To
Die For
Chapter Six
"Morning, sunshine." Ginny said sarcastically, chucking a stiff pillow at Christine. Christine merely groaned in reply, sitting up slowly, and running her fingers through her tousled golden locks. She rubbed her eyes and looked around wearilly- her gaze flying across the room to the window, where the sun- still not fully risen- cast a tye-dye effect upon the early morning sky in hues of gold, pink, orange, and purple.
"Time to wake up already? The sun's not even up yet." Christine moaned, throwing the blankets off of herself and hopping out of bed. She strode over to her wardrobe, throwing open its' doors and raking through the endless supply of clothes- Ginny watching her magically-expanded interior in amazement. Its' entire content was crammed with clothes- just one outfit was probably worth more than the entire house. She couldn't help but stare when Christine removed the most expensive-looking, beautiful dress that she had ever seen.
It was a strapless white corseted dress that was designed to fit the bodice snugly in a flattering way, then bellowed out slightly around the knees. The hem was trimmed in gold thread, and dress was embellished with gold-beaded roses.
Christine dug into her closet again and extracted a pair of matching gold high heels.Ginny glanced down at her own new outfit- a gold knee-length cocktail dress with a scallop-trim, and a neckline that revealed just a hint of cleaveage and golden wedge-sandals. She had been so excited when she got her own dress, and she looked gorgeous in it too, but now seeing Christine's outfit she was feeling doubtful.
Christine unfolded an old changing screen- which was probably older than the house itself- and hung her dress over the top. She began stripping down- pulling her night-gown over her head and stepping into her dress, pulling it on. "Ginny," Christine asked, "could you help me with the zipper?" She stepped out from behind the screen and turned around so her delicate, arched back was facing Ginny.
Ginny looked peeved- no, she did not want to help Christine with zipper- especially not when she knew how much more beautiful Christine would look in her dress than she would look in her own. But it was Bill's wedding, and she wanted everything to be perfect. Not to mention her mum had forewarned her not to start anything with Christine- again- so she held the zipper in one hand, and smoothed out both sides of the fabric with the other, and zipped it up. "Thanks."
She sat on the bed to buckle on her heels, then stood up to retrieve her wand. Aware that Ginny was watching her, she blushed slightly. Ginny looked like a little watching her mother put make-up on for the very first time. Ginny watched intently as Christine curled her hair around her wand expertly, then letting the perfect, frizz-free locks cascade down. She flourished her wand abover her head, her hair wiinding itself around the wand, twisting this way and that- until her hair had wound itself into an elegant updo- with most of the hair down in fancy ringlets, and only the hair from the sections of the sides of her head held into a neat curly ponyatil, and few strands of hair dangling from the sides of her face.
Christine then cocked her head to one side, biting her lip slightly in concetration, and passed her wand infront of her face, and before Ginny could so much as blink, Christine's make-up was already applied, and and much nicer- without the flaws of having done it by hand. Finally, Christine finished off the look by adding gold bangles to her wrists, and clasping around her neck a diamond star pendant on a gold chain. Ginny gawked at Christine in amazement. Christine had gone from sleepy-eyed and tousle-haired pajama bum to an elegant, glamorous goddess in a matter of minutes. "How do you do that?" Ginny asked, before she knew what she was doing. Christine looked away from her reflection and smiled over at Ginny, making her feel even more immature and inferior at how gorgeous Christine looked when she smiled.
Christine grinned- Ginny had been pretty amiable for the past three days. It was obvious that Ginny was no closer to hugging her and making amends, but maybe Ginny was softening up to Christine a bit.
"It's easy!" Christine replied. She walked over to Ginny, beaming, wand in hand. "You just have to think of what you want to have, then pass your wand infront of your face..." Christine said, demonstrating to Ginny with her wand. "...and voila!"
Ginny observed her face in the mirror and couldn't help smiling- she looked simply radiant. Her face emitted a soft, healthy glow, and the tops of her eyelids were lined with a rustic orange eyeliner that made her big brown eyes pop even more and glow brighter, but not in a gaudy way. Ginny's cheeks had a suttle pink flush, her lips shone a clear, strawberry color. She couldn't remember a time when she looked any better.
So this is what having an older sister is like, Ginny thought gushilly, It's nice. Ginny loved all of her brothers dearly- but being the only girl and the youngest in the family did have its' downsides, despite its' perks. With only older brothers to model after, Ginny grew up to be tough and like boyish things like Quidditch, and it taught her to be independent and strong-willed. Secretly, though, she'd always wanted a sister to do girly things with- like make-up, gossiping, staying up late at night and talking, and so on- and her brothers did not exactly fulfil the requirements.
"Thanks," Ginny gushed, beaming at Christine. She smiled for the first time in three weeks- a real, genuine smile- for the very last person Ginny would have least expected- Christine. "Hey," she ventured, with the embaressed sweetness of a shy school-girl. "Could you help me with my hair?
"Sure. "Christine said, with a smile- the first that came naturally since her parents' deaths- a tiny glimmer of hope. Christine began twisting Ginny's hair this way and that around her wand, unable to stop grinning as she did so. Maybe- just maybe- this will all work out, she thought.
"Ginny! Christine!" Mrs. Weasley trilled from four floors below Ginny's room, and both girls turned to the door.
"Am I ready?" Ginny asked Christine, glowing.
"Just a second." Christine said, moving to her jewlery box and rummaging through its' contents until her fingers closed around a large gold butterfly hair pin, beset with with diamonds, black topaz, gold sapphires, and crystals. She fastened a thick curl from Ginny hair up to the side, so that her face was easier to see, and it brought out Ginny's brown eyes nicely.
"Wow," Ginny breathed, staring at her reflection in amazement. "I don't even look like myself anymore." Goodbye wannabe, hello TWITCH supermodel.
"You look beautiful," Christine said sincerely. "Come on- let's go see the others- they probably need some help avec les decor."
Ginny hopped off the bed and Christine summoned a gold purse in which contained her compact and dropped her wand into it. "Ready."
They walked down the four flights of stairs to the kitchen, where Mrs. Weasley was already waiting for them, wearing a new set of amethyst robes and a matching hat, her hair twisted into an elaborate updo. "My dear- you two look absolutely fabulous!" Mrs. Weasley beamed, and Ginny blushed. "Hermione and Gabrielle are finishing up with the decorations and they need some help. I would join in, but I must help Fleur get ready, Madame Delacour is running a bit late.
"Thanks!" they said in unison before making their way to the backyard- Christine gliding in her heels as if floating on water with mastered ease, as Ginny had not yet accomplished the grace of walking in high-heels, and in effect stumbled every so now and then on the way as she tried to hold her posture as Christine did.
The transformation of the Weasley's garden was completely unrecognizable. Whereas normally everything within it was overgrown and unorganized, the grass now was neatly coiffed, and of a rich, healthy green, unblemished by its' usual smattering of odd weeds, and even stranger plants. Hermione had enchanted all the leaves of the surrounding trees golden, and a large white marquee stood in the heart of the yard, entwined with golden vines of various flowers. A long, purple satin carpet was- of which on either side were rows upon rows of neatly organized dainty gold chairs- lead up to the marquee. The sky was a beautiful forget-me-not blue, scattered with fluffy white clouds, and the effervescant sun shone down on the garden gleamed on the gold. The effect was almost heavenly.
Gabrielle had removed her heels in order to keep her balance on a spare chair, her shoes left forgotten in the grass as she attempted to fixate white and gold balloons to the top of the marquee. Hermione stood in the grass- a vision of radiance in a light, knee-length periwinkle dress and matching heels, her usually flyaway, wavy hair straightened to frame her face- about six feet away, directing Gabrielle where each balloon was to be palced.
"Okay- now just a little to the left- between the two gold ones, still- yes. Your just a little bit off- tie it right in the middle." Hermione directed critically, gesturing wildly with her hands and sounding like a steriotypical gay fashion photographer. The effect was rather amusing.
"Like 'zis?" Gabrielle asked, hopping off the dainty gold chair lightly, so Hermione could get a better view.
"That'll do, I suppose." Hermione sighed exaperatedly, though there really was no point in her saying anything at all, because Gabrielle had already sat on the chair , impatiently buckling the straps on her heels. Then, flipping her hair boredly, she trotted off towards the house-or as well as one can in three-inch heels- emitting a soft golden glow, calling briskly over her shoulders, "Aurevior! I'm going to get ze boys!"
Hermione growled, mimicking Gabrielle, as she stepped onto the chair herself, and began tinkering with the unlevel knot Gabrielle had already made. Christine looked up at the balloon in question- it was only an inch to the left of the middle, and she was sure no one would have noticed if Hermione had not pointed it out. She wasn't going to say anything though- if there was one thing Christine had learned about Hermione in three weeks, it was that she was a perfectionest.
"There." Hermione said, tying the knot with unpracticed ease, before climbing off the chair, and addressing Ginny and Christine. "That girl is completely useless- you know, she may be only eleven years old, but she's so vain- she is just as bad as Fleur if not worse."
"You mean Phlegm?" Ginny offered helpfully, smirking mischievously.
"You really shouldn't call her that." Hermione said discerningly, though unable to resist the urge to grin, as Christine shook with laughter. "In about twenty minutes, she'll be practically your sister."
"Yes, but that's what being the younger sister is for, isn't it?" Ginny questioned. "You know- tormenting the older sister, and borrowing clothes from their closets without permission- well, at least that's what Parvati tells me."
"I don't know," Hermione said thoughtfully, accommodating her most classic deep-in-thought expression, before continuing. "Does that really count? I mean- Parvati and Padma are twins, so... "
"Oh, it counts-" Ginny persisted. "Well- just barely. Padma is fifteen minutes older than Parvati." Christine had obviously no idea who or what Ginny and Hermione were talking about, so she didn't say anything. Being born and raised an only child, she wouldn't know what being a younger sister would be like anyhow.
"Bonjour, mon aimee!" Gabrielle proclaimed, signaling her return, as she half-dragged Harry down the backsteps, who looked half-way between bored and annoyed. "I've returned!"
"We can tell." Ginny said flatly. Did Gabrielle always have to be so vain and...peppy? Gabrielle was acting as though they had been holding their breath during the brief fifteen minutes that she had disappeared.
"Wow, you look great!" Harry said, with much more enthusiasm than he had displayed as Gabrielle dragged him outside, his tie dangling from his neck haphhazardly. Ginny beamed and opened her mouth to thank Harry for the comment, but then she realized he had been addressing Christine-who moved past Ginny to greet Harry.
"Yeah, she does." Ron said, joining them after walking off the backporch, obviously misunderstanding whom Harry was talking about as well, and looking at Hermione as if he just seen her properly for the first time. "You look amazing, 'Mione." he said with a grin, and Hermione blushed.
"Thanks! You look quite handsome if I say so myself." Christine purred to Harry, and Ginny gave an unvoluntary twitch, her heart sinking. She realized that his tie wasn't done and she couldn't help but laugh. She found it highly amusing that most women had better skill at tying a tie then most guys do and they didn't even wear them.
"Erm- could you-?" Harry asked awkwardly, pulling pathetically at his tie, and blushing embarressedly. She laughed, smiling sympathetically, as she reached up and began tying the tie. Harry felt as though his head had caught fire and blushed furiously as Christine's hand brushed the side of his neck.
Ginny looked over at Ron and Hermione, as if seeking comfort, but they weren't paying attention. They were a few yards away, busy talking with one another- Hermione blushing profusely and laughing occassionally. Ginny was the odd girl out- and she really need that. "Um...I'll be back later, I think Auntie Muriel is here. Erm- bye."
"Bye!" Harry said vaguely, and Christine waved, but they turned their attention away right after. Ginny made her way as fast as she could in her heels to the house before she started crying, making her way towards Fred and George's room. They would make her feel better- they always did.
"Ronald Weasley!" a stopped-over, frail-looking woman with frizzy, fake-looking red hair barked across the yard."Never heard of a haircut eh?" she criticized, as she hobbled over, leaning on a walking stick. "I'dve thought you were Ginevra if you weren't wearing those robes."
Ron glared at the haggish old lady from afar, his ears bright red with embaressment. "Well!" she barked. "What in Merlin's pants are you waiting for? I' m a hundred and seven years old!" Ron muttered an embarressed apology to Hermione before excusing himself to reluctantly help Auntie Muriel to her seat. Harry excused himself as well, and Hermione followed not long afterward- as more guests arrived.
As Ron passed Christine with Auntie Muriel, Christine could hear Muriel insulting her in a none-too-quiet tone: "My lord! What is that that girl is wearing? Not even enough to keep a tick dry in a drizzle! Tisk, tisk, tisk- must be French."
Christine glared at Auntie Muriel's retreating back, thinking bitterly, Well, excuse me if I'm not a horrid prehistoric bat, and my dresses don't reach the floor. "She's horrible." Christine said sulkilly to herself, unaware that anyone was listening, as her crystal-blue eyes bore a hole into the vicious old woman's back where she sat in a golden chair that looked almost as fragile as she was- barking at Ginny about how "skimpy" her dress was.
"Yeah, well," said Ron, with a grimace as he approached her, running his hand over his newly shorn head- courtesy of Muriel. "That's Auntie Muriel."
"Don't feel too bad though," Hermione added half-jokingly, and glancing self-consciously at her feet. "She had a go at me too...My ankles don't make me look scrawny, right...No- she doesn't know what she's talking about." Hermione said uncertainly, though saying it more to reassure herself than anyone else.
"Yeah," Harry agreed, looking nervous, and he pressed down on the top of his head, desperately attmpting to flatten his untidy hair- but with as less effect as this nervous habit always had. Harry had always secretly been insecure about his hair, and Auntie Muriel wasn't doing him much help by criticizing him. "She attacked my scalp with a comb, saying she'd give me a 'proper grooming.'"
"Come on," Harry said, and he gently seized her Christine's wrist, tugging her forward slightly. "Ther're some people I- I mean- we'd like you to meet.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione lead Christine over to a gaggle of people which included three red-heads- one- a thin, balding, bespectacled man Christine recognized at once as Mr.Weasley; two younger looking men in maybe their twenties, with equally fiery locks, whom Christine assumed must have been the two eldest Weasley brothers; and a pretty blonde woman, arm-in-arm with Remus Lupin, whom Christine had met only once, when she first met the Weasley's; Xenophilius Lovegood, whom she knew as the batty, eccentric publisher of the Quibbler- dressed in bright robes, and a girl of about her own age wearing flower in her pale-blonde hair, and whom she believed to be Xenophilius's daughter.
Christine actually found it amusing how the wizarding community regarded anything that was published in the Quibbler with a grain of salt, seeing as how much more accurate and truthful it was than the Daily Prophet these days- including the most recent scandals and news Voldemort and his Death Eater's, which the Prophet was so prudent on ignoring lately.
"Hey," Bill said, outstretching a strong hand for Christine to shake, which she accepted. "You must be Christine- Fleur's told me loads about you. I'm Bill."
"Thanks, you too." Christine said, smiling politely, knowing very well that Fleur told her about Bill. All Fleur ever talked about was herself and how pretty she was, Bill, and how "darling" life was. "It's nice to finally meet the man that has Fleur so glowing."
"And I'm Charlie, Bill's brother. I like dragons." Charlie said nervous, feeling stupid, then comin up with something slightly more impressive to say. "I've always admired how strong and graceful- magical dragons are. And I've always believed that they had a sort of hidden sexiness about them." Charlie flirted, unable to contain himself infront someone as attractive as Christine, but thenb lushed, humbling himself upon remembering how much younger she was than him.
Ew, Christine thought disgustedly, but smiling anyway, and giving him brief, but polite shake of the hand, he did not just hit on me. She turned to Remus Lupin as he also extended his hand to her in greeting, and shaking her own firmly, but not too hard, smiling kindly. "I believe we met before at the twins' shop- I'm Remus. And this is my wife- Nymph-" he broke off as the blonde woman whom he gestured to scoffed indignantly, her golden locks suddenly flaring red in her anger and he corrected himself. "-Tonks."
Immediately, her flaming herfaded back to its' golden hue and Tonks regained her cheery disposition. "And don't forget about Teddy, Remmy!" Tonks chirped happily, beaming as she caressed her bulgin stomach fondly, and Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Christine noticed for the first time that Tonks's usually lean, taut stomach had stretched out quite far, and appeared as though Tonks had swallowed a watermelon whole.
"Congratulations!" They cheered, beaming happily at her, showering them comments and best wishes. "Can we feel it?" Hermione asked happily, gesturing to Tonks' belly, whom nodded fervently. Christine and Hemrione placed their hands on Tonks' stomach, and squealing excitedly as baby Teddy kicked hard.
"Ohh!" Tonks trilled cheerily, sniffing the air as the waiters levitated food and drinks over to the refreshment table. "Teddy's hungry again- and so is Mummy!" And with that, Tonks totted off, holding her stomach protectively as she attempted to avoid hitting anything or anyone with her newly swollen belly.
"Erm- honey! The ceremony is about to start!" Remus called anxiously to Tonks, rushing off after her to subdue Tonks' devouring the numerous scrumpteously prepared meals of Mrs. Weasley's doing. "Don't eat the lobster! Remember what happened the last time you tried to eat seafood?"
The foursome looked around and noticed that Remus was right- almost all the seats were full, and Bill and Charlie ran up the aisle to take their places beside each other at the little marquee. Excited, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Christine sat down in their seats symmetrical to one another- Christine occupying the one in between Harry and Hermione, as Remus accompanied Tonks to the two seats infront of them just in time to sit down while Tonks munched on an extra-gooey, extra-chocolatey brownie.
Right on time, the visitors straightened up and alerted themselves as the band struck up the opening chords of the Wedding March, and Fleur made her appearance at the beginning of the aisle, gliding gracefully down toward the marquee, arm-in-arm with Monsieur Delacour, Ginny and Gabrielle bringing up the rear, radiant in their matching gold dresses, as they threw gold and white flower petals on either sides of the aisle. Fleur looked beautiful in her elgant white gown, and Auntie Muriel's tiara finished off the look radiantly.
When they had assembled around the little marquee, and Fleur and Bill stood facing one another, hand in hand, Auntie Muriel glared at a nostalgic Tonks, who was blubbering into a handkerchief. "We gather here, brothers and sisters- friends and family, to celebrate this glorious day of holy matrimony..." began the minister.