(No recap for this chapter as this is quite irrelevant to Chapter 3's contents)

Chapter 4: I Have a Boss
Hermione's POV

02-04 Sunday (1056 hrs)
Majix Enterprise HQ

Okay. Now I'm excited. For the FIRST time in my whole, entire life, I have my own working desk.

Aren't you overreacting? You might ask.

Well, you can say that to anybody but not me. Not to a person who has been jobless since the day she graduated from school.

Anyway, I am the Co-Editor to Smith Johnson but when I hear them explain what I have to do as a Co-Editor, I feel that I am more like a secretary to the Chief Editor.

"Thanks, Penny." I say to the model-like girl who had ushered me to my desk. Her dazzling smile and sparkling eyes are so attractive that I don't know how to begin describing them. Yes, she looks 'speechless' to me.

"No problem at all, Hermione." She flashes me another sweet smile that shows some of her blindingly white teeth. "The Chief Editor, Smith Johnson, should be here after um," she checks her stylish Rolex lady watch at this and continues, "ten minutes or so. If he still does not appear at that time, you can just sit around here and familiarize yourself to this working space you have. (pause) Oh, er, sorry, I have to get back to work now. It won't be good if Mr. Malfoy catches me chit-chatting around here. Maybe we can have our lunch together! Is it fine with you?" She asks pleasantly, already making the effort to befriend me!

"Oh, thanks. But I suggest that we dine together. I'm sorry, but I'm not free at lunch time." I grin shyly at her. It's not nice to turn down a new colleague's offer. Especially when she's such a nice girl. But my dear boss, Mr. Draco Troublesome Malfoy, insisted on us having lunch together on my very first day of work during the interview. He said that it was to celebrate for me or something. Celebrate my foot!

"Never mind, silly." Penny waves her hand to dismiss the apologetic look on my face. Aww… She is so sweet! "Then dinner it shall be! See you!" With one last bye, she turns around to get back to her office on the twenty-second floor. I'm working on the twenty-first floor, come to that.

Ah, nothing much to do here… So I can just sink into this comfy chair and wait till Smith Johnson arrives. I look to my left and I see a cubicle. Actually, on this floor, there are lots of cubicles like this to create more working spaces for the staffs…

Inside, a guy in his thirties was coughing hard as though he was choked. I was about to get up to help him when I saw a blackish pill or something like that being spat out of his mouth. Then, he feels better and settles deeper back into his chair.

People can be so uncivilised sometimes.

Oh. I think I am not fit to say things like that. I mean, his actions are almost exactly like mine earlier on, during the interview. Only what I did was worse… and could have easily cost me my job.

I don't - and will never - feel like recounting the event!

(a/n: but the author feels like telling…)

Earlier on (0903 hrs)

As I cough, my face flushes. I felt the heat especially when I looked up and saw an awkward Malfoy. He has got one of his eyebrows cocked up but his expression is hard to define. He looks like he was torn between laughter and fake concern. To hell with what he is trying to express! I do not care! Shit, when will this coughing stop?

"Grange… Granger?" Heheh! He stumbled on his words! I look straight at him. I think that our faces are parallel to each other now as I straightened up. BUT I still cannot stop coughing! Merlin, I can't have TB now, can I? I know I have weak lungs but – "Granger, are you okay?" He leans forward as he asks.

I try to answer him in the midst of my uncontrollable coughing and I suddenly feel something that was stuck so uncomfortably in my throat seconds ago, come flying out. My lungs slowly resume normal work in the respiratory system and my throat finally feels proper again. At this moment, all I feel is relief and more relief. At least I stop…

Um.

Wait. Did I say something just CAME FLYING OUT?

I instantaneously stare back at Malfoy as my coughing ceases. There on his lips is a small, black fly that looks like it was drowned to death. Drowned in my saliva. The gods are cruel.

Back to Normal Timing (1115 hrs)

There. I see the heartless author just told you what happen. Sigh, whatever then. What matters most is that I 'got off the hook'. And to get off the hook in a situation like that with a Slytherin is a kind of once-in-a-lifetime experience.

So you see why I got a bit of a worry when I remembered Malfoy's invitation to lunch with him? Merlin knows what he may be up to! Okay, so now, there is only FOUR more hours left to lunch time. Do you think I can make up some kind of excuse to not eat with him?

I mean, he has been so scary to me ever since I met him at Flourish and Blotts. I even considered for a moment last time that he is nuts but the thought was dismissed as soon as it popped up in my mind. A nutter cannot run a business so well, can he?

Maybe?

On the plus side, it isn't such a bad thing that I spat a drowned fly on him. I mean, he actually let me out of the interview early and still gave me the job. He even asked me to start work immediately (as you can see now). Probably want me out of his face ASAP or something.

That Chief Editor is not going to be back. It's way past his reporting time already. I swivel the chair to my left and see that same guy rushing through his paperwork. Then, to my right is another guy. He is younger than the one on my left, only, his hair seems to be balding quite badly already. (Pity.) This guy is busy with his own paperwork, too.

They make me feel like I am slacking here, before my very own and very first working desk that is right outside the Chief Editor's office. This is such a unsettling thought. I cannot give Malfoy any more chances to fire me. Though he had been really different to me all these days, I still have the gut feeling that he is up to no good. Any Muggleborn-Hater cum Slytherin can never change so suddenly. So yes, I can be seriously bias sometimes.

"Hello, Granger." A voice with fake warmth called - why do I keep linking fakeness with him! - and it did not take a genius with an IQ of two hundred points to know who this person is.

I force out a polite smile and turn to face the source of this voice. Think of the devil. "Can I help you, Mr. Malfoy?"

I lean further back into my chair to try to relax myself. Suddenly, I feel something brush against my hair - it came close enough to almost knock the back of my skull. But that is impossible, considering the distance between my position and the wall of Smith Johnson's office is approximately seven metres far. I look back. Nothing. I look around me. There is nothing unusual too.

Hmm... I finally settle my eyes on Malfoy who has uneasiness written all over his face. Did I do something? Again?

"Is anything wrong, Granger?" I shake my head firmly like a stubborn little kid. "But you were -"

"Fine. I'm fine." An edge is creeping into my tone.

"If you insist." He shrugs with an expression that looks almost like annoyance. What did I do that annoyed him? That disgusting ferret! "Er… What are you doing?"

I answer him in simple words. "I was only surveying my new workplace when you decided to come along and check up on me."

"Okay... Since you are that free…" He declares after some milliseconds of consideration, "How about I show you around the place?" Then, he purposefully smiles beatifically.

He waits for my answer. Or rather, my agreement. The look he wears on his face suggests that he is going to pull me off the chair and drag me around the place if I dare to say 'no'. And that is why I am currently waiting for him to prompt me for my answer. I want to delay him for as long as possible.

Clever, aren't I.

However, he does not even prompt me. Instead, he goes ahead and decides for me, "Silence means consent. Great, let's get going. Shall we?"

I let out a mini sigh when he is looking around the busy place. He ushers me with his hands stretched out straight while all I can do is to return him a weak smile and a small nod as I silently get off my chair and begin to brisk walk. I hope that I could out-walk him and we can each go our way afterwards.

Apparently, his legs are longer and can go faster than mine as he soon keeps up to my pace. Frustrated as I may be, I play along with him. I try slowing down my pace for a few seconds and right when he comes close to pacing alongside with me again, I speed up. Why won't the prick learn the art of giving up?

"So, Granger," he clears his throat in an amused fashion, "do you need me to introduce you to where we are at now?"

"Please do." I say hurriedly as my pace quicken again. Two witches walk past us, chatting enthusiastically.

"But you may have to stop hurrying so much for a while. Otherwise, you might not be able to fully comprehend what I'm going to say." Malfoy stands there and raises his voice as I march further and further away from him.

I stop and turn back to him. If it was the normal him, he would be wearing a smug look on his face now, being able to make me stop when he wants. But no, he is abnormal. And he has to put on a casual look and an almost-too-bright smile on his face. "Okay." I mumble venomously under my breath.

"That's my good staff." He jokes. Poor Malfoy, he really has got no idea what true humour is.

"So, where are we?" I question, trying to sound really business-like.

He clears his throat and begins his long description of the room, its usage, its capacity etc. I soon got bored with what he has to say about the place and start to build sandcastles in the cold, dry air.

Time ticks to 1401 hrs

That irritating Malfoy finally freed me from his constant rambling about his company building some minutes ago. You know why that horrible bastard had finally agreed to let me go? It is only because he wanted me to get my things for the lunch. He even said that I am to meet him at my desk in eight minutes time. And that leaves me with two minutes from now.

I look around me again. The aisle near me is eerily empty of people. Just now, it was still full with crowds walking up and down for information or assistance from their colleagues scattered across the building. The cubicles on my either sides are empty of people too. Of course. They have lunchtime, too, don't they?

Time bullet-trained to 1403 hrs

Even the person in charge of making the time go around hates me! How in hell did time fly to two-oh-three in such an incredible speed? Gosh, I see a hateful man wearing dark green robes walking towards me. He walks like he has springs attached to his heels. How come he can be so happy to meet his mortal enemy whom he has known from Hogwarts? How?

"You are ready, aren't you?" Malfoy asks with that stupid grin on his pale face. Let me get this straight, his excitement is highly uncontagious.

I give him a small smile and nod. "Yes, Malfoy, of course I'm ready to go…"

He interrupts, "Um, I'm wondering why you can't call me by my first name."

"You've been addressing me as Granger too, in case you haven't realise."

"Uhhuh. How about this, Hermione?" Came his irritating response.

"Ah, good question." Really, it is the bestest question I have ever hear a Slytherin ask. "Maybe it's because we aren't on a term so close yet." I answer after a dramatic pause of consideration.

Dray-co half snorted, "Oh please. We have known each other since eleven and yet we are so pathetically distanced, Hermione?"

"Well, it's not very fair. You called me 'Granger' in the morning, too!" I retort.

"But it only makes sense. I always draw a clear line between work and leisure." He offers his explanation which I think is still pretty ridiculous. However, much to my dismay, the look on his face suggests that he thinks everything revolves around him.

"Oh yeah?" I challenge.

"Oh yes!" He returns. I believe we are in a loud discussion now.

"How about the day we met in Flourish and Blotts? That wasn't work time, was it?" I inquire testily.

He comes up with a comeback quickly, "You can't count that! We haven't seen each other for such a long time and I was used to calling you by the last name, then. So that was a pure mistake."

"Makes no difference to the fact that you still called me by my last name." I insist. Ugh, I think me saying this line makes it sound like I want him to call me by my first name. "Though it's not like I need you to address me by my first." I point out.

"But that was a small, tiny mistake I made! What you did was to ignore the only true fact that we actually do know each other well enough to address the other by the first name." He reasons in a way that sounds like what he thinks is the most reasonable. Just what is he trying to say?

Malfoy is so engrossed in trying desperately to get me to call him 'Draco' that I find myself swept into this argu – loud discussion and even took on an enthusiastic role.

"I said it makes no difference." I bellow and glare at him.

"It was a mistake, woman!" He shout argumentatively back at me.

"Wasn't!" I refuse to step back.

"Was so!" He says, determined.

"Was NOT!"

"Will the two of you please…" A loud, firm lady's voice rings in our ears. Then, it softens a bit, "quieten down?"

We turn to face her. The lady who calmed us down is the one I met just before the interview. That shorter, plumper version of McGonagall.

"Sorry, Alice." Malfoy mutters.

"Um, sorry." I apologize tentatively.

Alice sort of smiles at me and turns her attention to the still-rather-heated-up Malfoy (I'm never calling him Draco. He can't make me do what I don't like). "Draco, it's already five minutes into lunch time and you are still here depriving your poor stomach of food? Better get going now! At least the both of you can still enjoy fifty-five minutes for lunch." She may not have realised it but as soon as she finish her words and is about to go back, I catch her winking at Malfoy. Funny.

The sound of her heels clicking echoes in the distance. It suddenly makes me feel more aware of how lonely we are on this level of the building. I sweep my glance across the deserted place. The glance confirms my awareness. Then, I finally dare to allow myself a straight look at Malfoy. He is standing there, in front of me and tongue-tied. So I decide to help him out of the situation. "Want to catch a bite somewhere?"

His face lights up a bit with what I suppose is thankfulness, "Sure. What place do you have in mind for lunch?"

"I don't know." I say and stifle a small giggle. I wonder what was so funny that I wanted to giggle. Maybe it was due to the sudden twist of events. "You decide, boss."

So, I finally think that it is best to call him 'boss' for the time being. I figure that until he agrees to the last-name-calling between us, 'boss' will definitely be the easier way out.

"Okay. How about The Lenviosa Restaurant?" He suggests.

"That sounds familiar…" I mumble more to myself than to Malfoy as I try to ransack my memory store room for more information on the restaurant.

"Of course. That is the restaurant I wrote on a note to ask you to come and dine with me days ago." He explains. "Why don't we walk to the lift as we talk?" And we start walking. Normally, wizards can only Disapparate or Apparate outside the building. "By the way, why didn't you turn up that night?" Malfoy asks, still focusing his attention on me even when he is walking. Crazy.

"Oh. Um, I wasn't feeling too well then. You see, I had some unusual cramps in my stomach…" I find myself trailing off...

"I see, I see. Never mind, then." He nods knowingly.

"Why did you want to see me then?" I want to know.

"Nothing important, actually. It's just that I wanted you to join my company (he reaches for the button that 'summons' the lift) but you weren't there so I had to resort to owling you."

Ding. The lift arrives at our level. We are on our way to a would-be-awkward lunch.

A/N: That's the fourth chapter. Enjoyed the story so far? I hope so. I'm trying to make this a fast-pace story if you don't mind (I don't think you'd mind). By the way, I'm really confused right now.

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