A/N: Over 100 favourites - thank you everyone, that means a lot! :D

To address a question from OuiSexSi, which I think will be relevant for everyone to know since I kind of overlooked mentioning it in the last chapter (my bad); I kind of decided that the binding spell wouldn't be triggered if someone mentioned the bet to someone else whilst it was going on. Daphne only refrained from telling Hermione a while ago in case it would trigger it (nobody knew what would or wouldn't). In terms of the previous chapter, I guess Draco wouldn't have cared about the risk because he didn't really have anything to lose anymore (sniffle). But yeah, the binding spell was only ever there to keep my options open whilst I was writing this. Hope that clears things up :)

Okay, this is the first half of a split chapter. I'm yet to know if this part is the longer or shorter half as I haven't finished writing chapter 22 yet... oops!

Enjoy!

Penalty

Over the next few days, Hermione made a point to stay out of Draco's way as much as possible, for fear that her mind would become all the more confused the more she spoke to him; not that speaking would be the way she'd go about it, she was still furious with him.

The only problem was that Draco seemed to be everywhere she went; it was like the universe was intentionally messing with them by pushing them together. As Hermione sat venting about this to Ginny, the redhead witch began to grow impatient.

"Honestly Hermione, would you just make up your mind?" she exclaimed, clutching her head as if she had a migraine.

Hermione was startled at her friend's outburst. "Excuse me?"

Ginny let out a breath and let her hands drop to her sides. Then she began to babble. "Sorry. I know how angry you are at him, and rightly so, but you constantly wind yourself up about how he could've lied about the kiss at the Ball meaning nothing but you don't know why he would because he still went through with his bet with Daphne and manipulated you into going with him and refused to be honest with you about it when he had the chance but at the same time Harry said you seem to bring out a better side to him and he tried to kiss you in the Three Broomsticks which could have been for the bet but that doesn't make sense because kissing you was never a requirement and he told you he had no ulterior motive but looking back on it you don't know if that was a lie too since everything that's happened to you seems built on lies but the one thing that seems totally genuine is something you don't even know for sure he said or not, and-"

"For Merlin's sake Ginny, just breathe!" Hermione reached out and shook her friend's shoulders to snap her out of the trance she was in. Ginny's eyes refocused and she started panting, her cheeks were the same red Ron's ears had turned when McGonagall made him dance with her.

"Now just calmly explain what you were trying to say," she said once Ginny's breathing had evened out again.

"My point is that you've been trying to figure all of that stuff on your own, and then telling me, Harry and Ron about it even though we can't give you answers. And the one person who can give you answers is the person you're determined to avoid at all costs!"

"But what if he lies again? How can I trust anything he says?"

Ginny shrugged, "Well at the moment, you're going around in circles so maybe even a lie from Malfoy could give you a fresh insight. Anyway you've said so yourself that he's shown moments of vulnerability and sincerity before – he might surprise you. And if you ask me, he's been trying to talk to you."

"What makes you say that?"

"C'mon, even I have to admit that he seems to be everywhere these days. He might want to talk it out."

"Either that or he just wants to torment me again like the other day." Hermione sniffed.

"Well either way he'll be there. It's your call if you choose to take advantage of it," Ginny said, "Plus if he starts being arse-y you can just punch him again. It's a win-win."

"But-"

Ginny rolled her eyes, "What? You're so stubborn sometimes."

"I know," Hermione said weakly. "I'm just a bit scared you know, of falling for his little mind-games again. I don't know how I'm supposed to be feeling for him. There are things that I hate him for, but then there are things that I…miss I suppose; like part of me still likes him. But then I think that liking him was what made it so easy for him to trick me in the first place."

"Did you like him when he first mentioned the truce and stuff? And I mean 'like' in all senses of the word."

"No," Hermione admitted finally.

"Then your last statement is complete rubbish." Ginny said matter-of-factly.

"Yes Hermione, having feelings for someone doesn't have anything to do with that. It's just the kind of person you are; you're kind and optimistic." An airy voice cut into the conversation.

Ginny looked sideways and groaned, "Luna, you can't just eavesdrop, you know?"

"No Gin, it's fine. I could always use a third opinion," Hermione said.

Luna gazed wistfully off into the distance, apparently having lost interest in the conversation already. Then suddenly, she spoke again.

"My Mum always used to say that there's a very fine line between love and hate," she said absently.

"Love?" Hermione spluttered, "Who said anything about love?"

Luna's glassy eyes refocused. "Oh, nobody really," she smiled, "But today would have been her birthday, you see. I'm just remembering her." And then she resumed her vague staring.

"Oh," Hermione said, feeling a blush begin to stain her cheeks. She chewed her lip. Luna just seemed to have a knack for making such innocent comments without even knowing the torrent of unnerving implications behind it.

"What?" She noticed that Ginny was laughing at her.

"Nothing," Ginny said evasively.

"That so was not nothing! I don't love him, Ginny. That's crazy! Nobody can fall in love in two weeks, and that goes especially for Draco and I, all things considered."

"I know, but that doesn't mean you're not headed that way."

Draco was being stubborn too. He had quickly realised that Hermione was doing everything in her power not to be in the same room as him for longer than she had to, and because of that, he decided to refrain from carrying out his penalty until she had at least started to look him in the eye again.

He knew he'd inevitably have to do it, but he still refused to do so until she would at least listen. At the rate things at been going, that seemed unlikely to happen, but Draco wouldn't change his mind.

Her minimal presence over the last few days had been strange. It made everything seem normal, as it had been prior to the eleventh of the month when this whole nightmare began. Draco started to feel accustomed to his old routines and the same old conversations with Blaise and the same old sessions of hurling insults at Longbottom; he'd feel almost normal, and like himself again.

But then he'd see Hermione's bushy head of hair somewhere, and the reality of the situation refreshed itself in his brain. He didn't want to admit it, but it had been four days since their argument and he missed her; he actually missed her, though nobody was necessarily aware of that.

The only thing he'd ever really missed before was his broomstick when his Father had confiscated it because Draco kept using it to lift the Manor peacocks onto the roof; where they would fall through the skylights and into their bedroom... not to mention that he did this in the morning so his parent's had had the joy of having a frantic, feathery alarm clock jolting them awake. He had of course, managed to rescue his broomstick a day later, but it had been one of the longest days of his life.

Eventually Draco concluded that snarky interactions with Hermione were better than having no interaction at all. Not speaking to her at all was strange, because they had never not been talking to one another; Draco used to speak to her all the time, though to wind her up more than anything else. But still, she had been quite involved with his life before this bet came about, and Draco wasn't about to let her slip through his fingers.

Until now, he had been seeking her out to assess her reactions towards him to see if she'd be willing to listen to what he had to say. But naturally, that had been very wishful thinking, as she seemed to be avoiding him at all costs. Today would be different; today Draco was going to seek her out to annoy her. That was a foolproof way of making her talk to him. He smiled.

"What are you so happy about?" Blaise asked.

"Maybe that punch addled his brain," Pansy said as she filed her nails – or as Draco liked to refer to them – talons. She had been very smug about how everything had worked out at the Ball; but after four days of her obnoxious comments it was staring to wear away Draco's patience.

"Parkinson, I swear to Merlin if you don't shut your ugly beak, I-"

"Now, now, Draco, she may have a point," Daphne said.

Draco whipped around to face her, "Are you seriously defending her, after everything?"

"No," Daphne snapped, "It's not defending, per se, but rather, we just so happen to share the same theory."

"Bullshit." Draco declared. Daphne flushed but didn't otherwise visibly react.

"It's possible though," she looked over Draco's shoulder to Pansy and Blaise. "Did you know that four days ago before he left to piss off Granger he was having a hissy fit-"

"I was not throwing a hissy fit!"

Daphne ignored him, "-And then when he came back - after he got punched - he hugged me," she concluded with a shudder.

"Woah, woah!" Blaise smirked, "He actually let you into his personal bubble?"

Daphne nodded, "And invaded mine whilst he was at it. So if that punch hasn't messed your head up I don't see any other explanation."

"Well let's just say that Parkinson shouldn't get too smug just yet," Draco said smoothly, "And that's all thanks to you and your bloody bet, Greengrass."

He could practically see the cogs turning in Daphne's head. It didn't take her long to realise what he was talking about. She had been so caught up worrying about having to kiss Potter if Draco won that she had completely forgotten about his penalty for losing.

"What's he talking about?" Pansy demanded.

Daphne ignored her this time, "Well I appreciate the gratitude, Malfoy, but if you could keep your slimy hands off me next time –."

Draco scoffed, "Next time? Oh no, no, no, Greengrass, I only have a certain amount of manners in my person; only one thank-you per customer."

"I've never been more thankful for you to be an arrogant arsehole before."

Draco smirked and made a swift exit as he began his search for Hermione, which took longer than expected. She wasn't in the library or the Great Hall, and he hadn't seen her around as he walked through the corridors and as he passed the classrooms. The unnerving part was that he felt like he was being followed the whole time, and half-expected her to ambush him.

As he reached the bank of the Black Lake and saw that she wasn't there either, he presumed that she must be in Gryffindor Tower. He turned around to start heading back up to the castle when he noticed quite a few retreating figures in the distance. He couldn't make any of the people out specifically, but it appeared that some of them were carrying broomsticks.

He thought it a bit odd since there was no Quidditch cup this year, but then he recognised Oliver Wood walking by with a large wooden box floating alongside him. It was this sight that led him to believe that if Wood was heading down to the pitch with the balls, then that's where the handful of other students were going, too. He also had a sneaking suspicion that Potter would be there, which in turn meant that that's where Hermione would be. The Quidditch pitch would have been the last place he looked for her.

Well played, Granger. Draco thought as he followed the small crowd.

A brief chorus of impressed mumbles and cheers filtered around the bare stands. Hermione didn't have to look up from her book to know what everyone – meaning about fifteen spectators – was looking at; Harry must've just done one of those Wonky Faint things.

The Gryffindor Quidditch team had again decided to come down here, and Harry and Ron didn't hesitate to come along this time. It had to be kept quiet though, because Harry insisted on practising that 'Wonky' thing, which meant that Oliver had to liberate the balls without permission. Consequently, they didn't want to get caught so only a few students had heard about it. Hermione had tried to protest but her attempts were in vain.

The entire team was currently on the pitch, with Ron standing at the sidelines waiting impatiently for his turn on Harry's Firebolt. In the stands with her were Ginny, Luna, Hannah Abbott, Neville, and a handful of younger students.

"I've just noticed that there aren't any Slytherins here," Luna commented to nobody in particular.

"I don't think any of them would have wanted to watch the Gryffindor team," Ginny said to Luna.

"That's quite sad," Luna replied.

"Is it?" Hermione asked without looking up from her book, "I find it to be quite refreshing."

Ginny rolled her eyes, "Still no luck with the egg, I take it?"

"No," Hermione muttered, "There's less than two months until the next task; two months!"

"I know, I just wouldn't have thought any book could tell you what the clue is," Ginny said calmly, "Just don't overexert yourself yet. At least wait until Harry figures this egg out before you start researching."

Hermione grunted incoherently and turned the page. She heard Ginny gasp beside her.

"What?"

"Er, let's just say this is no longer a Snake-free zone." Ginny said.

Luna turned her head and smiled vacantly, "I must've spoken too soon."

Hermione already knew deep down who she would see when she turned but she did so anyway.

"Well, well, well, isn't this cosy?" Draco said.

"What do you want?" Hermione snapped.

"Mione, remember what we were talking about earlier," Ginny whispered.

"I don't want anything from you, Granger," he replied, "Who's to say I'm just not here to spy for my team?"

"As if you'd do their dirty work for them," Ginny scoffed, "Now come on, Malfoy, we all know you're here to talk to Hermione so-."

"Well then all of you are as deluded as that oaf is about his ability to teach… even after that bloody Hippogriff-."

"For Merlin's sake, Malfoy, just get over yourself and spit it out," Hermione said, turning in her seat and glaring at him. "You wouldn't have started bothering us in the first place unless I'm the reason you're here."

Draco couldn't hide his smirk; finally he was getting somewhere. She was looking at him, not pleasantly, but it was still progress.

"On the contrary, there have been many times I've approached you and 'bothered' you but this is the first time you've been convinced that it's because I wanted to speak to you."

"You've never purposefully looked for me, though," Hermione retorted.

"Can you prove that it was intentional on this occasion?" He raised an eyebrow.

"You two argue a lot," Luna said, "Why is that?"

"I hate him!" Hermione shouted, thus drawing the attention of the other spectators.

Draco's insides knotted up. He was a little perturbed because Ginny was now scrutinising him intently. He turned and glared at her and she looked away quickly and started acting as if she hadn't been looking. She had about as much subtlety as a giant in drag.

Luna shook her head gently, "I don't think you do, Hermione. Not really. You're just angry."

"But, he-" Hermione started to protest.

"Don't disregard my opinions just because it's mine," Luna said; her words were stern but her tone was benign. "I am a Ravenclaw after all." And with that she turned to talk to Neville about the Nargle infestation her house had suffered over Christmas.

Draco was the first to break the silence that followed.

"Well I'd love to say and chat to you lot but I've more entertaining things I could be doing; you know like watching Goyle try to tie his shoelaces."

"What? That's it?" Hermione asked, rising from her seat and facing him.

"You'd be surprised how many simple things Goyle is incapable of doing."

"I didn't mean that, Draco, and you know it. I mean you- you're not going to say anything else?"

"What?" Draco frowned. "You're the ones who assume I came to speak to you for a purpose."

"You're the one who's been everywhere I've been over the last few days!" Hermione shouted.

Draco's voice was low and serious when he replied. "And maybe if you hadn't run away every bloody time that happened then we wouldn't be here fighting right now."

The next thing she knew, he had turned and was heading out of the stands. Hermione immediately manoeuvred her way around some of the spectators to run after him. This inadvertently piqued everybody's interest. It was like a chain reaction; Ginny and Luna followed Hermione in case she would need moral support, Neville followed Luna, as she hadn't finished her story, then Hannah followed Neville because she didn't want to be the only fourth year left behind. The younger students just decided to follow for the hell of it; evidently the potential for drama was a lot more interesting than Quidditch for them.

"What the bloody hell is going on?" Ron exclaimed just as Harry dismounted and handed him the Firebolt.

"I dunno," Harry frowned. "Fred, can you see anything?" He shouted.

Fred squinted at the ground and stands from the air before swooping down and dismounting too. "If I'm not mistaken I just saw our Hermione running after a certain blond ferret."

Harry groaned and broke into a sprint to try and catch up with the small crowd that was forming.

"Harry, wait!" Ron called and started running after him. He was torn between feeling disappointed that he never got his go on the Firebolt and somewhat excited that there was potential to see Hermione punch Malfoy again (he was very disappointed to have missed out on the last time a few days earlier).

"Draco Malfoy, you have no right to get arse-y with me about running away, so I suggest you stop right now and tell me what the hell you've been playing at before I make you stop!" Hermione yelled; her hand was poised to retrieve her wand if necessary.

But Draco didn't stop: if anything he sped up. Now would have been the ideal time to carry out his penalty, but he hadn't been expecting it to be so easy for Hermione to suddenly start demanding answers after so many days of avoiding him. It was perfect, really, because she would actually listen. The required amount of students was currently hot on Hermione's heels, but Daphne's stupid rules needed two Professors to be present, which they weren't.

Dammit!

Draco's jog slowed into a walk and finally, a halt when he saw Blaise heading towards him with Professors Snape and McGonagall just behind him. The blond eyed his friend suspiciously; had he intentionally brought them here?

The wink Blaise shot his way confirmed this, and Draco's relieved smile faded quickly, and he glared at Blaise.

"Snape and McGonagall?! Really?" He hissed.

Blaise shrugged, "I thought Wood sneaking out the Quidditch balls to the pitch would be a good excuse to lure them here. Snape was the first teacher I bumped into and McGonagall insisted on coming too since it involves Gryffin-jerks."

"How did you know about Wood sneaking out the Quidditch balls?"

Blaise just smirked. It didn't take Draco long to work it out, "You sly git. You're the one who was bloody following me earlier weren't you?"

"Maybe," Blaise grinned cockily.

"How?"

"Disillusionment charm."

The footsteps behind Draco were very close now. "Well right now I don't know whether to thank you or hex you."

Blaise chuckled, "If the 'thank-you' includes a hug like Daphne's was then that hex seems the more appealing option."

"I'll take you up on that offer later Zabini. I think I'm going to need something to cheer me up by the time this is over."

The footsteps had stopped now. Draco took a deep breath and turned around to see Hermione standing before him, with everyone who had been at the Quidditch pitch (including the Gryffindor team) milling around the vicinity.

"Oh so now you want to talk about this?" he asked. "Why am I not surprised that you wanted to be the instigator?"

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked.

"Were you not listening earlier? I've been trying to talk to you for the last few days but you've been completely blanking me."

"Well you can't really blame me for been sceptical about your motives."

Draco sighed, "What do you want to know, Granger?"

Hermione's whole exterior was tensed and hard. Draco may have underestimated how easy this would be or how well this would all pan out.

She glanced around the crowd with a frown. She had half a mind to send everyone packing but in that moment her priority was getting answers.

"I want to know why you left all of a sudden at the Ball," a series of gasps and murmurs rippled around the crowd. She rolled her eyes and carried on, "because I don't buy for one second that the er… kiss meant nothing to you."

Draco wasn't sure whether it would be best to confirm her statement or to dismiss it, so he kept his expression passive. He chanced a glance at the two teachers. McGonagall looked as if she didn't know whether to break up this dispute or just let the two of them sort it out, whilst Snape appeared to be slightly amused.

"Can I just ask what the point is of me answering? Are you going to believe me, or at least consider that it could be true? Because if not then there really is no need to be having this discussion."

He wasn't sure why he was delaying his confession; maybe it had to do with pride because they had a larger audience than was necessary, and a larger audience meant larger embarrassment.

"I can't make any promises," Hermione replied. She looked him in the eye and said, "But either way I think I'm entitled to an honest response."

Draco's heart started pounding in his chest at the imploring look in her eyes. He knew this was it, but he knew once the words were out then a whole long list of questions would pop into Hermione's head, and he didn't feel comfortable having spectators to witness that; the penalty didn't require him to explain everything.

Nevertheless he had run out of excuses.

"I wasn't lying when I said it was because you kissed me… Granger I swear to Salazar that if you interrupt me before I finish I'm going to walk away right now and believe me, I won't be willing to explain again." Draco had seen Hermione open her mouth to protest. It was an empty threat but she didn't know that - anything to make this as quick and painless as possible, and her not constantly talking over him was an integral part of achieving that.

"It wasn't because the kiss was horrible or because you're a Muggleborn. It was just because you kissed me, full stop. Despite my upbringing and everything I'm supposed to feel for people like you… I just can't believe in that anymore. You showed me just as much the other day that 'Mudblood' is just some stupid label."

Hermione's expression softened but she was still eyeing him sceptically.

"And until that point, I'd realised that I'd started to… like you, to the extent where just seeing you smile makes me so sickeningly happy, and being around you is something I've missed since the Ball. We aren't perfect; Merlin if anything all we do is bring out the worst in each other, but that's what makes it great. We've both already seen the worst in each other so we don't feel the pressure to be perfect versions of ourselves, because let's face it I'll never be perfect. In hindsight that's what makes things that have happened so easy, like the day in the Broomsticks. That was the turning point where I finally realised."

Now that Draco had started talking the words couldn't seem to stop pouring out of his mouth; maybe it was because he had been holding all of this back for so long that it would be impossible to stop it.

"And since then, I've been so conflicted in my head. It was difficult for me to come to terms that those feelings were real, but it took one stupid badly thought-through ploy, and almost losing you in the process, that made me accept it. I've never liked the idea of falling for anybody ever, least of all you. But evidently the universe hates me because it bloody happened despite my best efforts of deluding myself to believe otherwise."

Hermione gasped; what he was saying fit in with what happened with Pansy. She knew he was a master liar, but somehow she knew this was genuine. Nobody could improvise this well, especially as Draco was looking her in the eye the whole time.

"I'm not a good person. You know that, and I know that. I don't deserve you –" Hermione gasped again; so he did that the day in the Three Broomsticks after all, "- I've been feeling guilty about this bloody bet for so long, but as much as I wanted to back out, I couldn't because Daphne made us put this stupid binding spell in place that prevented me from doing so. Ideally, I was going to tell you all of this once I won, and start over with you with no lies and manipulations. But you kissed me whilst the bet was still going on, so that wouldn't have been possible. I needed to make you forget about me and find someone you did deserve, someone who wouldn't lie. So I ran, and I'm sorry."

Draco raked a hand through his hair as all of the anxiety he spoke of in his explanation renewed and welled up in his gut. He'd just sincerely apologised to her; he'd never done that before without being completely honest…to anyone.

A tingling sensation ran through his body, signalling that the binding spell had been broken and he was officially free of the bet. A series of 'aw's' and gasps rang out in the crowd, but as predicted, there were one or two people who didn't buy it.

"So you mean to say that you leaving her there was completely selfless? That is the most pathetic excuse I've ever heard." Ron spat.

"That is a low blow, Malfoy. Why not just admit you're a coward instead of lying to her more?" George said in disgust.

That's when Ginny surprised everyone by leaping to Draco's defence. "Shut it, you two! You don't even know the half of what's been going on!"

"Oh what and you do?" Ron asked. His ears were bright red.

"I know more than you." Ginny retorted. "You didn't see the hurt in his eyes just a while ago when Hermione said she hated him. If he was lying just now, why would that affect him so much?"

Draco would have thanked Weaslette for standing up for him if he weren't so focused on Hermione, who had yet to make comment (surprisingly enough).

"Hermione?" He said with a croaky voice.

She had tears welling up in her eyes, and she kept frowning and shaking her head, only to have her expression cleared a second later before cycling back around to the frown. She was clearly overwhelmed by Draco's confession.

"Draco I… what do you want from me?"

"Nothing," he was lying but he didn't want to pressure her even more, "You asked me to answer your question honestly, and I did."

Her mouth stretched into a smile, but Draco could see the thoughts milling through her mind, and her entire demeanour changed abruptly as her suspicions were piqued again. No matter how honest his words sounded, it just wasn't in Draco's character to make such a huge confession so easily – especially with an audience around.

"Oh Godric, the other day you never told me what was in it for you and Daphne if you won… is this your punishment for losing or something?"

Draco's stomach contracted violently. He bowed his head and prepared himself for the chase. "Yes."

Sure enough, Hermione bolted. She would have hexed him if the teachers weren't still hovering in the vicinity of them. She growled in fury and possible confusion and barged right past him, heading for the castle.

Draco caught her wrist but she wrenched it from his grasp in a way that took his mind back to the day in the library when he had prevented Viktor from asking her to the Ball. That same stinging sensation warmed his palm in the way it had done then. He ran after her, the distant sound of two pairs of footsteps in pursuit of him barely registering in his ears.

Once they were both inside, someone behind him shot a spell, which whizzed past his ear and hit Hermione, slowing her movements. She hastily tried to grab her wand to remove it but of course, her arm moved sedately.

"Oh come on!" she growled.

The spell had allowed Draco to gain on her, but then he was hit with the same one, and soon he felt a pair of arms dragging him backwards. He tried to twist his head to get a look at the person, and only got a glimpse of red hair before the strain of the slowing spell was putting too much pressure on his neck and he was forced to co-operate.

He was dragged into what appeared to be some kind of store cupboard. Hermione's protesting squeals suggested that she was being dragged into there with him.

Sure enough she came skidding into the small room via what Draco presumed was the banishing charm. They both got a brief glimpse of the people's faces before the slowing spells were removed and they promptly shut the door and locked it with what sounded like about three different charms.

"Sorry Mione, but you two really need to talk properly about this! Make sure you don't waste this chance to sort things out!" A muffled voice shouted through the door apologetically.

"We'll come back for you in about half an hour," the other voice added. "Try not to kill each other!" They didn't wait for a response before casting a silencing charm on the door.

"What the hell just happened?" Draco asked, blinking rapidly.

A distressed sob brought his attention to the other end of the narrow room where Hermione was leaning against some shelves. Her head was buried in her hands. She felt completely helpless about what she could and could not trust Draco about.

"Look Hermione-" he began, reaching out to touch her arm, but she shook him off.

"Don't. They're right," she sniffed, wiping her eyes, "We need to sort this out. No running away this time."

Draco sighed and nodded slowly. "I know."

Outside, the two people who had shoved them rather unceremoniously in there were leaning with their backs against the door and panting slightly.

"That was quick thinking with the cupboard," the boy said, "I didn't think that was your style."

"Well your slowing spells gave me the idea," the girl replied, "they keep starting to talk and then leave it unresolved; it's for their own good… hey, why are you so supportive of them, anyway?"

"Long story," the boy admitted.

"Well maybe you can come with me to try and find Peeves and then you can tell me."

"Why Peeves?"

"Oh I just realised that this is Snape's store cupboard; we're going to have to distract him."

The boy chuckled, "You know for a Weasley, you're not so bad."

"Thanks for that assessment, Zabini."

To be continued…

A/N: Awkward place to leave it I know; sorry! (But not that sorry because splitting the chapter means it doesn't have to end so soon..)

If any of you happen to be Scorose fans then it'd be great it you could check out my one-shot: Ambivalence. I don't mean to plug but some feedback would be nice as it was my first attempt at writing them.

P.S. Nothing's going to happen with Blaise and Ginny; I just thought that was a cute way of ending the chapter!

[[Updated AN]] - Hmm I thought it'd be a bit overkill with having a third Gryffindor/Slytherin pairing but the reviews I've had so far say you guys wouldn't mind :') I'll have a think about how I want to play this out :D

Until next time... :)