Draco didn't know what he'd expected when he'd opened that door but it definitely wasn't this. Everyone seemed so, well, young. He supposed he should have known considering the whole reason he was even asked to be here was because the Ministry was low on Aurors. It was just strange seeing a group of young wizards, and one witch, when all the years before he'd seen nothing but older gruffer ones. When the door shut loudly behind them all of their eyes landed on him. A few looked confused and shocked, which yes, he'd be confused if he was them too, and more than a few looked downright furious. He chose to ignore them. He was sure they'd make let him knew exactly what they thought of him later.
Potter bumped into him when he stopped suddenly, looking past the others at the three men in the front of the room. The one on the far right had immediately focused his sights on Draco the moment he'd arrived. He looked to be in his mid thirties and his hair was a mousse brown, quite like Granger's he mused. It was his eyes though that had him stopping in his tracks. They were dark and inquisitive. He felt utterly exposed and uncomfortable. He was almost relieved when the man in the middle stood from his desk and drew the attention of everyone in the room.
"Excellent, it seems everyone is now present so I would like to get the introductions over with. I'm a very busy man, as I'm sure you're all aware, and I have two more meetings to attend before I can even think about lunch." Auror Scott, Draco assumed, said with a sigh. He motioned to the wizards behind him. "The two gentlemen next to me will be the primary ones responsible for the ten of you while you are training. Nathan Dearborn." He pointed to the man with the unnerving stare. "And Brice Lexington." The younger man nodded, looking more nervous than the recruits were. Auror Scott looked down at the clock on his desk and huffed, "They're all yours boys. Report back to me at the end of the day." And with that he gathered up a few manilla folders and left the room.
Everyone just stood silently, waiting.
Finally Dearborn cleared his throat. "Alright. First thing's first. You may call me Detective Dearborn, or Sir. I realize that we are in the Auror Office, but I am here on loan. My second here," He patted Lexington on the back. "You can call him Auror Lexington, or Sir since he is a member of this fine establishment." He smiled slightly, one corner of his mouth quirking up. "I know you all know why you're here, and you now know who the two of us are. But you don't know each other and we don't you other than through your files." His eyes traveled up and down the line and again lingered on Draco's face. "In order for us to be a coherent and efficient group we will need to learn about each others strengths and weaknesses. We'll need to trust our partners, depend on one another. Today is just a precursor." He broke his gaze away and nodded to Lexington.
"We're going to make this easy today. We'll do a quick role call and split you off into note that who you end up with today won't necessarily be the one you'll be partnered up with at the end."
Oh. He knew where this was heading. Team building exercises or something of that ilk.
"Wesley Abner" He called first. A man with brown hair and a goatee stepped forward and Draco noted that he looked older than Brice. "You're with Trent Dunbar" A blonde boy with hazel eyes nodded to the man and moved to join him.
"Eva Kane and Neville Longbottom." Longbottom stepped forward and Draco thought he saw a bit of a blush dust across his cheeks as the petite blonde woman from earlier smiled at him.
"Draco Malfoy," He called, looking at him and then motioning to the dark skinned boy a few feet away. "Thomas Masters." The other man glared at him and Draco raised a questioning brow but said nothing. He could already feel the heat of nine pairs of eyes on him and he didn't want to provoke anyone in the first ten minutes of being there.
"Ernie McMillan and Harry Potter." Draco recognized the ginger as a Hufflepuff boy in their year. McMillan grinned and clapped Potter on the shoulder.
"And finally, Brigham Smith and Jasper Ross." The bulky man who had walked into the building with Kane just stayed where he was, arms folded and pointedly looking at his partner, making the shorter more aristocratic looking man come to him.
"I can tell we're off to a beautiful friendship." Ross muttered, looking a bit put off but complying as he ran a hand through his black, nearly shoulder length hair.
Detective Dearborn loudly cleared his throat to regain their attention. "Get to know your partner. Talk. Ask questions. Figure out why they're here. You'll have ten minutes." He instructed and then turned his back to them, heading back to sit in the chair Auror Scott had vacated.
The room immediately filled with chatter as the others moved around and began introducing themselves. Draco glanced over at his partner. "So, would you like to go first?"
"I already know why you're here, Malfoy." He spat viciously. "You're not fooling anyone."
A tiny pebble of dread rose up from his stomach. "I don't know what you mean," He lied.
"Daddy gets out of Azkaban and you join the Auror Office? Seems like perfect timing."
"A coincidence, I assure you."
Masters scoffed and narrowed his eyes. "I don't believe in coincidences."
"Then that's on you." He replied evenly. "I'm here for the same reason Longbottom is, and probably most of you are. I was invited."
"You expect me," He paused and gestured to the room, "Expect us to believe you've come here with good intentions?"
"And what nefarious purpose do you suppose I have?"
The dark skinned man kept his gaze and the look in his eyes was clearly challenging. "You're the Death Eater, you tell me."
It wasn't as if the taunt surprised him, he knew exactly what kind of reputation he had, it was just that he wasn't used to letting the comments bounce off his back. He grit his teeth to hold back the retort that was at the tip of his tongue. He was here for a reason, a good one, and nothing any of them said would knock him down. He was going to do this. "Former Death Eater." He said finally, reigning in his anger and shame. "I've left that all behind me."
Draco felt the tension rise in the air between them. "So that's what you're going with? The turning over a new leaf card?" The other wizard laughed. "Forgive me if I don't take your word for it. I've known far too many Death Eaters."
The statement in itself was telling, but the look on the man's face indicated that it was probably worse than he thought, so he remained silent, but that only irked the man more.
"What? Nothing to say?"
"Nothing that needs said." He replied truthfully. What could he possibly say to that? Sorry for whatever fucked up things my dad's buddies probably put you or your family through? Sorry that I don't remember your face so it's impossible for me to tell if I was a part of it? I'm sorry if you lost someone because of a psychopath and his disgusting followers? He couldn't say that. Even if he did apologize, Thomas didn't really look like a very forgiving bloke.
He was proven right a moment later when he stepped up into Draco's space and hissed, "I don't know why they let a bastard like you in this program, but I'm going to make sure you're the first one to leave. I refuse to work alongside the scum that killed my sister."
Well, it was nice to finally have it out there. "I'm sorry for your loss." The words left unbidden from his mouth and he mentally kicked himself. That was not what he wanted to say. Things were surely going to get ugly.
"You're sorry?" He asked with disbelief, and then the anger clouded his features once more. "You're sorry!?" He screamed and pulled his fist back to throw a punch. "You'll be fucking sorry!"
Draco didn't put up a fight. He deserved to get his arse handed to him, so he just closed his eyes and braced for the impact but it never came. He opened his eyes to see the fist frozen in the air in front of his face. Thomas was cursing and glaring daggers at someone to the side of them both. Draco followed his line of sight and felt his mouth hang open in astonishment.
"While I do understand the desire to knock Malfoy out, now is not the time or the place." Potter said, releasing the spell he'd stopped Thomas with. The man fell forward and Draco stepped out of the way as the Chosen One continued. "Obviously he is not acting hostile towards you so perhaps you should take a moment to calm down. I'm sure this was not what our instructors meant when they said we should get to know each other."
"Are you seriously standing there and defending him?" The man looked like he was about to completely lose his shite. "You? You're the one that won the bloody war! Why would you defend one of the ones that started it? Are you seriously defending a murderer?"
And ouch. That kind of hurt. Even if it was true.
"I'm not defending his actions during the war, Masters. I'm just choosing not to be bias when it comes to cases like this. He's had his trial. He wouldn't be here right now if he had been found guilty of war crimes."
By then everyone had stopped what they were doing and had tuned into the conversation.
"Doesn't mean it didn't happen."
Potter shook his head. "No, but I'm willing to give him the benefit of a doubt until he gives me reason not to."
Huh, color him surprised. Who was this bastard and where did he put the real Harry Potter? Sure they had agreed to remain civil but they'd never agreed to this.
Before anyone could say anything else, though, Auror Lexington intervened. "Alright, you three. Break it up."
Draco stepped back towards the bespectacled wizard and Masters stormed out of the room.
"Now that was interesting." A deep voice chuckled from behind the desk, "I didn't know what to expect out of the two of you, but you definitely exceeded my expectations. Well done."
Well that was profoundly cryptic.
The older man nodded his head towards him. "Mr. Malfoy, since your partner's wits have temporarily left him, you can finish out the day in Mr. Potter's group."
He responded automatically, "Yes, Sir."
"The rest of you get back to your assignments. I'll give you an extra ten minutes to make up for this disruption."
Everyone muttered their compliance and went back to their individual conversations. Draco just breathed deeply through his nose, the adrenaline from the last few minutes waning as he followed Potter back to where he'd left the ginger. McMillan at least, didn't look like he wanted to skin him alive, so he took that as a win.
__________________________________
Harry honestly hadn't thought about it when he sent that non verbal spell flying into Thomas Masters. He'd just heard the shouting and knew it was Malfoy that was about to get his arse kicked so he stepped in. It wasn't like he thought Malfoy didn't deserve a few good punches, but not like this. Not when he was actually trying to do something other than being a complete arsehole. Harry still didn't trust him, at least not when it came to Hermione, but his reasons for joining the Auror Office seemed at least a little genuine. He could be wrong. Malfoy could be a part of some crazy plot Lucius had cooked up, but he was getting tired of suspecting the blond of everything under the sun. For once he just wanted to wait and see what he'd do. If he could be trusted or not. So Masters starting in on him on day one just wasn't something he could stand by and let happen.
They were already back to Ernie's side when Malfoy addressed him. "Why did you do that?" He asked sincerely. "Not that I don't appreciate your help, but I don't understand."
"You said you wanted to show a united front. How are we to do that if I sit back and watch you let yourself get beaten to a bloody pulp." Draco frowned but he continued. "Though that was something I didn't expect out of you. If i recall correctly you nearly broke my nose a couple of months ago, but you were just going to stand there and let him hit you."
"You're right. I was. But his anger was righteous. I figured if he got it out of his system we could just move on with the bloody day. It's not like I was unprepared for what everyone would say or think about me." He shrugged. "Besides you were completely against me being here at first too."
Ernie looked lost but he remained quiet as the two of them talked.
Ok. That was fair. He wasn't happy that Malfoy would be joining them in their endeavor, but he was starting to get used to the idea. "Well, I still sort of am, but I meant what I said. I'm giving you the benefit of a doubt."
"You live to make my life more confusing don't you, Potter?"
"It is one of my reasons for getting up in the morning." He smirked.
Ernie coughed in what Harry was sure he thought a discreet manner. "Um, Not that this conversation isn't...entertaining, but why is Malfoy here?"
"I was invited." Malfoy told him. "I wasn't going to accept but I wanted a change in scenery and a way to break away from my past."
The redhead seemed to think on that for a moment. "So you're….reformed?"
He tilted his head to the side. "I suppose you could say that."
"I don't think it will matter. The others are not going to like you. Masters isn't the only one with a grudge." Ernie replied bluntly. "Even if you say you have changed."
Malfoy gave him a tight smile. "Well, it's a good thing I'm not here to make friends then."
Hands raised in surrender, he said. "Hey, I'm not saying I'll give you hell. If Potter says he's giving you a chance, then I will too."
"How very noble of you."
Harry could feel the annoyance in his voice. "Malfoy, put the fangs away, Ernie is a decent guy. Haven't you had enough bickering for one day?" Harry asked, rubbing a hand down his face.
He folded his arms and glared. "My apologies. I'm afraid I'm a bit on edge." He looked back at the Hufflepuff. "It's nice to meet you."
He was greeted with an eyeroll. "Nice to meet you too."
Harry fought back a groan. This was going to be a long day.
___________________________________
Nathan smirked behind his copy of the Daily Prophet. He'd had his doubts about this group but so far they seemed to be a rather lively bunch with their conflicting personalities, past grudges, and egos as big as the building itself; which was probably why Draco Malfoy's presence was causing some chaos. That was to be expected considering his past affiliations, but so far he had handled the animosity well. Of course they'd only been there twenty minutes, but they were about to be in eachother's space practically 24/7. There was plenty of time for him to retaliate. Not that Nathan wanted the wizard to respond to the hostility but everyone had their breaking point.
Brice drummed his fingers on the desktop again and Nathan sighed and folded the paper in half. "What are you worried about now?" He asked the younger wizard.
"I'm not worried about anything. I'm just thinking."
"About?" He prodded.
He raised a dark eyebrow. "Harry Potter."
Ah yes, the infamous Potter. "He's definitely a hard one to predict."
"I had figured the two of them would be the first ones rowing, but he took his side. It's…"
"Fascinating."
"I was going to say weird but sure, your word is better." He replied with a shrug. "Those two have been at odds for years if the rumors are to be believed. Perhaps Potter was simply trying to diffuse the situation?"
"I don't think that's it." Nathan said, taking a moment to observe the trio in the corner. They looked to be in a heated discussion if the scowl on the blond's face was anything to go by but it didn't seem as though fists or spells would be flying, so he remained seated, simply watching them. Then the young Malfoy's body stiffened and his eyes flicked up, meeting Nathan's for a brief moment before he physically turned his body away from the older man. He smiled to himself. The boy was incredibly intuitive, and it was a good thing. He'd need that ability later.