Working for the Dragon

Chapter 25. Confession

I couldn't sleep all night. My thoughts centred on the dusty file that was stored away in my drawer for safe keeping. I tried every non-magical sleep inducing method that I knew, I counted sheep mentally – I would have probably reached infinity if I didn't get bored midway. I was desperate enough to open my tattered History of Magic textbook that previously had sleep-inducing abilities.

I can solemnly swear that I never got past the first page without a yawn. However, on nights like these, the history of Goblin's was more interesting as compared to my own problems. This was enough to tell me that a visit to a psychologist was due. By the end of my contract with Malfoy Empire, I would have gone completely bonkers. Gilderoy Lockhart would probably have company at St Mungo's.

By dawn, I had yet to sleep a wink and I was prepared to leave for work. I looked a sight though; I had to use glamour charms to hide my hideous dark circles. No matter the charm I used, one look at me was enough to inform my mum that I was in need of her strongest brew of coffee.

It was probably the lack of sleep or the emotional distress that I was currently facing but I teared when mum handed me a cup. Despite the cold war at home, she still cared enough to know that I was going through a tough time.

I was now on my way to work and dreading every step that brought me closer to the doors of Malfoy Empire. I had a bad feeling about going to work today, my foresight wasn't great but the vibe that I was getting was enough to tell me that I should expect the unexpected today.

True enough, I was greeted by bad news the very minute that I stepped into my office. Dumping my satchel onto my desk, I rushed to open the drawer where I had the file hidden in. Coincidentally, that drawer was my supposed dresser. I kept the basic necessities in there, a potion to relieve cramps, an issue of Witch's Weekly that I had purchased a long time back but had yet to read, sanitary pads, muggle make up, barrettes and clips etc.

To my horror, the file was missing! I gasped loudly as I took in the sight before me. It was the sight I would expect to see in the particular drawer without the file. Nothing was out of place, mind you, I'm not an organised person, it was a cluttered mess as I would usually expect.

Assuring myself that my eyes were deceiving me, I closed the drawer and opened it once again. It still wasn't there! I wailed to myself mentally.

Damn you to hell and back, Ginny. What are you going to do now?

I gulped as I was bombed mentally with scenarios of Draco finding out what I had done. Unfortunately, none of the consequences were good despite the fact that he was my boyfriend. Actually, I think he would go harder on me because of that very reason.

My stress level was on a red alert now. I sat on my chair and willed myself to calm down by bending such that my head was in between my knees. The blood rush in my head would help me think better.

Before I could actually do some thinking, my door opened and who else would it be? Why, my boyfriend of course!

I didn't need a fortune teller to tell me that today was going to be an extremely screwed up day. I was screwed in so many ways. First, I had stolen Malfoy Empire property. Second, I may or may not have interfered with investigations as to the Gerald McDomer's case. Third – Oh did I really need to go there?

I could feel my heart rate rising and blood draining from my face as I took in the presence of my very handsome boyfriend. Yes, even in a situation like this, I couldn't help but admire his chiselled looks.

"Ginny, are you alright?" He rushed forward in concern.

Oh Draco, if only you knew what I had done, you would wish I wasn't alright.

I nodded my head weakly, afraid to say anything. If I opened my mouth now, I knew that I would break down and reveal everything. Now was not the time, at least until I had made some attempt or another to locate the file.

"Clearly, you aren't. Why are you even trying?-" He demanded, forcing me to sit upright. He placed a cool hand on my forehead as if to check if I was running a temperature.

"You look dreadful." He observed as he took in my paleness. It was not a very nice thing to hear from one's boyfriend and on an ordinary day I would have probably given him a piece of my mind. However, in this case, I had just about screwed up his life. Who was I to complain?

-"I'm fine, Draco. Just a little tired that's all." I insisted, my voice a little croaky from the emotional breakdown that I was using all my inner strength to suppress.

Go Ginny go!

"Do you expect me to believe that?" He raised a platinum blonde eyebrow. –"I have been overworking you for days and you have yet to complain. Now that I actually sit down and take in your state – why didn't you say anything, Ginny?" He pulled me into his arms.

If I felt bad earlier, the feelings that were overwhelming me now were a thousand times worse in comparison to what I felt earlier. This was torture. I didn't deserve this man.

My eyes welled up with tears as I leaned against his velvety soft, expensive designer cloak. Usually, his scent was comforting however this time it was stifling. I pulled away from his arms because my conscience was having a coronary, knowing that I didn't deserve to be there.

"I'm fine, Draco." I smiled at him weakly, refusing to meet his gaze.

"Why are you averting your gaze away from me, Ginny?" He asked, lifting my chin with a finger lightly so that I met his mercurial gaze.

I shrugged, willing myself to keep my mouth shut. If he were to use his Leglimency skills on me right now, he would hear my thoughts screaming the truth at him.

"It's nothing…I'm fine." I replied, still not meeting his gaze.

"It's official. We're taking a break today. You and I, we are going out together." He declared making my heart sink further if it was even possible.

How long was I going to hold out? At the rate I was going, I wouldn't last another minute in his presence.

We had lunch at a Spanish restaurant which Draco was filled with praises for. It was rare that he actually liked any place, hence there truly had to be something special about it.

The restaurant Baldomero's was a place with amazing atmosphere. Everything, from the furniture to the music being played and the staff uniforms were colourful and Spanish. On an ordinary day, I would have loved the combination of herbs and spices that Spanish cuisine had however today, everything tasted like cement. Or rather how I would imagine cement tasted.

I barely touched my plate and had very little to say. Even Draco noticed that, if he was uncomfortable with the silence or my sickly attitude, he didn't mention it. I felt miserable and stifled with every passing second. My mind was on the lost file.

What had I done?

Who had the file?

My time spent with Draco today made me love him further. He had the patience and the tolerance of a saint, I would say. I was engulfed in self-loathing by the time the day was over. We walked down the street hand in hand, quietly, taking a familiar turn.

I hadn't been there in a while. Not since the last time I came here with Draco. We were at the park, the one place that gave me peace whenever I came.

As expected, the environment was tranquil with a slight breeze in the distance. The snack shop wasn't around, I noted as Draco brought me to the very bench that we had sat on the last time we had come here.

We sat down and I stared off in the distance. Surely Draco was worrying internally about the file considering the fact that he had lost it before I did. Yet here he sat worrying about me.

It wasn't as though I acted like the living dead with him throughout the entire day. I just wasn't quite myself. I was quieter than usual. I barely laughed and talked about things as I usually did.

Draco pulled me closer to him wrapping a protective arm around my waist.

"You're awfully quiet today. Is there something on your mind?" He asked softly.

I shook my head –"Just thinking about the last time we came here."

He grinned in memory of the sweet time that we had spent in the park. Originally, we had wanted to go for dinner. Due to my attire, we weren't able to dine there however; I had been underdressed for the place it seemed. Draco had stormed off in a fit and I had brought him here, introducing him to my little happy place.

He had enjoyed it then and I had gotten to know more about him. Here, he had confessed about his late father's illicit relationship with Helena Zabini and how his best friend, Blaise Zabini had turned out to be his half-brother.

Was it my turn to confess as well?

"I can't believe I actually tried and survived one of those sandwiches." Draco gestured towards the closed snack shop.

This had me glaring at him –"Hey! They weren't bad!" I protested.

"Finally!" He looked at me, a relieved expression visible under the light of the setting sun.

I stared at him, puzzled.

He smiled softly, in all his good looking glory before explaining-"It's good to see a hint of the Ginny that I know under all that angst."

I quieted immediately, remembering the very reason why I had been brooding – that blasted file.

"Here we go again." He sighed.

I had held my resistance all this while; surely I could do it longer at least till my brains had fully analysed the possibilities. I had come to the conclusion that Goyle and Audrina had broken into my cabin and stolen the file.

However, the spell on my cabin door only allowed access to Draco and me and it was mandatory that the door be locked every time I left my cabin. I had taken extra care to ensure that everything was in place when I had left last night.

Who could have done it?

I squeezed Draco's hand gently as he glanced at the spectacular view before us. We were sitting in front of a pond. Previously, during the icy weather, we had sat here watching children skate on this very pond. Now, the place was hogged by ducks. I watched as a duck pecked one of her ducklings as though chiding it.

"So you aren't going to confess huh?"

My heart literally stopped when I heard that. Did I hear it right?

"Excuse me?" I turned to face Draco who looked as though he was searching for answers from my face.

"I said – so you aren't going to confess already?"

"W-what?" I stuttered, once again feeling my blood drain.

"Aren't you going to confess that you lost the Gerald Mc Domer file?" He asked me.

I stared at him in stunned silence. I was utterly flabbergasted.

How did he know?

As though he could read my mind, he answered –"What kind of boss would I be if I wasn't aware of what was happening behind my back?"

My jaw dropped open, "You knew?"

"Of course-"He smirked, his cunning Slytherin side emerging.

"So, all this while, you've been the perfect boyfriend just so that you could get me to admit that I lost the file?" I asked in disbelief.

"When you put it like that-"He shrugged.

HOLY MOTHER OF MERLIN!

I knew I should be angry, furious, livid, murderous maybe even reintroduce him to my infamous Bat Bogey Hex that he had already met in his fifth year in Hogwarts. Strangely, I wasn't. I suppose, subconsciously I had known all along that he was aware. Perhaps that's why I hadn't broken quickly.

"Are you angry?" He questioned me, eyeing me with caution as though I was one of Neville Longbottom's disastrous potions.

"I should be right?" I confirmed with him and he nodded his head once in answer to my question.

I shrugged, heaving a sigh of relief –"I'm not and I know it's crazy. What about you? I mean, I kind of do deserve this reverse psychology torture treatment that you devised."

He shook his head –"I was angry, but not for long."

"How did you know?" I asked, wondering what on earth had given me away.

"If I tell you, I will have to kill you." He answered. That was his way of telling me that he preferred death over revealing his sources.

There was a load off my chest. At least now, he knew that I had lost the file and he wasn't remotely angry. Can I just take a moment to thank all the divine powers out there?

Wait a minute though, was he really not upset? I studied him carefully.

He smirked at my uncertain expression before pulling me into his arms –"I told you, I'm not upset. Not at all."

"Why?" I asked, my voice muffled by his expensive, designer cloak.

"I trust you." He replied simply. The three words, even though they weren't a profession of his love for me, they were enough to make my heart swell with happiness. It was as though I hadn't lost years off my life today.

He kissed me softly before turning to look the beautiful environment before us. It was twilight, he obviously noted.

"You've had a long day. You should go home and rest."He said and I knew then that it was absolutely pointless to protest.

We stood up, exiting the way that we had entered, hand in hand. Except this time, his hand felt like comfort instead of a handcuff.

"I still can't believe I'm not mad at you. I'm questioning my sanity now." I informed him.

"Well you've always been a little eccentric, so don't be surprised." He replied.

"What?" I asked him, outraged. Did he just call me crazy?

"You hid the file amongst your sanitary napkins." He said in disgust as we walked towards the exit of the park.

I stopped dead in my tracks –"Wait, what did you just say?"

It's a short update but with every update, we're getting closer to the end. I can't thank you guys enough for the support that I have received for this story. I'd love to hear what you think should happen in your review so please leave a comment. Lots of love until the next update! xoxo