Once again, sorry for the long wait. I tried to update faster this time, which is why the chapter is so short. But I got to where I ended this chapter and thought it'd make a good ending, so that's that. I figured I better give ya'll something to read even if it is short. Also, thank you to QueenThayet for pointing out my mistake about the page breaks. I always do those, but I've removed this chapter so many times because I've messed up in editing, so I just forgot to do them again. So I edited the chapter again to make it right.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of this.
Chapter 23: Ponderings
"Ginny, what is it?" Hermione asked breathlessly as the younger girl practically dragged Hermione up the girls' staircase. They had gotten back from dinner only a little while ago and as soon as they had stepped into the common room, Ginny had beelined for the staircase. She dragged a curious Hermione with her.
"You'll see," Ginny replied as the girls entered her room; Ginny locked the door behind her.
"Why does this all have to be a secret?" Hermione asked, raising her eyebrow. A grin spread across her face as she sat down on Ginny's bed. "Why can't anyone else see whatever it is that you bought?"
"Well, for starters," Ginny said, fishing tiny objects out of her pocket, "most of what I bought is Christmas presents for you lot, so of course you can't see. Now turn around," Ginny waved her hands at Hermione, who turned away from Ginny. "Secondly," the girl continued, putting the presents she had bought into the trunk at the foot of her bed, "I don't want any of the boys to see the dress I bought."
"You got a dress?" Hermione asked excitedly, starting to turn around to face Ginny.
"Turn around, Hermione!" Ginny practically screamed, slamming the lid of her trunk down. Hermione sighed and turned around to face Ginny's pillow. "Also," Ginny continued, eyeing Hermione suspiciously as if she'd turn around again at any moment, "I don't think you'd want any of the boys to see the wonderful mask I got for you." Ginny saw Hermione's back straighten.
"What?" Hermione asked, obviously fighting not to turn around. "What are you talking about, Ginny?"
"You can turn around now, Hermione," Ginny stated, sitting down on the bed with two packages in her lap. Hermione's eyes looked into Ginny's for a moment before they traveled down to look at the box and bag in the redhead's lap.
"Y – you found me a mask?" Hermione asked quietly. Ginny nodded.
"I do, and you owe me two galleons," Ginny said emphatically. Hermione still looked slightly confused but she remained quiet. "Actually," Ginny continued, "I wasn't specifically looking for a mask for you. It just sort of happened." She paused and looked down thoughtfully.
"You see, I was walking down the street when I saw this pink feather…" Ginny began.
Half an hour later, Ginny had related the story of her meeting Miss Reina, conveniently leaving out a description of both her dress and mask. Hermione sat openmouthed the whole time, drinking in everything Ginny said. "Wow," was all the Head Girl could manage when Ginny concluded her tale.
"Yeah," replied Ginny. "But enough talk, right? I bet you want to see that mask." Ginny reached in one of the bags and pulled out the ivory and pink mask and handed it to Hermione, whose eyes widened as she saw the mask.
"Ginny…this – this is…beautiful," Hermione said breathlessly, her eyes traveling all over the mask. "I don't know what to say."
"Don't say anything. Just pay me my two galleons." Ginny said, playfully holding out her hand. Laughing, Hermione pushed it away. After a brief silence, she set her mask aside and turned back to Ginny.
"Well let's see it," Hermione said. "Your dress, let's see it. You haven't told me what it looks like and I'm dying to know."
"Alright, alright, you slave-driver," Ginny said, pretending to be annoyed. She opened the dark red box and pulled out the tissue paper. Then she set aside the white gloves and gently removed the dress. Hermione sucked in her breath as she saw the blue silk fall around Ginny. Ginny was watching Hermione carefully to see if she liked it.
"It's amazing," Hermione said. "I think you hit a goldmine with Miss Reina and that store."
"That's not all," Ginny said, setting the dress on the bed. She reached over and grabbed the two gloves and held them against the dress. Hermione ran her fingers over the gold ivy on the arms of the gloves, an expression of wonder in her eyes. "And…" Ginny continued, reaching back in to the bag and pulling out her mask, "there's this."
If possible, Hermione's eyes widened even further when she saw the mask. "My goodness, Ginny," she said happily. "Seamus won't be able to keep his hands off you when he sees you in all of this." Ginny laughed nervously and then started putting her new belongings back in their respective bags and boxes.
"Well I owe it all to Miss Reina," she said. "Without her none of this would be possible."
Hermione stood from the bed. "To give you all of this, she must be one special lady."
"Yeah," Ginny said, closing the lid of the box. "She sure is."
That night as Ginny was readying herself for bed, she couldn't resist peeking at her dress again. As she lifted the soft blue material out of the box and held it against her body wistfully, she heard a tiny clinking sound as something hit the floor. Ginny looked down and saw a silver ring rolling to a stop next to her bedpost.
Frowning, Ginny set the dress aside and bent down to pick up the ring. Ginny held the shiny silver object in her hands and inspected it. The ring was plain silver with no design, etching, or inscription. The girl slipped the ring onto her finger but the ring was too big; the only finger it fit on was her thumb and even then the ring was a little loose.
Ginny stared at the ring that was resting in the palm of her hand; she wondered how it got in the box and how come she hadn't noticed it earlier. The only way it could've gotten in that box was if Miss Reina had put it there since she had been the one to pack the dress in the box.
But why would she do that? Ginny asked herself. She sat back on the bed and looked in confusion at the ring, fingering it. It was possible that the ring had accidentally been put in with the dress, but it wasn't likely.
Ginny shrugged and slowly started putting the dress back in its box. She'd think about what to do about the ring in the morning.
Draco sat on his bed that night, contemplating the day's events. His new dress robe was already hanging in his wardrobe, ready to be worn. All his other purchases had been placed away neatly. His dorm mates were sound asleep; snores were coming from Crabbe at the moment.
When he had seen Ginny in the Quidditch store, he didn't know whether to be happy or not. On one hand, he was happy that Seamus wasn't with her, but he knew the boy to be just outside with the rest of their group; he had passed them on the way into the store. On the other hand, being happy to see Ginny, even if it lightened his mood only slightly, was surely not a good thing. What would his father say if he found out?
"Hell with father," Draco whispered angrily. The thought of his father, if he even deserved to be called that, was a sore subject these days, though a subject not easily avoided. Lucius Malfoy would be lucky if Draco didn't murder him on sight the next time he saw him.
No…Draco thought. If there was to be any hope of saving his mother, Lucius would have to suspect nothing. He would need to think that Draco was planning on becoming a Death Eater and serving Voldemort. He would need to think that Draco suspected nothing.
Draco gritted his teeth. Pretending to obey his father would not be easy…not when Draco felt like cursing him into oblivion. But for his mother, perhaps Draco could do it. He needed a plan though. Somehow he had to get his mother away from Malfoy Manor. But where to take her though? That was one thing troubling Draco most. They had no other family, at least none that would be able to properly shield Narcissa from Lucius and other Death Eaters. He needed somewhere to take her where she'd be safe. The thought of bringing her to Hogwarts had crossed his mind, but Draco didn't think Dumbledore would allow it.
Where to bring her?
Draco punched his pillow in frustration. At that moment, a noise from behind him caused Draco to turn around.
Out of the room's only fireplace stepped Lucius Malfoy.
-----------
-------------
-----------
-------------
-----------
-------------
-----------
A/N: So there you go. Please note that the title of this story will change to This Is Who You Are in a few chapter's time. Kudos to my 100th reviewer!
Lauren
