A/N: Thank you for all the comments. Esmeralda2134 I would like to say thanks again, because I pride myself on doing new ideas. Ideas no one else has thought of only makes for a good story. Some times I use the same setting, but I always try to throw in something new to liven it up.
Chapter 2
(January 5)
Hermione sat down in the soft green chair on the right, as Mike sat down in the same type of chair on the left. Malfoy had called them to his office to go over some small details. They had to set up a time for after she and Mike got off work, which ended up being around 5pm. Hermione smelled awful seeing as she just got out of work. One of the new baby owl's had gotten sick on her earlier that day and without a shower she smelled its throw up in her hair still. "Gods I want to take a shower," she groaned to herself as Mike was looking about Malfoy's office.
Malfoy wasn't there yet, he had some kind of emergency with his mother he had to take care of first. "Would you look at this place!" Mike squealed, "I mean this guy's office alone cost more than the house we want to buy." Hermione sighed again, looking around. She had to admit it was pretty nice; it was so nice, that if this had been anyone else's office she wouldn't have sat down. She'd be too afraid her nasty work smell might mess up the nice furniture. Seeing as this was Malfoy's office, she could care less.
"Yes I'll have to ask Malfoy who his decorator is." She was joking of course, but she heard Mike stiffing in his chair to look at her.
"Now just remember Hermione, let the men do the talking." She waved him off, letting him know she wasn't going to chat in less she was asked first. She had told Mike what she wanted and he agreed to get it for her, she just had to sit back and let him do it. She understood that it all boiled down to making him feel manly. Talking business with a business man like Draco Malfoy would make any man feel big and important. Most people would be asking her way she didn't get all headstrong over it. Her answer to this was 'Harry and Ron'.
All throughout her teenage years, her two best friends were boys. Boys wanting to be manly men, so she understood all to well why Mike needed to be the one doing the talking. It wasn't that he didn't think she could do it, hell he knew she could. It was just that he was a male and he need to feel powerful. It was in his DNA to be strong and powerful, nothing more then that.
As Malfoy entered the room she watched Mike get to his feet and put out his hand. "Mr. Malfoy, I'm Mike Burbank Hermione Granger's fiancé." Draco took Mike's hand and shook it, but something told her Malfoy didn't want to touch him. "Shall we get down to business?" Mike asked, sitting down. Malfoy walked around his desk to take a seat. Calmly, wordlessly, he removed the contract and placed it down on his desk. He then removed his reading glasses from a small case, placing them on his face. He looked up at Hermione before looking over to Mike.
"There is the matter of living arrangements." Malfoy finally said, getting right to business "You two wish to stay together during this time?" He asked, looking over Hermione's note about Mike staying with her.
"Yes, well Hermione and I do live together, she just wanted me with her cause she is used to me being around." Mike said in an all so important tone. Malfoy gave him this strange look. "But we talked it over and decided it would be best if I only came to visit sometimes."
"I see," Malfoy said in that same tone he used for everything. "That will be fine; Miss. Granger will be staying in the south wing on the fourth floor. I am also in that wing; which will make it easier for her to call me if she needs something." Draco ran his finger down the page, coming to her next note. "It say's here you are not pregnant at this time that you know of, but you have not taking any test to prove this?" Draco looked to her for a reply.
"No she hasn't, but she doesn't need to." Mike said, making Draco raise his eyebrow a little before looking at Mike. "I decided a long time ago I didn't care to be a father, so I had something done to make sure I never would be one." Mike explained, making Draco give him this look that just screamed 'to much information'. Hermione kind of smiled a bit. "It's why she wrote the test wasn't needed and us sleeping together wasn't a problem."
"I see," Malfoy said again in the same tone before flipping through the pages to come to another note. "Granger, have you chosen the method you wish to use for conception?" She could see in Malfoy's eye he wanted her to answer him, but Mike was right there answering for her.
"No she has not; of course the old fashion way is out because of me and her being together." Mike said in that all important tone of his. "Hermione's been thinking along the lines of artificial insemination, which is a muggle thing." She watched as Draco put his hands down on the contract to pull on his fingers. She wondered if that was because he was annoyed with Mike.
"I've heard of that before, I hear woman taking part in it sometimes get a lot more then one child out of it." She watched as this little smirk slid over Draco lips. He looked at her giving a little wink before looking at Mike. "Are you sure you be able to carry more then one child?" Hermione had to cover her mouth to keep from laughing as Mike answered for her again.
"Oh sure that will be no problem." Malfoy laughed lightly, making Mike look from him to her. He wondered what was so funny.
"Mr. Burbank, I know you mean well, but perhaps Miss. Granger should answer these questions. After all it is her body I will be renting for the next 9 months." Malfoy said turning from Mike who was making a sour face. "Granger, I've heard that some women end up with 5 children when all the wanted was one. Now I ask you, are you sure that is how you wish to go about this with that particular possibility?"
"I know that is possible, but artificial insemination has the highest success rate out there. Not even some of the most used practices in the wizarding world can compare to it." Hermione said, making Draco nod in agreement.
"Well then, that was all the notes here, was there anything else you wished to discuss before you sign?" Draco asked, reaching for the pen. Mike made no move to answer for her, and she guessed it was because he was embarrassed about being told to shut up and let her talk.
"Yes, there is one thing," Hermione said as she fidgeted a bit in her seat. She could feel both their eyes on her and it made her uncomfortable. "I would like the right to see the child sometimes." She waved her hands a little as she started to ramble "You will have all right to it and everything, it's just, since Mike and I can't have children and I do kind of want to be a mother…I would just like the chance to do that for the child as much as you'd let me, of course. It's important for any child to know their mother and I would hate for the child to think I only did this for money…" She couldn't bring herself to look at Malfoy, so she looked at Mike, who was staring at her like she was crazy.
"I think we can come to some agreement on that Miss. Granger… Perhaps you could stay here while the child is still nursing. When it is older you could come and see it when and where you wished…I would, of course, need to know ahead of time whether or not you planned to stay or if you planned to take the child with you somewhere and for how long. Does this seem doable?" Malfoy asked as he had the pen magically write that in for him.
"Yes, yes that would be wonderful." Hermione said happily as Malfoy handed her the pen. She went through the contract once more, making sure she got everything. Feeling like she was doing the right thing, she signed on the dotted line. "When would you like me to move in before or after it's official?"
"It would be best you moved in now, we don't want you to strain your self moving…I will have Mrs. Ritz make a doctors appointment for us within the next week." He waved and a little house elf appeared in-between her and Mike. "Olivia please show Miss Granger where she will be staying and help her settle in." Draco then stood, nodding to them all "I must go for now, but if you need anything just send Olivia to get me." He took Hermione's hand and shook it before leaving. Hermione smiled down at the house elf.
"Thanks for that tip again Olivia it really helped me and my Mikey out." Olivia giggled saying 'welcome' as she led the two to her new room. Mike was still sulking over being made fun of. Hermione took his hand "I'm sorry honey I know you wanted to do all the talking, but there were just some questions you couldn't answer for me…Malfoy could have said so nicer, but I told you he's a jerk."
He made a dorky face as he bumped into her "Yeah, I know, but did you have to laugh at me?" She giggled a little as they turned down the hall to her wing.
"I'm sorry, but he set you up, he even winked at me before he asked that one question." Mike kind of groaned saying 'all gees' as he was blushing wildly. It made her laugh harder to see him like that. Olivia told them they were there and showed Hermione around. "Oh my gods all this space is for me?" She asked finding she had 12 bedrooms, 6 bathrooms, 23 closets, 14 living rooms, 6 libraries, 3 kitchens, 5 dinning rooms, 3 offices, 4 studies, 2 gyms and one very large deck.
"All that's missing is a game room and an indoor pool." Mike said as he came out of one of the gyms. Hermione was coming out of the other one, smiling at him.
"This one has a game area and two pools," She pointed to the gym behind her. Mike came over to look at the second gym. "This is fucking amazing, there is enough room in here to be a hotel and this is only one half of one wing on one floor!"
"My gods, how the hell can only two people live in this place? I mean you'd never know if anyone was home unless you bumped into them in one of the hallways!" Mike half shouted in her ear. After finding a nice middle-sized bedroom with a large bathroom next to it, Hermione moved in with Mike and Olivia's help of course. Once settled in, Hermione and Mike decided to try out one of the pools. The two were enjoying themselves when Olivia asked what they wanted for dinner. "You mean, you're going to take our orders? Do we get a menu?" Mike asked, laughing at how hotel-like Malfoy's lifestyle was.
Imagine their surprise when Olivia got them a menu. They were laughing so hard as they looked over the list half expecting there to be prices next to the food. "This is unreal, I waiting for the bill," Hermione said as she looked over the list of food. "I've never heard of shark fin soup…Is it any good?"
"It should be for 1000 yen a bowl," Malfoy's voice said coming from the doorway. She and Mike looked over at the well dressed business man. Draco looked out of place in a room full of fun. Hermione looked down at the list.
"That is about 100 dollars a bowl…holey cow! That's one pricey bowl of soup!" She looked back at Malfoy, "Do you eat it much?" She was just asking because his very presence made her feel like bugs were crawling up her arms.
"No, my mother is the one that likes it; I think it's rather bland." He said walking into the room. Mike looked like he wanted to jump back in the pool, just to get away from the uneasy feeling Malfoy was giving off. "Might I suggest the parmesan biscotti to began, then perhaps some smoke salmon with a rice salad, and finally, for dessert same caramelized secret chocolate cake."
"That sounds pretty damn good." Hermione said, handing the menu to Olivia. "I think I'll have that, only make them small portions so I can eat it all." Mike shrugged, saying he would have the same. Olivia looked to Malfoy who nodded at her before she left to get their dinner.
"Are you finding everything to your liking?" Draco asked her calmly, she had this eerie feeling he was going to flip out any second now. She gathered Mike had the same feeling, seeing as he had got up to dry off.
"Yes, I mean how could I not? Just my half of this wing is like a small hotel…And I loved the fact there is more then one library." She couldn't shake the feeling that he was going to scream. Picking up her towel, she gave him a weak smile. "Do we have an appointment set up yet?"
"Yes, we have one set up for tomorrow at 3pm with a muggle named Dr. Crow." Draco said, Hermione couldn't help noticing he was pulling at his fingers again. She had felt like he was going to scream, but Malfoy seemed very calm, relaxed even. 'Was he annoyed with her already?' she wondered, looking up at him. He seemed like he wanted to ask her something, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. "I just came to see how you were settling in and let you know of the appointment. Enjoy your dinner and good night." Malfoy then left her and Mike alone.
"That was odd" Mike said coming up behind her to wrap an arm around her waist. "I thought for a moment he was going to flip out on us…Made my skin crawl."
"I know, I thought so too…Do you think he wanted to ask us to join him for dinner maybe and then changed his mind?" Hermione asked him, trying to figure out what just had happened. She passed off the skin crawling, screaming feeling as it just being Malfoy. He always made her feel that way, but this time there had been a moment when she saw something in his eyes she had never seen before.
"Gods I hope not, that would have been awkward and uncomfortable sitting with Mr. creepy through dinner." Mike said as he got dressed. Hermione dressed as well before they found a dinning room to eat in. Dinner was splendid compared to their normal microwave dinners. After dinner her and Mike had a little rump in the hay and then Mike was off to their apartment.
Hermione got into her nightgown after a long hot shower and slipped on her fluffy slippers. She made her way to one of the libraries. Her eyes ran over the titles as her hands slid over their soft leather spins. There were so many to choose from she didn't know where to begin. Hermione was about to pull out a book, when she heard some glass breaking.
Hermione looked around to see no one. Moving to the door that led into the hall separating her half from Malfoy's half of the wing, she gently opened it. The door across from her was open some, but the hall was dark. Tip-towing over, she peeked into the room. She could see a small fire burning in a fireplace. The light showed the outline of Malfoy sitting in a chair with his head in his head.
She wasn't sure what she was seeing, but she could hear a few sobs come out of him. Hermione couldn't understand why he was crying. The man had everything a person could want and then some. 'Maybe his mother is worse than I've heard,' she thought, moving back and tip-towing away. She wasn't about to try and comfort a man she hated. Even if she had tried it wasn't likely he'd tell her anything. He'd more than likely bite her head off for even trying.
Forgetting her book, Hermione got back in bed. Lying quietly, she wondered something she never wondered before. 'What was Draco Malfoy like?' She didn't really know much about him other than she hated his guts. She wondered what he liked to eat, what he like to read and even what was his favorite color. Before now it never mattered because she hated him, but things were going to change. She was going to carry his child. 'I guess I need to get to know the man.'