Borrowed Hearts
Summary: 'You know how you like to make up stories sometimes honey? Well this is going to be just like that. We're going to pretend for a little while.'
Based on the Christmas movie by the same name.
Rating: T
Disclaimer: I own the rights to neither the Harry Potter books nor the movie Borrowed Hearts
Author's Note: So it took me slightly longer than I said it would to write this chapter. Sorry but this past week has been busy. The good news is I have this chapter done and about half of the next one already so it should be up relatively soon. Holidays are always hectic for me but I'm still hoping to finish this by Christmas! Anyway, enjoy this chapter and please please please review! (Not that I'm begging or anything mind you.)
Chapter 2: Informative Owls
The next day Hermione dropped Josie off at school before flooing into work at The Daily Prophet. She had been working as a secretary for the past ten years, ever since she graduated from Hogwarts. It had begun as a mere starter job, a stepping stone on her way to bigger and better things. She had hoped that by working in the industry even as a secretary, it would help her on her path to becoming a full time journalist. Events had occurred however and plans had changed. Hermione had never seen herself as one to be a secretary, even when she had been little and living in the muggle world. But it was a job and she and Josie desperately needed the money.
"Morning Carol!" Hermione called as she entered the office and took her seat at her desk. Across from her, Carol Saint sat at her own desk, staring at a stack of files dully. Her face immediately brightened as Hermione entered however.
"Morning Hermione!" Carol greeted. Carol was a pretty girl, a few years younger than Hermione with somewhat of a quirky attitude. She wore her long blonde hair straight today, pulled out of her face by a brightly colored scarf that revealed her multiple ear piercings. The numerous rings on her fingers glittered in the light of the room as Carol tapped on her desk.
"How'd house hunting go this weekend?" Carol asked cheerfully.
Hermione glanced around to make sure no one was watching before passing Carol a listing for a house she had found.
"I haven't told Josie yet," Hermione said as she turned toward the pile of folders sitting high upon her own desk. "Don't want to get her hopes up."
Carol looked over the clipping, her brow furrowing. "Over this?"
Hermione shrugged. "It's within my price range and at least it's in a better neighborhood."
Carol put the paper down, looking up across the room toward Hermione. "You know you might improve the picture with a man in it," she suggested with a wink.
Hermione laughed. "Yeah! That's all I need right now! Besides, I'm not looking."
"Not looking!" Carol raised her eyebrows. "Please! Every single girl in all of England is looking! Hell, even some of the un-single ones are too!"
"I've just got enough on my plate right now with Josie without adding a man to it." Hermione replied curtly indicating that the conversation about both her love life and her financial life were over.
Carol looked at Hermione in surprise for a second before brushing the snub off and concentrating on the folders in front of her once more. The two worked silently for a while. Before lunch had arrived, however, they were speaking amiably again.
That same morning, Draco walked around the building where Malfoy Enterprises was operating, surveying the process. Beside him stood Blaise Zabini, his former classmate and now business associate. Zabini looked very much the same as he did back at Hogwarts except that he was now a little scruffier and a little more hung over than he had been at seventeen. The two now walked slowly about the building, talking casually with one another.
"A mom?! You're kidding! And she doesn't even tell you till after you spent the entire weekend together?!" Blaise asked, shaking his head in disbelief. "You must have felt so used! Did you have to meet the little buggers?"
"Merlin no!" Draco replied with a sniff. "Thankfully they were at her ex's for the weekend."
"So you told her you don't date women with kids… Hey, you don't do the crime you don't do the time, right my man?"
Draco nodded but said nothing. Draco had never been a kids kind of guy. Actually, he had never been a one woman kind of guy either. His attention never stayed on one for too long. Even if Shelly hadn't told him about her two kids last weekend he probably would have broken it off soon, this just helped to make the break sooner and quicker.
"So, how many people are we going to need to keep on if this deal goes through?" Draco asked, changing the subject back to business. "Forty? Fifty?"
"No, no, no," Blaise reassured him. "More like twenty… maybe even fifteen. Almost everything would get done over in Spain."
Draco nodded, scanning the room of the hundreds of employees that were blissfully unaware that come next year, they would be out of work.
"That's a lot of layoffs," he said with a slight sigh.
Blaise noted the slight hesitation in Draco's voice as he said this. "Don't look at them as people, see galleon signs instead. That's what your father would do," he reassured.
"Besides," Blaise continued. "They'll be well compensated for. Hell! I wish someone would pay me to sit on my ass all day and do nothing!"
"I do," Draco replied, his trademark smirk in place once more.
"Right you are my man!" Blaise said with a laugh. "And on that note, are we done here so we can beat it and go play Quidditch?"
Draco laughed and his friend's attitude towards work. "Well I'd say we've put in our required daily half hour… Let's go!"
Meanwhile, Hermione had been hard at work all morning at her desk when an owl flew in and landed on her desk. Hermione took the crisp white envelope from the bird, her heart sinking as she recognized that handwriting.
She opened the letter, scanning it quickly before laying her head on her desk and growling in frustration.
"Mrs. Parker again?" Carol asked sympathetically.
Hermione nodded. "Can you cover for me for half an hour? I need to go over there."
"I think I can handle it," Carol reassured her.
Hermione smiled thankfully. "Thanks Carol! You're a lifesaver!"
With that, Hermione quickly grabbed her coat and dashed out the door toward the nearest fireplace.
By that afternoon, both Draco and Blaise had worked up a good sweat with their one on one Quidditch match. The alighted on the ground just in time to see a large owl swoop toward the mansion and drop a letter at Draco's feet.
"It's from Del Campo," Draco said as he picked up the envelope.
"Good news I hope," Blaise grumbled, still sore from losing the match.
Draco opened the letter slowly and began to read it aloud.
"Dear Señor Malfoy… My meeting with Señor Zabini last week went very well as I am sure you are already aware of. I am as eager for this business merger as you, no doubt, are. I look forward to meeting both you and your lovely family next week when I arrive in London. Best of wishes until then… Señior Del Campo."
Draco looked up from the letter. "What family is he talking about?" Draco said, his eyes narrowing.
Blaise averted his gaze. "Care for a rematch?" he asked, attempting to change the subject.
"Blaise…" Draco growled threateningly. "What did you do?"
"When I got back from my trip to Spain I told you I had to polish your image up a little bit…" Blaise began defensively.
"By giving me a non-existent family?!" Draco practically screamed at Blaise but managed to keep his cool… barely.
"Draco, Draco, Draco," Blaise said soothingly. "Del Campo is a real old fashioned type of guy. He's only willing to do business with a solid, moral, family man not… no offence… some womanizing whore!"
"No offence huh?" Draco asked dryly.
Blaise raised his hands in defense. "Hey! No one is more a fan of your skills than me but if you want this guy's business we need to spruce up your image and make you seem more family oriented. You should be thanking me for this! I saved a multi-million galleon deal!"
Draco relaxed slightly, although the look he shot Blaise was still slightly murderous. "Fine, but just what happens when Del Campo gets here and wants to meet the Malfoy clan?"
Blaise smiled, throwing an arm over Draco's shoulder. "Don't worry about that man! He's only coming for a couple of days! Uncle Blaise has everything worked out!"
Draco's shrugged Blaise's arm off his shoulder. "I'm afraid to ask…"
Author's Note #2: Press the button and review please!