What Did You Expect?

By ChristianMom

A/N: I'm new to the site and this is the first story that I have ever published, so I hope you guys aren't too hard on me. Of course your reviews and any ideas for the story are always welcomed.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything except the plot. . .if you recognize anything it's owned by JKR lol

Summary: Hermione is opening a new bookstore in Diagon Alley, but she needs to come up with 20,000 Galleons for the down payment first. She's about to try to get a goblin loan when the money is donated from an unexpected source. . .but of course he wants something in return. Somewhat DH and HBP compliant, 5 years post DH.

Chapter 1:

You want to help me?

Hermione Granger was looking intently into the bathroom mirror of her London flat. By now she was rather pleased with her appearance—the bushy hair and oversized front teeth were gone, replaced with flowing dark brown ringlets and two rows of perfectly straight white pearls. She was petite, standing at about 5'3 with an average chest and a small waist. Her face was a bit long, but that didn't mean it wasn't pretty.

Turning the water on, she began to wash her face as she mulled over her current problem. Twenty-thousand Galleons, she thought to herself. How am I going to come up with that in two weeks? It's impossible.

Harry and Ginny had offered to help her come up with the required funds, but she wanted to do this by herself instead of burdening the couple. She was planning on heading down to Gringotts and applying for a goblin loan first thing. She knew she had a small chance of actually getting the loan (so much for being Gryffindor's Golden Girl), but she had run out of options and she was growing desperate.

She headed back to her room and pulled on a black turtle neck and beige dress pants. Slipping into her Mary Janes, she headed downstairs to the kitchen to put on some tea and make herself some toast before she had to leave. As she was pouring her breakfast Earl Grey, a loud tapping at her window made her jump and nearly drop the kettle.

Opening the window, she gasped as a beautiful black owl graciously flew in with a note tied to its leg. She pulled the note off, absently groping for a treat for the owl, but when she turned around to give the beautiful bird a piece of her toast, it was gone. Weird, she thought. Whoever sent this must not have been expecting a reply.

She let the parchment unfurl, and written upon it was a simple note:

Hermione Granger,

I have heard that you might be having some problems opening your bookstore. I may be able to help you. Meet me in the Three Broomsticks at 10 o'clock.

Come alone.

Hermione stared at the parchment in shock. Who could possibly have known about her problems outside of her close family and friends? She hadn't told anyone else; one-third of the Golden Trio not being able to pay her down payment on a measly bookstore (even though the down payment was far form measly) was definitely first page that news she did not want leaked. Since the defeat of Voldemort, she had been trying to keep a low profile, but that was nearly impossible. She did not need to further feed the media's continued fascination with the Boy-Who-Lived and his friends.

Whoever had sent this note was obviously arrogant enough to just assume she would come to this random meeting seeing as they didn't deem a reply necessary, and her pride screamed at this indignity. She debated with herself for a few minutes, but she was getting more and more desperate. Maybe it wasn't even worth applying for the goblin loan. Maybe this was worth a shot, basically anything at this point was.

Making up her mind (after all, she could apply for the loan tomorrow), she decided to Apparate to the Three Broomsticks right then and there, as it was almost ten. She grabbed her purse, checked her appearance one last time, and then was gone.

Walking around the Three Broomsticks, she didn't see anyone she knew or anyone who would want to help her. Feeling a bit foolish on being taken in by an anonymous note that had merely turned out to be a waste of her time, she turned to leave. As she was about to push through the door, a voice stopped her.

"Going somewhere?" said someone in an all-too-familiar drawl.

She knew who it was, but did not actually want to turn around and come face to face with her childhood nemesis. Instead she continued outside and cursed under her breath, "What the hell could he want?" She was almost to the Apparition point and sincerely hoping that he was not following her, but no such luck.

"What do you want, Malfoy?" she snarled as she turned around to confront the footsteps behind her. But she saw not Malfoy but just a couple walking behind her holding a squirming toddler. Embarrassed, her checks flamed red and she stared apologizing to the couple. "I'm so sorry I thought you were someone else." The woman just smiled and nodded, and Hermione was grateful she hadn't said anything too harsh. Feeling quite paranoid, she kept walking.

"Got me on the brain, huh, Granger?" came the same familiar drawl.

She spun around, knowing that this time Malfoy was actually there. She glared at him.

"Why would I have a ferret like you on my mind," she spat.

He actually had the audacity to look hurt, and strode up to her in only a couple bounding strides. He towered over her, and was so close that she could intake his scent. He smelled of lemons, and oranges, and some spice she couldn't name. She looked up at him full in the face and saw that he too had changed a lot since his Hogwarts days. He was no longer the scrawny little blond ferret-boy he had been before. In front of her was a man, clearly muscular through his robes, lean, but built. His blond hair reached his shoulders now and he no longer gelled it back. She caught herself staring when she saw a smirk grace his face.

"I see that you got my letter," he smirked. Well, that certainly took her out of her stupor for sure.

"What are you talking about, ferret-boy" she glared.

"Wow, come on Granger, can't you be an adult and let that go? It was a one-time thing, like, eight years ago," he said, a small smile tugging at his lips.

"What do you want?" she asked, stifling unexpected laughter at his sheer bravado.

"I want to help you" he declared as his usual smirk slid back into place.

"Why?" she asked, shocked. She hadn't seen him since graduation, and now, not only had he changed, he was offering to help her?

"Why not?" he replied through his smirk.

"Let me get this straight. You, Draco Malfoy, want to help me, Hermione Granger, open my book store. Is there some wizard tax write off if you help me?"

"Yes and no."

They said she was smart, but she couldn't even figure out this stupid Slytherin. "What?"

"Yes, I want to help you, and no, it's not about some wizard tax write off," he said with a smile. "Are you always this paranoid whenever someone tries to do something nice for you, Granger?"

"I am when the person is an ex-Death Eater and also happens to be the bane of my existence for twelve years, and said person comes to me saying they wanna help me out of nowhere," Hermione sneered.

"That's a lie I n—"

"Malfoy, it is not a lie. I personally saw the Dark Mark on your arm," she said with venom.

"Are you finished? I was going to say that it's a lie that I've been the bane of your existence for the past twelve years, because I haven't seen you or heard from you in five, so that's impossible. I mean how can you hate someone that you don't even hear from, it's crazy you m—"

Things went downhill from there.

Finally, Hermione said, "Enough, Malfoy! If I let you help me, what do you want in return?" She was exhausted from the constant bickering with him, and if she got rid of him in time, maybe she could still make it to Gringotts at some point today.

"Oh, nothing. I just need your body, really," he smirked, looking her up and down, making Hermione feel like she was on display in a window.

"What!" she yelled, horrified at his ridiculousness.

"I need you to pretend to be my girlfriend to help get my family back in good standing with society. So, for social events and what not I need you to come with me and I also need you to be seen around town with me," he said with a shrug

She could fake a relationship for about a month, but why the hell would she ever consider getting closer than ten wands lengths to Malfoy?

Oh right. The money for her bookstore.

But what would Harry and Ron say? They wouldn't like this at all. Even though the animosity from school wasn't really there anymore—Harry and Malfoy even appeared to be friends sometimes—they still wouldn't appreciate her and the former Slytherin Prince going around together, even if it was pretend.

It was no secret that even though Draco and Narcissa Malfoy had tried to help the Order towards the end of the war and had practically switched sides their family name was considered tarnished. With Lucius serving a life term in Azkaban, the Malfoy name doesn't carry as much pull as it once had, though it did appear as though it did for Draco.

She really wanted her store. It had been her dream to open a bookstore since she was a little girl, and here was Malfoy, handing her her dream on a silver platter. All she had to do was pretend to date him.

"Really, Malfoy?" she asked shrewdly. "That's it? All I have do is pretend to date you and you will give me the money I need?"

"Yes, Granger, for only one month, and I'll pay you whatever the down payment is so that you can open your damn store," he drawled, his careful indifference still intact.

"That's it. Really." There had to be a catch.

"Yes, Granger, that's it, God, what did you expect?" he tossed out condescendingly.

Her chin came up and her eyes flashed dangerously. "Well, Malfoy, you got yourself a deal." She smiled at his surprised expression, seeing that he had expected her to hold out a bit longer. "What did you expect?" she mocked.

A/N: Hey everyone, that's the first chapter. I'm not sure how long this is going to be, but I know it is going to be romantic with a little humor. I hope I made y'all laugh a little. Your thoughts are always welcomed and virtual sno cones for those who review!!!