The Perfect Plan; Redefined

Chapter One

The Perfect Plan; Redefined

Ideas and Reasoning

~*~~*~~*~

Cordelia sat on a cushioned chair watching over the wedding party. It was the most beautiful hall she had ever seen. Even better than Hogwarts at Christmas. It had taken seven months for her mum to pull of this thing and she was sure that if her grandmother hadn't forced herself into helping it would have taken a lot longer. Cordelia squirmed with glee every time she saw her grandmother now. Molly was a very loving person and knew how much Cordelia had always wanted her father around her. If she hadn't stepped in, Cordelia would have blown up and everyone could see it.

Chayse, who would never admit it in public, also felt the same way. He had already planned that their bedrooms would be next to each other and yet far from their parents because - well who wants to inhabit a room next to newlyweds? To which Cordelia hit him upside the head for summoning such evil mental pictures. But they were both happy for their parents. It was obvious that they were in love. Extremely so, much to every male in the Weasley family's dismay.

Not that they didn't like Draco, of course they was still the rivalry of old habit, it had more to do with the looks their wives gave the blissful pair whenever they were together. It piled on the pressure for them and they had tools to ease it off. None at all and it was very stressful.

But the hall was ready, decorated in ivory lilies and white balloons and such. The cake was amazing and to top it all off, the weather had held together for February. She could imagine the house in February, all covered in late winter snow and glistening in the daytime sunny spells. She smiled as she imagined spending her first Christmas by her father after he married her mum. It was going to be great, she just knew it.

"What are you doing sitting here by yourself?" Draco asked as he came over to her.

Cordelia looked up. "Nothing, I was just recording."

Draco frowned and looked at her closely wondering if he was missing something. She said it as if it made perfect sense. "I'm sorry - don't follow."

"Oh," she laughed finally noticing he had no idea what she was going on about. Her mother would know. She guessed she'd have to explain some things to him along the way. "Sometimes, when things are prefect - or not, I remember them. Kind of like forge it in my memory. Mum says I could put some people in prison for the things I remember in detail."

"I see."

"It's nothing bad. She just can't win in an argument when I am proving a point. She's given up arguing with me now. It makes no sense whatsoever."

"Hey! Why aren't you dancing?" Chayse said as he slid over. Literally.

Cordelia had to move her legs to the side of her chair to avoid him. "What are you doing? If you fall I'm not healing you."

"Well, I wouldn't want you to help your dear brother by using illegal actions would I? No, let me break my bones and die. I'm fine with that. Father, Gin - mu - Ginny's calling you."

Draco let out a small smile. "Thanks." He got up and left them alone.

Chayse sat in his father's vacant seat and watched him go to his new wife. They had been laughing all day. All month actually and he was happy for them. Really he was. He couldn't help but feel a little left out though. After all Cordelia had her father and her mother. He was still only half way there.

"Chayse? Chayse! Astie!"

He turned quickly wondering why she was yelling. "What?" he said harshly making her recoil a little. "Sorry," he said softer. "What?"

She looked away from him for a second before sighing. "Where are we going?"

He suddenly turned. "Pardon?"

"You know, when they're off on their honeymoon, where are we going?"

"I think home. It's where we've been living recently, and Alder should be able to take care of us. I doubt Ginny would want us to go to your grandmother. I don't even think father wants us to go there."

"Which is a good thing, believe me." He laughed. She watched him closer. There was a sadness underneath his words. There was something wrong with him, she just knew it. "You don't have to call her mum you know."

He frowned and she was sure he was about to ask what she was talking about, but he just sighed and looked at their parents dancing and laughing and having a wonderful time.

"I know," he said with a smile. "But she'll be expecting it one day. I know she will, I'm not stupid. She'll want it and I don't know that if when I say it I'll mean it. Does that sound silly?" He turned to her.

She shook her head. "It sounds like you," she smiled.

"I can't help but think to myself that I've never had to live up to a woman's expectations before." He saw her 'Well thanks!' look and rolled his eyes. "You know what I mean, Cordy." He sighed again. "With your kind it's all about the feelings. I don't think I have that in me."

"Well, 'my kind,' will understand if you don't have anything to give. For now, just call her Ginny. If you call her Ginevra she won't like it. He already hates Fred for calling her that and even more because he christened her with the name 'Auntie Gin!'" she said replicating the screech exactly as her smaller cousins' voices when they call her mum. They both chuckled.

"I could get use to this," Chayse said exhaling a breath as he leaned back in the cushioned chair.

"I know what you mean. When they're gone for three weeks things are going to get good."

He smiled cheekily, their past conversation forgotten. "At least we're off school for the rest of the month. In September we start fifth year and begin slugging it out for OWLs and then, when that's all over and we pass and get special honours-."

"You are so cocky, you know that?"

"What?" he said as if nothing was wrong. "You know it's true."

She just rolled her eyes and shook her head. It probably would come to pass, they had both gotten special awards since they got there and it was becoming like an annual thing now. She just didn't want to go and get ahead of herself and end up with a big head. That way she'd be too confident and probably end up failing and then getting shunned by her teachers and yelled at by her mum. She didn't want that. Ever.

"Anyway, as I was saying," he continued. "We will get special honours and then have to start all over again when we prepare for our NEWTs -." He stopped. "What was my point again?"

She looked up at the ceiling. "I think it was that we don't have anything to worry about until then."

He nodded once. "Exactly. I think. Yes, yes exactly." He got up and held out a hand to her. "Don't worry." She looked up at him. "Everything is going to be fine. I know it is."

"You seem to know everything, Astie," she said taking his hand. He led her onto the dance floor where they joined their parents and the rest of the bride's family and a few of the groom's. "Do you know everything?" she asked him above the music.

"Well, I'm always right, aren't I?" he smiled. She just shook her head as he spun her around and around.

***

{~~ One Year Later ~~}

"What do you mean he's not turning up? He said he'd be here!"

"Cordy calm down," Chayse tried. He'd had to do this a lot since his father was working for his promotion at the ministry. So far he'd missed three speeches two trophies and an outstanding achievement award. Every time he had promised her he'd be there and every time he was the one left picking up the pieces in time so that Ginny didn't pick up on her husband's obvious effect when he broke his promises. Now, the first Quidditch game of their sixth year and Cordelia's first go as captain of her team, and against Slytherin no less, and he wasn't there. Again. "Here, he sent you this. Ginny just gave it to me for you." He handed her the package. Cordelia glared at it.

"I don't want another present, Chayse. I want my father!" She hit it out of his hand and it made an obvious shattering sound as it fell to the floor of the locker rooms. Her other team mates outside of the showers, where he had dragged her when she started creating a scene with his message that their father could make it, watched it roll outside and heard the pieces rattling inside until it came to a stop.

"I'll bet that was expensive too," Mara, Cordelia's cousin, said quietly. There were scattered agreeing mumbles coming from around them.

"Just go Chayse, I'll be fine."

"NO you won't. Seeing as I have to go against your team, I really don't want an easy win."

"If it helps I can see you as him and try to hit you to death with a beater's bat."

"Well, seeing as you're not a beater, that's kind of an empty threat don't you think?" he reasoned and saw the first smile she had given since he got there. Somehow she had known, always known what he had to say as soon as he came in. And he hated it. "Well, see? It won't be that easy of a win, will it?" he smiled and left her to go outside. He dropped the smile as he passed her team mates. "Gryffindors," he acknowledged and left them in silence.

"Malfoy," they said curtly. They all looked at each other and peered into the showers to see Cordelia facing a faucet. Suddenly she sniffed and they all turned away as if they hadn't noticed and watched her walk out. Her face was dry and she was wearing a smile even though most of them were sure she had been crying.

Mara stepped forward and held her shoulder firmly. "You okay?" She had to ask it. It was obvious she wasn't but she had to ask it. "You ready to go out there?" she said when she didn't get an answer.

"I am the captain. I have to go out there." She took up her broom and motioned for the rest of them to follow. They all stood at the doors waiting to be announced. When her team was called the doors opened. Cordelia looked at her cousin and then out at the stands. She could hear the screaming from the school drifting in through to her. She knew they were waiting for a spectacular game. She was going to give them one.

Show him what he was missing.

She turned to her team mates with a cold stare. They almost shrank back.

"Welcome the new Gryffindor team captain and existing chaser, Cordelia Weasley!" The crowd screamed.

"Crush them." She mounted her broom and took off into the air.

They looked at each other and then at Mara. She was closest to Cordelia but she just shrugged.

"And the other two chasers, Georgia Weasley and Joanna Ferrer. Following are the new beaters and keeper Lawrence Weasley, Francis Joseph and Derrick Weasley. Wow, keeping it in the family are we?" The crowd cheered anyway. "And finally we have Mara Weasley, team seeker looking dashing in her lovely leather getup."

Mara blushed and waved to her boyfriend of two years just before he was practically scolded by Professor McGonagall and once again threatened with his announcement-ship privileges. She laughed and joined her team in the air.

Cordelia waited for the other teams' announcement to see just who Chayse had chosen as his team-mates. It had become the new school rumour as no-one, not even Cordelia herself, knew who they were going to be. If the Slytherin's knew they didn't show it and denied any knowledge when they were asked. Apparently, they were a male dominant team and had been chosen before fifth year ended and had been training over the holiday, which was strange because she had spent most of summer with Chayse by their father. She frowned again as she thought of him and gritted her teeth. In her mum's day, he was the embodiment of Slytherin. If so, she was just about to grind it to the floor.

"And what the school has been waiting for since last year, the announcement of the all new Slytherin team. If I can have the names please." There was a pause as he was handed an envelope. Cordelia rolled her eyes. Leave it to Chayse to be over the top. It was even a silver envelope. "My, oh, my." She could visibly see his eyes opening wider. The crowd waited on edge.

"Our three chasers. Malachi Moore, Benjamin Zabini, and Christian Onoma." There was screaming in the crowd as three of the hottest boys in school were called out. Most of the screaming was coming from the girls. Cordelia sat on her broom smiling. Chayse was clever, she could give him that. She knew he was listening when her cousins were discussing 'Who was who?' at family get-togethers. He was using their weakness against them. Good looking boys, even more, good looking and talented boys. Damn him.

"Our two beaters and keeper, Vladimir Rudjikov, Amandine Baronne and Francesca Richardson." She visibly shook her head. He was cruel, Amandine and Francesca had been the apple of Lawrence's and Derrick's eye since they set foot into the great hall.

"And finally the new team captain, surprise, surprise, Chayse Malfoy who also happens to be team seeker!" The crowd erupted once more as Chayse left the ground. He hovered a little at Cordelia's level and winked at her before joining her cousin above her. She glared at him and drew her finger across her neck as he rose still watching her. He paused and gave her a worried look before continuing.

"What's going on with her?" he asked Mara as he came up to her level.

"She's still upset, she told us to crush you. All of you."

"That won't happen."

"I wouldn't be too sure. She's very dedicated to annihilating all of your kind." He narrowed his eyes at her. "She's been studying."

He frowned. "Studying?"

"Mmhmm," she hummed. "And drilling us in every skill under the sun. We almost hate her but it will be worth it when we win."

"When you win? Getting ahead of yourself aren't you?"

"Guess you've rubbed off on us. Huh, Malfoy?" she said as the whistle blew. She took off to her side of the pitch and kept an eye out for a certain golden ball.

Chayse moved to his side also watching down to the other players below. He kept his composure but he was worried. He had seen her play when she was upset. It was the main reason he always went to see her before games to make sure that she was calm. It was a dangerous job but it would be even worse if she was mad. She tended to score more goals and damage the keeper as she did. That was when he had tried out and gotten a spot on the team. After delinquency from their former captain the team voted him captain and since the whole Slytherin team had been based in the seventh year, another stupid thing the former captain had done, he had had to get a new team and make sure they were perfect for their first game. Cordelia had been on her team longer was now a captain too so he not only had to go against practically her whole family on the team but her brains which rivalled his own. Therefore he had trained with them over summer and made sure they were alright to train on their own as he couldn't be with them all the time. He usually snuck off when she went shopping with her mum, which was often anyway.

"And Cordelia Weasley has the quaffle, she dodges Malachi and Benjamin and is closely followed by Chris- what's this? She's signalling to her beaters. They're staying in front of her. If they don't move they- here comes the bludger, it's hit and it's aimed at their captain! Oh my they have brilliant aim. Oh wait, Cordy ducks below, Christian is hit in the chest, she shoots, and she scores! First ten points to Gryffindor!" The crowd went wild. "That was the best Doppleganger Defence I have seen in a while. Actually, it's the only one come to think of it. Lawrence and Francis should be proud of themselves. Together they pack quite a punch. Let's hope Christian wakes up this week." Christian finally hit the ground and the dust swept up around him as the whistle blew.

The players stopped flying and stationed themselves opposite their respective opponent Chasers at the bottom, beaters in their twos above and the two seekers at the top forming a pyramid of sorts. Cordelia watched her opposite, Benjamin who was looking down at Christian in concern. He then looked up at Cordelia. "Nice shot."

"Don't look at me, look at them." She pointed to the beaters above her. Francis and Lawrence waved with a wicked smile on their faces.

Christian got up and shook his head removing the dirt from the ground as he got back on his broom.

"And he's up ladies and Gentlemen!" The game resumed and the players spread out to their previous position as the quaffle was thrown up again.

"And Malachi takes the quaffle and doges the awry bludger backbeat from Vladimir which courses for Joanna Ferrer. Malachi heads for the Gryffindor keeper Derrick Weasley, one in the five Weasley to grace the Gryffindor team this year. And he scores! Ten points to Slytherin!" The crowd cheered, which was something now considered normal since two years ago. "Oh no! Joanna Ferrer has generated a fault while trying to stay on her broom. Apparently steadying yourself by grabbing onto the first thing you can is okay. Too bad it had to be the tail of Zabini's broom." He paused for a while as all players, save Benjamin Zabini and Derrick Weasley, emptied that side of the pitch to allow the penalty shot. "And Zabini is going to take the penalty." The crowd quietened down to mere excited whispers. "The whistle blows and there he goes straight ahead aims above - no left - no right and shoots left, he scores!"

***

"And here we are boys and girls. An hour and a half, three penalties, four feigned seeker attempts and seventeen goals later the scores are at one hundred and twenty to seventy on Gryffindor's side and we are all wondering exactly what is going on with our captain who seems to have a vendetta against all things male. Here she comes, joined by her chaser team mates after the latest goal by Slytherin and she's flying down the strip behind her two accomplices in a hawkshead formation ladies and gentleman!" The crowd screamed as there was other commotion on the other side. "And Chayse Malfoy sees the snitch! We wonder if this is another feigning attempt to confuse us as well as his opponent but no, the two seekers fly in unison! Meanwhile the Gryffindor beaters follow behind their captain and aim at her obstacles. The bludgers cross and hit each chaser that dare fly in Cordelia Weasley's way. Her sight is clear, she shoots! Mara, if you can wait a little longer!"

The crowd erupted once more. "And it's a long goal ladies and gentlemen, and what's this? Our two seekers have landed on the ground. They're rolling, they're rolling and I'm hoping they don't make a habit of this," he said a little more seriously. "They've stopped. Wow, what a game!" The crowd went silent as the referee flew down to them. She checked them both before seeing the snitch in one of their gloved hands. She stood and stretched an arm in one direction.

"Gryffindor win!"

***

"What did you do, memorise the handbook?"

Cordelia shrugged. "Maybe. I had to do something. I know you Chayse and I knew you were coming up with something sneaky in order to keep us from winning. Turns out I was right. You not only bring out a more or less all male team as the girls don't do anything except distract-."

"I'll have you know Francesca and Amandine are perfectly capable of playing the game."

"I bet they are," she said with a raised eyebrow. "Anyway, not only that but you bring out the hottest boys in school-."

"Who are the hottest boys in school?" Benjamin said as he waltzed over to them with the other chasers and the only male beater.

Cordelia brought her hand to her head before settling it on the wall she was leaning on. "This is so not the point here. You use them as a distraction for the girls on other teams and you use the girls on your teams so that the beaters go the wrong way. I had to do something."

"Yes but that doesn't mean you have to try and kill half my team, Cordy."

"What would you have me do then? Would you prefer me to go to your definition of sportsmanship? How about I start making out with Ben halfway through the game so you don't have enough concentration to find the snitch?"

Chayse glared at Benjamin. "Hey! Don't look at me like that, I didn't say it." Chayse cut his eye at him before looking at Cordelia.

"Fair enough, I admit that I perhaps used some of their physical attributes to steer the attention of our opponents but that was only after I saw your rigorous training sessions. You're like a sergeant or something it was harsh."

She smiled. "I was only doing it to -." She stopped and looked away.

"To what? Make a certain someone proud?" Her stare in other directions answered his question for him. He turned to his team. "I'll meet you back at the common room okay?" They nodded and left. When they were out of earshot he turned back to her. "You really need to get over this, you know."

She uncrossed her arms at his statement and looked at him incredulously. "What?"

"I know that you're upset he couldn't come today but you will have to get use to it sometime."

"Chayse, I don't think you understand what I'm going through."

"I understand it, Cordelia. He is my father. You think you're the only one to have someone miss something important to you? I am sure you've never had that happen to you before but let me tell you something-."

"Don't drill me, Chayse-."

"Well somebody has to!" She drew back a little. She hadn't seen him like that before. He stepped back and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry." He looked at her. "Listen, your mum - Ginny, I'm sure she's never missed any venue you have hosted and I'm happy for you. Okay? I am. I never had a mother to go to all of my special occasions." He noticed her rolling eyes and exhaled heavily. "Yes, yes I'm moaning about not having a mother again, wah, wah." She stood straight but looked away stubbornly. He moved so she was forced to look him in the eye. "I learned to deal with it. My father is a busy man and now that there is that position open in the ministry where he could be promoted, he is going to be working extra hours and then some to get it. He has to work for it, like he has been working since I was born. Sometimes he gets free time and sometimes he doesn't. Sometimes he gets free time and then he gets called in again." He then stood back knowing she would follow him with her eyes. "You," he pointed, "have to understand he doesn't mean for it to happen. It just does." He paused and waited for her to process it. He could see her guilty face forming already. Good, perhaps she could get some sense into her before she saw her mother. "Deal with it, Cordelia, or else you're going to hate him, when you should really hate the people who are working him to the bone." He stepped away from her and began walking away leaving her to think about what he said. "Ginny's waiting at the front for you to say goodbye."

***

"How was it, who won?" Draco said as he threw himself into a chair tiredly.

She handed him a steaming cup which he took in gratitude. "Cordelia won."

"Oh dear, how did Astie take that?" he said looking at her from his seat. He took her hand and pulled her onto him.

"Actually," she said getting comfortable, "he seemed more concerned about Cordy. He kept saying she was fine but I could see it, something was wrong. When I saw her I could see what he was concerned about."

"Because I wasn't there," he said knowingly.

She buried her head by his neck and sighed. "I think so."

"How did she like my congratulatory present?"

She smiled then. "She said she loved it and to tell you thank you, she seemed happy about that.

"Really?"

"Yeah, she said not to make a habit of it though, that she'd run out of space. Was it an ornament or something?"

He frowned. No it wasn't. Why would she say that? "Yeah, yes it was." Ginny nodded and put her head back as he thought about it.

***

Cordelia went back to her room after saying goodnight to her mother. She had asked about the present and what it was. Honestly, she had no idea. It had crashed so it was fragile somewhat. The shattering sounded like glass so she had just assumed it was some ornament of sorts that sparkled in glass or something. She didn't even know where it was. Probably still on the floor of the changing rooms. She hadn't cared about it but that guilt trip Chayse had taken her on made her wish she hadn't broken it. If she went for it tomorrow, she could always reparo it to see what it was. Right now all she wanted to do was get to bed and possibly cry for being such an idiot for thinking those things of her father. She knew it wasn't his fault but, now having something she never did before and yet not having it with her anyway was all the more worse than not having it at all.

***

The next night at dinner, Cordelia distanced herself from everybody. Even though she was in the middle, the seats on her left and right were empty as if she was saving them. Truth be told, no one was sitting next to her because they knew what mood she was in. A not so good mood that only one person was able to fix.

Cordelia rolled her eyes as the seat next to her was filled. Insert said person, she thought to herself.

"Hey," he said.

She didn't look at him. "Evening."

Chayse looked around him, at all the... red. "Gryffindors," he acknowledged.

They nodded curtly. "Malfoy," came the polite reply.

That done, as he had promised a long time ago to be polite, he looked at his best friend and sister. "Okay, I'm sorry."

She turned to him. "What for?" she said.

He narrowed his eyes and searched hers as if she was testing him. "For what I said yesterday."

"Why? It was the truth wasn't it?" She bored into him.

Suddenly for the first time in a long time, Chayse Sebastian Malfoy felt uncomfortable. He knew from experience that any answer he gave, which was in fact limited to two, would be the wrong one. If he didn't answer at all he would be showing a side of himself that the school had never seen. The unsure side.

And she knew it better than he did.

"I know what you need," he settled with.

She looked down at her Shepherd's pie and sighed resting her head on the table next to her plate. Her hair fell over her face. "A psychiatrist?" He shook his head and took advantage of her pie with the fork next to the plate.

"Nope."

She tried, "A rope?" enunciating each word.

He shook his head again, not that she could see him anyway and continued eating. "No, you need our father." It felt so natural saying it now and their friends were so used to hearing it now that they didn't smile or whisper anymore.

"And how are you going to do that if he's working?" she said as if she couldn't be bothered but inside she was actually interested.

He brought the fork down to take another bite. "By-." He stopped and the small group around them that could see jumped when Cordelia's left hand snapped up and grabbed his wrist millimetres away from the mashed potato.

"I may not be able to see you but don't think I can't hear you eating my food." She raised her head and the group around them continued as if they'd never stopped. Cordelia stared at him and then took away her fork and continued eating. "Go on." She motioned for him to continue. He nodded briefly while watching her eat. Where did that come from? he thought.

"Yeah, so - um by making him stay home."

"Chayse," she said in an obvious way. "He can't stay home if he's working for a promotion."

"No, not unless he has the promotion." She turned to look at him with the fork in her mouth. She cocked an eyebrow. He answered her question before she even thought it. "We're gonna get it for him."

"What?" He looked serious. "You can't be serious."

"I am deadly serious."

"Chayse - it doesn't make any..." She watched him take a slip of parchment from his pocket, fold it and put it under a plate as he passed it down the table. When he turned back he found her watching him. "What was that?"

He looked behind to what she was pointing at. "Oh that -," he gestured with a wave of the hand, "- nothing. Nothing - so you were saying it made no sense?" he continued resting his chin on a propped up hand and looking extremely interested in what she had to say.

And she took the bait. "Yes I was. Even if we tried, we can't do much anyway because we're still here - why are you smiling like that?"

Chayse dropped the sudden smile he didn't know he was sporting. "What? I don't know what you mean." He knew that 'I know you're up to something,' look that she was giving him and as her mouth opened and her finger pointed to ask the question, he exhaled. "Look," he began cutting her off. "You want him. I'm getting him for you. Okay, I know it's gonna be hard. I am getting something out of this too so at least we know it'll get done and we can share it."

"Share what?"

He smiled that, 'You're right, I am up to something,' smile.

"I have a plan," he said as his slip of parchment was destroyed at the Slytherin table.