LOVE KNOWS NO IMPERIUS

Shouts and screams filled the corridors as students burst into the Transfiguration classroom.

"It's a duel!" Someone shouted. Professor McGonagall drew her wand and rushed out into the hall, followed by Neville and Luna.

"I wonder who it is," Luna commented dreamily.

There was a flash of red hair as Ginny Weasley emerged from around the corner, moving backward and firing curses at someone.

"Weasley!" came the voice of the second dueler, and Draco Malfoy advanced on Ginny, deflecting all of her spells.

The next set of events happened so quickly even McGonagall had to struggle to keep up. Harry Potter jumped in front of Ginny, putting his arms out protectively. "Leave her alone, Malfoy," he said menacingly, reaching for his wand.

"Cursing my best friend and my sister, Malfoy?" Ron stepped out of the shadows, a look of pure rage on his face. "Big mistake."

Before Malfoy even had a chance to respond, Ron pointed his wand at the bewildered Slytherin and shouted, "Sectumsempra!"

Blood spurted everywhere as McGonagall and Neville hurried to see what damage had been done.

"Nice work, Ron," Luna congratulated. "But I think it was a bit much."

McGonagall conjured a stretcher with her wand and helped Neville move Malfoy. "Mr. Weasley," she said finally, turning to Ron. "In my office, please." She turned away and began guiding the gurney toward the hospital wing.

Behind Harry, Ginny let out a long breath and slid to the floor.

"Ginny! Are you alright?"

"What happened?"

She looked tired, but the girl was beaming, much to their surprise. "I saw Malfoy bullying a first-year student, so I, uh…gave him a Bat-Bogey Hex. So he, umm, came after me."

Ron burst out laughing, but Harry's face remained serious. "Malfoy isn't someone to mess around with, Gin. Just be careful." He helped her to her feet and gently kissed her before heading to his next class.

Draco could hear voices around him, but at first he couldn't tell whom they belonged to.

"What was it, Minerva?" said a voice Draco recognized as Madam Pomfrey.

"Sectumsempra," McGonagall answered quietly.

Madam Pomfrey gasped. "But that's—"

"Forbidden, yes. I'll be having a talk with Mr. Weasley."

Madam Pomfrey pursed her lips and leaned over the night table to open a potion bottle. "He'll be fine, he really only needs to take some of this potion. And rest," she finished. "Lots of rest."

When the two witches left his bedside, Draco opened his eyes. Weasley. The one who always had to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. The one who seemingly had it all—a reputation of his own, popularity, and a girlfriend who adored him. Oh yes, Draco had all these things too—but having the same school status as Weasley, the blood traitor, was too much.

A girlfriend. Weasley's girlfriend. Hermione Granger, bushy-haired walking encyclopedia of the year. She was smart, smarter than Draco. She didn't know when to shut her mouth. And she was a Mudblood.

Revenge swam through his head as he thought about everything Ron had, and how he seemed to have it all…but nothing would matter to him if he didn't have Granger. Draco saw evidence of this every time he walked past the library, where Ron would sit for hours and watch Hermione study. The look in his eyes every time she was with him, every time she would lean in to kiss him…not that he'd been paying any attention.

And then it occurred to him. Weasley would be nothing without Granger. If Granger started flirting with someone else, Weasley would be finished. It was the perfect plan…and what other way to do it? Love potion was out of the question; besides, how would he get the stupid Mudblood to drink something he gave her? No, she was a Mudblood, but stupid she was not. He would have to do the Imperius Curse. Would it be possible to cast the spell without alerting the Aurors? He remembered his father's words only last year, when they had used Avada Kedavra on a young Muggle-born girl. A girl like Granger.

"Father?" Draco's hand shook as he rested it on his father's desk. "Nott. He just killed—"

"Draco, I am aware of the activities that take place in my own house," Lucius drawled, tracing a crack along the table with his scepter.

"Yes, Father, but what about the Aurors? Won't they come?"

Lucius Malfoy stood up and slid a book from the bookshelf behind him. "Hemortis Root, Draco. A delicious vegetable…when cooked. But when rubbed raw against a wizard's wand…no spell can be traced to that wand."

Draco nodded, in awe of his father's scheming but reluctant to show it.

"You may go," His father told him shortly. "I have work to do."

"Yes, Father." Draco bowed respectfully and swiftly left the room. Hemortis Root. Could it really conceal a curse as atrocious as the Killing Curse?

Now Draco smirked to himself. If Hemortis Root could conceal the Killing Curse, it could also conceal the Imperius Curse.

His thoughts were interrupted as Madam Pomfrey returned to his bedside.

"Mr. Malfoy! Good, you're awake. How do you feel?"

"Actually," Draco said slowly, trying to hide his smirk. "I feel fine. Can I leave?"

"Goodness, no," Madam Pomfrey said quickly. "I'd say at least two more doses of this potion, which would be…" She glanced at the back of the bottle. "Six more hours. You should be ready to go around dinnertime, I'd say. But not until then, if you please." She nodded to him and hurried into the back room, leaving Draco alone with his thoughts.

"You've been in the library every night this week," Ron told Hermione, reaching for her hand as she moved to climb through the portrait hole. "Can't you skip one night?"

"It's not my fault McGonagall put you under house arrest for the weekend." She giggled slightly at the wistful look on his face. "I promise I'll only be gone for an hour. Try not to fall asleep in that time, won't you?" She squeezed his hand and darted through the portrait hole before he could protest again.

Walking through the corridors, she saw friends coming back from dinner, she saw Harry take Ginny's hand as they passed someone…Malfoy. But he wasn't interested in making trouble with Ginny. His eyes moved farther down the hall—and locked with Hermione's. She glared at him, and he glared back, but there was something else there, something more sinister, something that told her she needed to watch it.

All the corridors were full until Hermione turned down the corridor that led to the library. Most of the other students were enjoying their Friday night off, without studying…but Hermione Granger never wasted an opportunity to enhance her knowledge.

Strangely enough, there wasn't a single person in the library, save for the librarian, Madam Pince. Hermione took a seat and opened a book, quickly becoming absorbed in the historical account of Hywill the Gallant and the Wizard Army.

After about half an hour, she heard footsteps behind her. Turning her head ever so slightly, she caught a glimpse of white-blond hair. She stood up and whirled around to face him, startled by the maniacal grin he wore.

"Hello, Granger," he said slyly.

"What do you want, Malfoy?"

"To kill you."

Hermione's eyes widened, but Malfoy shook his head. "But of course," he drawled, "I can't. So I'm going to do this instead." He muttered a spell, so quietly that he thought Hermione couldn't hear, but she had heard it. She just couldn't quite believe that he'd actually muttered that curse.

Draco smirked satisfactorily as he saw a dreamy daze cover her face. Thinking as hard as he could, he held out his hand to her. She not only took it, but she wrapped her arms around his neck and placed a gentle kiss on his lips—and a strangled cry rent the silence.

Author's Note: My second Dramione fanfic! Be sure to review—I've got the basic outline finished but I can always use ideas and constructive criticism! What did you think of this first chapter? Let me know!