Chapter 14: Birthday
Disclaimer: I own nothing except for the plot. Harry Potter is not mine.
The elevator door swung open and her hazel-colored eyes fell on the Malfoy insignia located at the wall in front of her – an elaborate letter M embossed in a sort of badge with two imposing dark green dragon on both of its side. The image was large enough for her to notice that the eyes of the dragons were of the color of dark mercury – almost the same as the eyes of the person she was about to meet. The scales were of deep moss but a slight tilt of the head of the viewer will reveal that it had tinges of silver.
A high-pitched voice wakened Hermione from her musings, "Ms. Granger?" It came from the receptionist or was she Malfoy's secretary? Must be the latter. The lady was very attractive - the likes that typical men would fall for. Her hair was blonde, eyes bright blue and she wore a figure-hugging Muggle dress that accentuated her already plump breasts.
"Ah. Yes, yes. I'm Hermione Granger." She blinked thrice to get her bearings back.
The receptionist slash secretary flashed her pearly whites. "Please, follow me. The president is expecting you. He's at the conference hall for your meeting."
Hermione frowned. She peeked at her wristwatch which was covered by the sleeves of her suit. "Already? But it's still ten minutes before our meeting. "
"Well, Mr. Malfoy knows that you'll be early. He said that you've always been punctual."
"Really?" Hermione said more to herself.
They were at a long hall with high ceilings and with walls painted with cream. The sound of both their heels was the only noise that the brunette heard. It surprised her that she felt an unexplainable dread in her chest. Why was she so nervous and so tense? It's just Malfoy and some members of his Board. It's not as if this was the first time that she'll be presenting in front of people. She even made an impromptu speech in front of the Minister when she was just starting in the Ministry. This meeting should be a breeze to her. But it was not, her knees were wobbly and she felt weak. Her steps were rather small and insignificant compared to the strutting woman in front of her. What's happening to her? Why feel so small now? Maybe it's because of who's she presenting to. Maybe it's because she didn't understand Malfoy anymore.
They stopped at the second to the last door - a mahogany double door with gold-colored handles. The lady knocked three times and turned the knob for Hermione. The brunette took two steps inside. At the end of the long table was Malfoy, his back was at them. He appeared to be looking at the view offered to him through the glass wall of the room. When he spoke, his voice appeared to resound throughout the room. "I knew it." He stood up from his seat and faced his employee and his visitor.
"Knew what?" Hermione couldn't contain herself from speaking. All notion of nervousness was gone. This was Malfoy she's facing, there's no room for second guessing herself and her abilities.
Malfoy didn't answer her question but he kept his gaze at her while he spoke to his secretary. "You could leave now, Eliza. I'll call for you if I and Miss Granger need anything else."
"Okay, sir." And then Hermione heard the door shut.
They had been staring at each other for exactly five seconds and Hermione couldn't take the silence anymore. She cleared her throat and was about to speak when Malfoy spoke.
"Please, take a seat, Granger." He smirked and lightly shook his head when Hermione took the seat directly opposite him so that the two were both at the end of the long rectangular table. "I mean here." Mentioning her to take a seat beside him.
She huffed and took her bag which housed the papers she needed for the presentation. Her tongue was itchy for a comeback, but she kept her mouth shut, fearing that she might blow it up if she let her conflicting feelings get the better of her. What exactly is happening to her? One second she's nervous to meet him and then a moment would pass and she was angry and irritated towards him. What's going on with her? And now that his silver eyes, which reminded her of the eyes of the dragons on the insignia, were boring into her, she felt squirming from discomfort.
She reached the swivel chair at his right side and put her things on the table.
"I thought we will have a meeting. Where are the members of your Board? They're a part of this project, right?" Her head and back turned to take in the whole room.
"Take a seat first, Granger and I'll explain to you everything."
"But…"
"Sit, Granger."
She wasn't used to being ordered around but she complied. "Fine." He was her sponsor, after all. He could easily take back his words since they hadn't signed anything yet; finding another funder would take months, even years, so she would allow him to command her for the meantime.
Malfoy walked over to the glass wall overlooking Muggle London. "You're wondering why we're alone in this room. You and me."
His voice was cool and low, very soothing to the ears. She waited for his words and looked at his back, watching his right hand as it traced invisible lines on the glass.
"The truth, Granger, is that there are no members of my Board that will attend this meeting."
"What? Why?"
"I told them that I'll be handling everything regarding this matter."
"You could do that? But they're a part of this company."
The blond man turned to her. Both of his hands were now in his pockets. She couldn't see his eyes and face, though, because of the light from the outside. "You're forgetting who you're dealing with."
"Oh, right. You're Malfoy. ThePresident."
A soft chuckle came from him. She never heard him laugh before. It sounded good, happy, light.
"Yes. I'm thePresident." He mimicked her pronunciation. "I'm now the head of the Malfoy Enterprises, in case you're wondering. Everything I said is law in here."
Hermione stood up and crossed her arms in front of her. He was reverting back to his old arrogant self. Maybe he's suffering from some psychological disorder.
"I will never be under your laws, Malfoy."
He walked towards her. She thought that he will resume his seat at the head of the table but he swerved to his left and took the seat directly opposite to her.
"I've guessed that much. Let's start this meeting, Granger." He looked at her playfully and wiggled his eyebrows at her.
Hermione raised her right eyebrow. "Okay, let's get down to business." And she finally took a seat and set the needed papers in front of her.
Two hours and seventeen minutes later…
"…So, I need to look for more sponsors if I want this institute to reach its full potential."
"I beg to differ, Hermione. But I am capable of providing everything of your needs."
There was glint in his eyes that she couldn't read. He had been using her given name ever since they officially started the meeting, but it still irked her to know that she felt a certain tingle in her stomach whenever he said her name.
"I do not doubt your capabilities, Malfoy. What I've been trying to explain for the past twenty minutes is that I need other sponsors so that you wouldn't have to shoulder everything. Is that hard to understand? I mean, I'm only thinking of your own welfare here. This institution will not only cost you a couple of galleons. The initial computation amounted to almost three million."
He smirked at her. "You are underestimating me. You don't need other sponsors, Granger. That amount will not make any dent in the company's accounts. I will take care of everything. Just send me the initial ledger and I will go over it." He crossed his arms in finality.
"But Malfoy…."
"And would you stop calling me by my last name. I know that it has a certain ring to it, but I'm rather fed up with hearing it all day. Hmm?" He looked at her patronizingly. His eyes still held that unreadable glint.
She squinted her eyes, trying to know the enigma that was Draco Malfoy. "Why?" Her voice sounded small. This simple question had been dancing around her mind ever since she found out that he volunteered to be her sponsor.
"What why?" He stood up and walked back to the glass wall. He seemed entranced with the view that it offered him.
"Why are you doing this? Helping me? Volunteering to be my sponsor?" She didn't want to sound rude but she can't help her curiosity. "Are you using me so that you could appeal to the wizarding community?"
Silence and then he finally spoke. "I wonder when you'll finally have the courage to ask that. It seemed that I don't have to wait."
Okay, so it seemed that she offended him. She lowered her gaze to the floor in a mixture of embarrassment to Malfoy and to herself. She could really be tactless sometimes.
"Um, you don't have to answer that. I'm…" What she was about to say was cut off by the man she's talking to. He was before her, towering over her. His arms were on the both sides of the arm rest of the chair. He stooped slightly. She was trapped.
His grey eyes held her caramel-colored ones. She couldn't suppress the widening of her eyes and her sudden gasp for air.
How did he get to her so fast? Why was he looking at her like that? Was her question enough to anger him like this?
She could see the small lines of blue in his eyes. He was so close. So close that she could smell him –musky but not too strong; it wasn't entirely a masculine scent. There were some vestiges of something floral, something she had smelt before, something…something…
"I am not using you, Hermione."
His breath was minty, cool and..and familiar? His voice was low, almost husky and rough, sending shivers to her spine. His eyes were searching her own, looking for something that she had no idea of.
Hermione was getting heady from the onslaught of his scent and from the way he looked at her. Her breathing was shallow and she could hear the beating of her heart. She held her breath, trying to block his suffocating yet appealing fragrance. What exactly was happening to her? When did Malfoy had so much effect on her?
A knock at the door broke the spell they were both in. Malfoy straightened up. His eyes were still fixed on the brunette.
The door swung open revealing Eliza, the secretary.
"Mr. Malfoy" She looked at the couple, hesitant to deliver her message. The tension in the room was very much obvious. "Your meeting with the French delegates is in thirty minutes. Will I inform them that you'll be late?"
Malfoy finally lifted his gaze from Hermione. "No need. I'll be there."
"Very well, sir." The secretary seemed to want to see more, but the gaze that her boss was giving her told her to mind her own business.
He resumed his position at the glass window. "I expect to receive the ledger in two days' time. After that, I'll owl you of the schedule of our next meeting."
His tone expressed finality, and Hermione happily agreed that this meeting was now adjourned. Her knees were still weak from the close encounter that she had with the blond. So she waved her wand to tidy her things up. It wouldn't do if she show him how affected she was by his presence.
"I-I'll go now, Malfoy." She waited for a reply but it seemed that the blond will not spare her some. She awkwardly walked back to the door; her heels were rhythmically thumping on the floor. She turned the knob and was about to step out of the door when she heard him say something that she had never heard from him before.
"Happy birthday, Hermione."
They had been at Hogwarts for years and she never imagined, or even thought about the chance of Malfoy greeting her. She was utterly surprised that he even knew of her birthday.
She faced him once more. He was also looking at her, but as before, she couldn't see his expression because of the light. Hermione could only think of one response to that.
"Thank you…Draco." With that she finally stepped out of the conference hall.
She flooed to the Ministry using one of the fireplaces at Malfoy Towers. Her usual self would be fussing about the meeting, about the details, about the issues tackled, but right now, Hermione was not her usual self. She could only think of one thing, of one person – Draco Malfoy.
Knowing the date of her birth was easy, but greeting her? Now, that's something unusual. Draco Malfoy never greeted her. Ever. He was not himself. Something was going on, something that he might be brewing.
His looks, his actions and now his words towards her were very suspicious. His reaction when she asked him about his intentions was a proof of that. He's up to something….
She opened the door to their department; another surprise greeted her in the face. Flying confetti was everywhere and the singing began. It was that awkward moment wherein Hermione didn't know what to do. She wanted peace and solitude but it seemed that it will be hard to come by.
"Happy birthday, Hermione!" Came the chorus of greetings from her co-workers after the song.
"Wow! Thanks!" The brunette replied, blushing slightly from the attention the she was receiving. "I never expected this. Really. Thank you everyone."
Her assistant came forward and handed her a plate full of food. "It's nothing, Miss Hermione. You deserve a celebration."
She reached for the plate. Oh, she's pretty hungry. The stress and tension of her meeting with Malfoy took all of her energy. People greeted her here and there. Fortunately, she was led by her assistant to an unoccupied table at the coffee area. Some peace at last.
"Mr. Malfoy is one gallant sponsor." Hermione heard her over-polite assistant said in between drinking juice and eating cake.
"What do you mean?"
"Didn't he tell you?" Her assistant finished her drink. "He planned all of this, bought everything and acquired the permission of Mr. Lanphear to hold this party."
"HE DID WHAT?" She screamed. Some people in the area looked at them. The brunette smiled apologetically and tried to act as normal as possible. She gently squeezed the wrist of the other lady and whispered to her. "All of these," she looked around, then on the plate of food in front of her, "was planned by Malfoy?"
Her assistant looked surprised at her reaction. "Why, yes. He came here last Saturday to talk to Mr. Lanphear. The party's a surprise so I didn't tell you anything, but I'm quite sure that Mr. Malfoy would've dropped hints while you're conducting your meeting with him."
Hermione released her hold on Dahlia's wrist and retained her seat, almost slouching on the chair. "No, he didn't. He just greeted me, which was a shocker since, well, you know our history, right?"
Her assistant nodded her head. "Maybe he wants to pay back all the awful things that he did when you were kids. Maybe this is his..what do you call that? Ah! Peace offering!"
Hermione sighed, conflicting thoughts were in her head. "Maybe."
"But he sure is gallant. He made another donation in our department. Do you know that?" Her assistant was taking care of another plate of food.
Hermione's reaction must've answered her assistant's query.
"So, nope. Must be good to live his kind of life. It seems so easy for him to throw his galleons away."
"He is Malfoy. No one really knows how rich they are." The brunette answered.
Dahlia stood up. "Well, I'm just glad that he's favoring our department more than the others. It must be because you are here, Miss Hermione." She smiled knowingly and then went to the crowd.
It was exactly seven when she arrived at her apartment door. It would be easier to just Floo or apparate but she knew that Harry and Ron prepared a "surprise" party for her. She shook her head lightly and smiled at herself. Her boys will always be boys.
She silently wished that Ginny joined in the planning. Her closest girl friend was very good at things like this, but she's busy enough with all the tours that their team was doing, so squeezing time for a petty thing as a birthday party was impossible.
Ginny already owled her that morning and she said that she won't be able to see her that day. Along with the mail was her gift for Hermione: a set of hair products that the girl deemed will be good for the brunette's wild curls.
She unlocked the door and slowly turned the knob fully expecting the happy and jolly faces of her close friends. But when she finally turned the lights on, she saw her living room – bare, uncluttered, devoid of any existing life form.
Hmm..they must be hiding here somewhere.
She walked towards the kitchen, then to her room, and finally to the guest bedroom. None. No one was at her house, or had been at her house; everything was in their right place.
They couldn't have forgotten it, right? I heard them talking about their plan.
Hermione bit her lip. She wanted to see her friends, spend some time with them, talk, laugh and joke with them. She knew that she was slowly pulling away from her close friends. Her job was demanding, that she knew, and her slight obsession in doing everything perfectly and in delivering faultless results was not helping her from bridging the slowly widening gap of their friendship. But wait, she shouldn't be saddened. Harry, Ron, Ginny, Luna and the others were busy, too. Maybe some of them have appointments or maybe got caught in a meeting or two.
The sound of tapping at her window broke her from her thoughts.
Who could this be? Maybe it's Harry, an emergency at the department could hold both him and Ron from carrying out their surprise for me.
She walked towards the window, opened it and received the delivery of the owl. The beast immediately flew away after relieving itself of the package; the small brown envelope fell on the couch.
Hermione reached for it, and noticed that there was a slight bulge at its right end. She opened the envelope slowly. There was no letter inside; instead, there was what she deduced as a bookmark decorated with scarlet and gold. She reached for it and when her hand made contact with the bookmark, she felt the familiar tug of a Portkey being activated.
Her surroundings became a kaleidoscope of colors. Her feet then hit a wooden floor which was immediately followed by a chorus of voices singing Happy Birthday. She was at the Grimmauld Place, decorated for the occasion. The room they were in, which was the kitchen, was oozing with the smell of long table was filled with nourishments and drinks, ready to be consumed.
"Happy birthday, Mione!" came Ron's voice, then Fred and George, then a body-squeezing hug from Mrs. Weasley. It seemed that every member of the clan was there, even Ginny.
"Got you there!" said the youngest Weasley child.
Harry appeared with a smile that reached his ears, bearing a cake full of candles ready to be blown by the celebrant. "Happy birthday, Mione!" He said after kissing her cheek. "Make a wish."
All this time, Hermione was speechless, shocked, relieved, and oh-so-glad. Tears were starting to pool around her eyes. "Everyone…this is just so…so..I didn't..I thought…Oh bother!" She ended, wiping her eyes. "Just thank you! Thank you all for this!"
"Oi, this is not the time for tears, Mione." Fred tapped her shoulders lightly. "Blow the candles and make a wish before Ron attacks your cake."
The witch complied, closed her eyes for two seconds and finally blew the candles.
"Now, the party's really starting!" Ron bellowed who immediately went to the table.
It was thirty minutes before midnight when Hermione finally arrived at her apartment. With her was Harry who said that since it's still her birthday, she needed to be treated as a Queen, thus, he Apparated them both to her apartment.
"I had so much fun, Harry. You guys don't know how much this means to me." She said while slumping to the couch while stretching her tired arms and legs.
Her best friend joined her. "It's nothing, Mione. You deserve it. But you should've seen your face when you were finally at my place." He said half-laughing.
She slapped him slightly on the arms, moving to face him. "I almost panicked, did you know that? Thought I was being abducted by some vengeful Death Eater or something. But the party was really, really nice, and I got so much gifts!"
She reached for her pocket and brought out her ever useful beaded purse which she always brought with her.
"Really, thank you Harry, and Ron and Ginny, too." She moved and hugged her friend tightly.
Her friend hugged her with equal intensity. "It's nothing, Mione." He released her from the embrace and looked at her straightly. "Just remember that we will always be here for you. You got that? If you have any problem or whatnot, don't hesitate to talk to us. I know that we all seem to be very busy, but we're always ready to lend an ear."
"Wow, Harry. You're so serious." She said jokingly. "But I will remember that."
"I'm just a bit worried," he answered. "that we're slowly losing each other, that we're losing you. I know that we still see each other at least once a week, but it feels different, something is different. I just don't know what it is."
"Aww..don't worry, Harry. Everything's fine with me," she suddenly remembered her project with her previous nemesis, "well, maybe except with my partnership with Malfoy. That is something different."
He stood up. "Why? Does he give you a hard time? Did he do something nasty again? I can pull some strings to - "
"Harry, stop!" she yelled. "Malfoy is..he's not that kid anymore," she said slowly, choosing her words carefully.
"Then what's the problem?" He retained his seat. "He as your principal sponsor is shady. I think you should think again whether you'll continue your partnership with Malfoy. Have you signed any papers with him?"
The witch shook her head. "No, not yet. We're still discussing the basic stuff, right now. And the problem is not really a problem, Harry. You see, Malfoy is not that bully anymore. Well, sometimes he is and other times he's not." She said more to herself.
"I don't understand. So you're saying that he is good now? I mean, the news is all true?"
"Yes and…no." Hermione bit her lower lip, a sign that meant that she was concentrating very hard. The memories of her encounters with the blond were on her mind "Maybe it's because I haven't interacted with him for so long that he seemed so different to me now. Or maybe because he did change for the better. But it could also be because we didn't really know the Malfoy before." The last bit was a sort of bulb that lighted in her head. "We never did know him. We were so caught up with fighting him off to try to understand him."
"You have a point, Mione. But that doesn't change what he had done. Remember of all the things that he did when the war was going on. He's a death eater then, albeit a forced one."
Hermione leaned her head on Harry's shoulders. "I know, Harry. But that doesn't mean we couldn't be friends with him, or at least give him a chance to show to us that he's changed."
"You can do that. But remember, if he did anything out of bounds, just contact me. Hmm?"
"Don't worry, dad. I will." She said laughing. "Now, time to go home. Ginny, surely, is waiting for you."
"Right." He stood up and took a handful of floo powder. "Oh, Mione. I almost forgot to ask you."
"What is it?"
"What happened to those weird dreams of yours?"
"Ah..about them. Well, they..they stopped already. Guess it was just the stress from work and nothing else. Just an episode of overactive imagination coupled with paranoia." She reasoned out.
Harry looked at her, searching if what she's telling was true. "Are you sure? If anything's bothering you, you only have to tell us and we'll help you"
"I'm sure, Harry. I'm perfectly fine. No dreams, no nightmares."
"Well, okay. I'll be going now. Good night and happy birthday, Mione."
"Good night, Harry. And tell Ginny that I'll get back to her someday."
"I'll tell her. See you!" Harry threw the powder and was gone in an instant.
Hermione went to her room. The day was exceptional. She had so much fun with her friends and she considered this birthday as the best so far. Apparently, her boys deliberately allowed her to listen to their conversation and all along, Ginny was behind the preparation for the party.
She immediately prepared to sleep. The immediate absence of company told her that she was so tired and badly in need of some good night's rest. Five minutes before the clock struck midnight, she was comfortably snuggled in her blanket and pillows. But before she could finally close her eyes, a rapping sound came from the door of her balcony.
She warily walked towards it and saw a regal-looking eagle owl bearing a pretty huge package. Hermione immediately opened the door and the owl lightly settled his delivery on her desk, then it immediately flew away into the darkness of the night. At first, the witch just stood in front of her desk, staring at the delivery. It was covered with a dark green wrapper. She slowly and delicately unwrapped it. Inside was a book, but not just any other book, it was the exact tome that she enjoyed reading in her dreams, the one that the dream-man had urged her to try and the one that she truly enjoyed.
The brunette looked at her surroundings, worried that any moment an unknown man would appear. She realized that the door was still open so she locked it with trembling hands. The night immediately became darker, sinister and threatening. No other person knew that she liked this particular book. She told no one, not even to her friends. Only one person knew of her liking to it. Only one.
She knew that she shouldn't make any physical contact with the book so she accioed her wand and checked it for any traces of magic. There was nothing, so the brunette decided to examine it more closely. She reached to touch and open it. It was an exaggeration but her heart was about to come out of her chest. She felt fear but there was anticipation, thrill and excitement. What's happening to her?
Nothing happened when her hand finally made contact with the book. The texture, the weight, the feel of the pages under her hands was the same. It was the same book. She's sure of it – the same copy that she held in her dreams. She turned the pages fast upon remembering that she folded one of the corners of the paper. It was in page 207 – her favorite chapter. And there was it, the fold that she personally made.
How did this happen? Did it mean that her dreams were actually true? That everything was really happening?
Now what should I do? She heard Harry's voice in her mind "If anything's bothering you, you only have to tell us and we'll help you."
This was certainly bothering her. It wasn't normal anymore. Well, everything connected with the dream-man was never normal. What should she do? Finally reveal to her friends everything?
No. I can handle this. I've got everything under control. Her mind answered her own queries.
She lifted the book and saw that a letter was included with the gift. Setting the book down, she picked the letter up and saw that it was addressed to her. She also noticed that like the previous letter she received from her friends, this was also slightly bulging, as if there was something in there.
She took the letter out and finally saw the article. Holding it in her hands, she couldn't help her sudden intake of breath. It was sunflower necklace, the copy of the flowers that she had been seeing in her slumber.
The chain was the color of silver but the lone flower was of bright yellow, every petal accented with small precious sgems. The two leaves at its side were of dark green color and were also made of studded gems. The article was breathtaking. It was simple yet sophisticated, not overly feminine but elegant.
She read the brief letter:
Happy birthday, my heart. I hope you like my gifts for you. I would have loved to give these to you personally, so that I could see your reaction, and hopefully, the beautiful smile that will grace your face.
I am looking forward to seeing you again, Hermione, my love.
Hermione sat at her chair, the necklace was still in her hands. She held it high, level with her eyes.
What did he mean by again? He must've been in the Ministry this afternoon. That's the only place that I went to except in Malfoy Towers. But could it be that he was at the building? No. Impossible. In the Ministry, that must be where he saw me.
She had no idea what his location or even his name was so she had no choice but to keep the presents. And it's not as if she didn't want these. Truth be told. She liked the two items immensely. She wasn't materialistic, or the type of girl that wished to be lavished with gifts. By looking at the article, she knew that it cost a necklace that she was still looking at held a certain mystery, a pull that she couldn't describe.
The brunette made her way back to her bed. It was exactly twelve. She laid at her back, her right still held the necklace while the book remained on her table. The coldness of the material was good to the skin. She looked at it for the last time and placed it on her bedside table.
Never did she wish to fall asleep this much. The thought of talking with her admirer was racing her heart beat. She wanted to ask him a ton of questions. She hated not knowing and she wanted to know about how he can manipulate her dreams, of how he came to know her, of when he started liking her, and so much more. She was getting scared of herself because she was slowly looking forward to those dreams.
As she closed her eyes, her own voice resounded in her ears as she made her wish when she blew her candles.
I wish..I wish to see him.
A/N: I'm sorry that it took me so long to update. Are you still there, guys? I'm alright now and the problem is my lungs. Not life-threatening but it sure is painful.
Anyway, I hope you liked this chappy. And thanks for those who shared their ideas, especially to 4SnowWolf, loveroffelton, Ahkasha, tacker23 and randomfan17. You are the bestest readers/reviewers anyone could have. This story is getting longer than I planned so expect that the the pace will be faster for the future chapters. I will also try to make it longer so that it'll be worth your wait. Tell me your ideas, lovelies!
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Thank you for reading and I am waiting for your feedback. See you!