I'm really sorry guys, but in Chapter 5 about the mission Draco's been sent to, it's with Ginny Weasley and Harry Potter. Ron's not supposed to be there / he's supposed to be somewhere far away which will be revealed later as the story continues. I'm really sorry to create such a big mess! I messed up with the plot a bit and well, sorry! So it's been re-written so you might want to view it again.
Why I use the Great Gatsby? Blame it on my brother; he's studying it for literature now. Once again, thank you, the viewer for reading this story (: and when I called for constructive criticism you guys really gave them so really, really, thank you! At the bottom, I'll be answering some of the stuff you sent me. And the view counter stands at 20 short of 2000. Thank you very much:D
Chapter 7: Coffee
"What about all the other people?"
"The payment covers it all, does it not?"
"What about my apartment? I still need to pay rental every month."
"Quit the apartment! I mean, I'm giving you such a good offer and you're still pondering? Any other person would have taken up the offer in the ten seconds I said it."
"Firstly, I'm not any other person and secondly, it didn't take ten seconds. Think along the lines of half an hour."
"Fine, so do you want it or not?"
"Don't I get more time to think? You can't just suddenly tell me to stop paying rental fees and telling all the children to find another babysitter, can you?"
"Yes I can. Tell you what, I'll help you search for another babysitter for the tiny terrors and pay the rental in advance for three months, and you just have to pack and move. It's that easy."
"Stop sympathising with me, I don't need it. I don't even have to baby sit Ben anymore and my life would be even better. So drop it already."
"Granger, all I want to do is to follow my cousin's wishes okay? I'm not asking for much. All you have to do is to move into one of the many rooms in the Manor, teach and feed Ben, and do the housecleaning. I'll pay you of course. If you want daily wages then I'll pay you like that, no lies."
Hermione looked at the man sitting next to her incredulously, " You sure are full of yourself huh, all that 'I'll pay you daily,' stuff. Do you pull these kind of tricks on all the women you meet?" Draco looked back at her offended, "Look, I'm not saying this so that I can trick you into bed right? All I need is an au pair. Some woman, who does the dishes, cleans, cooks, and teaches Ben and all that other stuff. I'll pay you for every second you work in the Manor. What about 15 galleons an hour? Surely you can't turn down an offer like that. It's like working with three kids for an hour. And let's just take it you get and average of six kids everyday, then you get 30 galleons. With 30 galleons, times say the 9 to 5 working hours, which is 8 hours, you get 240 galleons a day. If you work for me, you get 360 a day. It's one third more than what you normally get."
Hermione stood up from her seat and started walking away. "You think money can solve your problems, Malfoy? Think again. Because I don't work for the money," She yelled over her shoulder. As she left, Draco slapped himself mentally. 'Male chauvinist pig' screamed in his brain like a never-ending siren.
The bell rang shrilly the next morning. Hermione glared at it angrily. Already, most of her usual children were down with the hay fever, cutting the steadily dropping numbers down to two children. As she approached the door, she heard two voices conversing. When she opened the door, Hermione found herself staring into the cheerful face of Karl and another not so cheerful face of Draco. "Morning, Karl, Malfoy," Hermione said as brightly as she could.
"Hermione, Katherine needs to do a check-up at Mungo's during lunch time, so I'll come and get her then. And your friend Draco says he's not really sure that Ben has had his yet, so I've booked him to have his check-up after Kate's. Do you think that's okay?" Hermione urged herself not to punch Draco in the face even though he had yet to say anything. She wound on an even larger smile and replied quickly, "Right. I think that's a good idea. A very good idea indeed. All the other kids are down with the hay fever. Tell you what, I'll bring Ben and Kate down this afternoon to Mungo's so you don't worry about it okay?" Karl nodded his head and after kissing Kat's head, he disapparated.
Draco gave a smirk and let himself into the apartment. "You keep smiling like that and your cheeks are going to start hurting like hell," he said as he walked past her to the bar stools. Hermione slapped her cheeks to release the smile and slammed the door shut. "You keep acting like that and you'll soon find yourself a very lonely person," Hermione shot back at Draco. Draco gave a small smile, "I've never been lonely Granger, and never will be."
Hermione raised her eyebrow and brought out the normal black and white mug and poured in the coffee. "Anything to say, Malfoy, or you're just going to keep drinking my coffee?" Hermione asked as she added in the sugar and stirred the coffee. "Sorry," came the reply. Hermione was stunned for a moment before a smirk started forming on her lips, "I didn't hear you, Malfoy. What did you say?"
"I said I'm sorry, I think you should get your ears checked this afternoon after Ben and Kate are done," Draco drawled and gulped down the coffee. "See you later Ben!" Draco said as he smacked his lips and put the mug down and walked out of the apartment. Hermione grinned at the closed door. The smoothest operator had just left the house.
Hermione stirred her tea over her book with the spoon and took another bite out of her scone and relaxed. She had settled for The Great Gatsby, a famous literature novel in the muggle world. Amusing and lighthearted, it made perfect reading material while waiting for Kate and Ben. Ben had been absolutely taken aback when he entered St Mungo's. The Healers were bustling about and the many warlocks, all as short as Ben or even slightly shorter by a few inches but hundreds over years older than him were running from room to room.
Hermione eventually found Karl's office and had dropped Ben and Kat there, told only to get them in about an hour and a half. Hermione, delighted to know she had so much time to kill at lunch hour went to Diagon Alley and bought herself a nice expensive cup of Earl Grey and a buttery hot cranberry scone as an indulgence she seldom had at the famous Tatter's Bakery.
"My what do I see, The Hermione Granger playing truant?" Came a feigned shocked voice from in front of her. Hermione huffily put down her book and was about to protest when she saw the person who had pulled a chair up to her table. "Malfoy!" Hermione spluttered and almost dropped the scone, "How did you—how? What? Where?"
"Speak clearly Granger, not everybody can hear you. Where's Ben?" Draco replied graciously and looked around the room. "Not here, he's still with Karl and Kate at St Mungo's doing his check-up. I'm picking him up at two with Kate," Hermione gathered herself and unconsciously touched her messy ponytail. "What are you doing here then?" Hermione asked Draco.
Draco was calling a waiter to come. When the waiter finally did, he ordered a lunch set and a cup of ice tea. "Lunch. Problem Granger? I'm waiting for an acquaintance of mine to show up." Hermione sat up straight and looked at Draco. "Well, then shouldn't you be getting yourself another table? I've got about an hour more before I have to leave." Draco glanced at Hermione amusedly, " It's a man, Granger. I'm not meeting a lady. I can introduce him to you, but then again, I don't think he likes your type." Hermione spluttered once again, "Like my type? What do you mean my type? Is there a type that I'm cast in? You—you!" Hermione stood up and looked as if she was going to throw her tea on Draco.
Draco on the other hand laughed, " Whoa, no, Granger. I mean well," and then he spotted somebody, "Over here!" Draco waved at a person over Hermione's head. Suddenly, Hermione felt very ticklish all over. Her hair which was in a messy ponytail had pooled around her neck in a messy curls. And then slowly, the hair began to tie itself back up again. Hermione turned around and saw a dark man with brilliant teeth, dressed in the most outrageous purple robes that screamed 'GAY', grinning back at her.
"Is that her, Draco? Hermione Granger? Draco, it's her isn't it?" The man asked Draco. Draco nodded and grinned back at the man, "Yeah, that's her all right. Messy, dizzy, bucktooth Granger." Hermione squinted at the man, has she seen him somewhere before? "Do I know you?" Hermione asked the man curiously.
"Let's try this," The man took off his hat and coat and sat down on a chair next to Draco, which he had drawn up. The man cleared his throat and leaned over the small table. "Why, if it isn't Fuzz. With hair like hers, when she falls, her hair would bounce her back up," the man said nastily, his eyes in tiny slits as he glared at Hermione. Hermione winced and then the memory came back. Fifth year, that dark boy with Draco Malfoy at the lake.
"Blaise Zabini."
The dark man gave a loud laugh. "She remembers me, Draco, aren't I good!" Draco grinned at Blaise and then at Hermione. "No fear Granger, Zabini would never hurt the hair on your head anymore. Let's just say that he's not very 'straight' and after finding that out after he had left Hogwarts, he's changed. So don't take it too hard on him, okay?" Draco explained to Hermione, his grey eyes twinkling. Hermione nodded back mutely and the angry buzz in her head settled.
"My, Granger! You need to change that top. And look at your hair! Have you ever gone to Tassles and asked the witches there to do something about that unruly bunch!" Blaise started. Draco grinned at Hermione again, "He's the head fashion editor of the Prophet and my Auror partner." Blaise had stood up once again and was circling Hermione like a vulture on its prey. "Granger, Granger," Blaise shook his head and tsk-ed, "You have got to do something about your fashion! The top doesn't match your skirt, are you going Bohemian? If you are then you have to get some make-up on. Ooh, those earrings are really not bad, and those sneakers, did you use a marker and draw on them because that isn't bad, not bad at all." Hermione could have fainted.
"Blaise is quite nice," Hermione kicked a pebble to the side of the pavement. She was walking back to St Mungo's with Draco Malfoy sauntering beside her. Draco gave her a non-committal grunt, which Hermione took as a sign for her to continue. "He's changed a lot hasn't he? You know, all that gay stuff going on for him and being head fashion editor of the prophet? I should have known. All the head editor has said about the fashion people was that they were a crazy bunch of people that they couldn't risk losing."
Hermione turned her head to find Draco not beside her anymore. In fact, he was standing about ten steps behind her. "You haven't thought about it, have you?" Draco asked softly. Hermione had never seen Draco Malfoy in this state before; his eyes were downcast and he was staring at his shoes. The crowd on the streets had spread around the two of them, leaving a blank island of cobbled brick stone between Hermione and Draco.
"I'm still not sure, Malfoy," Hermione replied simply. Suddenly, something in Draco snapped because he looked at Hermione confusedly. "Did you say something?" Draco asked Hermione as he smoothened his hair. Hermione smiled and shook her head. "Nothing," Hermione gave a wide smile. Draco raised his eyebrow but did not answer. Instead, he bridged the gap and walked next to Hermione with his hands in his robes. "What's up with this hay fever thing anyway? I've never had it when I was a child."
Hermione laughed. "Well, it's about the body reacting against the pollen found in the air. You know, since it's spring and the flowers are all a-blooming, there's tons of pollen in the air. But you know, hay isn't the cause of the hay fever; it's more like a misnomer, children are more susceptible to this kind—" Draco held out his hand in Hermione's face. "All right, all right, I get the idea. So Ben's going to have a check up on the hay fever? But he hasn't had it yet!" Draco said loudly, drowning the sound of Hermione's voice.
"Yes, well, Ben has to have a check up to see if he's done all his treatments against the normal muggle and wizarding disease," Hermione informed Draco. Draco shrugged and walked ahead of Hermione. A depressing silence stood in between the two of them even in the bustling street. Hermione eventually broke the silence with a loud inhale of air. "Malfoy, do you have family?" Hermione could see Draco flinch at the last word. "No."
"Oh. So you mean they're dead, or gone? Did they run away?"
"Pick one."
"Where's your mum?" Hermione asked curiously. "Have you ever heard of curiosity killing the cat?" Draco turned back to look at Hermione, his eyes in tiny slits. "Yes I have, but my cat isn't dead yet," Hermione shot back defiantly, staring straight into his eyes. Draco turned away and took large strides, trying the leave Hermione behind. Where he was going, he didn't even know. Was it not painfully clear that 'family' was a taboo subject?
Eventually, Draco just had to stop the broken recorder standing next to him. "My mother is missing all right? She went missing a few months after I graduated, I have yet to see her and it's presumed that she's dead." Hermione stifled a gulp and bit her lip accidentally. The drop of blood mingled with her saliva in her mouth, giving it a metallic tang and making her throat dry. Bending her head and using a finger, she wiped her bottom lip and was just about to rub the blood off onto her pants when a handkerchief came into her vision.
"The more you bite those poor abused lips of yours, the more it's going to bleed. And next time, I won't be here to produce handkerchiefs for you to destroy," Draco said smoothly as Hermione took the handkerchief gratefully. "Thanks, Malfoy," Hermione replied, not taking the comment too seriously.
And just as she was about to continue walking, Draco stopped in front of a shop window and stared in. Hermione turned to call him when she saw what Draco was looking at. "Malfoy! What kind of pervert are you? Looking into a lingerie shop window and the women! Pig!" Hermione yelled and was about to stomp off when Draco caught her flying hand and grabbed it tightly, reeling her in to where he was standing. "No, not that Granger. Look! Look at the flyer!" Draco said excitedly like a small child finding a stash of hidden chocolates in the most unlikely dark corner of the house.
Granger focused on the paper Draco was pointing at. It was an advertisement for a school. Draco was standing next to her excitedly talking, "You gave me schools for muggles, but this time, there's a witch who does a wizarding school and it also has basic arithmetic and all the other stuff my cousin told me about, look! It even has French classes, do you Ben will go? This just might be the answer to all the questions! Then you don't have to move in, all you have to do is pick Ben up from school and bring him back to your place. What do you say?" Hermione nodded dumbly and was tugged on by Draco. "All right then, we're going to enrol Ben to the school right away." And in a crack, the two of them had disappeared.
Okay! I know it's really really short but I'm rushing this through a tad bit because I'm flying for a 2 week holiday (: so this is just to keep you guys a bit more interested in the story. It was supposed to be just a part of the whole chapter, but there wasn't time, so it ends here, but I'll update as soon as I get back. Really sorry! Ming
LadyJaye: About Ben and his role between Hermione and Draco, it will develop more in later parts. And about Draco's mission, well it's a secret right now :D
Hermione Charlotte Granger I always felt that Draco was a gentleman through all the Harry Potter Books. It's just that he treats Hermione and her best friends like trash. He was brought up in a rich family, and all my friends from wealthy families all have brilliant manners everywhere. It's a bit scary if you ask me.
frostlily You are so correct about Malfoy not being ready to be a father figure. The bet and Ben's parents will be revealed later as the story continues. Hermione's still doing her column writing for the Prophet. In the next chapter, you'll have a glimpse of what her column's about, so keep reading (:
s.halliwell24Hermione is a journalist and writes a weekly column for the Prophet and a fulltime babysitter to all the children who need babysitting(: