chapter 2
"Pansy, don't you dare even think about backing out now. When we put the Veritaserum in the pumpkin juice at the Yule Ball, It will turn into one hell of a party!" Draco Malfoy was pacing around his room, getting dressed for dinner at the Great Hall. Pansy Parkinson, his confidante and partner in crime, was sitting lazily in his chair, with one leg tucked under her, her left arm stretched out over the arm of the chair, eating an apple.
"Drake-- oh, I mean, Draco," she drawled with special emphasis. "I'm not backing out. I just don't understand how we can get away with it. I mean, Dumbledore will know it was us when we're the only ones running round not under the spell."
Draco tucked his white tailored dress shirt into his black trousers and buckled his leather belt. "Pansy, even if that happens, we just say we happened not to drink any. And besides," he added with a smirk as he pushed back his hair, "If worse comes to worse, there's no way we will be expelled because I know people in some high places."
"Oh God, Draco, you're not going to get your dad involved, are you?" whined Pansy.
"Relax," he retorted. "We haven't been caught yet. The ball is still three days away. Come on, pull on your shirt, and let's go."
Pansy threw the remains of her apple at Draco's turned back, but he whirled around just in time and caught it. "Awww, now Pansy, we can't have that. Are you going to get dressed and come with me, or shall I put you in your place again?" he mused, with a raised eyebrow.
Pansy looked up at him with wide eyes. She got slowly to her feet, walked over to him, and he backed up to his dresser. He looked a little nervous, not sure what she was going to do. Pansy leaned close to him, pressing the length of her body against his, and brought her right arm around his middle.
She grabbed her shirt from the top of the dresser, smirking confidently to her reflection in the mirror, and stepped back from Draco. "Jerk off," she instructed matter-of-factly. Pansy pulled on her shirt and left the room.
"Bitch," Draco breathed, surprised that someone had beaten him at his own game.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ginny Weasley was having one of the worst days of her life. She'd lost ten points from Gryffindor for being late to Muggle Studies, as a result of having to stay after potions class to receive a detention from Professor Snape, just after tripping over that stupid bastard Malfoy's broomstick on the way to Care of Magical Creatures, only to realize, upon arriving late, that she was supposed to be in Potions instead. AND, arriving fifteen minutes late to class, she tried to open the door quietly, but it stuck, and when she finally opened it, she burst into the classroom and went flying, landing right in front of Snape's desk. Hence, the detention.
In addition to that, she was having problems with Harry. Just yesterday, he had tried to 'seduce her' of sorts, and she'd refused him for the eighth time in the last two weeks. She had started to tell him what had been bothering her for so long, but they were interrupted by Ron, of all people. She knew Harry had taken it personally that she hadn't just told him.
But if she did tell him, even now, who knows how he would react? She was scared to think about it herself. This could change everything for her, for Harry. for everybody. She only hoped it was a mistake. Only time would tell.
"Ginny."
Ginny had been sitting at a table in Potions class for the last twenty minutes, inventorying potion ingredients as part of her punishment from Snape. She turned around when she heard a familiar voice hiss her name.
Seeing as no one was there, she assumed the identity of the addresser. "Harry?" she hissed back.
"Yeah. I've got to talk to you for a second." Ginny got up from the table, looked to see that Snape was still in his office, and scurried over to where she guessed Harry was. He removed some of the invisibility cloak and Ginny could see his face floating in front of her.
"Gin, I'm sorry I've been weird around you. It's just that I've been really stressed lately, and Ron's still cheesed about that time he found us in my bedroom."
Harry wanted to add that he knew what she was going to say, and that Ron would be more than "cheesed" if he knew about that. But he figured that she should tell him when she was ready, although he didn't have a clue what he would do about it. It was his fault, he reasoned, that she was pregnant anyway.
"It's okay, Harry. I haven't been exactly straightforward with you. It's just there's been something that's been bothering me lately. I--" She was cut off by a noise from Snape's office. She knew he was coming, and pushed Harry toward the door. He turned to look, and then ran, at Ginny's encouragement.
Ginny ran back to her seat. "Miss Weasley, this is pitiful. I'd expect more from half an hour of work," Snape announced. He put down her parchment and stalked off toward his office again.
At least he didn't take any points away, she thought bitterly, now thoroughly furious.
Snape stopped in the doorway and looked back. "Five points from Gryffindor for your inefficiency."
* * *
"Pansy, don't you dare even think about backing out now. When we put the Veritaserum in the pumpkin juice at the Yule Ball, It will turn into one hell of a party!" Draco Malfoy was pacing around his room, getting dressed for dinner at the Great Hall. Pansy Parkinson, his confidante and partner in crime, was sitting lazily in his chair, with one leg tucked under her, her left arm stretched out over the arm of the chair, eating an apple.
"Drake-- oh, I mean, Draco," she drawled with special emphasis. "I'm not backing out. I just don't understand how we can get away with it. I mean, Dumbledore will know it was us when we're the only ones running round not under the spell."
Draco tucked his white tailored dress shirt into his black trousers and buckled his leather belt. "Pansy, even if that happens, we just say we happened not to drink any. And besides," he added with a smirk as he pushed back his hair, "If worse comes to worse, there's no way we will be expelled because I know people in some high places."
"Oh God, Draco, you're not going to get your dad involved, are you?" whined Pansy.
"Relax," he retorted. "We haven't been caught yet. The ball is still three days away. Come on, pull on your shirt, and let's go."
Pansy threw the remains of her apple at Draco's turned back, but he whirled around just in time and caught it. "Awww, now Pansy, we can't have that. Are you going to get dressed and come with me, or shall I put you in your place again?" he mused, with a raised eyebrow.
Pansy looked up at him with wide eyes. She got slowly to her feet, walked over to him, and he backed up to his dresser. He looked a little nervous, not sure what she was going to do. Pansy leaned close to him, pressing the length of her body against his, and brought her right arm around his middle.
She grabbed her shirt from the top of the dresser, smirking confidently to her reflection in the mirror, and stepped back from Draco. "Jerk off," she instructed matter-of-factly. Pansy pulled on her shirt and left the room.
"Bitch," Draco breathed, surprised that someone had beaten him at his own game.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ginny Weasley was having one of the worst days of her life. She'd lost ten points from Gryffindor for being late to Muggle Studies, as a result of having to stay after potions class to receive a detention from Professor Snape, just after tripping over that stupid bastard Malfoy's broomstick on the way to Care of Magical Creatures, only to realize, upon arriving late, that she was supposed to be in Potions instead. AND, arriving fifteen minutes late to class, she tried to open the door quietly, but it stuck, and when she finally opened it, she burst into the classroom and went flying, landing right in front of Snape's desk. Hence, the detention.
In addition to that, she was having problems with Harry. Just yesterday, he had tried to 'seduce her' of sorts, and she'd refused him for the eighth time in the last two weeks. She had started to tell him what had been bothering her for so long, but they were interrupted by Ron, of all people. She knew Harry had taken it personally that she hadn't just told him.
But if she did tell him, even now, who knows how he would react? She was scared to think about it herself. This could change everything for her, for Harry. for everybody. She only hoped it was a mistake. Only time would tell.
"Ginny."
Ginny had been sitting at a table in Potions class for the last twenty minutes, inventorying potion ingredients as part of her punishment from Snape. She turned around when she heard a familiar voice hiss her name.
Seeing as no one was there, she assumed the identity of the addresser. "Harry?" she hissed back.
"Yeah. I've got to talk to you for a second." Ginny got up from the table, looked to see that Snape was still in his office, and scurried over to where she guessed Harry was. He removed some of the invisibility cloak and Ginny could see his face floating in front of her.
"Gin, I'm sorry I've been weird around you. It's just that I've been really stressed lately, and Ron's still cheesed about that time he found us in my bedroom."
Harry wanted to add that he knew what she was going to say, and that Ron would be more than "cheesed" if he knew about that. But he figured that she should tell him when she was ready, although he didn't have a clue what he would do about it. It was his fault, he reasoned, that she was pregnant anyway.
"It's okay, Harry. I haven't been exactly straightforward with you. It's just there's been something that's been bothering me lately. I--" She was cut off by a noise from Snape's office. She knew he was coming, and pushed Harry toward the door. He turned to look, and then ran, at Ginny's encouragement.
Ginny ran back to her seat. "Miss Weasley, this is pitiful. I'd expect more from half an hour of work," Snape announced. He put down her parchment and stalked off toward his office again.
At least he didn't take any points away, she thought bitterly, now thoroughly furious.
Snape stopped in the doorway and looked back. "Five points from Gryffindor for your inefficiency."
* * *