Hermione/Draco- Still Frame- Prologue: The Case That Changed It All (1/?)
Title: Still Frame- Prologue: The Case That Changed It All
Author: blacksouledbutterfly (me)
Rating: R
Pairings: Draco/Hermione
Summary: My name is Hermione Granger, and I am a private investigator. My cases were simple, but Draco Malfoy changed all that.
Made by .showmethelove at The Dark Arts
My name is Hermione Granger, and I am a private investigator. I started right after school. It was simple enough, tracked a few cheating husbands, snapped a few pictures, got paid and was safely back in my office before the fireworks. Sometimes I worked on cases just as simple, nothing so big that the police had to handle it, nothing so small as I laughed in their face. Nothing ever deviated from that. It was simple enough and I made good money. It worked for me: no one expected me to be a private investigator. I came across as too sweet.
Things never changed, and normally I don't keep track of the cases. There is never a reason. Truth be told my case bored me, but that all changed when Draco Malfoy walked into my office.
Everything changed.
I hadn't seen Draco since school, and I never believed I would see him again. The cleared Death Eater. Bullshit. We all knew what part he had to play in the death of Professor Dumbledore, in the great war, but somehow he managed to weasel his way out of trouble like the vermin he was. Cleared of all charges. Maybe he turned over the names, maybe he seemed genuinely shocked, I will never know. I do know however that I wanted to kick him out of my office the moment he walked in to it. Why wouldn't I? He was...horrid.
Somehow he seemed paler than he had in school, if that were even possible. He walked into my office, that arrogant look on his face that he always wore in school. I wanted to slap it off of his face. His eyes, once so full of fire, for some reason, seemed to have been dulled. Perhaps he too had suffered, perhaps not. Maybe it was all an act. He smiled at me, his white-blonde hair hanging in front of his eyes. "Well, well, well. Granger a private investigator. Turned you down when you applied to being an Auror?"
I glared up at him from my desk, hands folded neatly on the cherry wood. "For your information, Malfoy, I never applied."
"Well color me surprised."
I leaned back in my leather chair- a gift from my parents when I opened my practice- my arms folded across my chest. "Cut the shit, Malfoy. What do you want?"
"The perfect prefect Granger cursing? What ever has the world come to?"
He sat down in front of me, all graceful movements. He moved with muscles that seemed to be almost inhumane. Oh, Merlin, I was not checking out Draco Malfoy!
That horrible smirk returned to his face. "I am here, Granger, because I wish to hire you."
"Oh, really? And what would ever make you believe I would work for you?"
"Because its a paying job, and I know you well enough to know you can't pass up a great mystery. Or a chance to possibly condemn me."
I had to admit that made me interested. He was right, I did love a good mystery, and truth be told I didn't find many in this job. It was also true that I would take any chance I got to condemn Draco Malfoy. "Okay, you have my attention. What's the job?"
"I suppose you heard about the murder a couple of days ago?"
"Of course. Marya Corbin, 34 years old, brutally murdered in her own home. Eviscerated I believe, an unusual act in the wizarding world when you can just use magic to kill them. No fingerprints, no sign of forced entry, no evidence, no suspects. What does that have to do with anything?"
"Not quite no suspects, Granger."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"Well, not a suspect really. What do they call them? Ah, yes, a person of interest."
"Wait, what?"
"Do try to keep up, Granger. I am a "person of interest" in this case."
There was a cold feeling in the pit of my stomach. I dropped my hands to smooth the skin, hoping to warm myself up. "They think you killed her?"
"They haven't exactly said that, no," Malfoy told me, leaning forward and resting his arms on the edge of my desk. "But they haven't said they don't think I did. I was told not to go anywhere, and things of the like. They believe I killed Marya, yes, but they don't have the evidence to make an official accusation."
"Well, why would they think that? Did you even know Miss. Corbin?"
"You could say I knew her...intimately."
"Mafloy!" I stood up so fast I nearly knocked my chair over. "You were shagging the victim?"
"Why, yes, Granger. I believe I just said that."
"She's twelve years your senior!"
"Experience has its perks, Granger."
I felt a wave of nausea as I sat down. "I do not want to hear about your sexual escapades, Malfoy."
"Still as frigid as ever, aren't you?"
"If you truly wish to hire me you will not ask me personal questions."
"Very well, Granger. There is something else you should know."
"And what is that?"
"Marya wasn't the first victim."
"What do you mean?"
"Five other victims before her, killed in the exact same way."
"Why wasn't it in the Daily Prophet?"
"The Ministry got there before they did, hid the details well. Didn't want a public panic. I only know because I heard them talking. That, and I have my connections."
I let out a sigh. This was not my usual work. This was far from a cheating husband case. This was...this was murder. I glanced at him. He seemed sincere enough. Clearing my throat I leaned forward so I could meet his eyes rather closely. It seemed as though he moved back a little. "You know my normal price?"
"Yes, and I will triple it. This is a much more complicated case, isn't it?"
"Yes, it is. So, you want me to prove you innocent?"
"Or prove me guilty. Just find out the truth." He leaned back, sticking out his hand. "So, Granger, do we have a deal?"
I stared at his pale hand for a moment before gripping it firmly in mine. "Yes, Malfoy, we have a deal."
Author: blacksouledbutterfly (me)
Rating: R
Pairings: Draco/Hermione
Summary: My name is Hermione Granger, and I am a private investigator. My cases were simple, but Draco Malfoy changed all that.
Made by .showmethelove at The Dark Arts
My name is Hermione Granger, and I am a private investigator. I started right after school. It was simple enough, tracked a few cheating husbands, snapped a few pictures, got paid and was safely back in my office before the fireworks. Sometimes I worked on cases just as simple, nothing so big that the police had to handle it, nothing so small as I laughed in their face. Nothing ever deviated from that. It was simple enough and I made good money. It worked for me: no one expected me to be a private investigator. I came across as too sweet.
Things never changed, and normally I don't keep track of the cases. There is never a reason. Truth be told my case bored me, but that all changed when Draco Malfoy walked into my office.
Everything changed.
I hadn't seen Draco since school, and I never believed I would see him again. The cleared Death Eater. Bullshit. We all knew what part he had to play in the death of Professor Dumbledore, in the great war, but somehow he managed to weasel his way out of trouble like the vermin he was. Cleared of all charges. Maybe he turned over the names, maybe he seemed genuinely shocked, I will never know. I do know however that I wanted to kick him out of my office the moment he walked in to it. Why wouldn't I? He was...horrid.
Somehow he seemed paler than he had in school, if that were even possible. He walked into my office, that arrogant look on his face that he always wore in school. I wanted to slap it off of his face. His eyes, once so full of fire, for some reason, seemed to have been dulled. Perhaps he too had suffered, perhaps not. Maybe it was all an act. He smiled at me, his white-blonde hair hanging in front of his eyes. "Well, well, well. Granger a private investigator. Turned you down when you applied to being an Auror?"
I glared up at him from my desk, hands folded neatly on the cherry wood. "For your information, Malfoy, I never applied."
"Well color me surprised."
I leaned back in my leather chair- a gift from my parents when I opened my practice- my arms folded across my chest. "Cut the shit, Malfoy. What do you want?"
"The perfect prefect Granger cursing? What ever has the world come to?"
He sat down in front of me, all graceful movements. He moved with muscles that seemed to be almost inhumane. Oh, Merlin, I was not checking out Draco Malfoy!
That horrible smirk returned to his face. "I am here, Granger, because I wish to hire you."
"Oh, really? And what would ever make you believe I would work for you?"
"Because its a paying job, and I know you well enough to know you can't pass up a great mystery. Or a chance to possibly condemn me."
I had to admit that made me interested. He was right, I did love a good mystery, and truth be told I didn't find many in this job. It was also true that I would take any chance I got to condemn Draco Malfoy. "Okay, you have my attention. What's the job?"
"I suppose you heard about the murder a couple of days ago?"
"Of course. Marya Corbin, 34 years old, brutally murdered in her own home. Eviscerated I believe, an unusual act in the wizarding world when you can just use magic to kill them. No fingerprints, no sign of forced entry, no evidence, no suspects. What does that have to do with anything?"
"Not quite no suspects, Granger."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"Well, not a suspect really. What do they call them? Ah, yes, a person of interest."
"Wait, what?"
"Do try to keep up, Granger. I am a "person of interest" in this case."
There was a cold feeling in the pit of my stomach. I dropped my hands to smooth the skin, hoping to warm myself up. "They think you killed her?"
"They haven't exactly said that, no," Malfoy told me, leaning forward and resting his arms on the edge of my desk. "But they haven't said they don't think I did. I was told not to go anywhere, and things of the like. They believe I killed Marya, yes, but they don't have the evidence to make an official accusation."
"Well, why would they think that? Did you even know Miss. Corbin?"
"You could say I knew her...intimately."
"Mafloy!" I stood up so fast I nearly knocked my chair over. "You were shagging the victim?"
"Why, yes, Granger. I believe I just said that."
"She's twelve years your senior!"
"Experience has its perks, Granger."
I felt a wave of nausea as I sat down. "I do not want to hear about your sexual escapades, Malfoy."
"Still as frigid as ever, aren't you?"
"If you truly wish to hire me you will not ask me personal questions."
"Very well, Granger. There is something else you should know."
"And what is that?"
"Marya wasn't the first victim."
"What do you mean?"
"Five other victims before her, killed in the exact same way."
"Why wasn't it in the Daily Prophet?"
"The Ministry got there before they did, hid the details well. Didn't want a public panic. I only know because I heard them talking. That, and I have my connections."
I let out a sigh. This was not my usual work. This was far from a cheating husband case. This was...this was murder. I glanced at him. He seemed sincere enough. Clearing my throat I leaned forward so I could meet his eyes rather closely. It seemed as though he moved back a little. "You know my normal price?"
"Yes, and I will triple it. This is a much more complicated case, isn't it?"
"Yes, it is. So, you want me to prove you innocent?"
"Or prove me guilty. Just find out the truth." He leaned back, sticking out his hand. "So, Granger, do we have a deal?"
I stared at his pale hand for a moment before gripping it firmly in mine. "Yes, Malfoy, we have a deal."