Jumping to Conclusions - Welcome to My Nightmare - Day 2
Title: Jumping to Conclusions
Author: drcjsnider
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 709
Notes/Warning: Written for the ‘Welcome to My Nightmare’ Challenge. Prompt 2: She just goes a little mad sometimes. We all go a little mad sometimes. Haven't you? -- Psycho
Draco couldn’t remember having ever been so angry. Well, that was a lie. He’d spent more than three-quarters of his life angry; he’d been in such tremendous rages at Hogwarts that he’d done damage to the people and things he loved. But he was certain - completely positive - that he’d never before been this angry with her. That in itself was saying something, since her mere existence tended to infuriate him.
“Just who the fuck does she think she is?” he demanded, pacing her office after she’d stepped outside.
“I suspect she thinks she’s head of the Minstry’s Law Enforcement Office,” Harry Potter stated from his seat at the other side of the office.
“This is unacceptable, Potter! I haven’t had to register my international travels with the Ministry since directly after the war!”
“Given the recent rise in attacks on Muggle-borns extra precautions are being put in place.”
Draco’s eyes narrowed. “This is about Weasley’s death isn’t it?” Ron Weasley and two other Aurors had been killed in an attack on the Ministry six months before. After a long and through investigation, it had been determined that the leaders of the attack had been a couple of former Death Eaters. Interrogations of everyone who had ever been connected with Voldemort had then taken place, but the mastermind behind the violence had never been discovered.
“Did you inform her that I have cooperated fully with Ministry? That I opened up both my financial records and personal correspondence for examination? That my home and Malfoy Industries have been searched for dark items and that nothing suspicious has been discovered?”
Harry nodded. “She knows all that.”
“Then what the fuck is this all about? I won’t stand for it! I’ve been a model citizen for the last twenty-five years and I should not continue to be subject to such suspicion and abuse.”
Harry shrugged. “Ever since Ron’s death, she goes a little mad sometimes. We all go a little mad sometimes. But in this instance, given the current circumstances, I completely support her decision.”
Draco rounded on him. “What current circumstances? Just what the hell is going on?”
“There has been an incident at Hogwarts between Hugo and Scorpius.”
Draco’s face paled. “Are they...”
“They are going to be fine. However, they got into a fight and both are currently in the hospital wing. Scorpius refuses to explain what happened and Hugo has been hit with a curse that makes it impossible for him to communicate”
Draco sat down in a chair, his head held high, but his eyes vacant.
When Hermione re-entered her office, her gaze flickered between Draco and Harry. “Any news?” Harry asked.
“Hugo is going to have be transferred to St. Mungo’s because Scorpius won’t tell what spell he used. You’ll need to go to Hogwarts and pick Scorpius up for questioning.”
“This has nothing to do with the Death Eater attack on the Ministry,” Draco stated quietly.
Hermione and Harry turned toward him.
“Scorpius owled me several weeks ago asking permission to romantically pursue Rose Weasley.”
Hermione arched an eyebrow. “Permission you refused him?”
Draco glared at her. “Of course not! I know from personal experience the pitfalls of interfering with young love.”
Hermione’s eyes narrowed. “Rose hasn’t mentioned anything to me. So this attack was obviously some kind of retaliation for her rejection of your son.”
Draco couldn’t prevent a sneer from crossing his lips. “I would have thought that someone in your position would refrain from jumping to conclusions. For your information, Scorpius and Rose have been dating for over a month. She, however, wanted to keep it a secret from her family out of fear of your reaction.”
Hermione stiffened at the news.
“Perhaps Hugo discovered them and threatened to tell?” Harry suggested.
With a deep sigh, Hermione nodded. “I’m sorry for calling you in today, Malfoy. I’ll go to Hogwarts and get this all straightened out.”
Draco rose from his seat, feeling a modicum of respect and sympathy for the witch. “I’ll go with you. Surely between the two of us, we can get this sorted out.”
Hermione nodded again. “Yes. Thank you.”
As the two left the office, Harry thought for the first time since Ron’s death that Hermione would eventually be okay.
Author: drcjsnider
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 709
Notes/Warning: Written for the ‘Welcome to My Nightmare’ Challenge. Prompt 2: She just goes a little mad sometimes. We all go a little mad sometimes. Haven't you? -- Psycho
Draco couldn’t remember having ever been so angry. Well, that was a lie. He’d spent more than three-quarters of his life angry; he’d been in such tremendous rages at Hogwarts that he’d done damage to the people and things he loved. But he was certain - completely positive - that he’d never before been this angry with her. That in itself was saying something, since her mere existence tended to infuriate him.
“Just who the fuck does she think she is?” he demanded, pacing her office after she’d stepped outside.
“I suspect she thinks she’s head of the Minstry’s Law Enforcement Office,” Harry Potter stated from his seat at the other side of the office.
“This is unacceptable, Potter! I haven’t had to register my international travels with the Ministry since directly after the war!”
“Given the recent rise in attacks on Muggle-borns extra precautions are being put in place.”
Draco’s eyes narrowed. “This is about Weasley’s death isn’t it?” Ron Weasley and two other Aurors had been killed in an attack on the Ministry six months before. After a long and through investigation, it had been determined that the leaders of the attack had been a couple of former Death Eaters. Interrogations of everyone who had ever been connected with Voldemort had then taken place, but the mastermind behind the violence had never been discovered.
“Did you inform her that I have cooperated fully with Ministry? That I opened up both my financial records and personal correspondence for examination? That my home and Malfoy Industries have been searched for dark items and that nothing suspicious has been discovered?”
Harry nodded. “She knows all that.”
“Then what the fuck is this all about? I won’t stand for it! I’ve been a model citizen for the last twenty-five years and I should not continue to be subject to such suspicion and abuse.”
Harry shrugged. “Ever since Ron’s death, she goes a little mad sometimes. We all go a little mad sometimes. But in this instance, given the current circumstances, I completely support her decision.”
Draco rounded on him. “What current circumstances? Just what the hell is going on?”
“There has been an incident at Hogwarts between Hugo and Scorpius.”
Draco’s face paled. “Are they...”
“They are going to be fine. However, they got into a fight and both are currently in the hospital wing. Scorpius refuses to explain what happened and Hugo has been hit with a curse that makes it impossible for him to communicate”
Draco sat down in a chair, his head held high, but his eyes vacant.
When Hermione re-entered her office, her gaze flickered between Draco and Harry. “Any news?” Harry asked.
“Hugo is going to have be transferred to St. Mungo’s because Scorpius won’t tell what spell he used. You’ll need to go to Hogwarts and pick Scorpius up for questioning.”
“This has nothing to do with the Death Eater attack on the Ministry,” Draco stated quietly.
Hermione and Harry turned toward him.
“Scorpius owled me several weeks ago asking permission to romantically pursue Rose Weasley.”
Hermione arched an eyebrow. “Permission you refused him?”
Draco glared at her. “Of course not! I know from personal experience the pitfalls of interfering with young love.”
Hermione’s eyes narrowed. “Rose hasn’t mentioned anything to me. So this attack was obviously some kind of retaliation for her rejection of your son.”
Draco couldn’t prevent a sneer from crossing his lips. “I would have thought that someone in your position would refrain from jumping to conclusions. For your information, Scorpius and Rose have been dating for over a month. She, however, wanted to keep it a secret from her family out of fear of your reaction.”
Hermione stiffened at the news.
“Perhaps Hugo discovered them and threatened to tell?” Harry suggested.
With a deep sigh, Hermione nodded. “I’m sorry for calling you in today, Malfoy. I’ll go to Hogwarts and get this all straightened out.”
Draco rose from his seat, feeling a modicum of respect and sympathy for the witch. “I’ll go with you. Surely between the two of us, we can get this sorted out.”
Hermione nodded again. “Yes. Thank you.”
As the two left the office, Harry thought for the first time since Ron’s death that Hermione would eventually be okay.