The note read:
Enjoy, Granger.
D.M.
The words were chilling enough on their own, but when they came pinned to the raciest pair of black knickers I'd never wear, well… they became downright sinister.
I wrapped what appeared to be a standard Malfoy Family Issue (complete with monogram) black bathrobe around my dripping form, and snorted disgustedly at the offending undergarments.
That jackass! It was just like that arrogant, thick-skulled git to do something like this. I bet he thought it was pretty funny, too. He'd probably thought, 'hey, I know! Let's really embarrass that prude, Granger, and give her some sexy underwear, and watch her blush like mad. That ought to annoy the living daylights out of her.' I bet he was somewhere right now laughing it up.
It was the thought of Malfoy doubled over in amusement, while contemplating the contents of my robes that galvanized me into action.
I took up the offending undergarment, and stormed out of the room. I was going to find that low-life piece of rat dung, and shove these down his throat… right before I cut it, that is.
Now, I'd studied schematics of Malfoy Manor before. As a member of the team that had taken Lucius into custody, I'd had to commit large portions of it to memory. But three steps out the door, it became obvious that the current Lord of the Manor had done a bit of remodeling. I was promptly lost, and any attempts to retrace my steps only managed to further entrench myself within this labyrinth. I wondered briefly if the Manor had been spelled to confused strangers, and just as quickly dismissed the idea. The sheer number of hallways and door was staggering. Malfoy didn't need any sort of spell to confuse anyone.
Malfoy had already given me permission… if only I had my wand, I could dissapparate out of this nightmare.
I did the next best thing.
"Malfoy!" I yelled, the murder in my voice causing it to reverberate through the walls, and while I couldn't be positive it had reached every corner of the house, I wouldn't have been at all surprised if it had.
"What is it, Granger?" came his amused voice from behind me.
"What is it! What is it!" I shrieked, whirling to face him, and brandishing the knickers like a weapon. "That is the question Malfoy. What the blood hell is this!"
he ran one hand through his shower-dampened hair, shoving the other into the pocket of his slacks, and gave me a mischievous grin. "Those," he drawled amusedly, "look like knickers to me." He continued in a tone I recognized (since it usually issued from my mouth) as informatory, "generally, they go between ones bottom and their trousers. I've never heard of them being used effectively as weapons, but bonus points for imagination, Granger."
He was luckier than he knew that I was wandless at the moment.
"Gee, thanks for the lesson, Professor Malfoy, but that isn't what I meant, and you know it.!" I balled the underwear into a fist, and poked him in the chest with my finger.
Hard.
"Ow!" hissed, so did it one more time, enjoying the way his face twisted into one of annoyance.
"Bet you think it's pretty funny, don't you?" I poked him again for emphasis, "well, I'm tired of it!" poke "this is harassment, Malfoy," poke "and I," poke "am not," poke "going to," poke "stand for it!" poke! poke! POKE!
"Ow," He growled, again, and seized one of my wrists in either of his hands, holding them over my head where they would be of no further threat to him. "Geeze, Granger," his tone was frustrated, "like I would even want to harass you! Think about it, how would you have reacted if I hadn't supplied you with proper undergarments?"
"I'd hardly call those proper." I pointed out.
He released both of my hand at once, shoving my back roughly. "Oh, come on, I'm not sure what impression you have of me, but I'm not in the habit of keeping a supply of ladies undergarments here."
"You obviously have some selection," I shot back, throwing the knickers into his face.
"These," he replied, "were a present for my assistant, and cost me quite a few galleons, I might add, so you should feel privileged that I was willing to waste them on the likes of you."
His voice dripped with that aristocratic arrogance of his, and I couldn't decide what made me angrier, the fact that the knickers had originally been intended for his new toy (god, what was her name again? Kitty or Kandy, or Kiki) or the fact that he actually had the gall to say I should be thankful to him with that superior tone in his voice.
Oh, yes, he was very lucky I didn't have my wand.
And for god sakes, what was he doing buying the woman intimate apparel already… of course, I knew what he was doing… what he'd done… with me waiting to speak with him, no less… twice!
"What's the occasion, Malfoy," came my sneering cut, "one week anniversary of the first time she gave you a blow job?"
And then he grinned at me, his whole demeanor shifting once again, from frustrated to… almost flirtatious, and I was so shocked by the shift in tactics that I could only stand there, dumbstruck, as he reached out one hand to grab mine, pressing the underwear back into my palm. "My, what a dirty mind you have, Granger."
I sputtered a moment before I was able to reply, but once again, I could depend on blind rage to get me through these difficult moments. "Oh, shut up! I don't care what the excuse is for these, I'm not wearing them!"
He shrugged, and turned to walk off. "Suit yourself," he tossed back over his shoulder, as he strode down the hall, "but I think the thought of you, as the muggles put it, 'going comando' is going to be more enjoyable for me than it is for you."
"Bugger off, Malfoy!" I shrieked, as I blushed hotly.
He just snickered and kept walking.
"Um… Malfoy… wait." My voice was a bit smaller now, a bit more unsure.
That stopped him in his tracks. Predators like him can always sense vulnerability.
"Yes?" he drawled, peering at me over his shoulder.
"Um… well… see, the thing is…"
"Out with it, Granger."
"I'm lost."
His grin stretched from ear to ear. "Damn, I suppose this means no buggery? Follow me, then, I'll take you to the kitchens for some breakfast, and see that your wand is returned to you"
With a little persuasion, Malfoy had agreed to accompany me back to my room first, and even waited outside the door for me to change before accompanying me to the kitchens. Astonishingly enough, we managed to breakfast together without incident, and even more astonishingly, as the meal ended, he delivered my wand, without prompting, as promised.
It was rare that a Malfoy did anything as promised, and I was quite tempted to mark my calendar.
I was still thinking on it when I was assisting Rich (who'd apparently taken Cletis' advice, and was treating me in a strictly professional manner… bugger) as he administered a Dragon Pox vaccine to the hatchlings.
Working with the hatchlings, as a rule, is a pretty safe job. None of them are born with the ability to breath fire, for the first few weeks at least, they're wobbly and unsure, and even though they have nasty tempers, they generally lack the means to act upon their destructive desires. All dragons, however, are born with the ability to bite. Quite well, I might add, and bit I was. My mind had wandered as I'd held the Welsh Green whelp, and before I knew it, the little bastard had taken a chunk clean off my arm.
"Oh!" exclaimed Rich, "That's no good."
"I'm fine," I assured him, "just need to apply a bandage, and it'll be good as new."
"He really got you good," Rich said in concern, putting the syringe down, and pulling my arm closer to get a better look. "We should probably take care of this right away," he added, with a gentle smile.
He led me out the door, and down the hall, into the first aid station, and cleaned the cut with a cotton swab, and a potion I couldn't identify, but which bubbled not unpleasantly, and tickled my skin, and had the faint scent of rosemary.
I watched him dress the wound under lowered lids and wavered… tomorrow I was going out, and originally, I'd intended to ask him to come with me, but… now he was a suspect. But, then again, Cletis had told me he was above suspicion… and I planned to consume large quantities of alcohol at the party, and I hated to think what had happened last time I drank unchaperoned. At least this time we could go together to beat on Malfoy's gate and demand retribution.
No one was above suspicion.
Damn.
"Hey, Miss Granger, are you alright? You seem a bit dazed."
"I'm fine," I assured him.
"Are you positive?" I nodded, and he gave me a skeptical look, "alright, I'm going back then, I've still got the finish the immunizations. But why don't you stay here, and rest for a spell… I'll get Bo to help me finish up, and then I'll come see how you're feeling."
"I'm fine, I said," I assured him, and started to walk out.
His hand on my shoulder stopped me, and he picked me up and sat me down on the examination table in the middle of the room.
"No you don't, fine or not, you just stay here and relax… I'll be back in a bit to give you a better examination." His tone was playful, as he abandoned the professional attitude he'd had with me all day. He seemed to realize it too, because he frowned suddenly, and mumbled on his way out the door, "on second thought, I'd better send Cletis to look at it." And then he was gone.
Damn again.
Well, orders or no, (and I hated to sound like a 5-year-old, but…) he wasn't the boss of me, (unfortunately, that title belonged to the King of Selfish Prats) and I gave him only ten seconds to get down the hall before I hopped off the table, and headed out the door.
I wasn't sure where I was going… to snoop a bit, I supposed, but luck was with me. As I made my way down the hall, I passed a door that I'd never seen opened… the one door that, with the exception of Wednesday morning was almost always either locked or occupied. Now, however it stood ajar, and there was no one in sight.
I slipped in to Cletis' office, and smiled.
There was a file cabinet, and the information in there had to be 100 times more indepth than the files we had at Temp Services. I glanced over my shoulder once more, just to make sure no one was coming, then made my way over, pulling the drawer open, and began thumbing through the files.
Five files caught my eye, and I took them all. One was on Cletis himself, one on Boregard Knightshade, one on Michaels, one on Rich Tourdy, and the final one, the one that really stuck out, on a Serena Giranium. I'd looked over Tracy's files several times… hell, I'd practically committed them to memory. According to Temporary Services, Serena Giranium was not an employee of Ridgeback Ranch.
Okay… I'm really sorry this took so long guys. It was inexcusable. And to think you waited all that time for such a short chapter… sorry, I really am, but this seemed like the best place to end it.
The next chapter should be up in a few days, though I've learned my lesson, and wont be making any promises beyond that it will be up, eventually.
I am working on it, but I've just been having the devils own time making headway… feels like I'm just treading water… anyway, any suggestions you guys have for improvements is welcomed and encouraged, and have a happy new year, everyone!