills." He nodded, understanding that. "The others?"
"Back, sick. Upset. Tonks went off on someone who tried to make a joke so she's sitting in a corner pouting that she lost her temper and punched an under minister. One of the older, asshole ones."
"Is it one I've wanted to hit?"
"I wanted to," he admitted. "You probably did too. Tonks just broke her face a tiny bit."
"Good!" She nodded, getting something for her stomach to take it and then going to handle the clean up details and the reports.
He got back to the ceremony and the moment of silence.
***
Draco looked at his schedule the next day. He had a year-end test. At the same time as the memorial. He sighed. Then he went to get Granger's time turner. He had a duty, she was correct about that. "How do you use this thing?" he muttered, turning it around until he accidentally turned it back some. Then he found out. He'd do his test before he went to the ceremony he decided once he got back into the right time period.
***
Hermione was on crutches. Her parents were with her. She nodded at the ones staring at her. She didn't say anything, just came up to lay a flower at the memorial. Then she hopped back to stand between her parents. Her father patted her on the back, making sure she could stand that long.
Draco walked forward to lay a small bouquet. Then stepped back after a bow at the memorial wall. They stood there while the wand salute went off. Then the planned moment of silence. He was trying not to stare at the wall. There were so many names. Too many names within his lifetime as they were facing that part of the wall. Earlier ones were off to the left of them. The rest of the wall was minimal but would probably be stretched as needed. He saw the wall shift and winced.
Hermione saw the wall wiggle, she was staring at the names. She frowned, watching it grow a bit. She looked at Madam Bones, who was looking down. Then at the wall again. It was wiggling over. "Oh, no," she sighed. Bones stared at her so she pointed. She looked at the wall.
"Move," Bones said. "The wall's adding space!" The aurors fell out to move spectators and defend the academy. The attack was minor but one did fall. They hadn't managed to do more than move people into the lunch area to protect them in there.
So Hermione moved over to help heal that one. "No, you're not dying today," she ordered. She started chest compressions. Her father came over to help with her mother. "Dad, he's almost breathing."
"Let me," he said. "I can get the proper pressure." She nodded, getting out of his way. The auror gasped, coming back after a few minutes. "That's good." He checked his pulse. "Hopefully you'll be okay, sir." He let Hermione fuss at him. Then someone got kicked through the door so Hermione spun with her wand out and got them back. They screamed in pain as they died, in chunks. "Daughter," he said quietly.
"Sorry you had to see that, parents." She got helped up by her parents. "Maybe the war warped me a bit." She swallowed, going to throw up. Her mother followed, holding her hair for her.
Her father stared at the chunks then at his daughter, going to calm her down.
Draco looked. "I wonder," he muttered. "Is it done with?" he called. "He could still probably use the healer's to make sure he'll be fine."
Tonks stomped in, with a healer behind her. "Sure is. Be damned if that's going to happen again." She looked at the chunks, grimacing. "Well...."
"Sorry," Hermione called, waving a hand but heaving again.
"Damn, girl." Hermione snorted but sounded amused. Tonks helped get the injured one up.
Hermione's father came over. "My wife and I did CPR to restart his heart," he said quietly. "Hermione identified he was trying to breathe. It took about three minutes to get him restarted."
"That's good, thank you, Mr. Granger." She hurried him off to the infirmary.
Tonks looked at the girl. "C'mon, time for you to find a bed, Minister Granger."
Hermione rinsed her mouth out with the spell then banished her mess, looking at her. "I need to hit the school later."
"You've got medical clearance for a makeup. Madam P said so." She walked her off, the parents going with her. They put her into her bed at home. Tonks took up guarding for now. Everyone was scattered but they'd handle it. Tonks looked at her once the parents were getting her pajamas. "Which spell?" she asked quietly.
"Exitos."
"That explains that." She went back to making sure the house was secure. Draco came home taking off his tie, his parents with him. "She's fine, in bed," she reported.
"That's fine. What did she use?"
"She said Exitos."
"I didn't know that created an explosion," he admitted quietly. "How did it create pieces?"
"Clean up team said that he had an explosive on him so she got that."
"Ah." He nodded. "Well, she trained to back up Longbottom. Is he fine?"
"No one at the school right now but I hope so." He nodded, going to get some tea for himself and his mother. His father was getting a drink. Fudge had made a nice bar in the library he never used for any other purpose. Lucius was aware of where it was. Draco took some of his father's drink to doctor his tea then handed it back, leading them to his suite upstairs on the west wing. Hermione's was on the east wing.
Tonks stood on the staircase. That covered the front entry, the hallway from the backdoor, and the allowed aparation point. Sirius Black was the first one who showed up, which confused her. "Lord Black, everyone's in their suites."
"Good! They okay?"
"Bit heavey," she admitted.
"Even better. I'm going to speak to my cousin." She nodded, getting out of his way and pointing. He went up the stairs to go talk to Draco. He knocked and got let in by Narcissa. He stared at the boy. "I'm proud."
"Thank you." He grimaced. "I... have never seen anything that nasty."
"Wars are like that, kiddo." He walked over to sit across from him. "Now you know why wars are bad."
"Yes I do. And it will be stopped because I never want to see that again. If someone wants a war, they can find another manner that's not ...that." He waved a hand.
"Agreed. Hopefully there won't be one. We were gearing up to have another whole war." Draco grimaced but nodded, sipping his doctored tea. "But you did the right thing. You did good. I'm sure you're going to be training in self defense?"
"Yes, I have some and I'm going to learn more this summer," he agreed, staring at his father then at the head of his family. "Yes I will be. Just in case."
"Good lad." He patted him on the knee. "I see nothing wrong with what you did today outside the warning letter I got handed by the Misuse of Magic office." He handed it over with a grimace.
"I rather stole her time turner to get to my year-end test today. That teacher never allows a makeup." He read it over then sighed, handing it to his father. "At least it's only a warning."
Sirius smirked. "I had nine of those by your age, kiddo. You're behind."
Draco snorted but looked amused. "I'll try better?"
"Try for more subtle," Sirius said. "She good?"
"I have no idea. I haven't asked," Draco admitted. "She was there, she was using crutches of some kind. Her parents are with her."
"I'll go check on her for Lily. Who is in a huge rage right now." He patted his knee again. "Relax. Tonight should be quiet. Because they realize everyone's really mad."
"Never attack when they expect it," Draco agreed with a nod, calming himself down.
"True. Let me know if you need something in the family library." He left him to relax, finally, and went to check on Hermione. He tapped on her door, getting her father. "I'm Sirius."
"Is that a name or a state of being?" the father asked, looking amused.
"Mostly the name. Being in that state can sometimes be very annoying." Mr. Granger snorted but let him in. "Hey, kiddo."
"I'm not that young, Sirius. But I'm okay." Her mother snorted at that, staring at her. "I'll be fine."
"Good." He stared at her. "Dumbledore has promised you may have a makeup set of tests for this whole week. It'll be next week."
"I can do that. I've taken most of them already. I arranged to take them last week." She grimaced. "Only two left."
"Good. You make good plans." He stared at her. "Need things? I can't get Lily to quit screaming in rage."
She smiled. "Well, it may do you good if you cuddle the poor woman. You could both probably use it. You said you adored her."
"Yeah, but she's James' wife."
"And sometimes brothers have to take in their siblings' widows," Hermione's mother said. "To protect them and to make sure they're fine."
"James and I did do a family binding thing." He considered it. "I doubt she'd let me. She's very independent. Just like this one." He pointed at Hermione, who shrugged. "It's like looking at a younger Lily only she changed her hair."
She smiled. "I'll take that as the compliment it is. But I haven't found my James yet."
"I wouldn't worry about it. Not like you're going to turn into Arabella Fig and have ninety cats." He looked around. "Where's yours?" She pointed at the lump beside her hip under the blanket. "Oh, there. Right where he should be." He stared at her. "Try to rest. If it happens it won't be tonight. And do you know where Remus is?"
"No. Neville has some way of finding him. You might ask him." She blinked a few times. "You guys never showed yourselves to me."
"Point. That man is going to drive me nuts."
She smiled. "I mean...it's acceptable and I'll gladly help you plan the wedding."
"Fat chance. I have to have heirs, Granger."
She giggled. "I guess you would."
"Nap. You clearly need a nap. I'd make a horrible father."
"You did okay with Neville."
He smirked. "Most of that was Augusta." He left, happier now.
She relaxed again. Someone else knocked. "Who is it?"
Draco leaned in. "I got a warning for stealing your time turner to make the tests." He put it onto her desk. "I really did tease him that he should marry you because you're the next best thing to Lily Potter." He left, looking smug.
"Thank you, Draco." She snuggled in at her mother's prompting, yawning a bit as the pain killers finally kicked in. "I think I'll rest."
"Please do," she agreed. The parents shared a look then held hands on the wife's shoulder as they watched over their little girl.
***
Hermione showed up for her makeup tests the day before the students left to go home on the train, limping but on a cane at least. Dumbledore came down to meet her at the front door. "Miss Granger.... you could have waited."
"No I can't. I need to get them out of the way. And thankfully there's not many stairs. Because I couldn't handle stairs on the crutches." She limped past him. "Let me get this done with, Professor." She went to the first teacher, taking the test she held up so she could sit down and do it, the more injured leg going up on another chair for now. She was in pants at least. Very loose, flowing pants.
That one didn't take long. The other had a practical component and was potions. Which was going to be a pain when she needed to put that foot up. When she got down there she stared at the tables then sighed and turned a stool on the side to prop a foot up on, otherwise it was too high and in the way.
This was still in the way but not as hard. She created a few pillows to help with the angle then got into the test. She had to freeze the pillows from sliding off but that was about normal for a pile of pillows. They didn't stay stacked unless they were joined and even then slid around a lot.
The teacher watched her do that, looking amused. "Miss Granger."
"Yes, Professor?" She looked up at him. He pointed at the pillows. "I have to have it propped up for another two days."
"How are you doing that in your office?"
"I have a couch, thankfully." She grinned, getting back to work. "And a lap desk."
"Ah." He nodded. He watched her do the written and then get up to lean on the table to get her supplies for the practical. She put it all on a nearby table then moved it from table to table so she could brace herself. Then she sat back down, arranged her pillows again, and got to brewing. Though she did cast a shield around that monstrosity of pillows.
That way nothing got on them. She did cast an apron around herself as well to guard any cat hairs that might fall off her shirt. By the time she got done she was exhausted. She floated things back into place and her finished ones were put onto the table, but slightly out of the way. He came to get them from the table. "Your Potions OWL?" he asked.
She blinked a few times. "Why would I, sir? I have a NEWT in it in France." He looked confused. She smiled. "It's one of the French ones I took to see how hard they were."
"You have a what now? I'm aware you took some early. You took them in France?"
"No, I was on vacation and took a few early in France to gauge how hard ours would be to take early. I figured I might not need French citizenship most likely so if I failed that was fine. I also thought potions was one of the more strenuous ones so it'd be a good test for my theory that I could pass them early. And theirs are a bit less hard. They don't have any extra credit allowed. I asked."
He blinked a few more times. "You took all of them in France?"
"No. I have four French NEWT equivalents and six British NEWTs." She smiled. "My potions one is over there and I wasn't going to go on."
"Oh. I see." He frowned. "Do any double over areas?"
"History. My only acceptable one in the UK. We have things that no other country does on Merlin on ours apparently. In contradiction of the history texts the colleges use." He moaned at that. She smiled. "The others have all been O's or EE's." He rolled his eyes, going back to his desk to grade those potions.
She banished the pillows at the house's common area, righted the stool, and then limped off. She accepted her scores from McGonagall when she paused in there to say hello and tell her she was heading back to the Ministry. "Oh!" She smiled. "I'm taking these four and I wanted to take Runes still." She looked at her.
"I'll check on that. How are you?"
"Bit sore still," she admitted. "This cane sucks. It's making me tired." She sighed. "But I'll manage it for another week I suppose." She smiled. "Let me go get into the deadly dull paperwork from my office couch." She let the auror with her take her back there through the floo, which did aggravate her injuries but it was faster and portkeys pulled on her stomach injuries.
She'd rather the legs hurt than the stomach. She smiled when she found Draco looking confused at their joint scheduling book. "A huge event announced?" she guessed. It would figure, she'd look horrible to everyone right now so they had a event where she'd have to look at least acceptable.
"We have an ambassador greeting tonight."
"Since when?"
"Since about ten," Julia told her.
"Oh," she sighed. "I'll need a stool for my foot. Formal, and is it a gown or a robe for me, Julia?"
"Gown would be fine, Miss Granger. We can make sure there's a footstool. Or perhaps let someone on the naughty list be a foot stool. One offered."
She blushed. "Is that the flirty one in Mysteries?" Her assistant nodded with a grin. "I have no idea if he likes me or not." She sighed, looking at Draco, letting him see her scores. "All but potions and Runes."
He stared at them then at her. "Wow." She beamed and nodded. "Next year?"
"Five with Runes." She pointed at them. "Those."
"So all Thursday but Runes. Good for you." He handed it back. "Did you manage it?"
"The cane really, truly does suck. It wears me out." She went to her couch to put her foot up. "Can I wear the silver dress, Julia? It's comfortably loose."
"I haven't seen it yet, Miss Granger." Hermione turned on her phone, answering her mother's text then pulling up the picture to banish the phone out there for her to look at. "I'd wear something thinner." She walked it back in there to hand back. "Your mother's worrying."
"She's a good mom." She answered her with a grin. Then smiled at her. "It's not that massive. It has that jacket."
"It's in the hall. Which is always warm."
"Hmm. Well, I can wear a lace jacket then so no one stares at me. I hate it when they stare." Julia patted her on the shoulder then went back to her desk. "Thank you."
"Welcome." She looked at Draco.
"Formal suit and robe," he said. "I know. It's so much easier for me." He went to his office to get back to his own dreadful paperwork. She had a lot to go over too. Including some meetings.
***
Sirius was at the dinner, as he had to be at most of them, and hating it. And himself. He really wanted to punch that ambassador in the face. They announced Hermione so he looked that way. Draco had just came in a few minutes earlier. He stared at her. The scarlet lace shirt/jacket was cute but didn't really fit the dress too well. The silver dress looked nice on her. Not stunning but she was still probably sore. She was back on the crutches. He walked over to her. "Did the healer nag?"
"Oh, yes. I got floo residue into the ones on my leg," she said dryly. "From coming back from the tests earlier." She shrugged. "They had to clean them."
"I can understand that. Let's get you seated."
"I can lean on the crutches for a bit. They don't wear me out half as much as the cane does." She hopped beside him.
Draco stared at her. "The jacket is odd with that dress. Which is loose."
"Yes but I didn't want to be stared at tonight," she admitted.
"That's a good point." He got out of her way to the ambassador. "This is our Minister, Hermione Granger, Ambassador."
"Hello." She held out a hand. "Welcome to the UK."
He shook it firmly. "You broke your foot skiing?" he asked happily.
"No, I didn't break my foot at all. I've got a few cuts and the like. I got floo residue in them earlier so they had to be cleaned." She shrugged but smiled at him. "It happens at times." She looked at the staring waiter. "There's a footstool, right?"
"Yes, Miss Granger." He nodded quickly. "We can bring a chair over?"
"I can stand for a bit. I know there's a chatting portion before most formal meals. It's nice you're asking, dear. Thank you for that kindness." He beamed and walked off to tell the butler of the event. She looked at the ambassador again. "Is this just a standard visit or are you going to bring up something we need to talk about? That wasn't noted earlier when I was told you were showing up tonight."
"I think we have a few things to talk about. We can do that in your office tomorrow however."
"That's fine. I can do that. Is it scheduled? I think I have a full morning. Something about garden things?" she asked Draco.
"Yes, the newly formed Garden club for the Ministry wives. They've invited you to morning tea to meet the various wives of Gam members."
"Oh! Wonderful! There's so few women in the Gam." She looked at Julia since she was in there. She brought over her book. "I see we are scheduled at one." She smiled at the ambassador. "So just after lunch. Should I have something pulled up for you to nibble on instead?"
"No, that's fine. I often visit the ice cream shop in Diagon my first day in." He smiled and shook her hand then kissed the back of it, making her grin at him for it. "Tomorrow, young lady."
"Of course. Have a good dinner." She looked at Julia, who was looking confused. Hermione gave a one-sided shrug that looked like she was just shifting. "You didn't have to show up," she said quietly. "But I can gladly make sure you can attend future ones if you want."
"I find it relatively fascinating. Doing the ambassadorial stuff can be."
"It can be. Some of them have been very funny people. The Russian one told some great jokes." She grinned and Julia smiled back. "Oh." She wobbled. Sirius caught her. "Sorry. Foot went numb suddenly. Let's hop to wake it up and go talk to someone."
"My mother's over there," Draco offered with a point.
"Sure, I can say hello to your mother, Draco. She's been so sweet recently." She hopped that way with Sirius and Julia following. "Hello, just hopped over to greet you."
Narcissa looked her over. "That does not go together."
"No. The jacket goes with a pants suit and the dress is comfortable."
"Ah." She nodded. "That can be the most important thing sometimes." She looked her over again. "Go sit. No one would mind."
"Dinner should start soon," she said gently. "I'll be okay." That got a pointed look. "I need them to see me as competent and strong," she said quietly.
"Point. Sit anyway, Granger." She waved a hand. "Son..." He led Hermione to her seat to let her sit down. Which meant the rest of them could sit down. Sirius was up the table from her. The ambassador was next to her. Draco was on her other side as she didn't have a husband - their spouses should be sitting next to each other if they had one.
Hermione carefully arranged her foot and dress to make sure no one could look up it then sighed in pleasure when the wine was brought out. "Ice water?" she asked.
"You don't drink?" the ambassador asked.
"Not usually. I don't really like the flavor of alcohol." She smiled at him. "I find it ruins a great meal more often than not by competing with the taste of the food. If the chefs make something exquisite I want to taste it, not it plus wine overtop of it. That just cuts out any of the nicer, more subtle flavors for me. Though I don't mind if others drink around me."
"Hmm. Are you old enough to drink?"
"Yes, by community standards I am," she said happily. "I just don't prefer it." He nodded at that. "I am young but I'm doing a lot of good undoing some of what Minister Fudge put in before me. As a lot of it has problems." She sipped her ice water. "Thank you." The waiter refilled it and moved on.
Draco looked at her. "I never see you drink."
"I don't like the flavor. If I'm going to drink, I need to just drink. If I'm having wonderful food, I need to be able to taste that wonderful flavor."
"I can see that point." He nodded. "Mother taught me how to appreciate wine with dinner when I was about seven."
She smiled. "I've had many formal dinners for charity events that had wine with dinner. It tends to cover up a cook's mistakes more than enhances for me."
He nodded. "I can see that. I also see a few people we recognize."
"I saw Neville. I'll talk to him after this." She smiled at Neville and Hannah, getting one back from her. "I also see Luna, who may be here for her father's paper, and I see Astoria. Are you two still talking about that contract?"
"We are but neither's sure what we want," he admitted. He sipped his wine. "Hmm, fruity. So chicken."
She smiled. "You're very good at that, Draco."
"Thank you. Mother taught me."
"She does have skills I'll never have." She sighed. "Some people are meant to be stared at. She's one."
"She is." He was pleased at that compliment to his mother's fashion sense and style. "Tomorrow's dress? The blue/green one?"
"I was thinking the new rose one. It's clean and in the closet after having the waist taken in. The injury really did back up my laundry." She sighed. "I've got that one, the dark blue that's rather...backless as it's for summer, and the skater dress. Which is a bit more modern and shorter than what I should wear in the office. I usually put on dark hose under it because it's a bit short."
Draco looked at her. "Can the blue go with a jacket you own?"
"No. It's lace." He winced. "Otherwise I'd do that. But it's navy and lace. Very exposed shoulders."
"You really could use a bigger wardrobe."
"My mother and I have both shopped a few times for my work wardrobe. I have double the clothes I used to have." She shrugged then winced, rubbing her arm. Draco stared at her. So did Sirius. "I'm fine. It's just a twinge that the crutches cause." They eased off at that. She looked at the ambassador, shrugging a bit. "We rather had a bad week last week." She sipped her water again, looking around again.
It was a nice, calm dinner thankfully. Afterwards she deferred the dancing, she couldn't do that on the crutches or lean too heavily on a dance partner. She was not up to snuff for that today, which meant Draco got to make a charming, dashing, handsome impression on the ladies there. Which he wanted to do anyway.
***
Hermione showed up the next morning to find the lady's club already there. "Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't realize I was late!"
"You're not," one said with a smile. "You're actually a few minutes early. We were going over the calendar of events with Julia."
Hermione looked at her. "Isn't today a day off for you?" The woman nodded. "It's not an emergency that'd make you work overtime, Julia. I'm not that sort of boss."
"I..."
Hermione stared at her. "I don't like overworking anyone but myself, Julia. You need and deserve days off, just like normal. Especially after last week." The woman grinned and locked her desk to go home. "Have a good weekend," she called after her. "I need to go over the calendar too. Draco thinks my mother should make me shop a lot." She let them into her office, looking around first.
"Ignore my spider guests please. Someone sicced them on my office but they're eating the doxies someone else sent." She started some tea water and then went to sit down with a sigh. "So." She smiled. "It's good to see women in the ministry interested in doing things. We really do need more representation."
"We do," one agreed happily. She got up to get the tea when the kettle started to get rattley. "I've got it, dear. Sit. You're still injured."
"Slightly. I'm a lot better." She smiled, accepting her cup. "Thank you, ma'am."
"Welcome, dear." They settled in to go over what Hermione had planned for the women of the Ministry, and the spouses that helped without being employees. Hermione did have plans and a lot of them were interesting. May not be fully doable within a year but they could certainly work up to a few of those points.
It was a great meeting. Hermione even got to finish doing her hair by pulling it back again. The ladies smiled at her for that. She was adorably cute today. They went to have lunch while Hermione got ready for the ambassador.
That meeting went well, he had wondered about a few things Fudge had been pushing about that he wasn't too thrilled with. She had already ended most of them and made notes about the others to look them up. Then he got ready to go. "You know, many actually side with that Dark Lord you had in ideology."
"Then they can go join him in whatever vault someone stuck his ghoulish little creature body in," she said bluntly, staring at him. "Some of us believe that everyone's a human, no matter if they have magic or not. We don't tend to segregate ourselves out by skills or skin color because we learned better. We go by the intent people show."
He stared at her. "That's interesting. I hadn't heard it put that way. But you are young."
She smiled. "I may be young but I'm not naive and I'm not gentle. Having fought against Voldemort's issues for the last few years, I gave up gentle a long time ago." The man blinked at that. She smiled slightly, nodding. "Yes, me. Someone had to help and I was conveniently there, as Fate demanded I be apparently. I'm not the sort that would let a friend go to war by himself when I'm standing there uselessly so I didn't stand there or become useless."
"I see." He nodded. "You're not a politician."
"No, I never aspired to it." She smiled. "I didn't see myself here but Fate had me nominated. So here I am. Making sure the world moves on and progresses toward a better level of greatness again."
"Interesting you still have hope."
"Hope dying is a death sentence to the soul. There's always hope things will get better in the world. That less people will be forced to suffer. That people will quit seeing women as things that can be owned and used." She quirked up an eyebrow. "I'm all about equality, always have been. I may be young and idealistic but the world could use more of us. That's how things get better."
He nodded. "I can see that. What did happen to him?" She stared at him. "The dark lord sort."
"As far as I know his ghoul was captured somehow and put somewhere." He slumped but nodded. "But I have no true idea and I don't really want to know because I don't need to know unless someone tries to get him free. Which I'd never permit. If he should get free, whoever did it and that ghoul would be the primary target of every single witch and wizard in this community, until it was dead." He shivered but nodded. "And yes, I can do that." She smiled at him. "We started to before."
"Interesting. The one who is supposed to defeat him? I saw those books."
"I know the author. No, Harry did die. Is there another? Yes. Is he good enough? Also yes." He nodded once. "If he should reappear somehow I'd gladly warn others so they can make sure he doesn't try to run away from us taking him out. I'm all for that sort dying fast enough that they don't get any victims."
He nodded, licking his lips. "It's good. Fudge was against that."
"I know. He sneered at me about it once." She shrugged. "I'm not anything like Mr. Fudge is. Frankly, I'm sure he's enjoying himself screwing up the mail room." He snickered at that. "He is. He's clearly tampering with the mail. But having him moved somewhere less harmful isn't doable at this moment." She shifted with a wince. "So what else were we supposed to chat about today?" Draco knocked and leaned in. "Ah! Under Minister Malfoy."
"Looking to see if you were done. Your two o'clock is here."
"I had a two o'clock?" she asked. "I thought I had a two-forty-five."
"According to your book you do," he said dryly. She waved a hand so he let in the two darker sided Wizengamet members, following them in.
She smiled. "We were just finishing up but you may have viewpoints about things he wanted to chat about, gentlemen. He was worried about a trade treaty we're about to renew?" She let Draco have her notes.
He sneezed at one point to cover up his snort but he hid it well he thought. His father's friends didn't by the look they gave him. "That trade treaty gives my father heartburn when he talks about it. So probably less than problematic this time as we can hopefully build from the former framework." He handed it back then sat down.
"Your secretary isn't in today," one of them said.
"Yes, Julia gets the weekends off. I usually get the weekends off but today I had meetings." She smiled. "I see no reason to make Julia work overtime and take over her private time when I can handle most things without her needing to schedule me later appointments. I can do some of that myself."
"That's good," the ambassador said with a smile for her. "I do hope we can easily rebuild that treaty."
"I hope so as well." She smiled, holding out a hand for him to shake. He did and left. She looked at Draco then at the men, who were staring at her. "You're early," she chided gently but smiled.
"Yes, but he's slimy. We didn't want you to have to crucio him to get him off you."
"There's so many more interesting self defense spells than that one," she said dryly then smirked. One shivered. "Or sometimes I just whollop someone in the face. It does seem to work well. It did against Fudge."
"We saw and were greatly pleased," the other assured her. His partner nodded at that. "So, we wanted to look at your upcoming things. That way we can have a way of perhaps influencing the way it's written. Your explanations are very well written but the laws themselves tend to not be as detailed."
"I am known to be very thorough but I thought a bit of leeway in laws was considered standard."
"They are, sometimes. Sometimes there's no need," the second one said. She got up with a small wince, going to get it from her locked desk drawer. Though she didn't have to unlock it.
Draco looked at her. "The cleaning person?"
"Who is Mysteries," she said. "Thankfully I boobytrapped it again." She smiled sweetly. "He's probably ruing that snooping." She looked them over, putting a few back then handing the rest to Draco so she could sit back down once the drawer was relocked. "I was thinking those ten things overall for the next six months. They're still on the same level of fixing the errors but one's new to replace a lot and should render the others pointless."
They looked them over, taking her copy of the book of laws to look up a few. "You're removing the anti-cruelty laws?" the first one asked her.
"I figured that new one would cover all that. There's seventeen laws. This would include them all and future species we may wish to include without having to write a whole new law. Mostly the same language they all used but this names the species together instead of a single one for house elves, for centaurs, for unicorns, for koi fish in one case." They sighed but nodded. "I figured one would suit that well and I did write it so we could add later species to it."
They looked over all those and made a word change on her. "Tense issue," the second one said. "You've done that a few times, written in past tense instead of present." She nodded she did do that.
"I've seen you do that on papers too. Binns hates it."
"Well, in history we are studying the past. I thought it was the correct tense. He never counts me down for it," she admitted.
"Binns tends to throw the papers at a basket and whatever lands inside gets a good grade." He smirked a bit. "Yours, being heavier, tend to land there more often."
"He does?" she asked, looking confused. He nodded. "I had not realized that. That probably explains why that one short essay I wrote for him got a lower grade." She looked at him. "You aren't picking, right?"
"No, I've seen him doing it," he said solemnly then grinned. "He's always done that according to my mother. She caught him at it too. She used to attach hers to someone else's so they both got good grades." She sighed but shook her head. "Perhaps we can get a real history teacher in."
"It'd be nice to have more than one teacher doing all the subjects. One doing the basics and one doing advanced studies." She looked at him then shrugged. "Could the school do that? I have no idea if they would but could they?"
"They probably could. Doing a pre-OWL teacher and a post-OWL teacher would help a lot with the advanced studies so they have more time to spend on us."
"We can suggest it. We've seen the problems in the school repeatedly. And I still want to allow pants." He smirked at her. "At least the centaur didn't grope me."
"No, he groped Millicent, and she was a bit horrified. She wasn't sure if she could snog a centaur or not. He was half human."
"Better a centaur than someone like Flint?" she guessed.
"Indeed," Draco agreed with a nod. "Anything, even our skewrts, is better than him."
"A what now?" one of them asked, staring at them.
"One of the creatures Hagrid showed us in class was a blast-ended skewrt," Hermione said. "I have no idea about it, but it's basically harmless. Unless you try to insert a finger in it I suppose."
They both blinked. "Is he breeding things?"
Hermione shrugged. "I have no idea. I know a lot of people hate on Hagrid for reasons that aren't true. He had nothing to do with that girl's death. The thing that did, Neville Longbottom ended up killing our second year. I was still frozen for a bit, but he handled it with Ron."
They shared a look then stared at her. "A what now?" the first asked.
"There was a basilisk," Draco said, getting comfortable. "In Slytherin's chamber under the school." They stared at him oddly, shaking their heads. He nodded. "It was wrapped up in a magical artifact and ..." He waved a hand. "Long story. But that killed Moaning Myrtle?" he asked her. She nodded with a grin. "Oh, wow."
"She said she saw glowing yellow eyes." She shifted to put up her foot then sighed when the cramp stopped. "Sorry, minor muscle cramp."
"They happen," one assured her. "Are you healing well?"
"I wish magical healing was faster than muggle healing," she said dryly. "Because I hate this. It itches." They nodded at that. "But yes, she was killed by a basilisk. Tom Riddle told tales because he's the one that opened the stupid chamber the first time. It takes a parseltongue. Which Ron got help from his brother for. His brother works at the bank, they have one on staff." They moaned. "Really, Hagrid didn't do anything wrong. They judged against him for being a half blood."
That got a nod. "We've seen that happen a few times."
"We could revisit those, make sure they get proper sentences or have them commuted," she offered.
"That would create a lot of hell," the second told her. "Plus without some witnesses. We may go over the paperwork."
"Do I have the right to pardon?" she asked.
Draco stared at her. "I...actually have no idea. Fudge tried a few times I know."
"You do but you must be careful."
"I can commute his sentence so he can use his wand again. He might need it to keep the kids safe from some of the lessons. Draco got bitten by a hippogryff. Though he did milk it a bit." She looked at him. He just grinned back. She looked at them again. "He could use it."
"He could," they agreed, sounding careful. "But many would see it as a problem."
"Not if I noted that evidence was found that he had nothing to do with that death."
"Point," the second agreed. "There's probably others that would have to be looked at for that same sort of thing."
"Yes, I'm doing research on three that have been sent to me. Including one that got sent to prison for life for having the hell beaten out of her and her magic coming out while she was unconscious by the trial transcript." They all winced, they knew about that case. "But I am researching that whole case."
They nodded. "She's haunting the prison."
"Well, ghosts can be made from unjustly killed people," she said. "That's why they hang around."
"Point." They shared a look then at her. "We'd like to see those?"
"If I get them done I'd run them by Draco to have a second look over my research notes." She looked at him, getting a nod back that was reasonable to him. Then she smiled at them. "I tend to research everything I need to know."
"We've heard and it's a nice change from Fudge, who didn't want to know anything but his own opinion." They went back to those papers. Mostly they looked harmless to them. Then the second one stared at her.
"We've heard you and Umbridge had words."
"Yes, that woman." She sighed. "She accused me of somehow stealing my magic from some proper pureblood. I have no idea how a child would do that. Or have access to whatever sort of dark rite that would take. But she seemed certain. So I gave her facts and then sneered a bit until she stomped off. The woman could use some help. Really, she could. She seems a bit...unhinged."
"She did adore Fudge because he let her do whatever she wanted," the first one admitted, handing back the papers. "They don't look bad. The laws themselves are reasonable. A few odd word choices. And why is there a gender clause in the anti-cruelty one?"
"Because some people are like that," she said, staring at him. He winced. "Mostly I put it in there to protect the house elves. If someone wants to go try to bugger a dragon I'm sure we'd all hear about his remains. House elves aren't as defended."
"True," they agreed. "That is a heinous thing that they can be charged for." They shared a look then nodded they agreed with that.
The first looked at her shrewdly. "Are you going to up the gender equality, young lady?"
"Yes I damn well am," she quipped with a smirk. "There's no reason for women to be seen as property any longer. That's very out of date for reality. We're our own people. The only one who owns us is ourselves." She smiled. "As I compared it to someone else, we're not field oxen but we will become as stubborn as one if we must."
"True, that's a good thing. Women should know what they're getting into. It would stop early adoption of marriage contracts."
"Which can have hideous effects I'm sure. I know Draco has one and has for years by gossip, but what if they don't agree to it? What if they can't stand each other? Does the wizarding world really need more miserable, upset, unhappy people? Especially if they're forced to raise children?"
"They tend to live in separate houses."
"Not unless they're very wealthy. Most families only have one house. And it's not really very big." They considered that. "I'd allow contracts to go on, though I find them archaic. But it must be ratified by both parties being married off. That way they know what's written and any funny clauses can be looked at by them so they understand what's being asked of them. You'd expect anyone signing a contract to read it over first."
"I would," the first agreed. "And I wish I had gotten to read over my own marriage contract. My wife lives in half the house with the children."
She raised an eyebrow. "You don't help raise them? Sorry, that was rude and a muggle expectation," she said before Draco could do more than turn his head to look at her. "Muggle fathers are expected to help take care of the children, just like mothers are. My father was very influential in my life." She smiled a bit. "The muggle way of seeing that is that's the difference between lending sperm to create the child and being a father."
They frowned but looked at Draco, who shrugged. "I have no idea. I got raised by two nannies, one a house elf," he admitted. "My parents aren't the sort to care about children unless we're socially capable and useful." She patted him on the wrist for that. "It happens."
"Yes, it does. I have a few friends who have parents like that. They're miserable and will have trouble finding a real relationship someday. One's had a few and can't understand why she doesn't understand how others do things because of it." She smirked a bit. "Someday you'll have children though."
"Yes, I need to soon. Hopefully I'll be nicer to mine and maybe only have one nanny to help me."
"I'm sure you'll do fine, Draco. You can spot a flawed reason and move to act against it." He smiled at that praise. "We all mimic the things we liked from our own upbringing according to some experts, but we change things we hated."
"I can definitely do that." He looked at her. "You didn't have a nanny?"
"No." She smiled and shook her head. "I had a babysitter now and then but mostly it was my parents who raised me themselves. I went to work with them a few times; I learned a lot from doing that. Though me appearing did stop my parents from going to do more charity donation work, they couldn't travel while Mum was pregnant. She got *so* sick."
She grinned. "Mum told me once that she and Dad had been apart for most of a year doing separate charity work on different continents and then got back together. So I came into being." He blushed. She shrugged. "I think it's sweet. Dad said he missed her so much he nearly pounced her in the airport. They had to get a motel room because they couldn't wait to get home."
"Wow," Draco told her. "I think my mother took a potion to make sure she'd get pregnant at the right time."
"Some of the parental friends are on medicine to help them conceive too. Mostly shots of hormones to encourage it. It can still take months."
"The potion usually works the first time," he admitted.
She grinned. "So much nicer than daily shots for months on end. Or having to harvest an egg and then implant it later once it's fertilized."
He shook his head. "I think we've gotten off topic," Draco decided, getting nodded at. He stared at the friends of his father, who were at least looking amused. "Her parents seem very nice. They showed up to help her after she was injured. Her mother kept encouraging me to eat more vegetables instead of a biscuit when I wanted sweets."
"Sugar can destroy your teeth," she quipped with a grin for him. "They are dentists. I used to argue that carrots don't equal berries in flavor. Plus they were essential for good nutrition."
"Is that how you learned to be so stubborn?" he asked dryly.
She nodded. "Pretty much, yes." She smiled. "Probably."
He shook his head. "Your parents were very nice and very pleasant to talk to when they ran into my parents. My father had no idea that dentists were real things." She shrugged but grinned. He looked at them. "Do we have dentists?"
"No," one said. "We had one but that was in the days when the barber did all that."
"I don't think they're taught that anymore. Now they're just taught how to cut and style hair." Hermione grinned. "My father's barber is rather a nice old gentleman who keeps teasing me he can do a nice buzz cut so I wouldn't have to worry about my curls. And some days, I almost took him up on it."
"You mean like short hair?" Draco asked, looking confused.
"A buzz cut is shaved down on the sides and back with a slightly longer top."
"Women can do that?"
"Yes. Women can wear their hair very short at times. Or even be bald. I personally think I'd look like I had a short afro but that's just my hair's texture. Some people can do that with curly hair, mine starts too high up."
"None of our girls have short hair," Draco realized. "In the whole school."
"Having short hair means that you need to have it cut more often," she said. "Which is a problem at the school. You guys go home looking a bit shaggy too."
"We do," he agreed, nodding. "I never thought about that. Are you all told to let your hair grow?"
"I haven't seen one that had shorter than a bob when she came in and she let hers grow out too because she couldn't get a trim. Hers brushing on her drives her nuts so Lav and the other ladies taught her how to do an updo with a charm. Or she just pulls it up in a messy band bun without brushing it. She's in Hufflepuff. Third year this year."
"I didn't notice her but I don't tend to watch the firsties. Thankfully I don't have to deal with the firsties until they show up in the house that night."
"Every now and then I have to correct one that's been told some outrageous rumor. Like Ron got told the sorting would take fighting a troll thanks to the twins. He almost had me convinced too. I was going over spells I had read to see if I had one in case it was a knowledge test." Draco looked at her oddly. "What? I was sure I was going to make a good impression."
"You certainly made an impression helping Longbottom find his damned toad."
"Trevor's a nice toad." She smiled at him. "He's at home."
He nodded. "Probably safer, yes." She smirked at him. "Why doesn't he have an owl?"
"His uncle got him a toad."
"Oh. That reason. Yes, we've heard rumors about his uncle." She gave him a pointed look then smiled at the others. "No, seriously. We know them socially. I've heard rumors from my own father about his uncle." The others nodded they had too. "But it does mean that Longbottom is very subtle at times. You can ignore he's in the room." He looked around then at her. "He hasn't visited?"
"He's at home checking his plants probably. That's what he does for his first week to decompress."
"Ah." He nodded. "That makes good sense. I sit in my room and read something that's not a textbook."
"I go to museums. Especially the children's museum in London."
"They have one?"
"Yes, and it's a wonderful place." She smiled. "All sorts of neat things in there. You should go. Really, it's a wonderfully fun place. Not at all silent and staring at a painting sort."
"I'll consider that." He looked at the Wizengamet members again. "Sorry, sidetracked again I suppose."
"No, it's a great idea. I didn't know they had one either and I didn't realize girls wore their hair that short. How do they put it up in a bun?"
"They don't have to." She smiled. "Not a single bit. Sometimes they need some styling product to make it a bit spikey but at the very short lengths all you need is to wash it usually. A lot less work. One of my third year of primary classmates had super short hair. She could shower and be out the door within minutes, even with wet hair. Just walked out once she got dressed. Now she's got a lot more makeup to do first but still very short hair she only has to run her fingers through to style it."
Draco ran his hand through his own hair. "I could like that some days. Mine takes some fixing."
"Mine takes a lot of fixing," she joked. "And needs a trim now. The next time I go out with Mum I need to have her take me to the hairdresser. I have no idea where she is."
Draco nodded. "That could help if you can't trim it yourself. How did you do that in the school?"
"Well, when you created an explosion in Potions I usually just had one of the ladies trim the burnt parts off," she said dryly, staring at him. He smirked. "That's how most of us got trims. So much easier on straight hair. Just wet it and cut a straight line."
"Maybe that's a career Lavender will consider."
"It could be. She'd be good at it."
"My barber uses a stop growth charm on mine," one of them told Draco.
"I tried that. I ended up with a receding hairline when it went backwards. Mother was not amused that it took sixteen weeks to grow back out because it was garden party season."
"I cut my own when I was about four-ish," Hermione said. "Pulled it up into a ponytail on top of my head and just cut above the band. Mum caught me but let me finish. I don't remember much of the trim afterwards because I stared at my hair in horrified awe of it being so much worse."
She grinned a bit. "I know there's pictures. Mum took one to show Dad. It was so bad." Draco snickered at that. "I think that's when Mum had to get serious about my hair being a challenge and took me to a real hairdresser for the first time. She taught me about conditioning it and how to brush it the right way."
"Your mother's hair is a bit curly."
"She's got some subtle waves but she doesn't have to do more than wash and brush hers unless she's pulling it up. She had no idea how to deal with mine. This mess comes directly from Dad's grandmother apparently. Who had to let hers grow out very long so it'd pull it straighter so she could do anything with it." She smiled at the older men. "I can't do that. Too much hair."
They nodded at that idea. Then they made their exits. Which was half the point of the talk about haircare really. Draco and she shared a look because he realized what she had done. "What else is on for today?" he asked.
"Not a lot. I was just expecting those two things really. Then he added himself today." She looked at him. "He wanted to know what happened to the dark lord," she said quietly.
"Hmm. Some probably do but I'll keep that in mind." He got up. "I don't have another meeting so I'm going to go read in our library."
"Have fun. I'm going to finish my little bit of paperwork then reboobytrap my drawer before going home for lunch." He nodded, heading back there. She did that and added a second boobytrap for the snoopy people. Then she went home to rest and relax again. Her auror guard had been quietly sitting in the corner laughing about the hair discussion but that made him happy. At least now he knew why she was so frustrated with hers some mornings.
***
Hermione came in Tuesday, Monday had been a day off since she had worked Saturday, with a new haircut. It was trimmed and smoother. Narcissa was there to nag her son so stared at her. "The hairdresser knew about a better anti-frizz conditioner," she said happily. "It's a bit heavier than I need but it works!"
"It does look sleek," she agreed. "Nicely pulled back. A house elf?"
"Oh, no, though I did teach her how I did it when she asked." She smiled. "Moppet is very sweet to ask." She touched her pulled back low ponytail then grinned again. "Plus a trim so it doesn't look like such a mass." She looked at Draco. "Is that ambassador still here and needing more things?"
"No. He tried to talk to me yesterday about things but I pointed out that was your job. He thinks we're both adorably young."
"We are but it doesn't mean we're no good at all this." She walked off. "Let me know what he wanted. Good morning, Julia."
"Morning, Miss Granger." She blinked at her. "Your hair looks great today."
"New conditioner meant for frizzy hair." She grinned. "It's a bit heavy but it works!"
"Great job then! It's amazing some of the stuff they're coming out with these days."
"It really is. Like my lipstain." She beamed at her. "Do I have a formal coming up?"
"Two. In a week." She let her see, pointing with the back of her pen. "One's personal, one's Ministry."
"Oh," she sighed. "Am I attending or in that wedding party?" she muttered. She sighed. "I'll send my mother a message to find that out. I hope I'm just attending. So much easier to dress for!" She beamed again. "And no fittings!" She went to her desk then came out. "So, the one who's probably really in a lot of stomach cramping pain and has very visible polka dots on them?"
"Percy Weasley. They sent him to come snoop. They figured it was locked to his code as well since he helped Minister Fudge."
"Hmm. Well, sorry if it upsets him too much. You can tell Mysteries to quit snooping." She went back to her desk, getting down to the paperwork by going over the laws she needed to put out soon. She had grammar issues apparently and tense shifts. She looked up when she heard Narcissa Malfoy actually laughing, smiling at the happiness. Even if it was about Percy being so afflicted.
He knocked and walked in, staring at her. She stared back. "Don't snoop. You know it's rude. Your mother taught you that since she taught it to Ron." She eased it. "It wears off in twenty-four hours." He sighed but went to tell others that. "Tell them to stop it. They can ask, like normal people. Next time it'll be a dye pack that won't wear off for weeks and isn't magical."
"Yes, Minister Granger." He sighed, going to talk to his new masters, who were amused as anything at that spell, that they couldn't end.
Hermione was proud of herself. It wasn't a dangerous thing, just an annoying one. Even the twins would be proud of that.
Draco leaned in. "May I use your spell to stop snooping?"
She smiled. "Of course you may. I'm using the Mayfield spells, Mr. Malfoy. They seem to last for about a day." She smirked. "I'm going to use an indelible ink packet next. It'll take two weeks to wear off. Plus it comes in lovely colors like purple and lime green."
He smothered a smile. "I'm sure they'll be very amused."
"Yes, I'm sure Mysteries will be."
He blinked. "Mine's been an auror."
"Mine's been someone in Mysteries." They shared a look. "I'll share the dye packs?"
"Please do. Mother will be highly amused as well." He went back to tell her that. That did amuse her.
***
Neville showed up a few days later, smiling at her. "Madam Minister."
"Heir Longbottom," she teased back with a smile. "What's going on? Oh, that's a beautiful flower arrangement for Hannah."
"I got it for you for your birthday." She sniffled but hugged him. It got easily arranged in a vase. She hugged him again. "You're good?"
"I'm fine, Nev." She pulled back to smile at him. "Thank you."
"You're welcome." He patted her on the cheek. "How's it going?"
"It's going all right. Draco and I are tolerable to each other. We can work together. The others have listened to what I had to say and my ideas, though a few weren't greatly liked. But I've been removing things that Fudge put in that were extremely bad."
"Everyone wanted him gone." He patted her on the cheek again. "We've got hearings today."
"I think today is Draco's day. Do I need to be there?"
"Probably. It's heirs being announced into their seats."
"Oh!" She nodded, grabbing her jacket to go with him once she had things locked up. She did pluck a flower to put on her lapel, making him grin. She followed him down there, nodding at the others as she walked in. Draco gave her an odd look. "Neville said it's an heirs thing today?" she asked quietly. She took the main seat and he sat behind her.
"Is that today?" he asked, looking at Neville, who nodded. "Oh! All right." That meant he'd probably have to go sit with his father for a bit. That made sense, though the flower was new. He'd ask about that later in case it had been a present he could tease her about. She really did need to start getting the attention he got. They watched everyone else get settled in, him nodding at the house elf that showed up with Hermione's phone then disappeared.
She looked, sending back a text message. Her father answered so she sent another. Then a third and signed off for a few hours for Wizengamet business. But she'd be home tonight for a bit hopefully. He agreed that was fine and let her get back to things. She put the phone in her pocket on vibrate, looking at the secretary. "Go ahead when you're ready," she said quietly.
"We need three more people," he admitted. "Big problem?"
"Father. Worried about a rumor." That got a nod. She wouldn't mention he had reminded her to carry her new weapon for self defense. She might not get a chance to use it but she'd sure try so there wasn't another event like the last two. When the last one came in, she banged her gavel. "I call this session to order," she said, looking at the secretary. "Our agenda today?"
"Today, we have a presentation of the heirs for the summer solstice," he announced. "And two bills before us, plus a few wanted to ask our Under Minister about something he wanted to add." He looked at him.
"First reading of a bill about age laws." He handed it over.
"It's been handed over for the first reading and discussion. Any other items today on new business?" No one said anything. "Then let us get to the presentation of our heirs who are now able to take their seats."
Neville stood up and walked down there. "I am Heir Neville Longbottom, Heir of the house of Longbottom, only son of Frank Longbottom, the former heir. I hereby state that I may take my seat as I can attend meetings but if I cannot attend my vote is proxied by my grandmother, Augusta, until I remove her from it." Nothing happened.
"I notice no ring," one of the darker families noted.
Neville looked at him. "I cannot put it on until I'm out from under a prophecy about me. There's an heir bottle made for my contracted fiancee to use when and if the need applies so there will be full heirs after me." That got a sigh and a nod.
Hermione looked at the secretary. "I think we'd welcome Heir Longbottom taking his seat as he has shown discretion and sense," she said when Neville stared at her. "Welcome to the Wizengamet, Neville, Heir of Longbottom."
"Thank you, Minister Granger." He bowed to her but winked as he went to his seat. He sat down and the box lit up that he was in residence.
"Are there others?" the secretary called.
Another son got presented. He had married into that family but their family denied women the right to hold the title. So he was accepted and welcomed by Hermione. Making him grin at her when she noted he seemed like he had a good education and they'd see about sense and capability. His father-in-law nodded that was a good greeting. She had no idea what she was supposed to be doing but it made sense to her. She looked at Draco when no one else came forward so he stood up and walked down there.
"I am Heir Draco Malfoy, only son of my father Lucius by my mother, and the only heir of six other rings, five as heir primary as I'm the only one left who can bear heirs. I claim the seats for ..." He closed his eyes to go over it in his mind for a second. "Rosengild, Marchenes, and Pilmonary, and the heir apparent seat for Malfoy, Stovers, Black, and Radacator." He looked at the secretary. "As I'm the only son left of the lines, there's no debate. A few have elderly aunts but again, have to be held by a male heir."
The secretary looked back at Lucius then at him. Then at Hermione.
"Draco has proven he has credible thoughts and knows how to plan and act on them. I'm sure the families he sits in for as the only heir will only prosper by his guidance and someday he'll raise an heir to hold them so they're not overloaded as he will be." She smiled.
"Thank you, Minister." He bowed and went to his new seat. Which was fine. It lit up when he walked into the box and sat down.
Sirius waved his wand. "Note that the Black heir apparent-ship is on hold while he holds his position within the Ministry as it is forbidden by family rules but he is the only son of the line at the moment." He looked at Draco.
"I understand, Lord Black, and I agree. I look forward to helping you raise future heirs or you helping me raise one to take your place some year far in the future as we'd all miss your mind in this chamber."
"There's ever hope that the missing seats will someday have heirs," Hermione said. "Through some means. We've lost many families and it's been a harsh blow to the wizarding community here in the UK. I hope some day to see all those seats filled by the proper heirs their family created some way that is legal and healthy."
Sirius nodded. "None of us want to use black magic to get an heir, Minister." He smirked at her.
"That wasn't my first thought on how to get one in an unhealthy manner but I'm glad to hear it. I'd worry those children would've been tainted by such a method of conception." She grinned back at him. "But there is surrogacy if someone wanted to find a way and there's an heir potion or something."
The secretary cleared his throat. "Half of them probably do but no one to deal with the surrogacy request."
"Then perhaps some of the members of the wive's committee can decide how to approach that? They seemed like they have good tactical and logical thought when we met and they're not as busy as their spouses. They may have time to figure out a legal way to have that happen."
"I don't think most of them would mind," Lucius admitted, looking at his son.
"I have four heir potions already stored, Father. Just in case." He stared at him. "The bank has it and has orders on who can decide on their usage." Lucius nodded at that. "Including Mother's decision on who could carry it."
"I'll let her know."
"She helped me place them in my trust vault." He grinned. "She even sniffled at the possible grandchildren." He looked at Hermione. "The laws on surrogacy are very open."
"That's something someone can decide and I agree with that. I'm aware of surrogacy in the muggle world as well as ours. If someone chooses to have an heir that way, then that's fine with me as long as they're good parents. I loathe bad parents but good parents are always welcome and only a person can say how many children they have."
She looked back at him then grinned. "I read them over and I don't mind the clauses in there as long as both parties are in agreement and there's some sort of statement about who gets custody and the like. There's been some muggle court cases with that problem."
He nodded. "You are about self choice. Thank you, Miss Granger."
"You're welcome, Mr...Heir Malfoy." He grinned at that acknowledgment.
"So something like a marriage contract only for the pregnancy?" Lucius guessed.
She nodded. "That makes sense and would lay out things like what happens if the child has a health issue upon birth or the surrogate mother does. That she agrees to give the child over or not, depending on who wants to raise it. What sort of compensation is given if there is any beyond medical care, as I've seen both happen." She stared at him. "But it must state that it is consensual and she's agreeing to do that for that family."
"I can see that restriction and that is in line with that law," he agreed with a nod. "Anything forced would be heinous." She nodded she agreed with that. "Did you see the editorial today?"
She snorted. "And ranted for a good ten minutes," she admitted. "Those ones have not a clue what they're speaking of and if there were such a movement it would be stopped most harshly." She stared at him. "One way or another." He winced at that.
"There is literally no way for a child to steal magic from another child. It's not like they teach us dark rites in primary in the muggle world. We may sometimes pretend to be witches and the like, mostly from fantasy stories or worlds, but we're not stealing the magic from anyone. That's probably impossible."
"Yes, but conspiracy theories often don't use sensible, logical thought," another said.
Sirius nodded. "They irked me greatly and I nearly hexed one on the way in, that's why I was late."
"If they should cause harm to anyone, especially a muggle born child, then they should be turned in, Lord Black. I want no child harmed for any reason. They all deserve to grow up healthy, happy, and without adult worries."
"I can see that," he agreed with a nod. "It's something we hope for all children. At least those of us with compassion and sense." He looked at Neville.
"If Hannah couldn't bear an heir then we'd gladly call upon some friends to see if one of them could carry it. Then we'd go find a reputable surrogate if none could."
"Good man," Sirius said with a nod. "I like how much care you take with Hannah, Neville. Your grandmother did excellently with you."
He grinned at his uncle. "Thank you, Lord Black." He was blushing a bit but was happy with that praise.
"Speaking of that conspiracy, they're against anyone studying the origins of magic," the secretary said, handing Hermione the scroll.
"That's because it'd prove them wrong," she said, looking that over. "That's a nice threat to muggle borns." She handed it to someone between her and Draco. "For him please." He glanced it over, grimacing as he handed it back.
Draco read it, grimacing at it. "We pureblood families would hate that. We'd loathe that, Minister Granger." He rerolled it, then tossed it back to her, letting her catch it. "I know you're going to turn it down, probably with malice, but can we do something about them?"
"Yes. We can. If they should try that problem, they're going to prison as a threat to Magic itself." He gasped. That was an ancient law. Barely on the books. She stared at Sirius, who nodded slowly, looking that up in the law book he had for reference. So were a few others. "One of the ancient ones in the second chapter if I recall correctly," Hermione told them. They found it and Lucius shuddered at that. "Is that not fitting that plot, Heir Malfoy?"
He looked up from rereading it, staring at her. "That's nearly dark, Minister Granger."
"No, torturing people for daring to be born, when we had nothing to do with that ourselves, is dark as hell. That's fully over into evil. Which is a crime against magic itself and the rest of the community." She pulled out her copy and put up an illusion of that page. "This one is what I was thinking."
Lucius licked his lips. "Oh, that's dark," he assured her. That was a depth he hadn't seen in her before and it was really...a bit sexy.
She shrugged. "If they do evil things then darkness should flow over them, shouldn't it? I'm not going to be nice and invite them to tea, Mr. Malfoy."
"No, I wouldn't want to share a tea with them either. Oh." He swallowed, going over that law quickly. "What about the clause three down?" he suggested. "That's at least humane." He didn't believe she'd *actually* torture someone but she had been seen to do what she had to do. If not, she'd probably let someone handle that for her and just pretend to pay attention to their punishment. He had to stop that before Draco got entangled in it.
"I'd give them the option of prison if they chose it," she offered. "They could choose their own fates that way." She did look at that one, letting the secretary put up illusions of that whole section. "The next page as well if you can, please," she requested. "As this is specifically covered." He looked and put that up with a wince.
"It's written in the book," Sirius said. "To go against new magicals for daring to be born with magic for the first time. Though I think they meant reincarnation." He looked at Augusta. Who was nodding she agreed. The other females in there were nodding they agreed. Lucius was sipping some tea. "I'd prefer if they went to jail."
"Like I said, they could choose that," she offered.
He nodded. "Yes, that could help but we do try to be humane, Minister Granger."
She shrugged. "I could be worse. Put them into the situation they want to put us into."
"I'd rather they go to jail," Draco said bluntly, staring at her. "Are you feeling well?"
She nodded. "Yes, but I'm tired of being attacked for daring to be born when I had nothing to do with that." She gave him a pointed look. He winced but nodded he understood. Lucius was swallowing some stomach pills with his tea now. "But I'll let the majority decide of course. I won't even give a speech about it to sway anyone's opinion."
"I vote we consider that idea a threat to magic but they be treated as a felony against humanity," Sirius said quickly. "That way they have the option of death, life in prison, or choosing to go with the law books."
"Write it out for me please," the secretary said. He did that with Augusta coming over to help. They handed it over so he could copy it for everyone and they voted, passing it unanimously. She stapled the scroll to the new law so it could be included as an example.
"Can we go over those rules to see if some should be amended?" Draco asked smoothly.
Hermione looked at him. "Sometimes we have to handle the worst things. Their ideas were more heinous because tolerance back then was a bit thinner than it is now. A few of those we can mitigate with an alternative punishment if you wish. Though I'm sure most countries have something of the like in their own early law books."
"They may," Lucius agreed.
Augusta smiled at her, nodding. "They often do but most of them ignore it until something like a want-to-be dark lord appears, dear." She sat back down behind Neville, who was looking amused as he stared at Hermione. "As we should have used them earlier, now we have to deal with lighter versions of the same thing. For the same reason probably." She blinked a few times. "If we ever capture Vold...You-Know-Who we can try him under those."
Neville looked at her. "He's a boggart, Grandmother. Say his name. If you don't it gives him more power." He looked at Hermione again. "We could add alternate punishments to them easily but is there something bad enough for that crime?"
"The veil," Lucius said then cleared his throat. "It will bring a whole body across the border into death immediately."
"If this body wishes to amend those to a more humane punishment that is still suitable I'm all for that," Hermione assured him. "I don't particularly want to watch someone flayed alive as that law says it should. Or quartered and then not buried properly."
"Good," Neville said happily. "We can work that out this week to amend those. Just in case we need to use them." She nodded that was fine. He'd applaud her use of manipulation but that was too open right now. "What of the other things you wanted to present soon?"
She shrugged, summoning it down. Whoever had it was now in a bit of pain as it they had somehow blocked the anti-theft hexes but they had went off when her magic had connected to them again. They all heard someone swearing and screaming in pain. "Oops, my anti-theft spells got reactivated on whoever had them. Sorry!" she called. "Next time don't steal! And don't you dare hurt my assistant!"
An auror leaned in. "They're very sorry they snooped, Madam Minister, and will not do so again. They've learned their lesson and the ones from Mysteries are quite sorry. What spell did you use?"
"Ask me later." She smiled. "So I can give you the book." He nodded, going to help knock those ones out so they quit screaming. She went through the file, getting the other one down as well, which made Percy yelp in pain. Then she handed the important ones to Neville. "I have another three that need language amendments first." She let him have those as well in a separate pile.
He went through them, letting his grandmother have them, who gave them to Sirius, who shared them with the ones near him so it ended up with Draco last.
"Minister Granger, I believe I haven't seen a few of these," Draco admitted.
She looked back at him. "The ones you haven't seen were for later on, Under Minister Malfoy. They're still being worked on." He held up one. "Oh, that one. I showed that to you. The original has your mother's notes on it."
"I wonder if she took it off my desk to look over before I got to it then." He reread it then looked at her. "A few will be complained about."
"I realize that but sometimes it's more important. And all those are built on the current laws in the books, mostly older ones from long before Minister Fudge's time in office. The one you held up is in the same area as the Misuse of Magic ones were earlier."
He looked that up, since it was noted in the explanation. He frowned as he read it then looked at her. She went back to look then flipped pages and pointed before going back to sitting down. He put that up and his father moaned, his elbow hitting the desk, his head hitting the palm of his hand, and his head shaking.
"I can see where you got that idea from. It's idealistic," Draco told her patiently. "I don't think we're ready to go that far into equality even if the law book does state it. I think many would be very upset with that actually."
Neville opened his mouth then covered up a burp. "Sorry, excuse me. I see no harm in noting that everyone bleeds the same color blood and without a spell or a birth chart you can't tell the difference between a non-blooded and a pureblooded wizard or witch," he told Draco.
"I think that's a bit strong however, Minister Granger. Though I'm pleased that you were thinking that far ahead." She smiled at him. "We do need to pay attention to the originators of our laws that said all bloods were equally weighed under the law. That way is probably allowing for non-blooded ones to take over some things that purebloods would think was theirs."
"Not all ancient families are represented here and not all ancient families have titles, Lord Longbottom. And not all those with wealth are ancient or noble. As some of our classmates prove, some are a lot more wealthy and not pureblooded."
Lucius looked at her. "They are?"
"Yes. My own parents are very well off, Mr. Malfoy. We're not the richest, but we're fairly well off. We don't have a title. And the most wealthy families in our wizarding community, only two of the names in the top ten are actually from older families." She looked at the secretary. "We need the newspaper Teen Witch Weekly from about two months back I believe it was."
He called someone to get a copy. His daughter brought it in so Hermione smiled at her. "Thank you, dear. I'm proving a point." She turned to that article, letting it be put up for viewing. "How many of those families are ancient blooded or even pureblooded, Mr. Malfoy?"
He stared, mouth open, then closed it and sighed. "I can see that point. And why that law is written that way. I wonder where they got that from."
"By the article, from the bank's rankings," the teenage girl said with a smile for him. She found it for her father to show. "There."
He put that up. "It's apparently a list they do yearly," he said, sounding tired.
Hermione nodded. "Why are we against them more for being wealthy but not from an older bloodline? Or even if a non-pureblood noble title's heir suddenly came out as magical?"
"Is there one of those?" Draco asked.
"One of the ones left over out of the former Italian noble heritage," Hermione told him. "I know there's a few from the German lineages. In the muggle noble lines, there's said to be four that are known, and they're pretty well known as they're often in the press. That one singer is one." The girl squealed, showing her the 'after party' article. "Yes, that one. That's the post awards ceremony." She showed that.
"She's noble?" Lucius asked. "She's...that's a very ...flashy outfit."
"Her father's a duke." Hermione grinned. "She graduated from Beabaxtons two years ago. I saw an interview with her in France."
He blinked a few times then sighed. "Money is not confined to some pureblood families, I stand corrected on that," he said patiently. "But that would put a different standard to them versus ours."
"It should just level it so they're on the same tax status. There's apparently an imposed extra tax on them."
"That's a tax bill?"
She got up to look and pointed. "Taxes," she said, staring at him then grinning. "To equal their status for taxes and those sort of problems." She sat back down. "Thank you, Stella."
"Welcome, Minister Granger." She grinned. "It's great the Ministry is getting new blood. Especially when it's pretty." She winked and took her magazine with her.
"Can we prove this extra taxation?" Augusta asked. Hermione handed that over. "Oh, I see we can." She sighed. "That's ...so very wrong."
Lucius took it to look over, passing it out. "That is an incredible bit of bias," he agreed. "The same as yours to take that extra fee out of Ministry paychecks shows some."
"The same person wrote it," she quipped. "And he's still messing up the mail room."
"If we had another place to put him I'd do that," Lucius complained. "I didn't think him able to make us so much work."
"Well, he was dumb," Draco said. "And he was a minion. You know minions have to be watched more, Father. Especially the stupid ones who might try to think on their own without orders." He took his copies to look over, then sighed. "Fudge is an imbecile. Can't we throw him in jail?"
"We haven't found a criminal case yet," Hermione said. "Incompetence isn't criminal because everyone has those moments in their lives. Some just live to revel in their ignorance and choose not to correct that lacking of knowledge."
He looked at her. "I'm not sure that one could read," he admitted, then sighed loudly. "He needs to get out of the mail room."
"The only other place is sanitation and they said they'd make sure he was treated like trash they picked up out of the alley," she reminded him.
"I'm fine with that. You wanted to be nicer," Draco shot back, staring at her. "Still feel the same way?"
"I believe he should feel the wrath of his choices but that would mean that he had to deal with people he had wronged. Which he can't do. Or handle. I wouldn't make someone handle things they're not competent physically or mentally to do."
Lucius held in the laughter at that insult. Dumbledore was staring at her around a few people since he was in the same row. "Miss Granger," Dumbledore said. "I'm sure Cornelius could deal with people. He did often enough in his former position."
"Only if they paid him," Lucius said dryly. "She's right, he can't handle people with ideas. Especially if they won't pay him to parrot them. That's how we made him go against you a few times, Dumbledore. You didn't pay him." He looked at the proposed laws again, sighing again. "I feel like my soul is deflating."
"Sorry," she said happily. "I'm just trying to fix the things that were wrongly put into law."
"I'm certain you are and my soul being defeated and depressed is a side-effect of the stupid, not you fixing it, Minister Granger. The fact you found it before I did embarrasses me that I didn't realize he had done this."
"On that subject, I dug into his filing cabinet, which was a wreck because it had no logical way of filing, I found something that would concern you and your son if you'd like to join me later."
Draco leaned on his hand, staring at her. "Involves me? What?"
She looked at him then held up a hand, going to get it and bring back that box. She handed the files to Draco, one to Lucius, and the rest of them to Sirius to hand out. "I doubt our secretary wants to be screamed at and they won't yell at you, Lord Black." She smiled, sitting down. "And two are on you."
He found his to read over, then shuddered. "That man needs to go become part of the sewer system." He read the second one. "Or the prison's sewer system." He handed the other files out for her. No one would yell at him. Draco was staring at the one in front of him, trying not to whine. Or splutter like his father. Hermione got up to switch them.
Lucius looked at that file then at her. "That man will not be a problem for the Ministry for long."
"Legally please," she quipped. "Otherwise we may have to legally investigate what happens to him, even though he wanted to make Madam Bones breed his heirs for him." She looked at her auror guard, handing him those two she had held back. "On his thoughts about Madam Bones and his one on the head of the archives."
He glanced at the second one, shuddering. He tried not to heave. "Oh. We wondered why they had an argument." He glanced in the second, wincing. "She's going to have a fit."
She smiled. "Which I'm sure I do not need to witness. She'd be embarrassed to do that in front of someone she didn't know very well I'm sure."
He swallowed but nodded. "I'll have Tonks hand it to her. She likes Tonks."
"I like Tonks," Hermione agreed happily. "She's a nice lady."
"Let me summon Tonks." He did that and got Shacklebolt. "I wanted her, not her prettier half," the auror joked. "Fudge had ideas about the bosslady. I figured Tonks could hand it to her safer than we could." He let him have the files.
Shacklebolt looked then grimaced. "I'm going to vomit. Let me go make her rant while we hide like hell on a massive field mission."
Hermione smiled, handing over something. "They're going to open a new magical primary school in a few weeks. You guys could go make sure it's safe and has an effective safety plan."
"Yes, we can do that as a field mission," he agreed, taking that notice. He read that on the way up to the office. Bones was waiting, because someone had warned her he was coming with those files. He put them on a desk. "Let us go on a field mission to check out the safety parameters of the new primary school." She blinked, looking amused. "You're going to blow it, boss. If not the whole Ministry. So give us a head start to escape the explosion?"
"Go," she said patiently, waving a hand. He gathered the others and they fled the office. She watched them go then picked up the first file on the archivist. "Oh, that's what that was about. Though I agree with our head book nerd." She finished that one and went to hers. It took about a paragraph and then the rage came. With magic shedding she was so angry. A few other departments casually went to a long lunch because they felt the magic shedding going on.
In the chambers, they felt it too but couldn't leave while they were in discussion.
"I think we need a tea break to go over all these," Draco decided, standing up. "I motion that we take a break to give ourselves time to read and digest this pile of ideas. Perhaps an hour? Have a real meal?"
"Seconded," Neville said happily. The rest voted unanimously to do that. So they all got to flee for a proper lunch break. Though Draco and his father went home and had a good, long rant about Fudge. And Hermione Granger having to fix Fudge. Because she was proving the depth of her mind being a bit...wicked. It was almost turning Lucius on with how her mind was working on these idiot ideas Fudge had built. Narcissa came in once they were done venting, taking the files to look at.
"Hm. I need a new manicure today anyway," she said, strolling off. "Let me talk to Cornelius about his ideas for my son and future grandchildren. I'll be home late for dinner, dear." Both Malfoy men just nodded because Narcissa scared them. They knew not to get in her way.
She'd have to get him before Amelia Bones but she understood why that woman had precedence on Cornelius meager ass. She should have the right to a discussion with him first over that plan to water his supposedly-superior bloodline with hers. He had even planned on what sort of potions he'd need to use to make her carry his supposedly-superior children to repopulate the wizarding world.
Because she was a senior auror, Amelia Bones could catch him wherever he was hiding. She. Could. Hunt.
***
Story notes:
Sequel to The Author of Revenge