Chapter Four: The Morning After

After a few minutes of discussing their respective boy problems, Ginny hopped off the bed. "I'm so hungry. Let's go get that food bag." She stepped towards the door and moved to unlock it.

"Excuse me?" Hermione looked at Ginny, dumbfounded. "Have you been listening to a word I'm saying? We're going through a slight disaster here, and all you can think about is food!"

"Yeah, you're right. It would be hard to get that bag without the guys seeing us. The last thing I feel like is dealing with them." Ginny sighed sat back down, patting her stomach sympathetically.

Hermione shook her head. "At least we're on the same page about that. But seriously," she leaned back on her elbows, "they were acting so strange. They're never like that, not with anyone."

Ginny laughed. "It would have been great to see!" A pillow flew at her head.

"Not any more entertaining than Malfoy trapping you against a bookcase, I'm sure," Hermione shot back with a grin on her face. But the grin was quickly replaced with a more serious look. "And it's only bound to get worse, you know."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, sociological research shows that under extreme circumstance, people display character traits not that are not in their typical demeanor."

Ginny thought hard. "So you think that the guys are acting odd because we're stuck in here?"

Hermione nodded. "Exactly. Sides of them that we never knew are coming out. For example, under no circumstances would you ever expect Draco Malfoy to be interested in you remotely, let alone throw himself at you- am I correct?" Ginny nodded. "To add to that, Draco was acting nice to me earlier. But that doesn't mean that he really does have a thing for you, or that he really does want me as a friend..."

"...he's just acting that way under these conditions." Ginny finished the sentence. "And that would explain Harry and Ron's behavior, too."

"And now the only problem is to figure out how to get them to stop!" Hermione exclaimed. "And I don't have time to dive into sociological case studies while I'm researching a way to get out of here!"

"Hey, I can help research too!" said Ginny. "But we're going to have to face the guys sooner or later, there's no point in putting it off. We can't hide in here forever; we have to share the bathroom. Plus, I'm starving!"

"Fine," said Hermione, resigned. "Let's go." The girls hooked arms, took a unified deep breath, and walked towards the door.

Harry was tired of waiting by the door. He sighed and walked in the opposite direction. "Giving up already?" taunted Ron.

"No, just taking a different approach. You saw how the poor girl ran. So when she hides from your unsightly advances, I'll be there to comfort her." Harry picked up the red velvet bag and reached in.

Ron looked thoughtful as he recklessly ran a hand through his unruly hair. "Ahh, I see what you're doing- being a friend. Not a bad idea, Potter." He also abandoned his post and walked after Harry.

"Stealing my technique now? Not clever enough to come up with one on your own?" Harry's green eyes sparkled. This was much better than sitting around reading.

"You two have no clue," Draco's distinctive drawl came from behind them. "All you're going to do is scare her away, even if you try to back off a bit."

"What, do you want in on the challenge, too?" asked Ron.

"Dream on Weasley, I wouldn't bring myself down to that level." He snatched the bag from Ron. "I've got better things to do."

"And what would these be?" asked Ron, taking the bag back. But Draco didn't answer. Instead, all three boys turned as the bookcase swung open and the girls walked out. They looked like they were walking into a battlefield- clinging onto each other and hunching down like something would jump on them. When they saw that no one was planning on attacking them, they gave each other a glance and then a quick nod.

Breaking their arms apart, Hermione disappeared into the bedroom and promptly came out with a pile of blankets. She shoved them into Draco's arms. "We're going to bed," she announced, averting her eyes from the other two boys. "We'll leave the door unlocked in case anyone needs to use the lavatory, but if you try anything else we will lock it and you'll just have to find a corner or something."

Ginny walked over to her brother, stuck both hands into the bag he was holding, and pulled out two handfuls. "So, if there's nothing else, we'll see you in the morning." With that, the girls were gone, slamming the bookcase behind them.

Draco grinned. "You really showed her, Potter. It's a wonder she can keep her hands off you." He dropped half the pile on the floor and started walking away. "I'm going to the east wall where no books are on the ground. Please don't attempt to sleep where we can see or hear each other, I prefer my privacy." With that, he was off to perfect his schemes for the next day. I will not fail again, he insisted to himself.

Ginny stretched and turned over. She had slept wonderfully- the bed was so comfortable and she hadn't given a thought to the men problems Hermione and herself would have to face. She turned on her back and stared into space. It was sure a funny feeling, having Draco Malfoy make a pass at her. It had been a frightening experience, yet at the same time it was somehow...exhilarating.

She felt Hermione stir beside her. "You awake, 'Mione?" she called.

"Yeah," came the sleepy reply. "I don't want to get out of bed."

"I know, I'd give anything to avoid those three," replied Ginny, "but we have work to do."

"Yeah, I know." Hermione sighed. "Besides, seems like they're up already. At least one of them is." The shower in the adjacent bathroom was running.

"I hope he hurries up," muttered Ginny. "A shower sounds so refreshing right now."

"Well until he's done," said Hermione, sitting up, "let's talk. We need a game plan for the day."

Ginny also sat. "Okay, but there's not much to talk about. You need to research wandless magic, and I need to look up social interactions in confined areas. We'll work together, so there's no chance that I'll get stuck alone with Draco or you with Harry or Ron."

"Yeah, I guess that's it," said Hermione. She stood and stretched. "A shower does sound good, but I've been in these clothes for more than twenty four hours now, and I slept in them. Even if I clean my body, I'll have to put them back on."

"Well, let's see what madam librarian has to offer," Ginny jumped off the bed and walked over to the wardrobe.

"Wait," said Hermione, "we should respect her privacy."

"Hermione," Ginny whined, "We could be stuck in here for a long time. I don't know about you, but I don't plan on wearing this the whole time." She pointed to her rumpled uniform.

"I guess," said Hermione uncertainly. Ginny proceeded to open the wardrobe and the girls peered anxiously inside.

Ginny giggled. "I guess I shouldn't expect much more from Madame Pince." The wardrobe was full of antiquated dresses, each one floor length with high lacy collars and long puffy sleeves. "She always dresses so conservatively. But imagine one of us in these outfits- not a bit of skin would show, save our faces!" She started pulling out dress after dress, searching for something suitable.

"Well," began Hermione, "that's more of a good thing than a bad thing, especially with how those guys have been acting!" The girls looked at each other and burst out laughing. The waves of laughter came on strong, as they were laughing at everything—the boys, the dresses, the situation in general.

The two were so overcome with their giggles that they didn't even notice when Draco came out of the bathroom- wearing nothing but a towel. He placed his hands on his hips and stood watching the girls as they laughed until they fell on the floor, and started throwing the hideous dresses at each other.

"My oh my, don't you make the happy couple," his mocking voice finally interrupted their giggles. They stopped laughing immediately and turned their heads to see who had addressed them. Hermione gasped and buried her face in a particularly ugly olive green colored gown. Ginny, on the other hand, flushed- not with embarrassment, but with anger. She abruptly stood.

"What in the bloody hell do you think you're doing, Malfoy?" she shrieked. "For the love of everything holy- put on your clothes!"

He sneered and leaned against the wall. "I would, but I can't." He glanced over Ginny's disheveled hair and wrinkled clothing, and found himself very attracted to her just-woke-up look.

"What do you mean you can't?" snapped Ginny. "I think you're perfectly capable of dressing yourself. And if for any reason you're not, then I'm sure Harry or Ron will be more than willing to lend a hand."

"Don't get your knickers in a bunch, Weasley," Draco said, stepping back into the bathroom. He came out with an armful of wet clothing. "My uniform was getting a bit dirty, so I washed it. And since we don't have our wands, I can't very well put a drying spell on it, can I? So until then, it looks like I'll just have to wear nothing but this towel. Not that you'd mind, Miss Ginny, you haven't taken your eyes off me."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Get over yourself, Malfoy." She suddenly grinned deviously. Grabbing the dress that Hermione was trying to hide herself in, Ginny threw it over to Draco. "Here, wear this. It can be nothing but an improvement." Both girls burst out laughing once more.

Draco looked horrified. "You have to be kidding."

Hermione cleared her throat and finally spoke up. "Well, looking at things logically, you're going to have to wear something. Ginny and I are going to be getting ready and dressed, so you can't stay in here until your clothes are dry. And for some reason I don't think you'd want to hang out with the other boys wearing nothing but a towel. But then again, I could be wrong." She smiled.

His horrification grew. "You're right, Granger." At hearing him refer to her by anything but "Mudblood," Hermione smiled, but she didn't say anything. Draco continued. "But there's no way I'm going to wear a dress around them either." He held up the atrocity Ginny had flung at him. "Besides, this shade of green is awful with my complexion."

Ginny let out a genuine laugh at his joke, but quickly tried to cover it up, acting angry again. "Well, you'll have to do something, Malfoy. Hermione and I will leave the room now, and we'll come back in five minutes later. By that time, you'd better have some clothes on your body, or else." The girls turned and left, and Draco frowned, assessing his options.

"Honestly," said Ginny, "I don't know why he can't just wear his wet clothes. It's not that big of a deal."

Hermione shushed her. "Keep your voice down! Harry and Ron are probably still sleeping, and we don't want to wake them just so they can bother us."

Ginny turned and looked at her. "I think that you just don't want them to see you like this- barely awake, hair a mess, clothes wrinkled, eyes puffy."

"You very well know that I don't care what they think," huffed Hermione, "especially when it comes to appearance."

"Sure," taunted Ginny, "say what you want, but I know the truth. I think you really like all this attention you're getting."

Hermione looked like she had just been accused of carrying on an affair with Hagrid. "Ginny! I can't believe you're even insinuating that!"

Ginny laughed. "Relax, I'm just kidding. But I really want to get in the shower. Has it been five minutes yet?"

"I don't think so, but let's go in anyway."

"We should knock first. I don't want to see Malfoy in the buff."

Hermione grinned, "Oh, I think you really do." Ginny's jaw dropped and Hermione laughed. "I'm just giving you a dose of your own medicine."

Sticking her tongue out at Hermione, Ginny knocked on the door. "Malfoy, you better be decent, because we're coming in." When no reply came, she turned to Hermione and shrugged. They pulled the key book from the shelf and the hidden door swung open. On the bed sat Draco Malfoy, looking very unhappy and wearing—

"A toga!" Ginny screeched, laughing hysterically. Draco had slung the bed sheet around his body. He stood up and glared at the giggling girls.

"Oh I wish I had a camera!" said Hermione. Draco glared even deeper, if it was possible

"I didn't have much choice, you know."

Ginny slowly walked in a circle around him, "How is this better than a dress, anyway?" she asked between spurts of laughter.

"It just is," growled Draco. This could severely hamper his seduction attempts. "Now I'll leave you ladies to your ridicule." He walked out of the room, slamming the bookcase behind them. The girls looked at the door, then looked at each other, laughing even more.

Fifteen minutes later, Ginny sat cross-legged on the bed and leaned over, rubbing a towel furiously on her head yet another time. All her life she had used magic to take care of her hair, and never realized how long it would take to dry by itself. She was wearing the least repulsive of the dresses, which wasn't saying much! It was plain dark blue in color, and wouldn't have been too bad at all if it weren't about five times too big. The bottom drug at least three inches on the floor, and she had to push the arms of the dress up to even see her hands. She sighed, tugging at sleeves for what seemed like the hundredth time. Hearing the door to the bathroom open, she turned to see Hermione come out. Her dress wasn't much better- it was dull gray in color, and had a yellowed lace at the hem and bottom of the sleeves. Ginny smiled. "I would laugh at that outfit, but I know that I look just as horrendous."

Hermione returned the smile. "Yeah, but keep telling yourself that it's better this way."

"Yeah, I guess," said Ginny, "but I sure wish we had magic. My hair is really annoying me."

Hermione took the towel, and started rubbing it against her friend's head. "Yeah, I know what you mean. Mine is really thick too, and when I grew up I didn't have any magic. I always just put it in braids. I could try that on your hair, too."

Ginny smiled. "Okay, anything to get this wet mass off my neck!"

As Harry groggily woke up, the first thing he saw was Ron staring at something on the other side of the room. He reached for his glasses and sat up, wondering what his friend was gawking at. "Hey, what's up?" he asked.

Ron rubbed his eyes. "I think I'm still asleep."

Harry laughed and stood. "No, Ron, you're very much awake. We're isolated in the library with your sister, Hermione, and Malfoy, remember?"

"Yeah, yeah," said Ron, "but I have to be dreaming." Harry continued to look confused, and Ron reached out his arm and pointed. "Look for yourself." Harry's eyes followed Ron's outstretched index finger until they reached a figure that was sitting at a table reading a book. Harry's jaw dropped. "I told you," said Ron.

"You're right. This has to be a dream!" Harry continued to stare.

Draco tried to focus on his book, but he couldn't with those two idiots gaping at him. He abruptly hopped to his feet, slammed down the book, and faced Harry and Ron. "Do you two have a problem, or have you decided to switch the object of your challenge from Hermione to me? Because if it's the latter, don't even try."

"Malfoy," Ron's voice lost its shock, and now he was trying to contain a laugh. "Are you wearing...a bed sheet?"

If Draco Malfoy were the type to blush, he would be bright red at this moment. But he prided himself in not revealing his true feelings, so he instead shot a deadly glare at the two. "At least I have some sense of cleanliness. If you two prats want to stay in the same clothes for days on end, then go for it."

The comment seemed to bring Harry and Ron back to reality. They weren't dreaming, and they weren't exactly smelling nice, either. "I get next shower!" cried Ron.

"Not if I can get there first!" Harry ran to the bookcase and tried to open it. It was locked.

"They girls are using the bathroom right now," said Draco, who had lost interest in his book. "Be patient, if you two are pushy then she'll never go for either of you. Not that I can blame her."

Ron shook his head. "I never take advice from a guy in a toga. It's a rule of mine." Harry laughed.

Draco regarded them curiously. "You two seriously have no idea how to approach this, do you?" Blank looks. Of course they're blank, thought Draco. He was willing to bet his family fortune that neither boy had even been kissed before. "I don't like you. You're not my friends. And I know that you don't like me, and it's better that way." A sly smile spread on his face. "But I can supply you with a wealth of knowledge on the art of seduction. I can teach you things these books could never even approach. I may be young, but I have years of experience and you two have to admit that I could get any girl in the school if I wanted to."

"Not Hermione," said Harry quickly.

Draco paused, thinking. His mind drew a blank- he really didn't know how she would respond to him. But he had to pace himself, and at the time being all his energy would be focused on Ginny. He sneered in reply. "I said any girl if I wanted to. And I don't want that mudblood. But this is beyond the point. You guys know that I can help you. And I know that you want my help...and I'm willing to provide it."

"What's the catch?" asked Ron warily.

"Who says there's a catch?" asked Draco with a funny smile.

"There's always a catch with you, toga boy," Ron snapped right back.

"Okay, fine. There's one requirement. A quid-pro-quo if you will. But I wouldn't call it a catch."

"Spill it," said Harry.

"So you're asking me for help in polishing your skills with the fairer sex?" Draco's eyebrow rose. Ron grabbed Harry and pulled him aside out of Draco's earshot.

"I don't like this, Harry. He's Draco Malfoy. We can't trust him."

"I don't know about you," replied Harry, "but I want to win our competition. And I know that I can't on my own abilities. I have no experience with women! Well, except that fiasco with Cho last year, but that just goes to prove my point- look how it turned out! Besides, we both know that Malfoy could teach us."

"But still..." said Ron warily.

"Fine, you don't have to," said Harry, walking back towards Draco. "But then you'll be at even more of a disadvantage.

Ron followed him. "Okay, Malfoy," he said. "We accept your offer."

Draco grinned bigger and more sinister than either had seen him grin before. "Very good. You two are smarter than I thought."

"So where do we begin?" asked Harry, sitting at a table. Ron followed him.

"Slow down, Potter," Draco sat across from Harry and Ron. "Remember the quid-pro-quo? I can teach you all you want to know about how to win a girl and more, I can have that little mudblood hanging on your every word, at your very disposal. But it will cost you." He leaned forward. "And there's something I want."