What a Vacation Can Do

She pushed the door open and stepped inside the shop with her arms crossed over her chest. She walked over towards the front desk and noticed that Draco was standing in the same spot as before, still bent over and filling out more paper work. She stopped about ten feet from the desk and just stared at him. He quickly looked up at her, then turned back to what he was doing, a smirk now present on his face.
“What the hell are you smirking at Malfoy?” Hermione snapped.
Draco looked up and immediately forced the smirk off his face. “I’m not smirking, Granger.”
Hermione rolled her eyes and approached the desk. “Well you were.” When she reached the desk, she looked down to see the papers that Draco was signing and snatched them up to get a better look. “What is this you’re looking at anyway?” As she just started to read it, Draco snatched it right out of her hands. “Hey!”
“It’s none of your business that’s what it is.” He smirked at her as he placed the paper back on the table and reached for the quill.
Just as Draco dipped the quill into the ink, Hermione snatched the paper back again. “Actually, Malfoy, it is my business. Pansy asked me to help run her store and I believe that gives me the rights to see what you’re doing.”
“Do you?” Draco asked.
“Yes, as I matter of fact-“
Draco, fast as lightning, snatched the paper right out of her hands. “Well I don’t. And seeing as Pansy’s is gone and I’m the assistant manager, I think that gives me the rights to make all the decisions around here.”
“Yes, that’s good for you Malfoy, but…,” Hermione snatched the paper back from Draco just as fast. “Seeing as I’m taking over Pansy’s position, I think that gives me a higher authority then you do.”
Hermione didn’t even have the paper in her hands for ten seconds before Draco snatched it back. “Give me a break Granger.” Draco said with a laugh. “I can settle this the easy way.” Hermione went to reach for the paper again, but Draco put it behind his back and held his other hand out to stop Hermione from moving to reach it. “I gave Pansy the money to buy this shop, so I’m technically the shop owner. You may have Pansy’s job right now, but I’m her boss and that also makes me your boss. Therefore, I’ll take care of the paper work.”
Hermione scoffed and stomped her foot dramatically, only causing Draco’s smirk to grow. “Well… what the hell Malfoy!” Draco quickly rounded the counter and grabbed Hermione’s upper arm, pulling her towards the back of the store as she fought to get away from his grip. “Get your slimy hands off me, Malfoy!”
“Will you be quiet?” Draco snapped, his teeth clenched. “We have customers in the store and some of them have brought their children with them. I don’t think they appreciate the language you are choosing to use.”
They glared at each other for a few seconds, Draco’s hand still clasped around Hermione’s upper arm. “Get –your –hand- off –me -now.” Hermione said through her teeth. Draco finally released his grip on her. “If you didn’t want my help then why did you even bother asking me to come and help you?”
“I didn’t say I didn’t want your help, Granger.” Draco said seriously. “Let’s face it, I might be rich and own plenty of in style, popular, expensive clothing but…” Hermione rolled her eyes. “I’m no woman.”
“Are you sure about that?” Hermione asked under his breath. Draco pretended like he didn’t hear her.
“I can take care of the paper work, but the store needs a woman touch. I need you to be out there helping everybody, making sure they know what they’re buying, and making sure they’ll look good in everything they’re purchasing.” Hermione looked at Draco dumbfounded. “What?” He asked, not understanding the look Hermione was giving him.
“I’m a… newspaper reporter.” She said. “I don’t know anything about clothing!”
“You’re a woman.”
“So…?”
“It’s built into your blood just like Quidditch is built into a man’s.”
“Wow, Malfoy….” Hermione shook her head. “Can you get any more stereotypical?”
“Actually-“
“That was a rhetorical question!” Hermione snapped. “And just because I’m a woman doesn’t mean I automatically know things about clothing! I’m no fashion diva like Pansy. You can’t just expect me to take on her role!”
“Then why did you agree to switch places with her if you couldn’t take on her role?” Hermione opened her mouth to speak, but Draco kept going. “And I thought you were Hermione Granger? War hero, Gryffindor, goody goody two shoes, top of the class in… everything, and England’s brightest witch?”
“I am-“
“The only thing you weren’t good at was Quidditch.”
Draco stared at her, waiting for her response. “What’s your point?” She suddenly asked.
“You’re all these ‘great’ things yet you’re going to stand there and tell me that you can’t run a clothing shop just because you don’t know anything about clothing?”
“Well…, that’s different!”
Draco laughed. “When you wake up in the morning, what do put on the upper half of your body?” Hermione shook her head at Draco, giving him a ‘you have got to be kidding me’ look. “Answer the question, Granger.”
“A shirt, Malfoy. Are you being serious right now?”
“What do you put on the lower half of your body?”
“Pants or a skirt or something. But what does-“
“Then you know everything you need to know to run a clothing store.”
“But-“
“Come on. I’ll give you a tour of the store.” And with that, Draco disappeared behind a rack of clothing, leaving Hermione to run after him to catch up.
“I already got a tour of the store before Pansy left.” Hermione said as she followed Draco back towards the front of the store. “I don’t need another.”
Draco laughed. “You got a Pansy tour, not a Draco tour.” He said over his shoulder.
Hermione laughed and rolled her eyes. “I would rather get a tour from her then from you any day.”
Draco suddenly turned his head to look at Hermione and smirked. “Tell me Granger, have you finished writing your article about the shop yet.”
“Well… yeah.” Hermione said, confused on what this had to do with getting a tour. “I have it written I just have to double check my work and then send it into my boss.”
“You haven’t changed a bit.” He said in a whisper so Hermione couldn’t hear him.
“What?”
“Nothing.” He said quickly, stopping when they reached the front desk and turning to face Hermione. “Now, Pansy gave you a tour of the store already, but the difference is that she gave you the tourist tour.”
“The tourist tour?” Hermione asked with a smile, trying not to laugh.
“Yes.” Draco said seriously. “She gave you a tour and told you everything you would need to know to write a positive article about our store so our rating and our business would go up. I’m going to be showing you the employee tour; everything she did and didn’t show you.” Draco smirked at her. “And since you already finished your article, I don’t have to worry about you putting anything negative in it.”
Hermione rolled her eyes and exhaled a deep breath. “Whatever. Can we just get on with this please.”
Draco smirked and then led her towards the back of the store where he started his tour. He led Hermione around the store, showing and telling her everything she needed to know. Hermione nodded and asked every question she needed to ask, then after the tour was finished, Draco turned to Hermione with a smirk. “I hope you can handle this Granger.” He handed her a name tag as he spoke.
She snatched the name tag and glared back at Draco. “I can handle anything, Malfoy.” She retorted back with a roll of her eyes. She glanced down at her name tag. It was the shape of a purple pansy and her name was written across the center in teal. She put it on and then started walking the store, straightening it up and helping anybody who needed to be helped.
After what felt like hours, she checked her watched to see that it was almost one in the afternoon. Just as she was thinking that she should probably go and get something to eat, her stomach growled. She ran her hand over her stomach before deciding that she had done enough for today and would go and inform Draco that she was leaving.
She made her way up the spiral staircase and towards the backroom. When she arrived at the office, the door was closed. Hermione gave it a quick knock and, without waiting for an answer, opened it and walked inside. Malfoy was sitting at the desk, quill in his hand a letter in front of him. He gave Hermione a smirk as he looked up at her, then turned back to what he was doing. “Hello Granger.”
“I’m leaving for the day, Malfoy. I just wanted to let you know.”
“Leaving?” He asked, suddenly looking up and stopping what he was doing. “What do you mean ‘leaving’?”
Hermione paused before responding. “How can I possibly make this clearer?” She asked confused. “I’m leaving the store. As in I’m going to walk out the front door and I’ll-“
“I know what the hell leaving means, Granger.” Draco snapped. “I meant why. Why are you leaving?”
“Pansy told me I only-“
“Pansy smansy.” Draco said with a wave of his hand. “I still need your help.”
Hermione groaned. “With what? What the hell could you possibly want my help with now?”
“You don’t understand retail, do you Granger?” Draco asked, dropping the quill and crossing his arms over his chest. Hermione just stared at him, waiting for him to continue. “After five this place will be jam packed. Everybody will get off work and they’re all going to come and shop. I’m going to need your help until about seven.”
“Seven?” Hermione asked, looking at Draco like he was crazy. “You want me to stay here until seven?”
“Yes….”
“Pansy told me I only had to come for a couple hours a day, Malfoy. I’ve been here since eleven. You do the math and tell me how many hours that is.”
“Seven hours, Granger.” Draco said with a smirk.
“Exactly. Seven.” Hermione held up seven fingers and Draco just rolled his eyes at her. “A couple would be like two or three, maybe four but that’s pushing it. But seven…?”
“Well if you’re too scared of some extra labor….”
“Oh, no you don’t!” Hermione said pointing her finger at him. “I refuse to let you manipulate and trick me into staying here longer.”
Draco exhaled a deep breath and stood up, suddenly serious. “Okay, Granger. You’re right. I’m sorry.” Hermione lowered her finger slowly and stared back at him, complete shock hitting her. “I’m not going to manipulate you anymore, but can you just please stay for tonight? I have so much more paper work to do and I’ll need you out there helping Amanda.”
Hermione groaned and looked up at Malfoy. He had a look of complete seriousness on his face and for the first time ever, he was talking nicely to her. Hermione told herself it was probably just a trap to get her to say longer, but the thing was that he really did look desperate. Pansy had left him all by himself to run this store, and she agreed to help. It would be wrong to back out and cruel as well. And besides, maybe if she was nice to Draco now, he would continue to be nice to her.
She sighed. “Alright.” Draco’s eyes brightened and he gave her a small smile.
“Excellent.” He said, sitting back down and grabbing the quill.
“But I’m going to get lunch.”
Draco stopped what he was doing and looked back up at Hermione as she was getting ready to turn and walk out of the office. “You know Granger, lunch sounds good.”
Hermione turned around slowly to see that Draco was standing up again and straightening up the desk quickly. “What are you doing?” She asked as she watched him.
“Cleaning the desk quickly before I join you for lunch.” Draco said like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
Hermione let out a little laugh before shaking her head. “I said I was going to get lunch, Malfoy. Not us. Just me.”
Draco had finished straightening up the desk and quickly put her robe over his shirt before turning to Hermione. “I know. And I said I was going to join you. Is that a problem?”
“Well… yes.” Hermione answered honestly. “I mean, I already have to spend seven hours with you. I would at least like an hour to get away from you.”
“Ouch.” Draco shook his head and buttoned up his cloak. “You know, that just gives us all the more reason to have lunch together.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” And with that, Hermione turned on the spot and headed back downstairs.
Draco, however, was on her tail. “We have to spend the next nine days together, right?” Hermione rolled her eyes and kept walking. She made her way down the stairs and grabbed her purse from behind the desk and continued to walk towards the door. “Do you really want those nine days to be this miserable, Granger?”
“If I knew they would have been this miserable, I never would have agreed to them.” Hermione said as she pushed the front door open and walked out into the streets of Diagon Alley.
“But you did.” Draco said, walking quickly so he was now walking side by side to Hermione.
Hermione suddenly stopped and turned to look at Draco. “So what?”
“Come on, Granger.” Draco said kindly. “I don’t want these nine days to be completely miserable and have us at each other’s throats, and I don’t think you want to either.” Hermione bit her lip and turned her head away from Draco. “Just give me a chance to show you that me and you can get along if we try.” Hermione looked back at Draco and exhaled a deep breath. “I’m not that same little boy I was back in Hogwarts. I promise you I changed.”
Hermione threw her head back and with a groan, continued on walking. As she did, she yelled back to Malfoy. “If you want to come you better hurry, because I’m not going to wait for you.” She continued walking and listened as he started walking quickly and was soon right at her side again as they made their way towards The Leaky Cauldron.
Hermione couldn’t believe herself for giving in so easily and hoped that she knew what she was getting herself into.
Draco, on the other hand, couldn’t be happier. He knew exactly what he was doing, and so far… everything was going smoothly.