This fic is a sort-of sequel to another drabble I wrote called Some Brotherly Advice, which is posted on my profile. I will readily admit that the sort-of sequel is significantly better than the original, which I hope to revise at some point in future.

(And I should also add that these fics were all posted anonymously during the challenge. You can find the original versions of mine and of the other participant's entries at The DG Forum's profile)

Round Two

Influence: Opinions Won't Keep You Warm At Night by Kisschasy

Must include: A political alliance

Word count: 1000

Benefaction, Third Place

Draco stalked into his office, slamming the door shut so hard that it bounced open again, and he scowled at the offending object. Clearly, nothing was going to go his way this morning if he couldn't even slam a door properly.

He took a deep breath and sat down at his desk, pulling out the latest policy proposals for review.

It wasn't much longer before there was a timid knock on the door. "Enter," he commanded sharply, and knew his assistant had arrived from the click-clack of heels across the marble floor of his office. She waited in silence until he finished reviewing the documents, signing the parchment with a flourish of his quill.

"Good morning, Mister Malfoy," Orla Quirke said affably, "I have your nine o'clock here to see you, and your portkey to the Annual International Magical Relations Gala tonight has arrived. Madame Delacour has assured me your dress robes will be delivered shortly."

He nodded. "Excellent, you can show Weasley in."

Orla paused to unnecessarily adjust her thickly framed glasses, and he narrowed his eyes at her. She was stalling. "What else?"

"The Prophet has published another article..." Her sentence trailed off as she brushed a piece of imaginary lint from her skirt.

Draco closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose as frustration welled up inside him. Taking another deep breath, he picked up a stack of parchment and tidied the pile. "Bring me a copy of The Prophet immediately. I'll see Weasley now."

It was only a minute later that his old colleague Percy Weasley strolled into the room with a confident looking Ginny Weasley strutting behind him. A rodent infestation. Brilliant.

"If Orla is going to let just anyone waltz into my office unannounced, then perhaps I should have her sacked." Draco said, scowling at the pair as he stood and shook Percy's hand.

Ginny returned his look with a grimace. "No need for that, Malfoy, I only arrived a moment before Percy was shown in. The poor girl must have been rather flustered to unexpectedly come across such a renowned Quidditch star."

Draco was absolutely positive that Orla had never been flustered in her life, and had heard enough about Ginny Weasley from her brother to know that she could be modest to a fault. Logic said that she had intentionally slipped past his receptionist and secretaries... But why? "You'll understand if I'm reluctant to offer you a seat, then."

Ginny sat down in one of the leather chairs opposite his desk anyway, reclining a little too casually as her robes parted to reveal her toned legs when she crossed them. Percy occupied the other chair, looking anything but comfortable in his current predicament. Draco steepled his fingers under his chin, waiting for one of them to cut to the chase; Malfoys were above playing such trivial games, after all.

Percy cracked first. "We have... a proposal for the Gala tonight."

Draco raised a single brow at the statement. "'A proposal,'" he repeated, flatly.

Ginny mistook his remark for interest, if the knowing glint in her molten gold eyes was any indication, but instead of elaborating she coolly lifted one hand to examine her manicure, as though waiting for something.

Another knock came from the door, and Orla entered with a tray of fine china and a carefully folded copy of The Prophet levitated before her. Ever discreet, she didn't bat an eye at Ginny's inexplicable appearance in his office, but promptly placed the tray on his desk and left once more.

A glance at the headline for today's paper made his stomach drop. A Malfoy's Secret Shame, the article proclaimed boldly, Draco spells 'Doom' for muggle-borns.

"It seems you have a scandal on your hands, Malfoy," Percy said in a business-like tone, and Draco looked directly at each of the Weasleys, his gaze unflinching.

Ginny gave him a knowing smile. "As we were saying, we have a proposal for you."

"I'm listening." He said, careful to remain composed and unaffected.

"Of course you are well aware, appearances are everything," Percy Weasley put on the winning political smile they had both learnt during their time working in the Ministry's International Magical Relations Department, as though to emphasise the point. "We'd like to help you with the chip on your shoulder, so to speak."

"If you were to be seen socially with someone who was perceived to be the antithesis of how you've been portrayed by this recent rash of articles, the backlash from them would be considerably less." Ginny interjected.

Draco tilted his head silently, swallowing any snappy remarks out of respect for his old colleague. Besides, it didn't take a genius to see where Ginny was heading with this, and he had to admit he wasn't entirely displeased by the idea. Weasley was an attractive witch, who even into her late twenties was still seen as one of the darlings of the wizarding community due to her family's notoriety and their efforts surrounding the war. These occasions tended to be frightfully dreary anyway, so having her on his arm this evening mightn't be such a hardship...

"An intriguing proposal," he said, then paused to lift his tea cup and take a deliberative sip, "What's the catch?"

"No catch. I'm just doing a favour for a friend." Ginny said as she lifted one shoulder in a half hearted shrug.

He leant back in his chair, taking a moment to deliberate. "Okay, you have yourself a deal."

Percy gave Ginny a bemused look once they were safely on the street and she removed her disillusionment charm. "I still don't understand why you went to all that trouble just to get Hermione a date for tonight."

Ginny smiled up at her older brother. "Hermione needs the political benefaction. Besides, he'll start thinking of me as a woman, not a Weasley, now that I've planted the idea." She said with a wink, before Apparating to tell Hermione the good news.