An eruption of giggles could be heard among Gryffindor's girl's dormitory. It was Ginny Weasley's sweet sixteenth and she had planned a birthday bonanza for all her friends. Butterbeer was ordered with hints of mead, compliments from Madam Rosemerta and the house elves had happily agreed to provide food fit for a party. But it was only when the clock stuck midnight that Ginny gathered her girls round in a circle to play a little game.
"Come 'round girlies," She winked, beckoning her friends and earning a suspicious glance from Hermione, "It's time to play The Love Game."
"Ginny," Hermione hissed, "is this really the best idea?"
"Relax Hermione," Ginny laughed, "It's all going to be good, trust me. The boys won't even know what hit them."
Everybody crowded round, and Hermione leant against the wall, biting her lip nervously.
"Oh gosh Hermy," Lavender squealed, "don't be such a worrywart!"
The girls laughed at her and Hermione felt her stress slip away. How bad could it be?
"Now we all know how to play this game, yes?" Ginny looked around the circle and stopped when a girl shook her head confusedly.
Ginny cleared her throat and plastered a smug grin on her face, "The Love Game is a game where you draw a boy from this hat, and the aim of the game is to make him fall in love with you. Clear enough?"
The girls nodded and giggled. Ginny began placing the cut up slips with the names of the boys she had prepared earlier while Hermione watched with bated breath.
Ginny continued, "Now there are three simple rules when playing this game. One, the person your playing the game to must not know ANYTHING about the game. Two, you CANNOT snitch to your friend's player as this will be classified as cheating and you will be held in disgrace. Three," Ginny looked round the circle and winked at Hermione, "You are NOT allowed, to fall in love with your player. Are we all clear?"
"Yes Ginny," the girls chorused excitedly. The Hat was passed around in the circle and each girl was to take a folded slip.
When it came to Hermione's turn, her hand trembled as she rummaged for a slip.
"Please don't be Ron or Harry, Please don't be Ron or Harry," she chanted in her head. She grabbed her piece of paper and handed the hat to the next girl who pounced on it eagerly.
Once each girl had received their slip, Ginny expertly fished one out and said, "Now on the count of three we shall open our slips. One, two... Three!"
Hermione fumbled with hers and her mouth fell open as her eyes met a name that would change her life forever.
'Draco Malfoy'.
My heart beat in my chest as I re-read the small slip of paper in my hands over and over again.
'Draco Malfoy'
Could it be? I've known that little ferret since I saw him get sorted into Slytherin. Nasty little thing he is, but he does have really nice body..
"Hermione!" yelled Ginny into my ear.
I jumped and clutched the paper to my chest ,blushing furiously, Ginny would have a fit if she knew I was day dreaming about Malfoy.
"Who did you get, who did you get," sang Ginny teasingly. She suddenly thrusted her piece of paper into my hands and squealed with delight, "I got Harry! Oh Hermione I tell you, this is going to be the BEST game yet!" She daintily pressed the back of her hand against her forehead and swooned.
I laughed dumbly along, but in fact I knew that Harry always had a thing for Ginny, and if she were to break the rules of telling him about the game, his heart would be crushed.
Girls were squealing and laughing and making disgusted faces all round, but once they settled down they slipped out of our dormitory quietly, as to not wake the boys next door.
Ginny winked at me and said, "Tomorrow is going to be great, I can't wait to see what happens."
We began to get ready for bed, and I glanced at the crumpled slip in my hands once more and hastily shoved it in my cabinet drawer. Ginny noticed the kerfuffle and couldn't stop smirking.
"Hermione," she said slowly, "Who DID you get?"
She looked at me knowingly and it took me quite a bit of effort to get it out.
"I got Draco." I whispered, looking down at my feet. I was wearing the Weasley socks that Molly had knitted for me, 'Pink and gold,' she had said, 'to always remind me that I was a star.'
There was a hush of silence as the other girls overheard our conversation. Then as suddenly, a babble of gasps erupted as one of the Gryffindor girls Veeta, said cautiously,
"You do realize that he's THE Player of the school, and to get to him, you have to get past Pansy Parkinson?"
"Yes," I sighed and looked up, "To be honest with you girls, I'm not really sure I can do it." I gave a shrug and sat defeated on my bed. I've always wanted to be exotic and exiting, but the truth stood clear. I was just Hermione Granger, the most boring Head Prefect alive.
"Don't worry Hermy," Ginny grinned placing her small hand on my shoulder, "Tomorrow, us Gryffindors have Quidditch trials with the Slytherins first thing in the morning, and you're definitely coming to watch me." she winked and the girls laughed.
"Who knows," said Lin in her lilting accent, "maybe you'll catch a glimpse of that mysterious Draco Malfoy.."
"I'll miss you when you move into the Head Prefect dorm, make sure you visit yeah?" Ginny smiled.
"I'll pop by everyday!" I grinned back.
"Maybe you'll even bring Malfoy with you.." Lavender swooned.
I gave a forced laugh and bid everyone goodnight. Laying down curled up in my warm blanket, I watched as the moon began it's descend.
Draco Malfoy. Draco Malfoy. THE Draco Malfoy.
Those words kept echoing in my head as I tried to sleep. As much as I told myself that he was a vile creature and a horrible excuse for a man, the little voice in my head still persistently thought he was quite the attractive person. He was lovely to Pansy, and he really does have manners.. So in the end, I gave in to that little voice, and sighed happily in my sleep.
I walked with Ginny to the Great Hall where the first thing I noticed was that each of the girl that had played the Love Game last night, now had a boy they clung to.
I pointed this out to Ginny who laughed and said, "Watch me approach Harry, I'll show you how it's done."
Ginny let her fiery hair down and hitched up her skirt a little bit.
Unhooking her arm from mine, she swayed her hips to where Harry was sitting at the Gryffindor table. Harry looked up as she was walking and I could see that his eyes grew bigger as he swallowed hard. I laughed and couldn't help but comparing Ginny and Harry to a lioness stalking a deer.
"Oi!" Ron yelled slapping Harry across the head, "Stop checking out my little sister!"
Harry coughed and looked away, bright red. "Uh, y-yeah sorry mate."
Ginny slid next to him and winked at me. This was already a tell-tale sign that she already had him hooked around her finger. Smiling to myself, I walked over to where she was sitting and got captured into a heated conversation about ancient runes that I happily added some points in.
I caught my eyes beginning to flick towards Malfoy's direction at the Slytherin table, and I would turn my head and blush before he caught me staring at him. It seemed like he was in a pretty happy mood today, I could see him and his friends conversing about what seemed to be this morning's quidditch try outs. Every so often he would flick his hair and the sunlight would catch it, making it seem like his hair was flawless. I continued watching him, entranced by his movement. Just then I swear his pale blue eyes were looking directly at me.
Wait.. What?
Oh god, Malfoy was staring at me. I whipped my head around and blushed furiously behind my curtain of hair. I must look like an absolute creep to him. I resurfaced still red, but only to join the Runes conversation I had interest in earlier. But now, I only had interest in digging my self a hole where I can hide forever. When I finally got the courage to peek at him one more time, my eyes travelled to the spot where he was sitting and I found that he was no longer there anymore.
"Looking for me Granger?" came a drawl from behind me. I jumped in shock and spilt pumpkin juice all over myself. I knew that voice.
"What, me? No way," I rambled, "I mean it cant've be me haha I was talking about Ancient Runes haha who would look for you anyway-"
He suddenly bent down his head next to mine and I shivered, I could smell his cologne and boy was it good. "You know," he said enticingly, "If you're going to fantasize over me, at least do it when I'm playing quidditch so I don't get distracted by you."
"I, uh-" I tried to reassemble my words but it was no use. For once in all my life, Hermione Granger was tongue-tied.
I could feel the glare of the Gryffindor table beam towards Draco. From the corner of my eye I saw Ron with his mouth hanging open in shock, food half chewed and all.
"I'll be seeing you at quidditch," he breathed in my ear before straightening up and addressing Harry. The people around us where dumbstruck, what on earth was happening?
"So, ahem," Draco coughed, smirking at me. Dipping his head to Harry he said, "May the best man have the best team." and left towards the quidditch grounds.
During the awkward silence at the Gryffindor table, I managed to sneak a peak at Pansy who was just as I predicted. Green as poison ivy. She looked at me like she was ready to kill.
Watching Draco's retreating back, Ginny whistled at me and said, "I don't know how you do that girl but that was mighty fast."
"I have no clue," I replied, grinning as I watched Pansy storm off after Draco.
"But Pansy's pissed. When Pansy's pissed, shit's about to get down."