Don't Smile At Me

Chapter 3: The Gift

22 December

"Hey Tom, I heard your court case with that loony tree group is coming up," called a voice from across the ground floor of the building that housed Borgin and Burke Inc. Tom turned around and found Draco Malfoy approaching the coffee kiosk queue. He pursed his lips, but otherwise kept his face neutral.

"It is indeed."

"Are you worried? This group has been halting up the firm for nearly six months now. You wouldn't think a bunch of hippies could really stand in the way. My father said that you've been preparing for the worst, though." Malfoy had barely paused to breathe. He was one of their newest hires, owing greatly to the fact that his father was a senior partner to the firm.

Tom looked ahead at the line, mentally urging it to move faster. "Seeing as how I've never yet lost a case, I don't intend to start now. I certainly would not allow an insignificant and mediocre non-profit that calls itself spew and expects to be respected to best me." He glanced down at Malfoy, who was looking back with thinly veiled awe, hanging on to every word. Tom allowed a cruel smile to curl his lip as he continued, "I doubt that bunch of rag-tag tree-huggers could tear themselves away from counting squirrels or eating leaves to form a basic argument that would hold up in court." Except for that Granger.

"But father said that-"

"Tell your father that I more than have it under control. I'll take a coffee, black, with a shot of espresso," Tom had reached the front of the line, and pulled out his wallet to pay. He passed the barista a couple bills, collected his drink, then turned back to the blonde. "Lucius might be reminded of those pesky Beauxbatons cases, as well as that lawsuit against Dumbledore. I believe that paid for your last trip to France. Good day, Draco." With that, Tom turned and briskly walked away, glad to be rid of the younger dolt. He took a long sip of his drink, barely grimacing at the harsh flavor that flooded his taste buds. He had grown used to its bitterness over time; it was his go-to working-overtime drink, after all.

This court case had had him staying long after hours preparing and building a case; S.P.E.W was causing him more trouble than he cared to admit. While he belittled and insulted the non-profit every chance he could, they knew how to work the system. Every paper, form, and petition that had to be filled out, every bureaucratic hoop that had to be jumped and obstacle that had to be dealt with, was quickly and efficiently taken care of. Of course, now that he had met their fearless leader, it wasn't hard to see who the main driving force behind all of their organizational power was.

Hermione Granger. She both intrigued, irritated, and frustrated him all at once. Tom had done some research on her since realizing she was a force to be reckoned with. She had graduated top of her class from Hogwarts twelve years ago with a double major in Business and Environmental Science and a minor in law, and later received an MBA. From there, she was quickly snatched up by The Order of the Phoenix, a highly respected human rights organization. She headed a couple projects during her time there and even collected a few awards for her dedication and efforts in promoting migrant worker rights. Somewhere along the way, Granger had decided it was time for her to branch out and start her own company. Thus, S.P.E.W was born.

It was clear she possessed some intellect, unlike the vast majority of the population, but she was wasting her efforts on a cause that, ultimately, would be useless. Her uptight ideals and hardheadedness annoyed him to no end, especially knowing that her skills and determination could be put to much better use elsewhere. He had only been half joking when he'd teased her about finding her a job at Borgin and Burke's. Granger's tenacious attitude, array of experience, sharp wit and even sharper intellect would make her a great asset. It's a shame all of that is wasted.