You'll be the Death of Me

Chapter 59

"That looks like it will be an interesting project," Draco said, looking over his sister's shoulder. Graces hummed a reply and continued to scribble some notes down, clearly a little too invested in what she was doing to really pay her brother any mind. "Will you be able to have it done in time?"

"With the amount of gold I am going to throw at it I will," Graces muttered, picking up a few other envelopes and rolling her eyes as she began dictating her replies. "Have you started yours?" Draco let his silence answer for him. "Mother will be very upset," Graces sang. "This is her favorite part of the Christmas season."

"You could do mine for me," Draco suggested, sitting down next to his better half and grinning.

"I can't. I'm already doing two this year. I can't do mine and yours. It would be too much."

"Why are you doing two?" Draco frowned, now taking a closer look at the invoices his sister had on the desk.

"Well, father can't very well be doing one, now can he? And as you are aware I now have that settlement, so I have this extra gold that I don't need. I figured I would put it to good use." Graces looked over at him for a moment, scoffing at him to stop pouting.

"I really don't have time for this this year," Draco pleaded, shaking Graces arm so that she had to stop writing her letter. "Please."

"I'm already doing all your homework," Graces protested. Draco could tell she was going to break though, his sister never was good at telling him no.

"It would take a lot of weight off my shoulders," Draco said softly, knowing that he had just closed the deal.

"I am extremely upset with you. This one was going to take up a huge portion of my time, my other one was almost done. I planned ahead and did it practically months ago. Now, I'm going to be stretched thin doing yours."

"I love you," Draco cheered, kissing her cheek. "You're the best."

"I expect a really ridiculously expensive Christmas present," Graces grumbled, angrily putting away her papers. "And I also expect you to decide what you want to be done. I refuse to do the whole thing for you."

"Just add to what I did last year." Graces made some sound of frustration causing Draco to quickly tell her he would think about it AND give her more coin for her own projects. This seemed to make her less upset and Draco breathed a sigh of relief when Graces went back to just muttering under her breath.

"Are you coming to breakfast before class?" she asked, though Draco was taking the question as more of an accusal with the snap that was in her voice.

"Yes." It was originally going to be a no, but Draco decided that it was best to not make his sister any angrier when she just agreed to do him a favor.

"Good, I'm sick of you skipping breakfast," Graces scolded getting up from the desk she was working at and swinging her bag over her shoulder. "And don't think I'm not aware you never sleep in your bed anymore."

"I'm sleeping."

"I don't believe you. You look like Lupin."

"Thanks," Draco deadpanned.

Graces eyed him for a moment before going on a long rant about how he was destroying her nerves and that if he didn't start taking care of himself she was going to make herself sick with worry. Draco nodded and made empty promises of getting more sleep and making it to more meals, but he knew there was no way he was going to be able to do any of what she wanted.

"Morning, Thomas," Draco greeted, taking a seat across from the younger boy, who nodded his greetings. "Pass the sausage, please."

"Draco, are you listening to me?" Graces demanded, taking a seat across from him.