Ch 1: enter the puppet

Draco sat in fornt of the fire in the Three Broomsticks, sipping on butterbeer. He rolled his shoulders as he relaxed in his chair. A gust of cold air coming from the doors disturbed his peacefulness. He glanced over to see three of his least favorite people walking in. Weasley looked at him and he glared over at them. He had avoided the three so far that year, not having to be troubled with any of them in his classes. He felt a hand come down on his shoulder and he looked up. Blaise smiled down at him and pulled up a chair.

Draco watched as Potter and Weasley walked over to the bar to get some drinks, leaving Granger alone at the table. For some odd reason Draco couldn't keep his eyes off of her. He hadn't seen her all year and was surprised at the change he now saw so obviously. She had grown so much during the year, shedding her bookworm apperance and becoming this... this... godess.

He was pulled from his trance as Blaise began to speak. "What's so interesting?" Draco smiled as he made a subtle motion toward his attraction. Zabini was awestruck at the image that met his eyes. "Is that?"

Draco nodded and Blaise's jaw dropped. "What the hell happened? How the hell could that have happened?"

Draco nodded and he smiled. He felt content to watch her as she shifted restlessly, seeming to know that someone was watching her. She glanced over at Draco and glared. He was taken aback by this action, but then realized why she had given him this look. He almost regreted his actions in the past but thn an idea struck him.

He stood up, giving Blaise a sly wink and walking across the pub. Hermione kept her eyes on her hands as she saw him approching out of the corner of her eye. She felt a surge of energy go through her, a feeling like she had never felt before. He placed his hands on the table beside her, smiling. "Hello Hermione."

She shuddered at the use of her name but then realized who was saying it and came to her senses. She looked up at him and gave him cold smile. "Can I help you...Malfoy?"

He flinched at the way she said his name but ignored the insulting tone of her voice. "Depends, how are you willing to help me?"

Hermione couldn't help but smile at the comment and leaned back. "Well as much as I'd love to, I'm afraid that my boyfriend wouldn't approve."

As she said this Draco felt a hand decend upon his shoulder and pull him back from the table. He looked over his shoulder to see Weasley looking at him, Potter right beside him. Draco straightend himself up and pushed past them.

As he sat back down at his table he heard a laugh. He gave Blaise a cold look as he sat back down, shutting him up. "You think you can do any better?"

Blaise smiled and stood up, downing his drink. "Just watch and learn mate." With that he boldly strode over to the spot where Hermione was sitting.

Hermione looked up at him and sighed. "Yes?" She asked him as he smiled. Ron and Harry looked up at him, their eyes searching.

"Well I was just wondering if..."

"If what," Hermione cut him off.

"If well..." He gulped as Harry and Ron stood up.

Malfoy laughed from across the room. He watched as Harry and Ron grabbed the boy and threw him out of the pub. He had thought that Hermione would be a little harder to catch her attention and this proved it. Blaise had failed miserably and Draco had learned from his observation. He would have to split up the golden trio in order to get his new plan to work.

He got up and stepped out of the Three Broomsticks to find Blaise. They walked back up to the castle as Draco explained his plan to him.

"Hang on, who said that you could have her?"

"Well there is the main fact that I didn't get thrown out of the bar by two sissies. And the fact that it was my idea in the first place."

Blaise laughed and turned around in the road. "How about we make this intearesting?"

"How so?"

"A bet maybe?"

Draco rubbed his chin in thought and smiled. "How much are you thinking of?''

"How about 300 geallons?"

"Ok but we need to spice it up a bit."

"What do you have in mind?"

Draco's lip curled up into a twisted and cruel smile. "Well I don't know." He thought long and hard for a moment then his smile went even broaded. "The loser has to shag Pansy."

Blaise went white and nearly threw up then and there. "I agreed to spice it up, not make it disgusting."

Draco smiled and laughed. "The only reason that you wouldn't want to take the bet is because you know you're going to lose."

Blaise knew he was trapped and sighed. "Fine, what do we need to do though?"

Draco laughed. "First to shag granger before the start of exams wins, ok?" Blaise nodded and they shook on it

This is going to be the easiest money I've ever made, Draco thought to himself ass they entered the gates of the school.