When Ron returned back to the office, he seemed much more interested in Harry and Hermione's case than usual. After the third day of him asking how things were going, Hermione snapped at him to get out or tell her what he wanted.

"It's just connected to my Smith case is all," he had said with a shrug. He had shared a look with Harry then grinned at her. "Besides, it's Malfoy. It's about time something bad happened to him."

For what it was worth, Hermione wasn't surprised. After that, however, Ron did stop asking so much and the second week came to a surprisingly boring close. Hermione closed up her office, taking along with her the stack of Malfoy's letters and the full file of the Smith case.

After she and Harry had spent an entire afternoon organising it, they'd gotten rid of many duplicate files and reduced everything down to one very thick file. Hermione kept it in her office in case Malfoy ever dropped by unexpectedly again, but he'd had the decency that week to write ahead. Of course, it was to invite himself over for dinner so he could look over her evidence himself, but she appreciated it nonetheless. At least she knew now not to go home and immediately get into her pyjamas.

"For Merlin's sake," she groaned, stepping into her flat to see Malfoy had already made himself at home. Crookshanks sat happily on his lap as he fiddled with the remote to her muggle television. "Of course you know where I live, but how did you get in?"

"Took down the wards," Malfoy said distractedly. He continued to fiddle with the remote, accidentally taking off the back and making the batteries fall. They hit Crookshanks's head and the kneazle meowed in annoyance. "My sincerest apologies," Malfoy told him, picking up the batteries and petting Crookshanks head.

"You took—Fine, that's fine," Hermione said irritatedly. "While I fix dinner, you can put them back up."

"I'd much rather know what this muggle device is," Malfoy protested. Hermione shot him a dark look and he reached lazily for his wand. "I'll set them back then you'll tell me?"

"We'll see," Hermione said, narrowing her eyes at him.

She entered the kitchen while Malfoy repaired her wards, pulling out food from the night before. If Malfoy was going to invite himself over the day of, then he could eat leftovers. What did it matter to her?

The sound of the TV turning on was followed by a surprised yelp.

"Granger! It's talking!"

Hermione sighed and dropped her head to her chest. Merlin, this was going to be an incredibly long night, wasn't it?

"Just hit the red button on the thing you were touching before," she yelled back. She pulled the first plate out of the microwave and put the second one in, listening for the TV to go off.

It stayed on until Hermione walked back into the living room with two plates and stayed on even longer as Hermione stopped to stare at Malfoy. At some point, he'd gotten off the couch, but he hadn't made it very far. In fact, the git was seated less than a meter from the TV screen and Crookshanks had set up home right beside him.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

Malfoy jumped and glanced back at her just long enough to see she had plates before returning his attention to the TV.

"Is this what muggles call prison?" he asked. Hermione raised an eyebrow but he wasn't looking at her. "Those tiny muggles are trapped, yes? Do all muggles have prisons in their sitting rooms?"

"Malfoy, that's a television," she said, sitting on the sofa. She set the second plate on the side table and adjusted herself on the sofa. "It plays films. It's not a muggle prison."

Malfoy looked back at her with pure confusion displayed on his face. Hermione sighed.

"Muggles have these things called cameras that are kind of like wizard cameras, but different," she explained slowly. Malfoy's attention flickered back to the TV, but she knew he was still listening, so she continued on. "They can film muggles doing things for hours and once they're done, you can play them on the television. It's just a really long photo, but with sound."

"Amazing," Malfoy mumbled. He reached down to pet Crookshanks, still mesmerised by the TV. "Tell me, kneazle, do you know how to work this too?"

"Crookshanks cannot work the TV," Hermione answered.

"A shame," Malfoy replied, his voice quiet as he continued to stare at the characters in front of him. "Granger, what is this photo called? Do they have names?"

"Yes, and they're called films, not photos," Hermione answered. She took a bite of her food, watching Malfoy with a small smirk. "That one is called Titanic and it's a classic. It looks like it only just started too."

"When does it stop?" Malfoy asked.

Hermione glanced at the clock, then said, "In about two hours." She smirked to herself and glanced at the clock again, realising they had plenty of time in the evening. "You know, I think you might even like the ending."

And so she let Malfoy watch her muggle film on the muggle television. He stayed precisely where he was when she'd first brought their food into the living room and did not move until after the credits started rolling.

"I did not like the ending," he told her thickly. He eyed her warily as she got up to turn off the TV and Hermione smirked at his glistening eyes. "Muggles just let other muggles die for their long photos?"

"Films, and no," Hermione said, handing him the now cold plate of food. "It's fake. They make it look real, but it's not."

"Good," Malfoy said, joining her on the sofa.

"Oh, but that film was based on a real story," Hermione told him, hiding her smirk behind her mug of tea. "The film was fake, but the story was real."

"So Jack did die?" Malfoy demanded, glaring at her as she answered.

"Yes."

Malfoy glared down at his food and Hermione laughed, rubbing Crookshanks head as he claimed a seat beside her. On the opposite end of the sofa, Malfoy ate his food in silence and Hermione watched him in mild amusement.

"Are all the films like that?" he asked eventually. Hermione shook her head.

"Some are happy, but some are sad like that," she explained. Malfoy hummed, setting aside his plate as he finished.

"I'd like to watch a better one," he announced, looking back towards the TV. "Tomorrow, Granger. Now, though, we have evidence to go through."

Summoning the evidence, Hermione gave Malfoy a sharp look and said, "You are not coming over tomorrow."

He did. He came over the very next night and this time, he brought Zabini. Fortunately, he at least had the decency to knock on her door instead of remove all the wards before she got home, but Hermione was not particularly excited to host them both.

"You're paying for dinner," she said, staring at them both from the doorway.

"Fair enough," Zabini agreed, brushing past her. "Draco loves to remind people he's rich, isn't that right, mate?"

Malfoy grumbled as he stepped inside after him, telling Hermione to get whatever and he'd pay her back later.

While Hermione stepped into the kitchen to phone a nearby restaurant, Malfoy took Zabini into the living room and attempted to turn on the TV. It took several tries but eventually he got it to turn on.

"They're called films," Malfoy informed Zabini, dropping onto the sofa beside him. "Granger tells me they're long photos, but fake."

"Fake?" Zabini asked. Malfoy nodded. "How do you take a fake photo?"

"It's like a play," Malfoy said, remembering the ridiculous explanation Hermione had given him the night before. "They make a play and then turn it into a long photo."

On the TV screen, a bright green light shot out and they both jumped.

"Holy shit! That muggle just used the Killing Curse! Oh shit! Oh shit!" Zabini shouted, pointing wildly at the screen. "Granger! How do muggles do the Killing Curse?"

From the kitchen, Hermione hastened to finish her phone call as the shouting got louder. She walked into the living room just in time to see a green lightsaber flash across the screen. While Zabini and Malfoy didn't shout again, they did look rather uncomfortable.

"That's called special effects," Hermione said, taking the only free spot on the couch beside Malfoy. "After the film is made, people can edit it to make it look supernatural."

"So no Killing Curse?" Zabini asked sceptically. Hermione shook her head.

"No Killing Curse," she confirmed, tucking her feet up under her and preparing for the onslaught of questions to come.

Hermione wasn't sure how it happened, but somehow Zabini and Malfoy convinced her to show them the next Star Wars film and before she knew it, it was two in the morning and they were on their fourth film. By now, both wizards were relatively unsurprised by the special effects and the way the film went, but every now and then, they asked if such a creature really existed in the muggle world or if guns like that were real.

On the far end of the sofa, Zabini was still watching eagerly, but Hermione and Malfoy had switched to a whispered discussion about what Hermione had learned at work the day prior.

"I couldn't find the missing notebook in the evidence folder, no," Hermione whispered, turning to face Malfoy better. She tucked her toes under Malfoy's thigh and leaned her back against the arm of the sofa. "I checked the pile Harry meant to throw out too, but there wasn't anything."

"You said Weasel worked the case?" Malfoy whispered back. Hermione gave him a look. "Maybe he knows where it went."

"I can ask him, but he's not the most organised," Hermione said hesitantly.

Malfoy was, of course, correct about Ron knowing more about where evidence from the Smith case went, but Hermione didn't really want to bring it up. He'd want to be more involved if she did and Hermione was sure she didn't want him consulting on a case where Malfoy was involved.

"If you're sure it could be helpful, then I can," Hermione said unhappily. "But I'll warn you now, Ron will get involved if I do."

Malfoy pursed his lips, but before he could make a final decision, Zabini interrupted them.

"No," he gasped loudly, eyes wide. Hermione and Malfoy both looked at the screen and Hermione smiled.

Luke Skywalker was hanging off the side of a balcony with only one hand while Vader stood off screen. Malfoy looked confused, but Hermione knew exactly what had just happened and what was about to happen next.

"Granger, what's happening?" Malfoy asked, frowning at the TV.

A second later, Luke dropped from where he was hanging and Zabini gasped again. Beside her, Malfoy's eyes went wide.

"Granger!" they both exclaimed. Hermione laughed at their distress.

"Just watch. Just watch," she insisted, waving back to the TV and settling into the couch.

She pulled a blanket around her shoulders and stared lazily at the TV, watching it without particularly caring. Her eyelids felt heavy, but knowing the two wizards were likely to have more questions, she made a point to stay awake. Just before the end of the movie, however, she closed her eyes to blink and opened them the next morning.

Around the living room were scattered pizza boxes and she'd been given another blanket and a pillow, but neither Zabini nor Malfoy were anywhere in sight. She pushed down the sigh that threatened to escape and stretched, rolling her neck to see if it had any cricks. As she sat up, she found a note set on the side table and opened it as she allowed herself to wake up slowly.

Get that journal from Weasley, Granger. And thanks for the muggle films. - D. M.

Hermione clambered to her feet and used several spells to stack the pizza boxes and fold the blankets. She hurried to get ready to work, forgoing a shower when she looked at the time. Grabbing a piece of bread on her way to the Floo, Hermione pulled on her cloak and stepped through the fireplace to go to work. She had a journal to get and no matter how much it bothered her that Zabini and Malfoy hadn't said goodbye, she pushed it out of her mind.