My very first fanfic. yay!

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. (what? I don't feel like being all creative...)

Couples , Lies, and Deals

Ginny and Harry were talking quietly in the common room. They were sitting in a secluded area deep in conversation.

"What do you think they're doing?" Ron asked Hermione. He was eyeing them like hawk ready to swoop down on them.

"Relax," Hermione said rolling her eyes, "Ginny said Harry's helping her study"

"You don't think they're, you know," Ron sputtered.

"Nothing is going on between them," Hermione lied smoothly.

"Better not," Ron growled.

"Do you think he knows," Ginny whispered.

"Hermione said he doesn't," Harry whispered back. "Relax a little."

"I wish he wasn't so protective," Ginny said scribbling a quick sentence on her potion's essay.

"I don't think I should bother you anymore for now," Harry said worried. "You need to do well on you O."

"Alright, Harry," Ginny said disappointed. She liked Harry's company. They weren't publicly dating, yet, because of her annoying, overly protective, brother.

Harry got up and went into the dormitories. He hated lying to Ron. But he knew Ron would hate him if he knew.

"Hey, mate," Ron said entering the dormitory.

"Hey, Ron," Harry said nervously.

"How's the studying going with Ginny," he asked casually.

"Studying?" Harry asked caught off guard. Ron gave a puzzled look and then Harry amended quickly, "Yeah, studying. It's going great."

"See you in the morning," Ron said hiding his suspicion.

"Kay," Harry replied, relieved.

The next morning, Hermione quickly ate breakfast and rushed to the library before Harry or Ron entered the Great Hall for breakfast. She was rushing so fast she accidentally bumped into someone.

"Sorry—" she began but then stopped when she saw that it was Malfoy.

"Granger," he said scowling.

"Malfoy," she said with hatred.

"Thought you Gryffindors had more manner than that," he sneered.

"Why be good to evil?" She asked scoffing.

"Then you're just as bad as me," he said smirking.

"Am not," she said indignantly. "And I bet you could never be good."

"I'm a Malfoy," he said with pride, "I can be anything you can."

"Sure," she said rolling her eyes.

"And I bet you could never be bad," he said smirking.

"Why would I want to be bad?" She asked him raising one eyebrow.

"I could be good," he said thoughtfully.

"Oh?"

"If you can pull off being bad," he said grinning.

"You won't call anyone "mudblood"?" She asked curiously.

"No one," he agreed.

"You won't be a jerk?" She questioned him.

"Nope," he said grinning. "And you won't be a goody-two-shoes?"

"Nope," Hermione said knowing Malfoy could never pull off being good.

"Loser has to do the other's homework," Malfoy said grinning.

"For a month," Hermione finished.

They shook on it and a deal was made.

Just then Pansy walked into the corridor.

"Hey, Draco," she said her voice smothered with poisoned honey. "What are you doing here with a mud-blood?" She said looking at Hermione with distaste.

"Nothing," he said keeping a blank expression.

Pansy waited for him to say something mean.

Instead, Hermione insulted Pansy, resulting in Pansy scoffing and leaving.

"Didn't think you had it in you," Malfoy said surprised.

Hermione grinned and said, "Later, loser." And left a baffled Malfoy looking after her as she walked away.

Harry, Ron and Hermione sat together in the Great Hall. Ginny was sitting next to Seamus, much to Harry's displeasure. Ginny managed to even look like she's enjoying herself, Hermione thought impressed, she couldn't say the same for Harry who was staring darkly at Seamus. She nudged him and he remembered that he was Harry Potter, Ron's best friend, not Ginny's boyfriend--officially. Ron's suspicion of his sister liking Harry subsided, but he still felt that Harry had feelings for his sister.

"Why are you staring at Seamus?" Ron asked him curiously.

"I'm not," Harry said defensively.

"If I didn't know you better," Ron said hiding his anger, and failing, "I'd say that you liked my sister."

"Of course not, Ron," Harry said laughing and helping himself to more syrup. Ron wasn't convinced and Harry knew it so he said the most regrettable thing in the world. "I like Hermione."

Ron and Hermione both choked on their breakfast.

"What?!" They both asked.

"Yeah, uh, its true," Harry said wishing he hadn't said that now. Hermione shot Harry a dark look.

Ron wondered how Hermione felt. Before he could ask she quickly excused herself and left. Harry, too, said good-bye to Ron and left.

"What was that?!" Hermione shrieked at Harry.

"Shh," he said quickly, they were starting to attract attention. "I'm sorry, but I panicked."

"Harry I can't take this," Hermione said exasperated, "Just tell Ron."

"Are you nuts?" He asked her angrily. "He'll kill me."

"Don't expect me to lie for you about this anymore," Hermione said equally angry. With that she stormed off to her next class.

Unfortunately it was double Potions with the Slytherins for Hermione next. She groaned as she entered the dark, morbid dungeon. She was early and so very few people were there. Hermione sat herself at an empty table. Hoping that the class would get over as soon as possible. In a few minutes the whole class was there, except for one. Malfoy walked in, the last one. The only seat available was next to Hermione. He sat down and greeted her politely. Surprised by the civilness of his voice Hermione also replied politely. He grinned and then Hermione remembered she was supposed to be mean. So she quickly called him "jerk" and turned her attention to Professor Snape.

They were going to create a Binding Potion. Snape flicked his wand at the board and the directions appeared. They had two hours to create a near-perfect Binding Potion--with their table partner. Hermione groaned silently. There was a clamour of noise as the students took out their books and went to retrieve their potion materials.

"Would you like me to go get the ingredients from the Student Cupboard?" Malfoy asked her smiling politely.

Man he was good actor, Hermione thought frowning. "Whatever," she said rolling her eyes.

She's so bad at this, Malfoy thought hiding his laughter at her poor attempts to be bad. He brought back the ingredients and started the potion.

"You're doing it wrong," Hermione said disapproving of the way he cut the carrot like roots.

Malfoy swallowed back a retort and asked sweetly, "Then how do you think I should do it?"

Hermione took the knife and cut the roots in slices less than a centimeter thick. Malfoy stared at her in amazement.

"Wow," he said looking at the pieces he had cut. They were good but they couldn't compare to Hermione's delicate hand.

Hermione smirked, "Pretty amazing for a mudblood,Malfoy?"

"It's pretty amazing for anyone," Malfory said knowing he was going to regret saying that.

Hermione smirked, knowing she was going to bank that for later.

review?