Aconite - Dramione/Blinny

Ch. 8

The next few weeks passed by quickly for Hermione. She and Ron had stopped arguing as much, but she noticed that he started to get tense again once the full moon came around.

"You have to talk to him again, don't you?" He asked after stepping out of the Ministry's fireplace and walking with her to one of the lifts.

"Yes, I need to make sure that his employee has been taking his potion since tonight is the full moon," Hermione answered. "Once he confirms, I don't have to reach out again until tomorrow after the full moon."

"And then it'll be another month until you have to talk to him again," Ron said in an annoyed tone.

She rolled her eyes. "Ron, there's nothing I can do."

"You could ask to speak to the employee instead," Ron suggested bitterly.

"I've already told you, Malfoy won't let me," She said. "Do you really think I haven't tried that?"

Ron didn't answer for a few moments as entered the lift with other people, and he leaned down to say, "I just don't want him trying anything."

"He has a girlfriend, Ron," Hermione whispered angrily. "And it's not like he's going to be coming into my office to talk. It's strictly over letter."

They came to a stop and Ron leaned over to kiss her temple. "I'll see you later."

She glared at his back as he stepped off the lift and the doors closed, looking down at the floor then.

Draco did not want to be in his office that day, but he knew he had to keep up appearances. Thankfully Blaise knew to take over everything in the days leading up to the full moon so that Draco wouldn't be bothered and accidentally snap at anyone, and his office was one hundred percent off-limits on the days of the full moon. Those days, he would sit alone in his office playing soft, classical music with all lights off except for one small lamp in the corner. Most of the time he would sleep, rest up for the upcoming night. But today he couldn't manage to sleep at all.

He was surprised that no one had caught on to his condition yet; though of course, he always made sure to have other off-limits days too to throw off anyone who may have suspected, passing off the time as having migraines so people wouldn't question the lights being off. He groaned as the deep ache in his bones returned and then staved off, like a wave crashing onto a beach and then retreating back. The aching would get worse throughout the day, but he never did anything to ease it.

There was a knock on his door that made him growl. Who the hell was stupid enough to bother him that day? After he thought about it for a few moments, he knew the only person that would dare to bother him would be Blaise.

Sure enough, his business partner walked through the door with a smile on his face and a letter in his hands. "Sorry to bother but you've got a note from Miss Hermione Granger herself."

"What does she want?" Draco asked as calmly as he could while another wave of pain crashed over his body.

"I'm not about to read your letters, Draco," Blaise said, setting the envelope down on the desk next to Draco's propped-up feet. "Remind me again why you keep it so dark in here?"

"Because I have a splitting migraine," He answered, which wasn't entirely untrue. He then peaked one eye open and looked over his friend. "You seem to be in a good mood."

Blaise shrugged. "Things have been good lately."

Draco waved his door shut and barely opened his other eye to look at Blaise skeptically. "Would it possibly have anything to do with a certain Ginny Potter?"