Chapter Four: Checkered pasts
Ginny trudged into her apartment, throwing her bag of gear on the floor as the door slammed behind her. Another long day of drills complete with shouting coaches and angry captains had left her exhausted again. She stumbled over to the sofa, collapsing onto its plush over stuffed cushions with a groan. Her entire body was sore, even her hair was sore. No, sometimes professional Quidditch seemed more like a curse than a blessing. Heaving herself up into a sitting position, she managed to get her trainers off without wincing too much at the pain in her tight muscles.
Maybe Hermione was right, maybe it is time for a day off. She fell back into the sofa, her head rolling back towards the ceiling while she mentally tried to push the tiredness of her day away. She heard the fireplace flare up as someone floo'd in. Without even bothering to turn towards the hearth, she knew who it was.
"Harry be a good boyfriend and rub my feet," she whined, putting her feet up on the coffee table and wriggling her toes in her sweaty dirty socks. She heard him snort in response and felt him collapse on the sofa next to her.
"If anyone needs a relaxing foot rub after today, believe me Gin it's me. God and I had forgotten what a prat Malfoy is!" He exclaimed, letting his head fall back onto the sofa as well. Ginny glanced over at him, taking in his own weary appearance. Harry had broadened out since school had ended, but remained as lithe as always. His disheveled black hair and grown long, she would have to remind him to get it trimmed soon. She smiled to herself when she found her attention drifting to his glasses. The day after the final battle he had gone down to Diagon Alley and bought his first proper pair, convinced that now with peace they wouldn't get so damaged. Unfortunately on his Floo home they had been knocked askew and Hermione had to repair the lenses as soon as he got to the Burrow.
"Oh that's right! You had to see the bouncing ferret himself! I take it he was less than obliging?" she said, her eyes dancing with merriment. She knew as well as anyone how frustratingly arrogant and annoying Malfoy could me.
"To be honest he wasn't half as bad as I expected, though that isn't saying much. He actually seemed to take the news of his position as an Unspeakable really well. It was pretty eerie actually, like seeing the parchment magically made him agree to it," Harry responded, covering his face with his hands. "But then of course he had to be a wanker. Got into this row about how he has to move out of the manor and separate his finances from his parents." Ginny snorted curling up on her side to face her boyfriend.
"All grown up and still living off Mummy and Daddy? Just like him isn't it? Never did expect him to go out on his own, you know actually be less of a burden on society." She could see Harry smile from under his hands.
"Oh he seemed proper horrified at the thought of living in a flat instead of a manor – especially one that he had to afford on a Ministry official's budget! Even that wasn't too bad though, it was having to report to the boss. He seemed to think I left Malfoy get away with murder or something!"
Ginny bit her lip to keep from saying that he actually had done that three years ago. "Take it the boss didn't want Malfoy to get the job?"
"It's not even that, Malfoy is magically bond to the job so there's nothing anyone could to do prevent him taking it or some bullocks like that. All this Ministry gossip, you know he's the first Unspeakable to be selected like this in fifty years? Apparently once they pick you it seems like nothing can stop them from getting you." Harry slid his hand through his hair before slipping an arm around Ginny. She snuggled in closer to him, happily breathing in his distinct Harry scent. "He's upset because Malfoy got a pretty large chunk of the family estate in taking the job. He had to split himself a piece of it because once he takes the job, we can't track his assets anymore. And believe me, it was no mere slice either." He sighed, shaking his head softly. "Enough of this, the last thing I want to do is spend my time off the clock talking about Draco bloody Malfoy! How was your day?" Harry said, kissing Ginny softly on the top of her head. She nuzzled in closer to him.
"Not any better than yesterday. Everything is sore. Even my fingernails are sore! I think Hermione was right, I'm going to call out tomorrow. Half the girls did today, so I figure tomorrow will be my day. I know we have to be ready for the next season and all, but this is just getting out of hand! We don't start the new season for another couple of months and they're already running us ragged!" Harry laughed, hearing his girlfriend's infamous Weasley temper bubble up.
"I gather tonight will be a takeaway night then?" he said, smiling at her. Ginny nodded happily, placing a kiss on his cheek.
"You always know just what to say to make it all better don't you!" They laughed and he jumped off the sofa to go order the night's dinner. She heard his footsteps quietly wandering off into the kitchen, leaving her alone with her thoughts on the youngest Malfoy.
The entire family was crooked, she had known this for almost as long as she could remember. Her first introduction to the idea of purebloods was from her father's rants about the ministry and its pandering to old moneyed families like the Malfoys. While she never quite figured out why there was the infamous feud, she did know that the Malfoys were notorious for living up to their less than sparkling reputation. Her first real experience with the Dark arts was because of Lucius Malfoy and his twisted diary. Ginny grimaced, pushing the memories aside. How disgusting can someone be, to use an eleven year old girl to murder other students simply because her parents are poor and yet still purebloods?
Years of living in the wake of the epic feud between Malfoy and Ron had introduced Ginny to the notion that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. She didn't trust Malfoy as far as she could throw him, and had even agreed with Harry on his use of the sectumsempra spell he had used against Draco in her fifth year. Draco was a Death Eater – pain and torture were his instruments of fear so being subjected to them himself was fair game in her eyes. But it was Bill, her oldest brother, being attacked by Fenrir who had been set into Hogwarts by Draco that had sealed her hatred of him. Harry could try all he wanted to explain how Malfoy hadn't really been all evil, but Ginny and her family would not hear of it. He was responsible for so many crimes, but none had hit home with the same kind of power.
The fact that he can not only take any job he chooses, but in fact takes a job that requires secrecy and power is disgusting! How could anyone think he won't just use this to get another uprising going? She thought angrily, trying to keep her temper from blushing through her face. Harry knew that his actions in Wizemagot on behalf of the Malfoy family were a slap in the face to her family. Ginny had spent the last three years trying to forget that particular betrayal and it had gone pretty well. Unlike the other old families, the Malfoys were rarely featured in the pages of Witch Weekly or the Daily Prophet. They seemed to have become rather insular since the war, Draco especially. He was never mentioned in the press at all, and it appeared that he did not attend any social gatherings even those which his parents hosted. Now that he was an Unspeakable, working at the Ministry and probably residing somewhere in magical London, Ginny was almost positive she would see him around. The idea of Malfoy walking free on the streets was like rubbing salt in her wounds. She loved Harry dearly, and there had only been one time since they had gotten together that she had not trusted him. Unfortunately, that one time had reared its perfectly coiffed head.
"Love, what do you want from that Thai place on the corner?" Harry called, interrupting Ginny's thoughts.
"I'm coming," she replied, pulling herself off the couch. Harry and the rest of the world might trust Malfoy, but there is no way I'll ever believe that bastard isn't danger to us all. Idly she twirled a piece of her hair around her finger as she made her way to the kitchen. I'll find out what you're up to Malfoy, and I'll make sure that this time you get what you deserve.
OOO
Thursday at the Ministry was like any normal day, except for the presence of one very unwelcome new employee. Following the instructions, Draco had arrived for his first day of work. His parents as expected had reacted poorly to the news. Lucius seemed ready to storm the Minister's office himself before Draco had managed to quell their anger. He told them the truth; that he had been offered a position to deal with great power and great knowledge. However reluctant, his parents had eventually conceded to his judgment before he and his father launched into how to separate their finances. Draco was given a large sum and the instructions to invest it in the markets the two had been researching. In this way, he was able to take a larger portion of the family estate to invest freely, something which the Ministry had discouraged them after the war. Malfoy power and influence was definitely based on finance (as was their support of the Dark Lord), so part of the probation on the family had included stringent monitoring of their wealth. Feeling decidedly devious for being able to play the authorities, Draco felt himself smirking a bit more than usual has he made his way down to the ninth floor.
When the elevator opened he found himself greeted by a circular room. In the middle of the room stood Aberny dressed in a worn brown muggle suit. He beckoned Draco to join him.
"Good to see you in good health Draco!" Aberny said, taking Draco's hand in his. "Today will be a fairly straightforward day, getting you settled in, starting with the basics of your Mystery." Draco blinked rapidly, trying to at once process where he was as well as what he was hearing.
"I get assigned to a specific Mystery?" he asked, trying to keep the puzzled tone out of his normally bored drawl.
"Yes of course! Not all Unspeakables get wrapped up in the espionage, most of us do research down here. Some of us are devoted to only one mystery while others of us can move between them. I myself am devoted purely to Time, part of the benefit of being the boss," Aberny said with a wink. He turned, guiding Draco with a hand on his shoulder. Draco stiffened at the touch and pulled away slightly. Aberny didn't appear to notice. He led Draco through one of the doors, although Draco had no idea how he could distinguish between them. There's got to be some sort of marker I'm missing, he thought to himself, glaring at the other Unspeakables who were making their way to work.
The Time Chamber was a large room with a few small doors through one Aberny led Draco. Inside it was an office with a large desk, filing cabinets and chairs. He waved the blond to a seat in front of the desk as he took his behind it.
"Firstly, there are a few things you should be aware of in our department. Mainly, there is no discussing what we do in here. For the first six months, you'll be working almost exclusively with me in order to build up your basic skills for working with time. During that time, you can discuss what you learn with any other Unspeakable without redress, but I must warn you that such action is heavily frowned upon," Aberny said, settling himself into his seat. "Everyone in here seems to think that if they discuss their work with a coworker somehow they'll get back stabbed! As if we don't work for the same cause!" Aberny chuckled at the absurdity. Draco smirked. Clearly you were never that close with a Slytherin.
"Another thing, each of us is allowed and in fact encouraged to keep records of our research, but they are keyed to our specific department. I'll show some charms later to achieve this. Furthermore, you and I will be working specifically on a project about improving Time Turners. Just a little something for the practical side of the job, but it's important that you let me keep the notes for that." Draco's eyes narrowed on the older man suspiciously.
"Is there any particular reason why you don't want me having any records about what you need me to do?" Aberny laughed heartily again.
"Nonsense my boy! It's simply that you are new, and any notes you take could be easily confused or written incorrectly. All the information we'll be compiling will be used in order to replicate the new Time Turners we're working on. So it would make more sense to have all of the information stored in one place as opposed to two! It is a pity so many of the original ones were destroyed," Aberny said, tapping his wand on his desk. A tea set popped up, filled with service for two. He filled both cups, offering one to Draco which he gratefully accepted.
"Right, before I tell you anything more about your duties or get you to a desk, there's something very important to warn you about." Aberny paused to take a sip of his tea, not really noticing when some dribbled out and down the front of his shirt. Draco sneered at the older man whom he at once respected due to his obvious power but was still in his eyes a low class imbecile. How Aberny couldn't tell that Draco had less than noble intentions was laughable he thought to himself. No self respecting former Slytherin would ever agree to giving up their freedom, for that's basically what a job with the Unspeakables was, for the greater good. "Draco, it is absolutely imperative that for the next 6 months, you do not talk with anyone more than is absolutely necessary. Not your parents, not the barman handing you a pint, not anyone you bump into on the street, do you understand?" Aberny asked his tone somber and stern. Draco raised a slender eye brow, regarding his new boss.
"Forgive me, but I was under the impression that being an Unspeakable was not the same as being an untouchable," he replied, not even bothering to keep the arrogance and malice out of his voice.
"Well it does when you're working with time in the beginning. It's not natural for humans to keep secrets on the level that Unspeakables need to. Part of this task is to train you on how to deal with stress and information overload on your own. You must be able to exist within yourself in order to protect the secrets we work with."
"Right I know this is the Department of Mysteries, but why this bloody cloak and dagger bit?"
Aberny sighed, leaning back in his chair and crossing his hands behind his head. "There are different aspects of this department. Even though you are intended to work with me in the Time Chamber, there is always the chance that you could end up working with our… friends over in Death. They run an entirely different kind of ship over there, which requires secrecy and discretion."
"This is some kind of joke, right? I mean I've heard all the rumors about the assassins in the Ministry, but there's no way that sort of thing happens here," Draco said, crossing his arms over his chest.
"No Mr. Malfoy, I most certainly am not joking," Aberny replied. He looked over Draco with a distinctly critical eye. "You never killed anyone, did you?"
"No," Draco said warily, feeling distinctly uncomfortable under the older man's stare. At once he felt annoyed that he was being suspected of murder again and on the other hand, ashamed because as a Death Eater it had been expected of him and he had failed poorly.
"Very well, it is highly unlikely that you would ever be called to work in that mystery then! Now let's get you settled in."
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A/N: Hope you liked this chapter! A bit more insight into Ginny at least, eh? For the record, I'm not keen on H/G but it's necessary for this fic – for now at least… ;)