Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Title: Little Children

Rating: PG

Summary: Draco Malfoy, the boy who never grew up is getting a wake-up call. A nine year old girl to take care of. With another mouth to feed, and Ginny as a nanny, Draco's world is going to be shaken up far more than he thinks.

A/N: I'd like to thank all of my reviewers for all of your support and criticism. Thanks to all of you, and I'm so sorry that it took so long to update. I just started school a couple of weeks ago and everything has been crazy! Thanks again and don't forget to review!

Little Children

Little Children

Chapter Three

It wasn't the screeching of the owl flying above his head that awoke Draco Malfoy, or the clatter of pots and pans coming from the small kitchen area. It was the smoke.

"What the..." Draco coughed, opening his eyes to a thick gray cloud hovering around the kitchen. "Hey! What are you doing!" Leaping from his chair and running where Nina stood before the stove, he picked her up with ease and moved her to te other side of the kitchen, away from the giant mess, and then turned all the dials on the stove off.

"I was making eggs." Nina shrugged.

"These are not eggs!" Draco exclaimed, swatting at the owl flying above his head with a spatula. Trying not to choke on the smoky air, Draco scraped the eggs out of the hot pan and threw them in the sink. "That is now rubber! What were you thinking! You could have burned down my flat! You could have been killed! What would the insurance company think then? You could have...oh fine, you bloody owl, here's your stupid six pence!" Grabbing a few random coins out of his pockets and throwing them at the owl, he grabbed the Daily Post out of it's beak and threw it into the living room. Happy to be paid, the owl flew out the window while Draco cursed at his luck.

"You're not supposed to say words like that." Nina scorned, opening the refridgerator door and peering inside. "What have you got to eat?"

"Well, I used to have eggs," Draco muttered, grabbing Nina's can of air freshener off of the shelf where he had put it the night before and sprayed all around the stove. The smoke was gone, but the smell of burnt rubber remained. Cursing under his breath, Draco shoved the dirty pan into the sink and turned the faucet on.

"Don't you have any milk?" Nina asked critically, wrinking her nose at the selection on display in the fridge.

"No." Draco snarled.

"You should." she responded. "If you don't drink milk, you might get ostioperosis. That may be all right for you...but I'd rather not become frail and sickly because I didn't get my proper nutrients at an early age."

Draco bit his lip and closed his eyes, saying his own personal mantra over and over again in his mind. Think of the money, think of the money, think of the money... "Drink a Coke, it's good for you."

Nina wrinkled her nose once again in disgust. "No it's not. Soda rots your teeth. I'd rather not get cavaties. Yuk!"

Think of the money, think of the money, think of the money...

Pulling a Coke out of the fridge, Draco pulled the tab and set the can in front of Nina, who looked up at him in shock.

"Drink it."

"You've got to be kidding."

"I don't kid, kid." Draco assured her, sitting down across from her at the small table in the middle of the cramped kitchen. "Drink it."

Draco smiled happily as he watched his little sister squirm, not wanting to drink the can of soda. It was a small battle, but one he could win. "Drink it," he said. "And maybe I'll think about letting you sleep inside tonight."

A knock on the door interrupted the stare-off. As Draco quickly turned towards the door, Nina rushed to the sink pouring the entire contents of the can down the drain. She returned to her seat with the empty can while Draco opened the door.

"Mr. Santini," Draco said nervously. "Good to see you." The building super did not look happy, and he was not a person you wanted to displease. He was rather large with a mean right hook and a wrench in his toolbelt. And he did not seem to like Draco very much at all.

"Malfoy, your rent is late. Again." Santini folded his arms over his chest, waiting for the usual excuse.

"I've got the money this time, Mr. Santini, I promise," Draco assured him. "I just need a few more days to get it too you. But I promise I have it."

"You'd better, Malfoy." Santini warned, narrowing his eyes Draco. "I want it by next Monday That's in one week. You gonna have it for me by then?"

"Yes, sir, thank you." Draco nodded. "One week. Thank you."

Santini grunted in disgust and walked down the hall, away from Draco's door. Sighing with relief at the short extension, Draco walked back to the table where Nina sat with an innocent grin on her face. "I drank it all, see?" she said sweetly, picking up the can and shaking it so that Draco could see it was empty.

"Good." Draco responded, walking towards his bedroom to get dressed.

What an idiot, Draco thought to himself.

What an idiot, Nina thought to herself.

"I'm sorry, Ms. Weasley, but we really don't have any openings at the moment. We'll call you if something comes up." the kind old witch assured Ginny, who nodded.

"Thank you for your time," Ginny replied , trying to remain upbeat. As she left Madam Malkin's shop, she crossed it off of the short list she was carrying. There was only one place left. Weasley's Wizard Wheezes.

"Well look who that cat dragged in," George Weasley said with a smile as Ginny entered the shop. It was the beginning of the summer holiday's and the store was filled with children of all ages stocking up on practical jokes. Ginny smiled weakly at her brother and gave him a quick hug.

"George, I have a bit of a problem." Ginny said as George led her in the employee staff room.

"Yeah, and what's that? Fresh out of Weasley's Ton Tongue Toffee's? That's alright, we got a whole stock in today-"

"George, I'm serious."

"Oh," George, replied, the smile falling off of his face. "What then?"

"I've been lying to Mum and Dad."

"Oh, don't worry about," George assured her. "I do it all the time, it's easy-"

"About University. I haven't attended for quiet some time and well...I'm having some money troubles."

"Gin, we've been having money troubles all our lives."

"George, I can't live with Mum and Dad forever. I've tried living on my own and as you can see, it didn't quite work out as I had hoped. What I'm trying to sat is...can you give me a job?" George shook his head slowly.

"I can't. There's always a big drop off in sales after the first week of summer holiday's and Fred and I can't afford to pay another employee."

"How many employee's do you have?" Ginny questioned.

"Well, just Fred and me...But hey! I've got connections. Blaise Zabini, that Slytherin guy, he runs the wanted ads for the Daily Post. Maybe I can ask him to help you out, get you a few interviews."

Ginny smiled. "Thanks George, you've always been my favorite brother. But..uh..how do you know a Slytherin."

"Oh, I dated his sister a few years back. Didn't last long though. Webbed feet."

Ginny laughed but George silenced her. "It's not funny. It's a serious condition."

"Right," Ginny agreed. "Of course. Thanks, George."

"No sweat. If you want to make it up to me, you could always buy a fake wand or four..."

"George!"

"Sorry, sorry."