Chapter 3


It had been a few days since Harry and Ron had agreed to still be friends with Hermione, despite her inexplicable crush on Draco Malfoy. Yet in spite of the reluctant agreement the air was still tense, as if in anticipation of an approaching storm. The boys were unable to see what Hermione would see in such a tremendous git. Hermione awoke to Ginny shaking her sharply. Are you ready? the fiery redhead asked excitedly.
Ready for what? Hermione muttered sleepily.
Ready to seduce one utterly sexy Slytherin. Ginny answered curtly.
Ginny, the boy hates me. How in the world am I going to seduce him?
By being your sexy self.
That hasn't worked so far...
That is where I come in.
He won't even give me the time of day without a snide comment. What can you do? Hermione questioned with an air of desperation in her voice.

~~~

Harry asked his roommate who was angrily putting on his robes for the day. Are you all right?
JUST WONDERFUL! Ron snapped at his unsuspecting roommate, who winced. Why did Harry even bother to ask? It isn't like I am appearing to be happy.
Does this have anything to do with a brilliant brunette and a slimy blond Slytherin? Harry asked carefully.
No, nothing at all. I was only rejected by my best friend for the lowest of the low. No, I am not bothered at all. Ron replied while angrily searching his trunk for something, though not even he really knew what it was that he was searching for. Ron suddenly stopped his searching. What if we could make Hermione fall in love with you instead of Malfoy? I mean, you love Mione as a friend don't you?
Yes, but Ron... I would love for her to be in love with me instead of Ron. I could love Hermione. I could treat her the way she deserves to be treated. I could love her for who she is, but why would Ron...?
No, it is perfect, she would fall in love with you, you are charming, and all the girls swoon over you. You are the bloody Boy Who Lived, what girl doesn't like that? Girls love celebrity guys... Hermione is a girl. I think this will work
Ron, I thought you liked Hermione.
Ron said putting his hand on Harry's shoulder. A man can only take rejection like that from a woman once. More than that just shows weakness. I have moved on.
Moved on? Harry was thoroughly confused on how someone could move on so quickly.
Yes, moved on my dear man. Moved on to a lovely Ravenclaw. Some people think she is loony, but I think she is perfect.
Loony Luna? Harry tried to hide his laughter.
And what on Earth do you have against my Lovely Luna? Ron angrily asked with his hands on his hips.
Harry stopped his laughter. I was just surprised, that is all. I really did not think that she was what you were looking for. Ron wondered out of the room, satisfied with Harry's answer. Goodness, that boy sure got over Hermione's rejection quickly.

~~~

Hermione, we are going to make a potion. Ginny replied.
Ginny, we CANNOT make a love potion. Too many things could go wrong. What is she thinking? Doesn't she know why love spells are considered to be a dark art. Meanwhile love from a love spell is just as bad as no love at all. Love from a spell is not real.
Not a love potion, she laughed at the brunette's one track mind. We aren't going to make him love you, we are going to make you both see each other as you really are. If all goes well, either you will determine that he isn't worth your time, when you see what he really is, or he will determine that you ARE worth his time. Hopefully the latter. Maybe the prior also. That stupid git needs his share of rejection too.
What are the side effects?
The side effects, oh yeah... She isn't going to like this.
GINNY! WHAT ARE THE SIDE EFFECTS? Hermione demanded. This is a pretty good idea. Please let the side effects be minor. She pleaded with whatever greater power may have been listening.
 The only real side effect is that everyone will see you as you really are, and you will see everyone as they really are.
Well that isn't too awful.... Shouldn't everyone want the world to see the real them. Facades are so...
The world will see your feelings toward Draco. Ginny added before she realized what she had said.

~~~

Harry chased his best friend down the stairs. He must really have had a few too many butterbeers in the past few days. Why would he want me to have Mione? Not that I mind... Bad, bad Harry. You aren't supposed to think of her that way. She dated your best friend. She is your best friend.... Aren't you supposed to marry your best friend. I could marry Hermione... Harry drifted off into a daydream about marrying Hermione and tripped down the last eight stairs.
Mate, are you all right? Ron asked while offering Harry a hand. This just isn't his day is it?
Yes, fine. Harry answered quickly, brushing himself off. Ron, about what you said, I thought we offered our support. He can't deny that. I did not want to be supportive, but I do want her to be happy.
We did, but you seemed as bothered by it as I was. You know as well as I do that it isn't just that she has fallen for Malfoy that is bothering you. Ron stated simply. He has to go for this. I will not have Malfoy dating my best friend if I can help it.
Who has fallen for Malfoy? Colin Creevy asked. He had been coming down the stairs and had seen Harry fall, and hadn't been able to get to Harry until this time. Colin had grown up quite a bit since his first year. He had given up stalking Harry everywhere with a camera, and though Harry was still occasionally annoyed by him, he had realized that Colin was not a terrible guy. They can't have him! He's mine! He's MINE! First Harry didn't want me, now someone is going to try to compete with me over Draco. I'll take em down. I'll take em down!
Even so, he knew that Hermione's secret was still meant to be a secret, and he intended to be a good friend and keep her secret. Fallen for Malfoy. Nobody said anything about anyone falling for Malfoy. We were just saying that lately it seems that Malfoy has fallen off his wonder boy pedestal. Weren't we Ron? Harry nudged Ron.
Good. No one better want my Draco. Someday he is going to be mine. All mine.
Oh yes, because everyone knows about that pedestal Malfoy has always been on. You know now that his father was discovered to have put Crabbe, Goyle and numerous others under a curse a couple of years ago, Harry gave Ron a look. Goodness that looks like one of those looks my mother gives me... Yes... very bad fall.
By this point they had reached the Great Hall for breakfast, and a tall blonde had also heard part of their conversation. Someone had a bad fall huh Weasel? Draco Malfoy said in his typical sarcastic drawl.
There he is. So beautiful. Those strong arms. That tight arse. That sexy smirk. Just kill me now. He doesn't even notice me. Someday he will.
Yes, kinda like this, Ron said and without much movement Ron pulled something from his pocket and threw it at Malfoy, causing Malfoy to immediately fall to his knees. Ron gave Harry one of the first genuine grins that he had seen in days. I knew being related to Fred and George would come in handy someday. They headed off to the Gryffindor table, leaving Malfoy to figure out what to do. Every time he tried to stand up he would fall back down to his knees. Colin tried to help him, but Draco angrily shooed him away.
I got to touch him. I got to touch him. How dare Ron? Well I did get to touch him... yay Ron! Again. Again.
Harry asked between laughs, What are those, and is he ever going to be able to stand up again? Hermione is not going to appreciate you cursing the object of her affection. Though if Hermione were not in the picture I would be okay with you cursing Malfoy from here to the moon.
Not to worry Mate. It wears off in about ten minutes. Just enough time to be publicly humiliated in the Great Hall in front of those slithery Slytherin's. Ron said, laughing at his own joke. Sometimes I am as funny as Fred and George. Percy is funny too. Oh... Percy. Ron's mood faltered. Ooh, it is my sister... I love my sister. He started grinning like a loony.
So about earlier... Hermione and Ginny showed up at just this moment. Harry blushed.
We'll talk about it, in the dorm, after classes.
It is definitely better not to discuss this now. I wonder what Ron has planned. He isn't usually the planner, as much as there is to help execute. I hope this is good.
You'll talk about what later? You aren't making any sort of evil plots without us are you? Ginny asked. Shooting her brother a look quite similar to the one that he had gotten from Harry earlier.
Harry and Ron both answered with urgency.
You better not be. Ginny said with a sound of finality in her voice. They better not dare mess with this.
So how is your plan to snag your slimy prince going Ron questioned.
Ron, you promised! Ginny exclaimed.
No Small One, I promised to still be friends, I did not promise to not make jokes about it.
Small One? Since when did he call me that? Ron, are you all right?
Just wonderful, Ron replied cheerily.
I think that Ikle Ronnikins has been playing with something that he was most certainly not supposed to be. Whatever you say, oh brother of mine.

~~~

The day went by quickly, and suddenly Ron and Harry found themselves in their dorm room ready to discuss Ron's plan to make Hermione fall in love with Harry instead of Malfoy. Ron, you know when she finds out what we are doing she will never forgive us. I don't want her to hate me forever. I would rather her spend the rest of her life with Malfoy and be my friend, then not and never speak to me again.
Mate, what do you take me for? Do you think we are going to tie her up and trap her somewhere where you come and save the day or do you think we are going to put her under a love potion. No, no, NO! We aren't stupid, or mediocre wizards. We are not going to force her to fall for you. We are going to...
We are going to what? Harry prodded.
Well actually, I am not quite sure yet. I thought I would have a brilliant idea by now, but really I am just as lost at what we are going to do as you are. Ron replied happily. What? I was supposed to have a plan? Who needs a plan?
RONALD WEASLEY, WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU? You say all of this like it is perfectly okay. You led me to believe that you had an idea. A plan, Mate, a plan.
We will find one soon enough. Has anyone told you that you worry to much Harry. Everything will work out in time.
Ron, I have a Dark Lord breathing down my back. He would rather have me dead than happy. I have a best friend who has fallen for a low life scum of the universe, and now I have a best friend who has just lost it. Could things possibly get any worse.
Harry, things can always get worse. Ron replied happily.
Harry stormed out of the room. When did he get such a cheery outlook on life? Yes Harry, the Dark Lord wants to KILL you, but first all of your friends are going to go insane. First Hermione falls for Malfoy, AND keeps it a secret for two years. Then when she tells everyone, all is well, we'll just make things work out for her. Ginny must have something wrong with her too. Malfoy is most certainly not going to go for this. Then Ron, my best mate decides that it would be loads of fun to convince me that he has a plan on how to make Hermione fall for me instead, when it just turns out that he needs to be taken to St. Mungo's with Lockhart. What sort of sick universe have a fallen in to?

~~~

So what do you think? Is it worth it to you to get your Slytherin Prince? Ginny asked Hermione. They were in the back corner of the library.
The Mudblood has a Slytherin Prince? Is it a first year? I don't think any Slytherin that is not a first year would be dumb enough to fall for you. You may be pretty... Not as pretty as Weasley... Since when was Weasley attractive? But no Slytherin would allow themselves to fall for a Mudblood like you Granger. Weasley though... no Mudblood lover, Mudblood lover. Go find yourself a nice Gryffindor. They are brave, maybe they will brave the likes of you. Without another word he left the library. Ecstasy filled his soul as he realized that he had probably managed to hurt Granger worse than ever before.
Tears were streaming down Hermione's face. What was I ever thinking? This really is the impossible task. Not even seeing the real me will change his mind. A love potion might work to bring about a fake love, but I will never even get Draco to LIKE me, let alone want anything more with me. I probably couldn't even whore myself out to him.
 Don't listen to him, once he knows the real you, he will regret that he ever dared to say that to you. Darn Malfoy for interfering. How is this ever going to work?
Ginny, who am I kidding. This is never going to work. The only way he would ever look at me the way that I want him to, is if I was have to be someone else. A pureblood witch. Not me at all. Hermione grabbed her books and ran out of the library. Tears streamed down her face. Why was I not born to a wizard and a witch? I just want to be a pureblood witch so that I can snag my self a sexy Slytherin. Is that too much to ask?

~~~

Harry sat in the Gryffindor Common Room, making a very sad attempt at writing his essay for potions class. Hermione would probably be proud of him for starting the essay the day that it was assigned instead of putting it off. Really he was doing it because he knew that she would be in the library, and Ron was in their dorm room, probably trying to tell Seamus about the great wonders of life. Seamus had gone up shortly after Harry left, and he hadn't left yet. Harry was happy that someone other than him was going to have to deal with Ron's insanity. Maybe later I will ask Seamus if Ron is loony. Knowing my luck, when Seamus comes back down from being in Ron's company, he will be loony too. Maybe I should talk to someone about Ron. Maybe he needs help... no, that is just something that those commercials on television at the Dursley's would say. Maybe I am going loony. Why am I even bothering to write this potions essay? Snape hates me, he is never going to mark this thing as done well. Whether I write it now, revise it, and make it perfect, or if I write it the day before, it is still going to get the same comments, the same reaction. Sometimes I...
Suddenly his attempt at essay writing was interrupted when Hermione came bursting through the portrait whole obviously in distress. Goodness, what did Malfoy do now? 'Mione, what happened? Harry asked. He took her books and stuck them on the floor, pulling her into a hug and letting her just cry.
she continued sobbing. I wish I were a pureblood witch.
No you don't. You are perfect just the way you are.
No, I need to be a pureblood witch. It is the only way. She pulled out of the embrace.
And how do you plan to do that? Harry asked wide eyed.
You'll see. She picked up her books and headed back to her dorm. Thank you, Harry.
What did I do? Goodness everyone really is even more loony than Luna. The portrait whole then opened up again and a ghost white Ginny appeared.
Is Hermione here?
In her dorm. Harry replied pointing toward the stairs that led to the girls dorms.
Harry it is so horrible. Draco came, and he overheard Hermione and I talking. I made a comment, and he Harry it was so horrible. She was so upset.
She isn't as bad now. Harry chose his words carefully. Though now she is going on about the need to be a pureblood witch.
She disappeared to the girls dorms without another word.
Loony I tell you. Voldemort must have cursed them with looniness. He probably thinks it will drive me to insanity, and he is right.