Ron and Hermione spent most of the weekend catching up on lost time. It had been several months since they had seen each other. Much to Hermione's delight, Ron never mentioned Malfoy since Saturday afternoon, and she had not thought of him since then either.

Monday morning dawned bright and early for Hermione. She rose and got dressed and was sitting down to breakfast when a sleepy-eyed Ron wandered into the kitchen.

"I don't know how you bloody do it Hermione, it not even seven in the a.m.!" Ron plopped down on a chair and laid his head down on the table.

Hermione flipped through the Daily Prophet and took a sip of her coffee.

"No one asked you to have breakfast with me. You were the one who said last night that it would be nice to see me in 'action' so early in the morning. Don't get grumpy with me."

Ron smiled at Mrs. Castleton as she set down a cup of tea in front of him that she had liberally laced with pepper-up potion. Ron smiled, "Now now, don't get your knickers in a twist. Malfoy doesn't want to look at twisted knickers in the morning."

"Ugh!" Hermione took a big gulp of her coffee and stood up, "This breakfast is officially over. Thank you for reminding me that I have to see Malfoy for the rest of the day, not to mention the fact that I have to be CIVIL." Hermione grabbed her purse off the table and kissed Ron's forehead. "Have a lovely day at the office dear. I expect you out of my house by noon. I'm sure Harry and Apexia are worn out and ready to take you back in." With a flash, she was gone.

Ron took his cup of tea and walked out of the kitchen with a silly grin on his face.

'I can't wait to see how Malfoy tries to pull this one off.'

~*~

"Mr. Malfoy? Mr. Weasley on the projector for you."

"Put him through Anna."

Draco sat back in his chair waiting to see Ron's image in front of him. With a 'pop' Ron appeared wearing the same grin he had when he left the breakfast table.

"So, tell me Draco. Are your intentions with Hermione real, or is this another stupid game you're playing? Because if it's a game, I wanted to put a wager on it."

Draco laughed and leaned towards the image. Ron backed off, the grin falling from his face.

"No need to back away Weasley, I wasn't coming in for a snog. When I told you that I thought I might fancy Granger when we spoke last week, I can assure you on my soul that my intentions are genuine and gentlemanly, if not a bit rash."

"Your soul is crap Malfoy, honestly, is that the reason you've made this 'pact' with her to be civil with one another? Hermione was never one for overly-blond and pompous aristocrats."

"Trust me, I just want get to know Hermione on better terms." Draco smirked, 'As well as woo the hell out of her so I can get myself a nice photo-op and get back in the good graces of society…..although I do plan to be a gentleman about it,' he thought.

"Very well, she's a bit surprised, I can tell you that much. But I don't want to meddle too deep into this budding affair. It makes my stomach churn a bit."

"You're just hungry because it's lunchtime."

"I think you're right," Ron said seriously, and his image disappeared with a 'pop.'

Draco leaned back on his chair once more and smiled. 'Ron Weasley trusts me, Hermione is beginning to trust me, Harry is still a prat, but he's not so bad. I'll be right back on WITCH WEEKLY'S top ten bachelors sooner than you can say…'

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!"

A flustered and red-faced Hermione was standing at Draco's door, wand in hand pointed right at his face.

"Put the wand down Granger, it doesn't fit into our little civility pact."

"Shut up, shut up, shut up!" Hermione marched towards the desk and laid both hands on the top leaning forward with malice in her eyes. "Explain to me, right now, in words that will calm me down, why my office is suddenly across the bloody hall from you."

"Oh yes," said Draco, "the office ordeal. See, I thought it would be nice to be in such close proximity of each other. It's easier to work that way. I figured it would be a nice step to building a non-murderous relationship with you."

Hermione slammed her fist on the desk, "DO NOT ever think that just because you're Chairman of the Board and the new productions manger that you can just shift my world around to fit nicely into yours. I work on the top floor facing Diagon Alley. I have always worked there and I don't appreciate being brought down to your level without my consent. My office is a mess! Whoever packed it up managed to get all my belongings muddled up and they just THREW my sketches all over the place! I do not work twelve hours a day to have half-wit with a wand pack up my things and move them down three floors!"

Draco got up and walked towards Hermione, "You're right. That was very disrespectful of me." Hermione's mouth fell open as Draco pushed out his lower lip in an attempt to pout. "I should have rang you up this weekend, but you were busy cavorting around London with Ron, so I thought it would be a nice surprise seeing as we're friends now. And close your mouth, you look like a fish in designer slacks."

Hermione closed her mouth and shut her eyes. She brought her hands to her temples and began to massage her forehead attempting to relieve the stress she was feeling. She opened her eyes to see Malfoy in the same spot. In her mind, the ground opened up and swallowed him whole.

"Look, we agreed to be CIVIL to one another. I do not recall agreeing to become friends. Acquaintances perhaps, but we do not become friends over a few laughs over Pansy Parkinson. I am going to take my lunch now. When I get back, I would appreciate it greatly if my office was back to where it was."

Hermione walked to the door and walked out without another word.

'Damn,' was all that Draco could think of as he watched Hermione's retreating figure.

~*~

"About time you showed up. Did Apexia drain you of your blood and 'other' things this past weekend?"

Harry sat down across the booth from Hermione at a muggle restaurant in Manchester. It was a small bistro that, according to Hermione, served the best crab and corn chowder.

"I heard you had an interesting weekend as well. Did Malfoy drain you of anything?"

Flattening her napkin on her table, Hermione smiled, "Just of my patience. Thanks for lunching with me today. I assume Ron is out of my house?"

"He sure is. He said you and Malfoy were acting pretty chummy when he arrived on Saturday."

"Rubbish," Hermione took a sip of her water, "We were talking about how Pansy is working as a common whore. Anyone who is of sound mind would laugh at that story. We're being civil for work purposes."

The waiter came by and took their order. As soon as he left, Harry gave Hermione a questioning look, "Don't you think it's odd that all of a sudden Draco Malfoy has decided to turn over a new leaf with you? It took him two years to finally sit at the same table with me without either one of us having one hand on our wands."

"Really Harry, what you and Draco do with your wands in each other's company is none of my business."

"Don't be crude," Harry placed his napkin in his lap as the waiter brought over two steaming cups of chowder. "I was trying to imply that perhaps Malfoy is looking at you in a new light. Ron mentioned to me that he believes that Malfoy might even fancy you."

Almost choking on her spoonful of chowder, Hermione fought the urge to gag at the thought. "Really Harry, I think that's the most ridiculous assumption either you or Ron have ever made."

"I don't think it's too far-fetched. Don't you think it's an odd coincidence that Malfoy practically begged his aunt for a job where YOU work, played the old playground game of pulling your proverbial ponytails in the schoolyard, THEN showing up at your home with breakfast almost in bed with a white flag waving over his head? He's doing a tremendous job of trying to win your favor. Not to mention moving your office across from his."

"Who told you about the office?" Harry grinned, "I have my sources. Just remember, he's out to get you Hermione, and this time, not to kill you, but to bed you." he said with a wink.

"That's a disgusting thought. Can we please enjoy lunch without another conversation about Malfoy and his 'intentions' towards me??????"

So Harry and Hermione talked about muggle political concepts instead. But the whole time Hermione could not help but think about what Harry and Ron had said.

'Merlin help me…what if he DOES fancy me? What do I do? Can I say no? He's my boss! Well….not really….but I don't even want to think of the possibility.' Hermione sighed, not even listening to Harry ramble on and on about who knows what. All she could think of in that little bistro in Manchester was Draco and his sudden change.