Work Text:
Saving Lucius Malfoy
Hermione Granger entered the rehabilitation suite at the Ministry’s secret kept Rehabilitation Unit. She had been showing around two new recruits who had both Muggle and Magical law experience.
These rooms along this corridor are no longer in use. I thought them not appropriate as our clients are not criminals and should be treated as such.
Hermione shoved open a door and continued, “This used to be a private area to listen in on interviews after clients had left Azkaban.” She had shown them into the secure interview room with its one way mirror never expecting a client to be seated at the other side of the glass.
Hermione stared stunned at the newest client through the one way glass. He should have been waiting in the comfortable lounge with a hot drink. Instead he sat dressed up in a clown outfit including the obnoxious oversized shoes.
“Is that -“ started Caroline McDonald..
The other recruit nudged her to shut the hell up.
The three instantly recognised the multi coloured fool to be none other than Lucius Malfoy. He was unshaven and looked gaunt and half starved.
Through gritted teeth and anger barely under control Hermione directed the two new recruits to get him out of the outfit at once and to show him into his private suite.
The formalities and procedures obviously had been clearly ignored after his transfer from Azkaban. One of the biggest rules had been broken as they had used magic on Lucius Malfoy. She could smell and feel the magic in the air.
+++
“Who is responsible?” Hermione shouted as she headed into the open plan office. She had banged through the double doors and stood with arms folded, chin up and her anger at boiling point.
“Which one of you is guilty-” she said, her voice stiff with anger as she threw out her right arm and pointed back at the still moving doors. “-for that?”
Everyone in the room knew what she was talking about. They had all had a jolly good laugh at the Death Eater. They had been brave taunting and jeering until the shout went out that the ‘Boss was back’ and they locked the door and left.
Hermione glared at each member of her department with distaste. Enough was enough. The three men and one female had been hard to bring to heel. They had had three different bosses in just over a year.
They all had multiple disciplinary black marks on their records and they had been given many second chances. Too many for Hermione Granger. This had been the final straw.
She had used the landline phone to call in a special unit to dispose of her now sacked team. It was up to Kingsley and the Magical Courts to decide what to do with them and the illegal wand she had found.
In under an hour Hermione was down to a team of three.
CarolineMcDonald, David Black and herself. One pure blood, one half blood and a muggleborn. Sounded a nice fit.
+++
Hermione Granger had been brought in the month before by the Minister Of Magic himself. She was reluctant until he filled her in on what they suspected was going on. In recent months Some past clients of the unit had committed suicide or gone on the rampage and ended back in prison.
Kingsley then let her in on a big secret and announced that Lucius Malfoy was soon to be released from prison and transferred from Azkaban into the Rehabilitation Units care.
“Hermione, I need you to ensure that Lucius Malfoy survives rehabilitation and is able to return to his family in one piece preferably alive.”
She had been given all of the confidential files of the Units staff and made aware that the files she would see in the unit would have been doctored to make the team she would be managing look so much better.
“One thing more, “ Kingsley said not sure how she would react, “at the unit no magic is used and it is preferred you dress in muggle clothing and try not to use magic to get to work.”
Hermione had smiled and laughed at him. “Remember Kings, I’m a muggle and can drive a car.”
+++
Hermione knocked on the private suite door and waited to be admitted.
“Thank you Mr Black, “ she smiled as she walked into the lounge area where she could see Lucius sitting in a tracksuit. He had coffee and some pastries in front of him and Miss McDonald looked rather awkward.
“Thank you Mr Black, Miss McDonald, I can take over now.”
The new recruits seemed rather keen to leave and Lucius barely acknowledged their leaving. Hermione moved towards the comfortable seating area and sat down in a black leather chair opposite Lucius.
“Good morning Mr Malfoy, I am Miss Hermione Granger, the head of the Rehabilitation Unit, I have to apologise for the dreadful way you have been treated upon your arrival.”
Lucius nodded but his eyes looked dull and his voice was weak and sounded hollow as if he was not fully awake.
“Thank you. Do I know you?”
“Yes, but from a few years ago, I was in the same year at Hogwarts as your son Draco.”
He nodded slowly. She was worried about his condition. He was clearly unwashed, unshaved and looked miserable.
“Can I get anything for you Mr. Malfoy?” She frowned. Then she kept her anger hidden as she remembered that any magic around anyone with their magic suppressed would feel pain. “I have pain relief here if you require it.”
Lucius looked up at her for the first time and nodded.
“Yes please Miss Granger. I have a really sore head.”
She fetched a glass of water and placed three tablets down in front of him.
“We are not allowed to give you any magical potions for healing or use magical spells to heal either but I can give you muggle medication.”
He nodded slowly and picked up each tablet and placed them in his mouth and drank the water down. He sighed tilting his head back with some relief.
“Give them ten minutes and I am sure you will be feeling much better.”
Hermione asked him about the clothes that Draco his son had dropped off for him. To her horror she heard how they had been burned to a crisp in front of him as he stood in the clothing that he had worn in prison. Then they were magically transferred into the clown’s outfit. It was David Black who had found the tracksuit Lucius now wore.
She noticed that the coffee on the table was cold and the pastry was still untouched.
“Would you like some hot coffee, this seems to be cold as is the pastry?”
“I did not wish to touch anything as I have not washed -“
She assisted Lucius along to his private bedroom with its ensuite. She showed him how to fill the bath and pointed out the shaving kit, shampoo and other toiletries . She also pointed to the white bathrobe hanging on the door and the fluffy towels on the shelf. The room was warm and cosy.
“Please take as long as you wish. I can make fresh coffee when you are ready.”
She discreetly slipped away and left him to his privacy. The poor man looked out of his depth. She returned to her office and saw that both McDonald and Black were reading through the documents she had left for them. She closed her office door and picked up the telephone.
+++
Hermione had heard the sound of the bathwater running away down the drain and reentered the suite and headed to the kitchen. She began to lay out three mugs and three plates.
She knew when she was being watched and turned to see a much cleaner and brighter eyed Lucius Malfoy staring at her.
“Coffee?” She asked him with a bright friendsly smile.
“Yes please Miss Granger. Lucius said as he returned to sit on the comfortable chair he had been sitting in before. “That is the first wash I have had in hot water for years.” He admitted with a shake of his head. “I must admit I had to refill the bath twice as I was so filthy.”
“Well if you do not mind me saying, you look so much better.” She said as she set down his coffee in front of him.
“I do smell better.”
A knock came to the door and Lucius looked to Hermione for reassurance.
“No one will come through that door without your permission. This is your new home and if you do not even wish me inside for any reason that is your choice. This is your home Mr. Malfoy.”
“Could you get it for me please?” He asked.
“I have a very strong suspicion that is best that you open the door Mr. Malfoy.” As she set two filled mugs down onto the coffee table.
Lucius looked at the three mugs and tilted his head to the side in enquiry.
“We have a visitor?”
“You have a visitor.”
He opened the door and stood shocked. It was the last person he expected to see.
“Draco!”
“Father-“
Hermione turned her head away and sat with her back towards the door as father and son shared a very private moment.
The door closed and a few moments later the two Malfoy men moved towards the seating area.
“Granger,” greeted Draco with a grin.
“Malfoy,” Hermione returned with a wide smile. “Coffee?”
Draco held up a carrier bag, “lunch?”
Lucius looked from his son to the witch and raised his eyebrows.
“Granger and I have worked together on and off for a couple of years. She phoned me to come for lunch.”
Lucius reached out and clasped Draco’s hand in his. Miss Granger had retreated to the kitchen with the lunch bag, it was his chance to gather information from his son.
Hermione checked the lunch and smiled at the simple sandwich lunch Draco had picked up from a nearby supermarket . She had invited him along thinking it would help his father and she also knew that Draco had not been able to visit him for a month and that touching was never encouraged at Azkaban.
She heard the sound of the men talking but deliberately kept herself busy not wishing to eavesdrop. She set out the sandwiches onto plates with serviettes and knives.
“Lunch!” She said as she took the plates to the table.
The conversation was light but Hermione could see how exhausted Lucius looked. She nodded to Draco at the end of the meal.
“Come along father, I’ll walk you to your bedroom.”
“Thank you my boy, I am feeling rather tired.”
+++
Later, Draco found Hermione in her office. He had even worked in the unit for a while but could not get along with the team and transferred to another unit.
“I’ll buy father some new clothes later, can I drop them off at yours tonight?”
“Yes. He looks exhausted. I will get a Doctor to check him over and ensure he is mentally up to the first part of his rehab . Can I do anything else to make him more comfortable?”
Draco shook his head and moved towards her and gave her an unexpected hug and a kiss to the side of her head. He held on and sighed and said. “Thanks Granger, seeing my father and getting to speak to him without being overheard and being able to hold him - helped the both of us.”
He moved away and then smirked.
“Oh and by the way, I saw you looking!”
“What?” Hermione said, her face flaming red.
“My fathers sweat pants do reveal rather a lot and I saw you noticed and more than once.” He chuckled at her flustered reaction.
“I do not know what you mean.” She said in denial.
“Every time my father sat back or stretched to pick up his sandwich or cup, you blushed. It took me a while to puzzle out why.”
Hermione covered her face with her hands deeply embarrassed.
“You were looking at the outline of my fathers cock clearly defined by that lightweight fabric.” He peeled her hands from her face and laughed. “I caught you looking and know something else Granger -“ he said as he headed towards the door to leave, “so did my father. It fairly pecked him up.”