The Right Thing To Do

Chapter 26

"I thought it best to get a jump on this, Granger." She looked up at him and his face was playfully serious. "Before the inevitable happens." His lips twitched.

Hermione felt her jaw drop and a blush spreading, but she couldn't help the way her mouth wanted to smile. He was the most obnoxious cad she'd ever known!

She cleared her throat and turned her expression as earnest as possible.

"Oh, Blaise, darling," she began, "you know how sticky this Love Contract is. It would never work between us, love." She bit back her grin as she took more books to the shelves.

"Ah, but I do believe you're forgetting something, darling," Blaise said. Hermione turned to him after she'd placed the first book. He sat on the edge of her desk. "We're on the same tier. You're not over me and I'm not over you – though I am open to both ways, I'll have you know –" His eyes sparkled and she looked down, twisting her lips to keep from grinning at his ridiculousness. "Senior Consultants dating Senior Consultants is really not as frowned upon."

She looked up at him. He sat so comfortably on her desk, smirking at her. He was joking, yes? He was... riling her up. She shook her head at him and walked back for more books.

"Unfortunately, Blaise, I already have one of these in place with Mockridge. We've been doing it like Flobberworms for months now."

She looked at him innocently, infusing regret into her stare. She watched his eye twitch as the image of eighty-year-old Cuthbert Mockridge came to mind.

"Oh, what a pity." He said, grinning.

"Hmm." She nodded.

His eyes glinted at her and she thought of how dangerous he would be to the young witches in the cubicles, like Melody.

A knock on her doorframe. "Granger?" And she turned to see Draco look up from a paper he was holding. Merlin, he was handsome today, dressed and pressed for his first day.

She watched as his eyes flickered between Blaise, still sitting comfortably on her desk, and herself.

He continued, "Quentin Margolis wants to schedule a meeting with us next week. I'll make myself available whenever, so please respond and let me know." He handed her the letter he was holding, and she skimmed it. There was silence. She looked up and Draco was frowning at Blaise. Blaise was grinning back at him.

"Blaise, are you prepared for your meeting with Dogberd this afternoon?"

"Yes, sir." Blaise's eyes danced.

"Brilliant. Gather your notes and I'll meet you in my office in five minutes."

Blaise brought his hand to his heart. "Mr. Malfoy, you don't trust me?"

Draco leveled his eyes on him. "No."

Blaise chuckled, jumped off of her desk and left with a "See you soon, Granger."

Draco watched him leave the room.

"Who's Dogberd?" she asked as she grabbed up more books.

"He's in charge of the Chudley Canons." Draco turned back to her, watching her. "Blaise is bidding for us to work their Marketing and P.R."

"Oh." She looked up at him. "That's a pretty big deal, isn't it?" She took the books to her shelves. She gestured out the door, to where Blaise just exited. "Is he any good? Does he have any idea what he's doing?"

"Unfortunately, he's the best."

She looked over her shoulder at him, and he smiled, shaking his head.