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Chapter Twenty
Being Nice Buffy and Spike checked everyone over for major injuries. Luckily for them, the D’gathi demons were inept fighters and Harry was the only one with any scratches. And he had only received them when the one he killed had fallen on him. After a quick conversation, Buffy began to lead them back to Hogwarts. Spike stayed behind to see if he could learn anything about the demons. When they reached the spot where the carriages had dropped them off, they were surprised to see two already there waiting for them. The slayer shook her head, she knew Dumbledore had already learned what had happened and was going to be waiting for them when they returned. She pulled Dawn into the carriage with her, Harry, and Ron, which left Draco to ride alone with Ginny and Hermione. He felt distinctly uncomfortable being alone with them and directed his focus to the passing scenery. The thought of Dawn talking to him in his head floated to the surface and he wondered how it was possible. The gift of telepathy was rare and he wasn’t even sure if that was what it was. Her thoughts seemed to be the product of something deeper, more profound. The blond flicked his gaze over to the two girls and noticed that their faces were pale and tight. Remembering that Dawn told him that others would be nice to him if he was nice to them prompted him to ask, “You two all right?” Hermione gave him a funny look but didn’t say anything. Ginny however gave him a small smile and softly said, “I will be. You don’t exactly plan to have to fight a demon during a day of leisure shopping.” Draco snorted, “Ain’t that the truth. But you fought well, you didn’t let them keep you off balance.” Hermione looked at him as if he had grown a second head. “Why would you care?” He leveled his gaze to her and said simply, “Because I just do.” Then turned his attention back to the passing countryside. Ginny looked at him and suddenly began to see what Dawn saw. A young man trying vainly to find his own place in the world around him. The fact that he even asked about them, his sworn enemies, showed how much he had changed in past couple of months. She also knew that Dawn would be the one to help him. ************ The talk with Dumbledore went surprisingly quick and he seemed rather pleased that the students had been able to defend themselves. He also gave Draco a knowing look that told him that he had chosen well on which side to fight for. As they filed out of his office Draco gave a gentle tug on Dawn’s arm to let her know that he wanted to talk to her privately. She gave him a nod and he led her to the same room that Spike had found him in several weeks earlier. “So what’s up?” She asked curiously. “How did you do it?” “Do what?” “Talk to me in my head.” Dawn looked at him with confusion in her eyes. “When did I do that?” “Today. First you told me to be careful with Pansy that she was trying to goad me into something. Then during the fight you told me not to get cocky.” The brunette’s eyes widened, “You heard that?” “Yeah. Isn’t that what I’ve been trying to tell you? How did you do that?” “I honestly don’t know. I was just thinking them, I didn’t try to project them or anything.” “You can do that?” “No, but I know that Willow and Tara do it all the time. They can talk to us and hear our thoughts, but I’ve never been able to send my thoughts to them by myself.” “What about you and Ginny? You guys play as if you’re connected.” “Actually it’s a secret about how we do that, but we don’t talk telepathically.” “So it’s just me then?” Draco asked, trying to figure something out in his head. “Try it again. Just think of anything and try to send it to me.” Dawn just shrugged her shoulders, “All right, whatever.” She thought for a moment on what to send him, then an evil thought crossed her mind. ~Harry’s the world’s best seeker.~ “He bloody well is not!” Draco yelled. She just giggled. ~Very funny, little girl.~ “I am not little!” Dawn yelled with an indignant look on her face. Then her eyes widened as she realized what had happened. “So we can talk to each other,” she whispered. Draco nodded. “The only question is why can we do it?” Dawn didn’t want to say anything, but she had an idea. She had a strong feeling it had something to do with what was coming. Another notion popped in her head, if she could talk to Draco, then she could probably talk to Buffy the same way. It was not something she wanted to try at the moment, one problem at a time. “We should probably tell your sister.” “Not yet.” “Why?” “She has enough things to worry about with Harry. Why don’t we research this on our own, and not tell anyone else.” “Are you sure?” He asked. Dawn nodded, making plans in her head. Draco gazed at her softly and finally gathered the courage to ask her something that he had tried to find a way to do all day. “Dawn...” She looked at him and felt her heart quicken at the emotions that swam in his gray eyes. “Yes?” “I was wondering, would you accompany me to the Halloween party on Tuesday?” He asked quietly. A huge smile broke out on Dawn’s face as she said, “I’d love to.” Then she threw her arms around him. Draco eagerly returned the hug, savoring the feel of her in his arms. But to him it ended way too soon when she pulled back and said, “I’ve got to go tell Gin.” Then she ran out of the room only to return a few moments later. She went to him and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and ran back out, leaving Draco with a surprised, but happy expression on his face. ********* “I don’t get it,” Harry said as he paced in the Gryffindor common room. “Get what?” Ron asked. “Why Dawn spent all day with Malfoy! They walked around arm in arm the whole time! And he hovered over her during that meeting with Dumbledore.” “Why shouldn’t she spend time with him?” Ginny asked innocently. Harry spun on her, “Because he’s the enemy that’s why! Just because he’s fooled Buffy and Spike doesn’t mean that I can’t tell he’s up to something.” Ginny stood on her feet and got in his face. “Why won’t you give him a chance? He’s not the enemy, you-know-who is!” He could only stare at her in amazement. Why was she suddenly defending the ferret? Dawn burst into the room at that time and grabbed Ginny’s arm, leading her upstairs. “We need to talk now,” she said excitedly as they left the room. The other three looked at each other as if to say what was that all about? “What happened?” Ginny asked as Dawn shut the door to her room. “He asked me to go with him on Halloween!” Dawn squealed. Ginny squealed with her and they began to dance around the room. “That is so awesome, Dawn!” Then she got a wicked smile on her face, “So what did you say?” Dawn threw a pillow at her, “Yes, of course.” A pillow fight erupted and that’s how Hermione found them a few minutes later. A stray pillow got her in the stomach as she walked into the room. “Sorry ‘Mione!” Ginny called as she took a flying leap towards Dawn and tackled her. “Stop! Ginny stop! I give!” Dawn yelled as the redhead tickled her mercilessly. The bushy haired brunette just stared at them with a thoughtful expression on her face. She hadn’t realized that the two had become such good friends over the past several months. She was getting the impression that something good had happened, but didn’t have the faintest idea what it was. “So what’s the good news?” She asked. Ginny had finally stopped tickling Dawn and the brunette lay gasping on the floor. “Not much,” she managed to get out. “Draco asked her out!” Ginny said excitedly. Hermione could only stare in amazement. She had gotten a sneaky suspicion that Dawn liked Malfoy from the exchange in the carriage earlier that day. But she had no clue the he liked her in return. The Slytherin must really be sincere about changing if he was asking out someone who he originally would have considered beneath him. “And this is good?” She asked hesitantly. “Of course it is.” Ginny answered. “Dawn has set the bait and is now reeling him in.” “Ginny!” Dawn exclaimed. “Well isn’t that what you did?” She asked in mock innocence. “Well, yeah. But that’s just a rude way of putting it.” “And you’re ok with this Ginny?” Hermione asked. “Well, yeah. Why wouldn’t I be? Besides why would my opinion matter? This is Dawn’s decision not mine.” “Yeah, but it’s Malfoy.” “His name is Draco,” Dawn said. “God, do any of you people use first names?” Hermione looked like she was about to protest, but Dawn cut her off. “Look, I like Draco, a lot. And I believe that he likes me. If we choose to date it will be our decision. Nothing you, or anybody else can say will change that. If it bugs you too much, then don’t hang around me. It’s that simple.” “I wasn’t going to say anything about that. I was going to say I thought you liked Harry.” “I do,” Dawn said. “But he’s more like a brother than anything else.” Hermione nodded her head in understanding; she felt the same way toward him. Dawn turned her attention to Ginny. “I have a plan.” “Already?” “Yup. And I think we’re going to need Hermione and Draco’s help.” “Plan? For what?” Hermione asked. Dawn turned to her and said with a wicked glint in her eyes, “The snare to trap Harry for Ginny, of course.” ********* “What do you think they’re talking about up there?” Ron asked he studied the chess game in front of him. “Us probably,” Harry answered. “You think so?” “Yeah, that or make-up. Or hair. Or whatever it is that girls talk about.” “You gonna ask Dawn to Halloween?” Ron asked after a few moments. “Nah, we’ll all go together anyway, so what’s the point?” Harry said as he moved his knight. “You thought the same about today, and look what happened.” Ron pointed out. Harry just looked at him with a horrified expression. Previous Chapter The Slayer... Menu Next Chapter |
