Chapter VII

Speak Out


"Ginny!" squealed Luna happily, throwing her slim, pale arms around her friend.

Ginny laughed and hugged her back. "Oh, Luna," she sighed, smiling. She pulled back and laughed again. "You haven't changed a bit. Still that gorgeous girl with a flair for fashion." She eyed Luna's apple earrings and cherry red jumpsuit. "Stunning," she whispered, grinning.

Luna blushed just as Neville came walking towards them. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close. "Gods, you smell good," he mumbled.

Ginny snorted. "I smell like old socks," she retorted, touching his angled face. "You have lost a lot of weight," she blurted loudly, examining him up and down.

"Well, I ended up playing professional Quidditch - which I'm quite good at," he boasted, smiling wide.

"I heard. I follow your matches," Ginny said proudly, "You are fantastic on the pitch! Makes me wonder why you didn't play back at Hogwarts."

"I enjoyed pudding too much," he teased, leading her towards the table. He pulled her chair out for her.

Ginny sat down in-between Neville and Luna.

"You sure you don't want to rest, Gin?" Charlie asked, worried.

"I'm quite fine, Charlie," she reassured him.

"Eat up, sweetheart. You'll need your strength," advised her mother, passing over a large bowl of broccoli. "Ron, please pass your sister some of the desserts."

"What? Mum, why does Gin get to eat the desserts first?" whined Ron grumpily.

"Because she has had a very long night and deserves it," Molly answered, patting her son on the head. "You can have some dessert at the end of your meal." She spoke to him as if he were still ten and Ginny nine.

Ginny observed the occupants at the table and without thinking, asked aloud, "Where is Malfoy?"

"He had to pop over to bring Pansy, dear," her mother replied airily.

Ginny nodded and began to eat her food.

"I never got a chance to say I was sorry, Gin," Neville said softly from beside her. "Percy was a great bloke."

"Thank you, Nev," she whispered, touching his thigh lightly. "I really appreciate it."

"Blast," muttered Luna, "I completely forgot to set free the butterwings. Now they're going to muck up my entire plan!"

Ginny giggled. "What are butterwings?"

"They're small insects that make butter," Luna responded obviously. She sighed dreamily. "They're so gorgeous in the sunlight, Gin. I must show you one of these days. Are you planning to stay long?"

She thought of Percy again and smiled wistfully. "Yes. I'm planning on purchasing a flat in London to be closer to everyone," she said stridently.

Everyone looked up from their food, but Molly was the first to speak. "Oh, Gin are you really?" she breathed happily, tears in her eyes.

"Of course, Mum. And I'll need you to help with the decorating. You know I was always horrible with that," she joked, laughing.

"It's good to hear, Gin," her dad stated, beaming, "Very good to hear."

"What of your life in France?" Fred inquired, his voice laced with malice.

"I'll still have it. But I want my life here as well," she said tenderly, gazing at him with sad eyes.

Fred said nothing, but his counterpart snapped, "Took you long enough."

"I know," Ginny confessed. "But I know it now and that's what counts."

The aura at the table changed instantly and Ginny shivered when she felt a soft breeze flow by. She smiled faintly. She knew he was there with her.

"Have you decided yet on what you'll do about your column in Paris?" Luna inquired, sipping her soup and helping herself to a load of bread.

Ginny shrugged. "I'll probably continue some of my pieces here for now and when that's all done, I guess I'll have to start over and find another position here," she answered thoughtfully, thinking of her editor, Dartanian.

"I suppose you'll be missed dearly," sighed Luna, leaning back into the wicker chair. "Your friends will be terribly sad."

"Speaking of friends, Seamus tells me you've got some leggy models in mind for him. Leaving me out of the loop, are you, Gin?" Neville teased, wriggling his eyebrows. "I'd love a brainless blond."

"Now, Neville," Molly reprimanded, shaking a finger at him, "No talk of such relations are allowed at this table. This is a formal lunch, not a night out at the pub."

"But, Mrs. Weasley, you're always pushing me to get married," he persisted, pouting for an effect. "Why can't I simply marry a gorgeous French model?"

"Oh, believe me," interrupted Ginny, shaking her head, "You do not want a model. They're catty and insecure and ridiculous! I was given the evil eye the entire time I ate my sandwich at the Ray Olive photo shoot. All they did was piss and moan about the invisible fat on their thighs."

"God, they must be fantastic," breathed Neville, eyes wondering to the sky. He tilted his head in contemplation. "So beautiful," he mumbled.

"Models are shite," commented Ron, his mouth still full. "They're nasty little bints who make a living by walking."

"No cussing!" scolded Molly, smacking Ron on the arm.

He grimaced in pain. "Mum!"

"Some models are lovely," chimed in Charlie, mediating the light argument. "I wouldn't mind dating an intelligent and striking woman."

"Agreed!" Bill stated joyfully, grinning.

Molly rolled her eyes. "I want sweet and nice ladies for my sons. They need to be neat and generous. They should also have wonderful manners at the dinner table." She eyed Ron's beastly eating. "Unlike some."

"I would rather a woman with a sense of humor for my boys!" exclaimed Arthur, smiling wistfully. "A girl with some funny jokes can always win my heart."

"Is that how Mum won your heart?" Ginny asked.

Arthur smiled affectionately at his wife and replied, "Molly won me over with those gorgeous eyes."

Ron made a face of disgust and muttered resentfully, "Parents!"

"Oh, Mrs. Weasley, how happy you two must have been," said Luna longingly.

"How happy we still are," she corrected proudly.

Ginny watched the tender exchange between her parents and wished to find that kind of unwavering love and passion. If her parents found her each other, then she could definitely find her companion. Just as the word love popped into her head, Ginny thought of him again. She frowned. Why did she always think of him at the sweetest situations? Her mind hardly gave her any rest when it came to him. She needed a distraction.

Elbowing Neville, she smirked. "Game of catch the snitch?" she suggested.

Neville smirked. "You'll never win."

"We'll see about that," she said arrogantly, standing up. She let out her hand. "Shall we, Mr. Longbottom?"

He stood up and towered over her. "Why, Miss Weasley, I would be honored."

"Where are you two off to?" Ron yelled, spitting out the lemon chicken he was eating. "If you're off to snog, I'll fucking kill you, Longbottom."

"Ronald!" snapped Molly.

Ginny laughed infectiously. "Oh, yes, Ron. Neville is off to snog me senseless in the broom shed."

"Are you trying to seduce me, Miss Weasley?" he teased, in mock surprise. "Why, here I thought you were an innocent little thing ..." Neville saw the murderous look on Ron's face and quickly clarified, "We're going to play a game of catch the snitch."

Ron grinned conceitedly, threw his napkin onto the table, and stood up as well. "You two are about to get your arses kicked," he informed them.

"It's a challenge then," her eyes lit up with a playful glow. "Whoever wins gets ..." She bit her lip in contemplation.

"Gets to have the losers as her slaves!" Luna finished for her, getting up from her seat excitedly. "Oh, this will be fun! You are all going down," she said in a matter-of-fact tone.

"You're not playing without me," chirped a breathless Hermione, who just ran out onto the yard. "Harry's been teaching me a thing or two and I'm positively sure that I'll end up victorious."

Ron stared at her seriously. "Where the hell have you been? You were supposed to be here hours ago."

"I got caught up," she said glibly, waving a hand. She raised an eyebrow. "So, are we playing?"

"Let's do this."


Ginny smacked away Ron's hands and growled, "I can bloody fly on my own, Ron. Quit pestering me!"

He scoffed. "You're wearing a piece of cloth," he enunciated the last word, "The least you could do is throw on a ruddy robe."

"I think she looks great," Neville said, earning a glare from Ron, "And those legs!"

"Shut it, Longbottom, or I'll shut it for you," he sneered, raising a fist.

Luna sighed and flew up into the air. "Boys will be boys," she sang.

Hermione zoomed up and called out to Bill, "Let out the snitch when I count to three!"

Pushing Ron back onto his broom, Ginny extended into the air and proceeded to chase Neville around the yard. "I'll kick your arse, Longbottom!" she bellowed jokingly, pinching him lightly when she caught up with him.

She ceased with her games when her eyes fell back onto the dining table. Her mother and father had gotten up to greet the two regal guests who had just arrived. Ginny stared breathlessly as a gorgeous Pansy Parkinson - Malfoy, she corrected masochistically in her head - welcomed a kiss on the cheek from her mother.

"Ginny!" she heard vaguely.

Whether it was the fact that she was obviously staring or that her name was being called, Draco Malfoy suddenly looked up and met her eyes. The distance was too far to distinguish exactly what he was feeling, but Ginny shuddered and turned her head, breaking the connection.

Neville glided down to her. "I lost you for a second. Everything all right?"

"Of course," she said, still a bit out of breath. "I'm fine."

"Looks like the prized philanthropist has descended," Neville stated, looking down at the couple with hard eyes.

Ginny looked at him inquiringly. "What's the matter? I thought everyone adored the new Minister."

Neville scoffed. "The new Minister was a fucking git before his advisors used the media to his advantage. It took them a whole year's worth of planning to get that halo above the prat's head."

"A year of planning?" Ginny asked dumbly.

"Yeah, it was our seventh year - was your sixth. He spent months going through tactics on how to woo the Wizarding world. It was his goal all along - become the esteemed politician with the trophy wife and perfect family," Neville explained, running a hand through his hair.

"How do you know all of this?"

"Luna wrote a feature on him in the Daily Prophet," he responded, "It nearly filled the entire newspaper. I think that's what won him the Ministry. He vows that the article is truth."

"Do you believe it is?"

Neville shrugged carelessly. "Who knows and who cares? He's Minister now and that's all that counts apparently. There aren't enough galleons in the world to kick him off that ship."

Ginny looked down at them again and found the Malfoys in deep conversation with her parents. It meant so much to him, thought Ginny, being Minister. She had left to run away from her past and he stayed to pursue his dream. That was what he craved for all along - to procure the highest status possible with a suitable wife. Ginny tried to rid her mind of the thoughts, but she couldn't. While she hid in France like a coward, he abandoned all thoughts of her and accomplished his true objective.

"One."

Ginny gripped her broom.

"Two."

She leaned in closer to her hands.

"Three!"

Whizzing forward to trail Neville, Luna, and Hermione, Ginny's ambition now was to first, catch that damn snitch, and last, rebuild the life she thoughtlessly left behind.


Hermione declined from the sky like a goddess holding her crown. She grinned arrogantly as the other players landed as well, shock clearly written all over their faces. She propped a hand on her hip and said silkily, "I told you Harry taught me a thing or two."

Ron sputtered uncontrollably. "But - you - I - you suck at Quidditch!" he finally managed to bluster.

Hermione narrowed her eyes. "Apparently not, seeing as I cleaned the entire yard with your arse," she retorted smartly.

Ginny snorted, but stopped, when Ron turned around and shot her a menacing glare. "What?" she asked innocently, "She used our arses, too."

"And she used them well," said Luna, impressed.

"So," Hermione grinned, "What were the terms again?"

The foursome groaned.

"Ah, yes, I do believe you are my servants," she answered the question herself, reveling in their disdain.

Ron sullenly stalked back to the table, leaving the four of them to laugh at his loss. "He's such a sore loser," Ginny commented, throwing her broom over her shoulder and following her brother.

"Ah, but we're all losers," Luna cut in, tying her hair up into a very high bun. "Hermione is the only victor!"

"Agreed," said Neville, slithering his arm around Hermione's shoulders. "I find the win extremely attractive."

Hermione laughed at his antics. "Oh, Neville, what happened to the shy, baby-faced boy we all knew and love?"

"He grew up and transformed into a tantalizing man," he replied, eyes bright with mirth.

Rolling her eyes at his sudden burst of conceit, Ginny dropped the heavy broom on the heavy ground, marched up to the table, and dipped her finger in the chocolate pudding. She licked it off her hands and turned when she heard a click. She jumped in shock when she found Seamus snapping shots of her with his Muggle camera. She snorted and whacked him on the arm. "What are you doing here? I thought we were meeting tonight!"

"Your mum invited me," he explained, leaning over to kiss her on the cheek. "And I figured I'd come since we're going to be spending the night out anyway."

Ron intervened. "Dinner? You and Finnigan? Sounds fun. I'll join you."

"Where are you off to?" Luna asked, undoing a button on her jumpsuit.

"I was thinking we'd stop by this jazz lounge. A little music and wine?" suggested Seamus.

"Excuse me!" yelled Molly shrilly. "I do believe you have yet to greet our guests." She signaled to the imperial couple.

Luna waved dreamily, Neville threw them a curt nod, Ron grumbled something incoherent, Hermione smiled kindly, Seamus snapped a shot, and Ginny continued to eat her pudding.

Molly sighed dramatically. "Children," she muttered.

"Wine? I'm up for wine," Hermione stated.

"A drunk Hermione and Ginny? I'm up for that," said Neville, smirking.

Ron pinned him with a vicious look.

"Are you speaking of Oh Lounge?"

All eyes turned to the dark-haired beauty seated beside her blonde husband. She waited patiently for an answer.

Seamus provided it. "Yes, have you ever been?" he asked conversationally.

"I co-own the establishment."

Figures, Ginny thought snidely.

"There's also another location in Paris. Miss Weasley, have you ever been?" she directed the question to Ginny.

The redhead contemplated Apparating right then and there, but her will wouldn't allow it. She faced the woman and smiled gracefully. "I've never had the pleasure. I was busy with my writing, so I only visited where I was assigned," she replied, so pleased with her light tone. She tried to pretend that Draco Malfoy wasn't present, but even if she wasn't looking directly at him, she felt his attendance suffocating her.

"You should stop by. I'll have the manager reserve a section just for you," said Pansy humbly, her manicured hand resting on her husband's.

Ginny's smile faltered but she whispered, "That's nice of you."

Hermione sensed the tension and interjected, "So, we're all going to Oh Lounge tonight?"

"Maybe we should stay home," Ginny changed her mind, mind back to Percy, "we still have a lot to do."

"Have a night out with everyone, Gin," Arthur proposed, "It'll be good for you to spend some time with them."

She walked over to her father and sat beside him. Looking into his eyes, she asked quietly, "Are you sure? I can always just stay. I would be happy to stay."

"Go and have fun. Percy would've wanted you to." He tilted his chin towards the Malfoys. "I'm sure the Minister and his lovely wife would love to go as well. Make a night of it." He leaned forward and whispered playfully, "You only get to live once."


"Bring the fucking Minister and his perfect wife," spat Ginny, rummaging through her Louis Vuitton suitcase for an appropriate outfit for the night. She growled in horror when she realized that she had absolutely nothing to wear. Singling out a Lotus Love dress, Ginny clumsily tripped over the rest of her clothing to get to her mirror. She held the dress up against her body and shook her head furiously. "So wrong," she mumbled, chucking the dress onto the bed.

She fished through her suitcase once more and nearly cried in joy when she discovered one of her first designer dresses. "Oh, Yuki Shane," she praised, holding the slip to her chest. "You are a life saver!"

She was in the process of sliding it on when Hermione tumbled into the room, her hair in disarray and her eyes frantic. "I heard screaming!" she declared, holding her wand. "Are you all right?" Her eyes widened when she spotted the floor. "Did a bomb explode in here?!"

Ginny buttoned up the indecent garb and took a deep breath. "Everything is fine. I'm just ... weighing my options is all," she explained, her mind elsewhere. She stalked over to the vanity and sat down. "How is your primping going?"

"Horrid," Hermione huffed, adjusting her too-tight bra. "I checked out Oh Lounge to get an idea of what kind of restaurant it is. Turns out, the place is a fucking pool of socialites and paparazzi," she sneered, regretting her invitation. "The last time I had a pap shot was when I interviewed Daniel King from the States. The photo made me look like an old hag!" She shook her head and collapsed on the bed. "Photographers are pond scum."

"Don't worry," Ginny said airily. "Just keep your head low and don't pay attention. The best shots are the ones where you look as if you don't care."

"You faced a lot of paparazzi in France?"

"Many," said Ginny miserably. "They were everywhere - on the ground, in the bushes, hiding out in taxis!"

"Perverts," Hermione breathed harshly.

Ginny spun around in her chair. "Hey, 'Mione ..."

"Yeah?"

"If I asked you for a favor at the lounge, would you oblige me?" she asked, a bit embarrassed.

"Of course!" Hermione answered immediately, staring at her friend intently. "Why? What's the matter?"

Ginny shrugged and faced the mirror again. "Just asking."

Hermione sensed it was more than just a simple question, but she kept quiet. Ginny would confide in her in time. Sighing, Hermione stood up and announced, "I'll be getting ready in Ron's room. He promised he'd help me get rid of my blemishes."

"You don't have any blemishes!" Ginny called out just as Hermione shut the door. "Crazy girl," she muttered.

Oh, this was going to be interesting.


Author's Note:

This took longer to get ready than I expected. Some parts haven't been beta'd, but for the parts that I have, I thank my lovely beta, Emily! My pride and joy over here. She deals with me when I'm being an absolute fart & she's just darling!

Story is coming slower than I thought - but that's only because finals are coming up, and I haven't the time to really write much. I'm trying to stretch it out as much as possible, because it's not something that can be finished right away. I really need to outline properly, too, considering I nearly forget what happens in my stories. Yikes.

So, review ;) So far, I've enjoyed your reviews, even if some are awkward. I remember getting a review like, "Finish this story soon!" I just find those strange. It's hard to finish a story that needs so much time to develop well. I'm writing this for you guys mostly. So I want it to be entertaining and heartbreaking and fantastic. So that should take some time.

Love you lots & hope you're having a wonderful wonderful week.

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