That's How You Know

~~*~~

Chapter Two

            She pulled herself onto Prancers' back, swinging her right leg over the saddle and hooking it in the stirrup. "About time we go back, you think?" she asked the mare before clicking her tongue and setting off at a canter once more. She settled into the fast pace quickly, watching the surroundings around her, knowing Prancer would watch in front of them.

            Her eyes were forced to look forward when Prancer balked sharply, causing her to pitch forward on her neck. "Prancer!" she started to scold until Prancer reared up and she had to grab handfuls of mane to stay on. Steadying the antsy mare, she turned her round to see a large black stallion standing in their way. "Oh wow . . ." she murmured to herself as she urged Prancer into a walk, but the stallion bolted before they could get close to it.

            "D'you know that guy, Prancer?" she urged her into a gallop to get them home faster, wondering if it was one of her grandfathers' stallions escaped from the paddocks. When she got to the barn, her eyes scanned for her grandfather, walking around the grounds to cool Prancer as she did.

            "Hey, Sunshine!"

            She turned around, hopping out of the saddle and tying the reins to a post so she could wash Prancer of the sweat. "Hey Grandpa! D'you get a new stallion?"

            Edward looked up, "why d'you ask, Sunshine?"

            "Because Prancer spooked when we saw a big black stallion on the trail, I thought he might be yours, escaped from a paddock or something." She wiped the sweat strap across Prancers back and sides. "He was so beautiful, Grandpa."

            He walked up to her, patting Prancer on the neck, "not my horse. It might be the stallion I saw a few days back though. Wild horse, I believe. I was waiting for you to come round before I tried to rope and tame him."

            "But Grandpa! He's too beautiful to tame up!"

            "Yeah, but not too beautiful to be eating all the hay I set out for Delia in her paddock," Edward replied with a sour look. "If you don't help me, I'll get the new boy to help."

            She shot him a confused look over her shoulder as she led Prancer to the nearest paddock, "what new boy?"

            Edward grabbed the saddle and bridle from the fence, "came up to the door askin' for a job. Your Grams took pity on him and said he could stay. He'll be with you until he knows what to do."

            "Me?"

            "I don't have enough time to spare teachin' him the ropes, Sunshine. And besides, he'll be taking over most of your chores now that he needs the money for University."

            She nodded, rolling her eyes just a bit. "I'll see you at dinner, Grandpa," and she waved goodbye to him as she walked in the back door. "Grams?"

            "In here honey."

            "Who's the new boy Grandpa hired?" she leaned on the doorframe, feeling sweaty and dirty from her ride. Her grams had that mischievous twinkle in her eyes when she looked at her. "Spill it, Grams."

            Isabelle laughed, "he's a sweet boy. His name is Draco Malfoy."

            "Malfoy!" she stood up straight in surprise.

            "Yes, honey."

            "Malfoy?" she asked again, "what's a Malfoy doing here?"

            Isabelle smiled, "he's just here to get some money for University, honey. Don't you worry."

            "Grams, you don't know this kid. He's trouble and a menace to all of us back home," she protested.

            The twinkle was replaced with scorn. "I don't ever want to hear that from you again, missy. Draco is in trouble with his father, and we're going to house him for the summer. You will accept that, you hear?"

            "Yes, ma'am."

            "Now go get cleaned up for dinner, and be quite, Draco is sleeping right now."

            "Yes, ma'am," she trudged up the stairs. Why did Malfoy have to come and ruin her already ruined summer? And worse yet, she had to spend at least three days, if he learned fast, with him until he knew what he was to do on the farm. This was going to be an eventful summer for sure.

~~*~~

            Draco made his way downstairs after a shower round one that afternoon to be greeted with a sandwich and the couple he had met just yesterday. "Afternoon, ma'am, sir."

            "Now what did I tell you, honey?" Isabelle stood with her hands on her wide hips, giving him a mock stern look.

            "Afternoon, Isabelle, Edward," he fixed his greeting before biting into the sandwich.

            "Grandpa, are you ready yet? I've got Prancer and Comanche tacked up and ready to go," she called from the back porch.

            Isabelle looked at her husband, "now where do you two think you're going?"

            "To rope in that stallion. He's still on the land," Edward replied as he wiped his mouth with the cloth napkin and placed it back on his plate. "We should be back by dinner. Why don't you and the boy go into town and get the things on our lists?"

            Rolling her eyes, she shook her head. "Well, get going then. And if you're not back by dinner – you're going hungry!"

            "You wouldn't do that to me, would you Grams?"

            Draco looked up to see the pouting face of a girl staring at the old woman from under a cowboy hat, her hair tied up behind her head with a scarf.

            "Only your Grandfather, honey. Don't you worry – I wouldn't dare make you even skinner than you are."

            Sticking her tongue out at her Grams, she winked and left the house behind her Grandfather.

            "She's the one that supposed to teach me how to do everything?" Draco said disbelievingly.

            Isabelle laughed heartily, "don't you worry, honey. There isn't much that she can't do round here. She only looks like she's a weak girl."

            "Bye, Grams!" she called as her grandfather led the way out of the yard at a canter. She smiled over at her grandfather, knowing that soon enough she would catch his attention.

            Edward did indeed look over at his granddaughter. "Now what is with that look, Sunshine? You're Grams was giving me the same one since last night. What do you two know that I don't?"

            She grinned mischievously. "You don't know who you hired, d'you?" As much as she disliked him, it was still more fun to tease her grandpa about it. Especially knowing that if he even tried to kick Draco out of the house, he himself would be sleeping in the barns until he brought Draco back.

            Edward looked thoughtful for a moment, "well, no I don't actually."

            "You've hired a Malfoy, Grandpa. Draco Malfoy, to be exact."

            "I've what?!" he roared, startling the horses briefly.

            She laughed at him. "Don't even think of kicking him out. Grams'll have you out in that barn before you can say your reasons." She heard him mumble something and grunt in annoyance before stopping Prancer. "Look, Grandpa!"

            They watched the large black rear up at the sight of them, and then stare straight at them in defiance. It was almost as if he knew what they were coming for, and he was going to give them the fight of their lives.

            "You chase him into that wooded area over to his right, there is a makeshift corral there. I'll rope him up first – then you get him. Deal?"

            She nodded her head and started off at a slow trot, pretending like she wasn't going to come near the stallion as he reared up once more. She was only twenty yards from him before she kicked Prancer into a gallop and chased the stallion just as they had suspected into the woods. She could hear her grandpa close behind her, and shifted back and forth to keep the stallion from turning round and running past her.

            She heard the smack of wood on wood as her grandpa entered the corral and shut the gate. He swung his lasso about his head, throwing it with expertise at the stallions' neck while she went for the foreleg. Sliding off Prancers' back, she ran around and looped the rope on the stallions back leg, bringing him down slowly as her grandpa held him down with a knee on his neck.

            "Nice, Sunshine. Now lets get him used to us before we take him back home."

            "Grandpa, why are we breaking him?"

            "It's just one of those things you have to do, Sunshine. With horses like him, eating your hay and such, you either break 'em, or shoot 'em."

            She stared at her grandpa in shock, "you wouldn't shoot him, would you?"

            "I'm not inhumane, Sunshine," he scolded lightly. "Now, you going to talk to an old man about all this moping about?" he asked as they led the stallion back to the small enclosed ring on near the barns.

            "What's there to talk about?" she looked back at the irate horse to avoid eye contact. "Grandpa, it has been – what? All of five days? – since the first, and what I thought would be the only love, of my life gave me the worst surprise I've ever had. I think that entitles a bit of moping about."

            Edward remained quiet as they led the stallion into the enclosed ring. Sliding off his rope, he took himself and Prancer out, watching carefully as his granddaughter slowly worked her rope looser, then walked backwards towards the closed gate and slipped through the bars.

            "He's taking this all quite superb, don't you think?"

            He was about to speak when the stallion bolted towards the gate, then turned sharply towards to gallop quickly in the enclosed space.

            "I spoke too soon. Well, lets go untack, Grandpa, or you'll be starving tonight."

            The old man chuckled as he loosened the girth and slipped the saddle off to brush down Comanche.

            "Grandpa?" she stopped in front of Comanches' stall, saddle resting atop her forearms. "I want to try breaking him on my own."

            "I'll just watch then."

            She gave him a dubious look. "And stay quiet?"

            Edward mimicked zipping up his lips as he exited the stall with the leather saddle on an arm, putting the other around her shoulders. They set their saddles on the right posts and he smiled down at her, "now, lets go get something in our bellies."

            "Okay, Grandpa." She slid her hat off her head as they entered the mudroom and slipped off her boots. "Are we in time –" she stopped short at the site in front of her. Draco Malfoy was not setting the table . . . Was he?

            Isabelle smiled as she set the food on the table. "You're a dear, Draco, thank you."

            She wanted to faint. Dear and Draco didn't belong together in the same sentence. Sitting down cautiously across from him, she forced herself not to stare. She stayed out of the dinner conversation thinking of her earlier words to her grandfather.

            "May I be excused, Grams?" she gave a pleading look to the woman.

            Isabelle knew that look anywhere and gave a small smile, "go on, Sunshine."

            Draco watched as the young girl stood and made her way out of the room quickly. Nickname or not, she didn't seem too sunshine-like.

            "Don't think I'm letting you sleep in tomorrow, son. We've got more work on our hands now with the new stallion."

            "Yes, sir," he replied before excusing himself to get to bed early. He made his way up the stairs, quietly walking to his room. He stopped in front of what he knew was her bedroom door, listening to the soft sobbing noise that was emitting from behind the wooden door.

            Draco closed his bedroom door soundlessly. Why was she crying? What on earth did she have to cry about?

~~*~~

            I love me . . . ?