Reviews: 11 | Table of Contents | - Text Size +
Twisted Cinders
By Mell8
--Never anger a fairy because she might go find your true love, magic her a dress, and send her to a ball; and you might just like it! D/G
This is a mix between the Disney version of the story, the original Grimm fairy tale, and my own embellishment. Enjoy!
--------------------
“Bloody hell!” Draco snarled and stomped out onto the flower-covered veranda. “There is absolutely no way I’m going to throw a ball in order to find a pure-blooded bride.” He kicked over a flowerpot and snarled as dirt and chrysanthemums spilled across his dragon hide boots.
Draco had been betrothed to Pansy Parkinson since he was three. They had grown up together and Draco had soon learned to tolerate her. True, if he had been given the decision Draco never would have chosen her, but theirs wouldn’t have been a terrible marriage.
But then she had been outed as a spy—had sacrificed herself in order to save him—and the Dark Lord had killed her. After Pansy’s death McGonagall had pulled him out of the Death Eater camps to protect him until the war ended.
Now he was twenty-five and his mother wanted grandchildren. Draco was single and was enjoying his current bachelor status immensely. He was not looking forward to any of the balls his mother was throwing. He would have to dance and play nice with women who were only there for his money; it was enough to make him wish that Pansy had not confessed that the message intercepted from that blasted owl had been from her, when it had truly been written by Draco.
Draco growled and kicked over another flowerpot. The flowers shrieked but he stomped past anyway.
“Shut the bloody hell up!” He hissed and knocked the flowerpot with his heel as he stalked past.
III
How dare that human boy! Edessa picked herself up off the ground and brushed dirt and pollen off her purple lily petal dress. This wasn’t the first time he had done something like this. Just last week he thrown a tantrum and had picked up and violently thrown a vase she had been exploring. The subsequent destruction had broken one of her wings and a sharp piece of pottery had cut a huge slice in her expensive aspen leaf dress!
Something had to be done to make that boy pay. Edessa tossed her long blond hair over her shoulder and behind her wings before taking to the air. What the horrible boy needed was a woman who would not be afraid to smack him when he was a terror and would run interference between the brat and his snobby mother.
Edessa needed to find his true love…
III
“Mop the floors, Ginny; get rid of the gnomes, Ginny; set the table for supper, Ginny.” Ginny sighed and collapsed on the bench in the garden. She was the only one of her siblings still living in the Burrow but was starting to think that it was time to find her own place. All the chores that she used to share with her brothers fell in her lap and as her mother was getting on in years and as Ginny didn’t have anything better to do when she was home from work, she did them.
Still, it was rather annoying to be treated like she was still a pre-Hogwarts child rather than as a successful Healer with her own department in St. Mungo’s. After the war had ended Ginny breezed through her O.W.L.’s and then her N.E.W.T.’s and was accepted with top marks into the Healer academy with the assurance that once she finished school she would be given a job at St. Mungo’s.
Ginny had enough money to afford a small flat in Wizarding London and was thinking that it would be prudent to have a look at any that were for sale after work tomorrow.
“Ginny, dear!” Molly Weasley called out the back door into the garden Ginny had just finished de-gnoming. “You’ve gotten a letter. Come inside and open it.”
“Coming Mum!” Ginny yelled back. She levered herself to her feet and grumbled as her back cracked angrily. “I’m too old to be running around after gnomes after a long day at work,” she griped under her breath. “Why can’t Mum just get some of her grandbabies to come visit and deal with the little pests themselves? Bill and Fleur have three kids and Ron and Hermione have two; more than enough to deal with the gnomes.”
“There you are Ginny!” Molly bustled over and handed Ginny her letter. Ginny blinked in surprise as she looked down at the crisp, expensive paper and the gold writing with her name on it. She grabbed the letter opener from the odds-and-ends drawer and carefully cut through the binding.
“Dear Miss Weasley,” Ginny read aloud so her Mum could hear.
“You are cordially invited to attend the twenty-fifth birthday ball of Mr. Draco Malfoy on the Fifth of June of this happy year. Please arrive around six in formal attire.
Narcissa Malfoy nee Black.”
“Absolutely not!” Molly Weasley hissed the second Ginny turned to look at her mother. “I will not have my baby girl prancing around in Malfoy Manor like a trussed up doll!” She stomped over to her shocked daughter, grabbed the letter out of her hands, and threw it on the wood waiting to be lit for their evening fire.
“But Mum,” Ginny began imploringly, “it could be fun.”
“NO!” Molly spun around with an angry glare on her face and one of her largest kitchen knives held firmly in her hand. She turned back around and began to vent her frustration on the potatoes she was dicing for their supper.
Ginny sighed and walked out of the room. The letter zipped from the fireplace into her hands and Ginny quickly hid it and her wand back in her robes before heading up the stairs.
It would certainly be interesting to attend a ball held by the Malfoys. Ginny knew that it would be fun but was under no illusions; this was another cleverly disguised way for the Malfoy matriarch to force her son into a committed, permanent, relationship. Nor was she blind to the fact that if she did attend, Malfoy would have the perfect opportunity to belittle her about her financial situation and her Weasley status.
Still, aside from that and the fact that she did not have enough galleons to afford a dress that would be appropriate for such a fancy gathering, it would be fun. Surely someone else would be there whom she could talk with. And it would be a chance to get out of the house for a night. If only her mother would agree.
Ginny pushed open her window and leaned over the sill with a sad sigh. Even if she were to sneak out that night she would never be able to sneak a dress into the house under Molly’s sharp eyes.
“I want to go to the ball,” Ginny whispered into the wind.
III
“I want to go to the ball.”
Edessa smiled. That was her—the girl who Draco would fall hopelessly in love with. She flitted down to where the pretty redhead was leaning in the window, fluffed her hair, straightened her dress and put on her best smile.
“I might be able to help you with that.” The fairy said softly.
The girl jumped and looked about wildly before catching her eyes on the tiny fairy.
“What do you mean?” She asked in a shocked voice. It was apparent that she had never seen a fairy before.
“I can give you a spell that will help you get a dress and matching slippers. Then you can go to the ball.” Edessa did her best to look harmless but the girl was not fooled.
“What do you get out of this,” she asked.
Edessa could not stop a wince from slicing across her face and the girl did not miss her reaction.
“Fine,” Edessa sighed. “A couple days ago I was flitting through the Malfoy halls looking for something shiny for my hair and had fallen inside a vase. The Malfoy boy threw the vase when he was having a tantrum and he hurt my wing and ruined my dress! Then yesterday he kicked over the flowerpot I was sleeping in and got this horrible stain on my skirt! So I’m getting revenge on the brat.” Edessa fluffed her pink rose petal gown in irritation.
“What sort of revenge?” The girl looked interested!
“Well,” Edessa hedged. “He’s not terribly pleased that his mother is forcing him to hold this ball so I’m making sure that…certain…people attend to make him even more miserable.” Obviously she could not tell the girl the entire truth that Draco Malfoy was going to fall head over tail in love with the girl, as that would scare her away. Still, it was not exactly a lie, merely an abbreviated version of the truth.
“I’d be willing to help you with that,” the girl said with a cold smirk on her face. “I would do almost anything to ensure that he’s miserable. And, of course, to get him back for ruining your dresses.”
Edessa smiled. “Alright! Here.” She held out a planter that was big for her tiny hands but miniscule for Ginny’s. “This is a branch from a magical hazel bush. You have to enlarge it with your magic!” She added at the girl’s incredulous look. “Once you get it bigger say these words, ‘Shiver and quiver, my little tree, silver and gold throw down over me.’ Of course the colors don’t really matter but the rest you must get perfect.”
Edessa watched at the girl mouthed the words to memorize them before handing over the precious tree.
“Thank you very much,” the girl said with a wink. “If you come back I’ll tell you all about Malfoy’s pain.”
Edessa laughed. Draco Malfoy would never know what hit him once this girl was through with him.
“That will not be necessary,” the fairy said with a smirk. “I will be there watching the entire time.”
III
The day of the ball arrived quickly and Ginny found that she was a little nervous, both to be using the tree (she couldn’t see it’s brain and didn’t want another diary mishap), and to be attending a Malfoy ball under her mother’s nose.
She had pretended to have a head cold when she arrived home from St. Mungo’s and had therefore deftly avoided her mother for the remainder of the night. Molly Weasley insisted on bed rest for anyone with a cold and had been appalled that Ginny had stayed her entire shift at work when she was feeling ill.
Ginny pulled her courage out to the forefront and pulled the tiny tree out of it’s hiding place. With a quick wave of her wand she took off the shrinking spell.
“Shiver and quiver, my little tree, silver and gold throw down over me.” Ginny chanted dutifully. Suddenly a dress floated down from midair with matching slippers neatly placed on top.
Ginny took a long, luxurious shower (something else her mother smiled upon when you were feeling sick), before going to the dress. It had a heart shaped, low cut but modestly so, front, had a long, sweeping skirt and elegant embroidery. Most of the dress was gold with the silver accenting and softening the hard color.
Ginny slipped the dress on over her head reverently and sighed as the silk caressed her lithe form. It was a perfect fit. The gold color brought out the sun-kissed golden highlights in her hair but the combination of the gold and silver washed out her skin and made her freckles stand out. Ginny spun around in front of her mirror and sighed happily. Even with every freckle blatantly visible she still looked quite pretty in the dress.
A quick spell dried and styled her hair into an elegant up-do that flattered the dress and a make-up charm lightly rouged her cheeks, darkened her lashes, and put a light shimmer of gold color onto her lips.
Ginny put on the slippers last, grabbed a small purse to hold the invitation, and pulled a light, long black dress cloak out of her closet. She had bought the cloak instead of going house shopping because she knew it would be odd to arrive without a proper cloak; not to mention it was a fashion no-no.
There was a soft pop and Ginny vanished from her room at the Burrow.
By Mell8
--Never anger a fairy because she might go find your true love, magic her a dress, and send her to a ball; and you might just like it! D/G
This is a mix between the Disney version of the story, the original Grimm fairy tale, and my own embellishment. Enjoy!
--------------------
“Bloody hell!” Draco snarled and stomped out onto the flower-covered veranda. “There is absolutely no way I’m going to throw a ball in order to find a pure-blooded bride.” He kicked over a flowerpot and snarled as dirt and chrysanthemums spilled across his dragon hide boots.
Draco had been betrothed to Pansy Parkinson since he was three. They had grown up together and Draco had soon learned to tolerate her. True, if he had been given the decision Draco never would have chosen her, but theirs wouldn’t have been a terrible marriage.
But then she had been outed as a spy—had sacrificed herself in order to save him—and the Dark Lord had killed her. After Pansy’s death McGonagall had pulled him out of the Death Eater camps to protect him until the war ended.
Now he was twenty-five and his mother wanted grandchildren. Draco was single and was enjoying his current bachelor status immensely. He was not looking forward to any of the balls his mother was throwing. He would have to dance and play nice with women who were only there for his money; it was enough to make him wish that Pansy had not confessed that the message intercepted from that blasted owl had been from her, when it had truly been written by Draco.
Draco growled and kicked over another flowerpot. The flowers shrieked but he stomped past anyway.
“Shut the bloody hell up!” He hissed and knocked the flowerpot with his heel as he stalked past.
III
How dare that human boy! Edessa picked herself up off the ground and brushed dirt and pollen off her purple lily petal dress. This wasn’t the first time he had done something like this. Just last week he thrown a tantrum and had picked up and violently thrown a vase she had been exploring. The subsequent destruction had broken one of her wings and a sharp piece of pottery had cut a huge slice in her expensive aspen leaf dress!
Something had to be done to make that boy pay. Edessa tossed her long blond hair over her shoulder and behind her wings before taking to the air. What the horrible boy needed was a woman who would not be afraid to smack him when he was a terror and would run interference between the brat and his snobby mother.
Edessa needed to find his true love…
III
“Mop the floors, Ginny; get rid of the gnomes, Ginny; set the table for supper, Ginny.” Ginny sighed and collapsed on the bench in the garden. She was the only one of her siblings still living in the Burrow but was starting to think that it was time to find her own place. All the chores that she used to share with her brothers fell in her lap and as her mother was getting on in years and as Ginny didn’t have anything better to do when she was home from work, she did them.
Still, it was rather annoying to be treated like she was still a pre-Hogwarts child rather than as a successful Healer with her own department in St. Mungo’s. After the war had ended Ginny breezed through her O.W.L.’s and then her N.E.W.T.’s and was accepted with top marks into the Healer academy with the assurance that once she finished school she would be given a job at St. Mungo’s.
Ginny had enough money to afford a small flat in Wizarding London and was thinking that it would be prudent to have a look at any that were for sale after work tomorrow.
“Ginny, dear!” Molly Weasley called out the back door into the garden Ginny had just finished de-gnoming. “You’ve gotten a letter. Come inside and open it.”
“Coming Mum!” Ginny yelled back. She levered herself to her feet and grumbled as her back cracked angrily. “I’m too old to be running around after gnomes after a long day at work,” she griped under her breath. “Why can’t Mum just get some of her grandbabies to come visit and deal with the little pests themselves? Bill and Fleur have three kids and Ron and Hermione have two; more than enough to deal with the gnomes.”
“There you are Ginny!” Molly bustled over and handed Ginny her letter. Ginny blinked in surprise as she looked down at the crisp, expensive paper and the gold writing with her name on it. She grabbed the letter opener from the odds-and-ends drawer and carefully cut through the binding.
“Dear Miss Weasley,” Ginny read aloud so her Mum could hear.
“You are cordially invited to attend the twenty-fifth birthday ball of Mr. Draco Malfoy on the Fifth of June of this happy year. Please arrive around six in formal attire.
Narcissa Malfoy nee Black.”
“Absolutely not!” Molly Weasley hissed the second Ginny turned to look at her mother. “I will not have my baby girl prancing around in Malfoy Manor like a trussed up doll!” She stomped over to her shocked daughter, grabbed the letter out of her hands, and threw it on the wood waiting to be lit for their evening fire.
“But Mum,” Ginny began imploringly, “it could be fun.”
“NO!” Molly spun around with an angry glare on her face and one of her largest kitchen knives held firmly in her hand. She turned back around and began to vent her frustration on the potatoes she was dicing for their supper.
Ginny sighed and walked out of the room. The letter zipped from the fireplace into her hands and Ginny quickly hid it and her wand back in her robes before heading up the stairs.
It would certainly be interesting to attend a ball held by the Malfoys. Ginny knew that it would be fun but was under no illusions; this was another cleverly disguised way for the Malfoy matriarch to force her son into a committed, permanent, relationship. Nor was she blind to the fact that if she did attend, Malfoy would have the perfect opportunity to belittle her about her financial situation and her Weasley status.
Still, aside from that and the fact that she did not have enough galleons to afford a dress that would be appropriate for such a fancy gathering, it would be fun. Surely someone else would be there whom she could talk with. And it would be a chance to get out of the house for a night. If only her mother would agree.
Ginny pushed open her window and leaned over the sill with a sad sigh. Even if she were to sneak out that night she would never be able to sneak a dress into the house under Molly’s sharp eyes.
“I want to go to the ball,” Ginny whispered into the wind.
III
“I want to go to the ball.”
Edessa smiled. That was her—the girl who Draco would fall hopelessly in love with. She flitted down to where the pretty redhead was leaning in the window, fluffed her hair, straightened her dress and put on her best smile.
“I might be able to help you with that.” The fairy said softly.
The girl jumped and looked about wildly before catching her eyes on the tiny fairy.
“What do you mean?” She asked in a shocked voice. It was apparent that she had never seen a fairy before.
“I can give you a spell that will help you get a dress and matching slippers. Then you can go to the ball.” Edessa did her best to look harmless but the girl was not fooled.
“What do you get out of this,” she asked.
Edessa could not stop a wince from slicing across her face and the girl did not miss her reaction.
“Fine,” Edessa sighed. “A couple days ago I was flitting through the Malfoy halls looking for something shiny for my hair and had fallen inside a vase. The Malfoy boy threw the vase when he was having a tantrum and he hurt my wing and ruined my dress! Then yesterday he kicked over the flowerpot I was sleeping in and got this horrible stain on my skirt! So I’m getting revenge on the brat.” Edessa fluffed her pink rose petal gown in irritation.
“What sort of revenge?” The girl looked interested!
“Well,” Edessa hedged. “He’s not terribly pleased that his mother is forcing him to hold this ball so I’m making sure that…certain…people attend to make him even more miserable.” Obviously she could not tell the girl the entire truth that Draco Malfoy was going to fall head over tail in love with the girl, as that would scare her away. Still, it was not exactly a lie, merely an abbreviated version of the truth.
“I’d be willing to help you with that,” the girl said with a cold smirk on her face. “I would do almost anything to ensure that he’s miserable. And, of course, to get him back for ruining your dresses.”
Edessa smiled. “Alright! Here.” She held out a planter that was big for her tiny hands but miniscule for Ginny’s. “This is a branch from a magical hazel bush. You have to enlarge it with your magic!” She added at the girl’s incredulous look. “Once you get it bigger say these words, ‘Shiver and quiver, my little tree, silver and gold throw down over me.’ Of course the colors don’t really matter but the rest you must get perfect.”
Edessa watched at the girl mouthed the words to memorize them before handing over the precious tree.
“Thank you very much,” the girl said with a wink. “If you come back I’ll tell you all about Malfoy’s pain.”
Edessa laughed. Draco Malfoy would never know what hit him once this girl was through with him.
“That will not be necessary,” the fairy said with a smirk. “I will be there watching the entire time.”
III
The day of the ball arrived quickly and Ginny found that she was a little nervous, both to be using the tree (she couldn’t see it’s brain and didn’t want another diary mishap), and to be attending a Malfoy ball under her mother’s nose.
She had pretended to have a head cold when she arrived home from St. Mungo’s and had therefore deftly avoided her mother for the remainder of the night. Molly Weasley insisted on bed rest for anyone with a cold and had been appalled that Ginny had stayed her entire shift at work when she was feeling ill.
Ginny pulled her courage out to the forefront and pulled the tiny tree out of it’s hiding place. With a quick wave of her wand she took off the shrinking spell.
“Shiver and quiver, my little tree, silver and gold throw down over me.” Ginny chanted dutifully. Suddenly a dress floated down from midair with matching slippers neatly placed on top.
Ginny took a long, luxurious shower (something else her mother smiled upon when you were feeling sick), before going to the dress. It had a heart shaped, low cut but modestly so, front, had a long, sweeping skirt and elegant embroidery. Most of the dress was gold with the silver accenting and softening the hard color.
Ginny slipped the dress on over her head reverently and sighed as the silk caressed her lithe form. It was a perfect fit. The gold color brought out the sun-kissed golden highlights in her hair but the combination of the gold and silver washed out her skin and made her freckles stand out. Ginny spun around in front of her mirror and sighed happily. Even with every freckle blatantly visible she still looked quite pretty in the dress.
A quick spell dried and styled her hair into an elegant up-do that flattered the dress and a make-up charm lightly rouged her cheeks, darkened her lashes, and put a light shimmer of gold color onto her lips.
Ginny put on the slippers last, grabbed a small purse to hold the invitation, and pulled a light, long black dress cloak out of her closet. She had bought the cloak instead of going house shopping because she knew it would be odd to arrive without a proper cloak; not to mention it was a fashion no-no.
There was a soft pop and Ginny vanished from her room at the Burrow.
To Be Continued.
Mell8 is the author of 7 other stories.
This story is a favorite of 8 members. Members who liked Twisted Cinders also liked 719 other stories.
This story is a favorite of 8 members. Members who liked Twisted Cinders also liked 719 other stories.
Leave a Review