Blood Ties
Rating: PG-13
Summary: "You fall in with the sort of people your parents would call the wrong crowd, and before you know it you're sucked into the vortex" A chain of events forces Ginny to take on the world of the Dark Lord; but will the lure of power prove too much for her?
Disclaimer: Anything you recognise, I don't own.
A/N Heehee, hello again, faithful readers – I've updated, finally! Isn't it amazing? And it only took, what, about a billion years? I don't think this one took as long as the previous chapter, but I can't be sure – however, as this is about 2000 words longer, I'm sure you can forgive me in any case. Oh, and just to clear this up; when I created the Viper Club, I have to confess to having no knowledge of the existence of the Viper Room in the "Good ol' U.S of A." at all (Thanks to cashew for alerting me to that). I've since found out that it's Johnny Depp's club, so I'm honoured to know that we think along the same lines when naming clubs, lol.
Chapter Three
Introductions
The Viper Club, it turned out, was concealed behind the façade of a long abandoned psychiatric hospital hidden down one of Kings Road's many mewses.
Upon reaching the corner of one of these dingy allies – quite a world away from the pulsing clubs, pubs and bars that lined the opposite side of the street – Ginny felt slightly alarmed as Stella grinned, grabbed her wrist and began to pull her down the alleyway, where a derelict building sat at the end of the mews, with a sign saying Alden's Home for Psychiatric Patients hung above the dirty, mostly broken windows that stretched across it's front.
But it wasn't this that alarmed her. It wasn't even so much the almost manic grin on Stella's face, or the fact that her sleeve had pulled up slightly from her forearm and Ginny could now see the Dark Mark in it's full glory – no, it was more the idea that, now she was here, there was no way for her to go back. Ginny wasn't stupid – Stella had told her about the Viper Club, and Ginny realised with a sickening clarity that she hadn't a hope in hell of returning to the way things were now that she was here. She knew about this sort of place – if she did a runner she'd be hunted down 'til the Death Eaters were sure there was no way she could tell the ministry about the club.
You are such an idiot Virginia Weasley, do you know that? she scolded herself mentally as Stella stopped outside what looked to be a plain grey steel door, an ancient sign above it proclaiming 'Staff Entrance' with the name of the hospital written underneath in smaller script. She turned to Ginny with a smirk and a confident "Watch this", before turning to the door before them. Reaching up to her neck, Ginny saw Stella wrap her fingers around something that hung off of a chain, and as she gripped it in her hand, she started to chant slowly and quietly in what sounded like Latin.
Ginny watched entranced as slowly a green hue began to emanate from whatever it was that Stella held, the chant gradually getting louder until it was no longer being whispered, but was at normal speaking level. Magick seemed to ignite the air, and as Ginny watched, the front of the building seemed to ripple just like the surface of a lake. As the ripples crossed the surface of the steel door, it seemed to peel away with the movement of the undulation, revealing underneath a bolt-studded door (also made of steel) covered in random stickers and signs that people had stuck on it over the years. Above it blinked a neon green sign proclaiming The Viper Club in curly flashing script. On either side of the door and sign the walls remained brick, but they somehow seemed more…animated then they had when they had stood on either side of the door to psychiatric hospital. Ginny had a feeling it was probably the magick pulsing through them.
"So? What d'ya think?"
Ginny turned to Stella and shrugged, unsure what to say. "It's pretty cool. Definitely…weird"
"Well, if you think that's pretty cool," Stella replied, throwing her arm around Ginny's shoulders and walking up to the door, "Then you'll be going wild when you get inside".
With that, she rapped on the door with her knuckles hard, smiling serenely up when a small grate in the door was pushed open and a pair of eyes peeked out.
"Password?" said the voice that belonged with the eyes, a kind of gruff, muffled sound.
"Fide mea" Stella uttered in a voice riddled with an almost manic pride.
There was a pause, Ginny watching as the eyes behind the doors narrowed, before the grate was pushed back and the door swung open to admit them. Ginny's heart beat wildly as Stella grabbed her wrist and tugged at her to follow, stepping through the doorway and into a darkish corridor lit only by candles encased within expensive looking glass lamps. The walls and ceiling of the corridor were painted black, the floor made of a shiny, hard surface that reflected the candles; pounding music could be heard nearby, along with the noise of what sounded like a lot of people.
"Whose this?" the bouncer asked as Ginny obediently followed Stella into the corridor, his eyes suspicious as they locked on them both.
"This is Virginia – stupid name, I know, but believe me Karl," Stella replied, addressing the bouncer with a familiar air, "She has got a lot of potential. Everyone's going to love her!"
"Hmmm," the bouncer mumbled in reply, his eyes lingering on Ginny's slight form as she stood there next to Stella, "Well, alright"
Stella's eyes lit up at this, and she was about ready to wheel round and head through the door at the end of the corridor when the bouncer put up his hand.
"But – I know you Stella, and if you've got any hope of another one of you minions ending up favourable in his eyes, then perhaps you'd better let her borrow some of your clothes. Nobody's attractive in that jumble" he said, gesturing to Ginny's jeans and her jumper.
"Perhaps Karl, perhaps" Stella replied, laughter hidden in her voice as she nodded her thanks to him and turned towards the door, pulling Ginny along.
That jumble? Ginny thought to herself as she followed Stella, There's nothing wrong with my clothes. And who the hell is this 'he'?
But any thought of why a bouncer had told Ginny to change her clothes flew from her mind as Stella opened the door at the end of the corridor, and the world of the Viper Club opened up before them.
An enormous room stretched out in front of them, thronging with people. Everything was painted black, from the ceiling to the floor to the stage at one end that right now was host to a very loud rock band.
A bar stretched out along the wall on one side, with a few tables and chairs near the back of the room, and stairs led up from there to another level that was situated over the tables and chairs. This level was filled mostly with tables, as well as people leaning over the edge of the railing to watch the band on the stage below. However, most of the room was taken up by an enormous dance floor that was crowded with people, most of whom were singing along wildly to the band and moshing – a lot.
"So," Stella began, gesturing for Ginny to follow as she started to walk down a flight of stairs that led from the door down to the floor of the club, "What do you think of it then?"
"Uh…" Ginny stammered, looking around in wonder at everything she was seeing, "It's…it's…big"
"Oh, is that all you can say?" Stella cried, looking delighted as she reach the bottom of the stairs and jumped the last two, despite the fact that she was wearing heels. She swung round as Ginny followed, grabbing her hand and nearly yanking her down the last few steps. "C'mon – there are some people I want you to meet"
Ginny shadowed Stella obediently as they made their way around the edge of the dance floor, Stella's keen eyes searching the crowd until they fell on a group of people standing by the bar in a circle, drinks in hand as they laughed at each others (most likely bad) jokes.
"Aha," Stella murmured, walking up to the little circle and tapping on young man on the shoulder. He turned as she did so, his face breaking into a grin as he saw Stella standing there.
"Stella! Where have you been?!" he cried, grabbing her in a bear hug. "We haven't seen you for ages"
"Oh, just out and about," she replied, returning the embrace. Looking behind her, her eyes fell on Ginny, hiding in the shadows behind Stella. Giving a mental sigh, she grabbed Ginny's wrist for what felt like the millionth time in five minutes (what was it with this girl and holding back?) and pulled the reluctant Ginny right into the middle of the circle.
"Guys, I have someone here for you to meet," she announced, grinning at the mildly shocked faces of her friends, "This is Virginia – my new project"
Project? Ginny thought with mild annoyance, What am I, a bloody lab rat? All the same, she forced herself to smile at the circle of people that suddenly surrounded her, nodding at them in greeting.
"Ginny, this is Hugh," Stella began, introducing her to the man that she had spoken to first, "And this is his fiancée Eleanor"
A woman with an wealth of long and wavy red hair not unlike Ginny's own shorter version stuck out her hand, shaking it and greeting Ginny with an elegant "Hello". Ginny couldn't help noticing the possessive arm linked within Hugh's, the woman's chic purple fingernails tapping out a muted rhythm on his bare arm. Hugh himself, however, didn't seem to mind, looking rather smug at having such a beautiful woman on his arm.
"This over here is Anne," Stella said, indicating a woman that stood next to her, tall and thin and wearing an aloof expression on her face. "She seems a little cold, but really she's a kitten in disguise" whispered Stella, just loud enough for everyone to hear over the music, and Ginny was relived to see the hint of a smile on the formidable looking Anne's mouth.
Next Stella presented her to a sprightly-looking woman called Michelle that reminded Ginny of Hermione, in a rather abstract way. Browny-blonde curls fell delicately around her shoulders, and her coffee-coloured eyes sparkled with interest as Ginny shook her hand. After her came a guy with messy russet hair, who grinned and winked at Ginny with a casual "Hi, I'm Luke". Lastly, Stella introduced her to a woman called Marlein, a Hispanic girl with short wavy hair and glittering black eyes, who shook her hand and looked her up and down with a slightly malicious hint of amusement.
"Now Ginger, I'm going to get us some drinks. What's your poison?" Stella asked, motioning for Ginny to follow her to the bar, which she did, squeezing past Eleanor and Marlein; she could almost feel their eyes burning into the back of her neck as she passed. Feeling a shiver run up her spine, Ginny wrapped her arms around herself as she arrived behind Stella, watching as she called the barman over.
Sliding a glance over at where Ginny stood next to her, Stella's eyes meandered over her worn, faded jeans and her baggy jumper, together with the pair of washed out pink sneakers that were just visible beneath the hem of her trousers.
There's no way she'll survive more than five minutes with him in those clothes, Stella thought grimly as she ignored a request from Ginny for a glass of water and ordered two neat Vodka's instead.
"Get that down you" she ordered as she handed Ginny the shot glass, downing her own almost immediately, her body giving an involuntary shiver as she slammed the glass down on the bar.
Ginny raised a distrustful eyebrow as she stared into the tiny glass of clear liquid; she'd never even drunk Vodka mixed with anything, let alone by itself. She had no idea if she could even handle it properly – sure, she'd got drunk at parties before (a lot more after her parents had died), but that had only been following about fifty butterbeers and a few smuggle alcopops; Vodka had never been part of the equation before.
But back then, the situation had been entirely different. Then she'd just been a fifteen year old girl who was having a good time with her friends; now she was eighteen, and standing in a bar full of Death Eaters – she was supposedly a potential one herself. This time, she had to play along – not only did her life depend on how she acted tonight, but her brother's did as well.
Here goes, she thought firmly as she gripped the glass tightly in her hand. Taking a deep breath and feeling well aware of Stella's eyes on her, she held the glass to her lips and tipped the contents back into her throat.
It burned all the way down, and it took most of Ginny's effort not to choke it all back up, tears filling her eyes as her body involuntarily convulsed as she tried not to cough.
"I have a feeling that was your first neat Vodka," she heard Stella say as she put the glass back on the bar. Nodding a little, Ginny wiped her mouth with her sleeve, feeling the back of her throat still burning even as she swallowed again to try and get rid of the sensation.
"My first neat Vodka" she managed to choke out, looking up to meet Stella in the eye despite the fact she felt dizzy, "I prefer Vodka and Orange myself"
"Well, I shall just have to order you one then," Stella replied, grinning. She called the barman over again to order drinks, before turning back to Ginny; this time with an almost business-like air.
"Now, I'm sure you heard when dear old Karl the Bouncer told me your clothes were awful" she advocated, leaning her elbows on the bar and looking Ginny up and down in a practical manner, "And to be honest, for the job you'll be dong tonight, he's right"
"What job?" Ginny asked warily, taking a sip of her Vodka and Orange as it arrived and suppressing the urge to choke once again.
"Oh, there's just someone you need to meet is all, and to be brutally honest he won't look twice at you in that. You need something more…glamorous" Stella advised.
"So…? What happens?"
"Well," she began, "The girls and I have always been pretty good at transfiguration…"
Stella didn't need to finish her sentence for Ginny to know what she meant. Looking down at her clothes, she cast a hesitant look up at the girl before her. Stella just look straight back with a gleeful grin, one eyebrow raised as if to say "C'mon, what are you waiting for?". Remembering that she was on Stella's territory now (and it was a dangerous place too), she sighed and nodded reluctantly, watching glumly as Stella grinned with delight.
What have I got myself into now? was her last thought as Stella stepped away from the bar and pushed her back towards the group, eager for the transformation to begin.
***
"God, you don't carry much around do you?"
Ginny looked up from where she was sitting on a pouffe in the Ladies to see Michelle had opened up her backpack and was busy pulling out all her clothes.
"No, not really" she replied, at this point not really bothered about it. She had already been stripped of her jeans by a giggly Stella telling her she had nothing to worry about – having her bag looked through was no big deal. The only things in there were her clothes and a load of junk.
Seeing this for herself, Michelle soon stopped rummaging in the backpack, instead wondering over to where Ginny and Anne sat watching the other three transfigure her jeans into various other articles of clothing. They had already persuaded a rather reluctant Ginny to let them transfigure her beloved sneakers into a pair of high-heeled boots, on the promise that they'd turn them back at the end of the night. Sitting down on a couch next to Ginny's pouffe, Michelle stretched out long legs over the leather, idly watching the others.
It had been obvious as soon as Ginny had entered the Ladies that it wasn't just the club's female toilets. In fact, it resembled a boudoir more than anything else. The framework of the room was all gold, from the skirting to the doorframe to the candle holders that lit the room, and the walls were painted in a style similar to the Sistine chapel, except that instead of cherubs and angels, scenes of countryside that looked similar to Tuscany decorated the walls. Everything was pale and pastel coloured, and a luscious white carpet adorned the floor. Cream-coloured couches and pouffes upholstered in leather were scattered about the room by the mirror panel that ran the length of the room, and marble sinks with gold taps were situated underneath it. A floor-length mirror was attached to the wall where the sinks ended.
"Perfect!"
The cry startled Ginny slightly as she looked up at where Eleanor, Marlein and Stella stood in a group by the mirrors, and Stella held up what looked like a pair of black, pin-stripped trousers for her to see.
Okay, not nearly as bad as I was expecting, she thought, relieved, standing up and taking the trousers from Stella. I can handle this.
Slipping on the trousers, she did them up to find that they fitted perfectly, the slightly flared legs just short enough for her petite form. She looked in the floor-length mirror with a slight smile, realising that she actually looked quite nice. Even her simple black tank-top didn't look too bad with them.
"Now, pass us your top" Eleanor said, already upon Ginny and tugging at the bottom of her tee. Reluctantly Ginny gave it to them, sighing as she pulled it over her head and handed it to Eleanor. Left only in her bra and trousers, Ginny wrapped a subconscious arm around herself, going back to the little pouffe and sitting down to watch them transfigure her top.
"Those trousers look pretty good on you, you know" Michelle declared, leaning over the arm of the sofa to look down at Ginny on her pouffe, "You suit black. Hey Stella!" she cried, turning and giving Ginny a slight shock, "the girl suits black!"
"Got it" Stella replied, nodding.
"You're in good hands with those three. They know what'll look good on certain people" Michelle continued, this time addressing Ginny again. "It won't take them long to decide"
Michelle turned out to be right; within five minutes they all seemed satisfied, beckoning Ginny to them as they revealed what they'd done to her top.
There's hardly anything there! Ginny exclaimed silently as she saw the handful of cloth that Stella held out to her. There's nothing wrong with showing a bit of flesh, but me doing it?!
"Uh…guys…" she protested, "I don't…it's not…well, it's not really me"
"So?" Stella countered, handing the top to Ginny, "Once you get to the Viper Club, nothing is really just 'you' anymore – it's all about what you can be. Don't you see? That's the essence of this place – what you can become"
"You want me to try the top on, don't you?"
"Just put it on," Stella urged, giggling.
Sighing, Ginny grudgingly agreed, taking the top and pulling it on over her head. It was a halter-neck (still black) with a round neck and laces that criss-crossed at the back and had to be tied, causing some of her back to be exposed, and it hardly reached her midriff, leaving her stomach bare. Looking into the mirror, Ginny bit her lip with uncertainty – she wasn't used to seeing herself in anything quite like this, and she was pretty sure that her limp curls and tired-looking face didn't exactly complement the look. However, it didn't seem her opinion was shared with the others.
"You look gorgeous," Marlein began, circling Ginny and nodding to herself, "Black is definitely your colour"
"It's the hair" Eleanor explained, pulling at one of her own curls and indicating the little black dress she herself wore. Ginny had to stop herself from wincing as she saw the outline of Eleanor's Dark Mark through the gossamer material of her dress's sleeves. She'd have to get used to it though; she was surrounded by Death Eaters after all.
"I don't know…" Ginny replied, still uncertain, "My hair doesn't exactly compliment the look at the moment, does it?"
"Not yet, but it will in a moment," Stella interjected, drawing a wand from a small clutch bag that was on the side. She tapped her wand against her chin, thinking, seemingly unaware of the bright pink sparks that it was giving off every time it was tapped against her skin. "What do you think Anne?" she asked finally, turning to where she sat on a cream chaise-long, her eyes lazily watching the scene in front of her.
"Just give it a bit of life" she replied, staying seating on the chaise-long instead of getting up to join the others, "Make the curls a little more bouncy"
Nodding in agreement, Stella began to twirl her wand in the air, murmuring a spell under her breath as she pointed the wand at Ginny. More pink sparks hissed and sputtered from the wand tip, swirling around Ginny's head and finally settling into her hair.
The difference was instantaneous – immediately, Ginny's hair seem to lift slightly, and the curls seemed to be more vivacious and certainly shinier than before. It was if Ginny had washed it only seconds earlier. It looked clean and fresh; much better than it had looked in a while in fact.
"Wow" Ginny murmured, checking it out in the mirror, "It looks pretty good!"
"And now," Marlein continued, "For the make-up!"
"Make-up?" Ginny repeated.
"Yes, make-up"
Exhaling and raising an eyebrow to show her reluctance, Ginny obediently sat down on one of the couches, watching as the other women grabbed various bag and crowded around next to her.
"What do you think Marlein?" Eleanor asked, looking up at her. Without even saying a word to each other, they both nodded, proceeding to remove several bits and pieces from their make-up bags. Ginny watched warily as Eleanor opened up a disc-shaped object, pausing for a second with her brush poised over the make-up, before deciding on a particular one and dipping the brush in.
"Close your eyes" she instructed Ginny, brushing what must be eyeshadow over her 'lid when she did. Then, after doing the other eye, Ginny felt someone draw eyeliner across the base of her eyelids and lower 'lids, flicking it out at the sides and in the corners.
"You can open your eyes now" she heard Michelle say as someone tapped the side of her face with what felt like the tip of a wand.
"I'm just applying a little foundation," Stella explained as Ginny's eyes locked questioningly on her, smiling and then sweeping blusher across Ginny's cheekbones. "It's much easier than doing it like an idiotic muggle"
"But," Michelle interrupted, "Some things, whilst done better the wizarding way, need a little more finesse than a normal wand can offer"
Having said this, she proceeded to remove what looked like an ordinary lipstick from her bag; however, when she took off the lid, Ginny saw that instead of just a simple stick of muggle lipstick, there was what looked like a miniature wand in its place. As Ginny's bottom and top lip were tapped with the mini wand, she felt her previously dry lips suddenly become smoother and softer, and she had an inkling that she was now wearing perfectly applied glossy lipstick. She'd heard of these things before when listening to her old roommates talk about make-up at 4:30 in the morning; The four of them – Ana, Sophie, Lizzie and Lara – had, whilst not being overly obsessed like Lavender and Parvati, been interested in make-up all the same. They'd known what they were talking about anyway. This 'lipstick' not only applied the make-up itself, but also stayed on for as long as it was worn without fading and acted as a lip-balm. And the best thing of all? It turned any colour you wanted.
"There, all done" Eleanor finally declared, leaning back and nodding her approval, "go check it out"
Deferentially, Ginny stood up from the couch and walked towards the mirrors, her eyes widening slightly as she saw what the other women had done to her.
Her eyes were made up to look sassy and smokey, black eyeliner drawn on in a thickish line over pale silver eyeshadow and flicked out and upwards on the outside, whilst in the corners the flick when down and outwards instead. A thinner line of black had also been drawn along the bottom. Her lips were a dark vampish red, a deep wine colour, set off against her peaches n' cream complexion and the freckles that dotted her nose.
I look about ten years older! she thought with amazement, turning in the mirror to get a view of the back of her outfit too. And to be honest, it ain't too bad either…
"Wow," she assented, nodding with approval, "It actually doesn't look too bad. It's a bit exposed…but I'm sure I'll get used to it…"
"I wouldn't worry Ginger, your stomach's as flat as a pancake," Michelle interjected, "And nobody's going to think you look any different; everyone else is dressed the same"
"What, all black and bare, pale skin?" Stella joked, indicating her own outfit of a silky black top and leather trousers. She twirled a strand of dark hair around her finger playfully, eyebrow raised and biting her smiling lips.
"Exactly"
"Well then," Anne announced suddenly, rising from her chair, "seeing as everyone is finally sorted, shall we go back? We told the others we wouldn't be long"
Stella nodded in agreement. "Good idea"
"Yeah, I'm missing my cocktail already," Michelle declared with a impish grin. Linking her arm with Ginny's, she giggled girlishly, leading her out of the toilets with the other women as they picked up their bags and went through the door and back into the blinking, flashing and very, very black world of the Viper Club.
However, halfway across the dance floor, Ginny realised that she neglected to remember her own bag when they'd left. Shouting over the music to Michelle that she'd forgotten her bag and was going back to the bathroom, she detached herself from her and turned, making her way back.
It didn't take long for her to find her bag; it was where she had left it on the marble row of sinks, various bits of clothing still hanging out where Michelle had forgotten to put them back properly.
Retrieving the bag and packing the rest of the clothes haphazardly back in, she put it on and opened the door to the bathroom, looking back to make sure she hadn't forgotten anything as she went through. Seeing that there was nothing else, she turned to go back across the dance floor – and found herself slam straight into someone's chest.
Blinking in surprise as she reeled back slightly, she rubbed the bridge of her nose indignantly, which felt slightly numb from the collision, not noticing who was in front of her until she heard a voice that she hadn't heard in a long while say her name.
"Ah, Weasley," the voice above her said, "Long time no see, wouldn't you say?"
***
Translations: There was only one bit of foreign language in here but I though people might want to know what the password means.
The Viper Club password: "fide mea" is Latin, and when translated means "on my word of honour". Fitting, don't you think?
A/N It feels so good to be able to leave cliffhangers again! I've been out of this game for too long, lol. Anyways, hopefully the next chapter will be got out quicker, as I'm on a break from school at the mo (Thank God!!!!), but I won't make any promises, as I'll probably have to break them ::author shrugs dejectedly:: (; _ ;)
But anyway, on to happier things now! I have to go otherwise I'm going to miss The Godfather Part II, which I refuse to do as I watched The Godfather last week and I won't miss the sequel, lol.
So thank you to:
Hplova4eva (Hey, thanks for the compliments on the fic. Yeah, I feel sorry for the Weasleys too (which must sound pretty odd cuz I put them in this position in the first place) but you never know…hopefully things will turn out good for them – but I'm not making any promises!) cashew (okay, got it, I'll try and check out "The Soup Nazi". At least my mum's heard of Seinfield, so that means it does show over here. And don't worry about Stella, I have to admit to loving her too, even if she is all-out-evil, lol. And thanks for not going to drastic measures, even though it was a pretty empty threat ;D) Alyssa Rose (I'm glad Stella is getting a positive response, as I have to admit to loving her totally, even though she is a bit of a bitch on occasion! I hope the Jello turned out okay – Jello is the same as Jelly isn't it?) Okeanos (Yey! You got on the internet! Oh, but you know you are cruel for saying you hate it, even if it was only a joke ::author pouts sulkily:: But still, you did redeem yourself by saying you love it. And now you see that I have updated, you will have to be nice to me for the rest of eternity. Okay, okay, stop giving me "the look"!!!! I change my mind! You only have to be nice for about a millennium or so!)