disclaimer: Don't own Harry Potter!
The ball had been a complete success. Thanks to Hermione's discussion with Rita, by the end of the evening most, who had not read the Daily Profit was told in detail about the article. The stories circulating around the room ranged from purely factual to absolutely bizzare. One thing was certain, the wizarding community was in an uproar and many wealthy families expressed their displeasure of Ann's treatment, by withdrawing their yearly donations from ministry organizations. There was even a talk of throwing over the new minister in a non confidence vote, but they needed 85 percentof the wizarding population to vote, one way or another to enforce it.
Mean while Draco couldn't stand it and dragged Hermione into the hallway. He pushed her against the wall and started to lean into her. His hands started to roam up and down her body. He could feel her toned body and it was driving him crazy. He wanted to rip off her dress, he knew there weren't any undergarments to worry about, he found that out when his hands were running up and down her body. In the back of his mind an idea hit him, it was so easy that he almost missed it. He imagined himself lifting her dress to her waist and freeing himself then plunging into her hot core, her legs wrapped around his waist. The thought of pounding her into the wall, right here in the hallway, where anyone could catch them, was leaving him almost dizzy with lust.
Hermione was thoroughly enjoying the snogging, but if Draco's actions and body were an indication, he wanted to do more than snog. She quickly composed herself mentally and pushed against his chest. After about a minute Draco registered that Hermione was pushing against him. He reluctantly stepped back and looked at her swollen lips, this sight didn't help his swollen member. He carefully held back a groan and ran his hands nervously through his blonde locks.
"Slow down there stud, we wouldn't want anything premature to happen would we?" Hermione asked, giving him a saucy grin. "Maybe we should step back and compose ourselves and head back to the ball!" she turned around and sauntered off. He stood there for a minute watching her go, gods, she drove him wild. How could she walk away so calmly afterwards? He turned his back to the room and quickly pulled out his wand. Aiming it carefully into his pants, he placed a very much needed freezing charm between his legs. After checking that everything was back in place he strode casually back to join his friends.
Harry wasn't fairing much better. He was almost certain now that it was Ginny's intention to make him go mentally insane with lust. All through the evening, she kept rubbing into him, laughing against his neck and giving him looks that clearly had no place outside of the bedroom. He shook his head, this was the way Ginny had always been, fierce, bold and a true Gryffindor. It suddenly hit him ,even though he didn't recgonize it when he was younger, then chose to ignore it when he got older, it was now smacking him in the face and there was no denying it, Ginny was gorgeous, she always had been and he loved her, he alway had, since the first time he met her. Why did this realization have to come now? She no longer had an interest in him, she had given up on waiting and moved on, to who, he had no idea, but someone of Ginny's worth had to have someone special in their lives.
Ginny did have someone special in her life, but he had yet to realize it. She may end up having to do what her mother referred to as shovel therapy! Molly had sat Ginny down one day, when she was a young teenager, and told her about men. At first it had been an uncomfortable experience, but Molly soon put her at ease. She learned that most men were like her brothers when it came to matters of the heart, they just needed a good wack with a shovel up side the head to make them see clearly! Ginny thought she would give Harry some more time, although the daft bugger had 10 years already. By New Years, if he didn't pull his head out of his arse, she was pulling out the shovel!
Ann was sitting at a table, when her two female friends came over to join her. Surprisingly enough, no one else came to sit with them. The next table over, two very wealthy and proper looking men were holding their own conversation.
Lucius Malfoy and Giovanni Zabini had been observing their sons throughtout the evening. It had turned out that the Zabini's had stayed neutral through the war, but certainly did not hold to any of Voldemorts beliefs. Lucius was found to have been balckmailed into joining Voldemorts ranks. The Dark Lord had used his wife and son to keep Lucius in line. If one thing could be said about Lucius, it was that he loved his family very much and didn't want any harm to come to them. In the final battle when he saw Draco switch sides, he secretly jumped for joy, now there was just the matter of keeping Narcissa safe. He had decided to keep up the pretenses until he could get her away, but the Dark Lord took care of that for him. It seemed that Narcissa and Antoinette(Blaise's mother) had gotten tired of being servants to the Dark Lord and openly defied him. He took care of their insolence with the killing curse. As soon as Lucius found out this information he turned himself in. After a lengthy trial he was found not guilty of his activities, he even went as far as to open a trust fund for any muggle born. The money would be used for school supplies and even tuition, but only for muggle borns. He never really believed all of that finatical stuff about purebloods being better, one only had to look at Lily Potter and Hermione Granger to see the complete opposite was true.
a/n: this next part I am going off the Italian I learned from a good friend growing up. He was from Sicily, so if it is not exact, I apologize to any Italians out there. Translation will be at the bottom of the page.
"This uno ha una linguetta ardenta. Se fossi alcuni anni più giovane sarei challenging tutti gli uomini qui nella stanza. Ché combinazione perfetta, bellezza grande, cervelli e una base." Giovanni turned to his old friend in his native tongue.
"I completamente sono conforme, Giovanni! Una donna gradisce che è come un vino fine, uno che deve essere savoured lentamente, non chugged giù. Tutti questi pups giovani, non hanno quel genere di apprezzamento." was Lucius reply, taking a sip of his wine to prove his point.
"Sadly I sono conforme a questo proposito inoltre, persino sono rattristato per dire che i nostri due figli sono inclusi in quel gruppo." Giovanni's look was lost in the ceiling.
"Yes, ma sanno bere lentamente quando signori di bisogno be!"
Ann leaned over her chair, "Hello! Sapete che realmente dovreste scoprire se qualcuno può capirlo prima che cominciate a parlarli di. Nel spiare e facendo le trattative, esso le marche per un risultato sudicio se il vostro nemico può capire il vostro plans!"
"She ci hanno ottenuto là il ragazzo anziano! Ha ha! Scaturisce la mia signora, come possiamo farli fino a you!" Giovanni laughed out to his old friend.
"You possiamo godere la vostra sera e fare attenzione vogliate a questo consiglio, "le pareti hanno molti orecchi che ascoltano in molte lingue!" Buona sera gentlemen." Ann turned back around to her companions.
"Wow, penso che sia nel hmmm di Love!" exclaimed Giovanni.
"Mmm!" was all Lucius replied before taking another sip of his wine. All during the conversation he was wondering who this girl was and why she looked so familiar. She was obviously well bred, the way she carried herself and she knew at least two languages. He liked puzzles and this one would be fun to piece together.
The rest of the Weasley's made their way over to the table and Lucius sneered in disgust. He may be on the same side now, but that didn't mean he had to like them.
"Arthur, I see you managed to afford newer clothes for your family, even if they are from a second hand store!" was the sneering comment.
"Father, I see you are in fine form tonight! Mr. Zabini." Draco said to his fathers companion with a nod.
Blaise greeted his father with a nod also and sat down next to Draco, at the Weasley table.
Lucius turned to Ann, Hermione and Ginny and said, "my dears, why don't you join us at our table, that way at least you will have some intelligent conversation!" Now talking directly to Ann, "my dear you do look familiar, I do not believe I have given you the honour of introducing myself and of meeting you?" "My name is Lucius Malfoy and this is Giovanni Zabini." Giovanni was looking uncomfortable being stared down by a girl, but Lucius didn't seem to mind one bit, in fact he looked like he was enjoying the attention and thought he had quite thoroughly impressed the girl.
a/n: this next part is my knowledge of French from school and family, who are French(I'm Canadian! We have a language here, known as Frenglish) Again translation at the bottom of the page.
"Bonjour Mr.Malfoy ! Je suis sûr que vous êtes heureuse de me rencontrer, mais je ne peux pas renvoyer le compliment. je vois que vous n'êtes pas vraiment qu'instruit, l'OH bien, aucune matière, ce qui peut moi prévoir de quelqu'un tel que vous-même ! Permettez-moi de mettre votre esprit simple au repos. Je suis Madame Aenigma Persephone Isis Argenti, héritier à Merlin et l'Argenti, et le monarque régnant des shapeshifters qu'and shadowwalkers."
Wanting to get back in the good graces of this powerful ally. "I apoligize ma Madame, pardonnent svp mon rudeness. Je ne vous ai pas identifié parmi ces derniers, hommes du peuple ! Je prie humblement votre forgiveness!" Lucius was truly stunned that he had not recgonized this beauty.
"You peux avoir ma rémission, si et quand vous apoligize aux ces bon people!"
"I ne vous abaisserez pas pour faire le that!"
"Are vous disant que je me suis abaissé parce que je m'assieds et mange à la même table qu'eux do?" Ann asked suspiciously.
"No, aucun pas du tout. Pardonnez-encore moi pour ma bouche. Elle parle plus rapidement que mon brain!" Lucius quickly back peddled.
Ann had heard enough of this mans pompous attitude and wanted to get back to her dinner.
"Vous vraiment devez apprendre à commander votre langue ou un jour où vous pouvez la trouver a contrarié quelqu'un vous ne voulez pas faire un ennemi. Savez-vous le Mr.Malfoy de ma devise de familles ? ... J'ai pensé pas, nous ne tendons pas à partager cette information avec des lessers, mais je ferai une exception dans votre cas. Le premier est "connaît les amis thy et les tient étroitement, mais connaît les ennemis thy meilleurs et les juge plus étroits!" et "si vous êtes contre un de nos propres que vous êtes contre nous tous!" "Argenti à Me!"Please s'asseyent et s'occupent de vos façons !" with that said she turned back around and began to talk to Ginny once again. Lcius stood and apologized to Arthur and Molly, than sat back down pouting and grumbling.
Draco and Blaise having understood everything that was said, sat with their jaws on the table. Harry leaned over and asked what happened.
"Basically, Ann just verbally bitch slapped my father to his knees, and kicked him in the groin for good measure, metaphorically speaking of course!"
Everyone at the table looked over to Ann, who was still talking to her two female friends. Ann noticed the strares and looked at everyone. Fred and George looked at each other and then at the same time asked, "will you marry us?"
Ann laughed and shook her head. Oliver spoke what was on his mind. "Why did you do that? No offense to the Weasleys, but they are kind of used to the insults, it isn't anything different! He could have really hurt you." the concern in his voice was genuine. Ron wanted to know the same thing, he didn't know if he could survive losing her and he didn't want to find out.
"No one insults my family and friends in my presence and gets away with it, he needed to be put in his place and that is what I did. As for hurting me, he should think twice about doing something so rash!" Ann picked up her fork and dug into her cheesecake that had just appeared before her.
"What languages were you speaking? I noticed they sounded different from each other." this came from Ron.
"The first was Italian because that is what they were conversing in and it is polite to answer someone in the language they are speaking. The second was French. I switched simply to test his breeding. Any high bred witch or wizard knows more than one language. To put it simply I was insulting his intelligence, without making it obvious." Ann's smirk rivaled Malfoys.
The evening ended without anymore incidents and soon the large group made their way in different direction to their various homes.
ok here are the translations to the Italian conversation:
"This one has a fiery tongue. If I were a few years younger I would be challenging all of the men here in the room. What a perfect combination, great beauty, brains and a backbone."
"I completely agree, Giovanni! A woman like that is like a fine wine, one that must be savoured slowly, not chugged down. All of these young pups, do not have that kind of appreciation."
"Sadly I agree on that account also, even I am saddened to say our two sons are included in that group."
"Yes, but they know how to drink slowly when need be!"
"Hello gentlemen! You know you really should find out if someone can understand you before you begin to talk about them. When spying and making negotiations, it makes for a messy outcome if your enemy can understand your plans!"
"She got us there old boy! Ha ha! Well my Lady, how may we make it up to you!"
"You may enjoy your evening and please heed this advice, "the walls have many ears that listen in many languages!" Good evening gentlemen."
"Wow, I think I am in Love!"
here are the translations to the French conversation:
"Hello Mr.Malfoy! I am sure you are pleased to meet me, but I cannot return the compliment."
"I see you really are not that educated, oh well, no matter, what can I expect from someone such as yourself! Allow me to put your simple mind at rest. I am Lady Aenigma Persephone Isis Argenti, heir to the Merlin and Argenti's, and ruling monarch of the shapeshifters and shadowwalkers"
"I do apoligize my Lady, please forgive my rudeness. I did not recognize you among these, commoners! I humbly beg your forgiveness!"
"You may have my forgiveness, if and when you apoligize to these good people!"
"I will not lower myself to do that!"
"Are you saying I have lowered myself because I sit and eat at the same table as they do?"
"No, no not at all. Again forgive me for my mouth. It speaks more quickly than my brain!"
"You really must learn to control your tongue or one day you may find it has displeased someone you do not want to make an enemy. Do you know my families motto's Mr.Malfoy? ... I thought not, we don't tend to share that information with lessers, but I will make an exception in your case. The first is to "know thy friends and hold them close, but know thy enemies better and hold them closer!" and "If you are against one of our own you are against us all!" "Argenti's To Me!"Please sit down and mind your manners!"
Please review. Hoping to get a couple more chapters in before the holidays, then continue when I get back! Thanks to my reviewers IsI Wisi and pettybureaucrat who gave me a few ideas for this chapter.