Caught Looking Again

"You're girlfriend has been acting wonky lately," Harry informed Ron, sliding into a booth at the Leaky Cauldron.

"So has yours," Ron countered, causing Harry to groan like the put-upon martyr he was.

"For the last time," Harry said, enunciating every word clearly, "Ginny and I are not dating."

"Well, Hermione thinks you should be," Ron said with a shrug.

"And being as whipped as you are," Harry elaborated, his eyebrows raised in a way strangely reminiscent of Draco Malfoy, "you agree with whatever Hermione says."

"I am not whipped," Ron denied.

"Whipped," Harry said archly. "Completely and totally whipped. Which is why I refuse to date Ginny. She'd have me whipped in no time at all."

"That's the only reason?" Ron enquired.

"No way, Weasley," Harry said warningly. "We are not having this conversation right now."

"Fine," Ron said. "Just as long as we both understand that you fancy my little sister."

"I don't," Harry insisted in defeated tones. He never won this argument.

"You do," Ron said, somewhat unoriginally.

Harry groaned, before deliberately and obviously changing the subject. "So, how 'bout them Cannons?"

Ron launched enthusiastically into a discussion of the Chudley Cannons last game. Harry listened with half an ear, whilst gazing dazedly around the pub.

His eyes, and interest, were caught abruptly by a beautiful dark-haired girl who was sitting all by her lonesome at a corner table.

"Who is that?" Harry asked, interrupting Ron's detailed description of the rather superb Sloth Grip Roll performed by the Cannons seeker.

Ron followed Harry's gaze to the girl, and shrugged. "Dunno," he said. "I've never seen her before."

"Well, there's only one thing to do..." Harry said, rising from his seat. Ron grabbed his wrist and yanked him back down.

"What about Ginny?" Ron asked in a scandalized voice.

"We've been over this before," Harry said. "I don't fancy Ginny in the slightest, nor does she fancy me."

Ron rolled his eyes. "Who are you trying to kid? She fancies the pants off you, and it's obvious that you reciprocate those feelings."

"Reciprocate?" Harry echoed in surprised tones. "Hermione's really been rubbing off on you, hasn't she?"

"Maybe," Ron said. "But that's not the point. Don't go over and talk to that girl. You will regret it."

"I can assure you I won't," Harry said, and got up and left before Ron could say another word.

He swaggered over to the dark haired girl, smirking in what he hoped was a seductive manner. She quickly noticed his approach, and watched him with raised eyebrows and a rather devious smirk of her own.

"Hello," Harry said in a smooth voice. "Mind if I sit down?"

"Not at all," the girl replied lightly. "Have a seat."

Instead of simply sitting down, Harry grabbed the chair and turned it backwards with a quick flick of his wrist and straddled it, resting his arms on the backrest.

"What's a nice girl like you doing in a place like this?" Harry asked.

"Trying to avoid guys with horrible pick-up lines like that one," she replied snarkily. "Honestly, aren't you even going to ask my name?"

"I figured you'd tell me on your own if I waited long enough," Harry replied with a shrug.

"Don't hold your breath," she replied wryly. Her eyes flicked upward, and then widened. "Are you Harry Potter?"

Harry sighed. "Guilty as charged."

"You are just full of clichés this evening, aren't you?" the girl asked.

"I can't help it," Harry said. "It sort of goes with the whole 'Boy Hero' thing."

"Looks like your friends have arrived," the girl said, gesturing back to the booth Harry had just left. He turned, and saw that, sure enough, Hermione and Ginny had just arrived.

"Itwould seem that way," Harry said. His three friends were conversing in hushed tones, frequently throwing furtive glances in his direction.

"So you'll be leaving, then?" the girl asked.

"Not under threat of torture," Harry said, looking at her once again.

"That was a pretty nice line, for a boy hero," she commended him. "You're improving with practice."

"I'm a quick learner," Harry drawled. Hearing footsteps behind him, he turned to see Ginny making her way towards them, a pained look on her face.

"I've been sent to retrieve you," she explained, rolling her eyes. "Shows what they know."

"Have a seat," the dark haired girl invited, and Ginny sat down beside Harry. "Why did they send you to retrieve Harry?" she asked interestedly.

"Because they have this crazy idea that Harry and I are soul mates, or some such nonsense," Ginny said exasperatedly.

The girl nodded understandingly. "I know what you mean. Everyone has told me since I was young that my boyfriend and I are made for each other."

"You have a boyfriend?" Ginny asked. "Well, that will put Ron's mind at ease."

"Speaking of which," the girl said, checking her watch, "my boyfriend is going to be here any minute. You two might want to clear off."

"Why?" Ginny asked.

"Erm...Am I right in assuming that you're Ginny Weasley?" the girl asked. When Ginny nodded, the girl continued hurriedly. "My boyfriend doesn't particularly like either of you."

"Who's your boyfriend?" Harry asked.

"Draco Malfoy," the girl said airily.

"What did you say your name was?" Ginny asked, a shrewd look on her face.

"I didn't say," the girl replied, rolling her eyes. "But, I suppose you have a right to know, as your soul mate has been flirting rather badly with me."

Ginny giggled, and Harry blushed.

"I'm Pansy Parkinson," the girl said, smirking rather evilly at Harry, who then commenced banging his head against the table.

"Harry's a tad dramatic," Ginny apologized. "Please excuse him."

"Ron was right," Harry groaned, still beating his head against the wood.

"Ron is right more often than you think," Ginny said wisely. "But we better make our exit before Malfoy comes in here and starts hexing us."

Harry and Ginny both stood up and started to leave. Harry turned back and said, "Nice talking to you, Pansy." He then shook his head as if clearing it and added, "I never thought I'd say that."

Pansy just laughed, and waggled her fingers at them in a parting gesture.

Harry and Ginny soon sat back into the booth with Ron and Hermione. This was a good thing, as the two were starting to get rather cuddly in a way that wasn't appropriate for a public place.

"Get a room, you two," Ginny said scathingly.

"Sorry," Ron said, although one could tell by looking at his face that he didn't mean it. "Did you find out who that girl was?"

"Pansy Parkinson," Ginny said, causing Ron to choke on his firewhiskey and start coughing. Hermione just shook her head amusedly.

"How was I supposed to know?" Harry pleaded.

"You shouldn't have been flirting with her anyway," Hermione chided. "If you're going to flirt with anyone, it should be Ginny."

Harry and Ginny both rolled their eyes and exchanged understanding looks.

"When are you two going to give it up?" Ginny asked. "Harry and I are friends."

"We'll never give up," Ron said, having stopped coughing. "You two are meant for each other."

Harry recommenced banging his head into the table, whilst Ginny looked on sympathetically.

"How can we convince you that we don't fancy each other?" Ginny asked. "Really, if you'll leave us alone for once, we'll do whatever we can."

"You could kiss each other," Hermione said hastily. "If there are no sparks, Ron and I will leave you alone forever."

"At least until the next time," Ron added.

The beat of Harry's skull hitting the hard wood of the table noticeably increased in tempo.

"I agree with Harry," Ginny said. "The answer is an emphatic no."

"Then we'll never leave you alone," Hermione said. "We'll just nag you about it until you are forced to surrender."

"Fine," Harry said, ceasing his pounding. It was giving him a headache. "We'll do it."

"We most certainly will not," Ginny argued heatedly. "For one thing - "

Harry effectively stopped any arguments she may have had by kissing her soundly. Approximately ten seconds later they broke apart, both out of breath.

"There, you see?" Ginny said, although her flushed cheeks and sparkling eyes belied her matter-of-fact tone. "Nothing. No sparks."

"Now, that sort of thing is completely inappropriate for public areas," Pansy shouted across the pub. "I thought you two didn't fancy each other."

"Long story," Ginny explained. Pansy snorted and went back to nursing her Mai Tai.

Any shouted conversation they may have started was broken off by the abrupt apparation of one, Draco Malfoy.

"Hello, darling," Draco said smoothly, planting a brief kiss on Pansy's lips and sitting down. "Sorry I'm late. Were you terribly bored?"

"I managed to entertain myself," Pansy said sardonically. "But I'm glad you're here."

The four former Gryffindors burst out laughing, causing Draco to turn around and survey them disdainfully.

"If it isn't the Fantastic Four," he said. "To hear my father tell it, you boys can't keep a proper hold on your women. Practically drooling, it was scandalous."

"What?" Ron and Harry asked together, both looking confused. Hermione and Ginny shot Draco you're-going-to-die-slowly-cut-into-a-thousand-pieces-if-you-don't-shut-up glares, to which Draco replied only with his trademark smirk.

"Stop harassing the plebeians," Pansy admonished. "They aren't worth it."

"You're right as always, my love," Draco said, turning obediently back to his own table.

"Whipped," Harry said loudly, and Ginny made accompanying whiplash noises.

"Now," Ron said, eyeing the girls with a stern glare. "What did Malfoy mean by drooling?"