Chapter 16

The next morning as Hermione prepared for work her eyes kept veering to the computer sitting on the desk in her bedroom. Even though there was little information on the Web that benefited her work in the magical world, she liked to keep up with news around the globe. Wizarding newspapers rarely mentioned any word of what was happening elsewhere. The prevailing opinion seemed to be that if the Muggles were involved it didn't matter to wizardkind.

Between the fracas over the invitations, the party, and social rounds with Patricia, there hadn't been much time to see what else was going on. She was in a rush, but decided she could afford to take ten minutes.

Having decided that, she grabbed the laptop and turned it on. Within minutes she was wrapped up in the latest debates in Parliament, wars around the world, and more. She was about to shut it down when she noticed a teaser at the bottom of the news page she was reading.

Ranchers claim designer grains cause infertility in livestock.

A glance at the clock told her she didn't have time to read, but she wondered if it would have an impact on the problem in the magical world. She snatched a piece of paper and scrawled a hasty note for her supervisor, then sent it through the Floo to her boss. When that was done, she clicked on the link and became absorbed in the story as she followed link after link, did some Web searches and began sending out e-mails for more information. When she finally looked at the clock, she was two hours late for work. She wasn't done with this research. She needed more time.

Grateful she hadn't promised to be in soon, she returned to her computer and dug into the research again, jotting down addresses. There had to be some connection somewhere. She had every intention of getting to the bottom of things.

* * *

Blaise arrived at Hermione's office as they had agreed. He smiled at the receptionist in her department and passed on by without waiting to be announced. The woman blustered a protest, but he continued on through, paying her no mind.

Then he came to Hermione's office door and found it locked. He knocked on it, but heard nothing from inside. "Woman set up a silencing shield again," he muttered to himself, wondering how often she found that necessary. Surely after years of studying in a noisy common room at Hogwarts she had learned to tune out background noise. Then again, the two of them hadn't exactly been friends, and he only knew that he saw her in the library a lot. Who knew how much time she spent in the common room? Perhaps she preferred setting a silencing charm around her bed and studying there instead. She had been a pretty fair introvert, after all. He wondered what that meant for his future with her.

"I was trying to tell you," the receptionist interrupted, "that she isn't in this morning. She said she was pursuing some research. If you had listened to me, you would have known." The woman crossed her arms over her chest and huffed in annoyance.

He nodded distractedly. "Right, so where is she this morning?" He tried to be polite, but inside he was seething. Hermione knew he was coming to pick her up. Why hadn't she notified him of the change of plans?

"I'm not sure. And she didn't say when she would be back. Later today, but not for a while yet."

He swore and whirled back to the door. "Fine. That's just fine." He didn't like being stood up, especially without so much as a note from her. Who did she think she was, anyway? Just when he thought things were starting to improve.

* * *

Hermione's stomach began to growl, but she ignored it a little longer while she sent an email to a reporter who had covered the story. She could see that the seed's producer had done everything in their power to end all talk about effects of the grain on fertility. She understood why—it could ruin all of their work. The way they ran their monopoly once their grain had been purchased certainly spoke trouble to her. Who knew what the more far-reaching consequences might be.

When she finally finished the letter, she sat back and rubbed her stomach. She should have eaten more breakfast if she was already hungry. It was only—her eyes narrowed when she looked at the clock on the computer. Not believing so much time had passed, she turned and looked at the clock on wall and swore. It was after two. She was supposed to meet Blaise for lunch two hours ago. He was going to kill her.

She stood and stretched, then went to the bathroom to freshen up before she went to Blaise's house and hoped her research would appease him. What a way to ruin what was finally turning into a comfortable relationship.

***

After a couple of quick stops at the Ministry archives, and a library where Hermione might reasonably have been expected to be doing research, Blaise had given up and returned home. House elf meals would have to suffice, but if Hermione thought she would get away with this without some serious groveling, she would have to think again. Nobody stood up a Zabini.

When he heard a knock on his open door a couple of hours later, Blaise looked up to see Hermione standing in her old robes, holding a sheaf of papers and biting her bottom lip. When a streak of desire to take over worrying that lip filled him, he scowled and beat it back. Dang enchantments, anyway. Instead he tried to hold back all expression.

"Hermione. I wondered if something happened to you. I admit to being surprised that you weren't in the office when I came by earlier. You never mentioned any obscure research project." His eyes bored into hers and he saw her flinch slightly in response.

"I apologize, I've been absorbed by my research on our herd infertility. I didn't realize so much time had passed until a few minutes ago." She took a tentative step into the room and her tongue darted across her bottom lip, even as her eyes fell to his mouth.

His libido raced and he again cursed the enchantments. The date for last possible consummation was only a week away and every time he saw her he was more drawn to her. From the look in her eyes, she was feeling it every bit as strongly as he was. The question was whether getting a good snog out of the way would allow them to think more clearly, or simply make things worse. The enchantment was mandating much more than they were giving it—a fact that made him groan inwardly. Did she had any idea how inviting that mouth of hers was? Especially after she spent some time worrying her lips. Again, he ruthlessly squashed the urges inside him. All was not forgiven—not even close. He had every intention of making her pay for the humiliation.

"I'm glad to know that I fall in importance behind your work. It's good to be aware of these things before the marriage."

"It's not that you're less important. I just lost track of time. If I'd had any idea of the time—"

"What? You would have had the courtesy to let me know that you were going to skip our appointment? Would you have asked me to bring you something to eat while you worked so you wouldn't have to be disturbed? Where were you anyway? No one seemed to know when I went looking for you. Do you have any idea how much time I spent searching for you this morning?" It was really no more than fifteen minutes from the time he had left his office to pick her up, to the time he returned, fuming and ready to break something. Still, it wouldn't do to let her know if wasn't a complete waste of his time. He sensed guilt was a great way to assert his authority with her.

"I'm sorry about your lost time, really. I just got caught up. There's such a parallel between the issue these Muggles are having and our problem. There just has to be a connection."

"Muggles?" He said it as one would if offered a peanut butter and bologna sandwich—total disgust and incredulity in his voice. "What could they possibly have to do with this problem?"

Her eyes narrowed at him and her cheeks began to flame. His libido popped up a notch. She was like a siren when she was angry. He had to fist his hands on the desk to keep from reaching for her, even if she was too far away to touch.

"For your information, they do live on this planet with us. That means their actions impact us in various ways, even if you raging purebloods don't accept that."

"Your blood is every bit as pure as mine," he reminded her.

"Thank goodness that hasn't turned me into a bigoted fool." Her eyes flashed and she strode across the room. "You won't even consider that I might have found something worth looking in to because it came from Muggles. Not even if it might shed light on what is happening in your business. I never thought you were stupid before. I guess I was wrong. And just so you know—"

"First I want to know where you were all off this time. I did look all over for you. You weren't at the Ministry as far as I could tell. Where did you go, exactly?" The argument had gotten off course and he intended to bring it back around to the side where he was in the right.

"At home. On the computer."

"What's a computer?"

She rolled her eyes. "It's a Muggle communication and research device. Actually it's hard to explain, it serves lots of functions. It depends on what you want to do with it. I use it to do research about what's happening in the larger world, and keep in touch in with family."

He waved a hand. "You know what. I don't even want to know. But you need to understand that when you make a date with me, I expect you to follow through, and if you're not going to be there, I expect you to give me reasonable warning. I could have had a business lunch today, but I turned it down to spend time with you." It had only been a casual lunch opportunity with Draco, actually, but he wasn't about to admit that to her.

"I'm sorry. I didn't intend to miss lunch. This research is important to both of us. It's not like I was out wasting my time looking at designer robes or something!"

There was a female huff of disgust from the hallway and Blaise shook his head in irritation. His mother should have known better. "Those who listen at doors, mum."

There was another irritated huff, but before anything more could come from the hall, Hermione turned and pointed her wand at the door. It slammed shut and locked.

"This better be good." He held out a hand toward her. "I'm assuming those papers are somehow related to your research."

She nodded and crossed the room, handing them over. "I don't know if it's related, but I have to think there's a good chance there's a connection." Without being bidden, she took a chair across from his desk and waited quietly while he read.

His ire slipped away as he read. She didn't make a noise for the twenty minutes it took him to peruse her research. There were still more pages left when he set them on his desk, but he had the gist of it. His anger was mostly diffused. "It seems you had good reason to work through lunch. I would appreciate it if you would set an alarm charm when we have appointments in the future, so you can at least make me aware if you are unable to be there."

"I can do that. I really am sorry."

"Yes, yes. I get that. Where do you go from here?" He stood and walked around the desk. Now that the worst of his anger was burned away, he was ready to let his libido have a bit of control for a while. She still looked upset and somewhat red-faced. Her eyes snapped as he got closer and he thought he could sense the tension growing in her. He had to hold back a predatory smile as he drew nearer.

"I've already begun contacting the journalists and researchers in the Muggle world." She slid her chair back a few inches as he came to stand in front of her. Though her actions said she wanted her space, her eyes looked at him hungrily, her hand twitching. "We'll have to get a sample of the grains. Compare them to the ones Theo is feeding his herds, both those that are infertile and the ones that aren't . . . "

"You've always been so methodical," he said as he slid his hands under her elbows and pulled her up to stand in front of him. They were so close their knees practically knocked together. When she was steady on her feet, he slid one hand up to her face, smoothing fingertips over the silky skin under her ear. "I'm sure you'll come to the bottom of it in no time."

"I'll do my best." If she had intended to say more, he prevented it by pressing his lips gently to hers. He nipped and sucked and explored her mouth for a long while, reveling in the feel of her hair under and twined in his fingertips, the full length of her pressed against him, and the way she responded to his every advance.

Eventually he realized they were curled together in the chair she had been sitting in before, though he didn't remember sitting down. She was on his lap and his hands were learning the feel of her, smoothing along her arms, her ribs, sliding up to touch and test and squeeze.

Then with a deep surprised breath, she pulled away from him, sliding his hands from her breasts and back to her waist. "Hold on, slow down."

He growled low in his chest. "If we were going any slower we'd be moving backward." It nearly killed him to hold his hands low, not to squeeze and sooth and move back up to the soft mounds he had been investigating through her clothes. The fact that he hadn't removed her blouse should have been a point in his favor. Instead she acted as though he was being unreasonably forward.

She made a sound that resembled a laugh, but she was breathing heavy, her cheek pressed against his so he couldn't see her face. "It was only moments ago that you were yelling at me for forgetting our lunch and now you want to . . . right here in the office?" Her voice squeaked at the end.

He laughed this time, despite the tension still thrumming through his body. "You're such an innocent. I'm a guy—one who hasn't had any action in a year. Of course I want to be with you. Even without the damn compulsion dragging me to you every other minute I would want more with you, just because I can, which is more than I can say about any other woman right now."

This time she pushed away enough to climb out of his lap. "Lovely." I hardly know what to do with your complements turning my head like this. And that is why I keep stopping things between us." She brushed her hair back from her face with her hands and snatched at the sheaf of papers she had brought into the office.

The color in her cheeks only made him want her more, but he found himself amused anyway. "You do realize my birthday is only a week away? Soon you won't even want to push me away." There as something not entirely thrilling about that. He refused to consider that he actually wanted her to want to be with him. He'd never cared that much about a woman's feelings before. Why would he suddenly start now? She was admittedly much nicer in every way than he had ever expected, but he wasn't going to turn into a sap over her.

"Who says I don't want to now?" she muttered as she left the office, slamming the door behind her.

That brought a wide grin to his face. He enjoyed the thought for a long moment before getting up and returning to his work, much happier than he'd been an hour earlier.