A/n: I have an exam tomorrow, and instead of practicing I've spent my day watching A Very Potter Sequeal (have I insisted that you just must, must, must watch A Very Potter Musical and A Very Potter Sequeal by Starkid Potter, available on Youtube, along with the rest of their plays? Because well, you HAVE to! Trust me, once you get the little bits I'm sneaking into the story, it'll appear a little more amusing.) and writing this.

Disclaimer: Don't own Harry Potter or A Very Potter Musical/Sequeal (though I advertise it shamelessly).

Oh! I know how to get you to watch. Any of you watch Glee? Well, it's got Blaine (Darren Criss) in it! Yes, Kurt's HOT boyfriend. Starkid is his own theatre group with a couple of friends. Watch it, I promise you'll love it. 3

Eoz16: I forgot to reply before, I do have Twitter, but I haven't used it in the longest time. I don't even remember the password, really. Sorry.

FBFan: Haha, thank you. I'm glad you liked the name, and the story too! :D

Annnnnnnd, much love to poisoned blood, a recurring reviewer! 3

Draco returned to his normal routine after another week of hiding. He had missed an important Quidditch match against Ravenclaw, where Zabini filled in for him just as he had hoped. However, having lost brutally, the team welcomed Malfoy back warmly. Draco was particularly rough to Blaise as payback for his taunts throughout the period he was being reclusive. Despite that, Draco had this gnawing feeling that Blaise had lost deliberately to get the players to beg Malfoy to return to the team. He had played against Blaise a great number of times, and if he had to admit that there was an inkling of a possibility of there being a seeker whose skills were superior to his: he would believe that it was Zabini. In fact, it was Blaise who was initially chosen as seeker, but because Malfoy had bribed the Captain with brooms he got the part. Zabini didn't mind, he was just as spectacular as beater. It also gave him a chance to vent his pent up frustrations. When they were alone in the Common Room later day, Draco hinted his gratitude for taking the fall on his behalf. It was all disguised as probes and insults, but he knew there was a smile hidden behind Zabini's cocky smirk.

Most people didn't notice Malfoy's absence and those who did were too afraid of him to enquire about it. Draco wasn't sure whether to be relieved or offended. He was relieved for obvious reasons, offended because they could forget such a scandalous story involving him so quickly. It was a mixture of both. The slap incident had blown over by then, people were more concerned about the Dementors or Sirius Black.

Even though the person stealing his limelight was a murderer, he couldn't help but feel oddly jealous of the attention the man received. What annoyed him most was that even the Golden Gryffindor Gang had appeared to have forgotten the humiliation they put him through. Even Hermione Granger had stopped acting awkward around him and didn't seem bothered by his presence. During his days in hiding, Draco had prepared the comebacks he would fling at Potter and his friends dared they open their mouths. Now, he was frustrated at not being able to use them. The only person who still insisted on bringing the matter up was Zabini whose day seemed incomplete without laughing at Malfoy for his "unmanliness".

"What's with the face, Malfoy? Is your girlfriend still ignoring you?"

His lack of, ahem, testosterone wasn't the only thing that Zabini teased him about. He found Draco's newfound obsession with humiliating Granger almost as amusing. Almost meaning he found the Granger-obsession thing funnier.

"You know Blaise, the way you've been attacking me all week and the one before that – I'd reckon you were jealous."

Zabini's smirk didn't falter. "Jealous?" He asked, sarcastically. "Of what? Your dwindling sperm count?"

"You have a thing for Granger."

"So you're saying I'm jealous that Granger's your girlfriend?"

"Precisely." He looked triumphant for a moment, then paused and grimaced. "No. Wait. NO. Blaise, you disgust me."

Zabini barked a laugh at him. "You know, I don't even know why I bother with you. You practically hand me everything on a silver platter – with complementary sides."

"You are absolutely sickening." Zabini looked as though he was about to say something when Draco cut him short. "Not. A. Word."

Okay, new topic then, Malfoy. Remember when you were all up everyone's arse about being the Slytherin Prince last year?"

Draco shot him a glare. "Everyone thought it was Potter. It was preposterous. Do you know even Crabbe and Goyle asked me about it? It's like they were deliberately questioning me to see if I thought it was really him. I told them it wasn't me -"

"- but that it sure as Azkaban wasn't Scarface. I know, Draco. You told me about it every few seconds. Then I told you that the two weren't even smart enough to properly butter toast (and they love eating!) So, they definitely wouldn't be subtle enough to try and pry things out of you. Stupid as you were (and still are), I told you to give yourself a little credit. Remember? We've had this discussion over a thousand times."

"Then why'd you bring it up?"

Blaise snickered and said, "Because it's funny."

Draco decided to grace the comment with no more than an elaborate roll of his grey eyes and turned to Zabini seriously. "Listen, I've got a series of antics planned for next week in my nefarious scheme to humiliate Granger – and don't any more of those stupid girlfriend jokes, it was never funny. Now, I will be needing help executing them. You game?"

Blaise inhaled. He knew Draco well enough to know that trying to dissuade him from his plans was an impossible task. So he tried the only way he knew to make him stop doing things – by means of teasing and taunting him to maim his gargantuan ego. Till Malfoy was five, he never separated from his pacifier. His mother tried bribing him with every toy imaginable, she scolded him and she locked him in the dungeons. Even Lucius Malfoy's threats to hex him had no impact. He loved his pacifier and nothing in the world would make him part from it. That was until Blaise walked in on him once, took one look at the pacifier in his mouth and burst out laughing. You know Malfoy, he had said, I trew away my pasifee – pasifer – thing two years ago. Of course, you aren't as grown up as me, so it's okay. The very next day, when Narcissa walked into baby Draco's room, she was astounded to find his pacifier discarded at one corner of the room while he sat in his crib with a book open, pretending to read. Ever since that day, Draco and Blaise were best friends and Blaise was the only one who could break him off a bad habit. Until now that is, when despite all of his struggles, Malfoy was hell-bent on avenging himself against Granger. No matter how much he mocked, taunted or teased, Malfoy refused to back down. Blaise wasn't a fool. He knew when to admit defeat – if can't beat 'em, join 'em.

He sighed. "If I say no, you'll just find some stupid way to goad or blackmail me into helping you, won't you?" Malfoy wore an obnoxiously triumphant look. He nodded, and Zabini just sighed again. "I don't know why you even bother to ask me." He closed his eyes and sucked in a deep breath. Whatever Malfoy had planned it wasn't going to be smart or pretty, and he would need his help to get through it. Last thing he needed was Malfoy locking himself up because he was humiliated yet again. "Yes. I'm game, Malfoy."

To his knowledge, whenever Malfoy tried to do anything to the trio - it backfired. When he enlarged Granger's teeth, she just went to the hospital wing and got it remedied. In fact, she shortened it to the extent that her overbite was gone. After that moment, he could no longer call her Beaver – a nickname he imagined was quite clever. The worst he did to Weasley was the slug-thing, and even in that he had nothing to with it except luck. He had never yet had any success hexing Potter either. Potter had never dueled with him one-on-one and had back up from Granger and Weasley at all times, so he was a tough opponent. And while he mocked Potter for not having the Gryffindor courage to face him alone, Draco wasn't ashamed to admit that he fought in the shadows of Crabbe and Goyle. Why get your hands dirty when you had someone to do your dirty work for you? That was the logic he always reasoned with. It was something his father taught him, back when they actually talked. Zabini sighed. Malfoy's relationship with his father seemed to deteriorate every day. These days Lucius treated Draco as he would treat a Mudblood, or something even worse. Even though it was never verbally stated, everyone knew that Draco's extreme obsession with bringing Potter down was in hopes of making amends with Lucius.

Loath as he was to admit it, Blaise was very impressed with Malfoy's plan. It was humiliatingly cruel and cold hearted, and he reckoned there was a risk of expulsion if the prank was properly executed. They had thought it through perfectly, enlisted help from the upperclassmen and were anxiously awaiting the precise moment to strike. He was going to stand, hidden, behind the corner which turns into the Great Hall. He held in his hand a bucket, disillusioned. Malfoy would confront Granger as she and Potter returned from visiting Weasley in the hospital wing. (The trio got into a brawl with the Whomping Willow. It wasn't hard to guess who won. The red head took the worst hits, so while Potter and Granger were released in a few hours, Weasley was detained overnight.) Then, he would use a simple painting spell to appear to make slashes on her arms and face. He would never actually harm her, it defied his moral code. While Potter would be enraged thinking he actually cut his Mudblood girlfriend and Granger would be confused as to why she had cuts on her when she felt nothing, Blaise would levitate the bucket over Granger and spill its contents on her head. Malfoy would then smirk and say, "Oh, look. You truly are a Mudblood." Cue gloating exit and shock spiteful remarks from the audience as they rush to Granger's aid.

The two had been prepared for a long time, but weren't sure if they wanted to go through with it. Initially Blaise tried to convince Draco not to, the stakes involved were far too high to risk over Granger. Getting expelled was not worth a lousy revenge over Granger. Plus, the whole incident had passed. It would be stupid to remind everyone of it again. There was a possibility that they failed to execute to perfection, it would then lead to double humiliation. More importantly, Blaise wasn't sure he was comfortable risking his own hide in the whole business. To be honest, he didn't care anymore about those Gryffindorks than he did about his impending Divination lesson. He didn't want anything to do with Granger and her cronies. It was pointless.

"But, Blaise –" Draco was almost literally whimpering.

Zabini looked freaked out. He shot Malfoy a weird look and drawled "Look Malfoy, I like you enough to tolerate you and your Avada'd up plans, but I'm not in love with you. So, you better quit moaning to me, 'cause I find it neither attractive nor endearing." He paused to think for a while. "Now if you were that Astoria Greengrass…"

"Blaise." That was all he said. Draco didn't even glare. Suddenly, Zabini realized how serious this was to him. He knew from before that this had a great deal to do with Draco's compulsive need to please his father, but just then he realized how much.

This was another reason Blaise and Draco got along so well. Blaise's mother had a reputation, and not the good kind. Somehow, she always seemed to find herself hopelessly in love with some rich old man. And somehow, that man always seemed to die an ominous death leaving all his gold in her name. As a result, by the time Blaise was born, she was well into husband number twelve – and Blaise never knew his father. So, he was one of the few people who understood why impressing Lucius was such a big deal to Draco. He sucked in a breath.

"No reply yet?"

"Howler."

"Fine, we'll do it next week. Outside the Great Hall."

"And you say you're not in love with me. You're absolutely dotty for me."

"Shut it, Malfoy, before I decide not to."

Malfoy just smirked but he said nothing more.

Not a single word was said among the two friends since their last exchange. They both silently prepared for their separate parts, not even looking at each other if there was no need for it. Blaise's duty was to collect the mud, find a way to disillusion it so that no questions were asked and pour it over Granger when Draco signaled. In the meantime, Malfoy was hard at work practicing painting. He would also have to whisper the spell, because if Granger heard, she'd know for sure it was nothing serious. He also had to leaf through his spell book to find that deflection charm they learnt in second year in their sorry attempt at dueling. There was a very high possibility Potter would not take kindly to her friend being sliced. There was also the chance that he would try to disarm his opponent as soon as he noticed Malfoy raise his wand. In both cases, he would need to protect himself, if he wanted to go through with the plan. Despite the lengths of their effort, they did not strike for a long time. When Weasley went into the Hospital Wing and the Golden Trio was one man down, they knew it was their moment.

The third lesson would be dismissed in a matter of minutes. Professor Binns did not notice the two boys leave their seats and not return even after the class ended. It was dubious he knew even one student in school now. He kept calling them by names of previous students, and if one was so lucky, he'd get it right by chance. The students got a fifteen minute break after third lessons, so that they could return to class with a fresh mind. The Slytherins knew Potter and Granger would visit Weasley then, so they took position and waited. – And they waited.

Now Malfoy wasn't sure what happened since then, but neither of the two were present in any of the later classes. Word had spread that they were in Dumbledore's office the entire time, no one knew for what. All Malfoy knew for certain was that his plan had just fallen through. It was nearly the end of the year, and since Weasley had been released later the following day he would not be able to carry through ever. The remainder of the year sailed on smoothly, with little to complain about. Yet, he could not get the failure of his plan out of his head. Even though no one except Zabini knew, and even he kept quiet about it, he felt humiliated. He vowed that next year he would have his revenge on Granger.

Well was it okay? xD I know the end is a bit rushed, but I just really wanted to get this posted. Read, review and tell me what you thought! Next chapter: Fourth Year!