emma- Thanks!
J e n n y- Yeah, I did. Eventually, yes, Tom will be here.
Angelique Collins- Thanks. I'm actually taking the time to write it well ;)
Junsui- Yeppers.

Chapter 3- Jabber and Grappa

Ginny's first thought upon waking up was, 'What on Earth has Remus done with the bedroom?' She sat up, running a hand through her hair and peering around the room, bleary-eyed. Sunlight peeked through the velvet drapes over the windows, and the very faint chirping of birds told her it was morning. Slowly, she began to remember where she was.

"Mistress?"

Ginny jerked wildly in shock and fell off the bed. Hurriedly, she pushed herself back up and stood, her eyes falling upon a small, frightened house-elf standing in the doorway.

"Mistress, Jabber is not meaning to startle you! Jabber is very very sorry, Mistress, I is just told by Master to come tend to you!"

Ginny exhaled slowly as her heartbeat returned to its normal pace. "It's alright; I just didn't know anyone was there. What are you here for, Jabber?"

"If it pleases you, Master is telling me to come see to you, Mistress."

Ginny raised her arms up and stretched, trying to get herself feeling awake. "What does he want us for?"

"I is not knowing, Mistress, he is just telling me to come bring you to breakfast."

Ginny grinned. "Breakfast sounds good. I'll go wake up Cassie." She started toward the door that led off to a smaller room, but stopped after a few steps.

"Jabber, I don't have anything to wear."

"Oh, Master is knowing this, Mistress," Jabber said, nearly tripping over the words in her haste to get them out. Ginny could see where she'd gotten her name from. "He is sending me last night with robes that are his sister's, and I is hanging them in the wardrobe. Shall I get them out for Mistress?"

Ginny nodded, already heading toward the door to Cassie's room again. Jabber let out a frightened squeal, and grabbed her bat ears in worry. "Mistress, Master is saying for just you to come. He is telling me to come straight back as soon as I bring you and watch the little Mistress."

Ginny walked slowly back to the bed, frowning uncertainly. "I'm not sure I feel comfortable with that, Jabber. Cassie won't know where she is when she wakes up, and she'll be scared."

Jabber paused in pulling robes from the wardrobe, long bat ears quivering. "I is just knowing what Master is telling me, Mistress, and I isn't wanting to displease him."

Ginny sighed. "Very well, I'll have to explain it to him myself. Finish setting those robes out, please; I'm going to try to tame my hair."

A broad smile spread across Jabber's face, and she hurried about her task. Ginny walked to the bathroom and lifted an ivory-backed hairbrush from the marble counter, shaking her head in wonder at the extravagance. 'Really, who makes the countertop in a bathroom out of marble?' She sighed and began pulling the brush through her hair, wincing at some of the tangles; beach wind had never been a friend to long hair.

"Mistress, your robes are laid out."

Ginny laid the brush back down and quickly braided her hair, securing the end with a ribbon she found in a drawer. She hurried out of the bathroom, and stopped dead when she saw the robes on the bed. Dark gray satin with a beautiful overlay of lighter silk, and they were for her. Ginny just looked at them for a moment before hastily pulling of the camisole and jean shorts she'd worn to bed, reaching for the robes.

"M- Master?" Jabber's voice trembled slightly as she knocked, hesitant. "Master, I is bringing Mistress Ginny, sir."

"Enter," Came the call from inside.

Jabber began to push the door open, but Ginny stopped her. "I'm fine from here. Go back and watch Cassie."

"Yes, Mistress." Jabber sketched a curtsy and hurried back the way she'd come. Ginny watched her go, then took a deep breath and pushed open the door.

A small dining room greeted her, bright and cheery from the light shining in through the windows. Xavier was sitting at the end of an oval table, heavily laden with breakfast food, and he looked up as she entered.

"Ginny," he said, rising with a smile. "You're looking well this morning."

"Thank you." Ginny tugged uncomfortably at the too-tight satin of the under dress. "Your sister must be a very slim woman; I'm afraid her robes don't fit me overly well."

"On the contrary." Xavier's gaze slid up and down Ginny's figure, admiring the way the satin clung to her curves. His eyes came back to hers, and he smiled. "I think they fit you very well."

Xavier's gaze was very warm, and Ginny was startled to feel her cheeks tinge pink. What was wrong with her? Blushing like a school girl, honestly! She cleared her throat, and smiled carefully, neutrally. "Thank you."

They stood like that for a few awkward moments, then Xavier gestured to the table. "Please, sit down. I know you must be hungry."

Ginny took a seat on the other end of the oval table and reached for a dish of some sort of egg casserole. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched Xavier take his seat again and begin dishing himself food as well. She waited until he'd filled his plate and started eating before she spoke.

"Xavier, I'm rather curious as to why you asked that Cassie remain behind."

"I assumed she'd still be asleep- a child with that amount of energy must sleep a lot- and I didn't want you to feel obligated to wake her."

Ginny didn't buy this for a minute, but she swallowed a bite of food and merely nodded. "That's very considerate of you, but I'm worried she'll panic when she wakes up. She won't know where she is, and I won't be there to calm her down."

"Oh, you don't need to worry about that." Xavier's voice was very sure. "Jabber is very good with children; she looked after me when I was young."

Ginny wasn't convinced. "Cassie's never seen a house-elf before. Having Jabber there might scare her more than being alone would."

"If it's that much of a worry to you, I can have her brought down when she wakes up."

Ginny nodded fervently. "That would be wonderful."

"Grappa!"

A different house-elf scurried into the room, weaving slightly. "Master called?"

"Go to the guest quarters and tell Jabber to bring the young Mistress here when she wakes up."

"Yes, Master. Grappa will do it, Master." Grappa bowed, almost fell, and staggered to the door. Ginny watched with interest as the elf ran straight into the wall beside the door, shook itself, then re-aimed and ran out the swinging door.

"Grappa," Xavier said, drawing Ginny's gaze back to him. "My father named him after a kind of Italian brandy because he always seems to be drunk."

Ginny's eyes grew in fascination. "Is he?"

Xavier shook his head unknowingly and shrugged. "Not to my knowledge."