CHAPTER 7

The next morning, as the faint light of dawn entered the room, I was still sitting with my eyes wide open. After some time, I slowly got up and walked to one of the windows and pulled the curtains open. It was cloudy again today. I slowly walked back and sat on the edge. I was still sitting there when I heard some sound outside the door. I immediately drew my wand. All the tiredness had suddenly disappeared. I slowly inched towards the door. The noise seemed to be coming from the kitchen. I opened the door as slowly as possible. I peeked in and stopped short in my tracks. Dippy looked up from the pots, saw me and bent half way. Then she completely went stiff and suddenly jerked up as if an invisible hand had pulled her. Her eyes were terrified as she looked at me. I smiled at her. "Good morning. I see it is going to take some time." She smiled, if you could call it so, and murmured a good morning to me.

Relief had flooded me to see it was just her. I slumped on one of the chairs. It would turn to paranoia if I didn't control it. But then again it wouldn't be easy if I had to stay here for weekends and to think of it, it was just the first day. Now I was really tired. I put my head down on the table.

"Is Mistress not feeling well?"

"What?" I jerked up. I was feeling really sleepy now. Dippy was standing right next to me looking concerned. "No Dippy, I just couldn't sleep so I'm just a little sleepy now."I replied putting my head back on the table.

"Mistress can eat and then go to sleep. Dippy has finished cooking." With that, she turned and started putting plates and stuff on the table. After five minutes, she was done. I looked up and saw a table full of food, an assortment of all kinds of things. "Um… Dippy, who else is joining us?"

Dippy looked at me, clearly perplexed by my question. "I mean, all this food, it is not just for me, is it?"

"Dippy cooked all this for Mistress. Dippy didn't know what Mistress likes." She replied.

I looked at the amount of food. It could probably feed seven to ten people. "For the next time onwards, you can cook only one thing for me. Anything, but just one, not so many stuff. Okay?" I looked at her and she nodded. I pulled a plate of bacon and eggs and a toast and started eating.

After I finished eating, I went back to the room and flopped on the bed and immediately fell asleep. Having instructed Dippy to not let anyone inside the room as long as I was asleep, not even Malfoy, I felt a little safer.

When I woke up, it was two thirty in the afternoon. I freshened up and pulled on my regular pair of jeans and a t-shirt. As soon as I came out, Dippy started putting up my lunch. I ate in complete silence. This elf was a great cook. After I had my food, I walked towards the second room. This I had not seen last night. Inside I saw the same colors. There was a comparatively small bed on the left wall. There were a few shelves filled with potion books on the right. On the far end was a door which I guessed was the bathroom.

Having seen the room, I returned to my books and parchment to complete my Ancient Runes essay. I sat down in the living room and started. After completing that I decided to read the next transfiguration chapter. By the time I finished that, it was already dinner time. I went down to the kitchen and sat down. Immediately Dippy started putting up food in front of me. As I started eating, I realized I hadn't seen Malfoy since last night. "Dippy, hasn't master Draco returned?"

Dippy shook her head, ears flapping and replied, "Master Draco often is gone for days."

"Gone where?"

"To work." Dippy replied like stating the obvious. I stared in her direction. 'Malfoy works? First an argument with his mother, now this?' This definitely wasn't sounding like the Malfoy we knew. So who was this? 'Maybe an imposter.' I thought that was a high possibility. But then again, it was also a good thing; I wouldn't have to tolerate him much.

After finishing my dinner and again ordering Dippy to not let anybody in the room, I went back to the master bedroom, changed and fell asleep. I had to say that having house elves definitely had a few advantages. Kreacher had helped Harry to renovate Grimauld Place. He had, for once, ignored even Mrs. Black.

The next morning I got up early. I hadn't felt the need to sit it out, yet I somehow still couldn't sleep well. I got up and walked to the bathroom, when I came out, I saw a clean set of uniform on the bed along my bag and a duffle bag, packed with my regular stuff and toiletries. I dressed and walked out to find that Dippy had already prepared breakfast for me. I checked the time, it was seven twenty five. So I still had about half an hour to return. Thankfully, today's breakfast consisted of only sandwiches. "Good morning Dippy."

"Good morning Mistress." She replied with a smile while setting a plate in front of me. I ate quickly. The feeling of returning to school, away from this place was slowly getting stronger. Getting up from the table, I went to the living room and grabbed my bags.

"Mistress can leave her bag here. Dippy will take it back to school." Dippy said eyeing me with the bags. Obviously, she was used to doing everything. But with me it would be different.

"It's okay Dippy. It's a small bag; I won't have trouble carrying it." I smiled at her.

She nodded and then replied, "Dippy will take care of it from the next week." I realized there was no stopping this elf. Something that I had learnt over these years was the fact that the elves loved to work; there was simply no doubt about it. So I smiled and said, "Okay, you can take care of my bag from next week, but I'll carry my school bag myself." Then after wishing her a goodbye, I threw a pinch of floo powder into the fireplace and stepped into it. The last thought that came to my mind was that I still hadn't seen Malfoy.

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Returning to school was relieving. In some sorts, it was like being able to breathe again. Dippy was nice but that was still a part of Malfoy Manor and a place where Malfoy lived. I knew, even apart the marriage, it was time to unify and find hope and peace together. Yet it was no one else but Malfoy I was paired with, the boy who had done everything to make my life a living hell.

Stepping into this cottage I felt far more at home. I looked around the all white surrounding thinking I needed to do something about it. Then suddenly and idea occurred. I would change everything into Gryffindor colors. 'My place, my rules.' It would be one place I could exert my dominance over, making it an even play. I smiled at myself, walking towards the door. 'Tonight, I'll redecorate it.'

Ginny had still not returned and I headed towards the library to get a few books. At eight, I went to the Great Hall and almost immediately Ginny came up behind me. We were joined by Susan and Luna, who had been married to Neville only the previous day. "He'll stay with me for a month and then resume his tour. But he'll keep returning on the weekends." She told us. She still had that dreamy tone, although we all noticed the blush that crept up her cheeks. The entire day was rather hectic. One month, and we were already feeling the strain. We were again assigned enormous amounts of homework. So when I returned to my cottage that night, redecorating it was the last thing on my mind. I had been able to talk to Ginny only at dinner and now sitting in the cottage with my potions essay to be done, I was thinking about it.

"So he actually took you to the Manor?" Ginny had asked looking a little uneasy with the thought of the place.

"No, not the Manor, but it's in the same premises. It's a cottage on the southern side."

"That place has a cottage too?" sounding surprised.

"A recent addition from what Dippy told me." When she looked at me with confusion, I realized she obviously didn't know, so I filled her in. "She's the house elf that Malfoy has…. Okay listen, according to Dippy Malfoy had an argument with his mother and had wanted to move out, but stayed back because she didn't want him far from her. Ever since then, he has been living in that cottage. That's not all, Dippy also told me that he worked and is often gone for days because of it. He said I had to return there for weekends because he did not wish to mess with the Ministry and that I wouldn't be disturbed there, that I'd be absolutely safe." I scoffed. Then remembering, added, "But you know what, I haven't seen him since Saturday night."

Ginny was looking at me, listening intently. Then she turned towards her food saying, "That's strange."

"I know," I replied."Narcissa Malfoy had ordered Dippy to be with Malfoy but he ordered her to constantly be with me while I was there. Didn't bother me, or insult me either."

"Too early to say though, but seems like a change of heart or a way to find their way out of the mess they are in. After all, they don't have any influences like they previously did. We hate them for being Death Eaters and the Slytherins hate them for being cowards. And the Ministry will try not make a fool of themselves by believing the story of being Imperiused this time. Either way, they are an outcast now. So maybe, just maybe, he realized it. Though it's difficult to be sure, it's Malfoy after all."

True, it was too early to say anything, it was Malfoy after all. I sighed thinking that now it was expected that we would be spending our entire life with each other. 'Yeah, maybe at each other's throats.' I thought sarcastically. Then pushing his thought out, I pulled my attention back to the present work.

That entire week, I was so busy with my work that the thought of redecorating the cottage had simply slipped out of my mind.

Friday night when I returned to the cottage, I was surprised to find Dippy there. As soon as I entered I was met with a smile on her face. "Good evening Mistress." No bowing. So finally my order had worked. I smiled at her; she really was sweet after all. "Good evening Dippy. What are you doing here?" I asked putting my bag on an armchair and moving towards the room. I really needed a bath.

"Dippy is here to take Mistress home." I was almost at the bedroom door when I spun around. "Home?" I asked tentatively.

"It's Friday night. Mistress is supposed to come home and Dippy is supposed to carry Mistress' things."

"I have to go there on Friday nights?" I asked blankly. Dippy just nodded.

'Right now? Why hadn't I thought of it?' of course, even Ginny and Susan went away on Friday nights. The thought of returning there brought back a sense of panic. Last weekend I didn't have to face Malfoy. But I knew I couldn't be that lucky every time. More of all, this entire arrangement was made so that the newlyweds could spend time with each other. That was a different matter that I was presently an exception to the case.

"I think I'll go tomorrow morning Dippy. I have some work that I need to finish here. I'll be there for breakfast." There was no way that I was spending three whole nights in that place.

Dippy very reluctantly left after five minutes. But before she left she said she would take care of my things, so all that I had to take with me was my books. As soon as she left, I went to take my bath. I needed to relax. I stood under the shower for a few minutes, then got out and went to sleep. If I was going back there, I knew I would have to get enough sleep now. And tomorrow morning I would visit the library and get myself a few books to keep me occupied for two days.