It's a pretty long chapter. I hope you enjoy and therefore review, but if you don't enjoy it please review all the same!
"Draco Malfoy is the most insufferable idiot I have ever had the displeasure to meet!" Hermione slammed into the room, venting her frustration. She looked at her amused boyfriend and said,
"Ron! It's not funny! He even made me look like a fool without trying. I don't think he even meant to! Aaah!"
Ron stifled a laugh and said soothingly,
"Hermione, don't worry about it. We always knew that he was a git. You don't have to do business with him forever. You'll probably never even have to see him again. After all he gave his advice right?"
Hermione shook her head, but also said,
"But he did say that he would send me his thoughts so no I won't ever have to see his face again."
Yet despite her happiness at this fact Hermione felt a twinge of regret. She immediately stifled it, surprised at such a reaction, but Draco was the only one who could keep up in an intellectual conversation with her. She had always known it even though she had hated him. He might be a lot of things, but stupid was not one of them and although she loved Ron, the redhead was certainly not the sharpest tool in the shed. She sighed and said to herself,
"What does it matter? You'll never see him again after all. Plus there are plenty of smart people at the ministry to talk to."
She shook her head and turned her mind back to reality. Ron had gotten up and was dressed. She asked, mildly surprised,
"Where are you going, Ron? Isn't it a bit late for a business meeting?"
He shook his head and said,
"I left something important at work and I really need to go get it. I'll be right back, ok honey?"
She nodded happily and kissed him quickly. Not long after he left an owl came tapping on the window. She opened it and giving the messenger food and drink, unrolled the parchment attached to it.
'Dear Miss Granger,
Mr Malfoy has looked over your client's investment proposal and wishes to meet with you to discuss it. Would Wednesday at 12.30 suit you at the Mr Malfoy's office at the Ministry?
Yours sincerely,
Pansy Parkinson
Secretary for the Minister of Economy'
She grimaced. She had forgotten that Draco had been appointed Minister of Economy due to his extensive knowledge of companies. She frowned, not wanting to see the blond again, but realized that she really had no choice. After all she could not refuse. Not only was he the only person who was able to advise her on this matter, but if she refused then it would seem childish on her part and for some reason she didn't want that. Therefore Wednesday saw her knocking at his office door. At his distant 'Come in' she entered with what she hoped was dignity. She stopped short at the sight of Draco and Pansy standing close together and raised an eyebrow at the pair. Draco, without losing a bit of his cool, said,
"Come in, Miss Granger. Pansy was just leaving. You know what to do."
He addressed the last sentence to her and when he turned back to her, showed no sign of having been caught in an awkward situation. He gestured for Hermione to sit down and took a seat himself, extricating a file from his orderly desk. Opening it, he scanned it quickly to refresh himself of it's contents and he said,
"Ah, yes. Patil Dresses. Can I ask do you know how many backers they have already?"
At her blank stare he said,
"How many other poor fools are willing to put money into this scheme?"
Hermione shrugged and said,
"Does it matter?"
Draco took a deep breath and answered,
"For a supposedly smart woman you are being incredibly dense right now, Miss Granger. They have no backers as of yet because people think that it is a bad idea. Therefore you putting money into it would probably throwing money down the drain for now. I agree that it is a good idea, but it's not public enough yet. The fact that I had to write to several people asking for information about it shows its obscurity. Now it might be a good idea to wait and force the Patil twins to become more proactive to find more investors or you could drop the proposal all together. It would be up to you."
Hermione frowned, thinking and eventually sighed.
"What do you think would be the best idea, Malfoy?"
Draco said promptly,
"I cannot influence your decision and telling you what I would hypothetically do would be influencing you."
Hermione waved his objection away impatiently and said,
"I'm asking you what you would do because you are a professional and if something was silly to do then you would know. So please tell me."
Draco said,
"I would drop it because someone else already came up with the idea of having a shop selling Muggle clothes and from what I can tell, they would get a lot more business than the Patils."
Hermione looked at him, puzzled.
"Why?"
"Because she's more popular in the wizarding world. I can't tell you who, I'm afraid. Let's just say that there wouldn't be much profit."
Hermione nodded and thanked him, but just before leaving asked,
"Can I just ask?"
He nodded.
"By all means."
"Are you and Parkinson an item?"
Draco stared at her for a moment and then burst out laughing.
"Sweet Merlin. No! We're very good friends. That's all. You know, I never did go out with her in Hogwarts."
Hermione digested this information, then smiling at him, was gone, leaving him to meditate on the changes that had occurred to her since they had last met. Prettier somehow and more grown up. He had always thought that she was mature, but that Weasley and Potter held her back, but now she seemed to have broken free. Pansy poked her head around the door and said,
"Draco? How'd it go?"
He smiled at the woman and said,
"It went fine, Pan."
Pansy was one of those woman everyone always underestimated. She always acted stupid, but in fact was almost as smart as Hermione herself. She just didn't flaunt it and she always acted like a slut, but was really quite a conservative girl. Full of surprises. She was quite vindictive sometimes though she could hide it well. Pansy was a loyal friend though. All Slytherins were although people never credited them for it. He snapped out of his reverie and said,
"Pansy, will you please ask Granger to come to lunch on Friday to discuss an investment proposal?"
She nodded and sped out of the room, allowing Draco more time to think.