Hermione was surprised at how easy it had been to get Malfoy to agree to supply the ministry with the rare ingredients needed to be able to distribute more wolfsbane as part of her latest reform legislation. She supposed that Longbottom had rubbed off on him as they refurbished the Malfoy greenhouses. Longbottom had been sent in as one of the specialist wizards to make sure the old regime’s gardens were “safe” and “clean.” Hermione knew Neville's idea of a “safe” greenhouse was maybe a little different than the strictly "legal" standards he was supposed to be maintaining. Ultimately Neville now had a vast amount of knowledge of where and more specifically who to intimidate to get her hands on ingredients she needed. She was satisfied at the days work of having expanded from just Narcissus support to include Draco and his precious greenhouses at her disposal.
She was dealing with paperwork the next day when her door suddenly opened and Malfoy was striding in.
“Well, lets see it then” he said holding his hand out expectantly
“See what?” She blinked at him in surprise before realizing the impertinence of his interruption.
“You knickers of course, no obviously the werewolf bill” he rolled his eyes.
“Excuse me? What for? You can’t just barge in here” She spluttered as images of her knickers and Malfoy flashed through her head
“Sure I can, I’m now an associate of yours and I’ve got a vested interest. The thing needs to be airtight to get through the courts.”
“Oh and what makes you qualified?” He watched her taunt him, sticking her chin out in that perfectly cute self righteous way she possessed.
“Please, you think Narcissa’s been the one owling and playing cards with all the high and mighty brutes of the Wizengamot that you needed to pass the House Elf bill?”
“What- You didn’t have to– I didn’t know you were– I’m perfectly capable–”
“Please. It was never for you. Pansy and Mother requested aid for their little projects. It benefited House Malfoys public image, that’s all” brushing her sputtering comments aside.
“Of course it did, well fine here it is” She figured it couldn’t hurt to have a more shrewd pair of eyes on it and handed over her latest draft. Outrageously he then proceeded to flop onto her sofa to begin reading pulling out a pair of glasses that somehow suited his annoying angular perfect face.
“Do you not have your own office or study or something?” She glared disapprovingly as he stretched out and rolled up his sleeves
“I’m perfectly comfortable here thanks.” He smirked at her as he leaned back with a quill to mark up her work looking positively professorial and academic.
An hour or so passed in tense silence as he would hmm or scoff at something in the bill and scratch it out. She refuses to rise to the bait, as she knew he was goading her into trying to start an argument about it. She held out trying to focus on her correspondence to Charlie relocating one of his dragons.
“Good godric fine tell me what’s wrong with it”
“No, no just a few little grammar things here and there. Well and..”
“Well and WHAT?” Merlin, he loved watching the heat rise in her cheeks and her curls almost puff up in indignation.
“I just think you’re never gonna get them to agree to this.”
“Of course they will, they’ll have to.” She had all of the confidence of a muggleborn who had to know how to fight agressively to get her way.
“I just don’t think they’ll allow you to hand out potions through apothecaries anonymously without having a registered list of those collected here at the ministry.”
“They’re not criminals to be kept track of, it’s their personal medical information. They’ll still have to have approval from a licensed healer for the apothecaries to distribute to them.”
“Ah, but how will we get those fearmongering idiots to agree? A werewolf registry is certainly in their best interest.” She was surprised he agreed with her and truthfully she knew it was a point she would have to fight tooth and nail to pass. Having a public record made discrimination easier for those in power to withhold jobs and opportunities from perfectly capable people.