Chapter 5

"Ginny! Are you ready yet?" Hermione calls up the stairs of the Burrow. She had just arrived five minutes prior and greeted Mrs. Weasley in the kitchen.

"I'm coming!" Ginny yells walking down the stairs with a box filled with smaller boxes.Those boxes had been reduced in size for convenience.

"Fina...Ginny? Are you wearing mourning clothes?" Hermione asks as she sees Ginny fully now. She's wearing black gloves, black robes, a black bonnet with a veil and and her hair was assumingly tied in a bun hidden in the bonnet.

"Just breaking it in. Figure somebody's dying by the end of the month. It's either Draco, you, or me, and it ain't gonna be me."

"ME!?" Hermione cries, certainly not expecting this.

"Yeah you! You got us into this mess. No way you're getting off easier than the rest of us."

"Mercy! How many times do I have to tell you? It won't be that bad!"

Ginny only glared before Disapparating into Diagon Alley.

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She arrives in the living room of Draco's two-bedroom, one bath flat above Scribbulus Everchanging Inks, to find him lounging on his sofa reading a book that has an unclear title. He looks up at her and heaves a heavy sigh. Then he looks at her curiously.

"Who died?"

"Hermione."

"Shame." and thus ends their first conversation.

Was it just Ginny, or are there really crickets chirping in the background. After a long period terribly awkward silence – where was Hermione!? – she clears her throat.

"Where will I be staying? Could I have a tour, do you think?" she hopes he is somewhat clean.

"Living room." he replies. He takes the ten steps from his position in the middle of the room, walking around Ginny, to the edge of the kitchen, seperated from the living room by a counter. "Kitchen." Ten paces to the left and he enters a hallway with four doors; two on the right, one on the left, one at the very end. Starting with the first on the right, he knocks once on each door, counter-clockwise and names the room. "Closet. Bathroom. My room. Yours." After, he returns to the middle of the living room where he began.

"Pleasant."

"Thank you. Now, for the rules." she stands there listening and ignoring the irritation that comes with being told what she's supposed to do from Draco Malfoy. Where is HERMIONE!? "First and foremost, you are not to enter my room for any reason whatsoever.(Like I reeaally want to, she thinks). Next, as you live here now I expect you to 'earn your keep' shall we say (I'm not sleeping with you, she glares, inside that is). You have chores to do around here as well (I refuse to touch dishes or your toilet). We'll decide how to split those at a later time. I expect your half of the rent at least a week before the rent is due (expect the rent when you wish, doesn't mean you'll get it). And finally, do something about the mourning clothes, they're very depressing (You're depressing)." After a silent pause. "Clear?"

"Transparently." As is your incredibly pale skin. She ponders for a second telling him that the sun does wonders for such defects, but feels that the moment has passed and instead she leaves to inspect her new room.

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In this new room of hers, she finds a bed in the south corner, an empty dresser and nightstand, a vanity, and upon inspection of the closet she finds a few articles of men and women's clothing. She has enough time to wonder if Malfoy's last flatmate was a cross-dresser, and if they did unheard of things in the bed that she should sleep in before, thankfully, Hermione opens the door and distracts her from that thought, for the moment.

"Where were you?" she demands of Hermione.

"I was at the Burrow." she answers, ignoring Ginny's tone.

"What were you doing there, instead of here, helping me."

"You haven't even started unpacking yet, besides I figured, I'd give you and Draco a chance to get better acquainted." Ginny growls very quietly and only for a moment, not at Hermione though, just at the thought of having to get acquainted with Malfoy.

"I don't wanna. I wanna go home."

"Ginny. You've barely been here 10 minutes."

"Exactly, so how am I going to stand living here?"

"Just relax and open up. It won't be so bad. Draco's not so bad. You get used to him. In fact, he kind of grows on you."

"I don't want Malfoy on me! Ew!" she shakes her head. "I just want to be out of the house and free. I don't want to put up with Malfoy and I don't want to put up with little screaming kids crying for candy and I don't want bills and rent. All I want to make my sculptures and become rich and famous! That's all I want and it's simple. Why can't I have it!" she whines and to complete her little rant she stomps her foot childishly.

"Now you listen to me little girl."

"I'm not little.' Ginny pouts.

Hermione glares at her. "You are being childish and I do not appreciate this. Nobody can do everything they want. So you like sculpting, you can't make a living off of that, at least not yet. Maybe one day you'll be able to because you are great at it, but for now put up with the screaming kids and the bills and Draco. I had to do a lot of convincing to help you get this place and for what you're going to have to pay and for the way this place looks, I did you a pretty big favor. So what do I get for it? Glares and complaints. Well you know what? I won't stand for it. You want to leave? Leave, but you'll be back were you started from. Square one. Enjoy!" she turns to leave the room and talk to Draco for a minute, while letting her guilt trip sink in, but it takes less time than she assumed, because just as she's reaching the door she hears, "I'm sorry," in a very small voice. She turns to face a very shamefaced girl.

"You're right, Hermione. I'm sorry." she sighs. "I don't want to be here, but you're right. It isn't so bad, with the exception of Malfoy, from what I've seen this place is pretty nice. I shouldn't attack you for helping me."

"I forgive you," Hermione smiles; Ginny does as well.

"It's going to be a long month. I think I should talk to Draco."

"Good. I'll unpack a few of your things for you?"

"That'd be great thanks." and so Ginny leaves the room and Hermione makes the boxes their original sizes.

Five minutes later, as Hermione is curiously observing the pink pantalettes on the closet floor, she hears a gurgling yell and a toilet flushing. Immediately she runs out of the room to see that the door across the hall to the bathroom is open. Inside, Ginny looks satisfied and Draco looks ... wet. At seeing Hermione's confusion, Ginny offers her a list. Written by Draco's hand it said:

Ginny's Chores

Sweep the floor

Dust the mantle

Wash the dishes

Take out the trash

Clean the shower

Clean the toilet

"I tried to tell him I don't clean toilets, but he didn't listen." Ginny shrugged. Hermione rolled her eyes and sighed. It was going to be a long month.