Chapter 6

Ginny didn't sleep well that night. Between thoughts of Draco's reappearance in her life, and her overactive imagination calling attention to every creek and moan coming from the house, it was well into morning by the time Ginny found deep sleep.

Draco didn't even attempt to sleep after returning to his newly purchased estate. He had picked his car up after leaving the Burrow and decided to drive for a bit with the top down. It was a lovely night and the wind through his hair was enormously soothing. He drove through the country side, appreciating the differences in landscape between Italy and England. He had felt alive and free in Italy, but England would always be his home. As he had for many weeks, Draco started to wonder if he could ever create the same peaceful home here in England.

After almost an hour of driving, Draco finally turned into the main drive of his house. Following the long gravel lane, he pulled the silver sports care into a spacious converted barn that housed the car and many other treasurers once belonging to his Uncle and Aunt. Draco sat in the car for a moment looking at all he had to unpack and organize. The monumental task overwhelmed him. He knew his house elves would be happy to do it for him, but he just couldn't trust anybody else to care for these family heirlooms.

Draco closed the barn doors with a wave of his wand, securing all entrances with a locking spell and then a security charm. Some would call him paranoid, but his treasures could never be too protected. The towering, wooden double doors that served as the main entrance to the home were what had originally caught Draco's eye. They were heavy, old and fortified with steel bands, looking like they had once hung on a huge castle. These days the steel bands would have been decoration, but when these doors had originally been built it was for strength and protection.

The rest of the house was built in much the same way. It was incredibly solid and well crafted. It had survived centuries of bad weather, local skirmishes, and Draco was almost certain magical warfare. Little was known about who had previously occupied the home, but Draco was fairly convinced they had been magical. He was fully prepared to stumble across evidence of this in due time. The very thought that his house would revel it's secrets to him was devilishly exciting to Draco. He quietly wondered if there were some nasty surprises waiting as well. He pitied the people who would live next at Malfoy Manner, for the nasty surprises hiding there tended to be deadly.

Draco closed the big wooden front door and wandered through the main foyer. He cut through the empty dining room to the kitchen still piled high with boxes. Two house elves were busy arguing about where "the master" would want the pots and pans, and Draco smiled to himself knowing neither had the right answer.

"Master Malfoy!" screamed the young female house elf, called Peach. Puddles the older, male house elf dropped the pan he had in his hands and spun around with fearful eyes. They had both been servants in the Malfoy family for generations and were used to harsh and often cruel owners.

Draco quickly calmed their fears with a wide smile and a laugh. "I see you two wasted no time in unpacking the kitchen."

Puddles dropped to his knees and scooted toward his new mater. "I is so sorry, Master Malofy. I was caught unawares that you were home. This place is still new to Peach and me. W-w- we won't let it happen again."

Draco's stomach turned with the sad knowledge that his family had removed the last shred of dignity this creature had ever had, to the point that Puddles would grovel for forgiveness over an infraction that hadn't even occurred.

"Peach, if you have found the tea pot, I would enjoy some tea now. I will need a serving for three." Draco said this as tonelessly as possible completely ignoring the prostrate elf at his feet. He was still torn between disgust at his family's treatment of house elves and amusement over his new staff's misplaced anxiety. "I'd like both of you to bring it to the library when it's ready." Draco finished with a calm nod.

He wandered to the disorganized library and set three chairs around a low coffee table. Not more than a few minutes later two timid house elves crept into the room.

"You can put in on the coffee table and please help yourselves to a cup." Draco said keeping the same toneless voice.

Puddles and Peach gasped and stared at their young master. "Pardon me, sir, I is not hearing too good." Puddles spoke quietly.

Draco cleared his throat and said again, "Please help yourself to some tea, there are three of us here and there are three cups. I don't plan on using all three cups myself and I thought you might enjoy some tea before we retire for the night."

Peach and Puddles looked at each other and slowly started pouring tea into each of the three cups. Making sure to give Draco his tea first they stood there hold their cups, unsure what to do next.

Draco pointed to the chairs and asked them to sit. He was rewarded with another gasp and more furtive stares. He nodded at them and they carefully climbed onto the chairs.

"Now then, I thought we should have a little talk before we get too far down the road," Draco began. "I want to make it clear that we are a team. I can't keep this place running without your help and I can't afford to worry about your loyalty. So here is my plan. I will be expecting you to work only as hard as I work each day. If you see me lounging about, feel free to do likewise. I want you to take pride in this house and in the work we do. I want you to feel that this is your home just as much as it is mine. We each will be responsible for making this place both inviting for guests, as well as a safe and comfortable home for us. As you might have guessed, I'm not much in touch or on good terms with the rest of the Malfoy relatives, so if any of them show up you must alert me at once."

Draco paused to make sure the little creatures were still listening to him. They both nodded their knobby head vigorously, eyes still wide with fascination and awe. Draco could see the beginning of tears forming in both sets of eyes and quickly continued with his little speech.

"I realize that you most likely have come from a place where punishments were frequent and severe. I will not operate like that. I find it causes too much distrust and ultimately leads to a tension filled home. We will work hard together to get this place organized and clean. My standards are no different from any other Malfoy, but my means to that end are vastly different. Do you think you will be able to work with me under these expectation?" Draco looked at them waiting for their responses.

Puddles blinked away the large tears hanging on to the outer corners of his eyes. In a hushed and whispered voice he said, "It would be an honor Master Malfoy."

Peach was letting her silent tears run freely down her wrinkled cheeks. "Of course," was all she could manage.

"Good then. I don't ever want you to be afraid to ask me questions or give me suggestions. If you see something that needs to be done, do it. If you think I need to know something, tell me. If you question my judgment on something, talk to me about it. I can't promise that I'll change my mind, but I value and respect a thoughtful teammate."

Draco placed his tea cup on the table, stood up and started walking to the doors of the library, "If you would follow me please."

Silently Peach and Puddles set their cups on the table and followed Draco to the broad staircase leading to the upper floors. The climbed silently to the second floor that was home to 4 large bedrooms, each with its own bathroom. Walking on the landing past the hallway, the trio continued up to the third floor. This floor had 3 modest size bedrooms, one had its own bathroom and the other two bedrooms shared a common bathroom. At the end of the hallway on this floor there was a large and open sitting area surrounded by windows. In the day time this was the brightest place in the house and it looked out over the extensive gardens on each side.

Finding the hidden door about halfway down the hallway, Draco showed the house elves a stairway to the last and smallest floor in the house. They clambered up the narrow wooden staircase and popped out in the midst of a large and dusty room. The house elves looked around mentally taking notes on what needed to be cleaned and wondering what the master had in mind for such a space.

"This will be your domain," Draco stated simply, "to do with as you wish." He walked around to the farthest wall and opened the first door. Looking around he said, "I know this isn't the most glamorous spot, but I can guarantee that nobody will bother you here."

Draco had walked to a second door on the same wall and pushed it open as well. "There are two rooms here with a wash room over there." Draco pointed to a door on the opposite wall. "Over here this kitchenette should be adequate for your personal needs, but if not, feel free to use the main kitchen."

Draco wandered over to the low, dusty kitchen counter complete with sink and a small stove. "I know it need a great deal of work but I hope you would be happy here. I won't come up here unless invited, and no guests will be shown the entrance. Will this be satisfactory?"

Puddles and Peach hadn't moved an inch while Draco had been speaking. They followed his movements with their wide eyes not quite believing what they were hearing. Never in their wildest imagination would they ever have expected a Malfoy to provide them a separate and private living quarters. Most of the time house elves were kept in the basement, with sometimes up to 10 elves living in a room.

The space that Draco offered them would have sufficed for the average wizard or witch. For these two house elves it was more than just a dwelling space, it was a symbol of Draco's recognition of their value. Puddles, being older and having survived many Malofy masters was unsure how to react to this generosity, wary that it may be part of some ultimate scam. Peach, trusting her intuition, silently and immediately swore lifetime allegiance to her young master.

The house elves nodded their heads in answer to the question Draco had asked, still not moving or breaking their silence. Draco silently nodded as well. He walked back to the narrow stairway and quietly said, "It's late, we'll start working on this mess tomorrow. Good-night."

Draco wound his way down to his bedroom on the second floor. Pulling his clothes off he finally felt exhaustion setting in. Flopping down on his hastily set up bed, Draco pulled the covers over up to his chin and let out a sigh of relief. Sleep was rapidly claiming the tired young man, but not before the vision of a fiery red-head, flushed with anger and shaking with rage flashed through his mind. Draco groaned and fell asleep.