Cruel Beauty

Rating: PG-13

Summery: Alternate Universe. When Ginny was six years old her parents died and she was left in the care of her mother's beautiful yet cruel sister. She raises Ginny with misguided views on love, will Ginny be able to love or is she too late to save?

Disclaimer: Anything that you recognize is not mine

A/N Okay, I have even confused myself on the ages so I'm going to try and clear that up. Last chapter I said that I was skipping three years ahead and Ginny was starting her fifth year and Hogwarts. I'm dumb, I meant to say that she was starting her fourth and Draco was starting his fifth. I'm sorry if I confused anyone, I hope that everything is set straight now.

Chapter Eleven

Don't Speak

I really feel
That I'm losing my best friend
I can't believe
This could be the end No Doubt

Quidditch is quite simply one of the biggest wastes of time that I have ever encountered. I have many problems with the sport, the first being the obnoxious crowds. It does not matter if it is being played at Hogwarts or professionally, most people who go to watch are crazy. They are loud, rude, and uncivilized; they treat the people flying up on broomsticks as if they were greater than God himself if they win, and worse than the scum on their shoe if they lose.

Secondly, I have never got the point of the game. I understand that there are chasers, beaters, a keeper, and a seeker; but I have always thought that the only one really needed was the seeker. The game ends as soon as the snitch is caught by the seeker and that person's team ninety-nine times out of a hundred wins the game; so why are the other players even required?

Draco has tried many times to change my mind on the sport, but has always been unsuccessful. He has been the Slytherin seeker since his second year, and I have always told him that if he was going to play the pointless game, at least he was the important player on the team.

Slytherin's are not quite as into Quidditch as much as the other houses. Many enjoy it, but to some point they all agree with me. Everyone in my school house believes that they are above everyone else, so why would they want to share the other students enthusiasm on the sport. However, there is one time of the year that they change their viewpoints, the match against Gryffindor.

The rivalry between Slytherin and Gryffindor is timeless and it is something that will never be resolved. The values of the students in each are polar opposites and there is an endless competition between the two. When they play against each other in Quidditch, most see it as so much more than a game, whoever wins, is the better house in all things. I still find the game to be ridiculous, but that is just me.

The day of this anticipated game came and the excitement was building throughout the school. Draco was pacing in his room where I sat on his bed and examined my nails with extreme boredom. He got like this every year and I had learned to just ignore him. Slytherin would either win and Draco would be so happy that he would actually smile in public; or they would lose and he would not speak to anyone for two weeks.

The time finally came for Draco to meet the rest of the team and prepare for the upcoming game. He left without a word and I went down to the common room. Slytherins from every year were seated around the room chatting about the possible outcomes of the game. When it was one hour before the competition was to start everyone filed out of the room and went down to the field decked out in house colors. I stayed behind and read a book.

A few hours later I heard a thundering noise coming through the dungeons. It came closer and closer until the portrait swung open and the entire Slytherin student body came piling in slapping random team members on the back and shouting out their favorite plays of the game. I spotted Draco wearing a huge grin on his face and reenacting how he caught the snitch. I wrinkled my nose in disgust, he was actually laughing.

He came over to me and attempted to tell me how the game had went and how he had beaten Potter. I told him that I was going to bed. Only Quidditch could take a person like Draco and cause him to act like a normal fifteen year old boy; but he wasn't normal, and it would not do him any good to forget it.

I was continuing my book in my room when Draco stumbled in still wearing his Quidditch robes. He ungracefully sat down on the bed next to me where I could smell the alcohol reeking off of him.

"What have you been drinking?" I asked as I moved away from him.

"Only butterbeer Virginia." He slurred my name out as I reached over and took the bottle away from him. I passed it under my nose and sniffed the heavy alcohol that resided inside.

"If this is only butterbeer then you should be highly embarrassed that you can get so smashed off of it; I had no idea that you were such a lightweight."

He sighed and as he did so his whole body slumped forward. "Alright," he leaned up again and motioned for me to come closer as if he wanted to tell me a secret. "It has other things in it too," he whispered into my ear.

I rolled my eyes and retrieved my wand. I performed a sobering spell and waited for it to take affect. Draco groaned loudly and fell back on my bed.

I smirked at him, "I have told you time and time again not to drink; you know that the after effects are not worth it."

"Ugh, whatever, can you please just do the other spell and put me out of my misery." I looked thoughtful as I twirled my wand and contemplated leaving him in this state to teach him a lesson. I looked over at him as he rolled off of my bed and finally took pity and said the hangover spell. Draco stumbled up, "thank you."

I nodded at his apology. "If you drink again, do not expect me to do a thing about it."

He placed his hand over his heart, "I solemnly swear that I, Draco Edward Malfoy, will never touch alcohol again." I smiled and forgave him. He cleared his throat and sat down beside me once again on the bed, "we won."

"I gathered." I said dryly. As Draco returned to normal we talked about things and I reluctantly allowed him to tell me about the game; it took him one hour to fill me in on the race to the snitch that lasted three minutes. After Quidditch he moved on to his latest girlfriend whom he had just broken up with. I rolled my eyes, "why do you insist on dating so many girls, you don't even like any of them."

He looked at me coyly, "maybe I'm just looking for the right one."

"The way you go through girls you wouldn't know 'the right one' if she came over and hit you over the head with a broomstick."

He looked me in the eyes and became serious, "maybe I'm looking at the right one."

I moved away from him, "are you still drunk?" I asked suspiciously.

He ran a hand through his hair. "Why is it so inconceivable to you that we could be more than what we are?"

"And what are we?"

He sighed, "I'm not exactly sure. But I do know that you are the only person that I truly like; that I truly get along with. Every other person at this world, annoys me in some way; but you don't. You know me better than anyone else and it's vice versa, we have been through hell and back; and it just makes sense." He walked over to where I was now standing and lifted my face up so he could see me, "you are so beautiful and I really do care about you."

I took a step back. Everything always led back to beauty. What he was saying made sense to me, he was feeling "more" for me because he saw my beauty. I had developed early and many people did view me in this way, but it was the same cold beauty that they saw in Velena. You looked, but never came to close. But Draco was already close. He wanted to ruin everything that we had because he had seen the deceiving beauty that all Evansole women had. I quietly asked him to leave as I sat down. After he had left the room I thought about all the bad things that had been caused in my life by beauty.

I left the Slytherin dungeons where the party was still in place and went to the nearest bathroom. I peered into the mirror at my pale clear skin and long straight red hair. Despite the deep brown eyes the only thing that I saw staring back at me was Velena. I had become my aunt in personality and looks. The closest thing that I had to a friend would now never talk to me again because of my looks. I hated beauty.

I pulled out my wand and charmed my freckles back that had magically disappeared when I was seven. They surrounded my face and blotched my flawless skin but it wasn't enough. I held out my wand and summoned a pair of scissors, they came to me and I held them bravely in front of my face. I took a deep breath and held out a clump of hair with my fist. I attacked it with the scissors and continued with the rest. I watched with a sick pleasure as the hair hit the floor. When I was done my hair was ear length and extremely uneven; it clashed horribly with my face shape and once I returned the natural curl to it I looked like a demented version of Shirly Temple.

I smirked in satisfaction as I entered the Slytherin common room. Everyone had either passed out or gone to bed besides Draco, he was waiting for me in our chairs by the fireplace. I walked over and stood in front of him practically grinning as his eyes scanned over my face and hair.

He stood up and ran a hand through my now short hair and looked at my freckles, "you're still beautiful."

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A/N I really enjoyed writing that! Alright just to let you know something, Draco is not in love with Virginia, he feels something more for her than their companionship but do not expect either one of them to change their views on love so quickly. Thank you to all of you who reviewed the last chapter, my last couple of days have been really hectic so it was nice to receive positive reviews!

Nirvana- Thanks for understanding about the short delay in updating! I hope that this chapter was worth the wait! Romance will be slow, but we are getting there!!! Thanks for reviewing!

Darcel- Yeah, I kind of shocked myself by killing off Maria so fast, but she was getting on my nerves because I didn't really know how to write her, lol! Thanks for reviewing again!

Vaness- Ginny's been trying to find out who killed Maria for years but she's had no luck…yet. She, along with everyone else will find out eventually, but I can't guarantee that Ginny will discover the information on her own. Thanks for reviewing and I appreciate the suggestion, I always need ideas!

ToykoGal89- I'm glad that you liked that I skipped ahead. I was kind of nervous about doing it because I wasn't sure if it would work out alright, so I'm really happy that you thought it was good! Thanks for the continuing reviews!

Kitkat87- So now you know what happened, hopefully you aren't disappointed! I'm glad that you don't mind my killing off Maria and thanks for taking the time to review!

Frananddragon- Thank you!! I love this Ginny too, I hate how she is always a wimpy little girl! Thank you so much for all the compliments that you gave me in your review, especially the talent one, it is very much appreciated! Thank you for reviewing and I hope to hear from you again soon!

Arianell- Thanks for taking the time to review even though you didn't have any questions or anything. It's nice to know that people are reading this so thank you for leaving a review!

Ace of Spades- Don't worry about missing nine, and it's good that you understand the reasons for Maria being placed in the story! Sorry that I messed up the ages but yes, Ginny is fourteen and Draco is fifteen. I can't say who did it, but it's good that you remembered Draco's promise to Ginny. Thank you for reviewing!

Some dude- Hey, glad to hear from you again! Freud is one of the more interesting people in psychology, I have read a lot on him and I have to agree with your sex theory, lol! My favorite optimist has to be Karl Marx though, any person that can start the Russian Revolution with their theory is fascinating to learn about, lol! Thanks for reviewing and I hope to read more of your "rambles" soon!

Zainab- Sorry that you got sick with food poisoning, that sucks! Thank you for taking the time to review even though you're sick! Hope that you feel better soon!

k00lgirl1808- Hmm, that is the question of the story, will Ginny ever get along with her brothers? I don't know right now, I'm still thinking about the possible outcomes of the story, but more than likely yes.

S.e.a- Sorry that you have to get three teeth pulled, I have had to get that done before and it sucks! I'll send help right away!! Thanks for reviewing (even though you didn't actually get the chance to read the chapter) and I'll be looking forward to hearing from you again in a week. Hope that they don't hurt you too much!

Firefly of hell- The romance parts are coming, even though they are coming slowly! Lol! Yes, poor Ginny, nothing seems to work out for her, does it? Thanks for reviewing and I'm glad that you liked the story!