Oh, Heavens demagatory! Who puts Tolkien and Fitzgerald in the same spot? And Lee too? This is a library!
I pulled the books from the shelf, rolling my eyes as I did so. "They're just books, Hermione; calm yourself," I muttered, beginning to exit the aisle. I had two hands full of stories: one for my personal reading and the other so that I could put it in its proper place.
I felt a sudden bump at my left, sending my books flying down to the ground. "Sorry!" a familiar voice said, bending down to help me. It was my assistant, Derekycus. He was slightly clumsy but a good help and soul, nonetheless. "I was coming to find you because someone is applying for the open job."
"Do you know who it is?" I questioned, picking up my own pile of books to read. I didn't like strangers very much, especially the crude ones, but I accepted them.
My gaze shifted to him, watching scenarios run through his mind. "He's well-known," he answered quietly. Well-known? What did that have to do with people I would hire as help?
Harry! Had Harry come to work at my library? I knew that he had spent a lot of time in here with Ron and I but he didn't seem like the type to want to shelf books and check them out for others. The only moments he had been in a library was when the "Golden Trio" was together. But then again, who was I to say he wouldn't enjoy it here?
I made way to the desk, catching a flash of white hair before I did a double take. NO. It couldn't possibly be the most arrogant, self-righteous, vile man I know. Taking a deep breath, I prepared myself for the new string of insults to be heard from him.
I walked behind the counter, finding the grey eyes that only confirmed my fears. It was Draco bloody Malfoy. We had hated each other since as long as I could remember. It was worse, especially now; not only was he one of the worst human beings on Earth, he was also one of the most beautiful. The fact that he and I had been the smartest to pass through Hogwarts in a century, along with being Head Boy and prefect, only added to my loathing.
"Ah, Granger, I should've known you would be here," he proposed wickedly. "Unfortunately, I'd like to see the main librarian of this establishment."
My response carried a bitter, but satisfactory tone. "You're talking to her." It wasn't as good out loud as it had been inside my head. "Now, what am I to help you with Malfoy?"
His lips pressed together for a solitary moment, as if judging his answer. "I would like an application, please."
Laughter bubbled from my mouth, my head tilted back slightly. He may have been smart but he wouldn't be caught here, even to attend a funeral. Unless his family had gone from billions to pennies, I doubted he would work a day of his life.
"Do I look like I have time for you to take this as a joke, Granger?" His arms rested on the counter, his eyes narrowing in my direction. "I'm a very busy man, I'll have you know."
I bit my lip as I bent down to retrieve him an application. I set the application on the desk for going in search for the quill I had set aside earlier. Was Draco just that desperate? Was he trying to run away from the thing that had nearly ruined his life? Or was he attempting to escape his parents? After I reappeared, I held a new quill in my hand, frustrated at the loss of the other one. However, I saw his hand moving furiously as he wrote. "So why would a boy like you want to work at the library, much less a muggle one?"
His eyes, much like a raging storm, focused on the paper as he scribbled his signature. His pen was made of ivory, the designs of leaves made of gold; it wrote with a bold but smooth black. Oh, the joys of being rich. I wouldn't doubt he even murdered an elephant to make the ivory of one pen.
"I like reading," he finally spoke, his attention still on the words he wrote. "Is that unlawful?" The last line was filled before he turned it towards me. His gaze eventually found me, his grey orbs containing a frozen light inside them.
"Well, no." I sighed, looking around for anything that could possibly distract me from Draco. But, not to my surprise, hardly anyone was there. "I suppose since I hardly have anything to do, I'll take the interview in my office. Follow me," I retorted, motioning for him to go behind the counter.
I moved toward my office door, opening it for him. He passed by, leaving me to only examine his dress wear. It was far too nice for just everyday affairs. His shirt was a pure, black, silk, a tie to match; his white hair was smoothed over to the left side neatly. If he wasn't such a bugger, I would've been speechless.
He sat down, crossing his legs as he made sure to stay forward. His elbow rested on his knee, his free hand resting on the arm of the chair. "Ask me anything; I'm an open book." He chuckled at himself slightly, knowing fully well all the secrets that hid beneath his eyes.
"Alright, let's start with the basics. Why do you believe you would be a good fit for around here? What is it that drives you to work here?" My voice was calm as I crossed my legs and leaned back in my chair, my notepad in my lap.
Draco shifted his gaze for a moment before finding my eyes again. "Well, for one, I'm not quite content in just sitting around; I want my mind to be busy. Plus, I could be far more assistance than someone who just trips over things and tries to flirt with you at moments notice."
"Excuse me?" I demanded, my voice straining as my eyebrows rose. Flirting? Who on Earth was flirting with me?
His head flew back, a laughter bursting from him. "Oh, this is rich. I'm about to ruin something very delicate for you. Your employee, whatever his name is, madly in love with you. He watches you whenever he thinks you aren't looking. Even I can see that, Granger."
He was right; he had ruined something for me. No conversation would go without being awkward between myself and Derekycus. It would be almost unbearable between us. "That.. We are here to talk about you. Tell me what drives you to think you would be a good fit for this place?"
I began to write down the things that he had said about not watching to be still, thinking that he could be of great assistance. I could feel the pressure of the quill under my fingers, finding that it was threatening to break. Yet my writing gave no sign of my annoyance.
"I have a personal library at home and I've read three-fourths of it. I have no doubt that I could suggest a good book with just reading the summary on the cover of it. Would you like to test my theory or must I be quizzed with my knowledge of romantic novels and that sort?" he asked sarcastically.
As I rolled my eyes, I could swear that I heard his amusement. "Well, you sound wonderful on paper but unfortunately, I know you. So, I will need to contact two of your references today. Would you like me to do that now or would you prefer that I let you leave? I'd hate for you to have to read them practically curse your name."
"Go on and call them, Granger. They knew me far better than you do. It won't crush me if they don't like me. I'm a Malfoy; just because others are a disgrace doesn't mean that we are." His grey orbs had darkened slightly, the top of his lip curling.
I looked at the names, choosing one in the middle. I wrote a note saying:
'Dear Mr. Vaddlesprout,
Draco Lucius Malfoy had asked to use you as a reference for work. If you would, please tell me if he is a fine gentleman on the job and if he has worked well under your supervision. Thank you for your consideration and please contact me as soon as possible.
Hermione Granger'
With a whistle, I called my owl, smiling as it flew through the doorway. I found another parchment paper and wrote the same thing but addressed to Mrs. Warghollow. My owl took the message in his mouth to deliver and flew out the window I had opened.
"You know, most birds aren't that smart. You're lucky for that," Draco quietly commented, still in the same sitting position. Was he saying something nice to me? I almost checked his forehead for a fever that might be inside him. He never said anything nice to anyone.
My mouth opened but nothing came out at first. "Thank you." My brown orbs stared into his charcoal eyes, finding them anything but dull and colorless. They were full of light but some of it seemed to be the wrong kind. Did the Mark still affect him, did it still torment his mind as it once had?
Twenty minutes passed and I was left to only stare at him. Not necessarily because I wanted to but because I didn't know what else to do.
His lips rose in a slight smirk, noticing that my gaze lingered on him much longer than it should have. His own lips parted, no doubt with an insult to follow the thing that he had said before. Before he could, my owl perched itself onto my window sill, containing a letter already. It was from Juliaerius Vaddlesprout.
'To Ms. Granger,
Draco Malfoy is one of the few who have shined with his work of not only magic but being a hard worker. He knows how to hold onto his integrity in many situations that others would abandon it. He is also very kind, especially with those under pressure; he understands the idea that the customers are always right. He will strive to make the services to the customers contentment and will do what it takes to impress those he works for. I would recommend you hire him but if you choose not to, remind him that his position in my work is still open.
Juliaerius Vaddlesprout'
My eyes widened as I read the words greedily, finding that not only was this brute qualified, he was highly recommended! Could my day get any worse?
Almost as if to answer my cue, the next owl came, no doubt, carrying a letter that talked even more about how charming my enemy was and how she would love for him to work for her once again. "Well, Malfoy, I see that you are very qualified for the job, you have the right reasons; I expect to see you tomorrow morning at nine o'clock. If you are ten minutes late, I will not tolerate it."
"Understood. Are you sure it will not be easier to just send me off right now? It's only," he began, checking his watch, "three o'clock and you close at eight. That would be at least five hours."
I bit my tongue to keep from insulting because he seemed to disregard what I had said. "If you would like to, Draco, you may. You'll have to sign the contract before you get started. Are you sure that you don't want to just start tomorrow?"
"I'm sure, Granger. I know how to adapt to being thrown into things." He held his hand out expectantly for the contract.
Sighing, I retrieved the signing papers from my desk, turning it so that he could write on the paper. "Sign here," I mumbled, pointing at certain spot before his finger would fly up and spot my speech. "What on Earth are you waiting for, Malfoy?"
"I'm not going to sign my arse to you so that you can throw me around without knowing the conditions, Granger. As one of two smartest people to attend Hogwarts in a century, I would have thought you would understand that," he impatiently explained, scribbling furiously before beginning to read once again.
"Just hurry up, for Merlin's sake," I mumbled, mentally hitting my face with a book. Why on Earth had I decided that he would be a good fit for the muggle library that I own?
He finished, turning the paper back to so that I could see it. "Now, if you don't mind, where should I hang my coat?" His lips still were perching in that stupid smirk. I could almost hate him for it but I decided to make the best of the current dilemma.
Clenching my teeth together, I pointed outside. "On the rack. And Malfoy?" He stood up, his eyebrows raised in a question. "Dress casual tomorrow, for Merlin's sake. Who in the bloody hell wears a suit to the library?"
He chuckled before shooting me a look that showed his "superiority" to me. "A Malfoy." With that, he exited, disappearing to behind the counter for his new post.
