"Hmmm. What do you have in mind my fair lady?"

Hermione blushed as Gustav placed his hands on her shoulder, eyes on her reflected through the mirror.

"I'm not sure. I don't really know." Hermione nervously bit her lip.

"Anything you want in particular?" Gustav asked kindly.

"Well I don't… you know what. I've been meaning for a change. Just cut it all off." 

Gustav raised an eyebrow. "All of it?" He asked as he gestured to her chin.

Hermione nodded.

"Oh hell no Granger. Over my dead body will you cut your hair." Draco said speaking up at last.

"Mind your own business Malfoy. It's my hair."

"And look how you've been treating it so far."

Hermione glared at him. He just returned it with an expression  that was just as stubborn as hers.

"Give her a trim. Three or four inches no more. Do you think layers would look good?" He asked looking at Gustav.

"Yes I think so." Gustav said scrutinizing her hair.

"Taper the front. It'll frame her face more. Add some low lights. She already has some natural highlights. Hmmm and give her the conditioning that my mother gets every time she comes here."

"Excuse me Malfoy."

"Yes Granger." Draco said impatiently like as if he was talking to a mere child.

"Don't take this the wrong way but are you um homosexual?"

Silence ensured as Draco stared at Hermione speechless while she gave an innocent look.

Gustav broke the silence by giving a good loud chuckle. "I do believe that I'm liking you more and more every minute Ms. Granger."

Draco was still scowling as Gustav ushered Hermione to the sinks and began to wash her hair. He sat down across the room on one of the couches and read through some papers that he needed to go through.

Hermione's eye were closed and she had to resist the urge to moan as Gustav rinsed her hair.

"Is the water too hot?"

"No it's perfect." Hermione sighed.

"So how long have you and Draco been dating?"

Hermione's eyes shot open. "What? No. We aren't dating where'd you get that idea?"

"You're kidding." Gustav said surprised. "You two just ooze sexual tension." Hermione's jaw dropped in shock. Before she could say anything though, Gustav spoke up again.

"You two bicker like an old couple. Much like my Grandpere and Grandmere when they are frustrated with each other."

"We do not!" Hermione exclaimed.

"Yes we do Granger. But what the hell are you talking about sexual tension Gustav." Draco said looking up briefly from his documents on the latest stats of the company.

"What you can't see it? It's thick enough to suffocate someone."

"Oh shut up Gusty." Draco said though Gustav grinned as Draco hadn't denied it.

"Draco Malfoy."

"Hermione Granger." Draco mimicked.

"We do not bicker like an old couple."

"Actually we do Granger. We always have. Even in Hogwarts though that time you punched me in third year was unnecessary."

"No it wasn't. I felt a lot better afterwards."

Draco stared at her. "So what was it, a form of anger management?"

"Yeah you could call it that." Hermione shrugged.

"You know violence in a woman isn't really appealing to any man."

"Why would I want to appeal to you? You were a spoiled little boy that had manners worse than a Fluffy."

"Who the hell is Fluffy?" Draco asked in disbelief.

"A three headed dog."

"You're comparing me to a three headed dog?" Draco asked rather dryly.

"Yep and to tell the truth I would have preferred Fluffy's company anytime over yours that day."

Draco muttered something under his breath but both Hermione and Gustav missed it.

"Did you really hit Draco while in school?" Gustav whispered.

"Yeah I punched him in the nose. Though I don't know if I broke anything." Hermione said thoughtfully. "Hey Malfoy. Did I break your nose that day?"

Draco grunted. "No just bruised my ego."

"Darn." Hermione sighed.

"Granger I will act like as if I didn't just hear that."

"You are just precious Hermione Granger." Gustav said laughing. "If I wasn't already madly in love with my wife. I would definitely be knocking on your door."

Hermione blushed again at the compliment. She couldn't help but sigh wistfully. All the best guys seemed to be taken or gay. "You're married?"

"Yes. Five years. Feels like ten but we still have our honeymoon days."

"That's so sweet." Hermione sighed. "I was supposed to be married in a couple of weeks."

Gustav raised his eyebrow. "Oh what happened?' He asked though he was looking at Draco who was looking up from his paper at the new turn of the conversation.

Hermione's eyes were still closed. "My fiancé, he cheated on me with Sadie Rayne." Hermione said smiling somewhat sadly.

"Sadie Rayne you mean…" He gave a look at Draco.

Draco nodded.

Gustav's eyes burned with fiery determination. "Why didn't the two of you say so sooner. Hermione Granger by the time you leave my salon, even Aphrodite will burn with envy at your beauty." He said smiling down at her before yelling, "Ladies!".

"We have an hour as the conditioning soaks." Gustav said. "Cheryl you take care of waxing the face. Andy do your magic on her skin. Use the best creams and lotions you've got to make her skin softer than a new born babe's. Then after I work the hair use the best makeup that we have. Lindsay, you do her nails. Pedicure, manicure, and the whole shebang."

Hermione was too shocked to say anything as the three people took her away.

As soon as they disappeared from the room Gustav whirled around and stared at Draco. "You have a lot of explaining to do."

Draco gulped.

!

"So wait let me just summarize what you said. You and Hermione went to school together as kids. Didn't get along right?"

"That's an understatement. She hated me and I was taught that she was the scum at the bottom of my feet."

"But you don't think that now right?" Gustav asked sharply.

"Of course not. But she's still as annoying as she was when we went to school together."

Gustav rolled his eyes.

"Hermione's been engaged to a loser named Ron Weasley until just two days ago and has basically loved the guy since she was fourteen."

Draco grunted. "Unfortunately. I don't know why. He was about as bright as the slugs he used to throw up."

Gustav looked at him questioningly.

"Another day." Draco waved it off.

"So Sadie cheated on you with Hermione's fiancé and vice versa?"

"Yes."

"So you basically barged suddenly back into her life. Demanded to give her a makeover and plan to date her as revenge."

"Well…"

"I can't decide if you are extremely retarded or are a guy in denial."

"In denial, what is that supposed to mean?"

"I mean that you're attracted to Hermione Granger and probably always have been."

"I am not attracted to Granger. Eww. You should've seen her this morning in that hideous get up. I had to force her into wearing that dress."

"How can you not be attracted to her. Bright blue eyes that shine in the sun-"

"They're a soft brown you daft idiot. And they don't shine that much."

Gustav grinned as Draco had fallen right into his trap.

"Now how would you know that they don't shine that much or even her eyecolor?"

Draco flushed as he too realized that he walked right into the trap. He cursed under his breath. So maybe he was attracted to Granger. Who cared, he was a warm blooded male and she was a female, it was just the hormones stirring.

"She's ready to get her hair done." Cheryl said knocking on the door.

"I'm coming. You are staying in here until I come and get you." Gustav said looking pointedly at Draco before walking out.

!

"Let me get a good look at you." Gustav said as he whirled her around so that he could see. He lightly took her chin and looked at all sides even tipping her head back. "Yes Cheryl you did a very good job. Not too thick or thin but managed to clear out much of the unwanted hairs. Now nails."

Hermione showed him her hands and toes. "Cheryl said it was called Tokyo Pearl."

"Black just didn't seem fitting." Cheryl explained. "So I'd thought that the pearlish white would. It's sophisticated looking which is what Hermione is. Who knows maybe we'll start a new trend. White as the new black."

"Very clever and I know what you mean. Well Cheryl tell Andy to be ready to do makeup in about half an hour or so."

Gustav once again took Hermione to the sink so that he could do a quick rinse. Her hair was much softer now and even shined a little more, all thanks to the conditioning. He took her back to the chair and proceeded to work his magic.

!

Draco had finished reading through his papers but Gustav still hadn't come back to retrieve him. He could of course sneak out but he didn't really see any point in that. Gustav would probably start yelling at him in some language he didn't even understand… and he actually wanted to be surprised when Gustav was finished with Granger.

Soon his thoughts began to wonder.

Throughout Hogwarts him and Granger had hated each other with a fiery passion. But he too grudgingly respected her. She was the brains behind the Trio and he would bet his inheritance that Potter would've been long dead if not for her. He still hadn't liked her though. She was a snotty know it all.

But it was the year that Hogwarts had let all of them come back to repeat their last year of school that had changed their relationship. He had only come back because his mother had insisted. At first it seemed dreadful as the only Slytherins that came back were him, Blaise, Daphne Greengrass, Theo, and two others that he hadn't even bothered knowing their names. But then the new Potion's professor had made him and Granger partners for the rest of the year. That first week had been disastrous. They had tried to act like as if the other didn't exist. Because they refused to communicate, some ingredients had been doubled. Thus it was doomed to be a catastrophe.

And boy did it. They probably held the Hogwarts history of the biggest and messiest explosion. Even worse than when Longbottom and Finnegan had been paired up. To say the least, they had recieved detention, two whole months of it, together. During that time a… truce had had been called. They soon became civil to each other and only got O's on their potions from then on.

They had developed something of a friendship or companionship. They could talk intelligently to each other and weren't ready to hex each other all the time.

It was also then that he began to see her differently. She would become prettier and prettier everyday and he did enjoy her company because he knew that whatever she told him was the truth and it was refreshing for him. He had even mused himself attracted to her and a little more. 

Then that one day Weasley and Potter had come to visit… it was at dinner when Weasley proposed to her.

Their relationship was strained because Weasley had "forbidden" her to hang out with him. Not that she had listened but still it had been hard on her so he did the only thing he could think of. He began to become distant. It had worked like a charm. She no longer sought him out or had fights with Weasley about him.

Now they were here. Weasley had broken her heart by cheating on her with his girlfriend. Him demanding to give her a makeover. Hell if they hadn't been partners for Potions that last year she probably never would've let him do this. She would've hexed him out of that office right away instead of letting him just waltz off but she must still apparently have lingering trust for him even from that time.

"Draco, you ready?" Gustav asked as he came back in.

"Sure." Draco said breezily.

Gustav then moved out the way.

Draco felt the breath get knocked out of him.

"Malfoy?" Hermione asked waiting for him to say something.

"You look… well you sure clean up good Granger."

"You can do so much better than that Draco." Gustav said impatiently. "She looks like a goddess."

"Fine Granger you're bloody gorgeous. A blind man wouldn't even be able to deny that."

"Oh Draco, you are such a moron." Gustav said sadly as he shook his head.

Hermione couldn't help but laugh.

"Charge it on the Malfoy account." Draco said as they left Gustav's office.

"What no! On the house." Gustav said.

"No I have money I'm not some kind of beggar here. I'll pay it was me…" Hermione tried to protest.

"No, I will not accept." Gustav said shaking his head at the two.

"Gustav." Draco said impatiently.

"Draco. No, I will not accept. It was my pleasure to turn you into a heavenly creature." He said turning to Hermione. She blushed at the compliment.

"No but Gustav." Hermione sighed.

"No buts. I will not accept. Just make sure to tell me your stinking ex-fiance's reaction when he sees you like this." Gustav said smiling fondly.

"Okay." Hermione resigned.

Draco frowned.

"Well you two had better be going. It is a Saturday morning and don't you have things to do?"

"Of course. We're going shopping." Draco said.

"Again!" Hermione groaned.

"Yes. We'll apar-"

"No, no, no, no, no. When one looks this good you do not apparate. You walk and let people stare in envy." Gustav said sternly.

Hermione made a horrified face.

"Oh yes, actually that's a brilliant idea Gustav. What about a carriage though, to take us to the Plaza?"

"Open carriage. I know one, let me ring him." Gustav said excited before he left them as he headed back into his office.

"Draco Malfoy, you're kidding right? I mean I really don't like people gawking at me."

"Why the bloody hell are you friends with Potter then?"

"That's different!"

"No it isn't." Draco said as he took out thirty galleons from his pouch and began to look for a good spot.

"What are you doing?"

"Trying to find a good place to put the tip so that he won't discover it until after we leave."

"Oh. Let me donate too."

Some time later after finding the perfect place for their tip, Gustav came back out  to them.  A minute later their carriage arrived.

"Do try to fall in love with each other." Gustav said as he closed the door on them.

"When he stops being a moron."

"When she stops being a know it all."

Gustav just laughed and waved as the carriage began to leave.

"Cheryl, remind me that if Sadie Rayne ever comes in demanding for me to do her hair, for me to  accidentally dye it green."

"Got it boss." 

"Hey boss, why is the vase full of galleons?" Andy asked as she came out carrying a beautifully sculpted vase that they normally bought new flowers for everyday, but hadn't gotten to yet. It was filled to the brim with Galleons.