Disclaimer: Only the plot.
Pansy began to place her crown of flowers onto her head as the sun began to sink lower and the sky began to darken. Ginny could see candles lit already from the center of the city as they walked along. People also began to walk outside their homes and towards the city.
"So, how exactly are these ceremonies like?" Ginny asked.
Pansy had finally got the crown in her hair, just as Ginny was thinking how on earth Pansy could do that without a mirror. "They're lovely. First we watch a dance by the beautiful dancing girls, then we feast on separate round tables and then we honor the founding of Atlantis with a prayer to the Gods. And then we dance, tell stories, harmonize, and other fun activities until the clocks strike midnight."
"Will Harry and Hermione be there? How about Zeus and Hera?" Ginny asked, as they saw a little child get his hand spanked by his mother because he put his finger in the food.
"Sir Harry, Lady Hermione, Queen Hera, and King Zeus will of course be there sitting in their thrones and apprenticed thrones. If we girls are lucky, we might actually get a dance with Sir Harry tonight. And be sure you address them that way when walking around the city; if someone overhears us, we could get punished." Pansy replied matter-of-factly, the way Hermione usually spoke.
Ginny rolled her eyes. They were getting closer to the center, and she began to see a castle forming.
"And there is someone important you must meet! I can't tell you now, but you shall see her tonight!" Pansy said, interrupting Ginny's thoughts on the castle they were approaching.
"The center of the city is near the castle?" Ginny asked.
"It's in front of the castle, naturally," Pansy replied, as if it was an essential fact to know while you were in the city.
They finally arrived after walking uphill. Ginny was a bit tired and wondered why the 'center' was up so high. When she finally saw the castle, it was big and marvelous. She thought it was so marvelous because it was so simple and well, Greek. She had never seen anything of the likes before - white walls, perfectly aligned columns, simple white thrones, a built in pond with leaves floating in them peacefully, and bushes and trees full of colorful flowers and fruits. Surrounding the pond and bushes were many white round tables with people already sitting in them. And in the middle was a long, rectangular table, half of it filled with plates of food.
"So can we just sit in any table with anybody?" Ginny asked, looking for anygood-looking guys seated at any tables.
Pansy looked at her and sighed. "Do you not remember how these ceremonies go?" Clearly not, thought Ginny. "Of course you can. But people find it more polite to sit with family, although the King and Queen urge everyone to know each other more."
Ginny noticed that next to the two big thrones were two similar, but smaller ones. "Who are those for?" she asked curiously.
"Of course, Lady Hermione and Sir Harry. They're the Prince and Princess in training, have I told you not?"
"Right." Ginny said slowly.
"Oh, look, Lavender and Parvati! They look absolutely marvelous!" Pansy waved at the two innocent looking girls in both velvety white. "They are of noble blood, but very polite." Pansy added as they walked towards the girls table.
"Have a seat!" Lavender exclaimed. "Soon everyone will be filing in and we'll have to listen to the announcements and watch the dancing girls in the first dance of the program, so let us rid of gossip before that all begins!"
Ginny and Pansy took a seat next to the two girls. As the girls began speaking in very perky, yet conservative voices, Ginny began looking around for any sign cute guys coming. If she was going to be in Atlantis for a while, she might as well make the best of it. Anyway, it would take time to figure out how she would get back to her time. She still had to look for a wand.
"There is Sir Harry and Lady Hermione walking in this moment!" Parvati exclaimed in a low voice. Harry and Hermione took a seat on the smaller thrones.
"Her curls are so great tonight, as it always is." Lavender said.
"Look at the way she is smiling, its just lovely." Parvati added.
"Any beauty like that would be able to get someone as handsome as Sir Harry." Pansy said dreamily.
Ginny was looking at the girls like they were crazy. Hermione's hair was in a fashion, but it was tied up in a high ponytail, showing off her curls. But it looked poofy. Harry's hair was parted to the side and flat down. Nothing special about him.
"Really, he doesn't look all that great. And neither does she. I mean they're friends and all, but the way they are now..." Ginny was being stared at by the other three girls. She had forgotten where she was again. "I mean, yes they look lovely."
"And of course Sir Harry won again at the column!" Pansy said.
"I really think Sir Malfoy will beat him one day. Don't you all fancy Draco better? He is more polite." Ginny replied thoughtfully. Again she was given a blank stare. "But of course he'll never be as great looking as Harry."
"Ohh...here comes Hekate." whispered Lavender.
"That is the woman you must meet!" Pansy said to Ginny. Then Ginny remembered what Malfoy had mentioned to her. Hekate was the person Pansy wished her to meet, obviously a woman of great magic.
Ginny looked around and saw that all the round tables were filled with people now. Even random people that Ginny had never seen had filed in their table. The food table had also been added to. But besides this, Ginny realized there was a woman with shining, long black hair walking towards the thrones. She was wearing red velvet around her arms and white silk around her body. Her eyes were a dark and mysterious grey, and her lips and skin were pale. However, she looked very beautiful and friendly.
She had reached the edge of the throne and turned around the face the crowd. Everyone fell silent and stood.
"Hello my dear Atlantians. You are all looking very lovely tonight. And now, I present to you, King Zeus and Queen Hera!" the woman ended with a big, bright smile.
King Zeus and Queen Hera were very beautiful as well. They were wearing bright white silk togas, with golden slippers and golden jewelry all around them. Their hair was crowned with golden leaves. They walked on opposite sides of the built in pond towards their throne to wear the lady was still standing.
"Thank you, Hekate. Your magic touches us all." Zeus said in his mighty voice. The beautiful lady who had introduced them walked over to the side and sat down. So did everybody else, except Zeus and Hera. "It is with great pleasure I invite you here tonight. We celebrate the founding of the beautiful Atlantis! Hundreds of years and still standing!"
Hera now spoke, in a very melodic voice. "Before we begin our feast, tonight we introduce the very lovely dancing girls, who took great time to compile together this great dance passed down from the originators of Atlantis." The two royals took a seat and about 12 girls came out in Egyptian-like clothing, except it was bluish. They were followed by two boys with a few instruments and the music and dance began.
Ginny was very much entertained by the girls, although all they really did was shake their hips in an interesting and completely non-sexualstyle. When the girls were done, everyone was able to eat. As Ginny ate and spoke to the girls at her table, she looked around trying to spot people she knew. A table was put in front of the throne for the royals, the prince and princess in training, and Hekate. Ginny wanted to find out more of this Hekate, but now wasn't the time. She scanned the place more and found Malfoy sitting with some boys who all looked intelligent. She stared at him for a while, and they made eye contact and locked eyes for a while. He smiled politely at her and she returned his smile warmly. She decided she would find him later, when they were permitted to dance.
"Cat soup, anybody?" a blonde woman and man walked over, in second-class white togas, but they still looked happy. Ginny took them to be Malfoy's parents, but still declined the soup.
"Oh, but we've heard you love the cat soup!" Malfoy's mom said.
"Oh, I usually do," Ginny answered politely, "but I am so full, and would hate to take some and waste it."
So they moved on and offered more to people around the hall, who took it gratefully. After everyone was done eating, everybody stood up to join in a short prayer for the Gods who built them the great land they lived upon. Then the other activities began.
"Would you like to join us, Ginny? We are going to sing to the children." Pansy said.
"No, thank you. I think I'm going to hit the dance floor."
"Well, don't 'hit' yourself too hard, dear." Pansy replied, thinking about the terminology Ginny was using.
"Meet me back here in half an hour so I can help you get a dance with Sir Harry, okay?" Ginny said.
Pansy nodded with bright eyes.
Ginny first went to go find her brothers to see what they were up to. She found them at a table playing a board game.
"Hello, sister." Ron said, thinking hard as he played Chess with another boy who wore glasses. "Hmm," he began talking to himself. "If I move here...no, no. Wait, what if..."
Ginny felt she was distracting him so she moved over to Charlie and Percy, who were watching an arm wrestling match.
"I'm betting on Lucius," Charlie said.
"Nah, I bet Severus will win this one." Percy replied.
In the end it was Lucius who won, and he smiled brightly and hugged Severus, who accepted gratefully.
"Until next round," Severus laughed.
The sight of Snape being happy was alarming to Ginny. And to top it off, he actually looked decent and his hair was clean. He turned around and saw her.
"Hello my dear! How are those parents of yours? Ah, what am I speaking of! Let me look for them myself! You take care, young Ginevra!" Snape patted her on the head and walked away.
"I bet I can slaughter Oliver Wood," Percy said as he came towards the arm wrestling table, which was presently empty. "Aye, Oliver! Let us have a match!"
Oliver gladly accepted and they both took a seat. Ginny walked away giggling. She finally bumped into Draco Malfoy.
"Hello, Lady Ginny." he said. "Let us have a quick dance, shall we?"
Ginny smiled and gave him her hand. They entered the dance floor, which was a section of the hall that had been cleared of tables, as very lively music was being played by a band.
"I have no idea how to do this!" Ginny exclaimed.
"Just go on with it! Just go with the flow!" Malfoy said excitedly. They started bouncing and two stepping the music. By the end, they were both very tired but had a lot of fun during the short two minutes.
"Would you like another dance?" Malfoy asked, panting for breath.
"Ah, I'd love to," Ginny said, but suddenly remembered Pansy. "But I have to meet Pansy somewhere. Hopefully I will meet you later in the night! I had a lot of fun!" Ginny smiled to him before running off to meet Pansy, fearing she was late.
But as Ginny reached the area in which she and Pansy parted, she found that Pansy had just arrive there as well.
"Are you ready for some flirting?" Ginny asked with a grin.
"I have a feeling this will be insanely fun!" Pansy said. But as they proceeded, they bumped into Hekate.
"Oh! We are so sorry, Madame!" Pansy replied.
"Oh, don't worry, my dears!" she said in a light and airy voice. "Ah, Ginevra! I have never had the pleasure of meeting you. Pansy has wanted me to meet you so! I've met everyone in the red-headed family except the youngest and only daughter!"
Pansy smiled. Ginny smiled too, but wasn't quite convinced. Although Ginny felt she was genuine with her sincerity, she still felt that there was something odd about her.
"Well, until later, my dears!"
So Ginny and Pansy proceeded to look for Harry. On the way, Ginny asked questions about Hekate.
"Who exactly is she and why does it seem she is more important than King Zeus and Queen Hera?"
"Well," Pansy began, "I wouldn't say she is more important than them, but she is of importance. She possesses some sort of magic. They say she is a descendant of the magic dwellers of old. But she doesn't like to use her magic so much, and she fears anyone else with magic because they could be evil."
"Hmm," Ginny thought out loud. But to herself, she was thinking that magic was something she practiced and it could be evil, but when practiced in a good way it wasn't.
They finally spotted Harry who had just finished dancing with Hermione.
"This is what I want you to do," Ginny told Pansy, "I want you to give him a bright smile, and the best thing other than that is to make him laugh."
"Laugh? How do I do that?" Pansy asked ignorantly.
"Tell him a joke, there's this one about a chicken who walked into a bar..." Ginny thought it was going to be a long night.
A/N: Well this is the final chapter that was revised for... I haven't been getting reviews but I'm telling you guys Chapter 5 is probably where the plot starts to thicken! So review, and I'll continue posting new chapters!