Chapter Nine

It started like normal morning for Hermione Granger. She rolled over, groaning and exhausted at 5:29, one minute before her alarm blared it’s beep throughout her room. She sat up, turning off the alarm and shaking off the remnants of her shared nightmare.

She threw on her running clothes and left for her quick, five mile run. Few people were out so early, just the vigilant store owners preparing to start their normal muggle days. Some days she wished she were like them, or at least a normal witch. But some days, spy work was more rewarding than anything.

A car honked and she stepped back onto the curb right before a mini cooper would have hit her. The driver yelled something at her, but she couldn’t hear him through the glass, she continued running.

By the time she arrived back to her flat, Alissa was already gone. She got ready and was out the door by 8:00.

***

Hermione stared intently at her computer tapping a pen against the desk. It was systematic, a clink a second. Malfoy glared daggers at her. Neither said a word, the only sound was the clink of Hermione’s pen.

A tall blond man approached her. “Miss Granger, come with me please.” Malfoy straightened in his chair. Hermione rose and followed the man. He led her to a room that looked like it belonged in a medical clinic. “Every two months we do random drug tests. If you’ll stick your arm out?”

Alarms went off in Hermione’s head. “A blood test?”

“There is less chance of an error than with a urine sample.” Something must have showed on her face. “Is something wrong, Miss Granger?”

“No, nothing’s wrong.” She said slowly, “I just don’t like needles.”

He nodded, knowingly. “We’ve developed a new type of needle,” he showed her, “You won’t feel it.” With no other choice, she stuck her arm out. The technician smiled, after a few seconds he said, “There, all done.” He put a bandage on her arm. “It shouldn’t even leave a mark.” Hermione smiled.

“May I leave?”

“Of course, have a nice day.”

She stood up, “Could you tell me when Draco Malfoy is scheduled to go?”

He seemed reluctant. “Well…I’m not supposed to…”

“Please, as a favor?”

He grabbed a clipboard. “Tomorrow afternoon.”

Hermione smiled, “Thank you.” She walked out of the room and bumped into a man walking briskly with his eyes on the floor. “Sorry,” he muttered as he disappeared down the hall.

Malfoy looked at her when she sat down at her desk. ‘They’re giving you a blood test tomorrow.’ She told him mentally.

His head jerked up, ‘Alright,’ he replied after a moment.

She didn’t tell him about her plans to get her own blood sample back. His response would be simple, “Your blood, your problem.”

She saw the man she’d bumped into in the hallway typing frantically at his desk. Something about him, or his demeanor, aroused her suspicion. ‘Who is that man?’ She asked Malfoy, glancing over.

‘Michael Iverson, anything else?’

Hermione rolled her eyes, ‘Does he seem suspicious to you?’

‘Suspicious?’

‘There’s just something about him. Have you ever seen anyone here work that hard?’ The employees at Sub Level 2 were dedicated, but even they had limits.

‘Perhaps he wants to finish early, Granger. If you care so much, why don’t you ask him?’

That, of course, would be too obvious. If it weren’t for that damn dream last night, at least he’d be civil and work with her. She looked at her watch. It was eleven thirty. Can’t this day just end already? She didn’t send the thought, and Malfoy didn’t appear to hear it.

“Hello, Miss Parks,” Michael Iverson was on the phone, “May I speak to Angie please, it’s important.” He paused, “Thank you. Angie, I’m going to be home late tonight, so go home with Sarah. Okay? Good. I love you.” He hung up.

Another man came to sit by him, offering food. Iverson didn’t accept. “Are you listening, Granger?”

“No, what?”

“I said that I’m -- what the hell?” Smoke was billowing from the elevator.

“Are those gunshots?” She paused, “I hate to state the obvious, but this really isn’t good.”

“Do you want to get shot? Get down.” He demonstrated, Hermione followed his example, the only time in her life she was happy to do so.

‘There are two exits,’ Malfoy told her mentally, ready to work with her now that they were in immediate danger. ‘A staircase near the toilets and the elevator. Judging from the gunshots, I’d say both are out of the question.’

‘Do you think these people are here to kill, or just capture?’ She tried to look above her desk, ‘We can’t risk exposing ourselves if it isn’t life threatening.’

‘Is anyone fighting back?’

She risked another look, ‘Just a few people, everyone else seems to be on the ground. I think they’re handcuffing people and gathering them near the lift.’

‘Yes,’ she heard him move, ‘That would be correct.’

“If you don’t fight, Miss,” a male voice said, “You won’t be hurt.” She was pulled up and riot cuffs were put on her hands.

“Wha…What’s going on?” The men ignored her, “Please tell me.”

“We are not authorized to tell you anything, now be quiet.” He talked into a walkie-talkie, “Area secure, no casualties. Over.”

“Copy that,” crackled a voice on the other end.

There were thirty people, waiting silently by the lift. “We will be taking you up in groups of six,” one of the masked men said. Hermione and Malfoy were in the third group. Once on the ground level, they were loaded into black vans.

‘Are these government trucks?’ Hermione asked as she was lifted inside.

‘It would appear so.’

‘Do you think that it’s possible that MI5 was investigating SecureCo at the same time we were?’

He barely shrugged, ‘I’m a wizard, as far as I’m concerned, almost anything is possible.’

Good point. The van had no windows and they took so many turns that Hermione lost count. Eventually, probably only fifteen or twenty minutes later, the van came to a stop. The doors flew open.

“Everyone out, hands on your heads,” barked one of the men. “Now!”

Hermione, being one of the last people put in the van, was one of the first out. Another of the black clad men pulled her aside. The building looked like a parking garage, but with very few cars, and it felt like an underground structure. They lined everyone up in two rows. Malfoy was right behind her. Within minutes they were led into two lifts under strict orders to remain silent. The elevators opened to a bank of holding cells. All of the prisoners were put into two large cells. Two armed guards stayed outside the cells. A man was called away first, a few minutes later they called away a woman. Hermione thought they were partners. It was over an hour before anyone else came for new people. The man and the woman didn’t return.

Another hour passed, two more partners were taken. Then another, and another. By Hermione’s calculations, there was no clock in the room, they’d been sitting in the cell silently, for over six hours. The only deviation was an hour previous, one of the guards brought bottles of water and ham sandwiches for the remaining prisoners. Finally, Hermione and Malfoy were the last two prisoners in either cell. “Miss Granger, Mr. Malfoy, come with us please.

They were led down a nondescript hallway and then separated. One of the guards took Hermione, the other led Malfoy away. Her guard took her to a room. It didn’t look like another cell, or like any interrogation room she’d ever seen on television. There were two chairs seated across from each other, separated by a kitchen table. Another chair sat against the wall. There was the requisite mirror on the wall, and she knew someone was looking in, ready to record any conversation she had.

The guard directed Hermione to a chair, she sat down and he took off her handcuffs. Then he left. Hermione looked around the room, but it was empty, then she just stared at the mirror. There was nothing better to do. A different guard came in a few minutes later, he put a Styrofoam cup in front of her. “It’s a milkshake, vanilla.” Then he walked out. If this really was MI5, they wouldn’t poison her without really good reason, so she took a sip. It tasted fine, and pleasantly poison free. ‘Anyone begin questioning you yet, Malfoy?’ she asked.

‘No, I believe they’re trying to bore a question out of me. I take it they haven’t interrogated you either.’

‘Sadly, no, I hope they can finish this quickly. And by finish, I mean set us free before morning.’

‘Have we done anything illegal?’

Hermione thought for a few moments. Could Malfoy be serious? Though this assignment leaned more toward corporate espionage, rather than treason, it was still highly illegal. ’Yes.’

‘Muggles have laws for the strangest things.’

‘Stealing from a company is a strange law?’ Was she really having a philosophical conversation with Draco Malfoy?

‘The company isn’t a person, and it isn’t even a wizarding company.’

‘Would it be that much different if it were a wizard’s company? Any wizard’s?’

He caught her meaning, ’Yes, any wizard’s company should be protected from robbery, but that is why we have spells. If a company, especially a security company, can’t protect itself, why shouldn’t it be robbed?’

‘So those who can’t protect themselves have it coming? The weak should be taken advantage of by the strong?’

‘Not arbitrarily, of course. But if you can’t protect yourself…someone’s here to question me.’ He paused, listening to a question posed by his interrogator. ‘Hmm, is it true that you’re about to turn on me, talk about all of my nefarious dealings with SecureCo?’

‘Most assuredly not.’

‘Good, I thought so, these questions should be pretty routine, I’ll give you a ring if I need to fix a story with you.’

‘Alright,’ she stopped tuning into his thoughts. At least he seemed to be in a better mood now. Apparently, prison would suit him well. She looked around the room again, this time stretching her neck, it popped as she rotated it from side to side.

‘Have we ever met outside of work for social interaction? Their phrasing not mine.’

‘We went out to lunch once on our first day of work to become better acquainted. We didn’t meet each other except for when you went out with Alissa.’

‘Got it.’ The door to her room creaked open ominously. Hermione watched patiently as a man stepped through. “Most of the others were pacing by this point, Miss Granger. You, however, seem quite calm.” Hermione didn’t answer his implied question. She wasn’t in the mood for witty repartee. He cleared his throat, “Anyway, my partner will be along shortly, I’d just like to get a few preliminary questions out of the way.”

“I don’t have much of a choice, do I?” The man gave her a tight lipped smile. “Could I know your name?” She asked, “As a show of trust.”

“Yes, of course,” He said, “Andrew MacArthur, Agent MacArthur.”

Well, she thought, At least it’s not James Bond. “Your preliminary questions?” She was tired of sitting around in silence.

“State your name.” He pulled out a clipboard and a pen.

“Hermione Granger.”

“State your occupation.”

“Systems analyst for SecureCo Inc.” He scribbled frantically.

“Length of occupation.”

Hermione thought for a moment, “A few weeks at Sublevel Two, maybe a month. A couple months before that in my old office.” More frantic scribbling.

“Did you have a partner at Sublevel Two?”

Hermione wanted to roll her eyes. “Yes,” she said.

“What is his name?”

“His name is Draco Malfoy.”

“Yes, alright, thank you. My partner should be here any minute now. Really, I wonder where she is.” The door opened, probably cued by his rehearsed line.

Hermione saw a woman’s manicured hand, followed by a leg, than a torso, another arm and finally a head. Her jaw almost dropped, undoubtedly, her face looked shocked. “Alissa?”