Hot Gimmick
-Mei Queen
Author's Note- This is a Draco/Ginny story based on the manga "Hot Gimmick" by Miki Aihara. Though Neville will be slightly OoC, please note that he isn't evil. He's just upset about something that happened with his parents. Please don't be upset if some of the characters are slightly OoC…Draco and Ginny were really the ones I was trying to capture by using this story because I thought it fit how they might've gotten together pretty well, so some of the supporting cast might appear slightly…well, slightly mad. Sorry about that. Hope you'll read and review anyway.
Chapter 1: The Deal
There is no feeling quite like that of mixed regret and lunacy, that much Alice Longbottom will be able to tell you. As she lay in her bed next to her husband, incapacitated, in St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, she had plenty of time to think. Plenty of time to regret. Plenty of time to delve further into the depths of madness than she had the day before. The Longbottom's son, Neville, was visiting today. He had been sitting patiently by his mother's side, head in his hands, for the better part of an hour. It was the only way he could feel close to his parents, whose sanity had been taken by cruel Death Eaters during the war.
Neville had tried talking to his parents when he first visited them. Long he had hoped for a response, something clear, defined…logical. As of late, he had given up that hope. Today he came prepared. Neville had brought a photo album of his parents in their glory days, hoping that just perhaps, he might get a reaction from one of them.
Turning a careworn page, he was faced with the group of the Order of the Phoenix. He smiled at all the carefree faces in the wizard picture, waving at his parents, Harry's, and Ron's. This picture was acting oddly though. It seemed that the closer he looked at Arthur Weasley, the further the man backed out of the picture, until he was no longer a member of the Order's photo. Something is going on, Neville thought curiously, prying the picture from its place in the album. Another, a smaller, photograph fell from underneath it. It landed on the ground, backside facing up. In his mother's perfect cursive, it was labeled Christmas Party, 1975. The image that faced Neville when he turned it over was enough to make him feel ill. There, underneath the mistletoe, was his mother. She was kissing Arthur Weasley.
"You need me to what?" a petite redhead sixth year whispered hysterically as her brother, a seventh year, talked quietly with her in the Gryffindor Common Room.
"Please, sis. It will look a lot less odd if you're looking it up. Besides, you're way better at potions, you know that there is just no way that I could brew that? I don't want to risk hurting her…or 'it'," Ron said softly, his eyes looking dangerously glassy.
"Ron, you don't even know if there is an 'it' yet…but yes, I'll help you. Oh Merlin, Ronald…if this turns out positive…" Ginny trailed off, her long hair falling in her face.
"Mum will kill me," Ron finished with a blunt and dejected tone.
Ginny nodded but whispered softly, touching her brother's arm, "Don't worry. Everything will be okay. I promise."
How do I get roped into these things? Ginny thought to herself idly, twirling one of her curly scarlet locks as she trudged in the direction of the library. I mean, really? And…Ron and Luna? When in the world did that one happen? That's just bloody bizarre…
Ginny was so lost in her thoughts that she actually missed the entrance to the library and had to backtrack. Entering the dusty room, she saw that it was fairly deserted. Just as well, Ginevra thought miserably. I really don't want anyone catching me doing what I'm about to do.
Taking a spare piece of parchment and a quill out of her robes, she headed towards the Health section. Taking down one of the mustier volumes that looked as if it hadn't been used recently, she lugged it to a chair and spread it out in front of her.
Flipping towards the index, she muttered to herself, "Postpartum depression…Posture…ah, jackpot! Pregnancy, pages 55-60."
Turning to page 55, she was faced with a whole page of pregnancy symptoms and how to prepare for your pregnancy. That's not what I want, Ginny thought irritably, turning the page again. Then she found it. The 99.9% Accurate 'Are You Carrying?' Potion, read Ginny.
She began to hurriedly copy down the ingredients and instructions, taking quick glances around her to make sure that nobody was watching. Done! Ginny thought excitedly, closing the book and heaving it back onto its spot on the shelf. She made it out the door and into the hallway when she tripped on something. Looking up from her spot on the ground, she realized she had tripped on a someone, not a something.
Draco Malfoy had been standing with his foot out in order to trip the next unlucky person to leave the library, which, as it happened, was her.
The handsome, devilish blonde boy looked down at her with an interesting mixture of disgust and interest; as if he wasn't really sure which emotion should be dominant at the moment. "What do you know," he said softly. "I bait a trap to catch a student, and instead I catch a weasel."
"Leave me alone, Malfoy," Ginny spat, trying to stand up and regain her bearings. Reaching into her pocket to feel for the important piece of parchment, she realized it was no longer there. Panicked, she looked on the ground at her feet. Sure enough, it had fallen out of her pockets when she fell to the ground. Draco caught sight of where her eyes were looking, and his Seeker reflexes were much better than that of her Keeper ones.
Swooping down quickly, Draco grabbed the parchment and unfolded it.
Thank Merlin I didn't title it, Ginny thought desperately.
"This is a pregnancy test potion." Draco said quickly.
Well there goes my last bit of sanity, Ginny thought savagely. How is it that he knows everything, anyway?
Draco snorted at her with derision. "I don't know everything, if that's what you're thinking. Pregnancy tests have very specific ingredients. Very few potions avoid ingredients like the pregnancy ones…you wouldn't want to harm a fetus after all, would you, Red?"
Ginny sighed and looked at the ground. "Please…just give it back, Malfoy. I haven't done anything to you."
"That's true," Draco said, weighing his options carefully. "But I think the operative thing to remember here is that I haven't done anything to you…yet. Therefore making this particular piece of information a blackmail that I can't yet let go of."
Her eyes bulged at his mention of blackmail, as she crossed her hands over her chest in irritation. "What do you want, Malfoy?"
Draco thought carefully, all the while taking in Ginny's physique. She was wearing robes that looked as if perhaps they had belonged to her brothers at one point in time, as they were far too large. However, since they weren't actually in classes today, the robes were open, revealing Muggle clothes tightly covering an athletic physique. Her Quidditch practice had given her quite the body, indeed…too bad that her body was constantly unrecognizable under those robes. Draco sighed. "Well, I figured that much would be obvious. For some twisted and altogether ironic reason, I think what I want…is you. You can be my slave for the next month, and I won't tell the rest of the school that you're a slut with a bun in the oven."
Ginny opened her mouth to defend herself, but soon realized that pinning the pregnancy to Luna wouldn't help anything. "Slave? What do you mean? Do you want me to clean your room or something?"
The corners of Draco's mouth turned up in a wry smile. "No, my dear. I meant my sex slave…after all; you seem to enjoy it so much."
Ginny's eyes bulged at his audacity. "Forget it. Tell everyone. See if I care."
Turning to leave, she heard Draco clear his throat behind her. "Oh, Red…you remember my father, correct? Head of the Board of Trustees? Imagine what he could do if he found out that Hogwarts' morals are just slipping down the drain…expulsion? No…he's much crueler than that. Imagine a letter to your Mummy Dearest explaining that her own flesh and blood is about have one of their own. Mmm…I'd love to pen that letter. Maybe if I'm good, Daddy will even let me dictate it."
Ginny's eyes watered as she stopped. I can't believe I'm lowering myself to this…this wanker! But what choice do I have? Turning around and looking miserably up at Draco, she asked quietly, "What alternative do I have?"
He stepped slyly down from his perch in the window ledge and circled her slowly. "Not a whole lot. Besides, Red…just think of the fun that you actually could have with me…that is, if you let yourself."
"You're evil, Malfoy. Sadistic, even. But I don't really have much of an option here…so I guess it's a yes. Not a happy one, but it's a yes," she said eventually, head held high, determined not to look him in the eye.
"Perfect. I'll meet you in the dungeons at seven, then…does that work for you? Seven?" he asked softly.
"Seven's just dandy," she retorted sarcastically, keeping her arms crossed tightly over her chest.
Draco leaned in close to her ear and whispered softly, "Oh, and wear something nice. That is…if you own anything nice."
With a final snort of derision, he tossed her parchment onto the ground in front of her and walked off towards the dungeons.
Picking the paper up, she backed up against the wall and sank to the floor. A tear rolled down her cheek as she checked her watch. Four-thirty. What am I going to do? Ginny thought miserably.
Ginny quickly and secretly whipped up Luna's potion down in the Potions classroom. Stirring the potion carefully, she checked her parchment again. Only a few more minutes and then she could add the final ingredients. "Pixie dust," she read off softly. Where in the name of Merlin was the Pixie Dust? She had gathered all the ingredients when she began the potion, but now she realized that the amount of pixie dust in the Potions classroom canister was not enough to match the required amount in the spell. Taking the potion off the burner, she cursed softly. "Shit! Where is it? I need to add it soon, because the potion completely cools…and I can't put it back on the heat because I have to add the Pixie Dust when it begins to boil…oh bloody hell, this is terrible!"
Flinging open cupboards recklessly, she soon realized that the Potions classroom only had that one quarter-full canister.
"Well, isn't that great?!" Ginny screeched to nobody in particular.
"What's great?" asked a suave voice from the doorway. Looking back, she saw the one person she was hoping never to see again.
"Can't you just wait til seven?" she replied irritably. "What do you want, Draco?"
"Oh, I'm Draco, now…are we playing nice today? How unusual," he said sarcastically, striding over to her potion and doing what he does best- snorting in derision. "You need to add Pixie Dust," he observed.
"Thank you, Captain Obvious," Ginny retorted quickly, stepping over to where Draco was standing. "I'm aware. I'll be damned if I can find any though…the Potions classroom canister doesn't have enough to match the amount required."
"Oh, so perhaps you might need this, then?" Draco whispered softly, dangling a vial over her head. From the way it glimmered purple in the light, Ginny could tell that it was indeed very high quality Pixie Dust.
"Deciding to be generous?" she asked hopefully.
"Well, I figured that part of the deal was to let you make this potion in peace, and I took Potions inventory for Snape a week ago…I knew we were almost out," Draco said quickly, looking away from her and handing her the vial.
"Thanks…Draco. I appreciate it," Ginny said genuinely, putting her cauldron back onto the burner.
"Yes, whatever. Just finish the bloody thing," he said quickly, stomping out of the dungeons.
She smiled to herself while stirring in the purple dust. Perhaps he's not as bad as he seems, Ginny thought hopefully.
Or perhaps he is, she thought irritably, leaving the classroom with a capped beaker full of the bluish-purple liquid. Upon her exit of the classroom, Draco had promptly asked if it was a positive or negative.
"Would it really matter? If I told you I was positive, could I get out of the sex slave deal?" Ginny asked hopefully.
"Nope," Draco quickly retorted, following her down the hallway.
"That's what I thought. So why does it matter again?" she asked sarcastically.
"Dunno. Just curious, I guess. Wait, have you even taken it yet?"
"No! Okay? No…I'm waiting til I get to the dorms," and with that, she showed it to him from inside her robes. Sure enough, the glittering liquid was still there.
"Okay, fine. But don't forget, dungeons at seven, and I expect a full report of the results then," Draco snapped.
"Fine!" Ginny said with exasperation.
"Oh," Draco said as an afterthought, turning to face her. "And while this deal is going on, I'd appreciate it if you would refer to me not as Malfoy, not as Draco…but as Master Draco. Or Master Malfoy…after all, the alliteration with the last one is rather nice."
Ginny snorted and walked the rest of the way back to the dorms.
"Here you go, Ron. But she needs to drink it soon. If it's negative, she'll glow blue, if positive…well…she'll glow red. But we're just hoping that one doesn't happen," Ginny whispered quickly, secretly handing her brother the potion in a dark corner of the Common Room.
"All right, I'm meeting her in the Room of Requirement…ten bucks says it'll look like a pediatrician's office or something. Just think, the last time Luna and I were there, it was just this great big bed…and there were feathers and roses and…"
Ron trailed off upon the realization that A) he was talking to his sister, and B) since the beginning of his sentence, Ginny had put her fingers in her ears and begun singing show tunes.
"Um…right. I'll go bring it to her then, shall I?" Ron asked quickly, sprinting for the Fat Lady's portrait.
"Right. I'm going upstairs," she said to nobody in particular, trudging the long walk upstairs to her dorm.
Ginny loved her bed. She had claimed the bed next to the window, just as she had done many times in years past. It had a great view. The sun was out today, and sunlight was streaming in through the open window onto her bed. Wait a tic, why was the window open?
Glancing towards her bed, she saw something she had not seen in a very long time. A package. For her. She loved getting mail; it was something she certainly didn't get often enough. The only things Ginny generally had to look forward to in the mail were the occasional letter from Bill or Charlie. Never from Percy, he usually didn't want anything to do with her.
It was large black box, tied with a green and silver ribbon. Slytherin colors? Ginny thought curiously. But I only know one person in Slytherin, and he definitely wouldn't send me a gift…but then again, he did give me that Pixie Dust…
Cautiously untying the ribbon, she lifted the lid. Surrounded by silver tissue paper was possibly the most divine thing she had ever seen. Taking it from the package, Ginny watched, spellbound, as a green satin dress unfurled itself. Stepping into it and zipping it up, she faced the mirror again. It was the perfect for petite Ginny, barely brushing the floor. Looking closer at the fabric, she realized that not only was it dark green satin, but it was embroidered with tiny hibiscus flowers. A white piping surrounded the edges of the dress, tracing the bottom of it, following the slit at the bottom all the way up Ginny's tan thigh and back down. The collar was Oriental, that much was definite. It had capped short sleeves, and the neckline spliced down over left breast, carefully held together by white fasteners.
Ginny just stared at herself in shock.
She turned back to the box and noticed a note on embossed silver stationery.
Ginevra-
Sorry about the "not owning anything appropriate" comment…I realized that perhaps I should change that condition. I hope it fits…I guessed your measurements. You really must get some robes that fit, it would be much easier to judge your proportions if I could actually view them once in awhile.
See you at 7.
-Master Malfoy
Ginny looked up from the note with disgust. I don't just have the spare money lying around to go buy new robes, you jackass! And if he actually expects me to refer to him as "Master", he's got a screw loose…What am I getting myself into?
Looking down at her watch, she read 6:45. Grabbing her cloak to hide her new dress from her brother, she began the long walk down to the dungeons.