Chapter Four:
It was Hermione's first week, she always knew it was going to be overwhelming for both her and Ursula however she didn't think that her assistant would be nursing a scotch right after lunch. Before Hermione even got close enough to her desk to ask what was wrong, she could see the problem. They were everywhere.
Flowers.
Gaudy, unnecessary, heavily scented flowers. They were pungent and loud, spouts of pinks and purples with yellows and blues were placed all around the office. Some of their petals had dropped on the floor, alongside some of the staining lily pollen.
"Ma'am, they're everywhere, they've moved my things on my desk to make room, there are magazines littered across the front table like some doctor's office. My nose hasn't stopped running since they came in and I have no idea where they came from!" Hermione had rarely heard Ursula be so shrill. Her proclamation was peppered with sniffles and her eyes were swollen.
"Ursula, it's okay, let me take care of this for you. Would you mind casting a few spells on your papers to ensure that nothing gets ruined? It's okay, Ursula." In a rare spectacle of open emotion, she briefly comforted her assistance by touching her shoulder and giving Ursula her handkerchief.
Assessing the room she cast a few levitation spells to take the flowers out to the lifts and down to the ground floor. There was no point wasting them, however they couldn't stay where her assistant could feel the hayfever affects. Hermione continued to mutter cleaning specials and shuffled around the exterior office until everything was in order.
"What woman doesn't appreciate flowers?"
She would die a happy woman if she didn't hear that voice ever again.
"Ah, Malfoy, I thought I had cleaned up the mess in my office."
"I wasn't aware that you allowed messes in your office Granger."
"Must be why you're not allowed in my office Malfoy."
They fell into their own dance, Hermione felt almost auto-pilot taking over. It wasn't her words it was like she didn't think before she spoke in their conversations.
Utterly infuriating he was.
Unfortunately he was the second Malfoy in the past month to break character.
He laughed.
Hermione blinked twice before studying the man in front of her as he laughed. There were many laugh lines, with matching furrowed brow crinkles. His skin was no longer almost translucent, however she couldn't bring herself to describe it as something silly like marble.
No, he was still an English rose complexion with pale blonde hair. It was fashionably short, cropped similar to the styles she had seen splashed across muggle and wizard magazines alike.
For a brief moment she considered him good-looking.
"Granger, as I was saying, what woman doesn't appreciate fresh flowers in her office. Especially with such a gorgeous assistant in tow?" his tone was warm; she had heard those earthy baritones before. It was often at Ministry Galas, laughing at terribly old-fashioned jokes from the appointed Warlock's, or discussing business permits in the Ministry atrium.
Draco Malfoy was rarely away from the spotlight.
"In this office, it would be similar gift if I gave you shellfish wouldn't it."
Hermione didn't know how or why she knew he was allergic, she must have read it somewhere in a magazine when she had run out of books. Or perhaps overheard it in the powder rooms again at fanciful events.
His expression clearly indicated that he was also surprised that she knew that information about him.
"My apologies, my colleague Blaise Zabini and I only hoped to brighten our new employees day." And with that, he was gone. He understood her meaning of Ursula's allergies, and managed to not offend either of them during the conversation.
"Who on Earth is Blaise Zabini and why are they both hot on your toes Ma'am?" Ursula had clearly recovered from her momentarily dysfunction from her flower debacle and was now standing and rearranging her desk- it was her nervous habit.
"As ridiculous as that sounds, I think that was their common behavior."
Hermione Granger only hoped that her next encounter with Hogwarts alumni wasn't as office-ruining as the last.
"So you've spent a week at TMG and you've only seen him once?"
"I'd consider that good lucky Harry, you should put money on the dogs today Mi, you'll probably win."
Harry, Ron and Hermione were huddled in a small booth in the corner of the Leaky Cauldron. It was her favourite booth in the establishment because it allowed the booth members to hide away from direct view within the pub, and you had a clear viewpoint of the fireplace. Perfect to avoid people and in this case, the media, as Hannah often throws up a few disguise charms when she waits the Golden Trios table to allow privacy.
Hermione looked around and sighed, "It's been good, however I will have to see him at some point next week to establish what in heaven's I'm meant to be doing within research and development division. I have been down there every day this week and met all of the employees with the exception of Zabini and Malfoy. It's like they're ghosts in their own building."
"Mi, have you ever thought of asking Narcissa where her son may be? She is definitely the type to keep the leash tight until she's ready to hand over to Draco's wife to be." Harry scratched his stubble, deep in thought. Since Hogwarts, the Boy Who Lived often found peace in teaching and found his way back to Hogwarts to teach Defense of the Dark Arts. When he wasn't teaching he could be found in the arms of Lee Jordan, who was Madame Hooch's replacement.
The media had originally painted it as a phase or scandal, however with the new generation has sprouted new appreciation for non-heterosexual couples in the limelight.
Ron had snorted rudely into his firewhiskey and soda, "Yeah, Mrs. Malfoy would hold that SOB so tight that his father would hear about that. The word is around the Quidditch groupies that she doesn't allow him to date formally past the eats-shoots-and-leaves stage unless she approves."
"That seems far-fetched, even with wizarding society being as backwards as your late Aunt Muriel." The raven-haired man shook his friend and signaled Hannah to bring another round to the table.
"Oi mate, it's true, the Cannons WAG club is all about who will meet Narcissa Malfoy's strict conditions. They've prepped their friends and sisters to see if they'd meet expectation. It's bloody weird, Mrs. Malfoy is fine for him to fuck whatever moves, but they're only one night stands, and they're not welcome at that Wiltshire Manor either. Seamus and I were joking about sending some of his blind dates to the location just to see what would happen to them." Ron wiped his mouth and looked quickly at his watch. "Alright, this will be the last round for me otherwise Luna will lock me out again with whatever made up things she's studying currently."
Hermione rolled her eyes, to the common man, Ronald Billius Weasley was the class clown, often in his early days in Hogwarts he made fun of Luna Lovegood for her fantasy stories on wrackspurts or gobbly goop fairies. To close friends of the youngest male Weasley, they could tell her was smitten. They would sit at a café for hours just by themselves and he would listen to her studies on animals and supported her. Luna balanced Ron out like the calming ocean against his raging fire. He returned the favour though, protected her and brought passion to her life like she had never seen before.
It was sickeningly cute how her two best male friends were so maddeningly in love.
At this odd reflection, Hermione thought of Ginny's conversation about her own love life and the balancing act her would-be partner would play.
"Mi, just be careful, I know you can't tell us what research you're helping the Malfoy's with, however it's best to exercise caution. Evil wasn't always evil, it is often seen as the pursuit of power whether it's taking it away from others or growing your own."
Hermione squeezed Harry's forearm gently in reassurance, "It'll be fine, every thing is too heavily regulated to do anything about it now."
"Yeah, thanks to your work at the Ministry." Ron chimed in, beaming as he gathered his wallet and phone. "See you chumps next weekend?"
Harry and Hermione nodded, watching their red-haired friend head to the exit only to be stopped by the form of the flower-giving Draco Malfoy.
"Weasley, nice to see you. See you next game?"
Ron nodded and exited without saying a word to the youngest Malfoy. Ron hadn't ended up playing for his favoured team, the Chudley Cannons, however he did find himself as the Keeper for the Falcons where the Malfoys were prime stakeholders.
Draco Malfoy didn't seem perplexed by Ron's reaction, and only looked further to see Harry and her still sitting in the booth.
"Potter, unless the papers are lying to the public, I didn't think you felt about Granger like that." His sly words made Harry and Hermione exceptionally aware that they were still sitting quite close from when Ron left. As the three of them had grown up and out, it was a bit of a squeeze to fit comfortably in the hidden seats.
"Evening Malfoy, come to suck the blood of an innocent virgin?" Harry chided, flushing at the blonde's former remark.
"Well by her rumoured techniques, I highly doubt this one is a virgin, but thank you for the concern."
Hermione coughed into her drink, drawing Malfoy's attention onto her. He stepped closer, subconsciously brushing off soot from his tailored jacket.
"Granger, you alright? Do you have another allergy I should be aware of?"
"I think the only one you should be concerned with is the fact that I seem to be allergic to you."
"Why do you think this is so?" the blonde quirked an eyebrow in her direction, before summoning a drink from the barmaid and sliding in next to Hermione. This pushed all three parties closer to each other, making the gesture seem a lot more intimate than what Hermione would like.
"Because I seem to choke whenever I'm around you, you petulant twat. First the ridiculous flowers, then you disappear while I'm trying to find you for this research, I'll have you note that I didn't have trouble breathing when you weren't around. However when I did indeed see you again, I seem to have choked again." she hated that sometimes when her brain worked to fast that words seem to vomit out without any elegance, it was a rare state to be in and Harry noticed it too while quietly watching the exchange.
Malfoy laughed, leaning in closer than she thought was even possible; "Granger, all that you have described with me is that when I'm around, I seem to take your breath away." And with that statement, he downed his drink and spotted a curvy brunette leaning against the bar and checking the time. Hermione surmised that his date had arrived to be escorted back to whichever hotel he had picked for the night.
She could feel the heat in her cheeks, she knew she was bubbling with anger, for once she didn't have a response for the twat and it crushed her. It was a whole five minutes after Malfoy had left did Harry dare to impose on a topic of conversation.
"So, flowers?"