Disclaimer: The tale of Beauty and the Beast does not belong to me.
Neither do J.K. Rowling's characters. So in a sense, nothing at all
belongs to me except the idea to combine the two and the words in which I
wrote it.~
A/N: I hope this has not been done before, but it is possible. The story is based in Ginny's seventh year, and it is somewhat following the popular classic, 'Beauty and the Beast'. At least I got my idea from it. It will not however, be much like the animated Disney version. I hope everyone enjoys this story, and I hope to see lots of encouraging reviews!~
Finding Beauty
Chapter 1: The Regretted Rose
~**~**~**~
Time seemed to slow down as they all sat huddled around the Weasley's kitchen table. Ginny drummed her fingers impatiently, glancing from the door to her worried mother's face. The snow raged on outside, determined to make it even harder for the search party.
"I wish we could be out there looking with them." Ron said with hints of impatience and annoyance.
Harry lifted his head from his arms. He, Ron, Hermione, Mrs. Weasley, and Ginny were all seated around the table. Each was exhausted, not having slept in hours.
"You know what Bill said." Harry stated wearily. "We've got to stay here and keep watch over your mother and the girls."
Ginny sat up a little straighter. "I'm perfectly capable of watching over myself and mum. You three go if you want."
"No." Mrs. Weasley said firmly. The four looked at her in surprise. This was the first time she had said anything since hearing the frightening news. "You are all staying right here. I'm not having any more of my babies out there in that weather."
"But it's dad we are talking about here!" Ron argued, his ears turning a slight shade of pink.
"I know, and I'm just as worried about him as you are, but Bill, Fred, George, Remus, and Tonks are enough searchers for now." Mrs. Weasley nervously wrung her hands on her tattered apron and fell silent once again, anxiously adverting her eyes to each window.
Ginny recalled the events of the last day or so. Her father had gone on an assignment from the ministry. Lucius Malfoy had been killed. It seemed he had not correctly followed Voldemort's orders. So Arthur had been told to go check on the Malfoy Mansion, and on Lucius' son Draco and his mother. Since he had left two days ago, promising return late the same day he left, they had not heard a word from him. Ron and Harry had immediately placed all the blame on Draco, and the oldest Weasley's, minus Charlie who hadn't arrived yet and Percy who was always too busy with work for such trivial matters, and went out searching for him. Remus Lupin and Tonks joined them soon after when they were not able to find the Malfoy Mansion at all.
"The Malfoy's must have put some sort of spell on the place." Lupin had told everyone. "It's so well hidden that I don't know how Arthur found it at all."
In two days it would be Christmas, Ginny reminded herself. After that she would be forced to go back to school. She was in her seventh year now and all the others had since graduated. If her father wasn't home for Christmas . . .
"Look!" Hermione said excitedly, breaking the harsh silence and pointing out the window at a figure struggling through the snow and approaching the Weasley house.
"Finally!" Mrs. Weasley said, jumping out of her chair and relief flooding her voice.
The mood lightened considerably as the kitchen door burst open, and Mr. Weasley tumbled in, along with the ruthless wind and snow. Harry and Ron helped to keep Mr. Weasley steady as he shivered uncontrollably, and Ginny helped Hermione fight against the wind to close the door.
Ginny wiped her long, red locks gently out of her face, and did a quick spell to clean the pile of snow that had blown in with her dad.
"Arthur!" Molly said as she grabbed another blanket to wrap around her husband. Hermione pointed her wand at the fire and it roared in the fireplace. "You've had us worried sick! What happened!?"
Ginny's father seemed to struggle to speak for a moment, and to everyone's astonishment he lifted his head and stared right at Ginny. With his gloved hand he beckoned her forward. Ginny obeyed, looking at her dad curiously.
"What is it dad?" She asked.
He reached deep into his robes and pulled out the most beautiful thing Ginny had ever seen.
In his hand was a small, gold rose. Upon closer inspection Ginny realized it was pure gold, each petal as delicately crafted as the next. It was sprinkled with tiny diamonds, made to look like little dew droplets.
Arthur placed the exquisite gold rose in Ginny's palm and stared at it sadly.
"I've made a terrible mistake." He spoke at last.
"What are you talking about Arthur? Where did you get that rose?" Mrs. Weasley said with suspicion.
Arthur coughed loudly, leaning over and hacking into his fist.
"Hermione dear, would you put the kettle on for tea?" Mrs. Weasley asked as she walked to a nearby cabinet and pulled out a bottle of Pepper-Up Potion. She forced a spoonful of the disgusting stuff down her husband's throat, and he instantly stopped coughing. He removed the blanket that had been wrapped around his shoulders, and started fanning himself instantly.
"I hate that stuff Molly!" He said easily.
"Well you can speak now, so tell us what happened." She dismissed his complaint.
"I don't even know where to begin. I don't even want to begin!"
Everyone stared at him silently, urging him with their eyes to explain.
"Oh very well." He sighed and took a deep breath. "As you all know, I was assigned to search the Malfoy Mansion after the Ministry received word that Lucius Malfoy was dead. So I followed my instructions and left right away two days ago now, and arrived safely. When I got there the place seemed deserted. No one answered the door and there was no one out front that I could see. I decided to go around back of the place, and was surprised to find two freshly dug gravesites in the Malfoy gardens. The tombstones read, 'Lucius S. Malfoy' and 'Narcissa C. Malfoy'. It said that Narcissa had died a day after Lucius. I found this very curious. The Ministry had said nothing about his wife dying, and I assumed they didn't know. I kept going though, and used a spell to open the back door. No one answered my calls as I walked through the house, and finally I gave up. There seemed to be nothing out of place, and nothing that looked suspiciously like dark magic."
Mr. Weasley stopped and took a long swig of the tea that Hermione had just set in front of him. "So I left through the back door and strolled through the Malfoy Gardens for a minute, admiring the beautiful roses. There were roses of every color, size, and shape imaginable." His eyes seemed to light up as he spoke about the flowers and Ginny took a small glance at the golden rose in her hand. "I saw that rose." Arthur said, pointing at the one Ginny held. "Of course it wasn't pure gold on the bush. It was a deep yellow, and I just knew Ginny would love it. It reminded me of her, and the way her red hair shines bright yellow in the light. So, I reached down and picked it."
At this Mr. Weasley stopped and looked around apologetically. "I wanted a beautiful rose for my beautiful daughter. . . never could I have imagined how much pain it would cost me, and how much it will continue to cost me." Everyone looked at him with a mixture of curiosity and dread.
"What happened dad?" Ron asked quietly.
Arthur sighed again and continued, "Lucius' son appeared from nowhere. He struck me with a curse and I fell to the ground and looked up at him with fright. Draco is a tall boy now, and closely resembles his father. . . and always wears the same scowl as his father."
Ginny saw Ron grip the table with anger. Harry was clenching and unclenching his fists, and Hermione had her hand tight around her wand.
"Anyway, Draco told me that I was cursed forever, and explained all about it. I had picked his flower and I would have to return something of my own to pay for it. I offered money, but he just laughed in my face. I was beginning to think the boy insane. I threatened him for all I was worth. Telling him that the Ministry would be after him soon. But this didn't faze him either. I was beginning to fear the worst. The curse and its consequences that he placed on me were becoming real. Draco took the flower from my hand and it instantly turned to gold. He helped me up and placed the rose back in my hand. 'Take this to your daughter.' He said. 'And Christmas night tell her that I request her presence at my Manor. I am going to have a dinner.'
Ginny looked at her father in shock, and he shook his head slowly.
"Malfoy told me that if Ginny didn't come, the golden rose would wilt, and I would die along with it."
A series of gasps erupted in the kitchen, and once again the door blew open. In came Bill, Fred, George, Lupin, and Tonks, all looking very rumpled and surprised at the shocked silence in the kitchen.
"Then I'll go." Ginny said firmly, ignoring the other's entrance.
"No!" Her father shouted, shaking his head roughly now. "You cannot! We will work on trying to break the curse . . . after all it was cast by an 18- year-old boy. How powerful could it be?"
"Draco Malfoy is not without talent in the dark arts." Harry stated grimly. "As much as I hate to admit it."
"So I'll go to dinner with the slimy git and then the curse will be broken." Ginny said lightly. "Don't worry dad. It will be fine."
"I won't allow it Ginny." Arthur said dispiritedly.
"What is it Arthur?" Molly asked slowly, looking him over carefully. "What are you keeping from us?"
Ginny stared into her father's eyes and saw them watering rapidly. "Malfoy also said that she wouldn't be returning from that dinner. That she would have to stay at his Manor . . . forever."
Silence filled the room.
Fred shook out the snow from his coat and cleared his throat. "Alright, what is going on?"
~**~**~**~
A/N: The more reviews, the faster I write! (Haha, yes that is my lame attempt to try to get everyone who reads to review) Honest opinions are the best encouragement!
A/N: I hope this has not been done before, but it is possible. The story is based in Ginny's seventh year, and it is somewhat following the popular classic, 'Beauty and the Beast'. At least I got my idea from it. It will not however, be much like the animated Disney version. I hope everyone enjoys this story, and I hope to see lots of encouraging reviews!~
Finding Beauty
Chapter 1: The Regretted Rose
~**~**~**~
Time seemed to slow down as they all sat huddled around the Weasley's kitchen table. Ginny drummed her fingers impatiently, glancing from the door to her worried mother's face. The snow raged on outside, determined to make it even harder for the search party.
"I wish we could be out there looking with them." Ron said with hints of impatience and annoyance.
Harry lifted his head from his arms. He, Ron, Hermione, Mrs. Weasley, and Ginny were all seated around the table. Each was exhausted, not having slept in hours.
"You know what Bill said." Harry stated wearily. "We've got to stay here and keep watch over your mother and the girls."
Ginny sat up a little straighter. "I'm perfectly capable of watching over myself and mum. You three go if you want."
"No." Mrs. Weasley said firmly. The four looked at her in surprise. This was the first time she had said anything since hearing the frightening news. "You are all staying right here. I'm not having any more of my babies out there in that weather."
"But it's dad we are talking about here!" Ron argued, his ears turning a slight shade of pink.
"I know, and I'm just as worried about him as you are, but Bill, Fred, George, Remus, and Tonks are enough searchers for now." Mrs. Weasley nervously wrung her hands on her tattered apron and fell silent once again, anxiously adverting her eyes to each window.
Ginny recalled the events of the last day or so. Her father had gone on an assignment from the ministry. Lucius Malfoy had been killed. It seemed he had not correctly followed Voldemort's orders. So Arthur had been told to go check on the Malfoy Mansion, and on Lucius' son Draco and his mother. Since he had left two days ago, promising return late the same day he left, they had not heard a word from him. Ron and Harry had immediately placed all the blame on Draco, and the oldest Weasley's, minus Charlie who hadn't arrived yet and Percy who was always too busy with work for such trivial matters, and went out searching for him. Remus Lupin and Tonks joined them soon after when they were not able to find the Malfoy Mansion at all.
"The Malfoy's must have put some sort of spell on the place." Lupin had told everyone. "It's so well hidden that I don't know how Arthur found it at all."
In two days it would be Christmas, Ginny reminded herself. After that she would be forced to go back to school. She was in her seventh year now and all the others had since graduated. If her father wasn't home for Christmas . . .
"Look!" Hermione said excitedly, breaking the harsh silence and pointing out the window at a figure struggling through the snow and approaching the Weasley house.
"Finally!" Mrs. Weasley said, jumping out of her chair and relief flooding her voice.
The mood lightened considerably as the kitchen door burst open, and Mr. Weasley tumbled in, along with the ruthless wind and snow. Harry and Ron helped to keep Mr. Weasley steady as he shivered uncontrollably, and Ginny helped Hermione fight against the wind to close the door.
Ginny wiped her long, red locks gently out of her face, and did a quick spell to clean the pile of snow that had blown in with her dad.
"Arthur!" Molly said as she grabbed another blanket to wrap around her husband. Hermione pointed her wand at the fire and it roared in the fireplace. "You've had us worried sick! What happened!?"
Ginny's father seemed to struggle to speak for a moment, and to everyone's astonishment he lifted his head and stared right at Ginny. With his gloved hand he beckoned her forward. Ginny obeyed, looking at her dad curiously.
"What is it dad?" She asked.
He reached deep into his robes and pulled out the most beautiful thing Ginny had ever seen.
In his hand was a small, gold rose. Upon closer inspection Ginny realized it was pure gold, each petal as delicately crafted as the next. It was sprinkled with tiny diamonds, made to look like little dew droplets.
Arthur placed the exquisite gold rose in Ginny's palm and stared at it sadly.
"I've made a terrible mistake." He spoke at last.
"What are you talking about Arthur? Where did you get that rose?" Mrs. Weasley said with suspicion.
Arthur coughed loudly, leaning over and hacking into his fist.
"Hermione dear, would you put the kettle on for tea?" Mrs. Weasley asked as she walked to a nearby cabinet and pulled out a bottle of Pepper-Up Potion. She forced a spoonful of the disgusting stuff down her husband's throat, and he instantly stopped coughing. He removed the blanket that had been wrapped around his shoulders, and started fanning himself instantly.
"I hate that stuff Molly!" He said easily.
"Well you can speak now, so tell us what happened." She dismissed his complaint.
"I don't even know where to begin. I don't even want to begin!"
Everyone stared at him silently, urging him with their eyes to explain.
"Oh very well." He sighed and took a deep breath. "As you all know, I was assigned to search the Malfoy Mansion after the Ministry received word that Lucius Malfoy was dead. So I followed my instructions and left right away two days ago now, and arrived safely. When I got there the place seemed deserted. No one answered the door and there was no one out front that I could see. I decided to go around back of the place, and was surprised to find two freshly dug gravesites in the Malfoy gardens. The tombstones read, 'Lucius S. Malfoy' and 'Narcissa C. Malfoy'. It said that Narcissa had died a day after Lucius. I found this very curious. The Ministry had said nothing about his wife dying, and I assumed they didn't know. I kept going though, and used a spell to open the back door. No one answered my calls as I walked through the house, and finally I gave up. There seemed to be nothing out of place, and nothing that looked suspiciously like dark magic."
Mr. Weasley stopped and took a long swig of the tea that Hermione had just set in front of him. "So I left through the back door and strolled through the Malfoy Gardens for a minute, admiring the beautiful roses. There were roses of every color, size, and shape imaginable." His eyes seemed to light up as he spoke about the flowers and Ginny took a small glance at the golden rose in her hand. "I saw that rose." Arthur said, pointing at the one Ginny held. "Of course it wasn't pure gold on the bush. It was a deep yellow, and I just knew Ginny would love it. It reminded me of her, and the way her red hair shines bright yellow in the light. So, I reached down and picked it."
At this Mr. Weasley stopped and looked around apologetically. "I wanted a beautiful rose for my beautiful daughter. . . never could I have imagined how much pain it would cost me, and how much it will continue to cost me." Everyone looked at him with a mixture of curiosity and dread.
"What happened dad?" Ron asked quietly.
Arthur sighed again and continued, "Lucius' son appeared from nowhere. He struck me with a curse and I fell to the ground and looked up at him with fright. Draco is a tall boy now, and closely resembles his father. . . and always wears the same scowl as his father."
Ginny saw Ron grip the table with anger. Harry was clenching and unclenching his fists, and Hermione had her hand tight around her wand.
"Anyway, Draco told me that I was cursed forever, and explained all about it. I had picked his flower and I would have to return something of my own to pay for it. I offered money, but he just laughed in my face. I was beginning to think the boy insane. I threatened him for all I was worth. Telling him that the Ministry would be after him soon. But this didn't faze him either. I was beginning to fear the worst. The curse and its consequences that he placed on me were becoming real. Draco took the flower from my hand and it instantly turned to gold. He helped me up and placed the rose back in my hand. 'Take this to your daughter.' He said. 'And Christmas night tell her that I request her presence at my Manor. I am going to have a dinner.'
Ginny looked at her father in shock, and he shook his head slowly.
"Malfoy told me that if Ginny didn't come, the golden rose would wilt, and I would die along with it."
A series of gasps erupted in the kitchen, and once again the door blew open. In came Bill, Fred, George, Lupin, and Tonks, all looking very rumpled and surprised at the shocked silence in the kitchen.
"Then I'll go." Ginny said firmly, ignoring the other's entrance.
"No!" Her father shouted, shaking his head roughly now. "You cannot! We will work on trying to break the curse . . . after all it was cast by an 18- year-old boy. How powerful could it be?"
"Draco Malfoy is not without talent in the dark arts." Harry stated grimly. "As much as I hate to admit it."
"So I'll go to dinner with the slimy git and then the curse will be broken." Ginny said lightly. "Don't worry dad. It will be fine."
"I won't allow it Ginny." Arthur said dispiritedly.
"What is it Arthur?" Molly asked slowly, looking him over carefully. "What are you keeping from us?"
Ginny stared into her father's eyes and saw them watering rapidly. "Malfoy also said that she wouldn't be returning from that dinner. That she would have to stay at his Manor . . . forever."
Silence filled the room.
Fred shook out the snow from his coat and cleared his throat. "Alright, what is going on?"
~**~**~**~
A/N: The more reviews, the faster I write! (Haha, yes that is my lame attempt to try to get everyone who reads to review) Honest opinions are the best encouragement!