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More Important Things	By : twitchelittleferret Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Harry/Hermione Views: 15269 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

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Martyrdom is a Bitch

I'm sober now for 3 whole months, it's one accomplishment that you helped me with

The one thing that always tore us apart is the one thing that I won't touch again

In a sick way I want to thank you for holding my head up late at night

While I was busy waging wars on myself, you were trying to stop the fight

You never doubted my warped opinions on things like suicidal hate

You made me compliment myself when it was way too hard to take

So I'll drive so fucking far away that I'll never cross your mind

And do whatever it takes in your heart to leave me behind

Hate me today

Hate me tomorrow

Hate me for all the things I didn't do for you

Hate me in ways, yeah ways hard to swallow

Hate me so you can finally see whats good for you

(Hate Me—Blue October)

~*~

Harry let the stream of hot water hit his face before turning around to rinse the shampoo out of his hair. He could hear Ron and Seamus in a heated discussion about the latest Cannon loss.

�They need to get rid of Thompson,� Ron was saying. �He�s the worst Chaser ever in the history of the league. Where did they get that guy?�

Suddenly there was a loud blaring alarm and the guys groaned. Neville rushed into the bathroom. �Fire alarm guys! That�s the fire alarm!�

�Yeah we noticed Nev,� Seamus said grumpily.

Harry stepped out of the shower, wrapped a towel around his waist and grabbed his glasses. Following proper protocol, they headed downstairs to the common room to wait for the Head Boy or Girl and Professor Tonks. They arrived promptly and began to search the tower.

�Do you know who did it? Is there a fire? Is the tower going to burn down?� Colin Creevey was flitting from person to person, bouncing up and down like a nervous squirrel.

�Nice boxers Ron,� Ginny said wryly. He turned bright red when he realized that he was wearing bright orange boxers with �Cannons� printed all over it. Hermione was standing next to her, not even bothering to hide the amused grin on her face as she looked over the states of the Gryffindor seventh year men in the morning. Harry did his usual routine of mentally undressing her, taking in the standard white shirt of her uniform, untucked, the skirt falling to the middle of her thigh. She hadn�t put on her socks and shoes yet so he got the privilege of checking out her legs. He would�ve felt bad about it if he didn�t know that she was doing the exact same thing to him. If there was any indication from the slight flushed look she had.

He met her gaze and she rolled her eyes at his knowing smirk. He walked over with Ron and stood next to her. �Hermione if you wanted to see me half-naked, you didn�t have to start a fire.�

�Aren�t you cute?� she replied. �I�ve already seen the goods. I think your fan club wanted to put the whole Hungarian Horntail tattoo issue to rest,� she said, nodding to a corner of the room.

Harry looked up and saw Romilda Vane amongst a group of other Gryffindor females checking him out blatantly. He suddenly realized that coming down directly from the shower, still wet with only a towel wrapped around his waist probably wasn�t helping him any. He slinked behind Hermione who shook her head and giggled at him with Ginny.

�Oh hush up,� he said to the red head, �this is partially your fault for that rumor.�

�I thought I was doing you a favor at the time,� Ginny teased.

�How would you like it if we pulled the fire alarm just to see you guys out of the shower?� Ron asked, bravely stepping into the conversation.

�Like you haven�t?� Hermione shot back. There were several false alarms during the year that were suspiciously around the time that the girls usually occupied the showers. Seamus and Dean shuffled away suspiciously.

�I just use my invisibility cloak,� Harry said with a grin.

�Ugh, you are such a perv,� Hermione scoffed.

�Maybe,� Harry shrugged. �What time were you going to take a shower tonight?�

�Will you guys cut out the verbal foreplay?� Ginny scolded them both.

�There was no verbal foreplay,� Hermione snapped back.

�Yeah, verbal foreplay would be if I said how much I missed that Prefect�s bathroom,� Harry replied with an innocent smile.

�Oh, I just did NOT hear that,� Ron said, walking away from him and covering his ears.

�Harry, I will not stand for another word about Romilda Vane!� Hermione said in a loud voice. �Honestly!�

�Hermione!� Harry hissed at her. She only gave him a wicked smile and walked away from him with Ginny.

Harry bravely chanced a glance in Romilda�s direction and saw that she had a grin on her face like Christmas had come again. He inwardly grimaced and scampered over to the other guys. Safety in numbers. And when Tonks announced that it was, indeed, a false alarm and that they were allowed to return to their dorms, Harry sprinted past Romilda and her banshees before any one of them could sink their talons into him.

~*~

Hermione and Ginny caught up with Luna just outside the Great Hall. �Careful Hermione,� the Ravenclaw said to her. �The weather is a bit frosty in there.�

The fire alarm had made the Gryffindors a little behind schedule so even though Hermione and Ginny were one of the firsts to arrive at the table, the Great Hall was already buzzing with activity.

�What are you talking about?� Ginny asked.

�This,� Luna said, handing them a copy of Witch Weekly. Hermione plopped down into her seat as she read the article.

A Hero�s Heartbreak

By Rita Skeeter

�Oh that wretched little beetle,� Hermione said as she scanned the article. A picture of Harry surrounded by Neville, Ron, Seamus and Dean was plastered in the middle of it. �She�s making me out to be a�a��

�Cold hearted bitch?� Ginny finished.

�Exactly!�

�You don�t think Harry had something to do with this?� Ginny asked.

Hermione shook her head. �No, he can�t stand the woman. And something tells me that he�s not going to be too happy about this article.�

�Hermione?�

Romilda Vane stood at the opposite end of the table from where Hermione sat. She was flanked by her usual group of twittering twits. �I just wanted to let you know that what you have done to Harry is absolutely despicable. If Harry knows what�s best for him, he�ll stay far away from you, you lecherous worm.� Ginny and Hermione raised their eyebrows as they looked at one another. Lecherous worm, eh? That was new and creative. �Don�t even think about getting back together with him. Just leave the poor guy alone. There are others that are so much better for him.�

With a flick of her hair she marched down the table to her seat. �Wow, huh?� Hermione said as she poured herself some pumpkin juice.

�Geez, I�m beginning to feel a little sorry for Harry,� Ginny replied, taking a muffin from the basket on the table.

�Well, we�ll find out real soon how interesting this is going to get,� Luna said, motioning to the door of the Hall.

Harry, Ron and Neville walked into the Great Hall, Harry still awkward and grumpy about the morning incident. He spotted Hermione, Ginny and Luna at the table and headed in their direction. Neville had just sat down next to him when he was rudely shoved out of his seat.

�What the--?�
�Hello, Harry,� Lavender said as she inserted herself next to him. Ron just stared at the crazy girl.

�Er�hello?� Harry replied, completely caught off guard by her. He scooted away from her, bumping into Ron who spilled pumpkin juice onto the table as he poured some into his cup. Lavender quickly closed the gap.

�I heard that you like muffins,� she cooed and Neville, who had regained his seat, nearly fell out of it again, �so I took the liberty of saving you your favorite kind. Blueberry?� she offered the bread to him.

�Er,� Harry looked around him and saw that the guys around him were doing a piss poor job of acting nonchalant about this new turn of events. But Harry was always a polite one. �Thank you,� he said quietly as he took the muffin from her. He looked at it suspiciously, remembering the chocolates that Romilda had given him that had a love potion in it. He was frantically coming up with some excuse to not eat the muffin when he was saved by all people�Romilda.

�Hi there Harry,� she said, inserting herself on the other side of him, shoving Ron out of the way. He protested loudly as he spilled eggs on his lap. �I knew you would be hungry so I made up this plate for you,� she said as she placed a dish of eggs, bacon, toast and potatoes before him. It really was a nice dish, something he would�ve made up himself. In fact, this is exactly what he would�ve made up himself and he wondered, briefly, just how close an eye Romilda was keeping on him.

�Um, thank you?� he said politely. There was no way in hell he�d ever accept any food or drink from her. He learned his lesson.

�He doesn�t want your stupid food,� Lavender said next to him.

�Do you honestly think he wants your stupid muffin?� Romilda shot back.

Harry was caught between them as they spat nasty things back and forth between them. To be quite honest, he didn�t want Lavender�s muffin or Romilda�s breakfast plate. What he really wanted had just left the table with her books.

Although it had been amusing to her at first, Hermione could stand the two girls quarreling over a very disinterested Harry but then it began to gnaw at her. Despite her friendly and playful demeanor to him, she was still hopelessly in love with the git and it didn�t make it any less painful to watch these girls throw themselves at him. Oh, she knew that Harry wasn�t interested but it still didn�t mean that it didn�t hurt on some level.

She sighed as she sat down in the library and pulled out her books to study.

�Potter�s Merry Band of Simpering Ninnies run you out of the Great Hall?�

Hermione looked over at Draco who was sitting at a table across from hers. He was slowly turning the pages of a book.

�I was finished with breakfast,� she replied as she took out her books.

�Surprising considering every one of those girls looked like they wanted nothing better than to crucify you since reading that article. How is our broken-hearted hero this morning?�

Hermione narrowed her eyes at him. �I didn�t think you perused the tomes of Witch Weekly.�

Draco shrugged. �Had to read something on the loo this morning and Pansy keeps leaving her shit all over my room when she spends the night.� Hermione shifted uncomfortably. He leaned forward, �I can tell you this stuff now since I know you won�t take points away from me.�

�I doubt I�m one of the privileged few who hears the sordid details of your love life,� she muttered.

�I guess that was a bit tactless of me to say that since yours is splashed all over the cover of Witch Weekly.�

�Whatever, Draco,� she sighed as she returned to her book. He watched her for a moment before speaking up again.

�How are you doing?� he asked.

�What?� she asked irritably.

�It�s a genuine question.�

�I�m fine,� she answered curtly.

Draco shrugged. �Sorry for asking but you did give up your Head Girl position. I just want to make sure you aren�t going to stain Hogwart�s grounds with your filthy blood when you jump from the Astronomy Tower.�

�I wouldn�t do you that big of a favor of ridding myself from you that quickly,� Hermione sneered.

�Shame. Let me know if you need a push.�

�I�ll do that.�

Pansy had walked into the room at this moment and Hermione returned to her books. Was she going to have to put up with this again all day long? She briefly wondered how Harry was faring and if anyone had yet told or showed him the article. She was curious to see his reaction to it since he was the one who had once again kicked her to the curb. Argh!!!! The very thought of him doing that made her angry all over again.

�Draco!� She heard Pansy giggle softly and she looked up to see that Pansy had slithered onto Draco�s lap and was facing him as she kissed him on the lips. Hermione couldn�t see where Draco�s hands were and she didn�t want to find out.

She slammed her book shut and stood up abruptly from the chair. �Could you two be a little more courteous to your fellow students who are trying to study by NOT snogging in the library?� she said to them before she left in a huff.

~*~

Harry�s stomach grumbled loudly as he tickled the pear, letting the portrait door swing open so he could step into the kitchen. Luna and Ron followed him as they stepped into the middle of the clean up.

�Harry Potter!� Dobby squeaked when he saw him. The little elf scrambled over to him. Luna peered around curiously.

�Hey Dobby,� Harry said, kneeling to the elf�s level. �Do you have any breakfast left over?� he asked.

Dobby�s eyes grew huge. �Did Mr. Harry not eat?� he asked, horrified.

�It was a rough morning,� he replied awkwardly. The little elf scurried away among the other elves that were carrying pots and pans to be cleaned while others were sorting the clean dishes quickly into their proper places.

�I don�t know what has gotten into people today,� Harry sighed as he took his first delicious bite of breakfast in peace and without threat of a love potion.

Luna looked guilty and sighed. �It�s because of this,� she said as she pulled out Witch Weekly. Ron took it from her and blanched at the title of the article.

�Oh God, what?� Harry groaned as he ate his bacon and eggs.

�Well, let�s just say it was written by Rita Skeeter,� Ron replied.

Harry winced. �Harry believe me when I say that Hermione knows you had nothing to do with this,� Luna added quickly and firmly.

Harry looked alarmed. �What does the article say, Ron?�

Ron skimmed over it. �Basically that you are the tragic broken-hearted hero and that Hermione is the cold-hearted bitch that did you in.�

�WHAT?!� Harry dropped his fork and snatched the magazine from his friend to read for himself.

Luna and Ron watched Harry�s face progress from mild alarm to down right pale and sickly-looking. Luna wondered briefly if she should conjure up some sort of basin before Harry lost his breakfast all over the little house elves. Poor guy wasn�t going to have a decent breakfast after all.

�I guess that�s why the girls are all acting like a bunch of nifflers in heat,� Ron said.

�I have to find Hermione and explain�� Harry really did look like he was going to be sick.

�Harry,� Luna cut in quickly, �trust me when I say that Hermione did not believe one word of this rubbish and that she knows that you had nothing to do with this article. It didn�t bother her�really!� she added for emphasis at Harry�s disbelieving face.

Harry wanted to believe her. He really did but some part of him still wanted to speak with Hermione. To let her know for sure that he absolutely had nothing to do with this. He didn�t want her made out to be the bad guy in their break up. It had been him. All his fault. Maybe he could explain this to her, to someone, so they would stop harassing him and giving Hermione death glares.

�Hermione, believe me when I say I had no idea about this article or why we are even in it in the first place!� he whispered to her in Charms class.

�Harry, I know,� she said to him patiently although he could detect a hint of irritation in her voice.

�It�s just that I—�

�It comes with the territory, Harry. Celebrity life is always in the spotlight. Every move you make from here on out will be front page on some gossip column.�

Harry hated that. Ever since he had come into the wizarding world, he had felt that everyone was watching his every move, putting his life under a microscope. He thought the culmination of it happened in his fourth year when he was duped into participating in the Tri-Wizard tournament.

But he tried to stay near Hermione even though she was doing a really good impression of ducking away from him, leaving his side whenever another female walked by. He was getting really tired of their withering looks that they were casting Hermione and began to return their simpering looks with glares of irritation. It wasn�t that hard to do.

But his patience was wearing thin. Every moment he had alone, some female from whatever house had inserted herself next to him. He had to endure their starry-eyed dreamy looks whenever he walked into a room. He was beginning to think that returning back to Hogwarts was a bad idea indeed. This whole situation was getting out of control, these girls had driven Hermione into the sanctuary of her room where he could not go and see her. And he still desperately wanted her company. It was selfish of him but no matter how painful it was, he took secret delight in watching her from across the room. Every little idiosyncrasy she had, every little habit she had just tugged at him. He loved those moments when their eyes would lock, stilling everything around them before one of them finally had the courage to look away.

But now he didn�t have a moment alone and he hadn�t seen Hermione except in classes and the hurried exchanges between them in the halls when no other girls were in sight.

*

Hermione was currently seeking solace in the third floor girl�s lavatory. The only place nobody would disturb her as she studied. She was sitting in one of the stalls, idly turning the pages of her book when she heard the door open slowly and the footsteps of someone coming in.

Surprised and curious, she stilled herself and didn�t make a sound as she heard some rustling of cloth of what sounded as if someone slid to the ground.

�You�re tired again,� came the ethereal voice of Moaning Myrtle. There was no reply for the longest time and for a moment Hermione wondered if she had heard right before a very familiar voice replied.

�What would you do if you had this secret? A task you were put to that you didn�t want? A thing you may have gotten yourself into and now you have no idea of how to get yourself out of this mess?�

�Something tells me that that isn�t pumpkin juice you�re drinking,� she heard Myrtle say.

She heard Draco laugh softly. �No, it isn�t. But you�re not going to tell are you?� There was silence again. �I suppose I don�t have a choice do I? He�ll kill my mum. He�s a bastard you know. Loves playing me against my father, using his death threats to control me. And you know what? I let him. I let him because I�m weak, I�m selfish, I�m cowardly, I�m arrogant, I�m—� He cut off when he heard a soft shuffling sound followed by the brief creak of a lavatory door being opened.

Moaning Myrtle swooped down on Hermione. �HOW DARE YOU SNEAK IN HERE!� Hermione jumped back.

There was a low chuckle and Hermione could see through Myrtle at Draco sitting on the floor, his flask dangling from his hand between his bent knees. He didn�t have his cloak on and his tie was undone, his sleeves rolled up his arms. She walked through the ghost since she couldn�t really brush her aside, ignoring the chill of having to pass through her. Myrtle let out a sound of indignation at the action but Hermione ignored her, marching directly toward Draco, hands on her hips.

�Drunk again, Draco?� she asked.

�It really irks you that you can�t take points away from me at this moment, doesn�t it?� he replied, smirking up at her.

�I can always tell a Prefect.�

Myrtle swooped in again. �Get rid of her Draco. She�s nothing but a no good tattle-tale. She�s not so innocent. She and the red head and Harry Potter were in here years ago illegally brewing potions!�

Draco quirked an eyebrow up. �Reeeaaallly?�

�I don�t have time for this,� Hermione said impatiently and turned to leave. Draco scrambled to his feet and went after her, just barely catching her before she left the lavatory.

�You know, the last time you eavesdropped on me, you landed yourself in quite the predicament,� he said.

�I wasn�t eavesdropping. I was already in here when you came in.�

�How convenient.�

�What are you going to do, Draco? Cast the Sectumsempra on me again?�

His grip on her arm tightened and his face grew dark. � I never meant to hurt you. I had honestly forgotten about it until Potter decided to take a little stroll in your mind.�

�How convenient,� she replied.

�I swear that when I cast it, I was a different person.�

�Yeah, I know. You told me before,� she interrupted him.

Draco opened his mouth to say something but was interrupted when someone opened the door. Hermione shoved Malfoy under the sink, out of sight.

�Hermione?� Rebecca Manning poked her head into the door, Hermione blocked most of her view. �What are you doing in here talking to yourself?� she asked.

�Oh, um, I�m not talking to myself,� Hermione replied. �I was�talking to�� Draco bit his lip in anticipation. ��Myrtle.�

Rebecca looked at her. �Moaning Myrtle?�

Myrtle appeared above Hermione. �Yes, me. Do you have a problem with that?�

Rebecca recoiled slightly. �Finally resorted to talking to lonely ghosts in lavatories have we? Serves you right,� she said with a huff and walked away.

Draco moved out from under the sink as Hermione turned and looked at him. �Still the bad guy?� he asked.

�Sod off.�

~*~

Hermione stifled a yawn in DADA as she watched Seamus, Dean, Crabbe and Goyle duel. For his part, Draco looked as if he were suffering from a headache. He winced at normal levels of voices and shunned the sunlight. Hermione briefly entertained the thought of speaking with the Sonorus around him.

The amused grin on her face as she watched the Ferret stirred up some uncomfortable feelings inside of Harry. He wondered what could be so fucking fascinating about the ferret that had her glancing at him all during class.

�Potter, Longbottom!� Professor Smith called out to them when the other group was finished. Harry and Neville dutifully got out of their seats and marched to the front of the class. �And�� Professor Smith�s eyes roamed around the class for their partners.

Please pick Malfoy. Please pick Malfoy. Harry was chanting in his head. He�d been itching for a legitimate reason to hex the git since they had returned for the rest of the term.

�Zabini and Bullstrode.�

Just his luck.

It was always awesome to see Harry at work. Hermione thought as she gazed at Harry. There was just something so sexy about the whole thing, the way his body moved, the grace at which he handled his wand, the look of concentration on his face. Oh she loved that most of all. The look was so similar to the one he had when he�

She shifted uncomfortably in her chair.

The point was, it was a thing of beauty to watch him. And she wasn�t the only one who noticed this. All of her female classmates were staring with rapt attention to him. The hussies. Although, she was no better. She too was checking him out. But she had a more confident smirk on her face. Only she knew where else she had seen that look on Harry Potter�s face.

Parvati couldn�t stand the way Hermione was leering at Harry Potter. For crying out loud, leave the poor guy alone. It was if she was marking her territory, telling all the other girls to back off. Whatever. She had no claim on him. She had no right. Any one of them had a right to him.

The duel was over quickly with Harry and Neville declared as the winners. Harry chanced a glance at Hermione who was looking at him with a flushed face and her lips slightly parted. He whimpered inwardly. The look reminded him of this one time when they were practicing DADA in the Room of Requirement and he had pinned her to the floor and�well, he didn�t want to go down that road right now in the middle of class.

�Granger. Malfoy. Parkinson and Patil!�

�Don�t fuck up up there,� Draco whispered to Hermione. �There�s a fourth year Hufflepuff�s skirt I�m trying to get into. Word of my excellent dueling skills will help the cause along.�

Hermione tutted. �You�re disgusting Malfoy. I will not contribute to a corruption of a minor by you.�

�Believe me, she�s already been corrupted.�
�Well that explains why you�re into her.�

Draco laughed. �Don�t be so jealous, Granger. Sorry to say that virgins aren�t my thing.�

Hermione smiled at him. �Then I shall sleep with the door most definitely locked,� she said as she got out of the chair.

Draco gaped at her.

Then he scrambled out of his chair to meet her at the front of the classroom. Hermione just couldn�t resist it. He was looking at her with the most bewildered expression on his face. She couldn�t explain why she said what she said next, or what purpose it would have served.

�Did you honestly think I would let the Boy-Who-Lived face death a virgin?�
Hermione didn�t understand the looks that flickered quickly across Draco�s face and she didn�t have time to process it since Professor Smith called the duelers to attention. But whatever was on his face caught Pansy�s attention and she looked from Draco to Hermione and back.

Draco looked quickly around the room as Professor Hotness counted them down. Wand at the ready.

3

2

1

Hermione cast the Protego against the hex that Pansy predictably sent her way. She assumed that Malfoy would go after Parvati but the hex he sent went way above her head and ricocheted off of the wall, giving Parvati�s hex a chance to hit Hermione directly in the chest. Draco saw it at the last millisecond but it was too late, it hit Hermione and she flew backwards, slamming against the stone wall.

�Hermione!� Harry stood up in his seat but Neville tackled him to the floor.

�Watch out!� he said as the hex Malfoy sent that ricocheted off of the wall landed directly where Harry was sitting.

Draco swooped down on Hermione and pocketed her wand before scooping her up in his arms. �I�ll take her to the hospital wing,� he said to the Professor who nodded.

Harry shoved Neville off of him but not fast enough to stop Malfoy from leaving.

�Mr. Weasley sit down!� Professor Smith said as Ron stood to go after Hermione.

�But��

�You too, Mr. Potter!� she ordered.

Harry was so angry and frustrated. �WHAT THE HELL DID YOU ATTACK HER FOR?� he shouted at Parvati. �She�s from your own house. You didn�t even bother to strike at Malfoy!!�

�It�s not as if she didn�t deserve it Harry. And I don�t understand why you, of all people, can defend her after what she did to you!�

�What she�That�s it! Enough! Leave Hermione alone! I�m sick and tired of her getting picked on because of some stupid article in some stupid magazine. It wasn�t even true! You want the truth? Fine! I WAS THE ONE WHO BROKE UP WITH HERMIONE! She didn�t dump me, I dumped her!! I�I don�t have to explain all this�� He grabbed his books and took off after Hermione and the ferret.

*

The doors to the hospital wing burst open. �Oh no. Not another dueling accident. I hate it when this topic is covered. Oh the injuries. This is just the start of a long, long day,� Madame Pomfrey muttered as she showed Draco where to lay Hermione down.

He had just set her on the bed when someone else ran into the wing.

�Get your hands off of her,� Harry hissed, pushing Malfoy to the side.

Draco didn�t back down. �I was only bringing her here you git,� he said as he pushed him back.

�How bloody noble of you,� Harry sneered.

�She wouldn�t be in here in the first place if you could control your little fan club,� Draco shot back, shoving Harry again.

�What the hell is that supposed to mean?� Harry shoved him back.

�STOP IT YOU TWO AT ONCE!!� Madame Pomfrey shrieked at them. �Out of here you two. Out of my hospital wing, now!!�

Draco turned and stormed out. Harry took one last glance at Hermione before reluctantly leaving her side. He was thinking about all the things he was going to do to the ferret when he walked out of the doors that he didn�t see the fist that came flying at him until it collided with his eye.

Harry stumbled backward and grabbed his injury. When he took his hand away. He noticed that there was blood on his fingertips. Harry glared at Malfoy then charged at him, shoving him against the wall, ramming his shoulder into his chest, knocking the wind out of the Slytherin. Draco kicked out at him, shoving him away only to have Potter reach back and punch him hard in the jaw. He tasted blood immediately.

Draco was just about to charge at him again when he felt himself be held back. �He�s not worth it,� Blaise said. Crabbe and Goyle were also holding him back. Looking across the hall he saw Potter being held back by the Weasel and Witless. Finnegan and Thomas were also holding him back, saying the same words to him. Whatever house points Zabini would take away out of spite for this fight would only allow the Weasel to do the same. Nobody wanted their most popular house members to get in trouble so as the corridors filled with students on their way to their next class, the group separated and went their ways.

*

�Oh, Harry,� Ginny sighed as she gently dabbed a cloth at Harry�s cut. �What on Earth possessed you to get into a fight with him? You know that he lives to do this to you.�

�He hit me first!� Harry replied.

His friends were sitting all around him in the quiet of the Gryffindor common room. Neville stirred the ointment that Ginny dipped the cloth into before she pressed it once again to Harry�s cut. He hissed slightly.

�I�m not entirely sure that that hex the Ferret sent was an accident. I think he meant to hit you Harry,� Neville said.

�I wouldn�t put it past the git,� Ron said, folding his arms across his chest.

The portrait door opened and Hermione walked in. �Hermione!� Harry said and jumped to his feet, knocking Ginny back on her bum. �Sorry,� he said, helping her to her feet before meeting Hermione as she made her way to her friends.

�Are you okay?� he asked, cradling her head in his hands when he reached her.

�I�m fine,� she smiled at him. �I just got knocked out when my head hit the wall. Someone should remind her to put cushioning charms up when dueling.�

Harry turned her around and tangled his hands in her hair to feel for her injury. �Death Eaters don�t use cushioning charms,� he murmured softly. Satisfied that she was, indeed, okay he turned her back around.

Hermione could�ve gotten lost forever in his emerald eyes, filled with concern for her, and how wonderful it felt to back in his arms. His hands still rested on her waist. She wanted this moment to last forever but it was too painful for her and she stepped away from him, letting his fingers slide against her as she moved before dropping to his side. She saw the light in his eyes darken a little.

The cut above his eye suddenly caught her attention. �What happened to you?� she asked.

Harry backed away from her, shoving his hands into his pockets. �Nothing,� he murmured, hanging his head down.

�He got into a fight with the Ferret,� Ginny answered for him.

�What?� Hermione exclaimed. �Harry you know better. You know he does things to raise your hackles! What did he say to you this time?�

�Listen, I don�t want to talk about it. It�s over and done with and if I can guess correctly Ron�s about ready to die from starvation.� Ron looked hopefully at Hermione. The truth that he didn�t want to admit to Hermione was that it really, really bothered him that the Ferret was the one to take Hermione to the hospital wing. The way he fell to her side when she went down was just a little too disturbing. Pieces began to click together in his head, Ginny and Luna had said that Draco was in Hermione�s room when she woke up after his�attack, the glances they shared, the first name basis they were on, the look on Draco�s face when Hermione fell.

His mind clouded over and he refused to delve any further down that road. It was just too damn impossible. No way the Ferret could�no, he wasn�t going to go there.

�I�ll see you guys later this evening,� Harry sighed. �Shacklebolt wants me to drop off some things and I should leave now if I want to get back before curfew.�

�Do you want me to save you any of the food?� Hermione asked.

�Nah, I�m getting something along the way. Oh, by the way,� he said in a softer voice as he took Hermione to the side. �I talked to everyone about how you�ve been treated because of that article.�

�Harry.�

�I couldn�t stand to see you go through that. Especially since I was the one who�� He cut himself off.

�Thanks Harry. It wasn�t really necessary since these things tend to blow over eventually but I really appreciate the gesture all the same. Be safe,� she said, placing a hand on his arm.

~*~

Harry put on his invisibility cloak and headed off across the Hogwarts lawn, stopped briefly by Moody who wanted to verify that he truly was Harry Potter.

�What color is your aunt�s breadmaker?�

�She doesn�t have one.�

He picked up a couple of sandwiches, drinks and chips like he was instructed to do and headed into the ministry and to the Auror department.

�You�re late,� Cho said to him. She was sitting at his cubicle, a small and plain one they gave all of the rookies. Her lovely long legs were capped with pointy black heels that rested on the table as she leaned back in his chair.

�There was a long line at the deli,� he replied. He was in no way going to acknowledge the fact that her skirt fell back to the middle of her thigh. No way at all.

�Well, let�s not keep him waiting. He told me to give you this,� she held out a small medallion.

�What is it?� he asked taking the object from her. He felt this weird sort of energy around him as soon as he touched it.

�He said it was supposed to mask your presence where we are going. The Ministry keeps track of who is out and about in the building. Ever since the incident a few years ago when You-Know-Who was caught with his Death Eaters snooping about in the Ministry, security has been tightened. When you signed up for training, a magical fingerprint of you was taken that tracks wherever you go throughout this building. That�s how we can tell if you are in an area that�s restricted. This thing here,� she said gesturing to the medallion, �distorts your fingerprint thereby not letting the Powers That Be know that you have wandered into areas you have no business being in.� She gave him a wink.

�Brilliant,� Harry muttered, looking at the thing.

�Miles created it for you. He said you should keep it. Could come in handy or something like that, he said.�

Together they got on the lift that took them to the research department. From there they took another lift to the top floor of the restricted research areas. Although the medallion did distort his magic somewhat so that he could wander about in this area. He still had to get access to the floor in the first place. This is where Cho came in. Acting as a liason between Harry and Miles, it was the eccentric old wizard who had first contacted him for a casual lunch. After that Harry had owled him about seeing his research first hand. Cho was eager to help out, giving Harry the access he needed. It was her way of rebelling. She always felt bad about her friend Marietta and the fiasco that was the outing of Dumbledore�s Army. This was her way of making it up to him. It also helped matters that, according to Witch Weekly, his annoying friend Hermione Granger was out of the picture.

�Here we are,� she said, announcing that they had arrived. The lift�s doors opened revealing another foyer where there were goggles and labcoats lined up neatly along one wall.

Cho stepped forward and put one of the coats on her, stuffing the goggles into one of the pockets. Harry followed suit as he watched her use the badge to open yet another door.

Tables.

That�s what Harry saw. Tables that lined the walls of this very big room, tables in the middle of it. Long rectangular tables with smooth black surfaces. The tables along the wall were laden with various cages, objects, machines, cauldrons and more cauldrons and more cauldrons. Odd looking creatures in the cages peered back at him curiously and Harry immediately spotting his old friends, the apparating mice, still jumping back and forth between cages.

�Harry! Harry, you came!�

Dr. Miles Erlenmyer hustled forward wearing ridiculous looking goggles that magnified his eyes to the size of a house elf�s. He extended a hand for Harry to shake before his gaze fell on the food.

�Oh, you brought it. Thank you! I can�t get enough of their sandwiches. It�s a weakness. I�m currently studying their turkey and swiss to see what ingredient they put in it to make people crave it so.�

Harry grinned as he handed the bag over to him. Miles cleared off a table and set the table for the three of them. Harry and Cho joined him as he sat down. Harry was just about to dig into his sandwich when Miles stopped him.

�Wait!� he cried out, taking the sandwich out of Harry�s hands and putting it back on the table. �I wanted to show you something I created when you told me about your little love potion issue.�

He hustled around the lab then placed a goblet on the table and filled it with water. Then, he took out a small vial and uncorked it. Harry recognized it immediately as a Love Potion because Hermione�s scent once again assaulted his senses. He placed the goblet in front of his two guests then took out a small copper flask.

�You need only a drop,� he explained as a crystal clear drop fell from the flask into the goblet. It hissed, roiled and turned a red color. �This means that there�s something in this drink that shouldn�t be in there. I�ve calibrated it so it doesn�t take into account any flavor enhancers or fat reducers. This will detect Love potions, Hate potions any sort of poison, you name it.� He placed a drop in each of their three drinks and got no reaction. He frowned. �That means that the drink is safe to consume. Shame really. I was hoping there was something the muggles put in it that makes you crave this soda as well. Hmm. Anyway, you can use it on food as will. Place a drop on it and it will hiss and steam if the food is unsafe.� He placed a drop on their sandwiches and got no reaction. �Hope this helps you out Harry.�

Harry took the flask from the wizard. �Thanks!� he said. Then the three of them tucked in for a nice dinner, both of them keeping company with the old wizard.

~*~

�Remind me to tell Harry to just keep his trap shut,� Hermione muttered.

�Oh, I doubt you�ll need reminding,� Ginny sighed as she took a drink of pumpkin juice.

Hermione and Ginny had just learned that Harry�s idea of fixing the little �stop harassing Hermione� problem was to proclaim out loud in the middle of class that, in fact, he was the one who had dumped Hermione. Or as some had so eloquently put it, kicked to the curb, put out to pasture, dropped like a bad habit or, as some of the pervs had said, test-driven.

�Hey, look on the bright side, at least no one wants to poison your food,� Ginny added helpfully.

�I guess,� Hermione sighed. It was true, no one seemed to want to cause her harm but now the looks she was receiving were unnerving, ranging from pity, to knowing smirks, to outright dismissal.

She found it completely unfair that when everyone thought that she had been the one to break up with Harry, she was regarded as a bitch, but now that everyone knew that Harry was the one to do the breaking up�

�He�s such a heartbreaker,� she heard Romilda and her gaggle of goons sigh.

Double standards were so unfair.

Dinner ended and Hermione joined Ginny and Neville in the library. She had already completed her homework earlier and instead of reading ahead, she picked out a magazine from Ginny�s bookbag and was idly thumbing through it.

�No, I don�t want to.�

�Please?�

�No!�

�I swear I�ll owe you one.�

�Why don�t you just walk over and talk to her yourself?�

�I can�t do that! Just introduce me!�

Hermione and Ginny looked up and shared an amused grin. Luna and Anthony�s whispers were loud enough for everyone to hear. Luna approached the table with the other Ravenclaw in tow and cleared her throat.

�Ahem, hi Hermione!� she said, falsely cheerful. �How are you?�

�I�m fine,� Hermione replied.

�Good. This is Anthony Wellington,� Luna said, shoving the poor guy forward. He blushed. Hermione found it oddly endearing.

�Hello Anthony,� she replied.

�Hi,� he said shyly.

�Okay, well my work here is done,� Luna said and made a hasty exit.

Hermione felt Ginny kick her sharply under the table. She looked, irritated, at her friend. �What?� she mouthed.

�Ask him to sit down,� Ginny mouthed back.

�Oh! Um, would you like to sit down?� Hermione offered. Relief filled his face and with it came his trademark beaming smile. Ginny and Hermione melted instantly and Hermione wondered if her mental sigh had somehow escaped her lips. Neville shifted uncomfortably in his seat and buried his nose back in his homework.

�Homework?� Anthony asked, gesturing to the magazine. Hermione looked down and was horrified to see that the article in front of her was titled �Top Twenty Places to have Forbidden Sex�. She flushed scarlet and closed the magazine, stuffing it back into Ginny�s bookbag.

�I was just�thumbing through it,� she stammered out. Honestly, she had just turned the page when he had approached her. She knew that she was blushing so badly and she wanted nothing more than to sink through the floor. To make matters worse, Ginny was studiously staring at her book, biting her lip, but Hermione could see that she was desperately trying not to laugh at her friend.

�Don�t be so embarrassed,� Anthony said in a friendly voice. �I mean, I�ve been trying to work up the nerve to talk to you for days.�

�You have?� Hermione asked.

�Yeah, your, uh, ex-boyfriend is a bit intimidating,� he admitted shyly.

�Who? Harry?� she asked in disbelief. Harry was one of the nicest guys she knew.

�Well, he is the Boy-Who-Lived,� Anthony grinned. Neville scoffed.

�Hey, Hermione. Isn�t Harry coming to join us any time now?� he asked.

�We�re going to go,� Ginny said abruptly, gathering her things, leaving out the magazine. �We�ll catch you later, Hermione.� She said, yanking Neville to his feet.

*

Harry had just arrived on the steps of the castle before the doors would be closed and locked. Filch was out and about, ready and anxious to hand out detentions for those who were wandering about past curfew. He sprinted up the stairs and around the corridor when he stopped suddenly.

Hermione was standing with Anthony in front of the portrait of the Fat Lady. They were both laughing and smiling but he couldn�t hear what they were talking about. Alarms went up in Harry�s mind when he remembered what Anthony had asked him on the Platform before boarding the Hogwarts Express. Something about a chance with Hermione? To his horror, Harry watched as Anthony reached up and tucked a strand of Hermione�s hair behind her ear then slowly he leaned down toward her.

�Oh, wow,� Harry said loudly as he made his presence known, acting as if he had just accidentally stumbled upon them. Anthony sprang away from Hermione. �Um, sorry about that,� Harry muttered apologetically. Actually, he wasn�t sorry. He was ready to tear apart Anthony.

�Harry, hi,� Hermione said in a breathless voice.

�I�m just going to�yeah,� Anthony said, weakly gesturing in the direction he should be going. Harry was just about to tell him to get on with it when Filch suddenly spoke out.

�So, out after hours then?� he said with a malicious grin. Mrs. Norris peered at each of them with an accusing stare.

�Filch, it�s just barely past curfew and you really can�t fault Mr. Wellington for being a gentleman and walking me back to my common room after the library closed, can you?� Hermione said in a sweet voice.

Filch frowned and looked at Harry. �And you?� he asked.

�I�just came out to investigate because I heard voices in the hall,� he replied.

�Really, I was just walking her back to her room,� Anthony stated his case.

�There�s no crime in that,� Susan Bones stepped forward from around the corner. �I wouldn�t take away house points for that. Honestly Filch, lets go terrorize some other students.� Filch and Mrs. Norris reluctantly followed the new Head Girl.

Anthony and Hermione let out breaths they had been holding.

�I�ll just�go inside,� Harry said to Hermione but he had a feeling she wasn�t really listening.

�I�ll see you tomorrow then?� Anthony asked her.

�Yeah. Good night,� she said.

�Good night.�

She followed Harry into the common room. �So did you get a chance to talk to Shacklebolt?� she asked.

�Huh? Oh, yeah,� he replied, distractedly.

�I�m glad you came back safely. No problems then?�

�No, not really,� he replied. Except for the fact that that Anthony prick was hitting on you.

�Okay, well, I�m headed off to bed then. See you tomorrow Harry,� she said and bounced up the stairs.

Harry watched her go and, deciding that he was in no mood for studying, headed up to his own dorm.

�I�m telling you, that guy is trouble.�

�Nev, it�s not that I don�t believe you, it�s just that I don�t think that any guy would be that stupid to go after Hermione with Harry still hung up on her.�

�Thanks Ron,� Harry said aloud, startling the two Gryffindors. The two of them looked away guiltily.

�We were just talking about Anthony Wellington,� Neville said quietly.

�I know. I just ran into him and Hermione outside the portrait,� he replied. Ron and Neville looked at each other.

�You okay about that?� Neville asked Harry.

�About what?� Ron said impatiently, climbing into bed. �Nothing happened and nothing probably will happen. Believe me, Harry, this whole Anthony thing will blow over and be forgotten by tomorrow. Trust me.�

*

�Morning, Hermione!� Anthony said to her as she headed out to breakfast the next morning.

Harry glared at Ron who looked just as bewildered before he took Harry�s arm and marched him forward to catch up to Ginny and Neville.

�Oh, hi Anthony,� Hermione blushed. �This is a surprise.�

He shrugged. �I just wanted to walk you down to breakfast.� He took Hermione�s bookbag off of her shoulder and placed it on his.

Harry was ready to spit fire. Who the hell did Anthony think he was? Honestly!!

�Just keep walking,� Ron whispered to Harry. He didn�t want his best friend starting yet another fight in the corridors.

�Hi Harry!�

�Harry.�

�Hello Harry.�

�Morning Harry.�

He ignored all of the usual batty female horde as he sat himself down at his usual spot at the table. Seamus and Dean noticed the cagey look on his face and Dean was about to remark on it when Hermione walked in with Anthony.

�Catch you later,� he said softly to her with a smile as he handed her back her bookbag. Harry moved to stand up to get out of his seat and confront Anthony but Ron yanked him back down and made him face forward. The trio was unusually quiet for breakfast and Harry took his frustration out by stabbing at his food. There was this odd, cackling electric feel coming off Harry and both Hermione and Ron were afraid that asking for something as simple as �Pumpkin juice?� would send all of the jugs flying around the room�or exploding. Probably exploding.

Harry was quickly approaching his tolerance limit for Anthony Wellington. He put up with the stupid looks he and Hermione would exchange when they passed each other in the halls. He put up with the conversation that they had in Charms when she laughed out loud. He wasn�t that funny of a guy and besides, Hermione was too nice not to laugh. It only sounded convincing and genuine. He put up with the git walking Hermione to the library after dinner and �studying�, if that�s what they were really doing. Ginny wouldn�t let him use the Extendable Ears to listen in but from what he did hear, it didn�t sound good.

�So, it�s not ashwood root?� Anthony asked Hermione.

�No, it�s Elmwood root,� she replied. �It was on page seventy-three.�

Anthony shook his head. �With your brains, it�s a wonder that you�re not in Ravenclaw.�

She wasn�t in Ravenclaw, she was in Gryffindor. A much better house in Harry�s opinion. Especially since he was in it�and Ron, too.

But he reached his limit when Anthony leaned over and kissed Hermione on the lips. Harry saw red and all the ink jars in the library exploded at once. The couple parted, and to his dismay, laughed at the mess that had splattered on them.

�I�ll be back,� Hermione giggled, �I�m just going to clean up.�

Harry followed her out of the library but as he turned the corner, Hermione grabbed him and yanked him into the nearest empty classroom.

�Just what do you think you�re doing?� she hissed at him as she used her wand to clean the ink off of her.

Harry just looked at her before he quickly closed the distance between the two of them and pressed his lips against hers in a heated and desperate kiss. For a moment, Hermione was stunned and lost herself in the moment as Harry�s hands moved from her hair to cup her jawline.

�No, Harry, stop!� she said as she shoved him away from her. Harry could see her lips were moist and slightly swollen from their kiss. She looked at him, demanding an explanation.

�Hermione, I�m an idiot. I know it. I�ll confess it,� he said, deciding to lay it all on the line. �I�ve been lying to you all this time. I love you,� he confessed. �I�m so fucking hopelessly and completely in love with you. When I told you I didn�t�I lied. It was the biggest lie I�ve ever told. I didn�t mean it. Any of it.� She was staring at him and he desperately tried to stop himself from speaking but it was as if a dam inside had broken and everything was spilling out.

�I told you that I didn�t love you because I was trying to push you away from me. Make you hate me so you wouldn�t love me. I was trying to protect you, not from Voldemort, but from me. I don�t know what I would do if I hurt you again. You have no idea how it felt to come out of your mind and realize that I was hurting you instead of Voldemort. Oh God, you nearly died! At my hands! What if he did that again? Because he can, Hermione, if I slip up once and he gets inside��

�Stop,� Hermione said so softly as she held up both of her hands, that he almost missed it.

A silence fell between the two of them.

�I know that you love me, Harry. I knew that you always loved me and I knew that you had stood there and lied to my face, hurting me when you said that you didn�t. And I know that you did it because you were trying to protect me. You did the same thing to Ginny.�

�Don�t compare yourself to Ginny. The way I feel about the two of you is completely different.�

�Is it, Harry? Didn�t you break up with her for the same reasons? You tried to do this to me before and I told you that I wasn�t going to sit by and let you get away with it like she did. I told you that I was in this with you no matter what happened, that I would stay by your side.�

�Hermione, I almost killed you!� he shouted.

�No. YOU DIDN�T!!� she shouted back. �How many times to I have to tell you that I knew it wasn�t you from the moment it happened. I felt him, I saw him! You were just a vessel. He could�ve used anyone, Ron, Ginny again, me! The point is that I knew it wasn�t you and you still pushed me away!�

�I was only trying to pro—�

�Protect me!� she finished, shaking her head. �I didn�t need you to protect me! I didn�t need Harry Potter the Boy-Who-Lived, I didn�t need Harry Potter the Savior of the Wizarding World, I didn�t need Harry Potter the Chosen One, I didn�t need Harry Potter the Hero!� She began to cry. �I needed Harry Potter, my best friend and the man that I loved to trust in me. To trust in us. To trust in our love, to believe that our love was strong enough to overcome the greatest evil that we have ever faced.�

�Trust,� he said quietly. �That word is so funny coming from you considering it was you who got us into this mess in the first place when you decided to strike a BARGAIN WITH THE FERRET!!�

�I DID IT TO PROTECT YOU!� she shouted back.

�How?� Harry demanded, moving toward Hermione, making her shrink back. �What did he hold over your head?�

Hermione looked away. �He threatened to tell the Death Eaters about you searching for the horcruxes.�

�Shit!� Harry muttered. �FUCK!!� he threw a desk across the room and Hermione jumped. He took deep breaths to calm himself down. �What does he know?� he asked in an even voice.

�Nothing specific. He just knows that you are after them. He doesn�t know that you have destroyed any of them.�

Harry shook his head. �Hermione.�

�Are you telling me that you wouldn�t have done the same?�

�I wouldn�t have said a word to the git. Of all people, Hermione! God!� he shook his head in frustration.

�I promised to keep his secret if he kept mine,� she said.

�Yeah, and now those promises are broken and he�s free to tell anyone he wants.�

�And only I know where his mother is hiding,� she countered.

Harry glared at her, grudgingly conceding that point.

�I�m sorry,� she said. �I�m sorry about getting into the mess with Draco in the first place.�

�I�m sorry, too,� he replied.

�I guess we both failed each other,� she said softly then turned to leave the room. She had her hand on the knob when Harry stopped her.

�You didn�t fail me, Hermione. And I will believe in our love. I will trust in it.�

She looked back at him. �Thank you, Harry� she replied, �but, I�m done.�

She opened the door and slipped out of the room.
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