The Rules of Romance .02
Inhale. Exhale.

A/N: These aren't going to be long chapters so I apologize in advance. I invite you to check out Bar Elate (A Dramione Story) and the prequel Her Dark Enchantment because those are my main ones right now. This one keeps coming to me so I'm just writing Don't forget to review if you like it =)

Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale.

Hermione was trying everything in her power to ignore the irritation that was running rampid through her veins. She tried breathing, she tried breaking things and then putting them back together again, and she even debated setting the beautiful hydrangeas she had received on fire. She couldn't bring herself to do it. Nothing was going to get rid of this burning loathing that settled in her chest.

Only one person could fully derail her day and it just happened to be the thing she hated most; Draco Malfoy.

If he could but see her right now as she tried to pull herself together he would laugh. He would laugh hard, she was sure of it. That thought alone destroyed her meditative breathing.

How could her boss think this was a good idea? Why in the world would she need a counterpart in her very own column? Malfoy knew nothing of love! He knew how to pick up girls, use them for all their worth and then throw them away like a broken wand.

A knock sounded at her office door and she took a deep breath in case it was her boss. She wouldn't mind if it was Claudia, just as long as it wasn't...

"Merlin, this office is tiny," Draco smirked, looking above Hermione's head and around the office.

Hermione made a move to slam the door in his face but he caught it just in time, still not looking her in the eye.

"Did Helen Rose get the bigger office? You know, since she's sold the most prophets," he joked

"I need you to leave,"

"Oh my, that's a lot of letters. I can almost guarantee that those are not from admirers," he said, pointing to the pile of unopened letters behind her desk.

"I have a lot of work to do. I would appreciate it greatly if you got out of my office and returned to your cubicle on the second floor," Hermione seethed, trying her best to hide it.

She still had not fully calmed down.

"Oh, but Granger this is OUR office," he said, smirking again and this time Hermione had to hold back physical urges so as not to slap him.

"Excuse me?" She questioned, hoping she had not heard him right.

"OUR office, Granger. Cuffe wanted you and I to share this cupboard you call an office," Draco said absently, running a finger over the table where the hydrangeas sat.

He flicked the dust onto the floor and studied the room carefully. He was looking for somewhere to put his desk and Hermione was more than livid at this point. Her wide eyes followed him around the room as he mentally placed his belongings in the designated corners he was claiming.

"Did he mention why he didn't give you your own office?" Hermione questioned, formulating a complaint to her boss in her head.

"Wouldn't my desk look absolutely stunning in this-" Hermione cut him off.

"Is he in his office?" Hermione questioned, but Draco just went about moving stuff over so he could put his things there.

Hermione slammed her office door shut and Draco just smiled to himself. He noticed the pink hydrangeas that sat in the vase were gorgeous but he had imagined them to be much bigger in person.

-XOX-

"Mr. Cuffe, I understand why you want to add to the column but I don't understand why he doesn't have his own office," Hermione said, irritation becoming more visible by the second.

"Miss Granger, it's only temporary. The fourth floor is being renovated for repairs. Once those are done you will both have bigger, and separate, offices," He said, avoiding eye contact as he read an issue of the prophet from a year prior.

"Well, can't he have an empty cubicle on the second floor with all the new employees?" Hermione stretched for some other option.

"I would have, Miss Granger, but I'm afraid they are all full. Look, it's only for four months. Until then you either deal with it or leave,"

Hermione couldn't decide which was worse: the fact that she could lose the one job she loves because of Malfoy or the fact that she was thinking about quitting because of Malfoy. Either way, MALFOY was the problem. She wasn't going to allow him to get the best of her. He was the new writer here, not her.

Hermione calmly left her bosses office and walked slowly down the hall. Knowing that Draco was going to be in her office for at least four months absolutely killed her.

When Hermione finally got back to her office she noticed that Draco wasn't in it but his stuff was. Everything was placed where he wanted it. Their desks were facing each other, the hydrangeas sat in her corner and a new bouquet of lilies sat in his corner. She could tell that those flowers to him were from the office as a welcome gift. His parchment was set nicely and now the room smelled of peppermint rather than the fresh flowers on her side. The one thing she noticed to be absent from his decor were pictures. Hermione had photos and frames all over her desk and her walls but his was left completely bare.

She walked to the front to tell Claudia that she would be leaving early and to put any more letters on her desk for the morning. However, once she got there she noticed that Claudia was swooning over one side of her desk while Draco talked to her. Well, they were flirting. Hermione rolled her eyes and cleared her throat. Claudia straightened up immediately but Draco just remained where he was.

"I'm leaving," Hermione announced.

"Oh, alright. Should I put the letters on your desk?" Hermione nodded and completely ignored Draco as she turned to go back to her office in order to pack up her things.

When she was putting her notes back in her briefcase she noticed a packet of at least four pages sitting on her desk. She had never seen them before.

"That's the article I wrote on how love is the worst possible feeling in the century," Draco said, coming in with more parchment to store in his desk.

"You only have four pages? Well, aren't we ambitious," Hermione stated sarcastically, shoving the article in the very bottom of her briefcase.

"It got me the job and half of your office so I should say that it was a hit," Draco smirked.

That damn smirk.

"Meeting is at nine sharp. If you aren't on time then he'll fire you. So, show up at 9:01," Hermione said, pushing past him and out of her office.

She always enjoyed a challenge but this was one thing she didn't know if she could handle.