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Hot Gimmick
Mei Queen
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Authoress' Note- this chapter goes out to my BFF Katrina, because I haven't dedicated a chappie to her since Bad Company, and she has generously agreed to house-sit for me when I leave on vacation tomorrow morning. Olivia is hopefully going to be one of my future god-children, right, Kat? Oh and here is the update that I promised all of you. I just wouldn't have felt right leaving on vacation without giving you all a fix in my stories! So, please, review because then I will have a nice fuzzy, loved feeling when I get back from vacation on Friday! Thank you and I love you all!
Chapter 7- The Belle of the Ball
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Ginevra Weasley woke up the next morning to bright sun glinting in through the window by her bed. Saturday¸ she thought lazily, smiling to herself.
A shriek rippled through the girls' dorms, causing Ginny and her dorm-mates to bolt upright.
"Wuzzgoinon?" Olivia Larson, who occupied the bed to the right of Ginny, asked, rubbing her eyes.
Then the first shriek was accompanied by a few more. Then a few more…and then a few more… A few minutes later, Ginny heard footsteps clambering up and down the corridor of the girls' dorms. Resolutely sliding out of bed to see what was going on, her foot hit something.
What is that? She asked herself, meanwhile rubbing her temples at the continuous excited screaming going on outside the door. I didn't see anything when I went to bed last night, but then again, I really hadn't been paying attention. I was totally exhausted.
Reaching down, her hand closed around a beautifully wrapped gift box in Slytherin colours. Aww…I was wondering what I was supposed to wear to that ball. Oh, it's today! That's what the screaming is! No wonder…
Unwrapping the wrapping paper and lifting the lid, she pushed aside the silver tissue paper.
There was no note; obviously Draco Malfoy just assumed she'd know it was him sending it by now.
It was a dress…a stunning, ethereal creation that made Ginny gasp in excitement. The material was soft and sheer, the colour a sparkling white. Pulling it out (to the awe of the entire dorm), a stunning floor-length gown emerged. It had a sweetheart neckline, and to her great amusement, no back at all. It simply gathered into a bustle right near the bottom of her back. Very adventurous, she thought with a grin.
"Wow, Ginny. Where did you get that? That looks like it could almost be a Muggle wedding dress," Olivia piped up excitedly, getting up from her bed to examine the stunning dress.
"My date got it for me. Pretty, huh?"
"It will look fabulous on you! White is a universally complimentary colour."
"Well, hey, that's a good thing," Ginny replied with a grin, smiling at Olivia's random wealth of information and examining the fabric more closely. For the most part, it was a sheer white (with a more solid layer underneath), but here and there were bits of floral beading. It was lovely.
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Ginny stumbled down the corridor, already late to meet Draco as it was. Damn it, I knew I shouldn't have let Hermione do my hair, she took forever, even though it does look better than anything I could have done. I mean, she actually put a flower in to match the beading on the gown! She can be so creative…I wonder if she's going to be late getting to the ball herself because of me. I hope not! I'm late enough for both of us! Draco's going to be such a git when I get there…it seems like I'm always late for meeting him. Bugger.
She was so lost in her thoughts she almost ran smack into someone by the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom.
"Oh, I'm so sorry," Ginny began, leaning down to check to see who it was.
It was Neville Longbottom, the very person who had put her into such a compromising position just a few weeks ago. Ginny wasn't really sure how she felt towards Neville. She hadn't completely allowed herself to forgive and forget, because what he did was absolutely vile. But she desperately wanted to let go of her grudge, she didn't like having to avoid people or being angry at people in general. Ginny still had the photograph Neville had given her tucked in her dresser by the bed, occasionally solemnly sneaking glances at it, just to make sure it indeed was her father and his mother. What were they thinking? Why was Dad doing this? He's always adored my mum…why would he do this to her? There has to be more to it than this…
Neville brushed the dirt off of his robes and spoke, startling Ginny out of her reverie. "Hi, Gin….how have you been lately?"
"Um…alright. You, Nev?"
He ran his hands nervously through his hair before continuing. "Decent. Listen, I didn't really get to apologize properly a few weeks ago. What I did was wrong. It was cruel, and you didn't deserve it. I am sorry that I did it, that I took our parents' actions out on you. It wasn't my place to do something like that."
Sincerely touched, Ginny smiled slightly up at him, saying sympathetically, "Thank you for that. It was pretty vile and completely wrong, yes, but at least I now understand why you did it. You were hurt and confused, and did the first thing that popped into your head. It happens to the best of us."
"You're a great girl; you know that, right?"
She smiled and opened her arms, finally hugging Neville in an action that seemed to wash away her grudges. Ginny was satisfied now. Neville had actually honestly proven himself sorry, and she wouldn't have to attempt revenge on him this way. It was a much healthier, easier way to end things.
"Thanks, Nev," she muttered softly into his shoulder, relief washing over her in waves.
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"What the fuck do you think you're doing? Why is it that when I can't find you and go out looking, you're out with guys that are just going to screw you over? No bloody common sense, I swear to Merlin," Draco Malfoy said irritably to Ginny, walking up to break up the embrace.
"Oh. Hi Draco, how's it goin'?" She replied cheerfully, mainly just to irritate him more. She found that it was something of a hobby to watch him get successfully more and more flustered.
"No apology? Nothing? Just 'how's it going'? Oh, it's going, Red. And you are going, too. Come on, the ball started half a bloody hour ago."
"All right, all right. Hold your thestrals, I'm on my way," Ginny replied grudgingly, turning to smile and wave at Neville before taking Draco's hand so he could lead her back to the great hall. Neville, meanwhile, just stood there stunned. Did I just see Ginny go off with Malfoy for the second time in a month? Do I need glasses? I should ask Harry to try his, maybe that will fix it. Or I'm just insane and suffering delusions…here's hoping it's the bad vision; glasses are so much cheaper than Muggle psychiatrists these days…
Neville Longbottom walked back to the Gryffindor Common Room scratching his head slightly; meanwhile Ginny and Draco proceeded on to the ball, with Draco tugging her along the whole way.
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"Ouch, Draco! That arm is attached! Are you listening to me? Let go, you bloody loon!" Ginny protested irritably, clutching her wrist in pain.
"Oh. Sorry," he muttered quietly, letting go of the offending body part. Turning to regard her more completely, he said, "You look nice tonight, by the way."
"Thank you. Thanks for the dress, it's really pretty."
"It looks good on you," Draco said with a sincere smile that showed he actually meant the compliment.
"Thank you," Ginevra repeated, returning the smile and meeting his steely grey eyes. "So are you ready to get assaulted by my brother?"
"As ready as he ever," he answered with a chuckle, opening the door to the Great Hall to let her through. Threading her arm through his, they walked into the hustle and bustle of the first-ever "Fall Ball", though Ginny and Draco spent most of the night thinking up more inventive names for it like "Dance Off the Drama" and "Calm the Bloody Hell Down Cotillion". There was a live band enthusiastically playing some hit tune from the WWN, and all the students looked like they were having a wonderful time.
"Punch?" he asked politely over the din of the room. She nodded, and he went off to locate the punchbowl. He's being unusually considerate tonight, Ginny thought to herself while waiting for her drink. It's not normal for him to be this sweet and attentive…it's kinda a nice change, actually.
Meanwhile, everyone in the room had turned to look at her. She looked good in Draco's dress, naturally, but most jaws were dropping because of who she was with, something she wasn't remotely surprised by. Scanning the room, Ginny didn't see another freckled redhead. Ron and Luna must be late, too. That explains why Draco and I haven't been assaulted yet. It did seem unusually calm…
"Here you go," Draco drawled, handing her a cup full of a red liquid. Wondering idly if anyone had spiked it with firewhiskey yet, she sipped some before pointing to the dance floor. "You up for it?" she asked.
"I thought the boy was supposed to do the asking."
"It's near the end of the 20th century, Malfoy. Get with the program."
Chuckling slightly at the fact that she never hesitated (or seemed remotely intimidated) when it came to telling him off, he allowed himself to be led out onto the floor by the fiery redhead. As she turned to face him, there was a yell from the back of the room.
"Uh-oh," they chorused quietly, turning to the door to see what the disturbance was.
Harry and Hermione had just shown up, along with…Ron and Luna. And Ron looked livid.
"What are you doing, pawing my sister? What the hell are you thinking, ferret?" the Weasley yelled, quickly closing the distance between himself and Malfoy.
"Ron, stop. Ron!" Ginny protested, trying to get in between the two boys, though Draco and Ron weren't letting her.
"It's all right, Red, I can handle this," Draco said quietly, out of the side of his mouth.
"Was he bothering you, Ginny?" Ron asked, looking at her, eyes wide with protective panic.
"No, not at all, Ron. He's my date."
There was a collective silence throughout the room. Harry's mouth dropped open in shock. This was who she cancelled on me for?
Luna Lovegood, hilariously enough, didn't look remotely affected by the events. She seemed like she had expected it all along, actually.
Hermione, meanwhile, was attempting (badly) to cover up her shock by tugging on Ron's arm, attempting to get Ron to put his wand down from Draco's throat where it still threateningly pointed.
The band was on break, and most people had stopped their conversations to watch the commotion between Ronald Weasley and Draco Malfoy, who looked remarkably calm considering the situation. Draco slipped a hand into his pocket, assuming a more relaxed stance. "Now do you believe me, Weasley? I didn't touch your sister. We were just dancing."
Ronald Weasley's face looked like it couldn't get any redder if it tried.
Putting a hand on her brother's wand arm and gently guiding it down to rest by his sides, Ginevra said quietly, "Please, Ron. Just pretend that he's just another of my dates that you dislike slightly for tonight, and you can go back to loathing him completely in the morning."
"Your sister's right, Weasley. Just for tonight, don't try to hex me into oblivion," the icy blonde summed up simply, looking slightly exasperated.
"All right, I s'pose. But I don't have to like it."
Luna came up to him, rubbing his arm and saying soothingly, "That's right, Ronald. You don't. But while you're busy pouting, would you mind terribly if we danced? I'm bored."
Indeed, the band had come back from their break, and had struck up an upbeat tune. Most of the students had grown bored with the interaction between Ron and Draco, now that they were pretty sure no blood would be spilled. Ron turned back to his date with a grin.
"Sure, Luna. Let's go show Malfoy what dancing really is."
"Looking forward to that, Weasley," Draco drawled with a chuckle, watching the unlikely couple go out to the centre of the dance floor. Turning back to his date, he leaned in a whispered softly, "So…how about that dance?"
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Most of the students had already gone up to their beds or were sitting in chairs around the room nursing swollen feet, but Draco, Ginny, Ron, Luna, Harry and Hermione (along with a few 7th Years from Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff) were still up dancing.
"This is our last one," the lead singer crooned quietly into his microphone. "We hope you all have had a wonderful time, and don't forget to check out our new single, 'Do We Need a Time Turner to Try Again?' on WWN!"
The band struck up the tune, a slow, sensual pace, and Draco extended a hand to Ginny. Taking it, she found herself wrapped up in his embrace, swaying slowly to the sweet sounds. Breathing in his scent (expensive cologne), she rested her head against his shoulder, allowing him to lead her where he may. She opened her eyes and noticed something to the left of them.
"Draco! Harry and Hermione are totally snogging!" she whispered conspiratorially into his ear.
Indeed, Harry Potter's raven hair were falling in his eyes as his hand tightly held onto Hermione's back, pulling her to him and deepening the already fervent kiss that they were enjoying. His hands were running through her brunette bushy curls, while her hands tangled in his curly locks at the nape of his neck.
"Eww, Red. I did not need to know about Scarhead and Granger's personal life, thank you very much," Draco groaned, glancing over to view an image that he was quite positive had scarred him for life.
"I don't think they ever have before, though! Do you think they'll go out?"
"Honestly. Does it look like I care?"
Ginny glanced up to see Draco's impassive expression. "Okay. Fine. I was just saying. Oh, look, there go Ron and Luna!"
Indeed, Ronald Weasley had just pulled Luna Lovegood into a loving kiss that seemed very near to cutting off the girl's air supply.
Draco sneered slightly. "He calls that kissing? We could do so much better than that."
Ginny beamed, meeting his eyes. "Of course we could do better than that. We could do light years better than that."
"What say we give them a little bit of a show?"
She grinned again, more than a little bit devilishly. "You're on, Malfoy."
Leaning down to catch her soft lips into a fervent kiss and wrapping a hand in her scarlet locks, they began the snogging session to end all snogging sessions. When they finally broke to gasp in a bit of oxygen, Ginevra grinned up at him. "We have an audience."
Indeed, all of the couples that were still dancing had stopped what they were doing to watch Draco Malfoy and Ginny Weasley kiss.
"Wow, you two have chemistry!" Luna exclaimed cheerfully, boldly voicing what everyone else in the room seemed to be thinking. Well, everyone except for Ron, who seemed on the verge of hexing Draco Malfoy into another dimension.
"Um…thanks?" Ginny whispered, glancing up at Draco to see him subtly smiling down at her.
"This has been one hell of a night, Red," he whispered, leaning down to capture her lips again.
"Let's do it again sometime, Malfoy," she panted after breaking the kiss, looking up at him with chocolate eyes full of questions. When did Draco get so kind, considerate…and hot? Honestly. And he just kissed me in public, in front of all of my friends. He's being open about feelings for me. What are his feelings for me? Where is this going to go? More importantly, if we're this passionate in public…what is Halloween- alone at his house- going to be like? Does he expect me to do 'it'? And…if he asks…will I be able to- hell, will I want to- say no?
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Authoress' Note- Okay, there's your guys' fix. Please review it; I will be so much more of a happy camper if I get back from my cruise to a bunch of new reviews in my inbox! I love all you guys, and hope you all had a wonderful Easter weekend!
TO MY 'UNWRITTEN' FANS- I am very sorry, but that is the only story I will not be able to update before I leave. I really tried to make it, but my laptop has just died on me for the sixth time, it is 10 PM, and my dad is shaking me awake at 4 AM so we can leave by 5…so I profoundly apologize. At least I got all the stories that I left on cliffhangers updated.