Summary: Oliver Wood is the Captain of the Gryffindor football team and most popular guy in school. So why was he just dumped by his long time boyfriend Blaise Zabini? To prove to his friends that he's not losing his touch, Oliver bets that he can turn socially challenged Harry Potter into the ideal boyfriend in ten weeks tops. Loosely based off of the movie "She's All That." AU with Harry/Oliver SLASH.
CHAPTER ONE: THE BOOT AND A BET
"Hey, has anybody seen Blaise?" was the first thing that Oliver said upon seeing his best friends for the first time in a week. Had he actually been paying attention to said best friends, Fred and George Weasley, rather than gazing frantically through the crowd of students milling about on their way to class in search of his boyfriend, he would have seen them roll their eyes at each other in exasperation at his less-than-enthusiastic-to-see-them greeting.
"I don't think he's here yet," Fred replied nonchalantly, not really caring one way or the other about it. Blaise was an all right guy and a fellow team mate on the football field, but the guy could be kind of conceited, arrogant, snobbish...well, you get the picture.
George gave a shrug in response to the question, although Oliver was looking out over the sea of students in search of his beloved Blaise and, therefore, couldn't see the gesture. "I'm sure you would have seen him by now if he was already here," George agreed with his twin, though Oliver paid him no heed as he quickly began to make his way through the throng of students and towards the Senior parking lot.
Glancing back to see what it was that had caught Oliver's eye, George watched as Blaise proceeded to park his brand new, shiny, red, Mustang convertible in the closest spot that he could find to the school, his music blaring loudly out of his top of the line stereo system up to the point where he turned off the ignition. He had a pair of designer sunglasses on, matching his, no doubt, expensive designer clothes. He was one of those guys who thought that he was all that, just because his dad happened to be some big shot senator and he had more money than he knew what to do with. It made George sick, and he wasn't the only one.
His whole family hated the kid. Okay, so maybe his parents didn't hate him, per se, but their father, Arthur Weasley, had worked under 'Big shot Zabini's' father for quite some time now and didn't like the family in general. His brothers all hated the pompous, popular boy with a vengeance, as did quite a few other people at the school. And yet Oliver was dating him. George honestly didn't see what he saw in Blaise; Oliver could do so much better than him, as he had told him on many occasions.
He had all but given up by now, though. Oliver only got mad at him and his twin when they futilely tried to point out what they thought was rather obvious: Oliver was too good for Blaise. Oliver hadn't spoken to them for a week after that; he could really be a rather stubborn git when he chose to. So they had decided to let it be; no one could say they hadn't at least tried.
The first bell rang loudly just then, startling George out of his thoughts. He glanced towards his twin, before sending a look Oliver's way, silently asking his brother whether or not they should wait for Oliver or go on to class without him. His brother shrugged his shoulders in response. They didn't really find it necessary to talk to each other in order to communicate; it was what everyone so lovingly referred to as their 'freaky twin thing.'
Deciding that Oliver was busy at the moment and libel to bite his head off should he interfere with the reunion, George started off towards his first class, which he, Fred, and Oliver all shared. Thankfully, Blaise wasn't in that class. But that probably only meant that Oliver would be talking non-stop about how wonderful Blaise is, alternating with his zoning out into his dazed, daydreaming-about-my-wonderful-boyfriend mode. Or, at least, that's what he'd done last year ever since he and Blaise had started going out. Oh, well. At least Oliver seemed truly happy.
That was more than George would be able to say about himself in a couple minutes time. They had math next--precalc to be precise--and he wasn't looking forward to it at all. But, seeing as how he did want to go to college (What good would a football scholarship be otherwise?) he didn't really have any choice but to take the class.
Fred and George soon arrived to classroom number 420, Mrs. McGonagall's room. The twins were there a minute before the second bell that signaled the beginning of class, but the teacher still eyed them sternly, almost as if they had been late, which thankfully they weren't. Oliver wasn't so lucky, though.
He came stumbling into the classroom, only about 30 seconds late, but late none the less. McGonagall glared at him, though she seemed to soften a bit as she took in his appearance. He looked completely shocked--in a bad way--almost like he had just been informed that a relative had died. George wondered what had happened; when he had left Oliver he certainly hadn't expected him to walk into the classroom looking like this.
Oliver quickly made his way to the back of the classroom, sitting in the formerly empty desk to George's left. McGonagall shook her head, making it quite clear that she disapproved of tardiness before proceeding to take attendance. George took the opportunity to question Oliver as to what had happened. He spoke in a voice barely above a whisper, though he was certain that Oliver could hear him, as he remained looking forward at the teacher as she called role, moving his lips as little as possible so that the teacher wouldn't notice that he was talking, feeling all the while like a ventriloquist.
Peeking out of the corner of his eye, George saw Oliver shake his head as if in denial of something and trying to convince himself that whatever it was wasn't true. George discreetly kicked his friend's foot in order to jolt him into responding. "He dumped me," George heard Oliver answer, though it sounded more as if he was talking aloud to himself; George was barely even able to hear him and could hardly believe that he'd heard correctly.
Could Blaise have really dumped him? George pondered silently, refraining from asking Oliver if it was true as McGonagall informed Oliver that he was being marked tardy and that she was very strict when it came to promptness. Oliver merely nodded in understanding. The teacher seemed satisfied with that as she set the roster aside and began to hand out the class syllabus.
George lent only half an ear to the teacher as she droned on about her expectations and the course goals, too concerned for his friend to really care that he was probably going to get into trouble in the very first class of his senior year.
Operation 'Cheer Oliver Up By Finding Him a New Boyfriend' was a go. Fred sureptuously nodded to his twin to let him know this fact. They glanced around the hallway at various students they passed, hoping to find someone suitable for their plan. Unfortunately, they happened upon Draco Malfoy instead.
"Hello, boys," the stuck-up blonde greeted with feigned kindness as he walked up with his two lackeys Crabbe and Goyle trailing behind and looking lost. "Enjoying the new school year?" Malfoy continued, directing his question at Oliver, who was obviously not enjoying himself. "Aww...poor Oliver, I heard about your little break up with Blaise," Malfoy continued, seeming to revel in the pain he was causing Oliver. "I hear he dumped you so that he could go out with that line backer, what's his name? Victor Krum I believe?" Malfoy smirked in amusement as Oliver looked horribly shocked at his words. "It seems you're really losing your touch, Oliver," Malfoy announced, seeming smug. He had always resented Oliver and his popularity.
"He's not losing his touch!" Fred vehemently defended his friend. George nodded in agreement.
"Hmm...would you be willing to bet on that?" Malfoy suggested, not at all fazed. He raised a blonde eyebrow in question, as if asking Oliver whether he accepted the challenge.
Oliver seemed reluctant to agree, but seeing as how he would never back down from Malfoy... "What are you on about, Malfoy?" Curiosity killed the cat; Oliver could only hope he wasn't signing a death warrant.
"So glad you asked," Malfoy practically purred. "Here are the terms: You take the boy of my choice and turn him into the most desirable boy in school by the time voting comes around in ten weeks or else you have to do whatever I ask of you."
"And if I win?" Oliver asked, not quite sure if he liked the sound of this bet.
"Then I do whatever you want," Malfoy stated calmly, holding out a hand for them to shake upon the deal.
Oliver glanced down at the hand for a moment before hesitantly extending his own hand to shake that of Malfoy's. He knew he would regret it later, but...well, too late now.
"Alright, now for the decision time," Malfoy said with a wicked smile lighting his face. He seemed to be having fun with this, too much fun. "And the lucky boy will be..." he trailed off, looking around and searching the crowds for the worst possible candidate for Oliver to have.
His eyes fell upon a scruffy haired boy with big, dorky, thick rimmed glasses and clothes that practically made him cringe in disgust. He had a scar across his forehead and didn't seem to have any friends, or at least none were with him at the moment. As Malfoy watched, the boy tripped over his too long, baggy pants and fell flat onto the concrete floor, scattering books and papers everywhere. The people around him laughed. Perfect.
"See that boy over there at the top of the stairs, scrounging around to pick up all of the stuff he dropped?" Malfoy asked slyly, anticipating the look that would come across the Weasels's faces and that of Wood's when they became aware of who he was pointing at...And there it was, that look of abject horror when they spotted the 'bet boy.' Malfoy couldn't help but smirk.
"Yeah, I see him...isn't that that Harry Potter kid in our physics class?" Oliver announced with apprehension, dreading what he was certain was to come next.
"Well, Wood, it looks like you have your work cut out for you, because that's the boy you're going to have to make irresistible in less than three months," Malfoy announced smugly. He had practically won the bet already. There was no way that even Wood would be able to get that to become popular by the end of ten weeks. "I really must be getting my lunch now, bye," Malfoy concluded, walking away with a smirk as both Weasleys glared daggers at his retreating, Banana Republic clad, back.
Author's Note: It's kind of weird, I know. I was watching "She's All That" the other day and the idea just popped into my head. I'm sure it will veer off from the movie quite a bit later, but...yeah. Anyway, I hope you liked it so far!