The Courting Games
Chapter Four: Intriguing
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.
Author's Note: Thanks to everyone who reviewed, alerted and favorited. You guys are awesome! Now on to the good stuff...
"Draco! Draco!"
The voice calling him was annoyed and whiny and unmistakably that of Pansy Parkinson, which was odd because she hadn't been in his room for the better part of a year and a half now.
"Pans?" he murmured.
"Finally you're awake, and what have I told you about using that dreadful nickname," she said with a long suffering sigh.
"That you would hex my hair purple if I did it again," he recalled after some sluggish thought.
He blinked his eyes open with some difficulty.
"Just be glad I'm feeling lenient and forgiving," she sniffed delicately.
"What are you doing in my room?"
"Darling, I am the only one in the dungeons, bar Professor Snape, who can undo your little wall of death, you were about to oversleep Professor Umbridge's little chat and Theodore had mercy on your lazy arse and came to fetch me."
Draco sat up and blinked trying to shake off his sudden lethargy, he hadn't slept past six thirty on a school day since before he'd ever attended Hogwarts and a quick glance at the clock on the wall above his desk revealed that it was now seven fifteen. Breakfast was served between seven thirty and nine thirty even though classes started at nine, and the High Inquisitor had called her meeting for seven forty five neatly ruining Draco's accustomed morning routine. A fact that did not endear her to him no matter how much power she was able to bestow upon him.
"Thanks, Pansy," he murmured distractedly stripping out of his shirt.
"And if that sight doesn't get more delicious every year I swear to Salazar I will marry Eloise Midgen," Pansy said to herself as she flounced out of his bedroom shutting the door behind her.
Ah Pansy, it was so gratifying to know that whenever he was beginning to think he might not be actually one hundred percent confident in his unquestionable superiority all he had to do was take off his shirt and she would perform an instant unsolicited and completely sincere ego boost with her not so quiet comments.
Draco continued undressing and had a disappointingly quick and infuriatingly cold shower to shock himself into wakefulness before sauntering back out the bathroom he shared with Nott. Absently he thanked Merlin that it had been decided two years ago that Zabini had to share with Crabbe and Goyle because they were the only two people in Slytherin that he wouldn't cheerfully fuck. Draco had been forced to share with those two in first year and they were so damn slow in the mornings. Nott could at least be counted on to be up and out of the bathroom before Draco was even stirring.
He was glancing around for his wand so that he could summon his favourite pair of uniform trousers, it was going to be that kind of day, he could tell, and it would be ten times more palatable if he didn't have to worry about chafing or wrinkles, when he spotted the box. It was done in a gorgeous dark wood emblazoned with a snake wrapped around a shield clearly expensive and of exquisite craftsmanship.
Now Draco, being an obsessively possessive person, his mother said he got it from her side of the family, knew that this particular box wasn't his and hadn't been sitting on his nightstand last night. Warily he picked up his wand and cast every revealing charm he knew on the box. They all came back negative for anything hostile. The object was enchanted but whatever it was enchanted with wasn't meant to harm him.
Draco twirled his wand in his fingers thoughtfully. Did he really want to risk opening it? He glanced at his watch and swore since there was no one around to hear him. If he didn't go now he was going to be late for the meeting. He snatched up the box, resolving to examine it more closely before breakfast, and shoved it into his robe pocket before slinging his book bag over one shoulder and striding briskly from the room.
He nodded briefly to the few acquaintances he had in the other years that were loitering about in the ornate green velvet and blackwood wing backed chairs waiting for friends or doing a last minute revision of their homework and pointedly ignored a smug looking Astoria as he exited the common room. As if he cared what she did to rebel against her parents and subsequently ruin her life.
The wall slid aside and Draco slipped out of the common room and navigated the familiar path out of the dungeons, skipping the Great Hall and taking the short cut up to the defence classroom. He slid into the empty seat beside Pansy with five minutes to spare and got a curious look or two. Malfoys, after all, were never late, they arrived precisely when it suited them, and it had in the weeks previous suited Draco to make his support of Umbridge clear by being punctual and even early. He'd acquiesced to every one of her demands and been forced to curse no less than thirteen Slytherins who saw this as a sign of his absolute hold over Slytherin's lower years breaking.
Which was of course nonsense.
Even if he went completely round the bend and threw in his lot with Burbage and hailed muggles as the saviours of the wizarding world the Slytherins in the lower years, the ones whose families were not third generation Death Eaters anyway, would still support him. After all he tutored Potions and Arithmacy up to fifth year and could be approached for homework help in most of the other subjects, he taught the first years their warming charms the first day of school so they didn't freeze in the dungeons even before he was a prefect, he acted as house representative and stuck his own neck out to bring complaints to Snape, he took revenge for those who could not enact their own with the other houses, he'd upgraded the brooms for the Slytherin quidditch team, and he could out fly any seeker bar Potter. The fact that he was pureblooded, handsome, rich, had connections pretty much everywhere thanks to his father and was a third generation dark supporter were just bonuses.
Of course then there were those who found him to be an arrogant little berk who'd used Daddy's money and influence to buy and threaten his way to the top spot and thought his rivalry with Potter was hurting the Slytherin reputation. A few well-placed curses usually silenced them quickly enough.
"Hem, hem."
Draco was jolted out of his musings by the sickly sweet little fake cough that grated on his last nerve and was the trademark of Professor Umbridge.
"Good morning Inquisitorial Squad," she said with a blatantly false smile.
"Good morning Professor Umbridge," they chorused obediently.
Some of the older years were openly sneering or scowling, but Umbridge didn't seem to notice or mind, Draco kept his features relaxed and let his eyes hood slightly. A calculated expression to indicate a sort of business as usual, lazy interest.
"Now, with the Educational Decrees 24 and 25 we will have to be increasingly vigilant in the pursuit of rule-breakers and the so called rebels. Groups of students must be inspected for signs of clandestine gathering, or romantic liaisons. Any student found infringing will receive a deduction of twenty house points on the spot and is then to be brought to my attention for further punishment that will vary from detentions to loss of privileges to expulsion depending on the severity of the infraction. I want special attention paid to Harry Potter and his associates, as well as the two older Weasley boys. They are the primary rule breakers in class and there are rumours that Mr. Potter has formed an illegal group with the intent of helping Dumbledore to overthrow the ministry."
Draco resisted the urge to roll his eyes and he heard a poorly concealed snort from Goyle who was sitting behind him. If Potter was plotting to overthrow the Ministry he would marry a muggle. More likely he was plotting the mysterious death or disappearance of yet another DADA professor, but then again who wasn't these days?
"The Weasley twins are suspected of smuggling contraband into the castle, though this is a comparatively minor infraction, it is no less dangerous. The contraband will undoubtedly be used to incite riot and rebellion against ministry policy and that is simply not acceptable. Any charges that can be brought against them should be brought against them. Now, I am counting on you to maintain order in the general population as I will be quite busy with my staff evaluations in the coming weeks. Are there any questions?"
She waited but there was no response from the Inquisitorial Squad, they might as well have been stuffed dolls.
"Excellent, then this meeting is adjourned. I will see you all at breakfast," she said before striding out of the door, her pink heels making annoying clacking sounds on the stone.
"Why are we throwing our weight behind this fashion challenged toad-like monstrosity, Draco?" Pansy demanded in a low voice as the other Slytherins filed out of the Defence classroom.
"Because Umbridge, for all of her faults, is elevating us to power while simultaneously ridding Dumbledore of his," Draco explained patiently.
"Couldn't we support some other candidate?" she whined.
"No, she is uniquely qualified for the job as she has the Minister's complete unquestioning support and her agenda lies parallel to our own, besides even if my father could get another candidate in place, her foothold is already strong and it would be a waste of time and energy. Umbridge is a necessary evil in the grand scheme of things."
"At least Dumbledore never wore pink bows or said hem hem," sneered Pansy.
"True," Draco sighed shoving his hands in his pockets.
When his fingers encountered not the pretty enchanted box as he had expected but a folded slip of parchment he paused.
"Draco? Aren't you coming for breakfast?" asked Pansy.
"I'll be down later, there is something I want to check," he said.
"Alright, but if you're late for McGonagall's class you'll lose us points," she reminded him warningly before continuing on her way.
Draco meandered up a floor, trying to contain his curiosity and walk in his normal arrogant saunter. To keep up appearances he stopped and took five points from Ravenclaw for gum chewing, and another ten from Gryffindor for loitering. He then slipped into one of the many abandoned classrooms, warded it against intrusion, took care of the dust and pulled the note out of his pocket.
He had to admit he was impressed and more than a little excited. Who knew that Potter had such a hold over advanced charms? His performance in class certainly had never indicated anything of the sort. On the contrary before today Draco would have said Potter's charm work was passable or satisfactory, not anything to get excited over. Yet, Potter had conjured that exquisite box, enchanted it with a time delay of some kind snuck into the Slytherin dorms, found his room, gotten past his wards and escaped undetected. He would be lying if he said that such a display of ability and cunning didn't send a frisson of arousal through him. Potter should have been a Slytherin, he thought as he unfolded the note.
Well, this is a pleasant surprise, I was expecting to have to defend my integrity against what was clearly an embarrassing Slytherin smear campaign. I'm glad however that I don't have to. As to your questions...
I never really thought about whether or not I liked blokes until it turned out that I really wanted nothing to do with birds, romantically anyway. I'm still not entirely sure but I figure if I was going to be attracted to a bloke he would have to be good-looking and even I have to admit you're easy on the eyes.
Have I gone mental? Yeah, probably, but I'm enjoying it so far.
I want to play this game with you as opposed to anyone else because whatever else is between us, you and I make sparks fly. If you'll pardon my use of a muggle saying, we have chemistry. Additionally, you don't need or want to use me for the status boost, which is a relief.
I don't think we need a limit on the questions, do you? Anything we don't want to answer we don't have to and as to the sheer number of questions, well it would take longer to answer and be more difficult to hide the more questions you asked but I'm game if you are.
It seems like a lot of trouble to go through just to toy with you, doesn't it? Think about it for a second, I'm risking my reputation, my integrity, total embarrassment and quite possibly my physical well-being to correspond with you. Tonight I plan on sneaking into the Slytherin dorms for the sake of your undivided attention and I've just spent a few paragraphs explaining about my feelings. Yeah, I'd say I'm toying with you.
Draco couldn't contain a surprised chuckle as Potter's sarcasm practically dripped off the page.
Now for my questions.
What do you get out of this? I know you wouldn't have agreed unless you thought it would benefit you, so what is the benefit? For the life of me I can't think of what it might be.
What do you do in your spare time? What would you like to be doing in your spare time? Do you consider spare time to be time where you aren't controlled by compulsory obligations, or do you feel it's when you just have nothing to do?
Did you ever want siblings? Do you have any other family that you're close to? Cousins? What's your middle name?
What is your favourite room in Hogwarts? What about at home?
Since when do you play for the home team? Did you and Pansy ever actually get together or is she just that clingy?
What is your favourite color? Food? Professional Quidditch Team? Subject? And why?
How long do you spend on your hair in the morning? If Hogwarts didn't have uniforms what would you wear and why?
Well, it's getting late and I still have an impossible mission to accomplish by morning. So, I guess I eagerly await your answers.
Sweet Dreams.
Draco glanced at his watch. It was quarter after eight, he had just enough time to answer Potter's questions, grab a quick breakfast and make it to transfiguration on time. He rummaged around in his book bag until he came up with a fresh sheet of parchment and a quill. He was surprised to find that he was smiling slightly even as he practically filled the page with paragraphs of his neat handwriting. It really was a good thing this little affair was a secret, as Potter was threatening to make him lose his Malfoy decorum. After all Malfoys didn't smile in public, they smirked, because Malfoys were not happy, joyous, content or gleeful, they were merely smugly superior.
Draco glanced at his watch again. There was no more time even though he was practically bursting with questions for Potter. The current volume would have to do. And it was practically a volume. Two full sheets of parchment filled with questions and answers. It was too much to fold into origami, so he rolled it up and sealed it with a blob of black wax.
"Reducio," he muttered and the roll shrank to just two inches long.
He hid the scroll up his sleeve and made his way down to breakfast, disappointed that he had no time to stop and round out this morning's deduction of points with five from Hufflepuff for using magic in the corridors. If he stopped he wouldn't get breakfast and if he didn't get breakfast not only would he be hungry but he ran the risk of having his stomach growl in public. Malfoy stomachs did not growl.
Pansy, Morgana bless her, had made him a bacon sandwich and put together a bowl of his favourite fruits. He would have to find some discrete way of repaying the favour later provided of course she didn't already have something in mind.
He ate his breakfast with a tad more haste than was strictly seemly but made it to Transfiguration on time and avoided both hunger and a point deduction. All in all rather well played if Draco said so himself. And he did. Malfoys were not above self-congratulation after all.
McGonagall walked into the class looking tired and annoyed, and Draco was instantly glad he'd not risked being late as the formidable Transfiguration professor looked ready to crucify anyone who crossed her. Umbridge must have called an early staff meeting to monologue on and on about the repercussions of the two new educational decrees and remind everyone she now had the power to sack them by bringing up the reviews she was conducting. If only he could be a witness to her going head to head with Professor Snape, that would be a real treat. Snape would eat her alive and use what was left for potions ingredients. Extract of toad.
"Now, I cannot stress how important it is that you pay careful attention to today's lesson as we will be moving on from the transfiguration of animate to inanimate objects to the basic transfiguration of animate to animate objects. It might interest you all to note that the mastery of this branch of transfiguration is the first step to becoming an animagus. Now who can tell me how the formula for this kind of transfiguration differs from that of the transfiguration of inanimate objects?"
Granger's hand went up almost immediately as did Daphne Greengrass' Draco thought about it for a moment and raised his hand as well but McGonagall was looking for a victim and Potter looked like someone had run him over with the Knight Bus and was resting his chin on his folded arms.
"Mr. Potter, perhaps you can shed some light on the subject, that is if we're not boring you."
"Not at all, Professor," he yawned and then grinned sheepishly, "Sorry, Professor, right, the formula for inanimate objects is fixed, size, weight, and the conservation of mass and energy. Animate to animate transfiguration uses more power to overcome the conservation laws, so the only two things that are fixed are level of sentience and level of magical power. For example, if you took a horse and transfigured it into a unicorn, it would only look like a unicorn it wouldn't have the ability to purify water and it would be perfectly content to hang out with the guys, but if you took a Phoenix and you transfigured it into an ostrich the magical potential would still be there and so would the smarts."
McGonagall's lips uncompressed slightly and it seemed that Potter's explanation, despite the fact that he was yawning through it, had improved her mood.
"That is correct, five points to Gryffindor, Mr. Potter. Miss. Greengrass, can you enlighten the class as to what the incantation for this change is?"
Draco listened with half an ear to Daphne's answer as he watched the Golden Trio. Granger was giving Potter a proud look while the Weasel looked like he was ready to check his friend for Imperius and polyjuice. Potter, for his part was scribbling slowly as McGonagall launched into an explanation of how the spell was created it's different components and which component corresponded to which wand movement or the enunciation of the incantation as well as enumerating the potential disasters that lurked just around the corner, resting his head on his arm and looking moments away from nodding off. Draco couldn't help but be impressed, and he wondered why Potter never applied himself more in class or at his homework.
They left Transfiguration with cramping fingers, a massive stack of notes, and the promise that those who did not receive at least an Acceptable on the essay she assigned on the hazardous nature of animate to animate object transfiguration would not be allowed to participate in the practical application next lesson and would not only re-write the essay but spend their lunch break making up the practical.
Draco sighed, there went his evening, because undoubtedly Snape would assign something equally difficult and he would be flooded with questions.
He spotted Potter, Granger and the Weasel walking a little ways ahead and allowed himself a small smirk, Potter had taken off his robe and rolled up his sleeves, perfect. Draco pulled the tiny scroll from his sleeve and prepared to make his move.
He picked up his pace, lengthened his stride, braced himself and unceremoniously slammed half of his body into Potter's slight frame quickly slipping his hand into his left back pocket stealing a quick grope as well as accomplishing his goal. Potter, not expecting the sudden impact at all, stumbled into the Weasel who glared, incensed.
"Oi, watch where you're going ferret-face!" he snapped.
Draco, who by this point was several steps ahead, turned and glanced over his shoulder striving for cool disdain even though the ferret face comment really deserved answering for. Cursing the Weasel, however, would not get him in Potter's good books which, he was perfectly capable of admitting in the privacy of his own mind, was what he wanted. It was worth letting the insult slide.
"I'm sorry Weasel, were you asking me if I'd like to take five points each for being slovenly, having hair so disturbingly red, and holding up traffic in the halls?" he asked arching an eyebrow and flicking his eyes up and down Potter's body, using his uniform modifications to give him a thorough once over.
Draco was gratified to see a slight pink tinge appear on the Boy Wonder's cheeks even as Granger stomped on the Weasel's foot to keep him from opening his mouth and losing them all house points. Something they really couldn't afford given the amount of points their house lost on average per day under the new management.
"I didn't think so," he said turning on his heel and continuing to Potions a satisfied smirk making his lip twitch.
Potter really did have a great ass.
AN: Like it? Hate it? Think the Slytherins are too nice? Have suggestions on how Harry and Draco should kill Umbridge and make it look like an accident? Want to see Dumbledore in robes with tap dancing pineapples on them? Please review and let me know!