Chapter 18- What a Girl Wants

-

"Miss Zabini?"

Luna turned to look at Blaise. The girl was staring off with a smile on her face. Uh oh, she was thinking about Terry again. She cleared her throat.

Blaise blinked and then realised the teacher was calling her name. She said, "Yes, sir?"

Professor Hands smiled. "Excellent. Thank you for volunteering. Come to the front. You too, Mr. Creevey."

The girl gave Luna a 'What did I say yes to?' look before slowly rising from her seat and making her way to the head of the classroom. Luna noticed Ginny holding her hand over her mouth. Was she stifling laughter?

Colin sat on a stool, holding a guitar. Blaise appeared uneasy, standing beside him.

Professor Hands explained to the class, "Mr. Creevey has kindly agreed to perform a Muggle holiday song for our edification. He informed me that Miss Zabini is a fine singer and knowledgeable of many Muggle tunes. Please give them a round of applause to show your appreciation of their willingness to share a song today."

Ginny's shoulders were shaking now, and Blaise was giving Colin a look that should have scared him.

Colin smiled angelically. "You know the song, right? Are you ready?"

A curt nod was all the answer he received. The boy started to play. Together, the pair sang, "It's the most wonderful time of the year…."

Luna’s mouth started to twitch. Colin's high, sweet voice combined with Blaise's lower, smoother one sounded nice, but the combination was so unusual, it was funny. Glancing around the room, she saw that her classmates were staring in amused fascination at the odd couple. Snickers abounded when Colin gazed soulfully into Blaise's narrowed eyes and sang about mistletoe, and hearts aglow.

Blaise sneered while her classmates and teacher applauded at the end of the song. After class, while the students filed out of the room, the sullen girl said, "Lovegood, Weasley, hold on a minute."

Luna smiled. "Your song was nice."

"Nice. Yeah, right. Like Creevey is nice,” Blaise said with a sneer. “Don't let him fool you, Lovegood. He may look like a sweet little puppy-dog, but that puppy's only waiting for his chance to sniff your crotch and hump your leg."

Colin had walked into earshot. He said, "Merlin, that's so crude. I love it. Thanks for everything, Blaise."

Luna hid a smile at the cheeky grin Colin gave before he left the classroom.

Ginny shook her head. "You really shouldn't encourage him."

"Encourage him!"

A distraction was in order. Luna said firmly, "Enough of that. You wanted to tell us something, Blaise?"

"I did, but I don't know if you two deserve to hear my plan for spending time with the ones you want most.”

Ginny brought her wand out and waved it threateningly.

Luna said, "You know you'll tell us anyway. Slytherins live to hear praise for their cunning plans."

After nodding in rueful acknowledgement, Blaise dug a flagon out of her schoolbag and handed it to Ginny. In a quick motion, she plucked a long strand of red hair and gave it to Luna. Ignoring Ginny’s angry protest, she said, "That hair in one of those Polyjuice Maximus potions will make you Red for four hours, Luna. You'll hang with the Dream Team in Hogsmeade tomorrow."

"What about me? What's this potion?" said Ginny.

"It’s called Lanqanein, or Unmemorable Potion. A Hufflepuff seventh year smuggled it out of class when Snape was brooding. I heard through the grapevine that he had it and handed over the galleons to get it. Drinking it will make people forget you the minute they see you–which is exactly what you want when you're swanning around the village with your brother’s worst enemy.” Blaise grinned. “I got my mother to send a memory enhancer for Draco to take so he won't forget you too." Laughing over the amazed expressions on her friends' faces, Blaise raised her hands and motioned to herself. "C'mon, I want to hear you say it."

"You're bloody brilliant!" Ginny said, closing her eyes and hugging her potion to her chest.

Luna felt the same way, although she refrained from dancing around the classroom like her fiery friend. "It is a brilliant idea. Are you sure you weren't supposed to be a Ravenclaw?"

"Maybe having a Ravenclaw boyfriend rubbed off on me."

Ginny smirked. “All that rubbing against Terry paid off in more ways than one, is that it?"

"Shut up, Gryffindor girl who's smirking like a Slytherin from kissing Draco so often."

"What time should we take the potion?" Luna’s quiet question stopped the happy bickering. She suggested, "Why don't we meet behind Honeydukes at eleven tomorrow and take them together?"

The girls agreed, and went their separate ways.

-

Behind Honeydukes, twirling a long strand of blonde hair around her finger as she waited for her friends to arrive, Luna wondered if she was making a mistake. She wanted to spend time with Harry, but she wanted to be herself when she did it.

A girl's amused voice ordered, "Stop that, your finger's turning purple, you loony."

Blaise and Draco were standing a few feet away. They looked like models out of Teen Witch magazine in their stylish clothes and leather jackets. Perhaps she should get Blaise to take her shopping. The Slytherins nodded approvingly when they noted that the rear of Honeydukes Sweet Shop was deserted and best of all, there were no windows.

Releasing her hair, Luna reluctantly confessed, "I'm having second thoughts."

"No you're not, Lovegood."

Malfoy's cool drawl insinuated she'd be sorry if she tried to back out now. Looking up into the clear, cold sky, Luna consoled herself with the thought that at least the weather was nice. She nodded and asked, "Where's Terry?"

"He's grabbing a table and a couple of butterbeers at the Broomsticks." Blaise’s lips trembled. "We're trying to spend as much time together as we can before holiday."

Draco said, "Don't start, mate. Remember what I told you. Find a way or make one. I'm counting on you."

Blaise wiped a tear and laughingly replied, "It's all about you, right?"

"Damn straight."

This was an interesting conversation, Luna thought–if impossible to follow. Apparently, her friend wasn’t looking forward to the upcoming holiday. If she were as close to Harry as Blaise was to her boyfriend, Luna wouldn't be feeling holly-jolly either.

Ginny's arrival lightened the mood. Holding up her flagon, she said, "Everybody got their potions, except for Blaise, the voyeur? Okay. One, two, three, drink!"

Luna's body shuddered as a gut-twisting, skin-crawling sensation overwhelmed her. The other three, no, two, looked at her with interest. The newly transformed redhead looked down. She was glad she'd worn the clothes Ginny had given her in the library last night. How strange to be wearing someone else's body as well as their clothing.

Draco was eyeing her appreciatively. She could practically feel her freckles stand out as she blushed.

Blaise elbowed him and ordered, "Let's go, love god. Ginny will be waiting somewhere, and she won't like you eyeing Luna up, even if it's because she looks like her. Bye-bye, Ginevra. Have fun!"

The Ravenclaw in Gryffindor body walked around to the entrance of the shop. Her body strolled instead of glided now. Her red hair bounced around her shoulders all the time. It was very distracting. Inside, she walked over to the section of the shop where Ron, Hermione, and Harry were trying to decide which sweets to choose.

"What looks good to you, Ginny?" said Harry.

His eyes looked emerald against a dark green jumper. She smiled. "I'd rather have a butterbeer, actually."

The three looked at her as though she had gone round the twist. Belatedly, she remembered that a love of sweets was something Ginny and Draco had in common. Drat. Trying to sound as 'Ginny' as possible, Luna said dramatically, "I ate so much last time that I've gone off them for the moment. I'm saving myself for the holidays. Don't want to miss out on all the treats Father Christmas will bring!"

She was glad they laughed and accepted her lame explanation. Harry said he would walk over to the pub with her and the other two could follow after they made their purchases.

It was hard to appear unaffected as he opened the door for her and bought her a butterbeer. Luna felt like she was dreaming. She sighed. If only she didn't have to be Ginny to get this kind of attention. Chatting with Harry, she noticed Blaise sitting on Terry's lap in a dark corner.

Harry frowned at the couple's unashamed public display of affection. "You never told me what you and Zabini had in common."

Since she didn't know what he was talking about, Luna answered his statement with a question. "What do you think we have in common?"

Uh oh, had she sounded too much like her real self? Harry looked at her oddly and then shrugged. "I don't know. A stubborn, don't tell me what to do, attitude?"

Luna smiled. He was right. That rebellious trait, and Draco Malfoy, was indeed what the two girls had in common. Unable to explain the latter, she agreed with the former. "Yes, we're rebels. So what?" She smirked. It was so much fun to be abrupt and say whatever she felt like without worrying how it would sound to someone else. Being empathetic, she always considered the other person's feelings. Putting herself first for once, was very liberating.

"Hi Ginny...have you seen Luna around?"

Wesley Roberts stood by their table, looking down at her with that appealing smile which flashed white teeth and dimples. Reflexively, she said, “Hello, Wesley,” before realizing that once again, she'd sounded a little too Luna. While he gave her a perplexed look, she quickly remembered his question and replied, "No, I think she was doing a few errands today. She's probably wandering around somewhere."

"Probably out searching for the Crumple-Horned Snorkack. What do you want Roberts, to help her look?"

Harry's comment was so sarcastic; Luna stared in shock.

Wesley said grimly, "I'd be honoured to. Thanks, Ginny. See you."

Luna watched Wesley leave and then turned to Harry. "Why were you so nasty?" The question just slipped out. It must be her newly bold Gryffindor tongue.

Harry shook his head. "Don't know, just don't like the guy, I guess. Sorry."

She made an effort to return his smile. This was a good thing, wasn't it? Hermione and Ron entered the pub and the group settled in to have a nice chat over warm mugs of butterbeer.

-

-

Ginny didn't know which was more bizarre–watching another girl turn into her, or watching people forget her the moment they saw her. Luna and Blaise had done it behind Honeydukes, and the patrons of the Three Broomsticks were forgetting her right now.

Being unmemorable was worth the strangeness, because she was able to walk into the pub with Draco and spend time with him. They were sitting at a small table in the opposite corner from Blaise and Terry. She tried not to look over at the other couple. The sight of snogging made her long to follow their example.

The charcoal jumper and black denims her boyfriend wore with a long leather jacket made his skin and hair look even more pale and gorgeous. Impulsively, Ginny leaned forward and started tracing Draco’s features with her fingertips.

"What are you doing?"

"I’m trying to keep from throwing you down on the table and having my way with you."

Draco’s lips curved. "Well, that would be interesting."

Wouldn't it? Those eyebrows she adored so much were arching just the way she liked. Her fingertips traced them before brushing softly across his thick white-blond eyelashes, and moving down his nose to his chiselled, perfect, talented mouth. His grey eyes glinted as he licked the finger following the contours of his lips. Before she could do more than draw a ragged breath, his fingers encircled her wrist to hold her hand in place while he sucked her fingertip. The feeling of his thumb stroking the underside of her wrist as his mouth proceeded to liquefy her insides was so erotic, Ginny was glad no one could see her expression.

Someone saw Draco's face, however, and complained, "Why are you looking so wicked Draco? Are you thinking about me?"

Pansy Parkinson, Crabbe and Goyle were approaching the table.

Ginny jumped up and sat on Draco's lap before the pug-faced girl could sit on her. Draco’s fingers stroked her knee. Unmemorable to everyone but her boyfriend, Ginny found herself ironically grateful to the Slytherin cow for making her fantasy of sitting in Draco's lap come true. Biting her lip to keep from making a sound, she marvelled at how cool and composed he seemed.

"No. I never think about you, Parkinson. Crabbe, Goyle, what have you been doing today?"

Tuning out the trolls' account of their time in Hogsmeade, Ginny slid her hands across Draco’s chest and through the silky strands at the base of his neck. She tugged on his earlobe with her teeth and whispered, "If you don't want people gaping at the sight of you making out with an invisible girlfriend, you'd better move that hand off my thigh."

The huge louts gulping butterbeer took his shout of laughter as a compliment. Parkinson's beady black eyes squinted in suspicion. "What's got into you today, Draco?"

"Nothing...yet…."

Ginny’s smile stretched her cheeks when he arrogantly left the table without another word, pulling her across the pub.

Inside the men's room, he swiftly dragged her into a stall and pushed her back against the side wall. Her amusement over snogging in such a place soon changed into a whole-hearted appreciation of the lips and body urgently pressed against hers. Meeting his mouth and tongue with her own, she unthinkingly backed Draco into the opposite wall in her eagerness to do some pressing of her own. The sound of something hitting the stall startled the boy who had just entered the lavatory.

"Uh...are you all right in there?"

They looked at each other with an identical mixture of alarm and mirth. Ronald was asking if they were 'all right.' She cleverly muffled Draco’s voice by rubbing her mouth against his as he replied, "Erm...yeah."

"Well, if you're having that much trouble, mate...you might want to try again later."

After her brother left, Draco grinned. "Smartest thing Weasley ever said. I definitely want to try again later."

Ginny laughed, which scared the next boy who entered into screeching the lavatory was haunted and running out again.

-

-

Draco knew the sight of him sauntering down the streets of Hogsmeade, alone and smiling, was seriously making people nervous, but he didn't give a rat's arse. Ginny was walking beside him, and that was all that mattered.

He couldn't prevent a bark of laughter from escaping when he remembered Weasel's advice back in the men's room. When they returned to their table, only Crabbe and Goyle remained. Thankfully, a young warlock with a drinking problem had mistaken Parkinson for an attractive bird on the pull that would be an easy conquest, and taken her off for a grope by the fireplace. Well, the Slytherin hoped the poor bloke would think two out of three not bad when he sobered up. Or that the day would forever be a blur. Either way, Pansy was out of his hair and the boys were easy to order off to oversee their house party preparations.

Ginny had refused to sit in his lap again, but he'd driven her wild with his eyes just as easily as he had with his fingers. He'd given her his patented steamy stare through his lashes while looking her over from head to toe. Red hair, freckles, and a bright blush really brought new meaning to the term 'on fire.’

Blaise had floated over to say hello and goodbye before joining Tarzan over by the entrance.

Draco had smirked. "What, he didn’t want to chat with your best mate? I'm devastated. My feelings may never recover."

The dreamy chit had just laughed and bent to kiss his cheek before advising, "Stop sitting here all alone looking gorgeously broody. Go find Ginny and have some fun. Tell her I said there's no snow to roll in, but there's a blanket under a willow to roll on."

"What are you talking about?"

"Ask Miss Freckles...after all, you're not safe anymore."

Waggling slender fingers, the daft girl headed for the jungle-man glaring across the room. Tarzan grunted something before planting a possessive kiss on Jane. Draco mockingly saluted the he-man with his mug. Blaise was truly sick to enjoy those primitive demonstrations.

"I don't think she's sick, I think she's romantic."

Chagrined at speaking his thought aloud, Draco said, "You wouldn't want me acting like that, would you?"

"No. I don't think my heart could stand the thrill."

The slight disappointment he'd felt at the first word turned into something quite different by the end of Ginny's little confession. Allowing his features to harden into resolve, he lowered his voice to order with silky menace, "We're leaving. Get up. We're going to that willow now. If you hesitate, I'm going to pick you up and carry you there. Got it?"

Big brown eyes grew bigger. Her face turned pink. At the end of his command, Ginny nodded. "Oh yes!"

Jumping up, she clutched his hand and pulled him to the door, impatiently brushing past other patrons in her haste to get outside.

The memory made him smile as they left Hogsmeade behind and drew ever closer to their willow. Underneath, a blanket had been left spread upon the ground. Hoping not to discover one of Boot’s long strands upon it–there was a limit to how much he could stomach–Draco let himself be pushed down. He couldn't help laughing when Red threw herself on him and began kissing him passionately.

"Think its funny, do you?" Ginny's eyes sparked as she raised her mouth from his. Bright strands slid across his face as she bent to look him in the eye. Fiercely, she ordered, "Stop laughing. You're going to give me the best snog anybody ever had on a blanket and you're going to do it now. Got it?"

Merlin, she was sexy all fired up. Malfoy could feel his body flush. He sinuously rolled until her body was under his. Lowering his lips to hers, he promised, "Oh, yes!"

After snogging Ginny until she vowed his kiss was the best ever, Draco lay on his back, a forearm covering his eyes to block the sight of her while he calculated Arithmancy equations in his mind. Heart beat slowing, he breathed a sigh of relief when his body relaxed.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to let things get so…."

"Mmmm...so...is right. I'm not complaining, Ginny. It just takes a while to cool off after kissing like that, is all."

She laughed a little. "Oh. That...uh...commanding tone of yours is...really something."

"Yours too."

Silence stretched between them. Feeling almost normal again, Draco rolled onto his side to face the girl who was already facing him. They smiled at each other. Ginny joked, "So that's why Blaise is always walking around in a daze. Do you think they've...er...you know?”

He admitted, "I don't know. We're friends, but we don't share the details of our love lives–not that she had one until Boot. It's not something either of us wants to know."

"You're saying Blaise never knew when you were going with someone? C'mon, she sure knows about me."

"Oh she knew, she just ignored, or made sarcastic remarks to, or about, and even hexed a few of the girls I...er...dated. You are the first girlfriend she's ever approved of. Don't tell her I told you, though. Blaise likes to pretend to be a tough girl."

He could tell Ginny was pleased to be the only girl his best mate ever approved of. Her smirk was too cute. He'd kiss it, but his pulse was starting to race again.

Ginny snickered. "Tough girl, my arse, did she tell you what she let herself get roped into yesterday? Blaise sang a holiday song with Colin in Muggle Studies that was hilarious."

His chuckles joined her giggles. "I warned her Colin was a puppy looking for his chance to hump her leg."

She laughed full out. "I wondered where that description came from! She told that to Luna and Colin overheard."

"Good. Maybe he'll keep his pervy nose to himself."

Fiery hair flew as Ginny shook her head. “He loved it. I think he's got a new fantasy now."

Draco closed his eyes and groaned. "Well, that mental image has ruined whatever romantic urge I might've had for the rest of my life."

Soft lips caressed his. "We can't have that. I depend on those urges, you know. I have to ensure they'll be available whenever I want them."

He opened his eyes to stare meaningfully. "Whenever we want them."

Ginny nodded solemnly, but her eyes sparkled as she kissed him again, purely out of selfless concern for the preservation of his urges, of course.

-

-

Blaise got dressed to go to Terry's House party, feeling like the emotional malfunctioning broomstick ride she'd been on the last few days was finally smoothing out. Yesterday in double Potions with Terry, she had gone mental, no other way to describe it.

Professor Snape had been reminding them that this was their final potions class before break. She remembered how the sardonic man had appeared to look straight at her while addressing the students.

-

“I'm sure it will break your hearts to leave school behind, but as you spend your days away from Hogwarts, don't forget that eventually you will be back and I expect competency levels not to drop whilst you're away.” Snape’s lip curled. “Out of sight, out of mind is the phrase deemed trite, because it is so true. If class performance suffers after break...I shall be very displeased."

The words seemed to echo until Blaise was trembling and tears were streaming down her face. Fiona took an appalled look at her and asked, "Professor, if this is the Draught of Serenity, why is Blaise crying?"

Snape stalked over and tersely demanded she gain command of herself immediately.

Blaise nodded, but a glance at Terry ruined whatever composure she managed to attain. The thought of weeks without seeing his face, touching or kissing him, devastated her. Her sobs were silent, but distracting to the class nonetheless. The professor had seemed embarrassed by her emotional outburst.

Gruffly, he told her, “Step outside until you gain control.” His gaze flickered to another table. “Malfoy…."

"No...I want Terry."

Brows lifted in surprise at her temerity, the frowning professor agreed, "Very well. Mr. Boot, escort Ms. Zabini outside."

Covering her face in a vain attempt to keep her staring classmates from seeing how upset she was, Blaise rushed out into the corridor.

Terry wrapped his arms around her and asked, "Baby, what's wrong?"

His eyes were so loving and so blue; she couldn’t stop crying. "I started thinking about how much I'm going to miss you and I lost it. You think I'm mental, don't you?"

"I think you love me...and I love you...and we'll work it out...we'll see each other...somehow…." Soft kisses to her eyelids punctuated his words. Gentle kisses given to kiss away her tears led to passionate ones as his mouth tried to convey his feelings to her lips. She leaned into him while he backed into the wall. Their kisses became deeper and deeper.

His hands had opened her robes and slid inside to caress her back when they heard, “Uh...No, professor, Zabini's not quite herself yet, but in a few more minutes, I'm sure she'll be just fine."

Wesley Roberts grinned at them from the doorway. Blaise smiled when he winked and shut the door again.

Terry pressed his forehead to hers and looked into her eyes. "Better?"

Nodding her head, she smiled and hugged him briefly before he opened the door for her to rejoin the class. Inside, whispers started as she retook her seat. Blaise glanced at the professor. He pursed his lips. Another quick look revealed Draco was looking disgusted too. Students were snickering.

Blaise asked Fiona, "What is it?"

"Your robes are opened, you lovesick fool!"

Face burning, Blaise quickly fastened her clothing and refused to look at anyone for the remainder of the class.

-

Blaise stared into the mirror to apply her makeup, thinking back to last night, when depression struck again. Terry had promised to play some games with his friends and she'd said of course she didn't mind. She wasn't some insecure girl who would fall apart if she spent a night away from her boyfriend.

Later, she had sat and stared at a tapestry in the corner of the common room until Draco had returned from a visit with Ginny. Her lips quirked, remembering….

-

He crouched down by her chair and demanded, "What are you doing, Blaise? Your friends think you're becoming a head case over here. What's wrong with you?"

She looked sadly into his eyes. " Holiday is almost here. We won't see them for three weeks. I don't know what I'm going to do. I feel like I can't breathe. I just want to cry."

His classically perfect face twisted as he thought of going so long without seeing Ginny. For long moments, they looked at each other in shared misery. His jaw hardened and his eyes blazed. "You don't know what you're going to do?” Draco said sharply. “Boot will bring his parents round to having you over, but what about me, eh? Ginny’s brothers hate me, the parents definitely won’t want me around, and I can't even owl her every day like you can Terry-Boy. So stop being so bloody selfish, mate–find a way or make one. Think up some brilliant plan so we can both be happy!"

He sat on the floor and leaned his head against her thigh as she smoothed his hair while they tried to think of ways and means to be with the ones they were going to miss so much. A faint idea fluttered at the back of her mind, just out of reach, until Draco jumped to his feet and said, "There's nothing we can do, is there? We'll just be haunted by them all bloody holiday!"

An idea sparked. Melusine was the spirit of lovers haunted by memories and the name of magic mirrors that kept lovers in contact over any distance. They were wickedly expensive, but she was wickedly wealthy, and knew whom to hire for the job.

Mundungus Fletcher, the dodgy wizard who did all Mumsie's black market shopping. He was amoral, and willing to do anything for a galleon...just the man she needed. Draco saw Blaise’s expression and looked at her with hope in his eyes. She said, "Go grab some stationery and meet me in the Owlery. I have to get my roommate Cassandra to scry the address of a man who can get us what we need. I'll meet you as soon as possible.” Rising, she laughed and quoted, “Our remedies oft in ourselves do lie.”

He laughed with her and asked, "What's that from?"

"All's Well That Ends Well!"

-

Blaise smiled at the memory and adjusted her hat. Her outfit was over the top, but this was the last party before break, and she'd arranged a special something with a little help from Wesley.

Downstairs, her outfit made her fellow Slytherins laugh and point. Draco escorted her to the Ravenclaw corridor, smirking all the way. Waving goodbye, she said the password and entered through the portrait hole into the common room.

Wesley's grin shone white as he stopped an orb and said, "We've got a special dedication to a Ravenclaw from a Slytherin."

He spun a karaoke orb. Music played, but the voice that sang All I Want for Christmas is You was hers. Students gawked while she serenaded Terry, who had stopped on his way down the boys' staircase to stare at her. She started walking towards him. Ravenclaws opened a path for her. Her boyfriend quickly descended the stairs.

Terry reached her and laughed in delight, spinning her around and around. Wesley put on another orb that played the song with a poignant singer vocalising the lyrics. Deep blue eyes travelled from her red hat with its white ball on the end and white fur trim, to her short red velvet dress trimmed in white fur, down to her black boots. He grinned. "Do I sit on your lap and tell you what I want Father Christmas to bring me?"

Blaise stood on her tiptoes to give her love a kiss. "No, I'm going to be your present." She swayed in his embrace, singing softly, "All I Want for Christmas is You."

Strong arms held her so tight she felt as if they were one, as if they could never be parted. She knew it wasn't true, but if her plan worked, this would be the best Christmas ever. Blaise closed her eyes and smiled as Terry sang back to her, "All I want for Christmas is you."