Warning: Um.. enjoy?
Pairing: GinxTom
A/N: Thanks to those who submitted reviews and subscribed to story alerts or placed this under favourite stories! :D Thanks loads! Its really encouraging! And criticism is really welcomed! Is it too longwinded? Boring? Plot too slow? I don't mind. And sorry the detention part is taking so long to come... So is the slug club. It'll be here by Chapter 12.
Previously:
"Polyjuice potion," Ginny recalled Slughorn's lesson with dread. "Cat-girl's unconscious, I have her wand. I'm going to crash Riddle's party as cat-girl, find out what he's up to, gather incriminating evidence, and report him."
Chapter 10-Polyjuice Pandemonium
Of all things, Ginny could barely believe she had resorted to stealing. And stealing the ingredients of a Polyjuice Potion! That, was certainly Slytherin.
But she really didn't have much of a choice if she did want to crash Riddle's meeting as Cat-girl, which Myrtle had corrected the name- as Dimitri. Dimitri Lestrange, that was. Utterly sickening. This explained her disgustingly maddening behavioral traits, which included for one thing, flirting with the Dark Lord. And what's worst was that her daughter (Bellatrix Lestrange), about thirty years younger than she was, would take up that sport as well. Flirting with an old man. The wonder.
"So this is Sluggy's lair," Ginny mouthed to her companion- which sad to say, was a miserable little dead ghost-. "I expected more- I mean, where's all the bubbling cauldron stuff?"
Myrtle shrugged and swooped through Ginny deliberately to gain access to Slughorn's pitiful office, causing Ginny to sock her through her stomach, and scowl bitterly, "Gosh Myrtle, in the name of Merlin's-hairy-eyebrows, don't!"
"Poor poor Myrtle, always getting beat up-"
Ginny simply ignored the rest of Myrtle's droning moans, moving towards the first cupboard. "I think the ingredients we-I need are in one of the three cupboards. Got to try our luck." Ginny hesitated for a moment realizing Myrtle wasn't even listening to her, before deciding to talk to herself, "I suppose this one will have to do for a start."
She leaned forward to touch-
"DON'T TOUCH IT!" A male voice- a boy's voice, suddenly burst out with vigor from behind her, and a pair of hands spun Ginny around, and away from the cupboard, the impact causing her to slam head first onto the hard floor.
Dizziness overwhelmed her. The first thought which hit Ginny was: Myrtle, your voice sounds deep! Before she began to register the fact that there was no way the ghost could've grabbed her. Go through me, yes. But not grab!
"Sorry Laddie. No matter how blur that Sluggie is, he wouldn't leave all his precious ingredients out in the open- up for grabs. The cupboard's mightily Charmed."
As Ginny's vision began to clear itself once more, the image of two well muscled, lean and overall good looking boys appeared before her. She rubbed her eyes once more. This was too good to be true! She wasn't boy crazy or whatever, but hey, this was amazing! To fall, and be greeted by two remarkably handsome guys was out of the normal, huh? Woah, and they even met the Gryffindor criteria too!
The one without glasses was Sestenal! And hey, isn't the bespectacled guy Harry Potter?
"Harry Potter?" Ginny gasped, staggering to her feet with frightful girl power- especially after such a great fall, causing the two boys to take a step back involuntarily. Ginny still felt slightly groggy. Similar to walking along a tightrope without your wand and your eyes crisscrossed.
"Harry Potter?"
"Not to disappoint," The bespectacled guy casted a strange look towards Sestenal. He then pursed his lips, and turned to face Ginny once more. "Haven't heard of a Harry around here. Weird name, you know, Harry?" –He inclined his head gentlemanly, before holding out his hand, which, Ginny guessed was the formalities of the early 20th century-
"Aron Potter. Mind you, Aron-the-Great. Sorry about that fall back there, but that cupboard's pretty vicious when you get to know it. Sent me to the Hospital Wing blubbering and wailing for two weeks when I tried to steal some Androme Chocolate from there! -Heard Sluggy keeps some of them in his office!"
Ginny wasn't sure whether to feel insulted with the fact that this Aron Potter, whom she had so kindly saved, had unintentionally criticized the name of her boyfriend- her late boyfriend (ironically, his own Grandson). But her head was throbbing badly so...
"Ginerva Molly Fridwarn," she shook his hand awkwardly. Who does all these formal stuff? "But I'd rather Ginny if you please."
"GINERVA MOLLY- I MEAN GINNY?" Aron resembled Dobby the house elf now, flushing so hard as though his Master had given him socks or something for his birthday. "YOU SAVED MY LIFE! YOU-" Aron fell to his feet dramatically in mock worship. "My great most High-Highness! What would you like for tea today?"
"Aron," Sestenal finally spoke up, "You're… rather loud. If we are to get caught in this act-"
"Oh yes," Ginny agreed, recovering from the shock and dilemma she had been thrown into earlier by the sudden arrival of these two, before realizing she was in deep deep shit.
She had been caught in the act of stealing, by a- Ginny's eyes trailed to Sestenal's school uniform-, by a sixth year Gryffindor Prefect. And that was bad because…-she glanced at her own uniform- because she was a freakin' Slytherin.
And Myrtle just suddenly poofed out of existence?
Not surprised.
"So…" Ginny said casually, though her knees were positively knocking so hard that it was a wonder they didn't hear the terrible din. "How'd you… get here? I mean- I didn't even see or hear you…"
I'm really starting to get used to people appearing out of now where. First Myrtle, Merrythought, and now these two. Dude.
"Well, there's such thing called the Invisibility-" Aron (while grinning maniacally) never finished his sentence as Sestenal nudged him straight in the stomach, and Aron, being the Drama King as usual, rolled over in feigned pain, yelling, "OOooh! Dravey! You broke at least 10 of my poor ribs!"
Sestenal actually smiled at that. Smiled. And Ginny began to make some sense out of their unusually intimate friendship. Aron was a bit nutty and silly up there- and at some junctures, Ginny wondered if he was mentally sound-, whereas Sestenal on the other hand, always stayed calm and levelheaded. Opposites attract. Their personalities just seemed to click nice and well.
"Would you like me to try again, Aron? I could break a combo of 40 ribs perhaps."
"NOOOO! Pleohhhh! NOOO!"
"Anyway-" Sestenal turned back to Ginny, a playful smirk still etched on his features as he watched Ginny raise an eyebrow at Aron's crazed whining. "Don't mind him. Would you care to explain the reason you're here?"
"Um…" Ginny blurted the first thing which came to mind. "Prank. Prank Dimitri Lestrange."
"Prank?" Both boys questioned together, both equally enthralled in their own ways. For instance, Aron had revealed a goofy grin as though it was Quidditch Anniversary Day (if there was one) and Sestenal's smile had widened at that. "Go on," Sestenal encouraged, "Sounds good to me."
"Halloween Ball. Err… I need Polyjuice ingredients. So I can assume her form and steal all her dates." Ginny was rambling now. "I don't like her." That didn't sound convincing. "Like really really hate her," Ginny added just to make sure.
"GENIUS WOMAN GENIUS!" Aron positively screamed at this, before doing a little dance. "We're here to…" Aron caught Sestenal's gaze before finishing uncertainly, "prank someone as well."
"Good thing I casted a Silencing Charm" was all Sestenal murmured to himself.
As for Aron, he most definitely ate too many treacles for dessert and was currently on a sugar high. "Look, here's our MASTER PLAN. A drop of Veritaserum into Riddle's food, and he'll be spilling all his most embarrassing secrets. Like when he kissed a girl…"
"Wait," Ginny said, slightly shocked at this, a crazy image of snake-eyed Lord Voldermort talking openly about his crushes. Sounds good. "Prank Riddle?"
"I hope that doesn't offend you- I mean, if you're one of those lovesick cronies of his..." Both guys' faces darkened simultaneously. And Aron continued, trying to defend his prank, "But he deserves it, no? I mean his nose sticks upwards so much that I'm pretty sure that one day, some pieces of owl shit might land inside his nostrils. What do you say?"
"That's amazing!" Ginny exclaimed in reply, surprising both Aron and Sestenal. She just couldn't help but grin with amazement at their audacity,"Wonderful! Yes, that's just… Oh, Aron, I wish I could see it myself!"
"Then we have a deal then!" Aron- who was obviously extremely fond of pranks- smiled at this, a mischievous twinkle present in those sharp green eyes of his. "I really would like to see Lestrange's face- Oh!" -he chuckled at this, and nodded towards Sestenal, though rather silent, seemed to be keeping up with the conversation.
"Look. You get to witness our prank on Riddle- we'll even let you ask some questions of your own… And in return…" He laughed even harder, and Ginny found that she did love the sound of his laughter. "During the Halloween ball, you've got to let us see you as Lestrange!"
Oh, boy, what had Ginny gotten herself into? Aron, was under the wrong impression that she intended to prank Cat-girl at the ball! But no, she intended to morph into her tonight to attend Riddle's little comfy Death Eater meeting when Lestrange was still safely unconscious and tucked inside the Broom Cupboard.
But you can collect extra ingredients and drink some Polyjuice Potion again just before the ball- to please them, right?
"Okay," Ginny agreed, an unsettling feeling crawling up her spine. "Deal on then."
Aron held out his hand- no, clenched fist- to her once more. "Deal on then. What're you waiting for?"
"What?" Ginny guessed this was another of Aron's crazy theatrics. "Huh?"
"Well? Give me your hand, woman."
Ginny regarded the Gryffindor suspiciously before handing over her hand, and then regretting doing so immensely.
Aron simply took hold of her hand, advising, "Clench it." Then, he knocked his clench hand with hers: up, down, left, right, leaving Ginny and Sestenal to wonder what the hell he was up to. When Aron was finished, he just looked up enthusiastically, "Deal on then! You can't break this one!"
"Is that the Muggle version of the Unbreakable Vow or something?" Ginny asked.
Sestenal raised his eyebrows in somewhat amusement at both Ginny and his friend, before saying, "Come on," and then raising his wand as he headed towards Sluggy's first cupboard. "Watch here. This, is how you break in."
So much for being a Prefect.
Bitchy voice Gin, Ginny reminded herself, use the Bitchiest voice available.
And breathe. If you act all scared, those 'Death-Eaters-in-the-making' will know.
She barreled through the corridors of the Seventh Floor as Dimitri Lestrange, 'Knight' of the Dark Lord himself, hips swaying as vigorously as she could, nose turned upwards, and even occasionally stopped by a reflective surfaces to straighten her hair. It was harder said than done, and Ginny wondered how Lestrange ever managed to do it her whole entire life. For instance, when you swayed your hips, the risk of hitting passing pillars and walking through Peeves was unusually high. She had crashed into the wall twice already.
Everything was going on fine at the moment, and Ginny really really hoped that Lestrange would stay in her broom cupboard for the time being till this meeting was over. That would certainly complicate things if someone caught two Dimitri Lestranges' walking about the place.
"Lestrange here, have we?" A female's voice- bitchier than Dimitri Lestrange's! A feat!- called out as she rounded the final corner which led to the Room of Requirements.
Ginny (as Dimtri Lestrange) drew in a sharp intake of breath at this, praying fervently, before swiveling around to face the source of the voice.
Behind her, stood a sixth year girl whose beauty- even Ginny couldn't deny. She wore blond curls cascading down the side of her fair heart-shaped face, and had a small nose, and a perfectly proportional cherry lips which parted constantly as she threw insults.
But wait a second. Who in Godric's name is she?
"Yes?" Ginny asked the Ginny-way, which was the nice sort of way, before realizing her fatal flaw, and clearing her throat once more, and repeating in the Bitchy-way. "Yes?"
Ah, much better.
"Finally realized that make-up barely enhances your troll-like features, didn't you, Lestrange?" The girl sneered at this, her eyes scanning Ginny's (Lestrange's) face in a sort of way that an arch enemy would.
Oh shit. I forgot the make-up!
"No," Ginny rolled her eyes. "Just found out that I'm overflowing with Natural Beauty already."
The girl just cast Ginny the death-ray look, before finding something else to criticize. "The bet you made with me-"
"What bet?" Ginny blurted before biting her lip in utmost regret. "I mean, oh yeah, that bet."
Ginny caught the girl frowning at her, before she changed her expression to that of utter distain. "We'll see who Tom chooses for the Halloween Ball. I win, or you win. He wouldn't even cast half a look at you. I believe he's past dating trolls."
Oh. Gosh. Were all Slytherin girls like this? That really really sucked. Ginny could barely stand it any longer. It didn't make sense after all to be arguing over guys every single waking hour of one's life. "If that makes you happy, whatever. Bye, good day."
The girl's mouth hung open at the fact that 'Ginny a.k.a Dimitri Lestrange' had just dropped the fight like that. She looked as though she had just witnessed Dumbledore in polka-dotted pajamas doing a ken-ken in the forbidden forest with a bunch of blood sucking vampires.
Ginny figured that she had done something criminally wrong to have received such a response. Oh yes, Ginny remembered with disgust. Lestrange is a Riddle lovesick fan.
"I mean," Ginny corrected her previous lines, "why are we fighting over this-"Ginny blanched at her later words. "Of course Riddle loves me more."
"You! How dare you suggest-" The girl shrieked. "We'll see! We'll see about that! He'll ask me during the meeting! You'll see! You'll see!"
So that girl was one of Riddle's Death Eaters too. Oh happy day.
Ginny just ignored her and walked (with that darn girl still hammering at her) to the supposed entrance of the Room of Requirements to be greeted by a lean boy with black hair cut in the old fashioned way, a firm jawline and a pair of dark eyes which was set on studying people intensely.
She recognized him as the Ravenclaw Prefect always hanging about Riddle- Daniel Pocock.
He acknowledged Ginny's raving mad companion briefly, whose demeanour had completely changed in a split second to one of respectful and flirtatious. Amazing that girl, a formidable enemy. Then, with a small smile, the boy had turned back Ginny (Dimitri Lestrange), "Is it a special occasion today, Lestrange? Not a single trace of make-up on you."
Okay, that was one major serious flaw.
But Ginny couldn't keep boasting about her natural beauty, hence she came up with a logical excuse which included some criticizing which was the Slytherin's style. "Um, the first year Hufflepuffs you see. Those brats, urg, my head was throbbing and so I decided to screw make-up for today." Not convincing.
"Yes." He wasn't looking at her- but still, he bought it! YIPPIE! "Hufflepuffs, their lack of quality-" He never finished with his brutal insult as a large door- Ginny recognized it as the same door she had met with the previous time!- appeared before them. "Great, let's make haste."
That darn bratty girl on the other hand, was shooting poisonous glares over at Ginny- angry at her ability to win over the boy's entire attention. Ginny, who wasn't even trying to act like Lestrange this time, stuck her tongue out at the girl. The sucker.
The trio stepped into the Room of Requirements.
Ginny filed in last out of the three. Never had she imagined the Room of Requirements to be so large and spacious. But then again it was the Room of Requirements, taking the shape as one required. It was a plain room, but a well to do one. The room consisted of a slightly elevated platform, and a parliament table set on the ground level. Seven seats had been placed on the platform- and they were filled by Bastian Rosier, Abraxas Malfoy, Alphard Black, Jonathan Mulciber, Camden Avery and David Pocock respectively- leaving the middle seat empty. Approximately 15 seats lined the Parliament table below, and they were filled with mostly unfamiliar faces.
Barely anyone looked up when Ginny stepped into the room. They were all doing their own goodness-knows-what personal things. She really didn't intend to disturb them- and hoped to draw as little attention as possible…-
"No make-up today, Lestrange?" Malfoy had to, had to stick his nose in someone else's business.
Now, how would Lestrange reply to this? It was stupid really, asking herself how Lestrange would react to something when she was supposedly 'Lestrange'.
"Nope." Ginny decided this was the safest answer. "I-"
"No, sir," Black, sitting on the Platform, corrected sharply, eyes staring acutely at Ginny. "If your memory has failed you, Lestrange, during Commission Meetings, you, have to adhere to the accurate formalities."
Damn. I have to stop with these 'slips'.
"No sir," Ginny muttered tersely through gritted teeth, deciding to just conform for once. "The Hufflepuff's caused my head to throb, so I gave up with the make-over."
When both Malfoy and Black had lost complete interest in the conversation like total stuck-up gits, Ginny began to wonder where to sit. That darn bitchy girl had already seated herself around the 'parliament-like-table' off the platform, and there was an empty seat next to her-
"Thanin," Daniel Pocock's voice threatened softly from behind her. "Off my seat, now. Morphing into me or any individual in this room won't be of any help if you plan on entering the Commission."
Ginny turned at this- as so did many pairs of eyes in the room. The familiarity in those eyes gave Ginny a feeling that this sort of thing happened pretty often.
And then she noticed, seated on the platform was one Daniel Pocock, and standing before him, asking him to piss off in a nicer, yet harsh manner was another Daniel Pocock! Merlin's pants! There were two of the same person walking around in this very room! And she'd only noticed now!
Malfoy, the only person in the '7 seater row' tensed at this, rising from his seat at the speed of a Nimbus two-thousand and one. "You, Thanin," he practically hollered, "are a bloody disgrace to the Mal-" Malfoy cut himself short at the next word, before deciding that it might just be easier to throw out a whole load of vulgarities to get his point across. "Son of a dirty, bitching' whore, a dirty-blooded son of a-"
"Your father was the whore, Abraxas! Shut up if you barely know the facts!" It was a boy's voice, a young boy's voice which countered the insults indignantly.
When Ginny's eyes once again fell on the pair of Daniel Pococks, she realized that this was no longer the case. Instead of the Daniel Pocock previously seated silently on the chair, he had magically morphed into a completely unfamiliar eleven year old boy. If not for his light brown hair which had the tendency to curl when he was indignant, Ginny could've sworn he was a Malfoy. Similarly to them, the boy had aristocratic features, and like Harry, he had the most piercing green eyes Ginny had ever seen. And… a few strands of his hair had remained Pocock's colour of black. It was pretty hilarious seeing hairs of different hues on the same head.
"Thanin," Malfoy snarled, placing a huge emphasis on the name. "You-"
"Enough." It was Black, AGAIN. Gosh, that guy was really annoying. Did he think he was king or something? "Take the argument outside if you will. Our lord will be arriving very soon."
"Alphard-" Malfoy argued.
Black stared at him coldly for a few seconds, before turning to Thanin and giving him the same type of intimidating 'stare-down' Riddle had subjected her to on her 'first day'.
"Alternatively," Black decided. "Thanin is to leave."
"But…" the boy protested, shaking his head vigorously. "Just one time, just let me stay this once… please? I want to hear Tom- I mean, Our Lord speak."
Malfoy shot dagger glares at the boy, Thanin who didn't hesitate to stick his tongue out defiantly at his senior.
It was Rosier's turn to open his mouth from across the alleviated seven-seater table. "Our lord made it clear already: You are not yet of age."
"By the time I'm of age, you guys would've all graduated!" The boy scowled. "It'll be no fun!"
This is interesting, Ginny thought to herself. Who is that boy? Apparently he can morph or something.
Ginny watched with utmost interest as Mulciber turned to Avery seated beside him and whispered something softly.
"Out," Black commanded shortly, not bothering to sympathize with his junior. "If you'd like to know, my wand… is by my side, Thanin. You wouldn't want to… force me, would you?" And as though to prove it, Black went a step further to draw his wand, and twirl it casually with his slender fingers.
Malfoy merely smirked by his side.
But the smirk didn't last long for it was whipped of by the presence of his Lord, transforming automatically into a respectful expression. Everyone, anywhere they were in the room, immediately stood abruptly, sweeping into a polite bow. And that was saying something- as even Thanin, the little boy, had lowered his head in humble respect.
Ginny didn't realize how still she was standing, nor did she realize how paralyzed her limbs were until Riddle approached her.
Breathe Ginny, breathe. Act Bitchy, act lovesick, flirt.
"No make-up today, Lestrange?" Riddle asked. "That is... a surprise I admit."
Ginny honestly couldn't believe that the Dark Lord would care about such trivial stuff like that when there was some World Domination to get down to. "Um... Throbbing head."
He just stared at her openly, before that masked unreadable expression reappeared on his features.
"If you would have a seat Lestrange," Riddle offered politely, before… making eye contact. And Ginny recognized it this time. Leglilimency. She could feel his forceful gale in the corner of her mind, pulling, tugging, thumping at the impenetrable fortress of hers.
When all effort crumpled to waste, his brows knitted into a puzzled frown.
Lestrange must've been an easy target for Legilimency, Ginny thought. Does he know it's me?
"Thank you, My Lord," Ginny replied, relief engulfing her for having an excuse to get away from Lord Voldermort. She felt that if she were to dwell here any longer, her legs might just give way from panic and anxiety.
"Wait," Riddle commanded once more, placing a hand on her shoulder to restrain her (and Ginny flinched at his burning touch) before removing his prefect badge to the surprise of his Death Eaters. "Levitate this, Lestrange."
What the hell is he doing?
Riddle stared her once more into the eye, before tossing the badge into the air without warning. Ginny bit her lip, whipping out Cat-girl's wand, feeling the same welcoming sensation surging through her limbs, accumulating within her wand arm. Come on, she could do it. If this was a test, she had to pass.
"Wingardium Leviosa." Ginny aimed the wand at the falling badge, and the same omnipotent adrenalin was transferred into pure power, propelling out from tip of the wand. Immediately, the badge stopped in mid-fall, as though being held up by some invisible force present.
"I see," Riddle said, his eyes not on Ginny, but scrutinizing Cat-girl's wand curiously. Ginny released his badge with a flick of her wand, letting it fall nicely into Riddle's open palm. "Very well, Lestrange, do return to your seat."
Ginny didn't need to be told twice, hurriedly seating herself beside the Bitchy-Girl, receiving weird glances from across the table and ignoring a 'Since when did you sit beside me?' remark from Bitchy-girl herself.
"My Lord," Malfoy piped up from the front. "Thanin, despite your advice, has audaciously attended this Commission Meeting. For disregarding your orders, My Lord, I feel that severe punishment is more than necessary."
"T- My Lord!" Thanin yelled. "You see, I-"
"Please, Malfoy," Riddle merely cut in calmly, taking the middle seat of the 'seven seaters'. "Thanin is only here today to describe to us some… very interesting findings in the Room of Hidden Things that he has gained access to. I believe it has to do with the Heir of Gryffindor's little... hideout."
"I see, My Lord," Malfoy replied, head lowered but looking very disappointed indeed at the decision. "I see."
"So," Thanin the first year smirked triumphantly, receiving another pointed glare from all the forth, fifth and sixth years within the room. "Can I sit on Hornby's seat? She ain't coming back from what I heard."
Ginny's gaze immediately snapped up to him, then to the empty seat across her and beside Nott. Hornby? Olive? Again, this was another proof that Olive had been a member of Riddle's little Death bunch. Well, then what happened? What did Thanin mean by 'she ain't coming back'? Ginny really needed to find out.
Everyone turned to their Great Glorious Lord once more, the ultimate decision maker. "Very well, Thanin," Riddle nodded slowly. "As for today, you may."
Again, no one objected this time, but yet, you could tell from the 'long faces' that no one was pretty happy with the admission of a tiny little first year into the meeting. First years had a tendency to go nuts occasionally, and like a typical kid, Thanin had ants in his pants and simply could not sit still in his seat. He also wouldn't be any of any help when it came to contributing opinions, ideas, or even rebutting it. All in all, it was pretty insulting to have accept an eleven-year old boy amongst the elite ranks of the Commission when even Sixth years were rejected entry.
"Now," Riddle announced smoothly, promptly standing to his feet. "Let the meeting commence, Knights of Walpurgia."
Ginny blanched at the name.
A/N: Abraxas and Thanin have past problems in case you didn't understand the feuding parts.
