A/N: Chapter 4! Sorry it took so long, but life got interesting. Two more chapters are outlined and should be written/posted soon!
Disclaimer: Still not Jo, promise!
The large oak doors were opened wide, allowing a slight breeze to swirl about the Hall. The fall had been a rather warm one. Many professors even opting to teach beyond the stone walls of the Castle. Southern grounds of the school, which harbored its infamous grand lake, dwarfed only by the majestic fortress perched high on the cliff, became a refuge from the temperate weather for students before, between, and after lectures. Serene afternoons and tranquil nights, seemed only to promote lethargy; for all knew autumnal warmth will surrender itself to a rapidly approaching harsh winter.
Students occupied the four long tables situated beneath an enchanted sky of feathery clouds sprinkled on a sunset canvas. Interspersed candles floated above the chattering heads, showering ominous light throughout the chamber. A dull roar could be heard, signaling the conclusion of another satisfying dinner.
She's wearing that red top again. The one that dips low in the front. Too bad she's wearing a scarf, can't see anything. His eyes flittered back to his half eaten plate. Peas and potatoes to the left, steak to the right. His fork indifferently poked the now cold meat. His nose screwed up to form a most unpleasant look. Glancing around, he noticed many of his comrades had finished off the desserts, leaving only lemon tarts and chocolate biscuits left on the display dishes. Disappointed, he returned his stare to the next table over.
He'd found out quite a bit about the girl in the last several weeks. She was a Chaser on her House team, as well as an alternate Seeker. She had an ardor for the color green, frequently displaying it in her casual attire. She read a lot, though not always recreationally. Many times he had watched her lying out in the grass with text books spread about her, notes laid forgotten on her chest, as she napped in the sun. She spends most her free time outside, he realized. Animals loved her, and she likewise. Art was a primary interest, mainly drawings. She drew everything from scenery to people to indistinct shapes of which Draco could not make heads or tails of.
She was very popular he came to notice as well. She had friends in most every year. She was kind, polite, and talkative. She chatters more than Pans, he thought, though she's hardly as annoying. However, she could not be bothered with gossip or other trite matters when she was busy or otherwise distracted. She was mostly level-headed save times where she definitely could have challenged the Weasel King for his crown when provoked. She did not get that ugly beat red, but she could flush with the best of them. He could not help but notice her physical attributes as well. She was an attractive girl, by normal standards. She could not hold a candle to the great beauties of Hogwarts, like Daphne and Cho Chang, in his view, but she had that subtle grace and allure that made boys tight in the pants. She has a great rack, nice round hips, and tight bum. Draco hung his head.
He did not like that he had started to notice all the little things that make up Ginny Weasley. He'd even taken the initiative to find out her real name. She won't fall for you if all you can call her is She-Weasel, he remembered thinking. It became second nature for him to search out her flaming hair when he was in crowded areas. A few times he mistook the fringe belonging to her hideous brother for hers. Nothing angered him more.
Her brother. That colossal waste of perfectly good magic. And Potter. Gods he hated that he could not escape them. She was always gabbing with the mudblood and darting googly eyes at the Boy Wonder. If it was not for the plan, he'd have resigned to avoid that lot of the rest of time.
The plan. The plan to seduce the littlest Weasel. He had everything necessary to make any woman swoon. Regal features, a chiseled body, more money than God, and not to mention irresistible charm and sex appeal. He prided himself on his ability it bat his eyelashes at anything in a skirt and have her in his bed that very same night. Or within the hour, as some particular encounters proved. But he realized, all too quickly that she was not just any girl. She had morals and standards and rubbish like that, that would make this task a challenge even for The Slytherin Sex God.
He sighed. Pinching the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger, he pondered his predicament.
He needed to prove to Zabini that he could get any girl he wanted. No exceptions. Not even self-righteous Gryffindor princesses. But she was not the seducible type. She valued commitment and passion and…love.
Love.
He released an audible groan.
That was it. He had to get her to truly fall for him. It was the only way to win her affections. She was too smart for lust, though he did not completely rule out working his experience to his advantage. The only trouble was Draco had never been in love. He didn't know the first thing about it, or how to make her feel it. But he sure as hell was not going to run from a challenge. He was Draco Malfoy. Draco Malfoy did not back down from a challenge. If love is what it took to prove he could bed any witch, then God help him, love is what she was going to get. Mushy notes, adoring glances, chaste touches… love.
At his friend's second groan, Blaise looked up from his book. His eyebrows pulled together. Draco had been acting strange for weeks now. He was never in the common room until after nightfall, he rarely ate anything other than bread at meals, and now he was clearly having a mental breakdown in full view of about half the Slytherin House.
Blaise shot warning glares at the two 4th year boys staring curiously at Draco from across the table. Rolling his eyes at their rude gestures back to him, he waited until they had turned back toward the girls on their right, before leaning his head in and whispering sarcastically, "Bad day?"
Draco snapped out of his nauseating thoughts and looked at his best friend.
"No," he said training his gaze back to her table," but I have a feeling it will be soon enough."