Ministry Business or Minister’s Pleasure (E, 20k)
When Minister For Magic Hermione Granger drops her children off at Kings Cross for another year at Hogwarts, she has two problems on her hands.
One, her imminent divorce from another third of the Golden Trio, and two, the fallout from her removal of funding for a certain blonde's research project.
The first is a given: Her marriage just hasn't been the same since Hugo started Hogwarts, since the emptiness became much more obvious.
The second though? Maybe she can use the free time she suddenly finds herself with to help in some way...
“I’m really not in the mood today, Draco,” she groaned into her desk, refusing to lift her head from her arms despite how unprofessional she knew it looked.
“You’re not in the mood?” She heard him ask through gritted teeth before the door slammed shut, presumably in Miranda’s shocked face.
Hermione smirked at the image in her head and then realised that Draco had faltered, halting his attack before it had even begun.
“Why in Merlin’s name are you sat in the dark?” he asked confusedly.
“Because I’ve literally just got back from a very draining meeting and wanted some peace and quiet.”
Hermione lifted her head to glare in his direction and realised just how dark her office was.
“You’re welcome to cast a lumos if you must,” she waved a hand half-heartedly at him and, a second later, a soft glow wordlessly filled the room.
She realised that Draco was not stood near the door as she had assumed. Instead, she had to look up from her desk, squinting in the new light until his face, fury etched into it, came into focus. She sat up straight in her wing-backed chair as he towered over her desk, still in the dark suit he had been wearing at the station, all long, clean lines, broad shoulders and trim waist that was emphasised by the waistcoat visible beneath the matching jacket. He pressed his palms into the toughened leather that topped her desk and, as he leant towards her, she noted that the smell of steam still clung to the material.
The fury she had seen briefly on his face had disappeared during her onceover of him and his sly mask had returned, the only visible sign of his agitation was the wisps of pale hair that had come loose from his usually impeccable braid.
“I don’t care if you’re not in the mood, Minister,” she sneered her title. “I dropped my son off at the Hogwarts Express today for only the third time without his mother, the second since we buried her. I’m sure you noticed the look on his face.”
Hermione nodded, guilt flooding her body again, twisting around her organs.
“How am I supposed to tell him, Astoria’s sweet boy, that the cure I have spent half his life developing is never going to exist now because his mother died.” Draco raised his voice making Hermione flinch inwardly.
“Screw anyone else in the world who might suffer the same curse,” he threw his hands up in the air and slammed them back down on her desk. “Is that it, Granger? Just a big eff you to them?”
Hermione pushed herself out of her chair, glowering at him, and manoeuvred around the end of her desk until she was right in front of him, immediately regretting that she had kicked her heels off under the desk earlier. Those extra few inches would have really helped her out.
“I could still put you on probation for the development of that time-turner, Malfoy,” she snarled as she pointed a scolding finger up underneath his chin. “So, don’t you dare get short with me about this.”
Hermione glared as Draco’s lips pressed together in a thin line and he raised a single eyebrow, looking down at her. She spotted the amused twinkle in his eyes just before he burst into loud guffaws.
“Stop it, Draco. Don’t you dare!” she shouted at him indignantly.
“Short, Granger?” he choked out between the laughter. “I’m getting short, am I?”
Hermione picked up a stack of parchment from her desk and began hitting him in the chest with it while he continued to laugh.
“Oh, stop it, would you?” She groaned, exasperated, as hitting him seemed not to have any effect whatsoever.
“Alright, alright,” Draco said, taking deep breaths until he calmed down, and then sat in the visitor’s chair at her desk, motioning that Hermione should resume her own seat.
She narrowed her eyes at him for ordering her around in her own office but shook her head and took her seat anyways, removing her wand from the pocket sewn specially inside her robes and lighting the lamp on her desk as she did so. Draco followed the motion and quirked an eyebrow as she slid her wand back into the customised pocket.
Hermione laced her fingers together on top of her desk and waited for him to begin the conversation afresh.
“I apologise, Minister, for my behaviour,” he smiled charmingly at her. “I’m sure an intelligent woman with two glorious children like yourself can understand my position.”
“Get your head out of my arse, Draco. It doesn’t suit you,” Hermione grinned back at him causing him to chuckle slightly in response.
“You do understand though,” she continued, “that in my position, I have to make difficult decisions like this. That the Ministry only has a certain budget and I am the one responsible for where those funds are diverted and allocated, even if I don’t like it.”
“Of course I do, Granger. I’ve invested enough over the years to understand those kinds of decisions.”
Draco paused for a second and let out a long sigh, looking down at his hands in his lap where he was twisting his wedding band around his finger.
“Can I at least carry on the project myself? Just, hear me out,” he continued hurriedly when Hermione went to speak. “I’ll instruct my assistants to move on to other projects and I’ll continue researching this one myself. I won’t even make it a priority, but don’t halt it completely.”
Hermione could see him studying her face for any hint as to what she was thinking.
“You don’t even have to pay me for it and we both know it’s the only reason I came on board as an Unspeakable in the first place. I’ve spent so long on this. Please, Granger, don’t throw it away.”
Hermione couldn’t stop her eyes from widening as Draco Malfoy of all people pleaded with her for something. After studying the sincerity in his expression for a moment, she closed her eyes and, letting a sigh escape her lips, she ever so slightly inclined her head to him, giving her ascent.
When she opened her eyes again, his eyes were sparkling and his smile actually showed his perfectly white teeth.
“Thank you, Minister. Thank you,” he reached across the desk and grasped one of her slender hands between his larger ones, squeezing gently with his platinum wedding band scraping her gold one.
“You’ll still get your salary, but the project is still defunded, Draco,” Hermione met his eyes carefully, ensuring he could see the kindness in them. “Any resources you might need, any resources that aren’t already in your lab…” she trailed off and Draco nodded his understanding.
“Of course. I understand.”
