A/N: This is for my best friend, Issa.
Blaise pinched his nose in irritation as he let out what has to be the tenth sigh is the last five minutes. He just wasn't haven't a very good day; the reports came back and while sales were up twenty six percent; and while the projected figures were twice that and his partner was not in the mood to be see reason.
In any other job, Blaise could have charmed up a presentation on marketing and how the numbers were steadily increasing. It would have been a brilliantly delivered, number solid, action forward presentation that would have had his partner shaking his hand and out of his hair for another two weeks. Sadly, his partner was the start of his very bad day.
Draco Lucius Malfoy, sole beneficiary of the Malfoy fortune had decided that his money needed to go somewhere. Thus, the M&Z Industries had been born four years ago; the first of its kind in the wizarding world and it was a powerhouse of financially successful products. It had become a lender that promoted, produced and sold many of the wizarding hot new products.
Blaise himself had been featured side by side with Draco in several magazines and newspapers as a hot new leading entrepreneur of wizarding world. Their products more often than not, had integrated Muggle technology and their company had the highest amount of half blood and muggle born employees. The Ministry had been forced to create a new certification of Physics Magic, a promising new career path; the flyer that fifth years' at Hogwarts got from their Head of Houses, promised.
As it were Draco was proving all those magazines false. He was not in fact a: surprisingly mature, progressive forward thinker and leader of his generation. He was a overgrown screaming toddler and he was stomping all over Blaises' nerves.
"Draco, for the last time you cannot," Blaise made a point of waving his arms, "cannot, brand the barista."
"Barista," Draco sneered, and Blaise swore he had never looked more like his father, "-more like idiotic human elf tea slave."
This had to be the fifth combination of slave elf tea, Blaise had heard today. He had also heard, "Why did we free all the house elves Blaise?" And "why can't we hire house elves Blaise?" And "Why is the human elf tea slave get a fancy name like barista, Blaise?"
As it were, it didn't really matter what Blaise responded to these remarks because there was no curing Draco of this mood. And at this point, he really didn't want to give his report of the BlackBerryX floo phones and their amazing twenty six percent jump in market. Yet, to save the poor girl who unfortunately worked down the street in a little cafe from the unavoidable rant about branding with the M&Z logo and possible follow through of that said threat, Blaise sighed once more and handed his report over without a word.
Malfoy who had just started the "branding means we own her Blaise" rant blinked down at the papers in his hand. He was still muttering to himself as he flipped through report with more force than strictly necessary.
Bracing himself for onslaught as Draco finished the report, Blaise carefully inched his wand up his sleeve ready to knock his partner out and lock him up until Friday if the occasion called for it.
He was not disappointed and he watched his partner work himself into apoplectic rage and rant at the incompetence of the workers and greedy human-goblin financiers. Just when Blaise though he would actually not get any brunt of the tantrum, Draco's eyes cut to him an icy thundercloud in his eyes. And Blaise had been wrong, here, now this was when Draco looked like a carbon copy of his father. He had gone quiet and Blaise knew better than to think that it was any better than any of the yelling.
Closing his eyes for a brief prayer before the onslaught; he heard it, eyes snapping open in surprise. They cut over to Draco just in time to see all the rage and tension bleed out and there it was, playing at the edge of his left side, a tiny smile and a slight crinkle of across his gray eyes. And Blaise wondered in the power of prayer as the click-clack of sensible low heel shoes came ever closer.
Blaise knew the exact moment she rounded the corner and came into view because the smile came out in full and his eyes filled with a happy wonder and happiness as she called out.
"Oh, there you are boys. I tried calling but you didn't answer the phones."
Draco was striding across the hall and Hermione Jean Granger found herself with an arm full as Draco Malfoy as she received a rare hug from her boyfriend of three months. Blaise watched her eyes twinkle in amusement as she hugged back and sent his a raised eyebrows question.
Blaise shook his head in response; honestly she had to know what her absence did to the poor sod. They walked over hand in hand, Draco trailing like a happy puppy, eyes on her like she was the sun, moon and stars returning to his sky.
Accepting her kiss on the cheek with grace, he felt his own grin street across his face.
"Your back early, Granger, how was France?"
"It was great thank you for asking, they've agreed to meet with Kingsley for a preliminary meeting on Tuesday." Draco had become a giant human octopus and wrapped himself from behind and was leaning contently into the top of her head by this point, had only spared Blaise a glance of contempt when she had kissed him of the cheek but otherwise had undivided attention on her.
Hermione had left for France three days ago and had not meant to return until Friday. Blaise who had been dealing with Draco and her subsequent absence for two days had never been happier to see the bushy head back in the office.
"You've been sorely missed around here," he told her and worked hard to keep the fervor out of his voice, honestly, he loved Draco like a brother but he was seconds away from locking him in the rarely used storage closet.
The rest of the next six minutes are filled with small talk and polite questions, none of which Draco is part as he continue to unwind before his eyes. After Hermione's long explanation on the French Ministry Undersecretary and their obsession with Bruce Springsteen and how a conversation about "I'm on Fire" got him to convince the entire counsel to meet with Kingsley in the London offices without any formalities a whole three days early than expected, Draco finally speaks up,
"See that Blaise, my girlfriend is an opportunist genius." He is all smiles and charm and Blaise is floored into silence. He just watches as Draco plans out a long lunch with Hermione and they are halfway down the hall when Draco turns and addresses him,
"Oh, and great job with the phones, tell marketing they're doing great. And you, you deserve a raise." And he's gone, around the corner with the click-clack of heels.
Smiling Blaise whispers, "You got it, boss." While setting fire to his report and summoning a bottle of Firewhiskey.