Chapter 15- An Invitation
Ginny sat grinning at the stash of Christmas presents surrounding her. Hermione had given her a journal that they could write back and forth in from different places. Harry had given her a stash of the more humorous dark detectors from Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes, and Ron had given her a subscription to a new Quidditch magazine. From mum and dad had come the usual hand-knitted sweater, as well as a set of shining ivory quills. Bill and Charlie had pitched in together to buy her both the original book ‘The Phantom of the Opera,’ on which the musical was based, and a book detailing the history of the stage show. Fred and George gave her samplers of all their latest beauty potions, perfumes, and lotions.
As Ginny was nosing- pun totally intended- through the perfumes, Hermione came into the room they shared while at Headquarters. “Hi, Gin.”
“Hi,” she replied, still caught up in her presents. She held out an un-stoppered glass vial. “Smell this one. Doesn’t it remind you of Kreacher?”
Hermione took a quick whiff and grimaced deeply, sitting down beside her friend. “So. . .I’ve noticed something, Ginny. I don’t think anyone else did, but I have.”
“What’s that?” The red-head asked distractedly, setting the perfumes aside and reaching for a bottle of light pink lotion.
“You’re wearing some new jewelry.”
Ginny grinned before she could stop herself. “So, I got a new necklace.”
Hermione didn’t look at all fooled. “And a new ring. Who’re they from, Gin?”
“Blaise and Draco sent me Christmas presents a couple days ago. It’s not a big deal.”
Hermione grinned and fingered the locket around the redhead’s throat. “Who gave you which one?”
Instead of answering her friend’s question, Ginny glanced out the door to make sure no one was listening, then spoke in a low voice. “Can you keep a secret?”
Hermione nodded, peering at the jewelry curiously.
“Okay, the ring is from Blaise, and he and Draco have some sort of floo network of their own.” Hermione sat forward, her face intense, and Ginny continued on. “If I shoot blue sparks into here, Blaise will know and come somehow. Same thing with Draco, except with red sparks. It’s so weird.”
Hermione sat back, a pondering expression on her face. “And you’re sure it works? You’ve seen it?”
Ginny frowned, looking slightly put-out. “No, I’ve never seen them do it.”
“Have you tried it yet?”
“No.”
“Well, why not?”
“I haven’t needed them for anything.” Ginny shrugged, trying to think of a reason to test the rings. “Except. . .I was supposed to tell Blaise what Draco got me, and I never did.”
Hermione smiled and grabbed Ginny’s wand off the nightstand. “There you go. Try it out and see what happens.”
Ginny took her wand from Hermione, hesitantly pressed the tip to her emerald, and shot blue sparks into it. The stone glowed for a second, then faded to its original color. A moment later, the flames in the fireplace erupted green and Blaise stepped out of them. He looked around the shabby room as he brushed the ash from his clothes, then caught sight of the two girls.
“Ginny!” Blaise closed the distance between them and hugged her swiftly, then stretched out on her bed, making himself quite at home. “What can I do for you?”
“We want to know how the rings work. Well, mostly how you know where to go.”
“Aw, that’s easy. You just throw the floo powder into the fire, step in, and it automatically takes you wherever you’re needed. It’s pretty convenient.”
“Cool.” Ginny nodded and they sat in an easy silence. After a moment, she spoke again. “Oh, you wanted to see what Draco got me.” She held out the locket.
Blaise sat up and looked interestedly at the rose. He opened it and peered keenly at the picture within, a faintly surprised look coming to rest in his eyes the longer he gazed at it. When he turned it over, however, and saw the word on the back, a small smile grew on his face.
“Whoa,” he pronounced finally, lifting slightly amused eyes to Ginny’s. “I’m shocked.”
Ginny raised an eyebrow at him when he didn’t continue. “Why?”
“He thinks you’re wicked.”
“And. . . this is a good thing how?”
Blaise rolled his eyes in a ‘Merlin-this-is-so-obvious’ way. “Not evil-Wicked. Cool-wicked.”
“Oh. . . really?”
“Sure. By the way, I’m supposed to issue you an invitation.”
“To what?”
“To the Malfoy’s annual Christmas party.”
Ginny rolled her eyes. “I’d rather not spend my Christmas being ridiculed and pushed to the side, thanks.”
“I don’t think it’d be that way, love.”
Ginny raised her eyebrows. “Oh? And what makes you think that?”
“Well, I’ll be there, for one,” Blaise said, sounding rather surprised that she hadn’t guessed. “If anyone tried to make an ass out of themselves, they’d have to get through me first. Second, Draco and I both want you to come. Three, I think you’ll have fun, and four, the Malfoys specifically asked for you to be there. They want the whole Phantom trio there, or some such thing.”
Ginny glanced at Hermione, doubt furrowing her brow. “I don’t know. . .it doesn’t quite seem like my kind of thing.” Surprisingly, the other girl didn’t agree.
“You should go, Ginny,” Hermione put in, her eyes fixing Blaise with an appraising gaze. “I think he’s telling the truth.”
Ginny’s eyes swung back and forth between the two for quite some time before she sighed and threw up her hands. “Alright, I’ll go. Happy?”
Blaise sat up, grinning. “Quite. I’ve got to be going now, but I’ll see you there?”
“Yes, yes. Go away.”
“With pleasure,” Blaise said with a mock bow. “I’ll owl you with the details, okay?”
Ginny waved him half-heartedly through the fireplace, then let her hand fall to her lap. She and Hermione sat in silence for some time, both deep in thought. A horrible idea suddenly popped into her head, and Ginny, filled with dread, leapt to her feet and sprinted to her closet.
“Hermione, what am I going to wear? I have absolutely nothing that would be acceptable!”
Her bushy haired friend came to stand beside her, gazing at the ragged hand-me-downs. After a moment, she reached inside to finger the fabric of the only dress there.
“What about this?”
“The ‘Think of Me’ dress? Hermione, you’ve got to be kidding. It’s not even mine! It’d be way too extravagant anyway.”
Hermione shrugged and pulled the dress out, laying it flat on the bed to examine it.
“I can make a few alterations to it, to make it more acceptable. The color is good on you, and I can make it less over-the-top. We can even add some trimming to make it more festive.”
Ginny stared at her. “Change it? Are you crazy?! What if we can’t get it back to normal? Patrick will kill me. . .slowly and painfully. . .with a machete!”
Hermione just looked at her. “Do you really think I’d do something to it that I couldn’t undo?”
Ginny sighed and looked at the dress unsurely, brow furrowed in worry. It was beautiful, and she trusted Hermione could make it work. Still, she wasn’t very sure about wearing it to the Malfoy’s. Draco and Blaise would surely recognize it, and they’d know she hadn’t had anything suitable to wear. She sighed again and bit her lip.
“Fine. I trust you.” Ginny held up her hand as Hermione broke out into a smile. “But you’ve got to make this thing unrecognizable, and promise you’ll be able to turn it back.”
Hermione just raised an eyebrow and whipped out her wand. “Perfect. Let’s get busy.”
Ginny sat grinning at the stash of Christmas presents surrounding her. Hermione had given her a journal that they could write back and forth in from different places. Harry had given her a stash of the more humorous dark detectors from Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes, and Ron had given her a subscription to a new Quidditch magazine. From mum and dad had come the usual hand-knitted sweater, as well as a set of shining ivory quills. Bill and Charlie had pitched in together to buy her both the original book ‘The Phantom of the Opera,’ on which the musical was based, and a book detailing the history of the stage show. Fred and George gave her samplers of all their latest beauty potions, perfumes, and lotions.
As Ginny was nosing- pun totally intended- through the perfumes, Hermione came into the room they shared while at Headquarters. “Hi, Gin.”
“Hi,” she replied, still caught up in her presents. She held out an un-stoppered glass vial. “Smell this one. Doesn’t it remind you of Kreacher?”
Hermione took a quick whiff and grimaced deeply, sitting down beside her friend. “So. . .I’ve noticed something, Ginny. I don’t think anyone else did, but I have.”
“What’s that?” The red-head asked distractedly, setting the perfumes aside and reaching for a bottle of light pink lotion.
“You’re wearing some new jewelry.”
Ginny grinned before she could stop herself. “So, I got a new necklace.”
Hermione didn’t look at all fooled. “And a new ring. Who’re they from, Gin?”
“Blaise and Draco sent me Christmas presents a couple days ago. It’s not a big deal.”
Hermione grinned and fingered the locket around the redhead’s throat. “Who gave you which one?”
Instead of answering her friend’s question, Ginny glanced out the door to make sure no one was listening, then spoke in a low voice. “Can you keep a secret?”
Hermione nodded, peering at the jewelry curiously.
“Okay, the ring is from Blaise, and he and Draco have some sort of floo network of their own.” Hermione sat forward, her face intense, and Ginny continued on. “If I shoot blue sparks into here, Blaise will know and come somehow. Same thing with Draco, except with red sparks. It’s so weird.”
Hermione sat back, a pondering expression on her face. “And you’re sure it works? You’ve seen it?”
Ginny frowned, looking slightly put-out. “No, I’ve never seen them do it.”
“Have you tried it yet?”
“No.”
“Well, why not?”
“I haven’t needed them for anything.” Ginny shrugged, trying to think of a reason to test the rings. “Except. . .I was supposed to tell Blaise what Draco got me, and I never did.”
Hermione smiled and grabbed Ginny’s wand off the nightstand. “There you go. Try it out and see what happens.”
Ginny took her wand from Hermione, hesitantly pressed the tip to her emerald, and shot blue sparks into it. The stone glowed for a second, then faded to its original color. A moment later, the flames in the fireplace erupted green and Blaise stepped out of them. He looked around the shabby room as he brushed the ash from his clothes, then caught sight of the two girls.
“Ginny!” Blaise closed the distance between them and hugged her swiftly, then stretched out on her bed, making himself quite at home. “What can I do for you?”
“We want to know how the rings work. Well, mostly how you know where to go.”
“Aw, that’s easy. You just throw the floo powder into the fire, step in, and it automatically takes you wherever you’re needed. It’s pretty convenient.”
“Cool.” Ginny nodded and they sat in an easy silence. After a moment, she spoke again. “Oh, you wanted to see what Draco got me.” She held out the locket.
Blaise sat up and looked interestedly at the rose. He opened it and peered keenly at the picture within, a faintly surprised look coming to rest in his eyes the longer he gazed at it. When he turned it over, however, and saw the word on the back, a small smile grew on his face.
“Whoa,” he pronounced finally, lifting slightly amused eyes to Ginny’s. “I’m shocked.”
Ginny raised an eyebrow at him when he didn’t continue. “Why?”
“He thinks you’re wicked.”
“And. . . this is a good thing how?”
Blaise rolled his eyes in a ‘Merlin-this-is-so-obvious’ way. “Not evil-Wicked. Cool-wicked.”
“Oh. . . really?”
“Sure. By the way, I’m supposed to issue you an invitation.”
“To what?”
“To the Malfoy’s annual Christmas party.”
Ginny rolled her eyes. “I’d rather not spend my Christmas being ridiculed and pushed to the side, thanks.”
“I don’t think it’d be that way, love.”
Ginny raised her eyebrows. “Oh? And what makes you think that?”
“Well, I’ll be there, for one,” Blaise said, sounding rather surprised that she hadn’t guessed. “If anyone tried to make an ass out of themselves, they’d have to get through me first. Second, Draco and I both want you to come. Three, I think you’ll have fun, and four, the Malfoys specifically asked for you to be there. They want the whole Phantom trio there, or some such thing.”
Ginny glanced at Hermione, doubt furrowing her brow. “I don’t know. . .it doesn’t quite seem like my kind of thing.” Surprisingly, the other girl didn’t agree.
“You should go, Ginny,” Hermione put in, her eyes fixing Blaise with an appraising gaze. “I think he’s telling the truth.”
Ginny’s eyes swung back and forth between the two for quite some time before she sighed and threw up her hands. “Alright, I’ll go. Happy?”
Blaise sat up, grinning. “Quite. I’ve got to be going now, but I’ll see you there?”
“Yes, yes. Go away.”
“With pleasure,” Blaise said with a mock bow. “I’ll owl you with the details, okay?”
Ginny waved him half-heartedly through the fireplace, then let her hand fall to her lap. She and Hermione sat in silence for some time, both deep in thought. A horrible idea suddenly popped into her head, and Ginny, filled with dread, leapt to her feet and sprinted to her closet.
“Hermione, what am I going to wear? I have absolutely nothing that would be acceptable!”
Her bushy haired friend came to stand beside her, gazing at the ragged hand-me-downs. After a moment, she reached inside to finger the fabric of the only dress there.
“What about this?”
“The ‘Think of Me’ dress? Hermione, you’ve got to be kidding. It’s not even mine! It’d be way too extravagant anyway.”
Hermione shrugged and pulled the dress out, laying it flat on the bed to examine it.
“I can make a few alterations to it, to make it more acceptable. The color is good on you, and I can make it less over-the-top. We can even add some trimming to make it more festive.”
Ginny stared at her. “Change it? Are you crazy?! What if we can’t get it back to normal? Patrick will kill me. . .slowly and painfully. . .with a machete!”
Hermione just looked at her. “Do you really think I’d do something to it that I couldn’t undo?”
Ginny sighed and looked at the dress unsurely, brow furrowed in worry. It was beautiful, and she trusted Hermione could make it work. Still, she wasn’t very sure about wearing it to the Malfoy’s. Draco and Blaise would surely recognize it, and they’d know she hadn’t had anything suitable to wear. She sighed again and bit her lip.
“Fine. I trust you.” Ginny held up her hand as Hermione broke out into a smile. “But you’ve got to make this thing unrecognizable, and promise you’ll be able to turn it back.”
Hermione just raised an eyebrow and whipped out her wand. “Perfect. Let’s get busy.”
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