BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.
Hermione groaned as the abrupt beeping dragged her away from her blissful dreams.
BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.
She glanced over to see that it was 6 o'clock in the morning.
BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.
Five more minutes, she thought to herself.
BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.
But that simply wasn't an option. She needed to get ready for work.
BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.
She could have used yesterday as a day to sleep in. Sundays were usually her rest days. But it was Monday now, and there was money to be made.
BEEP. BE-
She swung her hand and it painfully collided with the OFF button on her alarm clock. Just like her hand, her legs swung over the side of the bed, and she sat for a while to stretch and get the last bit of sleepiness out.
With her eyes half-open, she stumbled to the ensuite and stared at her reflection above the sink. Her hair was almost completely disheveled and she clearly did not take her make up off properly last night, as there were black smudges under her eyes. She stepped a few paces to her left to turn the shower on. She let the water get warm while she undressed herself and picked up a new bar of soap.
When she stepped into the shower, she let the hot water run over her shoulders before submerging her face into the running stream. With her eyes closed, she let her mind wander. She wondered why she was so tired and remembered that she has stayed at Harry and Ginny's new house until 11 o'clock last night. Her mind then began to recall memories of what happened last night. Porcelain shopping. Restaurant. Pansy and Mustery Boy. Draco.
Draco. Although his hair had been clipped shorter, his face looked very much the same as it had five years ago. While Hermione washed her hair, she started to recall the faces of all her old classmates. What were they up to now?
Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard the sound of Ron opening the bathroom door and run the tap water. After hearing more clinking and clacking, she heard a brushing sound and realized that he must be brushing his teeth. She waited for him to finish before she turned off the shower, wrapped herself in a towel and stepped into the coldness of the bathroom.
When she left the bathroom, she found her boyfriend in the middle of the room, trying to put on his tie. His belt was unbuckled, his shirt buttoned only half way, and his hair was yet to be combed. Hermione couldn't hold in her smile, so she walked over to him.
"Love, what are you doing?" she said, almost laughing.
"I thought I'd try and tie my own tie this morning. Clearly it didn't work out for me," he chuckled. "Help?"
Hermione burst out laughing and reached over to tie his tie. Might as well button his shirt, she though and she reached down to finish the buttons. With her hands already down there, she buckled his belt and returned we hands to holding up the towel that covered herself.
"I only wanted you to do the tie, you know," Ron said teasingly.
She laughed. "Well at least now you can go downstairs and make me my eggs."
He kissed her in the forehead and pulled her in for a hug. He held her for a few moments before releasing her, kissing her on the cheek and heading downstairs.
By the time Hermione went downstairs, yesterday's make up was replaced with fresh eyeliner and mascara, her wet bushy hair was now dry and straightened, and her dark-colored skinny denim jeans contrasted the bright blue of her blouse. She walked into the kitchen to see Ron finishing up with breakfast. Hermione set the table and sat down while Ron brought her her eggs and toast. As Ron sat down, Hermione stood up to get them both a glass of juice. Orange for Hermione, strawberry-banana for Ron. One of the many perks of living in muggle London: various assortments of juice.
When she sat back down, she handed Ron his juice.
"Looking for new jobs again today?" asked Ron.
Hermione had coworkers at her current job that she absolutely despised. She couldn't handle it and had been spending the past month looking for another job during her lunch break. So far, no luck.
"Yes dear. I thought I was so close last week. This company a few blocks away was looking for a new employee- the exact position I wanted. But they had already filled the spot and told me they weren't looking for anyone else." she replied, disappointed.
Ron took her hand, kissed it, and said, "Don't you worry, my love. I have no doubts that you will find a better job."
Having finished her breakfast, she stood up with her plate and empty glass, kissed Ron on the cheek and placed her dirty dishes into the sink. She would wash them when she gets home.
The drive to work was always terrible. Another reason she needed a new job. She walked into the building and said hello to the receptionist. She would miss her when she left.
She headed to the elevators and pressed the button that would land her on the 12th floor.
When she finally got to her office, she set down her bags and took off her coat. She placed her coat on the bak of her chair and sat down at her desk. She noticed that there was new paper work to be archived and moaned at the sight of the stacked papers. Beside the papers was her agenda, and she opened it to check for meetings. There was one that did not require her attendance, but decided I go anyway. The meeting started at 9:45, which was half an hour from now. She decided to start the paperwork while waiting for the meeting.
Not 10 minutes later, the phone at her desk rang. The receptionist at the front, Flora, said that there was a guest at the front desk. He is required at the 9:45 meeting and everyone else is apparently busy, so Hermione must be the one to escort the guest to the board room. She obliged, and headed for the elevator.
When she reached the main lobby, she politely nodded and greeted fellow coworkers that were stationed on different floors; coworkers she could actually tolerate. Upon reaching the front desk, Hermione was about to ask Flora who the guest was, when she saw a flash of dirty blond hair flick upward and the body attached rise from a seat in her peripheral vision. She held her head down while the man approached to see designer Italian shoes, well-tailored suit pants, and as she lifted her head, she took notice of the man's perfectly ironed dress shirt and blazer and cleanly shaven neck. Within seconds, she was face to face with the legendary Draco Malfoy.