Chimera

Chapter 21

"Honestly Granger, you need to calm down," Draco said.

"I am calm!" A shrill note shook in her voice. "But...is it alright? Does it need...I don't know, just...something?"

Draco raised a blonde eyebrow over the parchment before passing it back to her. He shook his head, a wry smile tugging at his lips.

"It's fine. Really! Let's be honest, you could just walk into the department and say 'I'm Hermione Granger and I'm here for an interview', without even applying."

"I couldn't possibly do that," she protested.

"I'm joking."

"I didn't know you could joke," Hermione teased half-heartedly. The parchment shook in her hands.

"I'm going to ignore that," Draco said with a delicate sniff. "Though you probably could just put your Order of Merlin on the desk and tell them you're taking the job. No-one would argue!"

Hermione glared over the top of the letter as she reread it for the hundredth time. Her dark eyes skimmed fretfully across the words. She had been working on her application all weekend. The floor at home was littered with crumpled parchment, batted around by Crookshanks when he was feeling playful.

Silence settled over the office. Draco watched Hermione's lips purse as she frowned over one sentence or another. A curl had escaped her ponytail and kept slipping into her face. She blew it away with a frustrated huff. Draco itched to brush the strand off her soft cheek, and found himself wondering how it would feel to bury his fingers into her cloud of black curls.

"Ok, that's enough," Draco said, making her jump as he plucked the parchment out of her hand. He neatly folded it and put it into an envelope, keeping his back to her. He didn't turn around until he felt the pink in his cheeks subside.

"Wait, no, I just..."

Ignoring her protests, Draco marched out of the office with it.

"Come back!" Hermione cried. "What are you doing?!"

"Delivering this before you drive us both insane," Draco replied, taunting her by waving the envelope over his shoulder. "Ellie, don't let Granger leave the department."

Ellie grinned and barricaded the exit. Hermione glared at her, but she just folded her arms and smiled impishly. Hermione sighed and trudged back to the office, grumbling. The sound of Ellie's giggles followed her down the corridor.

*****

Draco strolled through the halls of the Ministry, turning the envelope over in his hands. Part of him was surprised at his willingness to help Hermione. Draco tried to imagine what his younger self would have said, and concluded he would have collapsed in total shock. A smile flickered across his face at the thought. He had been such a dramatic little shit.

Determinedly ignoring the other thoughts he'd had in the office, Draco pushed open the heavy doors to the Magical Law Enforcement Department. Noisy chatter washed over him. Aurors strutted between desks, and parchment memos fluttered over their heads. Draco wondered how anyone could concentrate in such a busy, open office.

"What are you doing here, Malfoy?" a voice spat.

Ron glared at Draco over the top of his cubicle. An angry flush coloured his freckled features as Draco appraised him.

"None of your business, Weasel," Draco drawled. "So I'd appreciate it if you kept your big nose out of my affairs."

"There I was hoping you were finally turning yourself in for all your crimes against humanity," Ron sneered. "But I guess you're too much of a coward for-"