Promise Us Everything, 5/10. D/G. NC-17.
Title: Promise Us Everything
Author: Eustacia Vye
Author's e-mail: eustacia_vye28@hotmail.com
Rating: NC-17 eventually. Parts are appropriately marked.
Disclaimer: They're Jo's, and I'm borrowing without permission. I'll return her toys when I'm done playing with them.
Spoilers: I incorporate DH except for the epilogue. A list of begats and shoddy writing is not a good way to end a series.
Summary: The fallout of a magical clandestine war is difficult to wade through, and reconstructing society takes work to be done right. Unfortunately, too many old prejudices remain. Ginny sees the world for what it is and is determined to fix it properly. This leads to all sorts of unlikely allies.
Author's Note: This was inspired by nokomis305's drabble that she had written for me. The opening was actually written as a short drabble for mynuet. I had actually lost the original five chapters that were written and had to recreate them from memory. :(
Promise Us Everything
Part Five - Belle of the Ball
*Psst!* More smut in this chapter, folks. :)
When Pansy decided to spend Chesterfield's money, she definitely didn't do things halfway. She brought Ginny to her own personal tailor in one of the most exclusive Wizarding shops in England. Her personal seamstress happened to be mute, though Hester was able to communicate in a myriad other ways. "I can ramble on and on about the most awful things, and she can't repeat a word of it," Pansy chirped gaily, pushing her way into the store. She waved at Hester, who smiled in a vague sort of way in response. Ginny gave her a helpless look and followed Pansy into the measuring area. Each patron had a separate area of the shop, heavy velvet drapes keeping the area private and secure. The drapes had powerful silencing spells on them, and the elite of society knew that even the loudest screamer could be discreet within the privacy of those drapes. Pansy just liked knowing that she could be rip roaring drunk and say inappropriate things to Hester without censure.
"I don't know if that's necessarily a good thing..." Ginny began faintly. Hester shrugged as she pulled the drapes shut, activating the spells.
"Of course it is," Pansy declared, sinking into a plush armchair within the measuring area. She waved at the pedestal. "I can tell you that Chesterfield is shagging his sister and that's why he can't get it up for me. And poor Hester can't tell a soul." She giggled at the juxtaposition of Hester's bland face and Ginny's shocked expression.
"That's not funny," Ginny gasped, climbing onto the pedestal. "You're drunk."
"Of course I am. Did you honestly think I would gad about this place while sober?" Pansy gave an artful little shudder. "Horrid thought, that. Silly girl." She peered at Ginny, squinting a bit. "You're still dressed?"
"What?" she asked, looking from Pansy to Hester. Hester had measuring tape in hands, and looked at Ginny expectantly. "I'm supposed to be naked?"
Pansy giggled. "Oh, dear. That's right. You haven't worn one of the Rosewear gowns, have you? Oh, you'll be so beautiful. The belle of the ball, really, but you can't get measured with clothes on, dear." She pushed herself up from the chair and got up on the pedestal. "Oh, don't be shy. I want to see what Draco's all caught up about."
Ginny blinked. "What?"
Pansy smiled breezily and began unbuttoning Ginny's blouse. "I think it's wonderful. He looks so happy. I used to look at his photo in the Prophet and see how miserable he was. It almost made the misery of Chesterfield touching me bearable. He wasn't doing any better. Nobody was, really, and it was a cold kind of comfort." She tossed the garment aside and Hester deftly caught it and began to fold it neatly.
"I, uh, I'm glad you approve."
The other woman's giggles dissolved into a drunken fit of guffaws. "Oh, you're so proper about it." Pansy walked around Ginny and unhooked her bra. "Are you so shy to let me see? Don't tell me you never experimented at Hogwarts."
Ginny's eyebrows shot up toward her hairline. "Those other girls my year were silly, awful girls. I never would have even thought of that with them."
Pansy dropped her chin onto Ginny's shoulder. "I guess I thought it was just something else to do, you know? Some girls liked it, some don't. I could take it or leave it. But it was great practice for kissing. Millie's a pretty good kisser, did you know that? Oh, wait. Why would you?" She spun around, Ginny's bra strap in hand. "I think she's taking one of your brothers to the ball."
"Which one?" Ginny asked, amused. "I have six, and most of them are either married or involved with someone."
"The prissy one," Pansy declared. She tossed Ginny's bra at Hester, who caught it and laid it over her folded blouse.
"Percy?" Ginny asked. She was a little surprised, but then again had introduced the two of them so they could talk about real estate issues. Apparently, they were getting on fairly well.
Pansy nodded and smiled hopefully at Ginny. "You're really pretty. I can see what Draco likes about you." Pansy's hand hovered over Ginny's right breast but didn't quite touch it. "Can I kiss you?" She looked at Ginny with an open expression, rather like a child's. "Can I feel what it's like to be loved?"
Ginny thought her heart would break. "You have Blaise."
"I know," she whispered, gaze dropping. "But not how it counts. Never how it counts." She looked up, eyes wet with unshed tears. "You can have that, you know. The two of you. You can have each other, can hold each other. I can't." Pansy reached out and cupped Ginny's cheek in a soft caress. "He loves you, you know. As much as you love him." Her smile was bittersweet at Ginny's startle. "Oh, yes, I can see it. I've known him since we were children. I know Draco so well, and I'm like a sister to him now. So sad. And he loves you. He loves you more than anyone else he's ever been with. I can see it."
Completely thrown by Pansy's statement, Ginny couldn't move. Her eyes were wide and she felt frozen in place. Pansy leaned forward and kissed her gently on the lips, an almost chaste peck, then hopped down from the pedestal. "You're beautiful, you know," Pansy remarked, sitting back down in the plush armchair. She looked over at Hester, who had discreetly chosen different colored fabrics to offer to Ginny. "She's stunning when done up right, isn't she, Hester? You're going to break so many hearts at that ball."
"I don't want to break any hearts," Ginny whispered, blinking in surprise.
"Doesn't matter, you will anyway. It's part of the social whirl. Someone's heart has to be broken every season. Someone has to be the one to take the fall." Pansy checked inside her clutch purse and pulled a flash out of its charmed depths. She took a healthy swig and then saluted Ginny, who stood on the pedestal topless as Hester approached with the measuring tape. "You, lovely Ginny, won't break or be broken. I can see it." Pansy took another swig from the flask then replaced it. "You won't break Draco, either. You couldn't. You could never break the ones you love to pieces, it's not you." She gave Ginny a wistful smile. "It's all right, love. Don't worry about it. I'll break for you."
***
Ginny was seated on her bed, Draco curled around her with his chin on her shoulder. One hand idly traced the inside of her naked thigh, and the other was wrapped around her belly. They met often in her flat; once the Floo was locked down, her cozy home felt more like a hideaway to explore each other. Ginny found herself enjoying the hours together. Ginny had thought herself a modern girl, but some of the new positions she was learning about had goggled her mind at first. Most of the romance novels hadn't varied from missionary position, and Draco had flat out told her that the missionary position was a mere appetizer. Today she had even done a silly striptease to whatever was playing on the Wireless, laughing all the while. She had thought it would be strange, but the adoration in Draco's eyes made it more than worth the slight embarassment. It had led to Ginny straddling Draco and having sex while seated in a chair. They had moved to sit on her bed afterward, to cool down a bit and relax.
"Thank you for being so nice to Pansy," Draco murmured as he stroked her thigh.
"She seems so sad sometimes," Ginny murmured. "She can be sweet, though. She doesn't have to buy me all these clothes. Half of them I haven't been able to wear yet." She felt vaguely guilty about that, as if she was encouraging Pansy to buy her affections.
Draco chuckled a bit. "She's always liked shopping. You can return or donate whatever you don't want. Don't worry about it." He moved his left hand up to cup a breast. "But thank you. I feel like I've ignored her too long. We were really good friends once, much closer than we are now."
"I thought you dated in Hogwarts?"
"Cheeky girl," Draco remarked. He nipped her earlobe playfully. "But yes. Fourth year? Fifth year? Something like that. Our parents are friends, so they really were looking forward to the two of us eventually marrying." He shrugged. "She liked other boys and I liked other girls better. Maybe it would have been tolerable to be married, but we wanted more than tolerable. We were still friends in Hogwarts, though. She was one of the few that stuck by me at the end." He sighed, pressing his lips to her shoulder. "I should have paid more attention when she married Chesterfield. If I had, I might have just given her whatever money she needed. She wouldn't have needed to sell herself, then."
Ginny turned her head slightly toward Draco's. She leaned her right arm back slightly and stroked the outside of his thigh. "She kissed me when we were dress shopping," she began hesitantly. "She wanted to know what it was like to be loved."
Draco sighed. "Were you upset by it?"
"More that she was so lonely, really. I didn't say anything about it since I didn't know what to say. Still don't, really."
"You're too good to her," Draco murmured, dropping a kiss onto her shoulder. "And to me," he added, his voice barely audible. His left hand stroked her nipple gently, and his right hand slowly moved along the inside of her thigh to her drying curls.
"Will you be with me at the ball?" Ginny asked, her breath shattering at the intimate contact.
"I can't," he said, moving his mouth to her neck. "Not the way you want me to be."
"Draco..."
"Ginevra, if we're seen together like that, you'll lose whatever credibility you have. You'll be seen as my next conquest, just another silly girl that'll be ripped apart in a few weeks. Anything you say will be suspect."
"You'll dance with me, won't you?"
Draco nipped her earlobe as he pushed a finger inside her. "I could probably do that without ruining your reputation." Ginny arched against him, gasping, her right hand clutching his thigh tightly. She reached behind her with her left to stroke his hair.
"Sod my reputation," Ginny gasped, tilting her hips so that Draco could have better access. His finger moved within her, then across her aching clit.
"Ah, Ginevra. Someone has to protect it. Let me keep you safe." He pressed his lips against her neck, and her pulse leapt up beneath the skin. "Someone will need to protect you from yourself." He sucked on her earlobe again as he picked up the pace.
"I don't... Ah, I can't think when you do that," she moaned, leaning her head back. The fingers of his left hand pinched her nipple slightly, then traced little circles along the areola. His right hand moved in a sure rhythm, fingers rubbing against her.
Draco shut his eyes as she rocked against his hand, her breath coming in little panting gasps. She didn't understand how it would be if their alliance was revealed too soon. She was still too idealistic, still too much the headstrong Gryffindor. Society was a Slytherin creature, full of sly looks and whispers if she so much as smiled too widely. "Come for me," he murmured against her neck. She whimpered, her grip on his thigh almost punishing as her body tightened with her approaching release. "I'll take care of you."
He cradled her when she came with a cry. She collapsed against him, her arms falling limply to her sides. Ginny gave a soft little sigh as she settled against his strong frame, his arms around her. "You're maddening, you realize this."
He laughed mirthlessly. "It's too soon, Ginevra. Wait until you've known me longer to say so."
Ginny shimmied out of his embrace and propped herself up on all fours on her bed. She turned sideways to glance at Draco from the corner of her eye. "Is it too soon?" she asked innocently, her lips quirking into a smile. She had felt the erection at her backside, his rapid heartbeat along her back. "If I can't show you off at the ball, I can at least have you now."
"You're impossible." Draco clambered up behind her and grabbed her by the hips. He entered her in one swift motion and heard her happy sigh of contentment. His eyes shut of their own accord as he began to move within her. Ginny's hips pushed back to meet his thrusts, and the feeling was pure bliss. "Ah, Ginny, whatever will I do with you?" he moaned.
She let out a groan and buried her face in her coverlet to muffle the sound. "Mm... You feel so good," she moaned. "I can't think like this."
"Don't, then," Draco moaned, his hands tightening on her hips. Her squirming was intensifying the sensation, and he knew he couldn't last much longer. He thrust faster, harder, and could feel Ginny tighten further around his cock. He made an incoherent groan as he came, eyes flying open. Ginny made a soft mewling noise as he stopped, and turned her head slightly. "Sorry, love, you felt too good."
Her eyes were wide and surprised, and Draco could have kicked himself for the slip. He kept his smile in place and patted her rear end. "Don't worry, Ginevra. I'll protect you from yourself. You're going to be smashing at Mother's ball, I'll be sure of it."
"Draco?" she whispered, stunned. She couldn't speak as he pulled out of her and they collapsed on top of her bed. "Did you mean that?"
He kissed her slack lips and pulled her into his embrace. He normally wasn't much for cuddling, but this seemed to be an appropriate time for it. "Stop worrying, Ginevra." He smoothed her hair from her temples and kissed her shoulder. "You'll be fine. It'll all be all right."
"You promise?" she asked playfully, almost as a child would.
He laughed, holding her tightly. It was true laughter, no mocking or self deprecating notes in it at all. "I promise you anything and everything."
I love you, Ginny wanted to say, but the words stuck in her throat. The word love had slipped out during sex, and that was hardly an indication of devotion. She threaded her fingers through his and squeezed. She shut her eyes and sighed with contentment. She didn't really need the word, exactly. He was already showing her consideration and attention that proved that he cared about her. It was more than she had gotten in a long time, and the feeling was rather like a warm, comforting blanket wrapped around her shoulders in winter.
This was what being in love felt like. It wasn't a kiss or a caress per se, but that feeling of acceptance and contentment. This was what love was like. Ginny was just glad that she was mature enough now to appreciate it.
***
"I just got my dress robes from Madame Malkin's today. Ginny, dear, you didn't mention what robes you're wearing to that ball of yours," Molly mentioned over dinner. It was a week to the ball, and of course most of the extended Weasley clan would be in attendance. The cream of society's crop would be there, and following the war's end the Weasley family could count itself as members.
"I had gone with Pansy to her tailor," Ginny replied pleasantly. She smiled in the face of Molly's blank expression. "She wanted to thank me for being so nice to her at the charity meetings and got the dress for me. It's a fairly fancy thing, but it's really pretty."
Arthur looked at Ginny blankly. "Who's the tailor?"
Ginny shrugged. She never did get the name of the shop, though she remembered where on the street it was. "Rosewood or some such."
Molly blinked and her hand fluttered to her mouth. "Rosewear, you mean?"
Ginny nodded. "That's the one. Why?"
"Oh, dear. That's the most expensive shop in Diagon Alley. In all of England, I suspect."
Ginny looked at her parents' stunned faces and tried to digest what this meant. "She spent an awful lot of money, hasn't she?"
Molly nodded. "Do you have it yet?"
"It arrived at my flat yesterday. I haven't opened the box yet, actually. I had Quidditch practice yesterday for Sunday's game, and was out all afternoon. I believe it's navy blue and silver. I think that's what I picked out that day. There were a lot of fabric swatches to go through."
"You're good friends with this girl?" Arthur asked, not terribly interested in fabrics or colors.
Ginny leaned forward a little in her seat. Percy wasn't there for dinner that day, and was likely out with Millicent Bulstrode. They had become quite a pair over the past month, now that she was paying attention. "Mum, Dad, about Pansy... At the ball, can you be really nice to her?"
"As if I would ever be rude," Molly huffed, leaning back in her chair with mock affront.
Lips pressed together for a moment, Ginny sighed. "I mean that... She's in one of those society marriages with her husband. She's Pansy Chesterfield now, but she hates it. She drinks a lot, Mum. I've gotten her to slow it down a bit during meetings, at least." Ginny left out the part about Blaise forcibly taking away her flask during meetings or Narcissa's obvious disapproval of Pansy's drunken ramblings. "Sometimes she gets silly. If she says something stupid, please don't say anything."
"So she's a good friend," Arthur concluded.
"She's sad," Ginny murmured. "I feel sorry for her. I wish I could help her the same way we're trying to help these kids. I don't even know where to begin."
"There, now," Molly began, patting her hand gently. "You're doing it, then. It sounds like you're one of the few friends she's got in the world."
Ginny's smile was sad. "All the charity members, really. I don't think she's allowed to see her family anymore, so we're all she's got."
Molly clucked her tongue sympathetically. While there was no love lost for the Parkinson clan, nothing quite got up Molly's mothering instinct like being told someone had lost family. "I'm sure we can be friendly to the poor girl. She's likely just lost her way, is all."
Ginny's smile brightened. "Thanks, Mum." She squeezed her mother's hand. "So, where are your robes? Can I see?"
"After dessert," Molly laughed. "New robes for an occasion. It's going to be wonderful."
The ball itself, when it actually came, seemed to go by in a blur.
Molly's and Arthur's robes were a deep golden color with red trim. Percy was dressed in black and red, and must have coordinated with Millicent. Her slinky black dress robes had red accents and she wore a red flower tucked into her hair. They chatted with various Ministry members amiably enough, and Percy looked puffed up with pride the entire evening. Ginny's dress was a flowing concoction of midnight blue and silver lace, with a hairpiece that carried charms in it to curl her hair into a chignon and ringlets. Pansy was dressed in deep emerald green and silver lace, with a similar charmed hairpiece in hand. She eagerly left Chesterfield's side to embrace Ginny, loudly declaring her the belle of the ball to all who would listen. Narcissa was in silver from head to toe, and pointedly ignored the loudest of Pansy's ramblings.
While Ginny had been worried about her little speech for days, she and Narcissa easily and gracefully thanked all the guests for their generous contributions and their presence at the charity ball. "With your help," Ginny concluded, "I know we will be able to make a difference in the lives of these unfortunate children. If they don't have to worry about food or shelter or clothes, they will really begin to blossom and grow. I'm so proud of our efforts to help make Wizarding England a better place not only for them, but for all of us."
Narcissa's smile was cool as Ginny ended the Sonorous spell she placed on her throat. "I had forgotten," she murmured, clapping. "You really are quite the idealist, aren't you?"
Ginny lofted an eyebrow at Narcissa. "Is this a bad thing?"
"Not necessarily," she conceded. "But sometimes society can't live up to these lofty expectations, and you will be bound for disappointment."
"Ah, but that's why things need to be changed," Ginny replied with a sunny smile. "That way, society and my expectations are the same."
Narcissa laughed, and it was one of genuine affection. "There may be hope for this enterprise yet, the way you keep on." She nodded at Ginny and then inclined her head toward Arthur and Molly, who were standing near Blaise, Pansy and Lord Chesterfield, the Minister of Magic and Harry Potter. "More greetings are appropriate at this juncture. And I believe you may be occupied as well."
Blinking in surprise, Ginny was about to ask what Narcissa meant. A similar shade of blond swam into her peripheral vision, and she turned. Draco was approaching, glasses of champagne in hand for all three of them. "Oh."
"He is taken with you," Narcissa murmured, so softly Ginny thought for a moment that she imagined it. "Don't break his heart."
Ginny's head snapped back to Narcissa, her entire look a question. "But..."
Her gaze was cool and her expression was a mask. Whatever Narcissa meant would have to wait for another day. "Draco. I was wondering when you would honor me with a visit."
Draco kissed his mother's cheek and handed her one of the glasses. "Mother. A rogue like myself has to wait until the opportune time, of course." He laughed and offered a glass to Ginny. "I do believe the evening is a smashing success." Draco raised his glass. "A toast, to my wonderful Mother and to Ginevra Weasley, for all of their efforts."
Narcissa's bemused glance flicked to Ginny as she drank. "What a way with words, Draco." She touched his shoulder in affection. "Thank you. Your efforts aren't unappreciated, you know. I was just about to greet our ministers and honored guests again."
"I can escort you," Draco offered immediately.
"Absolutely not. Enjoy yourself. I'll keep to the social niceties," Narcissa replied, patting his arm. "You can squire the lovely Ginevra about for a bit, and then go mingle about."
Draco and Ginny watched as Narcissa glided over to the knot of people she had mentioned. It looked graceful and elegant, and she was able to effortlessly work her way into the conversation and smile graciously all the while.
"It never ceases to amaze me that she can do that," Ginny murmured.
"It's not that difficult," Draco murmured. He held out his arm. "I'm supposed to squire you about, she said."
Ginny placed her hand on his arm and smiled. "Is this going to break my reputation?"
"Not one dance," Draco replied with a shake of his head. He gave his glass to a passing waiter and did the same with Ginny's glass. "Shall we?"
"Absolutely."
It was a short dance, very formal and stylized. Though there seemed to be whispers and pointed looks, no one openly said anything. They didn't look at each other with overly affectionate eyes or talk. If anything, it seemed like a fairly perfunctory dance. The whispers all ended when Draco guided Ginny over to her parents and the ministers, then left after he bowed deeply in front of all of them.
"He grew into a rather charming young man," Arthur told Narcissa, his appreciation genuine.
"Thank you," Narcissa replied, inclining her head slightly to receive the compliment. "Ginevra has been an absolute pleasure to work with for the charity. Helping Hands would certainly not be the success it is without her."
Ginny watched her parents glow under the praise and smiled serenely at Narcissa. "It's been a wonderful challenge to begin," she said to Narcissa. "I've met such wonderfully talented people while working there, too. It's been humbling." Ginny turned to the Minister of Magic and smiled, gracefully sketching a slight curtsy. "Are you enjoying the evening, Minister?"
The Minister of Magic puffed up his chest slightly. "It was very thoughtful of you to invite the cabinet, Miss Weasley. Lovely party, lovely party."
She smiled at him and couldn't help but contrast his appearance and manners to Draco's. Ginny knew that he would have wanted to say something about how she looked. She knew he would have wanted to kiss her, touch her face, do something to let her know how cherished she was, how wonderful he thought the ball had turned out. The Minister on the other hand seemed like an overweight, aging and balding man without a family to call his own. He was friendly enough, but didn't seem to enjoy the social whirl at all. Ginny reached out on impulse and took his arm in much the same way she had taken Draco's. While he blinked in surprise, he didn't seem to be overly offended by the move.
"I'm so glad. I have to admit, this is the first ball I've had to plan, and I was dreadfully nervous about how it would turn out."
"Ah, Miss Weasley. Would you like to dance?" he asked, a trifle uncomfortably.
Ginny beamed and caught Narcissa's amused glance out of the corner of her eye. "That would be lovely, but I wouldn't want to intrude on your conversation, sir. It seemed to be terribly important and I don't want to interrupt."
The Minister laughed, a deep booming sound. "Ah, all business talk, Miss Weasley. It's nothing that can't wait until after a dance. The legislature won't reopen until fall, after all."
He was a better dancer than he looked, but not much of a conversationalist. Ginny politely inquired after his family and plans for the summer, and he let her talk about Quidditch and her hopes for Helping Hands. The dance was brief, as short as the one with Draco had been, but this one felt more emotionally draining. I'm so fake, it's a wonder he can't see through me, Ginny thought, keeping a social smile pasted on her face. "Thank you so much for dancing with me, Minister. I'm so honored."
He patted her hand on his arm gently. "You're a lovely young woman, Miss Weasley. Your parents are so proud of you. I must say, I was expecting a tomboy at first, with the Quidditch and all. You're a little lady, through and through, just as your father mentioned. Honorable chap, he is, Gryffindor through and through. I can see that in you, too."
Ginny kept her social smile in place, even though a part of her wanted to cry. She didn't feel like a Gryffindor. She felt like a small child playing pretend, dress up in an outfit she could never hope to afford in her wildest dreams. She wasn't this lady that everyone thought she was. She wasn't this sweet and innocent little girl. It was like those schoolgirl nightmares, the ones where she could never be good enough, no matter how hard she tried.
A flash of pale blond in her peripheral vision helped to reorient her. She thought of Draco and was comforted by his presence. Her girlish fears were silly. They didn't mean anything. The world had changed, and she had changed with it. It was neither good nor bad, it simply was.
"You're a good Minister," Ginny told him honestly. "I hope that my small efforts can even do a pinky's worth of change that you have done."
Flustered, the man guided her back to her parents. "Ah, you flatter an old man, Miss Weasley, truly you do. Politics isn't nearly as noble as you seem to think it is."
"Maybe," Ginny agreed with a nod. "But you're trying your best to make our world a better place. There's honor in that."
He laughed. "Ah, well, once a Hufflepuff, always a Hufflepuff, I suppose."
"Do you think that's true, Minister? That whoever we are as children is whoever we're going to be all grown up?"
He paused, and Ginny stopped alongside him. They were still technically on the dance floor, but no one was going to accuse the Minister of Magic of being rude by not dancing. "I suppose not. Even that young Malfoy there... Family is as Dark as can be, but he seems to be keeping to legal rights. Some of the other young ones, they're in that charity you work with, too. That Zabini fellow, smart young man. I was speaking with him earlier, thought him for a Ravenclaw. I found out afterward that he was a Slyth in school, but never Dark." He shook his head. "These are some confusing times, young lady, and we do the best we can."
"Ah, well. If Slytherins can change and aren't evil, I know we're on the right track," Ginny told him brightly. He seemed somewhat dazzled by her smile.
He laughed, a little nervously. "Let's get you back to your parents, eh?"
Ginny almost laughed outright when she realized he thought she was infatuated with him. She nodded and kept her bright smile on her face when she returned to her parents. Pansy and Lord Chesterfield were talking about estate law. Pansy looked bored, and was standing very still next to Molly in an attempt to avoid ravaging the nearby wet bar. "Oh, Minister. Have you met Lady Chesterfield? She works with the charity as well."
The Minister of Magic greeted Pansy amiably enough, then began chatting with Chesterfield and Arthur. Pansy gratefully caught hold of Ginny as Molly slipped away to talk to a friend of hers at the ball. "You're stunning," Pansy whispered. "And dancing with the Minister of Magic? What a coup! He looks positively enamored."
Ginny snorted inelegantly. "Hardly. I played a simpering idiot, though. The things I do for change, Pansy."
Pansy finally snagged a glass of champagne and downed it all in one gulp. "For change and the route to a better tomorrow," she whispered. "Oops. I got the toast backward."
Ginny laughed and patted Pansy's arm. "It's all right. I know what you meant."
All in all, the night was a success.
***
***
Author: Eustacia Vye
Author's e-mail: eustacia_vye28@hotmail.com
Rating: NC-17 eventually. Parts are appropriately marked.
Disclaimer: They're Jo's, and I'm borrowing without permission. I'll return her toys when I'm done playing with them.
Spoilers: I incorporate DH except for the epilogue. A list of begats and shoddy writing is not a good way to end a series.
Summary: The fallout of a magical clandestine war is difficult to wade through, and reconstructing society takes work to be done right. Unfortunately, too many old prejudices remain. Ginny sees the world for what it is and is determined to fix it properly. This leads to all sorts of unlikely allies.
Author's Note: This was inspired by nokomis305's drabble that she had written for me. The opening was actually written as a short drabble for mynuet. I had actually lost the original five chapters that were written and had to recreate them from memory. :(
Promise Us Everything
Part Five - Belle of the Ball
*Psst!* More smut in this chapter, folks. :)
When Pansy decided to spend Chesterfield's money, she definitely didn't do things halfway. She brought Ginny to her own personal tailor in one of the most exclusive Wizarding shops in England. Her personal seamstress happened to be mute, though Hester was able to communicate in a myriad other ways. "I can ramble on and on about the most awful things, and she can't repeat a word of it," Pansy chirped gaily, pushing her way into the store. She waved at Hester, who smiled in a vague sort of way in response. Ginny gave her a helpless look and followed Pansy into the measuring area. Each patron had a separate area of the shop, heavy velvet drapes keeping the area private and secure. The drapes had powerful silencing spells on them, and the elite of society knew that even the loudest screamer could be discreet within the privacy of those drapes. Pansy just liked knowing that she could be rip roaring drunk and say inappropriate things to Hester without censure.
"I don't know if that's necessarily a good thing..." Ginny began faintly. Hester shrugged as she pulled the drapes shut, activating the spells.
"Of course it is," Pansy declared, sinking into a plush armchair within the measuring area. She waved at the pedestal. "I can tell you that Chesterfield is shagging his sister and that's why he can't get it up for me. And poor Hester can't tell a soul." She giggled at the juxtaposition of Hester's bland face and Ginny's shocked expression.
"That's not funny," Ginny gasped, climbing onto the pedestal. "You're drunk."
"Of course I am. Did you honestly think I would gad about this place while sober?" Pansy gave an artful little shudder. "Horrid thought, that. Silly girl." She peered at Ginny, squinting a bit. "You're still dressed?"
"What?" she asked, looking from Pansy to Hester. Hester had measuring tape in hands, and looked at Ginny expectantly. "I'm supposed to be naked?"
Pansy giggled. "Oh, dear. That's right. You haven't worn one of the Rosewear gowns, have you? Oh, you'll be so beautiful. The belle of the ball, really, but you can't get measured with clothes on, dear." She pushed herself up from the chair and got up on the pedestal. "Oh, don't be shy. I want to see what Draco's all caught up about."
Ginny blinked. "What?"
Pansy smiled breezily and began unbuttoning Ginny's blouse. "I think it's wonderful. He looks so happy. I used to look at his photo in the Prophet and see how miserable he was. It almost made the misery of Chesterfield touching me bearable. He wasn't doing any better. Nobody was, really, and it was a cold kind of comfort." She tossed the garment aside and Hester deftly caught it and began to fold it neatly.
"I, uh, I'm glad you approve."
The other woman's giggles dissolved into a drunken fit of guffaws. "Oh, you're so proper about it." Pansy walked around Ginny and unhooked her bra. "Are you so shy to let me see? Don't tell me you never experimented at Hogwarts."
Ginny's eyebrows shot up toward her hairline. "Those other girls my year were silly, awful girls. I never would have even thought of that with them."
Pansy dropped her chin onto Ginny's shoulder. "I guess I thought it was just something else to do, you know? Some girls liked it, some don't. I could take it or leave it. But it was great practice for kissing. Millie's a pretty good kisser, did you know that? Oh, wait. Why would you?" She spun around, Ginny's bra strap in hand. "I think she's taking one of your brothers to the ball."
"Which one?" Ginny asked, amused. "I have six, and most of them are either married or involved with someone."
"The prissy one," Pansy declared. She tossed Ginny's bra at Hester, who caught it and laid it over her folded blouse.
"Percy?" Ginny asked. She was a little surprised, but then again had introduced the two of them so they could talk about real estate issues. Apparently, they were getting on fairly well.
Pansy nodded and smiled hopefully at Ginny. "You're really pretty. I can see what Draco likes about you." Pansy's hand hovered over Ginny's right breast but didn't quite touch it. "Can I kiss you?" She looked at Ginny with an open expression, rather like a child's. "Can I feel what it's like to be loved?"
Ginny thought her heart would break. "You have Blaise."
"I know," she whispered, gaze dropping. "But not how it counts. Never how it counts." She looked up, eyes wet with unshed tears. "You can have that, you know. The two of you. You can have each other, can hold each other. I can't." Pansy reached out and cupped Ginny's cheek in a soft caress. "He loves you, you know. As much as you love him." Her smile was bittersweet at Ginny's startle. "Oh, yes, I can see it. I've known him since we were children. I know Draco so well, and I'm like a sister to him now. So sad. And he loves you. He loves you more than anyone else he's ever been with. I can see it."
Completely thrown by Pansy's statement, Ginny couldn't move. Her eyes were wide and she felt frozen in place. Pansy leaned forward and kissed her gently on the lips, an almost chaste peck, then hopped down from the pedestal. "You're beautiful, you know," Pansy remarked, sitting back down in the plush armchair. She looked over at Hester, who had discreetly chosen different colored fabrics to offer to Ginny. "She's stunning when done up right, isn't she, Hester? You're going to break so many hearts at that ball."
"I don't want to break any hearts," Ginny whispered, blinking in surprise.
"Doesn't matter, you will anyway. It's part of the social whirl. Someone's heart has to be broken every season. Someone has to be the one to take the fall." Pansy checked inside her clutch purse and pulled a flash out of its charmed depths. She took a healthy swig and then saluted Ginny, who stood on the pedestal topless as Hester approached with the measuring tape. "You, lovely Ginny, won't break or be broken. I can see it." Pansy took another swig from the flask then replaced it. "You won't break Draco, either. You couldn't. You could never break the ones you love to pieces, it's not you." She gave Ginny a wistful smile. "It's all right, love. Don't worry about it. I'll break for you."
***
Ginny was seated on her bed, Draco curled around her with his chin on her shoulder. One hand idly traced the inside of her naked thigh, and the other was wrapped around her belly. They met often in her flat; once the Floo was locked down, her cozy home felt more like a hideaway to explore each other. Ginny found herself enjoying the hours together. Ginny had thought herself a modern girl, but some of the new positions she was learning about had goggled her mind at first. Most of the romance novels hadn't varied from missionary position, and Draco had flat out told her that the missionary position was a mere appetizer. Today she had even done a silly striptease to whatever was playing on the Wireless, laughing all the while. She had thought it would be strange, but the adoration in Draco's eyes made it more than worth the slight embarassment. It had led to Ginny straddling Draco and having sex while seated in a chair. They had moved to sit on her bed afterward, to cool down a bit and relax.
"Thank you for being so nice to Pansy," Draco murmured as he stroked her thigh.
"She seems so sad sometimes," Ginny murmured. "She can be sweet, though. She doesn't have to buy me all these clothes. Half of them I haven't been able to wear yet." She felt vaguely guilty about that, as if she was encouraging Pansy to buy her affections.
Draco chuckled a bit. "She's always liked shopping. You can return or donate whatever you don't want. Don't worry about it." He moved his left hand up to cup a breast. "But thank you. I feel like I've ignored her too long. We were really good friends once, much closer than we are now."
"I thought you dated in Hogwarts?"
"Cheeky girl," Draco remarked. He nipped her earlobe playfully. "But yes. Fourth year? Fifth year? Something like that. Our parents are friends, so they really were looking forward to the two of us eventually marrying." He shrugged. "She liked other boys and I liked other girls better. Maybe it would have been tolerable to be married, but we wanted more than tolerable. We were still friends in Hogwarts, though. She was one of the few that stuck by me at the end." He sighed, pressing his lips to her shoulder. "I should have paid more attention when she married Chesterfield. If I had, I might have just given her whatever money she needed. She wouldn't have needed to sell herself, then."
Ginny turned her head slightly toward Draco's. She leaned her right arm back slightly and stroked the outside of his thigh. "She kissed me when we were dress shopping," she began hesitantly. "She wanted to know what it was like to be loved."
Draco sighed. "Were you upset by it?"
"More that she was so lonely, really. I didn't say anything about it since I didn't know what to say. Still don't, really."
"You're too good to her," Draco murmured, dropping a kiss onto her shoulder. "And to me," he added, his voice barely audible. His left hand stroked her nipple gently, and his right hand slowly moved along the inside of her thigh to her drying curls.
"Will you be with me at the ball?" Ginny asked, her breath shattering at the intimate contact.
"I can't," he said, moving his mouth to her neck. "Not the way you want me to be."
"Draco..."
"Ginevra, if we're seen together like that, you'll lose whatever credibility you have. You'll be seen as my next conquest, just another silly girl that'll be ripped apart in a few weeks. Anything you say will be suspect."
"You'll dance with me, won't you?"
Draco nipped her earlobe as he pushed a finger inside her. "I could probably do that without ruining your reputation." Ginny arched against him, gasping, her right hand clutching his thigh tightly. She reached behind her with her left to stroke his hair.
"Sod my reputation," Ginny gasped, tilting her hips so that Draco could have better access. His finger moved within her, then across her aching clit.
"Ah, Ginevra. Someone has to protect it. Let me keep you safe." He pressed his lips against her neck, and her pulse leapt up beneath the skin. "Someone will need to protect you from yourself." He sucked on her earlobe again as he picked up the pace.
"I don't... Ah, I can't think when you do that," she moaned, leaning her head back. The fingers of his left hand pinched her nipple slightly, then traced little circles along the areola. His right hand moved in a sure rhythm, fingers rubbing against her.
Draco shut his eyes as she rocked against his hand, her breath coming in little panting gasps. She didn't understand how it would be if their alliance was revealed too soon. She was still too idealistic, still too much the headstrong Gryffindor. Society was a Slytherin creature, full of sly looks and whispers if she so much as smiled too widely. "Come for me," he murmured against her neck. She whimpered, her grip on his thigh almost punishing as her body tightened with her approaching release. "I'll take care of you."
He cradled her when she came with a cry. She collapsed against him, her arms falling limply to her sides. Ginny gave a soft little sigh as she settled against his strong frame, his arms around her. "You're maddening, you realize this."
He laughed mirthlessly. "It's too soon, Ginevra. Wait until you've known me longer to say so."
Ginny shimmied out of his embrace and propped herself up on all fours on her bed. She turned sideways to glance at Draco from the corner of her eye. "Is it too soon?" she asked innocently, her lips quirking into a smile. She had felt the erection at her backside, his rapid heartbeat along her back. "If I can't show you off at the ball, I can at least have you now."
"You're impossible." Draco clambered up behind her and grabbed her by the hips. He entered her in one swift motion and heard her happy sigh of contentment. His eyes shut of their own accord as he began to move within her. Ginny's hips pushed back to meet his thrusts, and the feeling was pure bliss. "Ah, Ginny, whatever will I do with you?" he moaned.
She let out a groan and buried her face in her coverlet to muffle the sound. "Mm... You feel so good," she moaned. "I can't think like this."
"Don't, then," Draco moaned, his hands tightening on her hips. Her squirming was intensifying the sensation, and he knew he couldn't last much longer. He thrust faster, harder, and could feel Ginny tighten further around his cock. He made an incoherent groan as he came, eyes flying open. Ginny made a soft mewling noise as he stopped, and turned her head slightly. "Sorry, love, you felt too good."
Her eyes were wide and surprised, and Draco could have kicked himself for the slip. He kept his smile in place and patted her rear end. "Don't worry, Ginevra. I'll protect you from yourself. You're going to be smashing at Mother's ball, I'll be sure of it."
"Draco?" she whispered, stunned. She couldn't speak as he pulled out of her and they collapsed on top of her bed. "Did you mean that?"
He kissed her slack lips and pulled her into his embrace. He normally wasn't much for cuddling, but this seemed to be an appropriate time for it. "Stop worrying, Ginevra." He smoothed her hair from her temples and kissed her shoulder. "You'll be fine. It'll all be all right."
"You promise?" she asked playfully, almost as a child would.
He laughed, holding her tightly. It was true laughter, no mocking or self deprecating notes in it at all. "I promise you anything and everything."
I love you, Ginny wanted to say, but the words stuck in her throat. The word love had slipped out during sex, and that was hardly an indication of devotion. She threaded her fingers through his and squeezed. She shut her eyes and sighed with contentment. She didn't really need the word, exactly. He was already showing her consideration and attention that proved that he cared about her. It was more than she had gotten in a long time, and the feeling was rather like a warm, comforting blanket wrapped around her shoulders in winter.
This was what being in love felt like. It wasn't a kiss or a caress per se, but that feeling of acceptance and contentment. This was what love was like. Ginny was just glad that she was mature enough now to appreciate it.
***
"I just got my dress robes from Madame Malkin's today. Ginny, dear, you didn't mention what robes you're wearing to that ball of yours," Molly mentioned over dinner. It was a week to the ball, and of course most of the extended Weasley clan would be in attendance. The cream of society's crop would be there, and following the war's end the Weasley family could count itself as members.
"I had gone with Pansy to her tailor," Ginny replied pleasantly. She smiled in the face of Molly's blank expression. "She wanted to thank me for being so nice to her at the charity meetings and got the dress for me. It's a fairly fancy thing, but it's really pretty."
Arthur looked at Ginny blankly. "Who's the tailor?"
Ginny shrugged. She never did get the name of the shop, though she remembered where on the street it was. "Rosewood or some such."
Molly blinked and her hand fluttered to her mouth. "Rosewear, you mean?"
Ginny nodded. "That's the one. Why?"
"Oh, dear. That's the most expensive shop in Diagon Alley. In all of England, I suspect."
Ginny looked at her parents' stunned faces and tried to digest what this meant. "She spent an awful lot of money, hasn't she?"
Molly nodded. "Do you have it yet?"
"It arrived at my flat yesterday. I haven't opened the box yet, actually. I had Quidditch practice yesterday for Sunday's game, and was out all afternoon. I believe it's navy blue and silver. I think that's what I picked out that day. There were a lot of fabric swatches to go through."
"You're good friends with this girl?" Arthur asked, not terribly interested in fabrics or colors.
Ginny leaned forward a little in her seat. Percy wasn't there for dinner that day, and was likely out with Millicent Bulstrode. They had become quite a pair over the past month, now that she was paying attention. "Mum, Dad, about Pansy... At the ball, can you be really nice to her?"
"As if I would ever be rude," Molly huffed, leaning back in her chair with mock affront.
Lips pressed together for a moment, Ginny sighed. "I mean that... She's in one of those society marriages with her husband. She's Pansy Chesterfield now, but she hates it. She drinks a lot, Mum. I've gotten her to slow it down a bit during meetings, at least." Ginny left out the part about Blaise forcibly taking away her flask during meetings or Narcissa's obvious disapproval of Pansy's drunken ramblings. "Sometimes she gets silly. If she says something stupid, please don't say anything."
"So she's a good friend," Arthur concluded.
"She's sad," Ginny murmured. "I feel sorry for her. I wish I could help her the same way we're trying to help these kids. I don't even know where to begin."
"There, now," Molly began, patting her hand gently. "You're doing it, then. It sounds like you're one of the few friends she's got in the world."
Ginny's smile was sad. "All the charity members, really. I don't think she's allowed to see her family anymore, so we're all she's got."
Molly clucked her tongue sympathetically. While there was no love lost for the Parkinson clan, nothing quite got up Molly's mothering instinct like being told someone had lost family. "I'm sure we can be friendly to the poor girl. She's likely just lost her way, is all."
Ginny's smile brightened. "Thanks, Mum." She squeezed her mother's hand. "So, where are your robes? Can I see?"
"After dessert," Molly laughed. "New robes for an occasion. It's going to be wonderful."
The ball itself, when it actually came, seemed to go by in a blur.
Molly's and Arthur's robes were a deep golden color with red trim. Percy was dressed in black and red, and must have coordinated with Millicent. Her slinky black dress robes had red accents and she wore a red flower tucked into her hair. They chatted with various Ministry members amiably enough, and Percy looked puffed up with pride the entire evening. Ginny's dress was a flowing concoction of midnight blue and silver lace, with a hairpiece that carried charms in it to curl her hair into a chignon and ringlets. Pansy was dressed in deep emerald green and silver lace, with a similar charmed hairpiece in hand. She eagerly left Chesterfield's side to embrace Ginny, loudly declaring her the belle of the ball to all who would listen. Narcissa was in silver from head to toe, and pointedly ignored the loudest of Pansy's ramblings.
While Ginny had been worried about her little speech for days, she and Narcissa easily and gracefully thanked all the guests for their generous contributions and their presence at the charity ball. "With your help," Ginny concluded, "I know we will be able to make a difference in the lives of these unfortunate children. If they don't have to worry about food or shelter or clothes, they will really begin to blossom and grow. I'm so proud of our efforts to help make Wizarding England a better place not only for them, but for all of us."
Narcissa's smile was cool as Ginny ended the Sonorous spell she placed on her throat. "I had forgotten," she murmured, clapping. "You really are quite the idealist, aren't you?"
Ginny lofted an eyebrow at Narcissa. "Is this a bad thing?"
"Not necessarily," she conceded. "But sometimes society can't live up to these lofty expectations, and you will be bound for disappointment."
"Ah, but that's why things need to be changed," Ginny replied with a sunny smile. "That way, society and my expectations are the same."
Narcissa laughed, and it was one of genuine affection. "There may be hope for this enterprise yet, the way you keep on." She nodded at Ginny and then inclined her head toward Arthur and Molly, who were standing near Blaise, Pansy and Lord Chesterfield, the Minister of Magic and Harry Potter. "More greetings are appropriate at this juncture. And I believe you may be occupied as well."
Blinking in surprise, Ginny was about to ask what Narcissa meant. A similar shade of blond swam into her peripheral vision, and she turned. Draco was approaching, glasses of champagne in hand for all three of them. "Oh."
"He is taken with you," Narcissa murmured, so softly Ginny thought for a moment that she imagined it. "Don't break his heart."
Ginny's head snapped back to Narcissa, her entire look a question. "But..."
Her gaze was cool and her expression was a mask. Whatever Narcissa meant would have to wait for another day. "Draco. I was wondering when you would honor me with a visit."
Draco kissed his mother's cheek and handed her one of the glasses. "Mother. A rogue like myself has to wait until the opportune time, of course." He laughed and offered a glass to Ginny. "I do believe the evening is a smashing success." Draco raised his glass. "A toast, to my wonderful Mother and to Ginevra Weasley, for all of their efforts."
Narcissa's bemused glance flicked to Ginny as she drank. "What a way with words, Draco." She touched his shoulder in affection. "Thank you. Your efforts aren't unappreciated, you know. I was just about to greet our ministers and honored guests again."
"I can escort you," Draco offered immediately.
"Absolutely not. Enjoy yourself. I'll keep to the social niceties," Narcissa replied, patting his arm. "You can squire the lovely Ginevra about for a bit, and then go mingle about."
Draco and Ginny watched as Narcissa glided over to the knot of people she had mentioned. It looked graceful and elegant, and she was able to effortlessly work her way into the conversation and smile graciously all the while.
"It never ceases to amaze me that she can do that," Ginny murmured.
"It's not that difficult," Draco murmured. He held out his arm. "I'm supposed to squire you about, she said."
Ginny placed her hand on his arm and smiled. "Is this going to break my reputation?"
"Not one dance," Draco replied with a shake of his head. He gave his glass to a passing waiter and did the same with Ginny's glass. "Shall we?"
"Absolutely."
It was a short dance, very formal and stylized. Though there seemed to be whispers and pointed looks, no one openly said anything. They didn't look at each other with overly affectionate eyes or talk. If anything, it seemed like a fairly perfunctory dance. The whispers all ended when Draco guided Ginny over to her parents and the ministers, then left after he bowed deeply in front of all of them.
"He grew into a rather charming young man," Arthur told Narcissa, his appreciation genuine.
"Thank you," Narcissa replied, inclining her head slightly to receive the compliment. "Ginevra has been an absolute pleasure to work with for the charity. Helping Hands would certainly not be the success it is without her."
Ginny watched her parents glow under the praise and smiled serenely at Narcissa. "It's been a wonderful challenge to begin," she said to Narcissa. "I've met such wonderfully talented people while working there, too. It's been humbling." Ginny turned to the Minister of Magic and smiled, gracefully sketching a slight curtsy. "Are you enjoying the evening, Minister?"
The Minister of Magic puffed up his chest slightly. "It was very thoughtful of you to invite the cabinet, Miss Weasley. Lovely party, lovely party."
She smiled at him and couldn't help but contrast his appearance and manners to Draco's. Ginny knew that he would have wanted to say something about how she looked. She knew he would have wanted to kiss her, touch her face, do something to let her know how cherished she was, how wonderful he thought the ball had turned out. The Minister on the other hand seemed like an overweight, aging and balding man without a family to call his own. He was friendly enough, but didn't seem to enjoy the social whirl at all. Ginny reached out on impulse and took his arm in much the same way she had taken Draco's. While he blinked in surprise, he didn't seem to be overly offended by the move.
"I'm so glad. I have to admit, this is the first ball I've had to plan, and I was dreadfully nervous about how it would turn out."
"Ah, Miss Weasley. Would you like to dance?" he asked, a trifle uncomfortably.
Ginny beamed and caught Narcissa's amused glance out of the corner of her eye. "That would be lovely, but I wouldn't want to intrude on your conversation, sir. It seemed to be terribly important and I don't want to interrupt."
The Minister laughed, a deep booming sound. "Ah, all business talk, Miss Weasley. It's nothing that can't wait until after a dance. The legislature won't reopen until fall, after all."
He was a better dancer than he looked, but not much of a conversationalist. Ginny politely inquired after his family and plans for the summer, and he let her talk about Quidditch and her hopes for Helping Hands. The dance was brief, as short as the one with Draco had been, but this one felt more emotionally draining. I'm so fake, it's a wonder he can't see through me, Ginny thought, keeping a social smile pasted on her face. "Thank you so much for dancing with me, Minister. I'm so honored."
He patted her hand on his arm gently. "You're a lovely young woman, Miss Weasley. Your parents are so proud of you. I must say, I was expecting a tomboy at first, with the Quidditch and all. You're a little lady, through and through, just as your father mentioned. Honorable chap, he is, Gryffindor through and through. I can see that in you, too."
Ginny kept her social smile in place, even though a part of her wanted to cry. She didn't feel like a Gryffindor. She felt like a small child playing pretend, dress up in an outfit she could never hope to afford in her wildest dreams. She wasn't this lady that everyone thought she was. She wasn't this sweet and innocent little girl. It was like those schoolgirl nightmares, the ones where she could never be good enough, no matter how hard she tried.
A flash of pale blond in her peripheral vision helped to reorient her. She thought of Draco and was comforted by his presence. Her girlish fears were silly. They didn't mean anything. The world had changed, and she had changed with it. It was neither good nor bad, it simply was.
"You're a good Minister," Ginny told him honestly. "I hope that my small efforts can even do a pinky's worth of change that you have done."
Flustered, the man guided her back to her parents. "Ah, you flatter an old man, Miss Weasley, truly you do. Politics isn't nearly as noble as you seem to think it is."
"Maybe," Ginny agreed with a nod. "But you're trying your best to make our world a better place. There's honor in that."
He laughed. "Ah, well, once a Hufflepuff, always a Hufflepuff, I suppose."
"Do you think that's true, Minister? That whoever we are as children is whoever we're going to be all grown up?"
He paused, and Ginny stopped alongside him. They were still technically on the dance floor, but no one was going to accuse the Minister of Magic of being rude by not dancing. "I suppose not. Even that young Malfoy there... Family is as Dark as can be, but he seems to be keeping to legal rights. Some of the other young ones, they're in that charity you work with, too. That Zabini fellow, smart young man. I was speaking with him earlier, thought him for a Ravenclaw. I found out afterward that he was a Slyth in school, but never Dark." He shook his head. "These are some confusing times, young lady, and we do the best we can."
"Ah, well. If Slytherins can change and aren't evil, I know we're on the right track," Ginny told him brightly. He seemed somewhat dazzled by her smile.
He laughed, a little nervously. "Let's get you back to your parents, eh?"
Ginny almost laughed outright when she realized he thought she was infatuated with him. She nodded and kept her bright smile on her face when she returned to her parents. Pansy and Lord Chesterfield were talking about estate law. Pansy looked bored, and was standing very still next to Molly in an attempt to avoid ravaging the nearby wet bar. "Oh, Minister. Have you met Lady Chesterfield? She works with the charity as well."
The Minister of Magic greeted Pansy amiably enough, then began chatting with Chesterfield and Arthur. Pansy gratefully caught hold of Ginny as Molly slipped away to talk to a friend of hers at the ball. "You're stunning," Pansy whispered. "And dancing with the Minister of Magic? What a coup! He looks positively enamored."
Ginny snorted inelegantly. "Hardly. I played a simpering idiot, though. The things I do for change, Pansy."
Pansy finally snagged a glass of champagne and downed it all in one gulp. "For change and the route to a better tomorrow," she whispered. "Oops. I got the toast backward."
Ginny laughed and patted Pansy's arm. "It's all right. I know what you meant."
All in all, the night was a success.
***
***