Disclaimer: Anything you recognize is not mine. Don't sue.
Summary: AU Ginny has crossed over and taken Hollywood by storm. Only she's not Ginny Weasley. She's Iris Nouvelle. Draco becomes a cloistered, eccentric director when working on a film but wins awards doing it. Only he's not Draco Malfoy. He's Dylan Norton. When they are thrown together as the dream team that would make movie history in Firetree Studios' next creation, they find that they stand to gain a lot more than millions in their bank books.
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Couture, Clanks and Crossing Over
Chapter 1:
I Am Who I Am
There were many ways to describe Iris Nouvelle. Gorgeous. Talented. Radiant. Kind. Some would even say she was flawless. She's the kind of actress that generations find hard to come by, they would whisper. Everyone thought they knew her and loved to act like it. But in reality, deep within those blue, glassy eyes that all the world had fallen for, she was not Iris Nouvelle. She wasn't Hollywood's belle of the ball. She wasn't an A list actress and wanted by nations. She was Ginny Weasley, born and raised by a Wizarding family of seven in a house called The Burrow. However, her adoring fans didn't pay ticket after ticket to watch Ginny Weasley. They wanted Iris Nouvelle. And that's what they would get.
"Iris?" Hearing that name called Ginny back to reality. She blinked twice and shook her vibrant red curls out of her face.
"Sorry, spaced out for a second there," Ginny replied, casting a smile the way of her personal makeup artist, Raquel.
"A lot on your mind, eh?" said the stunning lady with talented hands. Ginny believed that in Raquel's hands, she could go for pretty much any look she wanted. Drab to fab was a piece of cake.
"If you can count thinking about how lovely this shade of shadow you're using is. I've never seen it before. Is it new?" said Ginny, putting a hand up to her temple and looking at herself in the mirror.
"You guessed it. It's the latest product on the market and totally top secret but of course, for Iris Nouvelle, nothing is held back," Grinned the short lady. Ginny smiled again for the woman's sake.
"There you are! I've been looking all over for you!" cried Ginny's manager, Rebecca Hastings.
"Here we go… What ya got for me today, Becz?" asked Ginny, swiveling around in her seat as Raquel focused her attention on finding the blush she meant to use.
"Well, you've got a 10 AM shoot for Cosmo, which is what our dear Raquel is preparing you for right now since it's…" with this, Rebecca looked at her Cartier watch. "OH MY GOD! IT'S 9:30! IRIS, YOU NEED TO LEAVE. NOW!"
Ginny tried to stifle her laughter. Rebecca was one of the most organized, most resourceful people she knew but boy, could she get herself worked up. "Relax, Rebecca. We've got thirty minutes."
Panic was written over the willowy girl's face. "But it's all the way downtown! And with all the traffic… You're never going to make it!" intoned Rebecca, half to herself.
"Yes, I will. Now, calm down," soothed Ginny, laying a hand on her manager's shoulder. She looked up at Raquel. "I'll just have the people at the shoot continue this. Is that alright?" she asked.
"Sure. If you feel they can match up to my skills, fine," huffed Raquel light-heartedly.
"We have to give everyone a chance, Rocky," replied Ginny, standing up and making her way out the door in her Seven jeans and Yohji Yamamoto top. As she walked through her glorious 3-storey Park Avenue apartment, she was thrown a couple "Good morning, Ms. Nouvelle!" to which she replied, beaming, "Good morning!"
She paused just before she stepped out the door. "Oh, I almost forgot. Chloe, could you call the car around to meet me at the front? I need to be downtown in thirty minutes!" she instructed her helper.
"I already did, Ms. Nouvelle. It'll be waiting at the front." smiled the attractive blonde.
"Thanks, Chloe. You're awesome." Ginny called as she breezed through her apartment door.
She took the elevator on her way down and jogged to the entrance of the building she lived in. Waiting for her there was a sleek black Porsche Cayenne and a tall chauffeur, complete in suit and hat. "Good morning, Ms. Nouvelle. Will you be in need of my assistance today?" asked the stocky man.
"No, thanks, Frank. I feel like driving." said Ginny, already climbing into the driver's seat. Frank, thus, threw the keys into the air and Ginny reached out to catch it. "Thanks a million." she said, flashing him a mega-watt smile.
A loud "Wait!" caused Ginny to refrain from slamming the car door closed. She turned her head to see Rebecca racing down the steps, her bag falling from her shoulders and her cellphone balancing on her other hand.
She stopped short as she reached Ginny, out of breath. "Forget something?"
Ginny thought for a moment but then remembered she didn't have time to think. "What?"
Rebecca rolled her eyes in good humor. "How about your manager?" She shook her head. "Who's going to be mediating you, and basically, your life, when you're off on that shoot, huh?"
Ginny brought a hand to her neck, rubbing it, and laughed abashedly. "That would be you. Oops."
"I forgive you." Rebecca scurried to the passenger seat. "Now, let's get going before I get my head peeled off for you being late."
Just as Rebecca had closed the door did Ginny floor the gas pedal. They zoomed off into the streets of Manhattan in a blur.
"Take this right!" directed Rebecca as they came to a crossing. Ginny made a sharp turn, cutting off some people who were about to jaywalk to the other side.
"Hey! Watch where you're going!" could be heard from their behind as they left the couple eating dust in their hurry to get to their destination.
Rebecca clucked like a Mama Hen and said, "I believe that we aren't the ones breaking the law here."
Twenty minutes later, Ginny pulled up at the entryway of a tall building. Its legendary size and contemporary designs would stun a first-timer but for Ginny and most other New York residents, you couldn't expect any less.
As she stepped from her car, Ginny heard her name called once more, "Ms. Nouvelle?"
She twisted around to see man in a vest and bowtie, his smile possibly breaking records in its length. "Yes?"
"I'm John Thomson, Ms. Nouvelle. I can park your car for you. They instructed me to tell you that they're waiting for you upstairs and to just go right on up. It's the 26th floor, Madam." If this man didn't unscrew his face that tight soon, Ginny thought she might do it for him. It was getting a little creepy.
"Alright. Thank you, John," she said, smiling only minimally so John wouldn't think she was trying to compete with him or something. He might've just made it wider. She passed him the keys before stopping to ask, "Oh, damn. Am I late then?"
"Oh, no, Ms. Nouvelle. You're right on time. They just wanted to be ready for you at any moment you might decide to arrive." he replied.
She nodded once and carried on her way. As she stepped into the lobby, she heard Rebecca's voice from across the room, "There you are. I dashed into the lobby, thinking you had gone ahead when I stopped to reapply some lipstick in the car."
As they arrived at the shoot, Ginny was greeted with the same warmth they had given her every year since her remarkable debut two years ago. Her first ever movie was a big-budget box office smash called "The Swallow." She had played a sexy secret agent with a tortured past and a wish to find the means to save her mother from a cancerous death. Ever since then, she became the business' leading lady and everyone treated her like a queen. That included the people of Cosmo.
They would say, "Iris, oh my God, can you get any more gorgeous!" or "Your style has always been right on target." And "I always look forward to the issue with you in it."
She would smile, make a few witty comments and win their hearts over. It paid to have friends in this business and Ginny did it unwittingly.
"Alright. Now it's time to take some pictures!" said the head of the shoot, receiving earsplitting hoots and hollers from everyone who had gathered around Ginny. They threw her into her dressing room, finished her make up and barreled her down with dresses from Carolina Herrera, J.Mendel, Monique Lhullier, Oscar De La Renta and all sorts of big brand names. Then came the shoot in a dizzying array of lights, poses and glamour. It took around two hours since the photographer, Noel, said he wanted her in as many looks as possible to have a wide range to pick from later.
Then, as the shoot came to a close, Ginny was sent back to her dressing room and she flung herself on her sofa in a tired heap with the reminder that she could keep anything she wanted. She opted to hang on to the Costume National number they let her wear for the last take and the mint-colored Dooney & Burke's tote. She would rob them blind if she didn't feel bad taking the whole wardrobe the gifted stylist picked out. Resting in the room they had assigned her always felt so homey. Her dressing room was enormous with a full furniture set and large white vanities. Rebecca was sitting on the one-seater, pouring into her phone. "Becz, you may need to find another girl to go to Leno tonight because I might just conk out on you right now. I'm so sleepy."
"Sadly, no one else is a Golden Globe awardee and two-time Oscar winner named Iris Nouvelle." said the slave-driver. Or at least that's what Ginny felt she was at this moment. Rebecca finally looked up from her organizer when she realized, "Does this mean you actually know your schedule? Has someone been studying her itinerary?"
Ginny groaned and bounced around the couch, trying to find a comfortable position. "I want to say yes to that but I'd be lying if I did. No, I didn't even glance at it. It's just that Jay called me yesterday to say he was looking forward to our show the next night."
Rebecca sighed, returning to her phone, obviously dealing with some business. "And here I was, all proud and feeling as fulfilled as Nicole when she ditched Paris for a better sense of style."
"I thought we weren't going to discuss that? I'm friends with both of them, you know," admonished Ginny, even if she was smirking impishly. Rebecca only gave her a look that said 'Shut up' and that was that. Ginny turned her head to the side as she lay down and braced herself. "So, what do we have next today then?"
"We have that meeting for Firetree Studios at 4. They're coming out with their next big-budget drama and we're in talks for the lead role. I actually sent you the script. Did you get to read it?"
"You know I did. And you know it's amazing. I think you're just trying to get into 'the mode,'" said Ginny.
Rebecca scoffed once, still engrossed in her organizer, and said, "Mode? And what mode would that be?"
Ginny sat up a little to put her weight on her elbows and look Rebecca in the eye. "You know, the attitude you take on before going into a meeting to negotiate salaries and things. The one where you act all, 'my client is way, way above you so give me IMPOSSIBLE numbers or we take our business elsewhere.' When, in fact, the script is incredible and it'd be an honor for me to even be considered."
"I so do not do that."
"You so do."
"Well, whatever. I get you your Cristal and Harry Winston, don't I?" argued Rebecca.
"That you do," agreed Ginny, settling back down into the seat. "I never said I was complaining, now, did I?"
"True," Rebecca looked up and gazed at Ginny. "And this Firetree thing looks like I can get you an eight digit deal so you better not be complaining."
Ginny rolled her eyes good-naturedly, to which Rebecca stuck her tongue out. "So, it's 1 o'clock now. We have three hours," murmured Ginny to herself as she eyed her Bvlgari watch. Then, as if a light bulb went off in her head, she proclaimed. "Let's go get takeout in In & Out! I've been craving for one of their burgers the whole day!"
"You had one yesterday!"
"I know, but before then, I hadn't had it in a long while." retorted Ginny.
"Yeah, because you were having Krispy Kreme instead," said Rebecca scathingly. "Can we please have something else? Maybe something that won't make my hips inflame to the size of your bank account? I know you have a metabolism that's faster than the speed of light but not everyone does, you know. Something about you that makes my skin crawl, by the way."
"Fine. Pizza?" Ginny offered, which almost made Rebecca scream. "I'm kidding. We'll have lunch at Nobu then. Sound good?"
"Fabulous."
"NOEL! YOU, YOU…" shrieked a voice from just outside the dressing room. Ginny got up immediately to inspect what the fuss was all about. She swung the door open but had to duck as a fist flew her way, missing her right eye just barely. She realized a moment later though that it wasn't someone trying to deck her one but actually, one of the editors gesticulating violently to the photographer Ginny had just worked with.
"Is there a problem?" asked Ginny timidly.
Not bothering to turn around, the woman spat ferociously, "Yes, there is a problem. I was wondering why Noel here was taking forever for one shoot. Turns out he wanted as many shots of Iris as possible. AS HIS OWN SOUVENIR." she said, holding up a handful of pictures that looked freshly developed.
Iris smiled, blushing lightly in the awkwardness of the situation she had put herself in. "Well, if that's all, I don't mind him taking some of the pictures of me. It's the least I could do for his efforts in making the shoot as productive as it could be."
The editor spun around, looking immensely apologetic. "Oh, Ms. Nouvelle, I'm sorry. I didn't realize to whom I was speaking to. Please forgive my behavior."
"No, it's fine, Sarah. And please, call me Iris." Ginny poked her head into the doorway and called for Rebecca to "get her cute patootie moving."
An hour or so later, both Rebecca, satisfied with the so-called healthiness of the meal, and Ginny, who couldn't care less, had had their fill in sushi and were getting ready to leave. However, someone must have tipped the paparazzi off. They were almost storming Nobu by the time the sashimi had been served, in want of a picture of Ginny fumbling with her chopsticks. She put on her Givenchy shades just as she stood up from the table to guard herself against the frenziedly flashing lights. Iris marched to the door, perhaps being less careful of her way than she should have been. Moments later, the unavoidable crash happened. A loud 'ugh' was heard as the person Ginny had bumped into seemed to try to retain his manliness. It was a millisecond later that he realized Ginny had lost her balance from the collision and was falling, falling, falling…
Until his hand bulleted out to wrap around her waist, successfully breaking her fall. The cameras and the men behind them went wacko. 'Civilian Saves Celebrity', the article would read. Of course, it would probably blow the truth way out of proportion. For all Ginny knew, by tomorrow, there would be articles on how this man had also previously saved her from the clutches of a serial rapist, all the while resuming a torrid love affair with his damsel in distress. He was definitely good-looking enough for him to be depicted as her knight in shining armor, though. These thoughts brought Ginny rocketing back to veracity. Although, veracity wasn't all that bad, with these gorgeous man's arms around her. Damn, it felt good. It felt right… It felt…
"You know, common sense may be a little out of the ballpark in that head of yours but could you at least try to watch where you're going next time?" said her noble savior in a very un-noble savior way. He lifted her back up as he was saying this in a voice too low for the paparazzi to hear.
"Excuse me?" she whispered back, sparks of anger already beginning to erupt in her azure eyes. Just moments ago, she was basking in the warmth his toned arms gave but now the atmosphere had gone ice cold in a matter of seconds. "Do I even know you? I think not, and thank the Lord for small favors. So just stop acting as if you do and just be on your way." said Ginny between forced smiles.
He strained a grin as well, although his stormy gray gaze held nothing to match the emotion he was putting on show. "Right. I'll be on my way then. And you're welcome." The man said in a distinctly British accent. Ginny had lost hers when she moved to New York for some Healer work in the New York Wizarding community almost five years ago. Then, a year or two later, following offer after offer to be signed on as a talent, she signed up with Elite Models. Soon later, she went from Victoria's Secret model to renowned movie star. The pale blonde man laughed once for the paparazzi's sake before he went on his way again.
Rebecca soon put her hand on Ginny's arm and asked if she was alright. Following Ginny's assurance that she was, she informed, "I called Frank and the others from the sidelines. They were close by so they should be outside waiting for us."
Ginny nodded and like Rebecca had said, Frank was there in his favorite suit and five other hulking men in shades and earpieces cleared a path for her. She ducked into the limo that Frank had brought around and slammed the door shut as soon as Rebecca was safely inside. She called for Frank to bring her to Firetree Studios then lay back on the seat. She knew that her bodyguards, Spike, Bruce, Gun, Striker and Bob would just drive the Cayenne back anyway as she attended the meeting.
The mood settled down without the incessant shouting and all around buzz the paparazzi created but things had not settled in Ginny's mind. It was literally racing. 'What kind of man would say those things to a person he just met? I don't even know him', she thought to herself. But there was something nagging at her. Something, from somewhere told her that she knew that man. She had known him for a long time but she couldn't quite place her finger on whom he was or where she had met him. Maybe it was just the moment fooling her. Besides, if he did know her, they obviously weren't on very good terms. He certainly wasn't a…
"Friend of yours?" Rebecca's mellifluous voice sliced through her thoughts.
"Huh?" replied Ginny lamely.
"That guy in the restaurant. Is he a friend of yours?" she said. Her smile grew larger by the second. "Because if that man is your friend, I will worship the ground you walk on as well as your forefathers'. Because a man who looks like that? Yeah, I'd definitely want to be friends with him."
Ginny grimaced upon hearing Rebecca's words. "No, that guy is not a friend of mine. I just met him and you know what he said to me? In short, I'm stupid and I need to watch where I'm going."
"Well, you know, if you really don't make sure that…"
"REBECCA."
Rebecca threw her hands up into the air in defeat. "Alright, alright. It was a really crappy thing to do. But I think you forget what business we work in, Iris. We have and we are going to meet plenty more assholes that'll make our lives hell. And besides, maybe it's just a bad day for him. He's too hot to not be able to forgive."
Ginny snorted deliberately and crossed her arms. "Whatever. He's an asshole and you might as well forget him anyway. What are the chances we'll ever see him again?"
Rebecca mimicked Ginny's actions. "Yeah, right. He was wearing a Savile Row suit. He's someone important. And you, my dear, are THE important. You travel in the same circles and once you meet him again…" she trailed off.
"Do you think you can introduce me?"
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Author's Notes: Thank you for reading this. To be honest, I just felt like writing one day and this is what came out. I hope you liked it. If not, well, I'm not sure if I like it much either.
Also, I'm planning to continue this story. As in, TO THE END. I have a penchant for not finishing my stories but I plan to see this one till it's over. Therefore, I am in need of two things: 1.) A beta reader
2.)A New Yorker - I'm not from New York but I've set my story there so all the details about it, like celebrity hangouts and stuff… Well, I have no clue.
Also, one of the editors of Cosmo is actually named Sarah Wilson so I hope I don't get sued for mentioning her too.
Can anyone offer their services?
Thanks again! Read and review:D
3starsandboulevards