The Best Mistake

Chapter Fifteen | Toil and Trouble - Part Two

"I fucking told you!" Malfoy shouted, and it took nearly every ounce of strength Hermione had left to refrain from hexing him. Instead, she closed her eyes tightly and took some deep, cleansing breaths. They did absolutely nothing.

Hermione looked up at him, just a quick glance, and the expression on his face was an odd mix of triumph and dread. It shifted when he noticed her watching him, back to his usual one of cool detachment. Raising a brow at her, as if to further his point without degrading himself with another display of Gryffindorish emotions.

He's lucky he's so pretty, Hermione thought, not too kindly, as she turned back to the table.

"Alright, then," Ron said with a sniff, "Easy enough—we just send Hermione in with Harry running back up under his cloak, and they'll have Gin and the rest freed in no time."

The deep breaths were definitely not working. Hermione had been in Ron's presence for fewer than 10 minutes, and she already felt a headache coming on. Even just that little sniff he always did when he thought he was saying something profound nearly made her eye twitch.

"Oh, get fucked, Weasel," Malfoy snorted. "What a brilliant strategy—do exactly what the fucking bad guys expect you to do. They'll never see it coming."

A red flush crept up Ron's neck. "Huh. I can see why you would see it that way, Malfoy, since you would know a thing or two about being one of the bad guys." Ron sniffed, as Harry nudged his arm, but the warning just egged him on. He narrowed his eyes and sucked on his teeth, a disgusting sound that made Hermione cringe. "You may have fooled everyone else but not me. Once a Death Eater, always a Death Eater."

"Ronald!" Hermione gasped while Malfoy simply rolled his eyes and shook his head.

The other Aurors around the table looked distinctly uncomfortable, even Seamus cringed. Most of them didn't like Malfoy personally, but they did respect him. Harry, however, just put his face in his hands, nearly knocking his glasses off and heaved a heavy sigh.

"That's not—" Harry began, but Malfoy cut him off as he leaned over Hermione, putting one hand straight through the glowing projection of Diagon Alley, making Angelina, who'd conjured it using the complicated charm, hiss.  "Listen here, you ruddy, ginger, piece of—"

"Enough!" Hermione intervened before Malfoy took it too far. "Enough! We hardly have time for this ridiculous bickering." She turned to Harry beside her, and his forlorn expression nearly shattered her resolve. "Harry, I'm sorry, but I agree with Malfoy. I think it's unwise for me to be in the field for this one, especially if, as I assume, you'll be going out. We need someone with experience leading the all clear here."

A long breath of relief came from Malfoy, making Hermione feel almost guilty. He really was just worried for her, and even though it was likely caused by whatever bond he'd accidentally formed with her or the baby, she found it almost endearing—when it wasn't annoying her, that is.

She suddenly wanted to touch him, just a little, to make them both feel—she wasn't sure. Better, perhaps? Almost subconsciously, Hermione pressed the back of her pointer finger against his, wanting to reassure him and remind him that she'd promised not to leave the bank. He jumped a little at the contact, but collected himself quickly, and then, hidden under the table, pressed back.

"Of course, I'm going!" Harry, unaware that his colleagues were doing some strange pseudo-hand-holding teaser beside him, stared at the little replica of The Leaky Cauldron. "Greyback's minutes on this earth are numbered. You don't fuck with my family and live to tell the tale."

Moving her hand back to her own person, Hermione's nose crinkled at Harry's words. He could be so dramatic sometimes, and if she was being honest, Hermione would have asserted that Harry was absolutely compromised and should not be anywhere near Diagon Alley, Greyback, or The Leaky Cauldron for this mission. There was a very high chance that he'd go rogue and Boy-Who-Lived the situation beyond repair.