A/N: hello folks, this is my.. first story (as many people say) I've read many stories and thought I'd give it a try...
It is set three years after the second war. Voldemort is dead and so are his Death Eaters. Not else much I can really say, cause in truth the back story doesn't really matter as far as this plot goes. I just wanted to write something fun without the 'threat' of anything dark. I made everyone older (20/21), but it is in place of Hogwarts.
Disclaimer: I do not own anything! I am just a happy fan, writing a story about my favourite characters!
Prologue
Draco Malfoy shuddered at the thought. His stomach churning as an unpleasant taste rested upon his tongue, that had nothing to do with what the drink in his hands.
Blaise Zabini, who had been a close friend to him, just rolled his eyes at Draco's expression, "Fine, let's make it ten thousand, after all, it is Granger"
Draco snapped his head over to Blaise, "Ten thousand Galleons?"
Blaise shrugged his shoulders, toying with his own empty glass along the countertop. His money wasn't easy to come by, and if Draco was that needy of it, well he might as well make him work for it.
Draco scoffed, "You're barking..."
Blaise grinned, "So it's a deal then?"
"I may be poor, but I assure as heck am not gonna settle for a measly ten thousand Galleons for...that" Draco sighed. Not to mention, it was way more trouble than it was worth.
Draco swirled the amber liquid around the small glass, and sighed, "Shag the Mudblood..." he swallowed the unpleasant bitter taste in his mouth again.
"Actually, it's more than that," Blaise added with a shrug, "With money like that, you gotta try to make her think you've changed; then once you've...you know...you dump her. Then the money is yours"
Blaise reached over and patted his friend on the back, "Come on mate, you've had your fair share of some mixed bloods so a Mud-"
"Those Half-Bloods were a mistake. The Mudblood has no chance!" Draco spat. He didn't want to do it. He really didn't. Why can't he just give him the money? It's not like he wouldn't pay him back or anything, he just needed to get himself back on his feet.
"So you're not gonna do it?" Blaise sounded a little disappointed. "Not gonna knock that Gryffindor Know-It-All off that damn pedestal she has been sitting on her whole damn life?"
Draco rolled his eyes, getting annoyed with the conversation, "You've got to understand, Blaise, Granger-"
"Thirty thousand Galleons!"
Draco nearly dropped his glass from his friend's sudden outburst. "Thirty thousand Galleons? Please, my father made that kind of money in one week!" he sneered bitterly. Then again, with that kind of money, he would surely get somewhere in his life.
A small smile played on Blaise's lips as he studied his friend, "Used to make. Cause you see, he's in Azkaban now! And the Ministry has possession of everything you have! You're pretty much bankrupt!"
"DON'T you say-"
"Well mate, you want to change your life and get things all in order again, then-shoot, I might as well make you work for it."
"Yes because it's all a big game isn't it?"
Blaise grinned, "Come on mate, you know you want to do this. Think of the shock value here with Potter and Weasel King?"
Draco groaned, he knew he asked the wrong person...
"Okay, so now we come back to the task at hand. Bedding Granger!"
Once again, Draco felt his stomach churn, "And you think you can just keep throwing money at me to make me concede?"
Draco scoffed again, before downing the rest of his drink, "You've got far too much money to just throw around, it's sickening!" he swallowed the bitter taste once again. 'Just like I used to be...'
"Ya but I am the only person you got that will actually give you want you want! Fine, I'll be even more generous and make it fifty thousand!"
Just then, something struck Draco. True, the Ministry owned his house, in fact, they had informed him if he would want to regain it, he would have to pay a hefty fee. A fee of one-hundred thousand Galleons. Sure it was a stretch, as he knew Blaise would never agree to it. But what choice did he have? Crabbe is dead. Goyle is in Azkaban, and Nott, was in the same boat as him, Blaise Zabini was his only option of getting his old, rich life-style back. But hell did it annoy him that he wanted some 'entertainment'
"Make it one hundred, if you're talking about generosity" Draco said smacking his empty glass down on the table.
Blaise raised both eyebrows, "Wait, what? One hundred thousand Galleons?"
Draco shrugged, "You want me to..." he broke off in a shudder, "Take and break the Mudblood, that's my price!"
Blaise cussed under his breath. He didn't have one hundred thousand Galleons at his leisure - he would have to ask his mother. Draco obviously said this to shut him up, and man, did Blaise hate him for it. 'Think you're all clever, huh?' he thought glaring at the white-blond wizard next to him.
"Forget it, it's fifty thousand!"
Draco shook his head, "That's not nearly enough, Blaise! If you want me to do this, I might as well get something out of it" That something was his house...his vault of Galleons...everything.
Now it all made sense. Blaise had heard it being conversed in the Slytherin Common Room once, the Ministry would only give Draco his life back if he paid them their asking price. 'Curses' he thought angrily as he tensed his fist. He just wanted him to make a fool of himself for going after the Bookworm, but now...
Draco held his hand out, "One hundred thousand" Blaise studied it for a long moment but didn't move an inch, "Or I will just go off to the Ministry and tip them off about just how your lovely mother got all her money!"
Blaise's face went pale, "You would-"
Draco countered with an evil grin, "So I'll say this again. I'll get the Mudblood and keep my mouth shut, but only if you promise me one hundred thousand Galleons"
Blaise just scowled at Draco. 'You sly, devil' Draco, just motioned toward his hand, as though to remind Blaise what he should really be doing.
"For a price like that, I give you a month" Blaise growled. 'There is no way he would succeed'
Draco withdrew his hand from the table, "You didn't say anything about a time limit!"
"Well, you want your house back and I have the money to make that happen, that's my terms!"
Draco scoffed and turned away, "Don't make this any harder for yourself, Zabini! You offered to help me"
Blaise knocked his friend in the shoulder so Draco could face him again, "Look, you have the charm, the wit, the cunning greatness, one month to make Granger fall for you, is more than fair for one hundred thousand bloody Galleons!"
Draco's lips curled to a sneer, "If you think I am actually going to-"
"Keep yapping and I'll make it a week!"
It was Draco's turn to cuss under his breath. He certainly didn't want that even for the hundred grand. No, if he needed to find away to gain back his riches he would need to be smart about it.
Blaise broke out into a grin. He knew there was just no way Draco could do it. Draco hated the Mudblood with every fiber of his being! Yet, he didn't want Draco to tell the Ministry about his mother's secret to her riches either...
"You know, perhaps you should pay me the hundred thousand in case you don't do it..." Blaise said with a sigh, "I mean, can't be too careful right?"
Draco just scowled at his so-called friend, he was about to say something, but Blaise raised a finger to him, "Now don't you give me that look. I have to give you a reason to pursue her without fail! After all, I don't take I.O.U.s"
'Bloody fantastic,' Draco thought angrily. It was bad enough to actually agree to trying to sleep with her, but to do it within a month and with one hundred thousand Galleons at stake? Thirty days to turn on a charm usually reserved for the weak Pure-bloods that filled the Slytherin Common Rooms? It was nearly impossible, heck, even talking to the Mudblood made him sick to his stomach, let alone anything else. If only the Ministry didn't own his house...
"You're a bastard," Draco murmured.
"Nah, you're just annoyed cause when you said anyone you thought I would pick a beastly girl!" Blaise snapped his fingers, "So uh...you gonna shake on this or what?"
Draco sighed staring at Blaise's opened hand before finally conceding. A ghost of a smile played on Blaise's lips as his fingers coiled around Draco's.
"Oh this is gonna be a fun watch!" hummed Blaise as he raised his glass to the bartender, "Barkeep, another round please!"
E/N: yes I know, Draco is such an evil boy, always thinking a step ahead. :) But yes, Blaise doesn't have much of a motive...