So, this was created yesterday, but I didn't like it, and redid the first chapter. This is my first (2nd 1st) Harry Potter fic, so yay me!
I'll be updating about once a week, in between exam studying.
Summary: Hermione Granger is a clever girl. She was a loyal girlfriend, and she did what was expected. She even became head girl in her 7th year at Hogwart's. And yet, she feels like she's put up with a bit too much. When Ron breaks things off with her in a less than stellar way, she decides that it's time for her to take action. Too bad the only one who could really teach her the art of having a vendetta is Draco Malfoy. Too bad that in return for his services, she's got to sign a contract that binds her to him. Something says that's off, but Hermione was never one to be deterred from her goals. Ron would pay for what he'd done, and if she had to use the likes of Malfoy to get what she wanted, she'd do it. What are his ulterior motives though? With the pressure of Head Girl, the drama of a woman scorned, and the anger of her arch nemesis pressing down on her, 7th year suddenly became a little more complicated that expected. Maybe she shouldn't have signed her name on the dotted line? But now, there's no turning back, not when you've shaken hands with the devil himself.
Reviews are certainly appreciated, and I enjoy any feedback!
Ron Weasley was not a tactful boy. He was not the one to break up arguments with a truce in the end, and he certainly couldn't tell his sister in a nice way that her dress did indeed make her butt look too big. He couldn't explain why he didn't want to wear the old hand-me-down sweaters without causing offense, and he never got a grasp on why it was wrong to tell a girl to shut it and take a Midol. Maybe it was a generic trait he got from his father? On the other hand, his mother was somewhat of a brutally honest person, and to be tactful goes hand in hand with knowing when to keep the truth to yourself. So who was to blame? The honest mother or the airheaded father? It would be ok to blame his father since he took in his bad qualities with his good ones, but it would be suicide to blame his mother. And yet because of both of them, he seemed to be air headedly honest to the point of making his lack of tact an art.
He also sucked at breaking up with girls too.
"What are you trying to say, Ronald?" Hermione folded her arms over her robes, raising and eyebrow and frowning as he turned a brilliant shade of scarlet. Harry was discreetly watching them with a frown on his face as he polished the handle of his firebolt, trying not to listen, but listening anyway, wondering at his friend's stupidity. It wasn't his place to comment on Ron's impending peril, but he knew this wouldn't be the tearful breakup that was expected. Hermione wouldn't take this lying down like Ron thought she would.
"I'm trying to say… blimey, Hermione, I don't want this to be difficult. It's just hard to… you know, feel like I like you as much as you like me, you know?" Harry winced at his friend's choice of words, and Hermione's temper flared even more, eyes looking murderous. Clenching her hands into fists, she took a deep breath, ignoring the icy feeling in her heart.
"So what, you're breaking up with me because you think that I like you more than you like me?" She raised an eyebrow challengingly, biting back a sharp laugh. "That's rather mature, seeing as how you were the one get angry at me for not being a dedicated girlfriend." Harry snorted at that, earning a helpless glare from Ron and an appreciative glance from Hermione.
"Hermione, you've got this huge bar set up above you that you want me to reach, and I'm tired of trying. It's like I can never be the good boyfriend for you because you don't think I'm good enough. I can't help it if you're pushing me too hard." Ron couldn't help the words from falling out of his mouth, but at the look of shock on both Harry and Hermione's faces, he really wished to pull them back. He could feel his ears burning, and at the murderous look he was getting, he knew he was done for. For some reason, he could feel it deep down in his gut that this wasn't just a lover's spat. Judging from the warning look in Harry's eyes and the barely hidden pain in Hermione's, he'd just pushed somewhere he should have never gone.
"You think I set standards no one can reach?" She snapped, stepping close to him, seething. "Well, Ron, I'm sorry you want someone who makes things easy for you just so you can feel better about yourself." Harry shrunk down into his seat, polishing the broom handle harder than necessary as he noticed a few people coming into the common room. It wouldn't bode well for anyone else to hear this, but Hermione was too angry to care, and Ron was just now realizing what he'd just done. "It's sad you have to have someone right behind you saying in your ear, 'oh, it's ok, you're doing just fine'. I didn't know you were such a child."
Ok, not sorry for her anymore.
"You just want everyone to be on the level you think they should be on. If we're not all pristine and straight laced, we must need fixing, is that it?" Ron bit out, glaring. "I never said I was perfect, but I'm tired of you making me feel like I should be!" Lavender and Parvathi gave each other knowing looks, falling onto a nearby chair together to watch the show, earning a not so subtle glare from Harry, but they ignored it.
"It's a little sad that you're happy to be a lazy, mooching boyfriend, but I'm not going to put up with it. I'm glad you're doing this; at least it shows I have standards." There was scattered laughter from Colin Creevy and his friends, and Ron felt that his pride was in jeopardy. Steeling himself from the next form of pain he was about to endure, he shook his head and smiled.
"Your standards are worse than my grandmother's. Honestly, Hermione, did you think we were going to stay together with you badgering me all the time?" Ron heard a couple people appreciatively laughing, and he had to continue. "I mean, I understand that you're Head Girl and all, but that doesn't mean you have to hex anyone who dare mention anything to do with sex." Hermione's face turned a light pink, and her lips pursed dangerously. Harry kept polishing his broom, shaking his head slowly at Ron's stupidity.
"So that's what this is about? You're mad because I won't sleep with you? That's a little pathetic. I expected better than that, Ron." Hermione could feel her fingernails digging into her skin, and she pressed a little harder, hoping that if she did so, she wouldn't slap Ron for making this a public event. He wanted publicity? She'd give them a show.
"See? You're always expecting something of me. It's a little maddening with you breathing down my neck all the time!" Lavender giggled delicately, making Ron feel a little better about what he was saying.
"Well, I'm sorry that being a concerned girlfriend makes it seem like I'm just being overbearing. Maybe you'd rather someone who is never around, sleeping with anything that moves?!" Harry chuckled appreciatively at that, running his fingers down the length of his broom to see how much dust and dirt he'd gotten off.
"At least it'd mean you're sleeping with someone! This isn't the fifteenth century, Hermione. If you took your nose out of your books, you'd realize that." Harry winced, glancing up to see Hermione advancing on him, jabbing him in the chest and pushing him back with each word she spit between clenched teeth. Ron glanced around the room, looking for someone who would help him, but the only one who seemed actually concerned for him was Lavender, and even then he knew she wouldn't move.
"This has nothing to do with my nose in books. This has to do with you trying to use me to get what you want. I won't give up my integrity to satisfy your greed. I have standards. I'm not the one ogling other people, like you are right now." She pushed him back again, and he glared at her, turning even redder when a group of girls nodded in her direction. He was losing, and losing badly.
"Hermione, you set your standards so high, it's no wonder Krum broke things off with you." Harry winced again, and then repeated the action when a resounding SLAP! Echoed throughout the Gryffindor common room. There was a stunned silence followed by the sound of a door slamming, and then a hesitant murmuring as the students began discussing what they had just seen. The Golden Trio was soon to become a rather strange friendship triangle.
Ron sunk into the chair next to Harry, holding his slowly reddening cheek. Harry snorted as Ron muttered something about females under his breath before he finally spoke.
"So, was it worth it?" Harry asked brightly as he grabbed his broom tweezers to get rid of a few stray twigs that had bent during Quittich practice. Ron groaned something in surprise and gave Harry a glowering look.
"Sod off." He advised, tossing another scowl to a group of giggling third years who had seen almost the entire spectacle. Harry shook his head slowly, grabbing the broom polish and lining the wood with it, not looking at the red hand print on Ron's face. If he did, he just might laugh.
"You did provoke her. Wouldn't a, 'we're better off as friends' worked just as fine?" Harry asked, rubbing the wood harder when Ron socked him in the shoulder. Lavender and Parvathi giggled, shaking their heads in unison when Ron glowered at them again, and he sighed.
"I shouldn't have brought up Krum."
"You shouldn't have brought up Krum." Harry agreed, nodding along with Ron's shaking head.
"She shouldn't have said I was a lazy, mooching boyfriend then!" Ron muttered, glaring. Harry shook his head, presenting his broom to Ron who gave him a withering glare.
"Why did you break up with her anyway?" Harry asked, eyebrows raised. Ron's glare grew, making Harry begin to believe that he should know why. Racking his brains for an answer, Ron finally gave it to him, hating having to explain it to Harry. To Ron, it was certainly obvious. Maybe he was the only one who got it?
"Hell Harry, I can't be what she wants me to be. I'm tired of trying. It's exactly as I told her. And… well, Lavender's always been interested. Things will go nicer with her." Harry's laugh overruled Ron's slow belief that he had a solid reason.
"There are some things that you don't tell a female, mate." Ron sighed, and smiled up at Lavender as she stood up and walked over to him, putting a dainty hand on his shoulder.
"I'm an arse, aren't I." It wasn't a question, and Harry laughed.
"No one's disagreeing." Harry nodded, earning another punch to the shoulder.
Yes, his tact was one to be marveled at.
"Draco, I'm bored." Blaise poked his arm. Instead of responding, Draco continued his homework, quill scratching on the parchment a little too loudly. Blaise poked his arm again.
"So go do something." Draco snapped as Blaise poked him again.
"I mean, I'm really, really bored." Blaise emphasized his words as he poked Draco's arm again, a little more force behind his hand.
"It's not my problem." Draco retorted, shrugging off his friend's antics. Blaise seemed cool and collected around anyone else, but he was childish and joking when he thought no one noticed. Draco was used to him being one way around everyone else, and then a six-year-old around him.
"I can't even go and hook up with someone I'm so bored. I can't do anything." He poked Draco's arm again, and Draco felt his teeth clench together.
"Obviously you can do something since you keep poking me." Blaise laughed delightedly as he poked Draco again.
"I'm bored, and it's helping." Blaise commented nonchalantly. Draco continued to work, hoping that if he ignored his friend long enough, he'd go away. This was not the case with Blaise Zabini, however much Draco wished it was.
"And good friends usually help out when their friends are bored." Blaise emphasized, prodding his friend again. Draco gritted his teeth and dipped his quill into the ink well with more force than necessary.
"If you're under the impression you've got friends here, you're sadly mistaken." Draco snapped, his grip on his quill tightening when Blaise poked him again.
"You seek me out in a crowd, and you divulge dark secrets to me. We're friends." Blaise poked him again, and Draco took a deep breath to stop himself from hitting his supposed friend.
"My, my, someone's been reading their witch weekly. What else does it say about friends?" He bit out scathingly, making Blaise crack up. He poked him again, grinning.
"Well, you're a Scorpio, for one. And you need to beware a dark haired girl, and a blond temptress." Blaise advised, nodding when Draco glanced up to see Pansy Parkinson glancing at him with a raised eyebrow. Draco shook his head, and looked back down, biting his tongue as Blaise poked him again.
"Or maybe you already knew that?" Blaise asked, jabbing with more force than he meant. Draco's quill scratched across his essay, spreading the fresh ink over his words, and furious, he rounded on Blaise, eyes glinting dangerously.
"What does it matter if I do?" He hissed, pushing Blaise away from him. Blaise fell back into his chair, unsurprised at the aggression in his friend's actions. "What does it matter if I know about any blond haired temptress or not? You're sticking your abnormally large nose too far into someone else's business, Zabini." Blaise picked imaginary lint off of his robes and then looked up, face innocent.
"My nose is not abnormally large." He said slowly, leaning in when Draco scoffed and rolled his eyes, turning away. "And it matters because if you're not going to do anything about that blond temptress, I will." Draco turned and glared at his friend, eyebrows drawn together in anger, his ruined essay long forgotten.
"What, are you going to go and mess around with my sloppy seconds?" Draco sneered. Blaise laughed openly, looking back to where Pansy was standing and giving Draco another sensual glance before walking up to her dormitory.
"There's nothing wrong with sloppy seconds, mate, but I don't think we'll have to worry about that. It's not like you slept with her." Blaise replied easily, enjoying Draco's look of surprise far too much. Whether it was true or not was nothing of his concern, but by the glare he was getting, Blaise got the feeling he was almost too close to the truth.
"Not like I'd want to; I hear from almost every chit in our year how loose she is." Draco looked down at his paper, ignoring the slight pang in his chest when he thought of what she'd done. It wasn't just what he'd heard, it's what he'd seen as well. Pansy was usually careful about not being caught in her little games, but she'd slipped up, and Draco had been the one to suffer. What did it matter though? Pansy wanted him for his money, and he wouldn't let her near him with a ten foot pole. It was simple as that.
"My kind of woman." Blaise commented dryly, earning a painful kick to his shin.
"Are you sure that you can handle that kind of woman? And keep your hands to yourself, please?" Theodore Nott frowned down at them, an eyebrow cocked as Blaise smothered a grin and Draco kicked Blaise again.
"I can't help it if Draco's obsessed with touching me in some sort of way." Blaise complained, and Theodore turned to Draco, tilting his head, silently asking him to explain.
"Blaise was the one poking me earlier." Draco defended himself. Theodore sat down next to Blaise, his face carefully composed into a blank expression, but his shoulders slightly sagging in amusement. Theodore was not like other Slytherins. He didn't push and shove for his way, and he didn't give his emotions away easily. To his close friends, he was just a little standoffish, but to everyone else he was a book no one could read. He didn't throw himself into the political maneuverings of Slytherin, but he didn't kiss ass either. He liked where he was, and where he was, was kind of nice. He didn't butt into others business, and they respected his silence in drama. He kept to himself and his studies, and only stepped into a situation when things became violent.
Because of this, Professor Dumbledore had happily given him the Head Boy badge, saying that not only would it promote house unity, but it would also balance Hermione Granger's brash way of settling things.
"So because he childishly poked you, you kicked him." Theodore frowned just a little, looking between them with his fingers steepled before him. "That sounds like you're just sinking to his pathetic level." Draco laughed as Blaise openly scoffed.
"It was necessary." Draco said with his eyes unwillingly glancing up to the girl's dormitory before going back to his friends. Theodore didn't miss the motion, but tilted his head instead of saying anything. He would let Draco explain, if Draco wanted, but other than that, he kept quiet.
"Where are you off to, Theo? You could stay here and help me convince Draco here that he's not much of a player as he'd like to think." Theo smirked and shook his head, glancing at his watch.
"I've got a meeting with the Head Girl on schedule duties and the upcoming Hogsmeade trip." Was all he said in explanation. Draco choked on his spit as Blaise erupted in laughter, and Theo glanced curiously between them, waiting for one to elaborate.
"You're skipping out on us to hang out with the mudblood? She's not much fun." Draco objected when Blaise quieted down enough for words. It was true, the Head Boy and Girl didn't necessarily always see eye to eye, but they managed to work things out in a way that no one else could. Because he was a hard worker, the mudblood seemed to overlook his house loyalty, but Draco couldn't conceive how Theo didn't just make her life hell. It would be easy for him to.
"Yes, but I've never been reduced to a poking war with her, either." Theodore noted, nodding between them. "I'm not a part of your ancestral hatred of mudbloods, so I can't hate someone with better marks than I because of her family. It's unbecoming." Draco couldn't help but feel a rush of anger at his friend's words, no matter how mature they sounded. It was almost like he was choosing hanging out with that smug mudblood over his own friends, and it was sickening.
"Unbecoming, but warranted. She's dirty blood… mixed with the very people we don't bother associating with because they're so low it's almost an insult to deal with one. I couldn't do it." Draco nodded curtly, standing up to pace, unable to keep his feet still at the slightly annoyed look in Theo's eyes. Did he not like hearing the truth?
"Then I guess it's lucky for her that the task falls to my lot, and not yours." Theodore raised an eyebrow, not bothering to look at Draco as the pale faced youth dented the floor with his steps. Blaise shrugged and inspected his nails, looking up at Draco to see how he would respond.
"She's lucky indeed. I swear, if I could get my hands on that bushy haired Halfling without Dumbledore's golden boy jumping to her rescue, I'd-"
"You'd insult her, threaten her with sparks from your wand, and then stomp off, threatening worse the next time." Theo dryly cut in, tossing Blaise a wry glance. Draco turned slightly pink, and pursing his lips, he faced the fire in the common room, needing a distraction from his friend that made no sense.
"I'd make her life a veritable hell." Draco muttered, not sure if he was talking to himself or Theo, or Blaise. It could have been a combination of all three.
"Yes, and you'd condemn yourself in the same motion you made to break her down." Theo replied without missing a beat. Draco turned back, slightly surprised, but Theo merely shrugged and turned away, glancing at his watch. Giving a wave to the two of them, he walked out, pristine and still very much in control of himself.
"I couldn't do it." Blaise commented when Draco snarled something under his breath. Theodore Nott was definitely an oddball when it came to other houses and co-existing with them, and Draco didn't understand how he could stand to be around St. Potter's whore. Surely he knew how it would taint him and his family name to be around her and act like a decent person around her? Didn't he see that? Draco shook his head. Though Theo was his friend, he didn't get him sometimes.
"Neither could I. He's uprooting everything his father worked for. After the Department of Mysteries incident, you'd think Theo would get the bigger picture." Draco replied, not sure if he should confront his friend or let him be. It wasn't his business, and Theo had kindly stayed out of his, so maybe he'd return the favor. Maybe.
"Too true. I mean, it's Granger. Queen of the mudbloods. Maybe he is seeing the bigger picture though? I mean, my picture is centered on a curly haired blondie who keeps sending you looks that would make a man beg, so I can't say much about big pictures." Blaise ignored Draco's look of fury, and closed his eyes, picturing Pansy in his mind.
"So have at her; what are you waiting for?" Draco snarled, grabbing his soiled essay and throwing it dejectedly into the rubbish bin. Now he'd have to start all over, and it had almost been finished. Damn his so called friend and his A.D.D. tendencies. Damn the mudblood and her overachieving attitude. Damn Theo and his equality.
"I'm waiting for you to get over her." Draco glanced at Blaise, but refused to take the bait, choosing instead to put his feet onto his desk, leaning back in his chair and staring at the ceiling.
"I mean, I know it's not like you have a huge list of girls who want to hook up with you, but a rebound pity date wouldn't do you any bad." Blaise grinned brightly, winking as a few fifth years went by, and he turned his attentions back to a rather angry blond haired boy.
"I could get any girl in this school; you know that very well."
"Really now, any girl? You've never given that kind of information in your heart to hearts with me." Blaise ignored Draco flipping him the bird, and he continued. "I mean, if you think about it, you couldn't get any girl. Not even I could get any girl. Some of the Gryffindors are just prudish to the point of plain stupidity, and the Hufflepuffs are too timid. You wouldn't want to mess with them. Not even for 10,000 galleons." Draco laughed at that, making Blaise pause for a moment, a thoughtful look crossing his face.
"Even if they're not worth the bother, I could still get any girl I wanted." He retorted with a shrug. It wasn't a lie, in a way. Most girls would do whatever Draco Malfoy asked, simply because of his past, or his charm. But not every girl. There were the ones who were obviously not interested, or even tried to curse him just because of who he was.
"Yeah? Your horoscope says to beware of trickery. And that was last month's issue… didn't you hook up with Pansy last month?" Blaise dodged a well aimed book that had been thrown at his head. "Just saying… flowers would do you good… preferably roses… you do need to loosen up a bit…" Blaise was skimming through the magazine, his nose close to it like he actually cared what it said, and with a grin, he jabbed the page. "See? It also says something strange will happen in your life, but to embrace it." Draco rolled his eyes, glancing forlornly at the essay he'd have to re-do. Couldn't Blaise wait to be a pest?
"Oh, and what about you? Any strange occurrence in your future?" Draco asked sarcastically. Blaise laughed and looked to the next page, scanning it.
"No, but this is my lucky month. Something good is going to happen for me." Blaise wiggled his eyebrows, nodding his head towards the Girls' dormitory. "And if you can get over your spat with Pansy and move on, I'll be able to reap the benefits of being a Pisces." Nodding sarcastically, Draco walked over to his book bag, deciding to find some other place to do his work. He'd have to get his essay done somehow.
"Go on then, Pisces, have at it. I'll have to see about my so called strange encounter later." Pushing his parchment, ink, and quills into the bag, he swung it onto his shoulder, looking over to see Blaise skimming through the magazine, sardonic eyebrow raised. Did he really believe that idiocy? Turning to walk away, he figured it'd be an hour before Blaise had even noticed that he'd gone somewhere.
"Would you really tear her up if you got the chance?" Blaise asked suddenly, and Draco turned around, surprised that Blaise had noticed him leaving. Exchanging the bag to his other shoulder, he couldn't help the sneer from creeping into his voice.
"I wouldn't even leave the pieces behind." He declared, a smirk curling over his lip. Giving a halfhearted wave, he turned and pushed a second year out of his way as he exited the common room to find some peace and quiet to work.
"Scorpio's this month need also beware their tempers, and what it will cost them…" Blaise murmured to himself, tapping his chin. Shrugging, he stood up and stretched, tossing the Witch Weekly onto the couch. "But, on the other hand, Pisces are to indulge in their senses." Glancing up at the girl's dormitory, he smirked. "After all, it is our lucky month."
Hit or miss? Only you can tell!