Draco Malfoy swirled his Firewhiskey around before taking a swig. He glared at his glass balefully. Who did Granger think she was? How dare she turn him down? He was Draco bloody Malfoy, for fuck's sake. The richest and hottest bachelor in the wizarding world. Hell, probably in the muggle world, too.

"Draco!" Adrian called from the pool table. "Stop your brooding and come join us!"

Draco growled. "I'm not in the mood."

He and his friends were in the basement of the Manor. The room was low and long, with a mahogany bar on one side and pool tables on the other. This is where Draco and his gang hung out. Draco's group consisted of the other three richest Slytherin purebloods.

Adrian Pucey was the tall and lean with short dark hair and high cheekbones. He had been the Chaser on the Slytherin Quidditch team. He was the only heir to Pucey Inc., the largest broomstick design company in Britain.

Blaise Zabini was a charming and handsome playboy whose fortune had been made by his mother, who was famously beautiful and had seven wealthy husbands who all died in mysterious circumstances. He had his mother's delicate features and was a tall, dark-skinned man with high cheekbones and long, slanting eyes.

Theodore Nott was toned and built, with shaggy brown hair and boyish blue eyes. He had a penchant for older women and was currently dating a lady twenty years his senior.

"You're not still on about Granger, are you?" Theo asked, raising an eyebrow.

Draco fumed. "How could she turn me down? I mean, it's me!"

Blaise laughed. "You aren't really her type, though, are you?"

Draco narrowed his eyes. "I'm every witch's type," he said haughtily.

Adrain chuckled. "No, Blaise is right, mate. Granger's a bookworm. That means she's all into romance. You know, candles and flowers and all that rubbish."

"Why are you bothering with her, anyway?" Theo asked bluntly, grabbing a butterbeer. "She's not exactly up to your standards, is she?"

"I'm not bothering with her," Draco grumbled. "I just am astounded she passed up an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, is all."

Blaise smirked. "You're losing your touch, mate."

Draco clenched his fists. "I could get her if I really wanted to."

"Oh?" Blaise said, nonchalantly examining his fingernails.

"Yes," Draco snapped. "I could."

"Well," Theo mused, "He probably could. I mean, Granger did date Weasley, didn't she?" He shuddered.

"True," Adrian conceded. "She clearly doesn't have many standards."

"I still don't think he can do it," Blaise said, taking a swig of his butterbeer.

"Why not?" Draco demanded.

"A bird like Granger needs a bit more finesse then you've got," his friend replied.

Draco's pale face flushed. "Want to bet?" He glared around at them all before stomping out of the room and up the stairs.

Theo looked mildly interested. "What do you reckon he's doing?"

The other boys looked at each other and shrugged.

…..

Hermione smiled as she surveyed her work. She and Ginny had spent all afternoon painting the walls of the spare bedroom in Harry and Ginny's flat a pale blue. Cheerful yellow trim decorated with carved snitches lined the wooden floor, and a white cradle sat in the corner. Pale green curtains made of a flimsy material fluttered in the breeze of the open window and a charming rug depicting moving fairy tale creatures sat cozily on the floor.

"It's perfect," Ginny breathed, her hands on her hips and her stomach bulging in her paint-splattered overalls. "Wait until Harry sees it."

"I'm sure he'll love it."

"I'd say let's have a spot of tea, but I'm afraid I'm out," Ginny said apologetically. "I haven't had time to go to the grocer's lately."

"No worries," Hermione said. "Why don't we pop over to my place for a bit?"

"Brilliant!" Ginny led the way to the living room, scooping up some green Floo powder and tossing it in the fire. The fire flashed emerald as she stepped into it. Hermione followed, closing her eyes and wincing as a bit of soot got into her eye. She heard Ginny gasp as they stepped out into Hermione's flat.

"Oh, my."

Blinking, Hermione peered around with watery eyes to see what had provoked Ginny's odd reaction. She froze. The entire room was covered in flowers. Dahlias and tulips and roses of every color cluttered every available surface. A heart-shaped box of chocolates sat on her mantle and a teddy bear was on her couch next to a reproachful looking Crookshanks, who had a large pink bow around his neck.

"Merlin's beard, Hermione," Ginny said in wonder. "Who is this all from?"

Dazed, Hermione just shook her head.

"What's this?" Ginny bent down and untied the ribbon from the cat, who flattened his ears in distaste and mortal insult. "Look. There's a letter tied to this." She unrolled the parchment. Hermione's heart started to pound as her friend began to read aloud.

"Mr. Darcy had at first scarcely allowed Elizabeth to be pretty; he had looked at her without admiration at the ball; and when they next met, he looked at her only to criticise. But no sooner had he made it clear to himself and his friends that she hardly had a good feature in her face, than he began to find it was rendered uncommonly intelligent by the beautiful expression of her dark eyes. To this discovery succeeded some others equally mortifying. Though he had detected with a critical eye more than one failure of perfect symmetry in her form, he was forced to acknowledge her figure to be light and pleasing; and in spite of his asserting that her manners were not those of the fashionable world, he was caught by their easy playfulness. Of this she was perfectly unaware; to her he was only the man who made himself agreeable nowhere, and who had not thought her handsome enough to dance with."

Ginny frowned, staring at the parchment. She flipped it over and then looked at Hermione, her brow furrowed. "What the bloody hell?"

"It's a passage from a book," Hermione murmured faintly. "One of my favorites. A muggle book."

"What is it supposed to mean?"

Hermione only shook her head weakly.

Ginny peered at her intently. "Have you been holding out on me? Do you have a muggle boyfriend?"

Hermione choked back a laugh. "No, of course not. Don't be ridiculous. This is a joke, from an…erm, friend."

"Who?"

"Look," Hermione said desperately, drawing her wand and Vanishing the flowers. "Let's just forget about it, okay? Shall we go have some tea?"

Ginny stared at her skeptically. "Hermione…"

"Please, Ginny. Just drop it."

Ginny hesitated, torn between her curiosity and respecting her best friend's wishes. Finally, she sighed.

"Alright, then, if you promise me you'll tell me eventually."

Hermione nodded vigorously. "Of course."

Ginny shook her head in bemusement before waddling toward the kitchen. Hermione hesitated, and then picked up the note and slipped it into her pocket before following.