Chapter 6- Touch
Ginny sat at the Gryffindor table, picking at her food, frown on her face. The Halloween feast (which was doubling as a masquerade party) was tonight, and she had no idea what she wanted to go as. She was utterly determined that no one would know who she was this time, but she couldn’t think of a costume that would hide her well enough. She glanced across the hall at Draco, who was sitting beside Blaise at the staff table once more, and he caught her eye and winked. Ginny gave him a smile in return and watched as he turned back to his conversation. She had no doubt that he’d have a perfect costume.
Sighing, Ginny turned to look at Natasha, similarly picking at her food at her house table. Neither of them had costumes, and they were both quite glum about it. As she watched the pretty Ravenclaw, an idea snuck unbidden into the redhead’s mind. She straightened, looking at her friend, considering. Could it work? It just might… A grin appeared full-bloom on Ginny’s face and she leapt up, heading determinedly to the Ravenclaw table.
Natasha, finally giving up on her food, rose and saw her friend striding purposefully toward her. She sighed. “Oh dear, here we go again…”
Ginny finished explaining her idea to her friend, nearly bubbling over with the excitement of it. “-And it’s so simple, but no one will even suspect it! It’s bloody brilliant, Tasha, just brilliant!”
Natasha just looked at her friend for a moment before speaking what was on her mind. “That’s dumb.”
Ginny deflated a bit. “What?”
“It’s so simple that everyone will get it the second we walk in the door. Who goes to a Halloween party as themselves?!”
“That’s why it’s so brilliant! Everyone will look at us and think, ‘Wow, that can’t be Ginny and Natasha; they’re not that dumb. I wonder who it is’.”
“No, they’ll say, ‘Wow, I didn’t know Ginny and Natasha were that dumb’.”
Ginny frowned and pouted just a bit. “Well, it’s still a good idea.”
“Wait a minute…” Natasha cocked her head to the side, obviously thinking. “What if… what if we made it look like we tried to be each other?”
“That’s exactly what I just said!”
“No, you said make us look like we succeeded. I want it to look like we tried and failed miserably.”
“Soooo… how do we do that?”
Natasha grinned. “I have a few ideas. Come on.”
Ginny and Natasha stopped outside the Great Hall that night grinning hugely. They gave each other the once-over again, just to make sure everything was right. Ginny’s hair, which was currently a hideous orange color, was cut about three inches shorter than it had been that morning. Her face was more freckly than usual, and the freckles themselves were larger and darker. Natasha was wearing a really obvious black wig, and her eyes were a color that normally belonged to Ginny. Hermione had been over about an hour ago at Ginny’s request, and she’d managed to shrink Natasha a couple of inches, putting her just above the redhead’s height.
“We look really good, Gin, I’m not gonna lie.”
Ginny smiled. “I think this fantastic idea of mine just might work.”
“Shall we go in?”
“Yes, let’s.”
The pair, still grinning hugely at their brilliance, pushed open the doors to the Great Hall and walked in. Massive jack-’o-lanterns were placed strategically in every corner, leaving the middle of the floor open for dancing. Students milled about, some rather pathetic in their traditional witch or ghost costumes, and others looking very creative. Ginny glanced at a swaggering Gilderoy Lockhart and grinned; that was a good one.
Their happy mood was somewhat ruined, however, when a couple of snotty Slytherin first years (who happened to be dressed as hookers) walked up to Natasha and sneered derisively. “You two are pathetic, Weasley. It’s so obvious who you are.”
Natasha raised her eyebrows at the pair and jerked her head in the redhead’s direction. “I don’t know what you’re talking about; that’s Ginny.”
“Of course, right.” The bolder of the two rolled her eyes obviously and began examining her nails, yawning hugely. “You’d think that you’d be a bit more creative, being seventh years and all.”
Ginny raised one eyebrow, looking the hookers up and down pointedly. “You’re one to talk. I thought this was a costume party, not a come-as-you-are.”
The girl’s mouth dropped open in a very un-hooker-ish way, and her friend hurriedly pulled her away before she got in any more trouble with the seventh years. Ginny and Natasha watched them go calmly, then squealed as soon as they were out of earshot. “It worked! They totally thought that I was trying to be you and you were trying to be me!”
“Mission: Accomplished.”
Ginny glanced around and saw that the Gilderoy Lockhart she’d noticed earlier was coming their way. “Tasha, who do you think that is?”
Natasha tipped her head sideways, considering. “I can really only think of one person clever enough to come up with that costume.”
Ginny grinned. “Me, too.”
The Gilderoy reached them and smiled charmingly. “Evening, ladies.”
“Hi, Blaise.”
Lockhart’s face fell. “How did you know it was me?”
“Meh, lucky guess.” Natasha reached out and raked a hand through her cousin’s hair, trying to accomplish Lockhart’s signature wave. Blaise pulled back from her touch. “Gin, I really don’t think-”
Natasha looked at Ginny, and they both burst out laughing. “Score!” The pair exchanged high-fives, even more amused at the confusion on Blaise’s face.
“You have been had, dear cousin.”
“You mean you’re… so you must be…” Blaise glanced back and forth, and the confusion on his face gradually gave way to understanding. “That’s good, guys, that’s really good.”
Ginny curtsied, waving to her nonexistent adoring fans. “Thank you, thank you. What’s that? Yes, we are very brilliant, you’re right.”
Blaise rolled his eyes and nudged her. “Very funny, Ginny. You’re a regular comedienne.”
Ginny just grinned cheekily. That grin faded quite quickly, however, when she caught sight of Draco walking toward her. He wasn’t in a costume, and his smile looked rather somber from her point of view. He reached the group and nodded somewhat stiffly. “Hello, ladies.”
“-and gentleman!”
Draco ignored Blaise’s interjection. “How’s the party?”
“Just great,” Natasha said, grinning. “We’re fooling everyone!”
Draco looked slowly from Natasha to Ginny and back again. “I don’t see how. You look terrible.”
Natasha narrowed her eyes and made a sound like an angry cat. Ginny stepped in quickly.
“I have a present for you, Draco.”
Draco looked surprised, and that’s when the conspiring pair knew that they’d fooled him and he just didn’t know it. “Why, Tasha?”
Ginny had a hard time holding back her grin; they’d so fooled him. “Oh, just because. Hold on, I’ll go get it.”
As Ginny moved away from the group and into the milling crowd of students, she sighed somewhat sadly. Knowing that she was about to reveal the truth behind she and Natasha’s perfect costumes was really depressing. ‘But,’ she thought as she climbed onto the stage and told the hired performing group that she was ready for the surprise they’d planned together. ‘I suppose getting back on Draco’s good side is more important than a silly joke.’
As the guitar started, Ginny caught Natasha’s eye and threw her an apologetic smile. Everyone would know the moment she opened her mouth who she was, and that’s what would ruin their ruse. Natasha just shook her head and shrugged slightly; she knew it was unavoidable.
With her friend’s blessing, Ginny started to sing, going through the entire first verse before she had everyone’s attention. By the time the chorus had finished, all the students were watching her with their usual attention, and Draco was looking at her with a wry smile that seemed to say, ‘Okay, you got me’.
Ginny started bopping to the beat a little, getting into her zone, as the suspended cymbal faded and the guitar started in with the second verse.
“Yes, I’ve been thinking about you
I’ve imagined the feel of your body and how it will be when we move
Darling, magic’s alive tonight in your arms
I want to drown in this moment
Get lost in your charms
Now that you’re here, don’t move too fast
Let’s make the moment last”
Ginny puckered her lips out playfully as she went back into the chorus, evoking laughter from the assembled students. Before she knew it, that was finished and the music was leading into the bridge. She caught Draco’s eye as she went on, singing directly to him.
“I don’t want nobody else
And you’ll see that my body is aching
I’m hopelessly taken by you”
Ginny swayed back and forth, looking right into Draco’s eyes, and she saw the slow rise of masculine interest.
“All I want is your touch
All I want is your Heaven right here by my side
Every night
All I want is your touch
All I want is your tenderness here in my life
Every morning and night
Boy, ‘cuz your touch is so right”
Ginny sat at the Gryffindor table, picking at her food, frown on her face. The Halloween feast (which was doubling as a masquerade party) was tonight, and she had no idea what she wanted to go as. She was utterly determined that no one would know who she was this time, but she couldn’t think of a costume that would hide her well enough. She glanced across the hall at Draco, who was sitting beside Blaise at the staff table once more, and he caught her eye and winked. Ginny gave him a smile in return and watched as he turned back to his conversation. She had no doubt that he’d have a perfect costume.
Sighing, Ginny turned to look at Natasha, similarly picking at her food at her house table. Neither of them had costumes, and they were both quite glum about it. As she watched the pretty Ravenclaw, an idea snuck unbidden into the redhead’s mind. She straightened, looking at her friend, considering. Could it work? It just might… A grin appeared full-bloom on Ginny’s face and she leapt up, heading determinedly to the Ravenclaw table.
Natasha, finally giving up on her food, rose and saw her friend striding purposefully toward her. She sighed. “Oh dear, here we go again…”
Ginny finished explaining her idea to her friend, nearly bubbling over with the excitement of it. “-And it’s so simple, but no one will even suspect it! It’s bloody brilliant, Tasha, just brilliant!”
Natasha just looked at her friend for a moment before speaking what was on her mind. “That’s dumb.”
Ginny deflated a bit. “What?”
“It’s so simple that everyone will get it the second we walk in the door. Who goes to a Halloween party as themselves?!”
“That’s why it’s so brilliant! Everyone will look at us and think, ‘Wow, that can’t be Ginny and Natasha; they’re not that dumb. I wonder who it is’.”
“No, they’ll say, ‘Wow, I didn’t know Ginny and Natasha were that dumb’.”
Ginny frowned and pouted just a bit. “Well, it’s still a good idea.”
“Wait a minute…” Natasha cocked her head to the side, obviously thinking. “What if… what if we made it look like we tried to be each other?”
“That’s exactly what I just said!”
“No, you said make us look like we succeeded. I want it to look like we tried and failed miserably.”
“Soooo… how do we do that?”
Natasha grinned. “I have a few ideas. Come on.”
Ginny and Natasha stopped outside the Great Hall that night grinning hugely. They gave each other the once-over again, just to make sure everything was right. Ginny’s hair, which was currently a hideous orange color, was cut about three inches shorter than it had been that morning. Her face was more freckly than usual, and the freckles themselves were larger and darker. Natasha was wearing a really obvious black wig, and her eyes were a color that normally belonged to Ginny. Hermione had been over about an hour ago at Ginny’s request, and she’d managed to shrink Natasha a couple of inches, putting her just above the redhead’s height.
“We look really good, Gin, I’m not gonna lie.”
Ginny smiled. “I think this fantastic idea of mine just might work.”
“Shall we go in?”
“Yes, let’s.”
The pair, still grinning hugely at their brilliance, pushed open the doors to the Great Hall and walked in. Massive jack-’o-lanterns were placed strategically in every corner, leaving the middle of the floor open for dancing. Students milled about, some rather pathetic in their traditional witch or ghost costumes, and others looking very creative. Ginny glanced at a swaggering Gilderoy Lockhart and grinned; that was a good one.
Their happy mood was somewhat ruined, however, when a couple of snotty Slytherin first years (who happened to be dressed as hookers) walked up to Natasha and sneered derisively. “You two are pathetic, Weasley. It’s so obvious who you are.”
Natasha raised her eyebrows at the pair and jerked her head in the redhead’s direction. “I don’t know what you’re talking about; that’s Ginny.”
“Of course, right.” The bolder of the two rolled her eyes obviously and began examining her nails, yawning hugely. “You’d think that you’d be a bit more creative, being seventh years and all.”
Ginny raised one eyebrow, looking the hookers up and down pointedly. “You’re one to talk. I thought this was a costume party, not a come-as-you-are.”
The girl’s mouth dropped open in a very un-hooker-ish way, and her friend hurriedly pulled her away before she got in any more trouble with the seventh years. Ginny and Natasha watched them go calmly, then squealed as soon as they were out of earshot. “It worked! They totally thought that I was trying to be you and you were trying to be me!”
“Mission: Accomplished.”
Ginny glanced around and saw that the Gilderoy Lockhart she’d noticed earlier was coming their way. “Tasha, who do you think that is?”
Natasha tipped her head sideways, considering. “I can really only think of one person clever enough to come up with that costume.”
Ginny grinned. “Me, too.”
The Gilderoy reached them and smiled charmingly. “Evening, ladies.”
“Hi, Blaise.”
Lockhart’s face fell. “How did you know it was me?”
“Meh, lucky guess.” Natasha reached out and raked a hand through her cousin’s hair, trying to accomplish Lockhart’s signature wave. Blaise pulled back from her touch. “Gin, I really don’t think-”
Natasha looked at Ginny, and they both burst out laughing. “Score!” The pair exchanged high-fives, even more amused at the confusion on Blaise’s face.
“You have been had, dear cousin.”
“You mean you’re… so you must be…” Blaise glanced back and forth, and the confusion on his face gradually gave way to understanding. “That’s good, guys, that’s really good.”
Ginny curtsied, waving to her nonexistent adoring fans. “Thank you, thank you. What’s that? Yes, we are very brilliant, you’re right.”
Blaise rolled his eyes and nudged her. “Very funny, Ginny. You’re a regular comedienne.”
Ginny just grinned cheekily. That grin faded quite quickly, however, when she caught sight of Draco walking toward her. He wasn’t in a costume, and his smile looked rather somber from her point of view. He reached the group and nodded somewhat stiffly. “Hello, ladies.”
“-and gentleman!”
Draco ignored Blaise’s interjection. “How’s the party?”
“Just great,” Natasha said, grinning. “We’re fooling everyone!”
Draco looked slowly from Natasha to Ginny and back again. “I don’t see how. You look terrible.”
Natasha narrowed her eyes and made a sound like an angry cat. Ginny stepped in quickly.
“I have a present for you, Draco.”
Draco looked surprised, and that’s when the conspiring pair knew that they’d fooled him and he just didn’t know it. “Why, Tasha?”
Ginny had a hard time holding back her grin; they’d so fooled him. “Oh, just because. Hold on, I’ll go get it.”
As Ginny moved away from the group and into the milling crowd of students, she sighed somewhat sadly. Knowing that she was about to reveal the truth behind she and Natasha’s perfect costumes was really depressing. ‘But,’ she thought as she climbed onto the stage and told the hired performing group that she was ready for the surprise they’d planned together. ‘I suppose getting back on Draco’s good side is more important than a silly joke.’
As the guitar started, Ginny caught Natasha’s eye and threw her an apologetic smile. Everyone would know the moment she opened her mouth who she was, and that’s what would ruin their ruse. Natasha just shook her head and shrugged slightly; she knew it was unavoidable.
With her friend’s blessing, Ginny started to sing, going through the entire first verse before she had everyone’s attention. By the time the chorus had finished, all the students were watching her with their usual attention, and Draco was looking at her with a wry smile that seemed to say, ‘Okay, you got me’.
Ginny started bopping to the beat a little, getting into her zone, as the suspended cymbal faded and the guitar started in with the second verse.
“Yes, I’ve been thinking about you
I’ve imagined the feel of your body and how it will be when we move
Darling, magic’s alive tonight in your arms
I want to drown in this moment
Get lost in your charms
Now that you’re here, don’t move too fast
Let’s make the moment last”
Ginny puckered her lips out playfully as she went back into the chorus, evoking laughter from the assembled students. Before she knew it, that was finished and the music was leading into the bridge. She caught Draco’s eye as she went on, singing directly to him.
“I don’t want nobody else
And you’ll see that my body is aching
I’m hopelessly taken by you”
Ginny swayed back and forth, looking right into Draco’s eyes, and she saw the slow rise of masculine interest.
“All I want is your touch
All I want is your Heaven right here by my side
Every night
All I want is your touch
All I want is your tenderness here in my life
Every morning and night
Boy, ‘cuz your touch is so right”
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