Disclaimer: Everything that comes from the creative mind of J.K. Rowling does not belong to me. However, plot is mine! RAWR!! … Enjoy the chapter. (:
A/N: Time-wise, it's mid-September and the week of the auditions.
A/N 2: Yes, I know that it's been literally FOREVER since I last updated and you might hate me for it, but I hope that you'll still continue to read my story. I will try my best. For people who are curious, my move to Boston was successful. I'm struggling with school, trying to adjust with the new school system and make new friends. Lame I know, but bear with me please. So yeah, there might be difficulties with upcoming chapters. There are college applications to do too. But I'll try my best! The next chapter shouldn't take as long. I also made this chapter extra long for all you patient people out there! Thank you for all your support! Enjoy!!
Chapter Nine: New Beginnings
Draco Malfoy paced around in the Room of Requirement. All the Prefects, the Head Girl—Hermione—and the Head Boy—him—were preparing for the auditions. It was Wednesday, and since the Friday of the previous week, a certain red-head was missing from his sight.
"Where the hell is she?" Draco growled under his breath as his silver eyes flashed dangerously through the crowd of giggling girls and unusually well-groomed boys.
'Why do you care so much?' His inner voice questioned his motives snidely. 'Could it be that the little fire sprite means more to you than a simple protégé?'
"Shut up." Grinding his teeth, Draco curled his hands into fists. The things that the voice spoke about shook his inner calm. They weren't true—Draco knew that—but still, the words bothered him a great deal.
As if by magic (no pun intended), Ginevra Weasley appeared and the crowds parted. She was more beautiful than Draco had thought previously. Draco stopped in his pacing steps and gazed ahead at a woman who he didn't seem to recognize. It seemed as if her skin was softly glowing in the light and her dark auburn hair shimmered with every movement of her head. As she walked, her soft pink lips turned upward in a polite smile. Those around her turned to look upon the mysteriously matured Weasley. In less than a week, Ginny had changed in ways that Draco could not explain. It was not so much her outer appearance, but her aura—her presence—that had changed over the days. She no longer faded into the crowd, but rather, stood out. Ginny walked gracefully to Draco.
"Hey Ferret." Ginny greeted cheerfully. Looking up at Draco, she gave him a friendly grin.
"Hey." Draco weakly returned, staring down at Ginny into her violet eyes. "Violet?" He took a hand and gently swept a strand of hair away from Ginny's eyes. "When did your eyes change?"
Ginny blinked nervously. What was up with the ferret today? "Uhm…it's been changing. I guess… it's a family trait or something. I'm not sure…I think my grandmother had violet eyes." Making up a fake story, Ginny thought, 'Well, grandmother…ancient ancestor…what's the difference right?' Forcing a laugh, Ginny wringed her hands together and rocked on her feet.
"They're beautiful." Draco whispered quietly. Ginny's eyes widened and her mouth dropped a little with surprise. Seizing the opportunity, Draco bent down and brushed his lips slightly upon Ginny's and gave her a soft kiss. Stepping away, Draco smirked. "You're late." He was back to his old self.
A fierce blush took over the flawless ivory of Ginny's cheeks. Then, as quickly as Draco stepped back into character, anger swept over Ginny's face.
"You are an insufferable little prick." Ginny growled, her left eye twitching a little. Draco smiled—actually smiled—and let out a chuckle. She was so cute when she was angry.
Draco shrugged as he placed his hands into his pants pockets nonchalantly. "I know." Draco's simple answer further irritated Ginny.
"Malfoy!" Ron Weasley stepped through the frantically whispering students with wide eyes to stand above Ginny and Draco. He had a madman's look in his eyes, his red hair flaming out from his skull. "Ginny. Was it just my imagination, or did Malfoy just smack one on your lips?"
Ginny turned around to confront her brother. "Ron, calm down." Giving him a wide smile and an encouraging slap on the shoulders, Ginny left to get a contestant number from the registration desk that Hermione slaved to organize.
Draco smirked, watching Ginny's womanly hips sway as she walked away. Ron scratched his scalp. He was caught between being furious and being utterly speechless. Confused, he shook his head and resolved that he would give it to Ginny later.
Hours had passed and although there had been several very good artists and bands, a simple audition for the school's vocal competition became a whole ordeal of heavily make-uped sluts and really horrible boy bands. Draco wanted to jump off a cliff. Hermione was trying to stay attentive, sitting dead center with Draco, but developed a nasty temperament. Ron, as predicted, had his feet up on the table and was playing around with the twin's latest joke inventions. Harry was shaking his leg up and down, quietly anticipating Ginny's appearance. Luna lazily gazed up at the stage. All the other prefects sat quietly as they doodled on parchment and continuously transfigured things into distorted miniature imitations of the contestants.
Coincidently, Ginny was the last contestant to audition. With a newly developed sense of courage and grace, Ginny walked to the center and smiled.
"Ginny Weasley. Last one guys." Hermione encouraged the rest of the student body. "What's your piece called? And yes, you have to audition as if you were really performing at the Halloween Party." Hermione recited her lines half-heartedly. Although it was Ginny, she probably had nothing new and was just auditioning because everyone else was.
Ginny inwardly laughed at the haggard-looking judges. 'Poor things,' she thought, 'I'll liven them up a bit.' "It's called 'Boys' by the muggle pop singer Britney Spears." And as if by cue, the room became completely dark and the stage was lit by midnight blue and silver with a mysterious yellow light from directly behind her figure. The music started to play. "It's over now." Ginny's voice whispered on the invisible speakers. Her back was facing the now curious crowd. A long platform had formed between the stage and the judges' table.
I spotted you dancing
Ginny had turned around and started to dance. The Hogwarts student body, especially Draco, was frozen solid. Every red-blooded, hormonal wizard (and some witches) was aroused by Ginny's appearance. She was wearing a black halter top—it showed a small amount of her midriff, exposing the bottoms of her well-toned stomach—and a long skirt of multi-layered black and red material. Due to the light, the audience could fully see the seductive silhouette of her slender legs. Her hair was loose down her back, a dangerous red gleam to it in the glowing spot light, and her skin glowed pale gold.
You made all the girls stare
She started to walk down the stage, her hips swinging to the beat of the music.
Those lips and your brown eyes
And the sexy hair
With her womanly hands, Ginny lightly touched her lips and then went through her hair and down her neck, ending at her hips.
I should shake my thing
Shaking her hips quickly, she made direct contact with Draco's dark stare. His silver eyes had turned into a smoldering grey. She gave him a fast smirk. His eyes darkened further.
Make the world want you
Tell your boys you'll be back
I wanna see what you can do
Ginny pointed to no one in particular, but every boy had felt that she had pointed to them. They were all hypnotized. Girls were conflicted between awe and jealousy. It seemed that Ginny had put every one in a spell. Her voice and dancing body mesmerized all.
What would it take for you to just leave with me?
Not trying to sound conceited but me and you were meant to be
You're a sexy guy, I'm a nice girl
Let's turn this dance floor into our own little nasty world!
Ginny made it to the judges' table and she was standing in front of Draco and Hermione. Draco looked up and down, appreciating the view he had of her. She was wearing black stilettos. 'Hmm…sexy.' Draco thought with a small smirk.
Boys!
With a seductive step, Ginny went on the judges' table, her stilettos on their scattered pieces of parchment. She walked past Draco and went down the far right of the table. Neville was sitting there, following Ginny with his wide eyes, his mouth gaping open. She stopped in front of Neville and—
Sometimes a girl just needs one.
—Ginny slightly bent her knees and did a smooth body wave, her hands running over her chest and the sides of her body.
Boys!
Ginny swiftly paced over to Harry, who was past Draco and on the other end.
To love her and to hold
She folded her hands over her heart and then hugged herself, the whole time moving to the thumping beat of the music. Harry was in a quiet trance. It seemed that even his clear, innocent emerald eyes had clouded over and turned into a dark, mysterious forest.
Boys!
Ginny now made her way to Draco.
And when a girl is with one
She went down and looked into his dark eyes seductively, as if challenging him to an unspoken dare.
Boys!
As quickly as she went down, Ginny popped up, her hands in the air, and danced her way back to the stage.
Then she's in control!
Ginny turned around singing her last line, her voice rising and echoing through the hall. Sparks exploded behind her and the room became dark again. There was just silence for a few seconds, and then the room exploded with hoots and cheers.
A male voice roared a declaration of obsession to her while others yelled in agreement to those who encouraged Ginny's sexuality. Ronald Weasley became the red balloon that all were very familiar with. He was not at all pleased. Not in the littlest bit.
The light turned back on and Ginny was gone from the stage and from the entire room itself. Draco, as well as Ron, quickly scanned the room again just in case a flash of copper red appeared. Both of them cursed within themselves and swore that they would find where Ginny had run off to.
Ginny ran to her room frantically, her robes rustling behind her. She couldn't believe she auditioned with that song—just thinking about it, she grimaced inside at how sleazy she must have looked. Sure, Ginny had considered it as a joke before, during the weekend, but ultimately had decided to go with "I'm No Angel" by Dido. The split second after Hermione asked what song she was going to sing, her voice said "Boys."
'Why?! Why?! Why?!' Ginny mentally banged her head up on a wall.
'Because you wanted to.' A voice replied her repeated questions.
'No I didn't.' Ginny denied miserably.
Reaching a nonchalant looking red drapery on the stone wall, Ginny quickly muttered sol lunatus, and the drapes loosened in Ginny's hands as she pulled them back to reveal a small square passageway. Ginny closed the drapes and it formed a solid wall. The painting that hung on the wall was unlike the others in Hogwarts. This one did not move, instead, all the figures stood still, captured in their foot steps, in their daily activities. It was a painting of the court of the High King. It was a grand castle and a grand kingdom indeed. In the horizon, Ginny could eye hazy mists and a bit of green behind them. Avalon.
"Crescent sun."
Suddenly, everything in the picture started to move and greet her. "Good afternoon Lady Aurora!" miniature figures would shout out to her.
Ginny smiled as she opened the frame and walked into her room. Spotting her four poster bed, Ginny could feel exhaustion take over her body.
'To hell with grace.' She thought to herself as her feet trudged toward the bed. Getting close enough to the edge of the bed, Ginny collapsed like a sack of potatoes.
She stuffed her face into the thick comforter and thought to herself what had happened for the last few days. Ginny had stayed cooped up in her room (apart from her attending her classes), trying to organize her cluttered mind. After much meditation and quiet time, Ginny came to a conclusion that there was a piece missing from the puzzle before her—something important and vital to what was happening around her.
Ginny lifted her head from the blankets to breathe and rested it on the side. The thing that bothered her the most about those past few days was not the mystery behind the Lady and the sudden reincarnations of people, but rather, sadly, the fact that she couldn't get Draco Malfoy out of her mind. Every time she closed her eyes, she could see his white blond hair falling down in his eyes and those gorgeous mercury eyes. And now, after seeing him this afternoon, Ginny couldn't overcome the intense tingle she had felt when his hands caressed her face and his lips embraced her own. Even her nose stung with his lingering spicy scent that put her into a never ending spin of circles. Realizing that she ached for his closeness, Ginny suck her head again and began to let go of a scream of frustration that had been building up ever since she left the Room of Requirement.
The thing that brought her back to reality was the knock on her door—not her entrance, but the portal door. Eyes wide and alert, Ginny lifted her head and looked towards the magical door. Who could it be? Cautiously approaching the door, she could hear the knocking becoming more urgent and frantic.
"Who is it?" Ginny asked warily. The question felt stupid to ask, but there were no such things as bad questions, right? Also, this was for her personal safety.
"Weasley, if you don't open this door this instant, I'll break it down." Draco Malfoy threatened loudly through the thick wood.
Quicker than she liked, Ginny reached to turn the knob, anticipating the sight of Draco; but as soon as she did, Draco pushed the door and slammed it behind him. He looked dangerous. His eyes were dark and his hair was out of its neat groom. Ginny's body reacted and she felt desire coursing through her body.
Their eyes held each other for a few moments, the air tense and their bodies taut. Then, Ginny blinked and Draco grabbed her shoulders and twisted her around to pin her against the wall. Ginny wrapped her legs around Draco and tangled her hands in his hair. It was pure passion as Draco hiked up Ginny's skirt and Ginny ripped open Draco's shirt—all the while they were battling each other with their lips and their tongue, bruising each other. Soon, they both tasted a tint of iron—Ginny thought it was strange, but erotic in a way.
Draco ran his hands over the soft skin of Ginny's thighs, making her close her eyes and exhale unsteadily. She let out a soft moan. Little did she know that this soft moan pushed Draco into the realm where reason and sanity did not exist. He let out a rough groan as he started to kiss and nip Ginny's neck, trailing down to her shoulders. Ginny unconsciously thrust her hips towards Draco's in a natural rhythm.
They didn't speak, they didn't talk.
All they could do was fill their senses with each other. They listened to each other's breathing and moans of pleasure. They touched each other's body, memorizing each curve and dip with their fingertips. They smelt each other's scent—Draco spicy and Ginny warm vanilla. They tasted each other's skin, the saline that was building up with their passion. They looked into each other's eyes, searching for something they didn't know what to look for. Together, they created their own world to which they escaped and where only each other existed.
Draco lifted Ginny and carried her to the bed. Instead of tossing her down, Draco placed one strong hand oh her back and slowly let her body descend onto the silky sheets. Her dark red hair spread around Ginny's face.
Something happened that moment and Draco's eyes had a different kind of passion—not lust, but something that ran deeper. Ginny couldn't point it out. Before she could examine it more, Draco bent down, keeping eye contact, and tenderly kissed her. Ginny's eyes fluttered shut as his lips softy kissed where he had bruised her. He place butterfly kisses down the length of her neck and took her hands in his, placing each on either side of her head. With his thumb, Draco massaged Ginny's palm. Ginny let out a sigh when he made his way up to her ear. His hot breath sent shivers throughout her body, making her shudder slightly underneath Draco's warm body.
"I think we should stop right here Weasley." Draco whispered. He lifted himself up to look at Ginny's face.
Ginny didn't know what she felt—relief or hurt. She guessed it was a mixture of both: relief because Draco stopped before they went too far on pure lust and passion, but hurt because he had stopped it so suddenly and because he had been formal, calling her by surname. This caused her great confusion, and Draco could see it flooding in her eyes.
"It's not that I don't want to…Ginevra." Draco placed his forehead on Ginny's and closed his eyes. "Trust me, it's not that. Far from it…It's just…I don't want to deflower you so unceremoniously." Draco let out a rough chuckle to the latter part of his sentence.
For a split second, Ginny swore that what Draco had said sounded very familiar—as if someone else had told her that in another life. Those words were spoken by someone so close, yet so distant but Ginny couldn't pin out whom it was. Her mind was still clouded by desire, so instead of dwelling on it, Ginny looked up at Draco and pushed it to the side. Truth was written upon his face. Draco opened his eyes to look at Ginny's reaction and was relived to see that she was smiling up at him. For some strange reason, a strange emotion flooded through his body.
'Could it be…?' Draco thought to himself. 'Could it be…?' He didn't dare to finish his question to himself. Then he decided. 'No. It's not. It can't.' But at the same time, Draco wanted this thing that was happening between himself and Ginny to be special. He wanted Ginny to be special.
As Draco thought to himself in the silence, questions raced through Ginny's mind. Could this be right? The Sex God of Slytherin caring? Was that even possible? Was she dreaming? And what was this thing that was happening between them?
'Could it be…?' Ginny asked herself, terrified to finish the question. 'Am I falling for Draco Malfoy?' Looking up again at those mercury eyes, Ginny could see the sincerity in his words and before she knew it, a part of her heart swept away.
"Okay." Ginny whispered suddenly. She then tiptoed and kissed Draco softly on the cheek. "Thank you." Inside, Ginny hoped that the added phrase wouldn't sound stupid and that Draco would understand what she meant. And he did. Draco's lips turned upward in a playful smirk, as something light-hearted danced in his eyes. "You're welcome." He whispered, so caring and equally soft, that it scared him; but he ignored it. Or at least for now he would.
Ever since that day Ginny and Draco frequently met each other. Having the luxury of a portal door, they would go into each other's rooms and fall asleep in each other arms. Both hoped that this thing between them would be a dream that would never end—that reality wouldn't come and drown them. Sometimes Draco hated himself for becoming so weak and caring, but as soon as he saw her ivory face or heard her clear bell voice or smelled her warmth, everything melted away, and she was the only thing that he cared about. Sometimes Ginny hated herself for becoming so attached with a boy who was her first love's enemy—how twisted and sick was that? But as soon as she saw his mercury eyes or heard his velvet voice or smelled his crisp cologne, everything melted away and he was the only thing she cared about.
In the library, they hid in the back among the old arithmancy books that even Hermione avoided. When passing each other in the hall ways, they would brush fingertips and smile to themselves. In the Great Hall, they would take moments to glance across the tables to find the person they couldn't get enough of. It felt like they were each other's drug that they were addicted to. Where this was all going, both of them didn't, and for the moment, they didn't care.They thought they were hiding it all well, but Matthew Blackhart smirked to himself, pleased to know that everything was going well, and Hermione Granger frowned and disapproved of what she was noticing. Harry and Ron were both oblivious, apart from the fact that they both sensed the changing and distant Ginny.
Couple weeks flew past the couple, and Ginny's life seemed to go smoothly. Sure enough, her name had made it to the list of contestants who would be performing at the Halloween Ball. Her nightly lessons with Matthew, Andrew, and selected professors continued. According to Dumbledore, she was 'gaining knowledge at such a rapid pace that it was very covetable'. Matthew had been the biggest pain in the arse, taunting Ginny every moment he had. He sneered at her and made her feel like a fool every time he spoke, but Professor Snape had been more generous and favorable to her since the first lesson, which sparked suspicion among the Amazing Trio, especially Hermione, who, Ginny mused, was jealous that Ginny had captured the Potion Professor's heart—a feat that Hermione had long given up. But the best part of her life was the times she spent with the silver-eyed ferret.
"You so were! Stop lying!" Ginny laughed, tears brimming at her eyes and arms wrapped around her tightened stomach. She and Draco were reminiscing old times and laughing about them for a good half hour.
"No I was not!" Draco denied as a smile played on his lips. He shook his head, his un-gelled hair gently swaying over his eyes. "I was not terrified by Mad-Eye Moody."
"Then why did you squeal like a girl huh?!" Ginny lifted her eyebrows and chin in a challenge. She grinned at Draco's dramatized panic-stricken face. Her elbows were on the narrow table in between them and she leaned forward.
Draco cleared his voice and straightened his face into a solemn frown. "Because I was scared that I might be in the same rodent family as the weasel."
"I can't believe you said that!" Ginny had an odd smile of exasperation mixed with humor. "You're such a prick!"
Draco leaned in over the table, his face becoming close to Ginny's. "Well, you like it."
Ginny rolled her eyes. "Yeah, sure."
"You do." Draco whispered, looking into Ginny's violet eyes and glancing down at her pink lips. Ginny was flustered now and she hated Draco for making her feel that way. Damn him for pulling this card. Stupid Slytherin. A blush snuck into Ginny's cheeks. Draco couldn't resist a smirk as he repeated, "You do." Before Ginny could become angry, Draco placed a hand behind Ginny's head and pulled her into a kiss. Ginny let out a soft moan as Draco gently nibbled her bottom lip. Then he pulled away.
"You seriously do."
Looking at Draco's smirk, Ginny felt slightly infuriated. "I don't even know what you're talking about." Then, Ginny stuck out her tongue childishly and scrunched up her nose.
Draco let out a soft chuckle. "You're so cute." He grabbed Ginny's arm and pulled her towards him, capturing her lips again. This time, the kiss was rougher and more giving; as if Draco was trying to convey all the emotions he was feeling at that moment. When the kiss ended, no sense of humor or tease was left, just their slightly heavier breathing. They just sat there, leaned towards each other and looking into each other's eyes, trying to find something that might say the words that they were scared to convey.
After a prolonged period of silence, Draco was the one to break it. "I have to get to class." His voice was soft and soothing, hesitant to leave. "My room tonight. Same time." With that, Draco brushed his thumb across Ginny's cheek and kissed the top of her head, making Ginny's eyes flutter to a close. By the time she reopened them, Draco had already left.
'See you tonight.' Ginny thought with a smile.
Harry wondered what Ginny was up to these days. She was never around in the Common Room and according to those in the tower, it seemed that she had her own private room for confidential reasons. Nothing was making sense and something was different—there was something that Harry, Hermione, and Ron couldn't place their fingers on. What was going on with Ginny?
"You have to admit you guys, ever since school started, it's been weird!" Hermione was again pushing for an investigation of Ginny's sudden character change. "I mean, I understand that girls go through changes and she is, but it's…different." Ron and Harry knew she didn't know how to explain it and neither could they.
"I don't know Hermione." They were all seated in the common room on the plush seats placed near the fireplace. Harry ran a hand through his normally untidy hair. "I think that would be an invasion of privacy, no?"
"But, Harry, you got to admit, there's something fishy going on and it's tickling us to find out what it is." Ron leaned back into his chair and looked at the golden ceiling. "You know…you guys don't expect Malfoy to be involved in any of this do you?" Harry and Hermione raised her heads in semi-surprise. Ron was deep in thought and reflective—characteristics that did not suit the usually temperamental redhead.
"Well, I don't know." Hermione bit her bottom lip in thought. "It's true that they seem to be spending a lot more time together. But it could be just because of the wine project." Suddenly Hermione's head popped up and looked at the two boys next to her. "And by the way, we need to get started on that. It's going to be difficult to get the ingredients." And with a smile, Hermione was back to her Ginny-investigation self. Harry and Ron were somewhat disturbed by Hermione's sudden changes of characters, but shrugged the feeling off.
"I guess the project could be a reason why those two have been spending so much time with each other, but I don't know. Something inside is telling me that that's not the only reason." Harry frowned. An image of Ginny in Draco's cloak and him kissing her flashed through him head. It bothered him a great deal and made him green.
Ron looked up at the ceiling and sighed. "Just leave her alone guys." Harry and Hermione looked at Ron with bewildered looks.
"What?!" Harry and Hermione exclaimed in unison, their facial expressions twisted with confusion and pure bafflement. They were really taken back. First Ron says Malfoy's name without an insult or the slightest bit of contempt, and now, he suggests that they leave Ginny alone, despite the fact that Ginny and Malfoy might have something going on beyond the Trio's understanding.
"Ron," Hermione leaned in and set a hand on Ron's knee. "Are you okay?" She glanced over to Harry, who also leaned in, his elbows at his knees.
Ron remained limp on the couch, his head bent back and his eyes fixed on the ceiling. "Yeah. I'm okay. It's just…I know this might sound strange, guys, especially coming from me; but I think we should just step back and let Ginny have some privacy. I mean. I am her older brother, and sure I'm curious and anxious about what's going on with that ferret, but that's the thing—I'm her older brother. I should watch out for her, not invade her life."
Hermione and Harry blinked several times, their mouths hanging loosely. Ron stood up and yawned. "I think I'm going to go to bed now. You guys have fun talking about my sister. Night." And with that, Ron walked away.
"Wow. I wasn't expecting that." Hermione slowly crossed her arms and sat back on her chair. Harry just sat there looking down at the carpet again. "Anyway, so I guess it's just us! You up to it?...Harry?"
"I think Ron's right Hermione. We shouldn't be nosing into Ginny's life. She's capable of taking care of herself. I mean, she's barely a year younger than us. She's even taking all the classes we're taking." Harry looked up at the brunette sitting not too far away from him. Her face reflected her state of dismay and hurt from the sudden rejection she received from both of her best friends.
"But—" Hermione was getting ready for a counterattack before Harry quickly cut her off.
"Hermione, just let it go. You don't need to know everything. There is something that's happening beyond what we can explain, but it's still Ginny. It's not something about Dumbledore or Voldemort or Snape that we want to figure out and have a little adventure...it's Ginny." Harry stood up and without looking at Hermione, he whispered a tired good-night and left Hermione alone at the fireplace, torn and hurt inside.
Ginny was racing down the corridors to the newly familiar drapery on the wall that was the entrance to her private room. Her heart was racing faster than her feet and for some odd reason, Ginny couldn't restrain a lip stretching grin from her face. If she tried to, she would burst in giggles and smile to herself at how silly she was. What was going on with her?
Finally, Ginny entered her room and found that a black hawk was waiting at her window for her. It had a small parcel and a brown piece of scroll. Ginny walked over and took the deliveries. Instead of giving the hawk a cheap treat, Ginny cooed a thank you, made eye contact and stroked its inky feathers—another gift she had, somehow communicating with animals. The hawk blinked, as if saying 'your welcome' and it flew away.
Taking the parcel, Ginny flopped on her bed and opened the scroll.
Ginny,
Congrats! You made it to the Combined Girls' Number.
You were chosen by moi to be the Gryffindor girl to represent your house.
The costume in the parcel is for you.
Practices will be posted soon.
The song is called "Lady Marmalade".
I think you will like it.
Xoxo, Vikki
Curious, Ginny took the parcel into her hands and ripped the brown paper wrapping. What could it possibly be? Then she saw it—a fringe of black lace. 'Oh. My. God.' As she slowly pulled at the lace out of the box, Ginny saw that it was the trimming to a red silk corset. Her mouth dropped. How could she ever wear, let alone perform in this?! And in front of the whole school?!Underneath was a black garter belt, a pair of shimmery black stockings, and a scrap of black material that Ginny guessed was meant to be the bottoms to this costume. For footwear, Ginny received a pair of red stiletto boots. Taking all these out of the box, Ginny saw that there was one more box to open. It was a green velvet jewelry box. A small note was pinned to it.
It wasn't my idea.
I'm not that rich.
Thank D.
Ginny gingerly held the velvet box in her hands and opened the lid. Immediately, Ginny gasped, her hand at her open mouth. Inside laid a stunning diamond neckpiece. It was designed in an intricate web of floral designs. After a minute, Ginny realized that she wasn't breathing and let out a long-held amount of air. It was so beautiful. It was also something she could never in her life afford—not even if she had combined all her family's money together.
"You should try it on."
Ginny, still in a state of extreme awe and shock, turned her head around to see the one and only Draco Malfoy.
"Draco…I can't…I can't wear this." Ginny's voice shook as she looked from the necklace to Draco and back to the necklace.
Draco smirked at the red head's reaction to his gift. "Sure you can." He walked over and took the box from her hands.
"I can't. Really Draco. It's too…it's too much." Ginny pleaded as her eyebrows furrowed in worry and stress. "As beautiful as it is, as tempting as it is, I can't."
"If you're worried about how much it cost or something Ginny, don't." Draco took out the necklace from its case. "It's a necklace that's been part of the family for a while. And no, my mother did not wear it—thought that it was too old-fashioned. The necklace is French and it was just shut up in a glass case in the Malfoy museum. When Vikki told me about the number, I thought this would look perfect on you." Draco put his arms around Ginny and carefully placed the necklace on Ginny, swept her hair to the side and clasped the back.
A tremor swept though Ginny's body as the cold rocks came it contact with her skin. Draco took her hand and led her to the mirror. Looking at herself, Ginny was stunned. The necklace was even more breathtaking!
"Beautiful." Draco whispered as he laid his cheek upon Ginny's soft hair. "Just like you."
"Thank you." Ginny smiled, giving into her gift.
"You're welcome Milady." Draco smiled.
Ginny froze for a split second. She shifted in Draco's arms and looked up at her flaxen-haired man. "What did you call me?"
"Milady. I know, it's a sad attempt at being medieval and courteous. Forget I even said it. I don't know where it came from." Draco replied, confused by Ginny's sudden odd question. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah…yeah." Relaxing her body, Ginny leaned back into Draco's broad frame. She quickly changed the subject. "I thought I was supposed to go to your room tonight."
"You thought right, but I was just curious if you found my little gift yet or not." Draco explained.
Ginny scoffed. "Sure, little gift."
"You like it, so shut up." Draco smirked and gave Ginny a peck on the cheek.
Ginny looked at Draco in the mirror. Something was off. She had been sensing it for the past week, but she couldn't put her finger on it. Draco's mind was always an enigma in the end.
Sensing Ginny's soul-searching eyes, Draco abruptly pulled her to the seats next to the fireplace. He sat her down on his lap and looked up at her. "How was your day?" Draco asked as he absent mindedly stroked the back of her hand.
Ginny went along with Draco's little act. "As usual. The Dream Team is suspicious. I think Hermione is onto me. Ron is oblivious as usual. And…Harry, I'm not sure. I haven't talked to him in a while." Draco's arms stiffened around her.
"Why would Potter be of any concern to you?" Draco's voice was hard and cold.
Mentally hitting herself for bringing up Harry, Ginny bit her lip hard. "Well…" She had to choose her next few words carefully. "He is one of my friends. And he is my brother's best friend. I usually do say more to him than a simple 'hello' and 'good bye'."
"So?" Draco's face was hard and calculating, and his eyes turned dark with contempt.
"Draco, please don't be so immature about this." Ginny begged as her eyes desperately pleaded. His face didn't change. Sighing, Ginny tried to pull out from his arms, but his iron grip kept her where she was. Ginny rolled her eyes and looked away from Draco's face. "It's not like we're actually together anyway." Ginny muttered bitterly.
"What do you mean by that?" Draco's voice was dangerously soft. Ginny immediately regretted being a smart mouth about the situation.
Feeling that Draco's arms were now limp on the arm rests, Ginny got up and turned to face Draco. She nervously folded her arms and opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Ginny licked her lips and tried to speak again. Nothing came out.
"Weasley. Say something. You look like a gaping codfish." Draco smirked. God, now he was the insufferable bastard that Ginny knew he was.
"Malfoy…" Ginny harshly addressed Draco.
"Yes?" The same stupid smirk was plastered on his face. He had his arms crossed and a leg on the knee of the other. He looked like the aristocratic son of a bitch that Ginny hated.
"Malfoy, don't even deny that we have some kind of messed up, deranged, outlandish, down right wrong relationship." Ginny started to rant.
"I won't." Draco's smirk was gone and his lips now sported a frown. He was now glaring up at Ginny. That's when something inside of Ginny broke and her temper rose. What right did he have to be so pompous? He was the one who started everything in the first place!
"I mean, one night, you barge into my room, and the next thing we know, we're together all the time!" Running a hand through her hair, Ginny looked upon a passive and slightly amused Draco. It infuriated her. An angry blush flamed on skin. "And we never even talk about it. We always just push it to the side, but the truth is Draco: the wrongness, the questions, they'll always hang over our heads and torment us." He still didn't have any reaction. Angry tears brimming at her eyes, Ginny felt foolish and her pride was hurt. Then, after a moment of nothing, everything Ginny thought and questioned burst out from her mouth. "What the hell are we?! I don't even think you consider us as a couple Malfoy. So you don't even have a right to question me and Harry. You have no right. So what the hell are we doing right now?" Ginny placed a hand on her chest, feeling an ache there. Her fingers brushed the diamond necklace. "And why the hell am I wearing this?" She added weakly. Reaching behind her neck, Ginny unclasped the necklace and briskly walked over to the bed to place it back into its velvet box. She turned back to Draco. He was still sitting down, staring at her with a blank expression. "Why won't you say anything?!" She half yelled.
Draco stood up and slowly walked towards her. He had a menacing presence. Everything about him was cold now. He had closed off.
"Weasley, it seems that your lovely temperament had destroyed our evening." Draco sneered. Ginny couldn't believe it. What the hell was he getting at? He glanced down at the velvet box in her hands. "Keep the necklace Weasel. Considerate it a goodbye present to remind you of all the fun we had. But I think you're right. This had gone on for far too long. We were supposed to be business partners were we not?" He held her chin in his hands, lifting her face to look at him. Even though he felt a strange jolt in the pit of his stomach as he looked down at the wet faced Ginny, Draco continued. He could not ignore anymore. "I almost forgot about our little agreement. If I remember correctly I was supposed to make you stand out and make your Potter notice you." He chuckled humorlessly. "I think my job is finished, so you and Harry have a cheeky time, but just make sure you act out your end of the agreement Weasley. You're mine at balls and formal dances. It should be simple enough—prettying yourself up for me so you could be seen with me in public." Ginny's tears were freely falling now. Draco leaned in so that his lips were at her ear. "It has been fun Weasley. You are quite presentable now. I'm glad I added some confidence to your pathetic self. Now, I have things to attend to. Good night." Draco gave her a hard, cold, impersonal kiss on the lips and he left her room. But despite Draco's efforts to distance himself (although Ginny couldn't tell through the tears and the overpowering emotion of hurt), his lips lingered longer than he wanted them to over Ginny's lips.
Not believing what had happened, Ginny sobbed and fell to the floor. She cradled herself in her arms and cried, letting go of all she felt—the frustration, the hurt, the anger. And before she knew it, Ginny's body and eyes were tired and Ginny drifted off into a deep sleep, wishing that when she wakes up in the morning, that everything that had happened in the past ten minutes was just a terrible nightmare.
A/N: gasp! So yeah, I focused more on Ginny and Draco's personal relationship and its development. I hope you guys liked it! It was definately fun writing it. I can't wait to see what you guys think, so please comment. :D
note: Oh, and yes. If there are any Britney Spears haters out there, I'm sorry. I just thought the song was lyrically interesting. I hope there's no one immature enough to dislike my story just because I used a Britney Spears song, but none the less, my apologies. You have to admit though, the song is intriguing, especially if the words are sung by Ginny. That's what I thought. hehe. Anyway!...
Special thanks to: Queen of Night, CheckeredShoes, HarryPotterFreakEver, Albhed Chaos, mysinisterblackrose, Snackmaster007, slytherinchick13, Galloth, jessiechaos, sweetvanillalover, Ghezlan, chammurigirl, christine957, Good Girl'z Dead, darkroses2992, Between2Worlds, Jordanza, Susanna Malfoy, Kenobi Iruka, and maerose899 for commenting, adding me to their Favorites, and/or putting me on their Story Alerts!! Means so much for me!! Thank you!!
If I didn't mention your penname, my apologies, and thank you to you too! And if you don't usually comment or anything, thank you for reading!! Hehe. Then until the next chapter, chao!