First story ever published, whop whop! I hope you guys find it not-a-loss-of-time and I'd really appreciate constructive criticism!
Rated M for future chapters.
Disclaimer: I own nothing except the plot, characters and all belong to the one and only J. Rowling
It was beyond her understandings why in Merlin's name was she to deal with such things. She was a professional. Her job had precise purposes and her abilities, despite advanced, had their limits. This was ridiculous. Weren't there specialists for this? Special specialists? In all honesty, her first reaction when Draco Malfoy stepped in the small, but sparkly clean and comfortable, muggle dentist's office, that just happened to be hers, was to choke on pure air. Even Albus Dumbledore's presence wouldn't be that scandalous, albeit his aura and such. No, the tall blonde in his late 20's, wearing an excessively large coat with a hood, brought a whole new meaning of the saying "out of place". Something about his chin being so high in the air as if daring for somebody to recognize him, and his eyes avoiding her own in order to throw a cautious look behind him as if fearing somebody actually would, told her he might not be here to disrupt her peace. At least not for that alone.
He stood under the doorframe for the longest and most awkward time possible before he carefully closed the door behind him, leaving them alone in the cabinet. She must have had an odd expression on her face because he snorted and regained his well known arrogance.
"Nice to see you too, Granger. Close your mouth before you catch a fly."
His handsome features stretched into a mocking smile, only not entirely convincing. He took his coat off while she watched him closely from above the frame of her glasses as if he were a dangerous animal lurking around its prey. She had last heard of the man while reading through Daily Prophet about his promotion from assistant to Head of the Department of Intoxicating Substances and about his outstanding success in developing antidotes. She hadn't put much thought in it, only taking a brief moment to fantasize where she'd be now if she had stayed in Magical London and accepted one of the countless positions quite literally thrown at her feet in the Ministry. But her current career had been her choice and her salvation, and with time, it turned into her passion. Following her parents' steps began with a desperate need to escape from the suffocating hands of the War's aftermath and the overwhelming expectations suddenly everybody had of her. Marriage, political career, social appearance – it left her gasping for air and she gladly ran head over heels towards the Medical University of London. Here she was, 9 years later, in her very own establishment for dental care, being bothered by the last person she could imagine stepping through her front door. She snapped out of her mental monologue and pointed the chair in the middle. Malfoy nodded stiffly, once again too uncomfortable to be arrogant and sat down awkwardly, eyes on her. She sighted audibly from her place behind the desk which made a few strands of hair that had escaped her practical bun dance around her face. She reached for the phone on her right and pressed a button for a few seconds until she heard her secretary's voice squeak into the her ear.
"Yes, doc?"
"Stacey, please call and inform Igor I'll have him an hour later. Don't forget to apologize."
"Sure thing, doc. Did the mister who came in a bit ago is your…"
"Stacey."
"Party pooper."
Hermione huffed and closed the phone. She really needed to keep a more formal attitude towards her employees. Her eyes finally lifted from the desk and met Malfoy's. She couldn't help but let a chuckle slip through her lips. His brow furrowed and his lips became a thin line.
"Do you think this is funny, Granger? Should I remind you that pipsqueak of a secretary you have thinks we're doing Merlin knows what, alone?"
She threw him a deadly sneer and regained her composure.
"For your information, she thinks none of that. And I can't help it when the Draco Malfoy-Almighty is gracing my humble workplace in the most atrocious excuse for a muggle outfit I have ever witnessed."
"Look who's talking! You haven't changed the slightest from that shapeless bag of a teenage girl you were in school. Such a shame, Granger, you could have turned out nicely if you put a bit more effort."
"You have exactly zero say in what I do with my own being, so stuff it. What do you want anyway? I don't have time to babysit."
"You have an hour." He pointed out, brushing an invisible spot off his shirt.
She lifted a delicate brow.
"And you haven't answered my question."
"In fact, Granger, I am here to receive medical attention."
Godric, help her. She'd be lying if she said it hadn't crossed her mind. Why else would he dare show his aristocratic arse in Muggle London in the middle of the day?
"I'm fairly sure you can take care of a toothache on your own, Malfoy."
"Do you think I haven't tried anything possible before coming here?" He hissed angrily.
He even crossed his arms like an offended child and looked away, a faint redness staining his cheeks. She let out an annoyed sight and stood up from her place. Just as she did that he sank considerably deeper into the dental chair and gripped the handles on both sides hard enough for his knuckles to turn white. His face was becoming a similar shade of colour less.
"Look, Gra… Doctor Granger, I did not come here to lose nether my time not yours and I would appreciate if you act as the professional you and the whole damn world seems to claim you are, alright?"
His throat bobbed as he swallowed hard and kept following her movements like she was the dangerous animal and he was her prey. Hermione had frozen mid-step unable to register what had just come out of this man's mouth. When she finally did she nearly exploded with uncontrollable laughter. Oh, luck really was on her side today, alright. She let a modest, full of pity smile on her lips and took a few steps towards Malfoy.
"You needn't worry. I'm here to do my job. Now, lay back and open up."
He looked not the least bit calmer but demonstrated admirable bravery as he got fully on the chair and put his head on the pillow.
"Open up." She repeated.
"Do not tell anyone. Not a soul."
"You're far from the most exciting news for me to run around gossiping about you. Now stop being a wimp."
He nodded nervously as if she had just reassured him. Hermione pulled a drawer next to her open and took out a mouth mirror and a dental explorer.
"Where's the pain?" If she'll have to deal with him, might as well just treat him like any other patient. For the most part.
"Up, on my left." Then he noticed the tools in her hands. "For the love of Salazar, Granger, what are those? You said you'd do your job, as far as my knowledge goes that doesn't include stabbing your patients! I'm sorry I called you names in school." He choked the last bit out in a desperate whine. He really was terrified. She almost took pity on him. Almost.
"I have to examine the problem, Malfoy. Stop acting like a five year old. It won't hurt."
He stared at her for a moment and then obediently opened his mouth and focused his eyes somewhere above her head.
"There is an inflammation going on there, that's for sure." She mumbled more to herself as she was inspecting the swollen gum around his tooth.
"Hmm." She furrowed her brow and made a few more noises, lost in her thoughts.
He was staring at her face with almost burning intensity until her humm-ing broke his patience.
"Wiu ha t tai ei aut?" He tried asking. She pulled her hands away.
"What?"
"Will you have to take it out?"
"I'll have to open it."
"And how do you plan on doing that? Poking it with that thing until it gets tired and opens up itself?"
Hermione lightly touched the ill tooth with the mirror and he nearly jumped off the chair.
"Are you out of your right mind, woman?" He held on his cheek and threw her a hateful look.
"Any more clever remarks on how I do what I do?"
He narrowed his eyes and grunted.
"Good." She pushed back a strand of hair in front of her face and looked into his opened mouth again.
"I'll sedate you and then we'll work on it." She always talked to her patients, saying what she was about to do and how. It calmed her down and helped her concentrate.
"O ell no!" He tried standing up but she pushed him firmly with one hand on the chest and forced him to fall back.
"Should I poke your tooth again and see how that works?"
"-itch"
"I'll prefer to think you meant to say witch."
She prepared a needle and placed it on the end of the gun.
"You'll feel a sting and then you won't feel a thing."
She broke through the gum and squirted the sedative in. Impressively enough, he stood still like a rock, only a small, tortured tear rolling off his eye.
"There we go. You'll lose sensitivity in a few seconds."
To her surprise he let a smile – a smile, not a sneer – grace his face, and to her further astonishment he let out a soft chuckle.
"Malfoy? Are you alright?"
"Your hair looks like a halo of weeds around your head, Her-mi-o-nee –" Her name rolled off his sedated mouth like a drunken song and she found herself pouting her lips in an overexaggerated annoyance. But then Malfoy giggled and she couldn't keep her mouth from spreading in a genuine smile, because who thought Draco Malfoy could get high on sedative!
"You're pretty." He suddenly became very serious, his face almost stern.
"I – well, thank you –"
To her utter terror he lifted his hand and moved it uncomfortably close to her face, making her whole body stretch a few inches backwards and away, but he put his index finger forward and – with an intense concentration that made a valley between his eyebrows, booped her nose.
Hermione felt a rush of hotness climb up her neck and cheeks because the whole scene was downright adorable, more than house elves with tiny hats and cats altogether.
"Malfoy, what do you think you are doing?" Great, her voice was shaky, way to go Miss Professionalism.
"Your nose is pretty."
"Look, as much as I enjoy a good compliment, I need to treat your tooth before the sedative wears out."
And just then, everything went to absolute hell.