When Ginny awoke, it was to the sunlight. She wasn't sure how much sleep she had, the conversation she had had with Daphne was still fresh in her mind, where it had stayed for the majority of the night, as though on repeat, whilst she stared at the ceiling until she passed out.
"Do you really think I would let you harm my friend?"
"You said it yourself. I'm wandless, and you have no proof that I did anything wrong."
"You're guilty, until you can prove yourself innocent." Daphne accused.
"Take me to see her. You'll get your answers there."
She was stared at for a extremely long minute.
"Fine. Cross me and you'll regret it," Daphne promised, standing. "I'm glad we came to some sort of agreement. I'm going to bed."
"Bed? This isn't your room?"
She laughed. "Goodness, no. This is a guest room. Really though, try the pyjamas. They're silk." Ginny watched as Daphne walked back over to the vanity.
"Bonny!" she called, and a house elf appeared. "Take me to my room, please?" and before Ginny could protest, they both were gone.
Groaning, she let the memory fade again and turned from the too bright sun, noticing for the first time a card that had been placed upon the pillow next to her with near perfect handwriting
Good Morning,
I've had Bonny lay out clothes for you on the dressing table. Put them on or don't plan on getting to your destination. There are also personal items - feel free to make use of them. The door is unlocked. You already know where the bathroom is.
D. G.
Ginny could practically feel the smirk through the cardstock. She tossed down the paper and gathered her new items and walked out of the room to the bathroom.
Good Godric, what had Ginny been thinking?! Seeing Pug-faced Parkinson was not in her original plans of getting her life back together. She just wanted to stall, possibly hold out a little so she wouldn't have to talk about Pansy and what she was doing as her. Now, thanks to her rash decision she was going to see her!
Then again..perhaps this could be a good thing, this could possibly be exactly what she needed for closure. To say something to the girl that stole Harry from her. She wasn't sure what words were going to come to her if she actually was going to be taken to see Pansy. For all she knew Daphne and Blaise planned on killing her and burying her body under some shrine meant for sacrificing blood traitors. Maybe it would better for everyone if they did.
Ginny sighed deeply as she threw water on her face. She hadn't had thoughts like those since right after her accident. And the one time she had found the courage to voice them, Harry had been right there, telling her that thoughts like those were wrong. That she had survived so much worse than this and that he loved her no matter what.
Looking at in the mirror at herself, Ginny thought it funny that the one thing she had been sure about at the time had become false.
The card was no joke. Everything from a skirt to coordinating heels had been laid out for her; how did they even know her shoe size? She looked around on the ground for the her own shoes and realised they were gone. Just great, now she would be forced to wear those towers masquerading as shoes. She blushed as she held up new silk undergarments that were nestled in between the clothing. Ginny just knew that Blaise was responsible for the fact that they were green in color.
On the counter was also new hair potions and new pots of makeup. She ran some through her hair and pinned up the crown so it didn't fall in her eyes, letting it fall past her shoulders, it never did much else. She added some red to her lips, then quickly scrubbed it off and replaced it with a more subdued peach. She was technically a captive, not a covergirl for witch weekly. She quickly did as the card suggested. Shoving all of the contents of her coat into her new bra, which she left behind, on the floor.
She stumbled slightly through the flat in her new shoes. Ginny detested high heels. If she wanted to be off the ground then she'd just hop on a broom, thank you very much.
Both Slytherins were sitting at a kitchen island when she walked in, their plates filled with various items. She stood just outside of the entrance as they talked between themselves, as Ginny fought the urge to nervous urge to wipe her hands on her new skirt.
What was she waiting for? An invitation? Straightening her shoulders, she walked into the kitchen with her head high and a new determination to have enough nerve to survive something as simple as breakfast. She sat at the open seat at the island and began to place things on her plate, pausing only when she realised that they were both looking at her with shocked faces. Daphne gave her an appreciative once over, Ginny was suddenly assaulted by the memory of her in the shower and she felt her treacherous face heat up in response, and nodded in approval, before turning her attention back to her Daily Prophet. Blaise, however, was struck silent, his mug of tea still held midair, his expression one of amused skepticism.
"What?" Ginny questioned, "Are captive girls allowed new knickers but not breakfast? If only that was listed on a card."
"I hardly recognised you without the cozy layers of dirt, Weasley. I shouldn't have doubted my Daphne's ability to turn a pumpkin into a carriage."
Daphne coughed into her cup what seem to be a terribly disguised laugh. Ginny didn't understand the reference, but still bristled at his mocking tone.
"No Muggle fairy tales at the table, Blaise. Furthermore, the word captive is a little extreme, don't you think? You have information that we want, and you're willing to trade that information for something you want. That's business. Not captivity."
Ginny took a very long swig of pumpkin juice in lieu of biting her tongue.
"I think you're forgetting the very large detail that I'm just trying to retrieve what you stole from me."
"Messy business is still business," Blaise said then looked at his wrist. "We need to go."
"But I just sat down." Ginny protested.
"Maybe you should have woken up earlier."
"Maybe someone could have woken me up earlier and possibly informed me what time we were leaving my prison,"
"Honestly, Ginevra," Daphne interjected, "this countertop was imported from Italy. Italy. My flat is hardly an alternative to Azkaban."
"Maybe you could have spent less time in the bathroom. I guess it takes more time than I realised to scrub the stench of lower-class off of a person," Blaise said.
Ginny slammed her utensil on the table. "Maybe I'll shove my unused fork up your-"
"Enough! Both of you!" Daphne shouted. "I apologise for the oversight in not waking you up. You had a very...eventful day previously and I thought you needed the rest. I am perpetually stuck in Healer mode and I was only trying to look out for you. Unfortunately, Blaise is right. We need to get going."
It took all of her resolve to not stamp her foot and scream it not fair! The immediate response shook her because she knew things weren't fair, and they hadn't been since she wrote in that damned dairy.
She drained the rest of her cup, her eyes never once leaving Blaise's smug face. "Fine," she said, pushing back from the island, "let's get this over with."
They turned and walked back into the living room. She recognised it, although it was a tad hazy, as though she were looking at the room through a fogged-up glass. The chair she remembered was gone, and so was the rug she definitely vomited on.
She heard them enter behind her. Harsh whispers were shared between the two, and when Ginny tilted her head she could just make out Daphne sharp voice saying "Stop agitating her." Ginny smiled, Blaise might have won, but Daphne was defending her. She did not take the time to evaluate why that made her so happy.
"Does this costume have a cloak to go with it, or can I use my own?"
Daphne rolled her eyes, but handed her a new, dark blue cloak all the same, and a hat in the same colour, to match. Ginny wondered how deep her closet was to just be pulling out brand new pieces of clothing and handing them off to strangers.
Went she stepped out of the flat, she realised that the area was distinctly..Muggle, as Daphne guided her to a lift directly across the hall.
"The floor is ours but lift is shared." The blonde explained with a sniff, as if that was somehow subpar.
The ride wasn't long, but when a Muggle woman stepped into the elevator, wearing several layers of badly knitted dresses, which Ginny thought that even Hermione could do a better job, and carrying several bags. She donned very thick glasses and shaggy grey hair, and Ginny instinctively took a step back, but the woman's face lit up when she saw Daphne.
"Ms Green!" the woman exclaimed, the sheer weight of her bags was making her nearly tilt. Ginny watched as Blaise stepped forward to help her, but the woman waved him off, glaring impressively in his direction.
"I feel like I haven't seen you in months! It's like I don't even know when you're coming or going. You're not avoiding me, are you?"
"Of course not," Daphne replied, smiling. She moved to help and the woman allowed her to be relieved of some of the bags. "I've just been very busy at the Hospital, as you know."
"Oh yes, I forgot they allowed women doctors. It must be hectic for a pretty girl like you. You need to find a respectable suitor and stop running around with riffraff." She shot Blaise another pointed look, at which the wizard suddenly seemed very busy examining the time.
"Oh, Mrs Tuff, are you and mother having tea behind my back? She had the same words for me."
"Of course we had the same words, old birds like us only want the best. And who is this?" Mrs tuft said, finally noticing Ginny.
"This is a friend from school." Daphne replied. She placed her hand on Ginny's lower back, gently pushing her to the front of the lift as if she were showing her off..Daphne's arm slipped through Ginny's, so that they both were intertwined. "We haven't seen each other for years and now that she's here I'm never going to let her leave."
"It's lovely to meet you meet Ms. I hope I get to see you again, if I survive whatever Daphne has planned for me, that is," Ginny said, smiling demurely.
The woman, apparently charmed, reached forward to squeeze Ginny's cheek and laughed. "A pretty face, manners, and some sass to boot. Keep her away from that one," she stage whispered to Daphne.
"This has to be longest bloody lift ride of my life." Blaise muttered, and then sighed as the doors finally opened.
Daphne didn't untangle herself from Ginny as they walked opposite of Mrs Tuff and past the doorman to the exit. Ginny blinked as she looked around the busy street, before she was guided into a black limo. Everything looked so familiar.
"London. You both live in London?" She asked, looking out of the window.
"Of course we live in London, it's close to the hospital and downtown has all the best places to eat. Common sense." Daphne said. "Really, Blaise? A limo? For a 3 minute ride?"
Blaise shrugged and opened a bottle of water.
Ginny huffed "No, you're not understanding. If you both live in London why couldn't we just floo to wherever Pansy is instead of taking a car?" She watched as Daphne stilled, immediately shooting Blaise a look that she couldn't quite comprehend. Her frustration rose as she glanced between the both of them several times as they exchanged facial expressions until the blonde threw her hands up and turned to faced Ginny.
"When you asked to be taken to see Pansy, I was under the assumption that you knew where she was."
"Well, I was under the assumption that she was in London." How else was that pug-faced maniac carrying on with Harry right under her nose?
"Well, we both assumed wrong. Pansy isn't in London."
The car came to stop and Ginny looked out the window once more. They were at Kings Cross. Oh no. Daphne didn't answer her, only exited the car once the door was opened by the driver. Blaise followed, but stuck by the car to extend his hand out to Ginny.
"Where is she then?" Ginny asked
"Where she is doesn't matter." He said to her. "A deal is a deal, Red. Are you keeping up the end of yours or not?"
She knocked his hand out of her way and stepped out. "If you do anything to hurt me, I have a brother that will make you into a Dragon meal."
Blaise laughed, and in return Ginny's rage maxed, and she used her new heels to stomp on his toes. Smiling when he gave a satisfying yelp of pain. "And don't call me Red."
