Disclaimer - don't own Harry Potter
Now - House and elves
Chapter Twenty-One
Marcus flew his broom over Hermione's property in the watery dawn light. He'd woken up slightly before the sun rose, which wasn't entirely unusual for him. Marcus liked to run in the mornings and this morning he felt particularly restless. Rather than running, he dressed in warm flying gear. Marcus' father came into the kitchen while he was drinking a quick cup of tea and eating a light breakfast. He explained where he was going so early and his father offered to join him.
Hermione had bought herself a large piece of land, but Marcus and his father covered all of it. There were basic wards set up around the house, but they weren't complicated, and there was nothing preventing people from crossing into her property. Marcus and his father landed in the back gardens, which were in disrepair like the rest of the place.
"Hermione has a lot of good land here," his father observed, setting down his broom. "The stream is blocked in several places and will need to be cleared. The small lake front could use some attention too, especially if she wants to use the beach."
"I'm sure these gardens are infested with gnomes," Marcus said, looking around. "I saw some substantial Augurey nests too, which isn't really bad, but will be annoying when the rains come and those blasted birds cry. There are probably Bowtruckles, Fairies, and Dugbogs all over as well."
"There's a lot of potential here," his father noted. "It's good land with plenty of space."
Marcus pulled a small bag of scones out of his pocket and offered some to his father. They ate and Marcus told him about Adrian's idea. The four wizards had met up at Malfoy Manor the night before. Theo had gone there, exhausted and quite messy from trying to sort through the explosion, to talk to Draco about the impact of the disaster on their work. Adrian found Marcus and took him over there as well, so they could talk. They all agreed that fixing up the house so Hermione could at least stay there the coming weekend would be the best gift they could get her. Adrian and Draco arranged for pest control and repair wizards to come out to the house. A veritable army of House-elves was also supposed to descend upon the area as well. Just as Marcus was telling his father about the elf invasion, one of the Flint family elves popped into the garden next to them.
"Can Mipsy be getting anything for the Masters?" the little creature asked.
"Mipsy! When did you get here?" Marcus wondered. The elf had startled both of them.
"Mipsy is coming with all the others before the sun was rising up."
"How did you get past the wards?" Marcus' father wondered.
"Elves is not worrying about such things. It was only taking a few seconds to go through. The impressive Mister Nott, his house is taking minutes to get into."
Marcus wondered if Theo's dad had ever talked to their House-elves about wards. The little creatures didn't seem to find them at all daunting.
"How is it going inside?" Marcus wondered. "Will it take long to clean?"
"We will be finished cleaning today, Master. Elves is not lazy. The first floor is being done in the next two hours, upstairs by tea time, and then attics and cellar by dark."
Mipsy looked a little offended at the idea that it may take them some time to get the old house spic and span. Marcus just chuckled and shook his head. He always thought House-elves were a queer lot.
Marcus gave his broom to his father to take home and Apparated directly to Blaise's house. Blaise had sent Theo an owl late last night, letting him know Hermione wouldn't be returning to the castle, so he didn't worry.
Marcus strode into Blaise's dining room, his eyes automatically searching out his witch. She was just sitting down and Marcus glimpsed the tight black leather trousers she wore.
"Good morning, princess," he grinned. "Did you wear leather for me today?"
He bent down and kissed her sweet, plump lips. She always tasted good to him, like no one else. He sat in the chair next to her, resting his arm over the back of her chair. His fingers toyed absently with the soft fabric of the sleeve on her loose pink sweater. It was soft, like a baby rabbit.
"Good morning to you, too," Blaise called out from the other side of the table, pretending to be annoyed. Marcus gave him a nod. If Blaise's mother was there, she hadn't come down yet. It was early still.
"I don't really have any clothes here," Hermione explained, leaning into Marcus with a contented sigh. "I just have the things I bought last night. I'm meeting Susan at the house this afternoon and leather pants seemed the most practical option I had. I mostly bought dresses and accessories."
"And lingerie," Blaise smirked. "Don't forget all the lacy knickers you bought."
"I didn't buy that many knickers," she defended. "Serafina was quite opinionated about what lingerie is necessary for a witch, which is a lot apparently. I still didn't buy a third of her must-have pieces."
"I'll take you back for those 'must-have pieces' another day," Marcus said simply. Hermione chuckled and rolled her eyes.
The House-elf brought breakfast for everyone. They'd seen Marcus, even if he hadn't seen them. They talked and Hermione read the paper. As before, she was on the cover. There was a photograph of Hermione, Serafina, and Blaise having lunch and another of them talking to Mrs. Weasley. Marcus recognized the two witches with her as the slaggy daughter and Ron's girlfriend, who he sometimes took to Quidditch events. In the photo, Hermione looked animated and genuinely happy to see them. No one could accuse her of being bitter about losing that waste of a Weasley ex-fiancé she had.
"Had you met Weasley's... girlfriend before?" Marcus wondered aloud.
"I believe her title would be his 'Baby Mama,' as the Yanks say it," Blaise interjected.
"No, I hadn't ever met Ginger before," Hermione said, giving Blaise a disapproving look. "I heard about her a little bit from Harry and Pansy; and then again from Molly, Arthur, and George. She actually didn't even say anything when we met."
"I'm pretty sure I slept with her once, maybe twice," Marcus said. He didn't want Hermione thinking of witches he'd been with before, but if she was going to socialize with this Ginger witch it may be pertinent information. "She was a Quidditch groupie for years. I don't really remember her to be honest. I shagged a lot of groupies and I wasn't concerned with getting to know them. I do vaguely remember that she was a bit unhinged."
"Unhinged?" Hermione asked, brow furrowed.
"She worshiped Quidditch players, especially the famous ones," Marcus shrugged.
"Loads of kids and adults worship Quidditch players," Hermione argued. "They put posters up, buy jerseys, and bother them for autographs. When Viktor and I went out, someone always wanted to say hello to him even after he retired."
"All I know is that I recall her as being particularly mental about it," Marcus explained. "She would've done anything I asked of her, no matter what it was or whether she wanted to do it or not. A groupie can get hurt with an attitude like that. Not everyone is as... wholesome and honorable as I am."
Blaise snorted, but Marcus was being serious. Sure, he loved to shag and he'd done a lot of it, in private and in semi-public, with one partner and more than one. He knew of some wizards that were into some dangerous things. One fairly prominent Chaser for a well respected team liked to choke witches until they passed out and then have sex with them. There were wizards who could accidentally or purposefully hurt a groupie who was too naive or eager to please. He couldn't really recall Ginger specifically, but he bet she was the latter.
"Well, if she wasn't equipped to handle it, then I'm glad she got out of that lifestyle before anything bad happened," Hermione said firmly.
"She ended up having Weasel spawn," Blaise said, a sour look on his face. "I'd say something bad did happen."
"Hey, I was with Ron for over a year!" Hermione pointed out. "He isn't all bad."
"The youngest Mr. Weasley is a true dunderhead," Snape said from the doorway, alerting them all to his presence. "I've always chalked up your poor judgment to posttraumatic stress from the war."
Hermione rolled her eyes at Snape's comment, but Marcus thought he was right on track. Snape and Hermione exchanged a brief kiss on the cheek and their former professor sat down. Soon, Serafina glided into the room and bid everyone good morning.
An owl came in for Hermione that Marcus recognized as a Malfoy family owl. It turned out Draco and Theo would be meeting with Aurors all morning. The explosion looked like deliberate arson, not an accident, which was disturbing. Draco also invited Hermione over to the Manor for dinner that night, so he and Theo could spend some time with her.
"But who did it?" Hermione wondered as she wrote a note back, accepting the dinner invitation.
"The Malfoys are a powerful family," Serafina reported.
"Some people still think they didn't really reform and help end the war," Snape supplied.
"Or it could be a disgruntled employee or business contact," Marcus asserted. "They don't make millions of Galleons for winning popularity contests. If they get a good deal, somebody else may have got a bad deal."
Hermione looked upset.
"They're used to it, princess," Marcus soothed. "Lucius, Narcissa, and Draco can handle themselves better than most."
"Their association with you is good public relations for them," Snape noted casually, sipping his tea. "If the Sorceress approves of them that will be enough for everyone."
Hermione still looked upset, but there wasn't much to be done about it. The Malfoys were who they were, which had definite bonuses for them, but also some serious negatives. If Draco and his family were going to be part of her life, then Hermione had to learn what that meant. Just like it meant that she would learn to deal with Nott Sr.'s eccentric behavior, with Arabella Pucey's well-intentioned and usually helpful assistance, and with his own parents, who were more gregarious than Marcus would choose to be himself.
The rest of the morning was sufficiently distracting though. Before Marcus had arrived, Hermione owled members of her research team and invited them to Blaise's house for discussion of the second ritual. The old Japanese fellow showed up with his Russian student, who Marcus could only just tolerate. Selma and Bouchard came over as well as Percy and that annoying Figgelowe witch. Marcus had gone through the ritual with her the day before, so he only paid partial attention.
Bouchard and Snape were discussing the finer points of the potion Hermione would have to drink. Selma was working through Arithmancy equations for the different variables. Figgelowe was supposed to be helping her, but from what Marcus could hear Selma was frustrated at having to correct the other witch's work. Marcus didn't care as long as Figgelowe stayed away from him.
Hermione, Kobayashi, and the Russian were discussing all the aspects of the ritual and thinking philosophically about the end goal, which was to meld Hermione's magic with her mind. Blaise and his mother were talking about publicity and crowd control. Marcus was interested in the latter and in anything having to do with his princess' safety. Percy was going from group to group, planning and making sure everyone had what they needed.
When lunchtime arrived, Percy and Figgelowe left. Percy would meet Hermione at her house later that afternoon, but they wouldn't have to see Figgelowe until the next day. She would spend her afternoon tracking down supplies.
Figgelowe had been watching Marcus like a hawk. He was sure if he'd gone to use the loo, she would've followed him. As far as Marcus was concerned, they had nothing to say to each other and never had. Blaise provided lunch to the rest of them and they had a nice, companionable meal.
Snape suggested Hermione have another Occlumency exercise when she was done eating. The noise and chatter from the others eating would be a good distraction. Snape also suggested that someone randomly deliver a stinging hex or something else uncomfortable to Hermione, since she may have to deal with physical discomfort during the ritual. Marcus scowled and the other wizards in the room looked extremely reluctant to volunteer for that job. No one wanted to hurt Hermione.
"Oh, you all are such babies," Selma huffed, rolling her eyes. "She's not fragile."
Marcus frowned while Hermione practiced her Occlumency. She seemed to do well, even with Selma and, later, Serafina, sending uncomfortable hexes her way. He recognized spells for stinging and itching hexes. They also blew strong wind around her, made her hot, and made her cold. The two witches were much more creative and devilish than Marcus could've been. Apparently, it was just what Hermione needed though. She worked hard and kept Snape out for longer than she had the day before.
Snape declared her mind in excellent shape and told her to get out and do something else totally unrelated to the ritual for a while. That was their cue to Apparate over to Hermione's new house. Marcus took her side-along while everyone else went about his or her business. Hermione didn't want to show the house to too many people until it was cleaned up. She had no idea that the house was already substantially cleaner than it had been just that morning. Hermione was meeting her designer, Susan Bones, but she didn't know that Adrian would be there as well. She thought he was in court all day, but it had just been the early morning.
From the outside, Hermione's new house didn't look different, but the gardens and yards would come later. Hermione held onto Marcus' hand and led him through her front door. The change inside was impressive and Marcus had a new appreciation for the house right away. The stone floors gleamed and the walls were dust-free. Now Marcus was able to notice the silvery blue of the stone and the detailed molding on the walls. The large crystal chandelier was much brighter without the cobwebs and dust as well.
"What happened?" Hermione whispered, looking around wide-eyed.
"We had it cleaned for you," Adrian said from a doorway. Hermione whirled around to look at him, still holding Marcus' hand.
"Do you like it?" Marcus asked. Some witches could be funny about doing things themselves, but he thought she would appreciate this. "We wanted you to be able to see underneath all the grime when you plan the house."
"I love it," Hermione beamed. She threw her arms around Marcus and gave him an enthusiastic kiss.
"Hey, it was my idea," Adrian teased, coming to stand next to them. With Marcus still gripping her waist, she turned and gave Adrian an equally intense kiss.
"Oh! I'm so sorry! I'll just... um, wait outside."
Marcus turned to see the witch Hermione hired to help her fix up the house. Susan Bones was supposed to coordinate and implement everything Hermione wanted.
"No, stay, Susan!" Hermione called to the retreating witch, halting her progress. Hermione gave Marcus a little shove so that he would release her, so he did, reluctantly. Hermione stepped away from the two wizards and waved for Susan to return.
"Please come in," Hermione continued. "You're right on time. Do you remember Adrian Pucey and Marcus Flint from school? You may have seen Marcus lurking about yesterday, but I didn't have a chance to introduce you to everyone. This is Susan Bones."
"Yes, I do remember." Susan smiled. "It's nice to see you again, Mr. Flint and Mr. Pucey."
"Call us Marcus and Adrian," Ades volunteered.
Marcus surveyed the witch. She was average height and had a nice body. Her dark red hair was braided and bundled up on her head. In the past, she may have been someone he looked at twice. Now though, he was concerned with whether this witch would make his princess happy. Marcus vaguely recognized her from school, but her last name was very familiar. She was probably related to the Bones person who worked in the Ministry all those years ago who Voldemort had killed. Nearly everyone had been personally touched by the war in some way.
"This looks to be in much better shape than I thought it would be, given what you said yesterday," Susan noted, looking around the front hall.
"It was horrid," Adrian reported. "We are having it cleaned for Hermione. The first and second floors are clean. They are now working in the cellar and attics."
"Who is working?" Hermione asked.
"House-elves," Marcus reported. She began to look a little disapproving. "Before we get a lecture, it was strictly voluntary. The Nott and Pucey homes are almost entirely deserted. They jumped at the chance to help 'the wonderful, most giving Sorceress.' There are a few volunteers from Malfoy Manor and Flint Lodge that wanted to come bask in your glory as well."
"As long as it was voluntary," Hermione said, digging her elbow into Marcus' ribs.
"I had a pest control wizard out a few hours ago as well," Adrian reported. "There was quite a Doxy infestation in the attic, but that was it for the house. Your gardens are teeming with gnomes, but most of the outer buildings were okay; just some minor issues."
Hermione led Susan through the house. Marcus knew elves excelled at housework, but the change was amazing. Every nook and cranny was immaculate. There weren't any cobwebs or specks of dust. There was some furniture, but not much, and it was also clean. They came upon the elves in the cellar and attic. They were thrilled to see Hermione and then became almost delirious from her praise.
After walking through the house, they settled at a small table with mismatched chairs in one of the drawing rooms. Hermione pulled out a small scroll from her bag and Adrian enlarged it for her. The parchments were a map of the house, all four floors, and the entire grounds. Susan used a duplicating spell to make a copy, then she and Hermione began planning. Hermione informed the designer what function she wanted the rooms to serve. She, Ades, and Susan talked about wall colors, flooring, drapes, furniture, and other such things that were entirely boring to Marcus. Instead, he only half listened and studied the maps of the surrounding lands. Hermione had a very big place.
Percy Weasley arrived and interrupted, but it seemed to Marcus that they had already discussed everything to death. He probably didn't have the highest tolerance for interior design. As long as he was comfortable, it wasn't something he took much notice of.
Percy had used the influence of the Ministry to get Hermione's house connected to the Floo network without having to wait. All she had to do was choose whom she wanted to grant access to. Hermione made a list and passed it to Percy so he could configure the Floo in her front hallway. Marcus saw that he, Ades, Draco, and Theo made the list, along with Harry and Pansy, Luna, McGonagall, Selma, and Snape.
"I've brought eight applicants from the displaced House-elf assistance program," Percy reported. Susan left to take measurements while Hermione selected House-elves.
"That's so many," Hermione observed. "Blaise only has two."
"Blaise only has a townhouse," Marcus argued. "You have this massive place. While it's just you now, it won't be after the third ritual. You'll need at least four elves, depending on how much work on the grounds you want done. If you are going to have orchards or a large kitchen garden, then the outdoors could be the dedicated work of one elf by itself."
Hermione nodded, looking thoughtful. Marcus didn't really understand her reluctance at having House-elves. He heard that Muggles sometimes have people to clean their houses and take care of their children. Hermione would pay her elves as Muggles did with their servants, so what was the problem? Being Muggle-born, maybe she didn't know that the little creatures actually liked serving others. It made them proud and not letting them do things for you could be very insulting.
"I wouldn't want to overburden the elves," she acknowledged. "This is a big place to take care of."
"I was thinking you may hire between four or six elves," Percy offered. Adrian nodded his agreement. "Shall I bring them in?"
"One at a time," Hermione instructed.
What followed was a parade of elves the likes of which Marcus had never seen. The first was the smallest adult elf he'd ever encountered. She was dressed entirely in pink, from tiny tights on her legs to a little pink dress and a small pink beret. Her name was Nipsy and she had spent several decades attending to a single witch with no family. The witch had been editor of the European Journal of Arithmancy, so Nipsy could read, sort correspondence, as well as be a lady's maid. She seemed like a sweet, knowledgeable little thing, but Marcus thought it would be hard for her to find a place. Not a lot of wizards wanted an elf who could read and may know more than they did about any subject.
The second elf was a gnarled old creature named Bobo. He wore a suit made out of what looked like burlap. It turned out Bobo only spoke German, but so did Ades and Marcus. Adrian's father took the family to Austria often. Marcus' parents enjoyed the Bavarian Alps in the winters, so they generally went skiing over Christmas. Bobo worked outside, primarily growing fruit and vegetables. The family he worked for sold the farmland for residential development, so they had no place for Bobo. He wasn't particularly civilized and he didn't fit in well inside the home, but he knew a lot about agriculture.
The next was a pair of elves, Fancy and Dancy. Dancy was a juvenile elf and Fancy was his mother. The tiny baby elf was standing behind his mother, peeking out from behind her crisp checkered pinafore. The people that owned Fancy didn't want any more elves and were displeased when Fancy had a baby. House-elf children were freakishly self-sufficient, but they couldn't work independently for several years. While Marcus always thought baby House-elves were a good investment, some wizards didn't want to pay to feed and house an elf that wasn't going to pull its own weight for some time. They gave Fancy clothes for herself and the baby, then put her out. Fancy still looked despondent over losing her place, which made Hermione clearly upset. Marcus was certain she would take in the pair; and if she ever found out who abandoned them, she would give them a piece of her mind.
Nobby came in next and he was the most put together elf Marcus had ever seen. He wore tiny trousers with a waistcoat and shoes with spats. Nobby held his head up high and looked entirely like a little gentleman. He was also quite tall and Marcus knew exactly why he didn't have a place to belong. He was probably part goblin, maybe a quarter, and not as naturally servile as a regular House-elf. Most wizards wouldn't want an elf like that and it was probable that he'd been abandoned at birth. Hermione asked him questions and he spoke well, better than elves usually did. Nobby hadn't ever worked for a family or household before, but he had worked in housekeeping at the Ministry. Nobby could also read, write, and made sure all the supplies were ordered for his floor at the Ministry. Hermione asked why he wanted to leave what sounded like a good job and Marcus could've sworn the big elf blushed. Nobby always wanted to work for a house, it was a big part of his elf nature, and he felt a longing to be part of family. Marcus knew that elves were intensely social, so it must've been hard for this one to have been on his own so much.
The next elf was a painfully shy looking female named Poppy. She was dressed in a bright floral smock and trembled just being in the room with the four people. Hermione knelt down in front of her and had Poppy turn her back to the others. His princess spoke in low, soothing tones and the elf's responses were even quieter. From what Marcus caught, it seemed the shy little thing was given away by the wizards that owned her because they'd wanted a servant and Poppy was too shy to be around people. She inevitably spilled or did something wrong because she was so nervous. Poppy was quite ashamed. Hermione asked about her floral smock and Poppy admitted her love of flowers. Talking about flowers was the only time Poppy didn't look entirely petrified.
A wildly colorful elf named Kiki came in next. This female was wearing every color of the rainbow. A red ribbon was tied around her head. Her sweater was yellow with orange stars, while her trousers were green and blue striped. Bright purple slippers were on her feet. Kiki cooked and kept the kitchens for a large family, most of whom perished in the war. She was placed at Hogwarts after that, but it was hard for Kiki to be one of many when she used to be in charge of the whole kitchen. Marcus thought this one would be very helpful to Hermione.
The last elf was a very young adult male named Frissy. He couldn't have been considered an adult for more than a year. He was dressed in a kilt and vest. He looked embarrassed and had a hard time making any sort of eye contact. It turned out that Frissy had been abandoned in Scotland as a baby. Marcus would've guessed that he was in a similar position as Fancy and Dancy, but his mother either chose not to keep him or was not allowed to. He spent several years on his own, wild, before he was found and taken to the Ministry. Since then, Frissy was learning how to live with others. He seemed embarrassed because he had no skills. He didn't grow up in a house or even with other elves to observe, so he didn't know how to cook or clean. Marcus thought this elf would have a hard time being hired on anywhere. Who wants an elf that can't do anything? Apparently, Hermione did.
"I can't choose between them!" Hermione lamented after Frissy left the room. "They all need a place and I have a place that needs elves. How can I turn any one of them away?"
"Well, some of them clearly have issues," Marcus pointed out. Hermione glared at him. "I'm not saying there is something wrong with them, just that there are obvious reasons why they have no place. Many wizards would consider Nipsy too smart for her own good. People don't like smart elves."
"Well, I do!" Hermione frowned.
"Bobo almost can't be considered a House-elf," Adrian pointed out. "He's an outdoor elf."
"I have loads of land for him," Hermione countered.
"Nobby is clearly not purely elf," Percy reported. "He's most likely part Goblin. That makes many wizards uncomfortable. He won't serve without question; he'll have his own opinions and ideas."
"As well he should," Hermione huffed, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Poppy will be too shy to be of use around people and Frissy doesn't know how to do anything at all," Marcus pointed out. Again, Hermione glared at him. "I'm just pointing out the obvious, princess. I'm not saying you shouldn't take them."
"Well, I'm going to take them all," Hermione said defiantly. Marcus chuckled. He knew she would. "Percy, can you call them all back in now."
Percy nodded and went to get the elves. They all filed in behind him.
"Thank you all for coming today," Hermione said. "I would like to hire all of you, if you are willing to come and work here. Let me tell you about the terms before you decide. Every Friday, you will be given a Galleon for the work you do here. You will be given a free day once a week, although we will have to coordinate a schedule so everyone is not off on the same day. There will be bedrooms for each of you in the attic. These are negotiable terms, as are your suggested duties. I'll tell you each your duties and in return, you tell me if you accept, have any changes to these terms, and when you can start. Kiki, I'd like to start with you. I would like to hire you to cook and manage the kitchens."
"That is being perfect, Missy Sorceress! I can be starting tonight," Kiki beamed, but then she looked a little concerned. Hermione nodded to her encouragingly. "I is just… I can be sleeping in the cupboards. I is not needing a room upstairs."
"I'm afraid I insist that all elves here have a proper room. You are all free elves and are entitled to your own space, at least a small place sleep and to store your clothes," Hermione said. "But, if I recall, the kitchen has several attached pantries and storage rooms. May I convert one of the storage rooms to a bedroom for you so you can still be in the kitchen?"
Kiki nodded enthusiastically.
"Nobby, I'm afraid I have a lot to ask of you," Hermione said seriously. "I'd like to put you in charge of the entire main floor, except the kitchen since that will be Kiki's domain. That means you would keep the first floor clean and greet guests. I would also like you to be in charge of ordering household supplies, everything from cleaning products to food for the kitchen. You will need to coordinate with Kiki and the others on a regular basis to make sure everyone has what they need. In a way, you will have the most responsibility. As we get to know each other, and if you agree, I hope that you will be in charge of managing the household and making sure it runs smoothly."
"It would be my honor, Madam," Nobby bowed. "I appreciate your faith in my abilities. The wages and time off is acceptable, as are the accommodations. I need to gather my things and can begin tomorrow."
"Bobo and Poppy, I would like the two of you to manage the grounds," Hermione reported. Marcus translated what she said into German for Bobo. "Specifically, I'd want Bobo to be in charge of the orchards and kitchen gardens, while Poppy focuses on the flowers and decorative gardens. Since Poppy doesn't have a lot of experience working outdoors, I want Bobo to provide her with guidance. Is that acceptable?"
Poppy nodded quickly, a small smile on her face. She quietly murmured that she could move in that night and get started at dawn. Bobo was able to move in right away, but he was not comfortable sleeping in the house. Hermione reluctantly agreed to let him sleep in one of the old sheds, but she insisted on cleaning and renovating it in the near future.
"Fancy, I would like you and Dancy to work primarily on the second floor," Hermione told the pair. "It's a big job because there are a lot of rooms, but most of the twelve bedrooms will be unoccupied. You will also be in charge of the linens and laundry though."
"Yes, Missy Sorceress. Thank you, Missy Sorceress," Fancy said, managing a half smile. "I would like to share a room with Dancy. He is young still."
"Of course." Hermione nodded before turning to the tiny elf in pink. "Nipsy, I would like you to be my personal assistant. You would help me on a daily basis, except on your day off, of course. You would help me organize the post, manage my library, and assist with my calendar. Is this agreeable to you?"
"Of course, Missy Sorceress." Nipsy smiled. "I have a few things to be packing and I can be coming first thing tomorrow."
"Lastly, Frissy," Hermione smiled, "I would like you to live here and assist the others. I understand you haven't had an opportunity to be around other elves and learn various skills. You will help Kiki with at least one meal a day and help Nobby clean a room on the first floor once day. That way you will learn to cook and clean. Once a week, you will help Fancy with laundry, Poppy with the flower gardens, and Bobo with the grounds, so you can learn those skills as well. Once a week, I want you to meet with Nipsy or Nobby to learn how to read. In fact, I encourage any of you interested in reading to learn how. I know it's a lot to do, Frissy, but it would be the best way to learn. After you become proficient in these things, we can discuss changing your duties as needed."
"Thank you, Missy," Frissy smiled. "I will be learning everything and making Missy proud. I will be starting tonight!"
"Wonderful!" Hermione smiled at the elves. "Thank you all so much for coming. I look forward to working with you. I don't have a place to sleep here, so I won't be staying the night, but I will see you all tomorrow."
Percy and the elves filed out and Marcus pulled Hermione onto his lap. He buried his face in the crook of her neck, inhaling her scent. She would have to leave soon if she was going to be on time for dinner at Malfoy Manor. He and Adrian got to play with their witch the night before last. It was wonderful to spend time with his princess. Marcus knew how cranky he got when he didn't have a chance to be around her for a while, so he knew how Draco and Theo must feel. Having had to deal with an explosion and Aurors for two days now, his friends needed the balm that was their witch.
Adrian sat close to them and brought Hermione's hand up to his face. She smiled at the other wizard and he pressed her palm into his cheek.
"Happy, kitten?" Ades asked.
"Very much so." She smiled.
"Oh, sorry - again," Susan said from the doorway. "I'll come back later."
"Come in, Susan," Hermione called, chuckling.
"If you are going to spend time here, you're going to have to get used to Hermione being surrounded," Adrian said, flashing his winning smile at the other witch. Marcus watched her instantly smile back and almost involuntarily swoon. Ades had that affect on witches.
"If it makes you uncomfortable, it's okay to say it," Hermione kindly pointed out. "Not everyone likes public displays of affection."
"No, it doesn't bother me. I just don't want to intrude on something private," Susan explained.
"When it gets private, we'll let you know, and you can leave," Marcus informed her. Hermione smacked him lightly on the arm. Maybe it sounded a bit rude, but he was serious. They had precious little time with their witch and he wasn't going to waste any of it.
"I'd really like to stay here tomorrow night if at all possible, Susan," Hermione said.
"I think it should be possible, pending anything unforeseen occurring," Susan nodded, pulling out her notebook. "The house is clean and ready. There are some things to fix, but nothing too big. I can get the crew in here tomorrow to update the kitchen and your bathroom as we talked about. I can also get you room painted at least and have that bed you found delivered."
"I also want one of the storage rooms in the kitchen converted to a bedroom for a House-elf," Hermione instructed. "And I'll need five more elf rooms in the attic. I know most elves aren't used to having a room, but I insist that they be real bedrooms. They each need at least a cupboard for their clothes, a bed, some shelving, and a chair. Two of the elves can read and write, so they may want desks as well. One of the five bedrooms is for two elves, a mother, and her young son, so they will need furniture for both. Some of them will be here tonight, but they can find places to sleep. I would like their rooms to be done soon though."
Susan nodded and began writing notes.
"You have to get going, kitten, or you'll be late," Adrian pointed out, somewhat reluctantly. "We can stay here with Susan and answer any questions about the elves."
"Thank you," Hermione smiled. She leaned over and gave Adrian a sweet kiss goodbye before turning in Marcus' lap to do the same. Marcus didn't release her when she first tried to pull back. He wasn't one for quick, perfunctory goodbye kisses. There was nothing wrong with giving his witch something to think about when they were apart. When he did let her go, his princess looked breathless and dizzy, so he felt he'd done the job correctly.
Marcus walked her to the front hall and watched her Floo away to Malfoy Manor.
"She is most definitely going to be staying here tomorrow night," Adrian was telling Susan when Marcus returned. "Draco, Marcus, Theo, and I want to give her that. We want her to be able to move in here tomorrow night and be perfectly comfortable, not just with the bare minimum. That means her bedroom will be entirely finished, as will the attached bath."
"The kitchen needs to be functional as well," Marcus added as he sat back in his seat. "To move in tomorrow, she will need one of the sitting rooms finished as well as the dining room and one of the main floor bathrooms."
"That's a lot of work to be done in a day," Susan said, her brow furrowing. The witch was obviously figuring and planning in her head. "The plumbing needs some fixing, the flooring needs to be replaced upstairs, and all the rooms you are talking about need paint, furniture, drapes, and a number of other things."
"At my request, Selma Turan has arranged for her things to be shipped from Turkey. She left most everything there in storage when she came," Adrian reported. "It will be here tomorrow morning first thing. Two of the Nott family elves are bringing over her belongs from the Castle tonight. Two of the Pucey family elves are fetching the things she left at Spinner's End tonight as well. Hire extra workers to get everything done tomorrow and send us the bill. Money is not a concern. If you need to pay the plumbers extra to get more on the job and work overtime, then do it."
"Also, the elves she's hired will all be here by tomorrow," Marcus said. "Put them to work. If you need more help, we can get you more elves as well. Most of the rooms don't need to be touched yet, but she will need those rooms I listed. When we say we want this place ready, we mean ready down to the last detail. Her room will be set up and the bed will be made. There will be towels for the bathroom, food in the kitchen, and all the supplies she will need."
"Got it," Susan said, sitting up a bit straighter. "I'll get it done."
Adrian smile and Marcus nodded. He appreciated competence and Susan seemed ready to rise to the challenge.
Next - Draco & Theo