Of Horses And Waterfalls

17. An Unexpected Visitor

Draco had woken up with an excitement second to none.  He recalled his dream, and he wanted to inform his best friend, Pansy, and the bank manager as soon as possible.  It was Monday morning, and Harry Potter would also be arriving later.  He asked his maid to go and clean the living quarters where Potter would be staying, and to remove any old bedding and curtains.  She was given new curtains to hang, and Draco hoped that the man would be clever enough to bring his own linen.

Pansy had told her office that she would be out for the day, and made her way to the ranch, after receiving a phone call from Draco saying that he needed her urgently.  She knew that the man was nervous for the day, but really, he had to get a bloody grip.  She thought his nervousness was coming from the fact that a new ranch hand had been hired, but she had no idea how wrong she was.

When she arrived, he ushered her into the living room, and told her his news.  "I have decided to rename the ranch Pans!", he said with glee.

"Wow!  That is exciting", she said.  "But couldn't you have told me this over the phone Draco?", she asked with a frown.  "God knows I had to get up earlier than normal, you sounded so out of breath when you called, I thought someone had broken in or something".

"I wanted to tell you in person", he said with a sneer.  "And you need to help me come up with a schedule for Potter", he said.

Ah, thought Pansy.  He is nervous about Potter.  "Draco, you know as well as I do, that you and Potter need to do that together.  I have absolutely no knowledge of a ranch, let alone how to provide a schedule for one.  Besides, he will be arriving later today, and then you two can sit down and.....do it", she said with a giggle.

"Very funny Pans", he spat.  But the minute she said those words, he felt a shiver go through him.  Imagine being pinned down by those big hands, and being kissed by that incredible mouth with his stubble outlining his jaw.  Jesus Christ on a cross, he thought, as his eyes glazed over.

"There's that hungry look again", she said with a chuckle.  

Ignoring the comment, he said he had to phone the bank manager and tell him the same news.  "What is the new name?", she asked with sincere curiosity.

"You'll see", he said with a wink, and started dialing the number.  It was picked up on the third ring. "Yes, good morning Mr Rayne.  It's Draco Malfoy from King Ranch.  Yes that's right.  That's actually the reason I'm calling.  I have decided to rename the ranch, and was wondering when you draw up the new contracts, if you could please....yes that's correct", he said.  Pausing he listened to what the bank manager was telling him.

"Yes, that would be perfect.  I would love to show you around of course.  Yes.  Okay, the new name will be Horses and Waterfalls.  Thank you, I think so too.  It's long overdue, don't you think?  Thank you, I look forward to it", and hanging up the phone he turned to look at Pansy.  She was smiling from ear to ear.  

"What?", he asked with a smirk.

"How did you come up with that name?", she asked.

"You don't like it?", he answered with a question.

"Fuck no, I love it!", she claimed.

He shrugged and said that the two words just came to him.  He told her how he had been lying in bed, thinking of his Aunt Bella and the horses, and how she had taken him to watch the waterfalls, and it just seemed to fit.  She agreed with him, and congratulated him.  He was about to thank her, when they heard a knock at the front door.

He got up to go and see who it was, but wasn't expecting what he saw.  "Father", he said with a bit of disdain.  What the hell was his father doing here?

"Draco", he said with a nod of his head.  "May I come in?" he asked, knowing full well that his son would open the door to him.  Draco licked his teeth, and opened the door for him.  "Yes, come in, Pansy and I were just having coffee.  Would you like some, or did you come to gloat?", he asked with a sneer.

Lucius Malfoy smiled.  "Coffee sounds lovely, thank you.  But I am not here to gloat Draco, I am here just to see how you are coming on, with handling everything and to offer my help.  If you would want it", he offered.

"Your help?  Who was it making a bet that I wouldn't be able to do the unthinkable in just one year.  Stop lying and tell me what you really want", he demanded.

"Very well", he said slowly and started tugging his gloves off his hands.  "I am here to take some before photos.  Which I will be doing every quarter mind you.  You know so that I can rub it in your face when you lose the bet.  At the end of the year, I will take an after photo", he claimed with surety in his voice.  

Draco just looked at him, and hoped to God that Potter was all he hoped and said he would be.  But he wasn't going to tell his father that.  Potter was the ace up his sleeve, and he wasn't going to share him with anyone.  A slight blush crept across his face at that thought, but his father wasn't paying attention to it.  "Go ahead and take your photos father, that way you can drink your coffee outside", he bit.

Lucius smiled at his son, and greeted Pansy.  "Miss Parkinson", he said.  She greeted him back with absolutely no happiness in her voice.  The man creeped her out, and couldn't understand how he and Draco were so different, being of the same blood.  She poured him a cup and handed it to him.  Both men left the house to sip their coffee on the porch, but she decided to stay inside.

Lucius Malfoy was an extremely proud man, and he didn't really want to see his son win.  The competitive side of him wanted to see Draco fail, so that he could see he was still not better than his old man.  He wanted to show Draco that he was good enough, and if being cruel achieved that, then he would do it.  He took a camera out of his pocket and started taking photos.  What he didn't know, was that Pansy was inside taking the same photos for her and Draco.

She knew that Draco would want to keep a record and an album, and she would come to the party in full swing.  This pathetic family urge to be better than the other was quite annoying, and repulsive.  They were supposed to support and help each other.  They were supposed to be happy for the other's achievements.  But it seemed that Lucius didn't like losing.

He was in for a hell of a surprise.  Draco wasn't the type of man who liked to lose either, and in her eyes, he was already winning.  The appointing of Harry Potter, who would ultimately be their saving grace, and the new name of the ranch.  That was, in her book, already a great start to an amazing story.  Her and Draco had a silent agreement, that whatever happened here at the ranch, would never be told by them to his father.

Lucius was in for a hell of a job, if he wanted to find things out.  Because there was no way that either of them were going to placate him, by telling him their secrets.  And just as he was an unexpected visitor, he was also an unwelcome one.  Draco would have to upgrade the security, so that not just anyone could enter his property without his permission.