Okay, so I LOVED all your reviews. Although I will say that I have a few more reviews on a different website than I do on here. Oh well, it's all gravy baby! Anyways let the sparks fly in this chapter!
Please don't forget to review. While I love all the story favorite/alerts and the same for the author favorite/alerts, I really, really, really love those reviews! I'm writing on chapter six as we speak, and let me tell you chapters four and five are a doozy! So, the more reviews I get the happier I am and the more I want to write! Love to you all!
Ja'ne- Ami
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My Fair Weasley
Chapter 2: And just what is wrong with the way I dress?!
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"Healer Weasley, am I going to die?"
It was all she could do to keep from bursting out laughing. Instead she replied with a smile, "No, Emmaline, you are most definitely not going to die. As a matter of fact I believe," she checked the clip board at the bottom of the bed, "that you are due to be released tomorrow."
"Oh good," the little five year old girl replied, picking at the bed clothes. In Ginny's opinion the poor thing sounded aggrieved more than relieved at the prospect of getting to go home.
Ginny placed her hand on the little girl's now fully healed leg. "Emmaline, little girls don't die of broken legs you know." She said with her best smile.
Emmaline pouted as she looked at Ginny, "But I don't want to go home yet. I like it here. Everybody's so lovely to me."
"Uh huh, like your parents aren't lovely to you," Ginny replied as she checked the little girls' vitals. In some cases phrases like the one Emmaline had just said meant different things, like child abuse. In Emmaline's case she knew damn good and well that that wasn't true. Emmaline's parents were none other than Neville Longbottom and Hannah Abbot Longbottom. The two couldn't be more doting on their eldest child.
"But mummy and daddy don't treat me like everyone here! Here I can have anything I want." The girl's bottom lip poked out, "At home I'm told what to do and when to do it. It's not any fun."
With a chuckle Ginny sat down on the edge of Emmaline's bed and gently moved a piece of the little girl's wild chestnut curls behind her ear. "Emma, your mum and dad only tell you what to do because they love you and want what's best for you; which, if I'm not mistaken, doing the exact opposite of that got you landed in here."
Again she was rewarded with another pout. Emmaline and Ginny were both well aware of the circumstances that cause the former to be admitted into the hospital into the first place. Neville had told Ginny that he'd told his daughter she couldn't touch his Screechsnap (1), so the little girl hadn't touched it. No, she'd put more manure on it causing it to, well, screech thus startling the little girl and causing her to fall off the ladder she'd been using to reach the forbidden plant. It had then set off a rather loud and smelly course of events. Neville and Hannah had brought their daughter in covered in stinksap from the mimbulus mimbletonia which the little girl had fallen into. Needless to say it had been quite the feat getting the little girl clean enough to access all the damage.
Emmaline sighed and looked at Ginny. "I know they love me. I just don't want Daddy to be mad."
"Sweetheart, I'm not mad." Neville had apparently snuck in sometime during their conversation and made his way to the bed where his daughter was. He patted Ginny on the shoulder and she took that as her cue to leave. With a light squeeze to her friend's shoulder she gave Emmaline a smile and left the two alone.
Once she was back out in the hall she headed back to the nurses station to check on the incoming rotation of nurses and to make sure all was squared away before she headed out for a bite to eat.
"Susan, were there any messages for me?" She asked as she flipped through a file concerning a level two case of Dragon Pox in an eight year old boy. He'd need another round of antidote as well as a good long soak in Anti-Green, the wonderful potion that had been invented several years ago to keep Dragon Pox patients from getting the awful greenish tinge that could last permanently.
The nurse looked up at her and smiled, handing her a folded letter, "It came a few minutes ago. Director Rigby would like to see you in his office."
Ginny pocketed the note with a laugh, "Should I be worried? I feel a bit like a kid being sent to the headmaster's office."
"When have you ever worried about being called to Rigby's office? Everyone knows you're his favorite," Susan stated with a smile. She got up, heaving her pregnant self out of her chair, and took the file from Ginny.
Ginny smiled as Susan absentmindedly rubbed her protruding belly, "Don't have much longer do you? Pretty soon I'll be delivering yet another Weasley male into this world."
Susan answered with a brilliant smile, "Only two more months, if he's not stubborn like his siblings. I'll be glad to have him out finally! Now go on with you. I'll go check in on Darren. We still on for dinner?"
"Wouldn't miss it for anything! Tell my brother if he's late he can consider his free healthcare null and void!" She called as she headed down the hall towards the elevator.
She was rewarded by her sister-in-law's bark of laughter. Ginny knew good and well that Charlie wouldn't miss dinner at all; especially not when his pregnant wife and little sister were both after him to attend. And there was the small fact that though Susan was a nurse, Ginny was the family physician. So far Ginny had been responsible for delivering eight (almost nine) of the almost eleven grandchildren –the first two having been born before her medical career began- not to mention the one everyone came to every time something happened. The aforementioned threat was a good one to hang over her brother's heads when she wanted something done.
In truth she really didn't think she had anything to worry about in heading up to Rigby's office. In her almost five years of employ at the hospital she'd never had so much as a complaint made against her. If she didn't say so herself, her record was pretty immaculate. So when she got up to Rigby's office and opened the door to his office without so much as a knock she got the shock of her life.
Rigby was sitting behind his desk his head in his hands and the two people in front of him were glaring at each other. At the sound of the door opening Rigby looked up at her and his face paled. The other two caught the action and turned to face her. With an even bigger shock, she realized she knew the two in front of her.
"Malfoy? Zabini? What the fuck are you two doing here?"
It looked like Draco Malfoy almost swooned, "Oh dear gods above, Blaise, her language is just as atrocious as her style!"
"Excuse me?"
Blaise slapped his hand against his head, "Oh for Cirque's sake Draco quite being so damned melodramatic."
"Alan, just what the bloody blue blazes is going on here?" Ginny demanded staring between the three of them.
Rigby heavily got to his feet, "Ginny, Misters Malfoy and Zabini here are the two main benefactors of the hospital and they are here for quarterly reviews."
Oh by all the gods alike, the only reason someone got called to Rigby's office on review day was because they were either being transferred or worse yet, "You mean I'm getting laid off?" She fell back against the door. She couldn't get fired! Healing was her life, what she was meant to do.
"No, no, no, Ginny," Rigby raced around the desk to where she slumped against the door and grabbed her arms. "Ginny, listen to me, there is nothing wrong with your performance. You are one of the single best healers we have here."
"Oh, don't coddle her Alan," Draco snapped as he got to his feet. "She's an absolute horror!"
That slapped Ginny out of her stupor. "And just what the hell is an absolute horror about me, Malfoy? I know you don't like my family, but by all that is holy, you can't fire me just because of that!" By this point she was fuming and had shoved away from the door.
Draco looked down at her, "Oh, it's not your family that bothers me, Weasley, although they do leave much to be desired."
Ginny poked him hard in the chest, "So, just what about me is it that has you so riled up that you're threatening my job?!
Draco flicked a piece of her hair, "This, Weasley, is my problem. You're hair is lackluster and dull." He picked at the neck of her scrubs, "You're clothing leaves much to be desired." He scrubbed a finger over her cheek, "And you have absolutely no regard for personal beauty. By the gods, you're not even wearing make-up."
Ginny slapped his hand away, "What does it matter how I look you self righteous bastard? Does my ponytail keep me from doing my job? No! Do my scrubs mean I can't perform the correct spells? No! And, personally make-up is far too much of a hassle to wear everyday, and it in no way, shape, form, or fashion affects the caliber to which I perform my job!"
Blaise stepped in to separate the two of them, "Weasley, I mean Healer Weasley, what Draco means is that he believes in upholding a certain amount of decorum."
Ginny rounded on him, "Decorum? You want to talk to me about decorum you bloody wanker?! Were you, or were you not, the very one who thought it would be just smashing to get rip roaring drunk and go running stark naked around the halls of Hogwarts?" Blaise paled, well, more like turned grey. "And you," she rounded back on Draco, "You were the one that thought it would be just marvelous to make poor Neville's cauldron blow up! So don't either of you dare to mention decorum to me."
"Oh, that's rich coming from you Weasley," Draco retorted and poked her in the shoulder. "You were the one that thought it would be a riot to set off those fireworks in the courtyard during my divination class."
Ginny scoffed, "Oh please Malfoy, you were rolling around on the ground clutching your sides when that happened!"
"People, we aren't even talking about this," Blaise interrupted them. He put a hand on each of their chests and pushed them apart. "Now, Healer Weasley, the reason you were called here in the first place is because during quarterly reviews Draco and I both found your lack of fashion rather disconcerting." He put a hand over each of their mouths when they started to protest. "Now, Healer Weasley we have a proposition for you, are you at least willing to hear us out?"
Ginny closed her eyes and took a deep breath around Blaise's hand. For some reason this decision affected her job, although she didn't rightly understand just what, she did know that if she complied with them her job would be safe. As she nodded her understanding Blaise removed his hand.
"Alright, now here's what we have to say," Blaise sighed and removed his hand from Draco's mouth, warning him with a look to not say anything. He turned back to Ginny, "Because of your lack of style and bearing Draco and I are willing to take you on as a project of sorts." He held up a hand when the fiery redhead opened her mouth to protest. "Now, what this means is that we will take you under our wing and teach you how to dress yourself in a comfortable and fashionable manner. You will listen to us and learn what we have to say. And any and all fashion choices will be run by us first. The charity ball Draco and I will be hosting to benefit the Center for Potions Reversal will be your debut of sorts. Until then your fashion and style choices are entirely up to us, at least while you are not at the hospital."
Ginny had to force herself to breathe steadily with every sentence Blaise spoke. All this really was about her lack of fashion and style. Surely it had to be some sort of joke. Admittedly she'd never really had that much style, but it hadn't mattered. School required uniforms and on their days off they wore whatever was on hand. Being a healer required nothing but scrubs and her Healer's cloak. Truthfully she'd never given it much thought, but she had realized that she was a bit of a tomboy. Of course, growing up with six brothers and a family who only had what they could afford meant that she'd never really developed a style of her own; nor had she ever really wanted to.
Now, however, this could mean whether or not she kept her beloved job. "So you're saying that if I don't comply with this then you'll remove me from my position at this hospital? That hardly seems fair."
"What's not fair Weasley is the way you blatantly disregard what others think of you!" Draco burst out.
"Would you shut up?" Blaise smacked Draco on the back of the head. Even Blaise had to admit Draco was being a little out of line with his accusations. He turned back to Ginny, "While I would like to say no, your job doesn't hinge on this, I'm afraid Draco and I have come to the conclusion that in order for you to keep your position here, it would be very wise of you to take us up on this."
"So technically yes, you'll remove me if I don't say yes. Although on paper you can't necessarily do that." Ginny stated as she stared directly at Blaise, who nodded. This was the only way to save her precious job. Being a healer was the only thing that ever truly mattered to her, and she loved it with every ounce of her being. "Fine, I accept your terms."
Blaise let out a sigh of relief and gave her a small smile. "You won't regret your decision Healer Weasley. We'll be in contact with you shortly." At that he gathered up the still fuming Draco, nodded to Alan, and left, pushing Draco out the door ahead of him.
The silence between the two healers was profound to say the least and after a moment Rigby turned to Ginny, looking slightly lost.
"Ginny, I…"
"Save it Alan," Ginny said softly. Gathering herself as much as she could she turned to go, "You know, I would have thought you of all people would have fought a little harder to keep me out of this shit hole."
And with that said she left.
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"They're doing what?!" Susan Weasley kept herself from yelling the question at her favorite sister-in-law.
Ginny banged her head against the table they were sitting at while waiting for her brother. "It's just what I told you. They said I had to accept their 'training' or else I'll lose my job."
Susan huffed and threw an arm around her obviously distraught sister. "Isn't there anything you can do? I mean, they can't just fire you because you don't have fashion."
"So you agree with them, I don't have style!" Ginny whined as she whipped her head up to stare at her sister.
Fidgeting, Susan rubbed a comforting hand over Ginny's back. "Well, Gin, yeah I guess I do agree with them. I mean, don't get me wrong you're a beautiful girl. You just don't know how to…properly enhance that. Maybe - and I in no way condone their behavior - they can show you how to make your outside as beautiful as your inside."
"Whatever she's telling you don't listen to Gin," Charlie said as he slid in the booth next to his wife. "You're beautiful enough without anyone having to change anything about you." He shrugged as he ruffled his little sister's already messy hair, "Though I haven't the foggiest clue as to what you're talking about. Oh well," he kissed his wife's cheek, "how's your day been?"
Ginny and Susan exchanged a glance decided it would be best not to mention to this brother or any of the others just what had transpired today.
"Oh, nothing much, you know, just the usual." Susan stated as she gave her husband a quick kiss. And just like that the subject was done with.
((Ch.2 Fin))
(1) Screechsnap: Semi-sentient plant that wriggles and squeaks uncomfortably when given too much dragon dung manure. The fifth years worked with seedlings of this plant in Herbology.