Chapter 14
Harry was pleased that he pushed Ron to take one of his family rings Millie had gushed over the dainty silver ring with light green stone that matched her eyes. The resulting pride that gleamed in his best friend's eyes was worth every single ring in the Vault in his opinion, Pansy beamed at him in admiration kissing his cheek and whispering. 'Thank you Harry I knew I chose the right man.'
They walked out of Gringotts and towards Madam Milkins, the girls folded around the racks twittering over what's the best.
"Right Mate your dress robes the Twins bought you still fit?" Harry blinked at the girls asking Ron softly.
"I reckon they'll do a bit short but I can Charm them longer. Mums already arranging for me to wear Bill's wedding robes for the ceremony next month Mil doesn't want to delay joining, guessing it's something to do with her family's inheritance that she has to get hitched before her 19th birthday so the rights to the house fall to her and not her cousin." Ron shrugged.
"Hermione wants to do it next week you lot are invited she's wanted sooner but with classes and the preparations for the Ball we have, that's a no go so we've arranged for it to be at the Ministry on Saturday. Just us Mum, the Weasley's and that's it. I'm gonna have to approach Arthur and see if we can settle the Wasley/Malfoy feud once and for all." Draco sighed.
"If Dad can't convince Uncle Septimus I know Bill can I'll owl my brother when we get back, Uncle Septimus is a old softie and adores Hermione he wanted her to marry into the clan but he'll probably take a truce if only to keep her round." Ron nodded.
"Thanks Ron now give Blaise some pointers on how to talk to Ginny and we'll be golden." Draco laughed.
"She's still given ya the silent treatment eh?" Ron asked.
"Yes I've tried to talk with her but she will only shake her head or nodd, I even attempted to give her a ring and it sits on her bedside table unopened." Blaise sighed tired.
"Yeah no one can make Gin talk if she don't want to reckon Hermione was right about Dean. I think he did more than cheat on her, abuse isn't something the wizarding world sees as a problem Harry what do the muggles do?" Ron asked Blaise, turned hopeful, for any clue.
"Abuse is hard to deal with it can't even start to heal unless it's acknowledged by the victim. Many don't see it even as mistreatment, and Ginny doesn't even talk about her and Dean's relationship. The little she's said to Hermione had her in arms and wondering. Fraid all any of us can do is wait sorry Mate know it's not much but be patient with her she's terrified right now and having only two nights together isn't gonna change that just yet." Harry smiled.
"My sister was very sheltered by us men. She has always come first, sorry, just be gentle and she'll come round, she just needs to know it's safe. Be annoyingly reliable and she'll see, I'll help ya where I can." Ron nodded unsure.
"We both will Mate after all we will be one big family by the end of this, She likes daffodils and Lilies but not together, she's a Harpies Fan, loves dressing up and going out, she's quite quick with her wand when needed, and smart never underestimate her." Harry piped in.
"Thanks guys it's nice to be able to just chat about it among the guys." Blaise grinned boldly at the two Gryffindors.
"Hear hear, I'm gonna go speak to Milkins and make sure whatever Hermione ends up with comes from my pocket. Her Uniform has seen better days." Draco stalked away.
"Perhaps I should do the same for Ginny?" Blaise quarried.
"Better do it quick before she realizes your doing so or she'll be mad, I think Dad and George already put some down for her to get something for the Ball, but maybe if you speak to Milkins and tell her to put it under your account but say it's from Dad that may work." Ron nodded sure.
"Right Thanks Brother." Blaise smiled again embarrassed and slunk halfway across the room near the register as if he was there all along.
"Snakes might as well settle up for Pansy and Millie while we're at it." Harry suggested dragging Ron with him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Do you think this cut would be better? I'm afraid I'd spill out of the vee cut." Mille asked, pulling a soft blue heart cut dress from Milkins mark down rack, holding up the thing in front of her.
"It's nice but honestly the blue clashes with Ron's hair. If you went deeper blue it would bring out his eyes better and no one would notice the clash. Do you think we could add a color charm to it how much?" Ginny asked the sales girl.
"All color charms are a 5 Galleon charge, for you lot we could do a discount to 3 since the lot of you are buying today, I'll even do size change for 1 Galleon. So over all would be 25 Galleons. To get rid of its been in the shop a bit." The girl replied hoping to make the sale.
"For 25 I want the dress to match my brother's eyes exactly deal?" Ginny held out her hand to the Sales witch.
"You bring him here, I'll do it right in front of you." The Sales witch shook hands with Ginny.
"Oi Ron come here."Ginny waved him over.
Ron strode over from the front of the shop, slid his hand in the small of Millie's back and nodded to his sister.
"What ya need Gin?" He asked.
"You to hold still for 5 minutes and let the shop witch change Mille's dress to Match your eyes." Ginny smiled softly at the easy affection her brother showed the sweetheart of a woman who he was going to Marry.
"Right." Ron turned his eyes to the shop witch who nodded and tapped Millies dress; it quickly darkened to the right shade.
"Perfect thank you." Ginny smile at her big brother who nodded ruffling her hair as he walked back towards the guys.
"Right into the dressing room and let's get that fitting like a glove, and then I'll help your sister in law find something gorgeous too." The sales witch Ushered Millie into the fitting room.
"Gin look here!" Hermione exclaimed, pulling a dress from the rack mermaid cut pale pink at the top darkening at the bottom to Weasley hair red.
"Ooh damn that's beautiful!" Ginny replied already in love with the dress. She took it from her best girlfriend and held it in front of her and spun towards the mirror. If she did her hair in an elegant updo she would be the bell of the ball.
"Just the one I was going to suggest for you, but it's a new design that runs about 60 Galleons. Best I can do on that one and that includes size charm." The Sales witch popped from the dressing room with Millie
Dressed in her chosen dress. It fitted like a glove and hugged her curves just right.
"That's too much I only have 25 I can spend on myself." Ginny Sighed placing the dress back in Hermione's hand.
"Hear me out Gin this is a once in a lifetime dress something you will never again have the body for once you have a kid. Go and ask Blaise he's gonna be half responsible for your body changing. The least he could do is pay for your dress." Hermione nudged Pansy for her input.
"Blaise is a push over if you ask, he will say yes. This is the last chance for all of us to look our best look at Millie she's beautiful and nothing else in this shop fits you better. Just ask."Pansy nodded, assuring her.
"But I've been awful to him, I've not even spoken to him since the other day when he and Millie found me being accosted by Dean." Ginny Sighed.
"So he's got to get used to your mood changes if he's gonna survive you being pregnant." Hermione pointed out.
"You really think he'll say yes?"Ginny asked Pansy point blank.
"If he doesn't say yes I'll pay for it out of Parkinson money." Pansy smiled.
Ginny nodded turned in time to see Blaise smile at Ron his smile transformed the normally dour face of her Fiance and she got a glimpse of the rumored Italian Stallion heartbreaker of Slytherin house.
Swayed by Pansy's assurance she grabbed the dress and made her way to the group of boys decided to come up behind Blaise so that he would hide her face from Draco not wanting the other to see her.
"Blaise, can I speak with you?" She said softly tugging on his sleeve. He turned towards her, blinking down confused.
"Yes Ginny, what can I do for you?" He replied softly, his eyes soft as they were the day he rescued her.
"I would like to buy this dress for the Ball, may I borrow 35 Galleons to help pay for it. I only have 25 on credit and well it's the only dress that I like that also happens to flatter my coloring?" She asked, trying not to sound like an idiot and failing.
"I have already taken the liberty to permit Madam Milkins to cover any amount up to 300 galleons for any purchase you would make now and in the future all paid for from My Vault. You are to be my wife Ginny and I want you to be taken care of, my mother also wishes to reach out to your mother and arrange a fitting for your wedding gown with her personal designer. Please feel free to buy anything that would make you happy." Blaise replied picking her hand up from where it sat on the dress and kissed the back of it whispering as to her as he bent towards her. "Please Use the credit from your family to help Mille with accessories or anything she fancies. Whatever is left, charge it to my account."
Ginny blinked up at the tall man that was her husband processing what he had just told her. It warmed her from the inside out to know he wanted to help Mille look her best and gave her free rein to spend quite a bit of money on whatever she wanted. Ginny smiled brightly at her fiance, setting her hand on his shoulder and raising to her tip toes and kissed his cheek before turning away and fleeing towards the section of high heels tucked in the corner of the shop.
Turning back to the men Blaise blinked slowly at the men.
"Well that was something." He said, clearing his throat. The lot of them to Blaise's ire laughed at him Ron slapped him good naturedly on the back.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Hermione, you should try on the green A line." Pansy said, passing the dress in question to her.
"It's almost Slytherin Green. Do you really think I should go so cliché?" Hermione replied, holding it in front of herself.
"With your hair and eyes you could borrow Narcissa's citrine jewels and make it sparkle. As her Daughter to be she would not deny you anything." Pansy replied.
"OK then you have to go either Gryffindor red or gold. To show solidarity." Hermione laughed.
"Deal sister red it is, empire waist long train with long sleeves to enhance what I don't got."Pansy laughed. Happily dragging Hermione to the high heels along the wall thankfully they had fairly tall men Ron, Blaise, Draco and Harry just like that and their wives to be matched them pretty perfectly Ginny was the tallest of the girls closely followed by Mille and Hermione then herself as the shortest, and Hermione only had a few inches on her.
Selecting a shorter 4 inch heel herself pushing a lovely pair of green 5 inch on Hermione while Ginny gravitated to the stiletto heel getting insurance she could get them colour matched to her dress. Millie was stuck on a sapphire blue 6 inch heel that would look killer on her and took with only minor prompting from her Sister in law that they were her gift to Millie.
Getting the dresses fitted and hemmed took only a scant few moments for each of them. It was a quick check out and they exited to the Alley to trudge up to WWW.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~