Chapter Text
Draco Malfoy never had a problem with insults. He could come up with one in seconds whenever the need arose, and it arose often. But he was so shocked, when Ginny Weasley casually walked up to them and just sat on the grass next to him like it was the most natural thing in the world, that he didn't say a word.
"Hey", she smiled as she dropped her bag and crossed her legs. She spoke like they were friends or somethimg.
Draco blankly stared at her.
"What's up?", she continued as she bit into a muffin she was holding. Like this was normal. But it wasn't, right?
Draco turned to look at Goyle. And then at Krab. The former was equally dumbfounded. The latter didn't produce any reaction, but Draco supposed it was natural when you were as mentally challenged as he had proven to be.
"Beautiful day, isn't it?", she said with her mouth full while looking towards the black lake. The sun was shining, there was no wind, birds were singing. It was indeed a very beautiful day. Or it had been, at least until now.
"Are you lost or have you lost it Weaselette?", Draco finally found his voice.
And then she laughed. Actually laughed.
"Is this some sort of lame prank you and your wanker friends came up with?", he looked around for any gryffindorks snikering behind some tree, but he couldn't spot any.
"No" and she laughed again!
"Are you on a dare then? A bet?"
"No, I-"
"Cursed? Potioned?Imperio'd?"
"Actually, I just came by to chat", Ginny said.
"We don't chat.", Draco arched a disbelieving eyebrow.
There was a beat of silence. And then another. And another.
"Okay fine ferret, I was trying to be civil but have it your way. Iwantedtoasksomethingofyou"
"I'm sorry, what?"
Ginny huffed and crossed her arms "I. wanted. to ask. something. Of you. Okay?"
"Me?! You wanted to ask something of me?!" Draco's surprise turned into gloat very quickly.
Ginny nodded timidly. She was not proud of what she was about to do, but she felt she was out of options.
"Huh, I never imagined the day that a Weasel would need a favor from me!"
Suddenly this day had gotten great.
"What is it? Does your peasant family need money or something? Are you too poor to afford this year's Christmas meal, is that it?"
"Fuck off feret, we don't need your stupid money. In fact, I am not even asking a favor from you! I am simply proposing a transaction. There is something I want you to do and I am willing to pay for it."
As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she realised it sounded even stupider than inside her mind. And the slytherins in front of her realised it too.
They simultaneously burst into a ridiculously exaggerated fit of laughter.
"You- want- to- pay- me?!-", he breathlessly replied in between his laughs.
Ginny's face became almost as red as her hair.
"And what-", Malfoy couldn't stop laughing, "what is it that you wanted to pay me for?"
"You know, forget I asked.", she got up to leave.
"No wait-", Draco caught her arm, still laughing, "I am curious"
Ginny pushed his hand away. "Sod off Malfoy", she got up to leave again.
"No,no, seriously tell me". He still had a huge smile on his face. "You intrigued me so much, I might just do it. What do you want?"
"Really?"
He nodded. He did not seem serious, but since she'd gotten to this point, she might as well go all the way.
"I am willing to pay you to take Hermione to Ravenclaw's christmas party"
And laughing once again they were. To tears.
Ginny could not understand how she had ever thought this was a good idea. Malfoy would not ever let her live it down. She picked up her bag, ducked her head down and quickly headed away from the slytherin boys, towards the castle where she could find an alcove to peacefully hide forever in.
Last thing she heard was Malfoy yelling towards her back "Oi Weaselette, do you want me to take your brother to the party as well? How about Potty?!" and laughter and laughter and more laughter.
Blaise was one of the last people remaining in the Quidditch locker room. He was trying to fit all his equipment inside his locker when Ginny approached him. She leaned on the locker next to his in a way she hoped looked casual. She had never really talked much with Blaise before.
"Good game", she started.
"Uh... thanks", Zabini turned to look at her for a second before going back to his task at hand.
"You need any help with that?", Ginny pointed towards his locker.
"Uh no thanks, I got it", and indeed a moment later he managed to squeeze the door of the locker shut. He politely nodded to the girl goodbye and turned to leave.
"I was thinking... maybe I could help you with something else, then?"
That caught him off guard. "Sorry?"
"I can help you, if you help me too, that is", she hoped she sounded confident, because she sure didn't feel like it.
"Help me with what?"
"Have you got a date for Ravenclaw's party yet?"
Blaize rubbed the back of his head. "You know Ginevra, I'm flattered, but I don't think-
"I'm not asking for me Zabini". She was getting impatient.
"Then-"
"Luna, you know, Lovegood? She might be interested"
"Oh?" Zabini's voice came out a bit higher.
"I mean, she's not interested yet" she looked at her nails. Blaise deflated a bit at that. She started strolling. "But she could be. If I put in a good word or two about you that is. She's my best friend you know."
A number of expressions passed through Zabini's face. "And what makes you think that-
"I've seen how you look at her, come on. Everybody knows.", she smiled knowlingly.
Blaise began to deny it but Ginny didn't let him finish his sentence.
"You want my help or not?"
He stared at her for a few seconds and then he exhaled. "And what you might want in return?"
Ginny smiled. She should have come to him from the start.
The room was filled with baby mandrake cries but Zabini did not hear them. He was lost in his own thoughts. He did not believe what he was about to ask Draco.
Ginny had sprung a truly ridiculous request on him. He was still replaying yesterday's conversation in the locker rooms.
***
"You want me to ask Draco what?" if he had not been so shocked he would have laughed.
"Shhhh! Someone might hear!" Ginny loud-whispered. They were alone in the locker rooms now, but still, this sounded like something that one should not yell about.
"There is no way on earth Draco's asking Granger to the party! Hell, even if he did, there's no way Granger would say yes!"
"I know, I know, but listen. I need someome to take Granger there"
"And you thought Draco's a good choice?!", Blaise could not follow her logic at all.
"No, of course not! I'm not an idiot!", Ginny said defensively. "Everybody knows that they hate each other. But I've asked almost everyone I could think of and nobody wants to do it! Someone even screamed after I asked them"
"And you think Draco will?!", Blaise was beginning to think that despite what the redhead had said, she really was an idiot.
"No. Not by himself anyway. But maybe if his best mate convinced him..."
"And how would I do that?! And what's in it for you anyway? Why do you care if Granger has a date?"
"She's my friend!"
"And you want Malfoy of all people to date your friend?", Zabini arched his brows.
Ginny exhaled. She would need to tell Zabini the truth if she wanted to convince him to go along with her plan.
"Okay, look. Here it goes. I might have a thing for Harry, okay?"
If Blaise was surprised by her words he did not show, so she continued.
"But when I finally got the courage to ask him to go to the party with me, he said he really wanted to, but he had already promised to go with Hermione as friends instead"
That confused Blaise. "So Granger already has a date for-"
"I did not finish!", Ginny interrupted. "The only reason Harry's going with Hermione is because she's sad that my stupid brother decided to go with Lavender instead. So, if someone else is found to take Hermione to the party, Harry will be able to go with me. Simple as that!"
"That does not sound simple at all. I'm sorry but I can't help you with your ridiculous ploy."
"Do you want to go out with Luna or not?"
"I do, but what you're asking of me is impossible!"
"Oh come on Zabini", Ginny had a mischievious smile. "You're a Slytherin. You always find a way to get something that you want"
***
And that brings him to this moment, in the Herbology classroom, surrounded by pots and baby mandrakes, ready to convince Draco Malfoy of the impossible.
"So...", Blaise faked non- chalance as he adressed his best friend. "Who will you be taking to ravenclaw's party this year?"
Draco didn't look up from polising his nails on his shirt. He was sitting, feet high up in another chair, while what's-his-name from slytherin did all the work Miss Sprout has assigned them to do. Malfoy did not fancy getting dirt stuck under his nails.
"Don't know. Pansy's been bugging me all week about it, so maybe her? Though I'm really not looking forward to listening to her whining all christmas' eve."
"Someone else then?" Blaise suggested as he moved some dirt in front of him back and forth, so to look as he was contributing to the assignment.
"Yeah? Like who?" Malfoy mumbled disinterested.
Blaise did not look at him for the next part. "How about Granger?"
That got his attention. "What?" Malfoy snapped his head to look at him. "Why's everyone asking about her suddenly? Has she got butterbeer-flavored nipples or something?"
"Relax, I was just joking. I mean can you imagine, you and her?" Zabini laughed.
"Yeah, funny.", Draco obviously did not find it funny. "It's just weird, the other day, the she-weasel also asked me the same thing."
"What? Seriously?" Blaise acted surprised.
"Yeah, it was mental. She even offered to pay me for it"
"She offered to pay you!?" Zabini's astonishment was genuine because Weasley had ommited that part when she had imformed him about it yesterday.
"Yeah, I knew she was dumb, but not that much. I really don't know what to make of it. Do you think it was some sort of prank?" Draco was thinking aloud.
"I mean it must have been. Who would ever think that you could take Granger to the party."
"Exactly!"
"She would never say yes to you."
"Wait what?", Malfoy schrunched his face.
"I mean, no offense, you're good with the ladies but..."
"Why not?", Malfoy argued and he looked like a child ready to throw a tantrum.
"Oh come on, I mean look at her" he gestured towards her table where she was currently berating Longbottom for spilling over their pot. "Not even you could charm someone like her"
"She's a mudblood for merlin's sake!" Draco was outraged. Some students turned around and looked with disdain at that.
"Hey" his friend turned serious for a moment "Don't use that word mate, it's not cool. Someone might think you're racist"
"I'm not racist! I support equal rights for mud-muggleborns and everything. Some of my neighbours even are muggleborns."
Blaise arched a brow at that.
"Anyway, all I'm saying is, I am a Malfoy and she's just a muggleborn. I could have a muggleborn if I wanted"
"Sure", Zabini's disbelief was evident in his voice
"I could!"
"Aha"
"All I'd have to do was turn on my charm and she would fall for me in seconds"
"Turn on your charm?", Zabini was amused
"You know what I mean!"
"I won't believe 'til I see it"
"Fine, you want see it? I'll do it. I'll show you how easy it is to make Granger fall for me. I'll take her to the party."
Blaise laughed "Mate, there is no way-"
"You want to bet?" Draco arched his brows
Blaise looked back at him disbelievingly "What, you wanna put money on that?"
Draco smiled to himself "Money I've got. This, I'm gonna do for fun" and started walking straight towards Granger's table.
Blaise smiled too. He was a Slytherin alright.