A Gift of Immortality

Chapter One- I love him, I love him not

"Shit! Are you serious?!"

"You know Cassi, if you would just learn to apparate...."

"Yeah, yeah. I wouldn't have this problem. Come on 'Mione my car is in the goddamn shop and you're the only other person in the world, or well...neighborhood that I know that has one!" Cassi let out a frustrated sigh and directed her most pitiful puppy dog pout at the head floating in her kitchen fire. "Pwease Mione? Pwetty Pwease? Come get me?"

Hermione giggled but remained firm. "I can't or you know I'd be more then willing. I have a meeting at four o' clock and there's just not enough time for me to run half-way across London to the Quidditch field to pick you up and take you home. I'd be late for my meeting."

"Well...What about Ron?" Cassi asked desperately pacing the kitchen.

"Ron doesn't drive Cassi. You know that." Hermione said a trace of frustration in her voice as Cassi began to wear out her patience. "Besides, it's not going to kill you to ride hom with Harry."

"Yes it will!" Cassi hissed, "It will! It will! It will!"

"Cassi..."

"Listen Hermione I am going to be a MALFOY in about a month. Mrs. Draco Malfoy. Harry worst enemy. My fiancé hates Harry and therefore, he and I cannot exactly be best buds."

Cassi said dramatically

"Oh darling who cares if Draco and Harry get along..."

"Me!"

"Cassi..."

"I have to be a good wife! And therefore and must hate and persecute my husband's enemies just as (if not more so) vindictively as he himself!"

"Alright," Hermione said with a smile widening across her face, "Let me see if I understand. Because you're marrying Draco you must hate Harry and persecute him. Do him plenty of bodily and emotional harm, yeah?"

"Yeah!"

"So, uh, you're coach isn't going to be to happy when you put your own seeker out of commission is he?"

"Oh."

"Killing off your own seeker. Boy Cassi I'd say that that's enough to get you fired."

"You have an excellent point."

"I always do."

"Hermione..."

"Yes Cassi?"

"Do me a favor and go to hell, okay?" Hermione laughed.

"Well, here's reason number two as to why I can't ride with Harry."

"Here goes."

"I don't like him."

"Since when?"

"Since right now."

"And why is that?" Cassi knelt down in front of the fire and looked Hermione directly in the eye. "Promise not to laugh?"

"Oh Absolutely."

"Well, I suppose half of it would be a jealousy of some sort. He's such a damn good two-shoes. And then it's the fact that he's perfect! That's he's handsome, and intelligent and sensitive... It's enough to drive a girl insane! And that's not mentioning the fact that he's probably the best seeker the magical world has ever known!" Cassi paused and breathed.THat had been a mouthful.

"That's only half?" Hermione mused, "I just can't wait to hear the other half. Come now! Tell me what it is."

"Sexual Tension. I mean... Hard core sexual tension like you would not even believe, but it's only when I'm really, really pissed off at him! It's like the madder I get the more attractive he gets, and well hell, he's damn sexy when I'm perfectly happy with him!"

"Continue." Hermione said smiling

"Well, Sometimes when I'm angry he just looks so goddam sexy that I..I just want to rip his clothes off and throw him against a wall...and ...and fuck him till he cries!" After this she paused and looked warily at her best friend. "Am I psycho path? Do you know what I mean at all?"

"Cassi every witch in Britain knows what you mean. Harry has an incredibly captivating Aurora."

"Yeah but it's different with me. Cause we're fighting you know and we're staring at each other. And I just stare into those green eyes like I'll die if I look away and I know that he feels exactly the same way. That it's normal to be so ... hungry for him, because he wants me in just the same way!"

Hermione stared at her friend very thoughtfully before she spoke and when she did, she spoke slowly and calmly as if trying to make sure that she said exactly the right thing.

"Cassi, if you and Harry feel like that towards one another...I mean that's an honest, wild, passion! It's natural, you didn't condition your heart to feel that way! It just is!" Hermione paused and bit her lip, before: "Why the hell are marrying Draco Malfoy when you're in love with Harry!" she burst out, perhaps a little more shrilly then she would have liked.

"No love Harry." Cassi said, looking slightly alarmed and trying badly to hide it.

"I think you should postpone the Wedding." Hermione said firmly

"Are you nuts?!" Cassi screamed.

"Are you sure you love him?"

"Yes!"

"Harry?"

"Ye..No!"

"You're positive you want to spend the rest of your life with Malfoy?"

"Draco!" Cassi yelled, correcting her.

Hermione closed her eyes briefly and drew a deep, breath. She was getting a headache.

"Draco. Sorry." She said and continueeed after seeing the appeased look on Cassi's face. Draco and Cassi may have been togther for six months but Hermione was still having trouble accepting that her best friend was engaged to her childhood enemy. Despite the fact, that in all actuality, she and Draco got on pretty well, the thought of someday calling Cassi Mrs. Malfoy made a dry heave escape her throat.

"You're sure that you want to spend the rest of your life with Draco?"

"Yes." Cassi said with a firm conviction.

"Why?"

"Is that supposed to be a trick question or something?" Cassi asked eyeing her friend suspiciously and wondering what in the world possessed Hermione to ask such a stupid question.

"No."

"You're a therapist. I don't trust you."

"Just answer the question Cassi."

"Hmm...Well let's see," She started, her voice dripping with an angry sarcasm, "Because I love him?"

"Are you asking me if you love him?"

"What?"

"Becasue the answer is no. You don't."

"What the hell are you talking about? I do so love him!"

"Who? Harry?"

"What? No! You bitch! I love Draco! I love Draco Malfoy. I hold No love at all in my heart for Harry Potter! None!"

"Trying to convince yourself!"

"What the fuck's your deal, man?"

"Forget it. My job is done. I'm assuming you still need a ride to practice?"

"Yeah." Cassi's mind was still spinning and she realized eventually she was going to have to pay an additional therapist to clog her brain back up after Hermione, the best friend therapist, had picked apart. " I feel thoroughly stupid Hermione, I don't want you playing mind games with my brain anymore. I thought Ron was your damn guinea pig."

"Well, today you held more valuable information, but we'll talk about it later yeah? I got to go to work and you have practice so I'll be there to get you in about ten minutes

Then with a small *pop* Hermione was gone and Cassi was alone. She let out a whimper as she went into the living room to grab her sports bag and her FireBolt XLT practice broom. She had an additional Firebolt XLT especially for gameplay locked up at the stadium where they couldn't be tampered with. Along with last year's FireBolt's that they had rode during their win during the Quidditch World Cup . They were all autographed by the player that rode it and were in a large glass display case in the Top Box of the stadium.