FIC: Fête Galante 6/? (Draco/Hermione)
Chapter 6: Avec Folie
“So, Hermione, what’s it like to work with this year’s Witch Weekly’s most eligible bachelor?”
Hermione raised an eyebrow before taking a sip of her drink, “Not nearly as scandalous or fascinating as the headlines of the Daily Prophet makes it out to be, I’m afraid.”
Lavender brushed a strand of her honey-brown hair out of her face before she pouted, “You can hardly expect me to believe that. You don’t have any juicy gossip at all?”
“Honestly, Lav, do you ever stop working or do you just enjoy prying into other people’s business?” Ginny rolled her eyes as Lavender huffed in offense before she sat back against the barstool.
“I was simply curious,” she defended before she shrugged, “Besides, you can’t blame me for being just a tad inquisitive. This is Draco Malfoy we’re talking about. He’s been nearly non-existent for years and all of a sudden he’s executive director and thrust back into the limelight.” She tapped the table in emphasis, “There has to be a story.”
“I don’t see what the big hoo-ha is all about. He’s been on the board for longer than I can remember and apparently, they thought it was the appropriate time for a change in leadership.” Hermione fiddled with her napkin, “Malfoy is educated, business-savvy, and quite a connoisseur. He also owns what I’m sure is a breath-taking collection. He deserves the position. It’s not as if there’s anyone out there that has more experience running an internationally-renowned museum or actually possesses formal training in art history.”
Lavender’s eyes widened as she watched Hermione down the rest of her drink in one go. She glanced at Ginny and refrained from commenting when she saw her shake her head quickly.
Wordlessly, Ginny ordered Hermione another drink before she scooted closer, “Have you talked to the board about their decision? It strikes me as rather unprofessional to give your job to someone else without even a notice by owl.”
Hermione snorted, “My assistant had to be the one to announce my demotion. That was a particularly delightful moment.” She shook her head, “But no, I haven’t talked to them. I really don’t think there’s any point. I doubt Caius ever wanted to give me the position but there wasn’t anyone else as qualified but now that there’s Malfoy-“ Hermione trailed off and let out a heavy sigh. “I suppose I should take this as a blessing. At least now, I can stop worrying about the finances and get back to the art.”
“Exactly!” Ginny agreed, “Besides, Malfoy isn’t all bad. At least he’s easy on the eyes.”
“Bloody gorgeous is more like it,” Lavender sighed wistfully.
“Does someone still have a schoolgirl crush on the Slytherin prince?” Ginny raised an eyebrow.
Lavender simply shrugged, “If I weren’t dating Dean, I would happily join the legions of Malfoy admirers.”
“You’re absurd,” Hermione said with a grin.
“Oh, come on, you can’t tell me you don’t think he’s absolutely deliciously sinful. If you had the chance, I bet you’d say sod the art and shag him against the wall.”
Hermione’s cheeks flushed pink as she fumbled for an answer.
“Actually,” Ginny said teasingly, “I do believe our lovely Ms. Granger may be the only female in wizarding London that is not susceptible to his charms. After all, he offered 14 million galleons for a kiss from her and she actually had to sit down and think about it. She almost denied him.”
“He what?!”
Hermione glared daggers at Ginny before she hissed, “He did not offer 14 million galleons for a kiss, Ginerva Weasley.” She took in a calming breath, “He offered 14 million galleons to save the museum from closing from debt and the kiss was just an afterthought,” she reasoned.
“And what about painting you nude? Was that an afterthought as well?” Ginny smirked before she leaned away from Hermione’s slap. “It sounds to me as if he planned it all.”
Lavender simply sat and stared, absolutely flabbergasted as she looked between the two, “Did you agree?”
Hermione straightened her back and clasped her hands together, “I did. It seemed like a small sacrifice to make.”
“Stop acting like a bloody martyr,” Lavender burst out, staring at her incredulously, “I would pay him 14 million galleons to paint me nude and kiss me.”
“Does he get naked as well?” Ginny asked with another giggle.
Hermione’s eyes narrowed once again before she muttered, “I hate you both.”
“We’ll stop taking the mickey out of you,” Ginny managed to get out through her giggles, “As soon as you admit that you’re not entirely averse to working with Malfoy.”
“Alright,” she snapped, “I admit it. Draco Malfoy is a bloody handsome bastard. Satisfied?”
“Entirely so. Now, what is this about a date you have with him tomorrow?”
“It is not a date. I am only going to see his private collection for purely scholarly purposes. It’s for the exhibition.”
“If only I could hide under the pretense of my job for the chance to have a private viewing of Draco Malfoy’s art collection with a personal tour. Sounds awfully intimate and sexy to me.”
“You two are truly insufferable. Besides, since when have you found art sexy?”
“Since Draco Malfoy became the new executive director,” Lavender admitted without shame, completely ignoring Hermione’s glare.
“And you, Ms. Granger, are simply delusional if you think that your relationship with Malfoy is purely professional.”
“Considering how he is now my superior, our relationship has to be purely professional.”
“Hmm,” Lavender grinned, “I’d love to work under Malfoy in more ways than one.”
“I’ll be sure to pass the message along to Dean,” Hermione said sweetly.
“Tattle-tale,” she stuck her tongue out before giggling.
-*-
Hermione was sifting through her mail when she heard the door to her office click open. “I’m busy, Griselda,” she said without looking up.
“I see that, Ms. Granger. But, may I be so bold as to steal a few seconds of your precious time?”
Hermione let out an annoyed sigh, barely audible to herself before she looked up, a fake smile plastered onto her face, “Pardon me, Aldous, to what do I owe this pleasure? I had no idea I would be graced with your presence today.”
“I am here on behalf of the board. We are throwing an impromptu dinner party tonight at the Ministry to celebrate Mr. Malfoy’s recent promotion.”
Hermione clasped her hands together, “An in-person invitation is hardly necessary, Aldous. An owl would have been sufficient.”
“Yes,” he responded acerbically, “but considering how often our invitations seem never to reach you quite in time, I wanted to personally deliver the message to ensure your attendance.”
“Of course,” she bowed her head graciously, “I would love to attend.”
“Very well,” Aldous snapped his fingers and a cream invitation materialized on her desk. “We will be having a small reception before the party. Please do not be late.”
Hermione continued to smile tightly, “I wouldn’t dream of it.”
“Until tonight then, Ms. Granger.”
“Good day, Aldous.”
It was in this agitated state that Draco found her nearly thirty minutes later. Hermione sat at her desk, her back stiff as she stared at the invitation, her fingers tapping furiously against her desk.
“Are you alright, Granger?”
Hermione simply glared at him before she let out a heavy sigh, “Did you get an invitation?”
“For the party? Of course, I got it yesterday.”
She let out a disbelieving laugh before she slammed her hand down, “I refuse to let them make a fool out of me.”
“Granger, are you quite alright? You have this crazed look about you.”
Hermione pushed her hair out of her face before she stood up and walked towards him, “I’m delightful. Now, shall we go see your private collection?”
He regarded her warily before he took hold of her arm and apparated them.
-*-
Hours later, Hermione quietly sipped her wine as she stared at the Constable in front of her, absolutely entranced with the way the clouds moved across the countryside. “It’s so peaceful and idyllic.”
“That one is a favorite,” Draco commented as he sat in his chair, watching as she moved from painting to painting. “It almost makes me detest the bustle of city-life.”
“I suppose that was the purpose,” Hermione murmured quietly before she looked back at him thoughtfully, “Do you think we should put one or two works by Constable and Reynolds in the show? Simply for context and precedence?”
“I don’t really see the relevance. Turner and Constable might’ve been contemporaries but their styles aren’t similar whatsoever. If anything, we should consider putting in some Dutch landscapes to show influence.”
“That may be true but Constable was such a powerhouse of English painting and they’re both considered English Romantic painters. We can’t do a show on Turner without some sort of mention of Constable. Also, Turner was admitted into the Academy while Reynolds was still president. His work may look nothing like his but I’m hardly convinced that both of them didn’t have some sort of influence upon his work.”
Draco stood up and moved to the far corner of his study, “We’ll put this in the show.” The portrait was fairly large. The man looked out at both he and Hermione, his gaze unwavering. He sat with his body in profile but his head was turned so that his eyes were unavoidable. His face looked serious, almost pensive. He wore a dark blue silk shirt that hung loose against him. In his hands, he held what looked to be a piece of worn parchment.
“Is that-“
“Yes.”
“Wow,” Hermione breathed as she approached the painting with small steps, uncertainly and cautiously. She stared, completely enamored, as she watched the man’s grip on the parchment tighten, his gaze bordering suspicious as Hermione approached. She smiled softly at him and he visibly relaxed before he turned his head, looking off into the distance.
“What do you think?”
Hermione shivered and her eyes involuntarily fluttered shut when she felt his hot breath against her neck. His scent surrounded her senses and she fought the urge to collapse into his arms. Her voice was hazy and thick when she finally answered him, “It’s perfect.” Vaguely, Hermione heard him mumble something in return. She felt him turning her body around, his hands firm against her waist.
She should tell him to back away. Better yet, she should back away herself and step out of his grasp yet she could not move. She couldn’t think. All she could do was continue to stare into his darkening grey eyes as his lips moved closer and closer to hers. Her mind remained oddly quiet and the entire world seemed to fade away and disappear. Her whole being felt as if it was being pulled into his and when his lips finally, ever so gently, touched hers, she could no longer discern her body from his.
-*-
Author’s Note: Hello my darlings! I am so incredibly sorry for the ridiculously long wait. I have been so caught up with real life and work and had to take a brief hiatus from writing but I promise I’m back and I hope this was worth the wait.
The title of the chapter translates to With Craziness or With Madness. I really hope the part about Constable, Reynolds, and Turner wasn’t too confusing. John Constable, Joshua Reynolds, and JMW Turner were all famous English painters. Joshua Reynolds painted before Turner and Constable. He was president of the Royal Academy and was chair of the panel that admitted Turner into the Academy. Turner was admitted at the incredibly young age of 14 whereas Constable was admitted at the age of 52. Reynolds worked primarily through portraiture whereas Turner and Constable were both landscape artists. Their styles are incredibly different, however.
The painting that they were looking at in the end is a self-portrait of Joshua Reynolds. While a wizarding version does not exist (or maybe it does! Who knows?), I based the description on a self-portrait of Reynolds that hangs at the Uffizi.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Joshua_Reynolds_Self_Portrait.jpg
“So, Hermione, what’s it like to work with this year’s Witch Weekly’s most eligible bachelor?”
Hermione raised an eyebrow before taking a sip of her drink, “Not nearly as scandalous or fascinating as the headlines of the Daily Prophet makes it out to be, I’m afraid.”
Lavender brushed a strand of her honey-brown hair out of her face before she pouted, “You can hardly expect me to believe that. You don’t have any juicy gossip at all?”
“Honestly, Lav, do you ever stop working or do you just enjoy prying into other people’s business?” Ginny rolled her eyes as Lavender huffed in offense before she sat back against the barstool.
“I was simply curious,” she defended before she shrugged, “Besides, you can’t blame me for being just a tad inquisitive. This is Draco Malfoy we’re talking about. He’s been nearly non-existent for years and all of a sudden he’s executive director and thrust back into the limelight.” She tapped the table in emphasis, “There has to be a story.”
“I don’t see what the big hoo-ha is all about. He’s been on the board for longer than I can remember and apparently, they thought it was the appropriate time for a change in leadership.” Hermione fiddled with her napkin, “Malfoy is educated, business-savvy, and quite a connoisseur. He also owns what I’m sure is a breath-taking collection. He deserves the position. It’s not as if there’s anyone out there that has more experience running an internationally-renowned museum or actually possesses formal training in art history.”
Lavender’s eyes widened as she watched Hermione down the rest of her drink in one go. She glanced at Ginny and refrained from commenting when she saw her shake her head quickly.
Wordlessly, Ginny ordered Hermione another drink before she scooted closer, “Have you talked to the board about their decision? It strikes me as rather unprofessional to give your job to someone else without even a notice by owl.”
Hermione snorted, “My assistant had to be the one to announce my demotion. That was a particularly delightful moment.” She shook her head, “But no, I haven’t talked to them. I really don’t think there’s any point. I doubt Caius ever wanted to give me the position but there wasn’t anyone else as qualified but now that there’s Malfoy-“ Hermione trailed off and let out a heavy sigh. “I suppose I should take this as a blessing. At least now, I can stop worrying about the finances and get back to the art.”
“Exactly!” Ginny agreed, “Besides, Malfoy isn’t all bad. At least he’s easy on the eyes.”
“Bloody gorgeous is more like it,” Lavender sighed wistfully.
“Does someone still have a schoolgirl crush on the Slytherin prince?” Ginny raised an eyebrow.
Lavender simply shrugged, “If I weren’t dating Dean, I would happily join the legions of Malfoy admirers.”
“You’re absurd,” Hermione said with a grin.
“Oh, come on, you can’t tell me you don’t think he’s absolutely deliciously sinful. If you had the chance, I bet you’d say sod the art and shag him against the wall.”
Hermione’s cheeks flushed pink as she fumbled for an answer.
“Actually,” Ginny said teasingly, “I do believe our lovely Ms. Granger may be the only female in wizarding London that is not susceptible to his charms. After all, he offered 14 million galleons for a kiss from her and she actually had to sit down and think about it. She almost denied him.”
“He what?!”
Hermione glared daggers at Ginny before she hissed, “He did not offer 14 million galleons for a kiss, Ginerva Weasley.” She took in a calming breath, “He offered 14 million galleons to save the museum from closing from debt and the kiss was just an afterthought,” she reasoned.
“And what about painting you nude? Was that an afterthought as well?” Ginny smirked before she leaned away from Hermione’s slap. “It sounds to me as if he planned it all.”
Lavender simply sat and stared, absolutely flabbergasted as she looked between the two, “Did you agree?”
Hermione straightened her back and clasped her hands together, “I did. It seemed like a small sacrifice to make.”
“Stop acting like a bloody martyr,” Lavender burst out, staring at her incredulously, “I would pay him 14 million galleons to paint me nude and kiss me.”
“Does he get naked as well?” Ginny asked with another giggle.
Hermione’s eyes narrowed once again before she muttered, “I hate you both.”
“We’ll stop taking the mickey out of you,” Ginny managed to get out through her giggles, “As soon as you admit that you’re not entirely averse to working with Malfoy.”
“Alright,” she snapped, “I admit it. Draco Malfoy is a bloody handsome bastard. Satisfied?”
“Entirely so. Now, what is this about a date you have with him tomorrow?”
“It is not a date. I am only going to see his private collection for purely scholarly purposes. It’s for the exhibition.”
“If only I could hide under the pretense of my job for the chance to have a private viewing of Draco Malfoy’s art collection with a personal tour. Sounds awfully intimate and sexy to me.”
“You two are truly insufferable. Besides, since when have you found art sexy?”
“Since Draco Malfoy became the new executive director,” Lavender admitted without shame, completely ignoring Hermione’s glare.
“And you, Ms. Granger, are simply delusional if you think that your relationship with Malfoy is purely professional.”
“Considering how he is now my superior, our relationship has to be purely professional.”
“Hmm,” Lavender grinned, “I’d love to work under Malfoy in more ways than one.”
“I’ll be sure to pass the message along to Dean,” Hermione said sweetly.
“Tattle-tale,” she stuck her tongue out before giggling.
-*-
Hermione was sifting through her mail when she heard the door to her office click open. “I’m busy, Griselda,” she said without looking up.
“I see that, Ms. Granger. But, may I be so bold as to steal a few seconds of your precious time?”
Hermione let out an annoyed sigh, barely audible to herself before she looked up, a fake smile plastered onto her face, “Pardon me, Aldous, to what do I owe this pleasure? I had no idea I would be graced with your presence today.”
“I am here on behalf of the board. We are throwing an impromptu dinner party tonight at the Ministry to celebrate Mr. Malfoy’s recent promotion.”
Hermione clasped her hands together, “An in-person invitation is hardly necessary, Aldous. An owl would have been sufficient.”
“Yes,” he responded acerbically, “but considering how often our invitations seem never to reach you quite in time, I wanted to personally deliver the message to ensure your attendance.”
“Of course,” she bowed her head graciously, “I would love to attend.”
“Very well,” Aldous snapped his fingers and a cream invitation materialized on her desk. “We will be having a small reception before the party. Please do not be late.”
Hermione continued to smile tightly, “I wouldn’t dream of it.”
“Until tonight then, Ms. Granger.”
“Good day, Aldous.”
It was in this agitated state that Draco found her nearly thirty minutes later. Hermione sat at her desk, her back stiff as she stared at the invitation, her fingers tapping furiously against her desk.
“Are you alright, Granger?”
Hermione simply glared at him before she let out a heavy sigh, “Did you get an invitation?”
“For the party? Of course, I got it yesterday.”
She let out a disbelieving laugh before she slammed her hand down, “I refuse to let them make a fool out of me.”
“Granger, are you quite alright? You have this crazed look about you.”
Hermione pushed her hair out of her face before she stood up and walked towards him, “I’m delightful. Now, shall we go see your private collection?”
He regarded her warily before he took hold of her arm and apparated them.
-*-
Hours later, Hermione quietly sipped her wine as she stared at the Constable in front of her, absolutely entranced with the way the clouds moved across the countryside. “It’s so peaceful and idyllic.”
“That one is a favorite,” Draco commented as he sat in his chair, watching as she moved from painting to painting. “It almost makes me detest the bustle of city-life.”
“I suppose that was the purpose,” Hermione murmured quietly before she looked back at him thoughtfully, “Do you think we should put one or two works by Constable and Reynolds in the show? Simply for context and precedence?”
“I don’t really see the relevance. Turner and Constable might’ve been contemporaries but their styles aren’t similar whatsoever. If anything, we should consider putting in some Dutch landscapes to show influence.”
“That may be true but Constable was such a powerhouse of English painting and they’re both considered English Romantic painters. We can’t do a show on Turner without some sort of mention of Constable. Also, Turner was admitted into the Academy while Reynolds was still president. His work may look nothing like his but I’m hardly convinced that both of them didn’t have some sort of influence upon his work.”
Draco stood up and moved to the far corner of his study, “We’ll put this in the show.” The portrait was fairly large. The man looked out at both he and Hermione, his gaze unwavering. He sat with his body in profile but his head was turned so that his eyes were unavoidable. His face looked serious, almost pensive. He wore a dark blue silk shirt that hung loose against him. In his hands, he held what looked to be a piece of worn parchment.
“Is that-“
“Yes.”
“Wow,” Hermione breathed as she approached the painting with small steps, uncertainly and cautiously. She stared, completely enamored, as she watched the man’s grip on the parchment tighten, his gaze bordering suspicious as Hermione approached. She smiled softly at him and he visibly relaxed before he turned his head, looking off into the distance.
“What do you think?”
Hermione shivered and her eyes involuntarily fluttered shut when she felt his hot breath against her neck. His scent surrounded her senses and she fought the urge to collapse into his arms. Her voice was hazy and thick when she finally answered him, “It’s perfect.” Vaguely, Hermione heard him mumble something in return. She felt him turning her body around, his hands firm against her waist.
She should tell him to back away. Better yet, she should back away herself and step out of his grasp yet she could not move. She couldn’t think. All she could do was continue to stare into his darkening grey eyes as his lips moved closer and closer to hers. Her mind remained oddly quiet and the entire world seemed to fade away and disappear. Her whole being felt as if it was being pulled into his and when his lips finally, ever so gently, touched hers, she could no longer discern her body from his.
-*-
Author’s Note: Hello my darlings! I am so incredibly sorry for the ridiculously long wait. I have been so caught up with real life and work and had to take a brief hiatus from writing but I promise I’m back and I hope this was worth the wait.
The title of the chapter translates to With Craziness or With Madness. I really hope the part about Constable, Reynolds, and Turner wasn’t too confusing. John Constable, Joshua Reynolds, and JMW Turner were all famous English painters. Joshua Reynolds painted before Turner and Constable. He was president of the Royal Academy and was chair of the panel that admitted Turner into the Academy. Turner was admitted at the incredibly young age of 14 whereas Constable was admitted at the age of 52. Reynolds worked primarily through portraiture whereas Turner and Constable were both landscape artists. Their styles are incredibly different, however.
The painting that they were looking at in the end is a self-portrait of Joshua Reynolds. While a wizarding version does not exist (or maybe it does! Who knows?), I based the description on a self-portrait of Reynolds that hangs at the Uffizi.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Joshua_Reynolds_Self_Portrait.jpg
