Working for the Dragon
Chapter 8. Christmas
25th December 2009, 8.00pm,
MALFOY IS BARKING MAD. Grrrr….
8.30pm,
In the midst of adding business meetings into Blackberry
9.00pm,
DONE
Checking Malfoy – Donner memorandum contract for errors. (Since when did that become my job?)
9.15pm,
DONE
Dear Mr Draco I'm-a-fucking-insufferable-ferret Malfoy,
Can I go home now? I'm tired.
Crap, there is another letter waiting to be drafted! Oh go to hell, Malfoy, employ a new secretary. I QUIT!
9.20pm,
I am writing this letter on the behalf of Draco Malfoy, Director of Malfoy Empire.
9.23pm,
I would appreciate it if you could send me a copy of …
9.25pm,
Yours faithfully…. Or was it sincerely?
Oh wait! I don't know the dude whom I'm supposed to send this letter to. So it's faithfully.
I smiled wryly, stifling a yawn as I remembered my muggle friend Brad's words when we had a short module on Writing for Business during university. The One Night Stand theory as we called it. If I mentioned it, I was already known to have a potty mouth; I don't know what the next title was given to a person with words harsher than the mere sailor tongue.
Of course, it's a typical theory; you only remember something if there was something funny or catchy about it. In this case, Brad Pitcher's One Night Stand theory worked.
Ginevra Mollyanne Weasley
I signed my name as I bit on my lips in full concentration. Normally I wasn't much of a biter but today I was rather frustrated. For the one and only reason, IT WAS CHRISTMAS!
And guess what? I was at work sitting in my cabin, compensating for the loss of working time as Malfoy had claimed.
Bastard
It all started after I left work yesterday, exhausted yet somehow excited to have a day off. Before I left, I had made sure to confirm with Narcissa regarding that since Malfoy was not around.
She had cried out, "Why, of course you have the day off, Ginevra dear, what did you expect? We do not make people slog around here you know."
I obviously had taken her word for it.
Little did she know…
So when I finally went home, I spent the evening baking Christmas goodies and treats for my family in Bulgaria. I had a fetish for baking ever since I was little and since then, everyone depended on me to make the desserts. It was my first Christmas alone, one tradition was already broken. The one about Christmas time being family time; hence it was not good to break another.
My caramel apples, chocolate apples – which I knew Fleur revered, toffee, ginger cake; basically a variety of treats lay waiting for Ramsey, the new family owl to deliver the parcel over to them in Bulgaria. Errol had long ago expired, shortly after Hedwig – Harry's first owl was killed during the escape from Privet Drive, ages ago.
Not only that, I wrapped gifts and that took ages. I had managed to get each and everyone in my family something. Here is the list of Christmas presents that I had made out of boredom at work.
Dad – A muggle computer mouse for his laptop
Mum – A second-hand cookbook filled with cuisines from different cultures
Bill – A burnt CD filled with music from the muggle rock band, Green Day
Fleur – New Marvin Choques stilettos from his Sapphira collection
…
Well, you got the picture.
So, thanks to my family, I basically had a late night. By the time Mum was finally done voicing her concerns about my 'failing' health after I flooed them to wish them a Happy Christmas, it was way past midnight.
And, though I would never admit this to anyone, I was afraid of being alone in the Burrow, especially at night. The fact that we had a family ghoul did not actually help, so it took me ages to actually get to sleep since my senses were on an over-alert mode. By the time I actually did fall asleep, it was close to dawn.
There went my beauty sleep, not that it worked at all, I was still the plain old ordinary me. My Iphone vibrated at like 6.15 in the morning, displaying a number that I did not fully recognize. Oh scratch that, when I look back at my list of missed calls, I realize that I've never seen that number in my entire life.
"Hello?" I answered with a sleep-ridden, extremely groggy voice wondering who on earth had the nerve to call me at this ungodly hour.
"Good morning Weasley, may I inform you that you are a fifteen minutes late for work. Can you give me a reason why I should not fire you?" A calm, yet familiar voice greeted me.
I was vaguely reminded of the days when Professor Snape took pleasure in announcing my arrival whenever I was late for Potions, which, mind you, was at least once a week. Sometimes even twice, it depended on the pile of homework I stayed up doing each night.
It's a house thing, I grumbled to myself. They probably practiced this sort of thing in their Slytherin common room or something, that's why he sounds like Snape. Or I've gone mad.
Of course, hearing his voice was as though someone poured a pitcher of ice cold water on me, I sat up immediately with the phone glued to my ear as though I was trying out desperately for a contest on the radio or something.
"Isn't it Christmas?" I asked, stupidly, checking the calendar on my radio clock which glowed eerily on my bedside table. Of course, that confirmed it.
"What do you think?" He asked me, sarcastically, his voice getting icier by the second. I felt like Titanic, about to crash into that gigantic iceberg.
"Er…" I didn't know what to say.
Of course, internally, I was swearing.
"Don't even answer that, Weasley. I want to see you in my office within the next forty five minutes." He hung up the phone before I could even say anything.
Bastard
I was probably the first person to curse someone on Christmas morning. On the bright side, I did not really have anyone to greet with that mouth of mine, seeing as everyone was overseas.
I stubbed my toe a couple of times as I raced around the house in the dark while I got ready, definitely in record time. Of course, I looked like a wreck, a masterpiece.
Before I left though, I stopped, thinking casually for a few minutes. It was after all, Christmas and I had to give Malfoy something or another to appease him at the very least. I may not have owned the potion to immortality or anything more precious than all his wealth but I did know that my chocolate truffle cake was to die for.
Sadly, I packed the entire cake, minimized it and tucked it away.
I didn't think to dress in office attire hence, I went there wearing a grey second hand Juicy Couture sweat suit that was extremely comfortable and my beloved Converse. My hair still wet from the quick shower I had taken was tied up in an extremely loose pony tail. Great, so even hair ties were on my list of things I need.
That's not the worst part though; it was the fact that the floo gate at Malfoy Empire was spoilt. I had no means of immediate transport which meant that I had to take the Knockturn Alley route again.
So finally, grabbing all essential items like my Iphone and wand, I grabbed a fistful of floo powder and threw it violently into the chimney and walked right in while screaming directions to 'The Leaky Cauldron'. And from there, I did not think twice, I sprinted, wincing as my shoes got soaked with ice.
Basically, I forgot that it was winter and I had to wear boots instead of sneakers. GREAT! Don't even get me started on my winter cloak. It wasn't even mine to begin with.
I ignored my surroundings and increased my pace; you won't believe how hard it was to run in snow. At least, it was too cold for me to actually sweat but I was panting when I finally reached the entrance. For once, I ran across Diagon Alley and did not actually get really freaked out.
I had angels watching over me today.
A look inside told me that the place was bloody hell empty, there was not a soul in sight and I was called back to work? It was freaky, my shoes left wet imprints on the ground. For the first time ever, I saw this place like how it should be every morning when I came to work for Malfoy.
I think he wanted to scare me, I could hear my own footsteps. I glanced around nervously at the barely lit area. Since I hardly came to this area, I was not very sure on where I should go so I relied on my gut instincts.
This place should come with a map; it was nearly as big as Hogwarts. Of course, Malfoy had to be alive for centuries to ensure that degree of success.
I took an elevator and pressed a random floor on instinct. Merlin, this place was creepy, my nerves were frazzled as I realized that it did not stop on the floor I had pressed but instead went on to the very last floor of the tower.
I should have known that he would have been behind this.
Stepping out, I took a look at the poorly lit corridor that now looked exceedingly familiar. I took out the small little present for Malfoy and enlarged it back to its normal size before walking at an excruciatingly slow speed to his door.
"You are late." He called out his own personal way of greeting me nearly every morning, except today, there was no smirk. I could tell he was fuming mad; perhaps that's why the entire office was void of people.
He did not want witnesses when he tortured me with the Cruciatus Curse and had his way entirely with me. Of course, that sounded a little wrong in the entire context didn't it?
So my mind was on my constant rambling of random thoughts until Malfoy literally made me jump right back into reality.
"WEASLEY! Did you even hear a word I said?" He glared daggers at me. Needless to say, his eyes reminded me of the shine of blades, no pun intended.
I stared at him, dumbfounded, wondering what response would satisfy him.
"Just go from here." He sighed, tiredly. Why did I feel so guilty all of a sudden?
I left the little box containing my gift and walked towards my own cabin to get started on my work, feeling too guilty to think about leaving.
"You're working overtime tonight." Trust him to demand it.
It was my fault to directly assume that just because it was Christmas; it would have been my off day. Maybe I'd get to socialize around with people by attending small-scaled parties that I was actually invited too.
Lavender Brown was throwing a Christmas party with her husband, Dean Thomas – my ex boyfriend and I was invited. Of course, Dean and I were on good terms, hell, I recommended him to Lavender.
I had been feeling really lonely with no one being at home, I needed some noise and possibly some friends to make everything seem alright.
So here I was, stuck and bored till the extremes; I was antsy by nature. I could never sit still for a while. Right now though, I was on the verge of falling asleep on my desk. I had flocks of sheep invading my thinking space, forcing me to count them despite not wanting to…. 1, 2, 3, 4…..10…..
"Wake up." Someone shook me uncertainly yet gently out of my seemingly uncomfortable slumber. My bed felt hard and cool and… I never slept with my pillow on my face… What the…!
I woke up reluctantly and stretched, taking a look at my surroundings which never failed to stop haunting me. Apparently, I could not get a bloody day off in my dreams as well.
I yawned, my eyes finally choosing to settle on the cause of my sleepy doom.
It was Malfoy, of course.
He looked at me as though he expected me to disappear into thin air any minute.
"What are you doing here?" He asked me, confounded, apparently.
"What the hell are you talking about?" I retorted, forgetting that he was my boss and I was supposed to respect him. Yadda, yadda, yadda.
I took a look at the time on my old leather wrist watch. Holy…
"Goodness me, it's so late." I exclaimed in surprise. Time had really flown, although I suppose that was probably because I had fallen asleep in the midst of drafting, whatever I was doing.
I glanced at my table only to notice that the draft which I had fallen asleep on was slightly wet with my drool. Totally unglamourous! I winced thinking of my boss reaction after he saw what I had done. At least it was complete.
"You should have left a long time ago." Malfoy informed me.
Now I understood what he meant.
And to think I was going to flare up at him because I assumed that he had conveniently forgotten that he had called me back to work on Christmas.
Fat hopes, Ginny, fat hopes.
Of course, if that had happened, I would have probably avada-ed him on the spot.
"Didn't you say that I was working overtime tonight?" I was getting more confused by the minute.
He shook his head, "Forget it, Weaselette. C'mon, you have to leave now. I'll escort you to the apparating grounds in Diagon Alley. The floo gate is under maintenance."
My heart sank and my fear bubbled like a volcano. He did not know that my biggest phobia was apparating. I didn't have a choice; it was like using the Bunsen burner in Muggle Studies: Science. You did not have a choice whether you wanted to light it or not.
A small hope awakened in me that maybe, just maybe I would overcome my fear just because he was with me. I mean, the thought of him finding out was painful enough.
"Okay." I shrugged, "Let's go then."
The document filled with drool appeared as if on cue in my mind, I picked it up, showing it to Malfoy who made a another copy with just a flick of his wand and a spell I had never ever heard of.
"After you, Weasley." He held my door for me like a gentleman much to my surprise.
As we walked down the deserted corridors of Malfoy Empire, I realised that I would never ever want to be caught dead alone in a place as huge as this. With Malfoy by my side, my imagination was already running wild; I think without him, I'd probably suffer a heart attack or something. I inched closer towards him.
Our footsteps echoed as we walked beside each other in seemingly uncomfortable yet at the same time comfortable silence. I didn't know how we did that. I felt comfortable, grateful in fact for his presence yet the silence was endearing.
"Do you really stay out here this late at night?" I blurted out, breaking the silence that was like a wall between us.
He looked at me as I probed him for an answer.
"Yes." He replied shortly, I could tell that he was not in a mood for much conversation.
He probably was not getting laid tonight.
"Doesn't it bug you? I mean, don't you ever get frightened by the fact that you are in this building alone?" I looked at my environment in wonder.
He rolled his eyes to himself," Why should I? I made this place. I know every nook and cranny of the entire building."
True. I nodded my head understanding what he meant.
We walked, no, trudged through the thick snow while I let my thoughts wonder again.
Why didn't he just disable the anti – apparating wards like Narcissa had done, the last time?
"The wards have been renewed, only she knows how to disable them temporarily."
I looked at him wondering how he'd voiced the answer to my thoughts only to realize that I had spoken them aloud.
My feet were frozen and soaked, if we stayed any longer in the ice, I would be without toes when I returned home. I groaned at my stupidity, causing Malfoy to look over in curiosity.
He shook his head, as I shivered from the icy breeze that had enveloped us along the street.
"Once a weasel, always a weasel."
"Hey!" I protested indignantly as he gave me his usual smirk. "What is that supposed to mean?"
He removed his own thick black cloak and placed it around my shoulders making us stop in the middle of nowhere only so that he could fasten it around my neck. I looked right up at him, surprised at this thoughtful gesture.
Apparently my shivering and constant huddling towards him for body heat was not inconspicuous enough. His cloak felt like heaven, it was as though someone had dumped a sun bear on me or something. It was velvet and definitely expensive.
Below his cloak, he wore a plain, obviously classy cashmere black crew neck sweater and dark coloured pants. Muggle clothing. He looked dashing; the clothes gave him a rather dangerous appeal. Not to mention how the fitting sweater brought out hints of his hidden muscles. I could tell, he was not overly bulky, but he was not slender, if that was the correct word to describe.
I couldn't help but think that he would totally pull of the dangerously sexy look if he had a leather jacket on him right now. Mmmm, leather jackets, motorbikes. I had a fetish for that stuff.
Great, so now I was fantasizing about my boss.
His grey eyes met mine and I stared right into its smouldering depths. There was a hint of genuine concern as well sincerity which he clearly tried to mask.
"I'm alright, really." I said in vain, not quite comfortable with the idea of wearing his cloak to keep myself warm.
"You're turning blue. Wear it." He insisted. I opened my mouth to protest but he cut me off before I could say anything.
"If you get sick, you're fired."
I smiled understanding that it was his way of telling me that he cared. I liked it, a lot. And it was weird but reason found me. I had never ever seen a warmer side of Malfoy before, and now that I had seen it, I liked it. It was nice to know that the former Ice Prince of Slytherin had a heart.
He abruptly looked away, breaking the spell as his hands moved around my waist, fishing for something. I was alarmed, before I could say anything; he had already removed his hand from the pockets of his cloak. Turns out that he was finding his wand, he pointed it towards my feet and muttered a spell causing blue sparks to fly.
Instantly my feet felt warmer and my gratitude towards him increased and we carried on.
"So you haven't told me what you meant by the whole 'once a weasel...' line." I was determined to get it out of him.
"Does it matter? " His hands were in his pockets as he walked beside me. I was glad that he was protected by his cashmere sweater if not anything else. At the same time, he definitely had heating charms.
"Yes. I'm not a weasel! What is that supposed to mean?" I put my hands on my hips demanding to know.
Right now, we definitely not on an employer – employee basis, we were Malfoy and Weasley like in Hogwarts. Except that we were much nicer to one another.
He sighed, exasperatedly, "What did you do with your salary?"
I suppose he was curious because I had definitely made it clear that time that it was my very first pay. But uh-oh, he couldn't know about the whole donation thing.
My partially frozen brain scrambled for an answer, I was a terrible liar. It was a miracle the whole facade at home had gotten up until this far. It was probably because my family only saw what they wanted to see and nothing else.
"Er... I spent it." I managed weakly grateful that it was dark; at least he could not actually see me blushing like a ripe tomato.
He looked at me incredulously probably wondering what I had blown my entire salary on. Even though it was not considered much money these days, 5000 galleons could actually buy a lot of things. The latest Firebolt 2010, Reagan Vartanian's Stormy Night painting... I could imagine him crossing out items from a mental list that he had probably conjured in his mind.
Finally, he gave up, "On...?"
"Stuff..." I shrugged, not wanting to egg him into probing me for details.
Guess what, he did exactly what I was hoping he would not do, awww man.
"Like...?"
I thought for a few seconds before coming up with a fantastic excuse, well according to me, the world's most terrible actress.
"Er...I shopped for things that I've wanted to get for a really long time." He nodded his head, I could tell as I viewed him from the corner of my eye.
"I converted it to muggle money and got an X-box 360, Playstation 3, PSP, a boom box ... Basically muggle electronic devices. You get the picture." I shrugged again as he turned to look at me with his blonde eyebrows raised.
"Video game junkie, huh?" He asked me, humourlessly.
"One can never get enough from video games." I quoted from an adorable source, little Teddy Lupin who was gaga over those muggle games.
"Teddy is crazy about those games." I added on casually.
He smiled slightly and under the dim street lights, I could see the fondness he had for his nephew.
"He is, isn't he? I tried to get him to play Quidditch once, he ran back to the box as soon as the game was over. "His smile widened at the memory.
"Apparently, he has got some artistic abilities as well." I said, remembering his latest obsession of filling the refrigerator with his master pieces.
"Aunt Andromeda told Mother that she was thinking of signing him up for art classes. Said he had real talent. I haven't seen." He sounded rather regretful, his face now a blank.
"Well, then you should go and see it soon. Christmastime is family time." I implied meaningfully.
"Oh knock it off, Weasel. You're just mad because I didn't let you sleep in." He rolled his eyes to himself childishly.
"I was up half the night, baking. I can't sleep well with everyone gone. The silence is just eerie." I confessed feeling rather irate at the same time. I can't believe I did that, no one else knew how much I hated sleeping alone in the Burrow.
He looked at me in surprise, "Baking?" He echoed. I was grateful for the fact that he had just ignored my unwilling confession.
"I like to bake." I answered, shortly. Surely he did not have to know everything about my life right?
"Figures. You made that cake?" I nodded my head, silent.
"It was absolutely irresistible." He complimented me.
For unexplainable reasons, I felt myself glowing with delight at his truthful praise. I supposed it was because I was complimented by an aristocrat who had probably savoured the most high-class desserts up till date.
"Thanks."
I could tell that we were reaching the apparating grounds soon. He did not have to send me all the way there, even though it was dark, I was sure that I would be fine on my own.
"Hey, er, Malfoy...?"
"Hmmm?"
"You don't really have to escort me all the way there you know..."
"I'm not escorting you, Weasel, as you kindly put it. I'm going home too."
Okay.
"Prat."
"Did you say something?" I met his intimidating, piercing eyes and changed my words immediately.
Merlin, this man gave me mixed feelings.
"I said, 'rat'." I pointed towards the ground pathetically.
He smirked, knowing that it was not at all what I had said.
We crossed the border, a metal gate with a sign attached that said, 'FEEL FREE TO DISAPPEAR.' We stopped a couple of metres away from the gate and I felt the sinking feeling return. This was it.
"After you, Weasel." He gestured grandly.
"Yeah, erm, okay." I could feel the blood draining from my face as we spoke. My blood pressure was definitely lowering and my sugar level. I had munched on a couple of Chocolate Frogs earlier today; it probably did not seem like it right now.
I closed my eyes apparently attempting to do my thing and apparate.
In classes, we had learnt to picture the place we want to be at and relax but all I could tell myself to do was to apparate, apparate and apparate. So guess what, it didn't work. Big surprise.
Malfoy realised a couple of seconds later that something was amiss. I think it was because of my erratic breath intakes. I was fighting a mini panic attack internally.
"Weasel, you need to relax. Haven't apparated in a long time, have you?" He assumed that he had found the root of the problem.
"Just relax. And think of your home." His words were gentle and comforting. A million times better than my own thoughts that was telling me to do the same thing anyway.
I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to pace my breathing and thought fondly of the place I called home. I heard a 'pop' sound. Exactly like the sound that you would hear while testing for hydrogen during a science test. The very sound I hated.
Nausea was building up in me, someone shook me and I immediately opened my eyes to my homely surroundings. Malfoy?
He glared at me, "I asked you to think of your home, Weasel. Not grab me alongside with you when you did that."
I looked around and realised that I had performed Side- Along apparition. That thought made me feel a little better about conquering my phobia. We were standing at the lit porch of the Burrow.
"Oops." I muttered sheepishly, feeling like a complete idiot. Malfoy decided to take a look around and I grew defensive of my surroundings.
"Just say it already." I told him tiredly.
"Say what?" He looked at me, puzzled.
"That it looks like a pig sty, perfect place for Weasels... whatever." I gestured airily.
"Actually..." He arched an eyebrow, "I was going to say that it looks cosy."
My jaw dropped open as he nodded his head confirming that I had heard right. Are you freaking me? Draco Malfoy called the Burrow 'cosy'? I needed a statement.
I had expected him to look around and sneer in disdain but he was doing nothing of that sort. In fact, he looked around interestedly examining the littlest things like our potted plants and the herbs that Mum grew on the front garden. That was predictably unexpected.
He probably wouldn't think the same way about the inside. We kept it neat and tidy but in all honesty, it was a clutter of typical family mess. Only we thought it was perfect.
I was ready for him to go now. Watching him look around was making my imagination run wild. For a moment there, it almost felt as though he was my date, sending me home and about to kiss me goodnight.
It was the tiredness that was talking; I shuddered in vain attempts to repress thoughts and images of kissing Draco Malfoy that was flooding my mind.
"Er..." I began awkwardly, "I know, you didn't choose to follow me back, but while you're here, thank you for technically dropping me to my doorstep. I appreciate it. Well, kind of, in a way." And I did.
"It's alright. At least I get to see where you Weasels live. It's been a childhood fantasy." I could see a playful smirk on his face.
"Well, at least your child-self will rest in peace now that he has gotten his answers. I wonder if it's up to his expectations." I retorted back sarcastically.
"Temper, temper, Weasel." He warned me. I was getting crankier from the lack of sleep by the minute.
"It's Ginny." I snapped, the 'W' word finally getting to me.
He gave me a questioning look. "It's your Christmas present to me, since I gave you the cake."
"That was my Christmas present?" He looked at me in surprise. I nodded my head, yawning.
"Well in comparison to that, calling you by your real name completely pales. I do not gift pathetic excuses of gifts to people, staff or not, Ginny." He had that classic air in him.
Ginny. I liked how it sounded on his lips. He made it sound so exquisite yet so normal at the same time.
My exhaustion was making me lose my senses. Or maybe it was the Draco Malfoy fumes. Even so, I smiled, lighting up.
"What do you normally receive for Christmas?" He asked me curiously.
"Hmmm..." I thought about it, "A Weasley sweater, and random stuff from the rest. It depends on the person."
"Any Christmas wishes?" He asked again, thoughtfully.
It was really taking its toll, if I could fall asleep on the wall now, I totally would.
"Right now..." I yawned, feeling obligated to answer and unobligated at the same time to cover my mouth.
My parents had taught me manners but right now, screw it. He needed to know that I was dead on my feet.
"I would kill to have a day off. How does that sound?" I rubbed my eyes.
He thought for a moment. "Not bad, Wea- Ginny." He corrected himself just in time.
I was probably pushing my luck with him and he was probably messing around with my head.
"Alright then, Malfoy..." He interrupted me before I could bid him goodnight.
"Draco" He said in an almost pleasant way. "It's only fair if I called you by your first name, you'd have to call me by mine. Even in the office." He explained.
"Draco" I repeated, testing his name on my tongue. It had a little tingle to go with it. A tingle that sort of heightened my senses but that was probably me going crazy.
He smiled hearing his name on my lips.
I was curious about one thing though as he turned to leave, "Why did you think that my wish was not bad?"
"Well, I presumed that you, like other girls, would have a complete new wardrobe in mind. And in your case, it'd probably be top-ranking since you spent your salary on electronic devices." He replied offhandedly.
I narrowed my eyes at his comment.
"I think I've made it clear tons of times, I'm not like other girls, Mal-Draco."
"That you aren't." He agreed as he appraised me with that piercing yet cool look.
"Merry Christmas, Draco." I wished him with all faith as he turned to disapparate.
"Merry Christmas, Ginny." He replied with equal emotions.
It was then that I could tell that we had finally reached a truce from all that name calling and blood feuds.
Christmas was such a miracle.
AH, I hope you guys loved the main course. Review and tell me what you think. ;p
This chapter is for my mum and dad. Mama, Daddy, Happy Anniversary. If you hadn't fallen in love, I wouldn't have been born. I'm blessed to have you both as my parents. I love you both.
Alright. Click on the button to review. You know you want to. :)