Chapter Twenty
There were many odd glances cast in the direction of a certain red head as he basically danced down the side walk of Diagon Ally, but he wasn't paying a lick of attention to any of them. In fact the only thing he was paying attention to was a burgundy painted door at the end of the block with the words "H. Granger, Attorney" neatly painting across the top door frame.
George had been eagerly anticipating this lunch date since Granger darted down his stairs yesterday. The quick peck like kiss had caught him completely off guard in the best sort of way. He never would have guessed she'd have such soft lips and, so help him Merlin, George was going to find a way to get her to kiss him properly as soon as possible. George spent most of this morning voicing out loud to Fred every possible way to make this happen. It was a purely one sided conversation that had been driving said twin up a wall. The aggravated ginger had all but thrown his brother out the door when his lunch date time drew near. George grinned wickedly to himself. Served the little wanker right, especially after the lovesick drooling George had been forced to endure after Fred proposed to Angelina.
It didn't take the redhead long before the charming red door of Hermione's office came into clear view. Propriety be damned, George ran the rest of the way and skidded to a halt in front of the building.
Taking a moment to smooth down his hair, George threw the door open with a bang causing the young woman inside to jump and drop everything in her arms.
He smiled and walked in. "Why if it isn't my favorite little secretary. And just how are we this beautiful afternoon, Miss Sally Sheffield?"
Sally glared violently at him and gave an indignant snarl before bending down to pick up her papers. "Do you go out of your way to be the biggest damned annoyance on the face of the earth or am I just that flipping lucky?" she snapped at him.
Her tone took George by completely surprise and successfully erased his cheerful demeanor. Frowning slightly he watched her for a moment. Sally was angry. No, Sally was seething but it wasn't because of him. George bent down to pick up some of her files for her.
"What's wrong?" he said bluntly.
"Wrong?" she replied with a slightly hysterical laugh. "Why would anything be wrong? No, everything is just bloody peachy here. It's a beautiful day, the sun is shining and I have the most effing stubborn boss on the face of the effing bleeding planet!"
George was sure that under any other circumstance hearing uptight little Sally swear like a Quidditch player would amuse him to no end but at the moment it was not all that funny. Something was wrong, and he worried for both her and Hermione.
"Sally," he rested a hand on shoulder, "What's going on?"
The girl's anger completely deflated into pure worry and she looked at him helplessly. "She won't let me in."
"What? Hermione?" Sally nodded. "Where won't she let you into?"
"Her office," the blond said. "She's in there with him. And she won't let me in!"
George didn't know who 'him' was but Sally said the word with such disgust that he couldn't help but feel a bit unnerved that Hermione was alone in a room with such a person. Another odd emotion fluttered through the wizard's brain but he was more than happy to ignore it. Jealousy did not become a Weasley. Ron had made that clear many times over.
"Care to tell me what is so wrong with this 'him' and why he should not be left alone with your lovely employer?" George said as he helped Sally up.
Sally hesitated for a moment, "I could get sacked for telling you anything about any of our cases, George. What we do is very confidential."
"Then all I have to say is that I am very, very sorry."
"For what?"
George pulled out his wand and pointed it at the sofa and chair in the front of the room. He shot a spell at it that caused them to start tap dancing and singing.
"For that," he said as he slipped his wand back into his pocket. "Now you go deal with that, and let terrible little old me force my way passed you and burst into her office like the rude git that I am."
Winking at her, George brushed passed the slightly dumbstruck Sally and threw Ms Granger's office door open. Stepping inside he closed it sharply behind himself and Sally was once again left alone in an entry way with singing and dancing inanimate objects. She wasn't certain at the moment whether she loved or hated George Weasley at the moment for what he had just done but she was strongly leaning towards the former.
... ~ ... ~ ...
"Miss Granger, what we are asking for is not unreasonable," Dietrich smiled at the glaring witch across the desk. "I am sure we can come to an understanding here with out having to take this to court. Think of the children, having to go through a big courtroom brawl like that."
"I am thinking of the children, Mr. Dietrich, and these demands most certainly are unreasonable," Hermione said. "You are basically asking my client to sign away his fatherhood to these two boys yet still pay for them. Now if you had a more mutually beneficial arrangement to offer than we would be happy to talk, but the very idea that the only time Mr. Krum would be allowed to see his children was two weeks in the summer and spring holiday is absolutely outrageous. Especially when he has been the primary care giver for their entire lives. We will not be settling this quietly if your client can not come up with some more reasonable demands. Now if you will excuse me, Mr. Dietrich, you are cutting into my lunch hour and I am not nearly as pleasant to speak with when I am hungry."
"Perhaps then we can continue this discussion at a little place around the corner I know," the dark haired man smiled a toothy grin. "They bring the meals on large plates to sit between everyone. We could serve each other."
Hermione barely resisted the urge to look disgusted as she rose from the desk. "The only think I will be serving you, Mr. Dietrich, is a new order of custodial arrangements. After that it's your clients call as to whether we settle this here or at the Ministry in front of a judge."
Dietrich rose from his chair and began tucking papers back into his briefcase. "Ms Granger, I should warn you. If this goes to trial I will come down on Mr. Krum with everything I have, and if he isn't as shiny and clean as a brand new sickle then he will never go near those children ever again. Quidditch captions are not known for their morality. My client is their mother and has every right to retain full custody of them."
"And my client is their father and also has every right to retain full custody of them," Hermione leaned on her desk with both hands. "I may be the new kid on the roster, Dietrich, but don't think for a second that I won't come after your client just as hard as you come after mine."
"Such fire," he practically purred. "You sure you won't dine with me?"
"I have plans," she said flatly.
"Plans that you are currently late for, you tardy minx."
Hermione's arm almost gave way in shock as George waltzed into her office… again… with out permission.
"George, you were suppose to wait in the lobby for me," she half heartedly chastised.
The ginger haired wizard shrugged, "I got bored. And believe me, you do not want me bored in your lobby."
"Indeed not," Hermione chuckled. "As I was saying, Mr Dietrich, I am late for lunch. I'm sure you can find the door yourself."
Dietrich raised a dark eyebrow at George in amused smugness, "Do you make it a policy to date clients, Ms Granger?"
"Former client actually, Diuretic was it?"
"Dietrich," he snarled. "Siegmund Dietrich."
"Wow, that's quite a whopper of a name now isn't it?" George smirked. "What is the short of that? Siggy? Or maybe Mundo? Your school years must have been so much fun with such a regal and important sounding name as Siegmund Dietrich."
Hermione contained the giggle that threatened to escape her. She couldn't deny that watching the pompous arse turn purple with rage as George mocked him was just what her day needed.
"George, there is no need to be rude," she scolded. "Good day to you, Mr. Dietrich. Sally will show you out."
The dark hair wizard snorted a good bye and stormed out of the office. George threw a self satisfied smirk over his shoulder at the retreating git before meandering over to the desk.
"You know, usually people knock on closed doors," Hermione said as she packed away the files and papers on her desk.
"Yes well I am by no means a usual person, my dear little bookworm," he smiled in return.
The bushy haired witch smiled as well and gave him a quick hug, "Thank you though. I am not really in a position to put him in his place outside of a court room, so I appreciate you doing it for me. Even if you weren't supposed to."
George lifted her hand to his lips and pressed a rather sensual kiss to the knuckles. He stared at her so very intensely that Hermione felt her cheeks beginning to heat up.
"I may not be your traditional knight in shining armor," George said. "But that doesn't mean I shall allow a lady to be bullied by an over stuffed git with a funny name. Especially my lady."
"Oh, so I'm your lady now am I?" Hermione asked. She meant to sound flirty but she was pretty sure she only ended up sounding nervous.
The red head flashed a heart melting smile and offered her his arm, "If you want to be. I'd be happy to slay any dragon you need gone."
Hermione stared at his arm for a moment, "You know I can slay my own dragons right?"
"One, you'd sooner knit the dragon a hat then slay it," he teased. "And two, I never said you couldn't slay your own dragons. Seen you rescue yourself from plenty of towers too. Just thought I'd offer an extra sword if you wanted it. And before you accuse me of it, no that was not a metaphor."
Hermione smiled warmly and finally took his arm, "How about you offer me lunch first, and we talk swords later. The lady is hungry."
"If MY lady is hungry, then I shall feed her," George grinned.
"Whatever you say, your lordship," she rolled her eyes. "Just find me a sandwich before I decide to slay you."
… ~ … ~ …
Sally looked up from her work as that insurable Mr Dietrich stomped out of Mr Granger's office. Thankfully she had just finished spelling the furniture still, it wouldn't do for anyone to see their office in such chaos. It could be considered as a sign of disorganization and would cause people not to take them seriously.
"Have a good day, Mr. Dietrich," she said possibly the most sarcastic tone she had ever used on a fellow attorney. "Ms Granger is free next Thursday should you wish to return with a counter arrangement."
He glared at her. "Fine," Dietrich huffed. "I will say this, that little bint of a boss of yours had better get her act together. Dating clients is always very, very bad for business. It could ruin both of them. Though I am sure you are very well aware of that aren't you, Miss Sheffield."
Something about the way the tall dark man had said that to her send shivers down Sally's spin. Dietrich stared at her with his cold unforgiving blue eyes as though he could see into her memories of the weekend she'd just had. Sally shook herself and returned the arsehole's glare.
"Mr. Dietrich, we hold ourselves to a very high standard of etiquette with our clients. As Mr Weasley is no longer a client with this company, if they wish to have lunch together it is certainly no business of yours," she said firmly.
"Indeed," Dietrich sneered and donned his outer cloak. "Good day to you, Miss Sheffield. Enjoy your high standard of etiquette."
As the door shut behind that billowing robe Sally released a breath that she hadn't realized she'd been holding. Her hands were shaking uncontrollably and she felt sick to her stomach.
As the trembling blonde witch lowered herself into her chair she ran a hand down her face. He couldn't possibly know… could he?
TBC
A/N: Three steps forward, two steps back it would seem. Mom had a mild heart attack over Christmas then my husband required surgery for a problem he has been dealing with for years. Both are fine and on the mend. All in time for me to catch the plague that has been circling around my work place. Needless to say it's been a roller coaster ride for the last few months. Hopefully this chapter eases a few tempers at being left hanging for so long. As always R&R, my dearies. Maybe some nice reviews from my favorite readers will help ease my sinus headache.
~Chupip