Best Laid Plans
By Rebecca Starflower
A/N: beta-ed again by the delightful Alex. And to everyone reading this, I love you!
Chapter 2: Returnings
The ceiling shimmered with a million stars as the students tucked in to their homecoming feast. In the middle of the Slytherin table, surrounded by friends and admirers, Draco was telling the tale of his arranged marriage. Even now he bristled at the thought of it. The indignity of having your wife chosen for you! And she wasn't even pretty, not really. Pansy and Blaise particularly supported this view. They were both distraught by the news that their favourite lover was going off the market; their eyes promised him many 'last' flings. He smiled inwardly, knowing there was a good reason for revealing his father's plan.
Across the room, Ron was glaring at Draco suspiciously.
'What do you think he's up to?' he said.
'Who?' Harry asked around a mouthful of mashed potato.
'Malfoy,' Ron answered. 'We haven't had our annual train visit from our little friend.'
'So?' Hermione shrugged. 'Maybe he got bored.'
'Bored?' Ron said incredulously. 'Malfoy? Hermione, have you forgotten the malice of our favourite Slytherin? Have you forgotten his name for you?'
Hermione gave him a withering look and went back to her dinner.
'I'm serious, Harry,' Ron tried again. 'He must be planning something.'
'Um.yeah,' Harry said distantly, staring in Hermione's direction.
'Harry? Harry?' Ron waved a hand in front of the boy's face. Harry shook his head.
'What?'
'Are you ok?'
'Yeah, I'm fine. Look, dessert,' Harry said brightly. The distraction worked: Ron disappeared into a bowl of ice cream. Harry rolled his eyes and went back to gazing at the space occupied by Hermione's head.
***
Late that night clouds flew overhead, house elves scurried around in the basements and Draco and Blaise made "love" in his private bedroom, a privilege that came with being a prefect. Afterwards they lay in each others arms and Draco mused to her ways to get rid of Mariette.
'Ooh, set Potter on her!' Blaise giggled. 'He'd kill her and get himself killed at the same time!'
Draco laughed with her, but secretly adopted the idea and stored it in his mind. 'Get Potter to do it.' he thought. 'Hmm.'
***
Many weeks later the bell went to signify the end of the potions lesson. Draco positioned himself in front of Harry's desk as he packed away his cauldron. Harry looked up in surprise.
'Malfoy,' he said, frowning slightly.
'Potter, I need to speak to you,' Draco drawled non-commitedly, glancing at his watch. Harry motioned to Hermione and Ron that he would catch them up, and followed Draco out of the room.
'So what do you want?' Harry asked, clutching his books to his chest as he leaned against the wall.
'I have a proposition for you.'
Harry raised an eyebrow.
'There is someone I need you to get rid of. She is very.inconvenient to me.' Draco frowned inwardly as he noted that Harry had assumed a look of shock.
'Wh-what?' Harry sputtered. Draco rolled his eyes.
'I need you to kill Mariette Vert. She is the daughter of a Death Eater, if that helps.'
'N-no, it doesn't help! What the hell made you think I would kill someone for you? What the hell made you think I would kill someone, full stop?!' Harry exploded. Draco waved his hands to indicate to him to quieten down.
'Well, there was Cedric Diggory.'
The colour drained from Harry's face.
'You.you dare.' he whispered hoarsely. He swung his fist and felt it connect with Draco's face, not even registering the crash as his books hit the floor. The texts bounced across the ground, settling a few feet away from the struggling pair. A moment later Snape came rushing out of the classroom.
'What is going on here?' he said, his voice as sharp as acidic knives. Harry and Draco pulled away from each other as if they had been stung.
'He started it,' Draco muttered sulkily. Harry was about to defend himself but remembered what had spurred him on to punch Draco, and fixed his gaze onto the floor.
'Is this true?'
Harry sighed.
'Yes,' he said tonelessly.
'Well then,' Snape said coldly. 'Twenty points from Gryffindor and detention tomorrow evening.'
Harry scowled as Snape spun and stalked back into the classroom. Draco slowly got to his feet and dusted himself off.
'So, what do you say?'
'Get bent, Malfoy,' Harry said venomously.
***
Ron was sleeping soundly days later. He dreamt of red hair, of strawberries and creamy skin. He sighed happily and burrowed further into the bed.
'Allo? 'Allo? 'Arry? 'Arry Potter?'
Ron jerked awake and tore at the hangings of his bed. He looked wildly about the room before his eyes lit upon the fireplace. More precisely, the head inside the fireplace.
'Fuck!' Ron exclaimed. 'Who the hell are you?'
'Allo,' the head said. 'I am Mariette Vert. Are you 'Arry Potter?'
'Erm.no,' Ron said, rubbing at his eyes to ascertain the fact that he was awake. 'I'm Ron Weasley, a friend of 'Arry's. Harry's,' he corrected himself, frowning.
'Where is 'Arry? I must speak to him.'
'Um.I'll go and get him.' Ron rose and started to leave the room, but stopped when Mariette called him back.
'Wait! Can I come in?'
'Sure.' Ron watched as she climbed through the fireplace and perched on the end of the bed. Ron couldn't take his eyes off of her, but finally managed to tear his gaze away and back out of the room, leaving Mariette alone.
End of chapter two. Reviews are always appreciated.
By Rebecca Starflower
A/N: beta-ed again by the delightful Alex. And to everyone reading this, I love you!
Chapter 2: Returnings
The ceiling shimmered with a million stars as the students tucked in to their homecoming feast. In the middle of the Slytherin table, surrounded by friends and admirers, Draco was telling the tale of his arranged marriage. Even now he bristled at the thought of it. The indignity of having your wife chosen for you! And she wasn't even pretty, not really. Pansy and Blaise particularly supported this view. They were both distraught by the news that their favourite lover was going off the market; their eyes promised him many 'last' flings. He smiled inwardly, knowing there was a good reason for revealing his father's plan.
Across the room, Ron was glaring at Draco suspiciously.
'What do you think he's up to?' he said.
'Who?' Harry asked around a mouthful of mashed potato.
'Malfoy,' Ron answered. 'We haven't had our annual train visit from our little friend.'
'So?' Hermione shrugged. 'Maybe he got bored.'
'Bored?' Ron said incredulously. 'Malfoy? Hermione, have you forgotten the malice of our favourite Slytherin? Have you forgotten his name for you?'
Hermione gave him a withering look and went back to her dinner.
'I'm serious, Harry,' Ron tried again. 'He must be planning something.'
'Um.yeah,' Harry said distantly, staring in Hermione's direction.
'Harry? Harry?' Ron waved a hand in front of the boy's face. Harry shook his head.
'What?'
'Are you ok?'
'Yeah, I'm fine. Look, dessert,' Harry said brightly. The distraction worked: Ron disappeared into a bowl of ice cream. Harry rolled his eyes and went back to gazing at the space occupied by Hermione's head.
***
Late that night clouds flew overhead, house elves scurried around in the basements and Draco and Blaise made "love" in his private bedroom, a privilege that came with being a prefect. Afterwards they lay in each others arms and Draco mused to her ways to get rid of Mariette.
'Ooh, set Potter on her!' Blaise giggled. 'He'd kill her and get himself killed at the same time!'
Draco laughed with her, but secretly adopted the idea and stored it in his mind. 'Get Potter to do it.' he thought. 'Hmm.'
***
Many weeks later the bell went to signify the end of the potions lesson. Draco positioned himself in front of Harry's desk as he packed away his cauldron. Harry looked up in surprise.
'Malfoy,' he said, frowning slightly.
'Potter, I need to speak to you,' Draco drawled non-commitedly, glancing at his watch. Harry motioned to Hermione and Ron that he would catch them up, and followed Draco out of the room.
'So what do you want?' Harry asked, clutching his books to his chest as he leaned against the wall.
'I have a proposition for you.'
Harry raised an eyebrow.
'There is someone I need you to get rid of. She is very.inconvenient to me.' Draco frowned inwardly as he noted that Harry had assumed a look of shock.
'Wh-what?' Harry sputtered. Draco rolled his eyes.
'I need you to kill Mariette Vert. She is the daughter of a Death Eater, if that helps.'
'N-no, it doesn't help! What the hell made you think I would kill someone for you? What the hell made you think I would kill someone, full stop?!' Harry exploded. Draco waved his hands to indicate to him to quieten down.
'Well, there was Cedric Diggory.'
The colour drained from Harry's face.
'You.you dare.' he whispered hoarsely. He swung his fist and felt it connect with Draco's face, not even registering the crash as his books hit the floor. The texts bounced across the ground, settling a few feet away from the struggling pair. A moment later Snape came rushing out of the classroom.
'What is going on here?' he said, his voice as sharp as acidic knives. Harry and Draco pulled away from each other as if they had been stung.
'He started it,' Draco muttered sulkily. Harry was about to defend himself but remembered what had spurred him on to punch Draco, and fixed his gaze onto the floor.
'Is this true?'
Harry sighed.
'Yes,' he said tonelessly.
'Well then,' Snape said coldly. 'Twenty points from Gryffindor and detention tomorrow evening.'
Harry scowled as Snape spun and stalked back into the classroom. Draco slowly got to his feet and dusted himself off.
'So, what do you say?'
'Get bent, Malfoy,' Harry said venomously.
***
Ron was sleeping soundly days later. He dreamt of red hair, of strawberries and creamy skin. He sighed happily and burrowed further into the bed.
'Allo? 'Allo? 'Arry? 'Arry Potter?'
Ron jerked awake and tore at the hangings of his bed. He looked wildly about the room before his eyes lit upon the fireplace. More precisely, the head inside the fireplace.
'Fuck!' Ron exclaimed. 'Who the hell are you?'
'Allo,' the head said. 'I am Mariette Vert. Are you 'Arry Potter?'
'Erm.no,' Ron said, rubbing at his eyes to ascertain the fact that he was awake. 'I'm Ron Weasley, a friend of 'Arry's. Harry's,' he corrected himself, frowning.
'Where is 'Arry? I must speak to him.'
'Um.I'll go and get him.' Ron rose and started to leave the room, but stopped when Mariette called him back.
'Wait! Can I come in?'
'Sure.' Ron watched as she climbed through the fireplace and perched on the end of the bed. Ron couldn't take his eyes off of her, but finally managed to tear his gaze away and back out of the room, leaving Mariette alone.
End of chapter two. Reviews are always appreciated.