Phobia
~*~
“You can’t be serious.”
“Oh, but I am.”
“You wouldn’t!”
“Are you sure about that?” she grinned evilly at him.
“How the hell did you get sorted into Gryffindor? I thought you were all supposed to be noble, moralistic gits.”
“Wouldn’t you like to know,” she said the twisted smile still on her lips.
“Weasley, I demand-”
“Demand? Oh, I don’t think you are in any position to be demanding anything, Malfoy. By the way, you can keep that copy. I have plenty more.”
He couldn’t bring himself to look at the photo again. He wanted to be sick. He had no idea how she even managed it. Worst of all he had no idea how he had managed it! He couldn’t have been that drunk. Could he? He couldn’t remember anything, but surely he would never ever be that drunk. There wasn’t enough alcohol in the world! It had to be a fake. He had to have been set up. But how could he prove it? The little Weasel had him and there was nothing he could do about it. For now anyway.
“What do you want, Weasel,” he sneered.
“Temper, temper. You know, your humiliation is probably enough for me to distribute these.”
“No one will believe that it is actually me. They wouldn’t dare.”
“Well, we can see if you’re right, if you want. Ta!” She turned and began walking away, her wicked smile still plastered to her lips.
“Wait!” He couldn’t risk it, and she knew it. She was toying with him. He wondered how she didn’t get sorted as a Slytherin. “What is it going to cost,” he growled.
“I don’t want your money, Malfoy. Well, not yet anyway,” she smirked. It was a smirk worthy of a Malfoy. He was furious with her. But he had to admire her for being so bloody Slytherin. It was sneaky and low and he was going to find out how she did it. He never knew it was possible for a Weasley to be so damned evil.
“What do you want then?”
“We’ll start simple. First you leave Harry, Ron and Hermione alone. You can no longer refer to them or call them Scarhead, Weasel or Mudblood anymore. We’ll see how you do with that and then we’ll see how long I keep these photos under wraps.”
Ah. The nobility factor was kicking in.
“Fine.” He was rather fond of irritating the Trio of Twits, however he now had a new goal. He grinned mischievously at the thought.
“What are you smirking about, Malfoy?”
“Paybacks are hell, Weasley.”
“We’ll see.”
She raised her eyebrows, returned the smirk and then walked away.
He brought himself to look down at the revolting photo as he dropped it into the trash bin. He watched himself turn to the camera with a drunken smirk. He was standing next to Vincent Crabbe, who looked daft as ever. He murmured a charm to set the photo on fire before he could see himself turn to Crabbe and place his own lips over Crabbe’s in a nasty, sloppy, drunken kiss. He swore he saw Crabbe’s fat hand grab his arse just a moment before they released each other.
He was going to find out how she had done it and she was going to pay.
?Ginny was practically skipping down the hall with glee. She had Draco Malfoy by the - ahem - bollocks and there was nothing he could do about it. He was virtually her slave.
“Having a good day, are we?”
“Hullo, Colin,” she smiled sweetly, innocently. “How are you this fine day?”
“I take it you had your little chat with Malfoy?” he laughed. He, of course had been the one who had actually taken the photo. He knew what she was up to and was fully supportive of it. It was about time Malfoy got his.
“We did have a rather nice little chat. He can actually be quite agreeable, under the right circumstances, of course.”
“Of course,” he agreed
“This is going to be too much fun.”
“You’re absolutely wicked, Gin. Remind me never to get on your bad side.”
They entered the Great Hall for lunch and saw Harry, Ron and Hermione sitting together as usual. Hermione waved at them and they took their seats by them.
“What are you two looking so pleased about?” Ron appeared to be in a foul temper, but she wasn’t going to allow him to ruin her good mood.
“Nothing,” she said innocently. She snuck a glance at Colin and saw he was trying very hard not to laugh.
She noticed Malfoy entering the Great Hall. He was obviously irate as he slammed his books down at his usual spot at the Slytherin table. Colin tried even harder not to laugh.
Harry looked up at the sound of books slamming. “Wonder what Ferret’s problem is today.”
Ginny couldn’t resist. “Maybe he got into a row with one if his -ahem- girlfriends.”
At this both Colin and Ginny doubled over in laughter earning looks of confusion from the trio. Ginny looked up just in time to see Malfoy giving her a murderous look which only made her laugh harder.
“Okay, you two, what gives?” Ron was now thoroughly annoyed.
“Inside joke,” she giggled. “It’s nothing, really.”
She watched as Crabbe and Goyle entered the Hall and took their usual seats by Malfoy. He gave Crabbe a look of revulsion before he got up and left the Great Hall again. He looked like he was going to be sick.
After he left, a new wave of laughter hit Colin and Ginny. Ron just shook his head. Hermione, who had been quiet the entire time, finally spoke up. “If I didn’t know better, I think you two are up to something. And by the looks of his vicious glances in your direction I think it involves Draco Malfoy.”
Harry and Ron looked from Hermione to Ginny and Colin. They were still laughing.
“We’re neither confirming, nor denying anything,” Colin managed after another round of laughter. “Come on Gin, we’ve got to get to the Library” He grabbed her by the arm and hurried out the Great Hall.
Ginny was gasping for breath since she was still fighting off fits of giggling. “Hermione’s too observant for her own good.”
?Later that evening they were studying in the common room when Hermione joined them at their table.
“Okay, you two, what have you done to Malfoy?” she looked at them suspiciously.
“Why do you ask?” Ginny smiled angelically.
“He’s being civil.”
“And this is a bad thing?”
“No,” she said slowly. “But it’s very odd. And he keeps eyeing Crabbe as if he’s going to attack him or something.”
“Maybe it’s Crabbe who did something to him,” replied Colin glancing quickly at Ginny who was biting her lip holding back yet another bout of hilarity.
Hermione just gave them another doubting look. “Alright, then. I won’t ask any more questions, but be careful around Malfoy. Honestly, you two are about as bad as Fred and George were.”
They both smiled innocently as she left for her room.
?Draco sat in the Slytherin Common room studying Crabbe carefully. He was careful not to look obvious. He didn’t want him thinking that he was giving him the glad-eye. Draco Malfoy had always been a ladies’ man. What the hell had he been on that night? He still refused to believe that the photo was real. But there was enough lingering doubt in the back of his mind to make him question himself. If only he remembered anything from that night! He had wanted to ask Crabbe if he remembered anything from that night, but he was afraid of what he’d find out.
He was going to get even with that little Weasel if it was the last thing he’d do. How could she possible do this to him?
Surely, there was something he could pin on her. He had been civil to the Trio of Twits. They appeared bewildered by this so he decided that they had apparently not been involved in this little scheme of hers. At lunch he seethed as he watched her and her boyfriend Creevey laughing, most likely at his expense. He figured Creevey was in on it. He was the one who probably took the photo. Bastard.
There was no way he’d spend his last two years at Hogwarts being blackmailed by a Weasley.
Her first request had been simple enough. It was slightly annoying, but he could deal with it. He was afraid, however, things might just get worse. Who knew what else she was capable of if she was capable of blackmail?
He saw a large shadow looming over him as he was thinking and looked up to see Crabbe staring down at him.
“What do you want?” he snapped.
“Are you going up to the dorm soon?”
“What do you care? Leave me alone!” The color drained from Draco’s already pale face. Crabbe’s face was expressionless and he only shrugged slightly as he continued on his way.
“Damn her!”
?Draco had been walking down the hall brooding when a hand reached out and yanked him to the side. He saw Weasley standing there with yet another smug look on her face. She was strong for a petite girl, he noticed as she dragged him into an empty classroom. Colin Creevey was waiting.
“Let go of me you little - ”
“Careful, Malfoy,” Creevey said. “I wouldn’t make her mad if I were you.”
Draco glared at him.
“Aw. Did you and your boyfriend have a row, Malfoy?” Ginny asked, mockingly sympathetic.
“He’s not my boyfriend,” he said through gritted teeth.
“Colin, did you hear that? He’s available again!”
“He is rather devilishly handsome,” Colin said slipping an arm around him. “What do you think, Gin? Wouldn’t we make a charming couple?”
Colin Creevey was openly gay and it was well known by most everyone. Everyone except Draco. Until now.
A shiver of disgust ran down his spine. He stepped away quickly out of the taller blond’s reach brushing himself off as he did so.
“Don’t touch me! You - you - ” he failed to find words.
“Gee, Malfoy. I thought you two would get on well,” Ginny said in mock innocence. “In fact, that was going to be my next request.”
“You’re not serious!” he said, dumbstruck.
She grinned deviously. “Relax, Malfoy. I’m only joking. You aren’t really Colin’s type anyway.”
“What do you want, Weasley. I’ve got things to do,” he hissed.
“What an appropriate name for Crabbe,” Ginny mused. “Things. Is that a special pet name for him?”
Draco flushed red with anger. He refused to be embarrassed by a mere Weasley.
“Colin has a favor to ask – and don’t look at me that way – I already told you, you’re not his type.”
“What kind of favor?” he tried regaining his composure.
“I need some information on a fellow Slytherin of yours. You must be absolutely discreet about it.” He could see a Colin flushing a little.
“What kind of information and on who?”
“Blaise Zabini,” Ginny continued. Colin was becoming a little flustered at his own request. “We need to know his, uh, preference, if you know what I mean. And if he has special interests in anyone.”
Blaise Zabini was actually someone who Draco considered a friend as opposed to Crabbe and Goyle who were merely his cronies. Suddenly he wanted to be sick again. Was Blaise really his friend? Or did he have special interests in him?
“What makes you think he’s gay?” he finally blurted out. This was almost too much.
“I have my suspicions,” Colin said. “I just need to know for sure.”
“Gods, is everyone in this school gay?!” he muttered as he stormed out. He heard their laughter as he slammed the classroom door.
How the hell was he going to talk to Blaise about this and remain discreet about it? The question of his friendship with him bothered him too. Of course he could understand why Blaise, and Crabbe for that matter, would be interested in him. He was, after all, rather handsome and what exactly did Creevey mean by saying he wasn’t his type? He was charming and handsome and -
He couldn’t believe that he was even going there. What the hell was he thinking? He wondered if homosexuality was contagious. This was something he was definitely going to have to bring up to his Headhealer. But for now he needed to find a nice, easy girl and he needed to find one fast.
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