Title: Then Again, Maybe Not (Ch. 1 - Humble Beginnings)
Summary: Draco gets himself into a bad situation. Isn't there any cure for
a love potion? D/G
Archive: ff.net
Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
"Damn it," Draco muttered and flung himself down on a large armchair in the common room. It was around two in the morning and he couldn't sleep. He rested his feet upon a stool in front of his chair, his mind wandering to the reason behind his insomnia. It was, in fact, a reason with pale skin, a slightly turned up little nose dusted with freckles, and red hair. Yes, Weasley red hair. Just thinking about it made Draco slam his hand into the armrest fiercely. "Out of all the girls in the entire bloody castle, it just had to be Ginny Weasley, didn't it? And that name! Ginny! Of all the infernal, bland, ugly names-" "What in the bloody hell are you doing up?" Blaise barked, his voice groggy with sleep. "And making so much noise?" Pansy asked, swiveling her neck so that her face peered past Blaise's arm. Draco smirked. "What, surely I didn't wake you two. You've not given anyone else in either dormitory a wink of sleep." Pansy flushed and stomped her foot indignantly. "I don't know what you're talking about! I heard someone nattering on and I came down to see what was going on." Blaise ignored her. "Nothing's the matter?" he asked. Draco shook his head. "Nothing I can tell you about." was what he was really thinking as he watched Blaise drag Pansy away; her voice high as it harped on Draco's comment.
Draco leaned back against the back of the chair, thoughts wandering between remedies for his problem.
**
It all began rather innocently. Draco was brewing a potion as Crabbe and Goyle snickered and cheered him on. It was a simple love potion, stolen from a book in the library. Draco planned to secretly feed the potion to Harry. Watching Potter stumble around, trying to get that bloody Weasley friend of his into bed would be the crowning achievement of all his years at Hogwarts. Unfortunately, that mudblood Granger interfered, realizing something was wrong and switching Harry's goblet with his own.
Draco drank the entire thing down, not aware of the switch until it was too late. The strength of the potion knocked him out. When he woke, Madame Pomfrey, Dumbledore, Potter, Weasley, Snape, and Hermione were circled over him, looking down at him. Unfortunately, it was the littlest Weasley that caught his gaze. Dumbledore chuckled. "It looks as though this boy is doing just fine. Students head back to your dorms now." they filed out, unaware.
Draco still didn't know what was happening. "What's going on?" he asked, looking to Snape for an answer.
"You did a very foolish thing, Mr. Malfoy." his professor grumbled, looking livid.
More so than usual, that is. "My head does hurt." Draco acknowledged, rubbing the offending body part.
"As it will for quite some time. By the time the pain is gone, you'll wish it was back, considering what it will be replaced with." Snape spit out with a glare.
Draco frowned. He must've done something very bad indeed to invoke the wrath of his favorite teacher. "What Professor Snape means is you have managed to put yourself under the spell of a very strong love potion." Draco's eyes widened.
"But- but there isn't a counter-potion against love spells."
"That's right. I can only hope you aren't too disappointed in the new object of your affections." Draco stared at Snape.
"What are you talking about? Who is it?" Snape's nose turned up visibly as he sneered.
"Weasley." Draco felt his heart stop.
"Not Weasley." his voice was hollow.
Dumbledore laughed again, earning a glare from both. He cleared his throat a bit guiltily. "Not that Weasley. It's the girl, Ginny." his mouth wrinkled into a grin.
"Oh, thank God." Draco felt the headmaster's words settle in. "Oh no." he finished, letting himself go limp on the infirmary bed.
"Not Weasley." he repeated, a bit less despondent than the last time, but regretful all the same.
"Ah, well, you may be able to fight it." Dumbledore patted Draco's shoulder.
"For now, get up to your room. You'll be fine." Draco stared at Dumbledore open-mouthed.
"I'll be fine? Do you know what this will do to my reputation? What Father will do to me if he finds out?" Dumbledore looked at Snape for a moment.
"He will not find out. You will not be writing home of any engagement, I can assure you. I believe the Weasleys are as fond of you as you are them. Yes, this will be uncomfortable for the two of you, but I doubt it will have any permanent damage. Love is overcome all the time." Snape looked about to disagree, but Dumbledore stopped him.
"Let Draco get some rest." Draco walked out of the hospital wing, feeling the last few minutes of conversation resonate inside his seemingly empty skull. Snape looked at Dumbledore, frowning. "You know very well that this won't just go away." the older man nodded.
"Of course not. But I think a little romance would do them both good." Snape stared after Draco.
"I suppose you could be right. Maybe that scrap of a Weasley will teach him something about the real world. Maybe she will have a profound effect on his life, turn things around. Perhaps she will teach him the meaning of love." there was a pause before Snape continued. "Then again, maybe not." Dumbledore laughed as they left the hospital wing.
**
And now here he was, half-asleep on an armchair. "Draco!" someone cried.
He felt himself jarred. His eyes opened slowly. "Ginny?" he answered, looking about for the girl.
"What? Get up you lazy bum, you've got to get down to class. You've already missed breakfast." Blaise told him.
Draco sat up. "Blast, I've got potions." Blaise nodded, looking at his watch.
"You've got ten minutes to shower, change, and grab something to eat before Sanpe absolutely slaughters you." Draco didn't stop to listen to the rest of it. He dashed off.
**
Draco's feet had just crossed the threshold when Snape was starting class. The professor pointedly ignored the fact he was late as Draco took his seat. He had barely managed to shower and change his clothes, so Draco was starving. His mind kept darting between thoughts of Ginny and of breakfast. Finally, the hour was up and Draco dashed off, knowing full well that he had ten minutes to get to his next class.
Draco also knew an entrance into the kitchen, and figured if he made it there right after class, he would be seated in McGonagall's room with a full minute to spare. Hurrying out of Snape's room, however, he bumped into a slight figure entering. She almost lost her balance, and reflexively, Draco reached out to grab her. "Thank you." she looked up and her face blanched.
"Oh! Um, I'm sorry." she stammered, side stepping out of the way.
Draco tried to press his lips shut. He even bit down on them to stop himself, but neither approached worked. "Don't apologize, it was my fault. I'm sorry." he said, the sincerity of his voice surprising even him.
Ginny looked up at him questioning. "You must be feeling better." she observed. "You looked awful in the infirmary last night." Ginny bit her lip nervously, she looked about to scamper off when Draco's stomach growled. Ginny giggled. "I slept through breakfast this morning," he admitted, smiling lightly.
"Oh, well here. Ron always makes me take more than I can eat." she handed him a muffin wrapped in a napkin.
Draco took it, his hand brushing her soft one. "Thank you. I've got to go, transfiguration, but I will talk to you again." he promised, smiling at her.
"Oh, alright." she smiled back, a bit stunned.
Ginny watched him run off, unaware Snape was doing the same thing. She entered class, her step a bit lighter.
**
A/N: I was (LOOK) going to make it shorter, but I had (IN) to stick a D/G scene in there (THE) at the end. Just (LOWER) a reminder- I (LEFT-HAND) lose interest in stories (CORNER.) very easily. I wonder (NOW) if there's any (PRESS) way you can keep that from happening to this story. (GO!)
"Damn it," Draco muttered and flung himself down on a large armchair in the common room. It was around two in the morning and he couldn't sleep. He rested his feet upon a stool in front of his chair, his mind wandering to the reason behind his insomnia. It was, in fact, a reason with pale skin, a slightly turned up little nose dusted with freckles, and red hair. Yes, Weasley red hair. Just thinking about it made Draco slam his hand into the armrest fiercely. "Out of all the girls in the entire bloody castle, it just had to be Ginny Weasley, didn't it? And that name! Ginny! Of all the infernal, bland, ugly names-" "What in the bloody hell are you doing up?" Blaise barked, his voice groggy with sleep. "And making so much noise?" Pansy asked, swiveling her neck so that her face peered past Blaise's arm. Draco smirked. "What, surely I didn't wake you two. You've not given anyone else in either dormitory a wink of sleep." Pansy flushed and stomped her foot indignantly. "I don't know what you're talking about! I heard someone nattering on and I came down to see what was going on." Blaise ignored her. "Nothing's the matter?" he asked. Draco shook his head. "Nothing I can tell you about." was what he was really thinking as he watched Blaise drag Pansy away; her voice high as it harped on Draco's comment.
Draco leaned back against the back of the chair, thoughts wandering between remedies for his problem.
**
It all began rather innocently. Draco was brewing a potion as Crabbe and Goyle snickered and cheered him on. It was a simple love potion, stolen from a book in the library. Draco planned to secretly feed the potion to Harry. Watching Potter stumble around, trying to get that bloody Weasley friend of his into bed would be the crowning achievement of all his years at Hogwarts. Unfortunately, that mudblood Granger interfered, realizing something was wrong and switching Harry's goblet with his own.
Draco drank the entire thing down, not aware of the switch until it was too late. The strength of the potion knocked him out. When he woke, Madame Pomfrey, Dumbledore, Potter, Weasley, Snape, and Hermione were circled over him, looking down at him. Unfortunately, it was the littlest Weasley that caught his gaze. Dumbledore chuckled. "It looks as though this boy is doing just fine. Students head back to your dorms now." they filed out, unaware.
Draco still didn't know what was happening. "What's going on?" he asked, looking to Snape for an answer.
"You did a very foolish thing, Mr. Malfoy." his professor grumbled, looking livid.
More so than usual, that is. "My head does hurt." Draco acknowledged, rubbing the offending body part.
"As it will for quite some time. By the time the pain is gone, you'll wish it was back, considering what it will be replaced with." Snape spit out with a glare.
Draco frowned. He must've done something very bad indeed to invoke the wrath of his favorite teacher. "What Professor Snape means is you have managed to put yourself under the spell of a very strong love potion." Draco's eyes widened.
"But- but there isn't a counter-potion against love spells."
"That's right. I can only hope you aren't too disappointed in the new object of your affections." Draco stared at Snape.
"What are you talking about? Who is it?" Snape's nose turned up visibly as he sneered.
"Weasley." Draco felt his heart stop.
"Not Weasley." his voice was hollow.
Dumbledore laughed again, earning a glare from both. He cleared his throat a bit guiltily. "Not that Weasley. It's the girl, Ginny." his mouth wrinkled into a grin.
"Oh, thank God." Draco felt the headmaster's words settle in. "Oh no." he finished, letting himself go limp on the infirmary bed.
"Not Weasley." he repeated, a bit less despondent than the last time, but regretful all the same.
"Ah, well, you may be able to fight it." Dumbledore patted Draco's shoulder.
"For now, get up to your room. You'll be fine." Draco stared at Dumbledore open-mouthed.
"I'll be fine? Do you know what this will do to my reputation? What Father will do to me if he finds out?" Dumbledore looked at Snape for a moment.
"He will not find out. You will not be writing home of any engagement, I can assure you. I believe the Weasleys are as fond of you as you are them. Yes, this will be uncomfortable for the two of you, but I doubt it will have any permanent damage. Love is overcome all the time." Snape looked about to disagree, but Dumbledore stopped him.
"Let Draco get some rest." Draco walked out of the hospital wing, feeling the last few minutes of conversation resonate inside his seemingly empty skull. Snape looked at Dumbledore, frowning. "You know very well that this won't just go away." the older man nodded.
"Of course not. But I think a little romance would do them both good." Snape stared after Draco.
"I suppose you could be right. Maybe that scrap of a Weasley will teach him something about the real world. Maybe she will have a profound effect on his life, turn things around. Perhaps she will teach him the meaning of love." there was a pause before Snape continued. "Then again, maybe not." Dumbledore laughed as they left the hospital wing.
**
And now here he was, half-asleep on an armchair. "Draco!" someone cried.
He felt himself jarred. His eyes opened slowly. "Ginny?" he answered, looking about for the girl.
"What? Get up you lazy bum, you've got to get down to class. You've already missed breakfast." Blaise told him.
Draco sat up. "Blast, I've got potions." Blaise nodded, looking at his watch.
"You've got ten minutes to shower, change, and grab something to eat before Sanpe absolutely slaughters you." Draco didn't stop to listen to the rest of it. He dashed off.
**
Draco's feet had just crossed the threshold when Snape was starting class. The professor pointedly ignored the fact he was late as Draco took his seat. He had barely managed to shower and change his clothes, so Draco was starving. His mind kept darting between thoughts of Ginny and of breakfast. Finally, the hour was up and Draco dashed off, knowing full well that he had ten minutes to get to his next class.
Draco also knew an entrance into the kitchen, and figured if he made it there right after class, he would be seated in McGonagall's room with a full minute to spare. Hurrying out of Snape's room, however, he bumped into a slight figure entering. She almost lost her balance, and reflexively, Draco reached out to grab her. "Thank you." she looked up and her face blanched.
"Oh! Um, I'm sorry." she stammered, side stepping out of the way.
Draco tried to press his lips shut. He even bit down on them to stop himself, but neither approached worked. "Don't apologize, it was my fault. I'm sorry." he said, the sincerity of his voice surprising even him.
Ginny looked up at him questioning. "You must be feeling better." she observed. "You looked awful in the infirmary last night." Ginny bit her lip nervously, she looked about to scamper off when Draco's stomach growled. Ginny giggled. "I slept through breakfast this morning," he admitted, smiling lightly.
"Oh, well here. Ron always makes me take more than I can eat." she handed him a muffin wrapped in a napkin.
Draco took it, his hand brushing her soft one. "Thank you. I've got to go, transfiguration, but I will talk to you again." he promised, smiling at her.
"Oh, alright." she smiled back, a bit stunned.
Ginny watched him run off, unaware Snape was doing the same thing. She entered class, her step a bit lighter.
**
A/N: I was (LOOK) going to make it shorter, but I had (IN) to stick a D/G scene in there (THE) at the end. Just (LOWER) a reminder- I (LEFT-HAND) lose interest in stories (CORNER.) very easily. I wonder (NOW) if there's any (PRESS) way you can keep that from happening to this story. (GO!)