Drastic Changes
"Okay, okay, we'll help you," said Harry, "just stop glaring at me like that. It's scary."
"Yeah," agreed Ron. "Hermione doesn't glare like that, Ginny. If she did, I think we'd all be pretty scared." He shuddered when "Hermione" only glared more.
"So you'll help us then?" asked Hermione-in-Ginny's body. The boys nodded. "Great. We should probably get started on research in the library then. Why are you looking at me like that, Ginny?"
"I've got an idea, Hermione, that's why," replied Ginny-in-Hermione's body. "As the Moon Goddess, I get whatever I want, right? Well, when I wished that I could see what it would be like to be you, I got my wish because that's what I wanted. So, all I have to do is wish that I could be myself again, and there you have it. I'm back in my body, and your back in your body."
A look of doubt crossed the now-redhead's face. "I don't know," she said, looking at herself. "It seems too easy somehow."
"Well wishing us into this mess was pretty easy, too," Ginny shot back. (A/N: Whenever I say Ginny, I'm talking about Ginny-in-Hermione's body, and when I say Hermione I mean Hermione-in-Ginny's body, unless I say otherwise, okay?) "I'm not saying that it's the most creative idea to get us out of this mess, but it should work."
Hermione still looked doubtful. "But what if it doesn't work, Ginny? What if—"
"Oh, Hermione come on," said Ron. "You worry too much. If Ginny says it'll work, it'll work, right Gin?"
"JAMIE!" cried Ginny, ignoring Ron completely.
A flash of brilliant white light nearly blinded them all, and Jamie appeared on the ground in front of them, and Hermione couldn't help but notice a tiny, smug smile on the woman's face. "Yes, milady?"
"I wish I could get back in my own body," the redhead-gone-brunette told her, brushing her new hair out of her face. "Hermione, how do you deal with this hair of yours all the time?" she cried, gathering it all in her fist and turning to her body, who shrugged.
Jamie covered her mouth with her hand, and Hermione was sure that the older woman was trying to hide a grin. "I'm sorry, milady, but I'm afraid I can't help you."
"What?" Ginny either hadn't heard what Jamie had said, or clearly she was in shock, because she wasn't yelling yet.
"I. Cannot. Help. You." Jamie repeated her words slowly but loudly. Crossing her arms across her chest, she added, "I tried to warn you, milady, when I told you that you get whatever you wish for. But I can't help you change back, either."
"But why not?"
"Because youthe both of you, Ginny, Hermionewished to be in each other's body, and since you, the Goddess of the Moon, wanted to be Hermione's body, and I cannot interfere in anyway with your wishes unless they concern me and this particular wish didn't concern me, i.e., I can't help you."
"But that isn't fair!" cried Ginny. "How are we supposed to get out of this mess if I can't get us out of it and YOU can't get us out of it either? What are we going to do, Jamie? I can't stay in Hermione's body for the rest of my immortal life!"
"There may be someone who might be able to help." Jamie looked thoughtful for a moment before turning back to Ginny, who looked hopeful. "Now don't get your hopes up just yet, milady. Vex usually isn't up to helping someone unless there's something in it for him, and he often asks for the impossible."
"If he's the only one who can help us get back in our own bodies, then the impossible will just have to do."
Jamie raised an eyebrow and shrugged, but filled the two girls in. "Vex won't help anyone who won't give him something in return. He often asks for things that are virtually impossible to find, or sometimes he dreams up certain tasks that he thinks you won't do for some reason or another."
"But why? That's ridiculous!" exclaimed Hermione, crossing her arms over her chest in a very Ginny-like manner. "Doesn't that mean he wouldn't make a profit from any of this?"
"That's what one would think," was the reply. "But Vex considers his profits in different ways, such as how many times he can make someone scream until they finally give up on him."
"Where does this Vex guy stay then?" Ginny asked.
"Pluto. He's part of Hades' royal court, I believe."
"And just how are you two supposed to get to Pluto exactly?" Ron asked.
"Just leave that part up to me." Ginny's face was set with grim determination. "I'm sorry, Hermione, I really like you and all, but I truly want to get back in my own body. It's way weird being you."
"Before the two of you go, you'll need to let me put a little something on you to keep you from freezing while you're there. It's terribly cold on Pluto, and only it's…inhabitants can stand it without literally freezing." Jamie looked at the two girls and sighed, shaking her head. "Good luck with getting anything useful out of Vex."
u n u n u n u n u n u n u n u n u n u n u n u n u n u n u n u n u n u n u n
No one greeted the two girls when they landed on Pluto, which didn't actually surprise Ginny. She may have been new at this whole moon goddess thing, but she knew enough about mythology to know that Hades was the god of the underworld, the god of hell itself, and somehow she couldn't see him as someone with a high social status. The planet itself looked like it could hold its share of people, though. It appeared that they were in the middle of some sort of market place, with booths and carts everywhere, but they were all abandoned. The planet's surface was purple and blue in colour, which also didn't surprise Ginny, considering it was so cold. It looked a little like Ancient Rome, actually, with the market place and alleys everywhere. Both girls shivered as they went in search of the planet for any sign of life form that could point them in the right direction of this Vex guy.
Just as they were about to give up, Hermione saw movement out of the corner of her eye. She elbowed Ginny in the ribs and turned slowly around. At first neither girl saw anything, but just when Ginny was about to tell Hermione there was nothing there, a shadowy figure fifty feet from where they stood started to run. Hermione and Ginny exchanged looks before running after the shadow.
"Wait! We just want to talk to you!" shouted Hermione, but the figure continued to run. It took a sharp left turn down an alleyway, and the girls followed, only to physically run into the thin face of a man with slightly purplish skin. Both Ginny and Hermione screamed, backing away. They tripped over each other and fell to the ground. The man leaned over them, way too close for comfort.
"What would these two lovely ladies be doing here, on Pluto, hmmmm?" he asked as Ginny and Hermione got up off the ground.
"W-we're looking for someone called Vex," stammered Ginny, swallowing. The man was short and thin, so thin that his skin was taut, almost like it was stretched across his bones.
"I am Vex. What do you want?"
u n u n u n u n u n u n u n u n u n u n u n u n u n u n u n u n u n u n u n
Me: I know, I know, I haven't updated in a really long, long time and when I do I produce…this. It's not the greatest of chapters, but hey, at least I finally updated, right? I did make it a little longer than the other chapters too, which counts for something, doesn't it?
