AN: One chapter for today ^.^
XoXoX
Kuroibara Kitty
Chapter 9
A Clean Hall
The sun was high in the sky as Draco began to stir. He felt groggy from over-sleeping and struggled to get himself out of bed. Checking the time, he knew he'd missed breakfast.
He went into his ensuite for a shower and got dressed quickly. He brushed his teeth, combed his hair and then, as an after-thought, through on a little bit of cologne. As he stepped out of the bathroom he wondered why he'd done that.
He rushed down to the first floor and saw that the dining room was empty. Figuring that the aurors had gone out to continue working, he headed down to the kitchens. They were underground, accessed by a secret door in the dining room.
As soon as he appeared in the door the house elves started fussing over him.
"Oh, Mister Malfoy, you slept in. Gipin was worried you wouldn't eat. Gipin is glad you have come down for food, sir." The elf said as he rushed to Draco's side. Draco smiled at the elves around him.
"Resa has Mister Malfoy's breakfast ready, sir." Another elf spoke up.
"It is over here, sir." A couple of voices echoed as the elves grabbed his hands and led him to a small table. He sat down, plates of food spread out in front of him.
"This is great, guys." Draco said, smiling.
The elves beamed back at the compliment. They moved back to allow the man to eat, some staying nearby in case he requested anything. As soon as he asked for a drink, two elves rushed off and returned minutes later with a steaming hot coffee balanced carefully on a tray.
"Thank you." Draco said after he was finished.
The elves immediately jumped to attention and began clearing plates, cutlery and the coffee mug. Draco stood and moved out of their way. As he walked towards the exit, he thanked them again and they all bowed.
Leaving the house and wandering through the garden paths, Draco headed around towards the parking area and the front of the house. He could see the aurors through the doorway. As he approached he noticed something different inside.
It was obvious as soon as he stepped in through the hole. The entrance hall was completely clean. The wooden floors were ash-less and the singed bits had been restored with a spell. The walls were pure white once again, including the spaces where the portaits had been hung. The only obvious damage was that the front door was still missing.
He observed the hall happily, a smile taking over his features. The empty frames were still leaning against the walls, waiting for their inhabitants before they were hung, but everything was spotless. Draco clapped his hands to draw the attention of the others.
"This is amazing." He said as he stopped clapping. The aurors walked towards him, their faces lit up at his enthusiasm.
"You slept in." Harry observe as he reached the other man.
"Yeah, sorry about that. I wish I had been here to help. You guys have done a fantastic job. This really looks... well... just how it used to. I mean, lacking the furniture and stuff like that, but still..." Draco admired his surroundings.
"I'm glad you like it." Blaise said.
"We're still not done, though." Ron continued.
"Yeah, this is only a small part of the house." Dean concluded.
"Progress is still progess, silly men." Luna said, shaking her head.
"It certainly is progress." Draco said, agreeing with Luna. "Would you all mind waiting just a few minutes? I want to go and get my mother and show her this. She wanted to see it." The others nodded agreement and Draco turned and walked out the door.
As he reached the entrance to the house, Draco realised that he would soon start having to think of it as the guest quarters. With a smile on his face he entered and headed straight for his mother's sitting room. He knocked on the door and entered once she'd called to him.
"Mother, the entrance hall is finished. Would you like to come and see?" He asked as he entered the room.
"Why, yes, darling." Narcissa said, voice filled with happiness.
Draco walked to her side and helped her to her feet. He led her out of the room and down the hall once again, her hand on his arm. They walked out and through the gardens, his mother making a small comment about needing to tend to some of them. It didn't take them long to reach the parking area and the entrance hall.
As Narcissa stepped into the hall, her face lit up. Draco knew it had been a long time since she had walked through that doorway. The last time she had seen it, the place had been in ruins. It was now looking similar to its former grand self.
"This is beautiful." Narcissa said. The aurors bowed their heads at the compliment.
"I'm glad you like it, ma'am." Dean said timidly.
"I love it. Thank you all so much... You will never know how much this means to me." Narcissa continued. "You have done brilliantly."
The group of aurors shone with pride long after she had returned to her sitting room.
AN: Please feed me reviews and you'll get more story ^.^
XoXoX
Kuroibara Kitty
