The Feral Ferret
If there was anything that Draco had severely underrated in his youth, it was the value of being dependable. His father had always instilled in him the advantages of power and connection, but not once in his life had Lucius Malfoy explained that other people's dependence was a power in itself. That was a lesson Draco had to learn on his own, through years of hard work starting in the very dregs of the Ministry of Magic.
His mother, rest her soul, had taught him some far more valuable skills - a somewhat surprising feat for a woman whose primary ambition in life was to instill jealousy in others. The art of delegation, for one thing, was nothing to be sneered at, and Narcissa had been a master at coordinating people and meeting deadlines.
Draco had worked hard since the war - hard to establish a place for himself in society, to restore a sliver of the respect his family had commanded before Lucius Malfoy had gambled it all away on a poor bet. Draco would never forgive his father for doing such a thing, for forcing Draco to be the first in a long line of Malfoys to do the unthinkable: to work (though he supposed he owed his father some kind of thanks, for if Lucius Malfoy hadn't been such a wreck of a man, Draco would never have worked half so hard to win over his wife). But at last, on an unassuming Wednesday, Narcissa's unwitting guidance and all of that gruelling work had finally come to fruition.
This afternoon Draco had been accepted into the position that had been his goal for the past five years - the one, Draco had concluded, that was the most befitting of his station, the one that he had been bred for his entire life - and he was endlessly proud of the achievement. As Chief Advisor to the Minister for Magic, he had finally arrived as a pillar in the foundation of the Ministry of Magic itself, and it was a position that Lucius Malfoy himself had never even dreamt of attaining.
With a gleeful smirk, Draco apparated home to Malfoy Manor, excited to share the news with his wife. The mansion's heavy oak doors fell shut behind him as he entered his ancestral home, and she must have been nearby because the sound alerted her to his arrival immediately.
"Draco? I'm in the south sitting room!" Ginny called, and he winced as her voice echoed about the halls of the manor. His mother would be turning in her grave if she'd heard someone raise their voice in the manor like that - but then, he'd developed a very healthy appreciation for Ginny's behaviour in the time they'd been together. He'd eventually grown to love her little quirks - though when he'd expressed as much to her she'd always insisted he shouldn't call them 'quirks' if they were things that all normal people did.
"I've had quite an exciting day," Draco said once he was close enough to the sitting room entrance that he could see her slim figure sitting cross legged in the middle of the room. She glanced at him over her shoulder, and the thick rope of hair she'd piled atop her head swayed enticingly.
"Me too!" Ginny replied, tone excited, and Draco's elation at his own news deflated just a touch. He frowned when she turned away and returned her focus to the task in front of her.
"What," Draco asked slowly, his finger hooked over the knot of his tie, which he had been in the process of loosening. "Is that?"
"This is Scorpius," Ginny replied, as she dangled a piece of ribbon in the air while a patchy, brown bit of fluff writhed in her lap. Her eyes tracked the slinky little thing as it darted about, an amused smile on her face. "I found him hiding under the bleachers at the quidditch pitch."
Draco scowled at the dirty animal. "That doesn't answer my question, Ginevra."
"He is clearly a ferret, Draco," Ginny replied patiently as the thing flopped down onto the floor and she reached down to rub it's scab-covered belly. "I thought you were familiar with the species."
"Don't touch it!" Draco cried, then paused. "Scorpius?"
Ginny rolled her eyes, mostly ignoring him. "You always said it would be a fitting name for your first son."
He scoffed. "Yes, my first son. Perhaps you haven't noticed, Ginny, but that thing is not a human child. How do you even know it's a boy?"
"Look at him," Ginny said, laughing when the vermin poked out its tongue and licked her fingers, Draco hovering behind her all the while in case it decided to sink its teeth into her. "Of course he's a boy. He knows a pretty girl when he sees one."
While Draco knew a woman or two who could testify that the ability to recognise beauty wasn't a prerequisite for being male, he couldn't deny that his wife was uncommonly pretty. "You aren't keeping it."
"Why not?"
"Ferrets aren't domesticated," he said, as though there was no further argument.
Ginny hitched a brow. "You have a pet peacock roaming the grounds."
"Pavo has been here for years…" He trailed off at Ginny's deadpan look, then sighed. "At least take it somewhere to check it isn't diseased," Draco said, knowing full well he had no further argument.
Ginny scowled at him, as though the thought of a wild animal being diseased was an outlandish insult. "They can probably heal up those sores as well," he allowed.
"Well… he didn't seem particularly interested in eating when I tried to feed him earlier." Ginny tapped her chin thoughtfully. "I think Muggles have special hospitals for creatures. I'll take him there."
Draco nearly had a panic attack at the thought of a location designed specifically to house vermin and the like. Ginny didn't seem particularly phased, though she was gleeful when he insisted on accompanying her to the twenty-four-hour clinic Hermione managed to locate for them hours later.
And that was how, on one of the happiest days of Draco's life, he wound up spending six hours in a sterile box, squinting under harsh lighting and unable to get comfortable enough in his hard, plastic chair to at least pass the time dozing.
Ginny, who knew full well that Draco had had as full a day at work as she had, looked sheepish. "You know, I don't mind if you want to go home."
Draco lifted his head to peer at her where she sat on the floor, stroking the animal as it slept curled up in her lap. Draco couldn't help his jolt of jealousy at the sight - though whether he was jealous over the attention or the fact the thing had a warm, soft place to sleep, he was too exhausted to be sure. "I've stayed this long," Draco replied with a shrug, not wanting to bow out this late in the game (not to mention that this would be a lovely event to remind her of the next time she called him selfish for polishing off the last of their chocolate frog stash).
She smiled up at him, the honest smile he loved because she showed too much tooth and her eyes crinkled too much for it to be fake, and he smirked to himself as he shut his eyes and leant back in his chair again. Not for the first time, he thought that he would do just about anything, if only to have Ginny smile at him like that.
"Scorpius Malfoy?" a voice called, and Ginny carefully cradled the ferret in her arms before leaping up from the floor. Draco took his time getting to his feet, trying not to scowl at the name that had just been called.
Draco quirked a brow at the woman before them. Her hair was pulled back in a professional-looking bun, but it was unsettlingly contradictory when it was paired with the unflattering pink shirt and pants that must have been a uniform of some kind.
"I'm Doctor Beth," the woman said with a warm smile, and Draco and Ginny exchanged a bewildered look. I thought doctors were Muggle Healers, Draco wondered, suddenly concerned whether the woman would be able to adequately treat the animal.
Instead of questioning her and advertising to the waiting room that he and Ginny were not average Muggles, they followed her through a large doorway where Doctor Beth motioned to place the patient on a long metal table.
"Where did you pick up this little guy?" Healer Beth asked conversationally, as she went about examining the thing.
"I found him at quidd- I mean, at… football practice," Ginny corrected herself.
"What position do you play?"
"Uhhh… I play… I mean, I actually coach the team…"
Draco pinched his nose as Ginny fumbled through some small talk on a sport she clearly knew very little about, beyond the fact only one ball was involved. Luckily for Ginny, the Healer's examination didn't take too long, so the conversation came to a quick conclusion.
"Well, it looks like Scorpius is perfectly healthy, though he is showing some flu-like symptoms. I would highly recommend, however, that as this ferret was taken from the wild that he be returned to where you found him."
Draco smirked, elated at the healer's advice, but one look at Ginny told him that she wasn't nearly so happy at leaving the thing alone. He thought, momentarily, about encouraging her in letting the little beast return from wherever it came from - but immediately decided against it. Ginny would make up her own mind and agree with the Healer's advice.
"Well, just in case his flu gets worse, it might be better if we could keep an eye on him for a couple of days. Just in case he needs some treatment."
"Very well," Doctor Beth agreed with Ginny, and before Draco realized what was happening, a piece of paper was crumpled in his hand and he was following Ginny out the door.
"Mum's going to take good care of you, little Scorpius," Ginny said to the scaly rodent as she cradled it in her arms.
The tiny bundle blinked up at him with big, round eyes. Draco scowled back.
XXXXX
Hours later, Draco woke to an empty bed, and he frowned blearily at the ceiling. There was a lot of splashing and giggling coming from his ensuite, and Draco almost wished that his wife was entertaining another man in there - at least, then, he wouldn't look like such a twat for being so annoyed at her.
A minute later, the door cracked open, and a tiny white streak darted out of the loo, scaled the bedpost and somehow managed to end up in a cold, wet puddle on his lap.
Ginny scurried out of the room a moment after, a towel clutched futilely in her hands, and the very tips of her hair dripping with water where the flea-ridden weasel had clearly splashed her. She looked as vibrant and lovely as she always did. "Sorry! I didn't mean to wake you."
Draco managed a grunt as he pushed the damp animal off his legs and got out of bed - then did a double take at the snow white creature dancing around his legs. "Wasn't he brown yesterday?"
"He was a very dirty boy," Ginny answered as she approached him, and Draco tried not to wretch.
"That's disgusting."
"Animals get dirty, Draco." Ginny hunched down next to him, preparing to wrap the creature in her towel again. "But he's all clean now - gotcha!"
Having successfully trapped the animal, she cradled him in her arms and began giving him a vigorous rub. Draco thought he might even have heard the thing purring.
"See?" she asked him once she was satisfied he was dry, giving his soft white fur a short stroke after she deposited the on the floor again. "Now he looks like a real Malfoy."
Draco rolled his eyes, instead saying nothing and stalking into the ensuite to complete his morning ablutions.
"I thought I'd take training off today," she called from the next room, conversationally, and with a tortured sigh Draco ripped open the door again.
"Ginny, it's the grand final in two days. You can't afford to miss training."
Ginny pouted up at him. "But I can't leave him alone all day. What if he gets a fever?" she asked, then paused, clearly targeting his weak points. "What if he chews on the antiques?"
"I can work from home this morning," Draco said as he pinched the bridge of his nose, wondering if he'd gone insane.
"Really?" She blinked at him, as though surprised he'd actually agreed.
"Really," he told her, and when she smiled brightly at him, he wondered how long it would be before she asked him to cast an Unforgivable on someone - and he'd probably do it too, if she batted her eyelashes hard enough.
"Thank you!" she cried, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I've fed and bathed him already, but you may need to take him outside some time today so he can do his business."
Shortly thereafter, Ginny left for training, and Draco found himself hunkered down in the south sitting room with stacks of documents in front of him requiring review and authorization. The ferret tumbled around at his feet, amusing itself, though it wasn't long before he felt its little claws cutting through his trousers.
"Do you mind?" he asked it, shaking his leg to throw it off, but it merely flopped to the ground momentarily before reassuming its position.
Draco scowled at the festering pest as it clung to his leg. Sighing, he picked it up by the scruff of its neck and deposited it on the settee next to him. "Fine, you can come up - but I swear to Merlin if you even think about defecating, you will become my new favourite throw cushion." Draco paused, looking at the way the texture of its fur clashed with the already busy fabric of the chair. "Or perhaps a rug."
He assumed the beast agreed to his term, because the animal cuddled up against Draco's thigh and shut its eyes.
Draco rolled his eyes as he leant over to pick up the next document for review - though he quickly had to stifle a yawn. It had been a very long night, and frankly the beast had the right idea. With a sly look at the clock on the fireplace mantle, Draco decided that the world wouldn't come to an end if he took a very small nap, so he slouched down and allowed himself a few more minutes of shut eye.
XXXXX
Later, Draco was jolted awake by a bright flash.
"Good morning, sleepy head," Ginny told him with a laugh. Draco opened his eyes to see her standing in front of him, training robes dusty and a smudge of dirt across her nose, and a camera in hand. "You two just looked so sweet, I couldn't resist."
Draco frowned, glancing down to see the ferret draped over his shoulders - blending into his loose hair nearly perfectly, if it wasn't for the two beady little eyes gazing up at him.
Deciding he was too tired to protest, or argue, or even move, he simply let his head fall back and stared at the ceiling.
Ginny crawled into his lap - and, again, Draco was too exhausted to whine about the dirt - pecking a kiss against his lips. "Thank you for this morning."
Draco let his hands rest under the round curve of her arse - which definitely did wonders for reinvigorating him. "You do realise that you're now indebted to me."
"Oh, no," she lamented sarcastically. "However shall I repay you?"
"I could think of a thing or two," he said, giving her a squeeze to emphasise his point.
"You are a very determined man," Ginny said, kissing him again - this time deeper, her tongue brushing over his lips in a way that made him shiver - before she abruptly pulled away. "Draco, you never told me your news last night."
He sighed, having mostly forgotten his news himself. "Oh. The minister asked me to be her chief advisor."
Ginny gasped in response, then punched him hard on the arm. "Draco!"
"Ouch!" he cried, wondering at her stricken tone. "What?"
"You let me go on and on like an absolute troll all night when you landed your dream job yesterday! How could you?"
Draco blinked at her. "How could I?"
She squealed loudly before hugging him hard enough that all the breath whooshed out of his lungs - and the tiny ferret scattered around under their feet, mirroring her excitement. "I am so proud of you!"
He didn't get a chance to respond as her lips descended on his, and, quite frankly, he could hardly remember what it was he'd intended to say.
XXXXX
Ginny smirked at him as she made her way back to the grand foyer from their bedroom, her robe slipping from her shoulder enticingly. As she emerged into the hallway, however, she froze.
"What?" Draco asked her, a hint of suspiciousness clouding his tone.
"Uh, nothing," Ginny said. "You have a big day tomorrow - go ahead and get some more sleep."
There was something off in her expression. Draco got out of bed and stalked over to the doorway as Ginny tried to dissuade him by coaxing him back to bed. He must have broken the spell she'd cast over him because he persisted, despite the lure of her feminine wiles - only to find a neatly piled little gift at the top of the staircase, and the ferret gleefully writhing on the floor beside it.
He scowled at Ginny, horrified that the beautiful rug his mother had picked out had been violated.
"To be fair," she told him defensively, as she edged out of the bedroom to clean up the animal's mess, "I told you to take him out this morning."
"We could just keep him outside forever," Draco responded, crossing his arms. "I believe there is a glacier in Greenland he would particularly enjoy."
"But he'd be so much more comfortable staying with us," she said, then laughed as Scorpius darted over to Draco and sprawled across his feet. "Besides, I think he's rather fond of you."
He rolled his eyes, wondering not for the first time why he ever put up with her antics - but when Ginny pretended to make a retching noise as she waved her wand over Scorpius's mess, then grinned back at him with that radiant smile of hers, he wondered how he could ever live without her.
AN: Ferrets can, in fact, catch the flu. The more you know! This was written for a Short Writing Challenge I posted at The DG Forum on FFN - prompt details are below.
Thanks to idreamofdraco for taking the time to beta and for helping me come up with fun adjectives.
Thank you for reading (and reviewing!) - I hope you all enjoyed it. :)
Prompt: Ginny brings home a stray and Draco is not happy about it
Bonus: The stray is not a cute animal
Length: Minimum 250 words
Deadline: 31 March