Draco did not know what had gotten into him but he had finally penned a resume to apply to the Department of International Magical Cooperation. The impulse to do so stemmed out from one of his fruitful meetings with a CEO from Switzerland, and this sudden idea of thinking he could work well with this certain department came into mind.
Sure, it didn't offer him his coveted position as a Curse Breaker, but he highly doubted he would even be accepted in that department. He thought it would be best if he established himself in a less benign job first before even thinking of shifting to his dream job. Besides, he thought he was actually quite good in socializing and faking smiles with important international figures; the job might be just right for him.
"Tippy," he called, and his house elf instantly appeared. "Cancel all my appointments next week. I have something to do."
The creature looked at him strangely but wordlessly nodded his head. Then, when Draco waved him off in dismissal, he disappeared once more with a pop.
Now, all he needed to do was think of what he would do with the Malfoy business. He was still undoubtedly the head of everything, seeing he was already the Head of the House of Malfoy, so ditching everything without a proper plan was out of the question. Malfoy heirs in the past hadn't even worked for anything besides the Malfoy business in their life, always filling the treasure their family kept, so Draco didn't know where to start. Much less how.
The most feasible thing he could think of so far was to hire an acting CEO of the company, one who would be competent enough to stand in for him and burden all the Malfoy responsibility. Mentally, he already thought of a list of candidates and made a note of penning more letters to send to them.
After making sure that everything was set, Draco folded his resume, placed a wax seal on the envelope, and Owled it to the Department of International Magical Cooperation.
And now, he waited.
__________
Draco woke up with a jolt, having a strange feeling of being stared at. Years and years of doing missions for the Order of the Phoenix heightened his senses; it would be handy especially on surprise attacks done by the Dark Side.
Hand immediately gripping his wand, Draco slowly sat up from his bed and looked at the general direction where he sensed the source was. Eyes widening, the source of his discomfort was actually a parliament of owls, their equally wide eyes staring back at him.
Most kept on pecking his window, urging him to open it, and the sound snapped him off from his momentary surprise.
He tumbled out of his bed and let the owls in. There were roughly fifteen of them, all swirling overhead and dropping sheets of parchment on him.
As soon as the last owl was gone, Draco bent down to grab one of the letters. It said:
Dear Draco,
How are you? We still going to Florean's this Saturday, right?
Love,
Rosie
He lifted an eyebrow at the letter, surprised that it actually came from Rose. He almost had an aneurysm when he thought it was from the Ministry, but then again, they usually use Ministry Owls to send out business letters.
Draco grabbed another one of the letters and read:
Dear Draco,
Mama said you can come visit our flat. When can you go? Can you please come soon? Please please please!
Love,
Rosie
A disbelieving smile graced his handsome features as he sifted through the other letters. All of them came from Rose, urging to see him, telling him she missed him, and even recounting some of her adventures yesterday as soon as they got back home in their flat.
He wondered if Rose could already write, but then, he doubted that the penmanship used on the letter could be done by a six-year-old. Draco highly suspected magic was involved, seeing that the child was actually a bright, powerful thing.
Another owl swooped inside and dropped a letter onto his awaiting hands. It hooted happily and swooped out of the still-open window before disappearing out of sight.
Draco expected the letter to still belong from Rose, but was fairly surprised to see that it was from her mother.
Draco,
I assume you've already been bombarded by Rose's letters. I apologize; I believe she missed you too much for her accidental magic to summon a parliament of owls, pen numerous letters, and send them to you.
Besides apologizing, this letter actually serves as an invitation for you to attend Saturday's dinner with us in our flat. Harry may or may not come, but I suggest that if he did, you should be at your best behavior.
I don't think you can refuse. Rose has been hovering over my shoulder as I pen this letter and insists for you to come. Owls might not be the only thing you'll receive if you refuse.
Hermione
Draco shook his head, an incredulous smile on his face. Why was he cursed to have an acquaintance with the most stubborn people he had ever met? Penning a quick reply that yes, he would go, and adding that he felt like he didn't really have a choice, Draco sent the letter, smile still on his place.
He then immediately remembered he had a meeting with a Muggle CEO in Muggle London this Saturday, but decided the dinner with them mattered more. He penned a quick letter of apology to said CEO and sent it, not even minding if he would get angry.
__________
Hermione couldn't stifle a smile as she recalled Draco's reply to her invitation. Currently, she was preparing dinner for tonight, with their guest still away. Rose was upstairs in her bedroom, excitedly donning on her best dress to show to Draco. Shaking her head, Hermione wondered if the Malfoy was aware how much her daughter adored him already.
Her fireplace chimed, signalling an arrival, and Hermione heard Rose squeal in delight.
"Draco's here, Mama!" she cried from their living room.
Hermione made sure everything was all set in the kitchen before washing her hands and removing her apron. As she entered the living room, she couldn't help but to chuckle at the sight of her daughter. Rose was excitedly jumping up and down, her wild curls bouncing with her actions. She wasn't this terribly excited every time Harry came to visit and couldn't understand what Draco did to make Rose love him completely.
"All right, all right, calm down, sweetheart," the mother called, placing a hand on Rose's shoulder to stop her frantic jumping. Then, Hermione waved her wand to lower the wards. Draco immediately emerged out from the fireplace, looking annoyingly impeccable despite travelling through floo.
Even before Hermione could say hi, Rose already barrelled herself towards the blond.
"Draco!" she exclaimed. Rose then lifted her tiny arms and wriggled her fingers. "Up, up!" Hermione tried to hide a smile, wondering how Draco would react to her daughter's strange request. She predicted the blond would have sneered at her daughter, spouting nonsense that carrying children was beneath him, but then, she was thoroughly surprised when Draco lifted Rose into his arms with practiced ease.
"Hello, Granger," Draco amicably greeted, oblivious to the bewilderment of the brunette. He then lifted a small paper bag and slightly smiled. "I brought some wine as a gift. There's Florean's in there, too."
Hermione wordlessly nodded and accepted his gift.
"Do you have some gift for me too, Draco?" Rose asked, eyes wide with hope and anticipation.
The brunette didn't think it was possible for Draco to surprise her after carrying her daughter, but when he produced a small box from his robe pocket with a roll of his eyes, she knew she thought wrong.
"Yes, yes, you menace," he said, followed by a supposedly disgruntled sigh, if not for the small quirking of his lips.
Draco placed her back down on the floor while Rose eagerly tore away the gift wrapper. Hermione was admittedly curious and she strolled closer just to take a peek. Her eyes widened, recognizing the unmistakable figurine of Captain Birch of the Tornados. Rose hugged the figurine to herself, her face brightening up with unadulterated happiness, and Draco looked proud of himself.
"That must have cost a fortune," Hermione pointed out, remembering overhearing a conversation between him and Harry that his figurines of Quidditch players had cost him almost a thousand galleons each.
"I'm glad you can still spot good quality, Granger," he drawled with that aristocratic accent of his.
The brunette rolled her eyes. "I meant you shouldn't have given my daughter something that expensive, Malfoy," she shot back. "If you must know, children tend to break things too easily."
"I think the more important thing here is that your daughter is happy," he said with a smirk. True to his words, Rose had immediately busied herself in playing with both Captain Birch and her stuffed toy, Sir Ginger. The Quidditch player didn't look too pleased bumping against the plush toy.
Hermione still had a frown on her face. Although she loved her daughter dearly and she meant everything to her, Hermione still tried her very hardest not to spoil her too much. Harry had long known he would be the end of the brunette's notorious death stares every time he gave her daughter things she deemed were expensive and unnecessary.
"Gods, Granger, it's just a toy," Draco said with a roll of his eyes. "It's not like it had hurt my Gringotts account."
She sighed, choosing to drop the subject entirely. "I'll be in the kitchen for some last minute preparations. I'll call for you both when everything is ready."
Draco nodded his head while Rose completely ignored her, too immersed with her new toy. Unwittingly, Hermione smiled. She might still think the toy was too expensive, but the huge smile on her daughter's made her accept this gift just for today.
__________
He sat on the surprisingly comfortable couch in the humble flat and surveyed around. Although undoubtedly paling in comparison with his own lavish home, Draco admitted that their house was quite lovely. Somehow, a part of him half-expected that their home would be somewhat akin to the Burrow, seeing that Ron Weasley used to live here. An involuntary shiver ran down his spine when he remembered the "home" the Weasley family fondly called. Although he had been in the said house for quite a few times already during the War, he still could not get used to how uncomfortable the wooden, rickety house made him feel.
This small flat, however, definitely had a touch of Hermione. Lovely pastels decorated her living room and Draco was even pleasantly surprise at how lavish her carpets were. He was most definitely sure it was expensive. Opposite the fireplace stood a telly, which was marginally smaller than the one he had installed back home.
Atop the fireplace were picture frames, both magic and muggle alike. Draco slowly stood up from the couch and sauntered closer to inspect the pictures. Most of them were of Hermione and her best friends. There was even a picture of their Hogwarts days, a young Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Ginny Weasley, and her, laughingly throwing snowballs at each other.
A muggle picture of a couple caught his attention. Judging from the way they looked, Draco instantly knew they were Hermione's parents. She had her mother's smile and her father's eyes and nose. He was humbled with the fact that although his mother was sickly, she could still recognize him during her lucid moments. He couldn't imagine what Hermione was going through and he was happy she at least had Rose by her side.
There was also a picture of her and Ron during their wedding; Hermione was all smiles and gorgeous in her wedding dress, and he felt a pang of jealousy rise up from his chest when the picture of Ron kissing Hermione's cheek looped again and again. Scowling, he directed his eyes on the next picture, this one of Hermione, Ron, and a younger Rose all waving at the camera.
The last picture was of Hermione and Rose, the daughter carried lovingly in Hermione's arms. This one was also muggle, but he could still feel the radiance emitted from their smiles. Draco gingerly lifted the picture frame off the ledge and unknowingly smiled.
"Draco, Draco."
His eyes landed down on Rose, who was curiously looking up at him.
"What are you doing?" she asked, as she grasped onto his big hand and brightly smiled.
"Just looking at the pictures."
"Okay," she replied. "But, you can do that later. Come! I'll show you my room."
She was already energetically pulling him away from the fireplace, Draco had no choice but to place the picture down and allow Rose to pull him to her bedroom. They climbed up the stairs and Rose directed him to the farthest room in the corridor.
Rose then excitedly opened the room and Draco hadn't readied himself with the burst of colors that invaded his senses. He felt a little nauseous for a while, but Rose had already pulled him inside. She ran to her pink bed and started to jump up and down.
"Welcome to my room!" she happily chirped, gesticulating wildly around.
"It's very... colorful," he commented with a grimace, noticing a huge rainbow painted on her ceiling.
"You like it?" she asked and then jumped off from her bed. "I decorated this myself!"
Draco highly doubted Hermione would allow her daughter to design her own bedroom with clashing bright colors that hurt the eyes. But then, he remembered the small tea party fiasco she made in his living room and he deduced Rose's accidental magic was at play.
"Rosie, I told you not to bring Draco to your room," Hermione's stern voice suddenly exclaimed, announcing her arrival. Draco must have looked slightly green and wide-eyed because Hermione was looking at him apologetically. "Come on, dinner's ready."
"Yay, food!" Rose exclaimed and raced out of her bedroom.
Hermione quickly ushered Draco out of the room. "Sorry about her room," Rose's mother sheepishly said as they descended down the stairs. "The original state of her room was really lovely. I didn't trust Ron when he volunteered to decorate Rose's room so I burdened that responsibility." Hermione made a face as a memory suddenly resurfaced in her mind. "Rose hated it, said the room wasn't pretty enough."
Draco snorted, recalling the similar conversation he had with Rose regarding the state of his living room.
"I used to Finite whatever accidental magic she'd do to her room," Hermione continued. "But then, she'd throw a tantrum and then the room would be back to its horrendous state. I don't even bother anymore."
"She did the same thing to my living room once," he explained with a roll of his eyes.
"I'm sorry," Hermione replied, shamefaced. "Blimey, she's such a menace!"
The blond chuckled and wholeheartedly nodded his head. "Tell me about it."
"Mama," Rose whined. "I'm hungry!"
Hermione sighed, although a small smile stretched on her face. "Coming, love," she said. Turning to Draco, she continued, "It's really nice for you to be here, Draco. Rose hadn't stopped yammering about you."
For some strange reason, this made his heart swell. "Well," he said with his infamous smirk. "What can I say? I'm wonderful. Of course, she'll miss me."
His words prompted her to roll her eyes. "You're not even an hour here in my home, but your ego already filled the whole house," she said whilst shaking her head.
Draco laughed, cheeks warming upon seeing Hermione's smile, and then followed the brunette into their dining area.
__________
Dinner was wonderful and Hermione couldn't remember the last time she felt very relaxed. She couldn't help smiling as she remembered Draco's judgmental look when she insisted to wash the dishes the muggle way, but had the decency to keep his mouth shut.
Currently, he and Rose were in the living room, watching The Wizard of Oz upon the little girl's insistence. She could hear the movie from the kitchen, humming with the songs and smiling when she could hear her daughter's hearty laugh.
Today was still so surreal and Hermione couldn't begin to explain the weirdness of it all. The younger version of herself would have laughed ridiculously at anyone suggesting she and Draco Malfoy could actually be friends in the future. To be honest, she was more surprised that Draco willingly accepted her as a friend – well, she hoped – more than she accepted him as one.
'The War did truly change people,' she thought with a sad, little smile.
"We're done with the movie," she then heard Draco's annoyed voice. "Why the hell are you rewinding it?"
A slight frown of disapproval appeared on her face upon hearing Draco's swear word, but opted to continue listening instead of barging in and giving him a piece of her mind.
"I wanna hear Somewhere Over the Rainbow again!" Rose exclaimed in reply. Draco released a disgruntled groan and Hermione knew it was her cue to wrap up her washing.
After wiping her hands on her apron and untying the said garment, Hermione briskly walked towards the living room but halted with the scene right in front of her.
Rose was happily singing under her breath, her head lightly leaning against Draco. What caught her attention more was Draco, who was gently smiling at the screen as he watched Dorothy crooning the famous song.
He looked relaxed and happy... open and contented. She had never seen him like this before, even when he was still a snooty, little boy who thought he owned the world. He had always been tormented with his nightmares; there were times when he would wake her with his screams when they were on missions.
Hermione honestly wished him the best after the War. He had been through a lot and he had been brave enough to leave everything he thought he believed in to fight for the other side. The man bloody needed a break, but this cruel, discriminating world had robbed him from having any semblance of peace and normalcy.
Perhaps... perhaps Rose was good for him. She still had numerous doubts if exposing her daughter to this man was a good idea, when in fact her daughter had helped him all along. Hermione couldn't be prouder with Rose.
Something warm grew in her heart as Draco started to softly hum with Rose and Dorothy.
The spell of the moment was then broken when the song had ended and Rose saw her.
"Mama!" she greeted. Draco looked at her and for some unknown reason she couldn't meet his eyes.
"Are you done with the movie?" she asked and strolled closer.
"Yep!" Rose exclaimed in reply.
Hermione composed herself for a few more seconds before finally looking at Draco. "So, how was it?" she asked.
The blond contemplated for a while, before replying, "Well... it was nice. The magic, however, was atrocious. Do Muggles really think that's how magic works?"
His comment made her laugh. "Wait 'til you see the older movies," she said. "I'm surprised you liked it, though. Ron hated everything about it."
"Let me guess," he said with a sneer. "The lion wasn't brave enough and it shook his Gryffindor beliefs?"
She widely grinned at his correct guess. "Well–"
Before Hermione could fully reply, the fireplace suddenly roared emerald green from an incoming firecall. All their eyes looked at the blazing fire and Hermione knew the firecall was urgent, seeing that it was in the middle of the night.
"I should get that," Hermione excused.
As she dropped the wards, Harry's face suddenly popped in the fire.
"Terribly sorry for the late firecall, Hermione, but this is urgent," he greeted with a grim expression on his face.
It was what she expected but Hermione still grew alarmed. She shot a look at Draco and Rose, who were both looking at her in curiosity. Giving the blond an apologetic smile, she uttered a soft Muffliato to keep their conversation private. Upon seeing Draco's dark glare, she knew her spell had worked before turning back to Harry.
"This is about Lestrange, isn't it?" she said.
Harry sighed and nodded. "I know it's unfair to send you some work when you're not even officially back, but I need you to look onto something." The green fire flickered, and Hermione knew her best friend was running a hand through his hair and making it more impossibly disheveled. She did not take it as a good sign.
"I'm listening," she said, urging him to continue.
"It's too risky to talk about it on firecall, so I've already sent some documents through owl post," he said. "You should be receiving it in your study soon."
"Okay, okay, I'll check it now."
The-Boy-Who-Lived worriedly looked at her. "Are you quite sure you are all right now, Hermione?" he inquired with genuine concern. "I know how wonderfully efficient and competent you are, but we need you healthy. If you still need to rest, I can ask-"
"Harry," she said with a huge sigh. "I'm quite all right now. Don't worry."
He still looked highly unconvinced, but resigned at the same time. "Fine," he said. "But I'm keeping an eye on you for the next few days. One little slip and I'll send you back home before you can even finish saying 'magic', you hear me?"
"Yes, Father, I'll keep that in mind," she replied whilst rolling her eyes.
Harry's smile turned fond. "Good night and rest well, Hermione. Don't tire yourself with the documents I will send tonight. I mean it!" His face disappeared in the flames briefly before reappearing again. "I still have some work today. Godric, I hate paperwork! I can't wait for you to come back tomorrow and do those things for me instead."
"My services aren't for free, Potter," she cajoled and Harry looked shock.
"Spending a lot of time with Malfoy changed you, woman!" he accused, prompting her to laugh. "Anyway, I am really needed right now. See you tomorrow! Love you."
"Love you too," she said in farewell. The green flames burned brightly before finally returning to its original state. Hermione then Finite'd her spell and turned to her daughter and guest.
"What did Potter want?" Draco demanded as soon as the spell was gone.
Hermione merely sheepishly smiled.
Rose jumped down from the couch and ran towards her mother. "Will Uncle Harry come here, too, Mama?" she eagerly asked.
"Sorry, darling, your uncle is busy tonight," Hermione replied as she lifted Rose into her arms. "You, on the other hand, should already get ready for bedtime."
"Nooooo," Rose whined, squirming in her arms. "I promised Draco that we'll watch Toy Story 3 after The Wizard of Oz."
Hermione frowned and looked at the wizard, who merely shrugged. "It's past your bedtime," she scolded, but her daughter did not look nowhere near sleepy. It would be futile to put her to sleep when she still wasn't tired. Perhaps she had given her too much sweets tonight.
After a few more minutes of contemplation, Hermione finally sighed. "Oh all right, I'll only agree if Draco here doesn't need to go home yet."
Rose craned her neck and looked at him with her big, blue eyes. "Please, Draco, please!" she cried. "Toy Story 3 was my second bestest favorite movie. We could watch Toy Story 1 and 2 someday, but Toy Story 3 is still the bestest so I want you to watch it with me first!"
"It's best, love," Hermione corrected, glaring lightly at how Draco smirked.
"I don't mind staying for a few more hours," he then replied.
Hermione raised an eyebrow as she deposited Rose on Draco's lap. "What? No papers to check? No mails to owl? No poor house elves to order around?" she teased.
"Very funny, Granger," he deadpanned. "But to answer all your ridiculous questions, no, I am not busy tonight."
"Shocker," she said with a wide grin. "Well, I will be in my room for some business matters. I'll be checking up on both of you after two more hours."
Draco nodded his head as Rose eagerly jumped off him to start Toy Story 3. "Don't tire yourself tonight, Hermione," he warned just with the right amount of concern.
Hermione sighed. "You're not my father either, seriously," she said, although she couldn't help but quirk a little smile at how he opted to call her by her first name instead. She suspected he didn't even notice calling her by that. "Please watch over Rose for a few more hours."
"Yes, yes, now go," he said, making some shooing motions.
She nodded her head and turned around. Before completely disappearing from the living room, however, she swivelled around with a strange glint in her eyes. "Oh, brace yourself for this movie," she said, complete with a mysterious smile.
"Why?" he asked with suspicion.
"You'll see."
__________
All the documents Harry had sent her was making her head fuzzy already and Hermione knew it was time to call it a night. Glancing at her magical wall clock, she was surprised it was almost nearing midnight. Eyes widening, she quickly pushed herself off her chair and walked out of her study.
In quick, big strides she arrived in her living room in record time but stop dead on her tracks at the scene before her. Rose was undoubtedly asleep already, her red curls splayed messily atop Draco's lap. The movie had thankfully ended already, the credits rolling in, and Hermione cursed herself silently for losing track of time and forgetting she had a guest tonight.
"I'm so sorry I forgot about you," Hermione greeted with a sheepish grin.
Her grin turned into a small frown when Draco stiffened and refused to look at her. He noisily cleared his throat, still resolutely refusing to look at her. "Rose fell asleep at the first part of the movie," he explained. "I chose to finish the movie seeing you're still busy, so it doesn't really matter, Granger."
His voice sounded strange and that was when Hermione realized what was wrong. "Did you cry?" she asked, sounding too triumphant, but she didn't care one bit.
"Fuck no," Draco growled, still conveniently looking away from Hermione. He then scooped up Rose into his arms. "Anyway, I'll put this menace to her bed and I'll be down soon."
He then quickly rushed upstairs, a sleeping Rose in his arms. Hermione was too amused to scold him for jostling her daughter too much.
When Draco came back down, that same, arrogant expression on his face, Hermione decided to drop this issue. Her eyes were still knowing, however, and the blond gave her the darkest glare he could muster. "I did not cry," he grounded out.
"I wasn't even saying anything anymore!" she shot back with laugh, prompting his glare to darken.
He then lifted his pointy nose and looked down on her. "Well, Granger, it was a lovely dinner but I'm afraid I must retire for the day," he regally said, and Hermione couldn't stop herself from grinning too widely.
"Wait!" she called when he started to collect his belongings. When he questioningly looked at her, Hermione lightly blushed and couldn't understand what possessed her today. "Perhaps... you want some tea before you leave?"
He slightly frowned at her question, but then thankfully nodded his head. "Tea won't hurt, I think," he said in reply.
"Brilliant," Hermione said, already brandishing out her wand to boil some water. She led him to the kitchen and he settled on one of the chairs.
Tea was soon served and Hermione settled on the chair beside him. She allowed herself to smile a little at the aromatic smell of the beverage before taking a small sip to soothe her troubled nerves.
"Potter had news on Lestrange, right?" Draco casually drawled as he placed his steaming mug on the table counter and leaned back a little.
Hermione pursed her lips and gave him a look. "To be honest, I can't actually talk about him outside work," she slowly stated. "His case is, well, classified and you're not officially on board on his case so..."
Draco scowled. "You and Potter had given me some information before," he pointed out, crossing his arms against his chest. "Why the sudden secrecy, Granger?"
She sighed and shifted a little on her seat to fully look at him. "Harry thought it would be for the safety of everybody if only a few people know everything about Lestrange's case," she calmly replied back. "You and I both know he is a dangerous man. The less people know about our progress, the better."
"So there is progress," he pointed out triumphantly, prompting her to frown. "And for all I know, you opted to exclude me because I used to run in the same circle as he did."
He didn't mean what he said seriously, but it had surprised him greatly when Hermione's eyes hardened resolutely. "That's stupid and untrue, Draco Malfoy," she spat with utmost passion that made him feel weird things. "I, of all people, should know how much you've changed and you are not like him."
His eyes widened a little, a small smirk now on his face. "Merlin, Granger, calm down," he said, humored. "I wasn't accusing you of anything, gods. No need to get all defensive."
The hard look in her eyes melted as she released a deep sigh. "I..." She paused, bit her bottom lip, then continued, "You should stop blaming yourself for your past misgivings, Draco."
Hermione slightly scowled when he carefully masked his emotions behind his perfectly crafted mask. "I don't need a bloody pep talk tonight, Granger," he growled, and she knew it would be for the best if she just dropped the topic all together.
"Right, of course," she said with a sad frown. "Sorry about that."
He still coldly looked at her before giving the slightest of nods and went back to his tea.
Desperate to dispel the uncomfortable silence that she undoubtedly caused, Hermione quickly inquired, "So how's all the Malfoy business doing?"
It took him a few seconds to reply, but it made Hermione sigh in relief when his mask finally broke. "Quite well," he said, giving her a sideway glance. "Of course I won't bore you with all the details you won't even understand." He fell silent for a while, before his eyes widened in sudden remembrance. "Damn it, I forgot to send a letter to Zabini."
"Blaise Zabini?"
He nodded his head.
Her eyes narrowed in suspicion a little. She vaguely remembered him as the same aloof bully as the blond man sitting beside her. Although Theodore Nott was silent during their Hogwarts days, Blaise Zabini was a boisterous, proud boy and she clearly remembered not liking him one bit.
"Why?" she asked before she could stifle her curiosity.
"None of your business, Granger," Draco flippantly said, prompting her to glare a little. "I don't need to report everything about myself to you."
"Fine, whatever, I'm just trying to be friendly," she replied, disgruntled, and nursed her steaming cup of tea in her mug. Sometimes, it was unbearably frustrating to interact with Draco when she was always the one who kept on reaching out.
At the corner of her eyes, she could see Draco's surprise at her sudden sour behavior.
"You don't need to get all upset on me, Granger," he said, complete with a confused frown. "If you're being so persistent, then if you must know, I'll have to discuss with Zabini to handle most of the Malfoy business if ever I get accepted."
"Accepted?" she parroted. "Where?"
One corner of his lips lifted. "I sent my resume to the Department of International Magical Cooperation in hopes of getting accepted," he answered.
Hermione's eyes widened. "Really?" she asked, utterly in disbelief. "Don't get me wrong, but I didn't take you as someone who would opt to discuss magical affairs with other ambassadors of foreign magical ministries."
"And why do you say that?" he asked, clearly not offended with what she said.
"Well... you're more action," she said, reminiscing on the days when every fiber of Draco Malfoy was alive during their missions together. She always thought he would be a wonderful auror, but she doubted he would even believe her when she told him so.
"Truthfully, I've always wanted to be a Curse Breaker," he divulged. "But you and I both know how competitive this field is and seeing that I have a rather... unpleasant past, I thought it would be better to apply on the next best thing. Besides, I've been practically doing this all my life ever since I took upon the Malfoy business, what with all the meetings and whatnot all over the world. I think I'm rather good at it so I thought it would be best if I give this position a try first before pursuing my other interests.
She was truly happy for him, but it bothered her how he thought he would never have a shot in becoming a Curse Breaker. True, this field was competitive, but he would undoubtedly be good at it. She couldn't understand why the proud Draco Malfoy she had always known doubted he would even be accepted in his dream job.
She couldn't voice out her opinion, however. Hermione knew he had a hard past and it was nice he was starting to break out from the comfort shell he had been living in ever since the War ended.
"When would your interview be?" she asked instead, realizing she had been silent for too long.
"A week from now," he then said. "I still have to make some necessary arrangements in order to continue flourishing the Malfoy business while I demote myself and work for the bloody government."
Hermione laughed. "You'll get used to it, I promise," she said. "All the bureaucracy is tiring but hey, at least it gives some food on your plate."
He lifted an eyebrow at her statement. "Need I remind you I'm practically Wizarding Royalty?" he asked. "Food has never been out of my plate, so to speak."
"Gods, I hate rich snobs like you," she groaned, prompting him to smirk.
"Peasants like you wouldn't understand us, Granger."
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Right, peasants like me," she said with a sigh. "I apologize, your highness."
Draco chuckled then looked at his watch. "Although this has been a lovely evening, I'm afraid I have to leave," he said, already standing up from his seat. Hermione had tried her very best to conceal the disappointment she suddenly felt. "You'd be back to work tomorrow and I think you should retire for the night."
"Of course," she said, also slipping down from her chair. "Thank you for coming to visit, Draco." She flashed the brightest smile she could muster, once again thinking that tonight was bloody bizarre but pleasant at the same time. "You can visit again some time, I hope."
"I'm sure Rose would make sure of that," he said with a small smile.
Hermione then led him to the living room. "Well, good luck on your future endeavors, Draco," she said. "I hope to see you in the ministry soon."
He looked highly doubtful with her statement, but didn't say anything in reply. Instead, he bid her a soft goodnight, grabbed a pinch of her floo powder, and disappeared in a flash of emerald green.