Author's Note: Hmmm…. So it's only been… how long, since I've updated? *insert seven months' worth of sheepish looks here* I knooow. I'm a terrible author. I'm horrible. I've abandoned my story and let all of you guys down. I didn't mean to! Really! But after I got back from Scotland, I had to get ready to start school, and then a whoooole bunch of stuff happened, including a family accident and some depression issues of my own, and I know that it's no excuse and I'm a very very bad person.
I want to thank ALL of you wonderful readers for reviewing, and sending me little reminders – that's really what made me jump back into this. I want to stress that I have NOT abandoned this story, and I will not – even if my updates become less regular in the future (which I hope they will not). I love writing this story, and I wouldn't want to let any of you down. So, without further ado, here is the latest chapter to My Fair Weasley! (and I'm in "the Zone", so there might be another one up later today, as well… it's only fair to all of you…)
Ginny dolefully took Draco's arm. He smirked, and strode towards a set of large doors which were thrown open by the servant attending them.
The room which they had entered was quite large, but Ginny didn't think it was the ballroom in which Draco's birthday celebration had been held. (Or if it was, its appearance had been altered magnificently.) It was brightly lit by thousands of twinkling candles in gleaming holders, and Ginny could almost see her reflection in the spotless floor. Maybe they made Draco spit-shine it, she sneered, then recoiled at the thought of walking on Malfoy spit.
At one end of the room, a long, fantastically decorated dining table was set. A maid was carefully inspecting each of the six forks at every place setting for spots. The rest of the room was elegantly, but comfortably, arranged with various settees and sofas, and butlers wandered amongst the guests, serving drinks. A grand piano resided in one corner, and one enthusiastic guest had relieved the pianist of her duties, and Ode to Joy was now tinkling across the room.
Ginny would have been quite content to sit herself down on one of the sofas and wait for dinner, but Draco held on to her firmly; when she started to drift towards one side of the room, he pulled her gently back and looked at her questioningly.
"And just where are you taking off to?"
"…I only wanted to sit down!" Draco shrugged, and led her to a sofa. "Alone." Ginny glared pointedly at him.
"I'm afraid I can't allow that," he glared back for fun.
"Well, why ever not?"
"…Because, to put it bluntly… these people are boring, and you are three times more interesting than any of them. I'M not exactly thrilled to be here either, you know."
"Gee, who would have known?" Ginny snorted, as Draco eyed a blonde stick-in-a-dress. Suddenly, she heard a familiar voice, which pained her eardrums. She felt Draco cringe next to her.
"Draco! There you are! Do you know I've been looking for you ALL evening? I heard one of the waiters say you'd been down here briefly, but that you'd left for your rooms. So I went after you, but that wretched creature of yours wouldn't let me past the stairs!"
By Merlin, I'm giving Bitsy a week of vacation starting tonight, Draco thought as he listened to Pansy Parkinson's whiny voice.
"…So of course your mother told me that you'd be down, and it's been nearly half an hour, and I had NO idea where you were and – why are you with her?" The girl shrieked, noting Virginia (and Draco's arm draped lightly about her shoulders – his own special touch) for the first time.
"Talking," he said lightly. "But the real question is, what are you doing here? As I recall, you weren't on the guest list…" Pansy looked affronted, and stuck her snub nose in the air.
"When Elvira told me she'd been invited," she pointed at the skinny blonde, "and I hadn't received and invitation, I knew something must have gone wrong. So I wrote to your mother, and she personally invited me, of course." Draco felt like disowning himself. Why did his mother insist on befriending terrible people like the Parkinsons?
"How wonderful for you," Draco said, standing up and pulling a very stubborn-looking Virginia along with him. "Now, if you'll excuse us, Miss Weasley and I have some business to attend to. Perhaps Tony here could entertain you?" Tony Leoni was approaching, and Draco hurriedly beckoned him over. "Tony, meet Pansy Parkinson. Pansy, Tony Leoni. Enjoy yourselves," he grinned, and side-stepped into the crowd of guests, still dragging Virginia. Whew. Safe at last! He felt resistance against his hand, and turned to find a very skeptical Virginia Weasley eyeing him. Then again… maybe not.
Ginny was getting incredibly fed up with all of this ridiculousness.
"Draco Malfoy, what do you think you're doing?"
"…Attending to business?" he grinned sheepishly. She let out an exasperated sigh. "What what you you have had me do?" he snarled. "I can only surmise that you weren't thrilled with the idea of being insulted by that simpering little busybody for another twenty minutes."
"Oh no, I could just as easily get that from you," she snapped.
As soon as she said it, Ginny regretted it. Sure, Draco could be a jerk, and he was always saying moronic things, but she realized that they were almost always in teasing. (But he really does just say stupid stuff sometimes… I mean, it's Draco …) And he had been (almost) perfectly nice to her this evening. It hit her that she would have felt completely out of place if Draco hadn't been there to distract her. She cringed as the look on his face changed drastically with her words.
"Well," he stiffened. "If that's the case, then I'm sure you won't mind my leaving you here. As you can see, I have a lot of people to greet." He dropped her hand and walked off into the crowd, squaring his shoulders as he went. Virginia Weasley, you dolt, why do you always screw things up?
