A/N: Thanks to everyone that reviewed, even if it was only like three people. Please review, I heart reviews, and it gets me going! Before I start this chapter, thanks to a tip from mereschino, I stand corrected on the fact that Avril Lavigne is a CANADIAN, not an AMERICAN. Sorry sorry sorry.
Anyways, on with the story....
Chapter Two: Fiery ReactionsDraco Malfoy Apparated just outside the Leaky Cauldron.
"You're late," a deep voice growled at him. He turned around and resisted the urge to growl back.
"I'm sorry, Father," he replied instead. Lucius Malfoy sniffed disdainfully.
"I trust you have the keys to your vaults?" Draco nodded affirmatively. "Good. I am going into Knockturn Alley for a little bit of business; I expect you to be home before Friday; we have guests coming over then." The blonde man looked him over, and added, "If you could possibly manage to bring a suitable partner, please do so. Otherwise those irritable Goyles will be on us again. Something about not bringing our son up right..." the man snorted.
"Yes Father," Draco said steadily. Business indeed; now that the Dark Lord is rising again I'm sure you're buying back all you have sold in the past few years to that greasy-haired git in that so-called Dark Arts store. Bah! He shook himself in disgust as he entered the Leaky Cauldron, nodded a greeting to Tom, and proceeded out the back door. He took out his wand and tapped the brick above the trash can, and stood back as the wall unfolded to become the archway to Diagon Alley. And anyway, he continued to think as he walked along the quiet streets, our house is more of a Dark Arts store than that stupid little hut. Any of the stores in Knockturn Alley could take over that store. Why does Father insist on endangering us all and selling back and forth from that idiot? He grimaced as another thought occurred to him. And just where does Father think I'm going to 'pick up' a respectable young woman to bring to the party? It's not as if I could go up into the Leaky Cauldron, stand on a table, and ask all the guests there politely if there was a pureblood young lady around the age of 17 whose family extended back to the Founders that would like to accompany Draco Malfoy to his family party. He shuddered at the very thought. Father, why do you always put me up to such---
He was cut short as a voice drifted into his ear. "...You were all the things I thought I knew, and I thought we could be...You were everything, everything that I wanted; we were meant to be, supposed to be, but we lost it; And all of our memories, so close to me, just fade away...All this time you were pretending, so much for my happy ending." Avril Lavigne, he thought immediately. Muggle singer; blonde hair a shade dirtier than his. If anyone had been listening to his thoughts, they would have died out of surprise. Draco bloody Malfoy knowing a MUGGLE SINGER?! Oh tell me the world has ended! Dramatic flourish But never fear, thought-readers, besides for the fact that you are on private property here, he actually has a good reason why he knows. After being pent up in Malfoy Manor all summer and having reheard every single wizarding show possible, he was in the mood of trying something different. So he asked his house elf Tilly to go get him something called CD's. And she had brought him back enough to fill half of his wall. Well of course, he thought again smugly. She is a muggle...it would be a disaster if she had as pure of features as mine. He felt drawn towards the voice as he moved, seemingly in a haze of that wonderful voice and filled with an overflowing curiosity to just who the owner of the voice was. He was cut off from his thoughts rudely as the voice suddenly stopped. He looked around, a bit angry at having the music stopped, and realized that he was just outside that new-fangled store that people like Pansy Parkinson just couldn't stop drooling over: Adena and Adara's. Yes, it had wonderful clothing. But hello, earth to Parkinson, it was MUGGLE. But hey, if he was able to listen to Muggle music, maybe he'll just have to put up with their clothing, too.
He ducked behind a corner, picked up the Daily Prophet and pretended to read as he saw a man dressed in blue duck out of the shop. His head was turned away, so he didn't quite catch his face. Then he immersed himself even further when he saw the Boy-Who-Never-Died walk into the store. He tried to listen to the conversation, but was unable to completely catch the conversation. Then he saw Weasel and his girlfriend walk into the shop, and his curiosity piqued. He glanced in, and saw one of the most remarkable looking witches he'd ever seen. She was, no doubt, dressed as a muggle, but her hair. Her smile. The way the clothes clung to her as a second skin. It was almost mesmerizing. But something clicked inside of him as he saw the similarities between Weasel. So...this must be the youngest of the brood; one weasel by the name of Virginia.
Then he heard Potter say, "Yes, I am trying to woo your sister into my bed so she can place a Bat-Boogy curse on me. Again." Apparently the older Weasel has no brains, he thought to himself as he observed the group talking amongst themselves. Unlike most everyone else, he had noticed that the younger Weasley had quickly gotten over her childhood crush on her hero. Or rather, the wizarding world's hero.
Then he heard that musical voice laugh as she replied. "Oh yes, again, I loved the way you looked after I took it off you; you looked absolutely stunning! Here, let's see the picture." He watched as she started to dig into the front desk. "Or shall we say—
He took the moment to step in.
"Stunned like a weasel that ran into the tree? Or rather, attempting to run into the tree so a few Knuts might fall off and hit him on the head?" His voice drawled lazily into the midst. Ginny, who had been immersed into her task, was startled into looked up at him. Their eyes met and suddenly they were locked into a world of their own. Her own intelligent golden brown eyes gazing deep into his as he tried to reverse the gaze with his own silver sheen. An internal battle, going and going until—
"Malfoy, what are you doing here?" Ah, the great bumbling Weasel.
"I find that to be absolutely none of your business," he replied coolly, smirking his infamous Malfoy trademark smirk.
"Actually," Virginia cut in, "it is quite our business. Actually, since you are standing in the store that is under my care for the time being, I would like to know just why you are standing in here. If you were looking for the harem, I don't think you've got the right place. It's actually down Knockturn Alley; turn a few rights and lefts and you'll get there soon enough."
"And just how would a little innocent girl like you know where to the harem is?" he replied smoothly. He cocked an eyebrow as she stared back at him. "Virgin-ia?" He accented that part of her name, concealing the fury that was starting to course through him. How dare she? He thought furiously. She...she thought I...
Now now, Draco, another voice entered his head. Are you really going to deny that you've never gone there?
Shut up, he thought back at it.
Oh, I'm not here to be quiet, the voice chortled. And doesn't the girl look nice today? Nicer than any of those others that you've been with.
NO! he shouted angrily. Pansy's prettier than she is any day...
You are such a horrible liar, the voice replied amusedly. And look at her fire. It matches your ice. And she's a Pureblood; you know that no matter how much you call her a mudblood lover.
Please don't tell me you're actually wanting me to bring this...this...girl to the Party! He mentally pleaded with himself.
But of course. Good luck, Draco. The voice cackled as it left him.
"Since I decided to read a book," she snapped back at him. "And watch Moulin Rouge," she added as an afterthought.
"You watched Moulin Rouge?!" he gasped out loud until he realized what he was saying.
"You're kidding me," she looked at him in bewilderment. "You know what Moulin Rouge is?"
"Hell yeah," he replied. "Why wouldn't I know?"
"Uh, we'll be going now," Harry said quickly as he pulled back an almost fainting Ron. Hermione was grinning by his side.
"Fancy this, a Malfoy knowing something muggle," Ginny grinned as she winked to Hermione.
"You can't just leave Ginny here," Ron yelled as Harry dragged him out of the door.
"Yes we can, Ron, and we will." Hermione took him by the hand firmly and led him away. "She seems to be having a decent conversation on her own." She winked back at Ginny, who bit back a laugh.
"So how did you find out about Moulin Rouge?" she asked conversationally as she got up and walked about the store, putting the misplaced clothing back on their racks.
"It comes of being stuck in your room for the entire summer with nothing but a demented father, a psychotic mother and a few house elves for company," he replied absently, then mentally slapped himself. "I didn't say that."
"Sure you didn't," Ginny replied genially as she folded up a pair of jeans.
"Well, pretend I didn't." She just shook her head. The CD player (another helpful muggle invention) was playing by itself from the influence of magic. It had switched from the Avril CD to the Maroon 5 CD. It was now playing "This Love". Ginny hummed along with the tune; she couldn't help it. She loved to sing.
Draco stared at her, his mind arguing with the idea that had been floating around his head.
"Uh, Weasl-I mean, Virginia," he stammered. Oh my god did I just stutter?! Oh lord have mercy; the Malfoys can stutter!
Did he just stutter?! Ginny could only grin to herself. "Yes, Malfoy-I mean," she mock corrected herself, "Draco?"
"I am...ah...in need of a partner for an upcoming party that my family is holding," he said after a moment of silence. She raised a coppery eyebrow.
"Are you asking me to go with you?" she asked in a disbelieving voice.
"Is it that repulsive?" he returned, feeling nettled. Ginny stared at him for a few moments, then started to laugh. A rich, rolling laughter that seemed to envelop him and gather him close. He smiled, thinking that she'd said yes.
"Oh...my...god..." she gasped out between bouts of hysteria, "I cannot believe that the Slytherin Prince Draco Malfoy just asked me, a Weasley, a Gryffindor Weasley to his party!" She collapsed on the floor, nearly in tears from laughing so hard. "This has...to be a day...for the world to put down in their books. Oh god!" She laughed for a good ten minutes, then slowly sobered back up.
"Well you could have just said no," he snapped at her as he turned to leave. She immediately stopped laughing and reached out an arm to his.
"Mal-Draco, I'm sorry, I didn't mean it." He hunched his back to her, hiding his hurt in an extremely obvious way.
"I'll be all right; I guess I have to find another partner." He started to walk out the door.
"For Christ's sake," Ginny rolled her eyes expressively, "I didn't say I wouldn't go with you. It'll give my brother apoplexy, and I'll love to see his face."
"Are you going to piss your brother off, or are you going because you feel sorry for me?" he asked suspiciously. She glared at him.
"What excuse do you think I'm going to have to make in front of 'them'?" she asked, mimicking Saint Potter and Older Weasel and his girlfriend. At his blanched face she smiled. "No, I'm not going to put the Bat-Boogey hex on you just yet...it'll have to wait until I'm angry with you."
"So is that a yes?" he demanded. She looked at him, then nodded.
"I'll go." His face broke out an expression of profound relief. "Though why I'd ever help such an arrogant man out is a mystery to me." He glared, the shook his head.
"Meet me at the Leaky Cauldron on Friday; we can apparate from there." He looked her over, then asked, "do you own any formal dresses?"
"I have dress robes," she started.
"No, dresses. The ones with the frills and the big poofy skirts?" He mimicked the 'poofiness', much to the amusement of Ginny.
"You know you're making yourself look like an ass, right?" she asked him. He put his hands down immediately. "Yes I know what a dress is, and sadly, no I do not own one 'elegant' enough for Malfoy Manor." She couldn't help keeping the bitterness in her voice.
"Well, that's easily remedied." He looked her over, and nodded. "I'll have one of the dressmakers from Mother make up something for you. It would be easier if you came to the Manor by Wednesday; that would be tomorrow. Then the dressmaker could make up your measurements and you could choose the fabric and everything."
"Cost..." she wavered. He brushed it aside with an impatient hand.
"It'll be nothing. I asked you to come; did you think I'd let my partner be underdresssed? I have a reputation to keep up."
"If you didn't sound so haughty I would have assumed you actually cared," she retorted back. "I'll be here, and now, please. I actually need to work, so..." she waved at the door. "Unless you want to buy something here, shoo!" He smirked at her.
"I'll see you soon," he said in a way of goodbye as he walked out of the door. As soon as he left and the bells stopped tinkling, she was prodded at from behind.
"Uh, Miss, could you help me with these jeans?" a little witch asked her politely.
"Sure thing." No rest for the weary; physical and mental, she thought as she led the little girl back into the racks. Now to wait for Malfoy...and his party...
A/N: Was this any good? Give me a little feedback! If you have any ideas on where the story is going, tell me and I'll see if I like the ideas. :-p well, please review, and thanks for reading!