Ginny Weasley: Maid in Malfoy Manor

Ginny Weasley: Maid in Malfoy Manor

Chapter Seven:

. .

Cinderella

*

"Good thing you decided to come back," Natalie snapped, roughly slamming the metal pan on the sink as she wash off the soap clinging from it. "Mary asked you to pick vegetables from the garden, not to take a forty-five minute stroll down the fields. I was ready to believe that you gave up and escaped back to the tiny little hole that you have the guts to call home."

"Sorry," Ginny reasoned. "I got lost." She put the basket with the various vegetables she had collected on the wooden table and started to segregate it according to type, trying to control the innermost annoyance that was starting to bubble up inside her. She could take the nasty remark but not coming from a person who had no right to give it.

She had spent the entire morning in the gardens, not rushing to finish her command of picking different kinds of vegetables in the garden. The garden was beautiful, complete with a fountain right in the middle. It looked quite impressive considering the owner of the said backyard. Who would've thought that the Malfoys could have such an exquisite place inside their feared manor? Surrounded by lush green grass, vegetable leaves and roots and swimming in an air of gentle sweet fragrance, she let out all her pent up anger and disappointment of not being permitted yesterday to visit her broken family. Broken in a sense that deceit and unfaithfulness was not the issue but concerning the loss of missed loved ones and the plague of deadly ailments and handicaps. She could tell that she too was getting weaker and weaker in longing to see her family and her spirit was slowly deteriorating from the lack of renewing energy that her siblings used to give her.

Those were the days. The days when Harry Potter was still alive, everyone was happy and the wizarding community still lived in perfect harmony with each other even if aware of the growing threat of evil in their perfectly peaceful lives. Who would've expected it to end in such a short span of time?

"Fine, lucky for you Virgin Mary is busy talking to the exterminators or else you'd have had your first session of an ear-splitting sermon," Natalie replied, putting the pans on the drying rack, oblivious of the internal struggle that Ginny was experiencing at the moment. "Speaking of which, she asked the two of us to carry up the damaged kitchen stoves from the dungeons to the back garden."

"Dungeons?" she asked, snapping out of her painful reverie.

"From the dungeons, yes. You know where the dungeon is, do you? You know the floor, just above hell," Natalie mockingly answered. "Mary said that some men are going to pick those up later this afternoon."

"Oh,"

"Yeah, I could swear we're having more responsibilities by the second!" Natalie exclaimed, throwing up her dripping hands in exasperation. "Next thing we know, we'll be cleaning up the decaying bones from the prison cells."

Ginny tried real hard to not show her utter disgust regarding the said matter but from the look that Natalie was giving her, she knew that she had already shown her repulsion.

Natalie looked at her knowingly and said, "Don't worry, you'll get used to it."

"Gee, I hope so," she answered back in the verge of sarcasm. Never did she want to get used to the inhumane and grotesque customs that the evil Malfoy family were so fond of because getting used to it meant understanding those practices, and their way of living was beyond the limits of consideration.

"But really, come to think of it, we're not the ones who are supposed to do all these stuff!" Natalie once again exclaimed. "Frankly, just in my opinion, I think that the Malfoys are having some trouble with their staff."

Ginny eyed at her curiously trying not to appear too interested.

"What made you say that?"

"Well, let's just say that when the houses of two of the most powerful and cruel wizards there is in our world unite, there is going to be a lot of changes brought around this place. I heard some upstairs maids talking about it a while back and they're saying that, just to cut the story short, no one in their right mind would want to stick around when the queen of the house moves in."

"Who is she to be so darn frightening?" Ginny gasped, quite taken aback by the descriptions that Natalie threw at her about the dreaded and unknown fiancée.

"I have only served her once at a tea party and let's just say that if you think things are horrible enough around here, believe me when I say you've seen nothing yet."

~*~

Draco was worried.

Very worried indeed.

The costume ball was going to be held tomorrow evening already and he still had to find a companion to that tedious social gathering.

If his plan didn't work, he was doomed.

Yes, he knew that he could carry it off with his overflowing self-confidence, reputation and manufactured words of praise directed at himself but it still would not be the same. His so-called friends would all be there obviously thinking on how conceited and arrogant he was and would spend the entire evening looking at him in envy and hatred, fake smiles of judgment pasted at their malicious lips. Draco entering the labeled celebration all by himself was not actually social suicide but it would mean a wasted night spent wandering and conversing mechanically with people who he knew hated him with all their guts and were only showing him fake beams of approval just because of the name that his father had built over the damned years.

A partner would really make all the difference, but the hard part of it was not the selection process, he had already done that and it gave him a headache. Instead, the agonizing part of it was the part where from the moment his hormones kicked in was never his problem at all.

And still, up until now, he could not fathom why he was fussing over such a stupid futile thing. He had invited girls to go out with him millions of times and it was always the same response that he got. Always the same yes, always the same blushing cheeks and always the same look of outmost pride and flattery that he was actually tired of it all. Yearning for something different, longing for a new challenge, he actually got his wish.

So much for being careful about what you wish for.

But of course it was not a matter if she will agree or not. Of course she will! By free preference or by forced inclination she will be his date for the ball for the reason that she mainly had no choice.

Okay, fine. So let the games begin.

Draco summoned Ginny by talking to Mary first since he knew without a doubt that she would not come unless forced by Mary in terms that she would lose her job. Hopeless she was! Draco simply thought, wondering on when will this game end. It was going nowhere anyway so might as well teach Ginny a lesson in obedience as soon as she step inside Draco's territory.

A few minutes had elapsed and just as when Draco was getting quite impatient, Ginny knocked on the thick double doors, obviously hesitating for a second, thinking of what were the chances of getting away with it if she just kick the door open and march inside like how she wanted to. But of course, proper etiquette obviously got the better of her. Draco gave her the permission to enter, at the same time pondering on how to actually get the conversation about the dreaded subject going without actually sounding desperate. After all, desperation was not permitted for the Malfoys to show.

Not that he was desperate to start with.

He was not.

Right?

"So we meet again," Draco drawled, making sure that he kept his usual condescending tone. He was already eyeing Ginny from head to toe, picturing in his mind what she would look like in the dress that she would be wearing to the ball.

Oh, God. Was he getting too emotionally attached? After all, this was supposed to be just a professional thing that he had to do for the sake of the presentation his social stability.

But whatever the matter was, hopeless, desperate or even routine, one thing was sure.

There was no backing out now.

~*~

Ginny walked inside, very much aware on how inferior she felt standing in the middle of Draco's enormous room looking like a prostitute waiting to be touched in her standard uniform. She should've known that when Mary interrupted her mopping just a few minutes ago, it would mean another trip to the devil's lair.

Exactly just what I needed, Ginny sarcastically thought.

"So we meet again," Draco drawled quite unnecessarily at her. For a moment there she mused if this were going to be another humiliating waste of time for her and an amusing pastime for Draco.

More or less, she was probably right.

"You called me up. I had no choice," she said, more than a hint of distaste escaping her frowned mouth.

"Oh, did I?"

"Are you playing mind games with me again, Malfoy? Because I swear to God I have no time nor energy for all this," she exclaimed, deciding that if this were going to be another episode of the battle of the wits where Ginny will obviously lose and be utterly disgraced, she would try to get out of this as soon as she can.

"Stingy are we?" Draco once again drawled, watching the red-haired maid with concealed amusement. "Well, for your information, I do have a reason for calling you up and it is not just because I wanted to annoy you to death, even though that's still a minor part of it, but it is about a rather important matter if you must know."

"I think we both know that I could only care less," Ginny retorted.

"You know, you should really watch the things coming out of your mouth," Draco said, eyeing Ginny with mock irritation. "I normally would never let anyone, and I mean anyone talk to me like that. Now given our history in Hogwarts, whatever history that could be, I consider you a special case to be treated. But then, you take advantage of my very limited mercy. Still, you should mind your language because I tell you; you are skating on very thin ice here. Your job is actually dangling from my already constricted sympathy, if you know what I'm talking about."

Ginny just stupidly stared for a minute then but even without trying to think of a witty remark to throw back at him, she found out that when it comes to battling Draco Malfoy, the king of sarcasm and insults, her obscured talent in such matters naturally comes forth.

"Even though I know that you think I should comment on your obtuse use of metaphors on that specially moving speech you just gave me, I think I would still say whatever I want to say just for the purpose of keeping my sanity in this godforsaken place," Ginny replied, actually relieved to be doing something aside from standing foolishly in the middle of Draco's grand room. At least insulting Draco as much as she liked was keeping her thoughts occupied until the real reason of her calling was revealed. Skating on very thin ice or not, she knew that if she just follow Draco's every whim like a despondent puppy without even muttering just a simple pea-brained insult was going to drive her crazy.

She'll take her chances.

"Really?" Draco answered, quite enjoying the battle of the wits they were unconsciously playing. "You don't care about your job at all nor your very life?"

Ginny unintentionally blanched at the thought. It had never occurred to her that she could actually be punished with death by just insulting the renowned Draco Malfoy, son of the most powerful wizard there was. Actually, it had never occurred to her that he could actually do such a thing. Because even though she knew undeniably that he had the power to do anything that he wanted with just a flick of a finger, it had never came to mind that he could do it to her.

But then of course he could! Who was she kidding?

As the thought dawned on her, the outmost reality that she was just a maid in this gigantic mansion of the most powerful wizard in the world was as bright as ever. This was definitely not Hogwarts where, even though Draco was a year older than she was, they both have the same rights and that the same rules apply to both of them. How stupid of her to hold on to the delusion that this alternate universe where the great Harry Potter was defeated and that evil won would just evaporate in a second when she decided to wake up from this awful nightmare. But this is no nightmare, but far much worse than she could have expected.

Suddenly, she felt with full force how a life without Harry was really much harder than she had anticipated.

"Let's just get to the point," Ginny surrendered, her slender shoulders sagging a bit, an indication on how tired and worn-out she was about all these horrible things that just keeps happening to her. How exhausted she was about the physical demands of her work, added to that the mental and emotional toll of the various degrading confrontations of her and Draco and for just being in this alienating place away from all of her loved ones.

She was done with playing mindless games and going around in circles. She just want to finish her work, go to bed and sulk until the morning comes.

"I'm done with this," she added with a distressing sigh. "Just tell me what you want and I'll get it. No more games, no more nothing. I'm sick of all these."

"Fine then, Weasley," he answered, softly this time hinting that he understood and was willing to cooperate and turn their meeting into a serious one for a change. "You asked for it."

A thick silence followed and Ginny wondered what kind of thing he was asking her to do for him to actually take his time in saying it.

"I want you to be my partner to the ball tomorrow night. That's it go on, you're dismissed, finish your chores," Draco said that all in such unbelievable speed that it took Ginny at least five seconds to actually grasp what he was trying to say.

And one word instinctively came to Ginny's mind actually expressing all that she had to say.

"WHAT?!"

Draco gave her a look of disbelief saying, "Look, I'm not that surprised to find out that you Weasley clan are a bit inadequate regarding your mental superiority but I never thought that hearing disablement is also a matter that I should be informed about."

Ginny just stared in incredulity how Draco could insult her and her family right after asking her to be his partner to a ball.

This must be a dream.

"I'm asking you to spend tomorrow night with me at a Costume Ball, talking to strangers you will never see the face of and smiling mechanically at everyone you meet," Draco sneered, looking quite a lunatic from changing his expression to one of complete annoyance to a look that could resemble a dog eyeing his yearned for bone.

Just goes to show how psychologically distressing it was to live in the dark surrounded by mothballs and gruesome pictures of one's own frightening ancestors.

Draco glared at her in utter impatience masking the uncertainty that Ginny saw a second before in his eyes.

"So, are you going to answer or not?"

This was insane! Was he actually serious considering her to be his partner to a social banquet?

But certainly, she was not going to let him off the hook so easily. Why would she want to be with him all night even if it was going to be a formal get together?

"Go sit on a pencil and rotate," Ginny replied trying to sound as unaffected as possible.

With the expression that Ginny could read from Draco, she knew that she had failed miserably.

"You really want to do this the hard way, do you?" he actually smiled; making Ginny shiver from the routine things that she was waiting to hear.

Oh, what was the point?

Of course she was going to be threatened with losing her job or even her own life if that was possible. Why did she even try to fight back when she knew that there was no choice? But then, why did he even bother asking if he knew that he will have his way in the end of it all whether she liked it or not? Why go through the hassle?

Ginny was starting to get a headache.

This is great, just great... Ginny thought. I knew something bad was going to happen today. I just knew it.

"What made you think that I'm going to be an acceptable companion for the evening?" Ginny asked, convinced that she had to find out as much information as she can about this hilarious and senseless invitation. "What made you so sure that I'm not going to run out of the room the moment you let me out of your sight?"

"I'm not going to let you out of my sight, you can trust me on that," Draco answered, a somehow unusual tone coming out of his carefully chosen words. It was as if he was actually serious about what he said and not just for the purpose of showing his superiority in the situation.

Ginny softened a bit, seeing that they were actually having a sincere conversation probably for the first time since she stepped inside this hellhole called Malfoy Manor. She was going to reluctantly agree already even though her quest for more knowledge about the gathering was answered by a vague response, but then she remembered to take her chances and offer some parameters in the so-called ball, thrown to that a few requirements if she could manage it.

"Fine, I will go, but in one condition," Ginny said, trying to look as irresistible as possible. She noted the quick change of expression in Draco's pale face from delight and relief to apprehensiveness and suspicion. This brought a surge of pride in Ginny knowing that for just once, she was the one holding the cards.

"What do you want?" he sighed, actually willing to consider what she was going to say.

Ginny almost smiled in glee.

"After tomorrow night, you will let me visit my parents for a whole day without any restrictions and allow me bring them food, medicine and other essential things from the manor," she said, making sure that it was clearly understood that these things were imperative for her to actually agree in his proposition.

Draco seemed to weigh his options then after a moment of tense consideration; he looked like he finally made his decision.

"All right, you got your wish, but you will also have to compromise with my demands," he said, looking wistfully at his own ceiling.

"What's that?"

"Not much, really," he replied, locking eyes with her. "You just have to talk, act, move the way I command you to. You have to wear what I want you to wear, say what I want you to say, when I want you to say it and in what manner. You will be posing as a maiden from out of town and I, being the earnest gentleman that I am is just there showing you the way things work in wizarding London. The party is a masked costume ball so it is crucial that you keep your mask on."

He paused, thinking if he forgot something.

"That's about it," he said, a smug grin already painted in his lips. "Deal?"

Ginny considered the said provisions and after a few seconds, the two finally had their first mutual agreement in the said matter.

"Deal," Ginny answered, trying hard not to worry about what kind of trouble she had just put herself into.

~*~

The rest of the day was spent with Ginny waiting for the seamstress in some room on the second floor. Waiting for her to show up with the gown that Ginny would be wearing tomorrow night. Sitting on the quite comfortable couch that was pushed against the far corner of the place making room for the elevated spot right in the middle facing a gigantic mirror, Ginny couldn't help visualizing the things that might happen on the celebration. She imagined herself getting recognized by a long time schoolmate when she stupidly forgot to keep her mask on and making a fool of herself in front of the most powerful wizards in their community. She was about to chicken out when she thought about her family and how doing this dreaded thing would give her the chance to see them and bring them what they truly needed. Thinking about her mom and dad, and her hurting brother Ron gave her the strength to stand tall and do what she had to do. That was what her life was nowadays, revolving around her family and making sure that they live and never lose hope.

A plump middle-aged woman with brown hair entered, her arms holding a single velvet red dress in her arms. Ginny stood up in respect quite surprised at the lack of different colored fabrics the woman should be holding. She had expected a laborious session in that room in which she was supposed to try on about a hundred of distinctively styled gowns before they finally agreed on one worthy for her to wear.

"Try this on," the woman simply said, handing her the dress wrapped in plastic covering for protection. Ginny had no idea where the dress was from but did not say anything since her female companion did not look like the type to appreciate overly inquisitive maids.

Ginny looked around, trying to figure out where to actually change but then one look at the possible seamstress, she knew that she was supposed to try the gown right then and there and the lady was suppose to help her. Self consciously, she tried on the dress and was actually relieved that she did not have to do it by herself after finding out that it consisted of highly complicated and confusing buttons and strings that she would probably spend a minute trying to figure out where to enter her right arm.

After quite a few minutes of doing adjustments and finishing touches, the lady asked her to turn around and face the mirror. Nervously, thinking that she looked like crap, she turned... and saw a completely different person than the girl that she was used seeing in the mirror.

She looked gorgeous.

She looked sophisticated, elegant and demure all at the same time, as if she was not aware on how delicately beautiful she was. Never in Ginny's life did she think that she could look like a goddess. Ginny ran her hands on the material and felt the softness of the fabric. The dress fitted her perfectly, working with her womanly curves like it was originally made just for her. Just when Ginny was starting to wonder if the dress itself was charmed to fit her like that, there was a knock on the door, separating her from her fascinated trance.

The seamstress opened the door an inch and murmured something that Ginny could not hear. The door opened a little wider and in came Draco, looking proud about something. He was still talking to the woman but then he suddenly turned to where Ginny was standing and stopped speaking in mid-sentence.

He gazed at Ginny as if it was the first time that he had seen her. Time stood still as he seemed to take in her image making Ginny quite uncomfortable about the unrestricted attention. What was he thinking? Ginny thought, self-consciously standing in the middle in front of the mirror. Did he think she was pretty? Mouth still open, he took a deep breath, then as if snapping out of a spell, he turned to the seamstress who was still standing beside him and mumbled something. Ginny heard it as "It will do," He then turned and practically fled out of the room but not before Ginny caught sight of Draco's ears which was turning quite pink.

Was he blushing?

After a moment of hesitation, Ginny erased the ridiculous thought out of her head.

He cannot be possibly blushing! Do Malfoys even blush? He must be cold from the room's chilly temperature, Ginny thought.

Yes, that must be it.

~*~