My Fair Weasley

Chapter 4: To Hell With An Off Day

((-))

There was nothing better to do on a day off than settle down on the couch with a nice steaming mug of tea and the latest book from her favorite author. It had been a hell of a week at the hospital, but thankfully the outbreak of Dragon Pox was finally at its end. Most of her patients were due to be released any day now, and the other more severe cases were on the mend. And she had three more deliveries on her record now. A sense of accomplishment had settled itself within her and right now it was time for her to enjoy the fruits of her labor.

With a sigh Ginny leaned back against the fluffy brown micro-plush couch pillows and took a sip of her tea. She had the next two days off before she had to be back at work and she was planning on spending it people free. Well, with the exception of Susan who was due for a checkup. Though those appointments were always fun and Ginny loved overseeing the development of her unborn nephew. Plus it gave her lots of time for girl talk with one of her favorite sisters-in-law. But, until tomorrow when she was supposed to meet up with Susan, Ginny was planning on spending the day doing absolutely nothing.

Or so she thought.

"Ginevra, darling," Blaise almost shouted when he leaned over the back of her couch.

Ginny squeaked and promptly fell on the floor in her shock. Which in turn caused her to spill hot tea all over herself, "Ouch, ouch, ouch, bloody fucking ouch!"

Blaise muttered a heartfelt, "Oh shit," before whipping out his wand. With a flick the tea disappeared and he was left with Ginny glaring up at him.

"One," she said as she pulled herself up, "How the bloody hell do you manage to not make a sound when you Apparate in someplace? Two, what the hell are you doing here?"

Blaise stuck out a hand, which Ginny grudgingly took, and helped her stand. "One, I have had lots of practice. Two, you darling are coming with Draco and I today for lesson one of your style reformation."

"Like hell I am," Ginny argued as she took her tea cup into the kitchen. "I have two days off and I intend to spend them people-less and curled up on my couch with my tea and my book. And people-less also means Malfoy and Zabini-less. So shoo, and leave me to my two days."

Blaise leaned against her island and gave her his best smirk, "Sorry, love, no can do on that. This is a required assignment. Meaning, you must attend. Now, go get in the shower and I'll pick out what you're going to wear."

Ginny gave him her best innocent look and rounded her eyes. "Blaise, c'mon, it's my day off and it's been a hellish week. I just need to relax. Not go traipsing around in shops all day."

"Who said anything about shops? Today's lesson is observation and as previously stated it is a requirement. So," he grabbed her by the shoulders and steered her towards her bathroom, "To the bathroom with you woman. Oh, by the way, use this on your hair." He dug in his pocket and pulled out a medium sized silver bottle and handed it to her. "Replace your usual conditioner with this."

With a grimace, Ginny took the bottle and headed towards her bathroom. It looked like her day was ruined no matter what.

((-))

Twenty minutes later Ginny emerged from her bathroom with a towel wrapped around her and padded back to her room. There she found Blaise examining himself in her mirror. He turned to her when she entered the room and smiled, "How's your hair?"

"It's silky and lovely thanks. I really love that serum stuff you gave me it works wonders on the frizz." She had to admit that she really did love the hair treatment Blaise had given her. Even after just one use she could tell a massive difference in her hair. It felt soft, even wet, and there was still no sign of frizz; which by now her hair would already have started wiring out in little unmanageable tendrils.

Blaise gave her a winsome smile, "Good, I'm glad you like it. The bottle's brand new so let me know when you're out and I'll get you some more. Now, I've laid out your outfit on your bed. So, I'll just make myself scarce." With that he left Ginny to dress.

Ginny examined the outfit Blaise had paired up for her. The beige cashmere sweater set he'd so admired the other day had been paired with a brown pencil skirt they'd found hanging in the back of her closet. He'd even gone to the extreme of picking out matching ivory and lace under garments. A brand new pair of brown low heeled suede knee length boots lay neatly in a box next to the entire ensemble. Ginny had to admit that it was a lovely outfit, although she was a little unsure of the skirt. Skirts were definitely not a part of her normal attire.

She managed to get herself into the entire ensemble, though she did have trouble getting the skirt to sit right on her hips. And after casting a quick drying spell on her hair she joined Blaise in the kitchen.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" Blaise stated with a smirk. "Is that Ginevra Weasley? No, certainly not. This woman before me actually seems to have class and style."

Ginny scowled at him, "Fine, point taken. Can we just go?"

Blaise narrowed his eyes and took a good look at her. He had to admit that the right coloring and clothes matching could do wonders for her. The beige and brown went wonderfully with her auburn hair. Her legs, which were a mile long and voluptuously muscled, were made for heels and boots. He applauded himself for thinking of giving her the hair serum because it did indeed do wonders for her hair. It had stopped any sign of frizz and made the normally unruly curls smooth and round. She still needed a haircut desperately, but the wide loose curls were tamed and voluminous in exactly the way they were meant to be. She still wasn't wearing any make up, but he supposed he couldn't ask for that much.

"I suppose you'll do for now," He replied trying to make himself sound like Draco.

Ginny cracked a smile, "You sound a lot like Malfoy. I'd be worried about that if I were you."

"Touché, now come here and hold on tight." Blaise held out his arm and Ginny came to stand next to him wrapping her arm around his waist while he wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "Let's go."

Ginny shut her eyes tightly as she was pulled along in Apparation.

Blaise caught her when she stumbled upon their landing.

"Where the hell are we?" Ginny asked as she looked around them. Blaise had brought them into what seemed to be a suite out of a ritzy five star hotel. The entire room was done in various shades of green, grey, and white with black accents on the bedding, curtains, and carpeting. A massive and ornate four poster mahogany bed was planted in the middle of one wall. One wall was nothing but bookshelves while the other wall was nothing but windows and the room was divided by a stone wall that housed an enormous fireplace that opened to both this room and the room beyond. Needless to say it was stylish and impressive.

"This would be my bedroom, although I suggest you don't try Apparating in at odd times of the day or night. You never know what action the bed will be seeing," Blaise answered as he gave her a nefarious wink.

"This is what you call a bedroom? This is almost bigger than my entire flat, and I live in a luxury penthouse!"

Blaise smirked at her, "Well Ginevra, I do live in a Manor, not an apartment. My room is only one of twelve bedrooms. Not to mention the two ballrooms, formal dining hall, family dining hall, four different offices, three parlors-."

"Alright, that's enough I get your point," Ginny muttered as she stuck her tongue at him. "So, where is your illustrious cohort?"

"He should be arriving any-."

"Finally, it's about bloody time you got here!" Draco said as he emerged from the other room.

Ginny noticed that he was dressed in an expensive hand tailored suit, or at least it had to be hand tailored. Nothing Draco Malfoy owned wasn't designed and made specifically for him. Though she would be loathe to admit it to anyone but her own consciousness, he looked absolutely gorgeous. He had stopped slicking back his hair in school letting it grow into the disheveled sexy style he kept it in now. On anyone else it would look messy and unkempt, but Draco managed to pull it off with a class that was all his own. The cut of his suit only emphasized the breadth of his shoulders and the slimness of his waist. And she had to admit, he had the nicest ass on any man she'd ever seen. Not that she'd ever tell him that.

Instead she opted for, "Well, if I'd actually been forewarned of our little foray I'd have been more prepared for it. But someone decided I'd be better off left in the dark."

Draco straightened his tie, "Don't blame me for Blaise's mistakes."

Blaise punched Draco in the arm, "It was you're turn to write her this time, ass. Don't go blaming me for your own deficiencies."

Draco scowled at Blaise and rubbed his arm, "Whatever, look we don't have much time. We've got to get going." He held up a back sleeping mask, "Weasley put this on."

Ginny scoffed at him, "Why?"

"Because," Draco growled, "It's a surprise."

Arching one eyebrow Ginny regarded him warily, "A surprise? You know I don't exactly trust any surprise you have in store for me, Malfoy."

"Well then you should trust a surprise that Blaise has arranged. Because trust me why on earth would I plan a surprise for you?"

"Oh please, Malfoy like you would ever have the decency to even think of someone else, much less come up with a surprise for that someone. In fact I bet you've never planned a surprise for anyone in your entire life!"

"As a matter of fact Weasley, I have. And my mother adored her surprise trip to Japan, unlike you who is apparently such an ungrateful whelp she can't accept a surprise from people that are trying to help her!"

"Ungrateful whelp?! Oh honestly Malfoy you are such a prick. You think I'm some sort of ungrateful whelp? Well let me remind you that I in no way, shape, form, or fashion made you decide I was some sort of fashion catastrophe. I didn't ask for you to threaten my job over some sorry excuse. You did that all on your own!"

"Children!" Blaise bellowed as he shoved his way between them. They'd come to stand almost face to face in their little argument and Blaise was afraid that at any moment they'd start mauling each other; either sexually or physically. Either way it wouldn't surprise him. The sexual tension brewing between them was astounding, though neither would dare to admit that.

Both of them glared at him as they turned their backs on each other.

"Oh come on, both of you," Blaise plucked the mask out of Draco's hand. "Ginevra please put this on. We really don't have much time left."

With a sigh Ginny took the mask from him and slipped it over her head covering her eyes so that she couldn't see a thing.

After shooting a glare at Draco, Blaise took Ginny's hand and guided her from the room. Draco followed them glowering at the floor.

Blindfolded as she was Ginny hadn't the foggiest idea where they were leading her but she subjected herself to being led to where ever it was they were going. She hadn't meant to get so worked up over what Draco had said, but she just couldn't help it. That bastard knew just what buttons to push, and he pushed them so expertly. It was his fault he hadn't made it clear the surprise was Blaise's idea. It was also his fault for ordering her around. She was a twenty five year old woman and the only people that ordered her around anymore were her boss and her mother. What right did he have to think he could do the same? The only thing that really saved him from a good ass kicking was the fact that she would have hated to ruin that nice exterior of his.

The skirt was obviously having a severe effect on her psyche.

A pull on her hand made her stop and she heard Blaise tell Draco, "Draco you get her ready, I've got to go backstage and make sure everything's set."

With that Blaise let go of her hand and another cool one took its place. Somewhere before her Blaise slipped through a door; her heart began to pound in anxiety. What was all this about backstage? Get her ready? It was like something out of a nightmare. Surely they weren't going to put her on stage and rip her to shreds.

Draco noticed that the hand he had taken had begun to shake. "What's wrong now Weasley?"

"Tell me exactly what this surprise is Malfoy or I'm not going in there." Ginny said trying to keep her nerves out of her voice. She only failed slightly.

Draco scoffed, "Oh, you'll see."

"No, Malfoy, I'm not doing this, whatever it is," Ginny replied reaching up to take the mask off.

Draco dropped her hand and grabbed the mask holding the sides of her head. "No, keep the mask on. This is Blaise's surprise. Don't ruin it."

"I'm not going anywhere with this damned mask on!" Ginny hated herself when panic started creeping in her voice. "And I'm not going in where ever it is you want me to go."

Confused Draco looked at her. Was it simply his imagination, or was there a tremor in her voice? Surely not, this was the woman who had ranted and riled at him for simply going through her closet.

"Look, I don't get why you're freaking out. Have I given you any good reason to freak out?"

Furious and afraid Ginny shoved her arms up between Draco's where he held the mask in place and in the same motion ripped the mask over her head. "Yes, as a matter of fact you have; every single time you cracked insults about my family and my hand me down clothes!"

"What exactly does this have to do with clothes?" Draco asked out loud. On the inside though it was a different story, surely there was no way she'd found out about where they were taking her.

Ginny glared at him and was ashamed to feel tears building in her eyes, "It has everything to do with clothes Malfoy. I am not going to be privy to public scrutiny manufactured by the likes of you! I had enough of that back in school thank you!" With a huff she crossed her arms over her chest and furiously wiped away the tears that had leaked out.

Now Draco was really confused. "What the hell are you talking about? Public scrutiny; just when have I ever placed you under public scrutiny?"

"Do you think I'm deaf, Malfoy? Everyday it was all the same, 'Look at the Weasley girl….she should be ashamed of those rags…Doesn't even have the decency to patch up the holes in her hand-me-downs.' And you," crying now she poked a finger in his chest, "You and yours were the worst; always pointing out when I had a tear in something, commenting on the state of my books and robes at every chance you got. You were constantly putting me under public scrutiny!"

Taken aback, Draco remembered a particularly nasty comment he'd made to her in which he'd been standing with a group of his "friends" and she'd happened along. At the time he'd sneered at her and said, "Why Weasley, what a wonderful outfit! For some reason, you are rocking the trash today. Usually it looks horrible but man, the filth you're wearing just looks so fabulous." She had glared at him so hard he though his robes might catch fire, but had gone on her way without so much as a word. Oh cripes, he'd been an even worse ass then than he was now.

When he stayed silent Ginny hiccupped and took a deep breath trying to calm herself, "See, you just don't get it Malfoy. All those insults, every comment anybody ever made, hurt me. I know and knew good and well how I dressed back then, just like I do now. You don't understand what it's like to not have the money to buy yourself nice clothes. We got what we could afford and that was it."

"But you can afford it now, can't you?" Draco asked quietly. "I mean, why did you accept this whole thing in the first place?"

"You threatened my job, Malfoy." She answered but then sighed and continued, "I also thought that maybe it's time to change. I've been hiding behind little Ginny Weasley for twenty five years. I think it's time to take Master Healer Ginevra Weasley out of the closet and throw her on for the entire world to see."

"So, you're willing to go against how horrible I used to be to you and let me help you?" Draco didn't quite understand the logic behind that, "Why?"

Scoffing quietly she met his curious gaze, "You're the first person to throw it in my face. Threatening my job was a great way to get me to accept, but you and Blaise made me so angry about it that I feel like I have to do it just to prove you wrong. It's sort of like you used reverse psychology on me."

"Glad I could be of help. Now, would you please put the mask back on?" He held up his hands when she started to protest, "We are in no way going to throw you out there and let anybody have a crack at you. I promised Blaise I wouldn't ruin his big surprise for you, so I really can't tell you what we're doing. However, I can tell you that today you're privy to a remarkable and rare event and no one is going to take a second glance at you. Does this work well enough to trust in putting the mask back on?"

With a sigh Ginny regarded the mask in her hand and slipped it over her head. Draco let a smile play on his lips with his small victory. Granted it was a small victory; for some reason guilt was creeping up on him. The way she cried about how badly his torment had affected her touched him in a way he'd be loathe admitting. He really had been horrible to her then, and he was repeating the mistake now.

Without another word he took her smaller hand in his and gently tugged her to follow him. As he entered through the door to the ballroom voices and music both greeted and assaulted his senses. The crowd milling around was so focused on everything else that they didn't pay attention to him and the girl he was tugging along.

As the throng of people compressed he almost lost his grip on Ginny's hand so he stopped and pulled her to him, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. With his charge safely under his wing he pushed through the noisy crowd. It was amazing how small she was against him, but at the same time her body fit perfectly into the curve of his. If it weren't such a blasphemous thing he would have even thought to say that it felt nice to have her there. But he was a Malfoy and Malfoy's didn't think it was nice to cuddle with a Weasley. Wait…did he really just think of cuddling?

Pulling himself out of the very wrong directions his mind was taking, he pushed them along until he was at the side of the six level stadium seats. "We're going to go up a small flight of stairs," he whispered in her ear. "Just hold tight to me and I won't let you fall." Cautiously he led her up the stairs and helped her through the row of seats until he came to the three that were reserved in Blaise's name. With a gentle push he sat her down in the middle chair.

"Alright, you can take off the mask now."

Hesitantly Ginny reached up and pulled the mask over her head only to be almost blinded by a roaming purple beam of light. As she blinked to adjust her eyes she noticed that what was supposed to be a ballroom had been transformed into a runway. Six level stadium seats were on all three sides of the runway people were crowding into seats and milling around in what seemed to be a photography pit. As the flashing lights began to dim and a giant spotlight planted its beam directly on the stage, Blaise emerged from behind a side curtain and strode purposefully into the beam of light.

"Ladies and gentlemen, esteemed guests and new found friends," He winked at where he knew Ginny was sitting. "It is my great honor to welcome you to the Fashion Review featuring none other than our very own Theodore Nott. As most of you know it's been almost a year since Theo's given us a show and I assure you that the wait will be well worth it. Now, my friends let us sit back and enjoy this show!"

Astounded, Ginny turned to Draco, "A fashion show?" She giggled, "You brought me to a bloody fashion show?"

Blaise slipped in beside her and took her hand, "Well? What do you think?"

Ginny smirked at him, "I think you're insane for bringing me here. But then again," her smirk turned into a genuine smile, "I think it might be just what I needed."

"Well, then, you're welcome."

((Chapter 4 Fin))