Hermione was startled to find that throughout the following weeks of her working as Malfoy's personal secretary that his sudden strange behaviour did not change. To her surprise, Malfoy did not continue to bait her or taunt her as he had done at first and instead he had abruptly turned their relationship to a frostily professional one.
Hermione supposed that she was grateful for that since that meant she didn't need to deal with residual feelings from their past (both good and bad feelings that is) but she was a little thrown off by his coolness towards her. It was as though he was trying to avoid facing her completely after pulling out all stops to get her to work as his personal secretary.
Hermione was mystified with this new, brisk Malfoy but still a little suspicious. Why was he being so icy? Was he afraid that she still liked him? Was he afraid she was going to blow up at him again?
If she had heard Blaise's conversation with him in his office on that first day of work, she would've understood Malfoy's distantness. Unfortunately for her, she hadn't heard it and was now wondering if she should confront Malfoy about his peculiar behaviour towards her. She just wasn't used to him being like this. Sometimes she even wished that he would sneer at her to make things feel more normal.
She shook her head at where her thoughts were going. She shouldn't be questioning Malfoy on his motives – after all they were benefiting her – she didn't have to put up with his snide comments anymore and she could concentrate on her job. But after spending so many years at Hogwarts with Malfoy she knew that something was not quite right with their relationship at this present moment and she impulsively wanted to do something about it.
Suddenly the elevator doors opened.
Speaking of the devil.
"Good morning, Miss Granger." Malfoy muttered as he strode out from the elevator, making a beeline for his office. He had barely even given her a glance as he had politely greeted her.
"Good morning, Mr. Malfoy." Hermione replied just as courteously, giving him a narrow look that he didn't notice as he walked past and shut the door.
She sighed.
This was just too weird.
---
Draco went straight to his desk and sat down in his plush leather chair. Turning the chair around, he looked out of the window at the busy scene below him, lost in his thoughts already. He had had a stressful few weeks, ever since Granger had become his secretary. At first he had thought it would be fun, having a personal secretary that he actually knew and who would react when he teased her. But Blaise had to go and ruin it by challenging him not to end up having one of those office affairs with her.
Even though he hadn't been formally 'challenged' by Blaise, he felt as though if something did happen between them, he would cop a lot of shit from his best friend.
Damn his pride.
Anyway, he wasn't keeping away from Granger because he was worried that he would start lusting after her (never mind that he had checked her out before) but rather because he was concerned that Granger herselfmay still feel something for him. He knew it was arrogant of him to think of it in that way, but really, he didn't want some Mudblood from his past becoming infatuated with him again, especially now that he had a long-term girlfriend.
Draco glanced at the photo on his desk of the said girlfriend and smiled – yes, he would have to be a fool to fall for Granger instead of that gorgeous nymph, he assured himself.
----
Hermione was diligently working (as usual) when Malfoy suddenly came out from his office and politely said to her, "Miss Granger, I'll be having an early and extended lunch today."
She raised her eyebrow at his tone and decided in that moment that she had had enough of this.
"That's fine, Malfoy. You didn't need to inform me of that and I wouldn't have expected you to anyway." She responded evenly.
Malfoy pursed his lips.
"That's Mr. Malfoy to you." He pointed out.
"Look, I know we've agreed on this 'respect' thing but doesn't it feel completely unnatural to you, Malfoy? I don't feel comfortable with this façade of a professional relationship and I think we should just drop the act." Hermione said smoothly.
"Well then Granger, would you prefer that I insult you every moment of your working day? Because that's what you'll get if we drop the act." Malfoy answered just as smoothly and emphatically spitting her name out.
Hermione rolled her eyes at her boss and shook her head.
"Obviously I wouldn't prefer that either, but at least that's more real than this…farce. Can't we compromise?" She reasoned.
"Granger, I think that it's in everyone's best interests if we remained cold and civil towards each other. A compromise wouldn't work between us and our continuous bickering would disrupt our work, would it not?" Malfoy countered pointedly.
"Yes, but I really don't see the problem -" Hermione continued on before getting cut off by an impatient Malfoy.
"No Granger, you wouldn't see the problem would you?" He snapped at her suddenly.
Hermione was taken aback by his sudden reversion to his usual condescending self. It was the first thing that he had said to her in weeks with actual feeling.
He had lost control over the careful mask he had constructed these past few weeks and the physical difference was astounding. His stance had changed, his presence was more overwhelming than it had been a moment ago and his angular face wore the sneer she had seen many times before.
The tension between them had increased as well, but the tension that had been simmering before was due to the unfamiliarity of their civil relationship and it was now replaced by the familiar tension that only old enemies feel when they are together.
Now this was how things were meant to be.
"Well Malfoy, since you seem to know the problem, why don't you enlighten me?" Hermione replied swiftly.
Malfoy narrowed his eyes at her in response and turned around to leave.
"Oh, yes, like turning your back on me is really going to do anything." She scoffed derisively.
Hermione saw his shoulders visibly stiffen and she expected him to explode into a rage when he turned around to face her. But to her surprise, he merely said in a low murmur:
"Do you really want to know what the problem is, Granger?"
She started to feel slightly suspicious at his tone, which was like a predatory cat stalking its prey. His sneer had turned into a smirk and his eyes were flashing with mirth, challenging her.
So she hesitated before nodding at him.
"Very well then. My friend Blaise Zabini believes that if I don't keep a distance from you emotionally, you'll end up becoming smitten with me again." He stated calmly, watching her reaction carefully. He was not disappointed by what he saw.
Hermione's eyes had widened and she looked completely livid at the assumption that she would fall for Malfoy again and that she wasn't able to control herself and her feelings and…
"How dare you bring that up now!" She exclaimed furiously.
"They were Blaise's thoughts, not mine, Granger. I'm just telling you what you wanted to know." He answered with a smirk.
Hermione was still mortified by Malfoy's answer to her question that she didn't hear him. He took advantage of her silence and pressed on, making her feel even worse.
"So really, Granger, you are the problem. Now do you see why we should stay coldly civil towards each other?" Malfoy finished off triumphantly, leaning against his doorframe with catlike grace, looking at her smugly.
That was the end of the tether for Hermione.
"You think you're so clever, making me feel humiliated for asking you about your strange behaviour." She spat.
Malfoy didn't move, not even a muscle as she stood up and started towards him. She continued to speak as she walked slowly, enunciating each word clearly despite her anger.
"Tell your smarmy little friend Zabini that he is sorely mistaken in presuming that I am foolish enough to be seduced by you and that he massively underestimates me if he doesn't think otherwise."
She had reached where he stood languidly, and she narrowed her eyes at him.
"There is no need for us to keep up this act because I assure you, Malfoy, that whatever feelings I once had for you have been extinguished a long time ago and there is absolutely no chance in hell I would ever fall for you again, you bastard."
She was breathless from her defense of herself and was annoyed to find that Malfoy hadn't even flinched from her onslaught of words.
"Well, what do you say to that, Malfoy?" she taunted.
There was a pause before he answered her.
"I say, bravo, Granger."
Hermione icily acknowledged his compliment, but then his next words ruined the moment for her.
"But I don't believe you."
What!
"Oh come on, Malfoy! You know that I meant every single word that I just said, especially the part about my feelings. The only emotion I have towards you at this moment is pure hatred." She cried out heatedly.
"Really?" He drawled, mockingly, "I feel the same way towards you, Granger."
"Good for you. Because I despise you, Draco Malfoy and I always will - for everything that you have ever done to me." She stated with conviction, her eyes burning with anger that she had kept bottled up since Hogwarts.
The look on Malfoy's face was impassive; he seemed unmoved by her declaration…almost as though he had expected it anyway. They were standing very close together, though their bodies were not touching and he could feel the fury radiating off her in waves. He glanced down at Hermione coolly and his lips curved into a dangerous smile.
"Well then, you won't mind proving the extent of your lack of infatuation towards me by coming shopping with me this afternoon, would you Granger?" He murmured.
There was a shocked silence as Hermione tried to gather her wits about her. Shopping? That was how Malfoy was going to punish her? She was completely confused by his antics and didn't know how to respond.
"Granger?" he prompted, challenging her once more.
She raised her eyes up to meet his stormy gray ones steadily. She wasn't going to back down from this test of her feelings. She was going to prove to him once and for all that she felt nothing but loathing towards him.
"I'd be delighted to join you." Hermione replied finally, her anger fading away into uncertainty.
What on earth was Malfoy up to? This was definitely not how she had expected him to react to her outburst. Especially as they had both just reminded each other of their mutual hatred.
"Excellent. I'll see you after work then." Said Draco, turning to head towards the elevator.
As she watched him strut haughtily away from her, his bizarre invitation still hanging in the air, she couldn't resist calling out after him.
"What are we shopping for?"
He turned around and smirked at her.
"That's for me to know and you to find out, Granger."
And with that, he was gone, leaving Hermione feeling completely apprehensive about what the afternoon would bring and with her curiosity piqued.
A/N: Hello everyone! It's been a long time since I last updated because I've been extremely busy. Sorry! I've also had writer's block, so this chapter still feels slightly off to me, but it's the best that I can do for now. Hope you all enjoyed it nevertheless. Please review!
Cheers,
psychohart
