Cheers and hurrahs echoed down the corridor of Hogwarts, a sea of black robes surrounding a blob of red and gold, hundreds of arms in the air.

Among them was Ginny Weasley, smiling brightly. It always felt extra good to beat Slytherin, and this time was tough. But they had managed to win by thirty points, no thanks to their new set of beaters, who seemed to send the bludgers towards their team as often as they whacked them away.

Even so, Ginny was excited, cheerful. She whistled and shouted along with her schoolmates, bounding along behind them.

At least, that was what she was doing until she heard a low, male voice say, "Bird couldn't score a goal with a missing Keeper."

Temper flaring, Ginny whirled on the spot. Pushing through the crowd, she found Draco Malfoy and Blaise Zabini standing in a small alcove set into the wall. Malfoy bristled as she approached, arms crossed over his chest. Blaise looked bored. He peered down his nose at her.

"What did you say?" she growled, hands clenched into fists.

Malfoy snorted. "Do you need more practice sinking balls into holes, Weasley? I'm sure one of us could help."

"According to Lavender Brown you barely have a set," Ginny snapped.

"How dare you," Malfoy hissed lowly.

"Piss off, Malfoy. The closest you'll ever get to my holes is the girls' loo after I've had a piss."

"Care to bet on that?" Malfoy asked menacingly, his knuckles white around his wand.

"The only thing I'd bet with you is that you're a supreme tosspot, and only because I'd be sure to win," Ginny replied with a derisive snort. She turned and marched down the hallway, pumpkin-coloured hair flagging behind her.

She heard Malfoy swear, and then a set of quickly approaching footsteps. She whirled around, wand out, in case the Slytherin was looking for a fight.

What she found was Blaise, looking mildly interested, an eyebrow cocked at her wand.

Silence fell around them, cheering crowds and smug friends having disappeared like ghosts through the walls.

"What do you want?" asked Ginny, not quite ready to put her wand away.

"Would you make a bet with me?" Blaise asked, his deep voice echoing in the empty corridor. Ginny felt a swooshing sensation in her belly.

"Excuse me?"

Blaise leaned a shoulder against the stone wall, his stance uninterested except for his dark eyes, which danced mischievously. Ginny carefully lowered her wand.

"I asked if you would make a bet with me," said Blaise nonchalantly, causing Ginny's stomach to perform several backflips, as if it belonged to a circus.

She shifted on her feet. "What sort of bet?"

"Balls in holes," answered Blaise, a slight upward tilt of his lips exposing a sliver of perfectly white teeth. "One versus one, first person to get three goals. If I win, you meet me in a broom closet."

Ginny gulped. Her stomach seemed to suddenly take flight, leaving an empty, aching pit in its absence.

Any other wizard and she would have made a cutting remark, or hexed them and walked away. But this was Blaise Zabini. The one boy no witch at Hogwarts could get, and the one that most of them wanted. He was unquestionably handsome, mysterious, and intelligent; the kind of man you could never read, but instinctively knew was thinking about something incredible.

And this man was asking her to bet him for a shag. No one would ever believe her.

"And if I win?" asked Ginny, though she wasn't really sure she didn't want to lose.

Blaise shrugged.

"A date," said Ginny, puffing up. "A real date."

Blaise raised an eyebrow. "And why would I want to go out with you?"

"The same reason you want me to polish your broomstick," Ginny answered confidently.

A flicker of a smile again, and then he nodded. "Meet me on the pitch tomorrow after sunset, and, obviously, come alone," he said, and then he turned and strode down the corridor, leaving Ginny to wonder just what she'd agreed to.

"um, Blaise?" said Ginny, as she rushed over to him.

"Yeah, what's up?" asked Blaise, as he leaned against a wall in the corridor.

Ginny walked over to him, kissed his cheek and whispered. "How would you like to teach me a few things?"

"Hmm? you want me to teach you a few things?" asked Blaise. "what type of things?"

Ginny took his hand and pulled him to a private room. "Come in here, blaise." she said, as she walked over to a desk. "I wanna give you something."

Blaise wondered what she wanted, so he walked over to her and kissed her cheek, then asked. "So, what do you want me to teach you?"

"Well first off, i want you to kiss me." said Ginny as she grabbed ahold of his Slytherin tie and pulled him to her lips. "Mmm, now i want you to teach me how to suck cock and to fuck."

"But, i thought you fucked Michael McManus?" asked Blaise.