Okay semester change in a couple of weeks and I am not looking forward to calculus…
Aside from my depressing thought, it's my birthday this month, yes! Ha ha, sweet 16th here I come.
Thanks to all of my reviewers, I love you all for your contributions.
i love harry potter: Yes I agree, it would be very good for Harry to be given some of his own medicine! Who would you suggest I pair him up with?
MssrBlaze: Thanks a lot for your review, and yes I want to keep it a nice fluffy fic. Glad you like it.
Hecate goddess of Darkness: I am moving away from the kidnapping idea but I agree with you, I would like to see Draco get worked up and therefore show how much he really cares for Hermione.
Jepa: Your idea is very good and I think you will see it coming around sooner or later. Thanks!
Special thanks to my great friend Jo who has been such an enthusiastic reader and has encouraged me heaps.
Here is the next chapter.
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Draco opened a letter a large brown owl had just dropped on his lap. Hermione was in the kitchen trying to bake a cake without magic. By the sounds of her mutterings and random outbursts of curses, it wasn't going smoothly.
Dear Mr Malfoy
A training time has been scheduled for the International Quiddich Team. It will be at 1pm on Monday. You are expected to come with full gear and your broom should be in good condition. The aparation co-ordinates are enclosed.
We thank you and await your arrival with great anticipation.
Cadel Paolini
Manager of WQS
Draco heard something crash outside and decided it was time to intervene. 'This is why there are house elves.' He thought.
"Hermione, are you alright?" The moment he stepped in he could see her face red with frustration and a series of uneven blobs in cake tins. It was difficult to tell which ones were already cooked.
"This is so horrible! Why can't I do this?" She gestured to the row of 'cakes'.
'Oh, they are all cooked.' He raised his eyebrows slowly. "What's wrong?"
"I don't know!" Hermione threw down the tea towel and sighed. Draco sensed this was the time he was supposed to be supportive so he hugged her.
She was surprised by his actions but relaxed into his arms. He was getting very good at deciding when she needed comfort and when she needed to be alone.
"Maybe you should leave it for now." He suggested lightly.
Hermione shook her head, breaking away and looking around the disorderly kitchen. "No, I will make this cake."
"So stubborn." Draco smiled. He liked that, her Griffindor traits were most appealing.
"Alright then, well I will just wait over-" He was interrupted when another owl swooped into the room. It was black and its eyes glistened when it glared at Hermione.
Draco recognised the owl immediately and his stomach dropped.
The bird released its letter into Draco's hands and flew over to perch on the balcony rail.
This letter was short and hastily scribbled.
Mr Malfoy
We need to meet immediately to talk about Malfy Inc. It is urgent and I stress that you cannot continue to ignore this. Owl me to let me know when you can meet me.
It can no longer be put to one side.
Phillip
"What?" Hermione's voice made Draco jump. He didn't realise she had been reading it and quickly folded it away.
"Nothing, I have to go but I will be back soon." He made to turn away but Hermione blocked his exit.
"I saw it, now tell me, what is going on?" She demanded.
Draco ran a hand through his hair, showing his stress. "I… It's just business Hermione."
"What to do with the business?" She prodded.
"It's… going through a rough patch." He said slowly.
Hermione frowned "How rough?"
He felt out of place and wished she would just leave him alone, but of course, she wouldn't. "Very rough."
There was a pause as Hermione absorbed this information and tried to think of how this was affecting Draco. Obviously it was important in terms of Harry's plans. Since the war, people had grown wary of dealing with Mafloy Inc. or anything vaguely related to the Malfoy family. For the business to do well, was a sign of acceptance and that's what Harry wanted.
But himself? His ancestors built that business from the ground up, he would surely feel ashamed if it fell in his hands. But then, he had betrayed them, left centuries of tradition behind to join the light side. Did that mean he didn't really care for the business anymore?
"Can I go now?" Draco had seen a thousand thoughts racing through Hermione's brain. She was thinking carefully about something, but he didn't really know what.
"Can you fix it?" She asked, completely ignoring his earlier question.
Draco had a sinking feeling he couldn't, but his pride wouldn't let him admit that just yet. He wouldn't go down without a fight. "I will try."
Hermione then stepped aside and watched him with a concerned frown as he wrote a reply and went to their bedroom to change.
Quietly going back to her baking, she could not help but worry for him.
He came out a few moments later, wearing a black suit and carrying a briefcase, he pecked her cheek and smiled reassuringly before apparating.
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Draco arrived at his office, a sinking feeling in his stomach. He didn't want this business to die, not because Potter wanted it to stay, but because it was his. No Malfoy took failure lightly.
Letting this business fall was classified as failure.
"Mr Malfoy, I'm glad you could make it." Phillip said, a grim look on his wrinkled face.
"You didn't exactly leave me a choice." Draco replied sitting down behind his desk and glancing at the tower of papers that had been placed there.
"Mr Malfoy, it future of Malfoy Inc. needs to be seriously discussed."
"I realised."
"My advice sir; sell it."
Draco sat up, shocked at the very idea. "Sell it? That is out of the question."
Phillip gazed at him for a long time, his face expressionless. "It is no longer possible to save the company, I regret to inform you, selling is the best decision."
Draco sat back, considering all the repercussions of this act. The media would certainly turn it into some kind of scandal. But what other choice did he have?
"I will think about it."
"Mr Malfoy," Phillip began, frowning "There is no time to consider. You must make this decision now."
"I need to discuss this with Hermione." He made up an excuse and found it was rather a good one.
"That mudblood you've been set up with?" Phillip spat.
"DON'T CALL HER THAT!" Draco bellowed standing abruptly.
The old man was surprised by the outburst but didn't show it. Only a flicker of disappointment showed on his face. "Your decision?" He asked coolly.
Draco sighed, wondering why things always went so bad just when he thought he had everything under control.
"What are my options?" Draco asked, racking his brain for a solution.
Phillip wondered if he should even bother tell the young Malfoy what to do. It was obvious he had inherited the stubborn pride of all purebloods and didn't like the idea of letting this business go. "You need to find a way of getting more customers, and fast. Otherwise, there is no way we can continue to fund the company's activities."
Draco sat back, a contemplative expression on his face. There was so much going on in his life now, maybe it would be better to let things go. He should be spending more time on Hermione, like any fiancé would. He certainly had the personal funds to support him and Hermione without working.
"How do you suggest I get customers?"
Phillip shifted in his seat, "Many wizarding families wouldn't be comfortable dealing with Malfoy Inc. but if perhaps you came up with an idea that would motivate them…"
Draco nodded, but he had never been very creative, the Malfoy's had always relied on bribes and blackmail; a habit he wanted to cease.
"I will talk to Hermione and tell you my decision tomorrow." Draco announced. Phillip opened his mouth to object but shoved the words back down his throat when he caught Draco's look. It was a dangerous one that rarely came out in the young man, but that did not detract from its power over even the strongest of wizards.
"Very well Mr Malfoy, I need to stress how important it is that we reach a decision as soon as possible." He added.
Draco nodded. "Yes, call the other remaining share holders for a meeting after lunch tomorrow in the conference room. We will complete our discussion then."
Phillip nodded and stood after his boss had, they stood gathering papers and thinking. "Sir?"
"Yes?" Draco looked up at the old man. He had been his father's most trusted advisor and Draco knew for a fact he had been a death eater. When Draco had changed sides however, he had followed suit not too long after.
Draco had always thought he was a rather nice man to be working with his father and he trusted him, even though they only shared the common courtesies of business partners, but Draco felt Phillip had been his first friend.
"Are you engaged to her then?"
Draco nodded, his face blank "Yes, her name is Hermione."
Phillip nodded. "I wish you all the best Mr Malfoy."
Before Draco could think of a reply to this unexpected intimate comment, Phillip had disaparated.
For a moment, Draco stood still surprised. 'No one has ever said that to me before.' Was the only thought that crossed his mind.
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Hermione, after hours of trial and error, managed to bake a perfect cake and just put it out to cool when Draco returned. Quickly she looked to him, curious as to how things had gone.
He looked relaxed and seemed tidy, not like last time when he had returned with his hair messed up and shirt crumpled.
"How did things go?" She asked, coming around to see him.
He smiled at her brightly and kissed her as though it was the most natural thing to do. "The business is in a right state."
Somehow, Hermione felt his expression and words didn't match. "What's going on?"
Instead of meeting the solid wall of defiance that he usually put up whenever she asked questions about the business, he went and sat down, already explaining everything.
"The finances are ruined, you know that don't you? It's a shambles, all the shareholders have backed out and so there is no funding for the business. Phillip told me to sell but I don't want to resort to that." He sat down, speaking as though he did this with Hermione every day.
She was listening intently but also thought about his sudden change. He was open, and he seemed happy despite the position of Malfoy Inc. She never would have thought he would come back in better spirits than when he left.
"So now we need to get more customers, more people interested in working with us." He finished, a satisfied expression on his face.
Hermione sat silently. Pondering what she was supposed to say to all of this. Was she supposed to be sympathetic? Or simply express no opinion what so ever?
"What do you think I should do?" This matter-of-fact question took her off guard and she found herself trying hard not to fall off her chair.
"W-What did you say?" She stammered, beginning to recover.
Draco appeared not to notice her shock. "What do you recommend I do?"
Hermione stared at him, hard, for a long time. Draco could see into her amber eyes, the thoughts that crossed them were obviously nothing to do with Malfoy Inc. "Did you finish that cake?" He asked suddenly.
Hermione nodded numbly, this Draco was incredibly different and she found the change nice, but she preferred the old Draco, she actually knew him.
"Can I have some? I haven't eaten for hours." He stood up, making his way to the kitchen.
She sat a moment longer, collecting her thoughts before following him.
He cut a small slice of the sponge cake and promptly took a bite. He sliced another piece for Hermione who took it and also ate.
"It's very nice." He smiled. She smiled back automatically.
'Who is this person?' She thought, he was definitely not Draco Malfoy. No matter how much Draco had changed, he would not be a man returning from business to discuss it with his fiancé and ask her advice. He certainly wouldn't be someone to eat a cake she had just cooked and smile sincerely while complimenting it.
"What have you done to Draco?" She found herself blurting out.
He stopped, hand halfway to his mouth, and stared at her. They remained that way for a moment before he put the cake down and leaned casually on the counter top. "Are you quite alright?"
"Yes." Hermione answered warily.
"I am Draco. Who did you think I was?" His eyebrow rose slowly as he awaited an answer.
"You're… different." She found she could not explain how his actions had thrown her off.
Draco smiled. "I am?" She nodded. "Phillip said something to me today." He continued.
"What did he say?" She asked, curiosity getting the better of her.
"He said 'I wish you all the best Mr Malfoy.'"
Hermione frowned in confusion. "And?"
Draco seemed scandalised by her lack of understanding "And? You don't see? He is the…" He trailed off, feeling slightly embarrassed.
"What? What is it?" She wondered what it was an old man could have said that made him like this.
"It doesn't matter." Draco mumbled, but Hermione shook her head.
"It does matter."
He watched her for a moment. "No one has ever 'wished' me anything." He admitted quietly.
Comprehension dawned on Hermione's face. "Oh! I see, that's great!"
Draco felt warmed by her smiled but that did nothing to take away the awkwardness of the situation. Something so small had reduced him to a grinning ball of happiness.
He feared Hermione thought he was some kind of deprived child; something to be pitied.
On the contrary, Hermione understood perfectly and reached up to kiss him. "I'm glad you're happy."
He smiled down at her, she was all he needed at this moment. A brilliant ray of sunshine, making his world so much better to live in.
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The next morning, Draco took Hermione with him to the conference. She was dressed in a dark blue skirt and a green silk blouse.
They caused quite a stir among the scattered remains of Malfoy Inc. shareholders.
But no one dared to speak out against the boss's fiancé. She sat next to Draco, looked evenly at everyone.
"Welcome, it's good to see you all again." Draco began with a brisk tone. "I have come to discuss my plans for Malfoy Inc. and let me assure you, they do not include the business closing down."
The gathering of around ten middle aged men shifted. They shared looks of surprise and curiosity, while Phillip who sat on Draco's other side was clearly troubled.
"My fiancé, Hermione Granger, will explain to you the beginnings of the plan we created last night." He gestured over to Hermione who smiled politely to her audience.
"Hello and good day to you all." She began, pulling out some parchment and handing it around. "Here you will see the outline of our plan for Malfoy Inc."
"Muggles?" One dark haired man gasped.
Hermione smiled sweetly "Yes. It has been brought to our attention that wizard families just don't trust the Malfoy name anymore. Thus our new target clients are the muggles."
Murmurs echoed throughout the room and Hermione allowed them a moment before calling for quiet. "I am aware that this is most unorthodox but Mr Malfoy and myself refuse to give up this business without a fight."
Draco nodded, gazing at each man in turn. They were sceptical but he knew if anyone would be able to convince them, it would be Hermione.
"The muggle market is huge and with the right advertising we can reel in thousands of customers in a very short time. From this, we hope to raise enough funds to begin our campaign to the wizarding world." Hermione continued in a pleasant voice making it sound like the easiest thing anyone could possibly do.
"If I may," A man sitting near the end of the table began, "I would like to ask how exactly we would sell our services to the muggles? We deal in the import and export of magical goods." He added, as though Hermione wouldn't already know.
"We are aware of that Mr Anderson." Draco cut in coolly. "If you continue reading, you will see we are planning on selling something quite different to the muggle market."
The pale eyed man immediately sat back and looked down at the parchment Hermione had given him.
"Yes," Hermione breathed. "We will be dealing in telecommunications."
Looks of confusion and incomprehension filtered through the gathering of wizards.
Draco himself had felt that way when Hermione first mentioned it. She had spent over an hour explaining to him how muggle communication worked, and even now he wasn't overly confident he understood it.
"What is this 'telecommunications' Miss Granger?" Hermione turned towards the first truly polite voice she had heard. It was Phillip, she was startled by how old he looked, his skin wrinkled and his eyes calm.
She smiled at him and stood up, waving her wand, a board positioned itself at the front of the room right next to her. She began speaking as papers flew about in preparation for her presentation.
"Muggles are without magic; they cannot rely on magic as we do to communicate with each other." The wizards nodded slowly and their full attention was on her when her papers stopped moving.
"Muggles have developed several ways of communication that don't require magic. Here she flicked her wand and several pictures appeared on the board. At the same time, one page of parchment flew over to each wizard seated around the table.
"What you see before you is a telephone." She announced, pointing to the picture of a phone on her board.
They looked down at the picture before them and some frowned. "A telephone has been a part of everyday life for years in the muggle world. With it, they can speak in real-time to whoever is on the other side."
She waved her wand again and the pictures on the papers moved. A young woman dialling a number, placing the receiver to her ear and another woman appearing to answer the call.
"Do you see?" She asked.
A few heads nodded, others looked up in mild confusion. "How does this help us?" The man at the back asked.
Hermione smiled and glanced at Draco who stood up casually. "You would be hard-fetched to find a muggle home that does not contain at least one of these, telephones." He explained. "And, they pay for it."
At his last four words Hermione saw everything click into place for the wizards. They only knew the language of money and she felt a little put out that they weren't really interested in how a phone worked.
"And so we wish to set up a business providing this communication service." He finished, seating himself once again as whispers resounded in the room.
Hermione cleared her throat, immediately returning attention to her. "Telephones are not the only service we can provide."
The wizards looked up to her in surprise. "Muggles also pay for the usage of cell phones and internet connections."
Once again, puzzlement filled the room. "Cell Phones?" Phillip asked.
Hermione nodded, sending another piece of parchment at the wizards, this one with a picture of several different cell phones on it. "These are in many ways, just like telephones but they are portable."
Draco here took over from his seat. "These ones though, can be used to talk but also to send written messages; both costing money every time."
"There are hundreds of models and some are very expensive. They have the ability to take pictures and record sounds. Both of which can be sent to others at a cost." Hermione finished.
The group glanced at one another and some exchanged a few words before falling quiet again. "Miss Granger." Phillip looked to her.
"Yes?"
"This business could take a long time to set up in the muggle world."
Hermione nodded. "Of course it could, naturally there are many things to set up, rules, regulations and laws to abide by. But our plan is not to set up a completely new business, but branch off from a much larger one."
"How will that work?" The man next to Phillip asked, he seemed to be the youngest.
"We will simply buy out one branch of a large company and run from there. If all goes well we will have more than enough money to bring Malfoy Inc out of its dormant state." She smiled again.
Draco nodded, trying to see how they thought about this idea.
When no one spoke for a while, Hermione picked up a rather large booklet and held it up for them to see. "I have prepared this portfolio which contains all the information I have just told you and some more finer details. It also has in depth information on the workings of Telephones, Cell Phones and Internet Connections, which I am sure you will find interesting."
A booklet flew out to each person and they began flipping through it, scanning the contents briefly. "This is undeniably, a big plan, but we can pull it off. Malfoy Inc. will go into recession for a while and the staff here will be taken to muggle London to work. Once we have the necessary funds we can sell our telecommunications company and rejuvenate Malfoy Inc."
Phillip spoke once more, "When do you expect an answer from us?"
Draco stood then, meeting everyone's eyes. "We know that this is a huge leap into unknown territory, but Miss Granger here knows a lot about this and I trust her judgement. You're thoughts and final decisions will be brought forward in a weeks time. As Phillip has emphasised many times, Malfoy Inc. cannot wait longer than is necessary."
All heads nodded, they gathered their papers and began filing out of the room.
Hermione sat down and sighed. Draco placed a comforting hand on her shoulder "You did very well."
Phillip was the only one who remained in the room. "I must agree, your manner was most appealing. I believe this is a good idea and although some of the others may not feel entirely comfortable dealing with muggles, it is a good progress Miss Granger."
Hermione felt eternally grateful towards Phillip, he had been so kind, it was hard to believe he had been such a close friend of Lucius Malfoy.
When he had left Draco offered her a small smile "That was intense."
"Yes, I didn't ever think I was much of a business woman."
Draco chuckled, "Oh but you are."
"Will it work?"
"I have a very good feeling it will."
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Wow this chapter was long and to be honest I didn't even get around to the event I wanted this to be! So I'm going to cut it here and continue into the next bit. I hope the conference scene wasn't too boring for you. I really enjoyed writing it and it just seemed to come out easily.
Thanks for your reviews and please drop in another one!
