"Miss Granger? There's a Miss Zabini here to see you."

Glancing at her watch, Hermione was pleased to see that Blaise was on time. She was actually fifteen minutes early.

"Send her in Trilly."

Hermione began moving some folders off her desk when a voice startled her.

"Nice office you've got here, Granger. I see you spare no expense now that you're rolling in galleons."

"That's Miss Granger to you Blaise. Have a seat," said Hermione motioning Blaise to one of the couches in the sitting area. Hermione stood up and took a seat across from Blaise.

"Coffee?"

"Yes please."

Hermione waved her wand and a coffee serving set appeared. She helped herself to a cup and motioned for Blaise to take one as well.

Taking a sip, Hermione summoned a notepad and quill. "So, Draco told me you're back in London. How were your travels?"

"Fine, thank you. I saw a bit more of the world, muggle and wizard alike, that I intended. It's never too much fun when you realize you're running out of money."

"Yes, well, I suppose it must have been rather hard to have been in hiding all these years."

Blaise snorted, "You have no idea. But it was never about Voldemort you know."

Hermione was silent. She had not heard the name of the infamous wizard in quite some time. She was curious as to why Blaise had left. Draco told her it was because of her family's involvement with the dark arts, but somehow, she felt there was much more to her story.

"I'm guessing from your expression that you're wondering what I'm doing back, why I even left to begin with, and why I'm here now."

"Sorry, I just, well, I would like some background information before I decide to hire you on a permanent basis. I assume, and I hope my assumptions have some ground to stand on, that you are no longer or ever were involved with any activities that may jeopardize your position in this company, or the company itself."

Blaise sat back, a dark look passing over her face. Containing her emotions, she let a small smile play on her lips, "Well, just to reassure you, I am not, nor was I ever in any league with my parents or the dark arts. I left because I did not want to join them in their decision to support Voldemort, and because I was given a choice: Give up what I loved the most or be killed. I decided running away was a better option."

"I'm sorry to hear of your trouble. Well, Draco speaks very highly of you and I am confident in his judge of character that you'll be a welcome addition to our team. Now, I don't know how much Draco has told you of what your duties may be, but I decided to hire you under a new position. Draco is very rarely able to meet with a lot of our, well, not so prestigious clientele. I believe that you would best work as his proxy during meetings and conferences. Now, you will be representing Draco, the company, and me. It requires a lot of overtime, you will not be given an assistant, and you must be on call during the weekends if any pressing issues come up. I looked over the resume that Draco sent over and spoke to all your references last night and you were highly recommended by a Paula Parkins, your former employer at the Wand Wonders event-consulting agency in Paris. I must say, for someone who was in hiding, you were not even inclined to work under an assume name."

"I never said I was hiding, I just decided to leave the family. As long as I swore to never use the name Zabini again in London or to advance in society in any way, then I was free to leave, with the premise that I would never return."

"But you're back now," said Hermione, "Your mother is very much alive, as are many of your relatives."

"Ha," Blaise frowned, and then took a sip of her coffee, draining her cup. "My mother is a dolt. She has as much sense as a flubberworm, and even those things can be declared more mentally sound than that woman. As for the rest of my family, with no more dark forces running around since Potter cleaned up the world, they wouldn't dare try anything. They are far too afraid of the ministry and the International Federation of Wizards Council."

"Very well, I will get your office set up for you. You may start today. There are approximately twenty-five clients that Draco has not been able to meet with since I have been away. They aren't pressing matters, but they have been delayed far too long. You can start with them."

Blaise got up to leave, but paused for a moment and turned back to look at Hermione. "Thank you. Really, I mean it. This is an opportunity that would never have come about if not for your ability to forgive and forget. I won't disappoint you or Draco, I swear."

Hermione watched Blaise leave, trying her hardest to believe the last words the woman had spoken to her.

~*~

"She's back? This is getting bloody ridiculous. I don't want to have to call her a cow, among other things, in order for her to realize that she has certain obligations as our friends, such as being there when we need someone to help us walk when we're piss drunk, our weddings, and on occasions such as the most bloody important promotions of our lives! I don't want her there."

Harry was lying on his bed staring at the ceiling while Ron paced back and forth at the foot of his bed. That morning at work, some women were talking about how excited they were that Hermione Granger was back in London to finish the fall lines to debut in the spring. Harry made a few inquiries and found out that Hermione had been back for almost a week and was planning to surprise both of them at the ceremony on Saturday.

"She's our best friend Ron; she has every right to be there. Moreover, yes, she was a bit stupid about where her priorities are, but are you even surprised? This is Hermione we're talking about. The sky could be falling and she would keep on working. You know in her heart she knew she was wrong and it is unfortunate that we had to tell her off like that, but we've been through much worse scrapes than this."

"Well, I've had it," huffed Ron as he sat down at the edge of Harry's bed. "I love her, I do. I would do anything in the world for that woman, but lately she's been so hell-bent on being number one witch that she barely has time for us. She barely has time for Draco, and lord knows he's smitten with her. No wonder all her men run off into the sunset with others; she can't spare one moment for a decent snog!"

"Don't be harsh. Why don't we drop by her manor this evening and sort everything out before Saturday? The last thing we need there is a showdown before the IFOWC chairs between the 'great triumvirate.' "

Ron smiled at hearing the nickname that all the papers in the wizarding world had coined to describe the three friends at the time of the Great War.

"Well, I suppose. But I won't promise anything."

Harry got up and took out his muggle mobile. "I'll ring the Castletons to know to expect us."

~*~

"Draco!" Hermione squealed despite herself. At the moment, Draco was carefully using his able tongue to trace circles and plant kisses up and down her neck. He had Hermione sprawled on her desk in a position that would drive the tabloids wild.

"Shh," whispered Draco against her ear, "just be quiet and let me enjoy this."

"No, seriously, Draco, as much as I wouldn't mind you ravishing me on top of my fall line designs, I need to get the designs presented to the board tomorrow and I won't ever concentrate after what might transpire if I continue to let you…oh…." Hermione's voice trailed off as Draco's lips found a particularly sensitive spot at the crook of her neck.

"Naughty boy, get up." Hermione pushed Draco off and began to re-button her partially opened blouse. Groaning, Draco pulled himself away from Hermione and consoled himself with thoughts of spending time with her later that evening for dinner.

"I'll ring you when I'm done," said Hermione as she pushed him towards the door.

"You're a tease and wench," said Draco, his face inches from hers, his mouth curled in a grin that Hermione could rarely refuse.

"This wench ahs work to do, and I need you to go over some of the client profiles with Blaise. You promised."

Draco held his hands up in defeat, "Fine, fine, I'll go. But I hope you know I expect full reciprocation tonight."

Hermione shut the door behind her and took a deep breath. 'Merlin, I need to stop these trysts at the office…'

Getting back to her desk, Hermione saw that it was almost six in the evening. 'Perhaps a nice bath at home before dinner would be nice.' Nevertheless, Hermione shook the thought out of her head and began to go over her sketches.

Just as she was putting the final touches on her couture line, her mobile rang,

"Hermione Granger."

"Ahh, Miss Granger, so very nice to hear your voice."

Hermione was puzzled, the voice on the line sounded so familiar, but she had the hardest time placing it.

"Umm, do I know you?"

"Very well. I believe you attended this glorious wedding a few months back…"

:"Parvati!" Hermione smiled and put her sketchpad down. "How is married life treating you?"

"Lovely, really, it is. In addition, Seamus finally got a decent job, but it's in the muggle world. I think he's some sort of Promiscuator?"

"You mean prosecutor? I didn't know Seamus had gone to study law."

"I know, he's awfully boring sometimes, but an absolute gem in bed. We're moving to New York in a few weeks."

Hermione sighed. It had been a dream of hers to run the New York branch of the company for sometime, but she never felt the urgency to leave London quite yet.

"Parv, new York is divine. Shopping is all over the place, you'll love it."

"Oh I know. Seamus went to study at some muggle university in the States and I went to see him there a few times. I told you all of this!"

"Sorry, you know how I am with details about such things. But good for Seamus for finding something he's passionate about!"

"Well, it's made him awfully happy, but he's not getting paid as well as I would have hoped. However, he will be working for the New York branch of Gringotts on their legal staff as well, so I hope the pay balances out. Nevertheless, that is not all the reason I called you. I have the most intriguing gossip…"

~*~

Harry glanced at the clock. It was almost seven o' clock at night and Hermione had not apparated home yet. Her car was in the front drive, so he assumed she had apparated to work.

"See? Even when she knows we're not here, she doesn't show up. I'm going to H2O for a drink. Are you going to stay here and see if she decides to tear herself away from her precious work?"

Sighing, Harry stood up. "I'll join you. We can talk to her tomorrow."

"Tomorrow's too late," said Ron, gathering his cloak and drinking the last of the tea that Mrs. Castleton had set out for them.

Just then, they heard a pop and sob.

A tear-stained Hermione walked in right as Ron and Harry walked out of the front parlour into the foyer.

Without a word, Hermione flung herself at her two friends and managed to weep for a good five minutes before anyone said anything.

Ron spoke first. "It's Draco, isn't it?"