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Hot Gimmick
Mei Queen
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Authoress' Note: I would like to thank absolutely everyone that rose to the occasion and read and reviewed my last chapter. I had so many reviews for my stories that I actually went through them while I was unpacking, something that made the chore that I usually utterly despise completely tolerable! You are all so wonderful, and I adored all the great things you said. Thank you thank you thank you thank you (I think you get the idea…), and I hope I get to hear from you all again this time, because last time was fabbity fab fab!
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Chapter 8: Halloween
Much to Ginny Weasley's amusement, when she stumbled down to the Common Room the afternoon after the ball (as it turns out, the punch had been spiked, causing Ginny quite the hangover), Harry Potter and Hermione Granger were cuddling on the couch in front of the fire. Ron was nowhere to be found, and the majority of the Common Room was sneaking glances at the new couple; apparently, they were still hot gossip.
"Did you have any of that killer punch?" Ginny groaned, stumbling into an armchair.
"No, thank Merlin. But most of the school is in your same state," Hermione replied with a slight laugh.
"Yeah, we're thinking it was high-quality firewhiskey. Probably a rich Slytherin with nothing better to do," Harry grinned, meeting Ginny's eyes meaningfully.
"Draco didn't do it, he was with me the whole time, Harry."
"Oh, so he's Draco, now?" Hermione asked with a giggle. Noting Ginny's death glare, she immediately began to apologize. "Gin, you know that I love you and want the best for you. You also know that I would be absolutely fair to anyone in this school, because, as Head Girl, it's my job. Draco Malfoy is…different. I've worked with him the whole year, and I can't say much for his manners or attitude. But I know how he acts around those things he actually cares for…he got an owl once saying his mother had fallen very ill, and I'd never seen him so protective and frightened. I think that if he really cares for you, Gin, you should do whatever you want."
Ginny cocked her head to the side as Hermione spoke. She spoke like someone who actually knew Draco, and as far as most people went, Ginny surmised, Hermione rather did. The Head Girl must have had to come to some sort of civil agreement with Draco just so that they could get their duties done, she realized with surprise. Hermione seemed to understand her problem so well, in fact, that Ginny found herself telling the couple something she hadn't intended to tell anyone.
"He invited me to the manor for Halloween weekend."
Harry looked slightly livid and Hermione's eyes widened, but she managed to contain her shock better than her boyfriend. "Are you going to go?"
"I think so, yes."
Hermione's lips curved into a mischievous smile. "Good. Does Ron know?"
Ginny snorted. "The boy almost pummelled Draco for trying to dance with me at the ball. Can you imagine what he would say if I told him that Draco and I were going on a mini-holiday?"
Harry laughed softly. "I can imagine what he'd say, all right, but you don't want to know."
"I'll make your alibi," Hermione piped up cheerfully. "Harry and I will cover for you that weekend."
"We will?" Harry interjected, looking distinctly pale.
Ignoring his outburst, Hermione carried on, "Ron will be going home, right? He won't ask too many questions before he leaves, and what questions he does ask, Harry and I will make your excuses."
Harry Potter looked less than thrilled with this arrangement, but one glare from Hermione was enough to silence his protests. "Yeah, we will, Gin. But you owe us," was all he could manage.
Ginny grinned broadly, reaching over to give her friends a hug. "Thank you so much, you guys!"
-*-
Part of Ginny was very nervous as to how Draco would act around her when he saw her next; after all, he had kissed her in public at the ball. Would he be planning on keeping their relationship secret any longer?
I suppose he is, she thought to herself grimly as she sat down to dinner in the Great Hall, noticing that Draco was not even glancing her direction. Much to her irritation, actually, every time she glanced over at Draco, he was flirting with Pansy. I told him to become friends with Pansy, not to be that bloody friendly!
Her sulking must have been apparent, because Hermione leaned over from her spot next to Harry to whisper, "What's wrong?"
Noting Ginny's line of vision, Hermione followed it to see Draco getting what can only be described as "cosy" with Pansy. "I wouldn't take his actions too seriously, Gin," she whispered. "He's probably just doing it for show…I mean, it's not like you two can be completely open about things just yet, right?"
"If there are things to be open about," Ginny admitted. "I'm not entirely sure what's going to happen with us."
"Well, just wait for Halloween. A weekend alone is probably just what you two need to figure out your odd relationship, Gin."
"Yeah," Ginny replied absently, noting the strange feeling coursing through her body. It was anger mixed with something else. Jealousy, she realized with a start. I'm jealous that Pansy can be open with her flirting. I'm upset that Draco kissed me at the ball, but isn't now. This is odd considering the original nature of our arrangement, but I feel…used?
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As Halloween got closer, Ginny Weasley found herself getting more and more nervous. Everywhere she turned were classmates full of merry jokes, brightly wrapped candies from Weasley's Wizard Wheezes… everyone seemed to be looking forward to the holiday but her. She knew that she would probably be looking forward to Halloween if it weren't for Draco's strange behaviour. Since the ball, he had been seen in the halls frequently with Pansy Parkinson, and she heard rumours about them as a "couple" on an almost daily basis. Due to the awkwardness of the situation and the thankful start of the Quidditch season, Draco and Ginny had not had much time alone together. She wasn't even sure they were still going to the manor at all until she had received a note from him a few days before at breakfast.
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Ginny was glumly spooning herself her porridge, reflecting on the depressing morning awaiting her. She had two tests, one in History of Magic and one in Potions, two of her most difficult subjects. She didn't even pretend to be interested as the owls swooped in; she was too busy with her favourite activity as of late- staring down Draco and Pansy.
She flinched visibly as sharp pain went down her arm. There was an owl perched stately on the table, impatiently waiting for Ginny to pay attention.
"Like owner, like owl," Ginny muttered, recognizing the hasty scrawl on the envelope.
Red-
We leave for the manor at 9:30 PM, after the Halloween feast. Pack light, we have everything you could really need there.
-M.M.
At first Ginny had been puzzled by the signature. Then a few moments later, it hit her- "Master" Malfoy.
"Are we back to that again?" she had asked irritably under her breath.
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Later, alone in her dorm, Ginny threw a pair of jeans carelessly into her duffel bag.
"Bleeding"- tee shirt- "Malfoy"- toothpaste-"thinks"-hairbrush-"he can"-toothbrush-"boss"-nightgown-"me around!" With the last word, she got the final things she would need that weekend thrown in.
"Well, that's one way to get packed," Hermione muttered with a giggle, stepping into the dorm as she did so.
"Consider yourself warned, it's a bad day today," Ginny growled, setting her bag at her bedside. "I just don't understand what happened, 'Mione. One day, we're meeting every spare second, we even kiss in public at the ball, and now, he's treating me like the plague and is all over Pansy Parkinson. You know, he didn't even like her until I made him apologise to her! He called her an insufferable ditz! What happened since then? Am I missing something?"
Hermione sighed, sitting down tentatively on Olivia's bed as she did so. "Gin, I think something's happened, something to do with his mum, since the ball. His mum actually came to the school just a few weeks ago and pulled him out of the prefect meeting. She called it 'urgent', and we could hear her yelling at him from inside the room. I couldn't make out what they were saying, but she sounded angry. I've never even heard of Narcissa Malfoy yelling, I thought she just sneered…but the woman has some impressive pipes."
Ginny flopped down on her bed in exhaustion. "I don't really know what to do, Hermione. Should I still go?"
"Maybe he can explain. You're only cheating yourself if you don't go this weekend, Gin."
Patting Ginny's knee gently, Hermione soundlessly exited, leaving Ginevra to dwell in her own depressing thoughts.
-*-
Halloween arrived much too soon for Ginny's liking.
"It's time to go down to the feast, Gin! Are you ready?" Olivia Larson chirped happily, drying her hair as she had recently stepped out from her shower.
Ginny groaned, pulling the duvet over her head. She had gotten out of bed for classes, and then jumped right back in that afternoon. Her stomach felt like it was swimming with nerves. What if he likes Pansy more? What if they actually are dating? Gag me. But mostly, how can Draco go from such an open display of affection to wanting nothing to do with me? What did I do wrong?
Olivia was apparently not in the mood to put up with her roommate's odd attitude, however, and flung the covers off of Ginny with a flourish.
"Get dressed," she snapped irritably. "You've been sulking all day, and you're going to miss out on a fabulous feast if you keep it up."
It's time to face the music, Ginny thought to herself with a sigh, heaving herself up off of her four-poster and reaching for some clean clothes.
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All through the feast, Ginny's foot was nervously tapping against the cobblestone floor.
*tap tap tap tap tap tap tap* echoed throughout the vast Great Hall. It was drowned out slightly by the usual excited hum of voices, but not entirely.
"Ginny, will you please stop that bloody racket?" Ron asked exasperatedly, his fork clattering to the table as he did so. Ginny noticed that Ron's face had turned an unpleasant shade of puce. She had forgotten in all of the drama of Draco and Pansy about her brother's impending confrontation with their mother.
"Sorry."
*Tap*
"Gin! I swear to Merlin!"
"Sorry. I'll stop this time, Ron," Ginny whispered, face reddening.
She tried to concentrate on her food, but Ginny soon realized just how nonexistent her appetite was. I've never been so nervous in my life. I was excited just a few weeks ago about this weekend, now I can't wait for it to be over. What if he expects me to have sex with him? He's barely been paying attention to me lately, I don't really know if I want much to do with him at the moment…but what choice do I have? Until Luna and Ron want to go public with their pregnancy, I guess the old deal still stands…
Feeling an unpleasant churn in her stomach, Ginny looked up. For what felt like the first time in weeks, Draco was looking directly at her. Pansy was talking to him, obviously not noticing his lack of attention. But Draco seemed to only have eyes for Ginny at that moment. He smiled at her, and despite her resolve to remain thoroughly pissed off at him for being such an ass over the past few weeks, Ginny felt herself smiling back.
-*-
"Ready?" was the whisper in Ginny's ear as the students going home for the weekend queued by the Great Hall door after the feast.
"As I'll ever be," she muttered, tucking a stray bit of fringe behind her ear.
Ginny and Draco maintained a peaceful silence while on the carriage, in fact, it wasn't until they had reached, boarded, and settled into a compartment on the Hogwarts Express that Ginny opened her mouth. Making sure the door was tightly shut, she turned to Draco, trying to string together a sentence that would effectively combine all the emotion and drama of the past few weeks.
"What the fuck?" was the best she could do.
Draco's eyebrow quirked slightly, and Ginny noted that his expression was assembling a slightly unflattering sneer. It always amazed Ginny, how even when he was under severe scolding for his actions, Draco Malfoy managed to look superior. I feel sorry for his professors, was all Ginny managed to think.
Calmly crossing his arms over his chest, he drawled, "What, Red?"
"What?! You've been flirting it up with another girl and ignoring me for three weeks, and all you can manage is a puny what? I'm buggered off with you, that's what, Draco."
He had the good grace to actually look slightly guilty after her statement. "I wanted to tell you, but I figured we would be going on this holiday and I could tell you about it now, anyhow. Mum heard about us."
Ginny felt like her jaw could not possibly drop any lower. "H…how?"
Draco sighed. "Snape…a few of the rich kids' parents…no surprise there. Apparently there was a flood of owls addressed to her the morning after the ball."
"I…I didn't know," Ginny gasped. That was why he's been acting like such a prick! His mum actually came down here and ordered him not to see me!
"I just figured that Pansy would make the most logical choice for a 'rebound'. She agreed to play along, because she knows about us and she likes you. We don't do anything except flirt in public, just to give people something to talk about."
Ginny felt like an utter idiot. Draco hadn't actually done anything wrong. He had actually…Ginny had to sit down in shock as she realized this…gotten a fake girlfriend just so he could keep seeing Ginny and remaining true to her. This was bizarre.
"You mean…you and Pansy never did anything?"
"Of course not," he scoffed in response.
"And…there's nothing wrong with us?" she asked, motioning between herself and Draco as she asked it.
"Not that I know of," he shrugged.
"So, you're just using Pansy so your mum stays happy?"
Draco looked slightly nervous at this point. "Yes…I will tell her that we're together and she can bugger off if it comes to that, but 'til then, I don't want you to have to put up with more crap than necessary."
She felt her lips curve into a smile, and reached over to give him a hug. "Thank you."
-*-
When the couple arrived at King's Cross Station, there was a big beautiful black car waiting to whisk them away to the manor.
"Sorry," Draco muttered in embarrassment. "I know it's huge, and I would have done Side-Along Apparition, but I don't know how yet. Our house is also closed off to Floo and Portkey, so this seemed easiest."
Ginny waved, showing that it didn't matter much, and eagerly ran towards the car. As a polite driver took her bags, Ginny threw open the car door, diving into the leather seats. This action utterly bewildered Draco, who had planned to get to the door a step earlier than Ginny to open it for her. It equally bewildered the doorman, because she had just taken away his job. Draco met eyes with the doorman with a shrug. Obviously Ginevra is different from the other girls I've dated, he thought to himself with a grin.
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An hour and the contents of the car's mini-bar later, Ginny noticed a humongous house, its many lit windows the only light on the sparse English countryside. It was so big that it really wasn't a house…it's a mansion, Ginny thought with a gasp. The house was bigger than any of the ones that had ever appeared in her wildest dreams, complete with columns, balconies, and windows galore. I could only imagine what it would be like to live in a place like this, Ginny thought to herself wistfully, thinking of the Burrow.
Draco draped his arms over Ginny's shoulders, pulling her close to him. Leaning down to whisper in her ear, he said, "Welcome to Malfoy Manor."
Ginny Weasley's jaw dropped in awe. I am going to get to live here, even if it's just for tonight and tomorrow, she thought blissfully, leaning against Draco as the car made its way down the long and stately driveway.
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"So what do you want to do?" Draco asked, leading Ginny in.
"Well, don't I need to get my bags? Or unpack?"
"Of course not, the house elves will do that for you," he replied simply, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"Oh. Well, aren't you tired? It's near eleven," she replied with a yawn.
"Around you for the first time in three weeks? How can I be tired?" Draco purred seductively into Ginny's ear, wrapping his arms around her lithe torso.
Ginny giggled, finding Draco's lips with her own.
Revelling in the moment, Ginny found that she didn't want it to end. She had missed this for the past few weeks. Breaking the kiss, she panted slightly as she whispered, "Promise me that the next time you decide to do something that you think is best for us, you let me know what it is that you're doing."
Draco looked slightly guilty, his grey eyes meeting her chocolate. "I promise."
"Good. How about some cocoa?"
"Sure, I'll call for one of the house-elves."
*Pop* One of the creatures appeared right next to them. "Yes, Master Malfoy? How may I assist you?"
Draco was opening his mouth to order when Ginny jabbed him sharply with her elbow.
"It's not necessary," she replied swiftly. "Please enjoy your evening."
The house elf looked extremely confused by this statement. Clearly a Malfoy had never told a house elf to enjoy anything, let alone it's evening. Malfoy waved the creature away, and it disapparated with a "pop", still scratching its head about what Ginny Weasley had ordered it to do.
."That is their job, you know," Draco replied sullenly.
"Don't be silly. Show me to the kitchens, I want to make you the cocoa myself. It's my mum's favourite recipe!"
Draco looked at her in exhaustion, finally managing a smile at the redhead's antics. "Are you sure?"
"Absolutely."
-*-
Ginny found the Malfoy's house-elf kitchen staff to be one of the most helpful groups she had ever seen. They helped her find everything she needed, and were dead efficient, she noted with a smile. They still seemed slightly put-off every time Ginny addressed them. Clearly, they were not used to being addressed by wizards and witches without harsh tones and punishment accompanying those words.
Ginny's mind drifted to the blonde young master of the household. She had left Draco about twenty minutes ago in front of the crackling fireplace in his bedroom. I guess we'll be sharing a room tonight, she thought to herself nervously, feeling her hand shake slightly as she put the milk on to the stove to heat.
When the cocoa was done, she added some whipped cream and cocoa powder (the cocoa powder was what her mother always believed gave it that extra little something, and Ginny proudly considered it the "Weasley secret ingredient"), and set the mugs on a tray with some biscuits to carry back to Draco's room. With the help of a very kind little house-elf, she successfully navigated herself back to the massive bedroom.
Setting the tray down softly on his desk, she noted that he hadn't commented upon her entrance. Maybe he's tired, she thought sympathetically, picking his mug up off the tray to bring to him. But when she saw Draco's form more clearly in the firelight, she realized something- he is sleeping.
Not wanting to wake him, Ginny finished her mug of cocoa and biscuit quietly, changed into her nightclothes, and climbed into Draco's massive bed alone. As she felt the supportive mattress beneath her and the warm, soft down duvet close around her little frame, she felt…relieved. Draco Malfoy falling asleep had taken away one of the biggest concerns on her mind right now- would she have slept with him? Ginny was thankful it didn't come down to it, because she had a sneaking suspicion that if it had- she wouldn't be a virgin much longer.
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Authoress' Note- This chapter is for weasley_malfoy on Portkey.org who suggested that I make the chapters a bit longer. I did this time, so I hope that this is a better fix ::smiles::. Don't forget to review!