Draco made his way back to his dormitory before dinner, having spent some time in the Slytherin common room with his cronies, Crabbe and Goyle. It felt infinitely satisfying to be agreed with on everything he uttered, for a change. Sia had done little else except disagree with him on everything under the sun, though he really liked the 'else' part, however little it might have been. He had been numbed by her last refusal, but thank Merlin, after a few hours in the dungeons with other Slytherins, he was starting to get back his venomous edge and had sharpened his vindictive capabilities. And he had something planned for the high and mighty Miss Raisingh; after all, he did have two aces up his sleeve.
As he pushed open the portrait door, he could hear sound of laughter coming from within, and winced. When would Granger stop springing surprises on him, he wondered. She wasn't speaking to him since he had insulted the Weaselette last night, not that he particularly missed it. But it still surprised him to see her sticking up for a friend who had made her cry at breakfast that morning. Gryffindors were really strange.
He stepped inside and took a couple of mental steps back at the sight that greeted him. On a plush armchair by the fire lounged Weaselette, and on another right opposite to her sat Granger. The stiff, uncomfortable chair had been dragged near the fire and on it was perched Raisingh. But the sight that gave him the hives was that on his couch, sitting side by side with their legs stretched out comfortably, were Potter and the Weasel.
They were all chatting animatedly and laughing together at some joke, and the scene that had taken place that morning in the great hall seemed unreal looking at them. There was no way getting past them without making his presence known, and he hated the notion of going back, running away from his own dormitory. A bunch of Gryffindors was not going to scare him into leaving his territory, he decided. And he was dying for a confrontation with them; it had been too long. He squared his shoulders and walked towards them.
"If it isn't a cozy little gathering!" he drawled sarcastically, addressing Hermione, who started and then flushed. "I'm surprised the rest of the Gryffindor house isn't here. Did you forget to invite them, Granger, or are they just fashionably late?"
The rest of them were surprised as well, he could tell, and was secretly amused when Ron nearly jumped.
"What are you doing here?" Ron asked aggressively, recovering.
"What is it with you Weasleys that you just can't seem to remember that I live here?" Draco sneered at Ron. "or is it that you resent my being the Head Boy because that stops you from taking up permanent residence here? Its nice and comfortable, I know, but nothing special really. But maybe for you, its…"
"Leave us alone, Malfoy." Hermione, who didn't want Draco rubbing up her friends the wrong way, cut him off. Ron was beginning to look dangerous, and then there was also Harry. Insulting a wandless Ginny was one thing, angering Harry and Ron when they both had wands was quite another. And there was every chance Ginny might hex him before anyone else.
Draco was in no mood to leave. His irritation at being refused by Sia now extended to the entire Gryffindor house, particularly to those sitting there, trespassing on his personal space. He wanted to see them riled and bristling with anger, and he wanted to do it himself.
"Oh come, Granger. You don't expect me to play the gentleman for two evenings in a row, do you?" he asked Hermione, voice dripping with acid, his eyes beginning to acquire a silvery sheen. Hermione recognized them as sure signs of danger. "I mean, its out-of-character for me. I have a reputation to maintain, after all. What would people say if I tolerated blood-traitors in my room for two consecutive nights? Father would be so disappointed." He shook his head sadly at that, ambling over with indolent grace to lean against the fireplace, facing them.
"Oh, you can spare him the disappointment by not writing to him about it, Malfoy" Ginny told him sweetly. "By the way, are the inmates of Azkaban allowed personal letters?" she asked generally, and Ron grinned appreciatively.
Draco's eyes narrowed at that, and immediately turned to pure silver. Hermione shivered when she saw it. Draco's gaze came to rest on Harry, who was responsible for putting his father in Azkaban in the first place, and saw a small smile playing on his mouth. All thoughts of scoring points with him vanished the moment he saw it.
"I think Potter can tell you that", he told Ginny with a cruel amusement, his eyes fixed on Harry. "After all, his godfather had graced the place with his presence for quite a long time. But I seriously doubt anyone ever bothered to send him a mail there; his family had disowned him and the only people who could write to him were dead." He finished softly, and Harry's green eyes flashed fire.
"Malfoy…", he began darkly, but Hermione managed to jump in, wishing to avoid a confrontation at all costs.
"We are having a weekend get-together" she nearly yelled to grab the eyeballs of the two boys who were locked in a battle of stares. "We meet every weekend just to spend some quality time together seeing as I no longer live in the Gryffindor tower." Hermione knew she was blabbering, but couldn't help it.
Draco slowly swiveled his head her way, and she trembled at the anger she saw harnessed in the fathomless silver of his eyes. Why was he so angry, she thought in despair.
"I'm sorry I forgot to tell you about this" she ploughed on bravely, hoping to get him to back off, but Draco stared at her pointedly, and she added, "about this too."
After a moment, Draco nodded almost imperceptibly, and Hermione rather thought she saw the stormy sea raging in his eyes recede a little. She began to relax, but she had been too optimistic; she had reckoned without the other Gryffindors in the room, who were now well and truly riled.
"There she goes again" Ginny drawled, and to her horror, Hermione saw that Ron and Harry appeared to agree with her.
"Why are you apologizing to him, Hermione? You have every right to invite your friends over if you want to; you live here." Ron spoke harshly.
"Ever heard of common civility, Weasley? It went by while you were pigging out, most probably." Draco remarked snidely.
Ron's colour shot up at that and he snatched out his wand. Harry laid a restraining hand on his friend's arm as he turned to Draco.
"Ever heard of manners, Malfoy? They knocked and knocked but you wouldn't open the door" Harry told him darkly.
"Is it? Could be that I had company at the time" Draco looked at Harry and smirked, and Harry's colour shot up as he caught his meaning.
"Watch out, Malfoy", Harry told him in a dangerous voice. "Maybe you have forgotten that Crabbe and Goyle are not standing behind you right now."
"As I told your esteemed girlfriend just yesterday," Draco made a low mocking bow towards Ginny, who bristled, "I don't need anyone else to fight my battles for me."
"Well, how have times changed then!" Ron remarked, his colour nearly back to normal, and Harry and Ginny laughed at the memory of Malfoy always hiding behind his two thuggish cronies in the past.
"By the way", Draco spoke to Ginny as though he hadn't heard Ron, "green really suits you." His eyes danced in wicked amusement as they ran up and down her body clad in a cream blouse and charcoal-gray skirt.
Ginny blanched, and then flushed to a bright red, and Harry let go of Ron to take out his own wand. Ron was frozen in shock, and then started coloring up again.
"Quidditch!" Hermione shouted, drawing every pair of eyes in the room, each doubting her sanity. "How has your team's quidditch practice been going on?" she asked hurriedly, trying to save Draco from being roasted alive after his ill-bred remark with the first thing that popped in her head.
As it turned out, it was the wrong thing to say, as Draco's eyes narrowed at her statement and a hint of pink tinged his cheeks. Quidditch practice had become a taboo phrase as far as he was concerned. Vaisey was no good as a captain; every suggestion he made was useless, and he was no strategist. Draco had a hard time holding his tongue and telling him what to do. He sometimes thought Crabbe or even Goyle would've made a better captain; at least they would've let Draco have a free reign without any ego hassles. And it seemed the Gryffindors knew of his predicament from the smiles that lighted up their faces.
"The first match of the season's not far away now, is it!" Ginny smiled gleefully at Hermione, thinking Hermione had found a surefire way to rile the Slytherin. "Which one is it…oh yes! Slytherin v/s Hufflepuff."
"You know, the Hufflepuffs are so pathetic they would lose the match even if they played alone" Ron opined loudly. "Personally I think they are going to slaughter Slytherin", he added snidely.
Draco flushed, and glared at Hermione for bringing this sore topic up. She looked back helplessly; her knowledge and interest of quidditch didnot extend to hanging on to every tiny scrap of news about the game.
"Hufflepuff are indeed a pathetic team, and Slytherin are going to win comfortably" Draco spoke with a confidence he did not feel, and was rewarded with laughter erupting from Harry, Ginny and Ron for his trouble.
"That's the spirit, Malfoy, keep it up" Harry told him grinning widely.
"Even if you are convinced of being trounced" Ron finished, and the three laughed again.
Draco was seriously annoyed now. He could've shut them up with a stinging reply, but in his heart, he knew they were right. And that angered him even more.
"Slytherin are going to win, I tell you" he told them in a slightly raised voice, but they just laughed harder than ever.
"Keep telling yourself that, Malfoy, and maybe you'll start believing it one day" Ginny told him. Ron was rolling around in his seat clutching his stomach he was laughing so hard. On his couch, Draco noticed sourly.
Suddenly he couldn't take it anymore. He took two quick steps towards Ron and glared at him from a distance of about six inches so hard Ron sobered up.
"Slytherin. Are. Going. To. Win." He stated emphatically, daring Ron to challenge him with his menacing silver eyes raining frost at him.
"Shall we have a bet on that?" a new voice asked him, and his eyes leaped to Sia whom he had carefully avoided to look at since he had set foot there.
She sat there straight on the hard chair, her hands on her lap, and at first Draco wondered if she had been punished for something. But then his eyes traveled over her, taking in her wavy hair trapped loosely by a brown scarf, her earthy-brown dress that could win an award for being the shortest possible dress that managed to cover the derriere; it was decent by about half an inch. Her attire ended in knee-length boots in brown suede, and her stance was so rigid Draco thought that if she hadn't spoken, anyone could have mistaken her for a statue. A very beautiful, sinfully delightful statue. Something like the one he had seen in Egypt, of that famous Egyptian muggle queen, what was her name-oh yes, Cleopatra. She had crossed her legs at the ankles so deliciously Draco wanted to run his tongue at the place where one thigh pressed against another, just where her dress ended, and was sure she would untangle those silky legs the moment he did so, and then…
He gave himself a mental shake and concentrated on her face, which was impassive. "Excuse me?" he asked her glacially.
"She asked you if you were ready to bet on your team's chances against Hufflepuff" Harry snapped uncharacteristically, and Draco stared at him and saw him flashing emerald fire at him with his eyes. Well, well, Draco thought sneeringly, surprised that Harry had noticed him eyeing Sia lustfully and recognized the look, not as innocent as a unicorn, are we Potter! The thought somehow cheered him.
"A bet on my team's chances in the upcoming match?" Draco asked Harry quietly, aware of the trap the Gryffindors were setting out for him. He wondered how to get out of it without causing any everlasting damage to his image. But the decision was taken out of his hands the next moment.
"If you really think you can win, and are not afraid, of course!" Ginny simpered at him.
"I am not afraid…" Draco began, and then could've bitten his tongue. Now he was trapped.
"That's decided then", Sia spoke decisively, and untangling her long legs, stood up in one fluid movement. Draco decided she must've had quite some practice in wearing such dangerously short dresses, as she managed to stay decent throughout. He forcefully brought his mind back to what she was saying.
"If you lose, you attend our 'cozy little gathering' every weekend till your next match, and serve us refreshments with a sweet smile and an even sweeter disposition." Sia pronounced, much to the delight of Ron and Ginny. Hermione turned a little pale.
Draco felt anger erupt within him like a volcano. What did the arrogant girl think of herself? Wanting Draco Malfoy to behave like a common house-elf? She had a colossal nerve! His eyes found Hermione's, and her frightened expression angered him even more. It was she who had started this stupid topic in the first place, he thought furiously. Well, now she could take the consequences.
Draco reached her in two steps and saw her eyes widen in apprehension. He brought his hands to rest on the armrests of her chair, bringing his face down to her level, effectively imprisoning her. Hermione stared at him nervously.
"And if I win", he hissed menacingly, his cool breath fanning her face, "I throw a party for my entire team and friends, here, in this common room, and you, my dear Head Girl, play the hostess." Hermione gulped.
"Done" Sia spoke from behind him before the others could protest.
Draco stared at Hermione hard, and nodded with satisfaction. Then he backed off from her and went up the stairs to his room, his mind already formulating a plan to get back at Sia for her audacity.
The Gryffindors were silent for a while, and then suddenly Ron burst out laughing, drawing everyone's attention to him.
"Can you believe our luck? We just cornered Malfoy into agreeing to this bet he's bound to lose! You were brilliant, Sia!" he whooped.
Sia eyed him coolly, but refrained from saying anything. Hermione, however, had plenty to say.
"It wasn't brilliant at all" she began hotly. "In fact, it was quite foolish. What do you think would happen if Slytherin win? I would be stuck with that unpleasant lot while they celebrate and drink themselves silly and insult Gryffindors in general and me in particular! Did you stop to consider my position before agreeing to this stupid bet?" she glared at Sia and stood up in agitation.
Before Sia could respond, Ron jumped up from the couch.
"Oh, come on Hermione, you haven't watched this Slytherin team in action. We have. The word 'pathetic' doesn't even begin to describe them. I'm ready to kiss the giant squid if Slytherin win, their chances are so remote." Ron guffawed.
Hermione looked coldly at him. "You have strange tastes, Ronald," she told him in chilling tones, and Ron's laughter died rather abruptly, his face colouring up.
"Besides, don't get your hopes up on a Slytherin defeat, Ron." Sia drawled at him. "I am almost certain that Slytherin are going to win."
"What?" Ron and Ginny cried in unison.
"How can you say that?" Harry asked Sia, frowning slightly. "Anyone who has watched them practice this year has been literally in splits, and every other team knows that when they play Slytherin, that's one match they are bound to win."
"Precisely." Sia told him earnestly. "Practically everyone is writing them off, so they have the advantage of springing a surprise. Moreover, do you think that after what just happened here, Malfoy is going to let his team lose? No way. Take it from me, Slytherin are going to win." Sia walked over to the fireplace to stand in the place just vacated by Draco, and in much the same pose. Ginny frowned.
"If you are so sure of that, why did you propose this bet? And why agree to his insulting terms?" Ginny asked her accusingly. Harry and Ron tensed; they didn't want a repeat of what had happened in the great hall that morning, particularly Ron, who had been the unsuspecting victim of their spat.
"I proposed this bet just to see his reaction. I was almost sure he was going to back off and escape to his room, but you cut off his escape route with your dare." Sia told Ginny, and the boys were relieved to see a small smile on her face. "And his terms are not insulting, ours are. Anyway, since he's going to win we don't have to worry about that."
"Why agree to a dare we're going to lose?" Ron grumbled aloud. "I was starting to imagine that ferret walking around with a tray loaded with butterbeers and sandwiches and pasties and…"
"It'll be a sad sight to see a proud guy like Malfoy reduced to serving canapés to his enemies!" Sia pronounced without really thinking, and everyone looked at her, surprised. She realized what she had blurted out, even if it was the truth, and switched to damage control. "But jokes apart, I wouldn't touch anything he gave me simply because he is entirely capable of putting some funny stuff in it. I don't want to go around with half my face yellow and the other half magenta after eating a pumpkin pasty, do you?"
Ron, who hadn't taken this particular hazard into account before, seemed the most disturbed. "Blimey, I hadn't thought of that!" he said worriedly, his fantasy going up in smoke before his eyes.
"That's so very sad and all that," Hermione spoke up bitingly, "But I would really like to know the point of agreeing to a bet where I would be the only loser."
Before anyone could say anything, Sia started laughing and walked up to her, putting her arms around her shoulder.
"C'mon HG, do you need to worry when the 'henchwoman' is here to protect you?" she asked her. "Malfoy doesn't realize it yet, but by the time his celebratory party is over, he'll be wishing he'd lost the bet."
Everyone looked at her, and Ginny smiled slyly as Ron laughed and Harry shook his head with a slight smile. Nobody noticed that Hermione looked even more worried.
Dinner was a noisy affair as usual, and the Gryffindors were more boisterous than most. Everybody was having such a good time Sia had even forgotten about her wand and ring. As they got up to go and reached the bottom of the staircase, laughing over something Ron had said, Draco sauntered over and blocked their way. Their laughter abruptly stopped.
Sia looked up at him a bit worriedly. She knew he would be cross over her goading him into accepting that bet, but she had desperately wanted to return to their relationship as it had been before Hermione's sleepover. It was self-preservation pure and simple. But now she wondered what he would do; he was not the kind of person to take things lying down.
To her surprise, Draco did not look angry. In fact, he had a very pleasant expression on his face, as though the sight of her was warming him from within. There was such tenderness in his eyes Sia could do little else except stare at him, completely disarmed. Her friends noticed this as well, and got suspicious. Others walking past them noticed too; after all, Draco Malfoy standing near Harry Potter and the two not coming to blows was a rare occurrence, so naturally everyone wanted to know what was up.
Without a word, Draco slowly took something out from his robes. It was her wand. Sia stared at him, transfixed. Then he smiled at her, and spoke quietly, "I told you it would be on my nightstand, didn't I? That's where it was! You were worrying needlessly." He spoke in a soft, intimate voice, cutting out everyone else from their world. Then he offered her the wand.
Sia was too rapt to take notice, and he smiled understandingly. Then he touched the wand softly to her cheeks, and she started. He offered her the wand again, and she took it without realizing what she was doing. Then he whispered, "Good Night", turned around, and climbed the stairs.
Sia came to her senses when someone nudged her none-too-gently. She looked around and saw it was Ginny. But Ginny had a slightly worried expression on her face. Sia slowly looked around herself, and saw people whispering and pointing to her. She scowled at them, and they started moving, still whispering.
Belatedly, Sia realized what had happened. She had been made a first class fool, and this time in front of the entire school! And those who didn't know anything would also know by tomorrow, she was sure. Damn Malfoy, she seethed. Now they were truly back to where they had started.
Realizing the horror of her situation, she looked up to where Draco had disappeared. He was still standing there, half hidden in shadows. As she saw him and her eyes widened at his colossal nerve and the implications of his utterances, he winked at her, smiled wickedly, and was gone.
Status quo had been restored, and with a vengeance.
A/N: Thank you everyone for your reviews. I hope I have answered all the questions you had, and I hope everyone is enjoying the story. Cheers.