Title: Firefly

Chapter Three: The Bet

Author: Kitty Malfoy

A/N: Ok, here's the bet. And if you haven't seen the movie than I'm not gonna explain it, because that would just be pointlessly ruining it for you. I'll try to make this longer than the previous chapters. And I still need suggestions on how to hurt my debate bitca. If you're confused read the author notes on the bottom of the chapters!!! It's @ the bottom of ch.2

********* September 8, 2004

I'm not sure, but I think I did something very stupid last night. Though, I'm still too hung-over to remember clearly. Let's see. I made fun of Granger and her little dogs and then I snuck out to the Three Broomsticks. I think Pansy was there. I got drunk right about the time she began touching me with her slimy, slutty hands. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy a good whore as much as the next fellow, but Pansy Parkinson should be taken outside and cursed.

Ah well, being Head Boy does have its advantages. There's no pesky common room to question why I came back so late, or as to why I'm hung-over this morning. At any rate, though, I'm sure to see the repercussions of my late-night excursions sometime today. Oh well.

*********

"Oooooooh Draco!"

Draco cringed as Pansy's voice, like nails on a chalkboard, reached his "sensitive" ears. He watched out of the corner of his silver eyes as she strutted; in what he assumed was a seductive way, over towards where he was standing. Her black school robes were unbuttoned and he noticed that she hadn't gotten a new uniform since last year and the gray knit clung to her magically enhanced assets. Her skirt barely covered her ass and exposed more of her tan legs than was appropriate. He fixed his full gaze back on the hallway in front of him, and he kept walking - let her catch up to him.

Eventually she did, and immediately latched onto his forearm. Draco rolled his eyes in disgust. "Remove yourself from my person." He ordered in a scathing tone. Garnet red lips and rouge tinted cheeks hovered inches from his ear as Pansy emitted a high pitched, hysterical giggle. "Oh Draco." Draco cringed a second time and wrenched his arm away with a snarl. "Drop the innocent school girl routine, Pansy."

The same garnet lips curled in their own snarl, and she fell into angry step beside him. "What's up your ass?" Her tongue clicked on the roof of her mouth as she turned her angry blue eyes on him. "Or should I say, who's not up it..."

Draco found it increasingly hard to fight the urge to slap Pansy's over-rouged face. "What are you playing at, Pansy?" He was quickly losing his little patience for the Slytherin House bimbo.

"You haven't forgotten our little bet have you?" She insisted, running her tongue over her teeth. Draco stopped walking, and stared at her in confusion. "What in the nine levels of hell are you going on about?" Pansy smiled slightly, her eyes sparked in confusion. Tan fingers ending in blood red nails raked through Pansy's store-bought golden hair, and she smirked. "Are saying you don't remember our bet?" She asked. Her blue eyes opened wide in surprise.

Draco hitched his back higher up on his shoulder and massaged his temple, reflecting slightly on the many similarities between Pansy and his Aunt Lyla. Once again, Pansy's screeching laugh brought Draco back to the issue at hand. "You don't remember our bet."

"Pansy, I was drunker than shit last night..." He trailed off as a demonic grin grew on Pansy's face. "Pansy..." Draco threatened.

Pansy reached into the front of her uniform; several male students noticed the movement and Pansy didn't waste a moment in indulging them with a seductive look, before she finally pulled out a folded piece of parchment. She held it out to him between her middle and ring finger and shook it slightly in a tempting way. He eyed it slightly and then snatched it out of her grasp. He looked back and forth between Pansy's superior smirk and the parchment as he unfolded it.

* If I, Draco Malfoy, can screw Hermione Granger by the end of the semester, Pansy Parkinson will leave me alone forever. If not, Pansy Parkinson gets my car. *

Draco's eyes widened as his own precise signature in his trademark green ink glared up at him. Pansy's name in pink ink was listed slightly below it. The previous night came back to him along with an awful Butterbeer headache. He looked back at Pansy. His roaring laughter wiped the smirk off of Pansy's china-doll face. He took the parchment and crumpled it between his hands. Pansy's mouth dropped open. Draco smirked; it being his turn to feel superior as it eventually became. Throwing the waded up agreement back at Pansy he turned on his heel and resumed his journey to class.

Pansy snatched it out of the air as it flew at her, and tucked it into her inner robe pocket. She ran after him, and looked up at him and his five-inch advantage. "Well" she snarled. Draco laughed again, and ran his pale fingers through his devilish hair. "You'll have your bet, Pansy." Pansy stopped walking in confusion. Draco walked several more steps and then stopped as well; turning back to look at the girl with his patented smirk.

"I will?" She asked. Draco nodded, and started walking again. "Anything to get you the hell away from me," He said over his shoulder, waving her away with his hand. "I can't wait to be driving down the freeway in my new Jaguar Roadster!" Pansy shouted after him, not caring if he heard her as he turned the corner.

*********

Someone coming in the opposite direction ran smack into Draco as he turned the corner. He grunted as he hit the floor and looked up in mild annoyance as dozens of pieces of parchment rained down on him. Feeling exceptionally superior that he carried all his supplies in his shoulder bag he was about to say as much once he finished checking the said bag to locate any broken items, when he deciphered the identity of the human missile that had crashed into him.

"Oh Bother!" Hermione Granger sighed. She was sprawled out on the floor, only a few feet away from where Draco himself had landed, and was trying to regain her composure and dignity. She hastily swept all her books back into her arms, and looked around desperately for her papers.

"You dropped these." Hermione turned around to see her distinctive papers clutched in Draco's hand. Her own small print writing was visible from where she sat. She eyed his outstretched hand suspiciously. Draco rolled his eyes, and made himself focus on the bet. "Oh, come one, Granger." He exclaimed, "I don't bite." She quirked an eyebrow as she took her papers back.

"Much," he amended good naturally; very Un-Mafoy like. He stood up ad brushed imaginary dust off of his immaculate robes. His thin coral lips reflexively formed their natural smirk as he looked down at her. One robe- covered arm rested on top off his shoulder bag; the other, Draco held out in front of Hermione. She stared at it in confusion. "Don't you trust me, Granger?" he asked; his smile never leaving his face.

"Never trust a Malfoy!" Hermione responded automatically. Her lower lip became trapped between both sets of teeth and she gnawed on it in nervousness when Draco did not move his hand. Finally Hermione spoke.

"I feel in a trusting mood." Was her condescending reply. Draco thought of rolling his eyes at her again and was about to do so, when he remembered why he was being nice to her in the first place.

Hermione's own hand was laid tentatively in his own and he marveled for a split second at its smallness and its warmth - much unlike his own. His eyebrow arched in sarcastic reply and he hoisted the Gryffindor to her feet.

Hermione's hair fanned out around her with the quick movement and sudden rush of wind. Her robes lifted slightly and then resettled as she found her bearing, again. And her hazel eyes swirled in a variety of colors unable to pinpoint on a certain mood or emotion.

Draco found himself staring at the way the castle's candlelight reflected of her honey colored hair. He wondered slightly if it was her natural shade or if it was a store-bought beauty. Though he knew something that beautiful could only be God-given. 'Where did that come from?!'

Natural blush colored Hermione's creamy complexion, and Draco realized that her hand was still clasped in his own. He immediately released it, and Hermione pulled it back to carrying her books with something akin to reluctance. Bewilderment clouded Draco's mind, but his face remained impassive and smirking.

"Thanks Malfoy." She said finally and began to walk away.

"Call me Draco." He asked, touching her arm.

Her face was blank for a second and then she nodded slowly and walked away.

Draco let out an exasperated sigh that ruffled his platinum bangs. A shadow detached from the darkness between the candles. Draco didn't even bother to recognize Pansy as she came up behind him. She opened her mouth to say something, which would most likely only make her sound stupid, and Draco walked away with a growl.

*********

Hermione willed her face to return its natural cream color, but it blatantly refused to cooperate. Her eyes - thankfully - had stopped swirling and changing color and had committed to their natural green hazel mixed with gold.

Fanning herself with her Transfiguration notes she made her way briskly to said class. As she descended floors it became cooler and the heat finally dissipated from Hermione's face. By the time she reached the first floor, and Professor McGonagall's room, her face was back to normal and her composure regained.

Sliding inside she saw her customary seat beside Harry was still empty and se thanked him for saving her seat for her. He answered with a short kiss on her cooled cheek. All Hermione could muster was a weak smile and then McGonagall entered silencing Harry's questioning look.

Hermione could not figure out what it was she was feeling; so in a typical Hermione maneuver she focused every thought on McGonagall's lecture and buried her uncertainty beneath it all. Even as she did so, Hermione had a nagging and persistent feeling that it wouldn't stay buried for long.

**********

OMG! I'm so happy! The lil debate bitca isn't coming to this weekend's tournament! He might even quit the time! I'm ecstatic! And I'm sooo evil. Anyhoo I have to start writing my Debate speeches soon, so the next chapter might be out by Friday, but most likely I have it out on Sunday. Sorry, but that's the way it's got to be.

SEX ANGEL: Not that I mind you liking both Harry/Hermione and Draco/Hermione couplings, but I feel that I must remind you that Harry is going to be painfully and embarrassingly left in the dust. I myself am accepting of H/Hg couplings only because of Hermione. I myself do hate Harry with a fiery, burning passion. Actually, I usually hate most main characters...Back on track: There's a lot of reasons as to why I hate Harry, and if you really want them, ask, and I might get off my lazy bum and e-mail them to you.

Thank you to everyone else who reviewed - I love you all to pieces! Tell your friends! Thank you!

R & R!

Kitty Malfoy (^ ^)]