Disclaimer: I don't own a bunny. I don't own a tiger. And I don't own Harry Potter. Capisce?
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The Founding of Pigwarts II – Cooking Chaos
Chapter 9: Why You Should Never Blackmail Gryffindors
Ginny had to admit that Hermione had been sort of right calling him a white tiger – the way he stood in the middle of the dungeon, eyeing them carefully but not saying a word looked so much like a predator a second before leaping at its prey that she couldn't help but draw her wand and take a backwards step behind Daphne.
This was not being a coward. This was simply wishing to be alive till her wedding-day. (And after that, too, of course.)
"Hey, Draco," Daphne greeted him cheerfully, like a blind bunny in front of a wolf (or a tiger). "How are you doing?"
"Fine," he said, and his voice was strangely calm. Ginny, who was used to the loud and boiling anger of her brothers (especially Ron), would have almost let it trick her into false safety, had there not been the look in his grey eyes that promised not only to kill them, but to also hack into pieces and feed to a wolf (or a tiger).
"I see the spell has worn off," Daphne continued conversationally, while Ginny resisted the urge to run away and hide under the bed with all her courage, and pride, and stubbornness, and mostly the reluctance to turn her back to him.
A livid Ron was a daily occurrence. A livid Harry was possible to calm down with a few seductive looks and kisses. A livid Hermione was better to have as far as possible from oneself. But a livid Malfoy was better not to have at all.
"Yes, it did," he answered just as casually as the other Slytherin.
"I assume the experience wasn't totally unpleasant?" Daphne went a bit further.
"Just as unpleasant as being chained to a wall usually is."
"Usually? Does it happen to you often?"
Draco shrugged.
"So this time was just like all the other times?" she inquired.
"Well," he drawled. "There were the cookies."
"Oh, I see the plate is empty. Did you enjoy those cookies?"
"They were fine."
"Just fine?"
Oh Merlin! Ginny thought. If this is subtlety then kill me now. Or at least stupefy me.
A livid Draco was horrible beyond belief (or at least beyond her expectations). But hearing a livid Draco talk about his favourite cookies, and when he had last had them was unbearable. Livid people were not supposed to have a polite conversation about cookies, for crying out loud! They were supposed to be crying out loud at each other.
This kind of silent anger was not only dangerous, it was annoying as well.
"Oh, for the sake of pink sheep and flying anacondas!" Ginny exclaimed at last, cutting through the debate of coconut versus almond inside cookies.
"Malfoy knows we were here and saw the whole thing, and we know Malfoy knows we were here and saw the whole thing! I suppose subtlety can be nice and dandy and all that, but you got to draw a line somewhere. Somewhere way before coconut and almonds. Besides, maple syrup is the best."
Daphne and Malfoy were both looking at her as if she were crazy. She couldn't quite blame them.
"Maple syrup? In cookies?" Daphne was shocked.
"You saw the whole thing?" Draco asked, the very very very grim look on his face ruined only by his blush.
"Erm," Ginny said. It seemed Malfoy hadn't known they saw the whole thing after all. Well, if he didn't know it, then why in the name of Merlin's left sock was he that angry?
"Well, if you didn't know it, then why in the name of Merlin's left sock were you that angry?" Ginny accused.
"If you saw the whole thing do you really need to ask?"
Ginny thought about it for a moment. And then for another moment.
"Oh!" she exclaimed at last. "You were not so much angry at us but at Hermione for sneaking out like that, like you were nothing to her but a dirty little secret!"
"Ginny," Daphne spoke softly. "Shut up."
But Ginny was too zealous to stop just yet.
"That's it, isn't it? You did fake sleep, giving her the opportunity to sneak away, but you still hoped she would stay, didn't you?"
"Ginny, shut up!" Daphne whispered urgently.
"And that means you actually care for her, and with leaving she has broken your poor little heart."
"Silencio," Daphne said, pointing her wand at her friend. "Sorry about that – Gryffindors."
The last bit was meant to Malfoy, who nodded once in understanding.
"Anyway," she continued. "The deal is this – you have some pictures of Crabbe and Ginny, I have heard. I, on the other hand, have some pictures of you and Hermione. Now, you keep your pictures away from public eye, and we will do the same. Capisce?"
"Why are you helping a Gryffindor, Daphne?"
"Why are you loving a Gryffindor, Draco?"
"Why are you trying to set me up with a Gryffindor, Daphne?"
"I'm not, I simply wanted the pictures," she lied.
"But the answer," Daphne added after a moment. "Is one and the same. Gryffindors – you can't live with them, yet you can't live without them."
"I have managed to live without them perfectly fine, so far."
"Indeed," she smirked. "So far."
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"Now why did you have to do that?" Ginny demanded to know once they were out of the dungeons and making their way towards the front doors of the manor.
"Because you started to babble."
"I do not babble!" she cried in indignation. (And in sheer joy to be able to cry again.)
"You should learn to be subtle."
"I can be subtle. You two were simply being ridiculous."
"No. I was simply trying to make him blurt out the truth," Daphne explained.
"Oh. Sorry."
"No matter," she said, getting into good spirits again. "He wouldn't have let it slip anyway. Besides, did you see the look on his face when you said we had seen it all? The last time he blushed that much was when my grand-aunt told him what a pretty girl he was."
"When was that?"
"A month ago."
Ginny halted in surprise.
"You aunt has a bad eyesight?"
"No, just a bad sense of humour. Although this time it was worth it – he's so cute when he blushes."
They had almost reached the door when Daphne suddenly turned away and dragged Ginny with her.
"Where are we going?" the redhead questioned.
"To check out the rooms for the school."
"Now?" Ginny asked incredulously. "When Malfoy's at home?"
"Sure thing. We're here already. And he's still in the dungeons wallowing in self-pity."
"Why?"
"Because you were right," Daphne answered simply. "She did break his heart."
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Next morning, the pictures of Crabbe kissing Ginny were on the front page of the Daily Prophet.
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Note: I'm so evil, aren't I? Well, now you know what happened to those pictures. ;) REVIEW!
