A/N: Yay! Chapter four is finally up and running. Thanks to Elyaeru who is my only beta that has got around to doing this chapter.
As usual, please comment! I love feedback and knowing people are actually reading this!
Disclaimer: I am not crazy enough to claim to own Harry Potter.
After making herself look presentable, Ginny Floo'ed into Malfoy's own Manor. It seemed after the prat moved out of Malfoy manor, he was lucky enough to be able to move straight away into another mansion. Now, of course, after getting a job and becoming quite the important figure, he owned mansion after mansion in many parts of the world. His own manor in England was where he lived when not on some 'work related' trip overseas.
Upon being spat out of the fireplace, Ginny couldn't suppress a whistle as she eyed the lush furnishing and high-class décor. If it were any other single man, she would've expected his house to be much less than perfect but Malfoy's house was superb. Not an inch of it looked out of place. That was, until Malfoy stepped into the room in an unbuttoned shirt, silky boxers and a pair of black dress pants hanging on his arm. Averting her eyes, Ginny couldn't help bursting into laughter. For a man whose house was so proper, Malfoy certainly knew how to look like a total tool.
"Oh, ha ha, real funny Weasel, you better think about how you're going to introduce yourself to my mother because she's going to be here soon. She Floo'ed this morning to tell me she'd be dropping by because she heard that Malveira was gone and that I hired someone else. So I'd watch what I said if I were you, she doesn't usually take a liking to my assistants. Malveira was the first one she could stand but only after she convinced Mother that she was happily married. You'd think she'd know that I wouldn't have the time to see her on a Saturday night but no, she decides to show up and interrogate you and me." Grunting in frustration, Malfoy continued, "Oh if only Malveira was here. That woman knew how to get mother out of here. Shit, help me get dressed already!"
Ginny lifted an eyebrow and stared at Malfoy disbelievingly. Did he just ask her to dress him?
"Pardon me but did you just ask me to clothe you? Because I'm sure I learnt to do that by myself when I was four," she said, shocked by his inability to perform the most basic daily rituals.
Glaring at her, Malfoy bit out, "So a thought crossed your mind? Must have been a long and lonely journey. Just help me get these damned clothes on already!"
Sighing at the pathetic way Malfoy was trying to button up his shirt while it was inside out, Ginny strolled up to him and slapped his hand away. Fingering the buttons he had managed to do up, she couldn't help wanting to blush. There she was, taking off her new boss's shirt merely days after getting the job. That thought definitely made her ears go pink but luckily they were covered by her mane of auburn hair.
Keeping her composure, Ginny finally managed to slide his shirt off, making sure to look anywhere but at his topless form. Her gaze passed over a group of portraits clucking disapprovingly at the scene ahead of them. Scowling at the outraged paintings, Ginny absent-mindedly turned the shirt the right side out and finally turned to Malfoy, whom she had expected to have come up with at least one snide comment about the situation but had so far remained oddly silent. He's probably used to having girls do his every whim and pamper him, scoffed Ginny. Realizing she was one of those girls now, she had to remind herself that it was her job, and that if he dared make her do this again, she would be forced to sock him one. One of her hobbies was not playing dress up with Draco.
Just as Ginny was bending down to put on his trousers, the fireplace burst into emerald green flames and she jumped in fright while Malfoy twitched. Startled, she watched as a tall, blonde-haired woman gracefully stepped out of the fireplace. Ginny recognized her instantly and apparently Malfoy did too, for he swore under his breath and paled considerably.
Narcissa Malfoy stood before them with her hands on her hips, anger clear on her usually composed face.
"Draco, I told you I would be coming. Couldn't you have thought of that before deciding to…entertain yourself?" she said, voice icy.
Ginny, who had just realized she was still holding Malfoy's pants, jumped away from him and apologetically glanced at the other woman. "I'm sorry ma'am but I was just helping Mal-Mr Malfoy get dressed. Uh…I'm his new personal assistant, Ginny" Not sure how Narcissa would react to the fact that she was a Weasley, she decided to leave that little detail out.
She held her hand out to shake and smiled but Narcissa just glared at the offered hand as if hoping it would shrivel up and fall to the floor in ashes. Fearing this, Ginny pulled her hand back slowly as to not make any sudden movements.
"Mother, I uh…was just getting Ginny to help me get dressed. I knew you were coming, just not so soon," said Draco, clearly uneasy.
"Obviously" replied Narcissa, making sure not to acknowledge Ginny's presence any further. "Now if you would please put on your trousers, I would like to have a talk with you. "
Grabbing the trousers out of Ginny's grasp, he awkwardly stuck two legs down one leg hole and continued in that fashion until Ginny was fed up of watching him fumble about like a fool and helped him, all the while being glared at by Narcissa.
Once he was dressed, Draco pushed Ginny out of the way and beckoned for his mother to have a seat.
"Let the girl stay," ordered Narcissa. "I did come here to talk to the two of you, remember?"
Surprised, both Draco and Ginny froze for a moment before he put his arm on the small of her back and pushed her toward the large couch, which looked soft and fluffy enough to completely envelope her the moment she sat down. Risking it anyway, Ginny lowered herself onto the couch and stared at her feet while Draco sat on the same seat but as far away from her as possible.
"Mother, I know what you're thinking and, it wasn't as it seemed. I swear Ginny and I were not doing anything wrong…it's just that I was about to have a panic attack because well, you know how I get when I'm…nervous," he said, making it all sound almost painful for him to say.
"So you weren't doing any of your usual tricks with this woman?" questioned Narcissa
"Yes, I swear," he replied, surprising Ginny with way he obviously feared his mother. She made a mental note to remember that for future use against him.
Narcissa's face finally relaxed and Ginny finally looked up, having been mesmerized by the interesting shapes on the carpet, to find the other woman looking at her.
"Have we met before?" asked Narcissa. "You seem oddly familiar."
"Uh-huh, it was probably while you were taunting my family," said Ginny, half smiling.
Draco looked scandalized by her comment but Narcissa merely smiled. "Ah, of course, I regrettably have to admit that I was quite rudeto some poor families. Yet after the war one can hardly still hold the same prejudices right? So tell me, what family are you from? Are you a Half-Blood or a Muggle-Born?"
"Actually, I'm a Weasley," said Ginny, unable to believe Narcissa wasn't able to distinguish that already with her tell-tale Weasley traits. "Which presumably puts me below even the Muggles in your eyes?"
The older woman was surprised but didn't show it. "Really now? A Weasley? I never knew they had a daughter. I have to say you look nothing like that mother of yours, lucky you."
Angry about the remark aimed at her mother, Ginny had to bite back a nasty remark. She merely flinched and counted to ten in her head before she spoke again, which probably made Narcissa think she was mentally challenged.
"My mother is a remarkable woman and I have always strived to have some of the important qualities she possessed, although I never ever want to end up having a lot of children and being a house-wife. Ever since I was a child though, she has been the most beautiful woman to me. That'll never change."
The other woman clapped her hands and Draco, for the life of him, couldn't understand why.
"I'm glad to see you appreciate all that your mother has done for you. You could teach Draco a thing or two about respecting and loving his mother like you do yours," she said, throwing him a glare. "He's a perfect idiot."
"I wouldn't say perfect but, he's doing alright," mumbled Ginny, unable to stop herself in time.
Draco, who had been scowling at the wall opposite him, snapped his attention to her instantly and Narcissa laughed softly.
"Good to know he's picked someone with a good sense of humor," said Narcissa. "I would've never expected him to get someone like you, what with his track record so far. The boy usually picks girls with brains in their bosoms."
"Yes, he is the kind of man one would use as a blueprint to create an imbecile." Agreed Ginny, taken aback by the friendly manner in which Narcissa and her were insulting Draco.
Malfoy was stunned too; sitting there on the couch he was itching to pinch himself to find out if the scene unfolding in front of him was real. Was his mother and the Weasley girl getting along over the topic of how stupid he was? Narcissa usually never got along with any of the girls he knew, with the exception of Malveira, and even in her state of mind he would never expect her to chat with a Weasley. He really expected his mother to throw a hissy fit over the fact that he had hired her, having already prepared the speech he would have to give if such a situation occurred. Yet now, he was at a loss for words, so he decided he would just sit this out and have a word with his mother and Ginny later.
"I'm curious, exactly is it that a bright, young lady such as yourself is willing to slave away for my son?" asked Narcissa, surprised by the sharp girl sitting in front of her.
"It's mostly for the experience and independence. I've finally moved away from The Burrow, my childhood home, and I want to show my family that it wasn't a mistake on my part and that I can provide for myself. You see ma'am, my mother is quite overbearing and her maternal instincts are over the top-"
"What, with having twelve children?" cut in Narcissa, managing to be rude while showing off a perfect smile.
"Seven children actually," said Ginny, slightly upset that the connection between her and the other woman was being broken. "I have six elder brothers, not eleven. You were close though, I guess…Anyway, as I was saying, it's already hard being Draco's assistant. I mean, I haven't even properly started working for him yet and here I am already, doing my job on a Saturday."
"Well, you have already gone through training," spoke up Malfoy. "You should've known I'm a busy man who'll need you often. I would've thought Malveira would tell you about how your life pretty much revolves around me."
"Yeah, she also told me about how your head's emptier than a eunuch's pants," Spat back Ginny, clearly amusing Narcissa.
"My child, you are perfect for Draco! Finally, a girl who can put him in his place instead of in her pants," Said Narcissa, causing Malfoy to grimace at her words. "I came over to find out who the girl he hired was and I must say, I am much happier than I was when I first found out the news."
Standing up, she faced Ginny and smiled warmly at her. "If I had known that the Weasleys had such a great sense of humor I would've…well I can't lie, I probably still wouldn't have befriended you lot."
Ginny now knew where Draco had gotten his snarky side from; his mother was the queen of Snarks! Having thought he must've inherited his mean streak from his father, the realization that his mother was even worse but in a funny way, was shocking. She never seemed anything more than a snobby trophy wife but now, her sense of humor was something Ginny could get used to.
"Right back at you, ma'am," said Ginny, glad that the confrontation with Malfoy's mother hadn't been a bad one. "It's been a pleasure speaking with you. I hope we'll see each other again soon."
"And hopefully then my son is fully clothed," replied Narcissa, winking at Malfoy. "Thank you for the charming welcome Draco, I have been wondering if you've been wearing the underwear I bought you last Christmas."
Cheeks tinged pink, Draco glared at his mother who in turn hugged him warmly.
"I'm proud of you son. So proud that I'll even leave early and let you get to that horrid orgy you were planning on joining in."
"Mother, it's a friend's birthday party. Hardly an orgy, although I would think you would've known better seeing as you've probably been to countless orgies yourself," said Draco jokingly.
Slapping him playfully on the arm, Narcissa fisted some Floo Powder and threw it into the fireplace, turning back once to elegantly wave good bye. When she was gone, Malfoy sunk back down onto one of the couches and sighed happily. Looking up, he seemed to have just realized Ginny was still there and his gratefulness at his mother's departure turned into irritation over what Ginny had said to him and about him before.
"Don't you ever insult me in front of anyone ever again, got it Weasley?" he warned menacingly.
"Sir, yes sir!" shouted Ginny, startling him.
"Pardon?"
"I'm sorry, I've always felt like doing that and, it seemed to be the perfect time"
"Don't ever do that again," said Draco, irritation draining away. "It seems like my mother has had a profound effect on you. She's just as insane."
"Yeah I noticed. She's quite different from what I expected her to be, it's nice though. Good to know that at least one Malfoy isn't insufferable," she said, smirking at the amused man.
"Mother's really changed her attitude since father died and it seems to be rubbing off on me too, I mean, I gave a Weasley the pleasure of handling fine clothing!" retorted Draco, chuckling at his own joke.
"Oh, thank you Malfoy, I never knew the 'pleasures' of cotton shirts until my unworthy hands touched yours," Muttered Ginny sarcastically, rolling her eyes.
"You don't have to thank me for insulting you Weasley, it was my pleasure," he crooned.
"Oh, I already get the feeling that working with you is going to be exciting!" said Ginny, continuing the sarcasm.
"You can count on it Weasley. I'm going to let you get my breakfast and lunch everyday! Now that's what I call exciting. Not only can you touch fine clothes, but handle fine food too! But you can take it easy now. I'm planning on going out soon. You can go back to doing nothing at your house," said Malfoy, pushing her towards the fireplace. "See you on Monday."
"Yeah, Monday. Unless you'll need me to help you brush your teeth tomorrow." replied Ginny, Floo-ing away before Malfoy could say anything else.
Finally back in her own house, Ginny couldn't believe that she was actually looking forward to work. The way Malfoy acted around his mother was a sure fire sign that the man wasn't as bad as she thought him to be.
Maybe working for Malfoy isn't going to be that bad, she thought, as long as I get to ridicule him everyday.
A/N so what did you think??? feedback people!