Time Off
The door slammed open with a resounding crash making Draco Malfoy jump and effectively shattering his daydream, he turned to give the culprit a nasty dressing down, only to find it was his Vice President of Research and Analysis with an arm load of files. So many files, in fact that you couldn't see her face, just her unruly hair, and the lower half of her skirt, legs and skirt. She kicked the door closed almost unbalancing the entire stack, he smiled and went to relieve her of her burden, if for no other reason than to save his floor from damage lest she trip. As he crossed the room a muffled voice came from behind the pile.
"Malfoy, here are your year-end reports, market analysis, a few suggestions on how to improve client relations in the new year."
Then she proceeded to dump the stack on his newly clear desk and plopped down in a chair on the other side of his desk. Since this made it impossible for him to see her if he sat behind his desk he perched on the edge in front of her.
"It's the second day back after the holidays and you already have year-end finished Granger? Why am I not surprised?"
"Because I'm the best damn Vice President you have and you know it."
"But what will you do for the rest of the week? It's only Tuesday."
"I've been thinking and…"
"No! Absolutely not! What is it this time?", he interrupted, crossed his arms and scowled at her.
"What do you mean 'this time'?" she asked as he got up and walked back to the window and turned, knowing that she would have a hard time seeing anything but his outline against the setting sun.
"Let's see, every new year since you have worked for me you have come in here and quit! The first year I had to double your salary so you would stay; the second it was another raise; the third the Vice President's position and last year was a new office. What do you want this year? A library? Half of Malfoy Inc.? My seat on the board?"
"Oh, be quiet for once and listen!"
She was getting 'the look' and he was glad to be on the other side of the desk.
"You know that I asked for none of those things. When I took this position you know it was a temporary arrangement. You needed someone to straighten out the department and I needed to prove to the Ministry that I wouldn't be pushed around. I've stayed the last three years because you always had something interesting for me to work on, not because of any of your bribes!" She huffed and walked over to him.
She had her fists on her hips and 'the look' had become 'the glare' and he knew from experience to put furniture between them and fast. Her usually neat and prim robes were unbuttoned and he could see a silk blouse, half tucked, that brought out the green flecks in her brown eyes, the narrow skirt and the fetching shoes that he… All this skittered across his mind as he rounded the desk and damn, now he couldn't see her expression because of the sun. He told him to focus on the issue at hand and said,
"Granger, I sorry, I was kidding, please don't quit! What would I do without you? Research and Analysis has never run so well and I could never replace you. What will it take? Anything in my power to give is yours for the asking." He backed around a chair as she moved toward him.
"Merlin, Malfoy, stop being so twitchy! I'm not going to hit you and I'm not trying to quit. I was going to say that I will be needing some time off later this year, and after that I would like the option to work from home. At least part of the time, I'll come in for meetings and for a few hours each week."
"You never take time off unless I force you to, what...? Are you ill? Are you dying? Please tell me you're not dying!"
He was pacing now and wringing his hands. She rolled her eyes and sat down and pulled the second chair over and motioned for him to sit. She wants me to sit, this is bad, he thought. He sat and she looked him in the eye. How can she be so calm when she is dying? he thought and swallowed the lump in his throat.
"I don't know how to tell you this, but you are going to be a father, Malfoy."
She was looking at him like she expected him to say something, he should say something, but what do you say to your Vice President of Research and Analysis after she tells you she is carrying your child? He had to say something or she would think he was disappointed.
"I, I, don't know what to say Hermione, I,..." he trailed off and lent over and kissed her. She wasn't dying! He wasn't losing her to the Ministry and she wasn't dying! He was so happy he picked her up and twirled her around the room.
"I take it this means you aren't upset that this is sooner than we planned?" she asked as she caught her breath.
"How could I be upset? I thought you were dying!"
"Yeah, about that, you are going to have to calm down and stop being so paranoid or the next seven months are going to drive me insane."
She pushed away from him and walk to the door.
"See you at home Mr. Malfoy?"
"See you at home, Mrs. Malfoy." he said as she closed the door and wondered what he had done to be lucky enough to be her husband. He smiled and started making a mental list of all the safety measures he would have to implement over the next seven months.