The Doll House

Chapter Four: On Site









“Anyone ever tell you how clingy you are, Granger?” Draco asked as they apparated onto The Doll Estate. Hermione was hanging onto him like a vine creeping up a wall with her arms tight around his shoulders, her hands fisted in his jacket. She lifted her head and looked around, assuring herself that they had landed safely before releasing him.





“I hate side-along apparation,” she muttered, looking up at the tall structure they had appeared in front of. “This isn’t Doll House.”





“No, this is the carriage house,” he said. “That is the house.” He nudged her shoulder and she turned slowly. On top of a slight, grassy hill stood a large, gray stone house with a wide, sweeping front porch and a round tower jutting from one corner. It was three stories high and covered with ivy that needed to be cut back desperately. The dark clouds overhead seemed to suit the house somehow; in fact she couldn’t imagine it in the daylight. “Bloody thing was a lot better looking in the photographs.”





“They were probably old photos taken after a gardener had tended to the estate so that it would look appealing to buyers,” she said offhandedly. “It looks evil, doesn’t it?”





“What does evil look like?” he asked curiously. “The house looks creepy for certain, I will definitely need to hire extensive groundskeepers, this place is a jungle!”





“Don’t you mean order your servants to do it?” She taunted.





“NO, I’ll have you know that I pay my staff, thank you, even the elves despite the fact that they hoard the money and never spend it on anything,” he snorted.





“I’m impressed,” she said, smiling at him.





“You should be, Granger,” he replied arrogantly as he shifted the two bags he had slung over his shoulder. “Now, shall we go inside and see what the elves have done with the place?” He walked around to the front of the carriage house and stared at the double wooden doors. “I’ll have to have a larger garage built on the property,” he said, walking towards the single door beside it that would lead him to the flat above.





“For what purpose?” she asked, following him up the narrow stairwell.





“For my vehicles what in the hell do you use a garage for?” He peered at her over his shoulder and she stuck her tongue out at him. “Mature.”





“Don’t be a prat, I didn’t think you Malfoy’s held with muggle transportation is all,” she said in irritation.





“Well maybe you should stop making assumptions about me, Granger. I happen to own a few muggle vehicles along with various modes of wizarding transportation,” he said, shoving open the heavy wooden door at the top of the stairs. On the other side he found a small flat. In fact the whole thing would fit INSIDE his penthouse….thrice over.





“Oh…this is nice,” Hermione said smiling as she shoved past him. “Well hello,” she said cheerfully to the three rather haggard looking house-elves wearing black tunics with a silver M on the front.





“Hello, Miss Granger,” the one in the middle said, stepping forward and bowing slightly before turning his attention to Draco. “Master, sir, the dwelling is livable now, Sir. It was very bad, Sir. Rotted floors and infested furnishings…we replaced the carpets and the furniture, sir, and we fixed the kitchen and brought lots of food for the Master and the Miss.”





“Thank you, Clouse; you’ve done a fine job. Did you bring my firebolt?” he asked, passing the bags off to the other two servants to put things away.





“Yes, sir.”





“Wonderful, you may go back home, I’ll call if I need you,” Draco said. Without another word his servants popped out of sight and they were alone again. “I’m going to change.”





“Don’t get too comfortable in there, Malfoy, there is only one bedroom,” she called as she lifted the sofa cushion. “And lucky for you your servants brought a pull out sofa!” She heard a muffled curse come in reply and couldn’t help but grin. Goodness it felt good to talk to someone who offered her a bit of a challenge, some excitement. The boys were all about their kids and Quidditch and while they were still her best friends their friendship lacked the verbal fireworks that they had once enjoyed, their teasing and playful bickering set aside for talk of nappies and new quaffle specs.





“You are lucky that my parents instilled in me a certain amount of chivalry that I can’t seem to ignore,” he said as he stepped out of the bedroom, his suit replaced with a pair of relaxed fit denims and a light blue v-neck sweater over a white cotton tee. He had on white trainers and was pushing his sleeves up his forearms. “Let’s have a look around the property before we go into the house,” he said reaching for his firebolt.





“I’m not getting on that thing with you. I don’t fly, ever,” she said.





“Oh hell, Granger, if we walk we will never see everything,” he rolled his eyes and walked out the door. She followed him down the stairs, not at all abashed about admiring his backside on the way down. “Besides, you weren’t going to be flying. I’m going to be flying; you are going to be riding.”





“I don’t get on a broom with anyone, for any reason…not even my friends. I DON’T FLY EVER!” she said firmly as they stepped out into crisp autumn air. He stared at her for a moment, then sighed and rolled his eyes.



“Fine, I’ll be back,” he said just before he popped out of sight. He was gone for several minutes and she was becoming annoyed. She was just about to go back inside when he reappeared on a four wheeled ATV. “Happy now? No flying.”





“Where did you get that?” she asked, catching the helmet he chucked at her.





“My parent’s house, I used to ride it on the estate for fun, get on,” he revved the engine and watched Hermione climb onto the back perching her bottom on the very edge of the seat. Seated as she was she would fly off the moment he took off! “That’s just not going to work, Granger!”





Draco reached back and grabbed her legs behind her knees, roughly jerking her forward until she was snug against his back, her feet resting just behind his.





“Hey!” she protested but he just tightened his grip on her legs and laughed.





“Oh piss it, Granger, you know you’ve been dying to get me between your legs for ages,” he said. “Now wrap your arms around me and hold on.”





“I think it’s YOU who’s been dreaming of being between my legs, Malfoy,” she muttered, sliding her arms around him and fisting her hands in the front of his jumper. She tried not to notice how good he smelled, like mint and fabric softner but that was impossible once he released the brake and pushed the throttle, sending them careening forward at a ridiculous speed causing her to bury her face in his back.





Draco winced a bit when her nails bit into his chest through the fabric of his jumper. Funny that she hunted ghosts for a living but held on to him like all the demons in hell were trying to get her over a little ride through the fields.





“Are you even looking?” He called through the microphone system inside their helmets. He felt her jolt against his back, shocked to hear his voice so close to her ear.





“Can you slow down?” She relaxed a little as he eased the ATV’s speed and loosened her grip on his jumper only slightly. She looked around, at first admiring the beauty of the property, the bright golds and reds of the trees, the still reflective surface of the small pond…and then she saw the gaping hole along the edge of the wood-line. “They never closed it back up!”





“Closed what?”





“Over there!” she pointed and Draco turned the ATV, coming up along side the mammoth hole in the ground.





“What in the hell is this?” he asked, stopping the quad and removing his helmet.





“This was where he threw the bodies…they exhumed the remains but never closed it back up,” she answered. “Ugh…such a beautiful property with such an ugly history.”





“I’ll make it beautiful again,” he said. “I’ll erase the ugly past.”





“You know what, I believe you,” she said softly, replacing her helmet and wrapping her arms around him again. “Let’s see the rest so that we can go inside.” Being near the open grave was troubling to her, she could feel the magic emanating from it, old and faded but dark none the less.





They rode around the property for over an hour, circling the house a couple of times to get an idea of the size of the place they were dealing with. Of course both of them knew that outside appearances meant nothing when dealing with a wizard. The house could have looked like a little shanty but on the inside it could be a grand palace. Only going inside would tell them for certain.





They parked the vehicle inside the carriage house and Hermione gathered up her satchel of supplies while Draco grabbed a snack and the keys. They walked in silence to the house, making their way to the back door. A jiggle of the key in the rusty lock and the door swung open. Hermione reached into her back and passed Draco a bright yellow potion in a little vial.





“Drink this, it’s a protective potion against negative warding that might make you ill,” she said, tossing back a vial of her own.





“Taste’s like…butterbeer?” He looked at his empty vial wondering if she slipped him a placebo.





“Flavoring, I use it in all my potions,” she said. “Wand out.” She had her wand up and he could see the excitement on her face as she crossed the threshold into the house. He wasn’t sure what he expected to see when he stepped inside, but it wasn’t the small room with a bench, a sink and a row of wooden pegs in the wall between two doors.





“Well, so far it’s disappointing,” he said.





“It’s a mud room, Draco, it isn’t meant to be grand,” she snorted, examining the doors. One had a hasp and a thick lock on it and she assumed that it was the door leading to the cellar. The other probably led into the kitchens.





“What’s a mud room?” he asked, looking around the small room. “What’s that?” He pointed to the old fashioned washing machine with a hand ringer sitting in the corner.





“It’s a washing machine…it washes clothes,” she said, looking at him like he had lost his mind.







“So that’s how they do it!” He sounded as if she had just answered one of the great questions of life and she just had to shake her head.







“Spoiled arsed prat,” she said, opening the door and stepping into the large, open kitchen.





“It’s clean!” Draco said in surprise as he ran his finger along the counter. He expected to find a foot of dust on the surfaces.







“Stasis spell,” she said, looking around. “Is this house wired for electricity?”





“No, the documents say it’s piped for gas but there hasn’t been an inspection on it that I know of…I paid for the property outright so there was no mortgage company involved that required one,” he explained. “The house will be rewired to suit the needs of a wizard…a modern wizard that is.”





“It must be nice to be able to buy whatever you want whenever you want,” she said, moving around the counters and towards the dining room.





“Oh it is, Granger, its wonderful….why is it getting so cold in here all of a sudden?” he asked, frowning as he pulled his sleeves down.





“Cold spots occur when a spirit is trying to draw energy to manifest….you never noticed it at Hogwarts or your house because the properties are ancient and drafty to begin with. I think we are about to be paid a visit,” Hermione said excitedly.





“By who?”





“Tha’ would be me,” a heavily accented voice said from behind them. They turned around to find the ghost of a young woman staring at them. “Me name is Polly…wha’ the two of ye doin’ ‘ere?”





“I own this house,” Draco said, noting the ratty gown with the obscenely low cut bodice and tattered hem over her bare feet. “I’m Draco Malfoy and this is Hermione Granger.”





“Oooo….a new owner…the master won’ like tha’ one lil’ bit!” Polly said. “You be a ‘ansome bloke…if’n I were still kickin I reckon I could gi’ye a good tup fer nuffin.” She said flirtatiously.





“Eww,” Hermione said from beside him under her breath. “What are you doing here?”





“I was the first, I was,” Polly said with a shrug. “Don’ really know why I can’t leave. ‘aven’t left the grounds since he brung me ‘ere. You his?”





“What? Who…Draco? Oh, no, no, no, I am definitely NOT his,” Hermione laughed.

She nearly choked when the cheeky ghost floated towards, Draco and stared down at him from her elevated position.





“I fink ‘e wants ye ta be,” the ghost smirked. “’e cant take ‘is eyes off yer bum when yer walkin’.”





“Oh really?” Hermione turned her questioning gaze on Draco who couldn’t help but smirk.





“It’s a nice bum, Granger, congratulations,” he laughed. “I’m not going to deny it.”





“She won’ let ye stir her ‘oney pot,” Polly taunted. “I don’ fink she likes ye.”





“Stir her what?” Draco gave the ghost a horrified look.





“My honey pot,” Hermione smirked. “She’s saying that I won’t let you in my pants, Malfoy. She’s probably right.”





“Probably right?” Draco latched on to that little qualifier. “Does that mean that there is a chance that you would let me?” Hermione said nothing, she just flashed a saucy smile over her shoulder and went to the window to look out.





“Tha’ one is a bit on the frosty side,” Polly said, winking. “No’ me…well, I be a wee bit chilly now bu’ no’ always.” She leaned down and smiled. “Yer a ‘ansome devil, she don’ know wha’ she’s missin’. If’n only I was livin’.”





The next thing Draco knew the ghost had tugged down the front of her bodice and he was staring at a pair of bare, jiggling nearly transparent breasts attached to a laughing ghost.







“What the…hey!” Draco stammered and averted his eyes while the deranged spector laughed hysterically.



“What are you yelling about?” Hermione looked back over her shoulder and frowned. “Oh.”



“Oh? Oh? That crazy whore ghost just flashed me her boobs and all you can say is OH?” Draco watched the witch shrug her shoulders and grew irritated.



“Mine are better,” she said smugly.



“Your what?” he asked, trying to ignore the ghost still giggling as she tugged her bodice back into place.



“She’s talkin’ ‘bout her tits,” Polly answered. Draco turned to stare at Hermione in shock for a moment and then let the familiar, sinful grin lift his lips.



“Oh really? Let’s have a look then,” he said, crossing his arms and staring poignantly at her breasts though they were hidden behind the brown corduroy blazer she was wearing.



“You wish,” she snorted, walking through the dining room entrance and into the large foyer.



“I don’t believe you. How can I determine if yours are better if I can’t see them to compare?” He followed her, admiring the curve of her bottom hugged in tight denim. Had she always had such a killer ass? Why had he never noticed it?



“You’ll have to trust me,” she said, still laughing softly. He was enjoying the fact that Granger seemed to have a sense of humor and a rather naughty one at that. She wasn’t at all offended by anything he was saying, in fact she gave as good as she got and he had to say it was refreshing. He hadn’t realized just how boring the women of his set were until he was going head to head with Granger. Was that what was making her suddenly attractive? Was it the fact that she wasn’t a complete scatterbrain that had him thinking she might feel pretty damned good beneath him?





“No…I learned a valuable lesson about trust…I trust nothing that I can’t see,” he said. She turned around and eyed him curiously, a slow smile spreading as she walked towards him stopping when there was only an inch between them. She was petite, the top of her head coming just up to his chin when they were toe to toe. At such close proximity he could smell the citrusy fragrance that clung to her and found himself wondering if she tasted sweet like a nectarine or just a little tart like a lemon drop…maybe both.



“I won’t flash my breasts to make a point, Malfoy,” she whispered hotly. “But…if you close your eyes and imagine….their big enough to fill your hands, soft and round…sensitive…responsive…delightful to touch and taste.”



“Gods damn, Granger,” he hissed, his cock taking a sudden and inconvenient interest in the witch in front of him.



“Now, can we finish looking around?” She asked, a single brow arched high.



“Hell I don’t know if I can even walk now!” he grumbled when she walked away. Her low, husky laughter suddenly sounded like a sirens call and he found himself following her, his full of images that had never dared formulate before. Carnal images of him and the sassy witch in front of him in a variety of positions. “When did you stop being a prude?”



“I was never a prude, Malfoy, you just never tried to get to know me,” she said honestly. “Instead you picked on me and embarrassed me.”



“I didn’t know any better,” he said, reaching down to shift the annoying erection now straining against his zipper.



“Ooo…’ermione, if’n I was you I would fink twice abou’ lettin’ this one have a swive…got a mighty fine lookin’ rod ‘e ‘as!” Polly said, directing Hermione’s gaze to the impressive bulge covered in denim.



“Very nice, Malfoy…planning to hoist a flag?” She asked.



“I dunno…you up for a shimmy down the flagpole?” He taunted back.



“Hardly…we’ve got work to do, Malfoy, get your mind out of your pants and back on the reason we’re here,” she said firmly.



“Then how about you NOT describe your breasts and you stop shaking your arse like that when you walk,” he replied.



“Oi, the two of ye will be swivin’ in no time,” Polly laughed as she floated back and forth across the room.



“What happened to you, Polly?” Draco asked, curious.



“I was jus’ standin’ on me corner, mindin’ me own when along comes this ‘ansome bloke wit’ a pocket full o’ coin. I couldn’t turn it down, I needed the money so I wen’ wit’ ‘im,” she said. “ ‘e didn’t want ter go into the alley, says he wan’ed a real bed, ga’ me more’n I would make in a month an’ said I could have a big meal an’ a bath. We gots to the edge o’ town an’ “POOF” ‘e makes us dis’pear like dat!” She snapped her fingers ineffectively since the digits couldn’t connect. “ ‘e was a wizard…like’n the two of ye! Only ‘e was a bad’n. ‘e chained me up in the cellar… used words I didn’t know an’ lights shot from the stick…the wand…they ‘it me an’ it ‘urt so bad! Then…a few days go by an’ I feel nuffin…I jus’ cold and watchin’…watchin’ ‘im rut on me body but I was not in it no more.”



“Bloody hell, he was a necrophiliac too!” Draco said in disgust.



“ ‘e be an evil man, ‘e started bringin’ babies in after tha’,” she said, shaking her head.



“You were but a child yourself, Polly,” Hermione said softly.



“I was never a child,” the ghost said sadly.



“She is a nasty one, you shouldn’t talk to her,” Hermione and Draco both started at the intrusive little voice behind them. The turned to see another ghost, a small child no more than six hovering nearby. “I’m Claira.”



“Hello, Claira, I’m Hermione and this is Draco, he is the new owner,” Hermione said softly.



“You shouldn’t talk to Polly. She says dirty, nasty things,” Claira said, her little brow furrowed as she looked over at the other ghost.



“Wot’ do you wan’ you little prude?” Polly taunted.



“It’ll be sundown soon,” the little girls voice was melodic and ethereal. “You know what happens at sundown.”



“Oi…the little swot is right…you should go,” Polly said, looking out the window nervously.



“What happens at sundown?” Hermione asked.



“ The Master awakens,” Claira said softly, looking towards the center of the house. “He can’t come out until the sun goes down…you shouldn’t be here. He is going to be very angry.”



“Why can’t he come out when the sun is up, Claira?” Hermione persisted.



“His spell…he made a mistake…he’s bound to the house but only able to move about at night…please, he’s evil, he can…he can DO things….I don’t know why you came or how you got inside but you need to go…NOW!” Hermione and Draco both stumbled backwards as a gust of cold wind slammed into them. Claira did it. “GO!” She did it again and they moved further, involuntarily retracing their steps as the little ghost buffeted them again and again with the force of wind until they were thrown violently from the backdoor, landing on their arses in the dirt while the door slammed closed.



“Bloody hell!”



AN: Thanks for the positive reviews everyone! Hope you enjoy it! I will get to review responses this weekend and post them on my blog!!!