Nooooo, you are not!

I is sowwee. =[

FF. =pp
You RP too much, these days.

Ginny: I do NOT want to snog Draco.
Draco: BLOOD TRAITOR.

See? They don't even get along.



Draco: What is this? Rebellion in the Mini-Veelists!

Aunt Muriel: How do YOUU know?

DeeLee! Were you in on the EVIL plan, with Aunt Muriel?


Aww.

I love you, and am going to update... right now.
Lemme edit and stuff. =DD

Okay, Maxaxxaxx.


Right-o, my love. Right-o. -huggles the mini-veela before petting the hair for the 2837348435874358934598734598435834 time-

Draco:

MELELLELL! You and Draco are distracting me from the next chapter. -tries to edit it, while keeping an eye on you two-

OOPS! Sorry, my love!

Draco: You me mean?

Mel: No, I means my Maxieluff.

Draco:

=[
It's okayyyy.


Oh God. You know I had to re-read that and then my quote like 294829384 times before getting what you meant by saying I RP too much these days?! !!! AHHH. I always make that mistake for some reason. But yes, yes, I meant FF, not RP. xDD

Pshhhh, just give them a donkey and dump them in the middle of nowhere some time in the fifteenth or sixteenth centuries and it's ALL SNOGS.


-GASP!-
Whaaaaaat? Ya kidding?! You know I only love YOU, Draco!! I worship you!


Errr, uhhh.. kinda sorta MAYBEEEEEEEEE? I didn't play a huge part in the plan, though, I swear!



YESSSSS!!!!

Iloveyou. <3

LOL, silly DeeLee.

I'm still glad you're enjoying the story. =p

Snogging while... riding a donkey?



Okay! I am NOT going to post here again, until I update.

But I love y'all, and thank you for the pretty reviews + comments.
They make my day.

Maxie! I am so sorry. I just now found out that you posted this. I was getting suspicious when all the notices was from people that had already commented before. I finally came on here to check it out, cause some were talking about Ginny's room in the mansion. So here I am and I am so so so so sorry to find that you posted and I am so late reading it. Please forgive me. I am so upset with myself, I hope I can do justice to your post deserving of the highest praise. Because it truely is spectacular.

Oh dear, and now I see I can't do any quoting cause the post was on the last page. Boy, I've just screwed up all the way around!
Well, I'll try to do you justice without the aid of your post.
First off the woman in Ginny's dream, Gin??... It was breathtaking the way she was one with the world she was so alive in, so intuned with, then her hopes was shattered by missing the chance to impress the love of her life, by not getting to make the bread he loves. So she heads back to her home devistated by her failure, and doesn't see that she is no longer in harmony with her beautiful world. She is attacked from behind, and recognizes the hands around her throat! How terrible! She struggles to save her life, but looses in the end. Triple heart break! You should win some kind of an award of excellence just for this part. I think it was sweet of Auntie Muriel to give her a small room. As sweet as one can expect out of her at least. Giving her the smallest room was probably to keep her from getting homesick. The reference to the twins was wonderful. I hope they get her good one day. She deserves it, thinking the way she does about them. Of course they didn't bring any of it on themselves did they? I do love the Weasleys. Each one for there own merrits. Well, Maxie, I'm sorry, I don't feel I've done justice commenting on your wonderful post, but I tried my best. Much love to you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm coming here to check all the time and not rely on my subscription anymore.

CONNIE! It's absolutely okay, you never, ever not comment. I can always feel your love, when I post in this thread, or update this story. It is VERY okay, dear. I luff you.

No, you did not! It's okay. I love the review, and it doesn't matter if you couldn't quote. You're still awesome. <3

Thank you loads. Your comments always make me feel warm and fuzzy. But I'm not half as good as you make me, Connie. Thank you for being here, and for all the support.



I want you to know you are VERY wonderful, and I love you. LOTS more love to you. Take care of yourself.

MAXIIEE!!

I need another UPDATEE!!!!

Love,
~~Jay~~

Chapter 7:
The Edge of the Kaleidoscope


"The moment of change
is the only poem."


The night was soft, like the gentle rustle of a beautiful dress, or the touch of wind on a shut window-pane, and Ginny slept soundly, with no unpleasant dreams to unsettle her. Her night was a calm, peaceful sort, and even the lack of the typical warmth of the Burrow failed to disturb her, or force her to wake up in the middle of the night.

Aunt Muriel was to give her a tour of the entire mansion, the day next, and the redhead woke up in a tangle of soft sheets, only to rush to dress up, as she realized she had overslept. Aunt Muriel would - no doubt - have her head on a steel platter for such a mistake, and Ginny was soon bounding down the staircase. She jumped down three, even four, steps at a moment, and the natural result was that tripped halfway down the staircase. Her ankle twisted rather painfully, and she was sent flying most gracelessly down the remaining length of the flight of steps.

-- She fell in a little, rather crumpled heap at Aunt Muriel’s feet.



“How unladylike,” the old woman sniffed, quite truly shocked at this state of affairs, the moment she saw that Ginny had not injured herself, and the fall had been one that led to no grave hurt. “When will you learn the manners of the rich and the famous, Ginevra?”

“When I become one of them,” Ginny replied through gritted teeth, as she helped her own self to her feet.

The fact was, she knew more manners than most – and that was a surprise in itself, for she had been raised in a house with six elder brothers, none of whom [save Percy] could ever eat in a very gentlemanly way – and, to be honest, she did not wish Aunt Muriel to think otherwise. She had hoped she would impress the old woman, at least through her knowledge of proper etiquette, but it seemed now that fate had other things in mind, for her.

It always did.

“Ah yes, that is quite a drawback,” Aunt Muriel admitted, quite generously. “I understand you are not used to such magnificence, Ginevra, and I am glad I could offer you a chance to prove your worth, and marry into a family that is - let us hope - much better off, fortune-wise, than your own.”

Ginny let her rant, because she knew that, at the end of the day, Great-Aunt Muriel was Great-Aunt Muriel, and no amount of interruptions could make her otherwise. They had breakfast in one-sided silence – Ginny pursed her lips, and forced herself to keep quiet throughout the length of the meal, while Aunt Muriel relentlessly plowed on about things that would be “better if weeded out of your personality” and might “earn you a marriage in a decent family."

When the meal had finally been wrapped up, the tour that followed almost came as a relief. Not because it meant that Aunt Muriel was silent for a while, but because it ensured that Aunt Muriel became too smug by - and too interested in describing - the glory of her own place, to pay much attention to the way Ginny’s hair stood up "in all twenty-thousand directions," or what was wrong with her “gait.”

Thankfully for Ginny, her Great-Aunt left her in absolute peace, after the tour of the Mansion. But that was, of course, too good a thing to last – come evening, Muriel had pushed open the door of Ginny’s room without question, and stepped in. The first thing Muriel did, after that, was to tell Ginny of for “lounging on the bed like a lazy, little baby monkey.”

“Excuse me?” Ginny asked incredulously, too stunned by the comparison to even protest properly. “You are talking to your own niece, Aunt Muriel, not to your pe -- forget it, what the heck.”

“That word,” Aunt Muriel said. “Is most uncouth. I shall not have you say it again, at least while within the confines of my own house, Ginevra.”

“Do you mean 'forget it', or 'the heck'?” Ginny asked cheerfully, but Aunt Muriel’s face seemed to swell like an angry, angry red balloon, and Ginny hastened to correct her mistake. “I meant –”

“You meant exactly what you said,” Aunt Muriel cut through. “Your unladylike behaviour appalls me, Ginevra, and I shall write to your mother about it, let that be known to you. It seems your parents –“ she glance at the watch, and her mouth formed into an 'O' of surprise. “Seven o’ clock already? Oh my. I came to inform you, Ginevra” – and Aunt Muriel's voice turned, once more, a lofty that Ginny was beginning to loathe more than ever – “That the Count of Albastor has thrown a grand ball today, in honour of his son. I have, of course, received an official invite.”

Aunt Muriel looked quite smug at this declaration, but Ginny only raised an eyebrow. “So?” she asked, very pointedly.

Muriel glared at her. “I am one hundred and twelve years old, Ginevra!” she scoffed. “You ought to know it is my place no longer to waste my time at silly, little parties, but to reign in my mansion like the queen that I am.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Ginny said, and now she actually grinned – it seemed to her, for the first time in quite a number of years. Or, at least, since the moment she had stepped into this place. “I thought you believed balls like this were an honour – but, oh, forget that. Let’s get to the heart of the matter, shall we? What do you want me to do, for you?”

Aunt Muriel smiled, a smile that was by no means grandmother-like or gentle. But it was a smile nevertheless, and it was the closest Muriel could come to being human, Ginny secretly thought. “You shall go in my stead, of course,” she announced, with some pride. “There are men of the finest station, invited to that ball! We shall hope that you have managed to ensnare one in your clutches, by the end of the night.”

“Excuse me?” Ginny asked, her mouth falling open. She was not what they call 'girly,' and she hated fancy things, and loved rough weather, and Quidditch, and the feel of a freshly-polished broomstick, and bitter winds; but, in her heart of hearts, she was also a girl, and could not deny that the nature of the ball pleased her – she had dreamed, many times, of pretty things such as these, and the fact that it could be turned into a reality was very beautiful. But if Aunt Muriel believed she would hunt out a man, on an occasion such a this, the woman was sorely mistaken – there was no way that Ginny going to ruin the realization of a childhood dream for the sake of some stupid whim of her Aunt!

“What?” Aunt Muriel asked, slightly taken aback. “Do you not adore the prospect, Ginevra?”

“You expect me to return with a man?” Ginny demanded, with narrowed eyes.

Aunt Muriel looked even more taken aback now. Outraged, even. “Ginevra Weasley!” she scolded. “Do you think that is honourable, or even ladylike? I would die of shock, if you returned with – returned with –“ she looked so angry, it was hard for her to string two words, together. “I only wish you to experience the beauty of such an event and to - of course - find yourself an appropriate man. That is why your mother sent you here, after all. We can not dash her hopes now, can we now?”

She sounded lofty again, and Ginny rolled her eyes, fully aware that this was not why her mother had sent her here. But argument with Aunt Muriel was like slamming your head, repeatedly and with great force, into the nearest brick-wall, and Ginny did not wish to attempt it in the least.

“Fine,” she said. "But you should know, I can't find a man. You see, Aunt, I'm not even pretty –“ Ginny knew very well that she was, but this way her one way out, and she was not stupid enough not to grab it, as quickly as she could - “and no one's going to fall for me."

“Don't be stupid,” Aunt Muriel snapped. “The hair can’t be helped, of course – must it always be so red, Ginevra? – but you're plenty fine, other than that. Of course, if your eyes could be a little less further apart, or your nose a bot straighter, or your lips more bow-shaped -- but, ah well, we shall have to make do with what little assets you do have, shall we not? I have said it before, and now I say it again: in the city of love, even the brainless land into good fortune. You don't have much of a brain, perhaps, but you have a bit of looks, Ginevra -" Coming from Muriel, that was like the world's biggest compliment - "and I'm sure you know how to make good use of them. If your mother is to believed --” Aunt Muriel rolled her eyes - "You've made plenty use of them, before."

This woman was, very clearly, impossible. Ginny nodded, and turned away, but Aunt Muriel stayed her with a hand on the former’s shoulder.

“What now?” Ginny asked, rather irritably.

“You don't have a dress for the ball,” Aunt Muriel said with a shrug. “You can't possibly go in your rags –“ she ignored the murderous look on Ginny’s face – “because I honestly don't want you to ruin my reputation, Ginevra. You go as a representative of my house, and I would have you bear that in mind at all times and costs, even on occasion of death – should that occasion meet you at the ball.”

WHAT THE HECK? Ginny’s mouth fell open, but Aunt Muriel absolutely ignored that. “Come with me,” she said, snapping her fingers, and then Ginny had followed her, out of her temporary bedroom and into the corridor outside, and they were descending the grand staircase, Aunt Muriel purposefully, Ginny with a roll of her eyes.

*

[] Reference:

+ "The moment of change is the only poem." - Adrienne Rich.

I was a bit iffy, but after that diva performance, I'm SOOOOOOOOOOO joining the Great-Aunt Muriel fan club!

And the Count's son, eh? I liak, I liak.

AND I -ed when Aunt Muriel thought that Ginny was... well, that she "swung the other way." BRILLIANT as always, Maxaxxaxx!

PAMSPAMSPAMSPAMSPAMSPAMSPAMSPAMSPAMSPAMSPAMSPAMSPA MSPAMSPAMSPAMSPAMSPAMSPAMSPAMS

~ Mel

Draco: Rebellion in my cult?

=/

LOL, you're not supposed to notice random stuff like that. xD

Thanks, bebeh. Glad to know you're enjoying ze story.

LOL, shall try.

Draco: Rebellion. -mutters darkly-

HAAAAAAAHAHAHAHA!!
Aw man! I just love how she can't see the poor girl in peace! !! TEAM MURIEL FTW!!!

Ever so modest, Aunt Muriel!
She's really lively for a 102-year-old, though!

OMG.
!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAA!! I love how sweet and kind she is to her great-niece!!
Oh gosh. Aunt Muriel… you're the new Mr. Donkey.
: "Someone say my name? *looks around*"

DUDEEEEEE.
I'm so excited for this ball!!
POST IT NOWNOWNOWNOWWWW!! I wanna see what's gonna happen!! >.<!!

... Mebbeh.

WHAT did I tell you! Too psychic for my own good!

Thanks for writing ze story, lovelies.

YAY!

Sorry, my mini-veela. But Great-Aunt Muriel is a riot. I still luff you the best. -points to down to siggy and left to location-

xD

Draco: UGH! How dare this 112-year old lady steal my followers?
-grumpy!badboy-

LOL. Mr. Donkey is BACK! xD

Muriel: Do NOT compare me to that Donks!

There are more of THAT to come.
Patience, my child. Patience.



Draco: WHAT did you say? -eyes-

You could be reading too deep, you know.

Aww, 'tis my pleasure, my Melellell. <3

Draco: *looks at siggie* Of course I'm in there, I'm THE best. -ego-boast-

She's 102, Draco, not 112. -Rolls eyes-


: -Turns to Aunt Muriel- Hey now who let the old hag in?! How'd she get out of her grave?! I've never seen a more dried up prune in my time-traveling life! SECURITY! SECURITY!!!

Now, now!!
Enough you guys! You are both the idols of Maxie's fics, please, no fighting!


I have no patience! >=[

Nothing, mah love. -petteths the hair-

That's why you must PAMS!





DEE-LOVE: She's 112.

Draco: She is... 112. -blink-

Muriel: YOU DONKEY! *shakes fist*

Mr. Donkey: Watcha mean, lady, where is my spot?

I shall try to update tomorrow, for my DeeLee.

Draco: Go away. >__<

Will try to update, as soon as I can, sweetie.

Stick around!

So funny! Too funny!

Very good chapter with lots of humor! I love it!

Keep up the excellent work!

Thanks, Stef!

Glad to know you're enjoying ze story.
&& that it's making you laugh!

Ohhhh Updateeee!! -jumps around-
Loved it! And read it..even though im late for something..oops
Aunt Murial....-gasp-...sooo old?? Wow, and soo stuck up! wow!
Awww But Ginny gets to go to a ball, Wonder what dress Murial has in store for her -thinks-
I officailly this chapter Andd-anddd II wishhh thee next-next chapter was sooon!! I want to know how the ball went...i do i doo
Anddddd...I shall use my lovely Patience...ive learnt Anddd waittt -nods
Moreee soonnn Preatyyy pwressss (did i spell it right?)
Evangeline

Ooooh. Great updates!!!

I luuuuurve it Maxie!

You're awesssome!! <3

RL first, luff. =]

Maybe an old frock? LOLOL. xD

Thanks, Ev! -tacklehugs-

LOL, I usually spell it pretty pwease. xD

BUT! Shall try to update, soon.

=]

Thanks, Wenzter'er.
Glad to know you're enjoying ze story.

So are you! =D

No Worry's No Worry's I MADE IT IN TIME!!!
Fast walker over here

Ohh that'll be really bad if its an old frock...andd it'll go against her beest wishes...orr plann shall i sayy...She cant be THAT meann..can she???
-wonders-

Your MOST welcome Maxie
-falls down- Ahhhh...all good all good -jumps up and brushes self down-

Pretty Pwease post soon!! Yeahh im going to spell it like that...if i remember

BUT! I shall wait till you do
"Patience..your my friend...work with me here!"

EDIT: I hear there's an Aunt Murial Fan Club...Ohh i wanna join...i wanna join...can i? can i? -jumps up and down-

Oh my gosh.
I MISSED SO MUCH!!!!! *wails like a banshee-Ginny* sniff. Stupid school. *glares* Can you ever forgive me?? *big-eyed look*
Oh, I can't do that look. My eyes are too small. Pfft.
Anyway. It's awesome!! (: