FICLET: Here, girl-- take your book (Lucius/Ginny)

[themadmermaid.livejournal.com]

Title: Here, girl-- take your book
Character Pairing: Lucius/Ginny
Prompt: the beautiful side of evil
Rating: PG
Word Count: ~525
Summary: Ginny's Flourish and Blotts shopping trip, revisited.
Author's Notes: Here it is, my first completed prompt. If you squint, this might not even be AU, but it will likely only get worse from here on out. Sorry!
Link to Prompt Table: Here there be prompts.
ETA- I'm a bad person and I forgot to thank my betas, Hannah and Selkie.


She remembered noticing his picture in the paper, a long time ago, and thinking he was handsome. His photo smiled at her, like they had a secret, and she could feel her face turn bright red like it always did. Her body felt hot too, and her stomach fluttered. She checked the paper regularly after that, feeling a heady mix of emotions she couldn't sort out but that ultimately left her feeling pleasantly naughty.

She was young enough to still think that only ugly people were bad, but old enough to hide those blushes from her brothers. In the years after that smile, Ginny figured out a lot of other things. Most people didn't have six brothers. Some people didn't have to pinch Galleons and wear secondhand clothes. Beautiful people weren't always good, and that handsome wizard who smiled at her in his Daily Prophet photograph was especially bad. She stopped looking for his picture.

Finally, last in an interminable queue of brothers, it was her turn to go to Hogwarts. During the ritual school shopping trip, Diagon Alley was packed. Though she tried to stop herself, Ginny felt a twist in her gut at all the other young witches and wizards blithely picking and choosing items without a glance at the price.

Ron's friend Harry (the real Harry Potter!) seemed embarrassed that he had lots of his own money to spend. He was really nice, even if he was famous, so she was kind of nervous around him. When that stupid blond git in the bookstore started in on him, she snapped back automatically. She had six brothers who could be gits too, after all. Then, to her horror, his father appeared.

She knew he was a bad wizard, but he was even more handsome in person than his photographs. Instead of smiling at her, Mr Malfoy hurled pointed insults at her family, catching her in a hundred raw places. Even though she loved her mum, dad, and brothers, this cool, beautiful wizard's contempt made want to curl into a ball with shame.

Then like a bad dream turning to a nightmare, Mr Malfoy and her father were actually fighting in the bookstore as if they were kids. A huge man came and pulled them apart, and then Mr Malfoy turned to her. He shoved her old book back at her, and when they looked at each other, she was afraid that he would see whatever secret his photograph had seen.

Then he was gone, and her mum was clucking and fussing and trying to get everything back in order. Ginny felt sick as she clutched her Transfiguration book tightly and tried to sort through yet another mess of feelings overwhelming her. Was this the worst thing that had ever happened to her, or the most exciting?

No matter how hard Fred and George tried to cheer her up that evening, she was glum; she didn't even want to go through her cauldron and look at her school supplies. She was sure everything would be fine, and she wasn't usually superstitious, but her happiness about going away to Hogwarts felt somehow sullied.

Comments

[chimbomba.livejournal.com]

WOW. This was absolutely delightful! Normally, when I see this pairing, I'm a little iffy... but you handled it very well. :) Young!Ginny is just perfect - and through this situation, I get the sense that this pairing has been canon all along... it's so very realistic and believable! Excellent! :DD

[themadmermaid.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the praise. I have a secret fondness for trying to make L/G as believable as possible, so I'm glad it works.

[humbuggirl.livejournal.com]

I thought that this was a really interesting piece. Most that deal with the scene in the book store tend to use that first moment as the beginning of the story. I liked the fact that you used it as the end and built up to it. It was something a little different. I don't suppose there is any way that I could (rather cheekily) convince you to post this at slytherinxginny, is there?

[themadmermaid.livejournal.com]

Thank you for reading and for the invitation. I'd love to post it at slytherinxginny as soon as I can.

[tristesses.livejournal.com]

Ahh, I love this pairing with all my heart. I look forward to what you can do with it.

[themadmermaid.livejournal.com]

It's my favorite pairing, despite the fact it doesn't seem to be very popular. I'll try hard to do it justice!

[peskywhistpaw.livejournal.com]

Ooh, lovely! I'm interested to see what else you do with this pairing!

[themadmermaid.livejournal.com]

Thanks!