Ekaterina's Disclaimer: I know I can, I know I can [own Harry Potter] Sorry, Thomas the Engine that Could, I don't think you can apply that method here...

Blossom's Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to Rowling. :)

Ekaterina's Note: WOW! We got more reviews for the last chapter, and for every single one I wished I could hug them xD Thank you guys so sosososososooso much, I love you all so much! Hmmm so... PSATs, huh... Ugh, evil little things... Yeah, so sorry for the giant gaps between updates, as school goes on our workload tends to build up :P therefore, our updates will probably be longer and with slightly longer gaps (like recently). But nothing as drastic as a month or anything :) Read and Review, darlings! PS. New Evanescence album! So good 3

Blossom's Note: Thanks for the more frequent reviews! Greatly appreciated! Oh yes, we're busy; school work can be very time-consuming...Sorry for the rather slow updates. But we promise we'll try to upload as soon as possible!

ChApTeR 7: pLoTtInG rEvEnGe

Harry walked down the hall towards the staff lounge to pick up Ginny.

"Ready?" he asked when she brightly greeted him with a hug and a light peck on his cheek; she also gave a small attempt at smoothing his hair but decided against the trouble.

Ginny groaned. "Yeah," she said with a slight sigh. "I never thought I'd be seeing Malfoy again." Her tone reflected some degree of disgust.

Harry shrugged. "Our fault, I guess," he said, sliding his hand into hers. "We shouldn't have made a bet with Blaise...the Slytherin he is."

"Well, from our point of view, the bet seemed perfectly harmless, if not profitable. At the time, how likely was it for Hermione and Draco to get together? From our point of view, Ron and Hermione were still together! How were we supposed to know that the Hermione would move in with Draco!" Ginny cried, her face flustered. "Hermione certainly didn't tell this to us until recently!"

"Mm... But that's because she gets so caught up in life (and, well... Ron) that she takes a bit of time to tell us news..." Harry said thoughtfully. Honestly, he was quite curious to see how Hermione and Malfoy the Evil Bouncing Ferret were getting along. From what he had heard, Malfoy had become quite the gentleman. Sort of. He still made girls cry when he rejected them on the basis of their faces not being perfectly symmetrical, or their noses; he had an odd thing for rejecting girls on basis of their noses. "I'm just shocked that we haven't heard of bloody murder yet..." he said with a sigh.

"Oh, that! They were already in contact before- Hermione just didn't know that she was talking to Malfoy," explained Ginny. "Hermione told me a couple days ago via owl."

Harry stopped midstride and faced Ginny incredulously, "She talked to a random stranger and went to live with him with no idea that they were giant prats that made life a living Hell for her for about 5 years of her life?"

Ginny thought for a moment, "Harry, love, people change. I didn't believe it either, but I think that they might be able to get along civilly. From what I've heard, he's become standable." She paused, then added, "Although it's more likely that Blaise forced Malfoy to get Hermione to move in to the Manor."

Harry sighed again; they had not even met Malfoy yet, and he already had a headache.

"Ready, Malfoy?" called Hermione, her voice magically carrying all the way to the hallway.

"Where are you?" Draco asked distractedly.

"Middle wing, 13th sitting room on the left from the entrance." It had taken a while, but Hermione had eventually gained a pretty good sense of where things were in the Manor.

He walked in with a scowl gracing his face. Hermione smirked, this meeting was going to be really quite fun. Plastering an angelic smile on her face as she faced Malfoy, she flicked her wand to bring her voice back to normal.

"I put out some cookies and tea," she said innocently while twirling around to show him the platter.

"Brilliant," was his glum reply.

"Oh cheer up, it'll be fun!" She was really loving this; Harry would probably act like her father, and Ginny would probably make loads of obscene implications.
Watching someone squirm under such circumstances never appealed more to her. Especially since that someone was none other than Draco Malfoy.

Draco sat down across from Hermione, his face grumpy. "Why wasn't I notified of this until today-no, precisely fifteen minutes ago?" he asked.

Hermione shrugged. "Well," she said matter-of-factly, "if I had told you earlier, you wouldn't have allowed it. It's been so long since I've seen them!"

"And Potter and Weasley know that this meeting was made a secret from me? They dare walk into my manor without my notice?" Malfoy asked, raising his eyebrow.

Hermione grinned mischievously. "Well, not really. You know they're coming! I did tell you! And besides, I never told them straight out that you didn't know, but then again, I did kind of imply it in my letter..."

"You implied it. Right." Draco sighed and scowled some more.
"Now turn that frown upside down!" said Hermione. "It'll be fun!" And she meant it, though she doubted it would be for Malfoy.

"Upside down...What am I, five?" Draco glanced at his watch. "They're late!" he said irritably.

"Give them some time! And why don't you move here?" Hermione motioned to the chair next to her.

Draco stared. "You want me to move next to you?"

Hermione shrugged. "Well, yeah. I mean, you'll need some protection- *cough* support."

If looks could kill, Hermione would be crippled. Not dead, just crippled. But Draco moved seats anyway. Just as he settled into the chair, there was a loud crack! as Ginny and Harry apparated into the room.

"Ginny!" Hermione yelled, rising to embrace her friend in a hug.

Draco coughed uncomfortably as he stood up. "Hi," he said brusquely.

The awkwardness was mutual. "Hello," muttered Harry cooly, bringing his hand out.

Draco took the hand briefly and tried to indiscreetly wipe his hands on his robes.

Hermione saved the two from further awkwardness as she greeted Harry.

"Harry! You prat, you didn't answer or send any messaged!" she gave a mock glare.

Harry nodded apologetically. "Ron really hates the Misty Mermaids."

Hermione sniffed with disdain then brought her arms around her old friend.

Ginny smiled and joined in to make a giant group hug that just toppled from the awkward position. (E/N: does this happen to anyone else other than me? I seem to topple group hugs D:)

Laughter resounded between the three, and Draco Malfoy sat down, trying to plan out what to say and how to get himself alone with the soon-to-be Potter couple to discuss the bet. Maybe it would be better to tell Hermione of the ongoing bet. That way he wouldn't feel so guilty when they split. But then if he told her... Malfoy's thoughts were interrupted as Harry began to talk.

"So Malfoy. You had a secret correspondence," Harry's fake-friendly look was replaced by a cold glare.

"No, it was one of those pen pal things," he responded.

"That's why she didn't know who you were?"

"It was mystery X getting her attention, or me getting a killing curse in the mail."

"And that would be a loss?" put in Ginny with mild interest.

"Yes!" he cried indignantly. "Where would the world be without my charming wit and sparkling personality?"

"Many places. Somewhere happy and full of rainbows and butterflies," Hermione answered dryly.

"Not true-" Malfoy opened his mouth to defend himself.

"Yeah, we would be so much happier-" Ginny said.

"Oh, it would be such a brighter place without-" Harry said with a grin.

"Oi! I'm living with the git, don't you think I get first say? First off, don't worry about me; he's annoying but caring, a big flirt, but he doesn't mean half the things he says, aaaaand actually a pretty good housemate," Hermione cut in firmly. Malfoy looked at her with mild surprise. He would have to report this developement to Blaise.

Harry and Ginny exchanged an uncomfortable look. Was Hermione actually defending Malfoy?

Draco chuckled. "So..." he said, a tinge of triumph in his voice.

"Well, glad to see you doing well with Draco," Harry said coolly, flashing a quick smile.

Hermione nodded. "Here, try a cookie!" she said, recognizing the tension building in the air. "I baked them!"

Malfoy took one, studied it carefully, then took a small bite.

Hermione turned to him. "What are you doing?" she demanded in an offended tone. Sure, her cooking wasn't the best, but it wasn't terrible!

"Hmm...Pretty good!" Draco said after washing the cookie down with a sip of tea.

Hermione's face brightened considerably.

"Except for the fact that they're rock hard, I think they're perfect! I see this time you actually added the sugar instead of the salt," Draco continued.

Hermione flushed pink. "Draco!" she muttered through clenched teeth. "You are bloody well going to eat that cookie that I spent ages making."

"Tch, there's no way that even a dementor would eat that shit! Seriously, you should take cooking classes. We might actually have a chance to live then."

Hermione glared at him coldly. "Well you bloody ferret, you don't even deserve them anyway!" She whisked the plate away and held it up to Harry and Ginny. "Here! Taste them! Honestly, they're not horrid!"

Harry laughed weakly, "Er that's fine, I- we actually ate before coming, you see." His stomach gave a telltale rumble which he coughed to cover. Hermione seemed satisfied with his attempt at politeness. Bringing, the plate down and helping herself to one, she noticed Harry giving Ginny a sort of look, almost a signal.

"Hermione! Why don't you show me your room? And the grounds! I want to know everything about what has happened! We haven't been together in ages!" Ginny jumped up with a smile that covered an obviously grumpy scowl.

Hermione turned to Draco questioningly.

He began to disagree furiously, "No, n-"

Harry threw him an obvious look, and Draco understood, quickly changing his words.

"No, I should show you around, no? Ginny? Are you okay with my guest showing you around the manor? You can get quite lost..." he said.

Ginny ignored him. "Hermione, please? Pretty pleeeeeaaasseee?" She fluttered her eyelashes, and Hermione broke out into giggles.

"Who can refuse that face?" she said, standing up. "Let's go."

Hermione led Ginny up the marble staircase to the third floor, where she intended to start the grand tour. Truthfully, Ginny wasn't too interested, but the house was worth looking around: huge, impressive, and magnificently decorated. And how many rooms were there? Probably a gazillion.

"So, this is the sitting room..." Hermione was saying.

Ginny looked around. "The sitting room? Weren't we just in the sitting room?" she questioned.

"Ah, Malfoy Manor has exactly 34 sitting rooms, if I'm not mistaken. Not to mention 50 bedrooms...And individual bathrooms and miniature kitchens for all of them..." Hermione smiled at Ginny's puzzled face.

"34...50..." Ginny echoed. Well, well, she thought to herself. Harry and herself had been worried that Ginny might not be able to buy enough time for the guys to talk over the bet. No worry there...84 sitting rooms and bedrooms to venture through. Not to mention the huge garden, thought Ginny as she drew the dark, musty curtains of a nearby window. Well, it figured. This manor might as well be a palace.

"And this way's the library, and next door is my room!" Hermione said as she led Ginny out of the door.

"Your room!" This time Ginny's enthusiasm was real. "Got to see that!"

"Malfoy, have you told of the bet?" Harry hissed after the girls had left the room.

"Are you daft? I value my life very much, thank you very much," Draco sneered.

"Yes, but... I don't want her to actually fall for you. We made the bet before we realized that she and Ron were... at odds," the response was a carefully worded warning, Draco realized.

"I see. Then... I have a solution," the smirk on Draco's face cold have frightened even Professor McGonagall.

"Does that plan include my death?" inquired Harry with mock politeness.

"Potter, you have no idea."

Hermione was glad of company; it had been quite a while since she had been in contact with anyone other than Draco. It was really very refreshing.

"So, any new plans for the wedding?" Hermione sat across from Ginny on her bed.

"Yeah, but I won't bother boring you half to death with all the details, hell, they bore me half to death! I would be perfectly happy with any kind of wedding as long as Harry was there!" She frowned. "As a groom, not a guest!"

Hermione laughed, "That would be awful! I'm really looking forward to the wedding, it'll be a break from all this stuff going on."

Ginny gave a small smile, "Bring Malfoy." Ginny said this on impulse; inside her head, she was already giving a lengthy string of curses at herself for bringing the very man who could lose her the bet. But Hermione just seemed so much happier around here than with that horrid brother of hers... Plus, she HAD to win the bet-and the only chance to prove that Hermione wouldn't fall for Draco was at the wedding.

"Er, Ginny... I would rather avoid deaths, thanks though." It was true, bringing Draco would cause too much pandemonium.

"No. You're bringing him. I need to win the b- I mean, I-I...need you to be happy?" Ginny ended weakly.

Hermione's eyes narrowed. "Ginny."

"Hermione?" Ginny said as lightly as possible, smiling sweetly.

"What is this? What are you hiding from me?" demanded Hermione.

Ginny stammered, "Wh-what? Hide? No, Hermione! Nothing!" Her face was already flushing; she wasn't really good at lying.

"For goodness sake! I'm not blind! I saw you and Harry pass those anxious looks!"

"No! It really wasn't..." Ginny's voice trailed to a stop as

"I'll simply have to ask Harry then," sniffed Hermione. She got off the bed and started off towards the 13th sitting room on the left from the enterance, Ginny hot on her heels.

"Hermione, it was nothing really, just a slip of the tounge-"

Hermione ignored Ginny and pushed open the doors to the sitting room.

"I know all about it," she announced dramatically.

Two paired of comically shocked eyes turned to her then to Ginny.

"Not me. Blame the Potters," Malfoy claimed his innocence as fast as possible.

"Er, we... um..." Harry stammered a bit. "It was accidental really, but... um... sorry?"

"So you did almost spill a secret," Hermione turned to Ginny and raised an eyebrow.

"Care to share what I've been put into?"

Ginny looked apologetically at a very confused Harry and intrigued Draco. "Um, well you see...Hermione, it really isn't-"

Hermione raised an eyebrow. "Oh, really."

"Ginny," said Harry softly, "I think she should know." He turned his attention to Hermione. "You see, Hermione...We made a bet," he started.

"Yes? And what was this... bet... about?"

"Well, I suppose for once, Malfoy was innocent...kind of." she shot a glare at Draco. "Blaise against Harry and me. We bet that you can't fall for Malfoy. Blaise bet you could."

Hemione's demeanor was stony. "I see. So you bet on your 'extended sibling,' as you so sweetly put it some years ago, and her love life? Thank Merlin it had
nothing to do with Ron..."

"Hermi-"

"Oh, and how is Draco involved in this bet?" She gazed at Draco.

Sighing, Draco answered, "Blaise tricked me into swearing on my honor and reputation that I had to try to charm you."

Ginny started to add quietly, "That blast-"

"And if you two are done interrogating Malfoy there, you may leave," Hermione interrupted with an icy glare.

"Hermio-" Ginny started, but was cut short when Hermione left the room with a swish of her dress.

Draco turned to Harry, "At least we didn't have to get you killed by using my plan!" With that cheerful parting, he too left the room.

Three hours later, Draco found Hermione reading down by the small oriental pond in the garden maze. He sighed and sat down by the small stone bench. It had taken him a good portion of those three hours to search the house until he realized that she must be outside; then he had to get through the snow which was about ankle depth.

Hermione moved her booted foot from the icy grass and poked Draco lightly with it. He huffed in indignation and moved out of poking range.

"Hey, what are you going to do in regards to the bet?" he asked cautiously.

"Well, right now I don't know," she replied seriously.

"Are... are you going to move out?" Unless she was mistaken, Hermione was almost certain that she heard some regret in Draco's tone. Then she remembered the nature of the bet and how he was supposed to charm her.

"If you don't mind, I'll be staying. And I have been thinking..."

"Oh, that's good then! Thinking about what?" he asked.

"Ginny and Harry had no right to bet on my life, therefore they are going to pay," she said simply. "Sure, I love them, but I think that this once, I would like to ensure that they know not to do shit like that."

Draco looked up at her in surprise; he had expected her to take their side, and then call off the bet. But here she was, sitting peacefully on a small stone bench in his (and sort of hers) manor on an icy day, by a frozen koi pond, reading some muggle murder mystery. (E/N: to make me happy, let's say it's an Agatha Christie novel xD)

"I see... So what do you want to do?" he was getting wary, somehow, he had a bad feeling about this.

She faced him and said carefully and deliberately, "We are going to pull a farce of falling in love. And there's nothing they can do about it. Oh and you're invited to the wedding..."

Draco smiled to himself; this girl most definitely not to be trifled with.

Dear Myra,
It's too bad that our offices are on opposite ends o the hall :( I miss you. I saw you last during lunch and it's been an awful day. I have no ideas how Hermione still managed to keep our team alive; right now our number of fans are so bloody low! In some ways, I'm really quite upset with Hermione for leaving the team; on the other hand, sometimes I just want to to the same and find a new team. Anyways, I heard that now she's living with Draco Malfoy, do you know him? Harry and Ginny have something going on, I just don't know what and it's annoying. Ginny was muttering something about bets and wedding dresses yesterday; I wonder if she gambled her wedding dress! Let's go out for dinner today, my treat. How do you feel about Russian tonight? I just suddenly had a craving for Russian food, but if you prefer something else, it's fine. Owl me!
Love, Ron

Dear Ron,
Don't worry, darling, we'll see each other more often when we have to more publicity. Well, Hermione is a very talented witch; it's only because of her that you survived, and don't deny that. Fans will grow and drop, just go with the times. Draco Malfoy, huh? He rejected me three years ago because my nose was apparently two degrees off center. Did you know that Ginny invited him to the wedding? Poor Ginny, she must be so stressed out right now. Dinner would be great, but Ginny and I already made plans, you know, I thought she would hate me because you and I are and item now and everyone expected you and Hermione (her best friend) to be together, but we actually get along pretty well. I was actually really shocked that you liked me rather than Hermione, poor girl, how did she react when you guys broke up?
Love, Myra

Dear Myra,
What are you talking about? Hermione and I were never going out! We thought we would after the war but we just have too different personality types. And Draco Malfoy rejected YOU? And he's invited to Ginny's and Harry's wedding? Bloody Hell, what is going on?
Confused, Ron

Dear Ron,
All I can say is, I feel really sad for Hermione. I can't believe you were so blind and daft! Go talk to her, I think you should clear up any bad feelings. Just... remember I love you, okay? And yes, there is a bet between the Potters and Blaise Zabini. Methinks you need to keep up with the times!
Amused, Myra

General A/N: Sorry this one took so long! Over a week :( We decided that naturally, Hermione would be pretty pissed at Ginny and Harry for messing with her life, so the twist. She's going to let Blaise win this one :) Not much fluff in this chapter, but next chapter is Valentines :3 (In regards to timeframe, this is around mid January~ She's gotten used to living with Malfoy, Winter Break is over, and work is running pretty smoothly). Alright, until next time! Review and you will be rewarded with imaginary sushi! xD Oh, btw~ E/N means Ekaterina's Note...^^