Unexpected Tendencies

Chp 2: Accomplishment

**********
Colin stepped out of the grate with several packages in his arms and surveyed the deathly quietness that shrouded the apartment. He quickly brought his wrist up to read his watch and saw that it was seven and about time for Ginny to be up.

He set the packages down on the kitchen table and cast a warming spell around them. He had bought them breakfast so she could take her time to get ready. He knew how flustered Ginny got when she was nervous and could never get anything done right for her spells and aiming went awry. Frankly, it was dangerous. The last time she panicked, she had almost set his apartment on fire. He chuckled at the memory and shed his cloak and threw it on the couch. He walked towards her room and took a peek at her, as the door was slightly ajar.

She always had this habit of sleeping with the windows wide open, so that the curtains were billowing from the slight breeze and sunlight was pouring in through steady streams. It caused the tumble of massive curls that covered her face to burst into flames of copper red. She looked exquisite like that.

He crept into her bed and pulled her into his arms as she snuggled against him, trying to get comfortable. They lay there for a while as Colin enjoyed the morning breeze that was wafting through till he almost fell asleep. He shook his head of lethargy and turned to face Ginny.

"Time to wake up, Gin."

"Mmm..." she replied whilst turning over and pulling the quilt over her head.

"You´ll be late," Colin pulled the quilt down and saw her scrunch her nose and smack her lips like the way his old gran did when she was without her dentures.

"Five more minutes love," she mumbled back and waved her hand at him.

"Ok... I wasn't too rough on you last night, was I? Cause I swear, I was really gentle on you especially when you tried to grab my-"

Right then,Ginny´s eyes snapped open. She gave a loudshriek as she doubled back, which was firmly interjected by an `oof´ as her bottom came into contact with the cold floor.

She stared at him with eyes opened so wide, that Colin was afraid they would pop out. He stifled a laugh as he saw her breathing deeply and looking at him questioningly.

"Am I that repulsive?" he asked, giving her a pout, which gave him such an endearing quality. She wanted to bloody wipe it off with a smack.

"Oh gods no, Colin, but if you plan to wake me up that way every morning you´ve got another thing coming!"

"Glad to be of service, now get up!"

He got off her bed and left her on the floor as he made his way to the kitchen, settling their breakfast on plates and getting the coffee ready. He knew he needed it; for a massive headache was building up from his rough night at the office. He heard the rush of flowing water from the shower and walked toward the windowsill to retrieve the newspapers and magazine subscription from the owl, which was pecking away at his window. He gave the owl a bit of toast and payment before it flew away.

He read the headlines of the Prophet, and when he looked at the magazine he almost snorted out his coffee through his nose. He eyed the magazine closely and gave a smirk identical to the one worn by the person in the picture on the cover. "Bastard," he shook his head.

He looked up as he heard Ginny stomping through her doorway, sounding quite frustrated. She was fiddling with the clasp on her robes, which she couldn´t get closed. She scrunched up her face and gave a whine before giving up and looking at him.

"Help me," she whimpered.

Colin gave a laugh and rolled his eyes at the image that was in front of him. The now high strung, usually if you have to do something you have to do it yourself woman with a fiery temper, was whimpering for help because she couldn´t get her clasp done.

"Will you relax? You´ll charm the pants off the git," he said whilst helping her. She was fidgeting quite badly and once he was done, she ran to back to the room and got her bag and wand.

"Sit, Ginny. I got your favourites, pancakes, topped with syrup and your assortment of fruit and French toast on the side."

She gave him a grin and sat down to the plate that was tempting her palate so badly, then a queasy feeling, rushed back in and all she could do was stare at her plate with a fork in hand, wavering over it.

"Good first step, love, now you just use the fork you have to pick up the food in front of you," Colin chuckled.

"What if he laughs at me? What if he goes on and on like he did back then?" she asked as she played around with the fruit. "What if I don´t get the job? Oh but what if I do? Would I be good? And Colin, damn it listen to me!" Ginny snapped.

"Oh come on you´ll do fine, it´s just Malfoy!" Colin answered, nonchalant.

"Right, just the pretty little bastard...right..." she trailed off. Ginny didn´t know why she was so nervous either, but she just got this way when there was something new abound.

"Here!" Colin walked over to her and passed her the magazine. She took it with her free hand and stared at the glossy cover of `Galleon´ magazine.

Two shining eyes of silver glared at her with dark intensity and a languid smirk settled across the slightly shadowed profile of pale creamy, unblemished skin. Blonde, almost white, hair grew past his ears and a slight fringe fell upon his forehead giving him a slightly effeminate look with such aquiline features. Draco Malfoy. He looked somewhat the same from Hogwarts and there was a noted absence of hair gel that reigned supreme during his ferrety days. Did the picture just wink at her?

Ginny placed the magazine in front of her plate and picked up her fork, blindly stabbing around till she got something and placed it in her mouth while she read the interview that they had gotten with one of the most successful and powerful business wizards of recent times. Colin was babbling to her but she wasn´t really listening so she hoped that she was nodding in all the right places as she skimmed over the article.

`Son of Lucius Malfoy, yeah I knew that, married Pansy Parkinson straight out of Hogwarts, yech, but divorced shortly after Lucius Malfoy was placed in St.Mungo´s, good for him, the bastard,´ Ginny thought whilst she bobbed her head a long with whatever Colin was saying and eating at the same time.

`Hmm, made his first million Galleons at twenty when Xavier Inc. took off, has offices all over Europe as well as over East Asia and the States. Oh, company trips, estimated worth, blah blah, ok not interesting.´

"So, you´re telling me that you don´t want to go for this interview and that I should change my name to Bob, is that it? Ginny? Yes or no?" Colin asked, with coffee in hand and eyebrows raised.

Ginny finally looked up from her magazine, "Erm, yes?" she said before flashing him a grin. Wrong answer, Colin gave her a smack with the Daily Prophet.

"Cripes! Colin, I´m going to be late, why didn´t you tell me?" she shrieked.

Exasperated, he rolled his eyes and went to wait near the door. She was going to Apparate to the entrance of Xavier Inc. but in order to do so, she had to do it outside of his apartment as he had so many wards up due to the nature of his job.

He could hear the clatter of forks and plates as she got up and made a run for the door. Unfortunately, she tripped over the carpet and landed face first.

"I´m alright! I´m alright!" Ginny said with face flushed. She got up quickly and made her way towards Colin, who gave her a kiss on her forehead and smacked her bottom as she went out the door.

"Wish me luck!" she cried, with a wide grin.

"Luck!"

With that the red head vanished before his very eyes with a very audible `pop´.

**********

"Next!"

Draco Malfoy slumped over his desk due to the tedious task of replacing Marguerite. She was one of the few that managed to stick out the position as personal assistant to him for at least a year. Those before her had only managed to stick it out for a few months and all screamed and ranted the way Marguerite did when she left. He liked the ones that just didn´t bother to turn up. At least they didn´t start flinging office supplies at him as they left the building. It was terribly disturbing.

How disconcerting, Draco Malfoy, rich and wealthy and most wanted, getting frustrated and tired over a personal assistant.

The same Draco Malfoy who grew up knowing the Dark Arts intimately and had used it against his teacher. The same who worshipped the ground his father walked on and yet felt struck when omnipotence was not one of his father´s qualities. He had almost lost everything when there was a case on his family from the Ministry and when his father had been banished to a room at St. Mungo´s. His beliefs and stable foundation had been shaken.

He all but refused to let anything set him back. He was a Slytherin after all and a Malfoy at that, even if the name was somewhat smeared.

He would not be without the wealth that he originally had, even if Gringotts decided to seize the veritable amount of money that was rightfully his. He had rubbed it into too many people´s faces to be poor; besides an inheritance from grandmother Malfoy was enough to let him retire for the rest of his years, but he needed to do something. Something that would restore the respect and admiration that went along with the name Malfoy.

So, he managed to sink his hands into the most lucrative venture that was yet to be brought into the wizarding business market. He introduced muggle technology melded with magic. It was tough in the beginning as everybody was wary over anything muggle, still bearing slight prejudice. He worked day and night, meeting new clients and dining with them to persuade them to invest. He made it clear that he was trustworthy and nothing like his father, who was stuck in a pink wallpapered room with dancing hippogriffs, his sanity breaking. He placed innumerable amount of advertising gimmicks and slogged for hours at a time. Watching the market and looking over his statistics, wondering how he could get his products to be used by at least three quarters of the wizarding populace. For the first time in life, besides school, he actually had to work for something.

Of course you knew that it wouldn´t fail. He knew that it wouldn´t either.

His unwavering faith in it to transpire and bloom was what pulled it through and within two years, it made him ten times richer than he already was. He became the most famous entrepreneur in modern times of the magic world. Respect was restored to the name and Malfoy pride shining out of him once more.

Now. Now, he was reduced to a pile of shrivel because of a bloody personal assistant that walked out on him, like all the others. He grimaced at the thought. After seeing his work take off, he employed as many people needed and all he did now was oversee the operations like the big kahuna that he was. Delving in now and then only when a problem cropped up and wooing his investors to get what he wanted. So, over time he had grown to be reliant on his personal assistant like he was as a child to his nanny.

So bloody what?

He gave a scowl and waited for the next subject. He had only two more interviews left, looking at his parchment. He knew he was picky but he only wanted the best and so far the hunt had reaped no gold. The first one was a hag, or at least she looked one and he had sent her off without even asking her a question. Being a personal assistant to him, Draco Malfoy, involved public relations as well. It meant being presentable. Besides, she looked like she hadn´t had a bath in years.

The rest didn´t even come close. He gave a sigh and summoned the person who was knocking on the door, in.

It was a lady, who looked to be in her mid forties. He looked down to his folder and pulled out the parchment with the necessary information. So far she was the only who was nearly as qualified as Marguerite. Sighing as he questioned her, he looked Mrs. Patricia Tuttle, over.

She was an elegant lady; a matriarch and she definitely knew what she needed to do. He just didn´t know if he could act the same around her. In some ways, she reminded him of his mother and that meant all manners should be in check. No teasing and no nonsense. He looked down at the parchment and looked up at her again. He was hoping for someone like Marguerite at least.

Ok, yes. He used Marguerite as a barometer but that was only because she was good and well, young and just drop dead gorgeous.

He gave a sigh and was about to tell her that she got the job as the interviews so far were going absolutely nowhere when his ex-wife happened to burst through the door with nary a care in the world.

Draco frowned, but let it pass on to have his usual stoic expression take place. Being of good breeding, he stood up from his chair, "Ms. Parkinson, how nice to see you," he said with a forced smile. "Would you mind waiting outside while I finish up in here?"

"You know I do," she replied haughtily and gave the old woman in the chair a once-over before sticking her nose into the air once more.

Glaring at her and then looking at Mrs. Tuttle who gave away no sense of discomfort, he blanched visibly and said "Very well. Mrs Tuttle, could you please wait outside while I," turning to stare at Pansy, "settle this somewhat urgent matter?"

Getting up quickly with a "Certainly sir," she walked out of the room and closed the doors behind her.

He then let out a breath as he turned towards the window and looked out to the crowd below him. His building was right in the centre of traffic between the old and nostalgic Diagon Alley and the modernised and upper crust Terrazo Alley. It was on prime land as it was easily accessible and so near the apparition ports and floo hubs.

"What do you want, Pansy?" he asked, still looking out the window at the scurrying crowd, his building casting a grey shadow across the road.

"Well, we haven´t seen each other for quite a long time and I thought you and I should sit down and have dinner together, Draco love," she said whilst fluttering her eyelashes, clumped with mascara, when he turned to her.

"You barged in on me, while I was having an important meeting to ask me for dinner? Couldn´t it wait?" he asked, leaving behind all civility to the woman standing in front of him.

"Oh, it wasn´t important," she said, waving a well manicured hand in the air and pursing her lips before continuing, "I know I´m more important than that woman."

Frowning at the audacity of her, he was silent. Glaring hard at her, he answered her in a tone that emanated coldness, "I´m sorry, if I gave you the impression that you were so high ranking, maybe so when you were my wife but you have no right what so ever now. You are just Ms. Parkinson, an acquaintance and nothing more," he exhaled noisily and sat down in his chair, regretting the fact that he didn´t make it clear the minute they had divorced.

Why he never divorced her the minute his father was put in St Mungo´s eluded him. Even though she was a cash cow and nothing more, he needn´t have used her. He got his business on its feet by himself, save a few investors that did not include her. Thank God for that, having her for a partner would have been hell on earth.

You see, he wasn´t in love with her, but his father, before being sent to the loony bin, was so bent on joining the two households together, that he had resorted to an archaic ritual from a century that Draco so heartily despised and arranged their marriage. As soon as they had graduated from old Hogwarts, they were obliged to wed each other much to the happiness of their elders.

Pansy, of course had no qualms about it at all, as she had loved Draco since her schoolgirl days. It was her fairytale ending until he refused to consummate their marriage and he had sought other beds besides their own. After years of false lies on a happy marriage, he quit her after Xavier Inc. celebrated its first year of success.

He looked up at her in disdain

"You certainly don´t mean that!" she cried, her heavily lined eyes wide-open and red lips gaping.

"I most certainly do."

"So you never intended to take me back?" she asked, standing up from her seat and looking down at him with a frown as she left handprints on his desk.

He looked up at her in surprise, "When did I ever give you that idea, Pansy?" his voiceharsh and cutting. Leaving absolutely no room for argument.

"Draco, love, maybe if you have dinner with me, we can talk about this," she was grasping straws here. She needed and wanted him badly. She needed him to make the fairytale complete. Maybe she wasn´t a good enough wife for him but she was willing to change and make him fall in love with her. She just needed a chance.

"No, Pansy. Now, please leave. I have business to attend to," was his only sound reply as he looked back down onto the parchment on his desk.

"But darl-" she started, licking her lips and looking frantic.

"I said no, Pansy! No. Nyet. Non. Now go!"

"Draco you must want me still!" she cried, her voice cracking as she grew more frantic. She knew she must have looked absurd but she had waited for so long,and she needed him badly.

"Oh? Do I?" he asked, his eyes lighting up and for a brief moment Pansy thought she had won him over a little, "Well, why don´t we open the windows and see if pigs have finally sprouted wings to flee away from bacon worshipping fiends?!"

**********

When Ginny apparated around the corner at the designated port, she shoved her hands into her robe pockets and walked towards the tall menacing building of Xavier Inc. She was still a bit nervous and was talking to herself as she hurried on through the thick crowd.

"Times change, people change. Ugh. Not!" she was trying to convince herself that Malfoy wasn´t that bad. Maybe he was different, though it seemed unlikely. She needed the money and he did pay his staff well. This was the only consolation. Besides, she was desperate to show her family that she could make it on her own.

She then stared up at the building at the end of Diagon Alley and near the start of Terrazo, which was not crowded. The sun behind it had given it a resplendent glow and made it look glorified. You could look into the first floor as the exterior was all glass and she saw people running around, all laden with files and abundance of papers. It had huge television screens, with information on their stocks and their advertisements on loop.

She took a deep breath and hurriedly walked up the stairs and into the building. Everybody seemed oblivious to her as she followed the crowd to the lobby and went up the lift. It climbed slowly to the twentieth floor and opened with a `ping´. She gaped a little at the elaborate decorations of the place. There was a huge expanse of space and carpeting and a long cold steel table sat in the middle. Down the corridor, she saw a woman waiting outside and asked her if she still had time for the interview.

The lady just gave a frown, which melted into a calculative smile, not answering her. Ginny raised an eyebrow and approached the huge cheery wood doors, and was just about to knock when a very pink, hot and bothered Pansy Parkinson brushed past her without an apology. She stared at the offender but said nothing. When she turned, she felt Draco Malfoy´s eyes on her and she swallowed audibly before he called her in.

After shutting the door behind her, she took a seat in front of him and looked down at her hands as he studied her and the parchment in his hands. When he placed the parchment down he studied her a while more before addressing her.

"Miss Weasley," he said.

Inhaling sharply, she looked up and forced herself to stare him down. "Mr. Malfoy," she said and waited for his response, her legs shaking nervously.

He watched her in amusement, letting both of them sink into silence to see if she would get more nervous. In that time though, she managed to gather herself and just think that he was the twitchy little bouncing ferret he was and it made the corners of her mouth turn up.

Undoubtedly, she wasn´t the most beautiful woman he ever saw, her looks were plain somewhat but there was something alluring about her. That soft smile and the flash in her eyes made her seem saucy. He smirked.

"So, Miss Weasley, why do you want to work for me?"

She knew that question was coming and took a deep breath before she gave him an equally blunt answer to his question, "Well, simply because I heard you pay good money and the job description seemed easy enough. In fact, I might be over qualified."

His smirk grew more prominent and he looked at her with amused eyes. Such bluntness at the talk of money. Well she was a Weasley, and the confidence she mustered quite intrigued him. The thought of a Weasley working for a Malfoy was too good to pass up. He would challenge her.

"Can you make good coffee?"

She seemed slightly taken aback by this and a little confused. Ginny paused a while before giving a hesitant yes.

"Good, go make a pot and we´ll discuss the day´s events," he replied nonchalantly and cleared his desk. He watched as she caught the meaning after a few seconds and a broad grin creased her face, making her look quite pretty. He stared at her to get her moving and she nodded her head, heading for the door.

"Oh, and Virginia?" she whirled around to look at him, startled to hear her full first name being called.

"Tell the lovely lady outside that she can go home now."