Double Dare

“This is just inhumane!” Draco moaned. I grinned.
“Shut up and look pretty”
He sighed and looked at Crabbe and Goyle. I’d managed to get them into old Western show girls’ dresses, complete with make-up and headbands. I went over to the gramophone and put the needle onto the record. For the time being I was the only one in the room. The music began. Draco, Crabbe and Goyle stood motionless. I sighed.
“Get dancing!”
They all groaned and began dancing. I grinned and scurried over to the door. I pulled it open to reveal all of the guests that seemed entertained by the idea of Draco dancing in a dress; including his parents and Snape. Everyone came into the room and began laughing – except Snape, who doesn’t laugh. Draco stopped dancing.
“What?! This is not fair!”
“Dance!”
“No!”
“DANCE!”
He sighed and carried on dancing. Snape came over to me.
“How did you get them to do the can-can?”
I smirked and shrugged; “Draco’s my slave...I let him rope Crabbe and Goyle into it so he wasn’t alone...I think Draco looks pretty in a dress, don’t you?”
He shrugged; “I’m not saying anything”
I laughed and elbowed him. I looked around the room; everyone seemed to be enjoying the three boys doing the can-can, even Lucius found it funny. Eventually the song stopped and Draco was allowed to tend to his emotional wounds in his room. I slipped away with Snape to the garden.
“How much of my plan have you found out?”
I shrugged; “all of it?”
He smirked; “do tell”
“You’re going to get Lucius to, I guess, trick Voldermort into making my dad make me marry you”
“Very good...How do you feel about the whole thing?”
I shrugged; “I wish it could be a lot simpler...”
“As do I...But your father wishes you to marry someone, of, well, pure-blood”
“You’re not?”
“No”
I looked at him, totally startled; “but you’re like, Voldermorts right-hand-man!”
“Voldermort himself is only half-blood”
“Well...You learn something new every day”
He smirked and rest his hand on my shoulder. We wandered down the path to the severely oversized gazebo at the bottom of the garden. We sat on the bench provided.
“So if all goes to plan, when do you suspect the wedding will be?”
He shrugged; “I have no idea...Why, is there any specific time you it to be?”
I shook my head; “not really”
He nodded and slid his arm round me. I smiled to myself and leant into him.
“...Lenore...Be honest with me. What was this bet?”
I sighed; “well, hear me out before you react...” he nodded; “okay...Firstly may I express it was totally Draco’s idea...Anyway. At the beginning of this year, he suggested we try and seduce someone of each other’s choice...I chose Tempest, and he chose you. So the bet was to make whoever fall in love with them first. For Draco it was going to be near-impossible because he and Tempest are so ill-matched he’d sooner be dating Harry Potter...But, I think...2 years ago? I kinda had a random crush on you...But it went away...Then as soon as Draco said I had to ‘seduce’ you, I had a feeling it would come back...And when I ran into you, literally, on the first day after the feast it came back. Then it went from a bet to more of a personal mission...I actually wanted to be with you...And it all kind of went from there”
He nodded slowly; “interesting...”
“So...You’re not pissed off or, feeling betrayed or-“
“-Why would I? I think I have my own confession. You’d always been my favourite; you were as close to me as Draco was, only you were intelligent. But you faded into the background, just a student. Then, towards the end of last year, I encountered you more and more, and paid more and more attention to you, and noticed how mature, intelligent and attractive you were. Before I could do anything stupid the year ended. Then, when you ran into me, literally on the first day of this year, my feelings came back...And you may think I’m old and don’t notice many things; but I am quite aware when a girl is flirting with me!”
I smirked and pretended to be innocent.
“So like I said, I’m not an idiot, and I could tell your flirting was...Genuine, not just some kid trying to act mature and grow up faster than Harry Potter gets into trouble. So, I decided to, investigate? And found out you liked me...”
“...How?”
“I overheard you speaking with your friend Celeste once”
“...Really?”
“Yes”
“...Oh”
He smirked and squeezed me softly.
“So...all is well and good between the two of us”
“I guess it is”
I smiled to myself and snuggled up to him, he held me close to his chest. It began snowing again. I looked up to the house and saw Draco peering out of his window. I smirked; he gave me the thumbs up and left.
“So who besides Celeste and Draco know?”
“Uh...Tempest knows for some reason...The twins just thought it was the bet”
He nodded and kissed my temple. I looked up.
“Did Dumbledore know?”
“...Yes...He said it would be unwise for me to pursue a relationship with you”
“Why?”
“Our situation...My being a spy...Your parents being loyal Death Eaters...”
“...Even though I don’t wish to pursue being involved with Voldermort?”
He nodded; “until this is all over, he said it wouldn’t be safe”
“So, you’re directly disobeying his wishes and trying to marry me?”
“I know I can keep you safe...Though by doing so you’ll have to be as close to danger as possible...”
“...I’d have to become a spy too?”
“Not exactly...Just pretend you’re loyal to Voldermort. The Order will know you’re not involved”
I nodded and snuggled up to him again.
“I don’t mind...”
“Really?”
“I know you’ll be able to look after me”
He smiled and squeezed me. We sat outside until I began shivering. He smiled and kissed the top of my head.
“Come on, you’re cold”
“Aren’t you”
He smirked; “I’m always cold”
I smirked too. I got up and pulled him up with me. We wandered back inside. We bumped into Lucius.
“Hello you two...Have a nice walk in the snow?”
I smiled; “we did...Did you enjoy your sons dancing?”
He smirked; “it was very enjoyable”
“Glad you liked it”
“You know...If this plan is to work...You two need to stop cavorting with each other in front of everyone!”
“As far as everyone else is concerned, I was discussing her future career-wise with her” Snape said. Lucius smirked and shook his head.
“Don’t be getting in over your heads”
“We won’t...Anyway...I’m going to go see if Draco’s ready to show his face in public again”
They smirked. I ran off upstairs to Draco’s room. He was lay on his bed reading. I smirked and jumped down next to him.
“Draco Malfoy? Reading? This is unheard of!”
“Sod off”
I laughed and punched his leg.
“I’m bored”
“Why don’t you go suck face with Snape?”
“He’s only got so much face”
“So move to somewhere else”
I punched his leg harder.
“Git”
He smirked and put his book down.
“What do you want?”
I shrugged; “dunno, thought I’d come hang out with you”
“No more stupid jobs for me to do?”
“Not today, I think you’ve had enough humiliation”
“Good! ...Your dress is there by the way”
I smirked and looked at one of my old Halloween dresses crumpled up in the corner of his room.
“You looked nice in it by the way”
“Shut up”
“Snape agrees”
“Thank you for ensuring I’ll have nightmares tonight!”
I laughed; “c’mon Draco! Come play with me!”
“What’s wrong? Snape doesn’t satisfy you?”
“Fine, screw you then! I’ll go think of more humiliating things for you to do!” I said getting up. He jumped up and restrained me from leaving.
“No no, I didn’t mean it!”
I smirked; “that’s what I thought!”
He sighed and sat down.
“So what shall we do?”
I shrugged; “whatever. You think of something”
He shrugged; “I dunno...What were you and Snape talking about?”
“Uh, I told him what the bet was a stuff, and he told me he secretly fancied me at the end of last year...And we kinda talked about getting married”
“That’s what we can do! Let’s plan your wedding!”
I laughed; “isn’t that what girls do?”
“You’re a girl right?”
“You’re not”
He shrugged; “I can help plan your wedding”
I shrugged too; “I guess so...But I don’t want any shit suggestions!”
He nodded; “okay...”
We sat on his bed planning each other’s weddings.
“White dress...”
I glared at him.
“...Green dress?...”
I just carried on staring.
“...Black dress”
“Bingo”
He rolled his eyes.
“Ok...Big wedding or small wedding?”
I shrugged; “small...I don’t want half a billion distant relatives there...I’d rather have a few really close friends and things”
He nodded; “so...Me...Mummy and Daddy...My parents...That’s about it”
I punched his arm; “stop being a prick!”
He laughed; “I know you have more friends than that! But...How many people would come to see Snape marry?”
I went silent. Draco looked at me, waiting for a response.
“I would have said Dumbledore...Maybe some other teachers...”
Draco shook his head; “I doubt it”
I nodded and thought to myself.
“Anyway, don’t let Snapes unpopularity get you down on your wedding day! I’m sure your friends and family will think he’s a catch!”
I laughed; “in what way?”
“In the way...He could look after you? I’m sure he’s secretly loaded...”
“Alright then? Because I don’t have enough money?”
“...Have some more!”
“I don’t want more! I just want to be loved!”
He laughed and hugged me; “even if Snape turns out to be an evil dick, I’ll love you forever!”
“Aww, I love you too Draco!”
We laughed and pulled away.