You've Got Owls!

Ch. 4

Malfoy's evilness became apparent that Monday morning at the office. It had started out a regular day; uneventful as the firm's top Aurors gathered in the tiny, cramped conference room to discuss their latest case.

Since the company only had a scant dozen Aurors (including staff), there were only five "top" Aurors. Two hours into the meeting and twenty coffees later, Hermione was absently tapping her quill on the table as the others droned on into another dead-end around her, her mind completely elsewhere.

A very important question weighed on her mind. Namely, how was she going to save her company? She and Vanessa had had a long talk on Sunday, and both had come to the conclusion that the situation looked positively dismal. Their prospects were few and hardly worth a mention, and their futures were in the hands of Silver and her co-administrators.

"If only we could break the case," Hermione thought to herself angrily. Her firm had been hard at work tracking down a particular Death Eater for months, to no avail. She knew that even if he was found, she didn't have the resources to send to capture him. This would mean handing the case over to a larger firm, with more, seasoned Aurors who could handle the job. She hated to give up a case, but at this point it didn't even look like she would even get the information she needed to crack it...

"Hermione!" Vanessa hissed loudly. Hermione sat up abruptly and spun around to see her co-worker leaning through the door, a stunned expression on her face.

"What is it?" she asked, alarmed. The woman pressed her lips together and motioned for her to get up.

Rising, Hermione nodded to her second, William O'Donnel, and slipped out of the conference room. In the dim hallway leading to the office, Hermione turned to Vanessa with a quizzical look on her face.

"What?" she hissed.

"You will never guess who is here," Vanessa whispered, eyes bulging.

"I don't play guessing games, Vess," Hermione sighed, looking back pointedly.

"Draco Malfoy and Silver," she said.

"What?" Hermione exclaimed, her voice reaching the high pitch of a shriek. "What is that creepy bastard doing here...and with SILVER?"

"I honestly don't have a clue...but they want to see you," she said, looking pale.

"Okay, okay," Hermione said quickly, holding up her hand. She attempted to pull herself together. "Tell them I'm just coming out of my meeting...I'll be out in a moment...just do not take him to the conference room, okay?"

Her friend nodded. "How does the office look?"

"Just fine," Vanessa grinned. "Henry saw the ministry car and performed a quick-clean spell."

"Okay, well, I'll be out in a moment," she said. Vanessa walked quickly back down the hallway to talk to the guests.

Hermione licked her fingers and smoothed her hair down hastily. Her mind was whirling. Why on earth would Silver be here with Malfoy? She knew that Silver would want to inspect the firm, but Malfoy? Was this some kind humiliation ritual? Her usually warm brown eyes narrowed to steely points. Well, she wasn't going to give an inch. She was proud of her firm! Why shouldn't she be? She had worked just as hard as Malfoy! That's it - she would walk out there with her head high and nothing to hide. She would NOT let Malfoy get to her.

She walked out of the corridor. They were standing by Henry's desk, Malfoy in a snappy Muggle suit, Silver wearing a tie, white blouse and dress slacks underneath her black ministry robe, which was casually open in the front. As Hermione approached them, she cleared her throat authoritatively and both lifted their heads to look at her.

"Ms. Silver, Mr. Malfoy," she said with a warm smile, extending her hand for the other woman to shake. "To what occasion do I owe this visit?"

"Pretentiousness isn't your style, Ms. Granger," Draco murmured slyly. She shot him a look of daggers, though inwardly wondered when the insufferable prat had become so interested in her 'style'.

"We're here to inspect your firm, Hermione," Silver cut in, giving Draco a reprimanding look. "We're not interrupting anything, are we?"

"Oh no - I was in a meeting, but it was really just winding down," she said quickly. "Um...where did Vanessa go?" she asked uncertainly, looking around.

"I sent her out to park our cars," Draco smiled humorlessly. "Your valet service must be on vacation?" Hermione gritted her teeth and forced herself to grin politely.

"We don't have a valet service, Mr. Malfoy." He raised his pale eyebrows in mock shock.

"Well..."

"Ms. Silver," Hermione said abruptly, turning back to the other woman. "I've something I've been wanting to show you, if you'd step inside my office..." Hermione grabbed her friend's arm and pulled her down the aisle, quickly thrusting open an oak door and shoving them both inside. It actually was the filing room, but Hermione didn't want to admit to Draco that she worked in a cubicle.

"Mya!" she exclaimed, once they were alone. "What is he doing here?" The ministry administrator smiled mildly and dusted a few pieces of lint off her impeccable black robes.

"Calm down, Ms. Granger, this is all quite legitimate," she soothed.

"I'd hope so," Hermione groaned, crossing her arms.

"Mr. Malfoy has actually done something quite honorable...a very generous proposition..."

"Cut to the chase, please," she interrupted irritably. "I've heard enough of Malfoy's never-ending virtues."

"Mr. Malfoy has offered to buy your firm out, to save it from closure," Silver explained.

"WHAT?" Hermione screamed.

"He..."

"I heard, yes, I understand," she said, holding up her hand for silence. Rubbing her temples in fierce contemplation, she looked up at her boss. "Oh God. And I was fool enough to think it couldn't get worse."

"Hermione, this is a great opportunity; if Draco buys out your firm, you and Vanessa will still be able to work together, and your records will remain virtually untouched. The Ministry won't get into it, so your honour will be saved, and you will second on the helm of a very large and prestigious firm."

"But with MALFOY," she spat angrily. "At least before I had a choice as to whom I worked with...now I either work with him, or quit altogether."

"Hermione, I'm getting rather impatient with you," Silver said calmly. "I think you need to start forgetting all this bad blood and think about the good of the company. The wizarding community depends on us to keep everyone safe. It's not fair to jeopardize the success of the light side because of your ridiculous little fights."

"Jeopardize the light side?" she repeated.

"Yes! You two are our greatest assets in this war - we can't waste any time. Don't let your childish disputes impinge on your professionalism. It's rash and irresponsible." Hermione looked back at the woman in front of her in complete awe and horror. Someone had just called her...her, Hermione Granger, irresponsible. Rash. Ridiculous. Childish. How could this be?

"Come on, Hermione, even Harry thinks it's for the best..."

"Harry?" Hermione asked, quickly snapping out of her incredulous trance. "You spoke with Harry?"

"We had a talk, yes, and he thinks you should join Draco. He seems to have put his past behind him, now can't you?" Silver looked steadily at her with unblinking eyes. Hermione shifted uncomfortably under her superior's gaze and sighed. Even Harry thinks it's best? She thought. Maybe Silver had a point...she was being rather childish...but it's Malfoy! Mudblood-hating Malfoy! How could she stand working with him?

"Please, Ms. Granger. Think of your career."

Her career. If she didn't work with Malfoy, she was out. Oh god. She had sacrificed everything for her career...but could she do this? Her fists clenched slowly, and a determined anger rose in her chest. She would keep her career, Malfoy or not! She'd show that little twit how to be an Auror, and make him rue the day he ever picked on her!

"Okay," she growled through gritted teeth. "Fine."

*

"So she said yes, right?" Pansy insisted, her heels clacking loudly as they made their way through the marble-floored entrance hall of the elite wizarding London hotel that served as Draco's city home.

The blonde man glanced disdainfully at the tall woman next to him. With skin as white as chalk and blonde school-girl curls now died hideously black, slicked straight and snipped to a flat bob below her ears, she was dressed head-to-toe in black, except for the red lipstick that adorned her thin lips. She was peering with mad blue eyes at her employer and former boyfriend.

"She said maybe," he grumbled. "Don't act so happy," he finished as she stopped in the middle of the hall, let out a joyful whoop and then hurriedly clacked to catch up with him.

"I'm telling you, I want that woman," Pansy hissed. "She's perfect. She knows the game back-to-front. I want her for the firm. I want her on the team. She'll make us famous, Draco! Rich and famous!"

He yawned as they approached the elevator.

"I already am." She eyed him with a look of daggers.

The elevator door opened. It was occupied by a middle-aged, blonde woman, whose hair looked like fizzled straw, wearing a mink coat and clutching a furry animal to her chest, and the doorman, wearing a smart red uniform.

"Top floor, please," Draco said to him as he and Pansy boarded. "Good evening to you, Ms. Fairchild."

"And you, Mr. Malfoy," the woman nodded, smiling sickly.

"How is Mr. Snoogums?" he asked politely as the elevator took off.

"Ah," she said. "Just perfect." Then she put her face up to what appeared to be the head of the furry creature in her arms and began spitting a series of unintelligible baby sounds. Pansy regarded her disdainfully.

"Ugh, how horrible," she whispered.

"Melinda Fairchild is a very respected witch, Parkinson," he growled quietly. "Frankly, as long as her dead husband keeps writing checks for my firm, she can do whatever she damn well pleases."

"Dead?"

"Haven't you ever met a ghost?" he snapped. She pouted sullenly.

Just then, the elevator gave an unexpected jolt, stopped and the lights guttered and died.

"Curses!" Draco swore, taking out his wand and whispering 'Lumos'. The other three did the same and the doorman began to inspect the magical panel.

"Oh, Merlin's beard!" Melinda cursed. "My wand won't communicate. The connection is broken!" Pansy sighed in irritation and slumped against the wall.

"This just makes my day," she hissed.

"Can you see what went wrong?" Draco asked the doorman.

"Seems like the wizard hired to cast the levitating charms in the control office dozed off again," the doorman replied with a 'hmf'. "Idiot. Well, the supervisor will be around soon to check on him, and we'll get some help then."

"I'm going to die in here!" Pansy moaned, slamming her head woefully against the wall.

"How long do you think it will take?" Draco asked.

"Half an hour, maybe more," the man replied, sitting down. "Might as well be comfortable." The other three soon reluctantly followed suit.

...three hours later

"I'm going to die in here!" Pansy moaned weakly. Draco rolled his eyes for the fifth time and tried to ignore her as he flipped through a back issue of the Daily Prophet. Melinda Fairchild checked the time on her wand for the fortieth time.

"She's right," the doorman groaned, getting a dreamy look in his eye. "I have a witch at home...should've married 'er. But I'm going to die instead."

"That's so touching," Pansy sobbed, trying to reapply her mascara as it ran in rivers down her cheeks.

"We are NOT going to die," Draco growled. "If we have to, I'll apparate out of here, rules or no rules." He sighed, and covered his face wearily with his hands. Why did he hire Parkinson in the first place? She was terrible, terrible company. And these people he lived with - what a bunch of snobby losers! He groaned, wishing he could go home and find a letter from her.

"While we're on the subject of love," Pansy said, wiping her eyes, and turning to Draco. "Blaise called me by wand the other day. She said you were acting strange."

"Can you keep a secret, Pans?" he asked suddenly.

"Sure," she said, eyes wide. "What is it?"

"I'm dumping her," he said decisively. "I can't stand her anymore."

"WHAT?" Pansy exclaimed. Just then, the lights flickered to life.