Author's Note: WHOA! Holy cow. 81 reviews. xD Thank you guyses so much. I swear, I live off these things. o.O; Jaykay. Anyways, here's your fifth chapter, as promised.. It's kinda long. xP If that's a good thing or not. Sorry if I haven't updated in a long time, I've been busy with school and such and writing this thingeh. Woot.
Oh, and, I still need poll answers about that lemon.. If I'm not going to write one, I'll change the rating from R to PG-13. So, I need answers NOW. Do you want a lemon, or not!
Spring break is coming up in a few days, so I'll promise I'll get another chapter up by then. However.. You have to do your part of the deal, too, m'kays? I want 100 reviews and I'll give you another chappie. xD Deal? Good.
Reviewers: Lady Eowyn of Ithilian-(Well, you'll just have to read to find out, won't you..?) Mistress of the Sand-(Yes sir. xD -updates-) Devil'sSexyAngel-(Hm, for the plot I've got and the rate at which this story's been moving along, I'd say a lot. xP) Doris-(What kinda name is that? xD) KeeperofthePineNeedles-(I'm glad you like the story. D The button is blue on mine, but as long as you keep on clicking it..) Entrancer-(This chappie is a tad longer. Satisfied?) Evilkitty51-(Haha, yesss he does have a crush.) Saphiraemyrs-(I know, right? xD) Silver Maggots-(Erm, yes, believe it or not, it is my first fic.. -sheepish- Thanks for reviewing! D)
Thanks to everybody for reviewing!
Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series. -gaspeh-
And on with the story!
Love, With a Spoonful of Milk and Way Too Much Sugar
By: Brinkixsh
Chapter Five
The first few days back at Hogwarts passed by in quick sucession for Ginny Weasley. Because of her decision to become a Healer in her fifth year, she was attending N.E.W.T courses for Herbology, Charms, Transfiguration, Defense against the Dark Arts (which was, turned out, taught by Professor Dumbledore himself), and Potions, which was still (and regrettably) taught by Professor Serverus Snape.
"I hope," the Potions master sneered silkily at them as he laced his fingers together behind his desk on Thursday morning. "That all of you have the ability to do as well as your O.W.L exams proved you to be," his eyes landed on Ginny, who squirmed slightly in her seat. She knew that he hated her because of her brother, who did, admittedly, quite poor in Potions. She promised herself that she would not give Snape the satisfaction of thinking that the stupidity ran through their entire family.
"Well, we'll soon find out, won't we?" His lip curled in malice. "We are starting on the Invisibility Potion, a potion that I expect many of you will find difficulty in. I am sure you all have very busy summers and had no time to actually research the potion, like I told you to?" Snape waved his wand lazily at the board and the instructions appeared. "Well, I say good luck to you. The ingredients are in the cupboard. Begin."
Ginny gritted her teeth. Of course. Only Snape could give you the hardest, most complicated potion ever devised in the first week back from summer holidays. Luckily, she had asked Hermione about the Invisiblity Potion the week before September first after realizing her forgotten Potions homework, whom had given her a six-minute long explanation of everything Ginny would need to know (and would never need to know) about the Invisibility Potion. She set to work gathering ingredients from the cupboard.
The class ended an hour and a half with a heavy groan as Snape issued a three-foot long essay on Invisiblity Potions due next Thursday. Ginny sighed. She was going to need Hermione to help her on that one.
Luckily, she didn't have that much homework in all her other classes. Professor Vector in Arithmancy decided to give them a free week, and of course Professor Dumbledore didn't give out any either. Nor did Hagrid and Sinistra.
Soon, Ginny was waking up quite early on the first sunny Saturday morning at Hogwarts. Rubbing the sleepiness out of her eyes, she slipped out of bed quietly past the four-posters where the rest of her Gryffindor year was still snoozing and closed the door with a click as she locked herself inside the scarlet-tiled bathroom.
After stepping into a steamy shower and scrubbing herself clean, she slipped into her usual Hogwarts uniform and robe. Then, she charmed her normally curly hair straight and tied it into a high ponytail (she planned to take her broomstick out for a go on the grounds after breakfast), applied a bit of lipgloss, and hurried down the stairs into the Gryffindor common room.
She let out a relieved sigh when she found the common room empty. Harry, Ron, nor Hermione were there. She had had a busy enough week as an excuse to brush off Harry, but wasn't prepared with an excuse to see him off now it was weekend.
Harry had become unbelievably annoying since the summer had ended. He was constantly following her, constantly trailing her, constantly holding her hand or touching her shoulder or putting his arm around her waist, which made her cringe in shrink back at his first touch. The only time he ever did let go of her was when Cho was around, which always caused a wave of jealousy to sting through Ginny while the ex-couple chatted, much too friendly for her liking.
Why should she care, though? Ginny always wondered. If she never liked him forever-clinging to her anyways, then why did it matter to her that he left when Cho came along? After all, she should be grateful that he wasn't hanging on to her anymore, right?
She supposed she was just being selfish and was taking everything for granted, so she willed herself to be patient and caring to Harry while he was around. However, Ginny found it extremely difficult.
As she headed down the Great Hall for breakfast, she sighed. Maybe she should just break up with him, she decided. But inside, she knew she couldn't. Harry was the only guy that Ron felt comfortable (well, at least more comfortable) about dating Ginny. Her brother would be devastated if she broke Harry's heart. And besides, Ginny would never have the guts to actually dump him outright. Ginny was too nice.
Oh well, she thought miserably. I guess I'll just have to let it be and forget about it. Emptying her mind of all thoughts of Harry, she followed the hot smell of syrup on pancakes wafting into her nose.
The Gryffindor table was reasonably empty (a group of second year boys were throwing bits of blueberry muffin at each other at the far end), so Ginny swallowed down her breakfast fairly quickly before jumping up and dashing back to the Gryffindor tower to get her broom. Then, just as she was climbing out of the portrait of the Fat Lady when she bumped into Harry.
"Ginny!" Harry exclaimed, face brightening when he spotted her. His eyes drifted down to her broom in her hand. "Going flying?"
Ginny nodded and cursed herself for not watching where she was going. Great, now he was probably going to want to come along, too...
"Cool," said Harry, pushing his glasses back on the bridge of his nose when she knocked them askew. "It's a really good day for flying..."
Ginny swallowed. "Er, well," she fumbled for an excuse for her to fly alone. "If you wanted to come, I, I..."
"Oh, inviting me fly with you? I would really like to spend some time with you, but I've got to, er, well, I need to go down to the library to finish some Charms homework. Really sorry, Gin, but Professor Flitwick.. Seventh year's really hard. Well, maybe I'll fly with you on Sunday. See you at lunch!"
Ginny watched him go and nearly collapsed with relief after Harry left the common room. Thank Merlin she didn't have to put up with him this early in the morning. She hurried down the winding Hogwarts staircases, through the Great Hall, and out the main gate, breaking into a run at sight of the green Quidditch field.
Finally! She had been waiting all week for a good fly. Harry was telling the truth - it really was a good day, if not perfect, for flying: the sky was blue and sunny, a slight breeze brushed her ponytail against her neck, and there was hardly a cloud in the sky...
"Oh, would you look at who it is? The Weaslette herself," drawled a loud, incredulous voice from above.
Her heart fell with a drop. She could recognize that voice from anywhere.
Damnit! He had to come and ruin everything!
The blonde-haired, seventh-year Slytherin dived down and landed on the grass a good seven feet away from her. Getting off his broomstick and leaning against it, he smirked. "Going on a fly, are you? Where's your famous, idiot boyfriend?"
Her jaw stiffened. "Where is your idiot boyfriend?" she shot back. "Your black-haired one. I have to admit, he is better-looking than Crabbe and Goyle."
"Actually, I'm single at the moment, wanna have a go?" Malfoy waggled his eyebrows. Ginny looked revolted.
"Just kidding." Malfoy smirked. "I wouldn't go out with a Mudblood-lover like you. I'm even surprised Harry does. He used to hate you so much back in our second and third year, and you use to hang on to him all the time..."
Ginny reddened at the rememberance of her old crush. Malfoy's smirk widened.
"You and Potter are such a sick couple... He's always touching you, hugging you, following you.. It's so sick. Just do him and all of us a favor and fuck him. It's so obvious that's all he wants from you, since he can't have Cho..."
Ginny chose to ignore his last statement. "You're wrong, Harry's a great boyfriend, he never does anything like that," she stated, lying through her teeth. "At least he respects me, while you haven't even had a proper girlfriend. All you do is sleep with them for one night and that's it!"
Malfoy barked out a harsh laugh. "Respect, huh? I know you hate it when he touches you," he whispered. "Everyone can tell. You always flinch, you always cringe..."
"Well, then you're a very bad person reader, Ferret," she sniffed haughtily.
"Am I?" His eyes glittered.
She grinded her teeth together, annoyed immensely. "Malfoy, just.. Just go away and fuck a tree or something."
Instead of lashing back at her, Malfoy laughed again. "Grown a back, have we, girl?" his sneered. "Although your insults need a lot more improvement. I quite remember you to be hiding your ugly face in your ragged robes behind Potter and his Golden Trio."
"Don't call me girl."
"I will call you, girl, whatever I want to," Malfoy stepped a foot closer to her. "It's not like your even worth a name.."
"At least my name isn't worth rubbish, like yours, Malfoy," Ginny reminded him icily. "My father isn't the one behind bars in Azkaban..."
"Rubbish, huh?" Malfoy replied softly, his expression unreadable. He stepped closer to her - close enough to see her broom.
"Dear Lord, Weasley, what kind of small fortune did your family have to pay for you to get one of those?" Malfoy quickly ran his hand over to his broomhandle, but not fast enough for Ginny to read Nimbus 3000 inscribed in gold. She grinned; hers was a Nimbus 3001.
"What'd you do, steal it? I knew you Weasleys were low, but I mean..."
"Harry gave it to me, you asshole," Ginny snapped, grin vanishing in an instant.
She saw his eyes widen slightly at her choice of words, but to bare minimum. "Your language is almost as bad as your brother's, little girl. What has your mother been teaching you? And what, you're relying on Harry to pay for your things, now? You poor, disgusting, mudblood-loving slut."
Her temper snapped. "You ass."
Ginny strode up to him and slapped him. Hard. The flat, sharp sound slit like a knife through the cheerful morning atmosphere and murdered it.
"Excuse me, you man-whore, I'm not the one who has slept with almost every single girl in Hogwarts at least twice. What has your mother taught you? She's probably..." Ginny hissed angrily, inches away from his face.
Fury shot through his cold, gray eyes. "Don't you dare talk about my mother," he replied coldly, glaring at her at from his tall height.
She didn't care. "Then don't talk about mine." Ginny gave him one last lingering look that clearly said how much she despised him before she swiveled around to leave. However, a strong arm leapt out and snatched her wrist, holding her back.
"Don't get on my wrong side, Weaslette," Malfoy's voice was laced with cold hatred. Although he was whispering, she could hear the way he rounded every last syllable. "Don't you dare. I can make your life so miserable, you would wish you were never even born. We would all be better off without your hideous, filthy, poor ass and the rest of your redheaded brothers around here."
Tears stung Ginny's eyes but she stubbornly held them back. "Let me go," she ordered, trying not to wince in pain from the tightness of the grip Malfoy had her in.
But he wouldn't let go. She stared at Malfoy, who, unblinkingly, stared back, not releasing her wrist but instead tightening his grip.
After what seemed ages, she couldn't take it. She gave a gasp of pain and blinked, a tear falling from her left eye.
The Slytherin smirked, satisfied, and let go of her throbbing wrist. Then he jumped back on his broom and flew away.
Ginny Weasley watched him go. As soon as he was out of sight, the dam broke. Stumbling over the falsely green grass, she ran as fast as she could away from the Quidditch field, with her broom in one hand, and her face buried in the other, the tears she held back for what seemed like forever instead of seconds falling down her face.
-break-
Draco pulled up out of a dive so sharp that the wind cracked against his pale skin and made him dizzy, but he didn't care. His blonde hair was mussed, sprawling all over his head, it was actually quite cold this high up in the sky... but he didn't care.
The picture just swirled in his head and through his thoughts. He hadn't known what he was doing, all he knew was that she was pretty and he was furious, and he was gripping her wrist like he wanted to squeeze the pulse out of it. And her face had been stoic and demanding - pale, freckled lightly - but her brown eyes said something else. He remembered them wide, fearful, and liquid, with tears tinting her long, long lashes. When the first drop had fallen, he had felt a sudden surge of satisfaction and pleasing, an emotion so complete that he now felt almost empty without it.
Draco knew he shouldn't have been that hateful towards the Weasley, but he couldn't help it. She was just so irresistable, yet so.. poor. Half of him wanted to snog her senseless, and the other half wanted her to die.
It wasn't fair! Fate had been crazy to give such a girl with such low status that good of looks.
He gripped the broomstick tightly and dived into steep loops, so fast the small breeze felt like a strong wind that bit his earlobes.
He bit his own tongue, willing himself to push the image out of his mind.
He wasn't even going to try to work this out. He would fly it off and forget it. That's what Draco always did. Back when he was six, when Father came home drunk after his Death Eater parties, when Lucius would beat his mother senseless.. Draco would just pull out his broom and fly it off, fly all night if he needed to, but by dawn break, breakfast would be completely normal and nothing would seem wrong.
Or three years ago, after the Death Eater meeting at the Malfoy Manor, Draco had been specifically invited by the Dark Lord himself to see if he was ready for the Dark Mark. He had been scheduled to receive it last summer, but since the Dark Lord was dead, he would have no trouble. But then, he was so worried that would turn into his father.. It took six straight hours of flying afterwards, through wood and mountain and fields, until the matter had eased from his mind.
That was how Draco Malfoy handled problems - he forgot them. He flew them off and forgot them.
But he couldn't not forget this pathetically poor, pathetically.. gorgeous, Weasley girl. It was impossible. Not with her white, silky skin, and her vibrant brown-red locks, and her wrist that felt so small and delicate that he could have crushed it in his own palm... And he couldn't help but feel a little bit sorry for the way he to the girl.
Draco let in a sharp intake of breath. Shaking his head wildly to himself, he plummeted towards the ground.
No! Malfoys didn't feel sorry. Pretty as she was, she deserved to be treated like rubbish. Especially since she talked about his mother like that. His mother was not whatever the Weaslette thought she was. She didn't know a thing about his mother. Draco would let her rave on and on about his father, that was fine.. But not his mother. His mother was nothing like his father. Nothing at all. She didn't know anything.
He gripped the broomstick tighter, pushing the Nimbus faster.
But there was no denying she was pretty.
If only he was not who he was, perhaps.. Perhaps he could have her. Perhaps if he was someone else; someone different... Like Potter.
NO.
He nearly fell off his broom for thinking that. That was disgusting! He would never want to be Potter. That was completely, utterly disgusting. He leaned forward and the Nimbus 3000 shot through the air like a bullet, as fast as it could go. No, no, no, no, no, no...
He did not like her.
He did not think she was beautiful
He did not want to be Potter.
He did not think of her of anything else except as a poor, pathetic Weasley.
He did not think her hair looked plainly pretty when it was straight.
He did not think that her face was much more good-looking when she wasn't glaring at him.
He did not like her.
He did not like her.
He did not like her.
His grip around his broomstick, knuckles white with cold and clenching, much like how tightly he gripped the Weasley's frail wrist earlier, loosened, and the broom slowed.
Drifting towards the Quidditch pitch, he nearly stumbled off his brooms, knees weak from pushing the broom too fast, too much. He staggered up, leaning against his broom for support. He was tired, and felt lightheaded and weak. What he needed was lunch. Lunch, and a nap, and some Potions homework. That would calm him down. And some Firewhiskey. And a good girl in bed, later. That Daphne Greengrass girl looked a bit nicer this year, too.
He headed back towards the castle.
-break-
Ginny pressed her small back against the rough bark of the Whomping Willow, which she had quickly learned how to get underneath its branches in her third year. "Damn right I've got a back," could be heard muttering from the red-eyed, red-haired girl. "What is he talking about, watch it? He should watch it. Stupid git..."
She let out a long, frustrated sigh, trying to calm her nerves, but it did her no good. "What does he got against me? Pick on Ron, for God's sake, if it's him who he's after. I mean, really. I'm not in his grade or anything. Twice in one week! First that humuliating scene at King's Cross, now this! Urggh! I hate him!"
She buried her face in her hand, her red hair falling over her face, now that it had been pulled out of its ponytail while she was running away and curling back into its usual style. "Stupid charm, doesn't even work properly." She pressed her forehead against her knees, curling up.
He better watch it, she thought to herself. Yeah, him, not me. I'm not just some stupid Weasley girl who follows everybody around and has no friends. I'm not the one with a bad family.. Just look at him! His father's the one stuck in Azkaban, not mine...
"Exactly," she said to no one.
He better watch it, she told herself again. He's the pathetic one, not me. Urgh! He is such an ass! I am going to get him for it...
Quite unexpectedly, an image of blonde-haired, silver-eyed Malfoy lying flat on his back on the floor with tiny little bogeys attacking him all over, popped fresh into her mind.
She grinned, mood brightening drastically.
Of course! Why didn't she think of it earlier..?
Mind churning, Ginny jumped up. Muttering a cleaning spell so her teary face cleared, she quickly tickled the root of the Whomping Willow before dashing hurriedly towards the castle. She needed to talk to Hermione and get to the library as quick as possible, not to mention owl her clever twin brothers, Fred and George...
Smirk curling on her pink-lips, she sped up as the castle loomed into view.
Jumping up the castle steps two at a time, she found who she was looking for the moment she reached the top. "Hermione!" she cried breathlessly. The brunette turned her way.
"Oh, hello, Ginny," Hermione smiled weakly. "Harry was looking for you, he's still inside, I think..."
"No, wait, well, er, later, but," Ginny panted. "You're Head Girl, right?"
Suddenly, Hermione's head snapped up. "Yes, that's right."
"You have your own chambers, right?"
"Yeah, Head Girl private chambers," Hermione drew herself up proudly. "All to myself, even includes an enormous, private library that has..."
"So the Head Boy has private chambers, too, right?" Ginny demanded, interrupting.
"Er, yeah, Malfoy has his own private chambers," Hermione suddenly looked confused. "Why..?"
"Where are they?" Ginny asked quickly.
"Right next to mine, I've got a painting of Mildred the Mortified and he's got a painting of Selena the Sleeping.. Why d'you want to know?" Hermione furrowed her brow. "You aren't thinking of...?"
"Look," Ginny interrupted again, careful not to let Hermione, bright as she was, figure out what she was planning. "D'you know the password?"
"Well, we change the passwords every now and then if we want to," Hermione answered. "I don't know his."
"Oh." Ginny's mood dimmed considerably, but she regained her posture. "Oh, well, thanks for your help, Hermione! You'll never know how much you helped me!" Pulling her friend into a quick hug, she left the bewildered Hermione and skipped into the Great Hall.
"Uh, your welcome..?" Hermione's voice wavered behind her while she ran back up the Gryffindor tower.
Back in her dormitory, Ginny rummaged through her bag before pulling out a crumpled roll of parchment, a bottle of ink, and a quill. Flattening the parchment on the wooden desk by the window, she dipped the quill in the ink and scribbled on the top of the parchment: Dear Fred and George.
She wondered how she should start it. Tapping her chin thoughtfully, she dipped her quill back in and scratched her way across the page.
How's business going? Hope your joke shop is doing well - that is, well enough for you to give out free Weasley products to your only and beloved sister. I might need some help working out a few frayed ends with your products and I need it as soon as possible.
The first week of Hogwarts has been okay, I guess.. N.E.W.T classes aren't hitting us too hard, yet. But this morning might have ruined the whole school year altogether! Malfoy is just so... -(Ginny searched for the right word)- just, urgh! He's really annoying and aggravating, and I simply cannot stand him! He is making my life completely miserable. Anyways, war has been declared (well, informally), and I might need a little help from your lovely joke shop. Care to lend a hand?
Well, if you can, would you mind sending me a few things? The next Hogsmeade visit is ages from now, so I can't visit you, but could you owl it to me? And not in front of the Great Hall - Filch would kill me if he found out I was ordering stuff from you two. I swear, the prohibited items list in Filch's office has doubled now that you started your new joke shop because of all the new items he had to ban.
And don't you dare tell Mum about what I'm asking you to do! I would be in so much trouble. Or anyone, for that matter. Ron is becoming painstakingly similiar to Percy - Hermione must be rubbing off on him. They aren't going out yet, but they should. It's disgusting how often they oggle at each other when they think no one's looking.
Well, that's it. I'm not even going to order - you know what I want. Anything to make his life absolutely miserable. Thanks so much! I don't know what I'd do without you. I'll owl you when the first Hogsmeade visit is, we'll catch up more then. See you! Good luck with business!
With love,
Ginny
Putting her quill back down, she reread the letter three times before crossing out the name Malfoy and replacing it with some people.
Yes, that looked about right. Folding it up and slipping the letter into an envelope labled Fred and George, Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes, Number 93, Diagon Alley (she didn't dare send it to her house - her mother might read it accidentally), tucked it into her robe pocket, and headed down the common room.
Harry was waiting downstairs for her. "Hey, Gin," he smiled cheerfully. "Hermione said I'd find you here."
"Oh," Ginny smiled back at him. She was in too much of a good mood to be annoyed by Harry this time. "Shall we go down to lunch, then?"
"Sure," Harry put his arm around her (Ginny flinched) and led her down to the Great Hall.
In the Great Hall, the couple passed by a group of sixth-year Slytherins. Malfoy was one of them. He spotted Ginny, who was still shrinking away from Harry's arm, and smirked, raising his eyebrows when he caught her eye and mouthed, "See? I told you you hated it when he put your arm around you!"
Ginny frowned, then, deciding what to do, she gave Malfoy a dirty look before pasting a fake smile on her face, leaning up, and kissing Harry on the cheek.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Malfoy gag. Ginny smirked triumphantly.
Harry turned to face her, blushing but smiling. See? She thought to herself. He's not just dating me to get into my knickers. Malfoy was completely wrong.
Harry's grip around her shoulders tightened and pulled her closer while he steered them towards Ron and Hermione. Ginny refrained from cringing. What she sacrificed in order to prove Malfoy wrong, she thought, rolling her eyes mentally.
-break-
Draco Malfoy glared at them, face twisted into an expression of repulsion. Finally, he couldn't help but let it out. Jabbing Blaise in the ribs, he said, "Ugh. Potter and Weaslette are sucking each other's faces off in public. That is the most disgusting thing I've ever seen! I mean, Merlin, get a bloody room! And the couple isn't the best, either - a poor, Mudblood-lover and Scarface. I want to vomit."
He turned his fixed, blazing gaze from the couple to Blaise's face, and when he saw the expression on his best friend's face, he immediately wished he hadn't said anything.
"It's not what you're thinking, they're just so..."
Blaise grinned. "Whatever you say, Princess."
Draco scowled.
"Seriously, I mean it."
"I repeat, whatever you say."
"Good."
There was a pause. Blaise's grin widened.
"You don't believe me."
"You're damn well right I don't."
"Agh!" Draco scowled. "I don't like her! What in hell makes you think that! I only went up to her last week because she was pretty, and I defnitely did not know who she was."
Blaise shrugged, smirking. "Liar, and you bloody well know that. I'm gay and I know she's not just pretty - she's gorgeous, and that any straight guy would be dying to get her. Hell, if she wasn't taken by Potter, guys would be swarming her left and right. You would too."
"Hah!" Draco scoffed. "I'm not swarming her because she's with Potter! I'm not swarming her because she's a Weasley. She's bloody filthy... Almost as bad as that Granger Mudblood!"
"Almost?"
"Fine. As bad as that Granger Mudblood."
"You still like her."
"Shut up."
Blaise paused, thinking slowly. Draco continued to stare at nothing. Finally Blaise spoke again.
"Draco, you might not know it, but you do like that girl."
"What the bloody fuck are you talking about? How can I like a girl and not know it?"
"You know it, you just don't want to admit it to yourself."
Draco scowled, staring at the girl again.
Damnit, if only she was Slytherin..
"You're just scared and pissed that..."
Blaise started ranting on again, but Draco took no notice. He was looking at the girl, who's hand was now locked with Potter's. She was leaning apart from the group, and he noticed that her lips never opened while the others were chatting animatedly. Her hair looked windswept, curling lightly at the edges. Her tattered robe looked rather small, and was as form-fitting on her as her school uniform.
Watching her closely, she saw Potter's hand slide farther down her wrist and suddenly she jumped. Her white cheeks flushed, shaking her head in an embaressed sort of way. Draco realized that the hand Potter was holding onto was the one he had clutched rather tightly, and he supposed a bruise would be starting to form there. Draco pressed his lips together guiltily.
Blaise was right. If she was any other girl, any other girl at all, he would have gone after her. She was beautiful, smart (so he heard), quiet but fierce, caring, and a good flier. If she was any other girl, he might have loved her. She was like his mother.
If only she was any other girl.
"You like her. You hit on her at King's Cross. I think that's enough to prove that you like her. And even though everybody thinks it's because I dared you, we both know it's not," Blaise's voice broke through his thoughts.
He pondered. "I don't have an excuse to go after her. She's a Weasley; a Mudblood-lover," Draco said slowly, still not looking at Blaise.
"Princess, I know what you're thinking. Just because she's a Weasley..." started Blaise.
"Give me an excuse," Draco cut in, turning to look at Blaise. "Dare me to go after her."
Blaise stared at him, surprised and uncomprehending.
"She's Potter's girl," said Draco softly. "Slytherins would kill to see this.. Malfoy taking Potter's girl. Me and you, we could make a game out of it."
The raven-haired Slytherin fixed his blue eyes on his friend. "I know, but what are you saying..?"
"How thick can you get, Zabini?" Draco hissed. "I want her, damn it. And you are bloody fucking well going to help me. I only want her once.. Then it'll make it go away, I swear. I just need her once. Just this once. But I can't... I need a fucking excuse to get her."
Blaise stared at his best friend, stared straight at him. "Princess..."
Gray-silver eyes flickered, straight from burning to almost.. pleading.
Draco immediately looked away, as if ashamed from his own outburst. Blaise watched his gaze as it settled back on a certain couple, standing with Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger.
Although the Great Hall was chattering and noisy, the conversation seemed to have stilled. It was silent.
Draco stared at the girl. She was now smiling sweetly and listening to Granger's and Weasel's constant bickering, periodically exchanging glances with Potter and rolling their eyes. She looked pretty just standing there, and although her hair wasn't straight anymore, the auburn-red curls flounced in a very attractive way. She was perfect.
Blaise spoke.
"Draco Malfoy, I dare you take Potter's girl. I dare you to steal it from right underneath his nose. I'll give you 25 galleons if you get her before the end of Christmas break."
Draco did not move.
He continued. "One rule, and one rule only. You only need her once."
Blaise paused, and Draco knew he was watching for a reaction. He gave him none. Blaise swallowed and parted his lips again.
"Do we have a deal?"
Draco stared at the girl. She and her friends were chatting animatedly and heading back to the Gryffindor table. He watched Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan watch her hungrily and follow her the group from behind.
Of course he only needed her once. It was the same with every girl. Once with Pansy, once with Daphne, once with Cho, and Joetta, and Constance...
"Princess?"
Suddenly, the girl felt someone watching her. Turning around, she swiveled in a one hundred eighty degree angle to face.. directly.. him.
Her soft caramel, clear eyes narrowed and turned sharp the moment she saw him. She stared back at him definately, as if challenging him to walk over there and pick another row with her again.
It was going to be hard.
"Draco?"
Very hard. He smirked.
"We have a deal, Blaise Zabini."
Author's Note: Wooooo! Yeah. Hah. Um. REVIEW.
-Brinkixsh