"Surely, you must be joking" she choked.
Draco Malfoy smoothly raised a fair eyebrow at the flustered witch, fairly amused by her fearful tone.
"I'm quite serious, Ms. Granger" he replied, that seemingly sane smirk never lifting from his lips.
His lips.
Hermione quickly brought her attention from her supervisor's mouth back to his eyes. She cleared her throat, squared her shoulders and straightened her back against the cushioned chair she was seated in and regained her composure.
With a final upward tip of the chin, she finally spoke. "Then I will have to kindly reject your offer."
Malfoy leaned forward and spread his long fingers on his fine, cherry desk and his smug expression was exchanged with a calculating one. The gold plated plaque that all but blinded Hermione in his uncharacteristically bright office read "Head of the Department of Healing Magic"
An awkward pause simmered between them. ""I suppose I'll..." she murmured, bending at the waist to snatch up her handbag. Standing up with rigid posture, she smoothed out the blazer of her wine-red working suit and briskly made her way towards the door. "I'll be leaving for the day then." Ginny was waiting for her after all…
"Lighten up, Granger."
Hermione bristled at his joking tone and whipped around to face that challenging smirk of his. She turned so quickly that her handbag slipped from her fingers. Her cheeks grew warm and she tucked a strand of hair behind her ears to replace the sudden loss of weight in her fingertips.
"I'm light enough!" she said tightly. "I've made other arrangements for this evening and I'm already late!" Ignoring Hermione's refusal, Malfoy took one step from around his desk. In response Hermione took one step closer to the door. Maybe if she stretched her fingertips behind her she could reach the doorknob…
"Attend the Minister's dinner party tonight, at my side. Get dolled up, dine with good company, have a bit of fun. I'll even count as overtime." He threw her a charming smile for good measure. His grey eyes gleamed in anticipation of the "yes" he just knewshe would inevitably give him.
Hermione's heart jumped irregularly. He'd almost had her that time.
Almost.
Without another word, Hermione spun around, turned the knob on the door a little more viciously than necessary and flew into the hallway.
The air was much less oppressive outside of Malfoy's office. Three more seconds under the trajectory of that smile and she would have been pure putty in his hands! Hermione's nerves were shot, so she did the only thing that would calm her down; she made lists in her head.
'I didn't bring a jacket, Ginny said we'd floo to her place first to pick out an outfit… that I will most likely hate, before we head to the pub to meet up with the boys. Oh! Great, Ginny hasn't left yet.'The brunette waved to her friend who was waiting patiently by the floo network.
'And my wand is in my….oh my god'
Hermione halted mid-stride.
'My handbag! I left it!'
"Has anyone ever told you that you walk down to hallway like a madwoman?" Malfoy asked. He was surprisingly only a few steps behind her.
Hermione's shoulders sunk in defeat as she turned her head. Malfoy stopped in front of her, shaking the handbag victoriously in her face.
"Not even the brilliant Greeks could understand how you are able strut about so quickly in such impressiveshoes! They must be at least six inches!"
Hermione wasn't amused.
"I do not strut about, and these are only three!" The store clerk had claimed three and a half but who was counting.
"Now if you'll please!" She reached for her handbag just as he pulled away. She tried again with the same result. Damn his long arms! Hermione snapped her attention to Draco's face. He had a playful glint in his eye.
Exasperated, Hermione darted her eyes to Ginny. She was still waiting, but now had a confused expression stamped on her face. Hermione sent Ginny what she hoped was a pleading look.
"Er, should I go ahead? Do you have some work to finish up?" Ginny offered.
Hermione felt her eyes bulge out of their sockets. Ginny couldn't have been more wrong! Could she not read the atmosphere? Had she no womanly intuition at all? In her astonishment, Hermione almost forgot to answer so Draco answered for her.
"Yes. Ms. Granger has an appointment with me I'm afraid. I apologize for such short notice. Hope it hasn't cancelled anything major?" Hermione once again looked to her friend to rescue her.
'Yes!' Hermione pleaded with her eyes. 'Say yes Ginny!' But Ginny hadn't even spared her a glance.
Draco was in the midst of melting Ginny with his Academy Award winning smile that envied the sun itself.
Ginny shook her head slowly. "No, not at all." she replied numbly.
Hermione huffed in frustration.
"Excellent!" Malfoy clapped his hands once snapping Ginny out of her trance. She suddenly seemed unsure of what was going on and blinked confusedly. Malfoy turned his attention back to Hermione, his expression smug, and finally presented her handbag to her.
"I'll see you at seven, in my office then" he said, giving her a secret smile.
That smile...
She snatched the bag from his fingers, fuming as he sauntered off. As soon as her boss was out of sight Hermione stalked (not strutted) to her fuzzy-headed friend.
"Ginny, how could you?" she cried.
"How could I what? What did I do?" Oblivious!
"He-" Hermione let the explanation die in her throat. It didn't matter anymore. In a few hours, Hermione would attend the Minister's dinner party as Draco Malfoy's date.
A date.
Yes it was a business date, and it would probably be beneficial for someone to be there and responsibly represent their office. (Salazar be damned if Malfoy didn't accept every flute of champagne and goblet of wine that came his way during important functions that required you to show some sense of inhabitance) But it was all the same in her mind. She was about to go on a date with Draco sodding Malfoy and there was no way out! Or was there…
She'd never actually agreed to go with him! She could just not show up! Yes!...Except she would show up and only because her expected her to. And while she stood here, dreading her existence, he was probably sitting snug behind his stupid cherry desk, laughing at her.
What she'd like to do to that desk, that mark of power that Draco seemed to think he had over her!
What she's like to do to him on that desk….
Fear suddenly smacked Hermione in the face and she inhaled sharply.
"Is there something wrong?" Ginny asked.
Hermione swallowed hard and looked up at her friend.
"I need to go."
She turned on her black stiletto heels ( that were only three and a half inches dammit!) and pushed passed Ginny.
Giving it a second thought, Hermione pulled her friend with her into the floo network.
"Weasley residence" she announced and the two women were enveloped in green flames.
This is MUCH longer than a drabble, but once I started tying, I couldn't stop. Should I continue?
