Note: Inspired by an old fairy tale with three nights and three different dresses. I forgot what the title is though. If anybody has it I would appreciate it if they told me. By the way, I don't own J.K. Rowling's characters or any ideas that came from her. *Jan 6, 2009-lightly edited*
The year is 1657 in the Wizarding world.
She traced her fingers along the window panel as she stared out to look at the place she had grown up in. Their hundred year old oak tree, with the slight indent on the side, held dear memories. That was when Fred and George strapped Muggle fireworks on the back of a hay wagon and tried to make something they called an "automobile". Surprisingly enough, they got the thing to take them quit a distince, but they forget one crucial part: brakes. Not having a wand in their hand, they had no choice but to collide head first into the tree and flip over into the lake. The explosion that came forth from the accident did not, though, hold a candle to Molly Weasley's screams of anger when learning of what had occurred. Whenever Ginny needed a laugh, she would look at the head indents on the tree.
She found herself looking toward the tree now and almost every night for the past six months. Her parents were dead, and she was going to be sent to live in a strange town to work. It frightened her and made her wake up at night with cold sweats.
"You should take some bread to eat. You never know when you're going to get hungry again and we aren't the richest in the land to afford something off a bakery or whatnot." said Ron. Ginny had always thought Ron was the typical eighteen-year-old boy of their times: Self-obsessed, blind, and hormonely charged. But somewhere within that ball of mess was a kind and caring brother she could almost depend on when she needed him.
"Ron, aren't you going to say a farewell to me? I know you were never the type to...but I'm leaving for a very long time."
"Err. I--all right...good bye." She saw his awkwardness. His uneven stance, squinted eyes, and the way he always twisted his earlobes would give it away. Ginny ignored this at that time and flung her arms around him for a hug.
"You don't have to be so strong. Even though they're gone now, I'll be fine." She gave him an extra squeeze and turned away to go onto Mr. Ferris' wagon. "I'll be writing. Mind Aunt Trinta while I'm gone." she called out. When Ginny was quite a distance away from their cottage, she could see a blue speck with red hair running and waving freely at her. She swore that he was saying he'd miss her
Ginny buried her face in her baggage to keep her tears from falling. She didn't want to leave them all but she had no choice. Her parents had died from helping with a crop fire, and Ron had lost his leg while trying to save them. He was currently in training to become a Charms teacher to the village children. They had no money to support themselves, as it was her mother and father who had taken care of that matter. And her brothers couldn't leave everything they were in the middle of and come home to take care of the family, she couldn't ask that. Of course they insisted to help finance them, but they were just starting out in the world themselves and didn't have much to spare. She told them she and Ron would fare fine. They eventually agreed but only if their Aunt would come and take care of them.
She suddenly felt somebody graze cloth against her face and looked up at a tanned hand holding a napkin. "Here," Mr. Ferris said sympathetically, "you can keep it too." She gladly accepted, though embarrassed at his discovery. She wiped it around her wet eyes.
The cart rolled along the countryside that had miles of green grass, with the occasional herd of sheep grazing on its plentiful surface. The driver soon whistled a tune that was familiar to her. It told of dragons and witches, a silly fable for ordinary people, but she was a witch that had already graduated from a magical school: Hogwarts. With this song she soon found herself snuggled between the coarse but otherwise comfortable hay. Her tired eyes fell, the brown lashes touching each other's hairs. She didn't know how long it was that she slept but it was placid and held no dream haunts. It would seem that her haunts escaped her mind to enter reality.
A piercing sound pounded onto her eardrums. Ginny groggily opened her eyes up to see the source. It was the picture of pure fright. She crawled as fast as she could into the toppled cart. Inside, Ginny watched, trembling. The massive being, held a chilling aura around it. It was dark as a deep ocean's bottom with black scales making it gleam with a wicked brilliance. The thin, almost nonexistent tail darted to and fro almost as if it had a separate mind and was confused at it's directions. And the teeth...it was deadly to even witness. What was more horrifying was the blood that covered them.
Her elbows, knees, and even face had mud on them, but she did not notice, all she did do was huddle under the wooden cart and rock. She didn't want to believe it but there it was, a dragon. "How could this be? We haven't even crossed into Tragun Depths. I must still be a sleep." she said. Ginny slapped her face, but much to her dismay felt the sting of her handprint and of the truth.
She stopped forcing herself to reason, for she needed to save her own life first. She kneeled down on the ground and put her head close to the crack of the wooden cart. Her eyes followed it as it stomped on the donkey's remains, threw it up in the air with the razor teeth, and snapped at it with lightening speed. Ginny felt herself go cold; nausea had overcame her stomach region.
Her wand was no where in sight. It was impossible to try to defeat it.
She clawed at the earth with her fingers, as a dog would do, to get a better view so she would know when to run for all that was good. It felt her presence, she could tell. It sniffed in the air and did a reptilian smile. The scaled nostrils flared up and down, taking in the scent of every forest pinecone, animal fur, every creature. She then became drained of hope. The creature was too sharp to be fooled by her, and if she tried to run he would catch her before she reached five feet.
It came a step closer to her. All she could do now was wait and feel for it to come, the it being the dragon along with death. The ground shook once more. She did not want to go yet; her brothers would not be able to bear another family death. Aunt Titania and Ron was depending on her to her to bring in part of the money needed to feed them all too. Its massive foot hit the ground again. Ginny wanted to experience so much more than just a little part of her life. She wanted to have at least a first kiss before she died. Her thoughts, unfortunately, had no effect on the dragon. It never stopped. It came until she felt it's breath flow into the wagon and tickle the hairs on her hands.
Ginny's heart pounded faster than it ever did before, and sweat trickled down her forehead. She shut her eyes and made a fast decision. She knocked herself against the wooden boards unconscious to die easily.
A dreadful headache woke her up, and--not to mention--a splash of water. She got up quickly, still thinking to defend herself, but did not find it the best thing to do because it only worsened her pain.
It was nighttime and a fire was already made in front of her. Along with the fire was the back of a man in a purple cloak. He turned around and the hood fell off, revealing a head of pale blonde hair and handsome features. His mouth was set in a straight line and he looked like he was annoyed at her presence.
"Draco Malfoy? No you aren't are you? You wouldn't be traveling without your servants." she said. He only intensified his aggravated stare after she spoke.
"I do have a servant with me actually." He smirked and dropped the bucket he was holding on to the floor." He pulled aside his cloak to let a tiny house elf, dressed in rags as was common with their kind, to appear. It had long pointy ears and big doleful eyes that were droopy at the ends.
"Hello, Miss. Miss should know that Master saved Misses life so Miss should be thankful. Ginny loosened her shoulders and gaped. She couldn't believe a Malfoy would do more than lift a finger to help her. She rubbed her upper arm and bite her lip. There was nothing she knew that she could say to express her gratitude. But she remembered the blood on the dragon teeth, and spoke.
"Mr. Ferris, where is he? He isn't dead is he?"
"I saw him a mile from the forest. He says that he apologizes for leaving you. Your friends are loyal...not." Ginny felt hurt by Mr. Ferris' betrayal. She had known him for years and considered him a part of her family.
"I--thanks. I didn't know if I would be alive to see another person."
"Hey, Weasley, I did it only as sport, I didn't do it because I wanted to. And the buffoon here was the one who nagged me to saving your behind."
"Oh, I thank you too. What is your name?" The elf didn't look up from the ground but kept concentrating on his crusted, green feet. "Hello?" When he noticed that she was calling for him his wide blue eyes grew three times wider. Draco rolled his and poked at the logs with a crooked stick.
"Gurnny, Miss. Gurnny so sorry for not answering, Miss, but Gurnny did not think that Miss would speak to a low creature such as Gurnny. I will punish myself to prove my sorrow if Miss favors it."
"I favor it." Draco gave out a short mean laugh. She shot him an angry glance and stopped Gurnny before his raised hands meet the side of his head.
"I don't know what your problem is. Every chance you get you throw your bad spirit into things. Why don't you let the good side take over once in a while. It'll certainly make everyone else's lives easier," she mumbled the last part but said the rest in confidence. He smirked and pulled out the wand he had in his pocket. Ginny stared at it with wary eyes and saw it roll up and down in the air, saw the sparks that flew out of the ends, and heard the words chanted by his mouth.
"MMMHMHMFFM!" were the sounds that came next. He had sealed her mouth tight and bound her arms and legs with a magic spell. It felt most uncomfortable and the situation worsened as he blew out the fire. The blackened streaks on the log faded into the dark blue night. Draco laid down on the floor with a pillow under his head and his cloak over himself while the elf lay far away, but close enough to attend to his master's wishes fast. Gurnny flashed her a look of remorse, but turned in fear back to his area.
She struggled to break the bonds, but it did no good. She tried to think up of a way to get free, but no dependable plans were struck. She gave up and leaned against a tree. As tired as she was she did not want to go to sleep. She didn't trust Draco when she had her back turned. He was a conniving devil who would give up a sack full of gallons just to see a miserable face. Even so, her day's events got the best of her.
Light came through the gaps of lush green leaves, which were unnoticed the night before, and shone onto her lids. She grimaced and woke to find herself bouncing on top of a chestnut brown horse along the countryside. She could see a village ahead and the tops of a gray castle.
"What?" she said. Ginny tried to sit up, but found herself stuck to the horse, probably by a charm. But she could talk and was right next to Draco, who was walking beside the horse casually with Gurnny by him. She took that advantage. "DRACO!" She could see him tense up, the closet surprised reaction she had witnessed from him.
"Weasley, what do you think shouting will get you? Nothing. You're near my village now," he said coolly.
"What do you mean your village? Do you still think you're royalty? Your family may be wealthy but that doesn't make you royalty."
"You're wrong. I am royalty." he laughed.
"You may think that if you saved my life I would have to look at you with kindness and all of that, but the truth cannot be pushed aside. This is incredible. I have never meet anybody as pigheaded, ignorant, totally b--" she stopped when he shoved in her face a ring. It was an emerald gem with a surrounding gold glow. Dragons swirled inside the green depths. This was the sign. All magical royalty had rings similar to his but with different colors and family signs.
She looked at him with her brown eyes and he returned it with an arrogant cold gray stare.
"It is true, Miss. Master is the nephew of King Orephelius." Gurnny said. Ginny had almost forgotten he was there. Gurnny didn't talk much; he would just look at his bare feet or the surrounding nature most of the time.
"B--but if you're this nephew of a king, why didn't you make it known?" She paused to look at his face that held the same proud smirk. Royal or not, he did not stop being the jerk he was. "Because you flaunted your wealth whenever you had the chance to back at Hogwarts." The elf frowned at her words, but Draco only tilted his head, letting his hair across his eyes. Their eyes locked and Ginny became transfixed for a moment, but quickly shook herself from it.
"This village isn't excellent in anything. Basically a below average town. Stupid really. My status from there wouldn't get much admiration with all the links my friends have. Of course, you wouldn't know that, now would you?" Ginny gave a lethal glare and had the strongest desire to punch him.
"I need to go to Liefdesverhall Bakery. Do you know where that is?" She said with an insensate tone.
"Yes, your friend, the one that left you, said it was located at my village. He was too much of a pansy to go back even when I told him the dragon was dead."
"You don't have to call him that! You don't know him. He might have a good reason for doing what he did."
"Whatever, Weasley. Live in your fantasyland. I will be at my uncle's palace with good food, women, and entertainment."
"I'm disgusted at the thought women would even touch you." He gave a short haughty laugh in return.
"Weasley, even you have to admit that I am a man with the charms, face, and body..." She blushed at this, "to get any girl I want."
"Looks can't do as much as you think because no female would want to be with a moron!"
"Weasley, youu should know, you can't hide your lust with that red face of your's." Ginny was only pink before but with this new comment she did indeed turn a shade of light cherry.
"Arrogance has clouded your mind to stop working, because you can't even separate your brainless fans from the ones that see the ugly in you." She had to stop to breathe because of the tension that was starting to develop from her stomach. Much of it contributed to the fact that she was bond to the horse and couldn't sit up.
"Mhmm. I'm sure, Weasley, I'm sure." He turned and walked the horse up to the village gates. Gurnny had a slight smile on his face and if he were not too afraid it would have been an amused look. As they entered she said to him, "You could at least unbind me." He answered,
"No."