CHAPTER EIGHTEEN A DECEITFUL MALFOY

AN: This is truly some of my favorite Draco moments. He's one of my favorite characters to write. Please tell me what you think of his 'plan'.

Draco watched from the corner of the staircase until Ginny entered into the kitchen before making his way back up the stairs. Now was as good a time as any to put his plan into action as Ron would be alone for at least half an hour while the girls worked things out. When he reached the door to the room the Weasley's shared he took a deep breath before flinging it roughly open. He flung the door shut and pinned his back against the door and stared at Ron's shocked look, biting his lip to keep from laughing.

"Oh my God, I can't believe we're finally alone." Draco said as he flattened himself closer to the door.

"What the fuck are you talking about Malfoy? What are you doing in here?" Ron crossed the room to push Draco out the door but he was stopped short when Draco met him on his way.

"I can't tell you how long I've been waiting for this." Draco crooned into Ron's ear causing him to back away quickly and stumble over onto the bed. "Jumping right to the point, I like that." Draco said as he crossed the room, unbuttoning his shirt as he walked.

"Oh my God, you're GAY!!" Ron screamed as he jumped up onto the bed clutching at the blankets trying to protect himself from any of Draco's protruding limbs.

"You're not?!?" Draco looked taken aback as he pulled his shirt closed around himself in embarrasement. "But I thought...well earlier in the kitchen, Hermione told me that you were experimenting. That's why she came to me to see if I might be open to helping you figure it out."

"You punched me in the stomach! You thought that would make me interested?"

"Well no, but you attacked me first. I just thought that you were embarrassed that she talked to me about it and didn't want her to know is all. I thought that we were going to keep it a secret."

"Keep it a secret? You thought I'd be attracted to you? You've always been such a dick to me! You've called me an asshole for the last twelve years of my life!" Ron shook his head. "Besides the fact that I'm not gay!"

"You didn't get the reference? I was a dick, you were the asshole. I was trying to hint to you that I was into that too! I've wanted you since first year, I just never had the courage to tell you until Hermione told me that you were interested."

"Why would she say something like that! I'm not...I've never...where is she?" Ron started to get up but realized it would open himself up to advances and sat back down.

"She's down in the kitchen talking to Ginny. We sort of had this idea that if you were going to try it, she might think about trying it too, you know."

"With GINNY?! What about Harry?"

"Are you kidding me? Harry's been bi-sexual for years now. I've heard he even attempted a little tri action in his sixth year."

"What do you mean? No. I don't want to now. Listen, I have nothing against...you people....I'm just not a member of your club. So if you wouldn't mind letting me up, I'd like to go have a little chat with my female wife."

"Oh, not a problem. I just don't know if I'd interrupt them right now. I'm pretty sure they thought you'd say yes so I'm not sure you want to know what I heard on my way up here."

"Oh my God." Ron said, looking as if he was about to puke.

Draco turned as if to leave the room but turned around just as he reached the door. "Are you sure that you don't want to just at least try? I mean, how can you know for sure if you don't experiment a little." He ducked as Ron's shoe nearly hit his head. "Just thought I'd ask. Well, if you ever change your mind, you know where I'm sleeping." He blew a kiss to Ron who pulled the blanket up like a shield before walking out the door.

As he entered the hallway he had to stifle a laugh. "This is gonna be way too easy." Draco said. He heard a door to his right creak open and looked up to see Harry standing, not quite straight up, in his rooms doorway. "Morning fuck face. How's the balls?"

Harry cringed gingerly as he attempted to limp into the hallway before turning around to cross back to lay on the bed. Draco began to whistle a happy jig as he jumped down the stairs two at a time.

Draco started as he heard Ginny entered the hall but knew from the look on her face that now was not the time she wanted to see him. He ducked into a side hallway as he watched her pass out the front door before realizing that she hadn't been followed out of the kitchen. Hermione was alone in there now, probably upset and crying and she'd need someone to wipe away her tears. His fingers desperately wanted to be the ones to do so.

Draco knocked three times on the kitchen door as he slowly pushed it open. "Hermione, you OK?"

"What do you want now, Malfoy? Want to take another shot at me while I'm down?" She said as she wiped tears off her cheeks.

"Not exactly. I wanted to apologize."

Hermione looked at Draco with a deer caught in the headlights glaze. She had never expected for him to apologize for anything. He hadn't been dubbed the 'ice prince' in school for having a cheery disposition. "Come again." She said as she steadied herself against the chair in front of her.

"I got downstairs and realized that I had probably really hurt you."

"And you didn't invite people over for a party? Draco, your scaring me."

"I just meant that I had said some really hurtful things..."

"You called me a 'dick-jockey'." Hermione said matter-of-factually

Draco crossed and stood in front of the chair that Hermione so desperately clung to the back of.

"I've called you a lot of horrible things in the past and there's nothing that I can say that will ever make that right. I also owe you an apology for what I did back at school. I was young and naive. I can't excuse what I did, I just hope that one day you'll know how hard this really was for me to say." He put a hand on top of hers and gently pinned it between his hand and the chair. "And how much I want you to believe that I mean it."

Hermione's eyes widened from shock. Not at the fact that Draco Malfoy was standing in the kitchen, a look of pure sincerity in his eyes, but that his touch made her feel an electric spark shoot up her spine.

"Listen, to show you how serious I am, I've decided that I'm gonna not only going to help out with Harry and Ginny, I'll help you out with anything that you might want help with." He said with a knowing look in his eyes. Hermione realized that she had let her hand linger for far too long and pulled it roughly away without the slightest bit of force from Draco to keep her there. "First, I've made a very firm realization. Your plan's already failed. It's not gonna work."

"The best way to help me out right now is not to tear apart everything that I've thought out. Of course it will work. Look what happened when she made him mad. She can make him so jealous with you that he'll realize he loves her."

"Hermione, the strongest of all emotions is love." He looked deep into her eyes and hoped that she could see what he was really trying to say to her. "If he can't feel that first, then it's not going to work. It's just going to make her suffer. There's only one way to bring him around. We have to make them remember. The only way to heal wounds is to first recognize why they are there. You can't sew up a cut if there may be broken glass still inside."

"So what do you suggest?" She asked, suddenly intrigued at the new caring side she was seeing in him.

Draco pulled a folded letter out of his pocket and held it up between his first two fingers. "I've got a plan."

"What is that?" Hermione asked thoroughly confused.

"The answer to your prayers." Draco said looking over at his held up hand.

"Why would a letter know what I prayed for?"

"Oh you meant the letter? I thought you were talking about my fingers." Draco smirked as he handed the letter over to Hermione who was wearing a slight scowl.

"Same old Draco after all? Well at least I don't have to wonder if you've been possessed." Hermione laughed as she opened the letter.

Don't make any attempts to find out yourself. A shattered memory is harder to expell and you might do more damage than even I can fix. It's already a fragile mind, you can't afford to make mistakes. I'll do what I can, if I must, but he must come to me.

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Chapter 19 Teaser

"Where are you going?" He asked, hoping he didn't sound too desperate.

"To talk to Harry. Don't you think it's best to do it now? I mean, what better way to make Ginny happy then to bring her Harry back."

"It's not like it's a magical cure, 'Mione." They both exchanged shocked expressions at his use of her nickname. "I mean, it's going to take some time. If you want to fix things with Ginny, I think that's gonna have to be my department. I'm the reason you're in that mess, I'll do what it takes to get you out of it. I'll go talk to Ginny, you go talk to Harry, and we'll meet in the middle for some lunch. Break."