Pansy woke up to a very loud, very annoying, noise at her bedroom window. With a little investigating she discovered an owl, looking very suspiciously like Draco Malfoy's owl, waiting not-so-patiently for her. Performing a quick time spell Pansy discovered that it was 7 AM. That's right, seven IN THE MORNING.
"What in the bloody hell are you doing here right now?" she asked as she let him in. The owl stayed silent and merely held out his leg that had a note tied to it. Pansy untied the parchment and the owl flew off without waiting for a treat, obviously annoyed by the early hour as well.
Pansy,
I know it's early. I know and I'm so sorry. But normally I meet Hermione at this café in the morning at 7:30, and I can't today, I have a meeting that I just can't postpone. Please, Pansy, I know this is asking a lot, but please go meet her there. I've written the address on the back, it's in Muggle London.
Thanks Pans, I'm so sorry.
Drake
Pansy read it again to make sure she hadn't misread. 7:30? That's crazy. She looked wistfully back her bed, considering crawling back in, their friendship be damned. But Pansy knew she couldn't do that to Draco, not when he was crushing so hard on Granger. So Pansy threw out all thoughts of getting anymore sleep that morning and rushed to get ready.
Hermione Granger was sitting at a very inconspicuous table, obviously not visible to passing paparazzi. The only reason Pansy even looked that way was the bush of brown hair that caught her eye. Granger was looking around and checking one of those muggle time-keeping devices on her wrist, obviously wondering where Drake was.
"He's not coming," Pansy announced, sitting across from the brunette and grabbing from the giant mountain of breakfast treats that was now between them. Realizing the look of shock and disappointment on Granger's face, Pansy realized she might have been a bit dramatic.
"What I mean is, he got caught up in a meeting. Lucky for you, he sent me an owl at this unlawful hour to come meet you. Just a water please," she directed towards the waitress that had stopped next to their table.
Hermione's eyes opened wide for a moment before she relaxed her shoulders and slumped back in to her chair. "He's not coming?" She asked in a stupor.
"That's what I said, Granger. What's up with you?" Pansy was confused by how much this had thrown Granger for a loop. This was the brightest which of their age?
"Sorry, I guess, I've been so used to our breakfasts. He's been here every day for weeks. I guess- What I mean to say is... I just-" Hermione was interrupted by Pansy's sudden, and quite unladylike, guffawing.
"Well, golly, Granger. You're just as smitten, aren't you?" At this Hermione reddened and put her hands up in an adamant protest.
"Smitten? No, no. No, I mean, I guess it's just routine, you know? It's been the same every day so something different has just thrown me off. I can't be smitten, he's just a distraction and-" Hermione was rambling and her words were falling on deaf ears. Pansy had a devilish grin about her and merely smirked until Hermione fell silent. Honestly, she wasn't trying to torture the poor girl who was beginning to look more than just a little upset.
"Anyways, if you don't mind, I'll just sit with you this morning. I never get a proper breakfast anymore." Hermione nodded shyly, picking at the scone in front of her.
Slowly the awkward air fell, and the girls participated in generic small talk, avoiding any subject that would cause either one discomfort. While that turned out to be easier said than done, the women seemed to rather enjoy each other's company, and Pansy started to see why Draco had taken to the witch across the table. For the second time in so many weeks Hermione found herself surprised at her company, yet wasn't at all unhappy with it. Pansy wasn't as passive as Malfoy was, and in fact was very outspoken, which Hermione found refreshing and frankly rather amusing.
"So, what's up with you and Drake?" Pansy asked before chuckling when Hermione almost choked on her scone.
"What do you mean 'what's up'? We're merely acquaintances." Hermione did her best to appear nonchalant, but had a sneaking suspicion that she was failing miserably.
"Right, and Lord Voldemort is right behind me," Pansy rolled her eyes and couldn't keep the sarcasm out of her voice. "Anyways, whether he's man enough to say it, Drake definitely likes you. No, don't give me that look, why else would he buy you all this food every day? God, you two are both so ignorant about relationships." Pansy kept rambling on, clearly ignoring all the emotions that Hermione couldn't even bother to hide.
Hermione let the other woman keep up the rest of the conversation while she thought about everything Pansy just told her, and while she tried to pretend that she didn't care about the possibility that this little crush she'd been developing might be reciprocated. 'Malfoy is the one who was buying me breakfast?' When she bade farewell to Pansy, however, the raven-haired witch couldn't stop smiling because she knew of a witch and wizard who were so perfectly made for each other, and she was going to get them together if it was the last thing she ever did.
Pansy stayed behind after Hermione, still having quite a bit of time before she needed to be at work. She took this time to try to figure out how to push Drake and Granger together, but she also spent some time questioning her own love life. Pansy had been more or less single since her parents tried to set her up in an arranged marriage after she left Hogwarts. With most people not wanting to be associated with purebloods after the war except other purebloods, Pansy wasn't left with a lot of decent options. She figured love would come around eventually, but Pansy wasn't really one to wait around, she was more like a grab-fate-by-the-horns kind of gal.
"Miss?" A waitress jolted her out of her thoughts. "It's getting kind of busy in here, would you mind if we seated someone else at your table?" Pansy merely shook her head and then turned to face the street-viewing window, drifting off again into her musings.
There was a cough above her, interrupting her thoughts again. Irritated she looked up to see her waitress and none other than Ron Weasley.
"If you'll have a seat here sir I'll bring you your tea," the waitress motioned towards the empty seat and left the two in an awkward silence.
"Erm, uh, sorry. The waitress said it was busy today. D'you mind?" He gestured toward the seat with a shy smile. Pansy nodded and he sat down with not much grace.
Pansy took her time scrutinizing the wizard across from her. He was tall, taller than she remembered from school and he seemed to take up a lot of space. His hair was disheveled and his freckles threatened to take over his face. His muggle clothes weren't this season, but at least they matched. Finally after a long period of silence Pansy sighed, he'll do.
HermioneA knock on Hermione's office door jolted her out of her trance. She hadn't really been able to focus since her strange meeting with Pansy this morning, and jumped at this interruption.
"Hermione, we need to talk." Her supervisor, Healer Heath, walked in, looking more serious than she'd ever seen him.
"Sure, Heath, come in. Make yourself comfortable." She nervously tidied up the stacks of paper on her desk and brushed away at nonexistent dust while he settled himself into the chair across from her.
"It has come to our attention that you haven't been entirely truthful when logging your time here," he began. Hermione looked away, trying not to appear too guilty. "As a mid-level healer you should be working no more than 40 hours a week. However we have reason to believe that you've been working nearly twice that. Honestly, Granger, what has gotten in to you? Though you are an excellent healer you are not above the rules."
Hermione frantically reached for an explanation as to her obvious rule-breaking but couldn't come up with an acceptable excuse, so eventually she hung her head in defeat to await her punishment.
"I've talked with the council and they want to suspend you for two weeks. After that, you will return to servings 20 hour weeks like low-level healers until they approve otherwise." Heath said this all with a severe tone, but sympathy was clear on his face.
"But, sir, I'm in the middle of so many projects. And my interns, what will they do?" Hermione was feeling more and more alarmed as she realized the extent of her punishment. She was so close to breakthroughs in so many areas. Forget distractions this was a full out halt in her work.
"The council recognizes that this work you've been putting in has been for a good cause and they are figuring out how to best proceed with that information. For now, write up instructions for your interns and I'm sure with the help of other healers they'll be fine. And your projects will be here when you get back, Granger."
At this point Hermione was barely fighting back tears. After a moment Heath got up to place a consoling hand on her shoulder.
"We're not trying to be cruel Gran-... Hermione. This is a demanding job and we need our healers to be on top of their game and not strung out from working so much. This for your health as much as anything. Take this suspension as a vacation. And please just relax, Hermione." After a few more pats on her shoulder, Heath left Hermione to pack her things up.
She was utterly distraught and it took all of her will to not fall apart where everyone could still see her. Slowly she got up and grabbed her bag. Making sure no one was looking, she shoved some files into her purse and then walked out of the hospital with her head high.
Instead of heading home to wallow, Hermione decided to explore Diagon Alley. It was chilly as fall was slowly turning to winter, but at least it wasn't raining. Hermione stopped at a street corner, deciding whether to visit the book store or a pub for an early lunch one she heard her name screamed above the loud bustle of the crowd.
"Hermione Jean Granger you stay right there, young lady!" Hermione froze, then slowly turned around to face Molly Weasley. She broke out into a reluctant smile and hugged her second mother tightly.
"Molly, hello! It's been ages." Hermione said, hoping the older woman would ignore the fact that it was her own fault that it had been so long.
"Hermione, dear, I know it has, as you never return my owls. But never mind that, what are you doing here?" The woman still spoke quickly and with purpose and they chatted as they headed to the nearest pub to grab a drink.
The two sat down in a booth, safe from the cold, and chatted cheerily. "So, Hermione, what are your Thanksgiving plans?" Molly asked brightly, sipping from her butterbeer.
"Thanksgiving?" Hermione looked genuinely confused. "It's a little early for that isn't it?"
"Oh, heavens, dear no! It's in less than two weeks! The Thursday after next!" Molly chuckled at Hermione's distress. "I'll take that to mean that you don't have any plans? Lovely! You'll join us at the Burrow then!" Hermione gasped and started to protest but Molly Weasley merely stood up and talked over her. "That's great, dear, anyways I must be off, grocery shopping for dinner tonight and Arthur is expecting me home soon. Lovely to see you and dinner will begin promptly at 5 PM, see you then, dear. "And Mrs. Weasley was gone leaving Hermione out of breathe and completely at a loss for words.
Hermione's alarm clock went off, and she had to untangle herself from the covers to turn it off. She got out of bed, showered, and prepared for her day at work. It wasn't until she was already out the door when Hermione realized that she didn't have work. Not today, or tomorrow, or for two weeks. Sighing, she continued out the door, figuring she could at least have breakfast, and hoping that Malfoy wouldn't be a no-show again.
To her pleasure, Malfoy was already there, reading a newspaper and sipping on his cup of tea. She tried to hide her excitement as she made her way over, but try as she might she couldn't wipe the grin off of her face.
"Someone's cheery," Malfoy noted as she sat down. She merely blushed a grabbed a chocolate chip muffin. "Something to share?" he asked, folding his newspaper and setting it down. It took a moment for Hermione to recall the previous day, and her mood drooped, turning her grin into a frown. "What's wrong, He-… Granger?" He asked, suddenly serious.
Hermione did her best to not only ignore his almost slip, but to force herself to not cry. "I was suspended, from work. I uh, I worked too much." She looked down, and was startled as she watched his hand reach forward to grab hers. She closed her eyes when his thumb began to rub circles into her palm.
"Hermione, that's dreadful." This time she couldn't ignore him calling her by her first name, and she looked up to see him smiling sadly at her. "Is there anything I can do?" He asked softly, but she merely shrugged before pulling her hand away.
"How was your day yesterday?" She asked, trying to shake off the weird atmosphere that had settled around them.
"Busier than usual. I don't think I was off to bed until about two or three last night," Malfoy admitted. Suddenly he smiled, "if only you could come work for me, then I'd be far less swamped."
Malfoy chuckled at his own joke and turned his focus back to his newspaper and pastry. However Hermione pulled his attention back by letting out a girlish giggle.
"Why, Malfoy, you're a genius!" She declared. He looked at her strangely, wondering if this was the beginning stage of a mental breakdown.
"Wha-?" He asked, mouthful of scone.
"I'll come to work with you today!"