A Post Hogwarts Affair Chapter 15
Was it just me or was it getting hot in here? Although we were still half-dressed, things were getting hot and heavy. I was just preparing to strip completely when Harry, who'd previously been kissing me, pulled away abruptly.
"Hermione."
"Yeah?" my voice was hoarse.
"Look…" he trailed off. I tensed. I hadn't forgotten everything in three years, had I? Or maybe it was because Harry sensed the truth. A truth that I wasn't even willing to admit to myself.
Okay, fine, the truth being that I wasn't feeling it. I was just repressed was all; I thought I had a desire for Harry, but seriously, and rather scarily, Draco Malfoy's pale complexion kept flashing in front of my eyes.
"I'm sorry but every time I kiss you I… see Ginny."
This I wasn't prepared for. "Ginny?" I echoed. And then it hit me like a sack of Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes. Ginny. Merlin, I was so ridiculously stupid it wasn't even funny. I shouldn't have touched Harry; it was painfully obvious that Ginny wasn't over him…and here, it seemed like Harry wasn't over her either.
When he didn't say anything I knew it was my turn to speak. "And I…I keep thinking about…Draco."
"We need to stop." Harry sounded miserable. "We're both just using each other…and you know this is going to just murder our friendship."
"I'm sorry." I had never felt so ashamed in my life. Sure, I'd groped Harry for all of five minutes—but it was going to lead to a very long time of regret. Nervously I slipped my clothes back on. "I'm sorry," I repeated. "I wish I could just Obliviate you. And me."
"No need," Harry half-smiled. "I'm embarrassed that I let you go on like this. Hermione, you weren't thinking. You've just been through emotional turmoil. You just divorced…god I feel like an idiot. Hermione please forgive me."
His apology was heartfelt. I felt like a vixen, like Voldemort's mistress (what a disgusting mental picture). "I'm just going to go," I sighed softly. "I'll see you later."
And as I turned to go I remembered one more thing. "And Harry?"
"Mmm?"
"Call Ginny. Now."
-----
It had been two weeks since that incident with Harry. I was nauseatingly embarrassed, so much so that I hadn't talked to him since then. He hadn't called either. On the other hand, Ron certainly had called and we'd even gone out for drinks.
It had been awkward, yes, especially when the bill came and we argued over who would pay. It had never been an issue in the past—after all we'd been married. And now…now our status had been reduced to something else entirely. I couldn't even place it. It was strange and almost uninviting. I suddenly didn't want be near people anymore.
Was I turning into a misanthrope?
Merlin help me.
And just then, when I'd thought I'd hit rock bottom (after two days of seeing absolutely no one straight. My weekend certainly classified as the Worst Weekend Ever), my stupid boss flooed in and told me that he expected me to work overtime the next week.
"Why?" I whined at the familiar face. "I don't want to."
"Nobody wants to work, Hermione," he said crisply, giving me a stern look. "But we all have to in order to make a living. Unless you want to die in this desolate place all alone as an old spinster, I'd suggest you get your pretty little face in tomorrow."
He looked irate, and right now he was making me terribly irritated. "I won't tolerate that language," I scowled deeply. "If you expect me to come in I'd expect you to be cordial about it!"
Draco was evidently offended. "You are the most difficult employee I have come across," he declared. "Tomorrow. Seven a.m. Be there or…not."
I had to giggle. "Or be square?"
He raised an eyebrow at me. "Umm yeah. I'll just go now."
"Laters, Malfoy," I said loudly, just to aggravate him further. I could barely believe myself. It had been ages since I'd resorted to the age-old game of "Let's See Who Can Get the Most Annoyed". But hadn't Draco and I just played it?
That night was awful. I'd curled up with a good book, but it was becoming harder and harder for me to read it. This was another first. I always enjoyed reading, no matter what was going on. But today I couldn't even concentrate on it.
I wanted more break-up ice cream. I wondered if they used spells and potions similar to anti-depressants in them.
Hermione, I told myself firmly, get a grip on yourself. I was being ludicrous. Had I, Hermione Granger, seriously taken to moping around the house...because of a man? That did it. I dissolved into a fresh set of tears.
Ten minutes later I was all cried out and there were no more tissue boxes in the house. Stumbling to my bathroom, I shirked away from my own reflection and finally just stepped into the shower. Soon I came out feeling somewhat refreshed. Imagine my surprise when I stepped out and Parvati and Blaise were waiting in my living room.
"Did we catch you at a bad time?" Parvati asked sympathetically.
No, of course not. I'd just had a miserable two weeks, my living room was strewn with used tissue, my eyes were probably still red, my hair was dripping wet and in general my life was a mess. Of course they hadn't caught me at a bad time.
They'd caught me in a bad life.
"Not at all," I smiled cheerfully. "Can I get you anything? Something to drink? A snack?"
"Oh, no, we're great," Blaise said without cracking a smile or even a benign expression. His face it seemed was just frozen into blankness.
"Look Blaise and I really wanted to ask you something," Parvati grinned. "We know it's silly…but I'm positively anal about this wedding…I just wanted to know who you'll be bringing, and if you could please wear a soft pink dress, so you can match the others?"
"Er," I squirmed, because I hadn't given a second thought to who I'd be bringing, "I'll wear soft pink," I promised, "but I haven't arranged a date yet."
"Could you do it by Wednesday?" Parvati looked strained. "I need a complete guest list and I've got to make seating arrangements."
"Of course," I promised, not knowing what else to say. I just wanted them to leave already.
"Fantastic," Blaise got up quickly, and extended Parvati a hand, which she gladly took.
"See you at the wedding!" Parvati squealed as she hugged me good bye. "Have fun!"
"Bye, you two," I called after them. And as an afterthought, "Behave yourselves! Just a few weeks left!"
I could still hear their laughter as I went to bed. It played over and over in my head. I couldn't believe it. There was just no way I could be so lonely so fast, right? I couldn't crave coupledom this much… I'd just gotten out of a devastating relationship!
And I had a crush on my boss. Draco Malfoy.
And I nearly slept with my best friend. Harry Potter.
Someone Avada me, I wished. I'd really screwed myself over in the three weeks that I'd been divorced. It was just awful. I had seriously fucked my life up.
That night I forced myself to read some discovering-yourself books. Although they'd looked a bit silly I found out that they certainly helped.
Love yourself! Love everything about you!
I would, I promised myself. I would. I did. I must.
The next morning was clear and cool as I donned on my work clothes. I took care with my appearance again, because I just couldn't have myself looking like the way I had been for the last two weeks (like something the cat dragged in). My smashing appearance that Ginny had helped me with was long forgotten. Today I would revive it.
Making sure I looked acceptable I apparated to work, and was immediately greeted by a truckload of papers. "Oh, fantastic," I mumbled to myself. "I hate oil."
That morning I called my friend Teresa, begged her for her father's oil, set up a meeting between Draco and her father, overtaxed my brain on budget questions, and put my knowledge of magical theory to use.
I was completely immersing myself in work. It was the only way to get myself out of this. Plus it definitely made me forget all of my problems in the social arena and such.
The week continued in the same fashion. I worked even more than Draco had asked me to, and that was quite a lot. On Wednesday, Parvati's accusing face popped up in my office fireplace, and I nearly screamed. "What are you doing here?" I demanded.
"You said you'd have a date for me," she sighed. "Hermione. Where's the date?"
"Non-existent," I muttered. "Look if it's that big a deal to you that I have a date, I won't go. All right? I won't muck up your perfect wedding."
"Oh, no, no, no, no, no!" Parvati assured quickly. "I'm so sorry. I just assumed that you were going to bring a date… and I didn't want any surprises."
"Give me a few more days," I begged. "I'll line up a date. Heck, I'll let you set me up with one."
The instant the words were out of my mouth, I knew it was a mistake. Especially if the gleam in her eye was anything to go by. "Great. I'm going to look at whoever else doesn't have a date on my guest list, and you can go with him. Ooh, Hermione, that's so fun! Well I'll let you get back to your work. You seem awfully busy!"
"Um, yeah," I mumbled as she left. What had I done? Sometimes I said entirely too much. Entirely too much.
With a small sigh of unhappy acceptance, I turned back to the oil files. Teresa's father Mr. Rivers was flying to London next week with his wife (they were going to turn the trip into a business-slash-pleasure trip). He must've really liked the look of Draco's company if he was flying all the way from Texas, I thought to myself. And then I remembered I hadn't told Draco about this meeting.
Bad idea.
Rushing into his office, I arrived breathless and with flyaways framing my face. Just my luck; he wasn't even there. I went back out to see his secretary. "Is Mr. Malfoy here?"
"Oh, no," she shook her head, "he went out to lunch. He'll be back soon. Can I take a message?"
"Yes, please tell him that he's got a business dinner with Mr. and Mrs. Rivers. Mr. Rivers is an oil mogul and is interested in merging with this company. The dinner's two nights from now at the Malfoy Manor. If he's got any thing he wants to change he must contact me immediately."
The secretary looked down at her little magical organizer; it reminded me of a holographic notebook. The dates that he was busy on whizzed around in the air. "Well, you're lucky, Hermione," she smiled, "because he's free Friday night. Let me tell you, that's very unusual, you know."
I shrugged. "Whatever," I turned to go, and came face to face with the man in question.
"Hermione?" he asked in surprise.
"Friday night you're having dinner with Mr. and Mrs. Rivers from Texas," I told him with a small smirk, "in your house. Enjoy yourself. I hope you put up an anti-magical charm everywhere so they don't notice anything unusual."
He panicked. I grinned.
"What?" he looked pained. And then, being the smarmy little prat that he was, he recovered rather quickly. "Okay, you know what, you're coming with me. It will look silly of me to entertain them all by myself, and secondly, you know more about these people. It will only make sense if you're there as well; you've met them, haven't you?"
"Yes but I haven't seen them in years," I protested weakly. I really didn't want to go out at all… but he was making sense.
"And we're not having it at Malfoy Manor," he continued, looking determined. "My father would turn in his grave if he heard of Muggles being entertained in Malfoy Manor. We'll go out to some nice muggle restaurant. Arrange one," he told the secretary. "Friday night. Seven o'clock reservations. What time are they arriving?"
"Flight's at five. Send a limo to pick them up," I told him shortly. "Now if you'll excuse me, I've got to go."
"Where?" his snarky little smile was back now that the original panic was over. "come on in my office. We need to talk about some things."
Resignedly I followed him in.
"So I've noticed you've been here twenty hours out of a twenty-four hour day," he motioned for me to sit down. "Unusual."
"You did ask me to work overtime," I answered him with a snap.
"Not that much," he grinned. "But you're Hermione Granger, ever the workaholic, huh?"
"You don't know shit about what's happening to me," I growled, "so I suggest you refrain from making any comments."
"Touchy," he tapped his nose. "All right, I won't. I was going to discuss your salary."
I perked up, just a bit, mind you. "Well?"
"I've doubled it for this week."
I froze. Was he kidding? Doubled it? That was…insane! I wasn't complaining, but…wow! Whatever for?! "Er…thank you," I mumbled, a blush spreading across my cheeks, even though I didn't know why.
"No problem." Draco smiled genuinely, and I noticed once again how handsome it was. "It was the least I could do. You look like you're having a tough time…and you are putting in the hours… you deserve it."
I was shocked beyond belief. These were possibly the most sincere words he'd ever said to me in my life. Forget the silly things he'd said the first time we'd lunched out…he'd been saying that for some reason or the other…I didn't really know what…but he meant these. I knew it. In surprise I shrugged. "Well, thanks," I said confidently. "Anyway, I have to go back to work."
"I was going to suggest you take a vacation," he told me seriously, "after this week. Things have been hectic. I'm taking next week off as well."
"Really? Where are you going?"
"Switzerland. I have a summer home there."
"That sounds really lovely," I replied, "you have fun, then. Be back in time for Parvati and Blaise's wedding, right?"
"Of course. Like I'd be allowed to miss that. Blaise and I are very close."
This reminded me of the information he'd gleaned from Blaise and all the mushy feelings I'd currently been having disappeared. "I have to go," I informed him coldly and stepped out of his office.
I didn't look at him until I was sure I was safely out of his vision. He didn't even look bewildered at my sudden departure. He seemed perfectly at ease; in fact, he'd turned back to his work. The nerve of him.
That was it. I was tired, and sick of Draco I'm-such-a-prick-bet-you-can't-figure-out-what-I'm-doing Malfoy. He wouldn't stop playing games, and frankly, I was too old for games. I'd been through too much for games. I was looking for serious, and he was looking for dilly-dallying. That's it, Hermione, I told myself bravely, you will pull this crush out of your system if it's the last thing you do!
And you know, I did have a habit for being persistent. And succeeding.
I'd do it!
A/N: Crap place to stop I know. I would have made this short chapter longer it's just that I've got to go back to school soon and I have so much stuff to do! And don't worry, all, this is still a Draco/Hermione fic, and will continue to be one. They will eventually ha--…no, I'll shut up. You'll just have to keep reading.
I'm hoping to wrap this up sooner or later. Really; I'm tired of it—it's amazing that I've stuck with it for so long because generally I have a short attention span when it comes to my stories. But don't worry I will definitely finish the story!
Next chapter you can expect the business dinner. Chapter after that should hopefully deal with Blaise and Parvati's wedding. Anyway ciao for now. I'm going to try and update soon. Please review!! It was my birthday this past week…come on, it'll make a great gift.