Chapter Text
Draco let out a deep sigh as he once again stared up at the ceiling of his father’s office that resided within the bowels of the Ministry.
It was one of many offices on this floor, but one of the few that was actually used. They were supposed to be for the members of the Wizengamot, spaces to rest between sessions, take meetings or complete work if needed.
Lucius Malfoy was the only one to use his on a near daily basis.
He had made his lair exactly the way he wanted it. Almost a perfect replica of his office at home. A grand painting of the Malfoy estate hung over the fireplace. Behind the desk were two tall windows which looked out over the image of a garden that did not exist. The only thing that was missing were the old family heirlooms that radiated dark magic.
Nearly two weeks Draco had been stuck in here.
The day he arrived home from Hogwarts his father reminded him of the exciting opportunity he’d managed to arrange. Draco was to spend the summer with him at the Ministry, learning all the skills an heir should know.
Thankfully Narcissa had managed to persuade Lucius that he deserved at least a few days to relax before starting.
He had the weekend plus three extra days.
Since then every morning Lucius had Draco in the hallway at eight thirty sharp, inspecting every inch of his outfit, ensuring it was suitable for representing the family at Ministry.
It was torture. He could never be seen in the same outfit twice. His hair could not be even slightly askew. He had to walk with a straight back and never place his hands in his pockets.
Draco wouldn’t even mind it all if he had something to do.
But no. The few meetings he had been present for were incredibly dull. Proposals for increasing the floo tax, budgets for the various Ministry departments for the next year, a report being completed around the thickness of cauldron bottoms and other such boring topics.
Lucius, however, treated every one as if it was the most important topic he’d ever heard. Praising the individuals who brought these topics to his attention.
That was until the door was firmly shut behind them, when his scowl would return and he would swear about the idiot who thought it was worth wasting his time over such trivial matters.
At least he was present for those. Whenever someone of a higher rank turned up, be it the Minister, Heads of Departments or Aurors. Draco was forced into the corridor.
“Privacy, confidentiality, you understand, don’t you, dear boy.”
Then Draco could only stare at the corridor. With it’s purple carpet and long dead alumni lining the walls.
Draco made sure to make polite conversation with the ones nearest his father’s office. A portrait of Lady Matilde Longbottom had said he resembled his great-great-great-great-great grandfather, Scorpius Malfoy. Draco didn’t know if that was an insult or not considering the only portrait of Scorpius Malfoy he knew of showed a man in his nineties and it was certainly not painted with flattery in mind.
Other times, like now, his father would abandon him to the office, whilst he went in search of specific people or attended meetings Draco was far too young to join.
Draco let out another sigh. This was ridiculous. What was he actually learning by being here? Sometimes it could be hours before his father would return and let him know they could finally go home.
He could be looking around for Harry’s birthday present. Not that he had any idea what to get him. A new quill? A new broom keeping kit? His very own snitch?
Harry was the most annoying person to buy for. He never wanted anything. Or if he did he’d never say. Claiming he could purchase it on his own.
“Arff!”
Draco stopped. Was that a bark?
“Woof!”
There it was again.
Draco got off the floor. There was barking from the corridor. Draco opened the door slowly, peeking out carefully.
There was nothing there.
Draco opened the door wider and stepped out into the corridor, closing the door behind him.
“Arfff! Arff!” A high pitched bark came from somewhere near his feet.
Draco looked down. There was nothing there but a red collar floating about a couple of feet off the floor with a red lead trailing behind it.
“Arff! Arff!” The collar barked, leaping slightly as it did so.
“What the fuck?” Draco breathed, gingerly reaching down. The collar backed away from his hand until it was the same level. Draco held it in place. The collar was letting out a low growl and Draco could feel warm breath on his fingers.
After a few seconds something licked his hand and the growling stopped.
“An invisible dog?” Draco asked himself out loud. He looked up and down the corridor but it was still empty. “We should probably find out where you came from, shouldn’t we?”
He grabbed a hold of the leash and began to head to the main lobby area of the Ministry. Thankfully the dog followed without complaint. Draco hoped that the security team would be able to reunite the dog with its owner.
As he headed down one of the many maze like corridors a middle age woman with dark brown hair was rushing from the other direction. As soon as she saw Draco and the leash she skidded to a halt and smiled widely. “Oh thank God, we’ve been looking all over for this fella.” She gushed.
“Is he yours?” Draco asked, feeling the dog rub against his leg as they stopped.
The woman laughed. “Good lord, no. I’m a cat person myself. No, this little fella is part of a group who were brought in earlier this morning. Do you mind taking him to the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts office? It’s on level two.”
Draco nodded eagerly. Anything to get out his father’s office.
“Ah, thanks, you’re a star. You ever want something to keep you occupied I’m sure we can find something for you down in our department.” The lady stepped forward holding out her hand. “Jane Frisk. Just come down to the Admin department and ask for me.” She winked as they shook hands before marching on in her original direction.
Draco looked down at the floating collar beside him. “Well, at least I now know where to take you.”
The collar just panted happily.
Draco rolled his eyes before heading to the lifts to make his way to level two.
Level two was just as much of a maze as level one, Draco thought to himself as he wandered the corridors of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Eventually he reached the end of a very small corridor, one side was a simple wooden door that was closed, opposite was an open door just as simple as the closed, only a small brass plaque marked it as the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office.
Draco froze mid step as he looked through. This office was a broom closet. It was half the size of his father’s, and yet contained two desks, a bookshelf shoved in a corner and case files overflowing from every direction. At one of the desks sat a very tired looking Mr Weasley, who was struggling to hold on to six other red leads, all with matching collars floating in the air and barking, papers near them were wafting about in a breeze.
Draco coughed politely to indicate his presence. “Um, I believe I found something that belongs to you.”
Mr Weasley looked up in shock but quickly recomposed himself and smiled. “Oh, thank you. I was wondering where he’d got to. That should be all of them.” He reached out and took the leash from Draco.
Draco nodded and bit his lip. He knew he was expected to leave now. To dismiss Mr Weasley as nothing more than an inconvenience. The cold floor of his father’s office sprung to his mind; he didn’t have to go back just yet.
Mr Weasley looked around, unsure of himself as he tried to pick up a quill to continue the report he was unsuccessfully trying to write.
“Do you want me to hold them?” Draco asked, trying his best not to sound too enthusiastic, that would raise suspicions.
Mr Weasley gave him a grateful smile and sighed with relief as he handed all the leads over. Draco could instantly see why he was having such trouble. The tension was incredible as all the dogs clearly pulled in different directions and Draco had to use both hands to remain in one place.
“Where did these dogs come from?” He couldn’t help but ask as Mr Weasley was able to finally get to writing.
“Marcus Gelling. He’s a nice enough chap but by Merlin.” Mr Weasley sighed. “He takes things very literally and never asks enough questions.” Mr Weasley finished writing his sentence on the report as a memo suddenly arrived. Mr Weasley snatched the paper out the air and quickly read it.
He suddenly stood up and made his way out the door, only to pop his head back round a moment later. “I’ll be back, don’t let them escape.”
Draco nodded at the empty door frame as he continued to strain against the will power of the dogs that were somewhere at the end of the leashes. He didn’t blame them. He also wanted to explore the office in front of him.
Despite it’s small size it was far more interesting than his father’s. From where he stood Draco could see a pile of rubber ducks, all different shapes and sizes, one even in the shape of the Queen. There was a stack of Marvin’s Magic Trick boxes that Draco recalled from when he and Potter had taken a trip to the Muggle toy shop last summer. Hidden under a bell jar was a pile of doorknobs that Draco had a feeling he should stay well away from.
“Come on, Arthur, I didn’t do anything wrong. The Muggles figured this one out on their own!” A voice pleaded as it came towards the tiny room.
Three people soon entered. Mr Weasley, who immediately took his seat at his desk. A man in his late thirties, with dark hair and a scruffy beard, and dressed like a Muggle with jeans and a blue t-shirt. His most notable feature was a pair of silver cuffs, glowing blue around his wrists.
Behind him came a young woman, she looked to be in her early twenties with bright purple hair and a piercing through her right eyebrow, her robes clearly marked her as an auror.
The auror placed the man in the seat next to the other desk before jumping up to sit on it herself, swinging her legs back and forth.
Mr Weasley stared down the man before sighing. “Marcus, please tell us why you did this? Why were you selling Muggles collars that made their dogs invisible?”
The man, Marcus, leant forward in his seat. “I’m telling you, Arthur, the Muggles already have invisible dogs.”
“I found him at Covent Garden trying to sell more.” The female auror interjected, picking up a key that began to shrink in her hand.
Marcus quickly turned on her. “You saw him too, Tonks! The Muggle with the invisible dog! But you’re not arresting him and calling in the Imp Squad”
‘Tonks? As in Andromeda Tonks?’ Draco couldn’t help but think to himself. ‘Oh shit!’ It couldn’t be his cousin could it?
And what on earth was the Imp Squad?
“Marcus, it was just a leash with a wire running through it, there was no real dog.” Tonks calmly explained. “I’ve told you, Muggles are just acting and performing in Covent Garden. They’re not performing real magic.”
“Marcus, this is very serious.” Mr Weasley said, he leant back in his seat. “Just please tell me this is all of them?”
Marcus finally looked over at Draco holding the dogs. He did a double take at Draco. “Bloody Hell, Arthur, he’s a bit young isn’t he?”
“Not relevant. The dogs?”
Marcus grumbled but looked down at the floating collars. “Yeah that looks about right. I hadn’t sold that many before you swooped in.”
Mr Weasley closed his eyes in relief. “Thank you.”
Tonks took a deep breath and Draco was suddenly reminded of his mother. ‘Definitely my cousin.’
“Okay, Marcus, hand over the profits.”
Marcus turned to her with a pleading looking but one look from Tonks, that scarily reminded Draco of the time he broke an old family figurine, had Marcus turning out his pockets. Muggle money was placed on the desk.
“I only made twenty quid from it.” Marcus muttered.
“It doesn’t matter if you made a single knut, you know the laws.” Tonks reprimanded as she picked it up. “Now, do you need anything else, Arthur? If not Marcus and I have to take a trip to the custody office.”
Mr Weasley waved her off. “He’s all yours, I’ll be sure send the report over to you when I’m done.”
“Righto.” Tonks said, jumping off the desk and pulling Marcus to his feet by the arm. She gave Mr Weasley and Draco a little salute before marching off down the corridor back to the auror department.
“Is it always this exciting?” Draco asked after a moment.
Mr Weasley smiled. “Oh no, you’re here on a quiet day. Normally we’re up to our eyeballs in biting doorknobs and disappearing keys.” He looked down at his watch. “Well it looks like the Improper Use Squad are busy right now. It’s their lunch hour after all. I’ll take those dogs back, it might be a while before they turn up.”
Draco pulled his hands away from Mr Weasley. “I don’t mind waiting. You’re probably very busy anyway.” He indicated to the piles of case files around the room.
Mr Weasley sat back in his seat with a thoughtful look. Then he pulled out his wand and made a metal ring appear on the wall. “Tie them up there, and then I might have some things for you to do.”
Draco did as instructed and sat down as Mr Weasley began to explain some of the strange objects in the room and asked Draco to help him match them up with their relevant case file.
Draco was so entranced he was almost late to his father’s office when it was time to go home.
He secretly smiled to himself as they took the floo home. He finally found something interesting to do.