It must have been over an hour since she had arrived at the party and the blonde she had been searching for was nowhere to be seen. She wanted to hand it to him directly and to relish in the look on his face when he saw her resignation. It was sort of cruel, relishing in the misfortune that this news may bring him. On the other hand he might be happy. Happy that he didn't have to do it himself, or have the awkward conversation about the end of whatever they were to one another.

He made it very clear over the past week that he didnt care enough to check in on her, whether it be for work or personal reasons so why should she care about how this would affect him or the business.

She was just draining her glass of wine when she felt a hand press against the small of her back and a whisper in her ear. It tickled her insides, warming her up when all she wanted to do was stay cold and indifferent.

"You look good."

"Malfoy." Cool, calm and collected. Just like his ice grey eyes.

"Malfoy? Okay if you want to play... Granger." His silky voice said her last name as he skimmed his fingers along her waist and moved in front of her, leaning his arm against the wall.

"I'm not really in the mood." She looked off into the crowded bar, looking for no one in particular.

"Oh no?" He furrowed his brow.

"No."

"Then what are you in the mood for?"

"Good wine and decent company. I'd like to enjoy my last quarterly party as much as I can."

She saw his features shift out of the corner of her eye to confusion.

"Your last party?" He questioned tilting his head at her.

"Oh right. Shouldn't have said anything until I gave you this." She reached into her bag passed him the wax sealed parchment. "My mistake." She smiled sweetly up at him.

"What is it?" He turned it over in his hands.

"Why would I ruin the surprise?" She bought her glass of wine to her lips and drained the liquid.

He watched her wipe away the wetness from her lips and place the empty glass on a table to their side before she turned to him with an innocent look on her face.

"Hermione..." He pleaded.

"My resignation." She gave in. He held her gaze as if not quite believing what she was saying then moved quickly and ripped open the seal of the parchment. His eyes were scanning the page for confirmation but she spoke before he had time to finish.

"I wont be coming back on Monday. I know the process, gardening leave for all account managers because of confidential client information you wouldn't want me to get my hands on. Its only fair."

He looked more confused than ever and lifted his head slowly until their eyes met. He looked between her brown eyes and took a small step away from her.

"I could take them all." No smile, no smirk. "They would follow me in a heartbeat but I wont. It wouldn't make me very creditable to future employees."

"Who offered you a job?"

"No one."

A pause then he shrugged his shoulders. "You're just leaving?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

As if he even had to ask. As if it wasn't obvious.

"You don't want to do this now do you?"

"I do." He stepped closer.

"You really don't have a clue..."

"Is it the pay?" He said it quickly as if that's really what he thought it was.

She shook her head. "It's not the pay."

"Is it the job?"

She shook her head again. "It's not the job."

She stared him down. He ran his hand through his hair, looked around the room as if someone would give him the answer. Then he stilled and his eyes met hers again. He held a finger to his chest.

"It's me."

Then she smiled. At least he wasn't entirely naive to the situation. He must have known. After she stormed out yesterday, surely this shouldn't have been such a shock. "Bingo. This past week has really opened my eyes to what an awful person you are to work for."

His face changed then and he shook his head. "It's because of us."

Just as she always had. She didn't answer. Just pushed it back on him... pushing him. "You said there wasn't an us."

"No I didn't."

"You implied it." She raised her voice snapping at him.

"I certainly didn't." He snapped back at her.

She looked around the room to make sure no one was listening. "I'm not doing this with you." Luckily everyone was occupied and too drunk to care.

"What exactly are we doing?"

She waved her finger between their chests. "This fucking merry-go-round that we find ourselves in every time the discussion of us comes into play." The cool and calm Hermione was losing her cool fast. He seemed to know just what buttons to push, infuriating her and exciting her.

He on the other hand, being initially irate was now calm and collected. "Wouldn't it be better if we were just honest with one another."

"Yes it would." She snapped again, silently urging him to do just that. Be honest and it all goes away. Draco, please.

"Well be honest then."

She wanted to scream at him. How do you not know? Cant you tell, you idiot! However much she wanted to say it to him she couldn't. She had never put herself out there before and she wasn't about to start.

"This conversation is about the job not about this." She waved her finger between them again.

"I somehow feel this has got everything to do with the job." He mimicked her. "In fact this, if I'm right is the reason why your resignation is in my hand right now. Not because of this past week."

"You're deluded." She crossed her arms and gave a small chortle. He was right.

"And you're fucking stubborn."

"I'm stubborn!?" She was fucking stubborn.

"Yes, and this conversation has just proven how fucking deluded you actually are."

She took a few moments to take it all in. Everytime it would end up in an argument. Everytime.

"And this is us. This is what we do. Every time." Neither of them would give. This, the reason why she made the decision in the first place. This, not the future she wants. Someone equally as stubborn as her and both not wanting to give anything away to the other. Walk away now, just like you planned. She waited a few more seconds. Pleading with her eyes.

Nothing.

Enough now.

"If you would excuse me, I'm going to get shit faced on your expensive wine." With those last words she tore away from him, heading straight to the bar and wiping the first sign of tears away from her eyes.

.x.

She watched him talking to Masen in the corner of the dimly lit bar and draining Fire Whiskey, glass after glass. He watched her too. Ever since she had walked away he had been watching her. She could feel his eyes on her wherever she went, whomever she spoke to. She also couldn't go ten seconds without double checking where he was, who he was talking to, whether she had gotten to him.

The annoying thing was, he looked normal. He was chatting and laughing and drinking. And that hurt. It really was a nail in the coffin for them. He really didn't give a single fuck about them. Or the fact that she had quit her job- something no doubt he had been wishing for.

She was listening to a conversation between two of her colleagues but not listening. Just looking at them whenever he looked her way, so she could nod and smile and laugh and make it looks like she was having a great time. When actually inside it felt like her heart was aching. She tried to rub the pain away. Why she thought that would work, she didn't know.

It could have only been half an hour since their conversation and Draco was taking to the stage at the back of the bar, as far away from her as he could be. Every quarter he would make a short speech about the contributions of individual employees. Annoyingly is was really good for morale. He really did know how to run a great business.

She watched as he climbed the stage steps, a full glass of Fire Whiskey in his hand. When he reached centre stage he took out his wand and placed the tip to his throat.

"Sorry to interrupt your evening, I know you're all far too busy getting shit faced on the expensive drinks..."

His eyes found hers and whilst there was a lot of cheering from her colleagues and giggling from others. She knew that comment was made to make her feel uncomfortable. So she lifted her glass into the air and silently toasted to him. Just to piss him off.

"but as usual, I just want to say a few words." He looked around the room, addressing his staff and smiling down at them all. The warm lighting softened his features and fuck- did he look stunning.

"This quarter really has been the best we have ever had. It's down to each and every one of you for your hard work that we are able to do things like this for you and long may it continue." He lifted his own glass into the air quickly mimicked by his devoted following around him.

"As you are aware I have been absent from the office for the past week and I'm pleased to finally be able to tell you all what I've been up to."

A waitress passed Hermione with a full tray of Champagne and she waved her down, plucking the glass with the most silky liquid it could contain before she moved over to the bar and took a seat. She watched him shuffle and begin to address the adoring crowd again.

"Six months ago my friend, Blaise Zabini came to me with a business proposition. A smart, well thought out proposition that if successful could change the face of modern wizarding medicine as we know it. From a young age I have always been interested in medicine, especially the power of potion making – not to blow my own trumpet but it was something I always seemed to be good at and enjoy."

He smiled as if remembering a happier youth, but it quickly faded as he continued.

"As always I had family commitments that came before my own needs but when this proposition came my way, I couldn't turn it down."

He took a deep breath, his chest heaving under the fitted, light grey shirt he was wearing. The top two buttons were open. A flash of memory flooded her vision. The tendons in his neck flexing at the touch of her lips and the sharp intake of breath that would escape his lips as she caressed his sensitive skin. She snapped out of the memory and refocused on him on the stage. The man she was mad at, rather than the man in her memories. The man she was walking away from for her own sanity.

"For some time I have been preparing for some big changes. Last week I spent a lot of time travelling to meet with the separate members of the board to discuss the future..." He locked eyes with her. "And to discuss my stepping away as UK Manager."

A serious of shocked gasps rang throughout the room as he broke the eye contact. There had never been a time where she had wanted him to look at her again, more than right now.

"I will remain CEO and be involved in major decisions but the day to day running of the company will be no longer be my task to bear."

She was dumbfounded. He was stepping back... so her resignation was absolutely pointless. Worse than that, as if the idea had never entered her mind before that moment – she may never see him again after tonight.

"The board were very keen to have someone replace me as the UK Manager as soon as possible and we're all in agreement about who should take over this position... as I'm sure you will all be in agreement."

Someone else in his office, someone else... not him. Not that it mattered. She couldn't very well retract her resignation now. She had let her emotions get the better of her and it had bitten her on the backside.

"Even though its been less than a year since they started, the amount of time and effort they have invested has meant that our client base has nearly tripled in size in the past ten months."

Her breath hitched in her throat.

"I know for a fact you all think highly of her," he cleared his throat, "myself included."

She didn't even notice her heart racing. It had happened so suddenly but now it was banging against her ribs. Pumping blood into her ears.

"Her sheer persistence is immeasurable along with her intelligence and for anyone unlucky enough to be on the receiving end of it – her wit and sharp tongue are unparalleled."

Faces turned her way and smiled, whispers around the room turned her cheeks pink. That's when their eyes met again across the dimly lit room and his stare made her skin hot. The fire igniting inside her, burning for him.

"Whilst a formal discussion is still to take place, Hermione Granger was the only name that resounded from every member of the board, believing unanimously that she was more than capable of running this place."

The whispers turned to murmurs and agreeing smiles and nods. She could barely see him over the heads turned her way.

"So if you would raise your glasses and join me in a toast to her immense capability, extraordinary drive, exceptional passion and to hopefully, her acceptance of the job."

He lifted his glass into the air.

"Hermione."

.x.

'No smut? Again?' - I hear you cry!

I'm sorry! But stick around to the next chapter... Hopefully you wont be disappointed.

sassanech - Man, I love you're reviews!

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Thank you to you all for the reviews. - I'm hoping to get the next chapter up within a few days!