I had a bit of free time this afternoon so did actually reply to reviews for once!!
harrypotterchick4ever I can't reply to you but thanks for the review. I have a very quiet time at work so I've been trying to keep writing regularly.
Well that settles it Draco thought. I'm going to be friends with her to prove to myself that Lucius can't tell me what to do any more...
The next morning he was still finding it hard to come to terms with his decision. What do I know about being friends? All of my old friends were just mindless fools and I just had to order them about... Am I going to make an arse out of myself? He worried. He hadn't seen Ginny at dinner the night before, she'd just left a note with his food saying that she was helping Tonks with something and she'd see him early the next morning in the medical room.
He sat in the room that had been his first experience of the house, fiddling with a silver chain around his neck. When Ginny walked in he jumped up and bowed courteously to her. "Good morning Ginny. How are you today?" He asked in what he hoped was an upbeat way.
"I'm fine Draco and, erm... Good morning to you too! You're certainly chipper today, looking forward to getting out of this stuffy house for a while?"
Draco tried to keep up the friendly tone he had adopted; he added a grin for good measure. "I most certainly am Ginny. And I hope you are too. It will be a fine day."
"Ok Malfoy, what's up?" Ginny asked.
"What do you mean?" Draco said, worried that he had blown his chance of friendship already.
Ginny couldn't decide whether to be worried or amused at his behaviour. "You're acting weird, all jovial and it's not like you. Are you nervous about something?"
Draco paused before answering, unsure of what excuse to make. Instead he did something that he wasn't too used to - he told the truth. "I thought that I should make an effort to be friendly with you seeing as we're spending a lot of time together but I guess I'm not doing too well."
Ginny couldn't help but smile at the look or concern on his face. She'd never have imagined Draco Malfoy would be worried about making an impression. "Draco did it never enter your head that I might want to be friends the person you are normally and not some act?"
"Actually, no... I didn't think you would like me as me." He said a little hesitantly.
"Well I do, you're like a breath of fresh air. You don't seem to be all doom and gloom and you're a challenge – in a good way. It's nice to talk to you and not worry you're going to baby me that's all. You treat me like an adult. So drop this act, be yourself and let get shopping!" Ginny didn't give Draco a chance to argue; she pointed her wand at him and said "redimio nos" with a quick flick of her wrist. A white line appeared from her wand, it wound its way around Draco's waist and then came back to do the same to Ginny before fading away. "Ok, now to test it I'm going to try and get to the bottom of the stairs and see what happens. Don't move ok?"
She ran to the bottom of the steps but when she was a few from the bottom she felt a pull around her waist and couldn't go any further. She made her way back to the room.
"I guess that tugging feeling means it worked?" Draco asked. "Yup." She replied. "And now it's time for the gross part... Polyjuice! It tastes revolting and doesn't feel too nice but it will mean we're safely disguised for about 10 hours, so we can spend most of the day out if we wanted to. I certainly need a break from this house!"
She handed Draco a goblet full of the foul tasting liquid. "Bottoms up!" she said before upending the goblet and pouring the contents in her mouth. Draco paused only momentarily before copying her; it was worth drinking the disgusting substance to get out for a while.
Both of them gagged and held their stomachs. "I hate this." Ginny muttered as she curled up on the floor. Draco looked at his hands and saw his skin bubbling like it was boiling. He told himself to calm down and that it would all be over soon but the feeling that his skin was being stretched and squashed at the same time was very disconcerting.
After a few moments and much groaning and swearing from the two of them Ginny finally sat up. "I'm glad that's over!" she muttered before laughing out loud at Draco.
He turned to look at her and was shocked at how different she looked; apart from her features changing, her hair had transformed into a short blond bob and her eyes were a bright blue. Her own father wouldn't have known it was her. "What's so funny weasel?" Draco asked.
"Oh this is just fantastic!" She giggled. "What are the chances…Have a look for yourself…" She rummaged in a drawer and pulled out a hand mirror. When Draco looked he nearly dropped it. "NO!!" he cried. "Anything but that!"
Ginny laughed again - Draco's hair had turned a vivid shade of red. "Welcome to the family I guess" she laughed. "It's only temporary, don't look so pouty. Do you want to go shopping or not?"
"I'm not so sure anymore. No offence but red really isn't my colour."
"Would you have preferred green hair? I think that may have been a little conspicuous! Now come on you great sulker." Ginny grabbed his hand and pulled him over to the fireplace. "We will have to floo together, it's quite tricky but I've done it once before. Hold tight!" she felt a little shy but pressed her body close against his, wrapped one arm around his warm body and held the powder out. "Diagon Alley" she shouted and threw the powder down.
They nearly fell out of the fireplace at the other end, Draco managed to hold them up and keep his balance. "You ok Ginny?" he asked quietly. She nodded her head. "We have to remember not to use each others names today ok?" he said. "I would suggest making up some nicknames but we'd probably forget them or wouldn't respond which may look suspicious…"
"Well I can always call you ferret if I need you quickly. I don't think many people would understand that. Only people that we would recognise anyway!!"
"Fine, then I get to call you weasel!" Draco said.
"You always do anyway!" Ginny giggled. "Where do you wanna go first?"
"Actually I need to ask you a favour." Draco said. "I have a key to my vault in Gringotts on this chain but it's been charmed invisible. I need to you change it back for me seeing as I have no wand. Then I can get my money."
Ginny looked a little worried. "Isn't that dangerous? The goblins won't recognise you and what if someone hears you asking for your vault?"
"No it's fine. I'll ask for a private meeting with Ragnok. It's all very secure as they take a magic oath to never give out a client's information."
"Well… OK, I guess. I'll take the charm off for you, which one did you use?"
Within a few moments Ginny had changed the key so it was visible and they were walking toward the big white building that towered above them.
"It feels strange to be out again." Draco said as he held the bronze outer doors open for Ginny. "But it's so nice not to have to worry about how I behave; with this disguise I feel like I can actually be me and not be anxious about who is watching... I feel properly free for the first time in my life."
Ginny turned to him and smiled. "I'm glad you feel like that. I'm going to make sure we make the most out of today then. We're going to have a blast!