Ginny was getting tired of the giggles.
Parvati and Lavender were at it again – sitting close in a corner by the fire place and making girly, high-pitched shrieks of surprise and laughter. The girls were intentionally trying to be as dramatic about the whole ordeal as possible. Most of the time they spoke in annoying fake-whispers, hoping to be overheard.
This time was no different, only Ginny had made the mistake to sit down right beside them. She was quietly reading the Daily Prophet's coverage of the recent Holyhead Harpies Quidditch match when the two of them sat down and went about their usual activities – gossiping about everything possible. Who was dating who, who said what, who wore what, and, recently, who was sleeping with who.
"That's what they're calling him now," Parvati giggled. "Isn't that funny?"
Lavender said, "who's calling him that?"
"Oh, everyone, really," said Parvati. "Mostly just Slytherins... though there are rumors, you know, that he got with a few Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff girls."
"No Gryffindors I trust?"
"Actually... there is one." This time, Parvati actually whispered in Lavender's ear. Lavender squealed.
"Are you sure of it?"
"Oh yes. She told me herself."
"Best hope no one else gets wind of it. Could make some Gryffindors very upset to hear one of their own has been shagging the Slytherin Sex God."
Finally, Ginny turned around to face the two and said, curiosity overcoming her, "Who in Merlin's beard is the Slytherin Sex God?"
"You haven't heard?" said Lavender excitedly. There was nothing the pair of them loved more than divulging a bit of juicy information. "Oooh you'll just die."
Lavender and Parvati looked at each other and devolved into a pool of giggles once more.
"Well?" Ginny said impatiently. The other two managed to pull themselves together briefly.
"It's Malfoy."
Ginny laughed. "Malfoy? Really?"
"Well," Parvati said, satisfied with this response, "that's the word on the street, anyway."
"I hear he's shagged dozens of women, this year alone." Lavender smiled and nodded for dramatic effect.
"Lovely," said Ginny. "I really couldn't care less." Yet after a moment, she said, "Malfoy? The evil prick? Who would want to bed him?"
"He may not be kind, but he's very attractive, you must admit."
Ginny shook her head defensively. "I don't see it. He's a damned ugly git." She wanted to return to her reading, but something struck her. "Which Gryffindor did he sleep with?" she asked.
"Oh, you're not going to like it," Parvati teased.
"Not one bit," Lavender added.
"You might even – throw them off the team."
"What?" Ginny said, her book falling off her lap. "You don't mean - "
"Oh, I do," Lavender nodded. She whispered in Ginny's ear. "Katie Bell."
Ginny saw Katie the next day during Quidditch practice. She held her tongue the whole session, but couldn't seem to keep herself from scowling. Someone from her own team? If Ginny really wanted to make a fuss about it, she could tell Harry. No one in the world hated Malfoy more than Harry, and he would not have stood for this betrayal. Ginny didn't entirely know why this bothered her, but she knew that it did and she was going to do something about it.
Katie was in the changing room, taking off her Quidditch robes. Ginny walked straight in and stared at Katie.
"You didn't," she said finally.
"Come again?"
"Please tell me you didn't do what they're saying you did."
Katie shifted uncomfortably. She put away her robes and pulled out her school clothes. "You've got to be a bit more specific."
"I heard about your encounter with the so-called Slytherin Sex God."
Katie laughed. "Come off it. I don't even know who that is."
Ginny raised her eyebrows. "You shagged Malfoy."
Katie looked like she was about to say something, then sighed. "Yes," she said. "It's true."
"Why, Katie?" Ginny said emphatically. "Why on earth would you do something that dim-witted?"
"I was curious, Ginny, that's all," Katie said, as if that was a simple and valid explanation.
"He's practically a Death Eater!" Ginny half-shouted. "What could you possibly want to do with a Death Eater?"
"I'd heard the rumors. Girl in my Potions class – black-haired girl, Slytherin, can't remember her name – was absolutely going on about him. The things they're saying about him... Well, any woman would be curious, and then the opportunity presented itself."
"You've gone mad," said Ginny, shaking her head. "I can't believe this. What if I were to go and tell Harry?"
"What?" said Katie. "Why would you do that? Are you trying to get me kicked off the team?"
"We need to train hard this year," said Ginny, "and that means we can't have you fraternizing with the enemy. And Draco Malfoy – the bloody Slytherin Sex God, as you're calling him – is the enemy."
"It's my body and my decisions, Ginny."
Ginny felt a flame of disgust rising up her body, boiling in her stomach, pounding in her heart, and flushing in her cheeks. "You're mad," she said angrily and stomped out of the changing room still in her Quidditch robes.
Ginny felt angrier than she needed to be, and she needed to share that anger with someone who would understand. By the time she returned from Quidditch practice, the rumor was spreading like wildfire. She heard two people discussing it on the first floor, five on the second, and by the time she reached Gryffindor tower, she'd heard the words "Slytherin Sex God" so many times it made her sick.
As Ginny was about to enter the tower, standing in front of the Fat Lady, Hermione exited the door. As usual, she was carrying around six books and was looking very frizzy and stressed.
"Oh, hi Ginny," Hermione said. She looked at Ginny more closely. "Ginny, what's going on? You look very flushed."
"Can we speak in private?" Ginny asked. She figured Hermione, of all people, would share her frustration.
They walked down two floors and through a couple of corridors until they found an empty classroom to sit in. "Have you heard about Malfoy?" Ginny finally asked as they settled themselves inside it and closed the door.
"What about him?"
"It's been spreading round the school."
"Oh. Well I spent most of the day at the library. I only just went back to the room when I realized I'd forgotten some of my schoolbooks and had to get them. You know, I was re-reading Hogwarts: A History and I found something you'd just find fascinating on the first female Quidditch player. She was a Gryffindor, of course. I should show you sometime -"
"Hermione, can we just talk about this?"
"Oh, alright. So – what is it about Malfoy?"
"It's quite stupid, really," Ginny said. "But they're going around calling him the "Slytherin Sex God.""
"Are they really?" asked Hermione. Ginny nodded. "That foul git," said Hermione. "Shame on any girl who so much as kisses him, that troll of a man. I'm sure he only sleeps with full pure bloods as well."
"Exactly my sentiments," said Ginny. "Unfortunately, that's not all."
"It isn't?"
"No. Guess who one of his bed-mates is?"
"Who?"
"Katie Bell."
Hermione leaned back in her chair. "Why, that's surprising."
"I considered telling Harry and getting her kicked off the team."
"Why?" asked Hermione.
"This just upsets me so much. I'm not sure why."
"Maybe you feel that such a terrible person shouldn't be accruing that kind of a reputation. Maybe you remember the way Malfoy has treated you and your family and can't bear the thought of one of our own jumping into bed with him. Maybe you can't see Malfoy as anything other than what he is – an almost Death Eater who's rude, vile, and evil to the core."
"You're not going to peg me as jealous?"
"Jealous? No, I wasn't going to do that. I don't think you're jealous," Hermione said thoughtfully. "Although I wonder if there's a way we can redirect our anger."
"So you're upset about this too?"
Hermione nodded, almost enthusiastically. "Of course I am!" she said. "That man is filled with nothing but hate and prejudice and ignorance. He deserves to be cold and alone the rest of his life."
"But this'll go away, won't it? Like regular gossip. Comes and goes. I suppose I just don't want anyone else on our team, or even in our house, going to bed with him. Merlin's beard, it makes me sick, just the thought of it."
"It will, yes," said Hermione. She pulled out a quill and some parchment. "But then again, our reputations don't really go away. And especially at our age, witches and wizards are just so – so – sexual. I doubt something like this will fade. For a good bit, at least."
"Hermione, what do you have that quill out for?"
"We're going to brainstorm," Hermione said.
"For what?" Ginny asked. She wanted to add that organization and writing were not going to help in this situation when Hermione continued and cut her off.
"For how we're going to deal with this situation."
"It's just gossip..."
"Right, but it's really upsetting you, isn't it? I can tell. And it's really upsetting me. So here. I have an idea."
Hermione scribbled furiously on the parchment. Ginny pulled it from her hand. "You know," she said. "I think we can kill a few birds with one stone."
"Oh?"
"You'll think it silly."
"I'll hold my tongue and hear you out, I promise," Hermione said seriously.
"Destroy his ego and divert attention, yes?"
"Yes," said Hermione slowly. "That's what I wrote..."
"I say this. I say we keep track of his body count. And I say we meet it."
"What do you mean? How?"
"Hermione," said Ginny. "He wants to be the Slytherin Sex God? I'll match him. Hermione, I'm going to become the Gryffindor Sex Goddess."
