Cursed [Dramione/Beauty & The Beast]

Debrief

Hermione carried a pile of books under her arm as she made her way to breakfast.

'Morning sleepyhead,' Draco drawled, looking up from the head of the table.

Once again, a feast awaited her. A stack of books were open next to Draco as he ate.

'How long have you been up?' Hermione asked, looking out of the dirty window to the sun rising over the walls.

'Only an hour or so. Nice of you to finally join me!'

Hermione rolled her eyes and settled into the place laid out for her. Beastly bustled around her, laying a napkin on her lap and offering up plates of food.

'Find anything useful?'

'Nah,' Draco closed the book, sighing. 'I've read so much I was seeing scrolls in my sleep!'

Hermione grinned, opening her first book. They ate in silence, Draco drumming his fingers on the table.

'So what's the deal with this New Order crap?'

Hermione jumped at his voice, dropping her fork.

'What?'

'Well, Potter told me you're here because these New Order loons are after you. What makes you so special? No offence.'

'None taken,' Hermione's mouth twisted wryly. 'How much do you know about what's going on out there?'

'Not a whole lot. I get the Daily Prophet every now and then, but mostly for the sports pages.'

'Oh, so you read Ginny's stuff!'

'I guess, y'know, whatever,' Draco shrugged, his ears turning pink. Ginny Potter was his favourite sports correspondent.

'Well, I'm Deputy Minister for Magic, and chances are good I'll be taking over from Kingsley. He's retiring next year.'

'Wow,' Draco whistled. 'Quite the career!'

'I guess? The New Order is a resurgence of the Death Eater mentality. They started as underground groups out in Europe, but they've been gaining traction. As I'm sure you can guess, a muggle-born Minister for Magic is their idea of hell!'

'So they're trying to take you out?'

'That's not their only goal, obviously. But I'm pretty much Undesirable Number One to them right now. I actually outrank Harry on their Most Wanted list!'

'Er, congrats?'

'Thanks,' Hermione laughed. 'Harry and his aurors were protecting me for a while, but it was getting pretty hairy.'

'So he brought you here?'

'Pretty much. Hopefully he'll put an end to it all and I can go home. No offence.'

'None taken!'

*****

As Beastly cleared away breakfast, Draco and Hermione took their books to the conservatory. The tiny sofa sagged as Draco sank into it. Hermione sat stiffly next to him, her leg brushing against his.

Hermione grabbed an old Daily Prophet from the coffee table. Ron was smiling on the front cover, his arm wrapped around a willowy woman in a wedding dress. Hermione grimaced and dropped it back onto the table.

'I enjoyed the pretty little statement you released about how happy you are for them both,' Draco commented. 'I mean, I could smell the bullshit a mile off, but I guess you convinced ole Rita.'

'What makes you think it was bullshit?'

'Well, how about the fact you didn't attend the wedding?'

'I thought you didn't read the newspapers,' Hermione grumbled, snatching open a book.

'Ah, but the saga of the Disappearing and Reappearing Ronald Weasley is quite captivating, don't you think?'

Hermione chose not to answer.

'I was quite thankful when he disappeared off the face of the earth after you two broke up,' Draco continued. 'Skeeter stopped writing about my mysterious disappearance and blatant nefarious goings-on for a whole month!'

'Good for you.'

'I know, right? Then he shows up again, eight years later, with that blonde bombshell on his arm and no word about where he's been or what he's been doing...'

'He was undercover,' Hermione muttered. 'He signed up after I turned down his proposal.'

'He proposed?!'

'Sort of. He left the week after for a long term auror assignment. Volunteer-only. Deep undercover in Eastern Europe.'

'Damn. I was so hoping Skeeter's theory about him joining a nudist colony was true.'

'You wanted to imagine Ron naked?'

'No!' Draco shuddered. 'It just seemed like the best "Weasley gone mad" option.'

'Anyway..!' Hermione grinned. 'Ron reemerged last year, bringing news of the New Order. Things got pretty crazy after that.'

'Who's the blonde?'

'Ekaterina. They met while he was undercover.'

'Is she trustworthy?'

'Ron seems to think so.'

'Is he?' Draco raised an eyebrow, smirking at Hermione's confused look. 'He's not been compromised has he? Way I see it, you've been found a few too many times. Got to be a mole on the inside.'

'No way!' Hermione jumped to her feet. 'Ron would never...no! Just no!'

'Alright,' Draco shrugged. 'Just throwing it out there.'

'Well...don't. I'm going for a walk around the garden.'

'Don't leave the property,' Draco called as Hermione squeezed through the door.

'I won't!'

*****

A/N: I hope this wasn't too much of an info-dump chapter? Let me know in the comments either way, constructive feedback is always welcome! Much love, Charli