Newlyweds

Chapter 1

Neville Longbottom sipped at the mug of hot coffee in his hands, enjoying the rare moment of tranquillity in the Auror Department at the Ministry of Magic. Normally, the entire department was bustling with chatter and activity, the air thick with paper planes sending memos to every corner of the old, dusty building. Right now, however, at half past six in the morning, the place was utterly deserted and resembled a ghost-town of sorts, with untidy piles of parchment teetering precariously on desks, mounds of paper clippings heaped into more untidy piles and empty coffee mugs (the Aurors' beverage of choice) scattered upon every available surface in various cubicles. The peace and quiet, Neville thought, as the enchanted sunbeams filtered in through the long windows, was a pleasant change.

If someone had told Neville in his first year that five years after graduating from Hogwarts, he would be a respected Auror in command of a small team of his schoolmates, he would have laughed out loud. Him? An Auror? He had heard the snide comments about how he could barely tie his shoelaces in the morning and he'd seen the not-so-subtle glances as he managed to spectacularly ruin another cauldron, not to mention the potion residing inside of it.

But here he was, coffee in hand, gazing around his small office in Auror Headquarters, old schoolmates beneath his control. The one thing he'd always desired above everything else was now his - respect. Sheer and utter respect from his comrades, his colleagues, and his superiors. As he'd gained that respect, he'd found everything else had just fallen into place quite naturally. And while his confidence increased, his bumbling decreased. He couldn't remember the last time he'd failed to successfully cast a spell or brew a potion.

And his wife had certainly helped that confidence along. He automatically glanced at the Wizarding snapshot neatly framed in a sterling-silver rectangle of flowers that always stayed on the right-hand corner of his desk. The picture was of himself, his pretty strawberry-blonde wife Susan, and their small, one-year-old daughter, Emily Alice Longbottom. Together they smiled up at him, the photo-Neville waving cheerfully whilst Susan kissed him on the cheek and small Emily beamed her sunny smile cheerfully up at him. A real family. Yet another thing he'd never thought he would possess - a wife and child.

Neville relaxed into his chair and took another sip of coffee. He had heard many wizards and witches say that their Hogwarts years were the absolute best of their lives (at least until their sixth year), protected from You-Know-Who by Dumbledore. After all, who could not help but feel safe with that elderly gentleman around? Those were the times in which their biggest worry was unfinished Potions homework, as opposed to attempting to remain alive in the midst of the current war that threatened to destroy the Wizarding way of life.

Neville would have to disagree, however. He infinitely preferred life now, with the people who loved and respected him, far more than his Hogwarts days.

Draining the last of the coffee from the mug, he began to gather the papers he would need for the day's work and shrunk them with a quick flick of his wand before placing them in his small briefcase. One of the advantages of being an Auror slightly higher on the Ministry ladder was that he could work from home unquestioned. This was especially good for getting to spend extra time with his little family or for when he just couldn't concentrate in the hectic Auror Headquarters. It was even better for those times when he needed to avoid two members of his team to give them a day or so to cool off.

As he buckled his briefcase and reached for his cloak, he glanced over the letter he'd left on his desk addressed to Marietta Edgecombe, his secretary of sorts, informing her that he would be at home should he be required urgently, and that the various files he'd promised to get to his team members were left on his desk. He also, quite plainly, stated that no one was to contact him at home via Floo or owl post unless it was extremely important.

He smiled to himself as he fastened his cloak. In just a few short minutes, he'd be home with Susan and little Emily, having a nice breakfast away from the bustling Auror Headquarters. Away from the impending storm that would be inevitable when Draco Malfoy and Ginny Weasley received their orders in the small letter sealed in wax with the Auror Department stamp -- the official notice of a new assignment. He just hoped Marietta could keep them away from the Floo Powder today.

Finally, he turned to survey his office, mentally checking that he'd taken everything he needed for the day and had left everything that his colleagues would need for themselves. Satisfied, he turned to leave and then watched in horror as the door creaked open to reveal Ginny Weasley, Draco Malfoy, and three other members of his team trooping in. They all were carrying takeaway cups of Charisma's Coffee - brewed with the finest revitalising charms for that fresh feeling every morning! All of them were chatting merrily, Cho giggling loudly and Justin talking animatedly.

"Morning all," Neville managed in a cheerful tone. "Oh Merlin, I've got to get out of here!" Automatically, he moved closer to the door. His mind was already running wild with mental images of Ginny and Draco once they'd read and absorbed their new assignment. He'd grown up a lot since Hogwarts and definitely had a backbone now, but his self-preservation instinct was still intact. Neville knew that a Weasley temper crossed with a Malfoy's notable cold fury wasn't really particularly something he wanted to be a victim of.

An assorted mix of greetings and smiles came in response from the group.

"Why are you all in so early, then?" Neville asked, looking at the cluster of wizards and witches curiously. He knew Draco and Ginny certainly didn't fit the workaholic bill any more than their companions Dennis Creevey, Cho Chang and Justin Finch-Fletchley did.

"Early to start, early to finish," Ginny answered with a cheery smile. "It's the Bulgaria versus Italy Quidditch match tonight. It starts at half past four and we're all going to the Leaky Cauldron to watch. You should come, Neville."

"I-uh think Susan has plans," Neville said swiftly. "Sorry Ginny, you know I'd love to."

Ginny laughed. "Oh Neville, you'd be so much more believable if you didn't hate Quidditch!"

Neville smiled and moved towards the door but Ginny quickly interrupted.

"Oh that reminds me. Wait a second, Neville! I've got that book for you to give back to Susan. Tell her I absolutely adored it and I can't wait until dinner on Thursday so we can discuss it properly. The scene with Tristan and Lydia in the field was just so incredible..." She sighed happily and Neville thought briefly that no one would think that the woman who stood in front of him was one of England's fiercest Hit Witch (1) they had.

"Much as we'd all love to discuss Tristan's quivering member, Gin, some of us around here have real work to do," Malfoy threw a smirk in her direction which caused Ginny to flush scarlet and Justin to chuckle.

"Oh shut it, Malfoy," Ginny retorted, a smile curling at the sides of her mouth. "Leave my reading material alone...if you still want to have a member to quiver with, that is."

Draco continued to smirk. "Weasley, Weasley, Weasley...You'll just make up any excuse to see if the rumours from the Quidditch changing rooms are true, won't you?"

Ginny smiled and with a toss of her head quipped, "Well certainly-I'd love to prove that one...what was Nott's analogy again? Cocktail sausage, was it?" She looked at Dennis, who snorted with laughter in a remarkably undignified way upon seeing Draco's expression and nodded frantically.

"Well, should you ever want to find out for yourself, Weasley, all you have to do is ask," Draco replied with a small wink. Ginny mimed a gag. "And for the record... cocktail sausage?" He snorted with indignation.

Neville had never expected Draco Malfoy to integrate into the tight-knit group of Aurors as well as he did. Ever since he'd turned his back on his father in seventh-year after the war after he turned out the names of escaped Death Eaters -capturing more and more Death Eaters alongside Harry and Ron (with more than a little animosity from Ron), he'd been seen as a different person. He was almost entirely separate from the Draco Malfoy from their childhood, though he retained the same trademark smirk. And of course his remarks were always dripping with sarcasm, as usual. But his strange rapport with Ginny Weasley had certainly caught Neville off-guard. Even Hermione and Ron hadn't fought with each other like he had just witnessed. The former duo couldn't keep their wands from each other's throats if left for more than an hour together, yet they both enjoyed taunting and teasing one another...until one of them had to be dragged away from hexing the other out of sheer annoyance. Certainly they'd never be the best of friends ( "Or even friends,", thought Neville wryly) but their witty banter seemed to keep the other Aurors' spirits up.

This was why he prayed that they'd see the good side of this assignment. It would provide them with much, much more time and opportunity for witty banter. Nevertheless, he didn't quite think that they'd see this with his point of view - at least not straight away.

"Anyway," Neville interrupted, trying desperately to avoid the mental imagery Ginny's words had conjured. "Can I have that book please, Ginny? I'm on my way out now..."

"Sure," Ginny replied, walking in the direction of her cubicle. This caused Neville's heart to thump nervously. Her colleagues dispersed themselves around the room in the direction of their own cubicles and Draco had thankfully not gone to his desk. Instead, he had headed towards the enormous cabinets on the far wall of the office. "I might still survive, I might still survive."

Ginny let her bag drop on her desk with a thump and immediately began to sort through it to find the desired book. So far, the official-looking envelope on her desk had escaped her notice entirely. "Aha!" she said triumphantly, pulling the dog-eared book from her bag. It was a typical Cauldron and Couch book. The book's title was in gold italic across the front cover, a woman with what could be only described as a heaving bosom bound tightly in a laced bodice, alongside a shirtless man with flawlessly-toned muscles.

"Tell her thanks for lending it to me," Ginny said as she thrust it into Neville's arms. "And I'll bring in Sarine's Desire for her tomorrow. I just know she'll love it!"

"Cheers, Ginny," Neville said with a nod of his head. Suddenly, he had a flash of inspiration. "Oh, those files you needed are laid out on my desk."

"Great! Thanks a lot, Neville," Ginny replied. As Neville had hoped, she set off walking in the direction of his office alongside him. Neville let out an internal sigh of relief. He was going to get away before the storm hit - Ginny was away from her desk, Draco was still at the files, and Neville would be out of here in about five sec-

"Hey, Draco, it looks like you've got an assignment!" Justin cut in, waving the thick letter in Draco's direction. Neville felt his stomach sink. Of course, Justin's cubicle was right next to Draco's.

Draco immediately stalked towards Justin and took the envelope from him. Neville doubled his stride as he heard Draco tear open the paper. He was almost at the door. The handle was just out of his reach when a sharp, icy tone cut through the air.

"Longbottom!"

Neville turned around upon hearing his surname. The look of absolute shock mingled with outrage in Draco's icy, grey eyes caught him completely off guard. Malfoy was notorious for guarding his emotions ridiculously well; his face an impenetrable facade. Regardless of whether he was apprehending his father's old friends or falling off a barstool half-pissed in the Leaky Cauldron, his expressions rarely gave way to what was going on inside his head.

Neville had only ever once seen the mask slip, had only once seen Draco loose his cool. That was right after they arrested Lucius Malfoy. It had taken three full days to restore the Auror Headquarters to its original state of being after Draco's explosion. Of course, it was understandable that Draco had been furious then. He had years of pent up aggression to vent. Still, the idea of another incident such as that didn't fill him with joy. It was enough to make him wish he'd just Owled in sick.

"What is this?" Draco continued to stare icily at Neville who still stood by the doorway in his cloak. Cho, Justin and Dennis had all stepped backwards to witness what promised to be an extremely interesting argument unfold. "You can't be serious, Neville. You really can't."

As Ginny strolled back out of Neville's office whistling to herself and clutching the files in her arms, acutely aware that she was the focus of the attention of the office. She stopped in the middle of the floor and looked from Draco to Neville.

"What's going on?" she asked, surprised to see the outraged look upon Draco's features. He and Neville usually maintained a professional relationship at work and had a fairly friendly one outside of work, too.

"Check your desk, Ginevra," Draco said shortly, using the full name he knew she whole-heartedly despised. "We have an assignment."

Ginny looked at him in confusion. "But that's good news, right? I mean, it's something solid to do as opposed to bits and pieces of other cases and projects."

"If I were you, I'd withhold your judgement until you've read the letter," Draco said softly. He glared at Neville again as Ginny tore open the parchment. "You can't be serious about this. Your one-year-old daughter could probably have come up with a better assignment for us. Maybe we should promote her."

"WHAT IS THIS ?" Ginny Weasley's outraged shriek filled the air and caused an owl which had just flown into the room through a skylight, to retreat rapidly with a distressed hoot. Ginny looked ready to breathe fire and had adopted a remarkable imitation of Molly Weasley's scrutinizing glare whilst Draco looked directly at Neville with steely grey eyes.

"Why?" Draco demanded frostily. The few windowpanes installed at the Headquarters shattered with an increase in his magical rage.
Everyone except he and Ginny flinched as they were showered with shards of glass.

Neville gulped -- how to calm down an angry Weasley and Malfoy had not been on the Auror Training Syllabus. He watched as Cho and Justin moved backwards slightly, leaving room in the middle of the floor for Neville and two furious Aurors.

"We should've brought popcorn," Justin murmured to Cho, not taking his eyes off the scene playing out in front of them.

"Well," Neville said, feeling his normal confidence flowing back to him. "For a while now, we've been receiving information that key locations in England are in danger from Death Eater attacks, as you know. Hogsmeade, the Ministry of Magic, Diagon Alley and Hogwarts in particular."

"Yes, we know that, Neville," Ginny said, interrupting shrilly. "But I don't see precisely why our assignment has to be this in order to protect them," she continued, waving the offending piece of paper in her hand in the direction of his face.

"Ginny, you've got every right to be angry," Neville said honestly, looking from her to Draco. "You too, Malfoy. It's an awful assignment, and I'll be the first to admit that there's no way I would have volunteered for it. But please, both of you, hear me out before you make your judgement? And don't listen as furious friends, listen as professional Aurors, and you'll know that my reasoning makes sense. Please? Just give me five minutes and think about what I'm saying. Agreed?"

He looked from the redhead to the blonde and to Neville's infinite relief, they appeared considerably calmer.

"Agreed," Ginny said, a slight flush still remaining in her cheeks. "Sorry Neville, we should have given you a chance to explain."

"Agreed," Draco said, with a small nod. "You know I won't apologise, though," he added with a small smirk. The break in Draco's mood made Neville smile. "I like my universal constants."

"Now, I don't think I need to say it, but none of this leaves the room." He looked meaningfully at all five of them gathered in front of him. "I know we all go back a long way, and I think that we all trust one another implicitly. This is why I'm prepared to discuss the mission in front of Justin, Cho and Dennis." He gestured towards the three gathered together listening intently. "I'll be briefing the rest of the team another day, but nonetheless, this is to remain confidential. Understood?"

"Understood, Neville," Dennis said with a smile. "Now come on, you're killing us all with the suspense here."

"Alright," Neville said, placing his briefcase down on a nearby desk, since it appeared that he would be there for a while. "All of the key locations that are under threat we've got under surveillance - except for one. Hogsmeade. We've got Diagon Alley being patrolled constantly. Hogwarts has Kingsley and Dawlish permanently stationed in addition to the teachers who have enhanced security, and the Ministry is also under protection from the Auror Department."

He paused, took a deep breath, and carried on. "But in Hogsmeade...Hogsmeade's tricky. It's a tight-knit community, and we can't just have two people walking up and down the street every day without arousing some suspicion from the natives. We need two people to integrate into that community, to interact with the locals and find out the gossip. Sometimes, Aunt Mildred lurking behind her net curtain and spying on her neighbours will pick up things that an Auror could miss. With the general attitude in Hogsmeade -- it's very traditional, as you know --we need two powerful Aurors. Two such as yourselves," Neville gestured towards Ginny and Draco, "to pose as a married couple."

There was dumbstruck silence in the room for a second as Cho, Justin and Dennis took in the information in shock.

"Neville," Ginny interrupted. "I hate to say it, but it'd be a ridiculous waste of time! We don't even know if there's any Death Eaters living in Hogsmeade--"

"Ginny, you've seen the reports from our mole - there's at least one Death Eater Disapparating from Hogsmeade," Neville said sharply.

"Who's to say whoever that is is truly on our side?" Ginny countered.

"I'm saying it," Neville said sternly. "And even if there aren't any Death Eaters, Gin, you'd still hear of anything unusual happening in Hogsmeade, while here in London you wouldn't. You'll be able to investigate it without scrutiny, able to ask questions of the villagers as a neighbour, not an Auror. You'd be keeping an eye on the whole situation. We have decided that it's a necessary position for someone to fill, and you're definitely a people person, Ginny." He looked at her pleadingly. "You're the perfect person to infiltrate, make friends, and gain the trust of an entire community. If you can't do this, I firmly believe that no one can."

"Neville," Ginny interrupted again, her voice slightly higher-pitched than normal. "You want me to infiltrate? Fine. I can snoop around and eavesdrop like it's nobody's business. That's perfectly acceptable. But posing as a married woman?"

"Is definitely not acceptable," Draco finished, interrupting her, his expressions clearly showing his annoyance.

"See?" Neville said unconvincingly, for his voice had just risen an octave above its normal pitch. "You're already finishing each other's sentences..." Ginny's throaty growl and Draco's arctic stare cut him off.

"Longbottom," Draco said sharply, glaring at the man. "I don't want this assignment." He glanced at Ginny. "No offence, Weasley."

"Trust me, Malfoy, the feeling's mutual," Ginny said, looking at him, and then staring sharply at Neville. "Find someone else, Neville. What about Justin and Cho? Or how about Terry and Romilda?"

Neville sighed. "I'm sorry, Draco, Ginny. I really am. I know this isn't ideal, but everyone else already has projects they're heavily involved in. You two are the ideal pair for this assignment-"

"I agree that Ginny's perfect for infiltrating a community," Draco cut in. "She's got that knack of talking to little old ladies about their cats or grandchildren. I, however, would infuriate the entire lot of them by being brutally honest--"

"You meant sarcastic," Ginny quipped in and Draco glared at her.

"--within five minutes. I'm not a people person, Nev." He looked around the room desperately for inspiration. "Send Justin," he suggested. "I'll take over the case he's working on -- Justin would be much better suited."

Neville shook his head. "No, Malfoy, we need you there. You've got a knack for spotting genuine Death Eater activity. I'm not going to lie. We've had indications that Hogsmeade's going to become a very dangerous place within the next month or so. We need someone like you who can anticipate when and where things will happen, someone who has intuition. I don't just want you to find out about these people from talking to them, I want you to analyse them. And like it or not, Draco, you're damn good at reading people. A better Legilimens than even Snape was."

Draco stared at Neville coldly. "Do we have a choice?"

"No, you don't. I'm sorry," Neville said, in a genuinely apologetic tone. "But there's the possibility of a promotion if it all goes well. For you too, Ginny," he added, looking over at the redhead, who had been silent for a record amount of time.

"There's one thing I don't get," Ginny chimed in. "Why a newly married couple, Neville? Can't we just be roomies? I think that'd be far more bearable. Again, no offence, Malfoy."

"None taken, Weasley," Draco replied.

"Ginny, if you can think of a better way to do this, I'm willing to listen," Neville said quickly, his patience growing thinner by the moment. "As a married couple you'll arouse less suspicion. You'll be invited to welcoming dinners and the like. You'll get to meet the locals and assess any suspicious characters. You'll be able to join in with the gossip, make friends, and really mingle. You wouldn't integrate with the community as much if you were flatmates - the vast majority of the population of Hogsmeade is made up of married couples. We need you to get into the very heart of the village. It will be perfectly safe -- we've already made a four-month batch of Polyjuice Potion and can make more if necessary."

"Four months?" Ginny exclaimed. "Neville, tell me you're joking!"

Neville paused, and looked at them both. It was evident that neither was accepting the idea. "Look at it this way," he added, trying a new approach. "You're getting paid to talk to people, buy loads of new and fancy dresses, go to as many dinners and have as many nights at the Three Broomsticks as possible, charging all expenses to the Ministry. How many people can say that?"

Draco exhaled sharply. "Longbottom, you're forgetting one key factor. We'll kill each other within a week if left to our own devices! How many times a day do you have to mediate our arguments? How many times do you have to stop Ginny from using her dreaded Bat Bogey Hex on me?"

"Almost as many times as he has to stop you from trying to use Petrificus Totalus on me!" Ginny cut in sharply.

"Argh!" Draco threw his hands up dramatically. "See, Neville? This isn't going to work!"

"Well, you're going to have to make it work," Neville said curtly. "You've been given your orders, so either follow them or be kicked out. It's your choice." He looked from Draco to Ginny. "And I believe that no matter how mad you are at this assignment, you'll both go through with it." His language got the desired affect -- it was so out of character for him that they both snapped to look at him. "I expect David and Bryony Seaton to be established at Number Nine, Rowena's Crescent by the end of the week." He turned on his heel with a swish of his cloak and started towards the door. Then he turned back and added especially for Malfoy's benefit, "Just think how much it'll annoy Ron."

Then, thanking Merlin that was over, Neville Longbottom left the room.

There was silence for a moment. Then...
"Oh fuck," Draco swore vehemently. The glass jug and panes on the racks around their cubicles shattered in pieces as he pounded his fist into his desk.

***

(1) Hit Witch -female counterpart of Hit Wizards. It's mentioned in the books -isn't it?