AN: Please enjoy this next part!
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.
"Okay, so the plan to get her back is to apologize?" Blaise asked.
"Yep," I said grinning.
"That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard!" Blaise exclaimed.
"Why? Granger likes people who are nice, thoughtful and caring. If I apologize that would show how nice I am. Then I'll give her the gift on Christmas and she will fall for me all over again!" I concluded.
"You are daft if you think that that's going to work. For a Slytherin, you sure are acting like a...Hufflepuff," He scoffed.
"Don't you ever, call me a Hufflepuff!" I huffed as I plopped down next to him on the couch. "Do you have a better idea?" I asked grimly.
"Why yes, yes I do," He said, as a large smirk glistened across his face.
Two Days Before the Ball
"Your stupid plan didn't work Blaise!" I huffed at him. We both flopped down on the couch and he let out a sigh. "You said that I would have her as my date and girlfriend, at least TWO DAYS before the Ball. There are TWO DAYS before the Ball and she hasn't even had a proper conversation with me since...I don't even know when!" I completely exploded. I felt so defeated. No matter what I tried, she wouldn't give me the time of day anymore.
All my life, I had surrounded myself by these walls, trying to protect my emotional well-being. My father was not one to be affectionate, or allow emotions to be shown at all. I had been punished many times for not being as stoic as him, and had spent years trying to seem disinterested and emotionally unavailable.
Granger was the first person who I allowed to break down my walls. I had fallen for her like Weasley had, like Viktor had, and like all of her friends who had gravitated towards her, because of her marvelous personality. But, I had been an arrogant jerk and walked away from her, from us. I know Blaise was just trying to help me, but this wasn't working. What could I do to make Granger even be my friend again?
"I got it!" Blaise suddenly yelled triumphantly. A couple kids looked at us and glared, before returning to their homework. "You are going to play hard to get!"
"But if she doesn't even look at me, how would that work?" I asked him, confused by his idea.
"Well, since you're trying to win her back, you talk to her everyday. But, if it was to suddenly stop, then she would start to miss that. But mate, if she doesn't like you anymore after what happened, you're going to have to let her go," he concluded.
"I know Blaise. Thanks for your idea. I will put that into action, first thing tomorrow. But what if it doesn't work?" I asked him.
"Then, I guess you guys are finished.
The Day before the Yule Ball:
"So what do you want to do for the potion. The mixing or cutting?" Granger asked me. I just shrugged.
"Dra-Malfoy?" She pushed, sounding annoyed.
"I'll cut the ingredients I guess," I mumbled gathering up the items on the cutting board. I started chopping, scraping, and whacking the materials. I glanced and out of the corner of my eye, and saw Granger staring at me. I sighed, what could have been.
"Malfoy, can we talk?" She asked. Stopping her work to look at me.
"We are," I replied curtly. Focusing on the task at hand.
"About what happened," she continued, folding her arms in front of herself.
"Go ahead," I continued to chop up ingredients and Granger stopped my hand.
"Look Malfoy I-"
"This is clearly a sentimental moment, but you can have that on your own time!" Snape drawled.
"Sorry Professor," we both said in unison.
"I'm sure you are," he said, turning and walking over to Longbottom and Brown's potion. He let out some low tuts before deducting points. Poor Longbottom, couldn't brew a potion to save his life.
"What I was saying Malfoy is that I still want to go to the ball with you. I'm sorry about what happened," the witch said, gazing up at me, waiting for my response.
"Well, for two weeks we didn't talk and you wouldn't even look at me. Where's this coming from?" I replied sourly.
"Have you never tried the "ignore to make jealous" treatment?" She asked, biting her lip nervously. I let out a low chuckle, Merlin she was crafty. She had me going crazy for her for the last two weeks.
"That's what I tried to do today," I admitted sheepishly.
"Well, it worked," she replied, returning to stir the liquid in the cauldron.
"But I just tried it once!" I exclaimed.
"I know. Obviously it worked." She smiled at the potion, and I returned to dicing up the root in front of me.
"But what will we do with Krum and Parkinson?" I asked her.
"Well, I'm sure that Parkinson will have no problem going with a quidditch star. As for Krum, well, he doesn't care as long as the girl isn't hoping for a long term relationship. He really isn't that type," she continued stirring and I added in the freshly cut root.
"Well, with logic like that..." I said, grinning. "I guess it's a date."
"Great!" Granger beamed at me. We worked in silence until our potion was done, and class was dismissed. After clearing up our station, we headed out to the Great Hall for lunch. When we arrived at the Gryffindor table, Weasley was seated in Granger's usual spot. He looked up at her with a hopeful expression, which quickly darkened when he saw me walk in behind her. The witch turned and marched to the Slytherin table, resulting in the Great Hall becoming deadly quiet in anticipation and curiosity.
We sat at the end of the table and I helped myself to some nice shepherd's pie. Granger did the same and drank some pumpkin juice. Everyone else had went back to eating by now and I secretly smirked when I saw Pansy sending death glares at Granger and I. I started to talk to Pansy, but she just stood up and walked over to where Krum was sitting. She sat down beside him and started giggling and holding his arm. What a flirt. I heard her loud and clear as she said an enthusiastic "yes" to something he said. I saw Krum glowering at Hermione and I and sighed inwardly. Some people just got so jealous didn't they.
The day of the Yule Ball:
When I got rudely woken up by Blaise tossing a pillow onto me, I realized that today was the day!
"You got presents mate," Blaise said, greeting me, "Happy Christmas by the way."
"Thanks, you too," I replied. Rubbing my eyes, I glanced at the foot of my bed to see the usual mound of presents sitting on the foot of it. I crawled over and ripped open a small, dark green package. I pull out a periwinkle coloured bow-tie and grinned. I guess my package arrived just in time! Now, Granger and I were going to look marvelous. I opened up some more gifts and got an assortment of bonbons, books, clothes and quidditch supplies.
I tossed Blaise his gift and he caught it with ease. I got him a brand new pocket watch. There was an embossed BZ on the front and tt was silver on the outside and had a magical picture of him and me from last summer on the other side. We had been playing quidditch and had taken the picture during our break. I had found a cool spell that enabled you to get the moving picture on a piece of parchment, which ended up being very useful for moments like that.
"Thanks mate!" He said. He tossed me mine and I unwrapped it.
He had gotten me a personalized snitch. It had my initials on it and it reacted to my touch. The first time I touched it was with my thumb. Upon removing it and then placing my thumb back on it, it popped open. "That's awesome, thanks Blaise!" I exclaimed. I admired it for a moment more and then asked Blaise, "You want to go for breakfast?"
"Yeah sure, I am hungry," He replied. We both got out of our beds and each went to the bathroom to get ready. We headed down and I spotted Granger waiting in the Entrance Hall.
"Sorry excuse me," I said to Blaise. He spotted the witch and nodded. I escorted her to the Slytherin table and we had eggs, toasted bread and jam. We started talking about the upcoming ball and she suddenly said, "Oh and I need you to meet me at our usual place at five o'clock, alright?"
"Yeah sure. But why five?" I asked her puzzled.
"Well, I need to get ready!" She exclaimed.
"But that would give you three hours!" I exclaimed. Raising a quizzical brow. Someone as beautiful as her didn't need three hours to get ready.
"Yes, yes. But, anytime before five I'm busy. Well, I'm meeting Harry and some friends for a snowball fight before hand... You can come if you want?" She said shyly.
"I'm not sure if that's a good idea. Potter and I aren't exactly friendly..." I glanced over at him with the other Gryffindors. Potter and I surely could never be friends, not even for Granger.
"Pleaseeee, I'll talk to him. It is Christmas after all," she begged, looking up at me with pleading eyes.
"Fine. But if he hexes me, you're in a lot of trouble."
AN: I hope you guys liked it!