Chapter Text
"Sorry, could you repeat that?"
"We've hired Draco Malfoy to assist you."
"Right." Bollocks. "That's what I thought you said." The assistant to the Junior Undersecretary of the Minister had been a position that had seen far too many candidates and yet too few competent ones. Since Hermione had been appointed Undersecretary, she'd had a total of eight different assistants. Each one had come highly recommended and yet each had been a pain in her side for one reason or another. It wasn't as if she demanded too much of them, really, but she did have a standard. One girl refused to work with half of the office and several other departments (it had turned out she'd dated several of them). Another had cheated through the magic proficiency exam and was abysmal at basic charms. This turned out to be a serious concern as a foreign ambassador had asked before a press conference if they could help with a small coffee stain on their dress and the assistant nearly blew the official’s legs off. Finding an adequate assistant had turned out to be Hermione's hardest job. And that was certainly saying something as she regularly was dealing with legal paperwork, coordinating foreign dignitaries' visits, and assisting in research for new bills brought to the Wizengamot. No, finding an assistant had become a nightmare.
Which is why when her boss Mafalda, the Senior Undersecretary to the Minister, had told her she knew someone who would be an excellent candidate for the position Hermione had jumped at the recommendation. She trusted her boss's opinion wholeheartedly. Unfortunately, however, this also meant she hadn't dug into the tip further until they'd hired him. Malfoy. Her new assistant was Draco Malfoy. Bollocks.
And it was unfortunately too late to talk Mafalda out of it as she had recently gone on a journey through the jungle with her husband celebrating their fortieth and wasn't expected back for some time. This meant not only had Hermione's work doubled but she apparently also had to babysit Malfoy for the foreseeable future. Wonderful.
"Look I know you've had a bit of a rocky history." Hermione's eyes jumped back to the Floo where she was currently talking with Mafalda. "But he's had an excellent track record. Have you read his latest academic paper? He did an internship with the Potion department last year and his superiors were glowing about him."
"Right, isn't he sort of..." She racked her brain for anything she could recall about Malfoy's whereabouts in the last few years. She'd be lying if her eyes didn't catch his name every so often in the papers but couldn't recall a single mention of him wanting to get into politics. "Isn't he pursuing Potions?" That sounded right, right?
"Yes but he's been on a bit of hiatus with his mother's health. Of course I wouldn't mention it to him but she passed this last year and he's been looking to start up his career again." She paused. Hermione was sorry to hear about the death of his mother, she wouldn't forget how the woman refused to give her best friend's name to Voldemort. However, it seemed odd for him to get involved in the Minister's office if he was looking for a career in Potions. She told Mafalda this very thing.
"Oh well, that's just it. He's stepping into the Junior Head position in the Potions Department in August-" It was currently March. "-but was looking for something in the meantime. Something in the public eye, hopefully with an ability to garner public support. A lot of people weren't happy when they found out a Malfoy would be working in the Ministry again, so it's mostly a PR move on his part."
"You're telling me Draco Malfoy agreed to become my assistant because it'll look good for him?"
"Well, it sounds bad when you put it like that...but I wouldn't have hired him if I didn't think he could do it. Besides, if he really gets on your case you only have to work with him for a few months." Small mercies. Sodding Malfoy schmoozing his way up the ladder even as an adult. How on earth was she going to have the time, let alone patience to get Malfoy to do anything she needed! This was going to be horrible, this was going to be a nightmare, this was going to be...
A knock sounded at the door. "You'll have to call back later, I have meetings all day."
"Alright, I'll try to catch you again when we come across another wizarding village. Rupert and I are having a lovely time! Piranha is not half bad if you fry it." Hermione cringed.
"Will do." After running her hands over her mane a few times to ease the frizz, she sat back at her desk to attend to whoever was next on her schedule. According to her notes it should be Muna Magwollop from the Centaur Activist Society. "Come in!"
To her complete surprise Draco Malfoy looking as good as sin walked through her office door.
"Granger." He tipped an invisible hat as he strutted like a freaking peacock into her office. This day was getting better and better.
"Malfoy. I'm a bit busy right now."
"Yes, I met Ms. Magwollop in the lobby. She apparently misplaced the centaur's horn brooch she had been wearing so we'll have a few minutes." She pinched the bridge of her nose. Joy. "I wanted to discuss the terms of my contract with you if you don't mind. Mafalda had mentioned..." Malfoy began sifting through the folder he had brought.
Hermione took the opportunity to take in the man in front of her. He looked older. Older and yet she begrudgingly admitted to herself- fit. His hair was no longer styled in that greasy statue it had been during their school days but instead was combed to look messy in that 'just so' sort of way. She mentally rolled her eyes as she imagined he'd have the whole look meticulously memorized. While the years had done him well physically, she could only hope he could actually manage the sort of workload the position required. She'd hate to have to tell her boss 'I told you so.'
"Well you might as well sit down. We can go over the welcome information if you'd like." She made to grab her reading glasses and dug up her own copy of the standard office welcome packet.
"Thank you, Granger." He did finally sit down. "But no, actually I was hoping to compile a list of your expectations." She looked at him blankly.
"My...expectations?" He looked amused.
"Yeees." He drew out the word as if she were a child. "Pet projects, appearances, that sort of thing. I understand you'd been working through some of the of discussion for the-" he squinted at a paper in front of him "Chipping Clodbury legislation?" She groaned. The Chipping Clodbury riot in 1993 was finally seeing some semblance of justice as there were finally talks amongst the Ministry and the families of the goblins who'd stolen wands causing the riot. They apparently wanted compensation for crimes committed against their loved ones. Since the Minister had been able to catch up on more pressing issues since the Battle of Hogwarts such as Ministry reform and blood prejudice, forgotten issues were finally getting their time in the sun. This meant hours and hours of communication with various Goblin representatives who were generally not known for their compromising spirit. It had been a serious time consumer as of late.
"Yes but I wouldn't expect you to-"
"I went ahead and read transcriptions from your last several Goblin meetings. I can start work on drafting potential solutions if you'd like. I've set up quite a few consultations with goblin families seeking retribution and went ahead and reserved several books in the Ministry archives of similar issues in the past to cross reference." She blinked. What?
"You...sorry?" Malfoy merely rolled his eyes.
"Granger, I'm not sure what sort of help you're used to having but I can assure you I am quite competent. Let me assist you." If hell hadn't froze over.
"Right...well er..." She rummaged through her desk to find the papers she was looking for. "Why don't you start with these. New hire forms. Standard practice to review and sign in a job with this sort of delicacy." He looked disappointed. Well too bad. She needed more time to figure out what exactly to do with him.
"Got it." He reached out and took the papers barely brushing her thumb in the process. "I'll get right on it.: He started to leave before sitting back down again. "Ask me, Granger."
"Ask you?"
"Yes, ask me the question I know your great big head has been dying to ask the moment you found out I'd filled the position." She sighed.
"I won't bother denying it." She leaned forward, clasping her head in her hands. "How, no-why the hell did you apply for this job? We-" she gestured between the pair "-don't get along. So why on earth did you think this sort of working relationship would be a good fit?" He seemed to ponder her words.
"I was bored." She could only stare.
"Bored?"
"Yes, Granger, bored. Unequivocally, painstakingly bored." He ruffled his hair. "I couldn't take another minute in the empty Manor knowing I was twiddling my thumbs waiting to be the Potions Junior Head. I thought I might as well do something useful. And when Mafalda approached me, this all sort of fell together."
"You knew you were applying to be my assistant?"
"Yes. I thought we might put old bygones to pasture." She narrowed her eyes.
"If you think for one moment what happened in school can be done away by waving your hands you are sadly-"
"Granger, look." He'd interrupted her but she could see he was finally flustered as his hands went up in mock surrender. "That didn't come out right. The past is, well, I'm rather ashamed of it. I can assure you I've spent many years trying to fix the stain my family name has caused the community. I'm not trying to ruffle your feathers." He shuffled the papers awkwardly. "Consider this a sort of pay back."
"A payback?"
"Yes. For all the years I was a pompous git. I'll be the best assistant you've ever had." Well, she'd certainly see about that. Not that the bar was really that high anyways.
"You don't need this Malfoy." He shrugged.
"No, but you do." That stopped her. It was true, she absolutely needed someone to help carry some of the burden at work. She was the secretary to the secretary of the Minister! She had important things to do! Not to mention she'd been hoping for a raise come Spring...
She nodded. "This will be a professional relationship Malfoy. I won't tolerate any bigotry or name-calling." He barely acknowledged this. "Fine then. See me tomorrow. I'll have a draft of more of my expectations ready." He gave her a lazy smirk before peacocking back towards the door.
"Better go give Ms. Magwallop her brooch back, shan't I?" Before she could begin to comprehend his words, Draco had winked and was out the door.
Yes, bollocks indeed.