Past Life: Draco and Ginny
Chapter Three
"I have never been more frustrated in my life." Draco groused as he collapsed on the sofa. Ginny sitting up right on a chair but no less tired, watch Dobby come in with afternoon tea.
"Never Draco?" Ginny asked, "Never in your life has a case been this hard to figure out?"
"It's not the case. It's the fact that nothing this girl has done has been from out the ordinary. We have no leads only a dead body and no witnesses."
Ginny was forced to admit she had to agree, this case after a week of chasing leads, they still wound up with nothing.
"Well," Ginny said cheekily, "At least you earned a new friend."
"Have I?"
The looked of disgust on Ginny's face was enough to make Draco chuckle with laughter. Ginny was beginning to wonder if the man ever laughed. She never outright heard a laugh from him and it was become slightly unnerving.
"And you, my dear Virginia, have managed to reacquaint yourself with your dear Mathew."
"I don't see why you don't like him. He is a perfect gentlemen," Taking a small sip of her tea she then added, "We would've never found that many leads without him."
"All the leads led us back to the same place. If I didn't know better I'd say that he gave us the wrong information so he could see you again."
"No respectable man would use a young girl's murder in such a disrespectable way." Ginny said dismissing Draco's words. Changing the subject she asked, "Isn't your ball tomorrow?"
"No. The mayor has become ill so it was moved to next month."
"Surely you've done such a thing before."
"Yes. But this case…" Draco looked up toward the ceiling, "This case is different. There is something not right about this case, not right at all."
"It's like we aren't seeing something." Ginny sighed, "I'd hate to see this case end and move into that boring little office of mine again."
As much as Ginny was pulled by the case, she was pulled by this mysteriously handsome man with no wife, no children, mistresses, and welcomed her into his home without a second thought. And not only welcome, he had entertained her, whether he knew it or not, his comments, point of view, and just outtake on life was so different from any she'd ever known. He challenged her and didn't treat her like a lesser being because of being a woman. He treated her like an equal.
"I was thinking about that."
"About what?" Ginny asked.
"Your office and career, and I thought you would get more exposure if you…" He cleared his throat, "…became my apprentice."
"You are offering me an apprenticeship?" The questioning in her voice was obvious.
"Um…yes?"
Ginny stood up and walked towards the window, "Sure. Why not? I assume you've become so accustomed to my grace and charm you cannot life with out me."
"Good." Standing up Draco bid her farewell and left her to the company of Dobby.
Draco figured once he managed to ask Ginny to stay, the way he acted around her would become easier. The past month, if anything, became harder. Before he could go somewhere that pertained to the case, he could go somewhere by himself and get some air from the very intimidating presence of her. Now whenever it seemed that he would leave she would ask where he was going and if it had to do with the case. If he, in his vast stupidity and care for her, answered correctly, she would tell him she'd only be a minute as she'd dash up the stairs to put her shoes on. That was another thing, which made him wonder who he had welcomed to share his home with. She always walked around without shoes! The rest of her would be covered in one her dresses or sometimes a petticoat, but always if she couldn't help it, she would not wear shoes. Once, he'd been he'd unceremoniously staring at her feet, and she'd asked him he'd wanted her to put on a pair of shoes or maybe slippers. Would she believe he almost laughed? Put shoes on? The fact that she did not wear shoes in the house, grounded him, made her seem more like a real person because he could actually see her feet touch the ground. He was attracted to her, he could admit it to himself, but to act on it would be silly and selfish. It was obvious from the slight accent she unknowingly carried that she did not live in the city her whole life, which meant she'd never know about his family history, that he'd managed to keep quiet for the past few years. And she made him want to laugh, he hadn't done such a wondrous thing in years.
It was perhaps late in afternoon two days later, four something, close to five when Draco realized something; how did Matthew come across this information? The more he thought about it the more it made sense. And Draco was sure it had nothing to do with his intense dislike of Matthew either which Draco would have to admit he could be petty enough to pin it on the guy and no one would dare question him but Draco learned a long time ago that you got things you wanted you had to do thing the right way. He knew Matthew did it; he just had to figure why. Draco stood up from the armchair in his room and walked down to Ginny's room and knocked on the door. After waiting a moment he opened the door halfway before opening it fully and found the room empty. He wondered where she was and called out to Dobby who strolled out of his room.
"Dobby do you know where Virginia is?"
"Yes sir Dobby does. She received a letter from her family a little after breakfast this morning. She asked Dobby to tell you that she would not be back for a few days."
Draco growled and grumpily thanked Dobby before walking back to his room to think. How could he prove it was Matthew?
Ginny, as much as she loved her family wished that after she was with her concerned mother for three hours wish she could escape back to Malfoy Manor. Her mother already told her she was going to attend the Mayor's ball and from what she had heard from Draco's complaining she was not looking forward to it. There would be men that her mother would only be to anxious to wed the deputy mayor's daughter. It was pathetic, Ginny realized three days later, as the carriage carried her mother, father, and her to the ball. The dress was a deep auburn color and Ginny though pleased with the dress was shocked that her parents actually let her wear such a shocking color. After thinking about it more Ginny came to the conclusion they wanted her to stand out more from the younger more accepted women at the party who didn't have to sink to the low of wearing such bold colors to attract men. It was a shame her parents tried to bring her down to the level they brought her down too but they managed. The only reprieve from the hell Ginny was sure this night was she might finally be able to see Draco. It was odd; she'd barely known the man for a few months and being away from him for three days seemed a lifetime. She missed his sassy remarks and his teasing manner in which he bothered her as well as the serious side he presented to the world when he went about the case trying to find a young girl's murderer.
"Ginny." Molly Weasley said calling her daughter from her daydream, "There are going to be important people tonight. I know you have these notions that you can change the world and show your independence but please try tonight, just for us?"
The pleading in her Mother's voice made Ginny wonder what could be so bad about being independent. Her own mother used to be like herself, Ginny thought, she heard stories from her mother's sister Roxie that how her own mother used to argue with her father about politics and run around with boys around town skirt and all. Her sister said she changed shortly after she was seventeen and then she suddenly stopped arguing and running around to become a calm proper lady. Her grandparents though loving breathed a sigh of relief at their daughter's change and married her oldest daughter off to Ginny's father with a clear conscience. Unfortunately the side that Molly managed to suppress her only daughter of seven children could not change who she was no matter how hard she tried.
"I'll try mother."
With a small nod her father helped her mother from the carriage before giving his hand to Ginny to help her from the carriage. Her parents started off first and a then after they were two steps ahead of her she started to walk. The room as usual was decorated beautifully the lights bright and catching nicely on chandeliers and the orchestra playing a smooth upbeat tempo. No one could accuse the mayor of being close minded when it came to music, on other affairs however…Was that Luna? Yes it was with her brother no less.
Her parents stepped away to talk to some political figure and Ron and Luna, hand and hand, walked up to her. Giving a warm hug to the both of them Ginny smiled, she knew for a few months now that they were going to engaged and saw that it was one of the few good matches. Ron's tendency to take his self too seriously and Luna's more down to earth nature was a perfect balance. It really was a shame most marriages couldn't be based on unions like theirs.
"Ronald," Luna was the only person to call Ginny's bother by his full name, "Why don't you get your sister and I some wine?"
Ron knowing woman's gossip was about to partake nodded his head and went to find a glass of wine for
"I hear from a few friends in the city you have taken on a new case." The face was impassive but her tone shone with curiosity.
"Yes, I have. Why do you ask?"
"Oh I have forgotten to mention, they also inform me that you are residing in Malfoy manor."
"He is the head detective in this story. He only enlisted my help because a few cases back I handed something close to what he is investigating now."
"So he invites you to live with him? Ginny my dear, if you were not a Weasley people would be calling you a whore right now."
Ginny smirked, "Who says they don't already? Come on Luna, a female detective? They probably think it's a new title for a street walker of some kind."
Luna rolled her eyes, "The joy of being a blue blood." She took a look around the room before leaning in closer to Ginny, "All jokes aside, the spirits say you are in great danger."
Ginny sighed, "Luna you still go to those silly meetings?"
"They are not silly!" Luna protested. In a lower voice she added, "They led me to your brother; that is all the proof in the world that magic does indeed exist."
"Luna, how much did you rave about my brother? And your family being good friends with my family helped things along. Looking into their crystal ball wasn't that hard a task in your situation."
Luna glared and turned away to pout, "You are not the most supportive sister in law I've met."
"How about I'm your only sister in law? But just to be supportive, what did the spirits says?"
Luna, decidedly ignoring her humoring tone turned and said, "They said you had a crucial decision ahead of you, one that can change your life."
Ginny opened her mouth to make a comment but Ron appeared just in time, "If you excuse Luna, Ginny. I wanted to introduce her to a few people from the company."
Ginny waved her hand dismissing them both, "Go, go, you children. Have fun."