Chapter Seventeen: Recap, Take One
"I can't believe that you and Malfoy tied for second place," Ron grumbled. Ginny and Harry were cuddled together on his bed in front of the compact mirror, relating all of the events of the night before to his two best friends back at Hogwarts. "And that Bonaccord bloke ended up taking first? That sounds dodgy, if you ask me," he added with a shake of his head. "The wireless said that he made it back hours ahead of Ginny and Malfoy. Why didn't he run into the bloodthirsty trio?"
"I agree," Harry said. "It does feel like something's off."
"I thought Madame Maxime had installed safety charms," Hermione said disapprovingly. "What happened to those?"
Ginny snorted. "They didn't work very well, did they? But no one's saying why yet. They're supposedly still investigating. McGonagall was livid."
"If it was sabotage, what would be the gain?" Hermione mused.
"So the Beauxbatons champion would win," Harry answered immediately.
"I don't think so," Ginny said shaking her head. "According to what I overheard, they were after Malfoy. And he knew it, too. At one point he admitted he was using me to mask his scent so they wouldn't find him. He didn't seem confused as to why they wanted him, either. But I can't figure out why. I mean, Malfoy? He's a git, but what would vampires want with him?"
"He had a strange conversation with Monsieur Fortier just before they went into the task," Harry reminded her.
"That was strange," Ginny agreed. "It was very pointed, wasn't it?"
Hermione cleared her throat noisily. "Some of us were stuck at Hogwarts worried sick about you two," she said tetchily. "We didn't have the pleasure of hearing Monsieur Fortier's speech."
Ginny flushed. "Sorry. It was something about Narcissa's taste in jewellery. There was more going on below the surface there, I'm sure of it. Fortier was trying to allude to something and it was clear that Malfoy knew exactly what he was talking about."
"He said that he met Draco's parents once at a dinner party," Harry told them, "and that Draco looked like his father, but with his mother's eyes. Then he said that Narcissa was a beautiful woman with exquisite taste in jewellery."
"Do you think Malfoy's got something they want?" Ginny asked Harry.
"What could Malfoy possibly have?" Ron said from the other side of the mirror. "I thought he was a pauper… flat broke."
"But he's still a Malfoy," Hermione said. "Who knows what he's hiding? I'm sure Narcissa had loads of jewellery, some quite rare and expensive. They are one of the oldest wizarding families in Britain. Perhaps there's a special piece that Monsieur Fortier is referring to."
"Could you ask Tonks to do some checking?" Harry asked them. "Maybe she knows if Narcissa had something Fortier might want. They are related, after all. It might even be a Black family heirloom."
Hermione sighed deeply. "Well, at least you're both safe. We were really worried about you yesterday, Harry."
"I wish I could remember what happened after that IWA agent left," Harry said, rubbing his temple. It was still sore from hitting the pavement when he was stunned from behind. "It's all a blank until just before the tournament started. I'm not even certain how I ended up at the Triwizard tent."
Ginny leaned over and kissed him tenderly on the cheek. "At least you're all right, even if you can't tell us where you were. I'll have you here, alive and safe, over missing or dead any day – memory or not. Really, Harry… you take far too many chances."
He chuckled lightly and kissed her back on the forehead. "Coming from the woman who took on a house full of unrestrained, hungry vampires…"
"Only three," she said modestly, but her cheeks warmed at his obvious admiration and open affection.
"So, Ginny..." Hermione said in a slightly high pitched tone. Harry supposed she wanted to remind them that they weren't alone, a technique that worked because they both startled at the sound of her voice. "Have you picked your gown for the Yule Ball?"
Harry groaned inwardly at the mere thought of the Yule Ball. Once again, he would be front and centre, especially for the dancing. It was a tradition for the champions and their dates to open the Yule Ball with a dance. At least this time, though, he would be with someone he actually cared to impress. He and Ginny had been meaning to practice so he would feel more comfortable, although Harry doubted he'd ever feel comfortable in front of hundreds of people as he made a fool of himself on the dance floor. But he was determined to try to master the art of dancing for Ginny's sake, or at least do well enough so as to not embarrass her. Besides that, Ron and Hermione had gotten permission as Head Boy and Girl to attend. It would be great to see them in person, instead of through a tiny mirror.
"Fleur's taking care of it. Eet's my Chreestmas Preseent," Ginny told Hermione in her best Fleur accent causing all of them to laugh. "When do you think you'll be here?"
"Professor McGonagall is letting us use her portal because of Fleur's condition," Hermione said. "Amanda and Charlie can't make it – Amanda's sister is getting married and they're attending the wedding. Amanda's the maid of honour and Charlie's to be a groomsman. The twins are too busy this time of the year with the shop, and your parents are going to wait to come for the Third Task. But we should be there around late afternoon on Christmas Eve. Bill and Fleur have made arrangements to stay in the Inn down the road, but we were hoping..." her voice trailed off.
"You can camp out in my room, Hermione," Ginny said quickly, picking up on the hint faster than Harry. "And Ron can camp out in here with Harry."
"Are you certain there will be enough space?" Hermione worried.
"Are we wizards and witches, or aren't we?" Harry said with a grin. "I know you know how to do the enlargement spell, Hermione. But I don't think it'll be necessary. Just bring two of the sleeping bags we used on the Horcrux hunt. We'll put a cushioning charm on the floor and take turns sleeping in the bed. There's plenty of room... if we don't need to move around much." He paused, looking around at the tiny compartment then added, "But I'd pack light, if I were you."
"Excellent, mate," Ron said with relief. "I wasn't fancying spending my Christmas stuck in an Inn with those two. They came for the weekend to visit Charlie and Amanda last week. Did you know that half-Veela get extremely cranky when pregnant? I actually felt sorry for Bill. He can't do anything right these days." He sighed. "Fleur seems so different now that she's pregnant."
"Really... she wasn't that bad," Hermione said. "All women tend to get a little cranky when expecting, but the difference is that Veela lose their charm during pregnancy so you're not besotted by her like you normally are, Ron. She's not so perfect in your eyes anymore." Harry could have sworn he saw her eyes twinkling.
"I never thought she was perfect, Hermione," Ron said indignantly, his voice laced with sarcasm. "She's not you, is she?"
"Well, the way you were ogling her this summer in that bikini, one would never know it!" she retorted crossly.
"I never 'ogled' my sister-in-law!" Ron retorted, his face heating up. "All I said was that the suit was a nice colour. It matched her eyes."
"Somehow I doubt it was her eyes you were looking at," Hermione snorted.
Ginny and Harry watched them go at each other for a few minutes like a tennis match until they became bored with the banter. After unsuccessfully trying to get their attention several times during the heated argument that ensued, Harry eventually just closed the compact to give his best friends some privacy.
When he looked up, Ginny was fingering the golden keys she had gotten from the First Task. "I wonder what purpose they'll serve. They only told us to keep them safe, and that we'd find out more when we get closer to the next task."
"Keys open locks," Harry said shrugging. "Maybe they'll be used to open something like a door or a chest, although in this competition nothing is what it appears. Remember the egg? It contained a clue. Maybe these give you hints or clues, too. See how each one looks different and has different markings on it? They look like runes to me. If I were you, I'd ask Hermione when she gets here," he suggested. "She knows loads more than the two of us put together and may be able to give you some insight. The main thing is to keep them safe, though. Where are you going to hide them?"
"I haven't decided," she said with a frown. "For now I'm sleeping with them under my pillow."
"If you need any help, just let me know," he offered. "I learned loads about protection spells over the last few years, you know."
"Thanks," she said with a smile as she pocketed the keys. "But I'll figure something out on my own."
Trying not to be hurt by her refusal to let him help, he changed the subject. "I have a surprise. Professor McGonagall told me this afternoon that we've been invited to attend and outing. All the Beauxbatons students fourth year and up are going to Paris the weekend before Christmas. Apparently, it's tradition – a chance to do some last minute Christmas shopping – similar to our Hogsmeade weekends. She's letting us stay the night in the city to do some sight-seeing if we want, since we are all of age. There's a wizard hotel in the city similar to the Leaky Cauldron near the magical shopping district. That's where we'll Floo in and out of when we go."
"Really?" she asked, her face lighting up in excitement. Then her expression darkened. "I wonder how much it'll cost? I'm certain the price of the room alone would wipe out my shopping money. Maybe I'll just come back with the others."
"Ginny, you know I can cover your expenses if you'd just let me."
"I can't take your money, Harry," she insisted. "It's not right. And anyway, Mum would throw a fit if I let you. My ears are still ringing from that last Howler – I don't fancy another one."
Her mum had sent her a Howler when she found out about Ginny joining the Beauxbatons delegation. Harry had also gotten an earful for allowing her to do something so foolish, and her two brothers at Hogwarts had each received their own personal Howlers. Lucky for the Weasley siblings and Harry, the Howlers had all arrived at the same time during breakfast in the Great Hall. One glance at each other and they were in perfect agreement – open them together and the combined noise would cancel each other's out, resulting in a mass of shrieking and screaming that would be basically unintelligible to the casual outsider. But those that knew Molly Weasley well had no trouble understanding the mixed up messages – bottom line, she was furious. Luckily she'd had time to calm down about it and her letters lately had been more worried than angry.
"Why not ask Luna to split a room, then?" he suggested. "It would save you money and then you'd have more left over for your shopping. I'll pay for the food. Your Mum can't object to your boyfriend treating his girl to a meal now and again, can she?"
"I suppose not," she said perking up. He could see the wheels inside her head turning with a plan. "I'll ask Luna as soon as I see her."
He smiled. "Excellent. I've never been in a big city other than London before," he said. "I wonder what it'll be like?"
"I expect that we'll hear a lot of French," she giggled, cuddling into him. "Do you know anything about the French exchange system?"
"The Muggle money is the Euro," Harry said, tightening his arms around her. "I've heard it's easy to figure out, so I'm not worried about that. As for wizard money, I know they use Doubloons instead of Galleons. The Galleon is doing poorly against the Doubloon, so I hear, and so the exchange rate isn't as good as it was before the war. You'll have to take that into consideration. Besides the Doubloons, they also have Reales and Pistoles. That's all I know, really. But I'm sure McGonagall will cover the basics after she makes the official announcement."
"I hope I have enough." Her eyes grew dreamy. "Do you think we'll get to see the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre?"
Harry shrugged. "If you want." It didn't matter to him since he'd never really thought about it before.
"I've always wanted to go to the top of the Eiffel Tower," Ginny said in a far-off voice. "I imagine it to feel like being on top of the world, looking out over the most romantic city on the planet... feeling the wind whipping through my hair. Or exploring the Louvre hand in hand with the man I love – Monet, Rembrandt, Picasso, all the greats in one place."
Harry laughed. "When you put it like that then, yeah... we'll definitely try to go there."
She squeezed him tightly. "It's going to be wonderful, isn't it?"
"Looking forward to it," Harry agreed, smiling down at her. Rolling his body towards her, he shifted so that her mouth was level with his. "You realise that we're all alone in my room on top of my bed, don't you?" He trailed a hand down her jean clad thigh suggestively.
She smiled as her hand wandered under his t-shirt, eliciting a small groan from him as she spread her fingers and caressed his skin. "I hadn't a clue," she said mischievously, her eyes dancing. "Thanks for pointing that out."
The mood had changed between them in an instant, suddenly becoming more serious – almost electrically charged.
"Just stating the obvious," he said in a slightly strangled voice, his mouth hovering over hers. She smelled so sweet and her lips looks so tempting that he felt his mind clouding over in a haze. "It'd be a shame to waste the opportunity, after all," he breathed.
"I quite agree," she responded in kind, crushing her mouth to his painfully. Their bodies intertwined immediately of their own accord as they lost themselves to each other, giving in to the moment totally but holding back just a little. They were becoming experts on just how far to push each other without crossing the line, but lately the line was starting to become more than a little blurred.
It was a long time before they finally broke it off and Ginny had snuck back into her own room, but it had definitely been an evening neither would forget any time soon. Harry lay back in his bed, a satisfied grin on his face, marvelling that they hadn't been caught out yet for spending so much time alone together in each others' rooms. Thank goodness Gryffindors stuck together. He should definitely treat Colin and Cory to a butterbeer once they got to Paris – provided they had time in between the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre.
A/N: I haven't abandoned, I've just been MIA in Real Life. Thanks to everyone who's reviewed. Even if I haven't responded back, I really appreciate each and every word of encouragement. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.