Chapter 13
Co-operation
Hermione was back in Draco's kitchen and felt like she'd never been away. She was with Liam who had explained that Draco had been delayed on his way back from a dragon rescue.
"Well, that's a much more exciting excuse for being late than my usual 'I forgot my bag'" Hermione joked and Liam laughed.
"Yes, my excuses are nowhere near as exciting either," he said.
He was making her a drink, appearing totally at home in Draco's kitchen. He was a confident man, chatty and exuberant but she felt a little cautious around him and she didn't know why. He was a good-looking, slightly older than she was (she guessed) but slim and athletic looking. She also recognized that he was well aware of this fact. He came over and gave her a large mug of tea, before taking the sofa opposite hers.
"Are the paintings finished?" he asked, nodding at her new art bag.
"No, these are the drawings. We always submit a whole set for the client to approve."
"Can I see them?"
She looked over at him wondering how to phrase her reply tactfully. "I haven't shown them to Draco yet – but I'd like you to see them after he has."
Liam's lips curled slightly. "Very diplomatic."
"That's part of my job too," Hermione came back at him, cleverly. "There's more to it than just grabbing a paintbrush you know!"
He laughed again. "No wonder Malfoy is scared of you," he said and Hermione gaped at him.
"Scared of me?! Are you joking?"
"No. He is! Well, maybe not scared but you definitely make him nervous."
"I really do not," Hermione shook her head. "Why would I?"
Liam shrugged. "Maybe because you know him so well."
"I don't know him at all."
"Okay – you used to know him so well. Anyone who knows you as a child has inside information, don't they?" Liam raised his eyebrows.
"I suppose so," Hermione sounded less than convinced.
"It's good that he's like that around you. He's so cocky usually," Liam said and then he noticed the look on Hermione's face. "Oh! You don't approve of my assessment of my boss."
"You're entitled to your opinion," Hermione answered primly. Realising how she sounded she spoke again. "My disapproval was that you were saying it to me. I could repeat it all to him for all you know."
"It's nothing I wouldn't say to him directly myself."
"Have you known him a long time?"
"Why do you ask?"
Hermione watched him with interest as he seemed just slightly defensive. She couldn't decide if she liked him or not and more importantly, if she trusted him or not. His attitude to Draco was strangely familiar but also slightly derisive.
"Just how familiar you seem with him – the other staff still treat him as their boss, even at a social event," she explained.
"I've known him for a while – I know things the other staff don't." Liam put his head to one side. "You have to share things with your accountant and business manager that you wouldn't share with your other staff."
Hermione nodded. "I guess so."
"How long are you with us for this time?" Liam asked, adeptly changing the subject.
"Well, if Draco is happy with the drawings, I might stay and start the paintings here. It's useful to be around the subjects and settings when I first start the paintings. I can refresh my memory easily that way," Hermione answered him, wondering if his question was leading somewhere.
"Good – so plenty of time to fit in a couple of social evenings?" Liam leant forward slightly. "You need some fun stuff as well as all the work and that's my area of expertise."
Before Hermione could form a reply, Draco burst into the room, bringing a cloud of cold air with him. He looked windswept and was dressed in a long, warm coat.
"Sorry! The damn carriage frame broke!" he gave them a look before taking off his coat and throwing it over a dining chair.
Liam jumped up and walked over to him. "Drink? Hot? Or something stronger?"
"Something stronger – I'm frozen." He approached Hermione on the sofas. "Sorry I've kept you waiting."
Hermione was slightly taken aback by how apologetic he was. This was such a different greeting to her first visit that she just stared at him blankly for a few moments.
"It's not a problem at all," she managed.
Draco lowered himself onto the sofa and took the drink Liam had made for him. "Has he been looking after you?" he asked Hermione and Liam rolled his eyes.
"It's my pleasure to look after Hermione, as well you know."
"Well, I was more concerned if it was also Hermione's pleasure!" Draco quipped.
"How did the rescue go?" Liam asked.
"Hellish," Draco sighed and pushed his hair from his face. "We couldn't save many." He stopped speaking and looked distraught.
"That's awful, but think of the one's you did save," Liam said. He had remained standing. "I'll leave you to it if that's okay – I've got an early start tomorrow."
"Of course," Draco said. "Thank you."
Liam looked over at Hermione. "Have a think about my offer," he said. "See you later in the week."
After Liam had left, Draco took a large swig of his drink and raised his eyebrows questioningly at Hermione. "What offer is that then?" he asked.
"He offered to entertain me," she said and waited for Draco's reaction.
"Watch him, Hermione," Draco said. "He's a bit of a lady's man."
Hermione was always trying to judge Draco's mood and how far his sense of humour would stretch but she couldn't resist her answer. "Takes one to know one?" she phrased this as a question to soften the blow and watched his face as he looked over at her, his eyes narrowed.
"I've been married for over 15 years and now my only love is Mavis," he said. "She's low maintenance." He gave Hermione a grin and she found herself grinning back because what wasn't to like about this amicable, friendly Draco?
"And you can take a stick to her if she misbehaves," Hermione laughed now at her own joke. "What do those hooked sticks do?"
"They're called Staffs," Draco explained. "They're actually an ancient dragon taming tool. They are magical – like large, less sophisticated wands."
"Really?"
"Yeah, we can do simple spells with them and they help us control and guide the dragons."
"Pippa gave me one!" Hermione said. "What was the point in that?"
Draco put his head to one side. "It works as a stick too," he said. "You could have bashed Betty's head if she took a snip at you." He gave a little chuckle and Hermione pretended to take offence.
"If one of them does actually eat me, you'll regret all your teasing," she pointed out and Draco now laughed out loud.
"Maybe, but it would save me feeding them that day," he said. He stretched his arms and yawned. "Time for a strong coffee, I think."
"Why don't I let you get some rest and we can look at the drawings tomorrow when you feel better?" she offered.
"Would you mind?"
"Of course not."
"Come for breakfast," Draco offered and Hermione wondered what she had done to keep getting these invitations.
"There's no need – we can meet later in your office?"
"It's no trouble, I'll see you at 9."
Obediently, Hermione found herself back in Draco's kitchen at 9am facing an array of pastries, fruit and yoghurts. She ate hungrily because it all looked delicious.
He looked fresh and back to his normal self this morning. He was dressed casually but still managed to pull this off stylishly. With his casual but sharp clothes and his 'just out of bed' hair, standing in his gorgeous kitchen he looked like something out of muggle home living magazine. She tried not to let her mind wonder down a path she was beginning to frequent far more often than she would like. He was attractive and now he was being almost pleasant too but so what? He was still Draco Malfoy and therefore strictly off limits.
After they had eaten, Hermione fetched her art bag and they cleared the large island so they could place the drawings on them. She handed them to Draco one at a time starting with the close up of Humphrey and Clem. She was really pleased how this had turned out, the detail in Humphrey's eyes and snout, Clem looking extremely mean and moody and the dark atmospheric weather had all come together to create a really dramatic piece.
Draco held it in his hand, scrutinizing it for a good few minutes before he spoke. "This is amazing! I love the close-up angle, what a great way to capture the dragon and the background is striking."
Hermione nodded. "I'm really pleased with how it turned out."
"The detail in the dragon's face and eyes is spectacular."
"Well, I had to use a good bit of artistic licence as Humphrey wasn't being a willing subject."
She handed Draco the next drawing which was of Pippa and Rory. It was a complete contrast to Humphrey's drawing as it was full of colour and light. Both Rory and Pippa popped off the page, the red a striking contrast against the huge, panoramic background.
"It's like he's about to fly off the drawing," Draco said.
Next was Bernard who leant himself easily to being drawn. His silvery blue scales shimmered and Toby was bent down beside him while he stretched upwards, wings half open.
"These are really good," Draco said. "I mean it, I'm not just being polite."
"Thank you – it's important that you like them."
The picture of Hetty on her own needed no explanation. Her sparkling, iridescent colouring and the fact that she was upstage, front and centre made for a glorious drawing.
"So, you've saved Mavis and I until last?" Draco asked. "Not sure if that is a good sign or a bad one."
"I'll let you decide," Hermione answered handing him the final drawing.
Draco's face showed her exactly what he thought of his portrait and it was what she thought of it too. She wasn't sure what had made it stand out from the others as Mavis was probably the least exciting dragon to look at. However, her deep green against the white cliff edge and the rolling hills behind looked beautiful. On top of that, the way that Hermione had drawn her, just taking flight, her wings extended, her neck reaching upwards and the movement she had conveyed made the drawing come to life. Draco looked formidable in his leather with his white blonde hair and pale colouring providing a stunning contrast. He looked like some ancient gladiator, tall, handsome and definitely sexy. Hermione hadn't painted him like that on purpose but it was how it had turned out – so maybe it was how he had looked.
"This is magnificent," Draco said, after a several minutes studying the drawing. "I'm not just saying that because it's me!"
"It's my favourite too," Hermione agreed. "And I'm not saying that because it's you either!" she joked and was pleased to see Draco smile back at her.
"Charming!" he said in mock indignation.
"It's the best one by quite a way," Hermione said. "I think you should make it the feature piece."
"It's the way you've painted her taking off," Draco said. "The whole thing is stunning."
Hermione smiled widely almost to herself. She was pleased with the drawings but this was the reaction she always wanted to get from a client. "Wait until they are translated into oils," she said. "The scales will look 3d."
"Will they move?" Draco asked.
"They can, if you'd like me to charm them to," Hermione said. "But if I'm perfectly honest, I much prefer still paintings. Maybe it's the muggle in me," she joked again.
"Quite likely," Draco said, straight faced but Hermione could see a twinkle in his eye. "I'll take your lead on it – do whatever you think is best."
Hermione went to bed feeling happier and less tense about how rest of the process would go and more than a little surprised by how co-operative Draco was being.
