Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, settings, or Harry Potter related mentions in this story. Those all belong to JK Rowling - if they did belong to me, I probably wouldn't be here. Just saying.
"Miss Weasley!"
Ginny jumped in her seat, blushing when the papers in her hands fell to the floor. "Sorry."
Lucius glanced at the watch on his wrist. "It is verging on three in the morning. I suspect between the travel and the work we've been doing, we could both use some sleep."
Ginny nodded, not sure if she should respond.
"We will convene later in the morning. I will have some meetings that will need rescheduling." He rubbed his forehead. "Also, I believe I will be delegating some of my duties to others. Much of my attention will need to go into solving the Michael problem."
"Yes, sir," Ginny said, making a note for herself to sort out meeting requests as soon as she came in. She glanced down at her notebook. "The meeting with Gladrags is scheduled for eight at Raspberries. Should we meet there or here?"
Lucius stared at the shelves on his wall for a moment. "We will meet here at seven. I need to prepare myself for the meeting. Why are we meeting at Raspberries?"
"It's Wilma Gladrag's favorite breakfast cafe," Ginny said. "I had a table reserved by the window, since she likes the bustle of the morning crowd on High street."
"Astute detective skills, Miss Weasley," Lucius remarked.
"Her assistant talks a lot when we listen to the Quidditch matches at Three Broomsticks," Ginny responded tiredly.
Lucius stood and tied his hair back. "I believe we will both need some rest if we are to be coherent in the morning."
"Not likely," Ginny muttered. She stood as well, organizing her papers into a folder.
"I will have a house elf escort you home, Miss Weasley," Lucius said, pulling on his robes.
"I'll be fine," Ginny said as she struggled to not fall on her way out the office.
"I must insist, Miss Weasley. You're of no use to me as a splinching victim," Lucius said.
"Finally going home?"
Ginny groaned. "Shouldn't you be off sha—sleeping?"
Lucius glanced at the two of them. "You were no doubt sleeping in your office, Draco. Please see Miss Weasley home safely."
"I'd rather not," Draco said, clapping his hands together. "And I will have you know that I went through two financial statements before I took my nap."
"Really, I'm fine," Ginny said.
"Escort her home, Draco," Lucius ordered. With a goodnight, he disappeared from the room.
"Come on Weasley. Where do you live?"
"You can go. I won't tell," Ginny said.
"Weasley, I'm either going to do this nicely or throw you over my shoulders. Either way, I'm taking you home," Draco said, handing her the robes on the back of her chair. "Which will it be?"
"When have you ever been nice?" Ginny exclaimed.
He smirked. "I suppose this will be my first good deed. Now, be my first, Weasley."
Ginny couldn't help it. She burst into laughter. Between not sleeping for twenty hours and a lack of solid food, she was delirious with exhaustion. The fact that Draco Malfoy had just asked her to be his first seemed to be the funniest thing she had ever heard. She held onto the desk, lapsing into hiccup laughter.
"When you're done," Draco drawled.
"You just—" she gasped.
"I know what I said," Draco said with a smirk. "Where do you live?"
And because she could barely breathe let alone protest, she rattled off her address.
"Off we go, Weasley."
Before she could even say okay, he grabbed her arm and the familiar feeling of Apparition overcame her. Unfortunately, her lack of air from laughing, exhaustion, and the fact that all she had eaten in the past eight hours was a biscuit with tea, made the world around her begin to fade. A dizzy feeling overcame her as they landed on her doorstep, and she struggled to hang onto consciousness.
But the last thing she heard before tipping over was, "For Merlin's sake, Weasley."
"Ginny dear, it's time to wake up."
"Mum?" Ginny groaned as she opened her eyes, bright red hair clouding her vision. "What are you doing here?"
"The Malfoy boy came and got me last night. He said you fainted, and he left you at your apartment." Molly shook her head. "I thought he had left you at your door. But he apparently took you inside, laid you on the bed, and then came to get us."
"Draco Malfoy was in my apartment!" Ginny sat up, touching her head as sharp pain shot through it. "Ow."
"Here, have some of this." Her mother tipped her head back, and she tasted the familiar headache potion. "Better?"
Ginny nodded at the instantaneous relief. "Thank you."
"Tea and breakfast are on the counter. I imagine between being tired and hungry, your body couldn't handle the Apparition." Molly motioned to the clock on her nightstand. "Now you have an important meeting to get to, according to the Malfoy boy. So you had better hurry."
Ginny looked at the time and saw it was five minutes after seven. With a curse, she sprung from the bed and darted to her closet. "I was supposed to be in the office at seven."
"Before you go barreling out of here, Lucius Malfoy sent you a note that said your meeting was pushed back until nine and to meet him at the office at eight." Molly spelled the bed to make itself. "Now, into the kitchen and get some food in you. You look like you could use it."
Her stomach grumbled in response. "Yes, that sounds good."
She left her room and inhaled the smell of bacon, eggs, and her mum's famous biscuits. As soon as she sat down, she was digging in, half the plate gone by the time her mother joined her. Molly's only response to her Ron-like eating was to add some more food to Ginny's plate before pouring herself a cup of tea.
"Now, what is happening to you?" Molly asked.
"What do you mean?" Ginny sipped her tea to wash down some of the food.
"Ginny, you fainted. That isn't healthy," Molly scolded. "You've missed almost all Sunday dinners, and all the letters you write me are two sentences, if I'm lucky."
"I'm pretty sure I have at least three, Mum."
"This is no joking matter, young lady. You had no idea the state your father and I were in when that Malfoy boy showed up at the Burrow. Thank goodness you had the good sense to make someone take you home," Molly said, her tea clinking on the saucer as she set it down. "You would have killed yourself if you tried to Apparate by yourself."
"You should thank Lucius for that actually," Ginny mumbled.
"And here I was worried about the Malfoys destroying you. Now I need to send them thank you notes," Molly said, shaking her head. "Ginny, you have to find time for yourself."
"That's easier said than done, Mum." She shoveled the rest of the food in her mouth. "But I need to get dressed for work."
"I'll leave you to it then," Molly said. She kissed her daughter on the cheek. "If you're not going to sleep, at least remember to eat. I packed some dinners into the refrigerator. Use them."
"Yes, Mum," Ginny said dutifully.
"I heard you had an eventful night."
Ginny toyed with the pleats at the hem of her skirt. "Yes, sir. I will need to thank your son for his help."
Lucius nodded. "That will be a change from your usual behavior. But to business."
"Mrs. Gladrag is an upstanding member of the clothing community. She was one of the first in the business to integrate Muggle clothing into her lines when she realized the popularity. She's also a fan of gardening and classical music. She sings in the Hogsmeade Witches Choir, and she hates chocolate," Ginny rattled off. "She's also going to have her daughter, Joy Sang handle the business. But Joy always does what her mother wants her to do."
"How do we know that?" asked Lucius, looking up
"Joy married Edison Sang, a French man. She hated him whenever he was invited to the dances at Beauxbatons. She was, according to the gossip, in love with Malcolm Smith, an Englishman, who plays piano in pubs. He's a Muggle, and her mother didn't approve. So she married Edison, her mother's choice," Ginny said.
"The Quidditch loving assistant?"
"No, Joy went to school with my sister-in-law." Ginny shrugged. "Once I knew where she went, I just asked my sister-in-law if she knew her. If you ever meet Fleur, you'll know why I know all of this information. She adores gossip."
"Well, I believe we are all set for the meeting. Let's take a look at some of these meetings I have later this week," Lucius said. "The board meeting will have to be pushed back to next week. I am not prepared to deal with them this week. I will be passing the Nimbus account to Draco, so he will deal with the meeting on Thursday. Cancel the meeting with Nott on Friday. Find some time in the schedule for him next week. I will be going to Germany on Thursday. I have some matters to deal with concerning Mr. Gerber."
"And the Zabini Fundraiser on Saturday?" Ginny questioned.
"I will have Draco attend that as well." Lucius sighed. "Does my son have an assistant at the moment?"
"No, not that I'm aware of," Ginny said, scribbling notes into her planner. "It's Mrs. Nott's birthday by the way. Should we send a floral arrangement?"
"Yes, find out what she likes."
"Freesias and lilies. I can have an arrangement made," Ginny said. "Is there anything you would like me to tell the board?"
"I have a pressing matter to attend to in Germany," Lucius said. "And I will need you to come to Germany with me, Miss Weasley. Also, since my son is out of an assistant, I will spare you for a day or two. I need you to go with him to the Nimbus meeting."
Ginny felt queasy. "Yes, sir."
"I will be leaving for Germany early morning on Thursday. "
"The Nimbus meeting is on Thursday," Ginny said. "The one I will be attending with Draco."
Lucius sighed. "Yes, I suppose I can spare you for the morning. I do not need you when I do my run through at the office in Germany. However, you will join me Thursday evening. See what will be happening in the political circles this week and let me know."
"Yes, sir," Ginny said. The thought of the Portkey traveling she would have to do made her exhausted. "And for the Zabini Fundraiser on Saturday?"
"The meeting with Gerber is set for Friday morning. We will have to get you here for the Zabini Fundraiser. You will be Draco's escort to the Zabini function," Lucius said.
"I'm sure he can find himself someone more suitable," Ginny said.
"Miss Weasley, consider it a compliment that I want you to accompany my son," Lucius said.
"Or a punishment," she muttered quietly.
"I am afraid that he would bring the wrong company," Lucius said. "It is not negotiable."
"Yes, sir," she said, too tired to argue. "Should I be prepared to leave from Germany and go straight to the fundraiser?"
"No, we will keep your return date as Friday evening, tentatively. If not, I will have you out of Germany by Saturday morning," Lucius said. "Explain the situation to the transportation department, and they will take the necessary measures to get you home. I have been told by my wife that traveling long distances by Portkey while formally dressed does not bode well for women."
"I can only imagine," Ginny said. She scribbled her notes down. "Will that be all?"
"For now," Lucius said. "Send a copy of the new arrangements to Draco."
Ginny left the room, doing her best not to stomp like a toddler. Not only was she Lucius's assistant, but now she was being passed off to Draco. She paused, cringing as she thought of the double entendre. She didn't want to think of Draco Malfoy in that way ever and certainly not Lucius. She was still scarred by the fact that she had blushed when he spoke French to her.
She sat in her chair and threw herself into work, sending out letters to the appropriate people and copying the new schedule for Draco. As she went to place the letter in her outbox, she snatched it back, thinking that she could thank him while delivering the schedule. She could casually throw it into the conversation, and it wouldn't be a big deal.
Standing, she checked the clock. She could use the meeting as an excuse to leave if he got too chatty. She stuck her head into Lucius's office and let him know where she was going. He looked at her briefly before waving her away. With a shrug, she left the office and walked down the hall, pausing as she pushed open the door to Draco's outer office.
"Hello?"
The office was completely dark, the drapes drawn shut. For a moment, she thought he must not be in, but then she heard a slew of curses come from his office. Her eyebrows rose as she walked towards his open office door. She could see the faint glow of what must have been a candle, and when she stepped into his doorway, she saw that she was correct.
Draco was sitting at his desk, his head resting against his chair. She could see that he had thrown his jacket haphazardly across the desk, and he was massaging his temples. Illuminated by candlelight, his features were stark, and she could see the harsh lines that crossed his face when he cringed. From the way his face contorted, she could tell that whatever was happening to him was painful.
"Weasley, I'm assuming you're not here to watch me," he said, his voice soft. "Of course, I'm sure you can't resist gazing in adoration."
"Prat," Ginny muttered. She cleared her throat. "I wanted to deliver a copy of the schedule your father has. You'll be taking his place for the Nimbus meeting and the Zabini fundraiser."
"Fun," he drawled, not moving from his position. "Just leave it on the desk."
She slipped into the room and placed the parchment on his jacket. "There you are. I'll be attending both events with you so I can go over your father's meeting points with you prior to the Nimbus meeting."
"Father must think I'm incapable of getting a date," he said.
"I'll be seeing you then," she said. She awkwardly pivoted. "Oh, thanks for last night by the way."
She was almost to the door when he drawled, "Nice, Weasley. Taking advantage of the situation so I can't taunt you for your apology."
"I don't know what you're talking about." Ginny shook her head.
He chuckled and then winced. "Until next time, Weasley."
She went to leave but noticed the thin sheen of perspiration on his face. Whatever was happening was painful enough for him to drop his guard and present himself in this manner to her. Cursing her good nature and watching the time, she withdrew her wand from the special pocket in her sleeve. She transfigured a tissue into a soft flannel and warmed the water in his glass. She dipped the flannel into the glass, making sure it wasn't too wet.
When she went to place it on his forehead, his hand snapped around her wrist, his grip firm.
"I'm sorry," she mumbled. "I thought this would help."
One gray eye opened and looked at her, but the pain overrode speech because he simply let her hand go. He linked his hands and rested them on his stomach, hiding the subtle shake. She gently rested the flannel across his forehead, covering his eyes as well. If she felt anyway about helping Draco Malfoy, her Weasley-helpfulness trait wouldn't allow her to indulge in it.
"Is it just a headache?" she asked quietly. "Did you try a potion?"
"Uncle Severus—"
"You call Snape Uncle Severus?" Ginny asked incredulously.
"As I was saying, Uncle Severus says that it will be unresponsive to potions. Side effects of prolonged time under the Cruciatus," he said nonchalantly.
"Oh." She removed the flannel and ran her wand across her fingertips. "Here, this might help."
He flinched when she touched his temples, but she could see his face relax as she gently massaged his temples.
"During the recovery after the war, there were a lot of patients with this type of after effect. I helped Madam Pomfrey with them. The best remedy was to use warmth to help loosen the muscles," Ginny said methodically. She had given this speech many times after the war. "It was my job since I wasn't certified as a healer. It was all I could do."
She trailed off when she noticed his even breathing and the relaxed lines in his face. Ginny could tell that he hadn't gotten much sleep, if the dark circles beneath his eyes were anything to go off. Knowing what she knew about the after effects of being exposed to Cruciatus, he had probably been in pain for hours.
She blew out the candle and moved to leave the room. When she reached the doorway, she met the figure of Lucius Malfoy, almost letting out a frightened yelp in the process. Instead, she gave him a blank stare to match his own, and he eyed the shadowy figure of his son behind her. Nodding, he led the way out of the office and into the hallway.
"Thank you, Miss Weasley," he said mutely. Then, as if nothing happened, "We will be late. Come along."
She shook her head and summoned her purse and book. "You're welcome."
"And Miss Weasley, I would appreciate if news of my son's health did not circulate," Lucius said quietly. "Am I understood?"
"Yes, sir."
Wilma Gladrag was an older woman, probably in her early sixties. She had inherited the shop from her mother, who had inherited it from her father. The business had been family run for centuries, and they had no willingness to change that particular aspect of the business. But they were open to the idea of management as long as they kept the namesake of their company and had the most say.
"Mrs. Gladrag," Lucius greeted with a charming smile.
"Lucius Malfoy, a pleasure," she said. She pointed at Ginny. "And who is the woman with the wonderful taste? That robe is from my latest line. Nice, is it not?"
"Yes, very," Ginny said. "I had to go back and buy it in all the colors."
"You flatter me so, Ms. . . ."
"Weasley," Ginny said.
"Come, come. Sit. Have you met my daughter, Joy?" Wilma patted down her pepper gray hair. "She deals with all the nasty work. I'm simply here for the food."
"Have you been here before?" asked Lucius, pulling out Ginny's chair for her.
"Oh many times, Mr. Malfoy," Wilma said. She glanced out the window. "I like to look at all the shoppers. I hope some will go to my store."
"I'm sure they will," Ginny said reassuringly. "I myself need some time to go and buy some of those new trousers on display."
Wilma clapped her hands together. "Aren't they darling?"
"They are," Ginny said. "It's a blend of feminine and masculine."
The older woman leaned forward. "You hit the Hippogriff on the beak, Ms. Weasley. I kept thinking to myself, why do women have to wear skirts to be seen as feminine? I mean look at you, for example, you might be an assistant but you're not just any assistant. You're the assistant to one of the most powerful people in the Wizarding world. People admire you based on work ethic, not how long your legs are."
Ginny glanced at Lucius's amused expression, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. She didn't know if he was more amused at Wilma's flattery to him or her ramble about women being able to wear trousers.
"Well, thank you," Ginny said.
Joy cleared her throat. "I've looked over your proposal in detail, Mr. Malfoy."
"Did you have any issues with it?" asked Lucius. He pulled out a copy of the proposal. "I am sure we can reach an agreement if there are any."
"Well, I feel the percentages are off," Joy said. "The gains that we will be making are less than I had hoped."
"All this business," Wilma said dismissively. "Ms. Weasley, would you care to go get another cup of tea with me?"
"Yes, I would like that," Ginny said, ignoring her full cup.
"Now, are you seeing anyone Ms. Weasley?" Wilma asked.
Ginny shook her head. "Who has the time? Work is rather busy at the moment. We do all we can to make sure the businesses are run successfully."
"Oh, but Ms. Weasley you must make time for yourself," Wilma said. "My daughter Joy would never have settled down unless I nudged her in the right direction."
"I'm sure she's highly appreciative of that gesture," Ginny said, trying to keep the sarcasm from her voice. They approached the counter, and Ginny smiled at the server. "Can I have two teas, please?"
"Yes, Ma'am," the server said.
Wilma crossed her arms and stared at Ginny. "You know, I have a nephew, and he would be perfect for you. Plus he is currently working out of the country, so your busy schedule would be no issues."
Ginny suppressed the urge to vehemently say no. "That is awfully kind—"
"Oh, I refuse to take no for an answer. I'll just give him your name and contact information. I'll just need your address," she said, motioning to the server. "Do you have a piece of parchment and a quill?"
The server nodded. "Here you go."
Ginny wished he had said no. Instead, she scribbled her work address down, hoping Wilma would not be able to decipher her writing. "That should be all he needs. I spend most of the time at the office, so it's the best place to reach me."
"Fantastic," Wilma said. She smiled and patted Ginny's cheek affectionately. "He's quite handsome. I think you'll love him."
"I'm sure," Ginny said with a sigh.
They moved back to the table, joining Lucius and Joy. By the look on Lucius's face, she knew the rumors about Joy were true: she was a tough businesswoman. Ginny mentally steeled herself for a long afternoon with a very unhappy Lucius Malfoy. She wondered if perhaps Draco would stop in to just put a dollop of cream on the pie. Nothing would rankle Lucius more than having Draco comment on his failure to seal a good deal. And nothing would amuse Draco more than to rankle his father—he just seemed the type to enjoy blood sport.
"Joy, hand over the contract," Wilma said, boredom etched into the wrinkles on her face. "I would like to see what has you prolonging our time here."
Ginny's hopes lifted. Perhaps all that had been rumored would be true. If Lucius could get Wilma to agree to the contract, it would certainly be smooth sailing—if the rumors were true. She prayed to every God and deity out there that her sister-in-law would be correct. By the triumphant smirk on Lucius's face, Ginny knew he was thinking along the same lines as her.
"I was explaining to your daughter that Malfoy International would only require a thirty-five percent profit monthly—"
"With an added fee yearly for services rendered," Joy pointed out. "And with no approval of those fees or services, we would have no control over how much we are charged."
Lucius turned his attention back to Joy. "Any fee that you can prove was not beneficial to your company will be absorbed by Malfoy International."
Ginny resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Everyone knew that you couldn't win an argument against a Malfoy. It was almost impossible—especially in business.
"I think that sounds like a deal," Wilma said.
"Mother, I—"
"Sometimes I wish I had a son," Wilma said with a smile. She signed her name at the bottom of the contract with a flourish of her quill. "Now that the business is settled, Miss Weasley we should arrange tea. I've just gotten some inspiration for a new line of casual clothing. You will be my muse."
"Er—"
"I won't take no for an answer," Wilma said, waggling her finger at Ginny. "Your hair is divine. I think I have a whole new set of formalwear in mind. I just need to put my finger on it."
"Right," Ginny said, feigning gratitude. "I would love to. You have my address."
"I will be sure to contact you," Wilma said, grinning. She clapped her hands together. "Now that we're all set, I must excuse myself. I have a Portkey I need to catch to Rome in about an hour, and I desperately need to pack. Have you ever had gelato at the Trevi Fountain at night, Ms. Weasley? It's the best inspiration an old woman can find."
"It sounds beautiful," Ginny said.
"Oh it is," Wilma said. "Perhaps we'll have you pop over to Rome for a visit. You can stay with us at our estate in Rome."
"If I ever have a free weekend," Ginny said with a smile.
"It was a pleasure doing business with you, Mr. Malfoy," Wilma said.
Lucius kissed her hand. "You as well, Mrs. Gladrag. Mrs. Sang, I look forward to working with you in the future."
"Likewise," Joy said, obviously miffed about the contract.
The two women exited the small shop, and Lucius folded the contract, handing it to Ginny. "See that this gets to our Accounts department."
"Yes, Mr. Malfoy," Ginny said, placing it in her bag.
"A letter to the board would not be amiss either," Lucius mused. "Let them know we have secured the contract, and an onboarding team will be deployed to Gladrag's main office within the next two weeks."
Ginny scribbled the note down in her book. "Do you want the itinerary for Germany sent to you at home?"
"No, I will be in the office within the next hour," Lucius said, glancing at his watch. "I would like a copy of my schedule for the next week sent to my wife's assistant. Is it still Astoria?"
"As far as I am aware, yes," Ginny said. "Should I include Germany's itinerary as well?"
"Yes," Lucius said. "I imagine she will have to reschedule some of our social events."
"I will do it as soon as I get back to the office," Ginny said. She closed her book with a snap and set it into her bag. "Will that be all?"
"You may return to the office," Lucius said. "I have some business to attend to at Hogwarts."
"Yes, sir," Ginny said. She stood, and Lucius rose with her. "I will see you at the office."
"And Miss Weasley?"
Ginny turned to face him. "Sir?"
"Do remember to eat something," Lucius drawled. "I would hate to have your mother think that I am the reason you are fainting at your doorstep."
Mortified, Ginny's cheeks bloomed red. "Yes, of course."
"That is all," Lucius said with a smirk.
This was very much meant to be an episodic, slow-burn story. I know everyone is anxious for more DG interactions - and it will eventually come for better or for well, you know. So brace yourselves, the DG is coming.