Bad Boys Are Good

"What?" Hermione squeaked.

Draco gave her a look. It was almost completely his usual trademark smirk - with just a hint of sincerity and pleading in his grey eyes. "I think you should go to the Yule Ball with me."

Hermione wanted to ask him why she should go with an obnoxious git who insulted her friends and called her derogatory names. Instead she asked, curiously "Why would you want to go with me?"

"Well, it would really irritate Potter and the Wease...I mean Weasley. Then," Draco looked at her warily before continuing "there's the fact that you look amazing, are really smart, and"

"And you think a few compliments are enough for me to..."

"Well, there is the part of you getting to dance with the best looking guy at Hogwarts."

"Conceited ape."

Draco turned away. "I take it that's a no."

********

Later, in the Gryffindor dormitory, Hermione discussed the incident with Ginny.

"I don't want to tell Ron. Two years ago, when I went with Victor, he accused me of..."

"Ron's an idiot." Ginny laughed.

"No, he's not!" Hermione watched as Ginny gave her an amused look. "OK he is." Hermione fiddled with the edge of a book. "Do you think Draco may have some awful purpose? Maybe I should say yes and find out what he really wants?"

"What if all he wants is a snog?"

"Ugh."

"Hermione, you know he's one of the best looking boys at the school."

"That's what he tells me anyway."

Ginny giggled.

********

Meanwhile, in the Slytherin Common Room, Draco plotted, ignoring his open History of Magic textbook. Plotting had always been one of Draco's favorite pastimes - lately it had become an obsession.

As a Slytherin, as a Malfoy, he burned with the desire to succeed, to rule at any cost. Draco knew, no matter what he said, that Voldemort was a losing proposition. Even his father, eager to grab power, had refused to let his son join the Death Eaters. There would be time enough for that if Voldemort won. In the mean time, the Malfoys would act as they always did, straddling two camps, and being loyal only to themselves. Draco admired his father's strategy.

Only this time the usual schemes weren't enough. Last year, Draco thought he was making progress. He had been a prefect - a member of the Inquisitorial Squad. As awful as Umbridge was, she favored the Slytherins. Draco had relished every moment of Ministry backed power. His father had been proud of him.

Draco bit his lip using the pain to hold back the tears. His father was in Azkaban awaiting trial - Draco didn't know how long he'd stay there before breaking out and joining the Dark Lord. There wasn't money enough in the world to bribe a jury this time. Draco was terrified that his father, brilliant and ruthless, would be lost.

Ministry officials had impounded most of the Malfoy wealth (fortunately both his mother and he had separate untouchable well-filled bank accounts). His mother, once a member of the wizarding social elite - now lived like a hermit. Draco knew she burned to reunite with his father and her sister - but stayed for him. Stayed watched by those damn Aurors, just so that Draco would have a home to return to.

Reading wizarding history and fiction, Draco wondered why anyone ever proclaimed themselves evil. It seemed to be an immediate path to destruction. Draco wanted to win. So far he had suffered only ignominious defeat.

Draco remembered the look on his mother's face when she picked him up covered with hexes; Draco would forever be haunted by that look. She didn't reproach him. Nevertheless, Draco knew his homecoming last summer only added to his mother's burdens. He was a Malfoy. He was expected to win.

Beneath his pride in blood and family, Draco feared he lacked the essentials for winning. Where his father was ruthless, Draco knew himself to be spoiled and petty. Time and again he had lost to Potter and his crowd. A Malfoy shouldn't feel unworthy, but deep down, barely admitting it to himself, Draco feared himself to be lacking.

He needed to change sides - to hide himself and his dark thoughts amid the cheery banter of the "good guys". Unfortunately, Draco knew he had probably missed his chance. His stint as an Inquisitorial Squad member caused even those students willing to overlook his snide comments and war with Potter, to curse him. Draco imagined them gleefully repeating the story of his comeuppance - fearfully swatting away bat bogeys.

Truthfully, Draco didn't want to change. He understood the importance of fooling nosy teachers and students, but his pride and his heart rebelled at what he perceived as a rejection of his father. No. Lucius would be the first to tell him to switch sides. He could always plan revenge after he was safe.

Draco had decided that easiest way to be perceived as "good" was to date one of the Gryffindor "heroines". His first thought had been the littlest Weasel. He rejected the idea out of hand. Ginny had been too close to the dark side, (closer in fact than he, Draco, had ever been allowed to come) and Draco needed someone whose reputation was impeccable. Furthermore, Draco refused to take Potter's leavings. Any idiot could see that after Ginny was through dating the Michael Corner and Dean Thomas' she would end up with Potter. Potter had saved her - they were destined for each other.

So he had begun to dwell on Hermione - the Gryffindor super-achiever. She was a mudblood - but as long as the Dark Lord stayed away from Hogwarts concentrating on the world at large, that might work to his advantage. His falling for a mudblood would be proof that he had changed - busybodies wouldn't question him further.

When had she started figuring in his fantasies? It wasn't just her newly perfected and radiant smile, or her maturing figure, Draco admired Hermione's ambition, her courage - hell he just admired her, and if he were honest he always had.

It depressed him. If this didn't work, they would probably end up hexing each other across a battlefield. He didn't want to die like that.

Draco sat up. Of course his plan would work. He was gorgeous, a great catch - better than the Weasel. Draco smirked. Getting Hermione to go with him to the Yule Ball would be perfect. If she went with him, everyone would believe he had reformed - so he wouldn't actually have to do anything but be his charming self. Furthermore, Weasley would be green with jealousy - he'd match the Christmas decorations.