Cunning Yet Kind [Draco/Harry]

Chapter Three

"What?" Draco asked, dumbfounded.

"Go with me." Potter repeated. Draco stared at him, bewildered. Potter looked him dead in the eyes, repeating it slowly as if he was teaching a child how to speak. Draco began to sputter nonsense before he began to exclaim his rejection.

"No! Absolutely not! I will not!" He yelled, turning his head to avoid any further eye contact. He looked over at Hermione who was staring with wide-eyes at Potter. He noticed Ron standing with his mouth slightly agape as he too was staring at his friend.

"Why?" Potter asked. Bad strategy, he knew. But, he wanted to know why the Malfoy heir seemed so inclined to reject him.

"I will not associate myself with a bastard like yourself." Draco replied dryly, not looking at Potter. "Besides, do you even know my name?"

"Draco Malfoy. Sixth year Ravenclaw. A bit of a git, considering that moment you just looked at me was only the second time you've ever given me a glance." Potter said, before huffing at Draco. "So, yes, I bloody well know your name. I know everyone's names!"

Draco grumbled, waving his hand in dismissal as he proceeded to eat his breakfast. Pansy, who was sat beside Draco, whacked his arm. He jumped, staring at Pansy in confusion.

"Also," Potter had said, distracting Pansy from speaking to Draco. "No one is allowed to reject me." Draco looked at him, eyes like daggers.

"No one is allowed? How much of a narcissistic arsehole are you?! How about you just sod off, Potter?"

The ravenette stood, smirking down at Draco. When he leaned forward, lips brushing against Draco's ear, he whispered, causing Draco to shiver. "You'll change your mind. Everyone does, because I always get what I want." He walked away. With a clenched jaw and a hand gripping the fork he held, Draco swallowed hard. Hermione looked at him worriedly while Pansy placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Are you all right?" Ron asked. Draco looked over at him, relaxing his posture before nodding.

"I'm fine. But, if that slimey git comes near me again, he won't be."

"Draco, he just asked you to be his date." Pansy said.

Date, Hermione mouthed silently to herself. Draco furrowed his eyebrows at her and she frowned.

"Don't say you'll go." Ron suddenly said. Draco cackled.

"Yeah, right, like I would do that."

Ron nodded. "Uh, I'll ask you what I want to.. later?" He muttered to Hermione. She sighed, but nodded. He nodded in reply and left for the Hufflepuff house table. Hermione looked back at Draco with a frown and worried eyes.

"Draco,"

"He's a pest, Hermione. You know how much I hate him."

"Okay." She sighed. "Okay, good.."

The rest of breakfast went by quietly as they all - Hermione, Crabbe, Pansy and Draco - thought about what Potter was asking of someone he barely knew. What was Draco supposed to do? Say yes? No no, no. Draco refused. He knew Potter had been going around asking for a date to the party, seeing as he had asked Pansy prior to squeezing his way between Draco and another Ravenclaw, only to ask Draco. If Potter wasn't such a right arse, a narcissist and a selfish prick, maybe Draco would've said yes. Otherwise, he wanted to hex Potter into oblivion if it meant he got to cause pain that the Slytherin has done to other students as well as get the point across that he wouldn't be his date. After breakfast, while Crabbe and Pansy went to History of Magic, Draco and Hermione headed to Transfiguration. During the walk to the classroom, Draco's arm draped over Hermione's shoulders as he clutch his books in his left hand, the two spoke about anything but the events at breakfast.

"Did you know that Cho and Cedric are going to the party together?" Hermione asked.

"No!" Draco exclaimed. "Who told you that?"

"Cho, of course! She didn't want me to tell you, in case you had a thing for Cedric. She knows he had asked you out."

"Yet, you told me anyway?"

"Well, what would you rather talk about?" Hermione asked, leaning into Draco as they walked. Draco simply shrugged as they turned the corner and wandered their way into the Transfiguration classroom. When they had taken their seats together and class had begun, it was only a matter of time before Draco forgot what had happened at breakfast. Or, tucked it away in the back of his mind, at least. He wasn't going to think about it, or about Potter. Though Potter wouldn't know he was doing so, Draco still didn't want the Slytherin taking up his thoughts when he could be focus on other, more important things. Such as, for example, his project for Potions class. It was one of the classes he favored about the others and to Draco, it excited him. He enjoyed learning how to make things such as replenishing potions that could help people.

As Draco was focused on such subjects, Harry had decided he'd skip classes for the day and stay in his room in the Slytherin common room. The curtains were drawn shut around his bed and he laid staring at the ceiling, waving his wand every now and again to cast a bit of light that turned green and faded in sparks. The Slytherin wasn't used to rejection, genuine rejection. Parvati and Luna Lovegood hadn't really rejected him considering the two already had dates, but Malfoy did. He flat out told Harry no, a word Harry wasn't used to hearing when it came to himself and what he wanted. After all, he always got what he wanted.

As he waved his wand once again, watching the green ray of light shoot up and dissipate in small sparks that made short-fused whistling noises, he began to coax up a plan. One that would let him win his bet against Ron. One that would make Malfoy go with him to the dumb Christmas party. He decided he'd get Ron to befriend the Ravenclaw, helping him to gather information and know he's weaknesses. Harry could do so himself, but he knew Malfoy would catch on. After all, he is a Ravenclaw. And as Harry pondered about his plan, a smirk growing, he knew exactly how it was going to end.

Pray for me
This sucks so bad
but school has been a horror
and on top of that so has work
also have had lack of inspiration to
write anything at all.
Next chapter won't be here for a few days since Christmas is next Tuesday.
My apologies.