Alrighty - another update. You know, I shouldn't even be doing this; I should be reviewing for my ELA test. But, that's no fun, so I'm doing this instead.
Oh yeah, I wanted to thank my reviewers from the first chapter to the 8th – thanks dracosgurl10, Smudged, FreeZe Mint, CeLeStIaL BeInG, xXSamaraXx, lazy, emma, Duckie9, RedWitch1, GroovyChick16, dizzydragon, Cute-Kitty, Seka, Imperfectionist ;D, A person, Olivia, rupy, br*tney, TTTTT, Your4LeafClover, Anastasia Beaverhousen, lizzy-malfoy87, angel eyed demon, alka, Tracy3, starlover11, iLoVeDrAcO15, dark haired angel, Anon, Vicious Fishish, Chazza, draolover, Starry, Nucka, lyra, super sycoh, Navy Converse, sweet-77-thang, emval, DrAcOz SlyTheRin BaBe, zingy, DMandOBrhot, Scottish~Lass, SpicY IcE, lgobgirlie15, Stefy, angelstar2, Flash, DarkAngle, Dracoluver2009, marymaria, DarkWolf90, RaeJenInc.2, moonie, Draco+Hermione fan1, relena333, Red and Gold, sk8erpunkGCpnay, The*Spangled*Pandemonium, Lady Acacia, sweetgurl, Shining Star, mary, irelandkicksass03, mirage05, preciousonee, *NeLLy* and last but not least - sweet-soph.
Thanks again for your reviews and I hope you keep up with it cuz I'm just dying everyday if I don't have a review alert thingie in my mailbox.
I hope you like this chapter, there's a bit of romance going on. Though I hope it's not too mushy…
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Ok, so that kiss wasn't a major shocker. Yeah, right. I'm going to try to convince myself that it's really like that when I know I'm going to start to like him any day now. Now that I think of it, his personality is kind of ok….
Let me pretend that I just didn't think that.
He went into the hall, which was by the way, a part of Malfoy Manor. The party was being held here. And the best part about it was that it was large and already beautiful, so that after I added the decorations it was majorly pretty. Oh, there's a red squiggly line under majorly, so that must mean I made that word up. I should add it to my dictionary.
But the hall is really beautiful. The theme colors, which I chose, were silver, red, and green. How original. I'm just keeping the Christmas spirit.
There's a guhunga Christmas tree in the corner of the hall, surrounded by charmed pixies, which look as if they're really angels flying around the tree. It's really fascinating. I can just imagine people attracted to them like a veela's there. Ok, so I'm flattering myself about that display, but I'm really proud of it. Or should I say myself?
The people are gonna be here any minute now. I can't wait for them to see it. I feel like I decorated some winter showcase for some really expensive store. But in reality, it's just a formal party that last for like 4 hours, and not for a whole season, when people can gape at it everyday. I just gave away a fetish of mine.
Since it's a formal party, I'm wearing this black dress, with a dipping v-line neck (which shows cleavage, though I'm so used it now). The skirt flares in layers and its right above my knees. I have black high heels on me, which are actually sort of comfortable. That's a rare gem in the shoe world. I'm wearing my hair in a simple updo that I did with a flick of a wand. Too bad you're a muggle; otherwise you could easily be the beauty queen/king of your muggle school. Matching with my dress, I have silver earrings and a necklace with my sign, Aquarius. I also got my nails done, muggle way, with a nice little design on it. This is my second time doing my nails, ever. Otherwise, they're usually bitten to the hilt. By yours truly.
Sad? Yeah, it's a new year's resolution for me. But that's in a week or two.
I'm walking into the hall, where Draco's inspecting everything. The enchanted snowflakes are falling on him, though they disappear as soon as they hit something solid. He's matching me, wearing all black except for a silver tie. He looks like an angelic devil. Now I realize why so many girls couldn't resist him in Hogwarts, or even now.
But he'll never like me even if I do like him. It's kind of disappointing, actually. He's like a nice little flower, that you know you can never pick. It's not the perfect flower, and even though there are so many other flowers in this garden, that's the one you know you want.
Enough with this personifying crap. Besides, this 'nice little flower' is coming this way.
"Hermione, you're going to stick with me as soon as the guests come. I don't want you to mingle with…certain people. You'll get me as soon as I show you around to the staff you haven't met. Okay?"
"I guess. Nice suit. Nice coloring. I like it."
Hey, I complimented him. That's not good; it seems too obvious that I want another compliment back.
"You look great too. As always," he said with a small smile.
My heart's melting. I feel like Helga in Hey Arnold! but not so much as obsessed. I'm even acting like her, disliking him on the outside. I'm not quite sure what's inside yet, though.
"Oh look, those are a few of our guests. Coming," he asked me with his hand waiting to take mine.
"Yeah…"
A little flip went through me when he took my hand into his. That makes no sense. I didn't eat anything since breakfast, so someone couldn't have put a certain love potion in my food. Oh, maybe it wasn't him that was causing this flip. Maybe it was just….just something, ok! Don't look at me with that look that says 'You know you like him'!
"Hello Rosenthal, Philips, Mackery, Dunhill," he acknowledged with a nod, "I'm sure you've met my personal assistant Hermione Granger. Valedictorian in Hogwarts, only one to get perfect grades in her O.W.L.S. and N.E.W.T.S. Excellent organization skills as well."
He complimented me again. It was like he was introducing me as his girlfriend. Yeah, like that'll ever happen.
I said hi to them all, shaking my right hand with them, my left hand still in Draco's, who was grasping me tightly. As they left for their tables, I asked him –
"How come you didn't show me them when we had that staff meeting?"
"They're not important advisors. They're the head janitors of this company," he said while I laughed, "Sure, they might seem nice on the outside, but every year they ask me for a raise. Seriously, their salaries are high enough."
He invited the head janitors? Weird. More people came and Draco and I met them all, with him adding side comments after they left, classifying them into 4 categories:
1. Draco Groupies -who run around stalking him in the office.
2. Gold diggers –people who joined the company hoping to gain some money.
3. Smarties -people in the company seeking to take away his position, who constantly pointed out his faults.
4. The UN-groupies -girls who joined the company just to seduce him and hope for rich gifts.
Basically, there was really no one reliable in the company, except for the few he just didn't classify. After the last Draco Groupies group came in (whom Draco said that he moved his office away from, from the west side of the building to the east), we all settled down. I walked with Draco (let me emphasize; now his arm was around my waist!) towards our table, which had seating for two, instead of the seating for four on the other tables. He made a short speech about stuff, which I didn't pay attention to, because I was beginning to examine him. Okay, the obsession was developing.
We ate, we drank, and soon the party was coming to a halt. There was a bit of dancing involved, but I didn't dance at all, mainly because I was asked by what seems every other man except him. I declined every invite. It was a bit of a disappointment that he didn't ask me to dance, when he asked a whole bunch of others. So I sat there, alone and miserably bored, while all the others enjoyed. I really didn't know anyone as much as Draco here.
Everyone left at around 11-12, and I had to say goodbye to them with Draco, who seemed to be in a good mood. Maybe the whole "I'm more powerful than you" scenario was playing up.
We stood there alone with each other, quiet, lost in our own thoughts. Me about the tequila chicken sauce, and its recipe and him about…I have no idea.
"Hermione…"
"Yeah…"
"Would you like to dance with me?"
"Sure. I thought you'd never ask."
We made our way to the transformed dance floor, and dance to no music at all. Just danced. His hands on my waist and my hands around his neck. It was sooo romantic. Okay…I'm scaring myself…
"That was an okay party."
"I guess. I got a little bored."
"Yeah. Dancing with obnoxious and ugly women has got something to do with it, right?"
"Mm-hmm."
"But I got several compliments on the décor. You did an amazing job. You do everything so perfectly."
"Thanks. Compliments like that make my day."
"No problem."
We didn't realize it, but we made even more conversation while dancing still. It was amazing that he didn't get so noxious when there was an actual topic.
After what seemed like hours, which was in reality twenty minutes, we stopped dancing and we left to our own rooms. But the best part was that I actually felt that Draco was a somebody with a personality, someone that I maybe possibly could like, or love, and not question my sanity at the same time.
~*~**~*~**~*~Christmas Day~**~*~**~*
Ahhh. It's snowing outside. How pretty. I wish I could go outside and play in it. Nahh, on second thought, I could just stay and relax in bed.
Hold on a second, wait just a minute, is it the hour of Christmas??? Oh my god, yes it is!!!
I rush to Draco's room, barge in; completely unaware of the skimpy clothing I'm wearing, or the layer of invisible garments on his body that he might just have. He's sleeping, so I hurriedly jump on top of his sleeping form and wake him up by shaking him. I could've screamed in his ear, but we wouldn't want him to never hear anything again, now would we.
He wakes up and tells me to stop it. I shake him even more, until he finally decides to get up.
"Do you have any idea what day it is???"
"It's…oh yes, it's Easter," he says with dry sarcasm which I don't sense at the moment.
"No, you ninny, it's Christmas! Let's go downstairs and open our presents."
"I don't get many presents."
I'm a bit shocked at hearing this.
"Well, you sure as hell do this year, so come on!"
I practically drag him downstairs, but we finally reach the Christmas tree, and I give him his present from me first. What the hell is he talking about, he has a lot of presents!
"Here," I say, "it's from me. Open it."
"You shouldn't have."
"Well, I did, open it," and then I add shyly, "I hope you like it."
He opens it and then he's confused.
"You…you don't like it!"
"Yes of course I do. But I would like it better if I knew what it did."
Then I launch into a 'complete' explanation of what CD's do and what a CD player is, you know, the whole works. I even demonstrate everything too. Then he grins.
"Thanks a lot. You have great taste and I love it!"
When he hugs me, it's good that he doesn't see the beet red blush on my cheeks. Otherwise my feelings for him would be given away. Those feelings that I might have stashed away for a while, but during Christmas season, couldn't be hidden. A mere obsession or true love?
"I got you something too."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
'Something' is not the definition of what he got me. It's more like 'an expensive, rare item that multi-billionaire's can only get'. It was a jewelry set, encrusted with diamonds, rubies, and other gems. There was a necklace, a ring and, earrings. They were simply amazing. I was speechless.
"I can't believe you!"
Okay, I was speechless at first. Now that's me.
"What?"
"How could you spend so much money on me?"
"You're a person that I care for."
Whoa. Talk about major shocker!
"What?"
"You.are.a.person.that.I.care.for."
"You shouldn't have."
"'Well I did'"
He stole my quote! But I couldn't really think that, as I inched closer to him, and kissed him fully on the lips. He replied with the same passion as me. We kissed and kissed and kissed.
But then we stopped and walked hand in hand to his room, other presents forgotten.
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Wow. Was that a little too fast? You know, all the romancing? I bet that I might just do two/three more chapters and then finish. Tell me what you think. Oh yeah, I may never go into gruesome details about them kissing or…er…other things…because, well, that's just not me…plus, I can't describe things like that nicely.
Just tell me what you think, because there was barely any humor in that, so I hope it's not getting too…sappy.
R&R