A/n: I'm sorry that this chapter is short. See, I spent a week doing nothing but write. I wrote three chapters of this, plus one or two standalone ficlets. Then the disk died. It's been harder to rewrite because I've had to try to remember how exactly I set up the events and it hasn't been easy. Not to mention that Star, who's my beta for this, had assignments and exams and took a few weeks to get around to reading it. This chapter is dedicated to the usual suspects: Star, Faith, Zara and Catherine. Thanks for reading.
Chapter Three: Enemies
"Hermione said you wanted to meet me?"
"I had to ask you something." Lisa replied as Ginny sat down opposite her.
"Sure, what's up?"
"You said you heard me say Draco wasn't evil and that you believed me."
Ginny nodded. "Yes, I saw you touch his arm and I could tell by the looks on your faces that there was a lot of pain but no Dark Mark."
"Then why did you look at him like that? Like you hated him and loathed him?"
"I did. Just because you aren't a Death Eater doesn't mean you aren't evil. And just because you aren't evil doesn't mean you aren't nasty or hateful. But…" Ginny sighed. "I owe you answers. You know that Draco's father is…"
"Yes. I know." There was ice in Lisa's voice as she replied.
"Well, in a round a bout sort of way he opened the Chamber of Secrets in my first year."
Lisa's eyes widened in shock. "What- how- huh?"
"Well, he gave an innocent student a small diary, and she began to write in it. It wrote back. She didn't know he'd given it to her either, she just found it. The thing was, the diary contained the memory of the boy who had opened the Chamber or Secrets fifty years earlier. Under the diary's control, the girl was the one who opened the Chamber."
"Oh gosh. And they took you down there. You must hate him."
"I do. But there's more to it than that. The boy who opened it last time framed Hagrid for it and got a special award for it. His name was Tom Riddle. And Tom Riddle-"
"Is You-Know-Who."
"How did you-? Never mind. Anyway, the girl who was being controlled. That was me."
Lisa sat silently for a while, trying to process everything that was going through her mind. "And Draco's father did all this to you? Gods, no wonder you hate him."
"No, it's not so much that I hate Malfoy – er, Draco. I just hate the fact that he looks so much like the person who almost killed me and a few other students. And for a while, I thought he knew about it."
"Well he doesn't."
"I know. Lisa, how did you know Malfoy, I mean Draco, wasn't evil?"
Lisa hesitated. "You'll have to ask him about that one. But I've been meaning to ask you. What are we going to do about the Hogsmeade visit?"
"Well…we could hope Ron and Harry get detention…"
"Oh, be serious."
"Well…you'll-"
"Ginny! You're a genius!"
"I am?"
"Who is the best person at provoking Ron and Harry into doing something stupid so that they get detention?"
"Oh I am a genius!"
* * * *
"Draco, we need a favour."
Draco looked up at the imploring faces of Lisa and Ginny. "Why do I get the feeling I won't like this?"
"I don't know," Ginny replied innocently. "Must be the way we phrased it, because I'm pretty sure you really will enjoy it."
"Oh?"
"We want you to pick a fight with Harry."
"What?"
"Don't forget Ron," Lisa reminded Ginny.
"Oh yes, my brother too."
"Why?"
"Because I want to spend time with Lisa and Blaise - oh alright, and you - and the best place for that would be Hogsmeade. We need you to pick a fight with Ron and Harry, but not too obviously, make sure they get a detention for the Hogsmeade Weekend and all will be fine and dandy."
Draco frowned. "Sounds fine, but what about Granger?"
"Oh, Hermione knows. She's okay with it."
Draco stared at Ginny for a moment. Big mouth.
"She was suspicious about where I was disappearing to. She knows Lisa. We mentioned that you were a friend and Hermione said she trusted our judgement because, no offense, but in the grand scheme of things you aren't their main concern."
"Right. Are you going to tell Hermione about this plan?"
"We'll have to. Otherwise she might stop them from retaliating. She can come with us."
"Won't people be suspicious about you two and Granger hanging around with me and Blaise? As it is, only Blaise knows that I'm friends with Lisa. Everybody thinks Crabbe and Goyle are my two best friends. The dumb oafs."
"We'll find a secluded niche and if anybody finds us, you and Blaise can start making out and Lisa, Hermione and I will…well, if we do the same we'll probably start more rumours…"
Draco was sure he could feel his chin hitting the floor.
"So much for watching you two make out. Lisa and Hermione can pretend they're tutoring the rest of us together, much to our disgust. Harry and Ron won't fall for it though. They know I'm acing every subject. Well, every subject except Potions," she added hastily.
"Right. Ginny, tell Granger tonight and I'll provoke Potter in Potions tomorrow."
"Of course you will, but this time you'll do it on purpose."
* * * *
Draco Malfoy was worried. He didn't like being worried, but he was. He was lurking outside the Potions classroom with Crabbe and Goyle, waiting for Potter to show up. Blaise was chatting to Pansy nearby and she kept giving him encouraging grins. Draco was usually grateful for those smiles from Blaise, but he was usually good at planning too. And as yet, he hadn't managed to come up with a good plan to rile Potter and Weasley. He'd come up with a few half-baked ideas, but only one that would definitely make Potter and Weasley's blood boil. And he hoped to avoid that plan if at all possible. It looked like he wouldn't have a choice in the matter though, for before he could think of anything better, the two Gryffindors showed up. He hoped Potter and Weasley would be the only two Gryffindors lusting after his blood for what he was about to say.
"Well, well. If it isn't my second favourite Weasley and his permanent fixture, Potter."
Ron Weasley glanced at him sharply. "Second favourite Weasley?"
"Oh come now, even a Gryffindor should be able to figure out who I mean by that. It honestly isn't that complicated."
"Leave my sister alone!" Weasley barked.
"From what she said last night, I don't think she wants me to leave her alone. You wouldn't want me to disappoint her, would you?"
Ron lunged forward but Potter held him back, glaring at Malfoy. Looked like it was time to change angle.
"It wasn't that hard really. Innocent Ginny was still obsessed with Harry Potter. Hurt by his constant rejection, she turns to the first person to give her comfort. Me. Now she completely wrapped around my…little finger. She'll do anything I tell her to. And believe me, the girl has some skills."
Potter let go of his friend and they both lunged at him together, moments before Snape turned the corner. Perhaps he should have waited until he'd thought of a better plan. Not that it didn't work, but perhaps it worked a little too well.
* * * *
"Ron! What happened?" Ginny asked with a small gasp, trying to hide a smile.
"Malfoy," Ron snapped, throwing himself into a chair. "Ginny, you aren't seeing him or anything, are you?"
Ginny no longer had to try to look upset. "What?"
"He was…implying…never mind. I know you wouldn't do anything like that."
"Does he at least look as bad as you do?"
"Worse. Harry and I both jumped him. He has a cut and swollen lip, a black eye and a bloodied up nose."
"Where is Harry?"
"Still getting lectured. We both got detention on the Hogsmeade Weekend and points taken off. Damn Malfoy didn't get punished at all."
'Not yet he didn't,' Ginny thought, fuming. "I have to go. I'll see you later."
Minutes later Draco Malfoy was pinned to a chair in a corner of the library, face to face with a furious Ginny Weasley. "How dare you use me to get to them? I know you were doing it as a favour to Lisa and I, but that gave you no right to drag me into it!"
"It was the best I could come up with at the time. Nobody believed me-"
"That's not the point you idiot! I know nobody would believe you normally, but what happens when people see me spending time with you at Hogsmeade? It would have been a problem to begin with, but now there's no chance! Because of your little stunt, every Gryffindor in the place will be keeping an eye on me and making sure you don't bother me! You're going to have to avoid me like the plague! Which means this whole fiasco was all for nothing! And why are you going purple?"
"You're kneeling on a bruise," Draco explained through gritted teeth. Ginny glanced down and almost burst out laughing. If anybody saw her kneeling on Malfoy's lap, credit would certainly be given to his boasting. She climbed off quickly, still trying not to laugh, and began to examine Malfoy carefully.
"Haven't you been to Madam Pomfrey?"
"She was a little busy. There was an entire class in there. Something to do with Care of Magical Creatures or Potions I'm guessing."
"Guess you'll have to live with the bruises then, won't you. Unless you want to ask Hermione – she taught herself some Healing spells for situations like these."
"Because Granger would so readily agree to healing the person who gave Potter and Weasley their bruises."
"Fine then, I won't ask her. Now what are we going to do about Hogsmeade? I can't be seen with you for obvious reasons, so there goes the plan about pretending we're being tutored. I mean, you could still pretend to be tutored by Hermione and Lisa, but I'd have to steer clear."
"No, that's okay. The less emphasis we put on my schoolwork the better."
"Oh great, so this was all for nothing."
"I wouldn't say nothing. I gave Potter and Weasley matching black eyes and didn't get in any trouble myself, while they'll be scrubbing cauldrons all weekend."
* * * *
"Students, may I have your attention please."
Harry looked up from his breakfast and fixed his attention on Professor Dumbledore.
"It has just been announced that tonight is the Annual Hogsmeade Karaoke Competition. For the occasion, we have decided to make a few exceptions to our usual rules. To begin with, there will be an extended curfew. Students between Third and Fifth Year must return to their common-rooms no later than ten o'clock."
An excited murmur filled the hall and Dumbledore held up his hands for silence.
"Students in Sixth and Seventh Year must return to their common rooms no later than midnight. Any student caught out later than their curfew will be given a week of detention and will lose a point for every minute they are late."
"I can't believe we're going to miss this," Ron hissed to Harry. "This is one of the biggest events in Hogsmeade, but it's the first time in years that it's coincided with one of Hogwarts' Hogsmeade Weekends! And we have a detention because of stupid Malfoy!"
"Also, any student found in Hogsmeade without permission will receive a harsher punishment than usual. Good luck to any students who wish to participate. You may continue with your meal now."
A few hours later, Ron and Harry were on their knees in the dungeons, scrubbing unidentifiable stains from the floor of the Potions Classroom.
"Reckon they'd notice if we just left now? I'd really like to see the Karaoke…"
"Yes Ron. Snape would notice. But look on the bright side…we're almost done. Another half an hour should do it."
Sure enough, when Professor Snape and Professor Dumbledore entered the room thirty minutes later, Harry and Ron were just finishing up.
"Thank you Mr Potter, Mr Weasley. You're dismissed. Why don't you go down and visit Hagrid? If he has nothing left to do, I see no reason why he cannot accompany you to Hogsmeade."
"Professor Dumbledore, surely you can't be suggesting-"
"Severus, they have finished their detention. They may go to Hogsmeade."
Harry and Ron grinned broadly at each other.
"Provided Hagrid is able to escort them, that is."
Harry's heart sank slightly, but as they left the classroom Ron nudged him and whispered, "Come on, Hagrid would do anything for us. If he does have any jobs left over, he'll do them twice as fast if it's for you."
