Working for the Dragon
Chapter 5. Narcissa Malfoy: Change is good?
Whoever thought that change is good was obviously living in denial. He or she was definitely delusional. You know the kind where you make up your own happy place in your mind and you drift off there when your life, in reality sucks? Yeah, that's it.
The truth is that change reeks! Oh I'll get over with my moaning and get straight to the point. The glamorous, most unbelievable point is that, I miss Malfoy.
Yes, I, Ginevra Mollyanne Weasley sound of mental health and contractual capacity hereby admit that I miss Draco Malfoy. Actually, I'm not too sure about the 'sound of mental health' part since I actually do miss him.
It's weird how Malfoy Empire just doesn't feel right without him. I feel so… empty, like there is nothing to look forward to at work. I suppose I got used to his air of superiority, arrogant smirk and his annoying way of teasing me in the mornings.
I miss him so much; I was a step away from putting my foot down and writing him a letter, begging him to return. Hell, I even had one drafted in my bag just begging me to owl it.
This is how it goes…
Dear Malfoy,
Your mother…Okay wait… Let me change that, it just looks vulgar for some reason. Well, I can't believe that I'm writing this but oh bloody hell… I MISS YOU! Please get your hot Slytherin ass here soon. Your mother is driving me ballistic. Your sarcastic remarks are all that I have that would get me through the day.
Missing your badass comments,
Ginny
P.S: I love your mum, I just HATE tea parties.
Letters are supposed to help you vent out your frustrations and all the other angsty feelings stored in your mind. I learnt that in therapy. My counselor, bless her heart told me that writing how I felt in a journal basically helped to unburden my soul. I hadn't the heart to tell her then that it was a journal that had gotten me into therapy in the first place. Hence, I opted to scribbling my feelings on a spare bit of parchment thus constructing letters.
What the hell was he actually doing in Argentina anyway?
Now for the blasted why-I-hate-tea-parties part.
Anyone would think that because I'm not a Malfoy and I'm present at a tea party, I do not have to be involved in any way apart from standing behind Narcissa. Anyone thought wrong apparently.
Thank Merlin that its winter and indoors or else I'd have personally ran away if it was summer. So right now, my basic job is to stand like behind her or at least relatively near her like a bodyguard or something, that is until all the phony ladies are done flaunting the effectiveness and elegance of their personal secretaries by making us serve the scones and stuff.
As though we're like their daughter-in-laws or something. Hmmm… Come to think of it, who knows they could be practicing? Good lord, did I just say that?
Oh well, whatever it is, I really pitied Malfoy's future wife every time I attended one of these blasted gatherings.
It's so bad; it's like being made to stand in the History of Magic class with Professor Binns droning on. And the gossip that they dish out, oh for the love of all that is holy, those people were in love. Leave them alone, eloping is as romantic as having a traditional wedding.
I guess I make it sound like serving scones downgrades my dignity but oh trust me, I'd do anything to serve scones. Too bad Narcissa Malfoy believes that true elegance lies in pouring tea and uses me to show off. Well, not quite now.
I'm horrible at remembering to hold the lid when it comes to pouring tea. So well, the first time Narcissa had gestured for me to take charge, I had stepped forward to serve the snob squad tea and had completely forgotten to hold the lid of the porcelain teapot, it had fallen into Mrs Greengrass's tea cup and she had turned her nose at me with utter disdain written all over her face as it had splashed on her expensive dress robes.
I had shrugged and apologized though not really meaning it. She was so snooty, turning up her nose at every little thing, my goodness! Not to mention that she was trying to hook her youngest daughter, Astoria up with Malfoy since her elder daughter, Daphne Greengrass was happily married to Theodore Nott, fellow silent and as good as non-existent Slytherin.
That's not all though, I have to wear heels with those elegant pastel muggle clothing. It was a requirement. On my very first day of work when I had reported to Narcissa, the very next day after the decision of me joining her had been made.
She had taken one look at me and said "Oh dear, Ginevra, this outfit will not do, not at all."
Obviously I had been wearing one of my hideous, old school robes. And not old school as in school uniform, old school as in the kind that little girls wore. I seriously preferred Malfoy's reaction over her horrified one. She made me feel as though I was Quasimodo, the hunch back of Notre Dame. I loved that story.
She explained her terms and conditions to me, apparently it was very important for her personal assistant to look as though she had just stepped right off the cover from Wizard Vogue. Oops! I didn't have the capacity to afford the latest wizard clothing on my own despite receiving a huge ass salary from the dragon himself only a day earlier.
When I had explained my situation to her despite not emphasizing on where my salary had strangely disappeared to, she had shaken her head and instructed me to wear muggle clothing until I had enough savings to afford myself a new wizard wardrobe.
I obviously couldn't tell her that I donated 5000 freaking galleons to an orphanage in Diagon Alley, rich people fainted hearing this kind of stuff. Well, yeah, that was what I did with my very first salary and in my defence, they deserved it.
The night took over me as I left Malfoy Empire deciding that I needed a walk to calm myself down after the emotional torture that I had just endured. It may not have seemed as much but believe me, I was mentally and physically drained.
The night sky was dark and cloudy with snow falling rapidly just like cold feather that melted upon touch, I could not seek comfort from the frost at all although it cleared my mind. Tightening my thin obviously obsolete cloak around me, I walked down the bright and merry streets of Diagon Alley feeling the exact opposite of the brightness that the magical fairy lights were conveying.
My head hurt and so did my heart. It was a conspiracy, a scandal that threatened their lives. And for what purpose? Wealth? Fame? That too through dishonesty? My mind was a muddled up mess of its own. The cool air did little to clear my head as I walked down the streets, disturbed.
I could not let go of what I had seen, definitely. I may not be like the Dream Team, having the need to save every being from evil clutches but there was a reason why I overheard this. There was a message out there, something I had yet to comprehend.
And that was when I heard them, the orphans. They stood at the door of the orphanage, a magnificently designed home for children who had lost their parents during the devastating war that changed the fate of the wizarding world. They sang like angels, their voices reflecting in the night sky holding candles that glowed with warmth, inviting me in.
I recognized it as 'Silent Night' one of the muggle Christmas carols that I used to sing as a little girl to my family. I had learnt it in muggle kindergarten. It signified innocence, protection, hope, faith and so many other emotions that it had conveyed.
That was my message; it was up to me to determine the Malfoy fate. That, I had already known but at the same time, it gave me strength, faith and determination that Malfoy Empire was solely under my protection now and only I could stop evil from succeeding.
Tears formed in my eyes as I stared at their seraphic faces that were filled with radiant hope. I had found answers to my dilemma. There was nothing more than a happy Christmas when the joy you received was from others. They needed the money more than I did. I'd make do somehow without my wardrobe; I survived a month after all.
Clutching my velvet bag that was filled with jingling gold, I marched right into the orphanage and walked towards a lady whom I figured was their guide, nanny, whatever.
"Merry Christmas, they need this more than I do." I smiled feeling at peace as I thought about the littlest joys that they would be receiving.
Without another thought, I walked out of the place not giving her a chance at all to stop me. Looking back before I decided to apparate as much as I hated to, I saw the name of the organization that had given me my answer. 'ANGELI'
It was truly heaven sent.
Yeah, I know 5000 galleons. It wasn't much of a big deal, back in the Hogwarts days having this kind of money was considered having a fortune but recently, with the boom in the wizard economy, it was just considered a good salary, not something you could actually set your life with. My family earned more than I did, definitely.
So back to my point, if there was one, it was now decided that I was going to keep an eye on Audrina and Goyle which I did, seriously. I was even planning to take Tonk's advice regarding this matter later, when I met her. I figured, she'd be able to let me in on the Gerald McDomer case which I had a feeling, had a connection with this case.
Now, if only this blasted tea parties would end. If I were the Minister for Magic, I'd place a ban on tea parties. Thanks to Narcissa Malfoy, my daily office wear plus tea party wear consisted of pencil skirts which were knee length, silk blouses and heels which, mind you, were stilettos. And Fleurs's Marvin Choque's. I was so screwed.
They were in a terrible state, if shoes could cry, they'd beg to be taken away from me. I was the human version of the Cruciatus curse for them. My ankles were hurting really terribly from all that stumbling that I had been doing all around these days. Every time I decreased the length of my heels, Narcissa would somehow notice and increase it for me. Life is so unfair.
But then again, life was never ever fair was it?
I wonder how Natricia tolerated Narcissa's idiosyncracies, they were beyond my level of tolerance.
Just another hour, c'mon Gin, you can do this. There is no point imagining you flicking buns at Mrs Greengrass's head.
I stared hopelessly at my maroon leather strapped pocket watch that rested on my left wrist, it had been a gift from Charlie for my sixteenth birthday and I treasured it like all the other materialistic possessions that I had which mind you, were very little. Time flew when you were having fun, or were really busy to even take a look at the time, why couldn't I have accompanied Malfoy to Argentina or something?
Today just simply felt excruciatingly long. I groaned mentally to myself, if being affluent meant I had to host tea parties and house snobs, than I'd rather be poor and sane.
-"Of course, Narcissa, today's societal meeting was brilliant." Mrs Greengrass was all about false praises for Narcissa when their group discussion finally ended. Societal, my foot!
They were hardly discussing the benefits of the society; at least Narcissa could not be bothered to cackle evilly at their snide comments, she just smiled elegantly and preferred not to part take in such degrading conversations instead giving diplomatic opinions when approached. She was the true epitome of elegance and class.
Despite Mrs Greengrass's comments that insinuated a horrible tea party hosted on Narcissa's part, I could tell that there was just a little demon in her that was green with envy, it had been a huge success, the food, and ambience. Heck, I would have ignored them all and munched on buttered scones if I had my way.
"Shall we proceed, Ginny?" Narcissa smiled at me encouragingly much to the horror of her obnoxious friends. Most of them didn't even give a damn about their secretaries anyway. Voldermort could pop right out and pull an avada and none of them would be phased, instead, they'd be babbling about so and so's family downfall.
"I'm ready if you are." I said, stifling a yawn, it had been one of those days where doing nothing just completely exhausted you. Or I suppose it could have been because of the constant rambling that was going on in my mind. It had after all been scientifically proven that too much thinking was mentally exhausting.
I was dead beat, though there was nothing new about that fact.
"You look tired, dear." Narcissa voiced out to me, concerned as I stifled a yawn for the second time within the last three minutes.
"It's been a long couple of days." I replied, sneakily implying that tea parties bored me to death. Of course, I didn't want her to know that, Narcissa only hired people whom she felt would be passionate about their jobs. Clearly though, I had failed in this case.
"You are not used to all these societal gatherings are you?" She smiled at me slyly, strongly reminding me of Malfoy and making me get that sad and empty feeling every time I had the sense of realization that he was somewhere in Argentina.
I shook my head, reluctant to admit. Her smile deepened, -"You know what I really like about you, Ginevra?"
She was the only one who could call me by my full name and make it sound classic.
I arched an eyebrow in doubt, what was there possibly that she could like, I had basically just admitted that I hated what I was currently stuck doing. With her, every moment felt like a year, with Malfoy, time flew by just like that; I was always absorbed in whatever I was doing.
"You hate what you're doing right now, yet somehow you are so determined to get it right. You are good for my Draco. "
I looked at her in confusion, wanting her to explain whatever she just told me, it had not made any sense at all. It felt more like she was voicing her thoughts out loud to herself than to me. To each, his own oh well. Still, what the hell does 'you are good for my Draco' mean?
And speaking of beloved Draco, who is probably having a boom time in Argentina, I had a message to pass on to her.
"Krystella came by at the office, yesterday." I mentioned it casually wondering if Malfoy's mother knew about his latest girl toy.
"Krystella?" She stiffened at the sound of that brat's name.
"Malfoy's latest conquest." I explained rather sarcastically rolling my eyes to myself, wondering what on earth he saw in her. I mean, apart from her bodacious figure it was confirmed that whatever was left of her brain did not reside in her skull but instead had chosen to live in her breasts.
"Make sure she doesn't get past security the next time." Narcissa said coldly. She looked furious after I brought the topic on Krystella.
Phew! Not getting past security next time? My goodness, Narcissa Malfoy had just spoken like a diva.
I guess Narcissa couldn't stand Krystella as much as I could.
I nodded my head, making mental notes and casting a charm to actually make sure that they stayed around in my head.
Nowadays, my memory was so bad; I actually considered dropping by at Hogwarts and asking Neville ahem Professor Longbottom if he could lend me his remembrall.
Seriously though, if such charms were not restricted in school, everyone would have gotten fantastic grades for the OWLs and NEWTs. I mean, not everyone in school was like Draco Malfoy or Hermione Granger, scoring nearly perfect marks.
"What are you thinking about, Ginevra?" Narcissa asked as we both now sat at her barely used cabin at Malfoy Empire.
"Remembralls." I answered her absentmindedly. She laughed a sweet, musical note at my randomness.
"Why?" she wondered aloud, with curiosity.
I explained my situation her about how I had lost my grasp over reality sometimes unable to tell which was real. It was true though, due to my recent activities which kept my mind running 24/7, I had lost touch over everything.
I felt as though there was not much difference between one of my closest friends, Luna and me. Actually, on second thoughts, there was a striking difference, I was not thinking about imaginary creatures being present in mistletoes and stuff. Well, not yet at least.
My unexplainable feelings of emptiness were probably part of this phase too, right?
Narcissa laughed and told me to relax, that was key to everything else. I suppose she was right, I had after all lost a lot of devoted time to myself after I had gotten a job. I needed to have some fun. In fact, she had some fun planned for us the very next day.
"I am the guest of honour to Marvin Choque's Fashion Week, the opening is tomorrow. I want my assistant to go with me." She said sternly, yet very kindly.
Marvin Choque's fashion week! Fleur would totally kill to go for this. Such thoughts were running in my head.
-" I happen to realize that you are also a fan of Marvin Choque's shoes collection…." She continued, importantly.
Huh? I am? Oh yeah, I wear the shoes that I had stolen from Fleur, but she didn't need to know that.
"…. Marvin is rather partial to wizard's clothing if you'll understand what I am implying, Ginevra?" Shoot! Ihad zoned out.
"Yes, I understand." I replied, as attentively as I could, trying to show that I had actually been paying attention all the way. Sadly, I was not that good of an actress.
From what I gathered, she had taken the liberty to inform me, kindly that I needed to wear formal dress robes. And, under no circumstances was I to be dressed like a drag queen.
Crap! I didn't have dress robes of the latest fashion. Not to mention formal ones. Fleur was too petite to borrow from and the colors that Hermione usually wore would definitely clash with my hair. Channy was out of town, I was counting my options which, mind you, were very limited.
TONKS! My mind shrieked in delight having found a potential someone to lend me clothes. She was after all a Metamorphmagus who changed her looks with every passing day, I was pretty sure that she would be able to find something for me. Better her clothes than Phlegm's or Hermione's anyway.
She smiled at me before proceeding to read something that looked like the latest Witch Weekly's magazine.
"Oh my goodness, the gossip that they have in here regarding my son! It's no wonder that Draco has personally forbidden me from even laying a finger on this magazine! When he gets back…." She ranted on, livid at all the ludicrous gossip that they had printed inside about Malfoy.
I stared at her in stunned silence; her diva mode was showing itself a little too much today. Holy… Malfoy had instructed me to ensure that Narcissa would not get her hands on one of their copies; it had completely slipped my mind thanks to all the mind-numbing tea parties.
Picking up the copy that she had dumped on her desk as she paced around her chic office muttering angrily to herself, I checked the month of the issue, sadly, it was close to history.
"Er…. Mam," I said not sure whether to call her by her name when she was extremely close to pulling a Voldy on the editor for Witch's Weekly had she been within a kilometers range.
-"This issue is at least, erm, three months old. Malfoy probably doesn't see Angela anymore as much as he sees Parkinson." Definitely a bad joke.
She narrowed her grey eyes at me. "This is not about Angela, Pansy or even Krystella, my son doesn't want me to know about what he does behind my back. I raised him to be a gentleman not this."
I couldn't decide at that moment whether I felt sorry for her or I wanted to snicker at the thought of Malfoy being a gentleman. Sure, the dragon had his moments of kindness but please, he was hardly a gentleman to all his conquests at least.
"When he gets back…." She was muttering to herself, again.
"Please calm down…" I pleaded with her; you'd think a composed woman like Narcissa would never ever forget to breathe. Malfoy was so going to kill me when he got back. But then again, I did not ask him to shove his tongue down some brainless bimbo in front of the paparazzi.
"Do you know why he went to Argentina, Ginevra?" She asked him, sniffing. Seriously, she was crying because she saw a picture of her only son frenching some unknown girl who looked like she belonged on the cover of Play Wizard?
I should introduce her to my mum, she only ever cried if her children were on the brink of death. Oh who am I kidding? If mum had her way, she'd cry while we were all leaving for work. Still, they should get together and have a pity party or something, it'd definitely be better than having one of those tea parties, I shuddered inwardly at the thought.
I shook my head, uncertain. I mean, he could probably be there vacationing with some model or attending a business conference like he said. But then again, who would tell their secretaries the truth?
"I sent him there because I could see that my son was really stressed out. With work and all the Aurors, he hasn't been the same since Lucius…" She trailed off bursting into hysterical tears.
I panicked, staring at her in shock. Natricia had given me tips on handling her, but none of those tips included how to handle her when she was bawling her eyes out. Call me the Ice Queen herself but I was really terrible when it came to handling people when they were shedding buckets of tears.
All my muggle friends back at Oxford had told me that I had the EQ of a toadstool, not like that made any sense. Okay no, I'm joking; I've just never seen a Malfoy cry before. You have to admit, it's shocking. Trust me; I never wanted to see it ever again. Holy mother of…. Are those tears?
Immediately, I whipped up a cup of tea thanking the divine powers that all the resources were present and I didn't have to transfigure or charm anything. She accepted the steaming cup thankfully along with a packet of tissues.
"Er, is everything alright?" I asked her cautiously. Internally, I was screaming at myself for being so insensitive. I swear, sometimes I was no better than my brother, Ron.
C'mon Ginny, did you really have to ask her that? Now she'll cry even more. It's obvious that she isn't okay. Seriously, how did you manage that degree in Business Law & Economics?
She wiped her distressed face with the tissue, demurely. I watched her, amazed. I would have blown my nose like a thousand times in that tissue by now. I guess that was the difference between a Weasley and a Malfoy.
"I'm sorry you had to see me like this, Ginevra. I suppose I'm not in a proper state of mind after all." She sniffed sadly.
Seriously, who said stuff like that anymore? In the midst of her tears, this woman could remain classic. WOW.
"It's alright," I shrugged, nonchalantly; -"My mum has those I-am-worried-about-my-children-days sometimes thought not so much now. Usually nowadays it's about me. You are not alone." I assured her as confidently as I could.
I was serious, nowadays my mum cried about me not having a boyfriend, all of her other children were happily married. I mean one was even expecting. Gosh, why couldn't she just focus all of that to the Boy-who-wouldn't-settle-down?
"I'm just really worried about Draco. The Aurors have been investigating and they think that Draco is at fault because he and Gerald fought. He has been sleeping so late, I'm so worried about his lifestyle and suddenly when I see that he hasn't been doing anything good for himself at all, it was just the last straw. I love my son; I don't want to lose him." She sobbed.
That was way too much info at one go man. But sufficient info, I listened to her as she went on without realizing that she was giving me the very information that I needed to get on with my G.I.D (Ginny Investigation Department). I felt triumphant at the same time really bad for her.
"….The reason why Draco is in Argentina is because I sent him away from here. I wanted to protect him. Its design business in Argentina, Draco isn't involved wherever that is concerned, it's my business conference. I just feigned illness so that he would be protected from all that investigation. Fate has always been testing us!" She sobbed uncontrollably as I patted her shoulder sympathetically.
So basically, the main reason why Draco was in Argentina was because he was attending a design business conference that his mother was supposed to go to but faked weakness so that he would go on her behalf and escape interrogation? And not just any investigation, Gerald McDomer's investigation! Why?
All these thoughts raced through my mind, why was he a prime suspect? Was he a…..? No, no freaking way! I absolutely refused to let such thoughts enter my mind.
I was so muddled up I could barely think, I needed Tonks so much right now. She was the only one to answer my questions.
"Everything will be alright." I said in my most soothing voice wishing there was a supply of Calming Draughts nearby. Maybe if I could run down to the pharmacy.
I winced thinking of the consequences of what Malfoy would do to me if he found out that I left his mother in a state of paranoia just to get her a calming draught. See what I mean about the whole EQ of a toadstool?
She finally regained her composure despite that, she looked very weak.
"It's been a long couple of days, Ginevra." Her voice was hoarse from all that crying. I had a strong sense of déjà vu when she said that.
I nodded my head strongly in agreement. –"Perhaps you should rest."
She agreed and I offered to accompany her back to the Malfoy Manor. She shook her head assuring me that she was going to be alright.
Finally on agreement that she would contact me at the slightest pain or unwell feeling, I let her floo home.
Now, it was just me and my thoughts at the Malfoy Empire. I was standing at their floo gate trying to gather all my thoughts.
What exactly was wrong with the picture?
I felt a twinge of sympathy towards Narcissa. I had seen Malfoy myself and sometimes he just looked like a ghost with all that stress. Maintaining an empire was hard work plus one of his employees had been brutally murdered.
There was something missing around this. It was a plot, to destroy and I was going to uncover it. If only I could put two and two together, my mind had a random thought; what if Goyle's and Audrina's planning had something to do with McDomer's death?
I hadn't striked that out as a possibility.
At the same time, I couldn't help but think about the Malfoy that I had seen and the Malfoy that I had heard about, they sounded like to completely different people with polar opposite personalities.
It was another puzzle waiting for me to uncover.
For now, I decided that Tonks would be my main goal. I figured that she would have probably known by now since there are no secrets between her and Professor Lupin not to mention that unfortunately, she was Narcissa's niece. Her mother, Andromeda and Narcissa had reconciled after the end of the war.
Holy…. It never occurred to me that Draco Malfoy was the distant uncle of Teddy Lupin. My Teddy Bear!
What can I say? It was truly a small world.
I really missed Malfoy like hell.
At the end of the day, my opinion remained the same, change reeks!
You never appreciated what you had until it was gone. In my case, for two weeks.
Dear Malfoy,
Absence made this heart grow fonder.
Ginny
P.S: Your mother had a mental breakdown and it's entirely your fault.
One more week, Ginny. One more. Enough time to find her a new secretary.
Draco's coming back in Chapter 6. I'm excited! Got it all planned out. I posted a one-shot called 'The Best Anniversary Gift', loyal readers, please do check it out. ;p Thank you guys for reviewing, I truly appreciate the feedback. You guys ROCK my SOCKS! ;) REVIEW! :)
If you have twitter, feel free to follow me. :) link is on my profile