Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any affiliated characters. I just happened to come up with the plot for this ship. All credit to J.K for her amazing universe that she allows us to play in.

Warning: Rated M. Cursing, sexual innuendos, lemons and fluff ahead. Basically what you would expect from a romance novel nowadays.

Eternal love and gratitude to my Beta, Ihrin who is taking over this story for me. Thank you so much!

Music is my muse:
Song for this chapter: We Belong Together, Mariah Carey
Lyrics: When you left I lost a part of me.

Chapter 3
Narcissa to the Rescue

Hermione sat in the small office under her flat, watching the snowfall outside her window and feeling a bit overwhelmed. The caterer for the ball was backing out, a local bakery that she liked to hire for such things. Unfortunately, the owner had apparently burned herself rather severely and would not be able to supply their order on time.

Hermione was sorry the witch was injured but she was left in quite a bind about what to do for the ball. On a whim, she pulled out a sheet of parchment and wrote a quick note:

Mr. Draco Malfoy,

I am terribly sorry to bother you, but I was wondering if you may know of a bakery we could use for the ball this coming Saturday evening. Our baker has been injured rather badly and had to back out.

We need:

300 Éclairs

300 Assorted biscuits

300 Muffins

Punch for 250 guests

Coffee and tea service for 250 guests

A berry assortment for 250 guests

I must admit, I am at a loss for what to do on such short notice. Perhaps your mother may have some ideas? I have heard that she is simply amazing at arranging balls and parties.

Sincerely,

Hermione Granger

Two hours later, Hermes appeared and handed her a note:

Miss Hermione Granger,

I spoke with my mother who was aghast at the terrible luck of losing your baker on such short notice. As such, she has taken the cause on as her own and has told me that you will have everything you need delivered to the party Saturday morning.

We will hire house elves from your organization. They are brilliant bakers under the direction of our dear sweet Bestie, who mans our kitchen; they will have everything you need in short order.

Also, knowing you, I must assure you that Bestie is a free elf herself and is paid very well. She will receive a fine bonus for organizing the other elves.

Please do not worry over the cost; we are happy to make this our donation to this wonderful cause. We will place placards letting the guests know that a fleet of paid house elves served them their desert and tea.

Will there also be a bar?

Sincerely,

Draco Malfoy

Hermione gasped and then frowned. No, she wasn't actually planning on having a bar- serving spirits was very expensive. She chewed her lip and set about replying to his letter, frowning at Hermes who was pruning his still feathers on her desk, obviously waiting for a reply.

Mister Draco Malfoy,

I could not be more pleased with your mother's solution. We had not thought of that due to the cost of hiring as many elves as we would need, but I am truly charmed by this idea and so happy to see it played out in such a manner. We are also eternally thankful for your generous donation in picking up the cost of the elves and with your permission we would like to add you to our list of donors for the event.

Sadly we were unable to justify a bar. We have some wine left over from another event we held a few months ago but with as large of a crowd we are expecting it was not enough to suffice.

Sincerely,

Hermione Granger

She handed the letter to Hermes and watched the bird fly off again into the snow. Then she looked at the time and rushed off to make her afternoon appointment.

ooOoooOOoo

Draco unrolled the parchment and handed the owl a treat and then smiled at it as it looked at him balefully."Yes, go take a rest. I will have our house owl deliver the next missive and then you can head home. I will tell her where you are."

The owl hooted and then settled down quietly on the chair closing it eyes.

Draco scanned the letter and chuckled. She was so proper, his mate.

He looked up as his mother walked in. "She loved the idea. She said they couldn't do that themselves due to the cost of hiring so many elves."

Narcissa snorted. "I worry what she was paying the woman who cancelled on her and if she got that money back."

Draco nodded absently. "They did not plan for a bar due to the large amount of guests and the cost that would entail."

Narcissa shook her head. "Well, we will plan for that ourselves. I will owl our vineyard at once and also get an order of firewhiskey sent. Do you think two hundred cases?"

Draco shrugged. "Get five hundred and store whatever we don't use. We will need it eventually and it's so much easier to just buy it in bulk."

Narcissa made a tsking sound but didn't argue. "I will hire that man we used at my Christmas party for the bar. He was delightful."

Draco smirked. "He is a vampire, isn't he?"

Narcissa nodded. "Yes, my guests adored him. He's very charming."

Draco shook his head and smirked at his mother. "You just wanted to scandalize them and luckily he ended up being handsome."

Narcissa gave him an annoyed look. "Luckily? I will have you know I knew he was that handsome."

Draco laughed as his mother turned sharply and waltzed out of the room.

Quickly, he wrote Hermione a note and then walked it down to find his owl who gave him a haughty look.

"Wait for a reply if there is one and don't you dare bite her, she is special."

When the owl bowed his head, Draco handed him the letter and watched the owl disappear.

His note had been brief but he had ended it with another question- a personal one this time; he was a little antsy as he thought about how she might reply to it. He had been careful to word it rather flippantly but he had no doubt she would understand the significance of the way, he knew he had a few hours to wait so he went back to work, smiling at her still-sleeping owl as he did.

ooOoooOOo

Hermione eyed the haughty owl carefully and held out a treat at the same time she took the letter. The owl took the treat and then sat there, watching her.

She opened the parchment, still watching the owl wearily.

Miss Hermione Granger,

My mother has a lovely bartender that she always uses for parties and she insists on hiring him for the event on Saturday. I am sure he will be happy to take up her offer as he is a vampire himself. We have a vineyard in France that I am sure she is contacting as I write this and we always have firewhiskey on hand. Although I don't doubt that you are planning a lovely event, I assure you that you can raise more money when you get a few spirits into a body with my crowd.

Incidentally, who are you taking as your date? I, myself, will be escorting my mother.

Sincerely,

Draco Malfoy

P.S. Your owl is napping on the chair in front of me. I will send him home later. What is his name? The lovely owl in front of you is Hades; watch out, he's a terror.

Hermione laughed at his ending sentence. Escorting his mother indeed, she thought. She knew he had put that in just to charm her, and she had to admit it had. And her owl was napping on a chair in front of him? That was simply too adorable.

She chewed on her lip as she thought of her reply.

Mister Draco Malfoy,

I have to agree with you about the bar, and we are beyond overwhelmed by your generosity to help us supply spirits for our event. I am a tad worried that you seem to have enough firewhiskey around your person to offer such a large party, but we will not refuse to take advantage of your stash. Thank you, sincerely thank you. I am very excited to meet this vampire your mother speaks highly of. If he managed to impress at one of her gatherings, I know he will be spectacular for our event.

How simply charming of you to escort your mother. As I am working, I did not have to fuss over finding a date myself. I simply have to find my dress. Perhaps your lovely mother has some recommendations? I have been so busy I haven't had time to give this much thought and Ginny is very upset at me.

Thanks,

Hermione Granger

P.S. My owl is Hermes and your owl has been very well-mannered and I think he suits you. He's very haughty!

She paused for a moment and then nodded, rolling up the parchment. She was flirting with him by owl; it was very comical.

Hades took the parchment and seemed to roll his eyes at her, as if saying she looked silly sitting there giggling at her desk.

oOOooOooOo

Draco smirked as he read her note and then nodded at Hades who was giving the still sleeping Hermes a dirty look.

"Be nice, Hades." Draco said, handing him a treat, "Go and warm up. I will send her owl back with the note."

Hades hooted and disappeared.

Draco re-read the note a few times and then sat back feeling his stomach twist a bit. She was flirting with him. Hermione Granger was flirting with him by owl. It was remarkable. She thought his owl and him were haughty, did she?

He tapped his finger on his chin. She still needed to get her dress? Perhaps this was an opportunity he should take advantage of. Obviously, he couldn't take her shopping. That would be simply too bold. But his mother…

Narcissa looked up at her son in shock. "She wishes for me to go shopping with her?"

Draco frowned. "Not exactly. She asked if you had any advice on where to shop. I am saying you could send her an owl offering to take her shopping."

Narcissa frowned but he saw her calculating eyes flick about as she weighed the idea in her mind. "I think that would be lovely, but do you not wish to go with us?"

Draco shrugged. "Perhaps, I could show up to take you ladies to dinner?"

Narcissa's smile grew wide. "Yes, perhaps you could. We will need a portkey to Paris, dear, and you will be there on business. Let me give her two afternoons to choose from."

Draco's smile was wide. "Mother, Paris? She might not have that much time."

Narcissa waved her hand. "Of course she will- it's Paris. Every woman makes time for Paris, dear."

Draco laughed and took the letter from his mother. "I will arrange for the portkey first thing tomorrow when we receive her reply." Draco shook his head, still chuckling at his mother, but sent the reply off with a small note from him as soon as Hermes awoke.

Paris? His mother was charming, but there was no way Hermione was going to take a whole afternoon off to shop with his mother in Paris.

Notes:
Thank you so much for all the reviews and follows and favorites. I am really overwhelmed by the excitement over this story!
Up Next: Paris?

.