UNDER MY SPELL
Here goes nothing people…Wherever you see a star (*) check the A/N at the bottom to see the special note…Oh, and everyone knows that technically I don't own this…Oh who am I kidding, technically, JKR owns everything and I own nothing…
CHAPTER SEVEN: OF QUIDDICH AND BAD PICKUP LINES
It was a big match for the Chudley Cannons today. Ginny was packing a picnic lunch for the four of them to take to the game. Ron wouldn't be sitting with them; he had to be down with his team, but he had reserved seats in the top box for the rest. Fred and Angelina were coming, as well as Katie and George, but they were leaving the kids with a sitter, since they were too little to sit still and behave for that length of time. Charlie and Mallory would be there as well. Ginny turned away from the lunches and said, "Aquatis calor." She needed to boil the water for a cup of tea.
Her thoughts turned to more distressing matters. Draco Malfoy. Why did he come to her engagement party? Maybe he'd…changed. Maybe he was…kind. That was really a disconcerting thought. She was so distracted; she nearly put orange juice in her tea rather than milk.
She laughed out loud and shook her head. "I'm losing my mind," she muttered.
"What's that, Gin?" Hermione asked, entering the kitchen.
"Nothing. I wasn't paying attention, and nearly added OJ to my tea instead of milk."
Hermione chuckled. "Classic." She paused. "Mind wandering?"
"I suppose," Ginny answered sipping her tea.
"You've more of an excuse than anyone these days. Engagement, impending marriage, and…Draco's return." Hermione hardly wanted to think about that. He was too calm, too oily. Something about it didn't sit right with her. He wanted something, she was sure. But she wished she knew what.
Ginny shrugged. "Tuna or chicken?"
"Chicken. Ron'll want tuna, but I doubt he'll have a moment to be in the box with us." Hermione sighed. "I'm so proud of him. He's turned that team around. He's always loved them, God knows why, and now he's made them great. Found a great coach—"
"Yeah, Wood's the best." Oliver Wood had been a player for the National English team for eight years, but after the eighth season, Ron asked him to coach the Cannons, and he couldn't resist the offer. "I remember being on the team at Hogwarts. I loved it," Ginny said.
"And you were good at it. Why didn't you go pro?"
"Are you kidding? And pass up fighting accidental magic? Never. I love my job." And she truly did. Ginny enjoyed the fast pace and helping people. It was fun for her.
"I know you do. So do I. Oh, that reminds me, I need you opinion on something."
"What?"
"Well, at work everyone has a lab partner they work with, yada yada yada. Anyway, these two, Sara Greene and Elliot Addleson, can't get along. They just detest each other and no one knows why. They could be a danger to the department, but there's no one else to pair them with. To separate them, I'd have to split up my partner and I, and we work together very smoothly. What should I do?" Hermione snatched a bag of chips and sat at the kitchen table.
"Hmm. First of all, I think you should talk to them and explain the situation. They are adults, after all. Then if that doesn't work, what other choice do you have but to split up you and your partner?" Ginny glanced over her shoulder at a sulking Hermione. "Sorry, I guess that wasn't much help."
"It's not your fault, Gin. I knew it would come down to that. Oh well, I'll do what I have to. I just hope after the three of us have a heart to heart they'll pull themselves together."
"Knock knock, guess who's here?"
Ginny heard her brother's voice and called, "In here, George! Just finishing up the lunch."
George and Katie came into the kitchen. "Katie, oh, you look wonderful!" Hermione gushed as she went to hug her. Katie was very round in her eighth month.
"Oh, I'm as big as a cow and everyone knows it." She laughed. "It'll all be over soon though."
"And then we'll start on the next one," George said happily as he hugged and kissed Ginny, then Hermione.
"To hell we will, mister," Katie said in a half joking manner.
"Aw, I'll wear you down yet. Fred's winning, and we can't have that!"
"It's not a win or lose situation, you idiot." Katie grinned. She enjoyed teasing as much as either of the twins.
"You and Angelina amaze me, Kate. Putting up with those brothers of mine. And you too, Hermione. Although God knows Fred and George are much more of a handful than Ron," Ginny said, packing the sandwiches along with the flasks of pumpkin juice.
"What about Ron?" Ron asked, standing in the doorway with Harry.
"Nothing. Sister dear was just saying how much more handsome and debonair Fred and I are than you." George crossed the kitchen and hugged his brother, the shook hands with Harry. "Long time no see."
"I wish. Katie, how are you?" Ron gave her a hug, and looked at her stomach apprehensively.
"Just fine, Ron." She saw his hesitation. "Do you want to feel him move?"
Ron paled. "Uh, no that's okay, er…" He backed away.
Hermione came up behind him and pushed him forward. "Go ahead, you nerd. She isn't going to bite."
"Is he kicking again, hun? Are you sure you want to go to the game?" George asked, concerned.
"For the hundredth time, I'm fine! Great, just peachy!"
"Leave the poor woman in peace, George. You'll learn quick enough," Fred said as he and Angelina walked in as well.
"Do I need to start locking the door?" Ginny joked. "All these Weasley boys just keep walking in."
"Darn right they do," Charlie said, as he and Mallory joined the group. "Hey Harry."
"How are things, Charlie?" Harry asked, extending his hand.
"Going great." Charlie smiled and took his wife's hand in his.
"Why don't we go in the living room and talk? There'll be more room," Hermione suggested.
Ron checked his watch. It read 'Time to go.' "I don't think we have time, sugar. The game starts in an hour. I'm sorta late already."
"Okay boys, one of you pick up the picnic basket and let's go! Those Cambridge Canaries don't stand a chance!" Ginny yelled.
***
Harry had never realized how big a fan Ginny was. She stood most of the game, screaming encouragements, and sometimes obscenities, at the players.
"Come on, Stevens, get the lead out! That Snitch isn't going to catch itself!"
Harry himself settled for cheering along with the crowd, along with Hermione, Katie and Angelina. Fred and George would yell and shout along with Ginny, but even they weren't as bad. Charlie was surprisingly quiet, but cheered just the same. Mallory clapped politely and watched with avid interest.
"Too bad Bill couldn't make it," Harry mentioned to Charlie.
"Yeah, he would've enjoyed this. Said he was busy though."
"With what?"
"Work, most likely. He tries to divide his time between Egypt and England, and I think the strain is catching up to him. We're not as young as we used to be. Bill's five years from forty, and I'm…almost thirty." He coughed.
"Liar! You're only two years younger than Bill," George said mischievously.
"So that would make you…" Fred pretended to count on his fingers, "Thirty-three, right, Charles?"
Charlie clucked his tongue in good-natured annoyance. Then the gleam was back in his eye. "So that would make you twenty-six, wouldn't it?"
Fred laughed. "And darn proud of it. Don't mess with the best, bro. You never try and make fun of something that turns around and makes you look worse. Or older than dirt."
"You boys are terrible. None of you are older than dirt." She ran a hand along Charlie's collar. "But you'll always be young enough to take me for a fly on your broom."
Fred and George gagged. "That is the worst wizarding pick-up line ever," Fred said.
"We should know, we've used it plenty of times and got nothing," George added.
Angelina and Katie looked over. "Yeah, to bag us, they came up with more original material," Angelina said sarcastically.
Katie rubbed her swollen stomach. "You'll never believe the first line George tried out on me."
Fred leaned in close, his face vaguely annoyed. "What was it? He never mentioned anything to me."
"He said—"
"They don't want to hear that, Kate," George interjected quickly.
"Yes we do," Charlie said.
"He goes, 'My wand is eleven inches long. Wanna make some magic?'* How ridiculous is that?" Katie was laughing so hard, she was crying.
The boys nearly fell out of their seats; they were laughing so hard.
"That—is way—too bad—George," Fred gasped.
"Yeah man, that's sad," Charlie added.
The tops of George's ears were red. "I was only sixteen. It was the best I could come up with at the time."
Hermione tutted, but she was trying very hard to keep a straight face.
Harry smiled and sat back and put his arm around Ginny's chair. She had finally taken a seat, and was sipping some pumpkin juice.
"Dry throat?"
"Yeah. I won't be talking for a few days," she croaked.
He laughed, but stopped abruptly when he saw who had entered the box. Malfoy.
"Harry, Ginny, Hermione, everyone, how lovely to see you," he said slickly. He checked his ticket stub and sat in the empty seat next to Harry. "Ron down with the team?"
"Yes," Hermione answered tightly.
"They're up, 250 to 188, but if Collins gets the Snitch before Stevens…"
"Stevens will get it. He's best in the league," Ginny said proudly.
"Well, my money's on the Cannons," Draco said casually.
"Where else would it be, surrounded by this lot?" Harry said, a shade less than friendly.
Draco nodded. They listened to the commentary.
"And there goes Williams, in possession of the Quaffle, is he going to score? No! Hopkins of the Cannons comes up with a fantastic save! Now Kilroy is in possession, heading for the goals…he scores! Was that the Snitch?"
The crowd hushed, eyes searching for the small golden orb. Harry's eyes scanned the pitch, then he spotted it. "I see it. Over by Goldberg's knee," he whispered to Ginny.
"OVER THERE, YOU BLIND FOOL! GO FOR IT! WIN US THIS MATCH, BABY!" Ginny jumped up and screamed.
Harry flinched at her volume, but Stevens turned his attention to the Snitch, and in an instant, he had it in his hand.
"Stevens has the Snitch! The game is over! The Chudley Cannons win!" The announcer roared.
Everyone in the top box jumped up to cheer. Draco stood with the rest, and clapped lightly.
Fred leaned over to his wife. "What do you make of this Malfoy thing?"
Angelina glanced over to see Draco clapping and shrugged. "I remember him to be awfully conceited. He was the boy with the father that bought the whole Slytherin team new brooms, right?"
"Yeah, that's him. Then he called Hermione a…" he lowered his voice to below a whisper, "mudblood."
Angelina frowned. "Yes, I remember perfectly now."
"What should we do?"
She glanced in Malfoy's direction again. "I don't know. Wait it out, see what he's playing at."
Ginny thought Malfoy was being pleasant. Yes, Draco Malfoy, nice guy. He made conversation with Hermione before Ron joined them in the box, and even complimented Ron on a job well done. Then the shock of a lifetime occurred.
"I was thinking that you four might join me for dinner in London next week. I know this cozy place, good food, good wine. What do you say? My treat."
Ron opened and closed his mouth like a goldfish, Hermione raised an eyebrow, and Harry ran a hand through his hair. Ginny simply gaped.
Draco ignored their reactions. It was too much of a painful reminder that he wasn't welcome. Anywhere. But he pressed on.
"Saturday night, say sevenish?"
Harry found his voice first. "Um…that would be fine, Draco. Where…where should we, er, meet you?"
"Why don't you Apparate to my apartment and we'll have a drink and go from there. Here's the address." He produced a small card and handed it to Harry. "Good day." And on that note, Draco Disapparated.
"This is too weird," Ron said.
"Certainly is," Hermione added.
Harry shrugged. "He seemed sincere enough. Innocent until proven guilty."
"Yes, but has Draco Malfoy ever been innocent?" Ginny asked
*Thanks to all my peeps who discussed bad pickup lines with me…extensively. It was funny, trust me.
Well, see ya in the land of fanficion…oh wait, that's where we are. Welcome to my world, where the sky is purple and the grass is polka dotted…