Thank you so much for all the lovely comments, already! Here's chapter 2...
"So, you're looking for a 6 month contract?" Hermione asked. They were back in her office.
"At least - more likely to be 9 months."
"Well, we don't usually let the rooms for that length of time. There are implications to it becoming classed as a residence."
"But?"
"Well, you'll be expected to meet any additional cost because of the residency but other than that, I think we can go ahead."
Draco nodded. "Okay. There are some things I need."
Hermione had been waiting for this. "Of course. What did you have in mind?"
"An office - there isn't room for one in the Penthouse and I do a lot of work from home."
"We could help temporarily convert the 2nd bedroom for you?" Hermione offered.
"I'll need a 2nd bedroom," Draco's handsome face, smirked again. "For guests."
Hermione decided to tackle the guest subject after they'd sorted the office request. One problem at a time!
"We don't really have any spare offices..." she said. Draco's expression didn't change. He didn't attempt to say 'well, if you could look into it' or 'never mind, maybe I could use someone's when they're not in it'. No, he said nothing and continued to look at her demandingly. "I'll look into converting one of the rooms on this level for you," she offered, reluctantly.
"See, that isn't what I want. I need proper office equipment and room to accommodate business guests," Draco sounded pleasant enough but there was no mistaking that he wanted what he'd asked for. Hermione felt her patience slipping a little and gave a little sigh. Draco's eyes narrowed. "I apologise for inconveniencing you," he said, very sarcastically and with a drawl to his voice.
"We'll make sure that the room has what you need," Hermione offered. "But as I said, I really don't have a proper office spare."
Draco sat back in his chair and put his arms at the back of his head. He nodded, his head looking up, his eyes scanning the room. "And yet, your office is the size of two, is it not?"
Hermione now narrowed her own eyes at him. "Sharing my office is out of the question."
Draco now dropped his arms and leant forward again, his arms resting on her desk. "Why? Don't tell me you work in the evenings?"
"Sometimes."
"Well, I work a lot of evenings so I'm sure we could work something out."
"Mr. Malfoy, this is my office, I'm the General Manager. I need to conduct hotel business in here so I can't possibly share it." She watched Draco's expression harden and as he went to speak she held up her hand, stopping him. She then mirrored his position, leaning forward, her arms resting on her desk. "But tell me Draco," she emphasised his name, indicating a change in the conversation, "would you be asking anyone else to do this? I mean, we know each other too well to pretend. You're finding making unreasonable demands highly amusing, aren't you?"
Draco's face remained serious, his eyes stony. "I don't know what you mean, Miss Granger," he said.
Hermione put her head to one side, her eyes disparaging. "I think you know exactly what I mean, Draco." Again she emphasised his name. She raised both eyebrows, prompting him for a response.
After another moment, Draco's handsome face broke into a wide grin. His eyes were dancing again, his lips curving upwards. He gave a small chuckle and nodded at her approvingly. He leant back in his chair, smirking. "Well, maybe I was enjoying being demanding just a little too much, Hermione." He returned the favour and emphasised her name, which sounded strange. Hermione couldn't ever remember them using each other's first names before. Draco looked around her office. "Having said that - nothing will do except this office. If you don't want to share - maybe you could move out?" He now gave a laugh and Hermione rolled her eyes at him.
"So, we'll convert a room for you..." she began, hoping to bring the conversation back to business. This meeting was taking up far too much of her time.
"Nope." Draco shrugged. "I like this office - it will create a good impression. So, if you'll agree to let me use it, I promise to only request it when you're not here. If I need it when you're using it then that's my tough luck." He looked at her questioningly and Hermione sighed.
"That won't work..."
"Ah! Come on! If it doesn't work, then I'll find somewhere else. You can put it in the contract." Draco was smirking again and Hermione rubbed her forehead. She couldn't be actually thinking about agreeing to this, could she? It would never work in a million years but she needed this meeting over with and they were going around in circles.
"Fine," she said with a shake of her head. "I can't believe I'm agreeing to this! If I'm using my office - which is pretty much all the time - then you can't demand to use it."
"Yep."
"Only when it's convenient to me..."
"Yep."
She looked at Draco suspiciously but he was just smiling at her. She shuffled the papers on her desk. "I dread to ask, but is there anything else?"
Draco grinned again. "I'd like to bring me own bed."
"Your own bed?!" Hermione stared at him incredulously. "You're joking! Why?"
"Of course I'm not joking. I had it made for me, it's the only one that I can sleep in."
"Our beds are very comfortable."
"Not for me. I like mine - so is that acceptable or not?"
Hermione nodded, trying to not show her annoyance. "Yes, if you really think its necessary - we can store the one that is there in another room." She raised her eyebrows again. "Anything else?"
"I like to entertain."
Hermione mentally took a steadying breath. This was going to take all her patience. "You're welcome to bring guests here to use the hotel facilities."
"What about if they're using my facilities?" Draco asked. The expression on his face showed that he was finding this highly amusing.
"What you do in your own rooms is really none of my business," Hermione said, her tone conveying her feelings on this.
"There might be noise."
Hermione stared at him and decided to ignore his implications and instead answer in her most professional tone. "The Penthouse is well insulated. I understand that the piano can't be heard in the rooms below it, so I'm sure that most reasonable noise won't disturb anyone. I would ask that your guests are quiet when they leave, but other than that…"
"And if they don't leave?" He made it totally clear what he was implying and Hermione wanted to bang her head on her desk.
"You're welcome to have a guest to stay, as long as you tell us in advance."
Draco gave a chuckle. "Ah...well it isn't something I usually plan in advance. I mean, one thing leads to another..."
"I'm sure you can find time to ring down and let reception know."
"Now, Miss Granger, just imagine how that would spoil a moment," Draco answered her, looking innocent.
"Please spare me the details."
"I'm just putting you in the picture. I don't think it will always be possible to let you know..."
"Well, I must insist on it. We have to have customer numbers in case there was an emergency." Hermione leant forward again. "I'm sure a 20 second phone call won't spoil your activities too much, Draco." She glared at him and he actually laughed out loud.
"I like it!" he said. "Very clever - I'm Draco when I'm being put in my place and Mr. Malfoy when I'm not."
"I'm sure you wouldn't be quite so keen to discuss your bedroom activities with a complete stranger," she said. "So don't pretend who I am isn't affecting your behaviour. As you can see, your attempt to embarrass me isn't working. I've worked here long enough now. You wouldn't believe what goes on in a hotel and after the things I've seen and heard, I don't think there's much that can embarrass me."
"I'm sure I'll be able to find something," Draco said. "What about the lounge and club? Can I book those?"
"Yes but the club holds up to 150 people. You're welcome to free entry whenever you want."
"How many does the lounge hold?"
"Well, we've accommodated up to 80 but usually between 25 and 50."
"Yeh - I'll probably need to book that."
"I'll get Miss Weasley to see you about it," Hermione said."Is that all you wanted to discuss?"
"Miss Weasley? Ginny Weasley?"
"Yes, she's our Entertainment Manager."
"Well, if that isn't blatant nepotism then I don't know what is," Draco met Hermione's stern expression with a shrug. "Don't look like that! I've done it as well. Blaise runs the advertising for Silver and Theo reports on events at the Ministry."
Hermione knew that Silver was the name of the magazine that Draco owned. In fact, he owned several magazines and a couple of newspapers but Silver was the best selling and most famous one. Hermione would never admit it to him but she loved his magazine. It had a good mixture of entertainment and news. Some of the features were quite in depth and there was no mindless gossip. Obviously Draco understood what it was like to be on the receiving end of gossip, so he made sure what was printed in his publications was factual. She always read the features about the Ministry. She hadn't realised she was reading Theodore Nott's work!
"I didn't realise Theodore had such a journalistic talent!" she said. "His articles are great."
"I didn't know you were one of our avid readers," Draco pointed out and Hermione wondered why she hadn't seen that comment coming. "You like my magazine then?"
"Yes, it's very good," Hermione answered and then swiftly carried on, before he could ask her anything else about reading his magazine. "I'll get the contract drawn up. As I said it's only to cover the residential issues so I would think you can move in within the next few days."
Draco stood up. "That's fine, just let me know when it's ready." Draco walked to the door and opened it. Just as he was about to step out, he stopped and turned back to Hermione who was now standing to one side of her desk. "Oh - I was joking about the bed."
Hermione stared at him. "You were joking?"
"Even I'm not pompous enough to actually bring my own bed," Draco said. He gave her a wide grin. "I can't believe you fell for it." Before she could reply he had gone, leaving her staring at the door and wondering what had just happened.
'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
Hermione rubbed her eyes, feeling tired. She'd spent all afternoon overlooking the accounts for the hotel and her head was beginning to ache. The door opened and Ginny poked her head around the door.
"Still doing the accounts?" she asked.
"Yes - but before you nag me, I'm about to finish up."
Ginny stepped inside. "Good - you can come down to the lounge for a quick drink before I have to open up the club."
"No, I'm too tired. I just want to go home and have a bath," Hermione protested, but Ginny ignored her, shut the book Hermione was studying, almost trapping her fingers and dragged her from her seat.
Ten minutes later, the two women were seated in a quiet corner of the lounge with a glass of wine each. Hermione felt her shoulders relaxing and she was glad Ginny had persuaded her to come.
"So, how did it go?" Ginny asked. "The meeting with Malfoy? Have we a new guest?"
"We will have soon - I sent the agreement over to him earlier."
"Well?" Ginny asked, her eyes wide in her face.
"What exactly do you want to know?"
"How was he? Was it awful or amazing?"
"Somewhere in the middle," Hermione said. "He hasn't changed much really."
"For Merlin's sake, Hermione!" Ginny nudged her friend. "You're worse than a man for gossip! Tell me all about it."
"Well, he made a few requests - nothing too outlandish, well other than his bed."
"His bed?"
"Long story - anyway, he was a bit upset that we needed to know when he had guests to stay," Hermione lowered her voice. "He spent the whole time implying that there will orgies going on every night but I think he was trying to shock me."
"I'm not so sure," Ginny said. "Why wouldn't someone like him have hundreds of women to chose from? Maybe he likes variety."
Hermione grimaced. "Yuk! You made that sound terrible!"
"What did he look like then? Like in his pictures?" Ginny asked.
"I suppose so - he was dressed for business. He still had the same colour hair but it wasn't so severe as at school and obviously he's grown up..." Hermione shook her head. "I mean physically, by the way. Mentally I think he's probably regressed!"
Ginny laughed. "How so?"
"Well, unless my memory fails me, at school he was surly and moody. That was when he wasn't being a total jerk," Hermione explained.
"Yeh - that was Malfoy."
"There was none of that yesterday. I mean, he was like a petulant child making unreasonable demands..."
"Such as?"
"He wanted to use my office."
Ginny shook her head and chuckled. "He wanted to use your office? Why?"
"Evidently, it's the only one suitable for his visitors!"
"Ha! I love it!"
"When I refused he suggested we share..."
"You're not going to?"
"Actually I am," Hermione shook her head. Ginny shook her head in bewilderment. "I know, I know! It sound like I've lost my mind but to be honest he wouldn't give it up and I just wanted to be rid of him. I only agreed to him using it when I wasn't so I think it will come to nothing."
Ginny had an eyebrow raised. "How the hell did he persuade you into that?"
"He's very persistent."
"And very persuasive, if you ask me!"
"It's hard to explain, Ginny. He's not surly or moody - in fact he spent a good deal of the meeting laughing or smiling," Hermione shook her head. "That even sounds strange to my ears!"
"So, was he friendly?"
"Sort of, he wasn't unfriendly..."
"Hot?"
Hermione rolled her eyes. "I don't know !"
"What do you mean, you don't know? Was he good looking or not?"
"Yes! You know he's good looking!"
"Still skinny?"
"No..."
Ginny leant forward. "You managed to notice that then?"
Hermione hardly heard her friend's last teasing sentence because right behind Ginny's head, at the entrance to the lounge she could see a white, blonde head of hair. She watched, almost in horror, as Draco and another two men walked in and started towards the bar.
"What? What is it?" Ginny demanded, turning round.
"No!" Hermione grabbed her friends arm. "Don't turn around!"
Ginny looked back at Hermione. "Why not?"
"He's here!"
"Malfoy?!" Ginny asked, loudly and Hermione hissed at her.
"Ssshh...they'll hear you!"
"They? Who are they?" Ginny tried to sneak a look behind her.
"I don't know - he's with two others," Hermione's gaze suddenly met a pair of deep grey eyes and she tried to pin a pleasant but surprised look on her face. She spoke in a whisper, moving her lips as little as possible. "You're about to have all your questions answered because they're coming over..."
Ha! Another meeting and this time with some friends added in...next chapter coming soon...