Chapter 6: Sushi
I never eat sushi. I have trouble eating things that are merely unconscious. — George Carlin.
18 April, 2004
13 days and 28 looks to go
There was no way on earth or in hell that Hermione could finish everything on time.
Her production rate had been exactly one piece per day, and by per day she meant 20 working hours. That left her exactly 3 hours and 2 minutes of shuteye because she could never fall asleep without running through the entire collection in her head in immaculate detail.
Her brain really sucked sometimes.
It was six in the morning and Hermione was about to start another grueling 20-hour session with only two food breaks in between. Gripping her cup of coffee, Hermione stood by the floor-to-ceiling glass windows and stared silently at the dark and sullen skyscrapers, their glass walls occasionally bursting with light when the clouds uncovered the rising sun.
A warm ray of sunlight dawned upon her, warming her skin, and she smiled to herself.
Time for work.
19th April, 2004
12 days and 26 looks to go
Hermione stared down blankly at the charcoal grey fleece in her hands and realised with a sinking feeling that she had no idea what to do with it.
She sat silently on the stool, trying to conjure up some sort of idea in her head.
Nothing.
She looked up and stared at her finished pieces. A black trench coat, a midnight blue structured cloak, an ensemble of a billowy white shirt over wide-legged trousers and a woolen white dress.
What next?
She sighed and looked wistfully at the naked mannequins.
Hermione Granger had the dreaded designer's block.
"Draaaaco," cooed a voice that literally dripped honey.
"Not now, Marie," snapped Draco, too busy signing documents to look up.
He heard her huff indignantly. "But you promised to take me to Fabricio tonight!" she wailed.
He slammed his quill down, effectively breaking it into half, then glared into his scantily dressed secretary's wide blue eyes. Marie had apparently never experienced his wrath before.
"I said not now," he said slowly, struggling to keep his anger under control.
"But-"
"Out of my office," barked Draco frostily.
"But-"
"You're fired," he cut her off harshly.
Marie shrieked in horror. "I'm what?"
"Fired!" yelled Draco, the ropes tying his rage down snapping. "Get out. I never want to see you again."
He hardly heard Marie collapsing in pathetic sobs nor the furious slam of the door. His hands practically shook as he picked up a new quill and stared down so hard at his paperwork that his eyes felt as if they would fall out.
Draco couldn't believe the horrible day he had just gone through. He had lost the single piece of land with the most business potential in all wizarding London to Valer Limited. Valer bloody Limited. The stupid, tiny firm that owned no more than forty million galleons worth of property, literally snatched the prize from Malfoy International Corporation, a multibillion-galleon company. He would've turned that piece of land into the biggest shopping centre in London, but now it was bound to become a bloody three-star travel lodge, like all other Valer Limited ventures.
Damn. That should give the newspapers something to write about.
Draco fired the stupid executive on the spot, and the rest of his useless team. He didn't tolerate losers. Like Marie.
A knock on his door triggered a volcanic reaction from him. "WHAT?"
He groaned when Granger let herself in. "Just leave me alone for one bloody night, won't you?"
She fixed him with a glare. "No, I will not."
"What if I paid you ten thousand galleons?" he asked, desperate to get rid of the horrendous Gryffindor who had now perched rather uncomfortably on one of the rotatable armchairs in front of his desk.
"No," she answered stubbornly.
Draco took a deep breath and counted to ten. The frustration was tearing him up inside badly enough, he really did not need Granger there to fuel his temper.
"I'm blocked."
Her voice brought him back from his silent prayer to Merlin. "What?"
"I'm blocked," she repeated in a strained voice.
"So?" asked Draco bluntly.
"I'm blocked!"
"Yes, I heard you the first time round," he snapped, throwing down his quill. "And why should I care, huh?"
"Don't flatter yourself Malfoy, you're the last person on earth I would willingly talk to, but given the unfortunate circumstances, I have no other choice because you made me sign the stupid secrecy clause!" she all but yelled, slamming a fist on the desk.
"If you're so high and mighty, why don't you go talk to yourself!" asked Draco, his voice rising.
"Because I'm blocked!" shrieked Granger, looking positively murderous as she sprang from her chair and kicked his desk viciously. "I don't want to work alone anymore. I've done so for the past four years and it's been killing me, don't you understand?"
Well, not exactly.
Draco stared at her. Her eyes were wide and stormy, brimmed with haunting dark circles which were evident on her pale face. Even her hair seemed tired, falling on her shoulders in limp strands instead of forking everywhere it pleased. In short, she looked frightening. But, of course, Draco knew better than to tell an enraged female such a fact.
"You look tired," he cautiously remarked instead. In fact, a W.A.S.T.E.D. membership never sounded more appealing at that moment.
As if realising the enormous fuss she made, Granger looked away and buried her face in her hands, muttering something under her breath Draco didn't quite catch.
"What?" he asked, softly in case she flew off the handle again.
"I'm hungry," she spoke up, running a hand through her hair, looking as embarrassed as her pride would let her.
Draco looked up at the clock which read twenty-five minutes past eight.
"Well, what do you suggest?" he asked mildly, stacking his papers into a neat pile.
"Let's order sushi."
"Let's order what?"
"Sushi."
Draco made a face and commented, "That sounds ominous."
Hermione actually smiled.
Malfoy watched disgustedly as Granger squeezed a slimy green substance out of its package.
"What's that?" he asked, hardly containing his disdain.
"Wasabi," answered Granger cheerfully. Her mood seemed to have improved tenfold since the delivery owl swept in a few minutes ago with their order in a basket. She then proceeded to squeeze a brownish liquid out of a tiny bottle shaped like a fish. "And this is soy sauce."
"Ugh," was the best answer Draco could come up with.
"It's not as bad as it looks, Malfoy," said Granger with a smirk.
Eyeing the green and brown mixture with a frown, Draco gingerly picked the dish up and took a sniff. It wasn't exactly appetising, with the clashing colours and all. He wasn't an adventurous eater to say the least, and just looking at this wasabi-soy-sauce mix unsettled his stomach, but he wouldn't let Granger have the satisfaction of knowing that. So he gritted his teeth, brought the dish to his lips and tilted his head back-
"Malfoy!" Granger shouted with a note of panic. "What in Merlin's name are you doing?"
Draco glared at her. "Trying your beloved sushi, that's what!"
"Malfoy, that's not sushi," she said slowly, as if talking to a six-year-old, while stifling a smile. "This is."
She produced a clear plastic box in a flourish and Draco looked down at the little rectangular rice blocks, all topped with peculiar-looking ingredients. He blinked.
"That's... weird," he decided.
"You dip the sushi into the sauce," explained Granger, pushing a plate into his hands.
"Okay."
She gave him two wooden sticks and said, "Help yourself."
Draco put down the sticks on the coffee table in the middle of her living room and reached out to do exactly that when Granger poked his hands with her sticks.
"Ow! What was that for?" he scowled.
"Malfoy, you're supposed to use your chopsticks," she chided, wielding her sticks.
"Chopwhat?" he seemed to have asked a lot of these questions that evening.
"Chopsticks," repeated Granger with exaggerated patience. "These," she held the two sticks in a particular position and made them move like scissors.
"Why can't we use a fork like normal people?" asked Draco, awkwardly holding one of the chopsticks in each hand.
"Because we're eating Japanese food."
"Gee thanks, I never noticed," he drawled sarcastically. "Can't we just use hands?"
Granger smirked. "Too challenging for you, Malfoy?"
"No," he returned quickly. A bit too quickly.
Granger smiled triumphantly while Draco sighed in frustration. It was going to be one long night.
"It's raw?"
Hermione sighed. Malfoy looked ready to throw the whole sushi platter out the window.
"Yes, the fish is raw," she replied calmly.
Malfoy looked so revolted it was almost comical. His thin, blond eyebrows knitted tightly together and his lips were curled up in disdain and the rest of his pale face was scuncheed up as if he was in great pain.
"Are you sure you're not supposed to put it in the oven first?" he asked hopefully.
Hermione gave him a syrupy smile. "Malfoy, are you scared?"
"No," he answered, yet again way too quickly to be credible.
"It's just strange. Cultural shock. That's all," he added coolly. "Why don't you try it first?"
She rolled her eyes. "You're worse than Harry, really."
Malfoy arced an elegant eyebrow at that and said with sarcastic enthusiasm, "Wow, did Hermione Granger just compare me wonder-Potty-boy?"
"Oh, come off it, Malfoy," she snorted. "I swear you won't get poisoned. Try the salmon first if sea urchin is too much for you to handle." She expertly picked up the said sushi and placed it squarely on his plate.
He narrowed his eyes in suspicion and thrust the dish back to her. "If you're so sure it's not posioned, why won't you eat it first?"
"Malfoy, I'm a vegan."
"Yeah, that seems like your answer to every question," he scorned, unconvinced.
"I'm not supposed to eat fish,," she said.
"How convenient of you," smirked Malfoy.
Hermione felt like hitting him on the head with something heavy. "Trust me, Malfoy, I used to eat sushi all the time before I became a vegan. Come on, do I have to spoonfeed you?"
She watched his lips slowly curl into a wolfish smile. Uh oh.
"That's not a bad idea, actually," he said lightly, a naughty gleam in his eyes.
"Oh, how old are you?" she snapped.
"Feed me, Granger," he demanded with an infuriating smirk.
Hermione crossed her arms protectively. "Are you insane? No!"
"Scared, Granger?" he mimicked her tone with an evil sneer. "I swear I don't bite."
Her fingers itched to slap that arrogant face of his. How dared he toy with her!
"I'm waiting, Granger," he drawled.
Her eyes alighted on the wasabi, and she smiled sweetly. "Fine."
She hoped Malfoy didn't hear the malovelence in her voice.
Judging from the self-important grin plastered on his face as he leant back triumphantly on the white sofa, he had not noticed. So Hermione picked up her chopsticks, secured the salmon sushi, and dragged it around the wasabi dish a few times till the orange salmon was completely coated in green.
That should teach him a lesson.
"Here you go," she said cheerfully. "Open up!"
Hermione stuffed the whole sushi into Malfoy's mouth and sat back to watch the show. He chewed warily at first, his eyes on the sushi platter as he savoured his first taste of sushi. Then it happened.
Hermione had leant forward in her seat without her noticing, and she watched up close as the wasabi hit his nose.
"What the-" Malfoy trailed off as squeezed his eyes shut. "Damnit why the hell is it so- so-"
"Malfoy, has anyone ever taught you not to talk with your mouth full?" tutted Hermione, grinning widely.
"You did this on purpose!" growled Malfoy, his eyes now watering as he struggled between spitting out the wasabi coated sushi and swallowing it.
"What did I do?" asked Hermione, faking innocence. "I just fed you, as you requested."
"It's the wasabi, isn't it?" he asked, glaring at her through red, watery eyes. "You- you- you witch!"
A tear made its way down his face and Hermione said evilly, "Well, you never told me how much wasabi you wanted."
With one deep breath, Malfoy bent forward in great effort while he swallowed and gasped, "You'll pay for it, Granger!"
"I just paid for it, actually," she replied smartly and helped herself to a cucumber roll. "The platter cost 5 galleons, but it's quite worth the money, don't you think?"
Malfoy ignored her and mumbled "accio Perrier" while pulling a silk handkerchief from his suit, all the while muttering darkly under his breath.
"Malfoy, can't you take a joke?" asked Hermione with a roll of her eyes.
"NO!"
She shot him an annoyed look, then grabbed the handkerchief he was rubbing his face with. His eyes were still watering and the tip of his nose had gone pink. Hermione couldn't help but grin. It was a sight to behold.
"What's so funny?" he asked, not at all amused.
"Trust you to have a sense of humour," she grinned, then edged forward in her seat and gently took his chin in her fingers. "And stop squirming, for Merlin's sake."
She tried to ignore his gaze on her as she moped his tears away from his smooth skin. It was so fine that she likened it to the forest green silk in her workroom she had yet to design for when her thumb ran over the side of his face. It was unnatural, almost inappropriate, for a man to have such skin. But then, inappropriate could've been his middle name.
"Like what you see?" His gravelly voice startled Hermione and she jerked away on reflex. She stuffed his handkerchief into his hands and was yet to give him an answer when Green Day's Boulevard of Broken Dreams blared out loudly from her jean pocket.
She hurriedly flipped open her red Nokia and said, "Hello?"
"Hermione!"
"Ginny!" she grinned. "I'm sorry I didn't call you earlier, I was really-"
"Busy," Ginny finished the sentence for her. "I know. When are you not?" Hermione could picture her making a face at that moment. "Where are you right now? The guys are being idiotic jerks and I need a hideout."
"I'm at my apartment," answered Hermione.
"Can I come over?"
Hermione glanced at Malfoy, who was carefully folding his handkerchief into a neat square. "I'm sorry Ginny, but I'm having a meeting with Malfoy."
"Malfoy?"
"Yes."
"In your apartment?"
"Yes."
"After working hours, at night?"
"Um, yes."
"Does he have a thing for you?"
"Ginny! That's ridiculous-"
"Shouldn't you be out on a date instead of wasting time with that excuse of a man?"
"Considering the fact I'm single, no."
"What?" Ginny yelled so loudly that Hermione had to hold her phone a safe distance away from her ear. "Hasn't Victor called you yet?"
"Victor? Victor Krum? Why? He's in London?"
"Ha! I knew it! You're in love with him, aren't you?"
Hermione felt her cheeks flush. "Ginny-"
"Wait. Don't answer that. He called Ron yesterday and asked for your number. He's moving to London, haven't you heard?"
Hermione grinned. Victor was moving to London! "Why?"
"Quidditch. He joined a new club. I forgot the name but Ron says it's bound to become London's top club."
"That's fantastic!" she said happily.
"Yeah, well, I gotta go. The OC's on. Don't forget, dinner on Saturday night, okay?"
"Okay, see you, Ginny."
"Lover boy's in town, huh?" asked Malfoy sourly after she tucked her phone back into her pocket.
"Victor and I are just friends," said Hermione, popping an advocado roll into her mouth.
He snorted. "I'm sure."
"Why's that so hard to believe?" she asked, throwing her hands up in frustration. "We're friends, that's all."
Malfoy sipped his Perrier and said stonily, "Well, it's not that convincing when he sends you Belgium chocolates and two dozens roses every year on Valentine's Day."
"Merlin, you actually believe the tabloids? They use the same article every year!"
"Come on, Granger," he scoffed, staring out of the window. "Everybody saw you squawking like an idiot with the She-weasel. The office wasn't that big."
Hermione stared at him. Office? When on earth had they worked in the same-
Then it hit her, and she shook her head with a humourless laugh. "Malfoy, that was light years ago. We were still working in the Order then!"
He had put on the nasty sneer again as he lashed out, "Yeah, but that didn't stop you two from acting like lovesick idiots, sending each other stupid owls across the Atlantic when there was a bloody war going on outside! People were dying out there and what were you doing, huh? Counting your damned roses!"
"I didn't!" she shouted.
"Yes, you did!" he yelled back. "I saw you." He stopped short, as if realising that he had told her something he didn't want her to know.
Hermione let the silence linger for a moment.
"You watched me?" she asked.
"Forget what I told you," he stood up abruptly, flinging his chopsticks down.
"What are you doing?" she demanded, got up on her feet too.
"What does it look like I'm doing?" snapped Malfoy, his expensive shoes clicking soundly on the marble floor.
"You can't leave yet!" she protested. "You have to finish the sushi!"
He yanked open the door and said coldly, "Trust me, Granger, I don't give a damn."
And slammed the door shut not very unlike a female suffering from PMS.
Hermione glared at the door, then turned back and lamented for the half-finished sushi platter.
She took out her phone and poked a few buttons.
"Ginny, do you want to come over?"
Edited 29 May 2012
Sorry for the wait. It's not my best but considering the fact that I'm juggling summer job, getting ready for boarding school and lots of other stuff, I guess it's the best I can come up with. I don't have time to reply to all individual replies, but know that I read each and every one and they all made me smile! Please excuse any typos and/or grammatical mistakes, I really don't have time to go over the whole chapter- I have to go in ten minutes! I hope you enjoyed it, and I look forward to reading your comments )
