Malfoy Enterprises was easily the largest conglomerate in Wizarding England. After the deaths of his parents to illness, Draco Malfoy became the youngest and wealthiest businessman in history. He was singlemindedly obsessed with the business, rapidly developing a reputation for ruthless practices. While others wanted to do business with Malfoy Enterprises, they often were put off by his demeanor. Once he discovered this, Draco began to look for an assistant that would be the new face for his business dealings.

Ginny Weasley was looking for a new job just as the ads for a personal assistant at Malfoy Enterprises was released. She had various sales jobs – working for Madame Malkin's was an unmitigated disaster – and wasn't expecting to be hired. Apparently, Malfoy had such a horrible reputation that no one else had applied. She was hired instantly.

Ginny immediately saw why no one had wanted the position. She had to work with Draco on a daily basis and somehow translate his brusque demeanor into something tolerable for the public. She was paid well for the effort, almost too well. The company was trying hard to make her stay on. While she thought she was helpful, she didn't think she was that helpful. Business was good, if busy. Her mother soon began complaining that she had no boyfriend and no prospects for one, especially with the hours that Draco made her keep.

After nearly eight months, Ginny approached Draco with her first vacation request. She wanted to take the last two weeks of December to spend with her family. She knew her mother planned to introduce her to someone on New Year's Day at their party, but didn't mention it. That was not something that Draco would care about.

"Absolutely not," Draco thundered. His gray eyes were like the frosted windowpanes of his office. Ginny suppressed a shudder at the sight of it.

"Malfoy, it's for the holidays. It won't be that long, and there isn't much business to be done anyway. You won't even miss me."

"I said no. I'm not taking any breaks. Your job is to assist me and to smooth the proceedings. Your job is not to be flitting about the countryside on my time." His glare broke lesser men, but Ginny refused to cower under it. She had six brothers, dammit. She knew how to give a man what for.

"Surely you're not so heartless to deny someone a visit to family on the holidays! It's the dead of winter and everyone will be home for the holidays."

"No, they won't. we're open every single day and will be doing work every single day."

Ginny blinked, her mouth beginning to fall open. "You..."

"I am your supervisor and the head of this company. You work for me. You do as I say or you're fired." He leveled an icy glare at her. "The door is behind you. You are free to go to your holiday if you wish. Just don't expect to come back if you do."

Now her mouth fell completely open. "You heartless bastard." She could feel herself shaking and already knew she was about to say something she was going to regret. "You bloody wanker. You can't deny a vacation request. I've given you the two week's notice that's necessary. I've done everything you asked of me, no matter how trivial or idiotic. I've done it all and not said a word. I deserve this vacation. I've earned it!"

Draco didn't bat an eyelash while she raged at him. He calmly waited until she was done. "You will work the full day with me here or you can empty your office. The choice is yours."

Ginny clamped her mouth shut so fast her teeth clicked. She glared at him, the worst glare she had ever given anyone in her life. "Fine."

Draco quirked an eyebrow. "Fine? What's your decision?"

"What? I have to tell you now?!"

"Of course," he replied levelly.

She grit her teeth and refused to quail under his steely gaze. "Fine," she spat. "I'll work that day, you miserable bastard." She rose to her feet. "You have no giving spirit whatsoever. You have no idea how to keep your staff. None. I wish some kind of spirit would get to you and show you how horrid you're being!"

With that, she stomped off, slamming the door behind her.

Draco watched her go in silence. He then returned to the pile of contracts on his desk. He had meant every word he had said. If he was going to work on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, so could everyone else.

As the day in question approached, he could see Ginny's resentment grow. She chafed with it, but had too much pride in her work to ever let it show to clients. He heard it every time she talked with her Mum via telephone or floo. The amount of vitriol she could spew was amazing, even if he did know from school what she was capable of.

Ginny was absolutely miserable on Christmas Eve. She had to stay in the office and work with Draco sodding Malfoy on a contract that should have been signed weeks ago. That same Draco sodding Malfoy wasn't happy with the wording of several clauses in it, stating that it would create a loophole for Brown Fashion Designs to try to back out of their partnership. Such a move would have been career suicide for Lavender Brown, who had a flaky enough business reputation. She didn't need any more bad press for her fledgling company.

Ginny presented the finished contract just at the end of her shift and ran out before Draco could read it and offer up any further suggestions. He scanned it quickly, but found it acceptable. Draco went to her office, contract in hand. He had his hand on the doorknob, which was ajar, when he heard her voice.

"No, Ron," she was saying huffily. "I do not need an escort off the premises! I'm off the clock. I'm on my own time now, so I can try to stop by for leftovers." Draco heard her move around the office but not Ron's reply. She was likely using the telephone. "Oh, stuff it. I've almost earned benefits. Another bloody month to go. Every other place is three, but Draco sodding Malfoy makes me wait nine." This had the air of a familiar rant, one she used often. Personally, Draco thought it was practical. Why bother with paperwork if most of his staff left within six months?

"No, Ron. I'm serious. Take Hermione somewhere. Pick up Harry so he won't forget to eat. Something. I've got my things packed and I'll be leaving for home in five minutes. I can stop by Mum's after I change." After a moment, she snorted. "Not likely. If I don't freshen up first, Mum will think the wanker's done something to me. I'm so pale I look like a Christmas ghost as it is."

Draco had thought that. She seemed more like spiced cider to him. She was the one only that dared mouth off to him, and he found that he rather liked it. He enjoyed her honesty much more than the sycophantic kowtowing previous employees had done. He paid her to think, not flatter incessantly.

"All right, Ron. Get off the phone and I'll be there faster!"

Draco opened the door as she hung up in a huff. She looked up in shock. "I'm fifteen minutes past due to leave, Malfoy."

"I'm aware," he replied drolly. "I wanted to leave this here for you to process tomorrow. The rewording is good and sound now."

Ginny blinked in surprise. "Oh. All right. I'll work on it first thing in the morning." She watched as he placed it on her desk with precise movement. "You're still working tonight? You haven't anywhere else to go?"

He quirked an eyebrow. "That's overstepping your bounds."

Her expression snapped shut. "Right, then. I'll see you at nine tomorrow."

Draco watched her sweep out of her office, then returned to his. He didn't have anywhere to go. That was the point. He had nowhere to be but work, no one to talk to other than business associates. He worked during the holidays because he had no one to spend it with. He sat down heavily at his desk, brandy snifter and glass in front of him. For Merlin's sake, he was getting bloody maudlin just because it was cold and dark out. The frost had never bothered him before. He wouldn't let it start now.

After a few drinks, Draco rose from his seat and looked out of his window. There was no one around the grounds, and a soft snowfall had begun.

"You're a right prat, you know that."

Draco whirled around, amazed to find Ron Weasley behind him. "How in blazes did you get in here?" Draco thundered.

"Your past will catch up to you," Ron replied instead. He shrugged. "Once a prat, always a prat, I suppose. No wonder you're alone for the holiday. Who'd want to stay with a sour puss like you?"

Draco rushed at him, but Ron easily sidestepped him. "You at least had friends in school," Ron said scornfully. "What happened to them? How did you drive them all away?"

"I have work to do," Draco hissed, turning around. His hands were fisted at his sides. "Get out of my office!"

"You had friends once. You had family," Ron prodded. "What did you do to them?"

Draco rushed at him again, falling as he tripped over his own Aubusson rug. It had been a gift to his father from his mother. "My parents are dead, you bloody moron! They're gone! I don't have the time for this!"

"Sure you do," Ron replied amiably, pointing to the clock on his fireplace mantel. It had stopped.

"Get out of my office!" Draco shouted, still sprawled in an ungainly fashion on the floor. "Get out of here!"

"You said that to your friends, didn't you? Anyone who had offered any comfort or help. That's why they're gone. Isn't that it?"

Draco's face had gone white. "Who are you? You're not Ron Weasley. He'd never been smart enough to know people like that."

Ron smiled. "You don't give me enough credit, Malfoy. Come on, now. I want to show you something." He easily lifted Draco to his feet and escorted him out of the office. The hallway was no longer the hallway, however. It now opened into the Great Hall at Hogwarts, and they were looking out onto dinner at school. "Hey, look. Over there." Ron pointed to the Slytherin table, where Draco was sitting with other students his year and a year above. "See? You had friends here once. People cared once." He looked over at Draco's stunned expression. "Maybe you've forgotten what it feels like."

"What are you?" Draco whispered, unable to tear his eyes away from the dinner scene below. He looked younger and happier then, when his only mission in life had been to get the highest scores on exams and to make Harry Potter's life miserable.

"Think of me as part of your conscience," Ron replied cheerfully. "Come on, then. Let's go see what your younger self is talking about."

They vaulted over the banister. Or rather, Ron did and had Draco's arm clutched tightly in his hand. They hit the stone floor next to the Slytherin table, and they could hear everything that the boys were talking about.

"...let him snog her? I don't know... I heard she punched the last one that tried it," one of the Slytherin boys said. Draco blinked, unable to remember the boy's name. He had been a year ahead of him in school and on the Quidditch team. It took a moment for him to place the conversation they were having. They were discussing the other girls in school, and the topic had just come around to young Ginny Weasley.

"Well, she looks like she's developing nicely," Blaise was saying, eyeing her at the Gryffindor table. "She'd be one to try snogging. What d'you think?" he asked, directing the question at Draco. He was giving him a sly smile, knowing full well that Draco had mentioned once or twice that she was pretty.

Draco shrugged. "With all those awful freckles and those brothers, it might not be worth the bother," he replied. Draco remembered now that he had been lying, that he had wanted to try kissing the redhead very much. He had been afraid of those six older brothers, if they chose to gang up on him and smash his nose, he'd be unable to fight them off. He'd even had a mental image of her that he liked to think of late at night, though he'd never admit it to anyone.

"Talking about my sister, there," Ron remarked mildly. "But still, they seemed all right. They talked to you about things." Draco turned away from the table and looked at Ron. "I wonder what happened."

"It just... stopped," Draco said. His voice sounded feeble to his own ears.

"Why don't I show you?"

Draco spun around quickly, but the Great Hall was gone. Now he was at his mother's funeral, and Blaise was the only friend still around. The memory was sharp and painful, and it stung still. He didn't want to see it, didn't want to hear his voice cutting into his friend. "Get me out of here," he hissed to Ron.

"No, I think you should see this."

"Listen, mate," Blaise was saying. "You shouldn't be alone right now. Why don't you stay with me for a bit? Just so you're not by yourself."

Draco's gaze then had been icy cold. "I'm not some idiot child, Blaise."

Blaise looked affronted. "Mate, that's not what I meant..."

"I don't need your pity," Draco continued, his voice clipped and angry. "I don't need your stupid flat and your stupid pity and your stupid girlfriend making her cow eyes at me. I don't need you babying me like some fool, and I don't need you!"

Blaise's face froze and he backed up a step. "I'm going to chalk this one up to grief." His words were slow and deliberate, betraying none of his hurt. "You call me as soon as you're ready."

"I won't call."

The syllables fell like knives, and Blaise flinched. "Well, then. There's nothing left to say."

Draco turned away from the scene and closed his eyes. "What's your point, Ron? Why are you doing this?"

"You should see who you're hurting with all of this," Hermione said, walking up to them. She smiled beatifically at Ron. "I'll take over from here."

Draco blinked, and Ron was gone. Hermione had her hair pulled back neatly and was dressed in a red and black dress that looked fairly festive. "You're going to a party?"

"Sort of. You were almost invited," she added, taking his arm. Draco blinked at her stupidly, wondering why he was allowing her to touch him, why he was going along with this entire stupid charade. Something had been put into his brandy. That was it. This was a hallucinogen-inspired delusion, some trickery to pay him back for the horrid work schedule he had put their baby sister through over the holidays.

Without realizing how it happened, they were at the Burrow. He saw a sea of redheaded people that had to be related to Ginny, Harry Potter and various other people he vaguely recognized from school. Even Pansy Parkinson was there, chatting up Harry as if they were fast friends. Draco realized with a pang that they hadn't spoken in years, not since his father's funeral. Blaise had been the last one he broke ties with.

"If you had been a little nicer, Ginny would have invited you, you know." Hermione led him over to the center of the party, and people walked through them as if they were ghosts. "Here, come listen in for a spell."

"...works too hard. I tried telling him," Pansy was telling Harry, a glass of eggnog in hand. "I mean, we were friends. I wasn't going to watch him work himself into the grave."

"Well, now he's working Ginny into it," Harry replied, frowning into his own drink. "What am I drinking again?"

"A Fuzzy Navel. Some horridly Muggle drink I tasted on holiday, but got me drunk right quick," Pansy replied, grinning. "Like it?"

"I don't know."

"We should make you another one, just to be sure." Pansy dragged him off to the kitchen, passing right through Draco's ghostly form.

He gasped, stepping back, and felt Ginny's Mum walk through him as well. She was shaking her head and walking over to Ron. "Did she call you yet?"

"No, Mum," Ron replied dutifully. "That wanker still has her working. You'd think he'd at least let her out a little early so she could have supper with us."

"He hasn't any family, Ronald," his mother admonished gently. "He hasn't got any reason to go home any longer." Draco's gut twisted when he heard the words, but it didn't make them any less true. "She said she would call us on the telly-fun as soon as she was done. There's still enough holiday party to go around, and we won't open presents until she comes in."

Draco finally noticed the large Christmas tree and the throngs of presents piled beneath it. He had never had such a gathering in his life before, and the sight of the tree was a little too much for him to bear. He turned to Hermione, who watched him with large unblinking eyes. "I have to leave," he gasped.

"No, Draco," Hermione replied, her voice sad. "You need to realize what you've done." She grasped his arm and marched him into the kitchen. Pansy and Harry were talking with their heads close together, and the twins were sneaking dessert early. Hermione then marched him to the dining room, where Arthur, Charlie, Bill and their girlfriends were playing cards, using Christmas cookies as tokens to bet with. The other relatives were all in the living room, telling stories to catch up on the times with each other that they've missed.

"Let me go," Draco whispered, turning to Hermione. He was aware that his voice was breaking but he no longer cared. His chest hurt, his throat ached and his eyes burned. He knew he was about to cry, and he didn't want to do it in front of her.

She nodded gently, her expression almost unreadable. Still, it seemed as though she knew exactly what he was feeling. She turned as the front door opened and Ginny bounded in through the door. She had freshened up since leaving the office, and gave everyone hugs and kisses. "We can open presents now!" she chortled, settling down on the couch. Molly immediately had a plate of dinner warmed up for her, and everyone gathered in the living room around the tree.

Draco had never seen Ginny looking so happy. Her eyes sparkled, her lips curled and her stance was one of easy grace. He could never make her look that way, though he didn't know why he would ever care to.

"Don't you, Draco?" Hermione asked pointedly, looking at him. "Don't you know what you feel? Don't you know why you didn't want her to leave?"

"No," he said desperately, trying to pull away from her. Her grip was terrible, too strong to possibly be human.

Finally, she let go and watched him run out of the front door and into the swirling snow. "You can't run from yourself!" she called out after him.

"I can bloody try!" he shouted back at her, head turned. As he did so, his feet slid out from under him. He landed on his rump in an ungainly heap, the snow melting and running beneath his clothes. He shivered from the cold and tried to push himself back up to his feet.

He was in the graveyard where his parents were buried in the family crypt. It was late afternoon or early evening. Frost was on the ground and the sun hung low in the sky, with hazy clouds overhead. It was overcast and gray, and there were three people standing in front of the Malfoy family crypt. He could recognize Ginny's fiery red hair anywhere and seeing it made his chest lurch almost painfully.

"I know how you feel," Harry said from somewhere behind him.

Draco turned his head, lips curling into a mocking smile. "Oh? You actually dated her."

"I didn't appreciate it at the time, and that possible future is out of my reach." He nodded at the crypt. "Why don't we see your future?"

He walked alongside Harry, two feet of space between them. Harry didn't try talking to him, which Draco appreciated. He didn't know what was going on or why he was bothering to stay near Harry, but at least the prat wasn't going to try to make small talk. Draco stopped short when he realized that the Malfoy family crypt didn't look right. His name was now on it, just beneath his parents' names. "What the hell have you done?!" he shouted at Harry.

But Harry had continued to walk up ahead. Draco followed. Ginny was standing there next to Blaise and Draco's lawyer. "Thanks for inviting me," Blaise told Ginny. "He stopped talking to me years ago after some stupid misunderstanding. I guess I always thought he was going to get over it. And when he didn't... I didn't think he'd ever want to talk to me." Draco's breath caught and he stared at Blaise.

"Well, at least you were willing to show up," Ginny replied with a shrug. "No one else wanted to. His lawyer and I will have to go through the final contracts and then dissolve the company to the Ministry offices." She gave Blaise a sad smile. "Looks like I'm out of a job again."

"It's not your fault," Blaise said. "Why don't we meet up for dinner after you're done? You can tell me what I've missed."

Her smile was soft. "Sure."

"Bastard!" Draco raged, throwing a swing at Blaise's head. His fist passed through it painlessly, and Draco realized he was a faint blue. He turned to Harry. "I'm a ghost?"

"Well, you're not alive anymore," Harry pointed out. "I don't see why you're so angry. You're dead and you never cared about anyone while you were alive. Why should you care now? It's not as if anything will change."

"I'm not dead!" Draco raged. "I'm alive and I have my company and Ginny's my assistant! She has to stay with me!" He watched her walk away from the crypt with his lawyer and felt his anger deflate. "She has to," he said softly, feeling broken somehow.

Harry laughed. "Why should she? It's not as if you appreciate her. It's not as if you ever said anything to her. You don't tell anyone anything. You push everyone away. Why should they stay for that? What's to keep you from dying alone? What's to keep the Ministry from gobbling up your funds once you're dead and gone?"

Draco shook his head. "That can't happen. It can't."

Harry walked right up to Draco and pushed him hard, in the center of his chest. "So do something about it, then. Don't just stand there whining about it. Things don't just happen to people. You caused this to happen, so you have to make it right again."

"How?" Draco asked, voice somewhere above a whisper. "I don't know how."

"Sure, you do." Harry smiled at him brightly. "You've always known, you've been too scared to even think about it."

"But..."

Draco was falling, teetering backward and rolling down the hill. When he fetched up at the bottom, the breath had been knocked out of him.

Ginny was looking down at him, concern etched all over her face. "Malfoy? Did you sleep here overnight?"

Draco blinked and sat upright. He had fallen out of his chair as she shook him awake, and there were papers scattered all over his desk. The empty glass mocked him from the desktop. "Um... I guess I did. I don't remember that." He got to his feet with Ginny's help and looked around his office. It looked stark and empty, devoid of anything that anyone would remember him by. He looked at her concerned face. "Thank you."

She blinked in surprise. "You're welcome."

"You came in today," Draco remarked. He could have kicked himself for that once he saw her gaze darken somewhat.

"I had that contract to file. Surprisingly, there are some people who do business on Christmas Day. You were right, after all." She looked at his desk in dismay. "What's this? More work to do today?"

Draco blinked again and shook his head. "No. Not today. Why don't I take you out for breakfast? As a thank you?"

"Um..." Ginny looked at him uncertainly. "Are you all right?"

He tried to smile at her, aware that it was probably more pained than happy. "Come to breakfast with me? It'll be a Christmas breakfast. How does that sound?"

She searched his face for a moment, then nodded. "All right, then. And after breakfast?"

Draco shook his head. "I don't know."

"My family is having an early supper," Ginny murmured tentatively. "You could maybe... I mean, you don't have to..."

"I'd love to," he rasped, clasping her hand tightly. "I just... There isn't anyone... I didn't think I had anywhere to go," he finished lamely.

She took pity on him and squeezed his hand. "Well, now you do." She smiled at him. "Now, where's this breakfast you were talking about?"

Laughing, he led the way out of his office.


The End.