- Summer Nights Mei Queen
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Disclaimer- I don't own "Grease", which is what this is loosely based on, except with the twist of mistaken identity.
Authoress' Note- So sorry…it's another plot bunny. ::dodges tomatoes for the amount of time it has taken her to update her other stories:: I know! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean for it to take this long, but it just did. And then this idea came to me, and it sounded like such a blast…I must stop listening to those Grease songs sometimes soon. Yeah. But anyway, on with the show…
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Chapter 1: Danny and Minnie
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"Danny, how long is the summer going to last?" a pretty girl of sixteen with wavy caramel hair asked dreamily, looking up at her brunette stud of a boyfriend. Her boyfriend, Daniel "Danny" Medina, was the most handsome boy she had dated in all her years. That wasn't why she loved him, though. She adored his personality, intelligence, sense of humour, and interesting outlook on everything. A real catch, seventeen-year-old Mr. Medina was. Sadly, they both knew it wouldn't last.
She had had to save for almost a year at a crap part-time job to be here, summering in Majorca. She was surprised that even now, near the close of August, she still had some money left. Danny was why.
She had run into him on her first few days on the beach. He had been relaxing, tanning on a towel, head buried in a book. The book was one that she had read just a few days before, so she started a conversation. Before either of them knew it, they were in a relationship so deep; they hadn't even known what had hit them. She couldn't imagine life without Danny and his witty jokes, sarcastic take on life, protectiveness. He was the reason she had barely had to spend any money. Danny Medina was definitely fortunate financially, not that he bragged, but his money supply just never seemed to exhaust. They were out on the town nearly every night, and as soon as they began dating, he had insisted upon paying for basically everything she might ever need. Danny allowed her to pay rent at her own insistence, but he had made sure to offer.
"I don't know, but I don't want it to end, Min."
Minnie Wellford was the best thing that had ever happened to Danny Medina. He couldn't imagine life without the petite and athletic little girl. He began to look forward to the spunky comments she would undoubtedly have in store. It made him happy, taking care of her. This was the first summer he had spent in Majorca that he didn't think was a complete and utter waste of time. For once, he wasn't stuck with his dysfunctional family; he was with someone he cared about…someone that loved him back.
"When do you leave?" she asked sadly, leaning her head onto his muscular chest.
"Too soon. Sshh, darling, we'll worry about it in the morning," he whispered, leaning down to lay a kiss on her hair.
Surprising both of them, Minnie bolted upright. Seeing her more clearly in the moonlight, Danny could see the tears forming on her perfect blue eyes. Slamming her fists into the sand, she protested, "Why does this have to end? This is so unfair!"
"It will be fine, sweetheart. We will keep in touch, you know we will."
"Everyone always says that, Danny. Nobody ever means it. I don't want us to lose touch…you mean too much to me," she finished, meeting his eyes. The vulnerability in them was killing him. Wrapping his arms around his girlfriend and pulling her close, he murmured comforting words in her hair for what felt like hours. When he pulled away to look closely at her, he saw that she had fallen asleep.
Just as well, you liar. You're leading on an amazing girl. She doesn't deserve this. Admit it. You don't even know how to work her type of post. I can't believe I'm doing this…I hate Muggles, and yet I voluntarily run away to romance one. Who can blame me though? It's the only way I can actually show my face outside my house, after that debacle with Dumbledore and Snape. Danny shouldered the light girl, preparing himself for a long walk up the beach steps to her hotel.
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Minnie woke up at about ten the next morning, slightly disoriented. How did I get here? I bet Danny brought me. He's so sweet. If only he weren't a Muggle…things would work out so perfectly. It's odd how quickly Danny got me over Harry. I love Harry, don't get me wrong…but there was never that extra oomph that there is in this relationship. There's something extra with Danny. I would marry him if I thought for a second he could handle the revelation that I was a witch…
Getting out of bed, she walked over to her vanity, perching gently in the chair opposite. Looking at her reflection, she watched her own hand close around a pendant. This pendant was special. It had been given to her, designed by her prankster brothers, to help change her appearance. Merlin only knows what the active ingredient was; she suspected it might have been a few illegal drops of Polyjuice Potion. It had been a special birthday gift, as they both knew she was escaping on vacation alone this summer (these two brothers were the only ones she had trusted with her secret), and knew that on vacation we all don't like to be ourselves. It had been the ultimate escape plan, the perfect way to enjoy a summer with absolutely no regrets.
She hadn't expected to fall in love and regret not telling the truth.
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Meanwhile, Danny was stirring in his king-size bed. Relishing the feel of the satin sheets for a few moments, he rubbed his eyes to get the sleep out, yawning as he did so. Only one more day in paradise, he thought sadly. I don't want to go back to Hogwarts. If I could stay here forever with Minnie, I would. I will miss her so much…she's the only person who has seen me for who I am, and accepted me. Admittedly, she doesn't exactly know everything…like…who I am, for example, but she's amazing. I really love her.
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Danny Medina and Minnie Wellsford had a bittersweet last day together, enjoying the sights of Majorca, playing in the sand, and staying up as late as they possibly could, just enjoying the feel of each other's arms. Though they had an unspoken agreement not to talk about the next day, they could both feel it- a palpable air of tension and sadness.
"This is our last night," Minnie couldn't help whispering, choking back a sob. This had been the best summer of her life, the only summer when she had ever had any freedom at all. It had been exactly what she had needed to get over the thought of her ex-boyfriend going out into the countryside, risking certain death. It had been exactly what she had needed to stop thinking about the death of the beloved headmaster of her school. Everything was going haywire, and she had felt powerless to stop it…escaping had been the only thought running through Ginevra Weasley's mind at the beginning of the summer. For, you understand, "Minnie Wellsford" was only an alias. A quite clever one, Ginny thought. She had always thought she would be a good Minnie.
"Stop thinking about it, sweetheart. Just think about us…now," Danny murmured, caressing her arm gently.
"Alright," she conceded, feeling another tear slip slowly down her cheek.
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The next morning, the departure was a sad affair. "Minnie" was naturally crying hysterically. Danny had been her first true love, and she knew deep in her heart that she had been his, even though he hadn't really spoken about his past. He looked down at her sadly, promising to write or call (he didn't want to chance the word "telephone" as he wasn't entirely sure how to say it…Muggle Studies was a waste of his ruddy time), hugging and kissing her until he knew he would surely miss his train.
"I've got to go, darling," he murmured, hugging her as close as he could. "I hate goodbyes."
"I'll miss you," she said softly, meeting her blue eyes with his beautiful green.
"I'll miss you, too…I love you, you know," he said softly, leaning down to snag a kiss.
"I know. I love you, too. This has been the best summer of my life."
"This has been the best time of my life, period, Min."
Hugging her close again, he finally released her, walked towards the train, showed his ticket and settled into one of the compartments. When he looked to the platform, he saw that Minnie was already gone. Gods, I'll miss her. Still, it was hell taking that Polyjuice all the time. At least I've got lots of stores from the enthusiastic house-elves. They may not be good for competent cleaning, but they are whizzes in the kitchen. Looking down at his hands, he could see them slowly changing. They were getting paler, along with the rest of his skin. Seeing his face in the mirror across the empty compartment, he watched his features change from deep brunette with green eyes to pale, icy blonde with fierce grey. Draco Malfoy had officially returned.
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Ginny Weasley settled in to her own empty compartment on a different train. Satisfied that she was safe from prying eyes, she took off her necklace, allowing her appearance to return to scarlet waves with chocolate eyes. Ginny had missed her appearance. She actually liked her fiery look, something that most people don't say about themselves. But Ginny Weasley had never been one to try to change Mother Nature. She accepted what she had as she wasn't likely to be getting a different combination anytime soon.
"It's been a great summer," she whispered with a smile, lost in memories as she watched the hillsides roll by outside her window.
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Naturally, Molly Weasley was a nervous wreck when she went to pick up her daughter at the train station. Ginny couldn't help grimacing as she heard her full name being bellowed out from the platform. "Ginevra Weasley! Never ever leave without telling me or clearing it with me, young lady!"
Lowering her voice slightly as she helped Ginny with her bags and ushered her out of the station, she whispered, "These are dark times. Harry, Ron and Hermione are all out there risking their lives. You-Know-Who's people are everywhere. You can't be too careful. Running away right now was a stupid thing to do, missy."
Ginny hung her head. She knew her mother was right. Running away to Majorca was extremely irresponsible, but she wasn't going to lie: it was the most fun she had ever had. She had met Danny, and that alone made the whole experience worth the incredible verbal lashing she would inevitably be receiving for the whole ride back to the Burrow.
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"How was your vacation, sir?" the chauffeur, Roland, asked with a friendly grin. He had been there to greet Draco at the platform, accepted his bags, and was now using an altogether overly conspicuous car to drive Draco back to Malfoy Manor. Roland was really closer to Draco than most of his family, certainly closer than his parents. His parents usually didn't have the time for their only child, so they paid their staff exorbitant sums to parent Draco in addition to their daily chores.
"Good, thanks, Roland. Had to use the big car?"
"Your mother insisted," the chauffeur answered sheepishly, shrugging his shoulders as he did so.
"I swear, my mother and her speech on the 'family image' are duller than watching paint dry," Draco muttered, blowing a wisp of blonde hair away from his forehead and reluctantly stepping into the mammoth vehicle.
Roland snorted, covering a smile with his proper glove. "Ready to return to the Manor, sir?"
"To hell, you mean? Yeah. Let's get this over with, Roland."
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The Malfoy and Weasley families usually had nothing at all in common. Their dynamics were night and day, hell, the only real thing these families had in common on a regular basis was the fact that they were pure-blooded. But for the week after the return of their respective children until the departure for Hogwarts, these families had one major thing in common: their children were inconsolable.
While Ginny had taken to sharp mood swings whenever anyone ventured to speak with her, Draco had chosen the more violent route and was breaking every family heirloom he could find. The young Malfoy was halfway through the china cabinet on the sixth floor when he heard a sigh from the doorway.
Narcissa Malfoy slowly stepped into the room. "Draco. What is wrong? You have been acting oddly since you got back from Majorca, darling. I thought a holiday would be good for you, to clear your head…it seems to have done the very opposite."
He sighed, lowering himself into one of the distinctly uncomfortable Victorian chairs. "I don't know, Mother. I'm…upset."
Narcissa allowed herself a small smile. Didn't have to be a bloody Seer to figure that out, she thought to herself wryly. "Yes, darling, I can tell. Is there anything that happened while you were on vacation that you would like to tell Mummy about?"
Draco's grey eyes seemed to darken sadly, but he shook his head. "No, Mother. Thank you for asking."
Pulling him to her in a rare display of emotion, Narcissa murmured in to his hair, "You can tell me anything, darling. I hope you know that."
"Thanks, Mum."
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Ginny Weasley sighed, slamming the lid of her trunk noisily. Finished. I'm finally ready to go back to Hogwarts. God, I miss Danny already…how I felt about Harry…well…it was nothing in comparison to this. I miss him so much. What I would give just to see him again…
"Gin, are you ready?" her older brother Ron asked, swinging his head into her doorway.
"Um…yeah. Just a sec. Wait, I thought you were going with Harry this year."
"Harry wanted to go alone. 'Mione and I figure if it goes to long without word from him, we can always run away from Hogwarts and find out what's going on. But for now, if nothing else to make Mum happy, we're going back."
Ginny nodded slowly. "Makes sense. Help me with my stuff, alright?"
Ron nodded in reply. "Listen, Gin. I know you don't like talking to me about things because…I admit I'm a little protective, alright? But I know you're not happy. If it's about Harry, I don't care if he's my best mate; I'll throttle him in to next week."
Ginny felt her features form into a broad smile. "It's not Harry."
"Something happened when you were in Majorca, didn't it?"
She snorted softly, sighing. "Something always does, doesn't it? Life just can't let you be completely blissfully unaware, can it?"
Ron looked at her in confusion. "What? I didn't say anything about life or 'blissful unawareness', Ginny."
She sighed. Ron was pretty thick occasionally. "Never mind, but thanks for caring."
Ronald nodded, allowing his sister to brush past him and walk down to the car. Something was definitely up…if only he had a slight idea what it was.
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Authoress' Note: How was it? Let me know by reviewing, please!!