Chapter Thirty-Four

Quidditch and a prank

Ginny was excited for the game, but on the other hand, she really wasn't looking forward to playing against her fiancé and friends. If she was honest with herself, she was more concerned about the Ball that was in three weeks. The only bright side to that situation was that she was competent at dancing now. Not that they didn't get distracted regularly, but at least between the snogging and Draco removing her shirt there was dancing going on.

The last week had been actually pleasant. Luna was spending more time with them and Corner had been put in detention for two months and given a warning that further harassment would be met with the possibility of expulsion. When you added in that Padma had been serious about leashing Parvati, it made for almost normal days; for however long they would actually last.

Fred and George had been thrilled by her letter, sending on many pranks and insisting that she actually use the ones they had sent at the beginning of the year. With all that had been going on, Ginny hadn't had the time to plot pranks. Now, well, she was more than happy to do so. Everything had been so stressful that harmless pranks just seemed to be the cure everyone needed.

She stepped out into the common room and grinned at the sight of the whole Slytherin team waiting on her. They were going to go out to the Pitch together, though Ginny had made it clear time and again to the Gryffindor team that she would not play less than her very best no matter that the opposing team was made up of her friends.

Draco walked over and tucked her up next to him and wrapped his arm around her waist. "Are you ready to go up? Daphne and Theo went up to find Luna. He was muttering something about her choice of headwear. Dare I ask what he was on about?"

Ginny laughed as they made their way out of the house and through the dungeons. "Do you not remember her lion hat? It even roars, though now that she will be cheering for both teams, she might leave it behind."

He looked horrified for a moment before sighing. "It would be hilarious to see her sitting in the middle of a group of snakes with a roaring lion hat."

Chuckling, she nodded. "I didn't realize how much I missed her until we spent time together again. It feels really good to get back to normal."

"Only," Greg said from Draco's left, "normal for us really isn't normal, now is it?"

"No," she conceded. "But, I like our normal."

Ginny didn't miss how happy her comment made Draco and her smile widened. As much as he used that tough, emotionless façade in public, she knew that it was the little things that helped him to remember that he was so much more than Lucius raised him to be.

When they reached the Great Hall, they found Blaise, Theo, Luna, and Daphne already seated and waiting for them. She was a tad disappointed that Luna didn't seem to be wearing her hat. She pouted a bit when she sat down next to Luna. "I wanted to see the lion hat make an appearance."

Luna snickered. "I want to survive the match."

"Hey now, I'm offended!" Blaise sighed and looked woebegone. "We'd not let anyone hex you."

"Uh huh, and what guarantee do I have that one of you," Luna said disbelievingly, motioning toward him and Theo, "wouldn't hex the hat?"

Theo shrugged and smirked, making everyone laugh. "If that wasn't an option, it is a good thing you left it in your room."

Luna rolled her eyes, but didn't comment. Instead she turned to Ginny, tipping her head in the general direction of the Trio. "So, it has been days without interference now. How long are we betting that will last?"

"Well," Draco said in that lazy drawl that didn't quite hide his disgust, "they were publicly humiliated and from what I understand they won't be attending the Ball."

"In non-Slytherin speak," Ginny added with a wry smile, "Hopefully a good long while."

After that, the conversation moved to the game and soon they were all walking out to the Pitch. Ginny felt like there were fairies dancing around in her stomach, but pushed her nerves aside and concentrated on the sheer joy she felt for the game. Draco kissed her lightly and they separated to go to their team changing rooms. She could feel the excitement, nerves, and competitive feeling almost weighing down the air.

The team meeting was a haze, though she knew her job well enough that paying close attention really wasn't necessary. Soon they were flying out onto the Pitch and the game was on.

-dgdgdgdg—

Draco was finding it difficult to not concentrate on his gorgeous and talented fiancée and instead look for the snitch. They had talked about it quite a bit, him and Ginny, and he had admitted that it was always more about beating Potter than it was winning the game. She had rolled her eyes and pointed out that he was as good as Harry and that if he ignored who he was playing, he could definitely kick Potter's arse. He had laughed and pointed out that with the way she scored, it should be her he was worried about. Her reaction still made him grin when he thought about it. To say that she had been appreciative would be an understatement.

Greg shot him a glare as he flew past and Draco got his head back in the game. Flying high above the rest, it wasn't too long before he spotted the snitch, though he decided to not go after it since they were still too far behind. Potter hadn't spotted it either and he moved into a position between Potter and the general location of the snitch just as a precaution. There really wasn't anything for him to do just yet, which was why his mind kept wandering. But, he'd promised himself to make this game like the rest- about the game and not Potter. With that in mind, he ducked low on his broom and with a quick check of the score, went for the snitch.

-dgdgdgdg—

Ginny scored and flew away, back down the pitch. The cries of, "The snitch! Malfoy has spotted the snitch," distracting her just enough to have her pulling up and turning to watch Draco streak towards the snitch and Harry try desperately to catch up. For once, it seemed that Harry's 'sheer dumb luck' hadn't kicked in…at least not yet.

She nearly dropped the Quaffle when Nat tossed it her way as she was so intent on Draco. He always had been really, really good, but sadly overshadowed by Harry. Grinning, she tucked the Quaffle under her arm and hovered where she was. She knew the beaters weren't about to hit her after all.

Draco dove right and then left before grabbing the snitch out of the air. Harry pulled up still a good distance behind, scowling and grumbling. She tossed the Quaffle to an amused looking Vince as she passed. Landing, she ran over to Draco and hugged him tightly, not caring one whit about being in public.

"The match is a tie!"

She pulled back, wide eyed at the announcement. "Did you do that on purpose?"

Draco smirked. "Maybe I did, maybe I didn't. It looks like we both won, eh?"

Grinning, she kissed him right there on the Pitch. "We both won months ago."

The look in his eye made her quite happy; he was stunned and overjoyed that she would think so. All she could think was that she would have to keep saying it until he finally, truly, believed it.

-dgdgdg—

Luna sat between Theo and Blaise on one of the many couches in the common room. "Well, gentlemen, since neither of you have a date for the Ball, I accept."

Blaise just chuckled. "Greedy are you?"

Luna smiled sweetly. "Two gorgeous men as my dates is not greedy, it is saving you both from the grabby hands of matrons." She stood, patting them both on the cheek before darting over towards the door where Ginny and Daphne were waiting, calling over her shoulder, "I am so glad we had this conversation! Ta!"

Theo shook his head. "Why do I get the feeling that she is plotting something?"

"Because," was Blaise's bland reply, "Anything less would be unfathomable."

Theo laid his head back, covered his eyes with his hand, and groaned. "Dear gods, just trying to figure out what sort of mayhem we may have to cover up will give us both major headaches."

"I'm not worrying about it. In fact, not thinking about it would be the less mentally damaging option. Just think about the looks of shock that are sure to follow whatever it is she has planned."

"Fair point," Theo conceded. "Now why don't we find Draco, Greg, and Vince? We might as well have a card game or something whilst the girls are otherwise occupied."

Blaise wished he was brash enough to suggest a more private way to spend the afternoon. Getting to his feet, he tried for a grin. "I am always willing to take your money when we play cards."

Theo glared, but got to his feet. "You must see someone about those delusions. The last time we played, I took you for fifteen galleons."

Slinging his arm over Theo's shoulders, Blaise led him back to where the other men were. It wasn't the way he wanted to spend the day, but at least he wasn't having to watch Theo with someone else. It was something at least.

-dgdgdgdg—

"So, Theo is to be distracting our men," Ginny said with a wicked grin.

"And his," Daphne quipped.

"Oh no, those two are still circling one another." Luna giggled. "Just wait, they won't be able to deny it after the Ball."

Ginny didn't bother asking. She knew Luna well enough to know that whatever the blonde had planned would be even more hilarious without forewarning. "Luna is lookout today, yes?"

Daphne hitched the knapsack back up on her shoulder. "Do I even want to know why we are doing this particular prank?"

"It is archaic to allow the Prefects such an amazing bathroom while the rest of us have to deal with small bathtubs and even smaller showers."

"Ummm… Ginny?"

"Okay, so everyone except the Slytherins, mostly," Ginny conceded, winking at Luna. "Plus, can you imagine the mayhem?"

"It will wear off before the Ball, yes?" Daphne looked a bit wary now. "We could plan pranks that no Slytherin may get caught up in."

"Where would the fun be in that?" Ginny muttered the password, thankful that the Slytherin men couldn't deny the girls anything to include passwords to rooms they had no right being in. "I am looking forward to the colorful hair at breakfast, honestly."

Luna stayed out in the corridor, wandering from portrait to portrait in her usual (and unbeknownst to most totally a façade of) aimless daftness. She would, Ginny knew, find a way to distract anyone that happened along.

Laughing, she and Daphne dropped potions in every type of bath bubbles and shampoo that the Prefects Bathroom had to offer. Within thirty minutes, they were sitting down in the library. They stayed there until dinner, making sure that many people saw them hard at work on essays.

-dgdgdgdg-

Breakfast was indeed a colorful affair. Or better put, it revealed many affairs the professors and students alike would have liked to keep quiet. Sinistra and Pomfrey either both had a liking for the same bath bubbles or there was something they had been keeping quiet. The same could be said for many students. Ginny just rolled her eyes when she spotted some of the Slytherins, only a handful of whom were brightly colored, making notes. Either there had been bets made or there was about to be blackmail on a large scale. Oddly enough, she was okay with either option. It sure beat the constant fighting.

Draco leaned in, whispering in her ear. "You did realize we would warn off almost the entire house, yes?"

Laughing, she nodded, idly noting that Dumbledore was shaking his head and yet looking quite amused. She considering it a job well done and was already planning their next 'adventure' as Luna had taken to calling their forays into pranking. She just hoped that their next target was as forgiving as Dumbledore seemed to be.