Hey y'all. There's a character that's going to be reintroduced in this chapter and I don't know if you remember. His name is Jeremy and I'll just clear up your memory:
"Ah. Jeremy." Ophelia muttered, rolling her eyes. This "bad boy" gave himself the title of the "hot, sexy, highly wanted school bully" and marched through the corridors as if he owned them.
"Hey, doll, missed me much?" he asked, grabbing Ophelia around her waist and leaning her down, devouring her lips. Spencer watched awkwardly, as his prefect partner was consumed whole by Jeremy. When he finally let go of her, she sighed, straightened out her shirt and glared at him.
"20 points from Slytherin for harassing a prefect and I could take off more."
Jeremy smirked. "Oh, come on, you didn't use to care but now you're hanging around this prissy cat and got your knickers in a twist. Ah, well, at least you've started wearing them now."
(Chapter 5)
Anyways, he'll be coming up again… didn't want to do this but gotta do what you gotta do, you know? Heh heh
Anyways, just to clear stuff up because it's not made very clear in this chapter...
Last chapter ended with Draco announcing the Winter ball and told Mike to ask Anna to "set an example." So he goes off to do so, without knowing that Gaby was set on asking Mike to the ball. Yup yup. So this chapter starts with her very pissed off. I WONDER WHY?
And… Ophelia's secret of being the illegitimate child of the Italian king is revealed and she has to go back to Italy… yup yup…
And Ginny and Draco separated last chapter on a pretty good note. She's still not sure about the marriage.
The chapter starts a bit long but it gets a lot better toward the end. enjoy!
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"Just look at them. That bloody hypocrite." Gaby muttered under her breath, pointing at Mike and Anna at the head's table during study hall, deeply absorbed in the Daily Prophet.
Spencer glanced up and returned to his essay. "I still don't get what he did to you. All he did was ask the head girl to the ball. Which makes sense, seeing that he's the head boy."
"That's not the problem, Spence. The problem is that he was allowed to make a huge hissy fit when I had a date to the ball and now he's practically thrown himself at Anna Jenkins like a bloody hypocrite." She emphasized the last word, and scribbled even harder onto her papers where she was drawing out plays for the upcoming game.
"Well, to be honest, he only threw a hissy fit because your date was a jerk who didn't deserve to be your date."
"Well if I'm the one at fault, why has he been ignoring me since yesterday when the professor announced the ball?"
"Maybe because you don't miss a chance to glare at him whenever you could?"
"Are you on my side or what? You know what else this man- or if I can even call him a man- did yesterday for our tutoring session?"
"He showed up, right?"
"Well, of course he did. He almost killed me the last time he didn't, remember? No, even worse, he brought Anna Jenkins. Seems he couldn't face me himself. That bloody wimp."
"Give it a rest, Gaby. They're heads. They do things together."
"The whole time, it's Anna this, Anna that. Why can't I be more like Anna? Why can't I study like Anna? Why can't I be the role model student like Anna?"
"He's just trying to help. Go a bit easily on him, won't you? Your ego's just hurt because you basically got rejected to the ball. So what? Not every male in this school can go to the ball with you. I'm sure you can find someone… if it bothers you so, hell, I'll go with you."
"I'm going to say no for many reasons."
"I am rejected. Woe, my pain."
"First off, you're my brother. That's like incest. How pathetic would I look? Secondly, you'd be a horrible date. Thirdly, you know you fucked up with Ophelia and I'm not letting you hide from that."
"Oh, oh, oh, that's unfair. You're changing the subject."
"Oh, oh, and you're avoiding it. You know, I told you her secret to help you two get closer to each other. I didn't tell you so you can break all relations with her. I guess it's my fault I didn't see that coming, but nonetheless, even if you were angry over it, you're not allowed to let her just walk out like that after she tells you she's moving back to Italy."
"Well, it's too late now, isn't it? Word has it-"
"Hi, Spencer!"
The twins turned around and Spencer sighed exasperatedly. "Yes, Marissa?"
"I heard about what happened with, you know, that girl."
"What do you mean?"
"You didn't know?" Marissa pulled out an abused copy of the Daily Prophet. On the front page under the blaring headlines was a large flashing photo of Mrs. Amoretti maneuvering through a mob of paparazzi and media cameras, large sunglasses perched on her nose. On the side was a smaller moving picture of Ophelia, laughing and dancing at an event that was held at her mega-mansion a few years ago.
The Secret Love Affair of King Raspucci.
The illegitimate love child of the Italian King to be a crowned princess?
"Isn't this the girl who was with you two days ago at study hall? The whole school's going up in flames. No wonder where she got such audacity."
"What do you know of her, Marissa?" Spencer pushed, eyeing the newspaper.
"Everything that everyone in the school knows. Her being King Raspucci's child, her mother… the paper had it all. Fascinating isn't it? I heard she's taking the train home for winter break… and not coming back."
"Well. Well, Marissa, did you also happen to know that Ophelia Amoretti is a prefect; the best one at that too? She's the brightest witch in our year and if it weren't for her, the first banquet would have been an utter mess. Did you know she put up her dignity just to stay in this school? Now did you think that you telling me all this about her being an illegitimate child would make me not like her more? Did you even think that I didn't know already? Did you for one second imagine that I would respect you more than Ophelia after you talked to me? Did you even have the tenacity to dream of me ever looking at you the same way I looked at her?" Spencer grabbed his shoulder bag and nodded at Gaby to finish the job. Walking away, the last he ever saw of Marissa the Stalker was her bursting into a fountain of humiliated tears as Gaby leaned in and offered her a tissue.
He had determined himself as a mere platonic friend to Ophelia but now, he had come to face the reality that she was more than that; obviously, she knew it even before he did.
He cut his route toward his dorms and set off for his detour toward the Slytherin dormitories when he was cut rather rudely in his tracks by Jeremy. Jeremy, with his foolish, demented smile and dark, shady eyes, circled Spencer, chewing the last remains of his apple.
"How are you and Princess Amoretti going, Weasley?"
"Not a great time, Jeremy." Spencer said quickly, trying to pass by him but Jeremy held out his arm to stop him.
"Say, did you know about her being royalty? Is that why you stuck with the princess?"
"You're in my way."
"She must take after her mother, eh? The grandest whore of the school."
Spencer stopped trying to get past him and flicked his eyes up.
"What did you say?"
"Oh, ho, don't get too defensive on me. I'm not blaming you, mate. I'd do her anytime too."
"And who said she would sleep with you? Call her a whore; it's nothing I haven't done. But I'm sure no whore would stoop low enough for the likes of you, Jeremy. And keep in mind, Ophelia Amoretti is a prefect and your attitude toward her might just constitute in detention. Pity, I was sure you just finished your 3-month detention with Professor Malfoy."
Jeremy narrowed his eyes lewdly. "Aren't you just a sore bastard."
"Sure, sure. A sore bastard who will give you detention for another 3 weeks for harassing a prefect. I think that cuts into your winter break too. Bummer, isn't it? You were probably looking forward to that. But no worries, I'm sure there are first years around you can make victims of, seeing even the second years have learned to avoid you. You might get a kick out of them, though people now just call that plain pathetic."
Jeremy laughed harshly, swung back and smacked him squarely across the face, sending Spencer sprawling. Spencer moaned and sat up against the stone wall, the corner of his lip busted. Jeremy grabbed the collar of Spencer's school shirt and prepared to strike him once more when he heard sounds of quick footsteps drawing closer and he let go.
"Spencer, you owe me big time. I might just call you the school's biggest heartbreaker. She's just a small little girl, you know. Never knew you had fans so hard- what is this?"
Gaby had stumbled into their brawl, and her eyes took in the scene before her. Her brother, bloody and disgruntled and Jeremy standing before him, a dirty smirk playing on his lips.
"Pleasure to have you join us, Miss Weasley."
"What the bloody hell are you doing to my brother."
"Went totally off when I asked how it was going with that Amor- you hate your brother! You two are totally opposite! He has his nose stuffed up his books all the time but you, my feisty devil, are totally different."
"You're serious." Her palm smacked him across his face with a loud slap.
"What the hell was that for?!"
"Just because my brother and I are different does not mean that I will be able to stand here listen to you talk about how you beat up my brother."
"Oho. I can see the resemblance now. You both have a bloody wand up your arses when all you're both just hypocrites. You're nothing but a dumb jock. And your brother, well, he's sleeping with the Amoretti, the young one, I mean…"
Her fist collided with his cheek with twice the force that had hit Spencer. His nose began spurting blood and students began to gather around them watching. Fights rarely occurred in Hogwarts, but it has been a pattern that when that scarce fight occurred, it was normally Gaby Weasley behind it. She grabbed the collars of his shirt and punched him repeatedly, until he fell to the ground, his nose bloody and broken and his cheeks burst open.
"What the fuck, you whore!" He cried, his face already swollen.
She raised her hand again, enraged and no longer able to control herself, but someone caught her arm as she prepared to bring it down to Jeremy's face.
"What the bloody hell is going on?!"
Gaby glanced up, seeing the shiny Head Boy badge and stood up, quivering. Mike was still holding onto her arm, trying to drag her away from Jeremy who lay on the ground in a bloody mess.
"My brother… my brother might have done some of the stupidest, drunken things I have ever heard of. Yeah, he's got a witty tongue, way too quick for his head. Yeah. But he… every single FUCKING PERSON HERE RESPECTS HIM. And just in case you didn't know already, nobody gives a SHIT about you." She screamed. "And you… can't call me a whore until you've slept with me yourself." Pulling her arm sharply out of the grasp that Mike had on her, she stalked off, shoving students who were just in her way.
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"You're meeting Dumbledore tomorrow after lunch." Mike said, stepping into the kitchens after having followed Gaby out.
"Okay." She was crouched in the corner, a steamy mug in her hand.
"Do you have any idea what you did, Gaby? You could be expelled."
"I see."
"Why did you do it?"
"I can't stand people like him."
"You beat him to pulp, Gaby. He could be in the hospital wing for days now. I'm sure that couldn't be the sole reason why you completely attacked him, or I'd be extremely disappointed in you."
"Then be disappointed. It's not like you've never been 'disappointed' in me before."
"What is wrong with you? Why did you do it?"
"Because that's what I am, Mike. I'm impulsive. And childish. And dumb."
"I've only known you for the past three months. But I know that you are more than just that."
"Oh, please, don't try to make me feel better. There are two things in the world that I can do and that's making coffee and playing quidditch. Speaking of coffee, could you pour me another cup? Right behind you. You can have some too; I made enough to feed the school."
Gaby gave him her mug which he filled up along with another cup for himself. Levitating the coffee to her, he sat down at the stool, examining the girl who sat bundled up on the ground across the counter from where he sat.
"What happened to that confidence you always had? What happened to that 'screw you, I'll kick your ass any day' attitude?"
"Well I did kick Jeremy's ass and I'm about to get expelled now, aren't I?"
"Gaby. What you did was very wrong and I don't want you going around picking fights again. But I will do everything in my power to keep you from being expelled. Shite, Gabs, this coffee is amazing."
"When there's much you can't do, you excel in what you can do. You wouldn't know. You excel in everything you do. But I'm exactly what Jeremy called me. A dumb jock. You just don't believe it because you never associate with girls who aren't the studious quiet types."
"You can't say that."
"No? Look at Anna. You've been all goo goo ga ga over her recently. And she's one of the quietest, smartest, nicest girls I know. That's the kind of girl you would ever affiliate with."
Mike rested his head on his hand, stricken with hopelessness. "You know that's not true."
Suddenly, a thought came to him and he scrambled out of his seat and searched through all the cabinets.
Puzzled, Gaby stared with a small frown. "What's gotten into you?"
"Looking for- there it is." From the last, corner cabinet, Mike retrieved a box which he handled with ever so care and set it down on the counter, and transfigured two plastic apples into paper plates.
"What are you doing? What is that?"
"The most beautiful food in the world. My mother's apple pecan pie. She sent it to me just a few days ago."
Mike cut out two slices out from inside the pie-box and placed them on the plates. He carried one of them with a fork to her.
"Try it."
Gaby stared at the pie with bewildered bafflement.
"Wha…"
Mike shoved a forkful into her mouth which she clomped down on. He watched in slight amusement as she chewed, ever so slowly until she swallowed the remains of the sweetest caramelized apples and the freshest pecans.
"This is -"
He broke her off with a swift kiss on her sticky lips. She softened instantly. His mouth merely brushed hers at first, then longer and deeper as moments passed. He pulled back after a bit and grinned goofily at his pie.
"I'm sorry. I'm not exactly sure what I did but I know you were angry as hell- I mean nobody can avoid those glares. And you were probably feeling right down low about Jeremy and all, and I wanted to make it up to you."
"So you kissed me and gave me pie."
"Pretty much, yeah. It was killing me that you weren't speaking to me. I can't not be around you, Gaby. Your presence is what I need most. Not Anna's." Mike scooped another forkful of pie and shoved it in her mouth. "Now shut up and eat. You have a test to ace and a name to learn tomorrow."
Gaby took the plate and began devouring her pie. "I'm going to the ball solo, you know that?"
"What, you didn't have a line of half the male population waiting on you? Now that's the surprise of a century."
"I guess after I started hanging with you more, they've all been scared away. The only person who's asked me so far was my own brother."
"I would have asked you if I could have." Mike said slowly.
Gaby looked up. "You're going with Anna Jenkins."
"She's the head girl. It's an obligation of sorts."
"You know she's completely nuts about you."
"That's not true. She's a good friend. I respect her dearly."
She laughed. "You men are so oblivious sometimes. You have the most perfect girl completely cahoots over you and you don't even notice. I see the way she looks at you. Yesterday during the tutoring session? You were like sex to her eyes. I was surprised she didn't drool."
Mike shrugged. "How could you not with my devilishly good looks? But honestly, just because she might think I'm good looking does not mean she's 'completely cahoots' over me. I'm a bloody metamorphmagus! I look like what I want to!"
Gaby sighed. "Mike, the girl's in love with you. Get over it and do her in already."
"Did I ever tell you that you speak so vulgarly sometimes."
"Yadda, yadda, and I should study more. I've heard it all."
"Well you should. Anyways, I know you hate hearing me nag. How about another cup of coffee?"
As she reached out to hand her mug back to him, she got another idea. "How about not?"
"Then I'll just get one for mys-"
"No."
"…ooookay, then."
"No, we're going to Serendipity."
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Spencer had limped his way out into the courtyard and sat down at the nearest bench. The gash on his cheekbone was long but not deep and it only stung if he opened his mouth too widely. He took a deep breathe and sighed, nothing a better remedy than a breath of fresh air. Students bumbled about to their classes, either chattering away the latest Winter Ball gossip or cramming the last dates of a History of Magic test.
He may have been the latter if it weren't for his current condition. No, he probably would have been in the classroom by now. But for some reason, he no longer felt any will to go to class. He merely sat staring, fascinated in how the world revolved around like so, how everyone's life was nobody's life and the secrets every eye held dear.
A white handkerchief dangled in front of him from above and Spencer craned his neck backwards to see an upside down-image of Ophelia Amoretti, possibly the most talked-of human being in the planet as of that moment.
She sat down next to him without a word, and stared out into the courtyard as well, the two of them secluded into the very side and easily invisible. But the new object of liking in Spencer's eyes was no longer the people but the person. The vivacity of her cobalt blue eyes, her long, thick lashes, her unruly raven locks of hair, and the faint delicacy of her bony structure fascinated him beyond delight. He no longer had words to tell her, nor the capability to listen.
"Your staring at me is quite unnerving, you know."
He was too captivated to respond and she waited patiently until he seemed to shake out of the moment and took the handkerchief in her hand and dabbed it to his cheek.
"I think I was angry at the fact that I had finally met someone more flawless than I was," he said, his eyes focused back at the courtyard.
She chuckled. "Maybe so."
"And I think I was so surprised what effect you had. How you could make me care so much."
"Flattery won't get you anywhere."
"Sometimes I'm an arse. Sometimes, I don't even know I'm being an arse."
"It's okay."
"You are really the brightest witch I know, Phelia."
"You're flattering me again."
"I don't think I ever really even knew you. I thought I did after we became friends. I thought I was seeing the 'real' you but even that wasn't enough. There's so much about you that people don't know and everyone has all the wrong ideas. I hate that."
"Well, where's the point in having them know now?" Ophelia asked, a sort of grim bleakness in her voice.
"When are you leaving?"
"I thought everyone knows that."
"I want to hear it from you. If you haven't noticed already, I'm not taking shit from anyone else about you," Spencer said, pointing at his scars.
"Right after the ball."
"What's going to happen to you?"
"Sent to the palace. They're adopting me in."
"And when you're a princess… you can't be a witch, can you?"
"Guess not."
"And I'll never see you again?"
"Very doubtful."
Spencer then jumped up from the bench and grabbed her hand. "Then what are we doing? We're wasting precious minutes!"
She tightened the Slytherin scarf around her neck and tried to let go. "You're out of your mind, Spence! We're missing class!"
"I have seriously rubbed off on you way too much," he said, dragging Ophelia along as he ran up the stairs of the castle.
She struggled at first, but let herself be dragged. "Where are you taking me?"
"Serendipity."
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Ginny refilled Draco's cup. "Do you have a life, Mr. Malfoy? Outside of this coffee shop and Hogwarts?"
He chuckled. "Not quite."
"Do you have any friends other than me?"
"Well… well… well, you know, Professor Binns is not nearly as boring as we used to think back in the days. He's got some fascinating stories to tell."
"Sometimes, I pity you like none other."
"No, really! Professor Binns is a very respectable man… ghost… oh, I'm pathetic."
"Just a little."
"And Hogwarts, oh Hogwarts. I wonder why the Dark Lord ever wanted a job at Hogwarts. What a place! All the professors are cold up, old croonies, and sleeping with the students would be… very wrong… And kids… kids everywhere… I hate kids!"
"But the kids love you! The twins never stop talking about you."
"Why didn't you stop me from taking the job? I don't even need this job! I'm making less money than I did with allowance at age 15."
"Listening to you rich, spoiled children fascinates me sometimes. Being a Hogwarts professor is of utmost pride and respect in this country."
"You know if it weren't for this coffee shop, I don't know what I would have done to myself already."
"You have to admit it, professor, Hogwarts is your life. What would you be doing if you didn't have this job?"
"Maybe sunbathing in the south of France, sipping fine champagne with an Australia model lathering me with lotion. That's what I would have been doing."
"It's the middle of winter. You would have been stuck alone at your mansion of a home playing chess next to the fireplace with your house elves, seeing you have no friends."
"Maybe that's true. Any word from the maybe future Mrs. Diggory about the wedding?"
"The wedding is… I don't know."
"You should make your decision quickly, Mrs. Diggory, because I'm getting an urge to kiss you."
"Well, you sure put me under pressure, don't you?"
Draco chuckled and sat back, examining his mug without meaning to. "Your coffee has made me a better person."
"That's a first."
"I just want you to know what whatever you decide to do with your bachelorette status, I'll always be a regular customer."
Ginny smiled with honest humility and mild surprise. "That was actually nice."
"Yeah. I have my moments."
"I've been thinking to just go along with the wedding."
"Why?"
"I don't know. All this time, I was so sure I'd say no, but these days, I just thought… hell, Gin, you're already past thirty. You only live once and I don't want to live in this coffee shop until I'm eighty and die a spinster. I just think what if Jake's my last chance to settle down, have a family and hell, maybe even kids?"
Draco scrunched up his face in disgust. "Why in the heaven's name would you ever want that?"
"I, unlike you, happen to love children. And also, the feeling of being loved is just… too great to give up. And maybe Jake is too naïve to really love me but he thinks he dos and that's enough for me."
"But the question is do you love him?"
"Maybe… maybe more out of sheer obligation but…"
Draco leaned over the counter, brought his face down to hers and kissed her. Compared to the fiery, passion his kisses once eluded to, this one was so simply elegant, and so off tangent that she was caught off guard at the utter tenderness. He gingerly toyed with her vivacious curls and stroked her cheek with such careful compassion she had not known he was capable of.
"Sorry to disrupt you lovebirds but we're hungry for some coffee." Gaby barged in with a somewhat triumphant grin plastered on her face with Mike right behind her, his awkward eyes beholding his head of house and professor.
"Hello, Miss Weasley. I've heard so much of you. She just gave me a cup of coffee that she brewed and when I was so amazed by it, she insisted that I try a cup from the true master."
Ginny flushed crimson and smiled weakly. "Yeah, sure. Anything in particular you'd like to try? A peppermint latte?"
"Sounds positively delicious."
"Say, you finally finished the latte?" Draco asked Ginny, now back in his seat, slightly embarrassed but also a wee bit smug after his head boy had just walked in on him delved in lip-to-lip action with the barista.
"Yes I did. I believe you were one of my first tasters, yes?"
Draco nodded in elated memories. "My first night I came here. Let me see how far you've gone."
"So, auntie, what's the update on the marriage with Dick-ory?"
"Gaby, that was very inappropriate. And for your information, now I'm leaning toward marrying him."
"What?!" Gaby gaped. "That's downright atrocious!" She faced her professor and pointed her long, accusatory finger at him. "You're letting her do this?"
"I'm not the one getting married. It's your aunt's decision."
"That's… I cannot accept this. Letting Dick-ory into the family is absolute sacrilege."
"I'm sure it can't be that bad… he's the minister's son after all… great benefits…"
"He doesn't drink coffee." Gaby whispered harshly.
Draco gasped. "WHAT?!"
Ginny sighed and poured out three peppermint lattes. "Please, Gaby, sit down. It's not a big deal."
"Now I disapprove." Draco said, shaking his head and reaching for his mug. "What do you see in that man?"
Gaby nodded fervently in agreement. "I'll say. I mean, I know he's better looking than professor, no offense, but really, if I were you, auntie, I'd choose professor. A much more… how do you say it… likable fella, you see?"
Mike chuckled, taking his own mug. "Isn't Jake Diggory the son of the minister? Highly adorned man. One of the most influential people in the ministry, right?"
Gaby slammed her drink down and turned to Mike sharply. "NO, Mike, we hate Diggory. Repeat after me. We hate Diggory," she said, in a military officer-esque manner.
Before Mike could be brainwashed, however, the door swung open and Spencer found his way into Serendipity with Ophelia, their breaths panting from running and cheeks rosy from the biting cold.
"Did I miss an invitation to a party here? What is this?"
"Auntie's going to marry Dick-ory." Gaby said quickly.
"What?!"
"It's not final yet, Spence. Don't listen to her."
Spencer ignored his aunt and pointed to Draco who was quietly drinking his peppermint latte in peace. "What have you done?!"
"Why is everything my fault?!" Draco exclaimed.
Ginny sighed, motioning for the two additions to sit. "No, it's not, Draco. Their imaginations just went a bit haywire."
Spencer nodded at Mike and sat down with Ophelia at the last two remaining stools on the counter. "And why aren't you in class?" he inquired Gaby.
"And why aren't you?" she retorted.
"Why aren't any of you in class?" Draco barked, trying to find authority over them again… as if he ever had any.
"Why aren't you?" Ginny asked him, a teasing grin playing at her lips.
The three of them remained silent and busily drank their lattes.
"I cannot believe I have never come across this coffee shop, Miss Weasley." Mike said, breaking the ice. "I never knew a single latte could be so… so…"
"Invigorating." Ophelia said, beaming. She held the warm mug with both her hands, defrosting them.
"Oh, you two are too kind."
"Auntie, you're coming to the game tomorrow, right?"
"Isn't there the ball tomorrow?"
"Well, yeah, but more importantly, the big game is tomorrow," Gaby said, rolling her eyes if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"It can't possibly be the last game, right? That's usually in February or March…"
"No… it's the game against Slytherin! You must watch. It's most crucial that you come."
"But we all know Gryffindor's going to win anyways so…"
"Hey! Have you seen the Slytherins this year? They've been undefeated!" Draco said, defending his house.
"That's because your house hasn't played Gryffindor yet."
"Ah, youth. Always so optimistic." Draco said, dramatically wiping away fake tears.
"Really, Mr. Malfoy, get real. When has Slytherin ever beaten Gryffindor?" Ginny asked, her old Gryffindor pride rising again.
"You make a good point, Weasley, but Hogwarts has changed since I became the Slytherin head."
"And what difference does that make to quidditch? The girls on the team are more than stimulated to win now to impress their new 'hot and hunky' head of house?" Gaby scoffed sarcastically.
Draco blinked a few times. "Well… yeah…"
She blanched. "That's sick!"
"Really, Miss Weasley, you must face the facts. Unless the generation of students has suddenly become three times smarter than before in Hogwarts, all the students have got the hots for me. I've never seen so much dedication in the subject of defense against the dark arts by the female gender in my life."
"Maybe because you and all your friends were… uh… death eaters?" Ginny suggested with a slightly joking smirk.
"That was harsh, Weasley, really, broke my heart it did."
The kids sniggered and the pure mirth they emitted dragged a lingering chuckle out of him.
Their jollity was cut abruptly by the third door swinging interruption of the day: Jake Diggory.
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Now I can't possibly end the chapter like this!
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"Sorry to cut the fun short, but I have very important matters to discuss with my fiancé in privacy."
Gaby scoffed. "Fiance? You sure about that?"
Jake laughed forcedly. "You were always very funny, Gaby."
"And you were always an asshat, Jakey." Spencer muttered, just loudly enough for everyone to hear except oblivious Jake.
"And speaking of fiancé, guessing everyone knows already, I'd like to know if I really do have a fiancé or not. Ginny. It's been over a week and I can't wait this long for you to decide. How hard could it be?"
"Quite difficult, actually."
"What's so hard about it? Think about it… would you really choose that death eater over me? I could give you anything you ever wanted. I could make chains of this coffee shop all over Europe. You'd be famous. Everything."
"Draco Malfoy has nothing to do with this."
"No, of course he doesn't. Except maybe the fact that he is running around with you on little rendezvous trips to Egypt. Really, Ginny, what does he have to offer that I don't?"
"Maybe a brain?" Spencer mumbled, resulting in a warning smack on the arm.
"Well, then, Jake. You've really made this so easy on me. The twins and Draco… everyone's been telling me that you only proposed because you were scared of losing me to Draco Malfoy. And I so persistently disbelieved them because I thought maybe I would have a little faith in you."
"Ginny, you know I've loved you since the moment I met you. I just need to know what you think."
Ginny sighed exasperatedly and looked down at the counter. All five faces on the stools waited for her reply expectedly. Even Ophelia and Mike who were complete strangers to the situation seemed to catch onto the gist and stared with anticipation. Gaby's eyes were screaming 'NO!' and Spencer's contained such loathing toward Jake that Ginny even took a step back.
And Draco sat, staring at the wall next to him, unable to face her or Jake. His eyes seemed so distant and unfocused yet brimming with such cautiously concealed yet prominent hope.
"I think I'm not in love with you, Jake."
Jake looked stricken with alarm at first, and then nodded his way out quickly from the shop without a single word.
All was well.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Ah, an end to the chapter that even surprised me. Normally, it was going to be quite different and she was going to say yes and Jake was going to take her to the ball and announce it to the whole school and Draco gets angry and etc and etc but I'll have to say, I'm more pleased with the way it worked out here. And sorry if you're offended that I uh stole the last three words of book 7. heh. Heh…. WORST EPILOGUE IN THE WORLD, BY THE WAY. But loved the book.
ANYHOW.
I've been watching so many 80's early 90's movies this week and there were some that really stuck out to me. And one of them was "Pretty Woman." I can't believe I haven't seen it before. Amazing, phenomenal movie. Anyways, I was thinking my next story would be based on it because being the fanfiction nerd I am, I kept thinking of how I could possibly incorporate Draco/Ginny into the Pretty Woman storyline. It's nuts huh? But I'm excited. I'll have to make it a bit AU but oh well.
ANYHOW
I'm so sorry that you still don't know Mike's real name. I was going to reveal it this chapter but it didn't seem right. Anyways, I'm not exactly sure how I could possibly end the story because is it just me or did this seem like the end? I guess you still have the thing with Ophelia moving away and Mike and Gaby still need to hook up FOR REAL and Draco and Ginny just really need to freaking put on glasses and see that they are madly in love with each other…
SO I GUESS THIS MEANS there's still on more chapter left and an epilogue!
ANYHOW
I know this chapter started out a bit long and uh… melodramatic etc, but I hope you enjoyed the end because I enjoyed writing it a lot. And I know you might be getting sick of this story already so here's my plea for you to PLEEEASE stick with the story until the end! You guys have no idea how incredibly grateful and thankful I am for all of you readers and especially REVIEWERS for seriously making my day every day. I'm a horrible writer to deal with because I'm lazy with my updates and etc so I love you all so much for sticking with the story up to now! Thanks guys! Just remember there's just 1 chapter & epilogue to go!
I am ever so thankful! I love you all and review, review, review!
-Yours truly
p.s. I don't think I'll be naming chapters after peet's blends anymore. I've sort of uh, run out. Heh, heh, hope you don't mind. If it bothers you, uh, email me or something… yeah… okay…