A/N: Written for HSWW (Challenges & Assignments) Same Year!AU
Assignment #6 Charms; Muggle Studies: Body Art; Task 1: Write about a contest that deals with an elaborating showing of body art.
Around the World in Thirty One Days: 106. Malta - Color: Maroon
Crystals & Gemstones Club: Apatite expert - Write about a Hogwarts art class or art therapy group.
Count Your Buttons: "You look ridiculous. A good kind of ridiculous." - Dialogue
Word count: 1,582
A light breeze hit her body, protruding goosebumps all over her body, including her neck since her hair was tied up. She shivered, looking around from the platform she was standing on.
The room was stripped of anything significant, replaced with white sheets hanging everywhere. The floor was decorated in tubes and cans of different colored paints. She wanted to run off the platform and never return; she had never felt so exposed in this position.
Ginny Weasley could do a lot of things, but this was never something she imagined would happen.
"Do I really have to do this the Muggle way?"
A deep chuckle sounded in front of her. His presence alone caused more goosebumps to form around her body. Being bare in front of this dark skinned, toned man was enough to make any girl shiver, especially with those narrow, brown eyes looking at her.
"Funnily enough, the Muggle way is actually more efficient, Ginny," he explained. "Using my wand may not cover up everything you want covered."
Her cheeks flamed the same color as her hair at the thought of showing herself explicitly in front of so many people. She cleared her throat and tried to shift, but he grabbed her hip firmly. "You're going to have to stay still if you don't want me to have to start over."
"I know that, Zabini," Ginny said indignantly.
"Then stop moving."
Ginny huffed and tried her best to stay still. However, it was difficult to do when the cool touch of paint pressed against her skin from a paint brush.
"Where'd you learn to paint anyway?" Ginny asked. "I know it wasn't just from Muggle Studies, a class I'm still skeptical about you being in I might add."
Zabini chuckled before dipping his brush back into the maroon paint and bringing it back to her body. As he stroked a few lines down her arm, Zabini looked up to Ginny.
"I learned over my summers in Paris. Our villa is next to a local artist, and I was forced to interact with him for my mother's benefit that ended up being more beneficial to me," he answered. "As for my reasons being in Muggle Studies, it's because I want to be."
"No 'I am superior to everyone' comment?"
"Why state the obvious?"
Ginny rolled her eyes. "Obvious my arse," she snorted.
"Careful. Paint's going there next," Zabini said with a smirk.
She blushed once more. She blamed the professor for pairing them together for this stupid contest in the class. Art was being introduced more into the class to ease the students into more creative, non-prejudiced mindsets; and the professor thought it was the most brilliant idea to hold a contest for the students to be paired and express a piece of art.
Ginny was leaning on her elbow and staring at the professor with a bored expression as class was finally starting.
The professor was stood in front of the desk in the front of the classroom with his hands clasped in front of him. "Art is part of our human soul. It is dreams emerging from a part of ourselves, a way to communicate with the deeper self of both the artist and others."
His eyes swept over the students in the classroom. "The same piece invokes different emotions depending on the person, their mood, their time of life. Art is pictures; art is sculpture; art is the creative word; art is music!" He exclaimed as he paced in front of the desk. "We are all artists in our various ways, all born to be creative."
The professor clapped his hands. "So class will be canceled for the next three days because we're going to hold a little project slash competition!"
The entirety of the class groaned and the professor sent everyone disapproving looks. "The winners of this competition will each receive one hundred points for their houses and two weeks free from any assignments.
Ginny perked up at the sound of that; less work meant she could spend that time on the Quidditch Pitch.
"Pairs will be as followed: Thomas, Lovegood. Your theme will be sculpturing."
"Granger, Finch-Fletchley. Your theme will be calligraphy."
"Finnigan, Brown. Your theme will be photography."
"Weasley, Zabini. Your theme will be body art."
Of course she'd be paired with Blaise Zabini with body art as their theme; Ginny had tried looking around for one of her siblings, but she knew she was the only Weasley taking Muggle Studies this term, the wankers.
After class ended, Ginny went to persuade the professor that it was not going to be a good idea and that a change would be preferred, but Zabini was leaning against the doorway with a challenging expression and his arms folded.
There was no way she was going to allow him to run her away from an assignment.
The two had argued about the way they were going to perform the theme, and Ginny nearly won the argument about using tattoos. Unfortunately, neither one had tattoos nor were prepared to tattoo one another to do that.
So Zabini suggested that he paint her body, which resulted in him getting a slap to the face. Looking back at the day, Ginny should have slapped herself for agreeing on it.
When he first touched parts of her intimates with paint, Ginny wanted to jump and send a Bat Boogey Hex at him; but he didn't take advantage of the situation like she thought he would. Ginny let him off the hook then, however her guard was still up for anything funny.
Another touch of paint on her body pushed Ginny out of her thoughts and she looked to see that Blaise was focused on whatever he was shaping on her back. She took the opportunity to look down at what he had done to her front and saw the maroon lines dancing in the midst of gold shades.
Her brows knit in confusion before Zabini stepped from behind her and grabbed his wand, casting a drying charm.
"What happened to doing this the Muggle way?" Ginny remarked.
She heard him snort before he faced her. "The painting part was the Muggle way; unless you wanted to shiver during the entire display?" He countered with a raised brow.
Ginny knew he was right so she scowled and didn't reply to him.
"Plus, I didn't want paint to get on this." Zabini grabbed a robe and covered her body. "So no one can see it before our turn."
Ginny nodded stiffly. "Thank you."
"My pleasure, Weasley," Zabini said with a sly grin.
...oo0oo...
Luna and Dean had just finished their presentation of what Luna described to be a Gulping Plimpy. Ginny had no idea what that could possibly be, but the sculpture itself held a lot of...details. Ginny gave them credit where it was due.
The other pairs had gone as well with all different and interesting art pieces. Ginny was slightly nervous about what she was going to do next, and took a deep breath.
"You throw bloody quaffles into hoops for sport, you can do this," she said to herself. A hand gripped her shoulder, and Ginny swung her arm back instinctively. Another hand caught her arm, and she heard that familiar chuckle.
"Not one for surprises I see," Zabini mused before shaking his head. "You'll be fine, Weasley. You look ridiculous." Ginny narrowed her eyes at him dangerously. "A good kind of ridiculous." He gave her a cunning grin before pushing her forward to the front of the classroom.
She glared at him after her balance was straightened up. Ginny looked to everyone in the classroom and took a deep breath, undoing her robes. They slipped to the ground, and everyone gasped.
Ginny figured it was because of her being practically naked with paint over her body, yet she could see what they were seeing perfectly clear thanks to a mirror that was 'mysteriously' conjured for her to see herself in.
From her knees red, orange, and yellow hues were mixed into images of cackling flames that reached up to her hips. Emerging from the flames were maroon and golden scales that were painted on her arms and torso. In the middle of the scales was the painted expression of a lion roaring.
Ginny watched everyone transfixed on how the scales shone with different shades in the lighting of the room. Her eyes stopped on Zabini, who was spinning his finger. Ginny gave him a nod and turned around.
She didn't get to see the scales reaching the back of her shoulders, fighting the forces of silver scales belonging to a hissing snake that went as long as the back of her legs; someone did describe it for her, though.
Claps were heard around the room from everyone including their professor. Ginny spun around and grinned proudly before taking a seat back at her desk and placing her robes back on.
"Bravo students! Brilliant job!" The professor exclaimed before going back to the front and making a speech about the important of art before announcing the winner.
Unfortunately, she and Zabini didn't win the contest thanks to Hermione and Justin; but Ginny didn't mind it this one time.
Ginny did want to paint with Zabini again; except the next time it won't be with her body as the canvas.