Chapter Text
Friendship Rule #2 – No Hair Slander.
(Proposed: DM | Approved: HG)
The office in front of her was quiet except for the scratch of a quill on parchment and the occasional distant yelling from somewhere down the hallway. Taking a deep breath, Nora Jenkins tightened her grip on the manila folder in her hands and knocked on the door. A gleaming brass plate affixed to the wood read:
Auror Curse-Breaking Division
"Come in," two voices said in perfect unison from the other side.
Pushing the door open, Nora stepped into a surprisingly spacious office. The scent of parchment, ink, and something vaguely singed filled the air. Shelves groaned under the weight of hundreds of books, their spines worn from constant use. Workbenches lined the walls, cluttered with overhead lamps, containment chambers, and an assortment of magical artifacts. In one corner, large wooden crates sat in a precarious stack, their contents rattling ominously. A massive pinboard took up most of one wall, covered with images of cursed objects; daggers, rings, even a tea set, each pinned in place with notes scribbled in different handwritings.
At the back of the room, two desks sat side by side, and behind them were two of the most infamous wizards of the era.
Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger.
Both looked up as she entered, silver and brown eyes assessing her in tandem.
Nora swallowed hard. She wasn’t easily intimidated, but this was the Curse-Breaking Division. The best of the best. Hermione Granger was a legend, top of her Auror class, a pioneer for women in magical law enforcement, and the Ministry’s most brilliant mind when it came to unraveling dangerous spells. It was said that Kingsley Shacklebolt had created this division specifically to convince her to stay instead of accepting more lucrative offers abroad.
And then there was Draco Malfoy. He’d trained as a curse-breaker first, then completed his Auror qualifications as part of a community service agreement tied to his post-war pardon. By all accounts, Malfoy and Granger had started out as the most dysfunctional pairing in the department – no, the ministry’s history, yelling matches in the Atrium, hexes exchanged over lunch in the canteen, insults thrown like Bludgers in the lifts.
Then, one day… it stopped.
No one knew how or why, but Malfoy and Granger had gone from sworn enemies to an unstoppable team. Their success rate was unmatched, their problem-solving abilities had cracked some of the department’s toughest cases, and somehow— somehow —they had become best friends.
And, unbeknownst to them, Nora was their new trainee.
*
Nora glanced at the shiny plaques sitting at the front of each desk.
Hermione Granger
Head Auror, Curse-Breaking Department
And beside it:
Draco Malfoy
Auror, Curse-Breaking Department
Steeling herself, she moved to Hermione’s desk and extended the folder in her hands. She channeled the confidence she wished she felt, her girlfriend Mary’s voice echoing in her mind: "Fake it till you make it, baby."
Nora smiled, straightened her shoulders, and introduced herself.
"Hi, I’m Nora Jenkins. I’m not sure if you remember me, you gave a 'Women in Magical Law Enforcement' speech at Hogwarts during Careers Week two years ago."
Draco rolled his eyes and muttered under his breath, "One of many ."
She turned toward him just in time to see him put down his quill and study her with cool, assessing eyes.
"Well," she pressed on, "we chatted afterward."
"Ah, yes!" Hermione shot up from her seat, eyes sparkling with recognition. "I remember! Ravenclaw, right? Your sister’s a barrister, works for the Zabinis?"
Nora nodded, but before she could respond, Draco stood and casually leaned against the desk, rolling up the sleeves of his crisp white shirt. His wrist wand holster was in clear view, polished, well-worn, and undoubtedly expensive.
"Granger, how do you remember that but not what you had for lunch two days ago?" he quipped, idly tossing a small training Snitch from hand to hand.
"Shut it, Malfoy." Hermione waved him off without even glancing in his direction.
She turned her full attention back to Nora. "How are you? A probationary Auror now, I see?" She gestured toward the silver badge gleaming on Nora’s uniform, its polished surface catching the light.
The warmth in Hermione’s gaze made Nora feel… seen. She’d heard how the other women in the department talked about her, how she mentored and coached anyone who asked. It was rare to see someone of Hermione Granger’s status make time for trainees, and yet, here she was, making Nora feel like the most important person in the room.
Nora couldn’t help but smile. "I’m great, thank you, Auror Granger. And, well…" She flicked another glance at the desk plaques. "Robards said to give this to the Head Auror." She extended the folder.
Before Hermione could take it, Draco shot up from his desk.
"No, no— it’s the first of March !" He practically yelled, his voice filled with gleeful anticipation.
Hermione groaned, dragging a hand down her face. "That’s not fair, Malfoy. February was only twenty-eight days !"
"You know the rules, Granger." Draco sing-songed as he flicked his wand at the desk plaques.
The letters shimmered, rearranging themselves.
Draco Malfoy
Head Auror, Curse-Breaking Department
And beside it:
Hermione Granger
Assistant to the Head Auror, Curse-Breaking Department
Hermione let out a long-suffering sigh and turned to Nora.
"What does it say?" she asked, already sounding defeated.
Nora squinted at the plaques, then read them aloud.
Hermione slowly turned her head toward Draco, who was beaming at her with infuriating sweetness.
"And now, Assistant ," Draco drawled, extending a hand expectantly. "Please pass me the file for the Head Auror ."
It was less of a pass and more of a shove into his chest, but Draco barely flinched, flipping the folder open with practiced ease. He scanned the first few lines, then looked up at Nora.
"I'm your new Curse-Breaking trainee," she said.
Watching the Aurors review her paperwork, Nora caught a glimpse of why they were so highly regarded. Without a word, Draco scanned each sheet, then handed it to Hermione, who did the same, movements precise, seamless, and perfectly in sync.
Finally, Hermione smiled up at her.
"Okay," she said, setting the folder down. "This is unexpected, but your transcripts are excellent . I’m excited to have a new member on the team."
She extended her hand, and for a brief moment, Nora just stared at it. She’d braced herself for resistance, yelling, arguing, something , not immediate acceptance .
Recovering quickly, she shook Hermione’s hand, trying not to look too stunned. "Thank you, Auror Granger. I look forward to learning from you and Auror Malfoy."
"Please, call me Hermione," she added kindly.
Draco snapped the folder shut. "And you can call me Head Auror Malfoy ."
Hermione shot him a withering look. " Malfoy ," she hissed.
He leaned back in his chair, utterly unbothered. "Fine. I will also accept Your Lordship ."
Hermione scoffed. "How about ‘him with the poncy hair’ ?"
Draco’s hand immediately flew to his immaculately styled hair. "Friendship rule number two, Granger, no hair slander . "
"Fine."
Nora glanced between them, barely suppressing a smile. "How about Sir ?"
Draco took her hand and flashed a dazzling, almost theatrical smile.
" Sir will be fine. Welcome aboard, Nora."
*
With a wave of wands, boxes and crates shuffled across the office, stacks of paperwork levitated out of harm’s way, and maintenance was called to bring in another desk and chair.
Hermione stood rigidly, her fingers twitching as she visibly restrained herself from hexing Draco, who was, rather enthusiastically, shoving things around to make space for Nora’s new workspace.
While he continued creating utter chaos , Hermione turned to Nora, holding what looked like a Muggle hooded sweatshirt.
"We've got a cursed item removal onsite this afternoon," she explained. "I don’t have time to make one of these from scratch, but I think I can alter this one to fit you."
She held it up against Nora’s taller, slender frame, clearly comparing it to her own shorter, curvier build.
Nora reached out, brushing her fingers over the fabric. It was shimmery and impossibly thin, like silk but charged with something more.
"What is it?" she asked.
Hermione motioned for her to slip it over her head. As soon as she did, she felt a faint hum of magic settle over her skin.
"It’s like a Muggle bulletproof vest," Hermione said, drawing her wand and muttering incantations to adjust the fit. "But for curses."
The fabric shifted and tightened, molding seamlessly to Nora’s body. It was almost invisible now, just a faint, translucent sheen covering her arms. With a flick of her wand, Hermione extended it to mid-thigh. When Nora pulled the hood up, she felt the magic encase her head in a protective cocoon.
"I’m still refining the design," Hermione murmured, more to herself than anyone else. "It leaves the hands, face and legs exposed… Not ideal."
Nora ran a hand over the sleek, near-invisible material, awed. She’d never heard of anything like this before. Of course, she knew Hermione Granger was a gifted witch, everyone had read the Prophet articles dubbing her the brightest witch of her age , but seeing that brilliance in action was another thing entirely.
"Hopefully, you’ll never need it," Hermione continued, straightening up. "But it’s department policy to wear one whenever we handle unknown objects onsite."
Nora nodded, still marveling at the vest.
Draco, meanwhile, was moving a Muggle toy car, encased in a pulsating violet orb, over to another containment station. "She’s right," he chimed in. "Just last week, a curse bounced back and came this close to singeing my hair ." He clutched his chest dramatically. "If I hadn’t been wearing the protective gear—"
" My hair ," he emphasized, voice heavy with emotion, " would not be as perfect as it is today. "
Hermione didn’t even look up. "It was a scary time for everyone ," she deadpanned.