The girls were scandalized, but none seemed as offended as Pansy Parkinson.
"Some balls, Draco!" she spat.
"I mean yeah they're fanta-" began Ginger, but Pansy gave her a stern look and Ginger shut up immediately. The little first year at the door shrugged and hopped merrily away, leaving Draco alone at the door.
"All right, then," he said, ignoring the whole exchange and looking Hermione in the eye, who was red-faced and hugging a pillow on Ginny's bed. "Anytime now."
"For...for what?" Hermione managed to say.
"Going to Weasley's party, of course," said Draco. He glanced at Ginny. "At least one Weasley isn't going to be there, I see."
"Nope," said Ginny.
Luna raised her hand.
"Absolutely unnecessary, but yes?" said Draco amusedly.
"Are you two going out?" Luna asked.
Draco shrugged. "I would like to, but as you can see, Miss Granger won't get off that bed."
"You know what she meant," spat Pansy. "Go on, Draco. Are you two dating?"
"Why don't you ask her?" said Draco. He seemed to be enjoying himself, leaning against the door frame. "I fancy her greatly."
"Since when?" asked Ginger eagerly. "And I call dibs on your first threesome."
"It's yours," said Draco, and Hermione made a noise that didn't quite sound human as she threw her pillow at him in protest.
"Fine," he said. "You can pick our first threesome."
Ginny cleared her throat. "Listen," she said. "This is an all-girls affair. I'm going to have to ask you to leave, with or without Hermione. Hermione, it's up to you."
She looked more hesitant than she would have liked to admit. She wasn't even sure why Draco wanted to go the party. It seemed to her that he was doing this to make it clear to everyone at Hogwarts that they were together. And she had read too many romance novels to doubt that such sort of situation would sway her heart toward him even more. It's funny how what other people do can affect your own actions and even feelings.
"Don't make me beg," Draco said. "I am not as dashing when I do."
"I would love to see it," said Pansy spitefully.
"Oy!" said Ginny, pointing an accusatory finger at Pansy. "More bitchiness and you're out of this group."
"Hermione?" said Draco.
Hermione bit her lower lip. Slowly, she got off the bed.
"Fine," she said. "I'll go with you."
The girls were ablaze with gossip as soon as the two left. Even the quieter ones like Natalie got busy talking. Ginny had to call the group to order several times, and it was only after she threatened to put a silencing jinx on all of them that their talking became decipherable.
"I've always known, I think," said Ginger. "Boys are always drawn to the type you think they wouldn't be into. Kind of like how good girls often like bad boys."
"What's Draco? A bad boy?" asked Riley Wittler, a seventh year Hufflepuff who had joined the group for the evening.
Ginger shrugged. "Like someone who'd be into casual sex and no meaningful relationship with anyone."
"Like how he actually is?" said Pansy.
"Like you?" asked Luna dreamily.
"Yes, absolutely," said Ginger. "On both accounts. Except guys like Draco do secretly dream of having a meaningful relationship with someone."
"Do you?" asked Riley.
"Oh, absolutely not," laughed Ginger. "I mean I have my draws to some unsuspecting types, but a relationship? Blech."
"What unsuspecting types?" asked Pansy suspiciously.
"Focus! We're talking about Malfoy here," said Ginny, and Ginger gave Ginny a wink, which Ginny thought was subtle enough of a thank you for taking the attention away from Ginger. Then Ginger made a v-shape with her fingers and stuck her tongue between them, and Ginny had to look away.
"I mean, what's the big deal here?" asked Grace Chun, a sixth year Ravenclaw who did not seem to know too much about the two. "They seem to fancy each other and they're going out. Big deal."
"It is a big deal," said Pansy. "Draco's pureblood, she's a mudblood-"
"-watch your mouth," spat Ginny coldly, "or you'll see your blood."
Ginger shrugged. "Whatever blood she is, she sure has got his blood going to all the right places."
"What?" said Natalie. Ginger sighed and put her arm around Natalie again.
"You sweet, sweet, innocent child," Ginger cooed. "I shall adopt you as my mentee. Whom do you wish?"
"I'm sorry?" said Natalie, her cheeks turning adorably pink.
"Who is it," Ginger said slowly, "that you wish to fuck?"
Natalie took a quick intake of breath and soon began hiccuping. It appeared that Grace was her friend; she rushed to the girl's side.
"You've got to be braver than that," Ginger said, clicking her tongue.
"I...I do want to be braver," said Natalie in a tiny voice.
Ginny stretched her arms and got up. "All right, then," she said. She walked over to her trunk on the side of the bed, opened it, and pulled out a large bottle. "Who's up for some firewhiskey?"
There was no one guarding Ron's party, which was held in a one of the larger classrooms that he had gotten approved for renting for the evening. Hermione figured he had given up on enforcing any of his rules given the to-be low attendance. When Draco opened the door and they entered the loud room, however, Ron sprang at them.
"Hermione!? Why are you here with Malfoy?"
"Because she's my date," said Draco coolly.
Ron looked at them in disbelief, and Hermione didn't know what to say.
Draco took Hermione by the arm and led her to the dance floor, where few couples that did show up were dancing while the boys who showed up without dates stood by the walls.
"Come on," Draco said, and he pulled her into a close embrace. Her arms hung at his neck and his hands around her waist. They swayed to the music, and she was so embarrassed she could barely look up at him.
"Why are you doing this?" she asked.
"Doing what?"
"Just...showing up at Ginny's, and coming here..."
He looked like he was waiting for that. He leaned closer so she could hear.
"Because I wanted to convince you that I am serious."
She looked up at him. "Serious about what?"
"About what you do to me, Granger." He smiled softly. "You woke up next to me. I told you it was a nasty prank. I apologized. And now, this is something else. I'm falling for you, and I want you to see that I am serious. I don't care who knows. I want people to know."
He touched her chin and lifted her head. "I've fallen for you, Hermione," he whispered.
"I-" Hermione began, but he shook his head softly.
"Don't say anything right now," he said. "I know I've been awful to you. It'll take time."
She nodded.
"OH MY GOD I CAN'T BELIEVE I'M DOING THIS," yelled Natalie, hopping from one stone tile in the breezeway to the next.
"Merlin, keep your voice down!" hissed Ginny before collapsing to a fit of laughter. It was late, but the girls were hopping across a breezeway to get to the library, drunkenly giggling and occasionally tearing up from too much laughter. Luna had somehow gone and taken out her lion hat from the Quidditch games and was wearing it, and Pansy kept trying to make out with the lion head. Ginger had lost her skirt and shoes somewhere and was skipping tiles only in her blouse, panties, and socks. At about the fourth shot of firewhiskey the girls had decided it would be a brilliant idea to go and fetch Vivian Nguyen, whom Natalie had confessed was her crush at the third shot.
"I've never seen lesbian sex before," Riley said excitedly between hiccups.
"What, so you've seen straight sex before?" laughed Ginny.
"Wait, wait, wait," said Ginger, and the girls stopped walking. Grace fell over.
"What?" said Natalie, who had been somewhat reading the group.
"Have you even kissed a girl before?" asked Ginger seriously. "How are you going to win this Vivian over?"
"I don't know!" said Natalie. She looked genuinely distressed.
"You are going to need practice," said Ginger. "Go on, kiss all of us."
"What!" giggled Natalie. "I can't do that!"
Grace raised her hand. "I wouldn't mind," she said. "Come on, go on. Smooooch." Grace gave Natalie a smack on the lips.
"Oh my god!" breathed Natalie. "That was my first kiss!"
"No, no, no, that's not quite a kiss," said Ginger. "Come here." She pulled Natalie in and kissed her quite aggressively, slipping her tongue in. Natalie's entire body trembled. Ginny shrieked in laughter.
"See?" Ginger said when she pulled away.
"Wow," said Natalie. She looked dazed.
"Why is it so hot!?" exclaimed Riley, ripping open her shirt. No one even noticed as she threw her shirt away.
"Okay," said Ginger. "Now try it on Ginny. Be a sport, Weasley."
"Always," said Ginny.
Natalie giggled and walked over to Ginny. She put her arms around Ginny's neck. "Ready?"
Before Ginny could respond Natalie's lips attacked Ginny's. It felt hot and cold at the same time, and they both shook from each of their tongue's movements.
"Whoa," said Ginny when they finally pulled apart. "That is some serious snogging."
"Yes!" laughed Ginger. "All right, let us all go snog with Vivian."
"Just me!" whined Natalie. They soon got to the library, which they were fairly certain would be empty but for the librarian and very few nerds including Vivian.
"Someone should go and get her to come out," said Ginny.
"I'll do it," offered Ginger.
"You're going to attract attention to yourself," said Pansy.
"Why? I'll be quiet!"
"No, Ginger," said Natalie. "It's because you're in your panties."
Ginger groaned. They decided that Grace should go get Vivian. It was within very few minutes that they emerged from the library onto the hallway.
"What's going on?" said Vivian, understandably confused by the group of drunk and partially dressed girls in front of her.
Ginger put up her hand. "Okay, let me handle this."
Hermione began to worry if her heart was having problems. It was a while since Draco had kissed her oh so tenderly on her lips and dropped her off at her dormitories, but her heart was still thumping like mad. What was happening? Were they dating now? Did she now have a boyfriend? And Draco Malfoy, of all people? She also couldn't wipe the stupid grin off her face, but at the moment she felt safe, as the girls had somehow disappeared and were not around. She couldn't sleep. Her mind was abuzz.
"Well, this isn't going to work," she muttered to herself as she turned around in her bed for the fifth time. She pulled herself up. Perhaps she ought to go for a walk to clear her head. She slipped into her shoes and headed out.
It was a warm and breezy night, and the castle grounds felt so lovely. Perfect. Perhaps it was the bright moon. But, most likely, it was a boy. It was Draco. How one night can shake someone like that. Oh, so perfectly so.
She kept walking, and somehow she found herself by the lake. She stared off at the moon reflected on the lake. Perfect.
Then, she heard something. Instinctively she hid herself in the shadows, although she was fairly certain she as a seventh year was allowed to be outside as long as it was within castle grounds. There seemed to be young men approaching, talking between themselves. She squinted her eyes. It was Crabbe and Goyle.
She stayed where she was, hiding from view. The two walked quite close to where she was but sat down on some large rocks, turned away from her and toward the lake.
"I mean, that's mighty clever, innit?" chortled Crabbe. "I didn't think he'd do it like that, but that's still clever."
"You reckon that's it?" asked Goyle.
"Obviously," said Crabbe. "You don't think Draco really likes that mudblood, do you?"
"He looked like maybe he did," said Goyle darkly. "I mean, going to that Weasley's party with her, with everyone there-"
Crabbe clicked his tongue. "The bet is to have her go nuts for Draco, don't you see? First she's butt naked with him, and then of course she's confused, and then he's nice to her and makes her think he fancies her. Women don't know a thing between confusion and all that mushy gushy stuff."
"How would he even know if he won?"
"If she lets up, I reckon," laughed Crabbe.
Her legs felt weak. She slumped down to the ground. She didn't make a noise. It was already too loud in her head for her to make a single sound out her mouth.
Perfect.