Chapter 7: Lunatic Conclusion

02-04 Sunday (1502 hrs)
Majix lift

Only a minute or so has passed and my thoughts about Malfoy are getting more and more confusing by each passing second. Should I just make friends? Call a truce? Just break the ice and start a conversation? Ignore him, maybe? Unable to make a choice, I decided to keep silent and stare at the plain dark wood. What a stupid lift this building has. No plans for emergency at all.

"So… how are you going to while away the next few hours?" Malfoy asks, breaking the cold stillness.

I turn to him and sat facing his face, "Sit here and waste time?"

Malfoy snickers, "Are you sure you are going to waste your time here? Try to know me better during this time, won't you?"

I laugh at his atrocious suggestion and commented, "What makes you think that you are this interesting, hm?"

"You won't know how interesting I can be till you interact with me, Hermione Granger."

I nod with mock wisdom, "Ah… yes. Will you tell me more about your wise self?" What else can I do? Facing the same four walls with nothing else to do will be enough to drive me crazy, you know.

Malfoy clears his throat and shifts closer to me, "My name is Draco Malfoy. I shall not tell you my middle name because I am thoroughly embarrassed by it. I am not turning twenty years old until Halloweens Day. I am a male and I like girls with sexy brown hair and fair complexion. I am a serious workaholic and I hate lunch breaks. My other hates are my middle name, my ex-self, little workload and my inability to have you - be my girlfriend, I mean." I mutter scum under my breath but he is sitting close enough to catch it. "Now you are breaking my heart." He blames.

I try to divert his attention, "Please continue."

"Fine. Just make sure you stop making those snide remarks." I mouth a 'whatever'. "Okay, as I was saying, I hate not being able to make you accept me, there's no women too tough for a Malfoy to handle – hey, you want to know why I am so attracted to you?"

I hesitate, "Um… Because opposites attract?"

He is suddenly stunned by my words. I guess my answer is too accurate.

"What's the matter?" I ask, left eyebrow popping up.

After blinking a few times rapidly, he regains bits of his composure and straightens up, "Oh, um, you are right. Actually, yeah… Um, right."

"Are you speaking German? It's the only common language that I can't understand."

He looks at me blankly.

"Never mind. Please just continue, alright?" I dismiss.

"Okay. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to… hmm, freak you out?" He chokes out nervous laughs. "Anyways, eh, I was pretty attracted to your intellect and beauty." He stares into my eyes and I seem to get lost in his. "And your eyes are such wonderful… gems." Malfoy breaks his serious tone and said, with a grin, "They sparkle so wonderfully whenever I look into them. I wonder if they sparkle like this all the time because of me…"

"I'm appalled, Malfoy. How can you think of such an impossible thing? I loathed you, don't you remember?" I reply.

He smirks, "So you don't have that 'loathing' feeling towards me now? That's good. Maybe we can do this step by step. What else can we do in this lift anyway?"

I shrug. "If only I have my –"

Malfoy cuts in, "Books? Merlin, Hermione. You are in deperate need of a life."

"Hey, it's not fair. I know that you must be missing your piles of work and appointments right now!"

With a few stern shakes of his head, he said, "Nah, Hermione dear. I don't miss them as much as I thought I am… in fact, I miss you."

A few thoughts run past my mind. What was he talking about? "What… I mean, huh? I'm here, you know?"

"Hermione… I want to be with you." He grabs my hand at this and holds it tightly. I never knew he has the warmth in him. I just never thought Malfoy are actually capable of generating warmth in their body. And he is holding me so securely I feel as though it is okay to just go anywhere with him... How can that be? "Will you give me a chance to let me open up and let you understand me more?" The sincerity in his voice is almost touching. It is almost moving. I feel like I am absorbed by him just by looking into his deep, soulful eyes. "Please?" That melts the very last bit of resistance I have for him.

Malfoy leans in to kiss me on my cheek, then slowly… his lips travel to mine.

02-11 Sunday (1500 hrs)
Majix Enterprise
Twenty-first floor

Lunch just passed. Sigh. Life is getting boring. Being a co-editor isn't tough – that is the problem. There's no challenge in life! I cannot believe it. If they expect me to just sit here and look out for errors in those idiotic articles… I will need a ward in St. Mungo's Hospital.

"Hey, Granger. How're things going? Having fun?" A familiar drawl comes from my back.

I remain in my position, not wanting to move. Since the lift incident, we've become acquaintances. Mere acquaintances, mind you. Anyway, it's a level-up in our relationship. "Fun? Yeah, this place is like Disney Land."

"Disney Land? That's too much of a compliment, isn't it?" Malfoy laughs.

I spin around in my swivel chair and face him. "Listen, I understand your sadistic need to make my life living hell, but please. Can you change my position? Like, can I be a reporter instead? I know the pay isn't as good as a co-editor's but at least there's something to do." I complain.

Malfoy frowns, creating thin creases along his forehead and between his eyebrows. "So you want a change, is that it? Will you bear to leave your colleagues?"

I roll my eyes. For this whole week in Majix Enterprise, I had only spoken to Malfoy, Penny and Alice. Why have I not talked to Smith? He only passed me notes.

"Fine." He smirks, "Actually, you want to know why I'm here? I'm here to inform you of your transferring of workplace. You will be up on the twenty-second floor with me. And your work will be far more challenging than these." He points to the parchments of unedited articles. "So… would you like accept this transfer?"

My eyes brighten at his offer. No one in their right mind won't accept it. Anything to get out of this boring hellhole. "Please and thank you! When do I start?"

Malfoy smiles, "Tomorrow, if you want. But why didn't you ask what position you'll be undertaking? I mean, you are not concerned at all?"

At his reminder, I stunned. "Um, I forgot? It's just that this place is too boring and dull and quiet at times… I'm too eager to get out. So, what will I have to do in the future?"

"Well, you'll be my secretary from tomorrow onwards!" He beams. Hallelujah. "And may I add, there will be lots of things for you to do! Happy?"

I consider his words. Gosh, what did I get myself into again! "Not really."

He bends down to be at my eye-level, with a whole new look of joy. "Oh, believe me, Hermione: You will not regret being my secretary." And with that, he gives me a fairly seductive wink that could kill Lavender and Parvati. I shudder. What did I get myself into?

02-12 Monday (0900 hrs)
Majix Enterprise
Twenty-second floor

Yawn. I didn't have enough sleep yesterday! Damn those stupid, horrible thoughts I had last night, while trying to get to sleep. Believe me, I no longer stereotype the Slytherins and Malfoy. I just have the bad premonitions that something will happen. I'm so dead.

I walk up to Alice who is sitting by her desk that is situated near small flight of stairs leading to a short passage which in turn leads to Malfoy's office.

Um… I suddenly wonder who was his secretary before me?

"Hello, Hermione. It's such a joy to see you. I believe you are here to report for work? Our dear boss is right behind these doors." The plump old lady beams and grabs my arm, pulling me to the heavy double door. Her perfume makes her smell even more like a grandma. "Now you go straight in after a knock. He's been waiting for you."

I smile at the kind lady, "Uh, Alice? I just have some questions to ask. Who's the secretary before me? And where will I be working?"

Alice's nice smile falters for a millisecond before she answers, "Well, the secretary before you… she's Penny Parkinson. And I have no idea where you'll be working… Mr Malfoy will inform you of it later, I think. Hurry along now, dear."

I raise an eyebrow at her answer, Penny was the secretary? I know that Alice is a receptionist at this level and is also like an assistant to Malfoy. But I never know that Penny – the considerate, beautiful Penny – was the… then what does she do now? "Just a last question, please, Alice. Where's Penny now?"

"Dear, Mr Malfoy will have the answers to your questions. Why don't you go in now?" She pushes me to the door and I know that I have no choice but to do what she says.

I knock on the door. Feeling alone, I turn to my back and find out that Alice had indeed disappeared back into the passage. "Open the goddamn door." I hiss under my breath.

I hear a soft… moan from the other side of the door. A moan of pleasure. This early in the morning? Or had they been working on it since yesterday night?

Fucking bastard.

And Alice said he had been waiting for me. Yeah, he wasn't waste his time. That Malfoy can do anything with anyone while waiting for the unimportant, right? He has all the rights to. But this early? At nine?

I am not mad, not angry. I am not jea – no. No. I am not jealous too. Why would I be jealous? We are acquaintances. I have nothing to be jealous of. Jealous of that woman inside who's having and affair with an ugly git? No way. What are you thinking? What am I thinking?

Stop. I'm not going to think, anymore.

Ew.

Hey, maybe it wasn't a moan. These doors are thick. It may just be a noise that's being muffled. Yes. May just be it! A muffled noise. A noise that might not be a moan of that sort. It might even be a groan.

Yes. So Malfoy may not be keeping a sex slave in there. Hmm…

Whatever. I am not sane.

Conclusions from above happenings: I am mad. Malfoy is not screwing someone in there.

Happening now: The doors are opened. Malfoy looks prim and proper in his suit. No other human being can be found in his office.

Conclusion from everything: He is more decent than he looks.

A/N: Okay, I think I know what you want to say. Crap. Right? Well, I'm sorry there's not much things going on in this chapter but I think the next will be better. Just thinking. I'll try to update ASAP. Sorry for the long wait, by the way. School's really a bother.

Replies to My Dearest Reviewers: deleted.

love, LD.