The Therapeutic Chef: Sugar Coated

The Therapeutic Chef:

Sugar Coated

Rating: NC-17

Disclaimers/Spoilers: Simply Irresistible k Harry Potter

Pairings: Draco and Ginny, Harry and Hermione

Category: Romance and Fantasy

Summary: ‘A seductive story based on “hex” appeal’…and who said food and magic wasn’t a way to a man’s heart?

Extended Summary: Ginny has a passion for cooking...especially sweets...and she's good at it. Opening a bakery shop has been her dream, but because of her personal money problems she's had to work with a French caterer named Giselle. She's barely getting by, but when she agrees to cater Harry's wedding someone very important in the money world notices her talent and offers her a deal that could not only open her shop, but also keep her feet on the ground for two years. The only problem is the person who's asked her is none other than Narcissa Malfoy and the requirements may be a little more than Ginny can handle.

Note: I will be using dialogue from Simply Irresistible. The first line of the summary belongs to the summary of S.I.

Chapter One:

Broken Wedding ~ I

“Deep breaths Gin,” Ginny spoke to herself in a panic as she dashed through the kitchen of the Sugar Beach Resort, preparing Harry and Cho’s wedding cake, and the two different dinner dishes. It had been hard to convince the teppanyaki chef to give up the kitchen at such a time in the day, especially when nearly half of the guests had made requests for sushi. Therefore Ginny had repeatedly promised a full day of her time so that he could teach her the art of real cooking.

Ginny, however, secretly was looking forward to that day, knowing that a chef with different skills and background would definitely be a boost for her beginner hands.

Most of the guests agreed heartily to mosey on over to Paul & Virginie Seafood Grill so that the main dining area could fully be in Ginny’s capable hands to disperse food to certain tables and names to opposite chairs. She, so thrilling accepted the duties of chef and the dinner seating arrangements.

She’d done it for what most people thought to show that she was over her feelings for Harry, but mostly she accepted the invitation to prove to herself that she was capable of it.

She paused for a moment and smiled to herself as a familiar melodic song filled her head. “Gin, Ginny, Gin, Ginny, Gin, Gin, Ginnery—oi, I’m making myself sick! I never, never should have watched that movie with Hermione, Mary Peppers, no that’s not it, Mary Pippin? Oh bloody hell.”

“Ginevra, you watch your mouth!” Molly screeched as she walked into the international gourmet looking kitchen.

When she’d first walked in she hadn’t expected her working space to be so elegant and homey at the same time. The wood of the cabinets and table that stretched through half of the room was a softy sanded. Perfectly untouched with what could sometimes be considered as a foul cover up. It was why Ginny had instantly felt at home. Although still soft because of the wood it was also vibrant and alive with colors. A blue, darker than a sky blue, but not by much lined the corners and borders of the sun bright walls with tiny flowers and leaves.

What Ginny especially loved, was that on each side of the silver plated sink, attached to the wall were matching cabinets. The cabinet to the right held spices that were arranged in alphabetical order and in the cabinet to the left was the beautiful gold utensils: knives, whisks, tongs, a miniature skimmer, different types of thermometers—a candy one, a culinary laser one, a meat, a chocolate…it was just breathtaking to her. Ginny knew if she tried to explain this to someone like Ron that he wouldn’t understand, but it was good to know that he knew, along with everyone else how much she loved cooking.

Ginny quickly apologized for her foul language, dodging her mother’s domineering form. As a habit she nervously stuck the tip of her index finger into her mouth and began biting her nail.

“Don’t bite your nails darling,” Molly added absently as she stirred the Tomato Florentine Soup.

As if her mind was jumping topics Ginny went into an unexpected outburst.

“Ron is a complete nutter!” Ginny said suddenly, tearing her ‘kiss the cook’ apron off and slapping it onto the cutting table. “He decided that he wanted the Chicken Mediterranean instead of the Chicken Florence, which isn’t even on the menu,” she snapped out as she stomped over to Sous chef to examine his progress.

Ginny’s face suddenly lit up with mischief, but then quickly fell into a frown. “If I didn’t want to make my name known as being a good chef I’d add more garlic and Tillamook cheddar cheese to this,” she mumbled softly to Brian, her muggle Sous Chef.

His response was a simple snort of amusement as he continued to wash the spinach stems.

Ginny swiftly turned on her heels and averted her attention back to her mother. “Ron insisted that since I’m his sister that I had no other choice than to make it for him and Neville suddenly remembered that he’s allergic to seafood therefore he can’t eat what he ordered, which was the Seafood Manicotti. It has the word ‘seafood’ in it!” Ginny raved.

Molly frowned. “I really do worry about that boy sometimes.”

Ginny rolled her eyes. “Neville doesn’t like Chicken Mediterranean so since I’m such a nice girl I offered to make him something different. He’s narrowed it down to two. So now I’m waiting on him to choose between the Chicken Wellington or the Chicken and Sausage Gumbo, which may I remind you were only on Neville’s mind because Harry suddenly insisted that we have a ‘taste’ of New Orleans! That’s three different options now…I agreed to two. I’ve already gotten ten changes in dinner orders. By the way aren’t we in Hawaii? It would have been less stressful if I didn’t consider Red Beans and Rice a side dish. Harry said ‘Ginny just put a lot of Red Beans and Rice on a plate and it can be considered a dinner’, but do I listen? No!”

Molly sighed heavily. “Goes from one subject to another,” she mumbled shaking her head in irritation, “Ginny, go do your breathing exercise. I’ll take care of this myself.”

“But mum—”

“Gin, love, this is your very first time doing anything this big. Most of the big jobs are already done. I’d say you’ve done a magnificent job. Usually you’re just cooking for that woman,” Molly said softly her voice filling with a certain amount of hatred.

“Oh Mother, Giselle is not that bad. She’s French, her standards are a little higher than ours, and she’s made me a better chef than ever, even though she couldn’t cook if her life depended on it. With all the sweets I make she’s also made it her ‘obligation’ to keep me in shape. She’s starting to fear that she’s going to loose me!” Ginny grinned sheepishly as she started to leave the hotel’s kitchen.

“Why is she in that sort of business anyhow? … Darling?”

Ginny turned swiftly, accidentally bumping into one of the penguin dressed attendants. “Sorry. Yes mum?”

Flipped a stray strand of curly red hair out of her face. “Do remember to put on knickers underneath your dress. I know you find wearing them terribly uncomfortable, but love this is a dress.”

Ginny’s eyes widened and her face tinted red. To make matters worse, it would seem that the inhumanly gorgeous attendant she’d run into had heard everything. She swiftly bowed her head in embarrassment when she saw the very handsome black haired, blue-eyed server smirking in amusement as he walked by. “Merlin! That woman has x-ray eyes.”

Ginny groaned and threw her head backwards in exasperation. Her humiliation was complete as she walked towards the velator…what did Harry say the name was again? She thought while pushing the button frantically as if to make the heavy metal doors open faster. She hadn’t even taken time to stare in awe of the finally furnished common room or at the black marbled desk where the man in black took reservations, or at the beautiful scenery of palm trees and a white sandy beach. It was a site to see, that it was.

As soon as the doors opened Ginny flung herself in, pushing the three people that were already in the elevator to the side so she’d have access to the tiny black circular buttons. She shoved her hands into the back of her cotton gray cargo pant pockets and grunted with impatience as the rectangular contraption jolted and then slowly proceeded.

“Bloody rectangular boxes are like flitting feathers—take their damn time going places,” she growled out softly as she punched the button to close the door. “It would be so much easier to dis—woops” Ginny’s back stiffened as she remembered where she was-a Muggle hotel. Her complaints slowly dissolved, but her glare steadied on her face.

A chill ran down Ginny’s spin as she felt eyes dancing over her bare back. Her white cotton halter top that tied only around the neck had seemed the perfect choice when she’d arrived to start cooking, because nothing would get in the way, but at that moment she’d wished she’d worn something less revealing.

Brushing off the feeling she began taking deep breaths, inhaling slowly in and pushing slowly out. She repeated this about five times before someone pushed her into the button panel. Her shoulder managed to push all the buttons below the floor she was after.

Rage engulfed her as she twirled around, her face flushed. “NO! These blasted things take long enough as it is,” she cried, stomping her foot like an immature child. “What is your problem?”

“‘These blasted things’ are called elevators,” a masculine voice filled the compact area. “Mr. Malfoy, you remember the littlest and only girl Weasley don’t you?” Blaise Zabini smirked down at her shocked expression.

Ginny felt suddenly very short in the enclosed compartment. She was a good 5’6 in height, but everyone in the elevator, including Blaise, was at least 6’1 and change. Ginny had always had to worry about wearing heals when she went on dates, so she wouldn’t bruise the guys ego, and now she knew what they felt like as she glanced up at three men. She shuddered involuntarily and silently praised the men for their inhumanly beautiful looks.

It just wasn’t right for men to look so delicious and be so sinful at once.

Lucius Malfoy’s permanently evil eyes slowly took in Ginny’s image, looking impressed. “You’ve improved immensely in the look department, I must say!” he commented.

Ginny glared slightly in fear. “Well I can’t say the same for you. You look exactly the same—dark and oozing with evil and sin,” she growled in a whisper that couldn’t be heard.

The elevator chimed and opened on the second floor. Ginny started to walk out, but a broad set of shoulders blocked her. She glanced up and at that moment she could have hit herself for being lazy and not taking the stairs. “And they travel in packs…” Ginny whispered irritated.

Draco Malfoy, inhumanly beautiful, muscular deliciousness and all, stared down at her with an expression Ginny couldn’t pinpoint. “What was that?” His seductive voice seemed to caress her cheeks.

~What a bunch of threatening bastards! ~ Ginny thought to herself, her gut filling with hot molten lava as the anger rose up to blush her cheeks and neck.

“I said ‘and the bloody bastards travel in packs’. I won’t repeat what I said before that. Got a problem with it?” Ginny gritted out wishing she could just hide herself in a far away corner on the other side of the world.

Draco licked his lips and raised one eyebrow. “Bit of a—” he started, but was interrupted as the elevator stopped on the third floor with a ding.

Ginny twirled past Draco, her messily pony-tailed hair smacking her cheeks, as she stepped out of the elevator and ran as fast as her legs would carry her; her destination—stairs to the fourth floor.

“Mm, that girl can run,” Blaise, commented flicking his eyes towards Lucius and Draco.

Lucius lifted his eyebrow up towards Draco and Blaise as both men continued to stare after the girl. “Mm, distractions are fun and can be played with any other time, but when on business it waits,” he stated in a soft, deadly tone.

“But of course, not that the littlest Weasley could hold my interest long enough to be a distraction,” Draco smirked. “I can’t believe she’s dressed like that. So bloody mousy, her hair is stringy and I believe I saw a smudge of dirt spread across her left cheekbone. She’s at a wedding and still the ruddy brat can’t look even the slightest bit presentable. It’s rather sad.”

“I agree,” Lucius snorted in disgust as the elevator doors closed.

~*~

Strange it was that they would be here, on the very same day Harry Potter, The Boy Who Lived, was to get married.

“They’re up to something—those devils,” Ginny sighed in the mirror.

“Ginny?” a small voice peeked through the door.

Ginny brightened instantly. “Hermione! I-I thought you weren’t coming.”

The older girl gave a half smile. “I wasn’t going to, but I got a letter from Harry,” then, in a very playful sarcastic voice Hermione added, “something’s going down and it involves Cho. Turns out she’s a Death Eater that was assigned to marry Harry and kill him on their wedding night.”

Ginny gasped in playful shock. “NO! How did they find out?”

“Harry just said he found out by an Auror that wished to remain anonymous,” Hermione laughed. “Wouldn’t that be great? Then I could have him. I wish it were true.”

Hermione smiled down at Ginny’s leopard green handkerchief cut, spaghetti strapped dress, and glass heels. “Would you like me to help with your hair and make-up?”

“Sure,” Ginny smiled. “You look amazing ‘Mione. I think you’ll make Harry swallow his tongue. He might even forget his vows. You really should have taken up Ron’s offer to be the half naked girl at the bachelor party to pop out of the cake.”

She gave a small smile and shook her head.

Ginny had always been slightly envious of Hermione looks. She had full lips and a body any woman would die for and Ginny barely had a flare to her hips. She had come to the conclusion that Hermione had stolen all of her curvaceous parts.

Hermione wore white platform heels and a purplish pink A-line dress that hugged her voluptuous body like a second skin. Her hair was up in a spread bun with curling tendrils framing either side of her face. Her choice in make-up matched the color of the dress giving her, a dark exotic aura about her and the outfit was completed with a matching black choker that wrapped around her neck.

Hermione gave a soft sad smile. “He would never see me like that.”

Ginny shook her head and smiled reassuringly at Hermione. “Yes he would. I can tell he loves you. I know he doesn’t love Cho, he never smiles at her like the way he smiles at you.”

Hermione bit her bottom lip to keep it from trembling as she pinned Ginny’s hair. “There, all done. He’s always had different smiles for me and different ones for Ron, I mean after all we are his best friends.”

“I just don’t believe that.”

Ginny saw Hermione’s eyes begin to well with tears. She nonchalantly shrugged her shoulders and batted angrily at her eyes. “Well believe it.”

“Don’t you want to know why I don’t believe it?” Ginny pushed.

“Fine, why? Lets just try and make my make-up smear a little bit more.”

“Because Harry looks at you the way my father looks and mum. You know, one time I asked my dad about love and you know what he said…you can’t choose who you love just like you can’t choose which wand would be best for you, but at that one moment when you look into that persons eyes and all you can see, all you can feel is how much that person loves you, then it’s all worthwhile. Knowing that you truly loved and was truly loved in return is enough to make someone feel complete. He told me that once I found that once in a lifetime spark, that I’d know it was for real. It took me a week to actually apply what he meant. It was then I realized that Harry was only another brother to me, another protector. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t thoroughly enjoy Harry, along with the rest of my brothers, being over protective and running to my rescue. I realized that I don’t have six brothers, I have seven and I love each of them dearly.”

Hermione sighed and dropped her tearful eyes away from Ginny’s mirror image. Ginny knew then that the subject desperately needed to change.

“You aren’t going to believe who I saw in the elevator!” Ginny gasped suddenly.

Hermione instantly grinned and then dropped her head in a thinking stance. “Hmm, could it possibly be Blaise Zabini, Draco and Lucius Malfoy?”

Ginny’s jaw dropped. “How do you know that? You ruined my surprise—dreadful surprise maybe, but all the same!”

Hermione grinned broadly looking rather pleased. “Because they ogled me as I walked past them.”

“What did you do?” Ginny puffed out with anticipation dripping from her voice.

The twenty-four year old teacher/author grinned evilly. “I used my wide intellect and vocabulary to wow them into a second dimensional shock.”

“A-huh,” Ginny mumbled, her brow furrowing in confusion.

“I just told them my name,” the other girl snorted with laughter.

Ginny was thrilled that she was laughing, but sadly that sweet sound drifted away and once again Hermione frowned and glanced down at her feet as an awkward silence filled the room. “Well, I’m going to go wish Harry luck,” Hermione whispered.

Ginny gave her a sad ‘I-understand’ look. “Be tough sweets!” she encouraged.

“Right!”

~*~

~* I can do this; I need to do this, for closure.

“Pretty pathetic when you…” Hermione started to scold herself then paused as she reached the outside of Harry’s hotel room. “Stop it, just knock on the door and wish him good luck.”

Smoothing her hair, taking a deep breath, and adjusting her dress strap on her shoulder she lifted her curled hand and rapped on the off white flower engraved door.

“Harry?” she called softly.

“Hermione?” Harry’s muffled voice came. “I thought you said you couldn’t make it? Being a famous writer and all I kind of figured—”

Hermione laughed and smacked her hand lightly on the door. “Are you going to open the door and invite me in?”

There was a silent pause and a rustling of clothing before he finally spoke. “—Er, yeah, come on in!”

Hermione gathered her courage as she reached for the door handle, pushing the door in.

The room looked pretty much like Ginny’s except for the king sized bed with blue and yellow sheets. The walls seemed to bath in the warm glow of the sun that sparkled through the extremely clear glass of the balcony, which out looked magnificent green palm trees and white sandy beach. The room was so close to the beach in fact that Hermione had a feeling that near the start of dawn the whispers of the waves crashing to the shore would awake Harry and Cho from their sleep.

When she walked in he was slipping his button down t-shirt over his wet and wild hair. He looked up and grinned at her widely, walking over to embrace her in a hug. Hermione gently sniffed in his smell, holding back a moan of pleasure as she hugged him back.

“You look great!” he commented. “I’m so glad you could come.”

She smiled into the curve of his shoulder, holding him tightly, not wanting to let him go. Perhaps because she knew that this time, when she did let go, it would be permanent.

In the mean time—he smelled so good. She could just imagine herself wrapping all her limbs around him, snuggling him, loving him, for hours on end. Embracing and letting lover comments linger in the air afterwards as they covered each other in kisses. Then he would tell her that he loved her…that he wanted to be with her forever and ever.

“Ah…Hermione? You can let me go now,” Harry’s amused voice snapped Hermione out of her daydream.

~Oh well, I’m not supposed to have these girlish daydreams anyhow. I’m the bookworm Hermione after all!

Suppressing a tired giggle at how sarcastic she sounded, Hermione pulled back, letting her hands rest above Harry’s forearms.

“You look really handsome,” Hermione whispered softly, making sure she smiled with her eyes.

Harry lifted the corner of his mouth in a lazy half smile and Hermione felt her heart plummet from the effect of that seductive smirk that always left her weak in the knees.

“Thank you! You don’t look too bad yourself ‘Mione.”

Hermione’s mouth dropped. “I go from looking great to ‘you don’t look too bad yourself’?” She scoffed in playful anger.

A full-fledged smile spread across his face. “Well technically—”

“What?” Hermione squealed and gently rapped him on the arm.

He rubbed the area, pretending to be hurt. His green eyes twinkled with happiness and it was then Hermione knew that she had to do at least once so that she could move on. She needed to kiss him.

~You’re being selfish Hermione Granger!

~I just don’t want to have any regrets.

~What if the desires to have no regrets could ruin someone’s marriage?

~One kiss won’t ruin someone’s marriage.

~Be sure about it.

“Harry I—” she stopped, her eyes widening.

~One kiss could not ruin someone’s marriage. No way! It couldn’t because he is in love with Cho.

Talking herself into it she took a deep breath.

Harry grinned at her in amusement. “Hermione? Earth to Hermione, are you in there? Oh Merlin, you definitely have been hanging around Ginny too much.”

Hermione shifted her eyes up to his. “Pardon?”

“Her breathing exercises, only she does them when she’s nervous or angry,” Harry’s brow furrowed in sudden distress. “You aren’t angry are you? To the gods if you’re mad—”

Hermione waved her hands in his face rapidly back forth shaking her head. “Harry! Harry! No, I’m not mad!”

He sighed in relief. “Good, I can’t afford to have the life scared out of me at the moment.”

Hermione lifted her eyebrows in surprise. “Shouldn’t you already be scared out of your life? I mean, you’re taking the biggest most dreaded and hopeful step anyone out there can take.”

Harry snorted. “Don’t be dramatic Hermione, it doesn’t suit you on topics like this! I’m actually not nervous at all. I feel calm, collected.”

Hermione squinted at him and swiftly lifted her palm to his forehead checking for a temperature. “Hmm, no fever.”

Harry laughed. “Would you stop? Just because you read about everything doesn’t mean it’s always true. The grooms don’t always get cold feet.”

“True, but I read a good portion of the time if they don’t have cold feet something is the matter.”

“Hermione you are delving too deeply into this.” The transition from playfulness to seriousness happened so swiftly on Harry’s face than Hermione had to look at him twice to see that it really happed. She knew she needed to change the subject.

“You’re right, I’m sorry.”

~You’re procrastinating. Since when did you become a procrastinator?

~Since never!

“Harry, I’m sorry, I’m really, really sorry.”

Harry shook his head, smiling. “Hermione, it’s not a big deal. No harm, no foul. I’m seriously not nervous tho-”

Hermione had taken that opportunity of him waving off her apology to clutch the sides of his face and pull him into a soft, tantalizing kiss.

It was wrong, dear Merlin she knew it was wrong, but she had to do it, if only for a moment.

It was indeed soft and tantalizing, but it was also heart-fluttering, toe curling.

She felt Harry stiffen in shock and she knew any moment know he’d be pushing her away in disgust. Telling her how disappointed he was.

Hermione felt her knees weaken as the gentle butterfly kisses of their eyelashes brushed against cheeks and the soft invasion of her mouth on his continued.

Hermione growled in fury at her weakness…or should it be directed to the fact that Harry wasn’t responding the way she had hoped. She hardened the kiss, pushing her closed lips harder against his, demanding a pliable response.

Hermione frowned when she still got no response. She pulled away defeated and embarrassed.

“Like I said, I’m sorry to have wasted your time,” she whispered heart brokenly making sure to never allow her eyes to lift to his face.

“‘Mione, what did you do?” Harry whispered harshly.

With her back towards him, her shoulders slumped at the hint of anger in his voice. “Harry, I hope I didn’t ruin things between us. I just-I just had to—”

She gasped as she felt Harry’s arms go around her waist, twirling her around, plastering the front of her body to his. He shoved his hands into her tidily pinned up hair and descended upon her lips. For the first time in her life Hermione Granger did not know what to do as she felt Harry’s hands slide away from her face and clutch at her chest with frantic need. She moaned lovingly into his mouth as he expertly coaxed her lips apart, his teeth nipping and nibbling as much as possible. He seemed to be begging her to open up and let him in.

It wasn’t because Hermione hadn’t wanted to kiss him it was from the shock…because she hadn’t expected this response from her best friend.

When Harry finally succeeded in his task the only thought in her head was bliss.

Hours seemed to pass as the kiss went on. Hermione vaguely remembered Harry’s hands shoving back into her hair destroying the many hours she’d put into making the style just right. It was funny how something that could take so long to make could be undone in a matter of seconds.

“Mm,” Harry groaned against her lips pulling away so he could breath. His nostrils flaring with intensity as he gripped her hips closer to his, which were softly and very slowly grinding against hers in such a seductive way that Hermione had to shake her head to clear it.

“Oh God,” a gasp came from the door.

The beautiful haze that had surrounded Harry and Hermione instantly dropped as Harry viciously shoved Hermione away. The fact that Harry’s eyes had widened with fear as they quickly looked over her to see if he’d hurt with his roughness when he shoved her away completely left her mind.

Hermione covered her mouth, still slightly dazed from the passion of the kiss that had swept her out of her mind. She hadn’t realized until Harry had apologized just how hard he had shoved her.

He pushed her as if he hadn’t realized it was her, or as if he had never realized his feeling were so intense for his best friend. Harry’s eyes seemed to search Hermione for an answer. Very much ashamed of her actions Hermione dropped her gaze.

Harry studied her awhile longer and he coughed as if signaling he’d come to a decision.

“Cho,” Harry spoke helplessly.

Hermione flinched, knowing he’d made his choice, but she failed to notice, because she hadn’t been looking, the regret that was filling his oak green eyes.

Cho let out a swift sob and sucked it back in, her eyes welling with tears. “That’s all you have to say? My name? Something like ‘this isn’t what it looks like’ or ‘I can explain’?”

Harry bowed his head and leaned back against the dresser he had run into when he jerked away from Hermione. “That’s it. I don’t know what to say…this is what it looks like. So yes, that’s it because I don’t want to lie to you,” he spoke softly.

“But you’d kiss another woman? Not to mention your best friend on in which you had to convince me was just that!” Hermione flinched at the high hysterical pitch Cho was screaming in.

Slowly Hermione backed out of the room, her heart heavy as she left.

To Be Continued…

Dialogue that wasn’t mine:

“Gin, Ginny, Gin, Ginny, Gin, Gin, Ging-ery” – Burt from the movie Mary Poppins

(Chim chimney, Chim chimney, Chim, chim cher-ee, a sweep is as lucky as lucky can be…) 

“Gods! That woman has x-ray eyes.” ~ Mildred Hubble’s best friend Maud Warlock…The Worst Witch 

A HUGE thanks to Nicole Girage for beta-reading for me! 

Answered questions:

Question One: When do Ginny and Draco come into action?

Answer: More Ginny and Draco interaction will be in chapter three.

Question Two: How did Harry decide to marry Cho in the first place?

Answer: Well for the subplot of the story he had to be marrying someone in the beginning, so I just chose Cho because of his crush. It doesn’t really have a significant meaning or anything.

Question Three: What possessed Ginny to wear a halter-top to a catering job?

Answer: *Shrugs* I was thinking about what Sarah Michelle Gellar might wear…the main character in Simply Irresistible, the movie that inspired this story. Again, no significant meaning—not that ‘wearing a halter-top’ would EVER have one!

Question Four: 'Will Cho try to kill him right there?'

Answer: I was wondering if people would be confused with this. That was just 'hopeful wishing' on Hermione's part. You see, she's in love with Harry, so she'd like it if Cho were trying to kill him, but Cho is one of the good guys in the story (even though she isn't in it much). Hermione just kind of wanted a reason to hate Cho.

Question Five: 'What were the Malfoys and Zabini doing there?'

Answer: You'll have to wait for this one...although I’m sure most of it will eventually either be obvious or already is obvious.

Now that that’s finished…

Chapter Two:

Broken Wedding

~

II

Ginny jumped up and down pounding the penguin dressed waiter on the shoulder. “My stomach is all filled with butterflies. We are extremely prepared for this wedding,” she paused and frowned as she stared at the young man to her left. “I’m sorry…here I am hitting you on the shoulder and I don’t even know your name.”

The waiter smirked down at her over enthusiasm and licked his lips in amusement. “Zane.”

Ginny paused once again looking puzzled; she then turned to look the waiter in the eye. “Are you serious?”

He quirked an eyebrow, “Why wouldn’t I be?”

Ginny curled her lips giving him an approving gesture and shook her head. “Oh nothing. Nice—err,” She grinned, turned swiftly, and hopped towards her mother. “Wish the food luck!”

“Oh honey, the food is superb. Don’t worry about it.”

Ginny grinned and bounced on the tips of her toes. She knew she was acting like a child on the night of Christmas Eve, but she couldn’t help it. It was, after all, her first real job by herself, well of course she had help, but she was the one leading it. Ginny had really wanted to do this for Harry’s wedding and thankfully Giselle made her do it by herself. She most likely would have never gotten the guts to do it if her friend hadn’t pulled rank on her. Giselle was her boss and could fire her at any moment, not that that she would do it. Ginny was the best cook Giselle had ever had and Giselle had made it known.

Ginny paused yet again as it suddenly dawned on her. “How do you know it’s good? Mum, have you been picking?”

Her mother had the dignity to blush and look ashamed as she glanced towards her daughter. “Just a little nibble.”

“Ma!” Ginny cried as she jutted out her bottom lip jumping in a tantrum.

“Don’t worry, it was from your plate.”

“Ma!”

Molly rolled her eyes. “Stop whining love.”

Ginny scowled and stomped out of the kitchen. “I’ll see you outside. Oh, um Zane right?”

He nodded.

Ginny let out a shivering breath as the waiter smiled at her. It was actually the first time all day Ginny had noticed the exotic aura that surrounded him. Almost like he was sex on legs. Not that Ginny was really in the position to judge what was and wasn’t sex on legs.

“You can start serving right after the wedding ceremony. I’m so glad they didn’t have to have the reception in another place! I cannot wait for the father-daughter dance.”

“Yes,” he drawled out softly.

Ginny took a deep breath, smiled, and then teasingly rolled her eyes at her babbling. “Right then. Thank you!”

~*~

Everyone was seated. Everything was perfect. Ginny hadn’t expected any less; it was Harry Potter’s wedding after all. Ginny was almost breathless from the beauty of the atmosphere. White, glittered sprinkled banners and streamers decorated around polls, confetti sprinkled on the table, iced sculptures. The smell of the water and the sound of the waves crashing against the shore were very soothing and set the perfect scene of a tropical paradise.

Ginny snorted softly. Leave it to Harry to have romantic ocean scenery for his wedding.

Harry and Cho were to get married on the white sand just in front of the water, and just behind the sand sat white, fancy folding chairs, ten rows for each side with ten chairs. Family members and close friends were to sit in the front. In the aisle of the chairs, above the white sand was a trail of conch shells leading to the wedding altar. This was where Cho would walk down to Harry. When he’d informed Ginny of this she had swooned at him making him blush deeply. She teased him relentlessly that day and he enjoyed every minute of it she knew!

The white wedding cake, surrounded by green leaves at the bottom, stood like a statue in the center of the table. Spiral stairs that descended from Cho and Harry’s suit and that’s where she would enter had beautiful green vines wrapped around the railing.

“Gin, did Hermione come?” Ron asked from behind her.

Ginny turned and did a double take at the way Ron looked. Harry had informed all the males to dress appropriately, but not in tuxes. He claimed that just because he had to be uncomfortable in a tux didn’t mean the rest of them had to. Cho had agreed heartily and said the same for the females, but she knew what good that would do. Appropriately in this case would be a high class Hawaiian style shirt and khaki pants. “Oh my gosh! You look so—spiffy.”

Ron raised an eyebrow. “I was going for gorgeous or handsome, but I suppose getting ‘spiffy’ from you is the best that I’ll get!”

“Hermione’s here. She went to go say goodbye to Harry.”

“Hmm,” Ron snorted in disgust.

He disapproved immensely of Harry marrying Cho. Ron fully believed that Hermione and Harry were soul mates, as did a lot of others whom were very surprised and maybe even slightly upset at the marriage announcement. It was true Ron had had deep feelings for Hermione, but after a chance at dating each other they’d realized that the chemistry was non-existent. Of course it wasn’t until a trip to Paris after Harry, Hermione, and Ron’s last year that Ron had realized what he thought. He had said it was the way they looked at each other and that the only other people he’d seen look at each other the way they did was Mum and Dad.

Three days after their trip Hermione had collapsed in Ron’s arms crying about how she felt about Harry.

When Ginny had found out her first thought was her brother had been right.

“Ron, try not to show your feelings on the matter. If Hermione does decide to stay please be careful with what you say around her. You have a tendency to speak before thinking.”

Ron rolled his eyes. “It runs in the family,” he looked at her pointedly.

Ginny snorted in a un-lady like manner.

“Don’t deny it. You never could hold your tongue.”

Ginny felt her eyes widen and her head shake as she lifted up a finger and shook it. “Oh-oh not true. When I had a crush on Harry I could.”

Ron shook his head in amusement. “Not that that lasted long. You know that night you decided you wanted to finally tell him how you felt, what was it? Around the end of sixth year, you made him nearly swallow his tongue at the obscenities you spoke to him.”

Ginny’s face turned a deep crimson. “He told you about that?”

“Yes. What’d you expect? We’re best friends. I couldn’t believe my baby sister had such a dirty mind.”

“I was sixteen years old…I had never been kissed, I was into those smutty romance novels, and had had a crush on a very gorgeous boy, no man, since I was eleven. I had…have a dirty mind. Not to mention I live in a family where the Y Chromosome dominate.”

“True, but ew, I do not want to talk about this at the moment,” Ron grimaced. “Harry thanks Merlin every day that you got over your crush. You could make any man blush with the way you talk. Then you set your sites on poor Colin. How long did you date him?”

“All through seventh year. I was so angry that he wouldn’t let us go further than French kissing. Then on our second year together he told me he was gay. I couldn’t believe it. Do you remember that?”

“You’re lucky Lana was out of town that night you came over bawling your eyes out.”

“Well, he’s my best friend now, who will be coming home soon with tons of yummy stories of all the hot guys in Switzerland. Speaking of Lana-banana, where is she?”

Ron rolled his eyes. “Still getting ready. She’s refusing to let me see her.”

Ginny bit her lip, holding back a grin. “When are you two going to get married?”

And the look came more quickly than she’d expected. Ginny shrieked with laughter as her brother’s face paled, as his eyes watered, and his brow began to sweat.

“Ron, don’t have a cow, I’m only kidding.”

“Just please don’t say that around Lana.”

“Right.”

Ron plopped down into Fred’s chair and sat next to Ginny. “So, did Hermione say she was going to stay?”

“I got the impression that she was going to stay, but I’m not sure,” Ginny said nibbling her lip as she watched her brother sit down beside her. “What are you doing? You don’t get to sit down here. That’s Fred’s seat.”

“I’m sitting down anyway.”

“But you’re the best man, shouldn’t you be helping Harry?”

Ron pursed his lips and looked towards Ginny. “I’d more bloody likely give him a broken toe than be helping him. Besides, I tried helping and accidentally ripped his shirt.”

“RON!” Ginny yelled in a scolding manner.

Ron grimaced. “It was only a little bit. He fixed it after he told me to get out.”

Ginny shook her head and laughed. “You’re hopeless.”

“That makes two of us. You’re more clumsy than I am.”

Ginny sighed, a sad face instantly plastering on her. “Can’t argue with you there.”

“Oh look, people are arriving. Whoa—who is that?”

Ginny gasped. “Oh my gosh—I-I think it’s Pansy Parkinson.”

“I’ll be damned,” Ron muttered appreciatively.

Pansy was wearing a black suit, her now blond hair long and hanging over her shoulders as she walked through the gates towards her row number and sat in the seat that had her name on the back of it. Ginny still didn’t understand why Harry had invited her. He said that Pansy had changed, that she wasn’t how she used to be. Ginny had yet to see it.

“I wonder how much money she spent on plastic surgery,” Ginny snorted in disgust.

“Ginevra Weasley I don’t want to hear such talk from your mouth,” Fred came up behind her imitating Molly’s shrieking scolding voice.

“Fred!” Ginny squealed and grabbed him in a hug. “Where’s George?”

“Helping Mum with something. Percy is still reading in his room and Bill and Charlie are picking at the food.”

“WHAT?” Ginny screamed. “Oh, I’m going to plaster—” she started to say as she began walking towards the kitchen.

Fred chuckled and wrapped an arm around her waist stopping her. “I’m just kidding.”

“That wasn’t funny. Ron, tell him that wasn’t funny.”

Ron and Fred made eye contact over Ginny’s head and grinned, both knowing full well that Bill and Charlie were indeed nibbling on the food.

“Look! Katie, Angelina, Alicia, and Dean are here. Whoo, I can’t wait to catch up! They look so good! Oh,” Ginny squealed happily jumping up and down, gripping tightly on Fred’s sleeve, “and there’s Neville.”

Fred smacked her hand away. “Calm down. We should have a Quidditch match after this. See who still has it and who doesn’t?” He suggested.

“No,” Ron and Ginny said together.

“And besides it’s only been eight years since they left Hogwarts and you can’t lose such an amazing talent that fast.”

“It’s too bad Lavender couldn’t come. Fred, I’ll never understand why you let her get away!” Ginny scolded.

A dark look crossed over Fred’s face. “Well maybe I let her go because she cheated on me—yeah, that was it.”

Ginny bowed her head in shame, but not before Fred saw the hurt look cross her face. “I’m sorry, I forgot.”

Fred instantly softened and chucked her under the chin. “No worry about it.”

“I don’t believe it!” Ron gasped.

Ginny lifted her head up her suddenly saddened mood vanishing. “Professor Dumbledore,” she whispered in a pleasant surprise.

“Hooch, McGonagall, Sprout, and Hagrid. Aside from Hagrid I feel that there is an overly huge amount of teachers here and I’m a bit uncomfortable,” Fred commented as he watched the rest of the Weasley family come out toward their seats.

“Charlie, Bill,” Ginny hollered.

They looked up and grinned at their little sister and watched as she galloped towards them.

“Hey Ginley!” Charlie grinned.

Ginny thumped him in the chest.

Charlie rubbed the sore spot and gave her a questioning look. “What was that for?”

“You were eating my food!” Ginny growled.

Bill glared over at Fred and Ron accusingly who both shrugged and smiled. They knew she wouldn’t have believed them.

“Well Gin doll it’s kind of what it’s for,” Charlie supplied.

“No!”

Charlie lifted an eyebrow and jerked his head back in surprise. “No?”

Ginny nodded. “Right, no. It’s not for eating yet!”

“Ginny?” Hermione’s voice came from behind Ginny who turned in response.

“Hermione! Hi.”

“I’m-I’m going to leave okay,” she whispered softly.

Ginny frowned. “Don’t leave ‘Mione.”

Hermione shook her head and gave a half-hearted smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “No, I really need to go. I think I really screwed things up this time. I’ll see you later.”

Hermione turned towards Ron and gave him a quick hug. “I’m sorry I didn’t have more time to visit Ron.”

“Why don’t you stay?” Ron pleaded softly.

“No really, I have to go. Besides, I have deadlines to meet.”

“Excuse me—may I have everyone’s attention please?”

Everyone turned his or her gaze towards Harry’s voice. He was standing alongside Cho, at the altar where the microphone and wedding vows were supposed to be shared.

A sinking filling filled Ginny’s heart as she noticed both of their eyes red-rimmed.

“We are terribly sorry to say that we’ve—” he paused and cleared his throat, “we’ve decided to cancel the wedding.”

Gasps filled the air. Hermione, who had just started to walk away, turned swiftly around, eyeing Harry with shock.

“I’m-I’m sorry. We-we are sorry. We just decided it wasn’t meant to be, sorry. I-I can’t really give a speech why at the moment either,” Harry said whispering the last part in the microphone, it squealing as he set it back on the stand.

The guests, who had actually arrived on time, shook themselves out of their shocked gazes and began grumbling in anger as they got up from their seats to leave.

Ginny glanced around as all of them moved. She stood there slightly in shock for about three seconds before she freaked. She ran up to the microphone and pushed Harry slightly out of the way.

“I’m sure Harry and Cho, even under these upsetting circumstances would love for you to enjoy yourselves tonight. Umm, there’ll be a variety of cabaret shows later on and um—” she paused and glanced at Harry.

He just stared at her with wet eyes.

“There’ll be a Creole jazz band,” Ginny said in a pathetically enthusiastic voice, “and-a-great, great food with candy bags and trinkets to take home as souvenirs. That was my idea and Harry was so kind to let me do it. There’s my fudge!” she said it as if that settled it, everyone had to stay, “And then there’s the casino at the adjoining La Pirogue Hotel. The slot machines and American Roulette, how could anyone resist? Harry, you booked quite some time there didn’t you? That was a lot of money you know. I’m sure he wants you to all enjoy yourselves.” Ginny finalized her sudden speech.

Ron hopped up and grabbed her arm, pulling a bit a ways. “Ginny, what in the bloody hell are you doing? Harry probably just wants everyone to leave.”

Not noticing that she still clutched the microphone Ginny spoke in a panic, expecting her big brother to help her out and understand. “I did not bust my arse slaying in a hot kitchen over orders that were constantly being changed so that they all could not eat! They need to get their bloody arses back into those chairs and eat my food,” Ginny spoke hysterically, swapping her hand across her chest in an irritated manner.

Ron gave a small timid smile. “Gin, the microphone.”

Ginny’s back straightened and she sucked her lower lip into her mouth. She glanced down at the microphone and then out towards the crowd. “Oh I’m sorry!” she cried out and then rolled her eyes.

She suddenly threw the microphone out of her hands. It landed noisily on the ground. Ginny quickly turned to Harry and stared at him with fear.

“I know I’m being selfish,” she spoke softly, hating herself as she felt tears forming in her eyes, “and I’m sorry. That was uncalled for.”

Harry gave a sad smile. “Of course it’s not uncalled for. You worked hard. You’re right, I’d be insulted if they didn’t stay and enjoy themselves.

“Right,” Ginny smiled, “I mean cause everyone knew it wouldn’t have worked out with you and Cho anyhow, so—oh boy…I’m going to shut up now,” she glared at him.

Ron glared at Ginny’s heartlessness, giving her a disapproving look and shaking his head at her.

“What an idiot,” Ron growled through his teeth, glaring at his sister.

Cho waved him off. “No Ron, it’s true. I knew it would happen eventually I just wanted to keep it while it lasted I suppose. It’s not everyday you get to marry a hero you know.”

Ginny smiled as she watched the guest take their seats at their tables, which was across from the wedding seating arrangements, as they prepared to eat her food. She smiled and started humming the song that had been caught in her head all day. “Chim, Chim—its Mary Poppins!” she screamed in triumph.

~*~

“Well that was fun,” Draco laughed from behind the huge crowd.

Zane shook his head. “I can’t believe she said that.”

Blaise smirked. “What a little brat.”

Lucius frowned and stroked his chin. “Yes, but this is ruining our plans. I suppose we can pick another time.”

Draco glared over at the group on the stage.

“Zane, are you upset at all?” Lucius asked.

“No, however I do believe something new is in mind after the events of today,” Zane said grinning evilly up at the redhead.

To Be Continued…

A LOT of Dialogue from the movie Simply Irresistible is used in this chapter.

Chapter Three:

Switzerland Scandals and Street Markets

Ron belched loudly as he rubbed his stomach back and forth in contentment.

“Ronald Weasley!” Molly scolded, slapping him in the back of the head.

Ron dodged on late reflexes. “What? Compliments to the chef,” he scowled and then smiled raising his half empty wine glass up towards Ginny, “Nice job sis!”

Ginny grinned widely, her cheeks puffed because they were filled with wine. “Thanks,” she gargled out.

Ginny sighed contentedly as she watched the sun set. The beautiful pinks and oranges meshing together in the distance of the dark blue sky was breath taking. She’d done it. Each and every table only hours ago had been filled with people devouring her food and then as the food disappeared so did the guests, some going off to see cabaret shows, others to the casino. Ginny noticed however, that every one of them, even Pansy Parkinson had taken the time to compliment her on her ‘exquisite talent’.

Dumbledore had gone as far as offering her a job as a chef in the school, of course however she knew he was kidding. The house elves needed something constructive to do.

“I hate deep conversations! They’re so…meaningful and serious,” George frowned looking over Ginny’s shoulder.

Ginny lifted an eyebrow at her brother. “Hence ‘deep’.”

“Lets not talk about ‘deep’ right now,” Ron muttered glancing at his girlfriend of two years, Lana Wrigley.

Ginny turned around and frowned as she saw Harry and Hermione huddled in a far dark corner of the hotel.

“I hope everything’s all right,” Lana nudged Ron waiting for his answer.

Ron rubbed his side and turned his attention to her. “Lana, I’m sure everything’s fine. They’re just talking.”

“Deeply,” George grunted.

Ron rolled his eyes and leaned over to capture a quick kiss from Lana. Her blue eyes twinkled up at his and a deep blush crept up her cheeks and a stray piece of blonde hair dropped into her face.

*I hope everything’s okay, * Ginny thought to herself.

~*~

“Out of all the time you had, you picked today to do this?” Harry asked as he tried to look Hermione in the eyes.

“I-”

Harry lifted up his hand. “Wait, I’m not finished. Maybe it wouldn’t have worked out between Cho and I…actually I know it wouldn’t have, but I thought you had more respect for her than that, I thought you had more respect for me than that.”

“I didn’t mean to be disrespectful,” Hermione sniffled, her head bowed with shame and a tear splashed onto the curve of her thumb and index finger.

Harry threw his head back in slight frustration and ran a hand through his untamed hair. “You know—I know you didn’t, but you were. It was like you had no feelings what so ever for either of us. Cho may have been the wrong choice, but the point is we loved each other…to some level. We weren’t IN love, but there was still something. It’s obvious, that since I responded that it isn’t entirely your fault…and fault should be spread equally. Hermione, you stopped me from making a mistake, but I guess that’s what you’re good at, always being the levelheaded one, the one there to pull Ron or me or both out of something, to save us from our mistakes. The only problem this time is I wasn’t ready to admit that what I was doing was a mistake. I know I wanted to be with Cho, but you kissed me and I felt…I-I think you better leave,” he spoke softly almost as if he were in pain as he spoke the words, but Hermione could tell he was dead serious.

She jerked her watery gaze up to him, her bottom lip trembling as she searched his eyes. "Harry, I am so sorry," Hermione sobbed softly.

Harry bowed his head and glanced at his fiddling fingers. "Yeah, me too."

"I-I'm sorry," she cried and ran toward the exit of the hotel. Harry made no move to stop her.

~*~

“Poor ‘Mione,” Ron whispered his eyes glued to the retreating girl as she ran across the sand, into the grass, and then onto the parking lot of the hotel.

“I knew she shouldn’t have waited so long to tell him,” Ginny whispered and then her eyes shifted as a silhouette embraced by the sun filled her vision. Lifting an eyebrow she grinned with an evil glint in her eyes. “I don’t believe it.”

Ron popped a piece of Ginny’s homemade fudge into his mouth and spoke around it. “Believe what?”

“Colin’s back,” George sighed as he watched his sister start to slowly walk towards him and then break into a dead run.

“I still can’t believe he’s gay. He is so cute,” Lana mumbled beneath her breath, her gaze taking pleasure in the view he presented.

Ron turned his head, a disapproving frown covering his face. “What was that?”

Lana shook her head quickly and turned to him. “Oh, don’t worry baby, just looking at you makes me want to co—”

“Colin’s back,” Molly cried in happiness.

“HELLO Mrs. Weasley!” Lana practically screamed with embarrassment, her cheeks starting to redden.

Molly smiled gently at Lana. “I heard what you said love. Don’t be embarrassed, I know my Ron is a handsome lad.”

Ron choked on his wine, his eyes widening in shock at his mother. He then turned his shockingly startled blue eyes towards his girlfriend and his surprised expression was quickly replaced with one of amusement as he watched her face flush red.

“He’s still annoying as hell. I still say he’s got the hots for Harry, always chasing him around with that camera.”

“Oh leave him alone. He’s lightened up a lot,” Molly scolded Ron.

~*~

“I’m so glad you’re here,” Ginny screamed as she leapt into his arms, wrapping her legs around him tightly.

Colin grunted and fell back a step as he balanced Ginny’s full weight on him. “Hello Ginny, I missed you too. I need some food.”

Ginny pulled back and glared. “After all this time and that’s the second thing you say to me!”

Colin pouted and dropped his forehead to hers. “You know I only hang around you for your delectable food and the fact that your brother is best friends with Harry Potter.”

Ginny punched him, awkwardly, but she still managed to get him good. He whipped her around and pranced out of the white swinging doors of the hotel, heading for the parking lot.

“I saw ‘Mione rush out…crying up a storm she was. So I hogtied her into the front seat. We need to go have some fun and catch up on things. I’ve got some great pictures. I could make a whole portfolio with the great shots I got. I figured I can eat later. We need to drown our troubles.”

“What kind of troubles do you and I have?”

Colin bowed his head and dropped Ginny to her feet. “I met someone in Switzerland…turns out he just wanted to ‘experiment’ and said it just wasn’t his ‘thing’. Well you—just being you is trouble enough.”

She smacked him in the chest. “Hey! Watch it!” Ginny then frowned and lifted up her hand to cup the side of his face. “Colin, I’m sorry.”

He smiled tenderly and placed his hand over hers. “Don’t be.”

“I can tell you liked him.” Ginny patted his cheek and dropped her hand.

Colin curled his lips and shook his head confirming what Ginny said. “I did actually, but then I found out he didn’t like fudge and hated cameras.”

Ginny gasped and jerked her hand to her mouth. “No!”

Colin sighed and his eyes widened in a ‘oh yeah’ way. He yanked Ginny’s hand into his and started pulling her towards his car. “I know. That was when I gave him the boot.”

“I thought he gave you the boot?”

“Look at me, do you think someone would give me the boot?” Colin smirked lifting his arms in the air and glancing down at himself.

Ginny shrugged and walked to the passenger side. “I did.”

Colin, who’d gotten to the drivers’ side, his hand on the handle, swallowed at that and bowed his head, “you had to bring that up,” he said softly, his twinkling eyes dulling.

Ginny bit her lower lip, silently cursing herself. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. It’s not your fault you broke my heart.”

“Colin! Technically, you’re the one who told me you liked men.” Ginny glared.

“Don’t worry, I’m over you. It’s not your fault you turned me gay love! I knew that I would never find a woman that could live up to what you meant to me, so I went to men…and let me tell you—” Colin wiggled his eyebrows, his face grinning in amusement.

Ginny frowned, her forehead crinkling in a thinking manner. “You’re the second guy I’ve done that too, well technically you were the first. Wait a minute…I did not make you turn gay! Or Brian for that matter, it just kind of happened—to the only guys I’d been serious about,” Ginny pouted at the last part.

Colin threw his head back in a shout of laughter.

~*~

“God, you guys are like the Will and Grace of the Wizarding World,” Hermione commented in a slightly slurred voice.

She lifted the alcoholic beverage to her lips and then pulled it away frowning at the empty glass. “HEY! Bring me another!” she yelled at the bartender. “Who is that singing? They’re awful! Get off the stage.”

Ginny choked slightly and shook her head at Colin. “She is so smashed! And…who are Will and Grace?”

“Gay guy, straight girl, used to go out, broke up and yet the best of friends—so much of a friendship that people sometimes mistake them for lovers and when they check to see they laugh so hard that they pee themselves, not that they actually did that in the series, at least I don’t think, I didn’t watch it that closely. I do remember you and Colin peeing a few times though,” Hermione informed grinning, yet looking slightly confused. “I’ll buy you guys the seasons and you can see what I mean.”

“Right then,” Colin smacked his thighs and grinned, shaking his head as he watched Hermione wobble back to the table. “How are the deliciously sweet Harry and his wife Cho?”

Hermione scowled and shook her finger at Colin. “Bad, bad you!”

Silence.

“Um—they didn’t go through with it Colin,” Ginny said softly. “Hermione wanted to give him one kiss before he was really off limits to her. Cho walked in, stormed off, Harry ran after her, they talked; Harry realized he loved Hermione and called it off, or he will eventually realize he loves ‘Mione. Cho was upset, but understood.”

Colin’s blue eyes lit. “Bloody hell Gin! Why didn’t you tell me? If only I’d been there…this would have been big for my upcoming article!”

Ginny pouted giving him the puppy dog look. “I wanted to hear of Switzerland and the yummy guys you had!”

~*~ A week later…

“Ginny, pick up the pace. We have a schedule to meet,” Giselle snipped out quickly speed walking down the chain of outside food markets that lined the streets of England. Each area with its own type of food decorated neatly, crowded with different assortments of people.

Ginny trailed slowly behind, taking in a deep breath of the wonderful smell of the beginning of autumn. She hummed softly to herself, shutting her eyes as the wonderful gentle breeze swept across her face.

Giselle flipped around and growled. Stomping angrily towards her she grabbed Ginny’s arm and pulled, causing Ginny to lurch forward.

Ginny gasped suddenly as she saw a dark cloaked figure floating in the middle of the street. Ginny blinked and rubbed her eyes looking again to see red eyes inside of the hood. What was odd was that there was no outline of a body, just that of the cloak.

Giselle however mistook Ginny’s gasp. “Oh get off it! I didn’t pull you that hard!”

“Giselle look! No broom or strings…” Ginny cried out pointing behind her.

“Not that a broom would make someone fly in the first place,” Giselle snorted.

Ginny paused, remembering that she’d never told Giselle of her lineage and she remembered it for the better that she hadn’t told her. Giselle is very strict with her beliefs, and now Ginny needed to figure out how to explain what she’d just said…damnit all!

“Right, but look.”

~Nice Ginny, nice!

~*~

Draco looked in disbelief as he saw the sign they had been looking for all day. It was the floating black cloak holding the shape of a man…the sign that HIS bride has been chosen.

“He chose her?!?” Blaise gasped out gesturing wildly in disbelief. “Holy-”

Lucius frowned as he watched the youngest red headed Weasley quickly walk up to the cloak and swipe her hand underneath the bottom repeatedly back and forth as if to check for legs. “What is she doing?”

“She’s being retarded. I have to spend my day and nights watching over that!” Draco said through clenched teeth, vividly showing his distaste for the situation.

Lucius growled and replied back in the same manner. “You will watch your mouth boy.”

“I’m not doing it,” Draco snapped at his father. “Why out of every full-blooded witch in this world would he choose a Weasley? This is outrageous! They are muggle-loving poor as dirt pieces of—” he stopped as he saw the floating hood of the cloak flip towards his direction.

He’d gone too far---HE had really and truly made his decision. Draco threw his hands up and nodded his head.

“Alright, I’m sorry. I’ll do my job and watch over the muggle lover,” Draco growled, knowing full well HE could hear him.

He cringed as he felt a burning sensation on his arm.

“No,” Draco said as if he was having a conversation with someone other than Lucius and Blaise. “I will call her what I want. Stupid piece of crap that IT is Its getting off light…fine I’ll keep it to only two. Yes-mudblood lover and weasel.”

Lucius snorted. “You are lucky he thinks of you as his own son. If you’d been anyone else Voldemort would have made your head explode,” he shook his head and then turned his eyes back to the girl. “She’s leaving—follow her!” he snapped immediately as she walked around the cloak in an odd manner, never taking her eyes off of it, and then began walking with her girl friend. “I’ll never understand why our master talks into your head and no one else,” he mumbled.

She turned to look back at the cloak, which had turned it’s front towards her. She lifted her eyebrow up and then suddenly wild red hair flipped through the air as she tripped over the curb of the sidewalk.

Draco rolled his eyes as he watched the girl fall on her hands and knees. He shook his head. “Oh bloody hell!”

“GINNY,” the girl with her screamed. “Would you watch where you’re going? I swear with you running into walls, tripping over something that is nonexistence you’re going to give yourself a damn concussion.”

The girl pulled herself up, dusting her fanny and straightening her shirt. “Hello! The curb exists.”

Draco glared. “This is going to be one hell of a couple of months,” he growled out as he began walking towards her, the wind whipping through his gelled hair.

~*~

“I loved it how you swept your hand underneath that floating cloak like ‘Miss Honey’, in ‘Matilda’. If we weren’t in such a rush I think I might have allowed myself to laugh,” Giselle commented as Ginny situated her rumbled clothing and began walking down the street markets.”

Ginny snorted as she lifted up a melon and thumped it too see its ripeness. “I’m glad you got some humor out of that. I swear my face turned as red as a tomato. So embarrassing.”

“We need Mangos, Kiwis, Bananas, Honeydew, Grapes, Peaches, and Peach filling,” Giselle listed. “I need to go and get the ingredients for the pasta. Lets meet back at Ciel De Vanille at about three o’clock.”

“Fruit Salad a la yum!” Ginny grinned as she walked in the opposite direction in which Giselle was going.

“Hey, hey Ginny, heads up,” a familiar man’s voice called.

Ginny glanced up just in time to catch the piece of round reddish orange fruit flying towards her. She caught it with ease and lifted the juicy fruit up to her lips, biting down. The Mango juice dripped down the side of her mouth. Ginny moaned in pleasure as the sweet taste burst into her mouth.

“Thanks Bran…good Mango’s today,” Ginny smiled. “We’ll take three crates of those—fruit salad ingredients—the usual.”

Ginny walked across the street towards the portabella mushroom stand.

“Here you go sweetie,” Ellen smiled at her as she handed Ginny her usual order of portabella mushrooms.

“Thanks,” Ginny grinned.

Ellen swiped a hand through her graying hair, her blue eyes twinkling. “What’s on the menu for today?”

“Cheese filled regular and spinach pasta with a creamy mushroom Alfredo sauce, Raspberry vinegar salad, and desert has a three choice bit—our famous fruit salad, Autumn Flower cake, or Deluxe Pettit Fours.”

Ellen frowned. “Autumn Flower cake? Deluxe Pettit Fours? Explain please.”

Ginny grinned and jumped up and down clapping her hands. “I knew you would ask. The Autumn Flower cake is to die for! Black raspberry liqueur flavored chocolate cake filled with a special chocolate ganache artfully combined beneath thin layers of chocolate forming a flower of mouth watering chocolaty goodness. Deluxe Pettit Fours are wonderful, but small, very convenient for an on the run person. You get six of them on a plate neatly decorated with a perfect swirled design of caramel and chocolate. This desert is for a person with an extremely huge sweet tooth. They are scrumptious little tri-colored marzipan layers that are filled with fresh raspberry and truffles and enrobed in six assorted flavored chocolates.”

“Well, you’ve gone and done it. Bringing in the pack now,” Ellen nodded her eyes wide so as to explain the seriousness of what she said.

“I’ll be looking forward to seeing your family today. Haven’t seen them for ages,” Ginny smiled, “Well, I better scoot Bran probably has the crates ready for me!”

Ginny turned around swiftly and gasped as she almost tripped over a man sitting next to a huge basket of crabs. “Oh, I’m sorry. I hope I didn’t hurt you or anything,” she apologized as she looked behind her to see if anyone had noticed her stumble.

“Oh good,” the middle-aged man sighed in relief, “you’ve spotted him.”

Ginny turn to each side briefly and then gave the man a questioning look. “Who?” She stopped and stared at him. “I don’t remember seeing you here before. Are you always here?”

“Only when absolutely necessary, it’s a long trip. These are for you” he smiled up at her.

Ginny glanced down at the basket full of crabs and frowned. “No thank you, Crabs not on the agenda for the whole month.”

Ginny gave one last nod and then turned around only to walk a few feet and once again bump into the man. She frowned. “Weren’t you just over there?” she pointed behind her confused.

“Always remember Ginny, that a wind from one door closing always opens another.”

“What did you say?” she asked suspiciously. “My grandmother always used to say that.”

“Your grandmother wants you to start living up to your potential.”

“You knew my grandmother?” Ginny asked smiling.

“Yes, talk to her all the time.”

Ginny frowned. “My grandmother’s dead.”

“$59.00 is your total,” the man said as he stood up and ran his right hand through his hair, making the receding hairline more noticeable.

Ginny sighed heavily. She didn’t want them, but it looked like she really had no choice.

“Hmm,” the man hummed and began looking around, “oh, don’t let that one get away!”

Ginny turned swiftly at the direction in which the man pointed. She spotted the little critter crawling under a poorly decorated table with a yellow linen cloth underneath the trinkets. She jogged over to the table and bent down, going under it.

~What am I doing? This is ridiculous. I didn’t even want the damn things.

“Gotcha!” she yelled triumphantly as she reach out to grab it. Only instead of feeling a small cold-shelled body she felt a pair of extremely soft pants. “Oh no,” she said in distress and glanced up to see that the pants were black.

She crawled out from under the table and glanced up.

Oi! Wasn’t it just her luck? Why did it have to be Draco Malfoy?

“Hi!” she spoke nervously still on her hands and knees. “I’m sorry, but something is about to crawl up your pants.”

“What?” he snapped.

Ginny sighed and stood up. “I’m sorry. I was just trying to save you from my crab.”

Draco frowned down at her.

A snap followed by a loud shout made Ginny flinch. The crab had pinched. “I’m sorry.”

“Yes, you said that. Hmm, I believe this is yours,” Draco said handing her the crab.

“Thanks.”

His eyes lifted with curiousness. “What are you making with that?”

Ginny lifted an eyebrow and stared for about two seconds.

“Staring is rude you know,” he growled at her.

She averted her eyes quickly, looking around for something.

“What. Are. You. Going. To. Make. With. It?” Draco said slowly.

She glanced up and said the first thing she saw, which was cab sign advertising. “Oh-ah something—Napoleonic…Crab—Crab Napoleon.”

Draco lifted an eyebrow. “Ah,” was simply all he said and then walked away his back straight up, his hands behind him.

“That was interesting,” she said pausing in her position as if she was in too much of a daze to move. She quickly shook her head and grunted. “I have a time limit here…hustle up Weasley!”

To Be Continued…

Ciel De Vanille ~ Translation is Vanilla Heaven. It’s Giselle and Ginny’s restaurant and catering business.

Dialogue from the movie Simply Irresistible:

Starts from here:

“Oh good,” the middle-aged man sighed in relief, “you’ve spotted him.”

Ends here:

“Napoleonic…Crab—Crab Napoleon.”

Of course some of it isn’t word for word, because I needed to change situations in it, but you get the picture.

Note: I don’t really think of this as a chapter, more like a fast paced interlude. It mainly involves pieces of ideas that I wanted to skip, but couldn’t because it would have caused confusion.

Chapter Four:

Ciel De Vanille

“And how did you hear about us?” Giselle’s voice echoed through the main area of Ciel De Vanille.

Ginny walked around the silver stove and towards the kitchen doors, looking through the miniature window at the main dining hall.

If Ginny could use only one word to describe the design of the restaurant it would be ‘fluttery’. When she looked at it with its multi-colored butterfly chairs and silver fairy dust painted walls she instantly thought of Fairies or Elves. It was perfect really, giving a person warm feelings of comfort and such. The design wasn’t what many people would see in a restaurant and that’s what would bring business. Ginny’s cooking would get the people to stay because Vanille was very much like a fairy fantasy.

Ginny had known almost instantly when she had walked into the makings of it that it would be successful. Giselle had insisted it would be even more of a hit if Ginny were to be the chef. Of course, Ginny agreed instantly knowing that with Giselle’s unique decorating skills business would flow and continue if she agreed to be the head chef.

She quietly opened the swinging doors that connected the kitchen to the paying counter and rounded the corner. Voices near the front door got Ginny’s attention so by eavesdropping on the conversation Ginny could instantly tell was with a snooty customer.

“My son,” the woman replied in a high, yet elegant aristocratic voice. “It seems he was in attendance of a very important wedding and ‘goody’ bags as he called them were passed out. The fudge in the bag was phenomenal and those Macadamia nut cookies were so tender. I’d like to see how the chef is with meals. If they’re as good as the sweets than…” the silver haired woman paused and turned her deep blue eyes towards the corner of the front counter. “Hello.”

Ginny straightened instantly as the fact that she had been noticed settled in. “Ah-hi!” She lifted her hand in a welcoming gesture and then smacked it back down against her jean-clad thigh, clicking her tongue and smiling.

The lady simply gave a stiff smile.

Giselle shook her head and smiled sweetly at Ginny. “Eavesdropping Ginny…really! Mrs. Malfoy has a request for you to make her some lunch.”

She felt her eyes widen in shock. She licked her bottom lip and bit down a little too hard, which caused her to cry out in pain.

“Are you all right?” Giselle asked hurriedly.

Ginny shook her head. “Mrs. M-Malfoy?”

Mrs. Malfoy raised a perfectly arched eyebrow and stood up straighter as she rubbed her stomach. “You’re a Weasley?”

Ginny sighed. “I’m sorry that disappoints you,” she mumbled.

“I wouldn’t say ‘disappoints’, more like ‘shocks’ than anything.”

“Oh, well then, what can I do for you?”

“It seems my son, Draco—of course you know him from school—was in attendance at Mr. Harry Potters wedding.”

Ginny shrugged. “Or non-wedding…they never got married.”

Mrs. Malfoy flipped her hand in the air, her eyes becoming irritated. “Yes, yes, of course. Lets skip to the important matters, it seems a ‘goody bag’ as he so called it was given to him containing delectable treats. I’ve come to have lunch here. I’d like to see how well you do with meals.”

“As I was told…Mrs. Malfoy why, may I ask, was Draco Malfoy, loathed enemy of Harry Potter was at his wedding?”

The older woman lifted an eyebrow. “Harry Potter is the most famous person in the wizarding world. He made his wedding known to all…does my son need a reason to attend it?”

Ginny folded her arms across her chest. “Yes, especially since it wasn’t an open invitation and he didn’t make it known that the wedding would be taking place at Sugar Beach.”

“He was on business.”

“The same place Harry was getting married at?”

Giselle frowned and sniffed the air. “I smell something—”

Ginny snorted. “Me too…bullshit!”

“Ginevra Weasley you will not speak like that in front of potential customers!” Giselle spoke very businesslike. “I meant I smell something burning.”

Frowning, Ginny paused and turned her head to the side, smelling the air. “Well, there goes my fudge,” Ginny sighed heavily.

Giselle frowned. “Why are you standing there like an idiot—go and get it.”

Ginny shook her head. “No, I left it, you have to continue stirring fudge. You can’t leave it. It’s completely ruined. Oh well. Mrs. Malfoy, what can I do for you?”

“I’d like to see a menu.”

“We’re actually in the process of choosing menu’s,” Giselle smiled sweetly.

“I see…”

“Look, Mrs. Malfoy—”

“Narcissa will do.”

Ginny nodded. “Yes, yes, of course, how about I just make something off the top of my head and see what you think, perhaps Chicken Parmesan?”

“Hmm, yes, that will work,” Narcissa spoke arrogantly and lifted her nose up in the air as she glided towards a silver butterfly seat.

Ginny snorted and swung open the swinging doors to the kitchen where she put water on the boil.

__________________________________________________________________

“Now I understand the meaning of a magical meal! That was absolutely exquisite. Every taste was pure heaven—ecstasy! I’d like you to come work for me Miss Weasley.”

“Mrs. Malfoy call me Ginny—please,” Ginny said smiling gently.

“Then you must call me Narcissa. You may be a third class Weasley, but your cooking is first,” Narcissa commented standing up from the butterfly chair, waving her hand elegantly in front of her. “I’m having the party of the century and I want you to be my chef! I will not take no for an answer. How much do you charge?”

Ginny opened her mouth to offer the amount, but Giselle quickly interrupted her. “How much are you willing to offer? More importantly how much do you want Ginevra’s cooking skills?”

________________________________________________________________________

Ginny’s face was positively flushed as she waved her good-byes to Mrs.—no, Narcissa Malfoy. As soon as the older woman was out of sight Ginny turned on Giselle. “I cannot believe you got her to hire me for so much?”

“Ginny, she managed to put you and your family down while she offered you a job all in one. She’s just so talented isn’t she? I don’t know how you took that for so long.”

Rolling her shoulders Ginny snorted. “I partially grew up with her son Draco Malfoy, who made it an everyday practice to humiliate my brother, Harry, Hermione, and on occasion me.”

Giselle frowned. “Was he cute?”

Ginny paused and turned her head to the side. “I suppose in an evil, dangerous sort of way, yes.”

“Gin, that’s the way I like them.”

“I know, but it’s completely different. He was different! Definitely not one of those ‘I want to change him and love him that way’ people.”

“Who said I would change him?”

Ginny snorted and shook her head. “You’re such a loon Giselle.”

She licked her lips. “I guess you’ll be seeing her son in a few weeks too huh? After all it is his birthday party.”

“Well, I think I’m going to call it a night. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Be careful going home!”

“Will do!”

_____________________________________________________

“Ginny, guess what?”

Ginny paused and shook her head. “Ron, what are you doing in my apartment?”

Ron rolled his eyes. “We’ve been invited to go to Hogwarts for a small reunion among Harry, Hermione, and I.”

Ginny paused and smiled. “That’s great, really.”

“So, the reason why I’m telling you is because I want you to come with. Lana’s coming so I’ll most likely be showing her around and with what’s going on with Hermione and Harry I figured you’d be the best person to go back and forth.”

Ginny gave him a dull stare. “Gee, thanks,” she spoke in monotone. “That’s just what I need. When is it?”

“The letter said as soon as possible.”

“So…”

“In two days.”

Ginny nodded. “It would be good to see my old professors.”

Ron grinned widely. “So you’ll come?”

“Of course I’ll come.”

__________________________________________________

“Hermione? Are you ready?” Ginny asked, softly knocking the bedroom door.

They had all slept at The Burrow the night before so that they could get up early and get ready. It was know ten o’clock in the morning with everyone ready, except one.

The door swung open instantly, revealing a depressed looking Hermione. “Ginny, I can’t do this. I can’t go and see everyone after what happened.”

Ginny’s eyes softened. “Hermione Granger, you are not a coward. You never have been, so why are you acting like one?”

“You didn’t break up a marriage! You don’t understand anything Ginny!”

“You’re right, I don’t understand. I didn’t break up the marriage, but neither did you. You can’t break up a marriage if they aren’t married.”

“They were going to get married-it’s the same thing.”

Ginny scoffed. “I beg to differ.”

“‘Differ’ away, but I won’t be stupid enough to believe that it’s different.”

Rolling her eyes, Ginny pushed Hermione into her old room, and shut the door. “You listen to me, all you did was kiss him, a good luck kiss for all I, or anyone else, knows. If Cho and Harry had loved each other, really and truly, they would be on their honeymoon right now. So I don’t want to here how terrible you feel about something so idiotic. Now let’s go have a mini-reunion!”

Hermione smiled, teary eyed. “One day Ginny, you’re going to fall in love, and then you’ll know what it’s like.”

“How do you know I haven’t already been in love?”

“I know-when you’ve been in love with someone, you can tell when other people have that glow. You haven’t had it.”

Ginny took a deep breath and turned her head to the side. “Maybe, but I still know what it is.”

Hermione smiled. “Well, are you ready to go back to Hogwarts?”

“Yes, but also no. I’m kind of scared. I feel like something dangerous is going to happen,” Ginny said slowly.

Hermione bowed her head. “I feel it too. Just like old times I guess. Do you not want to go?”

Ginny shook her head. “No, I want to—Harry will be there, so will Ron. I’ll feel safe when I’m with them. I know Harry put a big stopper in Voldemort’s plans and we haven’t seen him lately, but I don’t know. I’m just being a little over cautious I guess.”

Hermione frowned up at Ginny. “Have you been having nightmares?”

“No, I don’t think so. It’s just that feeling. Listen to me! We really need to get going!”

“Everything will be alright Gin,” Hermione said softly going up to hug her.

“I thought I came in here to say that to you?”

Hermione chuckled. “Funny how things turn around isn’t it?”

To Be Continued…

Giselle frowned and sniffed the air. “I smell something—”

Ginny snorted. “Me too…bullshit!” ~This bit of dialogue came from Mortal Combat—even if it isn’t the exact.