The Slytherin And The Slumber Party
Author: Lee Velviet
Disclaimer: I own nothing! Blame it all on J.K. Rowling, etc. etc. etc. She owns it. Those other guys too. Well, don't blame my evil, pointless plot on her, anyway. The rest is hers.
Summary: In possession of Harry's Invisibility cloak, Draco crashes a Gryffindor Girls' Slumber Party, discovers what the girls of Hogwarts really think of him, finds out much more about feminine hygiene than he ever wanted to know, and during fateful game of truth or dare, discovers that a certain redhead has had a secret crush on him for years…blackmail, a panty raid and threats of bloody death ensue.
'R' for possible language and situations, and yes, I know I have a ton of others still in the works-they are going to be updated A.S.A.P. This one was one I just worked on in bits and pieces as a kind of break from the others.
(A/N: Just so you guys know, this story is going to be posted in two large parts. Here's Part One! I really hope you like it! Tell me if I make any major mistakes-PLEASE! Comments and advice are appreciated! ^-^ ~Lee)
Part 1. Surprise!
Draco found the cloak draped over a chair arm in the library late one night.
Overcome with curiosity, because it was so unusual looking, he picked it up, throwing it over one arm to get a better look at it-and watched his arm promptly disappear with a mixture of surprise and excitement.
He grinned and pulled the cloak over himself entirely. His suspicions had been correct-it was indeed a very rare Invisibility cloak-most probably Potter's.
Draco berated the boy for treating the thing so shabbily, and decided to hang onto it-just for a little while. It'd make Potter positively ill to know he'd lost it. The speccy git would run in circles trying to find it, and he'd get to watch him torture himself.
Just as he turned to walk off, Potter and Weasley came running around a corner of the bookcases, looking wild eyed and out of breath.
Draco held his own, and kept perfectly still. He didn't want to get caught before the game had even begun.
He gleefully watched Potter's face turn white as they reached the chair where the cloak had been.
"Oh, bloody hell, Ron; it's gone," the dark haired boy groaned miserably, and sat down in the chair to pound his head against the table.
"Don't panic, Harry," Weasley gasped, still out of breath and looking on the verge of panicking himself. "Are you sure you left it in here?"
"Yes." Potter looked up, his eyes wide. "Who do you think took it?"
"I don't know-but we have to find it!"
"That was my Father's cloak," Potter groaned again. "How could I have forgotten it? Seven years I've had that thing, and now it's gone! What would my Father say?"
Draco had to bite his lip to keep from laughing-Potty actually looked on the verge of crying! He couldn't have planned it better!
"I'm sorry, Harry." Weasley patted his friend's shoulder awkwardly.
Draco was near choking on his laughter by this point. He hadn't been this amused since the time Potter had realized his precious Hagrid had been replaced as the Care of Magical Creatures teacher. Too bad it hadn't lasted- not a year later Draco had been bitten again-this time by a bloody ill tempered Malaclaw. He'd had a run of such bad luck after that, that he'd had to leave school for an entire two months and hole up in his rooms back at his family home, for fear of his life! He had sincerely begun to believe Dumbledore had it in for him by allowing Hagrid to keep such dangerous creatures-he seemed to be one of the only students that continually got hurt.
Of course it never occurred to him that it might be because he had absolutely no respect for any living thing…
"You do realize what this means, don't you Harry?" Weasley was looking at him with a lost expression on his freckled face.
Potter looked up from the desk miserably, his incredibly dorky looking specs askew. "It means that not only have I lost one of the only things I had left of my parents…but we're also going to miss the Slumber party."
Weasley shook his head sadly. "When Fate kicks you, Harry Potter, it kicks you right in the bloody pills..."
The dark-haired boy made a disgusted noise.
"Just think, all those girls, not a fifty feet away from us…" Weasley sighed again, sounding sickeningly forlorn.
Draco's ears perked up after a moment. Slumber party? Did he mean slumber party, as in scantily clad teenage girls? Slumber party as in scantily clad teenage girls in pillow fights, robe less and braless?
He grinned so wide it actually hurt. Now all he had to do was wait for the prats to return to their dorms so he could follow them and get an eyeful of Gryffindor females. He wouldn't be able to brag about it, of course, because he'd get caught-but what could they prove anyway; right?
Draco turned right around and followed the two down trodden boys as they headed for the exit. There was no way he was missing out on this- Potter could have his bloody cloak back in the morning!
Ginny fell onto a load of feather pillows on the floor in the Gryffindor common room that Professor McGonagall had conjured up.
Several sixth and seven-year Gryffindor girls meandered about, lounging on huge cushions or pillows, talking or eating snacks that had been brought up from the kitchens.
It wasn't exactly what she had been expecting. She wished McGonagall would go up to bed so they could actually have fun. It was hard to do anything comfortably with the eagle-eyed teacher standing about. It was still early enough, she supposed.
When Parvati and Lavender had approached her about coming to a sleepover in the common room a few days earlier, she had been excited-the girls had gotten special permission, and they didn't have to worry about the boys-McGonagall had threatened them with expulsion if they dared show their faces at any time during the night. In return, the boys had been promised an evening of their own in the near future-but Ginny didn't think the boys would care to have a slumber party…she giggled at the thought of Harry and Ron painting each others toenails.
"Ginny-come over here!"
She looked up as Hermione called her over across the room where she sat on the window seat with a large book propped across her lap.
"Hermione, what are you doing? It's a slumber party-you're not supposed to study!"
Hermione sighed and closed her book with a snap. "I'm really not feeling terribly comfortable with all this-I mean, look at Parvati and Lavender-they're practically running around in their knickers."
Ginny looked at Lavender's lilac colored satin sleep shorts and the matching sleeveless top that barely covered her midriff. Parvati had a similar sleep set on, only in forest green. She glanced down at Hermione's tightly tied green plaid robe and sighed.
"You need to loosen up, Granger!" Saying this, she tugged Hermione up and pulled the robe off, revealing her long, pale blue nightgown. It had a beribboned neck, and soft ruffles at the hem and wrists. "That's better."
Hermione put her hand to her throat, plucking at the ribbons nervously.
"Hey, don't feel bad-I'm not exactly dressed like a sex kitten either," Ginny looked pointedly down at her old washed out red t-shirt, a cast-off from Ron. The hem fell just above her knees, and there was a ragged hole in it. Her red-orange hair was pulled back from her face in a loose, messy ponytail, and her freckles stood out clearly on her nose and cheeks. She grinned at Hermione and her brown eyes lit up.
"It doesn't matter what your wearing-we're here to have fun, remember? It's not like we're dressing up for guys."
"Thank God," Hermione murmured, instinctively crossing her arms over her breasts.
"Quit being such a prude! Hey, look! McGonagall is finally off-let's see what Lavender and Parvati have planned." Ginny took her friends arm and cheerfully tugged her away across the carpet.
Draco was having a very hard time restraining himself from laughing gleefully. He'd made it! It had been wearisome, following Potter and Weasley all the way up here, trying not to make a sound, but it had been worth it-he felt his jaw drop as a petite leggy red-head in a revealing, ratty red t-shirt strode past, giggling something to a girl he recognized as being that book worm Granger.
Soft tendrils of red curls bounced around her peaches and cream complexioned face, and small velvety soft ears peeked out from beneath her hair. She had a small nose, soft, friendly brown eyes, and lush pink colored lips. His eyes drifted down her small, rather pointy chin, her throat and over the fullness of her chest straining against the worn thin shirt-he guessed she must have been cold, because her small nipples were drawn tight beneath the fabric.
Draco found himself swallowing reflexively.
He would have wondered why she was wearing such boring nightclothes, and why she couldn't wear something with a bit of lace stuck on it in strategic places, if the t-shirt hadn't looked so damned tasty.
She sat down in a mound of blankets with several of the other girls, and that was when he noticed the freckles. Freckles, red-hair, ragged clothing, a Gryffindor-it had to be a Weasley.
He shook his head in disbelief-Weasley must have been hiding his sister in a dark hole somewhere. She certainly hadn't looked like a Playwizard model the last time he'd remembered seeing her. Had it been that long ago?
His attention to her face was diverted as she crossed her legs, and he caught a glimpse of her slim, softly rounded inner thighs and-his breath left his chest in a rush-her silvery gray panties.
Draco prayed for self-control. The scrap of a girl was making him positively weak. The derisive coolness he was famous for had deserted him entirely. He forced his gaze from her as Parvati Patil yawned and stretched her arms above her head languidly.
She didn't begin to compare to Ginny Weasley in the curves department. He looked back at Ginny, eyeing her sweetly curved legs hungrily.
He moved nearer, swearing he could almost taste her on his tongue-
"-Draco. I mean he's such a hottie."
The mention of his name pulled him out of his daze. He blinked, silently blowing a loose strand of his ruffled hair out of his eyes. Who had said that?
Lavender Brown had a dazed look of her own on her face. She lay down on her stomach, resting her chin on her hands-Draco's eyebrows rose several inches as her top gaped threateningly. "I know, Malfoy is in Slytherin, and he is a obnoxious little worm-but my God, he's tasty looking."
Draco, who already knew this perfectly well, just shrugged.
Several girls giggled around Lavender. Ginny did not, he noticed.
Wait a tick-had Brown just called him obnoxious?
"He is rather good looking," said a pretty blonde girl he didn't know. "But he's going to be a Death Eater-everyone knows it."
Draco frowned, trying to decide if he should feel offended. And here he'd thought the Hufflepuffs were a gossipy lot.
"Harry has nothing on Draco," Parvati sighed, a smile curving her lips. "He is absolutely yummy. Now there's a guy who knows what he's about. Harry is hot, don't get me wrong-but he's a babe in the woods. If only the boy could would open his eyes-he wouldn't know an invitation if it walked up mother naked and smacked him in the face with his own wand."
Draco barely kept a snort from escaping.
"Hey, Harry's sweet," Ginny said defensively, and was promptly answered by a bunch of giggles and catcalls.
"He is," she continued stubbornly. "I think it's sweet that he's so shy around girls. It's actually kind of…sexy."
Draco almost gagged-Potter, sexy? In what alternate universe?
Parvati looked at her oddly. "Right-you think it's sexy that a guy will barely touch you during a dance, and then pay you absolutely no attention after?"
Ginny rolled her eyes. "Are you ever going to get past that? You were both fourteen for God's sake! You're just mad he wasn't perceptible to your 'charms' when you asked him to go to Hogsmeade with you last year in that dress you were practically falling out of, and he saw Cho walk by and forgot to answer."
Even Granger laughed over that.
"Well, at least I'm not still wandering around after him like a starving Kneazle," Parvati said cattily. "I mean, what's it been like for you watching him pine over Cho Chang for the past four years?"
Draco watched Ginny's hands fist on her knees with interest. Please let there be a catfight, please let there be a catfight-
"The only thing I have to say to that is-this!" Draco watched in amusement as Ginny yanked a pillow from behind her and she socked Parvati right in her perfectly coiffed head.
This, of course, set off a chain reaction, and while Draco didn't get to see a clawing cat fight, he did get an eyeful of almost every girl in the room as they all grabbed pillows and proceeded to deck each other with joyful shrieks and giggles.
He had to do some artful dodging as the girls tumbled every which way and he thought the game was up when Ginny actually fell back against him and her backside pressed against his thigh-but she just caught herself, and threw herself back into the fray.
He'd never seen so many bare legs and bouncing chests in one place before.
Draco decided he was in heaven just then.
Ginny flopped down again a few minutes later, her temples glistening with sweat, her heart thudding painfully in her chest and she tried to catch her breath.
"That was so fun!" Hermione gasped as she lowered herself down beside Ginny. She arranged her nightgown around her feet and grinned. "I always wanted to smack Parvati around-too bad it was only pillows that we had on hand."
"I noticed I wasn't the only one who took a swing at her," Ginny pointed out laughingly. "I don't think she knew how many girls she offended by picking on our Harry like that."
Her face darkened a bit.
"She doesn't even know him," Ginny muttered moodily. "She really doesn't."
Ginny glanced up from studying her bare feet after a long quiet moment, to see Hermione studying her. "What?"
"You really do like him, don't you? Still, I mean."
"Of course I do-he's Ron's best friend!"
Before Hermione could say anything to that, Lavender announced that it was time for a game of Truth Or Dare.
Ginny rolled her eyes-Parvati was going to single her out somehow, she just knew it.
Draco was rapidly becoming immeasurably bored. He rested his forearms across the tops of his knees where he sat on the floor against the wall and tried to stifle a yawn. At this point, he considered himself very fortunate that he had been born male.
He listened as the girls played Truth Or Dare, and was very disappointed by the monotony of the questions asked-no one had yet picked 'Dare'. He'd thought Gryffindor's were supposed to be a brave bunch.
"Ginny."
He turned his head to see Ginny tense up. "Er-Truth."
Parvati was looking at her with a nasty gleam in her eye. "Are you in love with Harry Potter?"
Watching in interest, he saw Ginny's cheeks flush. Her answer surprised everyone. "No."
"You can't lie," Parvati said childishly.
"I'm not. I am honestly not in love with Harry Potter. I do love him- but I'm not in love with him."
The game went on-Draco found out that Lavender had a shoe fetish, and Granger was 'secretly' in love with Ron Weasley. No one seemed at all surprised.
When it came around to Ginny again, she again chose truth.
"Are you in love with …Neville?"
"No!" Ginny snapped grouchily amidst the group of giggling girls.
And yet again, a few minutes later-"Are you in love with…Malfoy?"
Ginny gave Parvati an extremely dirty look. "Don't you think you're beating this issue to death?"
"You have to answer," Parvati protested.
A chorus of other curious voices chimed in.
Draco began to wonder if Patil shouldn't have been sorted into Slytherin.
"Gee, everyone wants to know about me..." Ginny sighed, reaching up and pulling the elastic from her hair, ruffling the shining mass with her fingertips.
Draco watched the curls frame her face with something akin to awe. He couldn't get over how beautiful she was…he blinked and sat up straight. He was not having these thoughts about a common Weasley. Why should he-he could have any girl he wanted-why should he be having such an elemental reaction to a girl whose family he was supposed to hate? It was just wrong…
"Yes."
Wait-what had she just said?
He must've missed something. All the girls in the room had their eyes glued to her in either horror or absolute stunned surprise.
What? What had she said?
"You're putting me on," Parvati protested, looking a bit green. It was obvious she'd just been making a joke by asking Ginny the ridiculous question.
Ginny, who was looking slightly pale, shook her head, her face half hidden by her curls. "Nope…I'm in love with Draco Malfoy. I have been for a few years…"
Draco felt like someone had just slugged him in the gut. His mind was screaming 'run!' and his body was shouting, 'yes!'"
He rubbed the back of his neck with a trembling hand. Immediately though, his naturally devious mind began thinking of ways he could take advantage of this little tidbit of information…
"I know it will go no farther than this room, of course," Ginny said with soft, barely perceivable sarcasm.
Several murmurs of assent rose.
Draco knew Ginny had no doubt the word would be spread over half the school by tomorrow. He could hear the dryness in her voice where no one else could, because it was often in his own-especially when he talked to, well…everyone.
"Why? Why would you love him? You never talk to him, you don't have anything in common-right? He hates Gryffindors-he hates anything that doesn't have to do with Slytherin. How can you love someone who hates you, that you don't even really know?"
He watched as Ginny looked at Parvati, who'd asked the question. Sighing, she shrugged, looking enormously uncomfortable.
"Well…I know it's crazy…but I was watching him-it was a day just like any other. I was in the courtyard, and he was picking on Neville-of course-but it was just…something hit me. My heart started beating really fast…this breeze was blowing, and you know how he always wears his hair slicked straight back? Well, it got all messy in the wind, and it made him look, I don't know, softer?"
He promptly reached up and began smoothing his hair back severely.
She blushed as a round of giggles rose. "He just looked totally different. I mean, if you watch him, when he's not being spiteful and unpleasant, he's so completely different-like all the nastiness is an act."
Draco scowled at her through the cloak-the girl had a wicked body, true-and damned good taste-but she was really, really stupid. She had to be if she thought he was as good as he looked outside, inside.
"No one can act that evil and not be evil," Parvati sniped challengingly. "What are you-blind?"
Ginny's face went red as her temper flared. "I wasn't the one who called him 'yummy', Parvati."
"Lavender and I may appreciate his looks-what girl wouldn't-but I'm not naïve enough to think that he could ever be different! He's in Slytherin, for God's sake! He's practically a Dark Wizard already!"
"I never said I wanted to marry the guy! You asked me and I told you the truth! Big hairy deal! I'll grow out of it! I'm not naïve enough to think he could ever change either, but you can't help who you love!" Ginny seemed to realize she was yelling defensively and took a deep breath.
"You said you loved Draco Malfoy," the blond girl who'd spoken before said numbly as if she were still in shock.
Ginny groaned and fell back onto a pile of pillows.
Draco found it all to be extremely amusing-not to mention the fact that he was now the center of attention. He watched Ginny interestedly as she pulled a feather pillow over her face.
Granger leaned over her and sighed. "Can I have your antique silver brush set?"
Ginny voice was heavily muffled. "What? Why are you asking me that?"
"Because-Ron's going to murder you when he hears about this."
"Let's tell scary stories!" Lavender suddenly exclaimed a few minutes later.
Draco rolled his eyes despite the fact that he was still reeling from Ginny Weasley's revelation. The whole school year at Hogwarts was a bloody scary story.
"In a minute-" Parvati was frowning running a palm along her leg. "I think I missed a spot shaving-damn."
Draco felt his nose wrinkle. Oh, no here it comes, he thought with purely masculine dread.
"You know, I found a really cool spell that just totally removes all the hair-"
He put his hands over his ears. Maybe this hadn't been such a great idea after all.
"Geez, really? And all this time I thought I had to wax-"
"Arrrgh, I need some pepper-up-my cramps are frigging killing me this month!"
Oh, God. It was ghastly, the things these girl's talked about.
"What's really a pain is the under arm hair-I have so much trouble with that."
"Does anyone have an extra tampon handy?"
Just when he'd thought he'd heard it all…
Draco decided he'd had enough when the girls started grooming each other-as in braiding each other's hair, changing their nail colors, and giving each other facials and magical manicures and pedicures. Especially when he found himself watching inquisitively as one girl began complaining about her thong and tugging at it. That was very attractive…he made a face again and quietly stood to leave.
It was then that he caught sight of Ginny Weasley going up the stairs into the dorms.
He followed her curiously, wondering if he could get some more dirt on her-as if he didn't already have enough.
She walked up and then down into the candle lit dorms, and went over to what he assumed were her dresser drawers.
Draco walked up behind her, not making a sound, but his movement caused the candle to gutter, and she whipped around to stare at the spot where he stood. He froze.
After a moment, Ginny turned back around and pulled out a drawer.
He relaxed slightly, and then grinned as he saw her pull out several pairs of silky panties and laid them on top of her dresser as she rummaged for something else.
Draco eyed the sleek undergarments and felt his brows rise. The little Weasel had good taste for being so poor. He wondered if she was, what he had so reluctantly learned in the Muggles Studies class he'd been forced to take, a kleptomaniac.
He crossed his arms under the cloak and nearly bit his tongue in two when he saw what she had been looking for-a framed picture. A painting actually-of him.
Ginny looked at it for several minutes, before sighing and to his great surprise, dropping it into the waste bin near a writing desk. He wondered that he felt oddly crushed.
Draco waited until she left and went to take a closer look at the picture. It was small, it fit into his hand, and it had been painted from memory apparently. It reminded him of the old-fashioned miniatures his mother had cluttering the parlors back home.
The painting-it didn't look like any way he ever remembered himself. He was… different looking. He wore his school robes, and stood in front of the doors to the main hall of Hogwarts. His arms were crossed, and the smirk was there-but she'd done something to his eyes…he squinted. They were, softer; warmer…there was a twinkle in his eye that said he knew something the viewer didn't.
Shaken, Draco dropped the painting back into the bin, and stood. Was that how she saw him-as being kind? As being merely mischievous?
It made him incredibly angry. He didn't really know why, but it did. He was Draco Malfoy, for God's sakes! She was bloody dreaming! Why was she painting him anyway? She was acting like a deranged stalker, or something…
Draco felt a muscle in his jaw begin to twitch like mad. Not stopping to think, he went over to the dresser, pulled open the drawer, and pulled out a scrap of silvery lace and silk that was identical to the pair he'd seen on her earlier.
He shoved them into his trouser pocket and quickly headed back down the stairs.
Ginny was sitting with Hermione Granger on the window seat again, looking glum and poking through an issue of Teen Witch.
"This one, I think-" she was saying, and he watched as she opened the book and shoved it at Granger.
The bushy haired girl's eyes flew wide open. "No! You cannot cut off all your hair! Are you mad? You're Mum will kill you!"
Draco frowned fiercely and looked at the full-page picture-a young girl with incredibly short curly brown hair winked back at him. He frowned. That wouldn't suit Ginny at all.
"Well, maybe I need a change."
Was the girl completely nutters? Her hair was her glory-well; her body was a very close second, but-he couldn't believe he was thinking this!
"No, absolutely not." Granger put the magazine away firmly. "You'll regret it, mark my words."
Ginny sighed. "I know-I guess I was just thinking about tomorrow."
"What about it?"
"Oh, you know as well as I do-all that stuff about Malfoy will be all over the place. I was kind of thinking that if I looked different, no one would notice me."
Even he knew how lame that was. He shook his head.
"Sorry, Ginny, but you couldn't alter your appearance that much. Don't worry too much about it-it's not anyone's business but yours who you love."
"So… you're not horrified and shocked?" Ginny asked this from behind her fall of red curls. She was studying her now ruby-colored fingernails nervously.
"I'm your friend. I care about you-if loving Malfoy makes you happy, then I'll be the first to say congratulations."
Ginny sighed sadly. "It doesn't make me happy. He'll never look at me- I don't even know why I love him. He certainly hasn't done anything to endear himself to me. He doesn't know I exist. Maybe it's just a crush."
"Maybe you see something in him that no one else does," Granger said wisely, patting her friend's hand. "That's what you love. You just need to…to…oh, I don't know-try and get him to realize that that part of him is there."
Draco wanted to gag. He knew all his 'parts' very well, thank you very much.
Wait-that thought hadn't come out right…
"Oh God, he's going to pick on me for forever when he hears this…" Ginny rubbed her face tiredly. "I'm going to bed."
"It's only one o'clock!"
"I can't think about this anymore." Draco watched Ginny stand up, and she smiled at Granger tiredly. "I have a feeling I'm going to be preparing for a long battle tomorrow."
"Sleep well."
"I will-once I knock myself over the head with a heavy blunt object for being so stupid." Ginny trudged off miserably.
Draco felt deeply insulted. Why should he care what she thought of him-she was obviously brainless. Confused, he turned and stalked out of the Gryffindor common room, his mind whirling from the night's events. The portrait of the Fat Lady grumbled something about late night carrying's on and he ignored her, slamming the painting closed.
Before he went down to the Slytherin dorms, he stopped by the darkened library and threw Potter's bloody troublesome, obviously cursed cloak over the chair he'd originally found it on and walked away.
Ginny had to leave the common room that morning when she finally dragged out of her dorm. Ron was waiting, and just as Hermione had predicted, he was looking rather more than capable of murder. Harry was nowhere to be seen.
She'd barely escaped with her rear intact.
Hermione met up with her outside in the courtyard later. Ginny had skipped breakfast-she hadn't much felt like having everyone stare at her.
"Here-I brought you some breakfast."
She took the carefully wrapped toast thankfully and began nibbling on it.
After a few minutes, she brushed her hands and looked at the other girl. "All right-so what happened?"
Hermione brushed a long crinkled strand of hair out of her face. "Well-the good news is, Ron's not mad at you anymore."
"Really?" Ginny perked up slightly. This was good…but it was highly unlikely that Ron had just stopped being angry-the boy could hold a grudge like nobody's business. "Let me guess-he's mad at Draco."
"Right." Hermione bit her lip. "The bad news-"
"There's more bad news?"
Her friend nodded.
"I don't want to know." Ginny stood up and began pacing. "Don't tell me."
"I really think you should hear this."
Ginny sat back down on the stone bench, agitated. "What is it?"
"The word is out, just like we knew it would be…"
"And?"
"Pansy Parkinson is really hacked off?" Hermione stared at the ground.
Ginny's shoulder's slumped. "Is that all?"
"Er…" Hermione twisted her hands in her lap, looking excruciatingly embarrassed.
"What's got you all snakey, Hermione?" asked Ginny suspiciously.
"I, uh-"
"You're killing me, here!"
"Oh all right!" Hermione stood up and began talking so fast her words ran together. "There's a rumor that Malfoy and you-er…slept together."
Ginny stared at her dumbly. "What?"
"Oh, Gin! It's awful! Parvati came up and told me, and she was all smug and I was like, No way, Ginny's not like that-and she was all, Well, a boy in Slytherin told her he'd heard Draco talking about it-and I was like, it's not true, you're just being mean-" Hermione looked at Ginny miserably. "And now Ron is talking all crazy, something about challenging him to a duel."
Ginny's stomach dropped to her feet. "I think… I think…"
"What? What is it?"
"I think I'm going to throw up."
Ginny met Draco the next day with an immediate question.
"All right, what do you want? Money?"
"Right." Draco looked at her, highly amused. "I don't care much about money- not to mention the sad fact that you don't have any. No, it's not money I'm wanting-I have more than I could spend in ten lifetimes."
"How nice for you," said Ginny as her lips twisted sourly. "So what do you want?"
"You." He watched her calmly as she fell over her own feet and barely managed to catch herself.
She gaped at him. "W-what?"
"You asked what I wanted-I want you."
Ginny stood trembling and silent, feeling as if she were caught in some travesty of a nightmare- it couldn't be happening. She'd pulled herself together finally, yesterday, and had gone looking for Draco to see what the hell was really going on. Now she wished she hadn't. She'd ended up shouting at him in front of everyone, and then storming off, looking like a fool. He'd sent her a note after that, and here she was, back talking to him-or rather, like Ron, contemplating his murder…
They were standing in the trees behind Hagrid's hut, and the January snow and wind was freezing her through.
"You're crazy."
"Now see, that's where we have a difference of opinion."
She just stared at him. "No."
"Of course, if you'd like everyone-Potter included-to know about our little meeting…"
Draco was saying, and he trailed off slyly. "What's wrong? Changing your mind?"
Ginny felt like she might throw up-again. Her nerves were shot-all she wanted to do was disappear into a dark hole some place.
"There was no little meeting!" Ginny fairly screeched. She pulled her cloak tight around her and tugged at her scarlet and gold scarf. "I don't know how you got those, but I swear you'll pay for this one day, Malfoy!"
He smirked. 'What? You don't 'love' me anymore? You don't think it's all just an 'act'?"
"How did you know about that? How did you-you were there!" Ginny gasped, her face paling. "Oh my God-you were there! How-?"
He just looked at her.
"Are you scared?" asked Draco after a moment.
She remained silent.
"I thought so." He watched her, a mocking smile on his lips. "You know what you're problem is? You feel too much."
"I feel too much? I suppose you think feeling anything at all is feeling too much."
He shrugged.
"Well, I've named my price, Ginny," he put deliberate emphasis on using her name, "Accept it, or don't, but I won't waste my time doing something as mundane as quibbling. This is becoming rather tedious. You came to me- accept my terms, or go away."
She looked at him in disbelief. "I came to you because you were threatening me with blackmail, you spoiled rotten bastard."
"Flattery will get you no where," Draco drawled carelessly. He almost sounded amused.
"I don't think I've ever disliked anybody as much as I do you, at this very moment," her voice shook with the effort of forcing the words from her closed up throat.
His pale eyes looked at her sharply. "Only 'dislike'? Not 'hate'?"
"Hate is a powerful word. I don't feel enough for you to hate you."
He laughed. "Really? It didn't take you long to stop 'loving' me, did it? Maybe it's just that you don't know me well enough to hate me. I imagine you'll know me very well by the time this is all over." He looked her up and down appraisingly. "If this is what it took to make you feel dislike, I'm afraid to see what makes you feel hate."
Ginny cut her eyes at him. "I'm tired of this. How long?"
His lip curled slightly. "Three months."
"Three-are you insane?"
"Three. Months."
"Doing what?"
His eyes darkened. "What do you think?"
She just stared at him. Then she called him something extremely rude.
"The mouse roars…" he looked at her, amused. "You know, for a person who says they love me, you have a odd way of showing it."
She ignored him. "What are your terms?"
" 'My terms?' I believe you're becoming a bit jaded, my dear."
She looked back at him stonily. "I had a great teacher."
"Now, now-you know I'm doing this to help you."
"Help me? You've never helped anyone with anything your entire life-I'd bet my own on it."
"True-but you needed a lesson in life, sweet. I couldn't let you run about thinking I was a really a 'nice' guy…if I didn't take advantage of you, someone else would have eventually, and you might've come off worse for it."
"You're logic is not like our Earth logic," she murmured, looking at him disbelievingly. (A/N: Buffy strikes again!)
"I have in my hands the power to make your life absolutely miserable." He ignored her muttered, "Too late,"
"These would look quite nice folded up in a note to say-your Father?" He dangled her panties from his fingertip. "I might even be able to explain exactly how they came into my possession."
"You'd do it, too, wouldn't you?" She slowly shook her head. "My Father would kill you-that is, if my brothers didn't get to you first. Besides, what makes you think anyone would believe those are mine anyway?"
"I don't think that will be a problem-firstly-you do remember what happened to your brother when he tried to hex me last, don't you? I don't think he's terribly strong in the dueling department-secondly, as for the rest of your family-you seem to forget that my Father is, well, you know what he is. And lastly, as for no one believing these are yours-there's a herd of Gryffindor girls that heard you blabbering about how much you 'loved' me. Do you really think Patil would believe anything you denied?"
"You are the most heartless, cruel, despicable excuse for a human being I've ever met."
Sorry," said Draco tonelessly.
"Oh, you're real repentant looking, aren't you?" Ginny snapped, snatching at her silvery lingerie.
Draco held the scrap of cloth out of her reach, looking at her calmly. "I told you, I'm doing this for your own good, you know."
"Yeah, right, like you know what's good for me."
His eyes became shuttered suddenly, and they flashed dangerously as he leaned close to her ear. "I do know what's good for you, Weasley. Me."
Ginny closed her eyes as his warm breath brushed her skin, gently stirring the wisps of her hair against her neck.
He pulled back, a smug self-satisfied smile on his face. "You just won't admit it. Oh, I don't mean that I actually care for you or any such nonsense as that-but I would be good to you."
The dark promise in his voice made her shiver.
"I'll guarantee you-after this is over, you may not 'love' me-but you won't be dumb enough to make the same mistake twice. Don't look so sad-I don't think you'll be totally unhappy with the outcome." He turned to go, but then he stopped mid-turn, and looked down at the silver panties in his hand before crushing them slowly in his fist and stuffing them in the pocket of his cloak. "I'll just hang onto these my sweet-as insurance…you know, I've often wondered if you bought these because they reminded you of my eyes."
Ginny growled. "Just stop." She took a deep breath and sighed. "I want something out of this too."
"I don't think you're quite getting the point here, Ginny-"
"Oh, sod off. If I'm going to be-" she swallowed, and began again. "Who knows what you'll be making me do-if you're planning on not-so secretly ruining my life, I want something out of it."
Draco was surprised by her demand. He eyed her closely. "What are you thinking about?"
"I want Harry."
He laughed. "Potter? Why would you-oh, I see. He was your first love, he's a good guy, and he's safe, right? I've wounded your poor little heart, and now you want security. Poor ickle Ginny…" Draco narrowed his eyes when she called him something unpleasant again.
"Language, Weasley. What makes you think I can help you get Potter?" He snapped impatiently.
"You got me, didn't you?" Ginny glared at him and crossed her arms, feeling frozen inside. What was she thinking, pulling Harry into all of this? It must have been reflex-running to Harry whenever something went wrong. He always had made her feel safe…"And I don't want you dueling Ron, either."
"You really don't have the right to be asking me for anything-I'm calling the shots, here."
"You're right…but even you couldn't do…whatever it is you're planning without a second thought."
"There you go, giving me morals again." Draco shook his head, and Ginny watched as the sun glinted off the snowflakes settling in his hair.
It had been a cruel thing, nature giving such a black soul such a deceptively angelic looking façade.
"What did I ever see in you?" She asked wonderingly.
"You only saw what you wanted to see, Ginny," said Draco roughly. "A pretty face-you fell in love with my looks, and talked yourself into thinking that whatever there was underneath really matched-and now you're paying for your blindness."
"Through the nose," Ginny agreed quietly.
After a moment, Draco sighed. "All right-you give me what I want-do whatever I want-for three months-and I help you get Potter. I'll let you know where to meet me and when."
She felt herself nodding dumbly. What had just happened here?
"One question-all of this rubbish aside…" Draco turned back to face her fully, an odd look in his eyes. "Why did you choose me? Really?" His voice held only curiosity.
It took her a long time to answer. "I didn't…my heart did. The sad thing is, the heart doesn't have eyes or a brain to temper its feelings. You know what they say-love is blind, and all that…"
"Is it really?" asked Draco disinterestedly.
Ginny could only stare after him helplessly, watching him cut his cold eyes back at her only once as he strutted away, the cold winter wind billowing swirls of snow up against the ominously fluttering folds of his black cloak.
~*~
"You said you were going to help me," Ginny hissed angrily, rapidly becoming upset. He was insane-this was not going as she had planned!
"Ah, I said I would help you…but on my terms, Weasley. Besides, I don't see why you're so upset. Harry will go nutters when he sees these in my 'slimy' little hands-that would almost be my reward enough just to see the look on his face- he won't believe a word I say about us, he'll come straight to you, and you can give him your tears of humiliation and the sob story about how they'd gone missing- all the blame falls back on evil Draco Malfoy and you get the Gryffindor Golden Boy."
He stepped closer to her, his nearness threatening. "Isn't that what you wanted, sweet, innocent little Ginny?"
The way he said it made her flush guiltily- "You make it sound like I've entered into a pact with the Devil," she muttered angrily.
"You may as well have, my sweet," Draco said all too seriously for her comfort.
"Draco, Ginny, is there a problem in your corner of teen angst?" Parvati Patil was saying as she grinned at them and they looked back at her fiercely, finally noticing a small crowd of students gawking around them in the hall.
Ginny glared at Draco, eyes tearing slightly before she turned away and hefted her worn book bag, hurrying away down the corridor.
Draco looked after her almost regretfully and then Potter stepped out in front of him, Weasley's brother Ron clenching his fists, beside him. Damn, but they seemed to be joined at the hip.
"What'd you do to her, Malfoy?" Harry demanded, dropping his bag off his shoulder onto the floor. His wand was clamped in his hand at his side.
Draco smirked and curled his hand around the scrap of lace in his pocket. He looked around to see everyone had rushed off to his or hers next class, and though he knew he'd probably regret it, he pulled Ginny's unmentionables from his cloak and dangled them in front of Harry's nose.
"I think I'll leave it to your imagination, Potter."
Confusion clouded both pairs of eyes for a moment, and then Ron turned beet red, stepping forward. Harry put his arm out to stop him and narrowed his eyes. "No way. Let me see those-"
Draco tucked them back away, crossing his arms negligently across his chest, leaning against a doorjamb. "Uh, uh. See with your eyes, not with your hands, Potty. I don't think Ginny would appreciate it if she knew you'd had your hands all over her things." He shrugged. "Anyway, she left before I got a chance to return them to her. I'm sure you'll be quiet about this, won't you? No need for these things to become…public?"
"If you say one filthy word about her-" Ron gritted threateningly, looking ready to throttle him.
Harry looked at him speculatively. "Don't worry, Ron. Ginny would never have let this scum touch her."
"Awfully sure of yourself, Potter." Draco arched a brow, and looked at them with a knowing smirk. "Maybe she just got tired of trailing after the great Harry Potter who never once looked seriously in her direction-maybe she finally realized you were still just a boy and started looking for a real man-"
Harry's fist shot out, and expecting it, Draco caught it, eyeing Harry speculatively. "Shove off, Potter. Ginny's mine-she loves me, and just because we had a little misunderstanding, it doesn't mean she has any room in her heart anymore for you."
He leaned in close, pushing Harry's hand back at him violently. "You had your chance, Potter-I'm not going to be stupid enough to let her go." He looked at the two boredly before waking past them.
That had gone amazingly well, and he couldn't help but grin at the memory of the looks on their faces.
"You're wrong Malfoy," Harry said in a steely voice from behind him. "You were stupid enough to think you'd get her without a fight."
"Big heart, small brain, Potter," said Draco over his shoulder. "Think about it. It'd be very disagreeable for me to have to kill you-I don't fancy ending up in Azkaban just because you touched my girlfriend."
"Girlfriend? Ginny?" Ron stared after Malfoy in disbelief. "When did the world end, and why didn't anyone bother telling me?"
Harry looked at him frowningly. "There's something not right about all this."
"That's the bloody understatement of the year!" Ron slumped against the wall and rubbed his eyes. "Oh, God-my little sister was bare-breasted in front of Draco Malfoy! Could this get any more wrong? What would Mum say?"
"I don't think she'd say much of anything-she'd be too busy throttling Malfoy," said Harry absently.
"I thought Ginny was smarter than this," Ron said mournfully.
"Don't go jumping to conclusions so quickly-I have the feeling there's a lot more going on here than there seems." Harry looked down the hall after Malfoy thoughtfully.
"I think we need to go and have a talk with Ginny."
TBC
(A/N: Don't hate me, guys! ::begs tearfully:: I hope you like this one, and be assured the second part of this-the end- will be out within the week-it's almost finished, anyways-and a couple of my other fics will be updated soon, too. Let me know what you think-I hope it wasn't lame- and, as always, I hope you know how much your feedback means to me, and how much you guys are appreciated for reading my stuff! Love Ya! ^-^ ~Lee
P.S. Aurora Marie-I don't know if you'll read this-but anyway, Ginny wants Harry because she's kind of panicking, you know? She's kind of been burnt by Malfoy and is falling back on old habits. She's thinking of Harry because he's always been kind to her, and the fact that he 'hates' Malfoy doesn't hurt either. If that makes sense-Anyways…it's reflex on her part, I think, and it will be very temporary. ^-^)
(Okay, I know-this has been done, I have NO doubt, and I want you guys to know, I'm totally not petty enough to bitch about any flames I might get- hell, I'm interested in anybody's opinion-but I wanted to explain about this fic to whoever it was who called it "an awful collection of clichés and overused plot devices"-Yes, it's lame-I know that. It's absolutely, nightmarishly full of clichés and overused plot devices! ^-^ Don't think I don't-half of my fics-or actually more than half-are full of them! I appreciate the comment, and I'm very sorry the story wasn't up to your standards, but it's a work of fan-fiction, it was written solely for fun, and posted in the hopes of seeing others who share the love of the characters get a tiny bit of amusement out of it. I'm sure you guys can tell-this wasn't a great HP saga or anything! Nor was it meant to be! I hope you don't judge everything else I've written just by this one-if you didn't like it, I hope you'll give the others a try. Thanks again, anonymous reviewer. ^-^ ~Lee)
Author: Lee Velviet
Disclaimer: I own nothing! Blame it all on J.K. Rowling, etc. etc. etc. She owns it. Those other guys too. Well, don't blame my evil, pointless plot on her, anyway. The rest is hers.
Summary: In possession of Harry's Invisibility cloak, Draco crashes a Gryffindor Girls' Slumber Party, discovers what the girls of Hogwarts really think of him, finds out much more about feminine hygiene than he ever wanted to know, and during fateful game of truth or dare, discovers that a certain redhead has had a secret crush on him for years…blackmail, a panty raid and threats of bloody death ensue.
'R' for possible language and situations, and yes, I know I have a ton of others still in the works-they are going to be updated A.S.A.P. This one was one I just worked on in bits and pieces as a kind of break from the others.
(A/N: Just so you guys know, this story is going to be posted in two large parts. Here's Part One! I really hope you like it! Tell me if I make any major mistakes-PLEASE! Comments and advice are appreciated! ^-^ ~Lee)
Part 1. Surprise!
Draco found the cloak draped over a chair arm in the library late one night.
Overcome with curiosity, because it was so unusual looking, he picked it up, throwing it over one arm to get a better look at it-and watched his arm promptly disappear with a mixture of surprise and excitement.
He grinned and pulled the cloak over himself entirely. His suspicions had been correct-it was indeed a very rare Invisibility cloak-most probably Potter's.
Draco berated the boy for treating the thing so shabbily, and decided to hang onto it-just for a little while. It'd make Potter positively ill to know he'd lost it. The speccy git would run in circles trying to find it, and he'd get to watch him torture himself.
Just as he turned to walk off, Potter and Weasley came running around a corner of the bookcases, looking wild eyed and out of breath.
Draco held his own, and kept perfectly still. He didn't want to get caught before the game had even begun.
He gleefully watched Potter's face turn white as they reached the chair where the cloak had been.
"Oh, bloody hell, Ron; it's gone," the dark haired boy groaned miserably, and sat down in the chair to pound his head against the table.
"Don't panic, Harry," Weasley gasped, still out of breath and looking on the verge of panicking himself. "Are you sure you left it in here?"
"Yes." Potter looked up, his eyes wide. "Who do you think took it?"
"I don't know-but we have to find it!"
"That was my Father's cloak," Potter groaned again. "How could I have forgotten it? Seven years I've had that thing, and now it's gone! What would my Father say?"
Draco had to bite his lip to keep from laughing-Potty actually looked on the verge of crying! He couldn't have planned it better!
"I'm sorry, Harry." Weasley patted his friend's shoulder awkwardly.
Draco was near choking on his laughter by this point. He hadn't been this amused since the time Potter had realized his precious Hagrid had been replaced as the Care of Magical Creatures teacher. Too bad it hadn't lasted- not a year later Draco had been bitten again-this time by a bloody ill tempered Malaclaw. He'd had a run of such bad luck after that, that he'd had to leave school for an entire two months and hole up in his rooms back at his family home, for fear of his life! He had sincerely begun to believe Dumbledore had it in for him by allowing Hagrid to keep such dangerous creatures-he seemed to be one of the only students that continually got hurt.
Of course it never occurred to him that it might be because he had absolutely no respect for any living thing…
"You do realize what this means, don't you Harry?" Weasley was looking at him with a lost expression on his freckled face.
Potter looked up from the desk miserably, his incredibly dorky looking specs askew. "It means that not only have I lost one of the only things I had left of my parents…but we're also going to miss the Slumber party."
Weasley shook his head sadly. "When Fate kicks you, Harry Potter, it kicks you right in the bloody pills..."
The dark-haired boy made a disgusted noise.
"Just think, all those girls, not a fifty feet away from us…" Weasley sighed again, sounding sickeningly forlorn.
Draco's ears perked up after a moment. Slumber party? Did he mean slumber party, as in scantily clad teenage girls? Slumber party as in scantily clad teenage girls in pillow fights, robe less and braless?
He grinned so wide it actually hurt. Now all he had to do was wait for the prats to return to their dorms so he could follow them and get an eyeful of Gryffindor females. He wouldn't be able to brag about it, of course, because he'd get caught-but what could they prove anyway; right?
Draco turned right around and followed the two down trodden boys as they headed for the exit. There was no way he was missing out on this- Potter could have his bloody cloak back in the morning!
Ginny fell onto a load of feather pillows on the floor in the Gryffindor common room that Professor McGonagall had conjured up.
Several sixth and seven-year Gryffindor girls meandered about, lounging on huge cushions or pillows, talking or eating snacks that had been brought up from the kitchens.
It wasn't exactly what she had been expecting. She wished McGonagall would go up to bed so they could actually have fun. It was hard to do anything comfortably with the eagle-eyed teacher standing about. It was still early enough, she supposed.
When Parvati and Lavender had approached her about coming to a sleepover in the common room a few days earlier, she had been excited-the girls had gotten special permission, and they didn't have to worry about the boys-McGonagall had threatened them with expulsion if they dared show their faces at any time during the night. In return, the boys had been promised an evening of their own in the near future-but Ginny didn't think the boys would care to have a slumber party…she giggled at the thought of Harry and Ron painting each others toenails.
"Ginny-come over here!"
She looked up as Hermione called her over across the room where she sat on the window seat with a large book propped across her lap.
"Hermione, what are you doing? It's a slumber party-you're not supposed to study!"
Hermione sighed and closed her book with a snap. "I'm really not feeling terribly comfortable with all this-I mean, look at Parvati and Lavender-they're practically running around in their knickers."
Ginny looked at Lavender's lilac colored satin sleep shorts and the matching sleeveless top that barely covered her midriff. Parvati had a similar sleep set on, only in forest green. She glanced down at Hermione's tightly tied green plaid robe and sighed.
"You need to loosen up, Granger!" Saying this, she tugged Hermione up and pulled the robe off, revealing her long, pale blue nightgown. It had a beribboned neck, and soft ruffles at the hem and wrists. "That's better."
Hermione put her hand to her throat, plucking at the ribbons nervously.
"Hey, don't feel bad-I'm not exactly dressed like a sex kitten either," Ginny looked pointedly down at her old washed out red t-shirt, a cast-off from Ron. The hem fell just above her knees, and there was a ragged hole in it. Her red-orange hair was pulled back from her face in a loose, messy ponytail, and her freckles stood out clearly on her nose and cheeks. She grinned at Hermione and her brown eyes lit up.
"It doesn't matter what your wearing-we're here to have fun, remember? It's not like we're dressing up for guys."
"Thank God," Hermione murmured, instinctively crossing her arms over her breasts.
"Quit being such a prude! Hey, look! McGonagall is finally off-let's see what Lavender and Parvati have planned." Ginny took her friends arm and cheerfully tugged her away across the carpet.
Draco was having a very hard time restraining himself from laughing gleefully. He'd made it! It had been wearisome, following Potter and Weasley all the way up here, trying not to make a sound, but it had been worth it-he felt his jaw drop as a petite leggy red-head in a revealing, ratty red t-shirt strode past, giggling something to a girl he recognized as being that book worm Granger.
Soft tendrils of red curls bounced around her peaches and cream complexioned face, and small velvety soft ears peeked out from beneath her hair. She had a small nose, soft, friendly brown eyes, and lush pink colored lips. His eyes drifted down her small, rather pointy chin, her throat and over the fullness of her chest straining against the worn thin shirt-he guessed she must have been cold, because her small nipples were drawn tight beneath the fabric.
Draco found himself swallowing reflexively.
He would have wondered why she was wearing such boring nightclothes, and why she couldn't wear something with a bit of lace stuck on it in strategic places, if the t-shirt hadn't looked so damned tasty.
She sat down in a mound of blankets with several of the other girls, and that was when he noticed the freckles. Freckles, red-hair, ragged clothing, a Gryffindor-it had to be a Weasley.
He shook his head in disbelief-Weasley must have been hiding his sister in a dark hole somewhere. She certainly hadn't looked like a Playwizard model the last time he'd remembered seeing her. Had it been that long ago?
His attention to her face was diverted as she crossed her legs, and he caught a glimpse of her slim, softly rounded inner thighs and-his breath left his chest in a rush-her silvery gray panties.
Draco prayed for self-control. The scrap of a girl was making him positively weak. The derisive coolness he was famous for had deserted him entirely. He forced his gaze from her as Parvati Patil yawned and stretched her arms above her head languidly.
She didn't begin to compare to Ginny Weasley in the curves department. He looked back at Ginny, eyeing her sweetly curved legs hungrily.
He moved nearer, swearing he could almost taste her on his tongue-
"-Draco. I mean he's such a hottie."
The mention of his name pulled him out of his daze. He blinked, silently blowing a loose strand of his ruffled hair out of his eyes. Who had said that?
Lavender Brown had a dazed look of her own on her face. She lay down on her stomach, resting her chin on her hands-Draco's eyebrows rose several inches as her top gaped threateningly. "I know, Malfoy is in Slytherin, and he is a obnoxious little worm-but my God, he's tasty looking."
Draco, who already knew this perfectly well, just shrugged.
Several girls giggled around Lavender. Ginny did not, he noticed.
Wait a tick-had Brown just called him obnoxious?
"He is rather good looking," said a pretty blonde girl he didn't know. "But he's going to be a Death Eater-everyone knows it."
Draco frowned, trying to decide if he should feel offended. And here he'd thought the Hufflepuffs were a gossipy lot.
"Harry has nothing on Draco," Parvati sighed, a smile curving her lips. "He is absolutely yummy. Now there's a guy who knows what he's about. Harry is hot, don't get me wrong-but he's a babe in the woods. If only the boy could would open his eyes-he wouldn't know an invitation if it walked up mother naked and smacked him in the face with his own wand."
Draco barely kept a snort from escaping.
"Hey, Harry's sweet," Ginny said defensively, and was promptly answered by a bunch of giggles and catcalls.
"He is," she continued stubbornly. "I think it's sweet that he's so shy around girls. It's actually kind of…sexy."
Draco almost gagged-Potter, sexy? In what alternate universe?
Parvati looked at her oddly. "Right-you think it's sexy that a guy will barely touch you during a dance, and then pay you absolutely no attention after?"
Ginny rolled her eyes. "Are you ever going to get past that? You were both fourteen for God's sake! You're just mad he wasn't perceptible to your 'charms' when you asked him to go to Hogsmeade with you last year in that dress you were practically falling out of, and he saw Cho walk by and forgot to answer."
Even Granger laughed over that.
"Well, at least I'm not still wandering around after him like a starving Kneazle," Parvati said cattily. "I mean, what's it been like for you watching him pine over Cho Chang for the past four years?"
Draco watched Ginny's hands fist on her knees with interest. Please let there be a catfight, please let there be a catfight-
"The only thing I have to say to that is-this!" Draco watched in amusement as Ginny yanked a pillow from behind her and she socked Parvati right in her perfectly coiffed head.
This, of course, set off a chain reaction, and while Draco didn't get to see a clawing cat fight, he did get an eyeful of almost every girl in the room as they all grabbed pillows and proceeded to deck each other with joyful shrieks and giggles.
He had to do some artful dodging as the girls tumbled every which way and he thought the game was up when Ginny actually fell back against him and her backside pressed against his thigh-but she just caught herself, and threw herself back into the fray.
He'd never seen so many bare legs and bouncing chests in one place before.
Draco decided he was in heaven just then.
Ginny flopped down again a few minutes later, her temples glistening with sweat, her heart thudding painfully in her chest and she tried to catch her breath.
"That was so fun!" Hermione gasped as she lowered herself down beside Ginny. She arranged her nightgown around her feet and grinned. "I always wanted to smack Parvati around-too bad it was only pillows that we had on hand."
"I noticed I wasn't the only one who took a swing at her," Ginny pointed out laughingly. "I don't think she knew how many girls she offended by picking on our Harry like that."
Her face darkened a bit.
"She doesn't even know him," Ginny muttered moodily. "She really doesn't."
Ginny glanced up from studying her bare feet after a long quiet moment, to see Hermione studying her. "What?"
"You really do like him, don't you? Still, I mean."
"Of course I do-he's Ron's best friend!"
Before Hermione could say anything to that, Lavender announced that it was time for a game of Truth Or Dare.
Ginny rolled her eyes-Parvati was going to single her out somehow, she just knew it.
Draco was rapidly becoming immeasurably bored. He rested his forearms across the tops of his knees where he sat on the floor against the wall and tried to stifle a yawn. At this point, he considered himself very fortunate that he had been born male.
He listened as the girls played Truth Or Dare, and was very disappointed by the monotony of the questions asked-no one had yet picked 'Dare'. He'd thought Gryffindor's were supposed to be a brave bunch.
"Ginny."
He turned his head to see Ginny tense up. "Er-Truth."
Parvati was looking at her with a nasty gleam in her eye. "Are you in love with Harry Potter?"
Watching in interest, he saw Ginny's cheeks flush. Her answer surprised everyone. "No."
"You can't lie," Parvati said childishly.
"I'm not. I am honestly not in love with Harry Potter. I do love him- but I'm not in love with him."
The game went on-Draco found out that Lavender had a shoe fetish, and Granger was 'secretly' in love with Ron Weasley. No one seemed at all surprised.
When it came around to Ginny again, she again chose truth.
"Are you in love with …Neville?"
"No!" Ginny snapped grouchily amidst the group of giggling girls.
And yet again, a few minutes later-"Are you in love with…Malfoy?"
Ginny gave Parvati an extremely dirty look. "Don't you think you're beating this issue to death?"
"You have to answer," Parvati protested.
A chorus of other curious voices chimed in.
Draco began to wonder if Patil shouldn't have been sorted into Slytherin.
"Gee, everyone wants to know about me..." Ginny sighed, reaching up and pulling the elastic from her hair, ruffling the shining mass with her fingertips.
Draco watched the curls frame her face with something akin to awe. He couldn't get over how beautiful she was…he blinked and sat up straight. He was not having these thoughts about a common Weasley. Why should he-he could have any girl he wanted-why should he be having such an elemental reaction to a girl whose family he was supposed to hate? It was just wrong…
"Yes."
Wait-what had she just said?
He must've missed something. All the girls in the room had their eyes glued to her in either horror or absolute stunned surprise.
What? What had she said?
"You're putting me on," Parvati protested, looking a bit green. It was obvious she'd just been making a joke by asking Ginny the ridiculous question.
Ginny, who was looking slightly pale, shook her head, her face half hidden by her curls. "Nope…I'm in love with Draco Malfoy. I have been for a few years…"
Draco felt like someone had just slugged him in the gut. His mind was screaming 'run!' and his body was shouting, 'yes!'"
He rubbed the back of his neck with a trembling hand. Immediately though, his naturally devious mind began thinking of ways he could take advantage of this little tidbit of information…
"I know it will go no farther than this room, of course," Ginny said with soft, barely perceivable sarcasm.
Several murmurs of assent rose.
Draco knew Ginny had no doubt the word would be spread over half the school by tomorrow. He could hear the dryness in her voice where no one else could, because it was often in his own-especially when he talked to, well…everyone.
"Why? Why would you love him? You never talk to him, you don't have anything in common-right? He hates Gryffindors-he hates anything that doesn't have to do with Slytherin. How can you love someone who hates you, that you don't even really know?"
He watched as Ginny looked at Parvati, who'd asked the question. Sighing, she shrugged, looking enormously uncomfortable.
"Well…I know it's crazy…but I was watching him-it was a day just like any other. I was in the courtyard, and he was picking on Neville-of course-but it was just…something hit me. My heart started beating really fast…this breeze was blowing, and you know how he always wears his hair slicked straight back? Well, it got all messy in the wind, and it made him look, I don't know, softer?"
He promptly reached up and began smoothing his hair back severely.
She blushed as a round of giggles rose. "He just looked totally different. I mean, if you watch him, when he's not being spiteful and unpleasant, he's so completely different-like all the nastiness is an act."
Draco scowled at her through the cloak-the girl had a wicked body, true-and damned good taste-but she was really, really stupid. She had to be if she thought he was as good as he looked outside, inside.
"No one can act that evil and not be evil," Parvati sniped challengingly. "What are you-blind?"
Ginny's face went red as her temper flared. "I wasn't the one who called him 'yummy', Parvati."
"Lavender and I may appreciate his looks-what girl wouldn't-but I'm not naïve enough to think that he could ever be different! He's in Slytherin, for God's sake! He's practically a Dark Wizard already!"
"I never said I wanted to marry the guy! You asked me and I told you the truth! Big hairy deal! I'll grow out of it! I'm not naïve enough to think he could ever change either, but you can't help who you love!" Ginny seemed to realize she was yelling defensively and took a deep breath.
"You said you loved Draco Malfoy," the blond girl who'd spoken before said numbly as if she were still in shock.
Ginny groaned and fell back onto a pile of pillows.
Draco found it all to be extremely amusing-not to mention the fact that he was now the center of attention. He watched Ginny interestedly as she pulled a feather pillow over her face.
Granger leaned over her and sighed. "Can I have your antique silver brush set?"
Ginny voice was heavily muffled. "What? Why are you asking me that?"
"Because-Ron's going to murder you when he hears about this."
"Let's tell scary stories!" Lavender suddenly exclaimed a few minutes later.
Draco rolled his eyes despite the fact that he was still reeling from Ginny Weasley's revelation. The whole school year at Hogwarts was a bloody scary story.
"In a minute-" Parvati was frowning running a palm along her leg. "I think I missed a spot shaving-damn."
Draco felt his nose wrinkle. Oh, no here it comes, he thought with purely masculine dread.
"You know, I found a really cool spell that just totally removes all the hair-"
He put his hands over his ears. Maybe this hadn't been such a great idea after all.
"Geez, really? And all this time I thought I had to wax-"
"Arrrgh, I need some pepper-up-my cramps are frigging killing me this month!"
Oh, God. It was ghastly, the things these girl's talked about.
"What's really a pain is the under arm hair-I have so much trouble with that."
"Does anyone have an extra tampon handy?"
Just when he'd thought he'd heard it all…
Draco decided he'd had enough when the girls started grooming each other-as in braiding each other's hair, changing their nail colors, and giving each other facials and magical manicures and pedicures. Especially when he found himself watching inquisitively as one girl began complaining about her thong and tugging at it. That was very attractive…he made a face again and quietly stood to leave.
It was then that he caught sight of Ginny Weasley going up the stairs into the dorms.
He followed her curiously, wondering if he could get some more dirt on her-as if he didn't already have enough.
She walked up and then down into the candle lit dorms, and went over to what he assumed were her dresser drawers.
Draco walked up behind her, not making a sound, but his movement caused the candle to gutter, and she whipped around to stare at the spot where he stood. He froze.
After a moment, Ginny turned back around and pulled out a drawer.
He relaxed slightly, and then grinned as he saw her pull out several pairs of silky panties and laid them on top of her dresser as she rummaged for something else.
Draco eyed the sleek undergarments and felt his brows rise. The little Weasel had good taste for being so poor. He wondered if she was, what he had so reluctantly learned in the Muggles Studies class he'd been forced to take, a kleptomaniac.
He crossed his arms under the cloak and nearly bit his tongue in two when he saw what she had been looking for-a framed picture. A painting actually-of him.
Ginny looked at it for several minutes, before sighing and to his great surprise, dropping it into the waste bin near a writing desk. He wondered that he felt oddly crushed.
Draco waited until she left and went to take a closer look at the picture. It was small, it fit into his hand, and it had been painted from memory apparently. It reminded him of the old-fashioned miniatures his mother had cluttering the parlors back home.
The painting-it didn't look like any way he ever remembered himself. He was… different looking. He wore his school robes, and stood in front of the doors to the main hall of Hogwarts. His arms were crossed, and the smirk was there-but she'd done something to his eyes…he squinted. They were, softer; warmer…there was a twinkle in his eye that said he knew something the viewer didn't.
Shaken, Draco dropped the painting back into the bin, and stood. Was that how she saw him-as being kind? As being merely mischievous?
It made him incredibly angry. He didn't really know why, but it did. He was Draco Malfoy, for God's sakes! She was bloody dreaming! Why was she painting him anyway? She was acting like a deranged stalker, or something…
Draco felt a muscle in his jaw begin to twitch like mad. Not stopping to think, he went over to the dresser, pulled open the drawer, and pulled out a scrap of silvery lace and silk that was identical to the pair he'd seen on her earlier.
He shoved them into his trouser pocket and quickly headed back down the stairs.
Ginny was sitting with Hermione Granger on the window seat again, looking glum and poking through an issue of Teen Witch.
"This one, I think-" she was saying, and he watched as she opened the book and shoved it at Granger.
The bushy haired girl's eyes flew wide open. "No! You cannot cut off all your hair! Are you mad? You're Mum will kill you!"
Draco frowned fiercely and looked at the full-page picture-a young girl with incredibly short curly brown hair winked back at him. He frowned. That wouldn't suit Ginny at all.
"Well, maybe I need a change."
Was the girl completely nutters? Her hair was her glory-well; her body was a very close second, but-he couldn't believe he was thinking this!
"No, absolutely not." Granger put the magazine away firmly. "You'll regret it, mark my words."
Ginny sighed. "I know-I guess I was just thinking about tomorrow."
"What about it?"
"Oh, you know as well as I do-all that stuff about Malfoy will be all over the place. I was kind of thinking that if I looked different, no one would notice me."
Even he knew how lame that was. He shook his head.
"Sorry, Ginny, but you couldn't alter your appearance that much. Don't worry too much about it-it's not anyone's business but yours who you love."
"So… you're not horrified and shocked?" Ginny asked this from behind her fall of red curls. She was studying her now ruby-colored fingernails nervously.
"I'm your friend. I care about you-if loving Malfoy makes you happy, then I'll be the first to say congratulations."
Ginny sighed sadly. "It doesn't make me happy. He'll never look at me- I don't even know why I love him. He certainly hasn't done anything to endear himself to me. He doesn't know I exist. Maybe it's just a crush."
"Maybe you see something in him that no one else does," Granger said wisely, patting her friend's hand. "That's what you love. You just need to…to…oh, I don't know-try and get him to realize that that part of him is there."
Draco wanted to gag. He knew all his 'parts' very well, thank you very much.
Wait-that thought hadn't come out right…
"Oh God, he's going to pick on me for forever when he hears this…" Ginny rubbed her face tiredly. "I'm going to bed."
"It's only one o'clock!"
"I can't think about this anymore." Draco watched Ginny stand up, and she smiled at Granger tiredly. "I have a feeling I'm going to be preparing for a long battle tomorrow."
"Sleep well."
"I will-once I knock myself over the head with a heavy blunt object for being so stupid." Ginny trudged off miserably.
Draco felt deeply insulted. Why should he care what she thought of him-she was obviously brainless. Confused, he turned and stalked out of the Gryffindor common room, his mind whirling from the night's events. The portrait of the Fat Lady grumbled something about late night carrying's on and he ignored her, slamming the painting closed.
Before he went down to the Slytherin dorms, he stopped by the darkened library and threw Potter's bloody troublesome, obviously cursed cloak over the chair he'd originally found it on and walked away.
Ginny had to leave the common room that morning when she finally dragged out of her dorm. Ron was waiting, and just as Hermione had predicted, he was looking rather more than capable of murder. Harry was nowhere to be seen.
She'd barely escaped with her rear intact.
Hermione met up with her outside in the courtyard later. Ginny had skipped breakfast-she hadn't much felt like having everyone stare at her.
"Here-I brought you some breakfast."
She took the carefully wrapped toast thankfully and began nibbling on it.
After a few minutes, she brushed her hands and looked at the other girl. "All right-so what happened?"
Hermione brushed a long crinkled strand of hair out of her face. "Well-the good news is, Ron's not mad at you anymore."
"Really?" Ginny perked up slightly. This was good…but it was highly unlikely that Ron had just stopped being angry-the boy could hold a grudge like nobody's business. "Let me guess-he's mad at Draco."
"Right." Hermione bit her lip. "The bad news-"
"There's more bad news?"
Her friend nodded.
"I don't want to know." Ginny stood up and began pacing. "Don't tell me."
"I really think you should hear this."
Ginny sat back down on the stone bench, agitated. "What is it?"
"The word is out, just like we knew it would be…"
"And?"
"Pansy Parkinson is really hacked off?" Hermione stared at the ground.
Ginny's shoulder's slumped. "Is that all?"
"Er…" Hermione twisted her hands in her lap, looking excruciatingly embarrassed.
"What's got you all snakey, Hermione?" asked Ginny suspiciously.
"I, uh-"
"You're killing me, here!"
"Oh all right!" Hermione stood up and began talking so fast her words ran together. "There's a rumor that Malfoy and you-er…slept together."
Ginny stared at her dumbly. "What?"
"Oh, Gin! It's awful! Parvati came up and told me, and she was all smug and I was like, No way, Ginny's not like that-and she was all, Well, a boy in Slytherin told her he'd heard Draco talking about it-and I was like, it's not true, you're just being mean-" Hermione looked at Ginny miserably. "And now Ron is talking all crazy, something about challenging him to a duel."
Ginny's stomach dropped to her feet. "I think… I think…"
"What? What is it?"
"I think I'm going to throw up."
Ginny met Draco the next day with an immediate question.
"All right, what do you want? Money?"
"Right." Draco looked at her, highly amused. "I don't care much about money- not to mention the sad fact that you don't have any. No, it's not money I'm wanting-I have more than I could spend in ten lifetimes."
"How nice for you," said Ginny as her lips twisted sourly. "So what do you want?"
"You." He watched her calmly as she fell over her own feet and barely managed to catch herself.
She gaped at him. "W-what?"
"You asked what I wanted-I want you."
Ginny stood trembling and silent, feeling as if she were caught in some travesty of a nightmare- it couldn't be happening. She'd pulled herself together finally, yesterday, and had gone looking for Draco to see what the hell was really going on. Now she wished she hadn't. She'd ended up shouting at him in front of everyone, and then storming off, looking like a fool. He'd sent her a note after that, and here she was, back talking to him-or rather, like Ron, contemplating his murder…
They were standing in the trees behind Hagrid's hut, and the January snow and wind was freezing her through.
"You're crazy."
"Now see, that's where we have a difference of opinion."
She just stared at him. "No."
"Of course, if you'd like everyone-Potter included-to know about our little meeting…"
Draco was saying, and he trailed off slyly. "What's wrong? Changing your mind?"
Ginny felt like she might throw up-again. Her nerves were shot-all she wanted to do was disappear into a dark hole some place.
"There was no little meeting!" Ginny fairly screeched. She pulled her cloak tight around her and tugged at her scarlet and gold scarf. "I don't know how you got those, but I swear you'll pay for this one day, Malfoy!"
He smirked. 'What? You don't 'love' me anymore? You don't think it's all just an 'act'?"
"How did you know about that? How did you-you were there!" Ginny gasped, her face paling. "Oh my God-you were there! How-?"
He just looked at her.
"Are you scared?" asked Draco after a moment.
She remained silent.
"I thought so." He watched her, a mocking smile on his lips. "You know what you're problem is? You feel too much."
"I feel too much? I suppose you think feeling anything at all is feeling too much."
He shrugged.
"Well, I've named my price, Ginny," he put deliberate emphasis on using her name, "Accept it, or don't, but I won't waste my time doing something as mundane as quibbling. This is becoming rather tedious. You came to me- accept my terms, or go away."
She looked at him in disbelief. "I came to you because you were threatening me with blackmail, you spoiled rotten bastard."
"Flattery will get you no where," Draco drawled carelessly. He almost sounded amused.
"I don't think I've ever disliked anybody as much as I do you, at this very moment," her voice shook with the effort of forcing the words from her closed up throat.
His pale eyes looked at her sharply. "Only 'dislike'? Not 'hate'?"
"Hate is a powerful word. I don't feel enough for you to hate you."
He laughed. "Really? It didn't take you long to stop 'loving' me, did it? Maybe it's just that you don't know me well enough to hate me. I imagine you'll know me very well by the time this is all over." He looked her up and down appraisingly. "If this is what it took to make you feel dislike, I'm afraid to see what makes you feel hate."
Ginny cut her eyes at him. "I'm tired of this. How long?"
His lip curled slightly. "Three months."
"Three-are you insane?"
"Three. Months."
"Doing what?"
His eyes darkened. "What do you think?"
She just stared at him. Then she called him something extremely rude.
"The mouse roars…" he looked at her, amused. "You know, for a person who says they love me, you have a odd way of showing it."
She ignored him. "What are your terms?"
" 'My terms?' I believe you're becoming a bit jaded, my dear."
She looked back at him stonily. "I had a great teacher."
"Now, now-you know I'm doing this to help you."
"Help me? You've never helped anyone with anything your entire life-I'd bet my own on it."
"True-but you needed a lesson in life, sweet. I couldn't let you run about thinking I was a really a 'nice' guy…if I didn't take advantage of you, someone else would have eventually, and you might've come off worse for it."
"You're logic is not like our Earth logic," she murmured, looking at him disbelievingly. (A/N: Buffy strikes again!)
"I have in my hands the power to make your life absolutely miserable." He ignored her muttered, "Too late,"
"These would look quite nice folded up in a note to say-your Father?" He dangled her panties from his fingertip. "I might even be able to explain exactly how they came into my possession."
"You'd do it, too, wouldn't you?" She slowly shook her head. "My Father would kill you-that is, if my brothers didn't get to you first. Besides, what makes you think anyone would believe those are mine anyway?"
"I don't think that will be a problem-firstly-you do remember what happened to your brother when he tried to hex me last, don't you? I don't think he's terribly strong in the dueling department-secondly, as for the rest of your family-you seem to forget that my Father is, well, you know what he is. And lastly, as for no one believing these are yours-there's a herd of Gryffindor girls that heard you blabbering about how much you 'loved' me. Do you really think Patil would believe anything you denied?"
"You are the most heartless, cruel, despicable excuse for a human being I've ever met."
Sorry," said Draco tonelessly.
"Oh, you're real repentant looking, aren't you?" Ginny snapped, snatching at her silvery lingerie.
Draco held the scrap of cloth out of her reach, looking at her calmly. "I told you, I'm doing this for your own good, you know."
"Yeah, right, like you know what's good for me."
His eyes became shuttered suddenly, and they flashed dangerously as he leaned close to her ear. "I do know what's good for you, Weasley. Me."
Ginny closed her eyes as his warm breath brushed her skin, gently stirring the wisps of her hair against her neck.
He pulled back, a smug self-satisfied smile on his face. "You just won't admit it. Oh, I don't mean that I actually care for you or any such nonsense as that-but I would be good to you."
The dark promise in his voice made her shiver.
"I'll guarantee you-after this is over, you may not 'love' me-but you won't be dumb enough to make the same mistake twice. Don't look so sad-I don't think you'll be totally unhappy with the outcome." He turned to go, but then he stopped mid-turn, and looked down at the silver panties in his hand before crushing them slowly in his fist and stuffing them in the pocket of his cloak. "I'll just hang onto these my sweet-as insurance…you know, I've often wondered if you bought these because they reminded you of my eyes."
Ginny growled. "Just stop." She took a deep breath and sighed. "I want something out of this too."
"I don't think you're quite getting the point here, Ginny-"
"Oh, sod off. If I'm going to be-" she swallowed, and began again. "Who knows what you'll be making me do-if you're planning on not-so secretly ruining my life, I want something out of it."
Draco was surprised by her demand. He eyed her closely. "What are you thinking about?"
"I want Harry."
He laughed. "Potter? Why would you-oh, I see. He was your first love, he's a good guy, and he's safe, right? I've wounded your poor little heart, and now you want security. Poor ickle Ginny…" Draco narrowed his eyes when she called him something unpleasant again.
"Language, Weasley. What makes you think I can help you get Potter?" He snapped impatiently.
"You got me, didn't you?" Ginny glared at him and crossed her arms, feeling frozen inside. What was she thinking, pulling Harry into all of this? It must have been reflex-running to Harry whenever something went wrong. He always had made her feel safe…"And I don't want you dueling Ron, either."
"You really don't have the right to be asking me for anything-I'm calling the shots, here."
"You're right…but even you couldn't do…whatever it is you're planning without a second thought."
"There you go, giving me morals again." Draco shook his head, and Ginny watched as the sun glinted off the snowflakes settling in his hair.
It had been a cruel thing, nature giving such a black soul such a deceptively angelic looking façade.
"What did I ever see in you?" She asked wonderingly.
"You only saw what you wanted to see, Ginny," said Draco roughly. "A pretty face-you fell in love with my looks, and talked yourself into thinking that whatever there was underneath really matched-and now you're paying for your blindness."
"Through the nose," Ginny agreed quietly.
After a moment, Draco sighed. "All right-you give me what I want-do whatever I want-for three months-and I help you get Potter. I'll let you know where to meet me and when."
She felt herself nodding dumbly. What had just happened here?
"One question-all of this rubbish aside…" Draco turned back to face her fully, an odd look in his eyes. "Why did you choose me? Really?" His voice held only curiosity.
It took her a long time to answer. "I didn't…my heart did. The sad thing is, the heart doesn't have eyes or a brain to temper its feelings. You know what they say-love is blind, and all that…"
"Is it really?" asked Draco disinterestedly.
Ginny could only stare after him helplessly, watching him cut his cold eyes back at her only once as he strutted away, the cold winter wind billowing swirls of snow up against the ominously fluttering folds of his black cloak.
~*~
"You said you were going to help me," Ginny hissed angrily, rapidly becoming upset. He was insane-this was not going as she had planned!
"Ah, I said I would help you…but on my terms, Weasley. Besides, I don't see why you're so upset. Harry will go nutters when he sees these in my 'slimy' little hands-that would almost be my reward enough just to see the look on his face- he won't believe a word I say about us, he'll come straight to you, and you can give him your tears of humiliation and the sob story about how they'd gone missing- all the blame falls back on evil Draco Malfoy and you get the Gryffindor Golden Boy."
He stepped closer to her, his nearness threatening. "Isn't that what you wanted, sweet, innocent little Ginny?"
The way he said it made her flush guiltily- "You make it sound like I've entered into a pact with the Devil," she muttered angrily.
"You may as well have, my sweet," Draco said all too seriously for her comfort.
"Draco, Ginny, is there a problem in your corner of teen angst?" Parvati Patil was saying as she grinned at them and they looked back at her fiercely, finally noticing a small crowd of students gawking around them in the hall.
Ginny glared at Draco, eyes tearing slightly before she turned away and hefted her worn book bag, hurrying away down the corridor.
Draco looked after her almost regretfully and then Potter stepped out in front of him, Weasley's brother Ron clenching his fists, beside him. Damn, but they seemed to be joined at the hip.
"What'd you do to her, Malfoy?" Harry demanded, dropping his bag off his shoulder onto the floor. His wand was clamped in his hand at his side.
Draco smirked and curled his hand around the scrap of lace in his pocket. He looked around to see everyone had rushed off to his or hers next class, and though he knew he'd probably regret it, he pulled Ginny's unmentionables from his cloak and dangled them in front of Harry's nose.
"I think I'll leave it to your imagination, Potter."
Confusion clouded both pairs of eyes for a moment, and then Ron turned beet red, stepping forward. Harry put his arm out to stop him and narrowed his eyes. "No way. Let me see those-"
Draco tucked them back away, crossing his arms negligently across his chest, leaning against a doorjamb. "Uh, uh. See with your eyes, not with your hands, Potty. I don't think Ginny would appreciate it if she knew you'd had your hands all over her things." He shrugged. "Anyway, she left before I got a chance to return them to her. I'm sure you'll be quiet about this, won't you? No need for these things to become…public?"
"If you say one filthy word about her-" Ron gritted threateningly, looking ready to throttle him.
Harry looked at him speculatively. "Don't worry, Ron. Ginny would never have let this scum touch her."
"Awfully sure of yourself, Potter." Draco arched a brow, and looked at them with a knowing smirk. "Maybe she just got tired of trailing after the great Harry Potter who never once looked seriously in her direction-maybe she finally realized you were still just a boy and started looking for a real man-"
Harry's fist shot out, and expecting it, Draco caught it, eyeing Harry speculatively. "Shove off, Potter. Ginny's mine-she loves me, and just because we had a little misunderstanding, it doesn't mean she has any room in her heart anymore for you."
He leaned in close, pushing Harry's hand back at him violently. "You had your chance, Potter-I'm not going to be stupid enough to let her go." He looked at the two boredly before waking past them.
That had gone amazingly well, and he couldn't help but grin at the memory of the looks on their faces.
"You're wrong Malfoy," Harry said in a steely voice from behind him. "You were stupid enough to think you'd get her without a fight."
"Big heart, small brain, Potter," said Draco over his shoulder. "Think about it. It'd be very disagreeable for me to have to kill you-I don't fancy ending up in Azkaban just because you touched my girlfriend."
"Girlfriend? Ginny?" Ron stared after Malfoy in disbelief. "When did the world end, and why didn't anyone bother telling me?"
Harry looked at him frowningly. "There's something not right about all this."
"That's the bloody understatement of the year!" Ron slumped against the wall and rubbed his eyes. "Oh, God-my little sister was bare-breasted in front of Draco Malfoy! Could this get any more wrong? What would Mum say?"
"I don't think she'd say much of anything-she'd be too busy throttling Malfoy," said Harry absently.
"I thought Ginny was smarter than this," Ron said mournfully.
"Don't go jumping to conclusions so quickly-I have the feeling there's a lot more going on here than there seems." Harry looked down the hall after Malfoy thoughtfully.
"I think we need to go and have a talk with Ginny."
TBC
(A/N: Don't hate me, guys! ::begs tearfully:: I hope you like this one, and be assured the second part of this-the end- will be out within the week-it's almost finished, anyways-and a couple of my other fics will be updated soon, too. Let me know what you think-I hope it wasn't lame- and, as always, I hope you know how much your feedback means to me, and how much you guys are appreciated for reading my stuff! Love Ya! ^-^ ~Lee
P.S. Aurora Marie-I don't know if you'll read this-but anyway, Ginny wants Harry because she's kind of panicking, you know? She's kind of been burnt by Malfoy and is falling back on old habits. She's thinking of Harry because he's always been kind to her, and the fact that he 'hates' Malfoy doesn't hurt either. If that makes sense-Anyways…it's reflex on her part, I think, and it will be very temporary. ^-^)
(Okay, I know-this has been done, I have NO doubt, and I want you guys to know, I'm totally not petty enough to bitch about any flames I might get- hell, I'm interested in anybody's opinion-but I wanted to explain about this fic to whoever it was who called it "an awful collection of clichés and overused plot devices"-Yes, it's lame-I know that. It's absolutely, nightmarishly full of clichés and overused plot devices! ^-^ Don't think I don't-half of my fics-or actually more than half-are full of them! I appreciate the comment, and I'm very sorry the story wasn't up to your standards, but it's a work of fan-fiction, it was written solely for fun, and posted in the hopes of seeing others who share the love of the characters get a tiny bit of amusement out of it. I'm sure you guys can tell-this wasn't a great HP saga or anything! Nor was it meant to be! I hope you don't judge everything else I've written just by this one-if you didn't like it, I hope you'll give the others a try. Thanks again, anonymous reviewer. ^-^ ~Lee)