A/N: Well, I finally got this chapter up! Sorry it took so long!!!
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Chapter Two ~ Parvati's Evil Ways
"You think I'm stupid, do you?" Parvati asked.
"No, that's not it at all," Hermione stammered miserably.
"Oh, I see... Then what is it - at all?" Parvati inquired.
"I didn't mean to say anything..." Hermione trailed off.
"Okay, now that we're all very mature seventh years, I think it's time to
get some things out in the open," Parvati decided.
"Well, what do you want to say?" Hermione asked. She wasn't exactly interested
in hearing the black haired beauty try to put together a few sentences and
make herself sound important and ingenious.
"Well, it's obvious I don't like you. And even more obvious that you're
jealous of me," Parvati started.
I'm not jealous of you!!! Hermione felt like screaming.
"Not true, but go on," Hermione said firmly.
"At any rate, you've got brains, I've got looks. Who do you think Harry's
actually going to go for?" Parvati asked with a smirk.
"If he had brains, which you're right - I do have - , then he would
pick me. Just because you've got him wrapped around your finger at the moment,
doesn't mean that soon he won't realize what an idiot he's been!" Hermione
exclaimed angrily.
She was actually surprised with herself. It was the first time she had stood
up to Parvati Patil.
"Oh, let me guess. You're going to tell him that you like him, are you?"
Parvati asked, knowing that Hermione would never do such a thing.
"I'm not saying I do like him," Hermione carefully stated.
"But you're still madly in love with him, right?" Parvati smirked again.
"Parvatil, at least I'm more civilized than you. I don't try to get guys
to like me by wearing low-cut shirts and never tying my work robes correctly!"
Hermione exclaimed.
"Oh... sure. Just because I've got the looks and - well, you don't... does
not mean that you have to rag on me about them, okay? I'm perfectly
happy with myself. You're the insecure one who has to tag around Harry and
pretend to be his friend when you know that you like him. So does the rest
of the school!" Parvati insisted.
"You don't know what you're talking about! The only reason I would want
Harry to stop liking you would be because you're bad for him! I don't like
him in any way other than as friends!" Hermione exclaimed.
"Sure... Whatever you say Hermione. Just remember, he's wrapped around my
finger..." Parvati paused and gave herself grin. "And not yours..."
Then she walked away.
As soon as Hermione was positive she was the only one in the dormitory she
flung herself on to her bed and pounded her head furiously at her scarlet
pillows.
"It's too late now! She knows I like him... and maybe I do. He just can't
know! I would be so embarassed! I know he would never feel the same way
about me! What's the point? Oh, I'm having a total nervous breakdown!" Hermione
exclaimed unhappily.
"And you're talking to yourself," Hermione's mirror pointed out.
"I don't need your help!" Hermione snapped at it.
"Harry Potter! You cause me so much grief!!!" Hermione exclaimed, and with
that, she went to bed.
"Herm, you okay?" Ron asked.
"What?" Hermione asked abruptly. She had just gotten absorbed into a very
interesting book about Muggles from the Wizarding point of view at the
Breakfast Table. Harry hadn't arrived yet and Hermione was barely touching
her food.
"I asked you if you were okay... But I guess you're not," Ron answered
himself.
"I'm fine. Perfectly fine... Why wouldn't I be?" Hermione replied defensively.
"No reason really. Just that you left Dinner in a hurry last night," Ron
said.
"Well, I had homework to do - among other things," Hermione added, recalling
her conversation with Parvati.
"Right... Er, anyway... Did you get number five for Herbology?" Ron asked
as he saw Harry nearing.
"Ron! That homework was assigned three weeks ago. You still haven't done
number five?" Hermione exclaimed.
Harry smiled as he sat down with his toast.
"What's going on?" he asked with another one of those smiles that made
Hermione's heart melt.
"Oh nothing," Hermione said as though the smile meant nothing to her.
"Ron's just forgotten to do his homework - again!"
Harry laughed. "Procrastinating again Ronald?"
"Yes! And don't ever call me Ronald again!" Ron exclaimed.
"I can't promise you anything," Harry said.
They all laughed again. Hermione was enjoying it. It felt real good to
laugh and hang out with Harry. He made everything seem so fun, even though
he had been through so much already...
Hermione had pushed her book away by this time. It was snug next to her
wand in her bags. Right about now she had her elbow on the table and her
head on her palm, looking into Harry's wonderful green eyes...
Stop daydreaming Herm! Hermione scolded herself.
Oh... who can stop day dreaming when Harry's one foot away from them...
laughing, joking, and smiling???
"Herm? Herm? HERM?"
"Wha- wha- what?!" Hermione exclaimed, nearly jumping out of her seat.
"Well, you were staring at Harry all funny!" Ron teased.
"I was not!" Hermione muttered as she felt her cheeks getting red.
She caught Harry's eyes and saw him blushing too.
"Yes you were!" Ron exclaimed. "You were looking at him... kind of like
he was an ice cream cone..."
Hermione blushed harder now. "You don't know what you're talking about
Ron! Why on Earth would I be staring at Harry like that? I've got other
things on my mind... Such as my studies! Now if you would excuse me, I
have to get to Herbology to ask Professor Sprouts a question on the homework!"
she exclaimed and ran off with her cheeks tingling.
Harry rolled his eyes at Ron and looked back at his toast. Then back at
Ron.
"What did you have to do that for?" he whispered.
Parvati Patil, who had been watching the whole thing from far away, saw
all but the last few words Harry had said. She walked over to Ron and
pulled him aside.
"Good work. The way I see it, Hermione'll never bother with Harry again."
A/N: Ooooh, what's gonna happen next? LOL, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I'm slightly getting writers block on my other fic (Too Hard to Forgive and Forget), so I've been working on this one a lot. Chapters should be getting longer... but I don't know. It all depends because only so much stuff can go into one chapter and I love leaving cliff hangers (as much as reading them, it kills!)! Well, R/R please! GTG! Bye!!!
