Flipside

Chapter Eight

It was Friday afternoon; the classes for the rest of the day had been cancelled to give students time to prepare for the Ball that night. Ginny and Hermione had taken refuge in Hermione's room; she had a room complete with an ensuite bathroom all to herself, due to her Head Girl status. Hermione's costume, a cat outfit (quite ironic Ginny thought considering the story Hermione had told her of the girl's incident in her second year), was laid out on her bed. Scattered about the room was an incredible amount of makeup. For someone who seemed as low maintenance as Hermione, she sure had a vast collection of beauty products.

Ginny was immensely jealous of Hermione's room. The massive four-poster bed, which was almost twice the size of Ginny's, took up most of the room. There was a gorgeous golden plush rug that covered the floor in front of the fire, a nice difference from the stone floors in the regular dormitories. The windows were thrown open, for the day was unusually warm for Halloween, and the girls could hear shouts and squeals of the younger students playing by the lake, enjoying their afternoon off.

"- and McGonagall did nothing?" Hermione was saying to her.

"Well she took off ten points and told Harry to come and see her later, but that doesn't seem like much. I mean we were late for class, and it was obvious that he was threatening me or something." Ginny replied.

"I wonder..." Hermione mutter softly.

Ginny looked over sharply at her. "You wonder what Hermione?"

The older girl sighed. "Remember what Ron and I told you about Harry a few days ago?" Ginny nodded. "Professors McGonagall and Dumbledore must know. How else can you explain that? Dumbledore always seems to know these things..." she trailed off.

"Are you sure about Harry? Maybe he's just stressed out?" Ginny said, but watched as Hermione shook her head violently.

"It's getting creepy, Gin," she said. "Suddenly he'll just become - different - something in his eyes changes. One time he got angry and began hissing, like he was speaking Parseltongue. I mean, you've had first hand experiences of what he can be like. You can't tell me you think it is just stress?"

"No," Ginny said slowly. "I suppose it isn't. But I just hope McGonagall and Dumbledore can sort this out."

Hermione smiled sadly and nodded before disappearing off into the washroom, "Where is your costume, Ginny?" she called back.

"Oh, it should be coming anytime now, the - err - place I ordered it from said it would," Ginny lied quickly.

"What is it?" the older girl asked.

Ginny gave a fake laugh, "Just wait Hermione! It's a surprise!" Ginny couldn't help but wonder to herself - what exactly was Draco planning, and what should she do if the costume was absolutely vulgar? She began to panic quietly. What if this was some set up that Malfoy had planned; maybe he wanted to embarrass her and get back at Harry. Just as she was about to fly off the handle entirely, a beautiful gray hawk owl swooped into the room, and dropped a large box on the bed. It then offered its leg to Ginny, who hastily untied the letter attached to it. Glancing cautiously off into the washroom where Hermione was, she cursed Malfoy. 'How dare he send his owl! It's so unmistakably his!' she thought. Luckily, the owl soared out the window just as Hermione came back into the room.

"It's here!" Ginny squeaked excitedly.

"Well - get on with it, open it!" Hermione cried.

Ginny slowly opened the box, carefully hiding the letter Malfoy had sent so Hermione would not lay eyes on it. As soon as the lid opened, all Ginny could make out were masses of gold and scarlet material. Pulling out the material, she and Hermione gasped in awe as they saw Ginny's costume. It was an exquisite Renaissance gown of golden silk that flowed through Ginny's hands.

She slipped it over her head, and sweeping her hair to the side turned around so that Hermione could do up the strings of the corset-like bodice. It was low cut; Ginny felt slightly awkward at first in it for her cleavage was threatening to spill over the top of the whalebone corset. The bottom of the top came down into a 'V' over her waist, at the start of the vast skirts. They were the perfect length for her height; they just barely swept the floor, and were gathered at the back over her bottom. There was a lining under the golden skirt of deep scarlet, as well as a scarlet trimming along the neckline. The sleeves puffed slightly at her shoulders, then clung comfortably but tightly to her arms, snaking down and fastening with a loop around her middle fingers. To complete the outfit was a pair of tiny gold slippers for her feet; they reminded Ginny quite a bit of the ballet slippers worn by young girls before they went en-pointe.

"Oh my gosh, Gin. That is gorgeous! How could you afford something like this?!" Hermione gasped.

Ginny blushed, she didn't know how to respond to her friends questions. With a sigh, she decided that she might as well come out with the truth - Hermione would find out in a short while anyways. "Actually 'Mione, I didn't buy it - my date did. Until this moment I didn't know what I would be wearing to the Ball," Ginny confessed, her head bowed to the floor.

"Your date?" Hermione repeated, "But who could afford something like this, and I thought you said you were going alone..."

Ginny squirmed, afraid of how her friend would react to the truth. "Well - see - it's Malfoy, Draco Malfoy." Ginny couldn't look at the other girl, afraid of what she would see in her expression.

"Erm - Ginny, don't you think you're taking this revenge thing a bit far?" Hermione said.

Ginny smiled in relief, "I don't know whether you can believe this, but he asked me. And seeing as how I wouldn't have had a date..." she trailed off.

Hermione gave the redhead a hug. "Just be careful," she warned, "You never know what that boy could have up his sleeve."

Ginny gave her a grateful smile, "Well I'm glad you understand. I can't wait to see Harry's face tonight though."

Hermione gave a hearty laugh at this, "God, I pity his date - Parvati in case you didn't hear, typical - he is going to be in an absolutely foul mood tonight, not that he doesn't deserve it."

The two laughed together as Hermione helped Ginny out of the dress so that they could continue doing their makeup. When Hermione disappeared back off into the washroom, Ginny slipped Malfoy's letter out from under the box. Opening it carefully, she read it, keeping an eye out for Hermione coming back from the washroom.

--Weasley

I thought about having some fun with you and getting the dress done in green and silver, but I know the gold and scarlet will look better on you anyway.

The bottom of the box is fake; I hid a few valuables down there in case someone else came upon the package. Just make sure you don't lose them, they're family jewels - I need them back.

--D. Malfoy

'Talk about short and sweet,' Ginny thought. "Hermione!" she called, "Come back - there's more!"

Hermione ambled back into the bedroom, and Ginny pulled open the bottom of the box. She emitted a gasp as she pulled out the items there.

First out was a tiny antique tiara, wrought of what Ginny assumed was pure gold, but it was as light as a feather. Next was a beautiful ruby pendant hanging off of a gold chain; the ruby was about the size of a baby's fist, and caught the light, glittering like a thousand stars in the sun. Finally, Ginny pulled out a pair of earrings, that were bland compared to the rest of the jewelry, but still quite obviously very expensive. They were pure gold, like the rest. The base of the earrings was a basic gold stud, but dangling from this were about 6 small delicate chains of gold, each adorned with a tiny little ruby at the end. The chains were various lengths, the shortest about an inch long, the longest about three.

"Ginny," Hermione whispered, "This must be worth a small fortune," she said in awe.

"I know - but that's the Malfoys for you. Oh 'Mione, what have I gotten myself in to?"

***

From Ginny's vantage point above the Entrance Hall, she was able to remain unnoticed by the students milling about below her. She was a basket of nerves, and had been standing on one of the many balconies for about ten minutes now, trying to take deep breaths to calm herself. Unfortunately her attempts were fruitless, for Hermione had fastened the stays of the corset much too tight. Hermione and Ron (who had come together as 'just friends') as well as Harry and Parvati Patil were situated directly underneath her post. Ginny was able to catch bits and pieces of their conversation as it floated up to her.

"Look at Malfoy," Harry was remarking, "All alone, and in tights no less!"

He was right, for Malfoy was dressed Renaissance-esque as well, and this did not go without the puffy pants and tights that completed his costume. But, unlike Ginny's gold and scarlet ensemble, he was decked out in silver and green.

Ginny looked around at the other student's costumes, some went out in true Halloween fashion dressing up as vampires, mummies, and the Muggle version of witches and wizards. She could see that there were several black cats like Hermione, although she personally thought her friend's cat suit was much better than anyone else's. Ron was dressed as a vampire, although Ginny thought he looked quite ridiculous with his red hair and freckles. Harry was dressed up as a pirate, eye patch and all, and was accompanied by Parvati who was dressed up as Tinker Bell, from the Muggle tale Peter Pan. Ginny felt like a Renaissance princess in her costume and jewelry. She had done her hair mostly up in curls on the top of her head, with a few dozen little ringlets cascading down her neck and framing her face. The tiara was perched amid the mass of hair, set off beautifully.

Looking around, she realized that most of the students had arrived now, and were just waiting to be allowed into the Great Hall. Knowing it was now or never, Ginny took a deep breath - or at least as deep as was possible - and began to descend the stairs.

It was like a scene from a movie, as she picked up her skirts and walked down the stairs, the tips of her slippers peaking out of the mass of fabric. Everyone in the Hall turned, and she could hear a hushed gasp emitted from the students. She smiled looking out across them, her eyes twinkling in happiness.

Just as she reached the bottom of the stairs, the doors to the Great Hall swung open to allow the students in, but no one made a move. Their eyes followed Ginny as she walked across the Hall to Malfoy, who gallantly bent down on one knee, and lightly took her hand and brushed his lips across the top. Getting to his feet, he offered her his arm, and she took it as they made their way into the Great Hall first. As they entered, they could hear the muttering of gossip beginning to erupt for the students behind them. Smiling at each other they continued to walk, the rest of the school trailing in their wake.

The students formed a large semicircle around the area that was usually taken up by the staff table. Today however, it had been transformed into a stage, and on it a vast orchestra of at least 50 musicians was assembled.

When the last of the students filtered into the Hall, Dumbledore came out to center stage, standing in front of the conductor's podium and greeted the school.

"Greetings, students! What a wonderful array of costumes I have seen, you all have marvelous imaginations. No need for long announcements; just have fun!" Dumbledore said merrily.

As he walked off the stage, suddenly hundreds of silver gloved hands appeared on the stage, each with their own instrument. They were glittering from the fairy lights as each pair of hands tuned the instrument sitting in front of them. The enchanted hands of the conductor tapped the stand, and with a downbeat started the orchestra off in a flowing waltz.

Many of the students drifted off to the sides of the Hall when the music started, but Malfoy, offering Ginny his hand, pulled her into the center of the dance floor and they began to dance.

He pulled her close to him as they waltz around the room; "we are the King and Queen of the school right now," he whispered in her ear, "and they all know it too."

Ginny looked up at him, her eyes twinkling in mirth. "I could get use to a life like this you know," she said with a wink.

Draco replied by pulling her closer to him. "You should have seen the look on Potter's face when you walked into the Hall. I can't decide which was better, that one - or the expression when you came over to me."

"Speaking of Harry," Ginny said biting her lip, "Did you hear that he threatened me yesterday? He asked me to this Ball, and then tried to physically force out of me who my date was."

Malfoy looked down at her with a worried glance. "This is my fault Weasley; don't worry, I won't let him get away with it."

"Not that I wouldn't appreciate it, but don't worry about me - I can take care of myself," Ginny said smiling up at him. "And technically this is a date you know - do you normally address your dates by their surname?"

"Au contraire," he said suavely, "I've just been following your lead Ginny darling."

Ginny shivered as he said her name, he had never called her anything but Weasley before. "Err well thanks - Draco," she forced out.

He laughed at her. "Well that did seem a bit strange," he admitted.

Laughing with him, Ginny rested her head on his chest, feeling the rise and fall of his chuckle mixed with the steady pulsations of his heart. Together they swept across the dance floor as the waltz continued.