A Mild Inconvenience
“How long before we get thrown out, do you think?” Draco asked, taking a sip of his whiskey and twirling his wand absentmindedly. Hermione shrugged, scouting out their next target.
“Someone would have to notice first. I’m going for green dress, blonde hair. She’s not a relative of yours, is she?” She asked, smirking at the man next to her before subtly raising her wand.
“Arabella Fawley, excellent choice. No relation as far as I’m aware, but you know what purebloods are like, Granger. The dating pool is really quite small, there’s probably a connection to most people in this room if you go back far enough.”
Hermione snorted lightly, glancing at him as he smirked back at her. Subtly waving her wand, she sent a stinging jinx into Arabella’s left leg just as she raised her glass of wine. The shock made her jump, sending the wine spilling down the front of her pale green dress. The pair of them collapsed in laughter, badly hiding their amusement behind their hands as Arabella stood and ran from the ballroom, shrieking as she did so.
“That was very well timed, I’ll give you that.” Draco said, wiping away a tear.
“Thank you, Malfoy. How come you know her anyway? Was she one of Cissa’s picks back in the day?” Hermione asked, and Draco nodded.
“Certainly was. We spent a mind-numbingly dull evening together a few years ago at the opera. I had the worst headache after all that shrieking, and then we went out for dinner and she spoke almost non-stop for the rest of the night. I didn’t owl her.” He said flatly, and Hermione clapped a hand to her chest, feigning horror.
“A gentleman such as yourself? Good gods, Malfoy, how could you behave so poorly?” She taunted, and he snorted into his whiskey.
“Right, my turn. I’m going for the bloke in the blue jacket with all the buttons.” He subtly nodded his head, and Hermione casually glanced in the direction. She turned back with a smile.
“Sam Bennett from the archives office. I can’t believe you’ve forgotten him, he’s the one that tried to get Pans to go to Costa Rica with him.”
“Oh, lovely Sam. It has been too long, really. Shame.” Draco replied, tilting his wand slightly and sending a stinging jinx in Sam’s direction. It hit him in the arm, and he gaped about wildly, looking for his assailant. They laughed again, Hermione taking a sip of her own wine as Sam stood and waved his arms, batting away non-existent bugs. “This never gets old.” Draco smiled fondly, shaking his head and reclining in his chair.
“It’s also why nobody wants to sit with you.” Harry said, appearing at Draco’s shoulder with a disapproving expression on his face.
“Evening, Potter. Everything alright?” Draco asked, as Hermione looked at Harry innocently.
“You’re like a pair of toddlers, I swear to Godric. Stop fucking jinxing people, you’re representing the department.” He grit out, glancing around to see if anyone had heard him.
“Jinxing people?” Hermione frowned, and Draco snorted lightly before faking a cough. Harry scowled.
“Just go home if you don’t want to be here. Nobody else has noticed what you’re up to as far as I can tell.”
“Can’t get anything past the chosen one.” Draco replied ruefully, and Hermione laughed as Harry glared at him again.
“I expected this from him, but I thought you were better than this, Mione.” Harry said, and Hermione hummed thoughtfully.
“You probably don’t want to know whose idea it was then.” She replied, and Draco grinned into his glass.
“For fucks- You’re as bad as each other. Just piss off home. You’re making me go grey prematurely.” Harry said, waving a hand vaguely before stomping back to his table.
“Do you suppose that was a direct order?” Hermione asked, draining her wine.
Draco pointed at her. “Excellent point, Auror Granger. We can’t ignore a direct order from our boss now, can we? That would be downright irresponsible.”
“My thoughts exactly, Auror Malfoy.” She grinned, and he offered her his arm once they stood.
They tossed another smirk in Harry’s direction before heading towards the floo.
“Only three months until we cause more havoc, you know.” Draco mused. “I’m not sure either of us are going to be in Potter’s good books.”
Hermione smiled up at him. “Auror Granger-Malfoy and Auror Granger-Malfoy?”
“I could blame your stubborn refusal to either take my name or keep your own, but he’d never take my side over yours.”
“It’s your fault, regardless. ‘I refuse to have a different surname to my wife, Hermione.’.” She grumbled in a mocking impression of his voice. “Could have just stayed as Malfoy and Granger. The world would have kept on turning.”
“Of course it would, but where’s the fun in that? I live to be a mild inconvenience.” He sniffed.
“That’s the rest of my life then is it? Being mildly inconvenienced?” She smiled up at him.
He grinned back. “You’re godsdamn right it is.”