Ginny actually groaned and slapped her face into her hand, realizing in a second that there was truth to the myth that everyone had a like-minded doppelganger out in the world somewhere.
In this case, her older brother was standing not three feet away from his own.
When she turned back to focus on the team across from her, Draco was already charming open a Bag of Holding and pulling out a wooden box that looked like it might have come from the Victorian Era.
He plunked it down into Pansy’s hands and opened it, extracting a deck of oversized cards.
They were about the size of two Muggle playing cards placed top to bottom, and about as wide sitting side by side.
Leaning forward, Ginny was able to fully appreciate the beauty of the artistry on the backs: a full-colour image, deeply burnished with bronze and gold foil paints depicting the mythological paradigm of true love, Eros and Psyche.
At the top of an arching canvas stood the moon and the sun on opposite sides, the stars twinkling in between.
In the far-off background of the cloud milieu was a fantasy castle with glimmering spires that reminded her distinctly of Hogwarts.
In the centre, hypnotically pulling one’s attention, the lovers embraced – Psyche draped in a shimmering gold swath of satiny fabric, her hair pulled into a half up-do by layers of metal combs and twisted and looped by glistening foil leaves, the long, aureate strands winding down her naked back.
Held in her tight, desperate embrace was her Cupid, whose profile was hidden behind Psyche’s, his cheek pressed into her temple.
Short, phoenix wings made of golden feathers erupted from his back, sensuously curling at the ends.
He was completely naked, although his body was mostly hidden as it pressed intimately into his paramour’s curves, shielded by her flowing, molten dress.
It was an erotic post, yet innocent at the same time.
It was Psyche’s face that drew one’s attention however, as a miniscule tilting to the image’s pouting ruby lips denoted a hidden sorrow that tugged at the heart. Find the original chapter at g.com.
Usually, Ginny he wasn’t one for ominous signs or scrying for portents, but in that moment, a chill crept up her spine and she had her first taste of doubt about this whole design.
Glancing at the faces of everyone else, though, she noted that only two others seemed to share her reservationsDaphne and ‘Mione.
The others appeared engrossed in watching the proceedings or each other, barely taking an interest in the artwork on the back of the deck.
Malfoy divided the cards up and counted them out.
He then looked from one face to the next as he made his presentation.
“First, I’m required to go over the rules of the game,” he stated.
“As the Lead Challenger, that makes me head of Slytherin’s team. As the Contender, Potter serves as the head of Gryffindor’s. As such, either of us may, at any time before the actual game begins, forfeit the match for our team.” He smirked.
“But I think we can pretty much state here and now that’s not going to happen, right?”
There was a chorus of nods and ascent from both sides of the narrow aisle.
“Good, now that’s out of the way,” Malfoy continued, “it is part of the convention that I lay down the game play. Even if you know this already, I’m obligated by the rules to reiterate. So, pay attention because I’m not wasting time tomorrow night repeating this cripe.”
He then launched into a full explanation of the purpose of the game, and how it was played, including the purpose of each of the four different colour-coded decks.
“Again, the red cards represent the Deeds cards. The blue are the Forfeits. Green is for Interrogations. And the gold card is the Partners deck.” He showed an example of each, holding it up and moving it from side to side slowly.
“Don’t mess it up when you’re writing your questions, punishments, and rewards, because nothing can be taken back once it’s down on the card.”
“What happens if two of us write the same question, or the same punishment or reward?” Ron asked from the back, his greater height affording him a good view even at such a distance. This chapter was taken from novelping . com without permission.
Draco began passing out the cards one Partner, two Interrogations, two Deeds, and two Forfeits – to each player as he answered.
“The cards are charmed, Weasley. Once you sign your name to the Partner card tonight, the game officially begins for you, and the spell on the deck aligns to all of the players who have signed their card before midnight tonight. If one of us writes something down that’s too similar to the others, the cards will simply erase and prompt you to try again. That’s why it’s important to start right away on filling in the cards, because you don’t want someone to trump your ideas.” He glanced down at ‘Mione as he passed her cards to her.
“Remember that.”
When everyone had their cards in hand, he took his wand out.
“You mark up the cards by touching the tip of your wand to the blank side and thinking what you want to appear.” He placed the end of his wand on the Partnercard in his hand and before their eyes, his name appeared.
“To seal the cards and keep the content you’ve written on them frozen you simply keep your wand tip on the surface and say, ‘Meus mos est vox.'”
A bright, white light surrounded Draco and the card together for a moment as the magical contract was made, fading out in seconds.
“‘My will is word,'” Hermione translated the Latin spell, a thoughtful expression on her face as she turned the cards over in her hands.
“Interesting. Just like a Wizard’s Oath.”
Malfoy nodded.
“Exactly like a Wizard’s Oath, which means, you’re promising to obey the rules and stay until the game is concluded, and not to speak of anything that happens in-game with anyone not involved in this set ever.” Removing a honey-coloured lollipop from his mouth, Seamus gave a grunt.
“An Oath o’ Silence as well, then?” he asked.