A/N: FORGIVE ME FOR POSTING LATE! IT'S JUST THAT IT'S CHRISTMAS! And I've been busy Christmas shopping! Yeah, I know. I'm that kind of guy, haha. Anyways, here is the next chapter. Hope you guys like it.
Just to clarify a bit, for those wondering how this timeline being AU works is that Voldemort did exist in this world but Dumbledore defeated him. How and why will be explained in later chapters. However, things that occurred without Voldemort's intervention, like Lucius giving Ginny the diary, Buckbeak's execution still occurs including one more thing that will be explained in the upcoming chapters. However, I won't go into too much detail there as it diverts away from the plot of the story.
Some of the characters are OOC because of this and because of backstories that I've created for them. I never had a problem with reading AU stories with OOC characterisations but some writers do have Draco being a Muggle-loving hero without putting any proper context which makes it difficult for me to get into it. (Unless of course, it's like a one-shot fluff piece or something along those lines.)
As always, I appreciate the reads, favourites, follows and above all else, the reviews! Thank you so much and as always please do review if you can. Love you all: ]
AND, OF COURSE, MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
Disclaimer: It ain't mine. It's JK Rowling's.
WHAT'S LOVE, GOT TO DO, GOT TO DO WITH IT?
Chapter 4: The transition from friends and enemies to something more
"What?" Tracey asked as she noticed Ron staring at her while fidgeting in his seat. Ron said nothing as he continued to drum his fingers on the library table. "Ron, for the love of Merlin, relax! You look as fidgety as a snitch that's just been caught."
"I don't know nothing about no Snitches! Especially Golden ones!" Ron replied loudly, earning a glare from Madam Pince who looked up from her book. Tracey gave her an apologetic look before turning to Ron.
"Honestly, Weasley, what is your problem?!" Tracey hissed.
"Look, okay. I agreed to work with you on this project but that's it. I'm not disclosing any other information." Ron stated in a matter-of-fact tone.
"Okay…" Tracey said, looking slightly bemused before shaking her head. "Anyways let's get back to the task at hand. So, for our essay, we intend to see how exactly love works, specifically when it comes to teenagers like us. Now, I have to ask, is Harry making any moves towards Hermione?"
"Not yet, I think," Ron said. "He's been spending more time with her but that's about it."
"Okay, good. Draco's not making any moves either."
"Well, that's good." Ron sulked as he crossed his arms. "He shouldn't be making any."
"Ron…"
"Bloody hell, Tracey!" Ron whispered loudly as he raised his hands in the air. "Can you imagine if that ferret dated Hermione? He'll probably abuse her in some way."
"And you don't think that Hermione can't defend herself? Like she some helpless girl in need of a knight in shining armour. This is Hermione Granger, we're talking about or have you forgotten how many people she's hexed and jinxed over the years?"
"Still, I don't like it," Ron said adamantly, not willing to back down. "Even if the unthinkable happens and she and Draco date, I won't be friends with Draco!"
"Shit, you're right," Tracey said as she frowned at the thought. "There's no way Draco can get Hermione if he isn't at least amicable with her best friends."
"Amicable?" Ron said incredulously as Tracey grabbed his hand. "Oei! What do you think you're doing?" Ron whispered as Tracey dragged him to the bookshelves at the end of the library. Several of the students gave Tracey and Ron strange looks as some started to whisper excitedly amongst themselves.
"There," Tracey said, speaking louder this time. "Now, we can discuss in peace."
"It's awfully dark in here," Ron said as he found himself and Tracey being squashed between two bookshelves. "Tracey, do you know what they call this place?"
"The library?"
"Nooo, the make-out spot," Ron said, knowing full well that this particular section of the library was where many students went to make out in secret. Almost as instantly as he said it, their privacy was invaded by a couple of students entering their isolated spot. The girl, who looked like a fifth-year Hufflepuff student widened her eyes in shock while the boy, a sixth-year Ravenclaw gave Ron an admiring look.
"What?" Tracey said as she scowled at the pair who immediately turned tail and ran. Ron could see a slight blush on her cheeks as she turned to face him.
"Anyways," Tracey spoke hastily as if the last few moments between them had not existed. "We need to formulate a plan to help Draco and Harry get over the obstacles."
"What obstacles?" Ron asked.
"Look, both Draco and Harry are quite good looking so that takes care of any concerns about physical attraction. But what they both lack in is in their behaviour and personality. Draco, for example, is arrogant and tends to think he's Merlin's gift to women whereas Harry has the ability to become that clingy best friend you just want to get rid of without hurting his feelings."
"Okay…" Ron said, not quite following what Tracey was saying.
"Let's look at our boys. If Draco wants to be with Hermione, he needs to show some vulnerability. The problem with Draco is that he thinks he's Merlin's gift to women and so he acts with his arrogant persona that he's better than anybody. If he wants her, Draco will have to break down his walls and show her who he really is. A fragile and lonely person with a heart."
Ron gave a derisive laugh. "A Malfoy who has a heart?! Please, pull the other one."
"What's your problem? You think us Slytherins don't have a heart?" Tracey snapped.
"I didn't say Slytherins! I said Malfoy." Ron retorted. "You can't convince me that Draco has a heart of gold underneath all that swagger. He's just an arrogant prick."
"I didn't say heart of gold. I said, heart. Look," Tracey sighed as she grabbed his hand. Her soft touch sent slight goosebumps up his arm. "Anyone who thinks Malfoy is some secret and kind good guy really doesn't know Draco like I do and believe me when you spent seven years with the guy, you pick up on some things. Draco is prejudiced, he's bigoted and yes, he is a total arsehole of which I'm not going to make any excuses for. What I can tell you is that that's not all Draco is. There's more to him than meets the eyes. He's in pain, even if he doesn't want to admit it and he's lonely because trust me, those people you see around him aren't really his friends, more like acquaintances or in the case of Crabbe and Goyle, his minions."
Ron said nothing as Tracey sighed.
"If there's one word I would describe Draco is that he's fragile, much more than he cares to admit. He masks all this by being a prat and who can blame him? Being raised in a pureblood family will do that to you. I'm not saying you shouldn't give him a hard time for it because frankly, he deserves it. I'm just saying you shouldn't judge him completely for who he is but rather have faith as to the man he could become. Draco's insecure and he needs to show that to Hermione. Only then will she start to change her view about him."
"You seem to know a lot about Malfoy," Ron said as Tracey shrugged her shoulders.
"I know what's it like to mask your pain. You think Daphne is sarcastic and rude because she wants to be. No, she's hiding something just like how all of us are. I don't blame you, Ron, for thinking that all of us Slytherins are bad. It's how you were taught to believe and with most of us becoming Death Eaters and even having a Pureblood supremacist as our House founder, it's hard to see us as people."
Ron said nothing as he stared at Tracey. For years, Ron had hated Slytherins. Like Tracey said, it was how he was brought to believe and the day he met Draco Malfoy was the day he knew that all his assumptions about them and the stories were true. Yet, Ron could feel something tugging at his heart as he stared into Tracey's eyes. At first, it seemed that her eyes were the shade of a murky brown and yet as Ron drew closer, he could see that they were instead a light shade of hazel, similar to the colour of his Chocolate Frogs. Noticing Tracey giving him a strange look as she propped herself next to him, Ron decided to break the tension.
"What about Harry, then? What can we do for him?"
"Huh?" Tracey said, having been caught up in Ron's blue eyes. There was something mesmerizing about the way Ronald Weasley was gazing at her and Tracey couldn't help but notice just how heated her skin felt.
"Harry, what can we do for him?" Ron repeated himself.
"Oh right! Harry!" Tracey said as she averted her gaze. She could feel her heart beating slightly louder than it usually did as she took a couple of breaths to compose herself. "Well, in Harry's case, he too needs to show Hermione who he really is but, of course, Harry needs to go about it differently from Draco. While Draco has to work at being friends with Hermione before trying to go for her, Harry needs to go in the opposite direction. The problem with Harry is the same one faced by so many people out there. How do you transition from being friends to something more?"
"Easy. All Harry has to do is give her some flowers and ask her out. Not so difficult, isn't it?"
Tracey shook her head at Ron. "You're thinking in terms of friends. General friends. Even acquaintances. Asking Hermione out isn't like asking her to be his date for the Yule Ball. Let me ask you something, Ron. Has Hermione ever shown any interest in Harry?"
"What do you mean?"
"Has she ever told Harry he looks good more so than necessary? Has she ever touched him more than necessary, like a hug that lingers longer than the ones she gives you? Has she ever asked to spend some alone time with him? Has Hermione even gotten jealous, even at the slightest sense, at other girls who come and flirt with Harry?"
"Merlin, how the hell am I supposed to know these things?" Ron sighed exasperatedly. "Girls are so complicated!"
"You're right. We should all act like drooling idiots like the boys who do around Daphne because as I quote your words, she fineeeee. Or just throw ourselves at you like how Lavender Brown does." Tracey snapped, unsure of why her last statement bothered her as much as it did.
"Ok fine!" Ron exclaimed in surrender. "I don't think Hermione has shown any interest in Harry. But maybe it's because she just hasn't noticed Harry in that way yet."
"Precisely, Ronald," Tracey said. "Look, I know those Muggle romance novels and movies, not to mention even wizarding ones, have indoctrinated you into thinking that if you have a female best friend and you like her, all you have to do is keep doing romantic stuff until she notices you. I can tell you, with absolute certainty, that that is not true! In fact, because Harry and Hermione are best friends, if Harry were to suddenly, out of the blue, ask her out while giving her flowers, I can tell you that Hermione would either reject him because she's afraid of losing the friendship or in most cases, accept it for precisely that reason. Whatever it is, Hermione will do it out of pity until the guilt hits her and she tries to stay away from Harry, leading to an awkward phase that ruins friendships or what you boys call friendzoning."
"That seems like quite a sexist statement," Ron muttered.
"You're right," Tracey said as she gave him an apologetic look. "I'm sorry."
"It's okay," Ron said, grinning at her. Tracey felt her heat being louder. He has a gorgeous smil…FOCUS, TRACEY!
"The point I'm trying to make Ron is that in Harry's case, he needs to get Hermione attracted to him first before asking her out."
"I get your point. It's just I was always thought that if you liked a girl, you just tell her and see how it goes." Ron said as he shrugged his shoulders.
"Only if you're just friends. Or even strangers who know each other a little. Not when you're best friends. You can't be too forward when you're best friends. See, if you're just friends and things don't work out, you can both either go back to being friends if that's possible or just avoid each other while hanging in your respective cliques." Tracey said as she smiled at him.
"So if like it's okay to ask a girl out when you're just friends, like if let's say I was to ask…I don't know… you out, that would be okay?"
Alarm bells started to ring in her head as Tracey gaped at Ron. Ron stared at Tracey in horror as he realised the meaning behind his words.
"No…I mean, not that I wouldn't ask you….because…I mean…as an example!" Ron stammered frantically as he tried to take control of the situation.
"RIGHT…haha…yes, of course, I know what you mean…" Tracey exclaimed rather loudly as her nerves started to jangle about. "But yes, I think you get what I mean."
"Yeah, of course!"
"Brilliant!"
"Wonderful!"
"Good!"
The tension between the pair was so thick that Ron felt he could cut it with a knife. Ron took a moment to stare at Tracey. Tracey was a brunette whose short hair fell on all sides of her neck although it was neatly fashioned with a red hairband on the top. Her hazel eyes glittered from the candlelight that hung around the sides of the bookshelves. Realising that they had not spoken in quite a while, Ron cleared his throat.
"So, what do you suggest we do about Harry and Malfoy?"
Tracey, who had been staring at Ron for several moments composed herself as she brushed her fingers on her hair. "Well, for Draco, I will talk to him and try to get him to show some vulnerability towards Hermione in order to get her to change her mind about the way she sees him. As for you, you need to help Harry take a step back from spending so much time with Hermione. Get him to show more of himself to her and not just act as some sort of emotional punching bag. I'll give you more details later but right now, we have to go to class."
"Sure," Ron said as he stood up, straightening his robes in the process. Tracey watched as Ron extended one of his large hands to her. Grabbing it tightly as he helped her up to her feet, Tracey couldn't help but notice how her hand fitted perfectly in his. Not trusting her emotions any further, Tracey thanked Ron before proceeding to walk out of the library with him. As soon as they were outside, the pair turned to face each other. Before either one could utter a word, they both heard their names being called.
"Ron!" Harry cried as he and Hermione approached him.
"Tracey!" Pansy yelled as Tracey turned to see her and Daphne waving her over. Neither said nothing other than giving the other a cursive nod as they both turned to walk away in different directions back to the groups that they belonged.
….
"So, Ron," Seamus said as the five Gryffindor boys trudged out of the muddy Quidditch pitch towards the castle. "According to the grapevine, you and Tracey were at the infamous make-out spot."
"You didn't say anything about Quidditch, did you?" Dean asked as Ron glared at him.
"No, I didn't! Not that there's anything much to say other than the try-outs were utter shit."
"Hey!" Harry remarked crossly before sighing. "Fine. We really do need a replacement Seeker and Keeper."
"Why don't you just leave that to the captain for next year's team?" Neville asked as Harry shook his head.
"I don't want to put all that on Ginny or Peakes or Coote. You realised that we still need to find a chaser for our team now that Katie Bell has graduated."
"Guys, I think we're digressing here," Seamus said as everyone turned to face him. "So, Ron, how's it like making out with a Slytherin?"
"Fuck off, Seamus," Ron growled as he tucked his broomstick under his arm. "She and I are just workmates, nothing more."
"Well, Lavender seems to think otherwise, mate," Neville said as he clapped Ron on his back. "I heard that she wants to get back together with you."
"What?!" Ron and Harry cried in unison as Seamus snorted out loud.
"Of course she wants to get back together with you." Seamus sighed as Dean sniggered. "I tried to put my moves on her but it didn't work because of you, mate! There's nothing more irresistible to a girl than a boy she can't have, particularly if that boy is her ex and happens to be chasing after someone she hates."
"Trust me, mate." Ron sighed as they reached the entrance to the castle. "I ain't getting back together with her. You can have another go if you like."
"Unfortunately, I can't," Seamus said as he turned to face Ron. "She's still obsessed over you mate. I ain't ever going to win her heart."
"Who said anything about the heart? I thought you just wanted her body." Harry snickered as the boys laughed while Seamus pretended to look hurt. "You wound me, Potter," Seamus remarked, in a mock-hurt fashion.
The mention of hearts reminded Ron of the task he had to do. As soon as the boys reached their dormitory, Ron turned to face Harry.
"So, Harry, how are you progressing with Hermione?" Ron asked as Harry looked momentarily stunned by the question.
"It's coming along," Harry said as Ron's question attracted the rest of the boys.
"Really, mate? You're not planning on like giving her a bunch of flowers and asking her out, are you?" Ron said as Harry blushed hard.
"No!" Harry snapped as he shook his head before looking nervously at Ron. "Would that be so bad?"
"It would, actually," Ron said as he nodded his head. "Hermione might be turned off by it."
"Why would Hermione be turned off by Harry expressing his feelings?" Neville asked as all four pair of eyes stared at Ron. Ron gulped as he twiddled his fingers.
"Well…" Ron said before resigning to telling the truth. " Tracey and I are working on this essay about love for Muggle studies," Ron said as Seamus and Dean snickered. "She thinks that it's a bad idea to for best friends to suddenly reveal their feelings because you don't know what the other person thinks and it could backfire badly. Not to mention, mate, you might become clingy."
"I reckon Tracey does have a point," Seamus replied as he gave Ron an amused look. "You have gotten rather clingy around Hermione, Harry."
"I do not!" Harry snapped defensively.
"Oh come on, mate," Dean replied. "You've been spending an awful lot of time with her and looked what you become. Always agreeing with her and asking her how she is. Always wanting to talk about her rather than yourself."
"That's true!" Seamus remarked. "Harry, how do you expect Hermione to fall for you when you won't even show her who you really are."
"It's like you want to be an image of yourself that's not really you but what you think she likes about you," Neville said as all eyes turned towards him. "What?! I can be deep once in a while."
"Anyways," Ron said, ignoring Neville. "The point is, mate, is that you can't spend too much time with her like you're some kind of Hermione Granger's lapdog. You have to get her to see you in a different light."
"But how do you propose I do that, Ron?" Harry said as he folded his arms. "You know how the guys around the school are like? The minute I stop being close to her, one of those vultures are sure to swoop in and steal her heart."
"But you're not doing yourself any favours by just listening and being there for her all the time, mate." Ron sighed. "According to Tracey, if you were to just ask Hermione out, she would more than likely feel awkward at having her best friend come on to her."
"He's right," Seamus said as he nodded along. "Best friends don't necessarily translate to boyfriend and girlfriend. Most of the time, one of the partners get awkward and try to pull away from the other."
"So what you're saying is that I have to spend less time with Hermione and not ask her out so that she can fall for me? How is that even making any sense?!" Harry cried in exasperation.
"It's not like that, mate," Dean replied. "It's just that you've been spending way too much time around her and you just need to take a step back. Come on, you're not even going to Hogsmeade this weekend because you want to stay back and help Hermione plan the prefect's schedule and study with her."
"You do realise that if I don't stay with her, that means Hermione has to plan the prefect's schedule with Malfoy since he's Head Boy." Harry retorted. "Do you honestly expect me to leave her alone with Draco Fucking Malfoy?! He'll take advantage of her."
"Are you afraid she's going to fall for him?" Neville asked as Harry glared daggers at him. "No, of course not! But I wouldn't put it past the ferret to try something."
"Yeesh, Harry. You're whipped." Seamus laughed as Harry glared at him.
"So what do you suggest I do then, huh? Since you're all love experts all of a sudden." Harry shouted as everyone grew silent. Suddenly, Seamus's eyes began to widen as he smacked his hand on the foot of his bed.
"I got it!" Seamus said as he grinned at the group. "Mates, let's look at the facts. The problem with Harry is that he's spending way too much time with Hermione and so Hermione has gotten comfortable to the fact that Harry would always be there for her. What we need is to turn it around, to get Hermione to notice just how empty her life would be if she wasn't Harry Potter's number one priority. And what's the best way for a girl to notice her guy best friend is seemingly uninterested in her? With another girl!"
"You want Harry to make Hermione…jealous?" Dean exclaimed as the thought dawned upon the others.
"I mean, think about it. You all remember how jealous Hermione was when she found out that Ron and Lavender were dating." Seamus said.
"Hermione was jealous….?" Ron said in astonishment.
"She set a pack of birds on you, mate," Dean replied. "She might not have been jealous of Lavender in the way you're thinking of but she was definitely jealous of the fact that she was losing you to Lavender," Dean explained as Harry, Neville, and Seamus nodded.
"Precisely!" Seamus exclaimed. "All we have to do is to get Harry to go with Hogsmeade with another girl. Hermione will be shocked when she realises that she's no longer the centre of your universe. If she got so worked up over Ron with Lavender, who knows how she would feel if you, Harry, were out with another girl?"
"I hate to admit it but Seamus is right," Neville said as Harry gaped at all four boys.
"You're all out of your mind!"
"Harry, let me paint a scenario for you," Seamus said as he placed his arm around Harry. "Scenario number one, you continue on your path with always spending time with Hermione. You think to yourself, hey maybe she'll see me in a different light and wants to be more than friends even though in your entire history together, Hermione has never seen you anything more than just a best friend and a brother-figure. Eventually, you get up the courage to ask her out only to find that she just wants to best friends. You start to get bitter and the pair of you avoid each other, leading to the end of your friendship. Or scenario number two, you give your attention to another girl. Hermione notices that you're spending less and less time with her and what's worse, it seems like another girl has gotten your attention. Hermione begins to feel frustrated that you're not that for her and that frustration will turn to jealousy. Then Hermione realises that you are the guy she wants to spend time with and so she will plead for your companionship while seeing you in a new light giving a much better chance of her falling for you than ever before."
"Paints quite the extreme future, doesn't he?" Dean whispered as he nudged Neville on his shoulders.
"This isn't a love story, mate. This is real life and nothing gets a girl to notice you better than jealousy." Seamus said Harry gave him a blank stare before groaning out loud.
"So which girl do you suggest I ask to spend a day at Hogsmeade with me?" Harry asked reluctantly.
"Well, you could ask Parvati Patil. Or Ginny." Dean said as Ron glared daggers at him as Seamus shook his head.
"No, you prats. Harry can't ask someone whose friends with Hermione. That's not going to make her jealous. No, what Harry needs is a girl that will make Hermione jealous. Someone just as smart and serious as her and arguably even more beautiful than Hermione herself."
"Who then?" Ron asked as Seamus flashed him a wicked grin.
"You gave me the idea, mate, when you got so worked up over Draco. Who better than a Slytherin to use to make someone jealous and in this case, I'm jealous that you might get to spend time with her. I'm talking of course about Daphne Greengrass." Seamus said as Harry snorted derisively.
"Right, mate. I'm just going to go up and ask Daphne freaking Greengrass to go to Hogsmeade with me. No biggie."
"She might consider it," Neville said hopefully as Dean scoffed at the notion.
"Please. If perfect boy Cedric Diggory and the charming Roger Davies couldn't get a date with Daphne, what hope is there for us? Really, Seamus, how is Harry going to ask the most beautiful witch in all of Hogwarts to go out with him?"
"Simple. Through her friend, of course. I'm sure Daphne wouldn't mind accompanying Harry to Hogsmeade as long as they're part of a double date." Seamus said as he smirked at Ron whose eyes began to bulge out of its sockets.
"OH BLOODY HELL! NO! Absolutely not!" Ron roared as he shook his head.
"Come on, mate." Seamus pleaded. "All you have to do is go to Hogsmeade with Tracey and ask her to convince Daphne to tag along as backup while you bring Harry as backup. That way, Harry won't actually be on a date with Daphne while Hermione will be alone at Hogwarts, furious at the thought that Harry is out with the Ice Queen instead of her. It's perfect."
"I'm not going to ask Tracey on a date! We're just friends." Ron yelled.
"Me thinks the wizard doth protest too much." Dean snickered as Ron threw a pillow at him.
"Me thinks you should shut your mouth before I stuff my broomstick up your arse. No, Seamus, absolutely not." Ron replied firmly. "I'm not asking Tracey on a date."
"Who said anything about date?!" Seamus spoke.
"YOU DID! You said double date!"
"Urgghhh, fine! It's not a date. It's an outing, then." Seamus groaned before grabbing Ron by his shoulders. "Mate, all you have to do is get Daphne and Harry to spend time together with you and Tracey. Just hang out or something. That way, Hermione can be jealous and Harry can get together with her. Your mate needs you, Ron. Think about how many times Harry helped you out with Lavender. Gotta pay it back, mate." Seamus said as Ron let out a groan of frustration before turning to Harry.
"Mate, it's okay," Harry said as he placed his hand on Ron's shoulder. "If you don't want to do it, it's fine. I can spend the day with Hermione at Hogwarts." As Ron stared into the piercing green eyes of Harry, thoughts of Hermione and Harry spending the day together flooded his mind and it was in that moment that Ron knew there was only one course of action to take.
…..
To say that Draco Malfoy was angry would be an understatement. He was absolutely furious as he paced about within his Head Boy's room, occasionally kicking an object and yelling out in frustration. Of all the stupid things his friends would do, Draco never expected them to do something like this. Didn't they know how damaging this was to his reputation, never mind that of Salazar Slytherin? Draco threw a book against the wall in anger as a knock was heard on his bedroom door before it swung open and Tracey Davis walked into his room.
"You summon me, your Highness," Tracey said sarcastically as she looked around his room. "Please tell me you're redecorating and not just living in filth."
"You got some nerve talking to me about filth," Draco said, fuming in anger. "What's this I heard about you and Daphne going to Hogsmeade with Potter and Weasley? Have you lost your freaking mind?!"
Tracy shut the door before narrowing her eyes at Draco. "What I do is none of your business, Malfoy."
"It is my business!" Malfoy yelled. "What do you think everyone is going to say when they noticed how my two close friends are going on a date with my sworn enemies? Did you even fathom what the repercussions could be? What this will do to us as Slytherins?! You're soiling our reputation."
"Oh right! Because we have such a lofty reputation to uphold." Tracey laughed sarcastically. "Or did you forget all about that now that you're spending your nights in tall, ivory towers while the rest squat in the dungeons."
"Don't try to turn this on me, Tracey!" Draco snarled. "Tell me you haven't got a thing for Weasley. Tell me that this is just some game to mess with them."
"What I do with Ron is none of your fucking business, Malfoy!" Tracey snapped. "So back off!"
"Ron?!" Draco whispered scornfully as he glared at her. "Is that what you call him, now that you think you're friends with him? He's not your friend, you dumb bitch!"
"Call me bitch one more time and I will hex your bollocks off," Tracey whispered warningly as she narrowed her eyes at him. Though he felt a slight tinge of guilt, Draco was still too angry to back down.
"You know what? I don't give a fuck. Maybe you're just mentally insane for the moment but whatever it is, this needs to stop. You need to stop hanging around Weasley."
"His name is Ron and who the hell do you think you are?!" Tracey cried, outraged at Draco was saying.
"I'm the Head Boy as well as the prefect of the house, not to mention our Slytherin House Captain. Your relationship with Weasley is putting all our chances at the Quidditch Cup and the House Cup in jeopardy. So either you end it with him or I'll go to Professor Snape for support!"
"Go screw yourself, Draco," Tracey said as she headed for the door. "You're not my father!"
As soon as Tracey uttered the words, Draco Malfoy froze. In his head, he could see the memory of his mother whispering to him again.
Draco, there's something you need to know.
As Draco Malfoy pulled himself away from his thoughts, a sharp pang of guilt rushed through his body. Bolting from his room, he caught Tracey at the foot of the stairs.
"Tracey, I'm sorry."
"Go away," Tracey said, her eyes brimming with tears.
"Tracey, please, I'm sorry. I'm a prat." Draco said desperately as he grabbed her arm. "I didn't mean anything of what I just said. Could you please follow me back to my room so I can explain?" Draco pleaded as Tracey stopped in her tracks to turn and glare at him.
"I'm really sorry, Tracey." Draco sighed. Tracey said nothing as she looked out into the corridor before turning around to walk back into Draco's room. Draco heaved a sigh of relief. Entering his room, he could see that Tracey was sitting at the foot of his bed.
"Tracey…I just….it's just that we're talking about Weasley and Potter here." Draco tried to explain, only for Tracey to glare at him.
"My relationship with Ron is none of your business, do you understand?" Tracey whispered as she crossed her arms. "I don't even know why you care so much anyways."
"Because I don't want to see you get hurt," Draco replied as he sat next to her. Tracey gave a derisive laugh.
"Oh please, that's not why. You don't care about me, Malfoy. This is about you, about your ego."
"Ok fine, I'll admit it," Draco replied in a resigned tone. "I don't like Weasley. I sure as hell don't like Potter. We've been at odds ever since our first year. It's just who I am." Draco sighed. "But you're right. It is none of my business. If you want to be with Weasley, do what you want."
Tracey's expression softened as she placed a hand on his shoulder. "He's not that bad, you know, Ron Weasley. And you should get to know him better if you are going to pursue Hermione like you told Blaise."
Draco gave a laugh. "I'm not going to get to know Granger's friends just to get her."
"What are you going to do, huh? Charm her socks off? Impress her with your wealth?" Tracey asked in a caustic tone as she shook her head. "Hermione isn't that type of girl. You'll lose the bet before you know it."
"Why do you care if I lose the bet or not?"
"Because…" Tracey said before hesitating. All of a sudden, an idea struck her. "Because I have a bet with Ron that you can get Hermione before Harry gets her."
"Potter wants Granger?" Draco said incredulously before snorting out loud. "Should have known. And you bet with Weasley that I can get Granger before Potter does? Why?"
"To prove that Slytherins can get Gryffindors," Tracey said casually as she shrugged her shoulders. "Why do you think Daphne and I are going out with Ron and Harry this weekend? So that you can get some alone time with Hermione."
"Even if that was true, Granger will never stay. She'll want to go to Hogsmeade." Draco replied.
"So convince her," Tracey said as she smiled at him. "Or is the Malfoy charm just another myth? Look, you and I both have bets to win. So why not we work together? Let me help you so that you can win the bet and the broomstick while I win my bet. Deal?"
Draco gave Tracey a smirk before nodding his head. "Deal."
"Excellent!" Tracey cried out as she grinned at him. "Let's start with the first order of business. You can't insult or make fun of Harry or Ron anymore."
"You got to be kidding- "
"I mean it, Draco," Tracey said firmly. "I told you Hermione isn't one of those girls who you can just flirt with and charm. Trust me, if you want to get her, you have to get along with her best friends. Otherwise, it's just never going to happen. Trust me, if it came down to you or Harry and Ron, she will always pick the latter."
"So I need to be friends with those two?" Draco said disgustedly.
"Who said anything about friends. Just be civil. Amicable. Ignore that need to take the mickey out of them and trust me, your chances of getting her increases exponentially."
"Ok fine." Draco sighed in a resigned tone. "Any other advice?"
"Yes," Tracey said as she clapped her hands. "You need to show her some vulnerability."
"What? What do you mean?"
"It's like this," Tracey explained as she took his hand. "Right now, Hermione Granger thinks that you're nothing more than this bigoted, arrogant little prick who only thinks very highly of himself and looks down on others. Truth is, she's not far from it and I kind of agree with the assessment."
"Hey!"
"Luckily for me." Tracey continued, ignoring Draco in the process. "You seem less of an arse ever since the fifth year than you usually are so we have that working for us. But right now, we need Hermione Granger to see you in a new light."
"A new light?" Draco questioned.
"Yes, Draco, Hermione isn't going to open up to you if you don't show her some vulnerability. And she's not going to get closer to you if you don't open up. Surely there's something you can tell her about yourself that will help."
Draco pondered for a moment. There was indeed a few things that he kept close to his chest and yet, Draco had never considered for a moment telling anyone about them, let alone Hermione Granger.
"Look, it doesn't have to be something big." Tracey sighed. "Just something that you can get off your chest without it being too much trouble. Surely there's something for you."
"I don't know…." Draco replied in a conflicted tone. Tracey stared at Draco for a moment. It was strange to her how in the entire seven years she knew him, Draco Malfoy never shared much about his life other than his father's wealth. She often saw him, especially during the past two years, looking rather concerned and even anxious at times and yet, Draco never spoke to anyone. Pansy would often tell her and Daphne that Draco was just worried about school stuff though it was obvious that that was a lie. It was then that Tracey made up her mind. The best way to get people to admit some issues that they were facing was to admit some yourself and although no one except Daphne knew this about her, Tracey trusted Malfoy to keep it a secret.
"Draco, you know when you ask whether there was something going on between me and Ron?" Tracey said as Draco stared at her. "Well, I want to let you know that there's nothing to worry about. Even if for some reason, we develop feelings for each other, I can't be with Ron Weasley."
"Why?" Draco asked curiously.
Tracey heaved a sigh before revealing her secret. She could see Draco's eyes widening as she started to tell the story. Over time, Tracey often wished that she would miss out on certain details, maybe even forget the important parts. Yet as she recalled what happened to her, Tracey knew in her heart that forgetting it was never going to be a possibility. The memories would haunt her for the rest of her life.
…..
"Merlin…" Draco whispered in horror as Tracey finished telling the story. "You went through all that? Alone?!"
Tracey nodded her head. "Daphne knows about it, of course, but I only told her after it happened." She could see Draco giving her a sympathetic look as she felt her eyes getting wet. Before Tracey knew what was happening, she felt two arms pull her close to a chest.
"I'm sorry," Draco whispered as he enveloped her in a hug. Tracey was shocked, to say the least. In all her time at Hogwarts, she had never seen Draco give anyone a hug except for his mother and yet, here she was experiencing one for the first time. As she sunk deeper into the warmth of his hug, for the first time in her life, Tracey Davis considered Draco to be a true friend.
"You should have told me. I would have dealt with it." Draco whispered as he pulled away. Tracey gave him a smile and shrugged her shoulders. "What's done, it's done. Draco, this goes without saying but obviously, you can't speak about it to –"
Draco raised his hand. "No, of course not. Your secret is safe with me."
"Thanks, Draco."
"So you're really not going to date…Ron?" Draco said as he gave her a bittersweet smile. Tracey beamed at him for the use of Ron's first name.
"How can I? I don't think I can do it anymore." Tracey sighed before giving Draco a smile. "Anyways, that was just to show you that sometimes, it's good to let these things off your chest. Trust me, show that side to Hermione as well as the caring bit you just did and she'll see you differently."
"Okay." Draco grinned.
"And no insulting Ron or Harry," Tracey said firmly as Draco gave a scowl before nodding reluctantly. Smiling at him, Tracey exited the room, leaving Draco alone with his thoughts.
Draco reached into his robes and pulled out a photograph of his family. In the photograph, Narcissa Malfoy was holding up a three-year-old Draco as his father, Lucius beamed proudly next to him. Draco sighed as he ran his finger over his mother's face.
Draco, there's something you need to know.
It's about your father.
….
A/N: For those of you thinking that by introducing Daphne, it will mean that Harry or Draco gets paired up with her, I have to say that it's not going to be as simple as that. I know that some writers introduce an external love interest as a possibility to satisfy the triangle but in this case, it's not that clear-cut. Both Harry and Draco have an equal chance to get Hermione Granger.
I know it's not really book canon but take it that Hermione looks like Emma Watson and it makes it easier to understand why guys would fight for her: )