Title: Infatuation Part II

Author: Amethyst/Katie

Author E-mail: AmethystJackson@hotmail.com

Category: Romance

Keywords: Mystery Woman, Mystery Man, Gryffindor, Slytherin, Inter-house relationships

Rating: PG-13

Summary: Slytherin 1 has fallen for Gryffindor 1, and yet Slytherin 2 and Gryffindors 1-5 are all against a relationship with Slytherin 1....*snerk*

Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Author's Note: This may or may not be the last segment. Yes, this one does give it all away – you find out who the anonymous characters are. I love this plot, however, so I may continue it in an entirely different vein.

*****

This is more than an obsession, I'm sure, but that doesn't keep me from obsessing over him. I dream about him at night. I stay up very late and get up far too early so that when I sleep, I will not dream. I'm terrified that I will say his name in my sleep. Even the faintest whisper could ruin me.

I don't know what I'm more afraid of. Him knowing, or the other Slytherins. Oh, they would disown my in a heartbeat, were anything to happen. But…it just might be a relief, if he knew how I felt about him. Then…maybe I could move on. It's this ridiculous hope that he could ever love me in return that keeps my ludicrous fantasies alive. I want them gone; I don't want to love him anymore. It hurts too much.

I tend to stare at him in the classes we have together. He's caught me a few times. I'm so afraid that once he'll ask me why I'm staring, or worse, that Draco will ask me why I'm staring. If he ever found out, my life really would be over.

I wonder if the Slytherins would force me out of the house? I wouldn't put it past them. For him, though, I would gladly become a Gryffindor. I could be a Gryffindor, if he loved me. That would give me the courage and chivalry to match all of them. Hell, I might even like to be a Gryffindor. Yes, we Slytherins make fun of them and act as if we're better. We're really only jealous, I think. At least I am. I would kill to have the qualities of a Gryffindor, really I would.

Sometimes I want to tell him. I want to run to him and beg him to listen to me, and if he agreed, I would tell him that I would do anything for him. I would swim the ocean and back, I would walk through fire, I would give my life. I would sacrifice everything, anything. Slytherin, my 'friends', my family, my life. It doesn't matter; I would give anything he asked, do anything.

If only he would love me.

*****

"Harry," he heard as he was slicing a particularly slimy plant for a potion.

Without looking up, he replied, "What is it, Hermione?"

"Pansy Parkinson keeps staring over here."

Harry glanced quickly to the Slytherin side of the room, catching Pansy right before she looked away. He scowled.

"Probably planning something nasty for us."

"Maybe, but…"

Harry looked over at Hermione, seeing the thoughtful look on her face. "But what?"

"Well, she…she doesn't look like she's planning anything. It looks more like she's daydreaming or something."

"Then she's probably daydreaming about something nasty for us," Harry said, rather exasperated.

"Maybe, but…she is a girl, even if she's a Slytherin…"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Harry…she's looking over here as if she's in love with one of us."

Harry raised an eyebrow. "First of all, you're out of your mind. Second, how do you know how people look when they're in love."

"I – I just do," Hermione said. Harry thought he saw her blush before she bent her head forward and her hair fell to hide her face. He watched her for a few moments, wondering about her statement, then, deciding he'd get nothing more out of her right now, went back to slicing.

*****

They caught me staring today. I know they did. And I wouldn't put it past Granger to figure it out. She really is brilliant; Draco's so mean to her. It's ridiculous. He only acts that way because he'll never be as smart as she is, and he knows it. God, he really is a bastard.

I'm turning into a Gryffindor, aren't I? Defending them, honestly. It's lucky that I keep it all in my own head; the other Slytherins would throw a fit. Or worse.

I think…I think I want to get out of this place. I'm so sick of Slytherins. They're all so manipulative, and so jealous. It's…stupid.

I want to be a bloody Gryffindor. Dear God, what's happening to me?

I've made a decision. I'm going to tell him. I have to, that's that. I can't take all these thoughts and all this pain anymore. If he knows, maybe I could at least move on. In any case, I'm having a chat with him soon.

*****

"Ron?" I whisper, my voice shaking as I do so. He turns around, forehead wrinkling as he scowls. I hate that he looks at me this way.

"What do you want?"

Oh, it hurts. He speaks to me with such disgust and loathing, and can I blame him? I've done nothing but be cruel to him and his friends for years, following Draco's lead. I hate myself for it.

"A-are Potter or Granger around?" I ask tentatively. I don't want them interrupting this; neither of them trust me. It will only make things harder.

"No," he snaps. "Why?" He's suspicious. Once more, I can't blame him.

"I – I wanted to talk to you alone." I can't keep my voice from shaking. I've never felt so completely nervous in my whole life, and I know his reaction will be negative. Why do I bother? I wonder again. But I know I must get this off my chest.

"About what?"

He's so cold. For the first time, something stings. It's so strange.

"There's something I need to – to tell you."

"I'm waiting."

I sigh. "This is so hard," I say. "Please be patient with me."

He just stares. I bite my lip and continue. "Lately, something's been developing. A feeling. A very unexpected feeling. For you."

Ron frowns. It's rather cute, come to think of it. It's…encouraging, for some reason. But he gives me my courage.

"I've…I've fallen in love with you," I say, hurriedly in my anxiousness.

He stares at me for a moment, and then…he laughs. It hurts so badly. He thinks I'm joking. He doesn't take me seriously.

"Who put you up to this? Was it Malfoy?"

I'm about to cry. This was unexpected. "I wasn't put up to this. This wasn't some joke."

"Right…and I'm supposed to believe this…why, now?"

"I don't know. But I'm not lying." I try to hide the tears in my throat. Perhaps I do it too well.

"Well…you'll forgive me for not taking you seriously, then, since you've spent the last six years doing nothing but insult my family with Malfoy."

The tears are starting to come. I can't let him see; it would be too embarrassing. So I flee. My legs begin to ache as I go from the seventh floor to the dungeons, but this pain is a relief from the ache in my heart. He doesn't believe me. He probably never will.

And for some reason, I still want to love him.

*****

Harry looked up as Ron rushed into the common room, sensing that something was most definitely wrong. He glanced over at Hermione, who seemed just as confused as he was.

"You'll never believe what just happened in the hall," he began before they had a chance to ask. "Looks like Malfoy has a new joke – having Pansy Parkinson pretend to be in love with me! It's ridiculous what –"

"That wasn't a joke," Hermione interjected softly, getting a very odd look from Ron. She continued, "I've been watching her lately, and it was quite obvious to me that she was in love with one of you. And you probably just broke her heart."

Ron gaped at her. "What, you're saying I was supposed to believe her? What on Earth makes you think she was telling the truth?"

"Because, Ron. I – I can tell these things. I know she's in love with you – and she's probably in a lot of pain now. You can't imagine how much it hurts to love someone and to have them not love you back…"

Harry watched as she blushed. "Hermione," he said, "Are you in love with someone?"

"I – er – well, yes," she admitted, staring at her feet.

"Who?" Ron prodded, staring at her curiously.

"I – It doesn't matter. But Pansy – you've got to do something about her."

"Why?"

"Even if she is a Slytherin, she has feelings!" Hermione huffed. "You should at least talk to her!"

"Hermione," Ron said in an incredulous tone, "You can't be serious…"

Harry could see that an argument would begin fairly soon if he didn't intervene. "Ron," Harry interrupted, "Listen to her. She knows what she's talking about."

Hermione looked gratefully at him. It made his stomach flutter, for some odd reason.

"Oh, all right, if you're both going to gang up on me," Ron said, rolling his eyes.

"Just owl her," Hermione advised him. "Ask her to meet you somewhere to talk."

"Okay," Ron said. "All right, I'll do that."

*****

Pansy –

Meet me in the empty corridor on the third floor at Midnight tonight.

-- Ron

*****

A/N: I will most definitely be continuing this now. I've fallen in love with the plot *hugs it*. Back in a few weeks.