Draco wondered many things. He wondered why Crabbe and Goyle could never string more than three words together in a sentence without making unintelligible grunts—really, it wasn't that hard. He also wondered (and lamented) why Pansy's nose turned quite so upwards—she could have been quite pretty if it weren't for that.
But what consumed Draco's 'wonderings' most of all was a certain female redhead.
It hadn't always been this way. There was once a time when Draco took no notice of the freckled thing—also known as the female Weasley—but then Potter's goggle eyes had turned towards her with admiration, and Draco had, quite naturally, wondered what on earth the bespectacled git had seen in her. It must be stated that it did take the blond a while to figure out, for Malfoys are proud creatures, and often can't see beyond their own magnificence. The point, however, is that Draco Malfoy did finally come to understand what made the female Weasley so special, and was quite willing to pursue this new form of wonderment.
Except the redhead in question didn't seem to find him quite so wondrous.
Draco smiled charmingly at the redhead, using every ounce of charisma he possessed to attract her stubborn eye. "Come on, love," he purred in his low—and probably practised—velvety voice. "What do you say you and I go down to Hogsmeade and have a drink together? I'll pay."
He finished this speech with another charming smile—one sure to melt even the frostiest of hearts. The redhead, however, just stared at him curiously.
"Does that actually work?"
Draco lost some of his cocky stance, looking suddenly uncertain. "Does what work?"
"That whole 'charming smile' thing," she explained, waving her arms for emphasis in what he presumed might have been an 'air' smile. "I mean, do girls actually fall for that?"
Draco straightened, and a faint crease formed on his brow. "Uh . . ."
"Never mind," she said with an amused shake of her head, and made to walk away.
"Wait!" Draco exclaimed.
She looked over her shoulder at him. "Yes?"
"Why won't you just go out with me?"
"Because I don't want to. Because I'm quite certain you don't even know my name." She scrunched up her face. "And because you wear too much cologne."
Draco's eyes narrowed. He did not wear too much cologne. He wore just the right amount, thank you very much—enough to attract the eye of a pretty female, anyway.
Instead of showing how offended he was by her remarks, Draco merely plastered another charming smile on his face.
"Don't be silly, love," he responded, casually placing an arm above her head against the wall, so he could not-quite-so casually lean in closer to her. "Of course I know your name."
"Then what is it?" the girl asked, placing a hand on her hip and raising an eyebrow.
"Gwendolyn, of course."
The eyebrow lifted higher. "Right."
She ducked out from under his arm and carried on walking, not even sparing a glance back at him. Draco frowned.
"It is Gwendolyn, isn't it?" he called out to her.
The redhead kept walking.
Draco rubbed his chin. "I was certain it was Gwendolyn. Don't they call her some plebeian thing like 'Gwendy' for short?"
His eyes flicked back to the girl's retreating figure, and an unfamiliar feeling of irritation started building in his chest. This wasn't right. Girls weren't supposed to reject him, and they sure as hell weren't supposed to tell him he wore too much cologne.
"So what if I got her name wrong?" he muttered. "It's not like it really matters."
But it apparently did to the female Weasley. Draco wondered how he was ever going to salvage this mess.
The answer came to him through Neville Longbottom, who—one Leg-Locking curse later, and after much humiliating hopping—confided the great secret that would allow Draco to have his second chance. Being a man of action, the blond wasted no time in seeking out the object of his obsession.
He found the redhead sprawled out on her stomach under a tree, chin propped on her hand as she read a book. It didn't seem to be a very exciting piece of literature, for she looked up as soon as he approached her.
"Oh, it's you again," she said, sitting up properly and placing her book down next to her.
Draco did not allow her less than enthusiastic greeting to put him off and sat down opposite her. "Hello, Ginevra."
She yawned, stretching her arms above her head. "I prefer 'Ginny', but I suppose I should give you some recognition for actually learning my name. I can imagine what an effort it must have been for you."
Draco was about to tell her that it had been an effort—it hadn't been easy trying to track down one of those idiot friends of hers—but then he realised she was mocking him.
"Very funny," he said dryly.
Ginny smiled and then, in what he assumed was an act of dismissal, began picking some of the leaves out of her hair. Draco watched her for a moment, transfixed by the way the sun caught the red strands, making it look like it was on fire.
"So," he said when she showed no signs of talking to him, "now that I know your name, will you go to Hogsmeade with me?"
She laughed, dropping her hair, and met his eyes with frank amusement. "What makes you think I'll go out with you just because you learnt my name?"
"Well, I did ask you."
"And your point is?"
He allowed a smile. "Well, in general, Ginny, when a guy asks a girl to go out on a date, she says yes."
"Well, in general, Draco, when a girl agrees to go out on a date with a guy, it's because she actually likes him."
His jaw twitched. "You're making this very difficult for me."
"Am I?"
The twitch in his jaw became more obvious.
"May I ask, Ginevra, why you see fit to treat me with so little respect after I have taken the pains to ask you out?"
She tapped a finger to her chin. "Hrm, I wonder? Maybe it's because you have seen fit to ask me out to Hogsmeade for no apparent reason other than the fact you find me physically attractive."
"That's not true."
"Isn't it?" She raised an eyebrow. "I mean, you didn't even know my name."
"It slipped my mind, that's all."
"Because Gwendolyn sounds so much like Ginevra."
"I got the 'G' right, didn't I?"
"You did," she allowed, "but so what? Knowing my name doesn't change the fact you know nothing about me. You just like what you see, and I don't really care to go on a date with a guy like that."
Draco let out an irritated sigh. "Are you always this antagonistic with every guy who asks you out?"
"Nope," she said with a sunny smile. "Just you."
"I'm flattered, I'm sure."
Her smile grew, reaching her eyes so they twinkled disarmingly. "I tell you what, Draco. You give me one good reason for why I should say yes to you, and maybe I'll think about it."
Draco wondered what would be the best thing to say to win that desired yes. He had many practised lines he could use, but somehow he didn't think that would work with her. So he decided for the truth.
"I just want to get to know you," he said with a shrug.
Ginny peered at him closely, as if trying to ascertain how truthful he was being. She seemed satisfied with whatever she saw, for the sunny smile returned to her lips.
"I do believe that is the first sincere thing you've said to me yet," she observed.
"So that's a yes?" he asked hopefully.
Ginny laughed and stood up. "Nope, but you're no longer on my list of people I would happily push off the Astronomy Tower."
Draco frowned. Well, that was something, he supposed.
"See you around, Draco."
"Wait, Ginny," he said when she made to walk away.
"Yes?"
Draco got to his feet, planting himself in front of her before she could run off again. "I know you probably don't trust me very much—"
She snorted.
"And I know you think I'm only interested in you because I want to get up your skirt—"
"Yes," she agreed, "I do think that."
"But I do like you, Ginny, and I do want to get to know you. And frankly, I'm tired of being rejected all the time." He looked at her winningly. "Can't you just give me a chance?"
Ginny considered him for a moment. "You really want to get to know me?"
Draco nodded.
She smiled and took a step forward, curled her fingers around his collar, and then tugged his face down to hers for a searing kiss. Draco was so taken aback that it took him a full second to respond. Then, just as soon as the kiss had started, she pulled her lips away.
"Think on that, then," Ginny said with a smile, releasing his collar.
Draco stood there a little dazed, watching but not really registering that the redhead was leaving him again. He noticed the book still resting near his foot, and a small smile curled his lips.
"I wonder . . ." he mused aloud.
His eyes darted back to Ginny's retreating figure, and his smile grew just a fraction.
He thought that, just maybe, he had his 'yes'.
But what consumed Draco's 'wonderings' most of all was a certain female redhead.
It hadn't always been this way. There was once a time when Draco took no notice of the freckled thing—also known as the female Weasley—but then Potter's goggle eyes had turned towards her with admiration, and Draco had, quite naturally, wondered what on earth the bespectacled git had seen in her. It must be stated that it did take the blond a while to figure out, for Malfoys are proud creatures, and often can't see beyond their own magnificence. The point, however, is that Draco Malfoy did finally come to understand what made the female Weasley so special, and was quite willing to pursue this new form of wonderment.
Except the redhead in question didn't seem to find him quite so wondrous.
Draco smiled charmingly at the redhead, using every ounce of charisma he possessed to attract her stubborn eye. "Come on, love," he purred in his low—and probably practised—velvety voice. "What do you say you and I go down to Hogsmeade and have a drink together? I'll pay."
He finished this speech with another charming smile—one sure to melt even the frostiest of hearts. The redhead, however, just stared at him curiously.
"Does that actually work?"
Draco lost some of his cocky stance, looking suddenly uncertain. "Does what work?"
"That whole 'charming smile' thing," she explained, waving her arms for emphasis in what he presumed might have been an 'air' smile. "I mean, do girls actually fall for that?"
Draco straightened, and a faint crease formed on his brow. "Uh . . ."
"Never mind," she said with an amused shake of her head, and made to walk away.
"Wait!" Draco exclaimed.
She looked over her shoulder at him. "Yes?"
"Why won't you just go out with me?"
"Because I don't want to. Because I'm quite certain you don't even know my name." She scrunched up her face. "And because you wear too much cologne."
Draco's eyes narrowed. He did not wear too much cologne. He wore just the right amount, thank you very much—enough to attract the eye of a pretty female, anyway.
Instead of showing how offended he was by her remarks, Draco merely plastered another charming smile on his face.
"Don't be silly, love," he responded, casually placing an arm above her head against the wall, so he could not-quite-so casually lean in closer to her. "Of course I know your name."
"Then what is it?" the girl asked, placing a hand on her hip and raising an eyebrow.
"Gwendolyn, of course."
The eyebrow lifted higher. "Right."
She ducked out from under his arm and carried on walking, not even sparing a glance back at him. Draco frowned.
"It is Gwendolyn, isn't it?" he called out to her.
The redhead kept walking.
Draco rubbed his chin. "I was certain it was Gwendolyn. Don't they call her some plebeian thing like 'Gwendy' for short?"
His eyes flicked back to the girl's retreating figure, and an unfamiliar feeling of irritation started building in his chest. This wasn't right. Girls weren't supposed to reject him, and they sure as hell weren't supposed to tell him he wore too much cologne.
"So what if I got her name wrong?" he muttered. "It's not like it really matters."
But it apparently did to the female Weasley. Draco wondered how he was ever going to salvage this mess.
The answer came to him through Neville Longbottom, who—one Leg-Locking curse later, and after much humiliating hopping—confided the great secret that would allow Draco to have his second chance. Being a man of action, the blond wasted no time in seeking out the object of his obsession.
He found the redhead sprawled out on her stomach under a tree, chin propped on her hand as she read a book. It didn't seem to be a very exciting piece of literature, for she looked up as soon as he approached her.
"Oh, it's you again," she said, sitting up properly and placing her book down next to her.
Draco did not allow her less than enthusiastic greeting to put him off and sat down opposite her. "Hello, Ginevra."
She yawned, stretching her arms above her head. "I prefer 'Ginny', but I suppose I should give you some recognition for actually learning my name. I can imagine what an effort it must have been for you."
Draco was about to tell her that it had been an effort—it hadn't been easy trying to track down one of those idiot friends of hers—but then he realised she was mocking him.
"Very funny," he said dryly.
Ginny smiled and then, in what he assumed was an act of dismissal, began picking some of the leaves out of her hair. Draco watched her for a moment, transfixed by the way the sun caught the red strands, making it look like it was on fire.
"So," he said when she showed no signs of talking to him, "now that I know your name, will you go to Hogsmeade with me?"
She laughed, dropping her hair, and met his eyes with frank amusement. "What makes you think I'll go out with you just because you learnt my name?"
"Well, I did ask you."
"And your point is?"
He allowed a smile. "Well, in general, Ginny, when a guy asks a girl to go out on a date, she says yes."
"Well, in general, Draco, when a girl agrees to go out on a date with a guy, it's because she actually likes him."
His jaw twitched. "You're making this very difficult for me."
"Am I?"
The twitch in his jaw became more obvious.
"May I ask, Ginevra, why you see fit to treat me with so little respect after I have taken the pains to ask you out?"
She tapped a finger to her chin. "Hrm, I wonder? Maybe it's because you have seen fit to ask me out to Hogsmeade for no apparent reason other than the fact you find me physically attractive."
"That's not true."
"Isn't it?" She raised an eyebrow. "I mean, you didn't even know my name."
"It slipped my mind, that's all."
"Because Gwendolyn sounds so much like Ginevra."
"I got the 'G' right, didn't I?"
"You did," she allowed, "but so what? Knowing my name doesn't change the fact you know nothing about me. You just like what you see, and I don't really care to go on a date with a guy like that."
Draco let out an irritated sigh. "Are you always this antagonistic with every guy who asks you out?"
"Nope," she said with a sunny smile. "Just you."
"I'm flattered, I'm sure."
Her smile grew, reaching her eyes so they twinkled disarmingly. "I tell you what, Draco. You give me one good reason for why I should say yes to you, and maybe I'll think about it."
Draco wondered what would be the best thing to say to win that desired yes. He had many practised lines he could use, but somehow he didn't think that would work with her. So he decided for the truth.
"I just want to get to know you," he said with a shrug.
Ginny peered at him closely, as if trying to ascertain how truthful he was being. She seemed satisfied with whatever she saw, for the sunny smile returned to her lips.
"I do believe that is the first sincere thing you've said to me yet," she observed.
"So that's a yes?" he asked hopefully.
Ginny laughed and stood up. "Nope, but you're no longer on my list of people I would happily push off the Astronomy Tower."
Draco frowned. Well, that was something, he supposed.
"See you around, Draco."
"Wait, Ginny," he said when she made to walk away.
"Yes?"
Draco got to his feet, planting himself in front of her before she could run off again. "I know you probably don't trust me very much—"
She snorted.
"And I know you think I'm only interested in you because I want to get up your skirt—"
"Yes," she agreed, "I do think that."
"But I do like you, Ginny, and I do want to get to know you. And frankly, I'm tired of being rejected all the time." He looked at her winningly. "Can't you just give me a chance?"
Ginny considered him for a moment. "You really want to get to know me?"
Draco nodded.
She smiled and took a step forward, curled her fingers around his collar, and then tugged his face down to hers for a searing kiss. Draco was so taken aback that it took him a full second to respond. Then, just as soon as the kiss had started, she pulled her lips away.
"Think on that, then," Ginny said with a smile, releasing his collar.
Draco stood there a little dazed, watching but not really registering that the redhead was leaving him again. He noticed the book still resting near his foot, and a small smile curled his lips.
"I wonder . . ." he mused aloud.
His eyes darted back to Ginny's retreating figure, and his smile grew just a fraction.
He thought that, just maybe, he had his 'yes'.
Author notes: The 'name' thing was somewhat inspired from idreamofdraco's An Everlasting Tuesday, in which Draco gets Ginny's name wrong several times. It's not the first time it's been done, but since I happened to be reading that fic before I wrote this, I felt I should probably give it some recognition, since I was undoubtedly inspired because of it.
This goes without saying, but if you haven't read that fic, I definitely recommend it! It's very, very funny.
The End.
Boogum is the author of 21 other stories.
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