Ginny was having a wonderful time. She was shopping in New York with three
boys and picking out souvenirs for her friends back home. All thoughts of
the competition went out of her head and she was just being a happy teenage
girl on a shopping spree.
Draco was in a very different mood. He was irritable, and sick of watching the two Americans fawn over the Weaslette. Most of the girls stayed at the school to work on their projects and the ones who traveled had no idea that he was going to the city. He would have run into them on their way to use the Floo network, but they were held up by Ginny who had forgotten her purse. Now he was stuck with his worst enemy's little girlfriend and two bumbling oafs who seemed to be very much like Fred and George. None of them had any street smarts. Every time they saw a large building they would stop and take pictures and instead of just following street signs they used their large touristy map. Draco felt as if they were a mugging waiting to happen.
"Which one do you think for Hermione, Draco?" Ginny thrust two handbags in his face.
"What does it matter? They're both the same" He handed them back to her. She pushed the handbags back to him. "They are not. One has beaded trim and the other has braided trim." He glared at her. "It doesn't matter. It's not like you can afford one anyway." Draco was lucky the other two boys were off examining a pair of shoes, and not listening to he and Ginny arguing.
Ginny glared directly back, before turning to the sales clerk and saying "I'll take both."
The four left the store and Draco and Ginny fell back behind the other two. "So, did Potter give you the money?"
"For your information, Malfoy, Harry did not give me the money. I write." She shifted her shopping bag to her other arm.
"Write what?"
"Book reviews. For the Daily Prophet. It helps me make extra money that I don't have to share with my family. It also helps me buy my own clothes."
Draco looked at her. Indeed she was wearing clothes that fit her and weren't in the least bit masculine. "Oh."
"But I don't expect you to understand. After all, you've probably never worked a day in your life." She shifted the shopping bag again.
"Give me that." He took the bag from her hand and carried it for her. She was obviously having a difficult time carrying it.
"Thank you," she whispered almost inaudibly.
"Where are Tony and Matt?"
Ginny looked up and saw that the two boys they were traveling with were gone. "We should find them." She started frantically looking around, but just as they reached a corner they found who they were looking for. Matt and Tony were walking with two girls and gawking at a decorated window. A loud car horn behind Draco and Ginny sent everyone looking that way. Everyone including Matt, Tony, Nikki, and Tina.
"Well, look who we have here." Tina walked over to Draco and Ginny. "Quite a cute couple. Don't you think?"
Loud protests omitted from the blonde and the redhead. Matt spoke up "A very cute couple." He turned to Draco. "We'll meet you back at the school later. We're pairing up with the girls."
Noisily the group of four left, and Draco and Ginny were left in the middle of the city. "Where to?" Draco asked.
Ginny looked around and pointed in a direction. "That way?" "Sure."
The next day Ginny paced with her note cards, remembering exactly what she was supposed to say and do. Her Hogwarts uniform and red hair showed Draco where their display was.
"Relax, Weasley. It's just a competition." Draco lifted the time turner to view it. "How can you be so cool and collected?" She glared at him jealously.
He put the instrument down and grinned at her. "I'm a Malfoy. It's in my blood."
"Whatever. Here, we better get into place. The judges are entering the room." She scurried to the corner of the table, the one opposite of Draco. "Malfoy. One more thing." She reached out her hand. "Good luck."
He looked at her skeptically and then smirked, and grabbed her hand. "You too, Weasley." They both tensed as the judges walked in the room.
There were eight of them. They were each specially chosen by the international ministry of magic and they judged each school separately. The students would present their projects, and tell about what it was.
Draco began, "Ladies and gentlemen, this is a magically energized event decelerator, or a time turner. This can take you farther back in time to view certain events during a certain time period. We discovered while making this, that the maximum amount of time changes with the amount of crushed Pacific sea shell put into the turner. We have tested the turner to be capable of transporting someone back to the year 1006."
Ginny marveled at how gracefully he delivered his speeches and how sophisticated he always was around those he needed to impress. He would make a fine businessman when he graduated. She delivered her part of the speech and showed the judges how the turner worked and let them test it. She knew they enjoyed their subject and that the speech was delivered perfectly, but she didn't know how the judging was going to turn out.
The next day was a nightmare. There was nothing for the students to do but wait. It was October twenty-eighth and the judges were in deliberation for who should win. The dorms and library were unusually quiet in the American school and full of nervous energy. Ginny's only relief came with a letter from Kaydence.
Hey Gin! How's life with Malfoy going? I remembered that today
was the day you had to wait before you could know what the
scores were, so I decided to write you a letter because I know
you're freaking out. Everyone's so proud of you here! We're
all wishing you luck. Harry misses you. Don't say "no he's
not", because he is. I can tell. Girls intuition, you know.
But, anyway, don't worry. I'm sure you did fine and you will be
happy with your score. I can't wait to see what your dress
looks like for the Halloween ball on Saturday! Good luck and
remember I luv ya!
Kaydence
Ginny sighed and then looked around. The room was sparkling. She couldn't help it if she cleaned when she was nervous. She re-read the letter and nearly fell off her chair. A dress! She knew she needed a dress for the next day, but she just figured she'd wear one of her old ones. She had completely forgotten about the Halloween ball back at Hogwarts. Ginny quickly ran through her mental list of dresses she had. None of them would suit for a costume. "Ugh!" She fell backward onto her bed. "I was not in the mood for dress shopping today."
She set out with her purse and room key toward the school's fireplace. "Miss Weasley, where are you off to in such a hurry?"
Ginny turned to face the school principal and head of the competition, Mrs. Ledman. "I just needed to run out to a store and pick something up."
"Miss Weasley, you should know by now that you are only allowed to leave the school when using the buddy system. Do you have a buddy?"
Ginny looked around to see blonde hair to her right. She grabbed his arm and said "Yes. Here he is. Here's my buddy."
"Very well, Miss Weasley." Mrs. Ledman walked away.
Immediately after she did it, she regretted it. "Your buddy, Weaslette?"
"Yes, thank you. And now that I can get where I want, you can go back to whatever it was that you were doing." She pushed past him and toward the fireplace, only for him to get in between she and the Floo powder again.
"Where are you going?"
"None of your business. Now move." She tried to maneuver past him but he still kept her from her mission.
"I just want to know. Tell me and I'll move." He smirked and she let out a frustrated sigh.
"To buy a dress in town. Alright?" She reached over his shoulder, but still couldn't get to the container.
"You're going to the city, right?"
"No. I'm going to the basement at Hogwarts. I hear the outfits there are styling. Yes, I'm going to town." She sighed and once again tried to move past him.
"Wait, I'm coming." He went for the Floo powder that Ginny was trying to get. "Why?"
"Because your sense of dress is utterly horrendous and I need to be sure you don't buy anything too ugly." His slanted eyes looked at her.
Ginny looked down at her clothes. There was nothing wrong with them! He was just fishing for an excuse to go back to the city.
He grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the fireplace and shouted "New York" into it.
The pair walked around looking for dress shops. Once in a while they would stop for ice cream or to look at a display in the window. They talked about school and things like the competition. Once they stopped at a display of a few Cinderella type dresses. Ginny handed Draco her bowl of ice cream. "Hold this."
Draco walked down the block and back. He stopped to critique a picture of a witch flying on a broom and walked back to the store. Ginny emerged a few moments later with a large shopping bag. Somehow she wished she hadn't found the dress so quickly, even though it was beautiful, she didn't want to go home just yet.
Draco was in a very different mood. He was irritable, and sick of watching the two Americans fawn over the Weaslette. Most of the girls stayed at the school to work on their projects and the ones who traveled had no idea that he was going to the city. He would have run into them on their way to use the Floo network, but they were held up by Ginny who had forgotten her purse. Now he was stuck with his worst enemy's little girlfriend and two bumbling oafs who seemed to be very much like Fred and George. None of them had any street smarts. Every time they saw a large building they would stop and take pictures and instead of just following street signs they used their large touristy map. Draco felt as if they were a mugging waiting to happen.
"Which one do you think for Hermione, Draco?" Ginny thrust two handbags in his face.
"What does it matter? They're both the same" He handed them back to her. She pushed the handbags back to him. "They are not. One has beaded trim and the other has braided trim." He glared at her. "It doesn't matter. It's not like you can afford one anyway." Draco was lucky the other two boys were off examining a pair of shoes, and not listening to he and Ginny arguing.
Ginny glared directly back, before turning to the sales clerk and saying "I'll take both."
The four left the store and Draco and Ginny fell back behind the other two. "So, did Potter give you the money?"
"For your information, Malfoy, Harry did not give me the money. I write." She shifted her shopping bag to her other arm.
"Write what?"
"Book reviews. For the Daily Prophet. It helps me make extra money that I don't have to share with my family. It also helps me buy my own clothes."
Draco looked at her. Indeed she was wearing clothes that fit her and weren't in the least bit masculine. "Oh."
"But I don't expect you to understand. After all, you've probably never worked a day in your life." She shifted the shopping bag again.
"Give me that." He took the bag from her hand and carried it for her. She was obviously having a difficult time carrying it.
"Thank you," she whispered almost inaudibly.
"Where are Tony and Matt?"
Ginny looked up and saw that the two boys they were traveling with were gone. "We should find them." She started frantically looking around, but just as they reached a corner they found who they were looking for. Matt and Tony were walking with two girls and gawking at a decorated window. A loud car horn behind Draco and Ginny sent everyone looking that way. Everyone including Matt, Tony, Nikki, and Tina.
"Well, look who we have here." Tina walked over to Draco and Ginny. "Quite a cute couple. Don't you think?"
Loud protests omitted from the blonde and the redhead. Matt spoke up "A very cute couple." He turned to Draco. "We'll meet you back at the school later. We're pairing up with the girls."
Noisily the group of four left, and Draco and Ginny were left in the middle of the city. "Where to?" Draco asked.
Ginny looked around and pointed in a direction. "That way?" "Sure."
The next day Ginny paced with her note cards, remembering exactly what she was supposed to say and do. Her Hogwarts uniform and red hair showed Draco where their display was.
"Relax, Weasley. It's just a competition." Draco lifted the time turner to view it. "How can you be so cool and collected?" She glared at him jealously.
He put the instrument down and grinned at her. "I'm a Malfoy. It's in my blood."
"Whatever. Here, we better get into place. The judges are entering the room." She scurried to the corner of the table, the one opposite of Draco. "Malfoy. One more thing." She reached out her hand. "Good luck."
He looked at her skeptically and then smirked, and grabbed her hand. "You too, Weasley." They both tensed as the judges walked in the room.
There were eight of them. They were each specially chosen by the international ministry of magic and they judged each school separately. The students would present their projects, and tell about what it was.
Draco began, "Ladies and gentlemen, this is a magically energized event decelerator, or a time turner. This can take you farther back in time to view certain events during a certain time period. We discovered while making this, that the maximum amount of time changes with the amount of crushed Pacific sea shell put into the turner. We have tested the turner to be capable of transporting someone back to the year 1006."
Ginny marveled at how gracefully he delivered his speeches and how sophisticated he always was around those he needed to impress. He would make a fine businessman when he graduated. She delivered her part of the speech and showed the judges how the turner worked and let them test it. She knew they enjoyed their subject and that the speech was delivered perfectly, but she didn't know how the judging was going to turn out.
The next day was a nightmare. There was nothing for the students to do but wait. It was October twenty-eighth and the judges were in deliberation for who should win. The dorms and library were unusually quiet in the American school and full of nervous energy. Ginny's only relief came with a letter from Kaydence.
Hey Gin! How's life with Malfoy going? I remembered that today
was the day you had to wait before you could know what the
scores were, so I decided to write you a letter because I know
you're freaking out. Everyone's so proud of you here! We're
all wishing you luck. Harry misses you. Don't say "no he's
not", because he is. I can tell. Girls intuition, you know.
But, anyway, don't worry. I'm sure you did fine and you will be
happy with your score. I can't wait to see what your dress
looks like for the Halloween ball on Saturday! Good luck and
remember I luv ya!
Kaydence
Ginny sighed and then looked around. The room was sparkling. She couldn't help it if she cleaned when she was nervous. She re-read the letter and nearly fell off her chair. A dress! She knew she needed a dress for the next day, but she just figured she'd wear one of her old ones. She had completely forgotten about the Halloween ball back at Hogwarts. Ginny quickly ran through her mental list of dresses she had. None of them would suit for a costume. "Ugh!" She fell backward onto her bed. "I was not in the mood for dress shopping today."
She set out with her purse and room key toward the school's fireplace. "Miss Weasley, where are you off to in such a hurry?"
Ginny turned to face the school principal and head of the competition, Mrs. Ledman. "I just needed to run out to a store and pick something up."
"Miss Weasley, you should know by now that you are only allowed to leave the school when using the buddy system. Do you have a buddy?"
Ginny looked around to see blonde hair to her right. She grabbed his arm and said "Yes. Here he is. Here's my buddy."
"Very well, Miss Weasley." Mrs. Ledman walked away.
Immediately after she did it, she regretted it. "Your buddy, Weaslette?"
"Yes, thank you. And now that I can get where I want, you can go back to whatever it was that you were doing." She pushed past him and toward the fireplace, only for him to get in between she and the Floo powder again.
"Where are you going?"
"None of your business. Now move." She tried to maneuver past him but he still kept her from her mission.
"I just want to know. Tell me and I'll move." He smirked and she let out a frustrated sigh.
"To buy a dress in town. Alright?" She reached over his shoulder, but still couldn't get to the container.
"You're going to the city, right?"
"No. I'm going to the basement at Hogwarts. I hear the outfits there are styling. Yes, I'm going to town." She sighed and once again tried to move past him.
"Wait, I'm coming." He went for the Floo powder that Ginny was trying to get. "Why?"
"Because your sense of dress is utterly horrendous and I need to be sure you don't buy anything too ugly." His slanted eyes looked at her.
Ginny looked down at her clothes. There was nothing wrong with them! He was just fishing for an excuse to go back to the city.
He grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the fireplace and shouted "New York" into it.
The pair walked around looking for dress shops. Once in a while they would stop for ice cream or to look at a display in the window. They talked about school and things like the competition. Once they stopped at a display of a few Cinderella type dresses. Ginny handed Draco her bowl of ice cream. "Hold this."
Draco walked down the block and back. He stopped to critique a picture of a witch flying on a broom and walked back to the store. Ginny emerged a few moments later with a large shopping bag. Somehow she wished she hadn't found the dress so quickly, even though it was beautiful, she didn't want to go home just yet.