Chapter 4
-A House Divided–
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A/N: I'm feeling a bit like an invisible blot on 's radar. I don't even mean reviews (much). It seems like no one's even looking at these stories. WTF?
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Insert appropriate disclaimers here
After that day, Harry and Draco started tentatively meeting for lunch. Ron still refused to be in the same room as Harry, let alone speak to him, and Hermione always seemed to eat lunch in the library with her books. After all, the NEWTS wait for no man… or woman as the case may be.
Things continued to go peacefully between Harry and Draco for about a week. That's not to say there weren't any arguments. Their situation made it impossible to ignore the world around them. However, they were trying to keep the truce so, they quickly learned to change the subject after a few well placed insults.
Unfortunately, Hermione had the bad timing to walk into the kitchen during one of these arguments.
"Look Malfoy," Harry was saying. "I don't know why you can't understand that that snake faced bastard doesn't care what happens to anyone as long as he's on top."
"Like your side is any better, Potter," Malfoy retorted. "Your glorious leader is so disgustingly nice it's not humanly possible. There's no way that he doesn't have a hidden agenda."
"You should be glad he's so nice. It's thanks to him that you're even here, you know."
"I don't know shit Potter. I haven't seen him once since I've been here. For all I know he's just left you here to rot."
Harry gritted his teeth. This was the fourth time they had had this conversation, or something similar in the past three days. "Look here Malfoy, you pathetic excuse for a wizard. At least I'm not following some psychotic asshole like a sheep."
"Oh? Then what is it you're doing exactly? Why don't you go tell old Dumbles to go fuck off and die, if you're so damn independent?"
As soon as the words were out of Malfoy's mouth Hermione yelled, "How dare you? You slimy bastard, Albus Dumbledore is the greatest wizard of our age."
"Greatest something of our age, that's for sure," Malfoy muttered.
"What was that?"
"I said," Malfoy repeated clearly. "That he's definitely the greatest something of our age."
Hermione raised her wand.
"Stop!"
She turned and stared at Harry who had reached forward and grasped her wrist lightly. "Put it away, Hermione. Everyone's entitled to their own opinion."
"Harry," she said looking at him cautiously. Maybe Malfoy had him under some sort of spell. Harry had always been kind and forgiving, but this was unreal. "I think you're taking this too far. You've given him a second chance, and a third, and a fourth. You can't keep on giving him chances. He's just a close minded, pathetic little worm. I know you want to help everyone, but you have to realize that some people can't be saved." She flashed Malfoy a dirty look. "And some people aren't even worth saving."
"You're wrong," said Harry. Seeing her doubtful look, he continued, "We've been having lunch together."
"You're eating with him…willingly?" she asked, shocked.
Simultaneously Malfoy sneered, "I don't need saving, especially not from you Potter."
"Hermione, Malfoy and I have come to an understanding." He didn't say anything about the fact that his backing was the only thing keeping Malfoy from Azkaban.
"An understanding…" she sounded doubtful. "With him."
"Don't you think I'm capable of civil conversation Granger?" asked Malfoy.
"Frankly, no." Hermione said curtly.
Harry motioned to the chair next to him. "Why don't you join us Hermione?" She sat down stiffly. Harry picked up his fork, and said, "So Malfoy, have you seen the latest Quidditch scores?"
"Of course not," he said scornfully. "No one will let me look at the Prophet."
"I'll make sure to get you one then."
"Don't put yourself out on my account Potter," he sneered, but Harry caught the grateful look he shot across the table.
Hermione sat by Harry's side, not noticing the silent byplay, and wondered how Harry could even stand to be in the same room with Malfoy. The Slytherin was completely vile.
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"Ron?" Hermione called, as she searched the house. There was a muffled grunt in reply off to her left, and she pushed open the door. Ron was sitting in front of chessboard, and playing a match against himself. The room was covered in a thick layer of dust. It rolled off the mattress Ron was sitting on, when he moved and landed around the chessboard.
"Ron, what the hell are you doing?"
"I'm playing chess Hermione," Ron said somewhat acerbically. "What does it look like?" He finally looked up at her. "What do you want Hermione?"
"I wanted to talk to you about Harry."
"What, again?" Ron sighed. "Look Hermione, I don't want to fight with you about this anymore. You've already broken up with me, and told me what an insensitive pig I am, so why don't you leave me to my chess game?"
Hermione twisted her fingers together. "I might have gone slightly overboard with what I said that day," she said softly. "I'm sorry I lost my temper. I miss you."
"So you're going to go out with me again?" Ron asked, looking much cheerier.
"This place is a mess, Ron," said Hermione looking at all the dust on the floors, walls and ceiling. "I don't know how you can play chess here, let alone anything else." She took out her wand and cast a few well placed cleaning spells that left the room looking as good as new. Once that was done, she sat down on the bed next to Ron. "We need to get through this thing regarding Harry."
"What do you mean 'this thing regarding Harry'? We don't have a thing. It's disgusting, plain and simple."
"I can't believe you Ron! You're ok with the fact that Remus is a werewolf, but you can't deal with the fact that Harry is gay. How does that make any sense?"
Ron opened his mouth, and then closed it again. After a moment, he said, "Remus isn't sleeping with other men."
"You don't know that," said Hermione realistically. "It's not like he's walking around waving a banner that says 'I'm sleeping with Severus Snape'"
"Eww! Hermione!" Ron cringed.
"Well, he's not. You don't even know his sexuality. It's not like you've ever gone up to him and asked, 'excuse me Professor Lupin, but do you prefer men or women in your bed?'"
"Hermione!" Ron gasped in disbelief. "Ok, Mione, I'll try to be more understanding about the whole thing, but I don't want to see Harry kissing anyone in front of me."
"Ron, this may be hard to believe, but I don't think Harry's any more excited about seeing the two of us kissing either."
"So we will be kissing?!" Ron grinned.
"I guess we will," Hermione said, smiling at Ron's enthusiasm. "Anyway, the main reason I came up here is because we have a problem."
"I thought we just resolved our problems?"
"Not that one, another one."
"Already?"
"Joke if you want," said Hermione, frowning at Ron. "But Harry's downstairs having lunch with Malfoy right now."
"So Harry's doing Malfoy?"
Hermione sighed. "Ron, not everything is about sex you know."
"It has to be some sort of a trick. Harry would never eat with the ferret. Maybe Malfoy poisoned him somehow? Put a love potion in his food?"
"I don't know Harry doesn't act like he's in love. Maybe he used something weaker?"
Ron shrugged. "Maybe Imperio?"
"Harry can throw it off. Besides, Malfoy doesn't have a wand," Hermione paused and dropped a kiss onto Ron's head. "Harry's your best friend. Go apologize for being an idiot, like you should have done days ago. Then we'll do what we can to save him from whatever Malfoy's done. There's no way he's innocent in this."
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Ron went downstairs after his talk with Hermione. The rest of their talk had included many kisses Harry wouldn't have wanted to see. He bounced down the stairs feeling quite cheerful. That quickly changed when he found Harry in the library. His best mate was sitting comfortably in a chair, and reading a wizarding novel.
Harry looked up to see Ron standing next to him. Watching cautiously he waited for Ron to make the first move. Ron fidgeted uncomfortably.
"Listen Harry," he started. "I'm really sorry about…well everything really. I was a git and I know it. If you can't forgive me I'll understand."
Harry stood up. "Ron, you've been a git for years, and I've never held it against you before."
Ron pulled Harry forward making sure to give him a very manly hug. He slapped him on the back for good measure, and when they broke apart they were both smiling.
"So what are you reading Harry?" Ron asked.
Harry lifted the book so Ron could see the title.
"A wizarding novel?" Ron asked. "I never thought I'd see you reading something like that."
"Well without you around as much, Mione's been bugging me to study. She shoved Morgana's book of spells at me, and told me I should start reading before my brain rotted away."
"So why aren't you reading the book of spells?"
"She said I should read, she never told me what I should be reading," Harry grinned. "Not specifically anyway."
Ron didn't get a chance to corner Harry until after dinner. After making sure that Malfoy wasn't around he turned to Harry.
"Mione said that you've been spending time with Malfoy."
Harry shrugged. "He's interesting." He wasn't surprised that Ron had brought up the subject. He had actually been expecting it ever since Hermione found them at lunch. Ron may have been acting like a git, but he was loyal to a fault. Even though he found Harry's sexual orientation disgusting Ron wasn't about to let anything happen to his best mate.
"The ferret, interesting? How could you possibly find that slimy pureblooded bastard interesting? Does he have you under Imperio?"
"He doesn't have me under Imperio Ron." Harry said.
"That's what you'd say if you were under Imperio."
"For god's sake Ron," Harry said, rolling his eyes.
"How about a game of chess?" Ron asked, changing the subject. He'd find out more tomorrow.
He brought down the game from upstairs just as it stood. Sliding it gently onto the table in the library, he and Harry began to play.
Two hours later Ron was ranting about Harry's obvious lack of strategy. "How did you manage to lose? I gave you the winning side!"
Harry shrugged. "Want to see if there's anything to eat in the kitchen?"
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The next morning Hermione pulled Ron to one side. "Ron," she whispered pulling a vial from her robes. "I made this last night while you and Harry were playing chess."
"Eww…What is it?" Ron asked, looking at the greenish-brown liquid.
"It's a potion to clear any other potions out of a person's system. I want you to slip it into Harry's food."
"What?! I can't do that."
"Ron, it's for his own good. It won't hurt him."
Ron grabbed the vial from Hermione's hand angrily. "You know Mione, that's the kind of thinking that started this war." He stalked off, intending to get rid of it as quickly as possible.
"Wait," said a voice behind him.
Ron turned to see Harry standing there next to Mione.
"I borrowed some extendable ears, and spelled-silent sneakers from the twins," Harry said sheepishly. "Give me the potion Ron." Harry held his hand out. Ron walked over and placed the vial in his hand. Harry uncorked it, and swallowed quickly. He looked over at Hermione with disappointment. "I would have taken it if you had asked me. The only reason I'm taking it now, is to prove to you that Malfoy doesn't have me drugged or something."
Hermione looked down, in shame. Her eyes glistened. "Harry, I didn't mean… That is, I only want the best for you. I don't want to see you hurt."
"Mione, I know that, but this is a stunt I'd expect from Malfoy, not one of my best friends," said Harry quietly.
Hermione sobbed. Covering her face with her hands, she ran out of the room crying.
"That was a bit harsh, mate," said Ron.
Harry didn't respond as he watched Hermione run from the room.
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