An Unexpected Flame
AN – Thanks heaps for the reviews, you guys are great! I hope you enjoy this chapter and please let me know what you think! Suggestions and corrections welcome :)
Aristocat
Chapter 4 – Laughs with Snape
He had to be careful now. Weasley girl was a different kind of challenge than he was used to. Hold the bird too tightly and he would crush it, too loosely and it would fly away. Draco needed to find the balance especially considering her fiery temper. He had to think methodically and cunningly. Make the right moves at the right time but of course risks needed to be taken when the time came. It was realizing when the time was right that was the hard part. These thoughts consumed Draco Malfoy as he made his way toward his room on the fourth floor. He was so preoccupied that he didn't notice the sound of footsteps that followed him.
"Admiratio" he muttered to the black suit of armour that lifted up his visor in recognition before opening the door that had just appeared in the space of wall next to him. Noticing that the common room was empty he smiled before gliding to the dark green couch and plonking himself on it happily. He was glad to have caught a moment of peace after feeling content with his days work so far.
"I like the new place Draco." A voice came from behind him causing him to jump much to his dismay. Whipping his head around Draco came face to face with Evangeline. She really was determined he thought with a scowl.
"Didn't think you would be one to jump." She smirked as she sauntered toward him on the couch.
"What can I say? I didn't expect someone to break into my dormitory." Draco grimaced as she approached him running a hand on his chest.
"Looks like I owe you again…maybe you should show me to your room." She was way too easy however he felt torn. Nothing would top off a good day more than a little kiss and tickle but he knew that as soon as he crossed that line things would get complicated. Especially with this girl, she had trouble written all over her. Draco also knew that for his plan to work he needed to show no interest in other girls, complete chastity. As much as it pained him he knew he had to get rid of Evangeline and quickly because he didn't want to test his will power. Draco's gray eyes gleamed as he had finally found the most entertaining way to do it.
"I was hoping you would say that." Smiling seductively Draco took her hand and led her to his room. Evangeline's face lit up in triumph as she thought that she had finally gotten her way with him. Draco put his hand on the door which opened up to his handsome room decorated in the homely green and silver. Evangeline let go of his hand and sauntered to the large bed, smiling at him over her shoulder enticingly as she did. What a little minx. Finally lying on the bed she made herself comfortable and waited. However Draco had other plans and made his way toward the table finding the piece of parchment he had been looking for and reading it briskly. Grinning he walked to the blank spot of wall near his desk before calling her over softly. She was there in an instant going straight for his mouth but he was too quick. Draco grabbed her roughly and spun her around so he pinned her against the wall. Evangeline giggled in delight clearly enjoying the thought of what was to come. Unfortunately Draco was about to burst her bubble. Wanting to get the most satisfaction Draco finished the act. He dipped his head toward her neck breathing softly causing her to shudder in anticipation. That was when he did it.
"Bertie" He thought purposefully causing the wall to glow green behind Evangeline. Leaning back with a smirk Draco pushed her hard through the portal. For the second time that day time seemed to slow down. Evangeline's face grew wide as the shock of what was happening sunk in. Her arms thrashed through the air slowly as she tried to stop the inevitable. Soon she had completely disappeared through portal.
"Bott's" Draco thought quickly causing the wall to return to its normal state before she could attempt to get back in. Nice trick, a bit brutal but maybe that would stop her advances. Draco nodded with appreciation as he turned to look at his room. The room had been better than he had expected. King sized four-poster bed with dark mahogany furnishing which also matched the other furniture in his room. Large wardrobe, desk, chairs and a black leather couch. An enchanted bookcase which allowed him direct access to the library books after hours. A nice dark green shag rug lay by the fireplace. Draco was most impressed by two of the perks. He had his own large bathroom and also a private balcony which would definitely come in handy.
Draco lit up a cigarette as he walked into the fresh air. The view was rather nice. There was clear view of the grounds, the lake and then the mountain and hills in the distance. Very pleasant he admitted as he sat down on the chair and put his feet up on the railings. Smiling he started making green smoke rings without thinking. It was very surprising because he only ever did that when he was happy and the last time had been nearly three years ago. Wow, that was rather depressing but he refused to dwell on that. Draco was a free agent, he was no longer held but the strings his father controlled and he finally had the chance to live his own life without having someone constantly looking over his shoulder. Although he would always be loyal to his father it didn't mean that he had to agree with all his views and it was much easier to do so with him in Azkaban. Draco was ashamed to admit that he was beginning to prefer life without his constant interference. He was now free to do as he wished and his plan was the first step. Draco Malfoy was going to catch the bird.
/\/\/\/o\/\/\/\
Bloody Malfoy. It hadn't taken Ginny long to decide that everything that went wrong today was completely his fault. If he hadn't been so…so…
"Miss Weasley this is the last time I'm going to ask. Pay attention!" Professor Snape snapped. Ginny woke from her daze and planned to look at Snape and apologise however in her current state she wasn't thinking logically. In fact all could she could think about were the images Alex had created last night. Snape sucking firewhiskey off of Alex's stomach, skinny dipping- Before she could stop herself she broke out in a fit of giggles and as much as she tried she couldn't stop. Apart from her laughing the room had grown deadly silent. Student's exchanged subtle grins as they watched Snape twitch.
"That is it Miss Weasley! Since you find me so amusing then you should be glad to know that you will be spending the next week in detention with me in the dungeons. For added measures twenty points will also be taken from Gryffindor for your sheer lack of respect." Ginny tried. She really did but she just could not manage to keep a straight face during her tongue lashing which was probably why the added measures were necessary. However before she could get herself in more trouble she was thankfully saved by the bell. As she was making her way out the door both her elbows were caught and she was promptly led to a discreet alcove in the corridor. Ginny was still giggling softly as Alex and Claire confronted her.
"What was that all about?" Alex grinned, eyes twinkling knowingly. Ginny abruptly stopped laughing realizing what had just happened and looked up in horror.
"I blame you and Draco bloody Malfoy!" She pointed to Alex accusingly.
"Me?" she laughed, "What did I do?"
"You told me that ridiculous story about you and Snape and then I had all these visual images in my head and when I looked at him…" She trailed off suddenly grinning at the thought again which caused the other two to laugh. Suddenly realizing what had happened again she shook her head and put on her angry face.
"Enough of that!" Ginny yelled causing the girls to jump and several people walking past in the corridor. "How in merlins name am I going to survive seven nights of detention with him? Ahhhh!" she groaned helplessly.
"What was that whole thing with Draco Malfoy?" Claire piped up for the first time after the moment of silence. This caused a strange look from Alex who Claire hadn't had time to fill in. Ginny gave Claire a dark look at the thought.
"Well you saw it; he stopped me from falling down the stairs." Noticing the look on Alex's face Claire quickly told her the story while Ginny seemed to be off in her head again.
Bloody Malfoy. If that episode had never happened she would not have been too busy thinking about it in Potions and she would not have gotten the detentions! She was brought back to the present by Alex's gasp.
"What happened with Malfoy after Claire left for Potions?" Alex couldn't hide the excitement in her voice, nor could Claire hide it on her face. Ginny couldn't tell them the truth. Telling them that Malfoy had thrown her over his shoulder like a naughty little girl would hurt her pride far too much. It was an effort not to flush at the thought. Part of what she had been wondering since the encounter was if he would gloat about what had happened with his lackeys. Though she thought the fact that she was a "dirty blood traitor" might keep him quiet but she couldn't bank on it. There was a loud cough which caused Ginny to look up.
"Earth to Ginny! Seriously you've become nearly as bad as Luna except she can still manage a conversation." Ginny blushed at Alex's words, she had been doing a few Luna's lately.
"Sorry, what was the question again?"
"What happened with Malfoy after Claire left for Potions?" Alex said with slight irritation in her voice.
"He just helped me to the Hospital Wing. That's all." She could tell they didn't completely buy the story. They knew how stubborn she was and how much she detested accepting help especially from a Slytherin. After a moment they seemed to nod with a look of disappointment maybe. She wasn't quite sure. The two girls seemed to notice her reluctance and changed the subject as they made their way to their next double lesson.
/\/\/\/o\/\/\/\
Ginny was exhausted when she finally made it to lunch. Luckily she hadn't had to concentrate so hard in Care of Magical Creatures as Hagrid seemed to be so focused on ensuring the rowdier students didn't have an accident with the wild Crup's as their tails were still intact which made them quite dangerous.
She collapsed with a thud next to Alex and opposite Claire. Ginny lay her head on her arms and was contemplating sleep when she was interrupted by a soft tapping on her shoulder.
"What could it be now!" she thought exasperatedly as she turned around and came face to face with her ex-boyfriend Dean Thomas.
"Is it true?" he grinned down at her with a big smile. He looked cute which stopped the nasty retort that had been about to come out of her mouth.
"What are you talking about Dean?" Ginny even managed a weak smile; she couldn't be mean to everyone today.
"Everyone's been talking about it. About how you laughed in Snape's face, I would have loved to have been there!" Dean gushed which caused to Ginny to raise an eyebrow. She remembered he used to be high on compliments before they had gone out and she prayed that he did not have the idea of getting back together in his mind. However his words had sparked her interest and on a quick sweep look of the Great Hall she noticed many groups looking in her direction with grins on their faces.
"Seems like I'm the talk of the day again." She murmured causing her to friends to break out in amused smiles while Dean just scratched his head. He seemed to linger for a moment before going back to his seat taking her answer as a yes. Ginny listened to the whispers around the Great Hall again very seriously this time. She only heard snippets but they were only about the Potions class there was no mention that she could hear about what had happened in the morning with Malfoy. With a sigh of relief her gaze turned to the Slytherin table and it didn't take long to find the blonde haired boy. She openly stared at him. Something had definitely changed in Malfoy, what she wasn't sure but he was different. For one thing he was no longer as predictable as he used to be. For example she had expected to be hexed in the Hospital Wing when she had attempted to slap him or something to happen at least but he had just walked away. Or even the act of going out of his way to stop her from falling down the stairs. That had been definitely out of character. At that moment he turned to look at her purposefully smirking at her. He must have known she had been staring. Damnit! She cursed herself for her stupidity. Ginny was too stubborn to look away immediately so she glared at him for a few long moments before breaking the connection. Ginny grumbled as she kept her eyes to her food, she was so preoccupied she didn't notice that Alex had watched the whole exchange.
/\/\/\/o\/\/\/\
Draco had enjoyed the day immensely so far. He couldn't help but grin when he sat down for lunch and was greeted by a venomous scowl from Evangeline who left shortly after his arrival.
"Looks like she finally got the message." Draco thought smugly as he began to put food on his plate. It was then that he overheard the conversation that a few sixth years were having.
"I couldn't believe the look on his face! Ginny Weasley is getting hotter by the day. I think I will ask her out, even if she is a Gryffindor." The dark haired boy grinned as he chatted to his friends. Draco's breath had caught when he had heard her name, what had she done this time he mused as he grabbed the boy's shoulder. He immediately looked shocked and then fearful, Draco was quite a formidable figure.
"Sorry, I…I…I was only jjjoking. I would nnnever go after a Gryffindor." He stuttered quickly.
"I don't care about that." Draco muttered impatiently. "I want to know the full story."
"Oh." The boy breathed looking slightly relieved. "Ginny Weasley wasn't paying attention in Potions this morning…" Draco smirked. He was definitely getting in her head. "…then when Professor Snape told her off she started laughing in his face. He was so mad he gave her a week of detention and took twenty points from Gryffindor." The boy grinned hoping that the fact that their rival house lost points might soften Draco's mood. Draco nodded as he processed this new information turning away from the pleased boy without another word. It only took a few moments before his eyes lit up as an idea had come to him. What better way to spend time with her than when he didn't have a say in it. Ginny wouldn't be as suspicious of him as she might in another meeting outside. After all who would get a detention on purpose? It was perfect even if it did mean getting a handful of detentions. Seven nights was nothing, it would be fun. With a grin on his face and his mind made up he noticed someone starring at him out of the corner of his eye from what looked like the Gryffindor table. Leaving it for a minute he then turned and locked gazes with Ginny Weasley.
"Wow. I'm definitely in her head." Draco smirked at her which caused her to glare in response. Draco like the fact that she didn't back down straight away, made her seem more of a challenge. Ginny broke the gaze after a while and suddenly became very interested in her food. Draco laughed softly as he looked away he was surprised at how much fun he was having.
Hearing a few dribbles of what Blaise was saying Draco soon joined in the conversation. Blaise was discussing the times for Quidditch tryouts as he was the captain of the Slytherin team but he assured Draco that it wasn't necessary for him to come out as he was already on the team. Draco nodded with the hint of a smile on his lips. Now he could plot all he wanted without distractions.
/\/\/\/o\/\/\/\
Draco had put it to fate that he happened to have Potions after lunch. He wasn't used to things working out for him but the last few days had been exceptions. Maybe it was making up for all the time that his timing had been miserable or he had had bad luck. He decided to just roll with it anyway as he took his seat in Potions class. Once all the Slytherins and Gryffindors had taken their seats Snape began lazily discussing what they would be covering over the year. Already bored Draco briefly glanced around the room when his eyes fell on the 'golden trio' he paused. That expression made him sick. Granger was intently watching Professor Snape her hand seemed ready to shoot up in the air at the hint of a question. Then there was Weasel, the disgusting oaf was looking dumbly at his shoes. Finally Potter. Malfoy sneered as he noticed the bruise on his cheek. Ginny must have put her body behind it because it had definitely left its mark much to his delight. Potter himself looked distant and blank which was nothing new. Draco was about to continue his look around the room when Professor Snape interrupted him.
"Mr. Malfoy." Snape drawled. "My patience is nearly up. I will not have student's daydreaming in my class. Is that clear?" He finished in an icy tone clearly still angry about what had happened earlier. Draco had known what he had to do but he hadn't expected to have to do it so soon. Taking a breath he looked Snape directly in the eye before roaring with laughter. The vein on Snape's forehead nearly popped out as he glared at him. Draco continued laughing banging his hand on his knees for emphasis it was then that Snape flew toward him yanking him off his seat by the ear before dragging him outside. Draco's fake laughter was fuelled by the faces he saw on his way out, they all tried to be so straight but they couldn't quite managed it as the grin was clear in their eyes. He was soon pinned up against the wall by Snape in the corridor.
"I'm not sure what has gotten into you Draco but I assure you this incident will not go unpunished." Snape said in a steely tone. Draco hadn't stopped laughing and didn't plan on it as it was all a part of the plan. This enraged Snape more causing him to shove Draco hard against the wall before continuing.
"You will join Miss Weasley in detention for the rest of the week!" He spat in Draco's face before continuing. "And on top of that you will be banned from my classroom for a fortnight as well as twenty points being taken from Slytherin." With that he grabbed Draco by the robes and threw him toward the stairs before entering his classroom with a swish of his cloak. As the door slammed shut Draco continued to laugh half heartedly as he made his way to the stairs. Though he didn't care that much about school, missing two weeks of Potions was going to put him behind. Hopefully Snape would buy his 'tickling jinx' excuse and not be too hard on him when he got back. Of course Snape would believe it, he could charm anyone. Draco smiled as he stopped laughing. For once in his life Draco couldn't wait until detention.
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