Chapter 14—Round One
The next day, Draco reluctantly trudged towards the courtyard where everyone was meeting in order to depart to Hogsmeade village. On the way, he passed the Patil twins in the corridor. Padma blushed and looked away, but Parvati shot him a glare that would have frozen firewhiskey. Reflexively, he gave her a cocky grin but thought, Damn. I was so brassed off at the Quidditch fiasco last night that I forgot to write that letter to Hermione. When I get back from Hogsmeade I'll have to give that a shot, he resolved.
Finally, he reached the courtyard, and spied Hermione talking to Ginny. She must have sensed his eyes on her because she gave Ginny a hug and turned and headed quickly over to him. She perched up on tiptoe and gave him a welcoming kiss on the ear. Mmmm…very nice. "You sure you want to go to Hogsmeade? Maybe somewhere private would be more…entertaining," he asked in a husky tone.
Two pink spots appeared on her cheeks. "None of that, now. We're going to meet Harry and Ginny at the Hog's Head. I can't wait!" she said, grinning with excitement.
I sure as hell can. "Yeah, yeah…okay," he said reluctantly. Wait, did she say the Hog's Head? A Malfoy wouldn't be caught dead in a dump like that. "Why aren't we going to The Three Broomsticks?" he demanded.
"The Hog's Head is more private. Plus, we kind of have an 'in' with the owner," Hermione added cryptically. Her brow creased with concern. "Is that a problem?" she asked.
At this point, what difference did it make? Sure, fine, I'll hang out in a dingy hellhole with Saint Scarhead and the bloody Weaselette and share stories about how swell the world is now that Potter the Perfect has saved the day. Draco already couldn't wait for the day to be over, and it had barely begun. "Let's get this over with," he grumbled as he grabbed her hand and headed in the direction of Hogsmeade.
They made it to the Hog's Head in record time. Draco wanted it done with as soon as possible, so he had hurried them to the tavern, barely speaking two words to Hermione during the course of the trip. He figured he ought to be able to stand about 15 minutes, tops, in the presence of that blasted Potter and the sooner Draco got there, the sooner he could leave.
Hermione looked at the clock in the village square. "They're not going to be here for about a half an hour," she said, slightly panting from the rapid pace that Draco had set. "Maybe…" she began, her tone a bit unsure, "maybe we could stop and see Ron at the Weasley Wheezes' new shop? He's helping George part-time with the new location."
Fan-bloody-tastic. Well, at least she was only asking that he meet them one at a time. He supposed it could be worse. Plus, they wouldn't have to stay that long because they would have to leave in order to meet Frick and Frack over at the Hog's Head. He shrugged noncommittally. "Yeah, whatever."
In a few minutes, they found themselves in front of the newest location of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes—a rather garish looking building that was positively plastered in magenta and gold signs screaming the names of their many products such as 'U-NO-POO' and Exploding Hair Potion. Draco perked up a bit, but was careful not to show it. No one had ever known it, but the Weasleys' shop had been one of his favorite places to visit in Diagon Alley. During the summer months, he used to go there on a regular basis to stock up on 'necessaries'. He had developed a grudging respect for the Weasley twins: they had been highly inventive and successful troublemakers in their own right—not quite on his own sinister level, but skilled, nonetheless. He was actually sorry when he had heard that Fred Weasley had been killed at the Battle at Hogwarts. So the Weasel King was working here now, eh? As what, a test subject? Draco mused, as he followed Hermione into the store.
Ron's ginger head was immediately visible as he busily filled a bin marked, 'Trick Wands'. He accidentally dropped one and it instantly turned into a garden gnome that marched up to him and kicked him in the knee. "Bloody hell!" Ron shouted, grabbing his knee. "That's the third time today." He angrily picked up the gnome, gave it a good shake and it promptly changed back into a wand. He grimaced at it and tossed the wand back into the bin with a grunt.
Hermione giggled. Ron immediately turned around and upon seeing her, grinned hugely. "Hey, Hermione," he managed to get out just before she rushed over to give him a hug. Ron hugged her back so enthusiastically that he lifted her off the ground. Hey, numbskull, let go of my girlfriend, Draco silently seethed.
Eventually, Hermione pulled away from Ron (but not soon enough to suit Draco) and led him over to where Draco was standing. Ron," she said nervously, "you remember Draco?"
Talk about the understatement of the year. Ron nodded stiffly. "Malfoy," he managed.
Draco gave him the tiniest sneer, almost too small to be detected. Hermione didn't catch it, but Ron certainly did. His eyes narrowed as Draco gave him back the same stiff nod. "Weasley," Draco returned.
Hermione looked back and forth between the two of them for a moment; the tension was as thick as Polyjuice potion. She swallowed audibly. "Yes, well…why don't you show us around the shop, Ron? It looks great," she said in an attempt to distract them from their mutual dislike.
"Thanks Hermione—it's all due to me, of course." George Weasley swept into the room, a visual assault with his ginger hair and bright magenta robes. "Ickle Ronnie here's just the unskilled laborer," he added with a good-natured nudge to Ron, who scowled back at him. Draco smirked. Anyone who ribbed the Weasley-keep-your-ruddy-hands-off-my-girlfriend-King immediately went up a notch in his estimation.
The smirk must have caught George's eye. "Malfoy," he said turning to Draco. "Always good to see a steady customer, even if you are a royal pain in the arse."
Hermione sucked in her breath. Ron simply looked shocked at the fact that George had even spoken to Draco.
Draco nodded back at him. "Weasley. Seems like you've got a hole lot of good stuff in here." That drew an audible gasp from Hermione. She had told Draco about how George lost his ear in a Death Eater battle and now had a gaping hole on the side of his head. Apparently, she thought ribbing George about his ear was off limits, but nothing was off limits as far as Draco Malfoy was concerned.
There was a moment of silence as George stared at Draco. Hermione had her hands over her mouth. Ron gaped at them like a fish, his mouth open and his eyes wide.
George threw back his head and laughed. "Good one, Malfoy. Hey, you might appreciate some of the new stuff we've been working on…"
The next half hour was spent with George Weasley showing him every experimental product in the store. And of course, George managed to test a few of them on Draco, and even vice-versa. After George had managed to slap a wizard's hat on Draco that turned his entire head purple, Draco immediately whipped the hat off, jammed it on George's head and tapped it with his wand. George's head not only turned purple, but he grew a full, shaggy purple beard with green highlights. As George was trying to pry the spell out of Draco that he had used, Hermione interrupted them. "It's time to go to the Hog's Head," she said, as she stared in consternation at Draco's purple face and hair.
Bugger. I am not meeting Potter with a bloody purple head. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the Weasley King snickering. Draco turned on George. "This had better not be permanent!"
"None of our stuff is permanent, Malfoy," George said in an offhand manner. He was already managing to shrink his beard to a purple and green goatee. "That'll fade in about another 20 minutes or so. You're already a little paler."
"Well…that's good news…" Hermione said, her tone unsure—she had never trusted the Weasleys' products very much. Taking Draco's arm, she waved goodbye to Ron and George. "We really have to get going."
"Hey Malfoy, say hi to Harry for me, will you?" Ron called out, a huge grin on his face.
Draco opened his mouth to retort, but Hermione spoke in a loud voice over him, "It was lovely seeing all of you—thanks, 'bye!" And she quickly pulled him out the door.