"I need a job."

Draco leaned back and look at Blaise. She was sitting across from him tapping her fingers impatiently on the arm of her chair.

"It's not really my decision. I might be the chairman of the board, but ultimately, it's Hermione who gets the final say."

"Look, I'm completely skint, broke; I don't even have a knut to my name! There is no way in hell I'm running back to mum and the family to ask for any type of financial security. Can't you shag her and ask her then?"

Chuckling, Draco stood up and looked out the window. Hermione was home now, and she had intended to stay in London for the duration of the Monte Carlo project. He was meeting with her in fifteen minutes and he didn't quite know how to explain Blaise being in his office, not to mention the fact that she needed a job.

"Look," said Draco, "Hermione got in last night and her assistant called me to tell me she was on her way to the office and requested a meeting with me in, well, in about fifteen minutes. I can ask her then. But I think it's best if you leave now and make this a little less complicated."

Blaise stood up and straightened her skirt. "Very well. I'll leave, but don't let me resort to blackmail to get you to do anything," she said with a smirk.

"Why won't you just accept a loan from me? Won't that be easier? I can give you a stipend until you find a job elsewhere!"

"Draco, you're not the only one who needs to clear their name in this town." Blaise walked towards the door and with a wave, she was gone.

Draco sat back down in his chair. This charade was getting too complicated. He needed to end it; he was almost back in most of the good graces of society. He had been invited to several functions of which many would never have even given a second thought about not sending him an invitation. He picked up his coffee mug and took a sip.

'Fantastic, my coffee is cold.' muttering a warming spell, Draco sat back down in his chair and began to look over some paperwork when he heard a knock.

"Come in."

"Hey there." Looking up, Draco saw Hermione standing in the doorway. He forced a smile and waved her in.

Shutting the door behind her, Hermione literally ran to him and kissed him passionately.

"Oh merlin, I never thought I would say this in my lifetime, but Draco Malfoy, I missed you. And I'm so sorry for being away so long." Draco say tears forming in Hermione's eyes and felt a twinge of guilt tugging get him. He kissed her forehead and pulled her in for a hug.

"You should be sorry. I had to sleep with the maid in order to get any comfort while you were off getting tan in Monte Carlo."

Swatting his arm playfully, Hermione jumped up on his desk and took a seat. "it wasn't even that warm there, you dolt. And I would hope you weren't sleeping with your maid, unless her name was pansy?"

Draco almost choked on Hermione's words. "What?"

"I know you weren't off on a shag-fest while I was being a prat. Speaking of pansy, care to tell me how she got the number to my mobile? I had a delightful conversation with her when I got in last night."

Bracing himself for a hexing, Draco took a seat and shrugged. "I'm sure she has her connections. Most likely an old 'client' if you know what I mean."

"hmm, I figured as much. Well, just to let you know, she informed me she's 'back' and that she fully intends on taking you back into her bed."

Draco playfully caressed Hermione's leg, causing her to giggle a bit. "Yeah, I ran into her on the street a few days back. She wasn't soliciting me, but she did inform me that she's given up her life on the street and apparently opened a knickers shop in the Alley."

Hermione swatted Draco's hand away before it moved further up her leg, "Knickers? Seems appropriate. Anyways, just keep her at bay when you see her and remind her who she's threatening. I came her to see if you had a date for the IFOW ball next week?"

Draco leaned back and stroked his chin, "Potter recommended a fantastic escort service over in Manchester, I thought I would owl them and see what kind of girls they've got."

"You're horrid. Pick me up at eight on Saturday then?"

"I suppose, but you better look better than a high-class call girl."

"Shut up." leaning over, Hermione gave Draco a kiss on the cheek and hopped off the desk.

"Wait, Hermione, do Ron and Harry know you're home?"

"Nope, I thought I would surprise them. That and give them lavish presents for being such a bitch."

Draco had to talk to her; he had to see about Blaise. "Oh, and another thing."

"yes?"

"You remember Blaise Zabini don't you?"

Hermione's eyes narrowed, "I do, and she disappeared shortly before the war. I thought she had been killed?"

"Yeah, well, turns out she's not dead!" Draco saw that his joke was not getting a laugh, so he continued. "Well, see, she's been in hiding, traveling for the past few years, and now she's back and she's always been a good friend, and she's such a hard worker and never really wanted to be part of all that dark junk and I was thinking…"

Hermione was curious as to where this was leading, so she took a seat and nodded for Draco to continue.

"…perhaps you would consider letting her work for you, you know, just clerical work really."

"let me get this straight, you want me to hire a girl who never said a word to me at Hogwarts. A person who quiet possibly could have wanted me to fall through the trick stairs?"

"Basically, yes."

Hermione thought for a moment. She did owe Draco, and Blaise was never a threat to her at Hogwart's. If Draco thought she was quality, perhaps she deserved a second chance as well.

'I gave Draco a second chance, didn't I?'

"Very well, tell her to be at my office tomorrow at seven a.m. I'm only doing this because I feel guilty."

"You should feel guilty. Do you feel guilty enough for a quick go at it on my desk?"

All Draco got was a door in his face.

~*~

"You're home!" Ginny came bounding into Hermione's office. All Hermione saw as a warning was a flash of red running towards her.

"Oh! Harry and Ron are going to be so tickled to see you! I mean, I heard about that little riff you three got into, but I'm sure that's over with and I can't wait to see their faces. Oh, Hermione, they are so proud, so proud to get this promotion. All I've heard since they got it was how proud they were going to make you and this is going to mean so much to them to see you and.."

"Gin, please, in a normal speed please! It's lovely to see you too!"

Catching her breath, Ginny fell back onto the couch in Hermione's office.

"I am so glad to see you. Do you know that Malfoy has actually been civil to me since you were gone? I have to commend him for trying hard."

"Be nice, he is my boyfriend."

"he's still a prat. Anyways, I thought I would take you to lunch. Are you free?"

Hermione glanced at Ginny, who followed Hermione's gaze to the stack of files and fabric swatches covering her desk.

"right, work, I forget that people work normal hours. I don't have to be in to report to the ministry till later this evening."

"I can spare a few hours. I owe it to my friends."

Beaming, Ginny grabbed her purse and pulled Hermione up from her seat.

"let's grab something quick and go shopping."

~*~

"I got the job!"

Blaise grinned at her friend. "I can't believe it was even that easy!"

"for someone so smart, Granger will never have the right wits about her. I'll show that mud blood up once and for all."

"pansy, don't be hasty in this."

"I don't care anymore. She gets to live in a fancy house with servants and date Draco and be loved by all. It's all so damn nauseating! I need to see her fall from grace in a bad way"

"You will. It's going to be perfect, trust me."

Blaise leaned in and kissed pansy. "we'll get him back, pans, I promise. After everything he did, we'll get him back."

________________________________________________

First, I never update and that makes me a terrible person. Then I add in lesbians?

Work with me here, I promise it will make sense eventually.