An Unwelcome Invitation
LOCATION: Ministry of Magic, Minister’s Office DATE: November 8, 2020 @ministergrangerweasley
It was strange, coming to the Ministry of Magic willingly. Draco felt twitchy, uncomfortable, and like he was on display. He walked briskly up the halls, rejecting the urge to break into a run -- that would have drawn far too much attention, made him look far too suspicious -- and staring fixedly above everyone’s heads that he passed so there was no chance of meeting their eyes. Draco was glad of his height; even though he lacked his father’s towering stature, he was still tall enough to overlook the glances he could practically feel clinging to his skin without much strain...well, strain of his neck muscles at least. The emotional toll was somewhat heavier, but he ignored that too. He’d gotten used to be being stared at; it only felt different this time because he’d come here by choice rather than summons.
Technically it wasn’t his choice though, not really; wasn’t on his own behest, at least. Perhaps that made it better. Draco was here for his son, and for Scorpius he could do anything -- including walk up to the office of the Minister for Magic and request a few minutes of Hermione Granger’s time at her convenience.
He’d written ahead, of course -- Malfoys didn’t just drop in on government officials uninvited, not these days anyway -- but Granger had only been able to give him a window of time in which she might be able to spare some, not a proper appointment; Draco had no idea if that was because she was genuinely too busy, or just didn’t want to lock herself in to having to deal with him if she changed her mind and decided she didn’t want to. Maybe, he thought, settling meekly into the chair that Granger’s scowling assistant indicated, she just didn’t want to have the name “Draco Malfoy” appear on her official schedule...
He couldn’t blame her for that. There wasn’t a lot for which Draco Malfoy thought he had the right to blame Hermione Granger for anything.