Work Text:
On May 2nd, the Department of Magical Law Enforcement starts using computers. Draco Malfoy sends his first email.
Granger,
Hi.
I can t f igurrethisoutbhtim trYING. Ihaev a few filEs to seNd an I
The information contained in this e-mail are confidential. DMLE.
Hermione's computer pings as she's sifting through the day's files.
She replies:
Malfoy,
I see you've discovered emails. Send it to me via inter-office owl for now. I
don't think they specified how to use attachments on emails for magical folks.
I'll be waiting.
HG
Malfoy spends about thirty or so minutes angrily clacking away at his keyboard, to no avail. "Fucking spacebars and what- is there no magical way to get around this?" he huffs to Hannah Abott who shrugs.
"I suppose we're leveling up. Just owl it to whoever it is."
But Malfoy is adamant to not appear a fool in front of Hermione Granger. It takes him a whole hour to form a coherent email.
Granger,
Getting the hang of it. What is an attachment and where do I attach it?
DM
Malfoy,
It's a technical term, please just owl me the files. It's easier.
Thank you.
HG
Granger,
I f I can use this stupid clacking thing I can figure out an attachment. Tell me how to use it.
DM
Malfoy,
I really don't have the time. I'd have to come up there.
HG
Granger,
Come up then. It's really important. Related to rogue centaurs.
DM
Begrudgingly, Hermione makes her way up to level 4 towards the small cluster of cubicles where Malfoy is.
"Right." she says exasperatedly.
"The files?"
"Attachments first." he says challengingly. Hermione rolls her eyes.
"Look Malfoy, I really don't have the bloody time and if these-" she says as she swipes a couple of folders from his desk which are labelled urgent, "are the files, I'll have them. Have a good day."
Draco spends the rest of his day sulking.
All things considered (death eater history, tendency to sulk and scowl, unchallenged pureblood behaviors) Draco Malfoy should make the worst office mate. As it is though, he isn't. Because as soon as he walked into the Ministry to intern for the DMLE, he shed his old cloak.
Hermione had been assigned to train him for the first couple of weeks, and although it was painfully brutal to work with the classmate whose crazy aunt carved up her arm, he certainly made himself scarce.
He walked around Hermione like she was a bomb.
He had been respectful, and gentle even. He bantered sometimes when they got comfortable during breaks. She'd spent a considerable afternoon hashing out the most important parts of the employee manual when Draco stopped her.
"I have to say something, Granger."
"Is it more important than rule 375 relating to misplaced files?"
"Yes."
"Alright let's have it."
"I'm sorry. For everything. School, the nastiness, the war, my... aunt. Everything."
It had taken her aback and for a while she wondered if he was being insincere, but Malfoy didn't have the trace of a smirk on his face. He was genuinely sorry.
"I-I don't know if you've gotten the scars still but... I did get something for mine and if you'd let me get you some I'd love to." She hesitated but nodded.
"The nastiness was all you but what your aunt did... that's on her. I don't blame you. You were a prat, but you weren't cruel when it really came down to it."
Malfoy smiled then and that had been the end of it. He was a welcome presence, at least to her. She wasn't one to carry grudges.
When she sits down to get a head start on the rogue centaurs' files, her computer pings again.
I really don't understand why you couldn't teach me about attachments. What's so bloody difficult about them?
DM
She can't help but laugh.
Emails are for professional purposes, Malfoy. Not for badgering your coworkers. Go back to work.
Absolutely not. I will badger you all week if I must.
DM
And he does, because for the next week or so, Hermione receives at least ten emails a day on a variety of subjects.
On a Monday when she chooses to munch on a ham and cheese croissant as she's running late for a meeting:
Granger,
You have croissant flakes down your shirt. Really unbecoming for someone who wants to be the next Minister for Magic.
DM
On a Tuesday when she forgets to drop by the interns' cubicles for their weekly check in:
Granger,
You didn't give us your weekly pep talk about changing magical society. Are you ill? We're all worried.
DM
On a Wednesday when she makes a comment about Hannah Abbott's new desk plant:
Granger,
Please get rid of the plant. I'm begging you. It stinks and shoots sap when it's upset.
Tell Longbottom to come up here and get it, he has a thing for weird creatures.
PLEASE.
DM
On a Thursday when they both get stuck in a painfully long meeting about the new procedures for departmental adjustments:
Granger,
Percy Weasley's stupid meeting took up half my lunch hour, so naturally, I will send him a bill for damages.
Damn him.
DM
On a Friday, when Lavender Brown invites all of them to a round of drinks and Witty Wizard Trivia:
Granger,
I'm only going to trivia night if I can get a drink beforehand. If I show up to that thing sober, I may lose my mind.
Are you going?
DM
On a Saturday, when she neither attends Lavender's trivia night nor shows up to the office for her usual Saturday morning check in:
Granger,
You didn't show. Are you really ill? Can I send something over?
Can I come see you? Emails won't suffice if you're ill.
Please.
DM
It takes Draco one unread email to panic and apparate straight to Hermione's flat. Although he's really only been there for work purposes because she's never invited him over, he convinces himself the situation warrants it. Granger's radio silence is haunting
He steps across the threshold and knocks on the door, but it swings of its own accord. With his wand in one hand and a tiny gift basket in the other, he steps into her home.
"Hello? Granger are you there?" A ginger abomination walks up to him.
"Gods... are you- a cat?"
Crookshanks purrs and traipses off into the living room, his bottle brush tail high in the air. Draco follows the cat to see Granger all curled up on her couch, wrapped in a thick blanket. All at once he feels ill, because she doesn't look good. He makes a mental note of diseases as he hurries over.
"What is it? Fever? Flu? Dragon pox? Some muggle illness?" his hands fly up to her face, which is all red and splotchy in the light of her lamp.
"N-no," she says, gently pushing him away. "I- it's the anniversary of-" she stutters
"Come on Granger, tell me." he says as he sets down the gift basket he's prepared. It's filled with an assortment of knick knacks he knows she loves like muggle chocolates, a few books, an entire pot of tomato soup.
"It's- a couple of years ago today... I went to see my parents."
He feels his own heart shatter at the sight of her crying. Granger had mentioned the story to him before, in passing. She'd obliviated her parents and failed to restore their memories.
"I know it's silly- I really, it's been years I-I should just-"
"No, Granger you have every right to be upset. Every year if you have to. It's okay." he says gently, reaching out to touch her hand.
"Some things just don't change, you know?" she says softly. "Not you, though. You've changed a lot, Malfoy."
"How do you mean?" Draco says, a little shocked.
"I mean you're less annoying and cruel and if I'm being honest, you're quite... nice. You're the only one that's showed up here at all. No one else has missed me, I think. But I'm not complaining."
A rush of heat in his chest compels him to say, "I always miss you when you're not around, Granger. Why do you think I badger you with emails?" Hermione laughs, and he feels that heat bloom into a gentle warmth all over his body. Her laughter feels like sunshine.
"I'll get around to teaching you about attachments, I promise." she says as she pats the space next to her on the couch. They spend the rest of the day eating and talking about Lavender's trivia night and watching muggle romantic comedies.
Before he leaves for the night, he takes her arm and pulls out a bottle with French labels inscribed on it.
"I told you I got something for my mark," he says as he pours a light pink serum over the top of where her Mudblood scar has faded silver.
He gently spreads it around with his fingers. "Twice a day should do it. It'll be gone in a week." Hermione looks up at him silently, taking in the sight of him being so close. She realizes his lashes are a beautiful dark blonde, and that his lips are a light rosebud pink.
"Draco I-" she stutters, her heart hammering in her ribcage. "Thank you." Draco smiles before he leaves, handing her the bottle. "No worries, Granger."
The next email arrives on a Sunday.
Granger,
Hope you're feeling better. I've mastered how to use attachments.
DM
Draco's computer pings on a Monday morning. He has an email.
Malfoy,
Good to hear that! Just checking if you can see this attachment about the upcoming company dinner.
HG.
He blinks twice, thrice at his screen before replying.
Granger,
Hi, sorry but I don't see any attachments? Or anything about a company dinner?
DM
Hermione replies in seconds.
Draco,
The attachment is a dinner invite for two, and the company is me.
Can I ask you out for dinner on Friday? Let me know.
Hermione
His fingers fly over the keyboard.
Hermione,
Your invitation is noted, and Friday is perfect. I can't wait to see you.
Please anticipate further emails about my excitement.
Draco
The information contained in this email are confidential. DMLE.