Chapter 20: Second Thoughts
School was back in session and with it came the realization that N.E.W.T.S. were only five months away, and Valentine's Day was mere weeks away.
With Ron and now Draco being the ones to complete their tasks, Blaise was at both of their mercies. A fact that he indeed hated, but didn't really pay any mind to, as Ron was too caught up with Hermione to focus on him, and Draco hadn't made him do anything yet.
Besides, he had more important things to worry about.
After the party, Blaise had felt even more of a shift in his feelings for the girl who faithfully wore his grandmother's necklace.
When he had decided to give her the necklace, he had actually didn't think twice about it. He had thought that it would look lovely around her neck, especially when he finally got what he wanted from her. He had imagined her completely naked with the necklace on, sitting pretty on her smooth skin. Then he ended up really analyzing how he was starting to feel about the extraordinary witch.
Rashida was the most complicated witch he had ever met. Never had he encountered someone who was not moved by his charms, words, nor looks. If she was any other one of the simple minded witches at Hogwarts, he would have gotten what he wanted ages ago and left her alone, however, he knew that he couldn't escape her. And if he was going to be honest with himself, he really didn't want to.
He didn't know what exactly was happening to him. He had never strong genuine feelings outside of shagging for a witch before. That feeling was never too far gone, but it also shared a home with feelings of them just relaxing by the lake, holding hands in the hallways, cuddling up in his or her dorm room, laughing at each others jokes, or just sleeping together. Literally sleeping.
He was beginning to grow more and more afraid of these emotions he was having for the gorgeous Egyptian. She was compromising everything, himself included. She had no idea how much she had made him reflect on his whole life during the holidays, and in reality, he felt as if she probably didn't care too much.
Should he call off the bet and just see if she would have him? Could he really try and be for the first time ever, a genuine boyfriend?
Blaise shook his head. What was he thinking? A bet's a bet, and he wasn't about to let sodding sappy ass feelings get in the way of the goal.
Besides, if Harry succeeded before he did, he would have lost the bet entirely. And he didn't want that to happen.
"I tried." said Hermione as she and Ron sat cuddled up in front of the fireplace, in Gryffindor common room. They were the only two in there, as everyone else was at the Dueling Club, watching a dueling tournament.
"As did I. Zabini and Harry are stubborn." said Ron, gently rubbing Hermione's leg that was draped over his lap. Hermione was massaging the back of Ron's head, relaxing him.
"What about Malfoy?"
"Oh he already did his bet. He only wanted to get Ginny on a date."
Hermione stopped moving her fingers in Ron hair. "What?"
"Yeah. That's all he had to do. They weren't very friendly from the start and we figured he would never get a date. And you know I wouldn't let him try to shag my sister."
"Ginny didn't know that. Pansy never said... She made it seem like all of you wanted to just shag us." said Hermione, started to become irritated.
"My bet was to ask you out. Malfoy's was to get a date. Zabini and Harry were betting the slags. Why? Did something happen between Ginny and Malfoy that I need to know about?" asked Ron, hoping she was only curious. He didn't feel like killing anyone tomorrow.
"No, they haven't done anything that I have heard. Ginny would have told us." said Hermione.
Ron calmed himself. "Right. She would have. I guess all there is to do is to see about Harry and Zabini."
"I told them all they should quit." said Hermione. I don't think Ginny and Pansy even listened to me, but with Rashida, it goes a bit deeper."
"What do you mean?"
"I can't tell you. I've sworn to secrecy." said Hermione. "You may find out if she talks to Blaise about it."
'Awh come on." said Ron, kissing Hermione on the nose.
'Don't try to be cute, it's not my secret to tell." giggled Hermione.
"I don't try to be cute love, I am cute."
"You're so modest too." joked Hermione as she pressed her lips against Ron's.
They were about to have a much needed snogging session when Ginny and Draco walked through to portrait hole.
"Get a room you two." said Draco, making gagging noises.
"The bloody hell are you doing on my turf, ferret?" asked Ron, groaning as Hermione moved her legs off of him.
"Apparently I'm being reprimanded for something too bad I don't know what it is." said Draco, side eyeing Ginny.
"I just said we needed to talk, damn. Did you do something wrong that I should know about?" asked Ginny.
"Wait!" said Hermione. She grabbed Ginny's arm and pulled her upstairs to the girls dorm.
"Hermione, what are you-"
'Malfoy didn't bet to shag you." said Hermione, quickly.
Ginny looked at her friend. "What? But Pansy said-"
"She lied. Ron only got bet to ask me out. Malfoy figured he couldn't even get a date with you, so they bet him that. You were his date to the party so l he won too." said Hermione.
Ginny didn't know how to feel about this new revelation. "So he really just wanted the opportunity? I mean all he had to do was be sincere, I would have given it to him."
"Is that a fact, Gin? You used to despise him. "
"I know him better now. I...I like him."
Hermione smiled. "I knew you did, you git. You've never been good at hiding emotions."
Ginny shrugged, laughing. "So what do I do now? I had actually brought him here so we could be alone and I could fuck with him more, but now? I feel like I just want to talk to him. But also, what if that's the end of the bet? What if he really doesn't like me?'
Hermione put a comforting hand on Ginny's shoulder.
"You'll never know until you ask." she said. "Come on. What kind of Gryffindor are you?"
'You were just scared about my brother two months ago sweetheart." said Ginny, winking at Hermione. "Can you tell his highness to come here please?"
"But the stairs." said Hermione.
Ginny whispered a spell as she waved her wand over the steps. "It's good to be best friends with the Head Girl." she said. " I've also made it so Ron and Blaise could come up too."
"You should have been a Slytherin." laughed Hermione, going down the stairs.
"Hey Malfoy, Ginny wants to talk to you in her dorm. Don't worry, she charmed the stairs." said Hermione, joining Ron back on the couch.
Draco hopped up and headed towards the stairs.
"YOU BETTER NOT TRY ANY FUNNY SHIT WITH MY SISTER, FERRET BOY!"
Draco cautiously put his foot on the bottom step. Nothing happened. He then climbed two other steps and braced himself. Again, nothing. He let out a sigh of relief and headed upstairs. When he got to the top of the stairs, he was immediately pulled into a room. Ginny's dorm.
She pulled him in and slammed the door, locking it.
"Okay, what the hell have you been playing at?" she asked, wand pointed at his face.
Draco blinked, trying to grasp how the situation had changed so quickly. "What the hell are you going on about?" he asked.
"Oh stop it, I know all about you prats and your idiotic bet." said Ginny.
Draco's face fell. 'Shit. I'm done for.' he thought to himself.
"If I may-"
"Not if you're going to lie to me. Now tell me the truth!"
Draco took a deep breath. "Okay. So there is a bet, but I wasn't bet to do do anything fucked up like Potter and Zabini. I was just to have a date with you, that's all."
"I'm not stupid Drayke, I already know that." said Ginny, lowering her wand, but not her temper. "What I want to know is what about after the bet? Are you planning on just disregarding me?"
"Do you want the honest answer or the completely honest answer? Because they are two different things."
Ginny rolled her eyes and sat down on her bed. "Just tell me the truth." she said.
"Okay." said Draco. "Well, the honest answer would be no. I wanted to take things further than that and shag you. I couldn't tell your brother that, of course."
Ginny felt herself growing angrier and angrier. "So really that's all I am to you? A fucking shag and bag?!"
"I'm not done." said Draco, putting a hand up to silence her. "The completely honest answer is while yes, I would love to shag you, I would also, love to be with you. Really be with you."
Ginny glared at him. "You're lying "
"I'm not. You're the only person I can really open up to. There is shit that you know that I would never tell Zabini and I've known him all my life. You like me for who I am. Or at least, you act like it. You don't try to change me. Despite my father, you came and spent your holiday with me
We had fun, did we not?"
Ginny nodded. "I was pretending at first. Because of the bloody bet. But, over time, things changed, and I started to really like you. Only thing was, that bloody bet-"
"Can we forget about that shit?" interrupted Draco, taking Ginny's hands and pulling her up from the bed. "I'm sorry that it took a bet for us to finally see eye to eye. But I do see. And I know what I really want, and it's you. Just you. So you can be pissed all you want. I'm Slytherin, remember? Ambition is one of our traits and my ambition is you. And I always get what I want. Even if it's a stubborn as hell but extremely sexy redheaded Gryffindor."
Ginny blushed at his words. Though terribly arrogant and not really the proper way to ask a girl out, she couldn't help but melt. This was who Draco was, and she doesn't want to change a thing.
"So, which one of my brothers then?" joked Ginny.
"You cheeky woman." said Draco as he crashed his lips into Ginny's. The kiss was electrifying, unexpected, and full of emotion. Ginny moaned as Draco pushed his tongue into her mouth and pulled her body closer to his.
"I still want to shag your brains out." he whispered seductively in Ginny's ear after he broke the kiss.
Ginny felt a tingle from in between her legs, but quickly ignored the urge to push him into her bed. "Some other time. You've only been my boyfriend for about 20, seconds."
