A/N Sorry if Neville's wife appeared a bit of a cliché. She was meant to be, in a manner of speaking. I'd put Neville in Australia and her character just seemed to me to be what Neville would end up with. They can't all be extraordinary. You might like this one a little better, if you like them unusual. This character has been sitting in my head for months begging for a story and somehow she ended up getting married without me realising till today. :P
Tomes and Tonics.
Dumbledore entered the dusty shop in Knockturn Alley feeling distinctly depressed. How on earth did the boy end up here? Well, maybe it wasn't so surprising really.
The shop was well organised and despite being filthy on the outside, the inside was clean and bright. The shop was long and narrow, comprised of two corridors placed side by side. One was filled left and right with books and the other was equally stocked with potions. A bold sign stated,
"We do NOT deal in Dark Arts products, poisons or anything which may be used to manipulate others. If this is what you seek, seek elsewhere."
That was encouraging. The place seemed empty. He fingered a book on Persian magic rituals by Dr. H Granger and made a mental note to visit her soon. His mental notation was interrupted by a soft pop as a woman appeared beside him. He started slightly; from the sound he had expected a house elf, not a human. Ah, but perhaps there was a little mixed blood here, the ears certainly indicated as much. She watched him expressionlessly for a moment, and then waved her hand across the air in front of her, making small movements with her fingers. In front of her a floating chalkboard appeared, bearing the message "Can I help you?"
Dumbledore snatched up a piece of chalk from the nearby desk and moved towards the chalkboard. The elf-woman held up a hand to stop him, with a wiggle of her fingers the message changed,
"I can hear you. I cannot speak, but I am NOT deaf. Please state your business."
"Ah, my apologies. My name is Albus Dumbledore. I am looking for Mr. Draco Malfoy. I was given to understand that this is his shop. Do you work for Mr. Malfoy?"
The fingers wiggled again as she spoke through the chalk, "Work for? Hardly. I am his wife, Daisy Malfoy. Draco is brewing some Pepper Up, he should be finished shortly. Would you like a drink while you wait?"
"Tea would be wonderful, thank-you Mrs. Malfoy."
Mrs. Malfoy promptly disappeared, re-appearing moments later with a tea fit for a king. Scones, cakes, biscuits, cucumber sandwiches and two kinds of tea, black and herbal. She gestured to sit, which Albus did eagerly. When tea was poured and cake was halfway to digestion, Albus made his big mistake.
"Mrs. Malfoy, if I may ask a personal question? Are you in anyway related to house elves?"
The woman bristled immediately and Albus could tell that it hadn't been a sensible line of questioning. The blackboard re-appeared.
"Your question is impertinent Headmaster. My family lineage concerns only myself and my husband. He considers me a suitable wife, which is all you need to know."
"My apologies Mrs. Malfoy. It was not my intention to offend you."
"It isn't that difficult to offend Daisy, Professor. She was born offended."
The blackboard, scrawled bold with an indignant "DRACO!" flew at the Potion Maker's head. He ducked neatly and chuckled, taking her seat as she popped out of the air, presumably to somewhere more suited to sulking.
"She's a wonderful woman Headmaster, but she's uncommonly moody. I'm afraid it takes some getting used to; it's worth the effort though. I assume you're here about Hogwarts, Russ said you were coming to talk to me about it. Owen kept screaming at me about playing Quidditch though, so I'm afraid it didn't all sink in. Something about rebuilding it?"
"The school has already been rebuilt Draco. I am currently employing staff. Severus has kindly agreed to return as Head of Potions. I do need another Potions Professor though, and Severus has refused Head of House. You are Severus' first choice to fill both positions; I wanted to talk to you myself though."
Draco sat with his mouth hanging open for a moment, before he realised what he was doing and hastily adjusted himself into a more dignified pose.
"Obviously you and your wife have a thriving business..."
"You ARE joking? I like to maintain my dignity Professor, but have seen where I work? This is Knockturn Alley, there's not room for much dignity here. A Professorship and Head of Slytherin? I'd be a damn fool to say no. I've been a damn fool about many things in my life, but that is not an opportunity I would turn down. There is one problem however."
"And that would be?"
"Daisy. Hogwarts has House Elves and she's borderline phobic about them, won't have one in the house. I'm not sure what I can do about it, but if she won't agree, then I won't be able to accept the position."
Dumbledore frowned. The woman did not seem particularly reasonable, but then he had only just met her and inadvertently insulted her. Her heritage was obviously painful to her.
"Draco, may I ask..."
"Her great-great Grandmother was a house-elf. A Gaelic House Elf, the mute line. That is why she cannot speak. Other than that, it only shows in her ears. Please don't repeat that. In Daisy's eyes, it would be grounds for divorce."
"Of course, of course. My lips are sealed; you can trust me."
"Thank-you. Headmaster, I would dearly love to accept, but I will have to discuss it with my wife. If she can cope with the house elves then there is the added problem of this being "our" shop. She could run it alone, but I don't exactly feel happy about leaving her to work in Knockturn Alley and then apparate home at night. I also, cannot see her just giving up work. She needs to work, she goes nuts being on holiday for two weeks. So, there is no earthly way she would agree to give up work. I don't suppose Hogwarts needs a librarian does it?"
Dumbledore smiled. Like Dominoes they fall.
"As a matter of fact we do. Sadly Madame Pince died two years ago. I had not considered her replacement, but I can see from your wife's organisation of the store that she has the right skills. Her ability to pop in and out, her unique form of communication and her general demeanour would all stand her in good stead as a librarian."
Draco was frowning, "General demeanour? She's moody, but she isn't always that abrupt. Firstly, she was dealing with you as a customer, a markedly unusual one for Knockturn and then she was responding to what in her eyes was a slight against her. Please don't assume that you can define her from a few uncomfortable moments. If you had considered the fact that she is MY wife, then you might have thought a little longer about etiquette before asking such an intrusive question. No offence Professor, but that was poor foresight on your own part, as much as it was Daisy's 'demeanour'."
"Point taken and again I offer my apologies. This isn't going very well."
"Did you think it would?"
"No."
"Well then, you could say it's going better than expected."
Draco offered a wry grin and the twinkle returned to Albus' eyes once more. My goodness, they truly had all grown up. Draco was capable of chastising his former Headmaster and not making an issue out of it. It would certainly be interesting to have him at the school.
"Draco, is there anything I can do to help persuade her? I am hoping to have most of the staff gathered at Hogwarts in three days time."
"Three days? Good grief, did you not think to start recruiting a little earlier? No, well, it can't be helped now, can it? I suppose we had better go and find my wife."
He pulled back a delicately embroidered but decidedly worn sleeve and looked at his watch.
"Mortal Danger? For goodness sake, this damn thing just won't work properly anymore."
He smacked the watch with the back of his fingers. The hand shot across the dial and juddered for a moment before settling on "with family". Draco didn't imagine for a second that she was entertaining house elves, which meant that there was only one place that she could have gone.
"She's gone to see Russ. She always goes there when she gets overwhelmed. I'd leave them to it, but your time restriction says otherwise. Perhaps Russ can help to persuade her, he'll be there after all, which is a plus point for Daisy."
"I take it that she is rather fond of Severus?"
"Russ is my Godfather, which makes him my only living family. Daisy is nothing if not loyal. Russ had just given birth to Madigan when I first took Daisy to meet him. He had to have some major surgery because of complications with the birth and he wasn't allowed to move out of bed much or lift anything heavier than the baby or a book. Reuben had had as much time off work as possible and Russ was grumbling like hell about the nurse that they hired to look after him and the other kids. Daisy took an instant dislike to the woman and promptly fired her on Russ's behalf. She moved in with them for three months and eased everything. The kids loved her, she really likes children. Anyway, it formed a strong bond. She thinks of Russ like a parent, but because she looked after him, it feels more equal for her, which is very important. She likes to be in control, hates to feel subservient to anyone. Russ and Reuben also made the effort to learn her sign language, so she doesn't need to bother with the board there. We should get going. Just let me lock up and we can floo over."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxHPxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Albus stumbled out of the floo to see Draco sweeping a small blonde girl up into his arms. Draco gently pushed the girl's hair behind her ears, pointed ears, and kissed her twice on each cheek before kissing her on the lips.
"Daddy, Mummy was crying. Uncle Russ got her to stop though."
"How did he get her to stop sweetheart?"
The girl giggled and buried her head in her father's shoulder before whispering loudly, "He gave her Turkish Delight and said she was reminding him of Winky."
The girl collapsed into giggles and her father chuckled. Elyssa came barrelling into the room dressed in a somewhat ragged bridesmaid's dress.
"Uncle Draco, can we borrow Sally? We need a Cinderella."
Dumbledore chuckled. If Draco and Daisy could be persuaded to come to Hogwarts it would be a wonderful and interesting thing to watch these children grow up together, as they were doing now. That the Slytherins should have the healthiest happiest family relationships would be a wondrous part of aligning the houses. The Gryffindors wouldn't know what to do with themselves, and here he was only thinking about the other Professors. What would Sirius and Harry do without any ammunition? Well, he supposed things didn't change that much, Severus and Draco would undoubtedly give them some.
Draco dripped affection for the girls. Hugging them both and smiling unreservedly before ushering them off to their play. He turned back to the Headmaster with a nod, indicating that Daisy was in the next room. He followed the young man through the door into a smaller living room with a desk in the corner. The walls were covered with notes and ideas on Potions, scraps torn out of journals, annotated and linked to other scribblings. The desk overflowed with open books and half-filled notepads. There were two low sofas with a coffee table between them. They were patched and stained but uncommonly comfortable. Russ and Daisy sat together on the sofa facing the door, the woman was collapsed into her Godfather-in-law's firm embrace; they were silent. Draco approached cautiously and Albus followed.
"Draco, maybe you should leave it a little longer. Come back after diner."
"Russ, I'm sorry but I can't. Albus needs an answer from us and I need to know if it is even possible to give one. Is she okay?"
"She was pissed off but now she has become introspective and self-analytical. I think we have covered everything from dishwashing to trying for another child. What did you need to know?"
"Whether I can accept a position at Hogwarts, whether she would give up the shop and work there too, whether she can cope with the House Elves."
Daisy's head rose at the mention of a job for herself. Her hands fluttered, her conversation hidden from the Headmaster.
Work there too?
"Hogwarts needs a librarian darling. The library is a separate domain. You would be completely in control. The main library, the restricted section and the teacher's library. It sounds like there might be a Primary Library as well. Professor Dumbledore has offered you the position, based upon what he saw of the Tomes side of the shop. He really has his heart set on you doing it."
Dumbledore kept his face impassive in the wake of Draco's exaggeration; he assumed that the man knew how to handle his own wife. Woe betide any student who crossed this woman, you needed a code sheet to communicate with her even without the blackboard.
It would be my library?
"Completely"
How many books?"
"Thousands. Uncle Russ will be teaching there."
"Reuben will also be teaching, as Head of the Primary School. We will be all be moving there shortly, that is why we have been packing up. It would be wonderful if you and Draco and Sally were also there."
Dumbledore smiled. He didn't need a code sheet to know that they had her. He briefly hoped that she was as Slytherin as the rest of her family, then she wouldn't mind the manipulation that was currently going on. But then, wasn't all communication a form of manipulation. He could hardly class it as a Slytherin preserve either, he was more a master of it than many a Slytherin he had met. In fact, these two men were the only ones to overtly defy and challenge him in many a year.
After a sedately comfortable afternoon involving building bridges with Mrs Malfoy and becoming Uncle Albus to the Snape-Chancys and the new Malfoy heir, not that that meant much nowadays, he made his way home to Hogwarts and rolled into bed. He was up a Potions Professor, a Librarian and a Head of House but somehow he felt that something slightly more important had just occurred. Whether it truly meant anything would have to be seen when these convergent tides all clashed back together again. Would these distanced ecological systems merge and form something bigger and better or would the clash swirl itself into a whirlpool more destructive than anything seen before? Well, he always had been a gambling man; 50-1 it ends in disaster, but Albus just smiled and put his faith where his heart was.