And I love what you do, don't you know that you're toxic?
Draco couldn't help as his smile grew the closer he got to the office. He then stopped, rearranging his face into his usual scowl. It wouldn't do to walk in looking like the cat that fucking ate the canary after taking the day off. It would be the fastest way to get himself and Liv into trouble. He wasn't even sure if their excuses worked.
But then he thought back to yesterday.
Liv had gotten up early and sent off her owl to her assistant, telling her to send everything to her house at lunch as she was sick. He did the same - sending word to Blaise to let him know that he was recovering from a nasty explosion. He was sure that Blaise wouldn't believe him, but at least he wasn't aware that he and Liv were together.
At least he hoped so. It was reckless, he knew this. But he wouldn't take any of it back.
He then made them breakfast - as promised. After a quick session on the island - they really couldn't keep their hands off each other - they managed to shower (again, took longer than intended) and get over to Liv's place before a frazzled Alexa showed up with a pile of paperwork. Liv managed to look miserable enough to sell her story that she was sick and the assistant quickly left.
They spent the afternoon working in her library, stopping every so often to snog, make love or just talk about their lives whenever they got stuck. It was surprisingly productive, all things considered. While he wanted nothing more than to spend another night with her, Liv had sent him off, saying they definitely could not show up at the office at the same time together and they both needed sleep. It took a bit of coaxing on both their parts, but he had finally made it back to his house, falling asleep with a grin on his face.
And now he struggled to keep himself in check, knowing that in mere moments he would see her again. He felt his cock twitch slightly as his thoughts veered towards a particularly hot fantasy he had of taking Liv on his desk. Maybe that could finally become reality if they worked late and charmed the hell out of his office door.
But as soon as Draco stepped into the office, something felt distinctly off. He stopped and looked around, noticing that everyone was huddled together whispering as they looked towards Liv's office at the back, all wearing worried expressions. Draco followed their gazes, seeing a pale Liv sitting at her desk, staring forward, as White stood before her desk, the look on his face strained as his lips moved.
Draco's heart stopped as his stomach dropped. Fuck. Someone had found out.
Glancing around, he thanked Merlin that no one seemed to have noticed him walk in. He then made his way over to Blaise, who was standing just outside his office, his brow furrowed in worry as he watched the scene play out through the windows.
"What's going on?" Draco hissed as he neared him. Blaise glanced at him and then looked back at Liv's office.
"Dunno. They were already in there when I got here," he said, his voice lacking its usual mirth. "Good to see you're healed up from the explosion."
"Yea... spent the day at St. Mungo's," Draco lied. "Wasn't fun."
He couldn't help as his stomach twisted into knots. White was now clearly yelling at Liv as she shut her eyes, the strain clear on her face. Her eyes then flew open, blazing as she jumped to her feet and started yelling back, her hands cutting through the air as she gestured wildly.
"Whatever it is, she's giving as good as she gets," Blaise said in awe.
They continued to watch in silent horror before White turned towards the door. Draco quickly shoved Blaise into his office as everyone else scattered.
"I don't care. Pack your things and I want you out in half an hour!" White shouted after the door opened. Draco glanced out of Blaise's office, watching as he stormed out.
"Fuck," he muttered under his breath as he stepped out and looked towards Liv's office. She pressed her hand to her forehead, her eyes closed as tears streamed down her cheeks.
Not caring who saw, Draco ran across the room and into her office.
"Liv," he said softly.
She opened her eyes and looked at him, shaking her head.
"Not now, Draco," she said dully.
"But... what happened?" he asked. Rather than answer him, she picked up her wand and waved it, conjuring up several boxes. She then waved it again, and various items flew around the room and into them.
"I said not now," she said, this time a bit harshly. She looked over at him, her eyes still blazing. "Get out. We'll talk later."
He wanted to stay. To shout that he wasn't leaving until she told him what was wrong. To pull her into his arms and tell her that whatever it was, she would be okay. That he would help her get through this. That they could fix it together.
But then he remembered that no one could know about them. He had likely already stirred up rumours by running in here as he did.
"Fine," he said, turning and walking out. He glanced at Blaise, nodding towards his office. Without a word, the two of them walked in.
"What is going on?" Blaise asked.
"I don't know. She wouldn't say," Draco said, starting to pace.
Was this about him? But if it was, then why hadn't White reprimanded him as well? He knew that the director of HR had seen him. And surely it wasn't enough to warrant an immediate sacking.
"Is this because..." Draco looked up as Blaise's voice trailed off. Draco scowled. "I swear, I didn't say a word. Though, I mean, it was obvious to me - you two both taking the day off. But no one else seemed to notice."
"I don't know," Draco admitted, starting to pace again.
He shouldn't have taken the day off. Fuck, did everyone know?
"D'you hear?" a voice said. Both looked over, seeing a dumpy wizard in Draco's doorway, a grin on his fat face. He looked back towards Liv's office and then shuffled into the office. It was the git, Fox. A card-carrying member of the rather small "We Hate the Boss" club. "The witch's been sacked!" he said, sounding almost gleeful.
Draco clenched his fists, fighting off the desire to sock him. Blaise shot him a worried look.
"What do you mean?" Draco asked, his voice strained.
"Knew she was no good," Fox continued. "Just knew it. Bet she slept her way to the top."
"Out with it, Fox," Draco growled. Fox jumped slightly, his beady eyes widening.
"Word is, she got her hands on some illegal substance. For research, but who really knows. Knew it was strange that she took yesterday off so suddenly," he said. Draco's stomach sank again. Night Heather. She had been trying to get it for him.
This was his fault.
"And there're rumours that she was... getting around with someone in the department," Fox continued, practically giggling. "Figures she'd be a slag."
"What?" Draco asked, now seething. Fox really did need to get out of his office before he did something he'd regret. Fox chuckled.
"Well, they've got proof, from what I hear. Don't understand it. She's fit. Was with that famous quidditch player. Surely, she was getting enough with him," Fox said, not noticing Draco's demeanor.
"Get. The fuck. Out," Draco said, barely controlling the rage now coursing through him. Fox's eyes widened slightly.
"I thought you hated her just as much. More so," Fox said, starting to back away from him.
"You have no idea how fucking brilliant that witch is. Far more brilliant than you can ever dream of," Draco said, his eyes narrowing. "You're just a fat fuck who is never going to make anything of himself while she's going to change the world. Already has. Now get the fuck out of my office."
Fox gave him a weird look before turning and scurrying out. Draco sighed and ran his fingers through his hair as he began to pace.
"Way to keep that under wraps," Blaise said. "Now everyone'll know you're in love with her."
"This is my fault," Draco said, looking over at Blaise.
"What do you mean? Do you mean-"
"No, not about that. Well, there's... no, I mean.... I needed Night Heather for my research and she was trying to get it," Draco said. "She must have gone to the black market and now she's been sacked."
Blaise's eyes widened as he looked towards the door to Draco's office. Draco looked out just in time to see Liv stride by, her head held high, though her cheeks were still wet. He groaned in frustration as he walked over and kicked his desk.
Bellowing in pain, he slammed his hands down on the desktop.
"Whoa... calm down," Blaise said. "I'm sure beating the shit out of your desk isn't going to fix anything."
"This is fucking my fault," Draco said, ignoring the pain radiating up his leg and the stinging in his palms. "She got sacked because of me." He then turned around to face Blaise. "I have to... I need to fix this... somehow."
"Yea, but how?" Blaise asked. Draco looked towards his door.
"I need to talk to her," he said, already starting towards it.
"Draco, wait-"
"No, don't stop me, Blaise," he spat, continuing on.
He had to speak to her now.
Draco didn't even bother knocking, he walked straight into Liv's townhouse and stopped in the entryway.
"Liv!" he shouted.
"In here."
He quickly made his way up the stairs and then walked into the library, finding her seated behind her desk, a glass and bottle of firewhiskey in front of her. She looked over at him, her eyes rimmed in red.
"Merlin, Liv..." he murmured, walking over to her and wrapping his arms around her.
"Well, on the bright side, we don't have to worry about policy anymore," she said, pushing him away and then reaching for her glass. "Though a lot of good it'll do if they put me in Azkaban." She took a long drink. Draco couldn't help as pain coursed through his heart.
Just yesterday everything had seemed so perfect. And now it was all falling apart before him. She looked so incredibly broken.
"Fuck... this is... I'm so sorry," he said, staring down at her. She looked up at him, confusion in her eyes.
"Why are you sorry? It's not your fault," she said. She then laughed haggardly. "All that work... it's not going to mean shit once this gets out." She brought the glass to her lips again. "Dad's going to be heartbroken. But Lucinda... oh, she's going to love this. She always did like to call me a degenerate."
Draco felt his heart seize in pain.
"But... it is my fault. Fuck, this all because of me," he said. Liv frowned as she looked back up at him, slowly standing.
"What are you talking about?" she asked softly. She started backing away from him.
"I... fuck..."
Draco wasn't making any sense, but it was so hard to get the words out right now. But he needed to apologize. And then try to find a way to fix all of this. Maybe if he went back to White and confessed? He looked back at Liv, her expression now stricken as her face turned white.
"You mean... it was you?" she asked. Draco shook his head, not understanding what she was asking about. "You... you... fuck..."
She started laughing as she walked away from him, the look of shock melting into one of cold rage.
"All this time... I thought that... I really thought that you loved me," she said, starting to ramble.
"But I do," Draco said.
"And then you... you were just... waiting for the right moment to sink the fucking blade in my back," she said, now pacing. "Was Blaise in on it too?"
"I didn't - what are you talking about?" he asked, his heart seizing. What was going on? Did she find out about before? Liv stopped pacing as she whirled around to look at him, her eyes blazing in anger.
"You," she said, pointing at him. "They were right. Oliver was fucking right." She turned away, running her fingers through her hair. "All this fucking time..."
"What the hell are you talking about?!" Draco shouted. She wasn't making sense. Liv looked over at him.
"You just confessed! You were pretending to love me but all you were doing was putting together a plan to get me kicked out so you could take my job! Well I hope you're happy now, because it's finally fucking yours!" she shouted.
"Would you shut it and listen to me!" Draco yelled. Liv finally went silent. "I don't know what you're fucking talking about! I didn't tell HR anything! Was there a time when I wanted to kick you out of your position? Yes! Blaise was in on it too! But then... then I got to know you. And I couldn't... I couldn't go through with it. I did fall in love with you, Liv!"
"Oh, and I'm supposed to believe that?!" Liv shouted back at him. "Why did you run in here saying it was your fault?!"
"Because it's my fault you were trying to get Night Heather in the first place!" Draco shouted back. "If you had just... let me help you! I could have gotten it without getting caught!" Liv laughed harshly as she started pacing again, then took a drink.
"I don't believe a goddamn word you're saying," she said. "I don't even understand why you're here."
"I swear to Merlin, I didn't say or do anything!" Draco said. "You were with me all day yesterday! When could I have gone to HR?"
"I don't know! You're a fucking Slytherin!" she shouted. Draco winced, the old resentment starting to rear its ugly head inside him.
For a moment, he let it take over. The despair. For a moment, he was back to thinking that no one would ever believe that he had changed and it wasn't worth it to keep trying. But then he realized that he was standing in front of the woman he was desperately in love with. And he couldn't give up yet.
"I swear! I didn't tell anyone anything! I didn't do anything!" he shouted back, fighting against it though he was more confused than anything and not sure what she was talking about. Liv just stared at him.
"So, I'm supposed to believe that you didn't plant Night Heather in my office?!" she asked incredulously. "My dad was already working on getting some for me! Legally!"
"Yes! Because I didn't!" Draco said, his stomach turning in disgust. "Fuck! Who would do something like that?" Wait... someone had planted the Night Heather in her office? When? That's what this was about?
"Oh, I don't know. Someone who hates me and thinks I stole your job!" she shouted back. "Someone with enough pull that HR wouldn't even hear me out before tossing me out!"
Draco stormed up to her, grabbing her arms and shaking her.
"I fucking swear I didn't do it! WHY WON'T YOU BELIEVE ME?!" he yelled. For a moment, fear flickered in her eyes and Draco immediately let go of her, backing away, once again feeling disgusted with himself. She brought her hand up to her arm, massaging it lightly where he had gripped her.
"It wasn't me," he said, this time softly. He looked over at her, pleading with his eyes for her to believe him. "I swear... I would never do something like that. I would never betray you."
Liv looked away, closing her eyes as more tears poured out.
"Just... get out," she finally said, the defeat clear in her voice.
"Liv, I-"
"Get out, Draco. I just... I need to be alone right now," she whispered. "And apparently call a lawyer."
She finally looked over at him, her expression completely broken. In that moment, Draco felt as though he was breaking apart too.
"Okay," he replied softly.
He didn't want to leave her. He wanted to stay and try to convince her that he hadn't done this. But he knew right now that there was no point. She was convinced that he had turned on her and there was nothing he could say right now to change her mind. So he kept walking until he was out of her townhouse, not really caring where he was going.
There had to be some way to fix this.
He knew the only way she would believe him would be if he found out who had gotten her sacked and then got her job back. But he wasn't sure where to start. He then stopped, an idea coming into his head.
It was mad and it could cost him his job. But he would gladly give it up if it meant being with Liv.
With renewed energy, Draco started walking again, heading towards the Ministry.
He was going to find out who did this and make them pay. Make them regret ever crossing Draco Malfoy.
But first, he was going to get the woman he loved her job back and repair her reputation.