Author's Note: Chapters 1&2 have been combined for the edited version I'm going to be putting up. So, although this says chapter 3, it's really your chapter 4.
Title: Man Going Down
Pairing: Ginny/Draco; Harry/Hermione
Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing.
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Chapter 3: The Lessons Begin
We watched Malfoy walk to the other side of the shop before we continued our shopping. I went back to looking through the catalogue while Mione looked at me.
"So, we have a truce with Malfoy, huh?" she said as she moved to the catalogue next to mine.
"Strange, isn't it?"
"Yeah. Maybe we should check and make sure the sky is still blue and the grass is still green."
"Very funny Mione. Why do you think he agreed to the truce?"
"I don't know Gin. Maybe he just wants to prove to somebody that he isn't evil like his father."
"Maybe it's a trap."
"Ginny!"
"What?! It could happen. You never know-maybe he's plotting to kill me or something." I looked up at Mione.
"Or maybe you're just nutters. So, have you decided what you plan on getting?" I looked down at my notes.
"Yup. Five riding habits, five traveling costumes, ten day dresses, ten skirts, ten blouses, six gowns, two dressing robes and five night rails. You?" she looked awed, and then nodded.
"That sounds about right. Except, I think we're going to be needing more than just six gowns-better make it ten." Well, the social class is very busy during the season, ten gowns would be enough to get started on. I cocked my head to the side.
"I think those would be good base numbers. We could always transfigure some of our other clothing, and then there's always Hogsmeade."
"Base numbers? We're only going to be there for ten months Gin."
"You make it sound so short! We are in the upper class Herms. We are going to have very busy schedules! Picnics, plays, operas, balls, parties, dinners-"
"I get the picture. So, should we double the numbers?"
"I think so. That means I would need: ten habits, ten traveling costumes, twenty day dresses, twenty skirts, twenty blouses, twenty gowns, four dressing robes and ten night rails. Not to mention matching gloves and hats for the riding habits and traveling costumes, matching cloaks and slippers for the gowns, matching slippers for the day dresses. And the skirts and blouses have to compliment each other, as do the slippers. Then there's the need for petticoats and chemises, as well as stockings. Not to mention boots-"
"Did you study in your sleep or something?"
"No. It's . . . uh, kinda written on the back of my hand." I answered half-heartedly.
"Well, write it down on your order form, along with your size and desired colors. We still have to go buy jewelry, valises, trunks and we need to pick up some supplies at the apothecary."
"The apothecary? I thought we were only allowed to buy things for the project, Mione."
"We are. Your hair is too short, we need to pick up the ingredients for a hair lengthening potion."
"Oh." I filled out my order form, making sure that all my clothes, except for the required white debutante gown, were done in rich tones like jewels, chocolate, wine and a deep royal purplish color. I sneaked a peek at Mione's sheet when she was talking to Madame Malkin, and saw she had chosen pastels and dusty colors. I gave the Madame my order form and we went to the small antique shop next door.
Oh, boy! I was glad the I could put my purchases on the schools' tab because I was going to need a lot of jewelry to go with all my dresses. Oh well, I'll start with diamonds. I only need one diamond necklace and maybe a diamond hair piece. I walked over to a table laden with many heavy volumes that I could only assume were catalogs. I opened one to a random page and was only slightly surprised that I had opened to 19th century jewelry. I flipped through to the diamond section. I tapped on a selection and something translucent looked as though it were projected like a muggle movie appeared hovering above the pages. It was a diamond necklace but not like any I'd seen before. The diamonds were tiny cracked chips set in silver that was in no way like the beautiful sterling that was created these days. Each diamond encased in a droplet of silver and each disk was linked to the others. The links created an up-side-down pyramid. I immediately selected this as one of my purchases as well as one in every gem they had like this. I began to flip through looking for earrings but I couldn't find any. All of a sudden Mione snapped out of her awed stupor to come over to look at a catalogue just as I muttered. "I know they wore bloody earrings why don't they have any?"
"They won't have any in that catalogue because they called them 'eardrops' in the 19th century." I made a small noise of annoyance and then flipped though to the pages marked 'eardrops'. I selected only five pairs of eardrops to get in the various gems I had chosen. Next I flipped to bracelets. I chose three different kids of bracelets and bought them in the various stones. At Hermione's prompting, I picked out a few different types of 'hair combs' and as these were inlaid with various stones, bought enough to complement my clothing choices. Lastly, I picked out something that was called a 'rope'. Though besides not being anything like real ropes they were very pretty, they were strings of gems set in silver, gold, or an alloy of the two. In the 19th century (or so Mione told me) these would be braided into the highest standing ladies' hair. I got these in my gem stone choices as well. When Mione was finished and the sales clerk assured us it would be delivered to the school. We left to go to the Leaky Cauldron and on into muggle London.
Once out of the wizarding world, I checked my watch and made sure that we would be back in time to leave for school. I looked up and down the street before taking a right.
"Uh Gin, where are we going?" Mione asked, trying to keep up with my quick pace.
"We are going to two places actually. One is a costume shop so we can get period things like bonnets, fans and reticules. The other is a shop that Dad took me to for first year. They sell antique valises and trunks at cheaper prices then the place in Diagon Alley."
"Oh, that's nice. Why are we going so fast?" She asked as I turned a corner and walked up the steps to the costume shop.
"Because, I remember we still have to go to the apothecary and I want to be able to go there before we head back to school." We entered the shop.
"Good reason." She answered as she followed me in. We did our shopping in muggle London, making sure to keep the receipts in hope that Dumbledore would give us a refund, and returned so Herms could go to the apothecary. Once she finished in there, we met up with Snape and went home, just in time for dinner.
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Dinner seemed longer then usual when we returned from London. That may have something to do with the fact I kept thinking about my insane truce with . . . them. I have no idea where it came from. Yes I do, Weasley told me I was like Lucius. I started stabbing my food as Dumbledore stood up.
"I have a last minute announcement, everyone. Every night after dinner, the study room next to the great hall will be open for various training purposes. There is a sign-up sheet right outside the great hall. This will start tomorrow. I have taken the liberty of signing up the first four students for tomorrow's session. You will find out who you are when you return to your dorms. That's all, you may retire."
For some reason, I looked at the Weaselette, only to find her looking at me. I raised a questioning eyebrow, and she rolled her eyes. Pansy looked at me weirdly.
"Drakie-poo! What was that?"
"Why should I tell you?"
"Because, I'm your girlfriend!!"
"Who told you that? Because whoever said that was lying to you."
"But, but . . . I LOVE YOU DRAY-CO!!" she yelled with tears in her eyes. I heard a laugh from across the hall. I looked at Weasley and say her trying to suppress a smile, with Granger whispering frantically at her. I got up and strode across the hall.
"Something funny Weasley?" I saw her brother turn red. She laughed.
"Ginny!"
"I agree." I added.
"I can't help it, that was funny." I glared at her.
"How in the bloody hell was that funny?!"
"You're antagonizing me again!" Granger turned white as a ghost, as Prof. Snape cleared his throat behind me. Weasley put on a smile.
"Why, hello professor."
"You three wouldn't happen to be fighting now would you? Because if you were, that would mean there was never really a truce. Which would mean you three all lied to me and I'd have to give you detention."
"Uh."
"Of course we still have a truce, sir." I supplied. "We were just, uh-"
"Having a friendly disagreement-"
"Over whether or not that display with Pansy was funny or not." Weasley finished. He got this weird look on his face, as did everyone else in the hall did.
"WOULD YOU STOP FINISHING EACH OTHER'S SENTENCES!!" he bellowed, walking off mumbling things about retirement. Weasley looked at me again.
"Well, that was certainly interesting." she commented.
"Scary is more like it." I added.
"So?" Granger asked.
"So?" I answered.
"Are we still on for the. . ." Weaslette asked.
"Yeah. Should we . . . for the. . ." I asked, glancing at the older Weasley quickly.
"Sounds good to me." Granger answered.
"Later Malfoy."
"Yeah, later." I walked back to my dorm to find a piece of paper on my bed. I was one of the four signed up for tomorrow's little session. Hmmm, I wonder who else the old fool signed up.
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"You two have a truce with Malfoy??!!!" Ron yelled on our way back to the common room.
"Yeah, so?" I asked.
"So? It's Malfoy!" he added.
"I kinda noticed that Ron."
"I think what he means is, why?" Harry supplied.
"Look, we got caught fighting in Diagon Alley by Prof. Snape. A truce was better then month-long detention." Mione explained.
"So you just made nice? Just like that?" Harry asked, looking at Hermione with a worried expression on his face.
"Yeah, so?" I asked.
"Ever think, he might want something?" Ron mumbled.
"Yes. Ginny said he acted too much like his father. I think he's trying to prove that he isn't like Lucius."
"I still say he's plotting to kill me."
"Ginny!" they all yelled as we walked up to the portrait.
"It's a joke guys! You do know what a joke is, right?" Harry said the password and we entered the common room. "It doesn't matter, I'm going to bed."
"Not funny Gin!!" Ron yelled up the stairs as I walked to my room. I turned around.
"Well, I thought it was." and with that I shut my door. I flopped onto my bed and started to get comfortable, when I realized I was laying on something. I rolled over onto my side and grabbed a piece of parchment from underneath me. I was to be one of the four Dumbledore signed up. Oh goody. This, ought to be fun.
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I woke up from a dream clouded with silver eyes. At least I think they were silver-the haze of being awake swept the dream away. I rolled out of bed and took a shower, in hopes of being awake enough to make it to breakfast on time. I walked back into my room and found, yet another note from Dumbledore sitting on my bed. I sighed in exasperation as I sat down to read it.
Dear Gryffindor and Slytherin Students,
As a way for you to become more accustomed with the new lifestyle you will have for the next ten months, I would like you to start, progressively, dressing the part. Ladies, this means you are required to wear skirts and blouses (no robes) of proper lengths and style. Gentlemen, this means (for now) slacks, a dress shirt and possibly a jacket of sorts. I expect to see you like this at breakfast.
Professor Dumbledore
He just likes to make things difficult. I looked in my closet and grabbed a new skirt and shirt that Fred and George bought me. The skirt was knee-length and midnight blue with silver trim. The shirt matched the skirt and had belled sleeves. I transfigured the skirt into a ball-gown style, keeping the color and trim. Then I took and transfigured the main part of the shirt into a corset top.
Standing in front of the mirror, I put on the set, and pulled half my hair up, keeping it in place with a charm. I charmed my book bag into a small silver purse, and shrunk my illegal books to fit in it. With one last glance in the mirror, I headed down to breakfast.
I walked down the stairs, and straight into a chest. A hard chest. Attached to a male.
"We really have to stop meeting like this." He said.
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I woke up to find one of the school owls dropping off a note. Reading it, I swore under my breath. That old coot. He just likes to make everyone's lives miserable. I transfigured some of my slacks into a pair of breeches. I was going to out-dress everyone. The pants were black originally, so the breeches were as well. I threw on a grey shirt and grabbed a black coat. Skipping the 'gel my hair' step, I left for breakfast. I walked out into the entrance hall and saw a feminine form coming down the steps, but paid no attention until it ran into me. Wow, she's hot. I wonder who she is? I thought, then I noticed it. The red hair.
"We really have to stop meeting like this." She spun around, a vision-a vision, am I losing my mind?-in a chiffon-like material.
"Gee. You're just what I want to see in the morning."
"Come now Weaslette, what about the truce?" She screwed up her face in answer. I couldn't help but look at the dress. "Nice dress."
"Uh, thanks. It's a skirt though. You look nice too." An awkward silence passed between us as we walked into the Great Hall. Everyone looked up as we walked in together. Pansy shrieked.
"DRAKIE!!!! HOW COULD YOU?!" I heard Virginia choke down a laugh as she headed to the Gryff table. I walked to my spot at the Slytherin one.
"How could I what?" I asked in annoyance.
"Leave me to be with that, thing." The Weaslette made an indigent sound from the Gryffindor table.
"First off, to leave you we'd have to be together. Secondly, I'm not with Virginia and thirdly . . ."
"What?" Pansy asked, sulking.
"Since when does Draco Malfoy explain himself to anybody?" Weasley asked, now standing next to me at the table.
"Really?" Granger said from behind her.
"Yeah, really. I don't need to explain myself to you Parkinson." I agreed.
"Can we talk, Malfoy" Weasley asked.
"Whatever." I got up and followed them out of the Great Hall. Never having eaten my breakfast. We walked into an empty classroom and I sat on the edge of a desk. I noticed Granger was wearing a baby blue dress, like Virginia's. "So, what's this about?"
"We wanted to know if you were one of the four Dumbledore signed up to use the room tonight?" Granger asked. Weaslette sat quietly on a chair near my desk.
"Why?" I asked cautiously.
"Because, we are two of those four. You said you'd help use learn to ballroom dance, and tonight would be a good time to start." She continued. Weaslette was watching the shadows move on the wall.
"I am. So, I guess that works out well."
"Ok. Uh, thanks Malfoy." She answered and walked out, leaving Weaslette in the chair.
"Malfoy, maybe we should, uhm, avoid each other in public. Don't want Pansy to start spreading rumors." I looked at her, she was still staring at the wall.
"I guess you're right. Won't be that hard. Like I'm going to spend my free time hanging around you." I expected her flinch, yell, something other then what she did. She smiled.
"That's the spirit. See you at dinner." With that, she walked out of the classroom. Seeing as I totally missed breakfast I headed to the kitchen to get something to eat. After eating some fruit and a biscuit, I headed onto the grounds. Dumbledore had bought some horses for the students to use for the project. We had no choice in our horse, they were assigned to us.
I walked into the stables and checked the list for my name. I was assigned to a horse named Thunder. I wandered the stalls until I found Thunder's. He was an Arabian. Absolutely stunning, he was. Ignoring the help, I got Thunder ready for the ride on my own, mounted and galloped onto the grounds.
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I didn't realize until I left Malfoy, that I hadn't eaten breakfast. Not that it mattered. I'd lost my appetite. Mione was most likely with the guys, so I took the opportunity to check out the stables. I found my name on the list, and went to a mare named Lightning. She was a Dapple Grey, a light grey with slightly darker rings.
An elf came out of the tack room and put a sidesaddle and bridle on Lightning. Then he helped me onto the mare and lead her out of the stable. I thanked him, and went off slowly, as I was not used to riding horses, much less sidesaddle. I went on slowly for a while, and grew more confident so I picked up speed. BIG mistake. I started to lose my balance and almost fell off the horse as strong arms wrapped around my waist and pulled me back into the saddle.
"You have horrible balance. That's the second time I've kept you from falling on your arse."
"Hello to you too." I answered, trying to stay in the saddle. I heard a sigh come from Malfoy.
"Give me your hand."
"What?"
"I said, give me your hand."
"Why?" I asked cautiously.
"Dammit Weasley, just do it."
"Fine. Talk about an attitude." I answered giving him my hand. Which caused me to lose my balance and almost fall off the horse, again. He grabbed my hand and pulled my up.
"Sit up straight and face forward." I did as he told and kept a hold of his hand. "You will have a harder time of losing your balance if you stay upright."
"Why are you doing this?"
"We have a truce remember?"
"True. But that doesn't mean you had to help me with my horse." I looked at him, he had his jaw set. "I do appreciate the help. I seem to be, uh, not very graceful." I ended lamely.
"We'll just have to work on that, now won't we?" The horses fell into a canter, and I managed to stay on my horse. We headed towards the lake.
"We?"
"Yes, we. If I'm teaching you and Granger how to ballroom dance, I'm not having her as my partner."
"Ok, but what's this we crap?" I asked, still confused. The horses went into a gallop, but I stayed on my horse and kept my balance.
"I'm not going to dance with a clumsy-"
"I'm not clumsy!"
"-partner."
"So. What exactly does that mean?" He wheeled the horses around and headed back towards the stables.
"I'm going to teach you how to move gracefully, and keep your balance on things other than a horse."
"I see." I looked at the fastly approaching stables. "Thanks."
"You're welcome, I guess." The horses fell into a canter, then a trot as we entered the stables. He stopped the horses. Then I realized he still had my hand.
"Sorry." We said as we let go. I laughed as he got off the beautiful white horse. "What's his name?" I questioned.
"Thunder. Yours?"
"Lightning." The elf came back out of the tack room and helped me down, before putting Lightning back in her stall. He looked at me as I started to leave the stable.
"Meet me in the library in twenty minutes. There's a private study room we can use until the study room next to the Great Hall is open."
"Okay." I went to the kitchens and grabbed a picnic lunch. If Malfoy's plan was to make me graceful, this could take all day. I took the basket, shrunk it so it fit in my purse and headed to the library. He wasn't there so I sat down. He walked in ten minutes later and led me to a study room, and locked the door. He turned around and looked at me.
"Ok Weaslette, let the lessons begin."
*End of Chapter 3*
A/N: sorry this took so long. Haven't had any desire to write. Then, I got this lovely little review from Katie, so.
Thanks Katie, this chapter is for you.