Chapter 11
By VirtualFaerie
Draco was lying in his bed, staring at the ceiling when there was a knock on the door. "Come in," he said monotonously. He didn't even look as the door creaked open.
Miss Wells stepped in. "Mr. Malfoy, I cannot take care of Raven all of the time!" she said indignantly. "She…she ruined my orange crème sauce!" Miss Wells sniffed. "I think you need to find a new nanny, Mr. Malfoy." She looked at him hesitantly, wondering faintly if she had spoken her mind too much.
Draco turned his head slightly and looked at Miss Wells. "Ah, I guess Raven's a bit much for you to handle all day." Miss Wells nodded. Draco sighed, "Alright, I'll find someone else to watch her."
Miss Wells blinked rapidly, "D-Did I hear you right, Mr. Malfoy?"
Draco frowned. "Do you want me to get someone else or not?" He snapped.
Miss Well's jumped. "Yes, thank you sir." She curtsied and quickly fled the room.
Draco raked his fingers through his hair and got out of bed and dressed for the day. He stepped out into the hall and looked at the door to Ginny's room. He pushed it open and stepped inside. It smelled of vanilla, it hadn't smelled like that before she came. He shook his head, shut the door and made his way to the library.
He sat at his desk, shuffled through his paperwork and found the file containing the report that was due for Mr. Murray on Monday. He quickly became engrossed in his work. Soon all that could be heard was the ticking of the clock and the scratching of his quill as he made changes to his report. The clock chimed and his concentration was momentarily broken. That's when he saw it, the chessboard that he and Ginny had played chess with. He sat frozen, as if in a trance, then dropped his quill on the blotter and slowly made his way over to the chess set. He picked up the knight and examined it closely as if it held some secret or words of wisdom. He let out a strangled cry and swung at the chess pieces, scattering them onto the floor, he kicked the king that had landed by his foot and threw the knight across the room into the fireplace.
The door slowly creaked open and Raven hesitantly walked in. "Drakey?" she said as she surveyed the mess on the floor. "Will you read me a story?" she asked.
Draco looked at her and said simply, "Read to you?"
Raven nodded, "A book? Please?" He didn't say anything. "Or just a story," she said coaxingly. "You can make it up." He just looked at her. Raven frowned, "It can be about a mean, evil prince who scared away the beautiful princess," she said angrily.
"I'm afraid I don't know any stories about a mean, evil prince," Draco said coolly. "Why don't you go play with your dolls?"
"You do to!" Raven said and stomped out of the room, slamming the door behind her.
Draco picked up a paperweight full of powder and threw in the fireplace, causing flame to flare. He called out his mother's name.
Narcissa Malfoy's face appeared in the fireplace. "Yes, dear?" she asked pleasantly.
"Mother," he ground out. "Can you watch Raven for the rest of the summer?"
She looked at him suspiciously, "Weren't you supposed to watch her?"
He glared at her, "Yes, but only because you volunteered me to do it without asking me."
"What happened to that lovely girl that was helping you?"
"She can't do it anymore, and I'm way too busy to do it. It's your fault I'm in this mess; the least you can do is watch her for the rest of the summer."
Narcissa glared at him. "Draco Edward Malfoy. How dare you take that tone with me. I don't care how old you are, you are not to order me around."
Draco swallowed, "I'm sorry, mother, I didn't mean to, it's just that without Ginny here Raven is too much for me or any of the other staff to handle."
"Why has Virginia left? I was under the impression that she would be there the whole summer."
"I don't know why she left, who can understand half the things that women do?"
Narcissa smiled. "Funny, most women say that about men. However, that is beside the point. I find it difficult to believe that she would leave without giving you a reason why. Virginia is a sweet, responsible girl, surely she must have told you why she had to leave, and on such short notice at that."
"I said I don't know. Besides, it doesn't matter, all that matters is that I need help with Raven now."
"You wouldn't be lying to your mother now would you Draco?" His shoulder's tensed. "I would be very distraught to find out that my only son has been lying to me."
Draco looked at Narcissa pleadingly. "Mom, please. I really need your help; I have a very busy week coming up at work. I won't be able to get all my work done unless you watch Raven."
Narcissa smiled. "Of course I'll help you sweetheart. Just bring her over here tomorrow morning alright?"
"Thank you, I really appreciate it. You're the best." Draco said with a smile.
"You're welcome, dear." She looked at him worriedly. "Draco, you look tired, maybe you should go take a nap."
"Yes, mom," he said.
"Good, now go on, I'll see you tomorrow." She smiled and her face disappeared from the fireplace with a pop.
Draco sighed and put his head in his hands. He looked up to see the chessboard staring at him accusingly. He snapped his hands off his face and let his forehead fall on his desk with a 'thunk'.
~*~
Ginny was standing in the kitchen, amid piles of all kinds of baked goods: cookies, cakes, muffins, brownies, rolls, breads, pies, tarts, almost everything, you name it. Her hair was streaked with flour, and she had a spot of it on her nose and cheek. She was wearing a worn out apron covered with sticky stuff. There were dishes piled up in the sink, and she had used up all the flour, baking powder and sugar; there wasn't even an egg or a smidge of butter left in the house.
Ron walked in the kitchen and his eyes boggled. "Gi-Gins! What have you been doing?"
She looked at him, "Baking. What does it look like?"
Ron shook his head as he surveyed the goods. He nabbed a chocolate chip cookie and munched on it thoughtfully before saying, "You know, you only bake when you're upset. And judging the amount of stuff you've baked, you're really upset."
"Nah, ya think Ron?" She glared and him and blew a piece of hair out of her face.
"Sheesh, no need to get all angry Gins. What's gotten into you?" Ron asked, shoving another cookie in his mouth.
Ginny rolled her eyes at him and found them resting on the clock. It still had her hand pointing at "at the Burrow" and not "at home". "Ron," she said, and then her voice started to quake. "Ron," she sobbed. Ron blinked and looked at her curiously before pulling her into a hug. "Oh, Ron," she said. "It's been so horrible…" She cried into his shoulder and he patted her back a bit awkwardly, reassuring her that it would all be okay, even though he didn't know what was wrong.
"Uhm, sorry, but am I intruding on anything?" Harry asked from the doorway, looking at them inquisitively.
"Yes," Ginny said, lowering her eyebrows at him.
Ron frowned at her, "Not at all," he said to Harry. "Come in, have something to eat," Ron motioned vaguely to all the food. Ginny huffed and stalked out of the kitchen, wiping her eyes with bottom of her shirt muttering something that sounded like "git" under her breath.
She slammed the door of her room open and looked at her bag that was lying by her desk, still packed. She picked it up and flopped it onto her bed; she unzipped it and began dumping all the contents out onto her bed. The black robe with woven silver threads lay on top of everything else, glaring at her. She bit her lip and felt her eyes watering. She picked it up and shoved it back into her bag. "No," she whispered. "I won't think of him, I won't. Slimy git…" she murmured.
A black owl flew up to her window and began tapping on it impatiently. "Just a moment," she grumbled as she walked over to it and pushed the window open. The owl flew in and hooted happily. It landed on her shoulder and she took the parchment from its grasp. The owl flew off her shoulder and settled on her bedpost. She pulled the parchment open and read.
Virginia,
I'd be extremely flattered if you would join me for tea on Monday at 4 o'clock. Raven has been missing you terribly and doesn't find me to be a suitable replacement for you. She's staying at my home now and is very anxious to see you.
Sincerely,
Narcissa Malfoy
Ginny scrawled back a reply saying that she would come to tea and was looking forward to seeing Raven.
The thought of seeing Raven made Ginny smile. She took the rest of her clothes off of her bed and put them away in her drawers before starting back down the stairs.
Harry and Ron were sitting at the scrubbed wooden table in the kitchen, munching on various things, talking about something in hushed voices. They noticed her come in and stopped. She scowled at them, "Talking about me?"
Harry shook his head, "No, of course not."
Ginny rolled her eyes, "Whatever," and started washing the dishes in the sink.
~*~
Ginny apparated to the Malfoy Manor and used the large, gold, serpent knocker that was on the door. Within seconds a doorman answered. Only it wasn't really a man, it was a ghost.
"Good afternoon," the ghost greeted Ginny, as if he had been suspecting her all along.
Ginny raised her eyebrows at him, "Hello, I'm here to have tea with—"
"Yes, Mrs. Malfoy. Right this way, if you'll follow me," the ghost butler led her down a hallway and pushed open a door. "Mrs. Malfoy, Virginia has arrived." The ghost butler held the door open. Ginny started at him, "Well, go on," he said amusedly.
"Oh," Ginny said and walked into the room. Narcissa was sitting on an elegant couch with a teacup in her hand. There was a pot of tea and another cup on the coffee table, along with some cupcakes. Ginny grinned, cupcakes in the Malfoy Manor, who would've thought.
"Hello," Ginny said, taking a seat in an armchair.
Narcissa smiled at her, "Hello, Virginia. I'm so glad you could make it. Tea?"
"Yes, please," Ginny said. Narcissa poured her a cup of tea and handed it to her.
"So," Narcissa said conversationally. "How have you been doing?"
"Fine, than you."
"I must admit I was surprised to hear that you had quit your position. You were doing so wonderfully and I know that Raven has become quite attached to you. Did you decide that being an au paire wasn't to your liking?"
Ginny put down her teacup. "Oh, no Mrs. Malfoy, that's not it at all, I loved taking care of Raven."
"Please, call me Narcissa. If you were so happy, then why did you leave?"
Ginny stirred her tea nervously. "Well, I just had to, it's kind of complicated."
"So this is my son's doing. I thought as much. What did he do?"
"I…. err, well…"
Narcissa reached out and rested her hand on Ginny's arm. "Virginia, I might be his mother, but I know very well what he can be like. He can be as mean and nasty as any dragon."
"-I wouldn't say he's that bad, after all even dragon's can be quit docile at times, and they have a soft spot."
Narcissa raised her eyebrow and the corner of her mouth tugged up. "Very true, and so he does, perhaps that's why he's so miserable. So please, tell me what happened because he won't."
Ginny looked up at Narcissa and sighed. "I don't even know where to start."
Narcissa smiled. "Then start at the beginning, we have plenty of tea."
"We were getting along so well and he had to go and ruin it."
"What do you mean, he ruined it?"
"Well I suppose it started when Mr. Murray came to dinner. Draco was being interviewed for the Director of Investigations position. He was concerned that he wasn't going to get the job because he wasn't a "family man" so he had told Mr. Murray that he was engaged. Draco had asked me to pose as his fiancé for the evening, well I refused."
"Of course you did."
Ginny looked abashed. "Well somehow the next thing I knew he had talked me into doing it."
"I see. Well he can be very persuasive when he wants to, like his father."
"Yes well… so he got the job and that was that. At least I thought, he was supposed to tell Mr. Murray that we broke off the engagement, except he didn't."
"Really?"
"Yes."
"Then what happened?"
"Well one night I had gone out with my friends, when I came home I talked with Draco."
"Yes?"
Ginny blushed and started to fiddle with her napkin. "Well he kissed me. I was kind of surprised that he did that, well I had kind of thought that maybe…I just didn't think he thought about me…" She covered her face with her hands. "This is so embarrassing, I can't believe I'm telling you this."
"Don't be embarrassed, I was your age once and I'm not that old."
A small smile lit Ginny's face. "Well after he kissed me he just left."
"What do you mean he just left?"
"Just that, he walked away and he skipped breakfast the next morning."
"I can't believe he did that! Why did he kiss you?"
"Well that's exactly what I wanted to know. –It was so confusing, here I had just started to date Colin and there Draco goes and gives me this big passionate kiss and then avoids me and acts like it never happened."
"Did he know you were going out with Colin? -What happened next?"
"No, I don't think so, but he found out the next day. That was when Raven told me that while I was out he had taken her flying. –He let her fly on a broom all by herself."
Narcissa gasped. "He did what?"
"I know; I was livid. So I went up to his room where he was hiding and got into a huge row with him over how stupid that was."
"More tea Virginia?"
"Yes, please. Well later on Draco was giving me fencing lessons."
"Fencing lessons? -Why was he doing that?"
"It was payment for my posing as his fiancé."
"Really?"
"Yes, well he had me backed into a corner and was leaning in like he was going to kiss me again. I stopped him and asked him why he kissed me the night before."
"What did he say?"
"Because he could."
Narcissa set her teacup down with a clatter. "He said what? -I can't believe it, why I raised him better than that. –So what happened after that?"
Ginny shrugged, "Well, I was mad and we just sort of avoided each other after that. Then I went to Phantom of the Opera with Colin and had a run in with Mr. Murray. Well Draco hadn't told him that we had broken up and there I was on a date with Colin introducing him as my cousin. Then I had to explain to Colin what was going on, he got upset and broke up with me. I went back home; to Draco's I mean and told him what happened. Draco wanted to know what I had said in order to determine if I had messed anything up for him, which was just rich if you ask me. My whole night was ruined; I didn't even see the second half. We got into a big argument; he said some things about Colin and I left."
"Hmm, what did he say about Colin?"
"Oh Draco always makes fun of Colin, he said something about Colin not being the right person for me."
"Oh, I see. What do you think?"
Ginny looked at her hands. "I know Colin's not the right person for me."
There was a slight knock on the door. "Come in," Narcissa said.
The door opened and Raven stuck her head in. She saw Ginny and her eyes widened, "Dinny!" she screamed and launched herself at Ginny. Ginny grinned and put her arms around Raven. "I missed you so much! Drakey's been such a meany since you left! I missed you!"
"I missed you too. A meany? —He was being mean to my Raven? We'll have to do something about that won't we?" Ginny said, smiling at Raven.
Raven sighed, "And he doesn't read me any stories or play with me anymore like he used to."
Ginny looked at Raven sadly, "I'm sorry Raven, honey. It was my fault…if I hadn't…"
"Oh hush," Narcissa rolled her eyes. "It's Draco's fault and he full well knows it. That's why he's being such a miserable prat to everyone. Don't worry ladies; I'm sure he'll come to his senses."
Raven nodded, "Then the evil queen and prince can live happily ever after."
Narcissa raised an eyebrow, "What?"
"Nothing, it's another long story," said Ginny.
"Another thing that I wanted to ask you, would you like to be Raven's nanny here? I'm awful busy trying to run the house with Lucius sulking in his library all day about the good old days. It really gets a bit tiring if you know what I mean."
Ginny smiled, "I think I might like that."
~*~
Draco apparated to his mother's house, he had come to pay a visit to Raven and tell her that he was sorry for being so mean to her for the past few days. He greeted Riley, their ghost butler, who showed him to the sitting room that he mother was in. As they neared the doorway he could hear his mother laugh, along with the tinkling laughter of Raven...and Ginny. He pressed his ear to the door.
Riley looked at him distastefully, "You know Master Malfoy," he said. "It isn't very nice of you to listen in on conversations like that."
Draco sneered at him, "I don't recall asking your opinion. You're dismissed." Riley floated off in a huff.
He pushed the door open to find his mother and Ginny sitting on the same couch with Raven squished in-between them. They all looked up at him, suddenly silent. He felt a weird tingle in his stomach. "Hello," he said, stepping into the room.
"Draco," Narcissa said. "It's nice to see you. What are you doing here?"
"I came to see Raven," Draco said, looking at Ginny, who was staring raptly at her hands.
"Oh, well I was just going to take Raven up to get ready for Dinner." Narcissa said getting up and taking Raven's hand. "Why don't you be a good son and stay here with my guest while I take care of Raven."
As she walked by Draco she gave him a look that would make a giant whither and dragged Raven out of the room and shut the door behind them.
The silence was palpable. Draco stood rooted to his spot staring at Ginny.
Finally he said, "Raven misses you."
Ginny looked up at him coolly, "I miss her too."
He ran his hand through his hair and looked at her. She looked at him expectantly. "I, uh, nice day today."
"Yes."
Draco looked around the room. "I see you had the strawberry cupcakes, they're my favorite, did you like them?"
"Yes, they were good."
Draco put his hands in his pockets and looked at his feet. The clock chimed, it was half passed five. The silence continued.
Ginny looked at the clock, it read 5:45. She took at deep steadying breath and stood up and started to walk toward Draco. She stopped in front of him. "Thank your mother for me and give her my apologies for not staying, but I really can't wait any longer." With that she made her way toward the door and turned the knob. "Please."
Ginny turned. "Did you say something?"
Draco walked over to her, "I said please, don't go."
Ginny's eyes grew wide and started to water. Draco's hand reached up and caught the first tear as it fell. "I'm sorry I hurt you. I just wasn't sure… I never felt… I wasn't supposed to…"
"Draco, I don't understand, what are you saying?"
"All the love that I have, it's for you. I'll never be able to love anyone else."
A/N: *sniff* This is my last A/N for this story. Can you believe it? *sigh* Au Paire is over and never again shall I post another chapter. Yes, that's right, no epilogue or sequel so please don't ask. I'll leave it up to your fluffy bunny imaginations what happens now.
A great deal of this chapter is credited to Natalie, who is one of the best beta readers in the world!!!! I'm glad she's been betaing this fic because it wouldn't have turned out so good if she hadn't. *sigh* But it's not like I'm going to miss her or anything *wink wink*. She'll still be around betaing my other fics. Anyways, mucho credit to her.
And I would also like to thank all of my faithful, and drop by reviewers!!! I appreciated each and everyone of them. I hope that you guys can review just one last time. :-)