Just so you know, it is the seventh year, but I'm pretending that Harry Potter stayed at Hogwarts

The next day at breakfast, I confront Seamus Finnegan by pushing him against the wall as he passes me in the hall.

"Who the-"

"Shut it, Finnegan. Listen. I need the Gryffindor password."

"Why would I tell you?"

"Because I can hex you into oblivion."

"Fair enough. It's..." He whispers the password in my ear. "Now what's in it for me?" he asks, checking me out.

"The rest of your life," I threaten, my voice as dark as my hair.

"Again, fair enough." I release him and he runs - uh, I mean, hastens - away.
I approach the Gryffindor common room, say the password, and enter. I spot Potter and his two friends sitting by the fire. Potter is on the couch and Weasley and Granger were in chairs on either side of him.

"Potter," I say as I go over. Younger students clear the area and whisper behind their hands. I let it go for now. I have more important matters on my mind. Older students simply glare at me. "I need to talk to you…alone," I add. Weasley gives me a dirty, loathing look and Granger glances at me suspiciously. "Weasleby, mudblood, get out!" I order.

They look infuriated, but exit the area anyways. When they are out of earshot, I sit beside Harry on the couch.

"Harry, I know we're not exactly…friends, but would you want to…go out with me?" I ask, acting shy.

"What's the catch?" Harry = not falling for it.

"What catch? I've just always sort of liked you on the inside."

"If that's true, Hermione is dumb. What do you want?"

"Okay. Fine," I say disgruntled. "I need you to pretend to go out with me."

"Why?"

"I want to get Malfoy jealous and he'd be seriously pissed off if he saw me with you."

He seems to weigh his options. "Why would I do this for you?"

"Let's see," I say, pretending to give this question some serious thought. "To see Malfoy angry and uh, I can beat you to a pulp!"

"Fair enough," he says, scared.

"Good boy. And don't worry. We only have to do this in front of him." I stand up and face him. "Remember, this is strictly business."

I strut out of there, feeling proud that everything had turned out my way. Nothing could bring me down now. Not even Malfoy.

Over the next few weeks, I would abduct Harry to sit with me at the Ravenclaw table. One time, Cho looked at Harry and smiled. A simple death glare stopped that. Harry and I would hold hands when Malfoy got too close. Harry actually looked like he enjoyed all this.

"I mean, did you see his face?" Erica, Harry and I are at the Ravenclaw table again for lunch. "That was rich!" I exclaimed.

"Harry, you seem to actually like being Collette's boyfriend." Do I note a small tone of jealousy in Erica's voice?

He raises an eyebrow and turns back to me. "Didn't you tell her?"

"No," I reply.

"Tell me what?"

"Potter's not my boyfriend," I explain. "I just need his help."

"With what? Potions homework?"

"No. Harry and I just have to pretend that we're a couple for Malfoy. I want to make him jealous and what better way than dating his enemy?" I say slyly.

"There is no better way! I'm just afraid this is going to backfire." Either way, Erica seems to perk up.

"It's not going to backfire. You know, it's actually bringing Harry and me closer. We're becoming kind of friends now," I admit.

"Wow."

"Yeah, I know."

"All I know is that it's working and oddly satisfying," Harry says with a sly grin.

Suddenly, an ingenious idea enters my mind as I remember today's Transfiguration class. "Erica, doesn't Malfoy have a detention with McGonnagal?"

"Tonight? Yeah. He has to report to her office right after dinner."

"Harry, let's turn it up a notch."

"What do you mean?" he asks nervously.

"I think you know exactly what I mean." I lean in and whisper my plan. He thinks for a minute.

"Sounds perfect."

He displays a smirk worthy of a Malfoy, which scares me…but in a good way.