Light and Shadow

Light and Shadow

Chapter 6 - A surprise visitor

Hermione was happy to know she wouldn't have to spend the morning in her office. Phillip had called her to help him on another case. Her and Mark. She found it strange that he hadn't ask for Harry also, since he had liked him so much. She didn't ask any question about it, however. So, Mione saw little of Harry in the morning, except for the two times she had to go to her office. He was still reading the material she had given him, and he didn't even take his eyes off it while she was there. It was as if she wasn't there, as if she didn't exist.

As she was leaving for lunch, something caught her attention. Harry was leaning on Susan's desk, facing her and... and he was smiling, and seemed like he was having a nice conversation with her. It was weird to see him smiling. She hadn't seen him smile like that for a long, a really long time, and seeing him doing it now, so spontaneously, was quite strange. Thinking of that made Mione sad. Harry hadn't seen her for such a long time, and when they met he was cold, sarcastic and cruel. Harry smiled at Phillip's secretary? Why did he treat her like that? Was it because of Ron, still? Hermione refused to accept that idea. He had never been, and would never be, a spiteful person. Well, she also never thought he could never be mean and cruel. However, he had become exactly that. So, another thought came to mind, and she didn't feel good about it. Maybe Harry was... was flirting with Susan! She wasn't an ugly woman, on the contrary, she was thin, tall, brunette and also had green eyes. Mark had dated her for awhile, but the relationship hadn't worked out. Suddenly something brought Hermione out of her thoughts. Susan stood up and she and Harry left together. Surely they were going to lunch. Hermione looked at her watch and saw that, if she wanted to return in time, she would have to hurry, and also left the office.

When she got back, she couldn't keep her self from getting angry. Really angry. Walking into her office, she saw there was someone there. Another person taking over her office?

"Who are you?" Her voice showed much more irritation than she planned.

"Oxford, Granger? You graduated in Law at Oxford?" He turned to face her, holding the frame containing her diploma. "Congratulations! I know it's not easy to get in there. But, of course, to the 'know-it-all-Granger' it must not have been so difficult."

"Malfoy?" She was completely shocked.

Draco was different. His hair no longer had gel, and was shorter. He was wearing a navy blue suit, no tie, and the first two buttons of his shirt were open. He looked really good in that outfit, even if it was a Muggle outfit.

He had a very important role in the war. He was the spy who had brought information to the Order. Of course, would Voldemort ever suspect Draco Malfoy, son of one of his best Death Eaters? Nobody trusted him. Much less understood why he was helping the Order and risking his life. Then, in the end of the war, he married Ginny Weasley. That really surprised everyone. Never, during the entire war had anyone imagined, or suspected they were together. They had been very discrete. Lucius was furious with the marriage and cut relations with his son. Which was actually an excuse, he was really furious because his son had betrayed his cause. But Draco didn't mind. For the first time in his life he was really happy.

He got a really good job at the Ministry, in the same department as Harry. He had a good salary, and didn't miss the Malfoy money. The truth was that now Draco was a common guy. Married, and with a son. It was a strange thought, when the person you were talking about was Draco Malfoy.

"Yes. And don't make that surprised face, it's horrible." Draco tried hard, but he would never lose that tone of disdain in his voice.

"What are you doing here?" She ignored what he had just said, and kept the shocked look on her face.

"Logically it wasn't to see you. Where's Potter?"

"Potter? I don't know, he should have come back from lunch already."

"Ah! Great. Black sends me after him, because the fool doesn't answer his phone, I've been trying to find him for hours, and he decides to 'stretch' his lunch time? Why does he have a cell phone if its never on?"

"Harry has a cell phone? Sirius sent you after him? Why?" Hermione asked intrigued.

"We have to go to a party," Draco said with annoyance.

"A party? You have to talk to him about going to a party, and it has to be now?" Hermione said, indignant.

"Granger, we're not going to have fun. We're going to work."

"Work?" Hermione thought this was her opportunity to find out what Harry was doing working among the Muggles. "What is he doing here, by the way?"

"Working in this office? I don't know. Seems like a wizard killed someone and a Muggle is being accused. And since Potter is Black's 'protected', and has graduated in Muggle Law... of course his 'dear godfather' would never send him on a dangerous mission. Who goes is this idiot here," Draco says standing up and leaving the frame on the table.

"A wizard?" Hermione asked, strangely. "There's nothing abnormal in this case."

"Ah! Granger. I don't know, I have nothing to do with what Potter is doing here, I just want to talk to him."

"Well, then, you'll have to wait. A lot. Potter likes to be late," Hermione said, putting the frame back on the wall.

"Ah! That's so nice! Does he think I have nothing better to do? "Now Draco was sitting in an armchair."

"If you have so many things to do, why don't you go do them?"

"No." Draco now had a smile of disdain on his face. "Very comfortable, this chair."

Hermione said nothing. She just kept reading the documents for the new case, when once again she was interrupted.

"Why did you disappear?" He was really curious.

"For many reasons." Hermione wasn't expecting that.

"Which?" he insisted.

"When did you suddenly get so interested in my life, Malfoy?" Hermione asked, intrigued.

"Granger! A woman like you would have a great career in the wizarding world. Why did you leave it all behind to be a lawyer? You were an excellent Auror, you could be working in our department."

"What is you department called again?" She was trying to change the subject.

"The Department of Disaster Prevention."

"And how does it work?" Hermione asked, curious.

"Espionage." Draco simply answered.

"Espionage?" Hermione asked, surprised.

"Yes. We have people working, or spying, if you prefer, in many places, among Muggles, in other countries..."

"And do you also spy?" She couldn't resist.

"Of course I do Granger! I work in the department, don't I?" he said as if she was some stupid kid.

"What are you working on now?"

"I generally work among the Muggles. At the moment I'm the accountant of a gang. They sell weapons and other things."

"Wow, why do you work with these dangerous people?"

"Because there are some wizards using their services."

"You? Working among the Muggles? You must be kidding." Now she was really surprised.

"Well, I went to a business school. Studied at a Muggle University. And the department needs people here, so I'm one of the few which have graduated in Muggle studies. Potter, for example, went to law school, Patil went to psychology... "

"Doesn't Ginny work with you?"

"Ginny? No, she works with the twins. I keep telling her she could quit that stupid job and stay home, take care of Christian. But who says she listens to me?"

"Christian?" Hermione questioned the strange name.

"Yes, my son!" Draco said with a proud smile.

"Ha! You have a kid, Malfoy? You? A regular guy? With a family? It can't be..." Hermione now smiled, not believing what she was hearing.

"Fine, Granger, say what you want, but I like the life I have. It's very nice having a wife and kids waiting for you at home."

"You've changed so much, Malfoy," Hermione finally admitted.

"Not that much," Draco said with a grimace.

"Yes you have. I could never imagine myself having a civilized conversation with you."

"Ah! I had to grow up some time, right?" he said smiling. "But you've changed too, Granger."

"I have?" Mione asked, curious.

"You have. You're not that know-it-all you used to be. You're pretty, you're different. I can't say exactly what," Draco said with sincerity.

Hermione just smiled. At that moment, Harry appeared at the door.

"Malfoy?" Harry asked, surprised.

"Ah! Why do people look so surprised at seeing me?" he asked, irritated.

"What are you doing here?" Harry asked curiously.

"Well, if you kept your blasted cell phone on, you surely would have known earlier, and I wouldn't have to spend hours looking for you!" Harry had a cell phone used for Muggle missions. Everyone working among the Muggles had one.

"I didn't bring it today. I forgot it at home. Why didn't you try to find me some other way?"

"How do you expect me to find you? Owl? Or maybe I should have used a howler? Get real, Potter," Draco said irritated.

Mione couldn't believe what she was seeing. Potter and Malfoy exchanging more than half a dozen words? Things really had changed.

"What do you want, anyway?" Harry now was impatient.

"Black called! He said there was a... "But he couldn't finish, Harry didn't let him.

"Let's talk somewhere else," Harry said, dryly.

"Somewhere else?" Draco asks, finding that strange. "Why somewhere else?" And looking at Harry, then Hermione, he said, "Oh, I got it. I forgot you're not friends anymore."

Harry gave Malfoy a death glare and left the room. The blond just followed him. When they got into the meeting room, the only place he knew how to find, he asked:

"What happened?"

"As I was saying," Draco was nervous because he was interrupted, "Black called, said he has information about a group of Death Eaters who are going to Brighton, to a party offered by that Muggle gang I work with."

"Who are the Death Eaters?" Harry asked, already waiting for the answer.

"Karkaroff, Boreman and my father."

"Your father? You're working undercover, aren't you, Malfoy?"

"Potter, I always work undercover. You should do the same. Famous the way you are..." Draco said with disdain.

"In this case I didn't think it was necessary." Harry was more irritated than before. Draco may have changed a lot, but he would always find a way to throw in his face, the fact that he was "the famous Harry Potter". "And what do I have to do with it?"

"You have to go, you have to go to this party. Black's orders." Draco also was an A -1.

"I'm working on something else. I'm not going to any parties." Harry hated parties.

"Well, if you want to or not, it's your problem. But you'll have to go."

"To do what?" Harry now was sitting in one of the chairs.

"Spy. Don't play stupid. You're one of the invited. I've arranged the invitation. Do you have an escort, Potter? I can get two invitations," he said, annoyingly.

"What do these Death Eaters want with the gang you work with?" Harry asked, ignoring Draco's joke.

"They've been keeping in touch for a while. Being associated with Muggles, in their thinking, wouldn't call any attention to them. This gang sells anything. From heavy armament to chemical weapons..."

"And what do the Death Eaters want with Muggle armament?"

"They work with advanced things, Potter. To the Death Eaters, for example, chemical weapons would be very useful, they would kill a lot of people at once. "

"And what else?"

"I don't have time to explain what you have to do, Potter. Black wants to talk to you immediately." Draco was getting impatient with all of the questions.

"Very well, I'll go see him," Harry said, defeated. He hated to have more then one mission at a time.

"How is it to be working with Granger, Potter?" Draco couldn't avoid the question.

"That is none of your business." Harry's face told Draco 'no more questions'.

"Ah!, Come on, how can you do it? I know you had more than just a crush on her. And she is very pretty, so different..." Draco continued, ignoring the look on Harry's face.

"Pretty? Ginny won't be happy to hear that," Harry said, seriously, with an annoying tone.

"I love Ginny, but I'm not dead," he said smiling.

"The details of my cases are none of your business, especially because I don't keep asking you questions." Harry was direct, and stood up, as if saying the conversation was over.

Harry went into Hermione's office to get his things. Draco went with him.

"I'm leaving," Harry said, dryly. "I'll be back tomorrow."

"As you wish. Since you're leaving early, at least come in on time tomorrow," Mione said dryly, without taking her eyes off what she was reading.

Draco Malfoy never thought he would live to see such a scene. Potter and Granger treating each other like that.

"Granger, it was a pleasure seeing you again." Draco said with a silly smile.

"I imagine so, Malfoy," she said looking at him as if doubting what he was saying.