Cadence
Title: Cadence Chapter 1
Summary: Draco and Hermione worked together. Trouble ensues once he takes an interest.
Characters/Pairings: Draco Malfoy, Hermione Granger, eventual Draco/Hermione
Genre: Romance
Rating/Warnings: Overall PG-13
Word Count: 624
“Come off it, Granger,” an overconfident voice entered her isolated world of Finnish centaurs, annoyed Russian wizards, and wandering Swedish giants, “the Finnish centaurs can wait until Monday.”
“Just a few more minutes,” the woman snapped. Her mind pushed away the interruption, which belonged in the realm of ambient noise to be ignored. Only her name had garnished a moment’s thought. Centaurs, unlike giants, she underlined heavily and nearly broke the quill’s tip, are as sentient and intelligent as witches and wizards. As such, the treaty cannot be addressed under the same section of the statute. Her left hand mindlessly brushed hair off her face. After fifteen hours, what had been a tight bun slowly unraveled.
“Granger, you said that two hours ago,” the blasted voice retorted, “and the janitors threatened to lock us in here all weekend.” She ignored the comment; his voice was an annoying buzzing sound that refused to leave her alone. “Besides, the Ministry cannot afford to pay us this much overtime.”
Finishing the next sentence, the witch with purple bags under her eyes from lack of proper sleep finally glanced away from the page. Her concentration was shot anyway. “You could have just left without me,” she huffed as she straightened the stack of papers that constituted her commentary on the latest draft the Russian Ministry had sent over.
“And leave you slaving away all weekend? Even I am not so cruel,” the blonde replied, looking impeccable for the amount of work he pulled - the hair sat slightly disheveled, a few wisps brushing his face. The skin looked slightly agitated below his eyes, but Hermione had a feeling Malfoy had used something to hide the extent of his sleep deprivation.
Having worked with Draco Malfoy for two years in the Department of International Magical Cooperation, her best ‘yeah right’ came out only half-heartedly. He was quite observant and would bring coffee to anyone if the person dragged his feet in the morning or deliver lunch if anyone refused to leave her desk and take a break. That was usually Hermione, actually. It was a nice act, really, but she did not need babysitting - not from Malfoy.
“So what are you still doing here? I am going to leave.” Her eyes met his stony grey ones and gave a fearsome glare. Ron and Harry always cringed from it, but somehow Malfoy stayed unaffected.
“Due to your over-enthusiasm for international law, I have accidentally blown off my plans for the evening. So I think you owe me a drink,” the blonde drawled, as self-confident as ever.
“Owe you? The only thing I owe you, Draco Malfoy, is a draft of this international law bill about centaurs,” Hermione exploded, beginning to blow up from the pressure of having no release all week.
“And thirteen sickles from the bet whether or not you would finish it this week,” Draco recounted cheerfully, “which I feel like collecting in the form of a drink.” The witch had glowered away while neatly placing the last of her quills in its drawer, but when her head finally looked in his direction again, he held out her coat - and even gave a gentlemanly bow. In every situation, he acted the perfect gentleman because he was a Malfoy, and Malfoys were the epitome of etiquette.
Despite her wishes to the contrary, Malfoy was melting her anger instantaneously - something no one else had ever quite managed to do so often. “Oh, you’re on to something Malfoy,” Hermione grumbled, reluctant to let go, “dragging me away from work to alcohol of all things. I could accuse you of having some Slytherin plan up your sleeve.”
“Ah,” he chuckled, “but you’re a big brave Gryffindor, so you will rush right in anyway.”
Title: Cadence Chapter 2
Summary: Draco and Hermione worked together. Trouble ensues once he takes an interest.
Characters/Pairings: Draco Malfoy, Hermione Granger, eventual Draco/Hermione
Genre: Romance
Rating/Warnings: Overall PG-13
Word Count: 510
When the witch realized he was right, she begrudgingly gave in, “But I get to choose the bar, Malfoy.” Hermione did not want to sit at home alone to relax. Harry and Ginny were out because Friday became ‘their night’ to cope with busy schedules. Luna was off on another expedition. Neville didn’t live in London, and this week was ‘critical’ for his greenhouse. And Ron…they hadn’t hung out just the two of them since Hermione dumped him a few months before. Their relationship had been sweet while it lasted, but after a couple years Hermione could not stand his temperament - still the range of a teaspoon. Further, he was overprotective and jealous as a boyfriend; Ron was a great friend, but the bright witch came to realize, for her, he was nothing more.
“Fine then, my damsel in distress,” Malfoy replied with a smirk but continued before she could argue the point, “but I get to drive.”
“You drive?!” Hermione gasped, reacting out loud before she could even think about it. But the idea was…preposterous - a Malfoy that drove. If she even thought of one in a car, the car would be driven by some menial half-blood. “What?” she asked in a teasing tone, “Is your driver already off for the night?”
“I do not have a driver, Granger,” his voice sounded as if the fact was obvious - like that Malfoys having blonde hair, “unless I get plastered, but then it’s just a friend.”
“I am so not driving you home tonight,” Hermione declared. He could take care of his drunken arse without her help.
“Please, Granger,” Malfoy replied coolly, “I would not trust you behind the wheel.”
At that, the woman could not help but snort, “Malfoy, must I remind you that I am the Muggle-born and thus have more experience with cars?” She loved pointing out to the smarmy confident git that there were some advantages to being born amongst muggles.
“Trust me, Granger, I could not possibly forget that. Your occasional slips of common magical sense keep it fresh in my mind,” Malfoy countered as the two entered one of the lifts, “but your parents were dentists - not the sorts to own luxury vehicles - and mine cost a tad more than whatever pile of rubbish they drove you in to Platform 9¾.”
“Trust a Malfoy to buy the most expensive thing around even if there’s something half the cost that’s just as decent,” Hermione snorted, trying to bait him - her comment the equivalent of his. She had slowly - dragging her heels the entire time - come to accept his occasional remarks about muggles and muggle-borns. Half the time he only the joked, and the other half were attempts to get a rise out of her. The first was…begrudgingly acceptable, and Hermione refused to fall for the later.
But Malfoy only gave a polite smile before responding. “Of course, Granger. We do not want ‘decent.’ We want and deserve the best,” he explained as if the idea were beyond her comprehension, “So we refuse to settle for less.”
Title: Cadence Chapter 3
Summary: Draco and Hermione worked together. Trouble ensues once he takes an interest.
Characters/Pairings: Draco Malfoy, Hermione Granger, eventual Draco/Hermione
Genre: Romance
Rating/Warnings: Overall PG-13
Word Count: 572
As their feet left the atrium to exit the Ministry, Malfoy pointed out his sleek black car. In the dark, her eyes could not see the design for the maker, but Hermione did not need that to understand the quality of the vehicle before her. The car shown along the sleek lines that shaped it. The wheels were the very finest, and inside, she gasped when Malfoy opened the door for her: leather seats. Her hands ran along the seatback, and the exhausted witch closed her eyes. When they opened, Draco was sitting in the driver’s seat looking at her with a very amused smile on his face.
“Oh shut it, Malfoy,” Hermione huffed as she sat down and closed the door.
“So, my affectionate friend,” Draco joked as he turned the ignition, “where am I taking you?”
“The Bar in Soho,” Hermione replied, “and you’re paying. I don’t have the sort of money to pay for it …” She quietly eyed her clothing and his, glad that it was Muggle Friday at work - and that she knew Malfoy always made sure to have both types of money on him should an emergency arise. Of course, she would not warn Malfoy until it was too late to back out.
“Trust you to wriggle your way out of a bet,” Draco joked but waved a hand at her when she offered to pay for a drink. He teased her more as they drove, until he needed directions other than Soho. Hermione engaged the verbal sparring, and though she would never admit it, Draco’s skill - safely steering them away from a few drunken muggles - impressed her.
He only scowled when they entered The Bar, though an employee who saw them took it to mean the richly dressed young man was dissatisfied. Draco quickly took advantage of the young muggle, who wanted to impress someone who could walk in and be unimpressed, to get them one of the private seatings in a prison cell, which happened to be open at the moment. His years of society dining and the more recent political infighting to regain honor to the Malfoy name since the war easily came to play in their favor.
Once they were seated, his eyes glared at her intensely, “A place like this? Really, Granger.”
“Just relax,” she wrote him off with great effort at pretending to be nonchalant, “we have our own area anyway. If you just relax, you’ll forget about the other people.”
“Trying to seduce me? Whisk me off to a corner where no other woman can make eyes at me?” Draco accused, sounding very amused.
“No, I wasn’t doing anything of the sort,” the witch stumbled in reply. Her eyes shifted to the menu as her face reddened.
“Oh, I’m not entirely against the idea, dear,” the blonde flirted, his finger brushing the back of her hand that clenched the menu between their faces. “I simply thought I’d be the one seducing …”
The menu dropped to the table, and Hermione stared at him in complete shock. And he was chuckling a little, which only made her less inclined to talk about that kind of thing with him. He was joking - his entire face certainly looked the part. And he would not have told her if he meant it. No, Malfoy was simply pulling her strings to get a reaction out of her.
-Silyara, Slytherin
Summary: Draco and Hermione worked together. Trouble ensues once he takes an interest.
Characters/Pairings: Draco Malfoy, Hermione Granger, eventual Draco/Hermione
Genre: Romance
Rating/Warnings: Overall PG-13
Word Count: 624
“Come off it, Granger,” an overconfident voice entered her isolated world of Finnish centaurs, annoyed Russian wizards, and wandering Swedish giants, “the Finnish centaurs can wait until Monday.”
“Just a few more minutes,” the woman snapped. Her mind pushed away the interruption, which belonged in the realm of ambient noise to be ignored. Only her name had garnished a moment’s thought. Centaurs, unlike giants, she underlined heavily and nearly broke the quill’s tip, are as sentient and intelligent as witches and wizards. As such, the treaty cannot be addressed under the same section of the statute. Her left hand mindlessly brushed hair off her face. After fifteen hours, what had been a tight bun slowly unraveled.
“Granger, you said that two hours ago,” the blasted voice retorted, “and the janitors threatened to lock us in here all weekend.” She ignored the comment; his voice was an annoying buzzing sound that refused to leave her alone. “Besides, the Ministry cannot afford to pay us this much overtime.”
Finishing the next sentence, the witch with purple bags under her eyes from lack of proper sleep finally glanced away from the page. Her concentration was shot anyway. “You could have just left without me,” she huffed as she straightened the stack of papers that constituted her commentary on the latest draft the Russian Ministry had sent over.
“And leave you slaving away all weekend? Even I am not so cruel,” the blonde replied, looking impeccable for the amount of work he pulled - the hair sat slightly disheveled, a few wisps brushing his face. The skin looked slightly agitated below his eyes, but Hermione had a feeling Malfoy had used something to hide the extent of his sleep deprivation.
Having worked with Draco Malfoy for two years in the Department of International Magical Cooperation, her best ‘yeah right’ came out only half-heartedly. He was quite observant and would bring coffee to anyone if the person dragged his feet in the morning or deliver lunch if anyone refused to leave her desk and take a break. That was usually Hermione, actually. It was a nice act, really, but she did not need babysitting - not from Malfoy.
“So what are you still doing here? I am going to leave.” Her eyes met his stony grey ones and gave a fearsome glare. Ron and Harry always cringed from it, but somehow Malfoy stayed unaffected.
“Due to your over-enthusiasm for international law, I have accidentally blown off my plans for the evening. So I think you owe me a drink,” the blonde drawled, as self-confident as ever.
“Owe you? The only thing I owe you, Draco Malfoy, is a draft of this international law bill about centaurs,” Hermione exploded, beginning to blow up from the pressure of having no release all week.
“And thirteen sickles from the bet whether or not you would finish it this week,” Draco recounted cheerfully, “which I feel like collecting in the form of a drink.” The witch had glowered away while neatly placing the last of her quills in its drawer, but when her head finally looked in his direction again, he held out her coat - and even gave a gentlemanly bow. In every situation, he acted the perfect gentleman because he was a Malfoy, and Malfoys were the epitome of etiquette.
Despite her wishes to the contrary, Malfoy was melting her anger instantaneously - something no one else had ever quite managed to do so often. “Oh, you’re on to something Malfoy,” Hermione grumbled, reluctant to let go, “dragging me away from work to alcohol of all things. I could accuse you of having some Slytherin plan up your sleeve.”
“Ah,” he chuckled, “but you’re a big brave Gryffindor, so you will rush right in anyway.”
Title: Cadence Chapter 2
Summary: Draco and Hermione worked together. Trouble ensues once he takes an interest.
Characters/Pairings: Draco Malfoy, Hermione Granger, eventual Draco/Hermione
Genre: Romance
Rating/Warnings: Overall PG-13
Word Count: 510
When the witch realized he was right, she begrudgingly gave in, “But I get to choose the bar, Malfoy.” Hermione did not want to sit at home alone to relax. Harry and Ginny were out because Friday became ‘their night’ to cope with busy schedules. Luna was off on another expedition. Neville didn’t live in London, and this week was ‘critical’ for his greenhouse. And Ron…they hadn’t hung out just the two of them since Hermione dumped him a few months before. Their relationship had been sweet while it lasted, but after a couple years Hermione could not stand his temperament - still the range of a teaspoon. Further, he was overprotective and jealous as a boyfriend; Ron was a great friend, but the bright witch came to realize, for her, he was nothing more.
“Fine then, my damsel in distress,” Malfoy replied with a smirk but continued before she could argue the point, “but I get to drive.”
“You drive?!” Hermione gasped, reacting out loud before she could even think about it. But the idea was…preposterous - a Malfoy that drove. If she even thought of one in a car, the car would be driven by some menial half-blood. “What?” she asked in a teasing tone, “Is your driver already off for the night?”
“I do not have a driver, Granger,” his voice sounded as if the fact was obvious - like that Malfoys having blonde hair, “unless I get plastered, but then it’s just a friend.”
“I am so not driving you home tonight,” Hermione declared. He could take care of his drunken arse without her help.
“Please, Granger,” Malfoy replied coolly, “I would not trust you behind the wheel.”
At that, the woman could not help but snort, “Malfoy, must I remind you that I am the Muggle-born and thus have more experience with cars?” She loved pointing out to the smarmy confident git that there were some advantages to being born amongst muggles.
“Trust me, Granger, I could not possibly forget that. Your occasional slips of common magical sense keep it fresh in my mind,” Malfoy countered as the two entered one of the lifts, “but your parents were dentists - not the sorts to own luxury vehicles - and mine cost a tad more than whatever pile of rubbish they drove you in to Platform 9¾.”
“Trust a Malfoy to buy the most expensive thing around even if there’s something half the cost that’s just as decent,” Hermione snorted, trying to bait him - her comment the equivalent of his. She had slowly - dragging her heels the entire time - come to accept his occasional remarks about muggles and muggle-borns. Half the time he only the joked, and the other half were attempts to get a rise out of her. The first was…begrudgingly acceptable, and Hermione refused to fall for the later.
But Malfoy only gave a polite smile before responding. “Of course, Granger. We do not want ‘decent.’ We want and deserve the best,” he explained as if the idea were beyond her comprehension, “So we refuse to settle for less.”
Title: Cadence Chapter 3
Summary: Draco and Hermione worked together. Trouble ensues once he takes an interest.
Characters/Pairings: Draco Malfoy, Hermione Granger, eventual Draco/Hermione
Genre: Romance
Rating/Warnings: Overall PG-13
Word Count: 572
As their feet left the atrium to exit the Ministry, Malfoy pointed out his sleek black car. In the dark, her eyes could not see the design for the maker, but Hermione did not need that to understand the quality of the vehicle before her. The car shown along the sleek lines that shaped it. The wheels were the very finest, and inside, she gasped when Malfoy opened the door for her: leather seats. Her hands ran along the seatback, and the exhausted witch closed her eyes. When they opened, Draco was sitting in the driver’s seat looking at her with a very amused smile on his face.
“Oh shut it, Malfoy,” Hermione huffed as she sat down and closed the door.
“So, my affectionate friend,” Draco joked as he turned the ignition, “where am I taking you?”
“The Bar in Soho,” Hermione replied, “and you’re paying. I don’t have the sort of money to pay for it …” She quietly eyed her clothing and his, glad that it was Muggle Friday at work - and that she knew Malfoy always made sure to have both types of money on him should an emergency arise. Of course, she would not warn Malfoy until it was too late to back out.
“Trust you to wriggle your way out of a bet,” Draco joked but waved a hand at her when she offered to pay for a drink. He teased her more as they drove, until he needed directions other than Soho. Hermione engaged the verbal sparring, and though she would never admit it, Draco’s skill - safely steering them away from a few drunken muggles - impressed her.
He only scowled when they entered The Bar, though an employee who saw them took it to mean the richly dressed young man was dissatisfied. Draco quickly took advantage of the young muggle, who wanted to impress someone who could walk in and be unimpressed, to get them one of the private seatings in a prison cell, which happened to be open at the moment. His years of society dining and the more recent political infighting to regain honor to the Malfoy name since the war easily came to play in their favor.
Once they were seated, his eyes glared at her intensely, “A place like this? Really, Granger.”
“Just relax,” she wrote him off with great effort at pretending to be nonchalant, “we have our own area anyway. If you just relax, you’ll forget about the other people.”
“Trying to seduce me? Whisk me off to a corner where no other woman can make eyes at me?” Draco accused, sounding very amused.
“No, I wasn’t doing anything of the sort,” the witch stumbled in reply. Her eyes shifted to the menu as her face reddened.
“Oh, I’m not entirely against the idea, dear,” the blonde flirted, his finger brushing the back of her hand that clenched the menu between their faces. “I simply thought I’d be the one seducing …”
The menu dropped to the table, and Hermione stared at him in complete shock. And he was chuckling a little, which only made her less inclined to talk about that kind of thing with him. He was joking - his entire face certainly looked the part. And he would not have told her if he meant it. No, Malfoy was simply pulling her strings to get a reaction out of her.
-Silyara, Slytherin