Draco lounged in an arm chair as he watched his fellow Sytherins talk and joke about their summer vacations. For most, the summer had been a very good one, a few had tans, all had stories to share, but for some, he knew this past summer had been horrible. The Dark Lord was moving again, recruiting families, through force or coerscion and many families sacrificed their chilren to gain favor with Voldemort, his had been one of those families. He, however had managed to excape the branding, his excuse being that he was much to conspicuous at the present time, an it would draw too much attention if he simply disapeared to go to a meeting, and he knew that if he was summoned in the end there would be no going against the Dark Lords will. There were also those who'd had a wonderful summer simply for the reason that his was so terrible. They had volunteered to join Voldemort, idiots.
Looking around the room he realized that they had grouped them selves according to rank. Those who were rich, and had extremely pureblood, were all sititng in the center of the room on the chairs, and couches, these were mainly sixth and seenth years, and he could easily have joined them had he chosen to do so. He had contemplated going over to them earlier in the evening, but decided against it when he saw Marianna Averwood draping herself over Blaise Zambinni. Usually she was an insignificant blip on his radar, but as of this summer she was officially his watcher, or at last he thought she was. Every year his father assaigned someone from Slytherin house to keep tabs on Draco, his first year it had been Blaise, which was part of the reason he and Blaise were such good friends. Sitting on the floor below the elite were those who were sovoluntarily subservient it made him sick, among them were Crabbe and Goyle, suprise surprise. Although, it could just be that they had forgotten what it was that they were doing and just sat down, it had been known to happen.
Currently the two of them looked like hulking monkeys, no that would be an injustice to the monkeys they were more inteligent then Crabbe or Goyle .. or the both of them togather.Very few of theSlytherinswere as stupid as Crabbe and Goyle, but most of them were such idiots he was amazed they had made it out of first year. Almost half of the Slytherin house would have failed out by now if it weren't for they're parents bank vaults. Really, it was incredibly ignorant of the teachers not to notice that half of the students taking their exams were merely poly juiced house elfs with the answers programmed into their feeble brains.
Draco tuned back into the nattering vioces around him for a moment and found the converstaion headed in the direction of girls. As it almost always did when there was a group of any number of Slytherin males in one place. It had almost become a ritual to tell stories of all their romances, including all the gruesome descriptions, and if one details was forgotten the story teller would start all over just to make sure he got it right. It disgusted him, but he played along because he had no choice. It was expected of him, the hamdsom, rich, pureblood was expected to have as many girls as possible. Most of his tales of glory were made up and included people he knew would not say differently. Such as Pansy Parkinson, an alright girl really, just far, far to clingy. Otherwise he would improvise, and invent a foreign name from one of the many countries he claimed to have vistited that summer. The discusion was quickly becoming a numbers game, and as expected his name was brought up, and someone yelled from near the back of hte room, "Hey, Malfoy, how many girls you s'pose you've done?"
Draco lips thinned in what aparently passed as a smile, the rest of his face remaining motionless, "I've lost track, too many to count I suppose."
They all laughed.
"Bet you could get any girl you wanted couldn't you Draco?" called someone else.
"Of course." He replied easily, why even ask that question stupid really, then again not very surprising.
Adrian Wood, who was sitting far from the fire, tucked away in a corner smirked maliciously, and snorted, "Any girl, Malfoy? Any one at all?" he asked scornfully.
Draco's face hardened, he hated when people questioned him. Normally his word was law, and anyone who dared say otherwise learned a very painful lesson. Adrian Wood was one of those few people who simply refused to learn.
"Yes, Wood, any girl, I bet I could even get a Gryfindor if I really tried," Draco drawled.
Adrian's smirk turned into a wolfish grin, and Draco had a feeling he had just fallen for one of Wood's traps. Wood, although acting like he was a complete vegetable in class, was actually a very inteligent person, and intelignce was something you had to watch out for when you came upon in it Slytherin. Many young first and second years learned this lesson the hard way after a run in with Wood. He conned them out of money, clothes, jewelery, just about anything he could bet he would, and he won all to regularly for Draco's comfort. On any other day Draco most likely would have seen the trap coming and wriggle out of it in some way, but today he was exhusted from an unfortuate encounter with Scarhead and his little gang.
"Well then seventy galleons says you can't get the Weasly girl to fall in love with you," said Wood his grin widening by the second. The expression really did nothing for him, espescially with his hidieous overbite.
The Weasly girl? Thought Draco, that would be impossible. They hated him, her especially after what had happened five years ago when he was in second year. Obviously his thoughts were reflectedon his face because Wood then said "If you're not up to it I'll understand."Wood folded his arms across his chest, finally closing tht gaping hole he called a mouth.Draco merely stood and brushed pieces of nonexistent lint from his impeccable robes. He turned to go and it almost seemed as if he was going to back out.
Then he turned as if something had just occured to him and said, "Hell will freeze over before a woman refuses me. Your bet's on Wood, you just better make sure your wallet can handle the pressure."
The whole room burst out laughing, they loved to see Wood shot down. He was always running his mouth around people he ought to be respecting, unfortunately his father was currently one of the most influential men in the Misitry, so most students were under strict oders to take his jibes with out retribution. Now, however, the Woods were slowly but surely losing power and money. Noone was quite sure why, but most suspected that someone higher up had got tired of his insults and decided to do somehting about it, what ever had happened, the Woods were no where near as rich as they had been for the last four years.
Draco smirked, "I'll even do it before Christmas." Draco reviewed his statement and the challenge, Christmas that should give him time it was only august now.
Late that night as he lay awake on his bed he thought to himself, yeah, I'll get her...
