The front door to Malfoy Manor opened abruptly, causing Rachel, nestling
herself into Leah's side, to jump three feet in the air. A whirl of blonde
hair and an upturned nose leading the way, Rachel leapt up immediately,
hollering, "Daddy! You're home early!" She ran towards her father, a
monstrously intimidating man in the business world, putty in the sight of
his two daughters. Tall and toned, he bent down and scooped Rachel up at
reflex, looking over the shoulder of his koala-like progeny whose hands had
clamped onto the back of his neck, eyeing his older daughter as she
sauntered his way to give him a welcome home peck on the cheek.
"Well, that was a nice homecoming," he joked, squeezing Rachel tightly as he brought her downward in a futile attempt to release her. He used his other hand to hug Leah for a few moments before saying, "Rachel, now, Daddy's tired and his back isn't like it used to be. You need to get down before I collapse."
"If you collapse, that means you'll be on the floor, right?" Rachel asked, as her feet touched the ground.
"Yup."
"Cool, then I'd be taller than you," she laughed. The three of them walked towards Draco's home office as he put down his briefcase, him explaining that he felt he needed to spend some time with his "little ladies." "Does that include Mummy?" queried Rachel.
"Well, Mummy's not that little, is she?" Draco responded, flashing a smile that could light all of London for a million years. Heading back towards the living room, the three of them stopped when Ginny walked in the door. "You're home early."
"As are you. I thought I'd come home to catch up on some paperwork. All work and no play makes Ginny a dull girl," she said. "Well, babies, no hello? No kiss?" Rachel responded with a massive hug expressing her relief at her parents' homecoming; Leah offered an obligatory kiss. She was still bitter at her mother for forgetting their planned trip to Diagon Alley for school supplies. "Sweet, are you EVER going to forgive me? Your grandfather was sick that day. The boys are all away with their families, Granny Molly's sick too. They needed someone. I was busy. it slipped my mind."
An owl flew through the door just seconds before it slammed shut, in its claws an envelope with "Widikul Enterprises" emblazoned on it in its unforgettably bold font. Draco untied the message and sent the company owl on its return trip. Reading it, he looked at his family apologetically. "Problems in the Muggle sector," he mumbled, straightening his robes. "Sorry, girls, I need to get back to the office." With that, he ran back for the briefcase and zoomed out the door.
Ginny headed towards her study on the second floor of Malfoy Manor. "I have to jet too, kiddos. I need to finish this paperwork desperately for your grandfather. Ministry stuff he just cannot do himself, not with him feeling the way he does. Leah, you can take care of dinner, right? Just magic yourself whatever you are in the mood for." She stopped for a moments and looked downward, "And include some vegetables. And nothing that contains the phrase 'Now more fudgier than before' on its packaging."
Rachel's excited face fell. Not only was the prospect of spending a night with both her parents ruined; she couldn't even have a bowl of Fudgy Chocolate With A Little More Fudge Thrown In ice cream for dinner.
***
Leah felt queasier than she did before. Both she and Rachel had not been feeling well all day, but the cranberry tart following the microwavable Yunik Salad had not gone down as well as they had hoped. She stared at her younger sister, who looked as bad as Leah felt. Pale and clutching her stomach, Rachel was complaining of a stomach ache, and all the typical cures (Cicithistle root mixed with parts toad wart to taste, rutabaga extract and even the Muggle medicine NoPuke ) were not working.
They moved to the living room slowly, relying on each other for support. Leah attempted to communicate with her mother, but all the yelling could not penetrate their mother's love of the Muggle band Def Leppard ("Girls, remember, the only good rock music is British made"), which "helped her concentrate" whenever she was in her study. Leah sat on the couch, silently cursing her mother when she noticed that Rachel was no longer responsive, her eyes closed with her head slumped downward on the armrest of the family Levitating Lounger. "Rachel?" she questioned, moving as fast as her weak legs could carry her. "Rachel? Answer me, baby. This isn't funny. Come on, wake up." The gentle prodding of her little sister slowly went to insistent jabbing, but still no response.
The Malfoy-invented Lounger did its job admirably, raising itself higher as its supposed to do when company approached, making sure the invader knew who was better (for a subject never towers over a king, as Draco was fond of saying.). "Get down here, you stupid piece of furniture," she instructed, trying to balance her fear, nausea, and frustration at leaving her wand on the other side of the room. "Rachie? Rachie, come on, wake up, baby," she pleaded as the chair went upwards, causing her to tiptoe in order to let her fingertips brush her sister's dangling feet. Her mind split into a million different pieces, Leah desperately tried to remember the spell to bring her wand to her.
Leah's eyesight went blurry unexpectedly and she lost her balance, landing squarely on her rump. Tears falling from her eyes, she let the blackness she somehow knew was coming consume her as she too lost consciousness.
"Well, that was a nice homecoming," he joked, squeezing Rachel tightly as he brought her downward in a futile attempt to release her. He used his other hand to hug Leah for a few moments before saying, "Rachel, now, Daddy's tired and his back isn't like it used to be. You need to get down before I collapse."
"If you collapse, that means you'll be on the floor, right?" Rachel asked, as her feet touched the ground.
"Yup."
"Cool, then I'd be taller than you," she laughed. The three of them walked towards Draco's home office as he put down his briefcase, him explaining that he felt he needed to spend some time with his "little ladies." "Does that include Mummy?" queried Rachel.
"Well, Mummy's not that little, is she?" Draco responded, flashing a smile that could light all of London for a million years. Heading back towards the living room, the three of them stopped when Ginny walked in the door. "You're home early."
"As are you. I thought I'd come home to catch up on some paperwork. All work and no play makes Ginny a dull girl," she said. "Well, babies, no hello? No kiss?" Rachel responded with a massive hug expressing her relief at her parents' homecoming; Leah offered an obligatory kiss. She was still bitter at her mother for forgetting their planned trip to Diagon Alley for school supplies. "Sweet, are you EVER going to forgive me? Your grandfather was sick that day. The boys are all away with their families, Granny Molly's sick too. They needed someone. I was busy. it slipped my mind."
An owl flew through the door just seconds before it slammed shut, in its claws an envelope with "Widikul Enterprises" emblazoned on it in its unforgettably bold font. Draco untied the message and sent the company owl on its return trip. Reading it, he looked at his family apologetically. "Problems in the Muggle sector," he mumbled, straightening his robes. "Sorry, girls, I need to get back to the office." With that, he ran back for the briefcase and zoomed out the door.
Ginny headed towards her study on the second floor of Malfoy Manor. "I have to jet too, kiddos. I need to finish this paperwork desperately for your grandfather. Ministry stuff he just cannot do himself, not with him feeling the way he does. Leah, you can take care of dinner, right? Just magic yourself whatever you are in the mood for." She stopped for a moments and looked downward, "And include some vegetables. And nothing that contains the phrase 'Now more fudgier than before' on its packaging."
Rachel's excited face fell. Not only was the prospect of spending a night with both her parents ruined; she couldn't even have a bowl of Fudgy Chocolate With A Little More Fudge Thrown In ice cream for dinner.
***
Leah felt queasier than she did before. Both she and Rachel had not been feeling well all day, but the cranberry tart following the microwavable Yunik Salad had not gone down as well as they had hoped. She stared at her younger sister, who looked as bad as Leah felt. Pale and clutching her stomach, Rachel was complaining of a stomach ache, and all the typical cures (Cicithistle root mixed with parts toad wart to taste, rutabaga extract and even the Muggle medicine NoPuke ) were not working.
They moved to the living room slowly, relying on each other for support. Leah attempted to communicate with her mother, but all the yelling could not penetrate their mother's love of the Muggle band Def Leppard ("Girls, remember, the only good rock music is British made"), which "helped her concentrate" whenever she was in her study. Leah sat on the couch, silently cursing her mother when she noticed that Rachel was no longer responsive, her eyes closed with her head slumped downward on the armrest of the family Levitating Lounger. "Rachel?" she questioned, moving as fast as her weak legs could carry her. "Rachel? Answer me, baby. This isn't funny. Come on, wake up." The gentle prodding of her little sister slowly went to insistent jabbing, but still no response.
The Malfoy-invented Lounger did its job admirably, raising itself higher as its supposed to do when company approached, making sure the invader knew who was better (for a subject never towers over a king, as Draco was fond of saying.). "Get down here, you stupid piece of furniture," she instructed, trying to balance her fear, nausea, and frustration at leaving her wand on the other side of the room. "Rachie? Rachie, come on, wake up, baby," she pleaded as the chair went upwards, causing her to tiptoe in order to let her fingertips brush her sister's dangling feet. Her mind split into a million different pieces, Leah desperately tried to remember the spell to bring her wand to her.
Leah's eyesight went blurry unexpectedly and she lost her balance, landing squarely on her rump. Tears falling from her eyes, she let the blackness she somehow knew was coming consume her as she too lost consciousness.