Chapter 14: Risks and Rewards

An: I'm quite sorry this took so long to upload. I've been very busy with school work and have had a fair share of drama crop up that I've had to cope with, thus rendering me unable to even think of writing. But, alas, after three months or so, I present you with….an update! Enjoy! Please review if you have the time, I love hearing what you have to say about a new chapter. Also, as it's been a while, you may or may not want to look over the older chapters just to refresh your memory on what's going on.

Continuez

As the first challenge approached, Harry became even more anxious and on edge, which was not helped by the fact that nearly everyone in the school resented him, even his best mate. The only people he had were Neville and Hermione, and while he was grateful to them for staying faithful to him, he did miss being with Ron. To top it all, that Rita Skeeter had been publishing a great deal of lies about Hermione and him in her rubbish of a news article, and now everyone had even more ammunition to tease Harry with, and Ron had more to be angry with Harry at. He didn't understand why everyone believed the article; didn't they see they were obviously just friends? Also, he didn't understand why so many people made fun of him over it. It's not like there would be anything wrong with it if he actually was going out with Hermione….

…but at this point, he had to shake his head vigorously to clear the thought before it could be finished, as his stomach was already starting to flip. He snuck a glance at Hermione to see if she had noticed anything, but mercifully, she seemed oblivious, and was instead searching through her bag as they walked briskly to class. Harry wanted to look away, but he found he couldn't. Something about the way her thick, brown curls bounced to the middle of her back, the copper strands catching the light, or perhaps it was her light brown, nearly amber eyes turned to look at him….

Jumping in realization that he had been caught, Harry quickly turned away, but Hermione caught on anyways. "Harry, is something the matter?" she asked in confusion. Harry shook his head quickly, refusing to look at her, furious at himself. Why couldn't he think straight with her around? Why? After all, she was his best mate. He shouldn't feel this way around her!

Soon, too soon, in Harry's opinion, they were outside Potions class. He snuck a glance at Ron, who was standing with Seamus and Dean. He refused to even look at Harry. Feeling upset yet resigned, Harry then turned his attention to where a group of Slytherins stood, tittering over something. As soon as they spotted Harry, Malfoy strutted out from the middle of the group, waving something over his head. "Like them, Potter?" he sneered. "We made them just for you!" He threw one at Harry's feet, and Harry's stomach twisted in fury as he read the button's message from where it lay on the cold, damp stone floor:

Support Cedric Diggory!

As he watched, the message changed to,

Potter stinks!

The majority of the Slytherins burst into gales of laughter at the pathetic, weak joke. A few stood apart from the group and didn't appear to think the buttons very funny, but they were very few. His fellow Gryffindors, while not laughing, did not come to his rescue either.

Hermione put her hand on Harry's shoulder and looked straight ahead stonily. "Just ignore them, Harry," she sniffed primly.

Malfoy grinned devilishly. "Want one Granger? But don't touch my hand; see, I just washed it, and I don't want Mudblood germs on it." The Slytherins laughed heartily, except the small group Harry noticed before, who just rolled their eyes.

Without even really knowing what he was doing, Harry took out his wand and pointed it at Malfoy. "You take it back, you ferret!"

Beside him, Hermione grabbed his arm and whimpered, "No, Harry! You'll get into trouble!"

Malfoy had his wand out to, and sneered at Harry. "Listen to your little girlfriend, Potter!"

Harry shot a curse at the same time Malfoy did. Unfortunately, they both missed. Harry hit Goyle, and Malfoy hit…

"Hermione!" Harry yelped, and rushed to her side. He was vaguely aware of Ron doing the same. She was whimpering in pain, her hand covering her mouth. Harry whirled around to face Malfoy angrily. "What did you do to her?!"

Malfoy sneered, completely ignoring his so-called "friend", who was yelling in pain and covering his face. "Oh, you'll see, Potter."

Suddenly, in a whirl of black, Snape was there, surveying the scene with pitiless black eyes. "What happened here?"

Malfoy immediately put on a pleading face. "Potter cursed Goyle, sir!" He pointed at Goyle.

Snape turned to Harry. "Potter…" he growled.

"But sir," Ron protested, "Malfoy cursed Hermione!" He turned back towards Hermione, tugging at her hand. "C'mon, 'Mione, show him!"

Harry was breathless as Hermione reluctantly pulled her hand away, revealing rapidly growing front teeth. The group of Slytherins Malfoy led burst into laughter. The Gryffindors gasped. Harry felt as if he had had the air knocked from his lungs. But Snape, with a cruel glitter in his soulless eyes, merely said, in a cold voice, "I see no difference."

Tears welled in Hermione's eyes, and before anyone could even move she was running down the hall, sobbing loudly, he brown curls bouncing. But something perhaps more astonishing than Hermione running from class was the fact that, despite their ongoing quarrel, Ron and Harry acted as one and began yelling insult after insult at Snape.

Harry wasn't sure what Ron said, but he was sure it went along the lines of what he said, which was calling Snape an overgrown, greasy, unfair, cruel, hideous, bat-like git. He was also quite sure that, while Snape probably did not hear the individual insults, he got the general idea of what he was being called.

"Detention," he said calmly, in barely a whisper. "See me after class." He swept off into the classroom, the rest of the class following behind, most of the Slytherins still tittering over what had happened. Ron and Harry were the last to enter. For a split second, Ron, opened his mouth, as if he were about to say something, but then decided against it, and hurried into class. Harry had no choice but to follow him.

What a miserable start to a miserable class, Harry thought, as he settled himself at his desk. One thing made him happy, at least. At least the insult Malfoy, and Snape, for that matter, had been avenged, if only partially. Filled with the fierce pride this gave him, he began setting up for class.

Fin.

Thank you for reading, please review if you have the time. Geez. As much as I love Snape, I hated how he acted in this particular situation. Ugg.