Ginny Weasley stood in the middle of the dining room as blurs of red dashed frantically back and forth. Today was the day that she was to start summer job at Malfoy Mansion, and her brothers were in a flap about it. "What if Draco decides to sic a dark creature on you?" Ron had demanded. "What if he turns you into a…a scarlet woman?!" He was really starting to get on Ginny's nerves.
Fred and George had returned home from their apartment above their joke shop specifically for this occasion. They had armed Ginny with so many different items they had invented that she was sure she had forgotten which did what. She hoped that she wouldn't go to eat the chocolate that faded freckles and eat the one that made your hair fall out for a day instead. She wasn't exactly sure why she would bother to make Draco's hair fall out. It wasn't like there was anything particularly wrong with his hair, and if she did do anything like that to him he would go even further to make her stay there more miserable than it already would be - and she was sure it would be quite miserable enough already, thank you very much.
Not that she was forced into this or anything. It had been her idea in the first place, and she had put an ad in the Daily Prophet about being willing to housesit for the summer. It was only by luck (whether it good luck or bad luck was what Ginny hadn't decided) that Narcissa Malfoy contacted her first. Ginny wasn't about to turn down a job from people with so much prestige even if she did despise them. If she did well, they would pay her fairly and recommend her to others. And Merlin knew she needed the money.
"Virginia, dear, don't just stand there. Go get your stuff together!" Molly scolded as she scurried by. Ginny wrinkled her nose and trudged up the stairs to her room to get her bags. It wasn't like she had very much to bring with her - just one trunk, and she had packed it ages ago. She made sure that her supplies from the twins were buried at the very bottom. She was sure she wouldn't have to use them. Draco couldn't use his wand outside of school any more than she could, so there'd be no reason to retaliate.
Ginny's eyes swept about her room, making sure she didn't forget anything. Her gaze landed on the letter from Harry that she left sitting on her desk. Harry was very concerned about the youngest Weasley's newest undertaking, and he had even offered to write to Dobby and ask him to check on her every few days. Ginny had refused to allow any help, but she had appreciated his kindness now that he actually offered it to her, even if he was a few years too late. She hoped Harry would write to her while she was at the Malfoy's. Unless they allowed her to use one of their owls, she would have to wait for Hedwig or Pidwigeon to be able to contact anyone. She still hadn't an owl of her own.
Nodding in satisfaction that she had packed all she needed, Ginny grabbed her trunk and hauled it out of her room, almost crashing into Ron as she struggled with it.
"Here, let me do that," Ron said gruffly, pulling the trunk out of her grasp and lifting it easily down the stairs. "You need to save your strength."
For what? Ginny wondered as she followed her brother, not bothering to ask him for an explanation because she knew it was probably something completely unreasonable. Cripes, he's weird. You'd think I was going to boot camp or something.
When they reached the bottom of the stairs, Ron dropped the drunk and swept Ginny into a tight hug. "Be careful," he said, causing Ginny to roll her eyes.
"Honestly, Ron," she said, returning the hug before stepping away from him. "I'll be just fine."
He didn't look very convinced, but he did allow her over to the fireplace without further interference. Fred, George, and her mother were already gathered around it. Her father and Percy were working, as usual, but they had both wished her luck. Percy was especially happy for her, telling her that this would help her make valuable connections and allow her to rise up in the world. Ginny thought he was daft, but at least he wasn't stuffing vomit inducing cupcakes in her pockets or teaching her how to break someone's nose.
Not that she didn't already know how to break someone's nose, of course. She'd broken Ron's nose before. Fred's, too. Or maybe it was George. She supposed they thought she had done it by accident.
Suckers.
"I'm ready," she said firmly to her mother, who appeared to have a tear in her eye. She reached over for the floo powder and handed it to Ginny.
"Be careful, dear," she said.
"Don't forget to put those bat wings in Draco's soup," George said.
"And leave out an exploding quill," added Fred.
Ron tapped a button on the side of Ginny's trunk, and it shrank down to a size that she could easily carry in the fireplace. She looked at him incredulously, wondering why he had suffered to bring it down the stairs.
"I paid Fred and George to install it," he said sheepishly. "I couldn't do much else for you but carry it, so I didn't tell you right away."
Ginny beamed. "Thanks, Ron," she said, and then turned to look at everyone else.
"Make sure you write!" she chirped, and before anyone could say a word, she had grabbed a handful of floo powder, tossed it in the fireplace, and shouted, "Malfoy Mansion!"
Author's Note: Another short chapter. Like I said they'll all be 2 pages or so. Next chapter: Draco's reaction to Ginny, and Narcissa makes a surprise announcement!