Haha, I'm wondering how to start this chapter. Should I start as always by apologizing for the late update? Well, I do apologise, I hope this chapter makes up for it. A late merry Christmas to everyone and a happy new year!

This chapter is different, I think it's the chapter that will sets things into motion as we move towards the end! Like, I said sometime earlier, this story shall end in no more than 8 chapters. If I do use more than 8 chapters, well I guess I would have to do a forfeit of some kind!

Thanks for reading!

Chapter 21: A Fool's Kiss

 "Hermione!"

 I turned around, a little surprised to see that the strange excited voice belonged to Patty. Patty? Being happy to see me? Was this a dream?

  "I need to talk to you!" Patty cried, hooking her hand around my elbow.

  I was shocked now, to say the least. Patty? Being friendly to me? And oblivious to Draco? Was the Great Hall some kind of parallel universe?

  Draco looked amused. "I shall go take the punch."

 He gave a mischievous smile to me and went off to the buffet table.

  "So what do you want to talk to me about?" I asked Patty, curious.

  Patty, however, was not looking at me at all. She seemed to be giving some kind of signal far away.

  "Come along now," Patty said simply as she pulled me through the crowd. "Don't look alarm, I won't pull you 3m away from Draco… not yet anyway."

 One of my eyebrows arched up. This better be good.

  "Hello, Draco."

  I turned to the direction of the voice. "Why, hello, chocolate girl. I can't seem to find the punch bowl. Do you know where it is?"

  "You can have my cup," The chocolate girl smiled alluringly at me. "The name's Coco."

 "Right… Coco," I said, pretending I remembered. "I need more than one cup and I hate saliva."

 I sniffed at the cup. "Besides, this cup is drugged."

  "Drats," Coco said, but she didn't seem the least surprised. "I knew I couldn't fool you that way."

  "I'm afraid I have more experience in drugging than you," I said coolly, then turned around to ask somebody else where the mysterious punch bowl was.

  "Draco, would you like to know how to break the spell between you and that brown girl?" Coco asked in a velvety tone.

  I turned back to face her. "I do hate the smirk on your face. And how do you even know how to break it?"

  "I have my sources, believe it or not. This is the third time this spell has been used in Hogwarts history," Coco said sweetly, "The antidote to this spell I think you will find most interesting."

  "Do tell," I smiled, "Or do you want to drug me first?"

  "Kiss me and I'll kiss and tell," Coco smiled sultrily.

  "Patty, what do you have to say to me?" I said, impatient.

  Patty had spent more time looking around the hall, then looking at me directly.

  "I'm sorry," Patty said, she was beaming in the most idiotic way. "I just wanted to compliment you on how lovely you look tonight."

  "What?" I cried astonished.

  "Yes, you look… er… wonderful," Patty said sweetly.

  But again, her face was turned in another direction.

  "I see," I said, turning my face in the same direction as Patty. "How wonderful I must look there too."

  Patty turned back to me, a little embarrassed. "Let's go find Draco now."

  I was slightly confused to say the least. I felt like I was being tricked or something. "Er… ok."

  And yet again, I followed Patty through the crowds.

This was definitely not how I imagined I would be spending the dance, following Patty around the dance floor.

 "You are slutty, aren't you?" I laughed.

  "From you, I take it as a compliment," Coco beamed. "So do you accept?"

  I paused for a moment. Hermione won't like this one bit. Heck, she will kill me if she finds out.

  "The girl's not here." Coco smiled, "Come on, be a man, be quick."

  I rolled my eyes. "This must be the weirdest deal I ever made."

  I bent down and kissed Coco's lips lightly.

  Shockingly, Coco held my head strongly and kissed back.

  This woman was a maniac.

  "Oh god," Patty said, in a very happy tone. "Draco's rather a playboy isn't he?"

  I was about to ask Patty why she said that when I came face to face with a vision of my date kissing a beautiful blonde girl passionately.

  "My…" I couldn't even finish a sentence.

  I turned away quickly, before Patty could see the first tear drop down my cheeks.

  I froze. I heard Hermione's voice.

  I pushed Coco away immediately.

 "Damn it," I muttered as I saw Hermione running towards the Great Hall entrance through the crowds.

  I glared at Coco and she stiffened visibly. "Well, there you have it."

  "Have it?" I asked coldly.

  "Yes, there are only two ways for the spell to be broken. For the person who cast it, to break it. Or for the two people involved in this spell to hate each other so utterly that the bond is broken, because that would mean there is no hope at all that the two enemies can be friends." Coco said, smiling contentedly.

 "As you can see… the spell is broken."

 "Don't you ever dare let me see you again," I said in my iciest tone as I took a step towards Coco. "I don't hit woman, but for you I shall make an exception."

  With that, I turned around to chase the girl for whom I had hurt deeply by my careless reckless act.

  The spell was broken. Her heart was broken.

  But I'll be damned if I let her go just like that.