What a Vacation Can Do

"You have got to be fucking kidding me!”

“Don’t raise your voice at me Draco Malfoy!” Pansy pushed her hair behind her ears and continued to write out everything that needed to be taken care of at her store while she was away on vacation.

“This is ridicules Pansy!” Draco continued to yell as he stared down at Pansy with shock. “How could you do this to me?”

Pansy sighed and looked up at him. “Draco… I need a vacation. I told you that the other day.”

“And what did I tell you?”

“You told me that most people who own a business don’t take vacations.”

“Exactly.” Draco said, looking like he had just won the argument and taking a seat at the chairs that faced Pansy’s desk.

Pansy smirked. “You also told me that I wasn’t a normal person.” Draco, who was studying his hands, looked up at Pansy and shook his head in disbelief. “I’m taking this vacation Draco.”

“This isn’t fair!” Draco was suddenly on his feet again. “You can’t just desert me like this for two weeks and leave me with just Granger!”

“I’m not leaving you with ‘just Granger’ Draco. You’ll have Amanda to help as well. And besides, I bet you guys will rarely see each other.”

“We’ll have to run your shop together, Pansy.” Draco rolled his eyes. “How will we rarely see each other?”

“I told Hermione that she-“

“Wait.” Draco interrupted Pansy and stared at her with his mouth open slightly. “Hermione? Did you really just call her Hermione?”

“Yes. I did. Is that a problem?”

“Oh my God, I can’t believe this is happening to me.” Draco said under his breath as he fell back into the chair with his hand pressed against his forehead.

“You know, Draco…,” Pansy started, picking her quill back up and continuing to write. “If you came after work to help with all my bills and the paper work, like you promised you would, I might have considered not sticking you with Hermione. But you never came and decided to break your promise.”

“So… that’s what this is then? Payback?” Draco said, taking his hands off his forehead and glaring up at Pansy. “Just because something came up in my job and I had to stay and work overtime, now I have to deal with Granger for two weeks.”

“Something always comes up.” Pansy said under her breath, rolling her eyes and continuing to write. “And that’s not the reason I decided to go. It was just a minor contributing factor.”

“Minor contributing factor my ass.” Draco snapped. “You did this on purpose.”

“I did not!” Pansy said back, shocked Draco would accuse her of such a thing.

Draco, on the other hand, ignored her and kept on going like she never spoke. “While you’re off having a blast on ‘the land down under’, I’ll be stuck here… in Hell, with Granger none the less. It’s ridicules!”

“Will you stop thinking of yourself for once in your life?!” Pansy snapped.

“Well that’s what you did when you decided to book this trip out of the blue.”

“I was not only thinking about myself.” Pansy sighed and put her quill down. “I was thinking about you as well when I made the decision to go on this vacation.”

Draco laughed and rolled his eyes. “Yeah, right. If you were thinking about me at all you would have remembered that I hate that busy haired beaver and forcing me to spend two weeks with her would be a bad idea.”

“Draco-“

“No, bad is an understatement. More like… awful idea. No, atrocious idea. Making me spent two weeks with Granger would be an atrocious idea!”

“It won’t be that bad. I promise.”

Draco laughed. “How do you know it won’t be bad? Did you suddenly become good at divination? Because if I remember correctly, you almost failed that subject in Hogwarts.”

“You know how you’re always saying that the war changed everybody?” Pansy asked, ignoring his comment about her almost failing a subject.

“Yeah…?” Draco said, not sure where she was going with this.

“Well… Granger’s no different.” Pansy sighed. “From what I could see, she’s really changed. I would even say she could pass for beautiful.”

Draco suddenly let out a little laugh. “Okay.” He rolled his eyes. “Are you telling me that bushy haired, buck tooth, goody two shoes Granger isn’t goody two shoes Granger anymore?”

“That’s exactly what I’m saying. She looks like a different person. And her appearance is one of the reasons I decided to do this.” Pansy looked at Draco seriously. “Maybe she’ll have some affect on you.”

“Are you saying that you did this to hook me up with Granger?”

“I’m saying that if anybody deserves somebody good… it’s you.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“It’s mean that those girls you hook up with every night aren’t exactly what I call ‘good material’.”

“I do not hook up with a girl every night.” Draco said defensively.

Pansy grinned at Draco. “Did you wake up in your bed or someone else’s this morning?”

“My bed.” Draco snapped.

“And was the space next to you empty?” Draco opened his mouth to argue, but closed it immediately and kept quiet. Pansy smirked back. “I rest my case. I can read you like a book Draco, and right now all I can read is ‘one night stand’.” Draco rolled his eyes and turned to glance around the room, ignoring Pansy’s gaze. “Hey….” Pansy called, suddenly sounding serious. “You went from being a two faced, snobby, selfish blonde to being a gentlemen, kind hearted, and amazing friend in just a few months.” Draco sighed and looked over at Pansy as she smiled back at him. “If anybody deserves a chance to prove themselves… it’s you.”

Draco watched as Pansy smiled at him and he couldn’t help but smile back. “What time are you leaving?”


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Hermione woke up the next morning with a smile on her face. She had had the best sleep in months and she had Pansy to thank for that.

The night before, her and Pansy met up and exchanged their house keys then said their goodbye’s for the next two weeks. With her bags already packed, Hermione quickly apparated to Pansy’s address and her mouth fell open in awe at the apartment. It was twice the size of hers and overlooked a small lake. Hermione stuck the key in the door and opened that to find that she immediately fell in the love with the home. The walls were painted bright, yet soothing, colors that made Hermione smile. Pictures covered the walls along with paintings and everywhere she looked, a flower was visible.

In the living room was a fireplace, and sitting opposite the fireplace was a huge bookshelf. The kitchen was stocked with every kind of food Hermione could dream of, and it was lined with huge bay windows that overlooked the beautiful lake. Sitting in-between the two windows was a sliding door that led out to the patio, complete with a table.

After stretching and showering, Hermione walked into the kitchen and made herself some scrambled eggs. Knowing that it was a nice day out, she carried her breakfast outside and ate her eggs under the warm sunlight as she watched the birds in the trees.

Once finished, she retreated back to her room where she changed into a pair of white skinny jeans, a short sleeved, v neck, yellow top that hugged her hips perfectly alongside her jeans, and a cute pair or black flats. She quickly tapped her wand to her hair, taking all the frizz away and then applied her makeup. She smiled at herself in the mirror, and when she was satisfied with her work, she grabbed her purse and her wand and quickly apparated to Diagon Alley.

She walked the streets, smiling at everybody considering she was in a particularly good mood, and checked her watch. Pansy had told her to go to her shop at around 11 and that her assistant manager would be there to meet her. It was almost quarter of eleven, so Hermione started making her way over.

Within a few minutes, the shop was visible and Hermione decided that she should just go in and maybe have a talk with Amanda and see if she needed help with anything. She pushed the door open and rounded the corner, heading for the front desk of the store. As she walked there, her attention was on all the new clothing that Pansy had put out before she left, and she didn’t look up until she was only several feet from the desk. And when she did look up… she regretted it that very second.

Standing behind the desk, a quill in his hand and a smile plastered on his face, was none other than Draco Malfoy.

She just stood there, staring at him, shock keeping her glued to the spot. She wanted to do something. She wanted to turn around and sprint out the door, but she couldn’t. Not only were her feet stopping her from moving, but at that very second, he had looked up and spotted her.

The smile he had plastered on his face disappeared slightly, but yet not all the way. He stared back at Hermione with what she could only describe as confusion and sudden interest. His eyes seemed to travel down her body and then back up again before settling back on her face where he just stared back into her chocolate brown eyes. “Hello Granger.” He finally said, the smile growing slightly. And that’s what got to Hermione more than anything else. He was smiling at her… not smirking. Hermione, who didn’t know what to say, just stared back at him, her mouth opening and closing every few seconds making her look like a fish out of water. “You okay Granger?” Draco repeated.

And then Hermione realized something else. Even though she was extremely surprised to see him here… he wasn’t surprised to see her. “You know, Malfoy, it’s weird. I’m… shocked to see you but you… you don’t seem shocked to see me standing here at all.”

Draco laughed slightly and rubbed the back of his neck nervously. “Pansy gave me a heads up.”

“Oh… did she now?” Hermione asked sarcastically. “Nice of her to give me one as well. What are you doing here anyway?” She had a hunch she knew already, but she was praying to God that she was wrong. Maybe he was just here shopping. Maybe what she saw him writing was a check, not paper work that had to do with Pansy’s shop.

“I guess you could say I work here.” He paused for a second, taking in Hermione’s reaction. “I’m her assistant manager.”

“You?” Hermione asked, letting out a nervous laugh. “You’re the ‘good friend’ who gave her all the money so she could start this business?”

Draco cleared his throat and then nodded. “Yeah… that’s me.”

Hermione stared back at him, not knowing what to say next. Just as Draco was about to open his mouth to say something, Hermione found that she could move her feet again. She quickly turned her back on Draco and walked right out of the store. When she was halfway down the street, she could hear Draco calling after her. She stopped and then sighed, turning around and facing him. “What Malfoy?”

“Where are you going?” He asked once he caught up with her, breathing heavily to catch her breath.

“Home.” Hermione said, turning back around and walking away again. She knew he was following her, but that didn’t stop her from picking up the pace.

“Home as in Pansy’s place?”

“No.” Hermione snapped. “Home as in Australia. I’m going to go home and when I get there I’ll just tell Pansy that there has been some mistake and that I cannot possibly run her shop for the next two weeks.

“But… I need your help running this place.” Draco said, pointing to the shop that they were quickly walking away from. “I mean… look at me. Does it look like I can run a clothing store?”

Hermione laughed. “No, but it sure as Hell looks like you can afford to pay somebody else to work for you for those two weeks.”

“Why would I do that when I can just have you help me run it?”

“Because I won’t be here to help you run it.”

“Why?”

Hermione suddenly stopped and turned to face Draco. She looked at him like he was retarded and he just smirked back. “Are you stupid… or just deaf?” She asked. “I just told you that I’m going home. Do I have to spell it out for you, Malfoy?”

“I meant why are you going home?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Hermione asked, crossing her arms over her chest. “I would rather face Bellatrix Lestrange again then spend two whole weeks with you.”

“Ouch Granger.” Draco said putting on a mock hurt face and placing his right hand over his heart. “That hurt.”

“Good.” Hermione snapped. “I’m going home.” She turned and started walking away again. “I’m not spending two weeks with you, and that’s final.”

“That’s the same thing I said.” Draco said under his breath as he watched Hermione walk away.

“What did you say?” Hermione asked, turning back around and facing Draco. She had only heart him murmur something under his breath, and knowing Draco Malfoy, it was probably something vulgar or something that went against her, and she was tired of it.

Draco smirked back at her.

He had to admit, Pansy was right. The war really had changed Granger and she looked like a completely different person. She had caught him off guard when she walked into the shop and Draco found himself suddenly physically attracted to Hermione. Who wouldn’t find her attractive in the clothes she was wearing? Draco would have to be crazy to just let her walk out on him like that. Sure, she was a muggleborn, one of Potter’s best friends, and one of the people he grew up hating, but that made it all that much more better. It would be a great accomplishment to say he had made it with Granger. He wasn’t about to let the opportunity slip right through his fingers.

As he looked back at her, a plan suddenly came to mind. Once a Slytherin… always a Slytherin. “I said that you were a chicken.”

Hermione looked back at him, her mouth open slightly. “I’m a what?” She asked, now approaching him slowly.

“A chicken.” Draco said with a smirk as he crossed his arms over his chest and watched Hermione walk towards him.

“I beg your pardon, but I am not a chicken. I am a Gryffindor.” She said proudly.

“I don’t know….” Draco shook his head. “Right now you’re acting like a Hufflepuff. A scared and shy Hufflepuff.”

“I’m not scared and I’m not shy. I’m brave… just like a Gryffindor should be.”

“If you were brave you wouldn’t be running away like a scared little Hufflepuff just because you have to spend two weeks with me.”

“I’m not scared of spending two weeks with you, Malfoy.” Hermione snapped.

“Then prove it.” Draco said with a smirk, watching as Hermione had an internal battle. “If you’re a great Gryffindor like you say you are… then stay here and help me run the shop for two weeks.” Hermione opened her mouth to argue back, but Draco cut her off. “Or go back home. Go run back off to Australia where you can be as far from me as possible… and only prove that the sorting hat should have placed you in Hufflepuff instead.”

“If you want proof that I should be in Gryffindor then-“

“Then I’ll be waiting for you to come help me finish finalizing some paper work for the new outfits Pansy put out before she left.” Draco smirked as he turned and started walking back to the shop. “See you inside, Granger.”

Hermione stood still, glaring into the back of his head as he walked back into Pansy’s shop and closed the door. She knew she was a Gryffindor and not a Hufflepuff, and she knew that he knew that as well. But she had beat him in everything so far and not going back inside and just dealing with him would feel like she would be giving up and admitting to defeat. There was no way in Hell that she was going to admit defeat to Draco Malfoy.

She was a Gryffindor. She could deal with Malfoy for two weeks… right?

She sighed and prayed that she actually could, because at that moment, her feet took step after step and she slowly walked back into The Purple Pansy.