Dear Stranger

Chapter 7

Draco went into work on Thursday morning already impatient to get the day over with. He wanted it to be Sunday and it was shaping up to be the longest week of his life. If he received a letter from his stranger early enough in the day, he may find the time to go get some new clothes and take his mind off the fact that there were still two days between now and Sunday. He was a hallway away from his office when Harry popped up out of nowhere.

"Morning, Draco. Any news from your lady friend?"

"Is that the only reason you're friends with me, Potter? So you can stay updated on my love life?"

"I will admit I'm more than curious, but in complete honesty, I've never seen anything make Draco Malfoy quite as relatable. I've never seen you truly like a girl before, we all know Pansy was a sham, so it's refreshing to see you so flustered."

"Glad to hear it. But I've never liked a girl like this before because I've never met a girl as simply wonderful as she is. I think I might be going a bit mad but I don't really mind."

"You sound sort of like a giddy teenage girl. Like you've spent the past two days picking out an outfit and drawing up notecards of possible sentence starters." Harry said as he followed Draco into the clerk's office.

"Well not notecards, but I did realize yesterday that all I own is suits and I'd really like to wear something a little less formal and something that doesn't scream "All I do is work" quite as loudly as my wardrobe does."

"Fair point." Harry had perched himself on the same desk as the day before and took a bite out of an apple he had grabbed before leaving the house. "Just get a jumper and some jeans, girls like a man who looks comfortable and put together. At least that's what they tell me." Harry looked smug and Draco looked thoroughly unamused.

"Should I let Ginny know that you're taking fashion advice from other women?"

"Okay fine, Ginny's the only person who tells me what to wear." Harry answered grudgingly.

"Good to know, nonetheless." Draco started in on sorting out files.

"Well, I'll leave you to it. You've got a lot of work ahead of you." Harry said as he looked at the mile-high stacks of folders against the opposing wall before heading out the door.

♢♢♢

It was the first day at the shop without Hannah and Hermione was already feeling the loss heavily. The shop had only been open for two hours now but she realized that splitting the work between two people instead of three was a lot more work than she had originally thought. She needed to hire someone soon and the thought that a week was probably the minimum amount of time in which that could happen was killing her.

She made her way grudgingly through the day with Colin's much appreciated help and somehow made it home alive in the evening. Colin had promised to be on the lookout for promising new hirees throughout the week.

Hermione nearly collapsed in a heap of exhaustion the minute she entered her flat. She then realized she never got back to her stranger on his wardrobe dilemma. She had a new rush of energy and immediately made her way to her desk.

Dear Stranger,

I'm honored that you feel the need to come to me for wardrobe advice. Although I'm sure you're very capable of dressing to the nines on your own, I'm flattered nonetheless. I will say I do love jumpers, I love them on men but I love them just in general as well. They give a sense of comfort and they make a person look welcoming and kind. And since it is fall, I'd recommend a coat. A stylish one with lots of pockets to hold things in (but of course not too many as that would be ridiculous), I always thought that would be useful especially when I was little. I would recommend a hat unless you think hats are a bad idea, which they usually are. I think I'm more so considering the weather at this point as it's supposed to be rather cold on Sunday. I'd like to add that I am the worst when it comes to fashion. My friends have been telling me for years that I have no idea what I'm doing. I don't believe them of course but I thought you ought to know.