Disclaimer: JK owns them all!
Once again I have to apologise for not updating quicker, however this time I have a semi-valid excuse - I was on holiday! I will hopefully get the next chapter up sooner as this one is a little less exciting than the last, but I really hope you enjoy it!
Also thank you so much to everyone who reviewed the last chapter, it's honestly so great to hear from you! So I really hope I continue to make the story enjoyable for you, please let me know what you think :)
*******
"I've been told to keep my eye on you." Draco's breakfast was rudely interrupted on Saturday morning.
"Excuse me?" he asked his fellow Slytherin with some measure of disdain.
"Well, I've been told to report back at any rate," the dark skinned boy explained as he lowered himself into the seat opposite Malfoy.
"Fuck." Draco dropped his fork. After a moment he composed himself. "How bad is it?"
Zabini shrugged. "Just a bit of "Narcissa hasn't heard much from Draco and would be grateful for any news…" You know what my mother's like, she doesn't like to play your father's games but she can't ignore your parents forever."
Draco nodded. In polite society Ms Zabini would be unable to ignore the request of a "friend", even if that "friend" happened to be someone she hated.
Draco braced himself before asking the next question. "And what are you going to say?"
Zabini shrugged again, it was a graceful movement in his long body, and Draco was sure he was the only guy whose shrug girls swooned over. "A bit of this and a bit of that. That you've been busy studying. That we've all got these damn duties taking up our time now. That I've spent no time with you but that as it's the first Hogsmeade weekend of the year we'll be conforming to tradition and going and getting fucked." Draco raised his eyebrow slightly. "Well, alright I might not tell mother that part. Sound like a plan anyway?"
Draco glanced behind Blaise at that point to see that Ginny was sat next to Potter, and he was smiling winningly at her.
"Why not?" he grunted and led the way back to the dormitory to prepare for the day ahead.
*******
Spending time with Blaise could be… good. Draco didn't know how to describe it. The two of them could have been bosom buddies. They got on well and were both intellectual, attractive and admired by many. The reason their friendship had never become something to rival the Golden Trio's was purely that they both preferred to work alone. It was understood that Crabbe and Goyle didn't qualify in that reckoning.
The time that they did spend together was enjoyable, and the annual binge in Hogsmeade was something the boys had indulged in since fourth year, bypassing the laws regarding underage consumption of Firewhiskey by barely veiled threats about what their families might have to say if their darling children were refused anything.
"How bad has it been?" Blaise asked when they'd both had enough drinks to take the edge off. Take the edge off what exactly Draco couldn't quite say, as it felt like he had a whole damn list of things he could do with the edges being taken off of. He had even less of a clue what edges Zabini needed dulling but as long as they kept up with each other their sharpness should be at equal levels and that was the main thing - or at least it was to Draco's slightly inebriated mind.
"Bad." Draco replied, knocking back another shot of Firewhiskey. He winced slightly at the burn, and took a swig of Butterbeer to shake the taste.
"How bad?"
"Worse than I ever thought possible."
Zabini nodded. There were things that happened in some pureblood families that weren't discussed. Abuse, both physical and mental, were included in that list and Blaise knew Draco had never thought his parents capable of inflicting either upon him. Draco had learned a lot since then. For him to make such a statement though it must have been worse over the summer than ever before. Blaise poured Draco another shot in sympathy, before recounting a detailed story of a sexual encounter with a half Veela which he had experienced over the summer in an effort to lighten the mood.
*******
The four of them entered the Three Broomsticks and as the boys went off to fetch the Butterbeers Ginny followed Hermione to find a table. Unfortunately as she sat down she realised the table the brunette had chosen gave Ginny the perfect view of two of Slytherin's finest. They were holed up in a corner and Ginny's table was angled so that the others in her party would probably not notice the addition of the two lurking students, a fact which Ginny could only be grateful for as she couldn't bear to hear Harry's ridiculous speculations of what Draco was doing. However, it did mean she had to watch exactly what he was doing, and as she looked she saw both boys take a shot of Firewhiskey before flushing it down with Butterbeer. The bottle of Firewhiskey was on their table and they obviously had no intention of stopping any time soon. What piqued her curiously the most though was how serious they both looked, their faces showing grim shadows.
Harry placed a Butterbeer in front of her and slipped into the seat next to her.
"Thanks, Harry," she smiled at him, "you really didn't have to though you know, I don't expect you to pay." He waved her off with a smile.
As they turned to converse with Hermione and Ron, Ginny tried to keep her eyes and thoughts from straying to the blond in the corner. This proved difficult at the point when Zabini stood up, thrusting his hips whilst holding his arms out in front of him. It was obvious what the discussion involved and Ginny looked glumly on as Draco burst out laughing in response to whatever tale the other boy was telling. If that wasn't cause enough for Ginny's mood to sink, the Slytherin's activities had been enough to attract the attention of the Trio, and they all set about insulting the slightly inebriated students in various ways. Ron's disparaging comment "alcoholics" was not even said in a voice attempting subtlety, and it was that which finally raised the pair's attention to their audience. After sending matching glares of condescension, Blaise turned to continue with his conversation, but Draco's eyes slid to Ginny's. He obviously hadn't previously noticed her and for a moment it was as if he was unable to look away... Until he turned back to their table and poured himself and Blaise another shot which he promptly tossed back.
Ginny looked away, more upset than she would like to admit by their antics. It wasn't long before the boys rose,
still somehow steady on their feet, and made their way to pass the Griffindors' table. Despite Ginny's silent
wishes the Trio did not let them pass unnoticed.
"What do you think you're doing Malfoy?" Harry asked, his voice seething with anger. The Slytherins paused in their steps and turned to the table.
"What do you think it looks like he's doing, Potter?" It was Blaise who had answered, and his voice was nothing short of politely curious.
"You aren't supposed to get drunk in Hogsmeade, it's prohibited." Hermione piped up.
The two boys looked completely at their ease. If it weren't for the fact that the Trio were sat up in their chairs as if they would leap out of them at any moment it would look like it was a normal chat between schoolmates. The Slytherins were both standing casually, hands in their pockets. Blaise leaned back onto a supporting pillar behind him as Draco yawned.
Blaise looked at Hermione and smiled. "That's true, Granger. But we're of age now, so excuse us if it doesn't leave us trembling in our boots." He flicked a smirk at Draco, who smiled and looked in the opposite direction, completely uninterested.
"Malfoy." Harry started again. "I was talking to you. What's the matter? Now Crabbe and Goyle have come to their senses and stopped hanging around with you you've hired Zabini as your mouth piece?"
The Slytherins' attitudes changed in an instant. Both suddenly stood straight, arms loose by their sides, looking as if they were ready to pounce.
"I wouldn't make quick comparisons between Goyle and Zabini if I were you Potter. Unless it's about physical appearance, in which case I wouldn't disagree with you."
Zabini snorted indignantly, breaking the tension. "You wish Malfoy. If it weren't for me you'd be unrivalled, but unfortunately I'm undoubtedly the best looking guy in school."
Hermione scoffed.
"What's up Granger? Don't agree?" Blaise asked with a winning smile.
"Of course not. As if either of you could be considered the best looking in the school."
Blaise turned to Ginny, completely unfazed. "What about you Weaslette? What do you say?" There was a tense silence around the table as everyone waited for her answer.
"You're both pretty hot." She finally admitted. Blaise's face broke out into a triumphant grin whilst Hermione looked aghast and Ron and Harry looked furious. It was at Draco that Ginny was looking however when she added: "shame looks aren't everything though."
Zabini laughed. "I think we've been snubbed Draco. Well we could always try and convince you Weaslette. Why don't you come with us, we'll buy you a drink and try to persuade you of our sterling personalities."
"I don't need anyone to buy my drinks for me Zabini."
"Really? Who bought that one then?" Zabini asked, a smooth grin adorning his face. There was a tense silence as Ginny felt Draco's eyes on her. She looked away.
"I did." Harry spoke up.
"What a surprise."
"Yeah so if she's accepting a drink from a guy like me what on earth makes you think she'd drink anything you touched Zabini?"
"Wishful thinking. Maybe in my dreams..."
Ron shot up out of his chair. "You dare have any dreams about my little sister and I swear I'll-" Harry was on his feet too, Hermione was trying to hold Ron back, Blaise was laughing.
"Come on, Blaise," Malfoy interrupted. "We're obviously not welcome here." And with that they moved away leaving Ginny to face the wrath of the Trio and listen to yet more complaints about Slytherins.
*******
It was late by the time Draco left Hogsmeade, leaving Zabini charming a witch who was probably 5 years his elder. Draco had surreptitiously indicated that he was leaving and Blaise acknowledged the message without a pause in his flirting. It wasn't the first time the boys had parted ways before returning to the castle, and whilst Blaise seemed to understand that Draco had possibly moved past the urge to conquer every good looking witch in sight that gave Blaise no cause to consider that he should do the same. If anything it meant there were more witches available for him to indulge in.
As Draco approached the gates to the castle he ambled over to one side of it. Taking his wand in hand he thrust it forwards, seemingly making it disappear into the wall. After a moment, the thick wall parted, much like the wall to Diagon Alley did to permit entrance from the Leaky Cauldron, and Draco slipped through. They had been lucky one night a few years ago when they had returned to the castle after curfew and found the gates locked and their entrance prohibited. They'd just been settling down under a tree, resigned to their fate of a night outdoors after over an hour of trying to break in, when Professor Flitwick had appeared. It was then that they saw the wand-plunge occur, and a small gap open for the tiny teacher to enter through. It was a good job they had been a combination of drunk, young, and damnably cold otherwise they might never have considered mimicking Flitwick's actions (after all, who knew what might happen). As it was it took them half an hour to find the exact spot, and a few fumbled attempts before they realised each needed to do the deed separately as the space which appeared was contoured to the wand bearers' physical size, and sections of wall began to close in behind them as soon as they had passed. Draco had eventually found reference to the passage in Hogwarts: A History. It appeared that one former headmaster had been so paranoid about the possibility of the school being overrun by doppelgangers that all students had to submit to the "test of the gate" in order to return to the castle. The magic was clever and complex - the wand had to have allegiance with the hand that held it, and both wand and hand must belong to a current student or teacher of the school. If any student were suspended or not expected at the school the gate would also know. It was a great piece of magic that could sustain a test with ever changing subjects and not allow former students to re-enter.
As these thoughts and memories were running through Draco's head he was aware he was only considering them in order to keep his mind off a certain red head, but as he meandered through the castle corridors on his way back to the dormitory he couldn't continue to tear his mind from the memory of her. Shame looks aren't everything she'd said. He couldn't even fathom the extent of what she meant by that, but he guessed it probably had something to do with wanting to be with someone who wasn't constantly switching from the extreme of attacking you with their mouth to then trying to brush you off or ignore you. Draco groaned as this thought popped up just when his head hit the pillow in his four poster bed, knowing that reminiscing on the feel of her sweet mouth under his wouldn't help him resist the dreams that brought her to him as he slept.
The dreams were their own kind of torture, because he didn't resist her there. They just made waking up all the more painful.