Fired?

Draco Malfoy

Stella is a problem child—I know, don't rub it in.

Ever since birth she wanted all the attention she could get. She was the child born to be in the limelight. She was raised as the center of attention. Stella feels as though I don't pay attention to her… so she lashes out and acts up.

She's a mirror image of me as a child. My parents ignored me… I was an object who—if they pretended hard enough—would seem to disappear. So I guess we all do end up like our parents. I don't really pay attention to Stella, or Luna for that matter. That's Granger's job.

Sure, it's selfish, cruel, and almost neglect, but I've got work and a romantic life to deal with. Though neither is really that interesting…

"Daddy!" I dropped my feather pen.

"What is it, Stella?" She ran into my room at an ungodly hour crying about something, for the third time this month.

"Granger… she called me a 'hippocoinrack.'"

"A what?" I figured it was some muggle word.

"A hypochondriac." I looked up to see a frazzled Granger standing in my doorway. A frazzled Granger wearing a ridiculously small robe.

"Now, Stella, what illness were you faking this time?" I sighed.

"I was blind." She claimed, looking at the ground.

"And what illness did you fake last time?" I prompted.

"Last time I was a victim of urinary tract infection." She said.

"And did you really have that?" I asked patiently.

"No." She said, biting her lower lip. "And I wasn't really blind, either."

"Well I'm glad." I said. "But you really have to stop. The party is tomorrow evening and I can't have you acting neurotic."

"Acting what?" She asked.

"Never mind." I said with a sigh. "You're going to have to act like a civilized, decent human being."

"Isn't that what I am?" She asked, batting her eyelashes.

"Ha!" Granger said from the doorway. "All you do is try to get all eyes on you, Stella!"

Stella started crying. "I want her fired. Just like the last ones."

I had, in the past, fired all the nannies Stella asked me to. But I couldn't fire Granger. She was the only one who did her job without complaint. And she put up with a lot of crap from Stella… something not many other nannies could do. Besides—I was desperate!

"I can't." I said.

"Daddy!" Stella whined. "I said I wanted her fired! You always listened in the past!"

Luna came in from the hallway. "Don't fire Hermione, Daddy." She said softly. It was reassuring to see that I had at least one good child. "She's the only nanny that pays attention to us."

"That's not true!" Stella argued. "Granger is a terrible nanny! She spent all the money you gave us for the party on herself!"

Granger looked horrified. "What? Stella! Don't lie!"

"Is that so?" I asked. I knew Stella was lying, but Granger was so fun to mess with.

"Malfoy," Granger began. "That's not true at all!"

"Stella, Luna—please go back to bed. I need to discuss things with Granger for a moment."

They left, and Granger walked in and sat down. "Malfoy—Stella's not being honest!"

"Granger, I always listen to my daughters."

"But you know Stella lies all the time!" She was getting nervous. Did she really think I'd fire her? She knew I had no other options.

"About some things, yes. But I think she does have some honesty in her."

"Well, fine." She said. "Listen to her over me." She paused. "But Malfoy, I didn't spoil myself on that shopping trip."

"I know." I said simply.

"What?"

"I said that I know that." I told her.

"Is this a joke?"

"Yes."

"Ugh!" She let out a frustrated sound. "You and Stella are so alike!"

And with those poignant words, she started for the door. Tell her she looks nice. Something in my head whispered. What? I thought back. You know you think she's gorgeous.

SHUT UP! I demanded. Stupid voices.

"Well, Granger, I've got to go take some pills. For schizophrenia."

"Seems like Stella isn't the only hypochondriac in this house." She said as she waltzed out the door.