Disclaimer: I don't own HP or A Midsummer Night's Dream. Wish I could own Draco though.



~*A Midwinter Night's Dream*~

"Lord, what fools these mortals be!"

A Midsummer Night's Dream

-William Shakespeare-



Scene 2



In a different part of the forest, James paced impatiently, waiting for Sirius. When Sirius appeared, James asked quickly, "What happened Sirius? Did everything go as planned?"

"Yes it did, my king. Lily is deeply in love with a horrible monster. A group of amateur play actors were rehearsing near her sacred bower. So I took one aside and transformed his head into one of a donkey's. The other's cried bloody murder and ran away. When Lily awoke, she fell head-over-heels with the ass."

"A better outcome could not have been planned. But have you bewitched the boy from Hogwarts as I told you to?"

"Yes I did," Sirius replied, "I found him asleep with a girl nearby. He wouldn't be able to miss seeing her when he woke up."

As he spoke, Harry and Hermione came through the trees. "Take cover," James said, "This is the lad that I spoke of."

"That is the girl," said Sirius, puzzled, "But that is not the boy."

James quickly covered them in an invisibility spell. "Why do you continue to reject me Hermione? I love you so." Harry said, "Save those hard words for your enemies."

"Right now I'm only scolding you Harry, if you don't tell me where Draco is right now, I will hex you to oblivion! If you've killed him, kill me too! He and I were as faithful to each other as the sun and day. He would never have left me. How dare you tell me such lies? You must have done something to him. Why else would you look so guilty and grim?"

"The victim would certainly look as I do now," Harry cried, "stabbed through the heart by your cruelty. But you, you stay as bright and clear as the snow around us."

"Stop trying to change the subject!" Hermione shrieked shrilly, "This has absolutely nothing to do with my Draco! Please Harry, why won't you give him back to me?"

The distress on her face almost broke his heart, but he kept a blank face, "I'd rather kill him and give him to Fang for tea."

Hermione was stunned, "How can you say that you bastard?! Does that mean you hurt him then? Did you ambush him while he was asleep? You monster!"

"Hermione, you don't understand. I didn't hurt Draco, I haven't even seen him. For all I know, he could be anywhere."

"Then tell me he's alright." Hermione pleaded.

"Even if I did, what good would it do?" Harry sighed. "What would I get in return?"

"The privilege of never seeing me again. Don't come near me again, whether Draco is dead or not." She then turned her back on him and fled into the trees.

Harry shook his head, "I'd better not follow her when she's this mad." He thought, "It's been made even worse by lack of sleep. I'm so tired myself, I could fall asleep right here in this snowdrift. Perhaps I should take a quick nap before looking for her again." After casting a warming spell, he lay down in the snow drift and fell asleep, the snow swirling gently around him.

James and Sirus shed the invisibility spell, contrasting sharply against the white snow. "What did you do this time Sirius? You've got it all wrong! You gave the potion to the wrong man. The one genuinely in love. Your bungling has now complicated matters even more." James sighed dejectedly, "Look around the forest again, until you find a girl name Ginny, from Hogwarts, a very love sick girl. Convince her into following you back here, I'll give him the potion before she arrives."

"Okay, okay," Sirius said, "I'll be back soon."

James took out the little bottle of potion and smeared some onto Harry's eyelids. "This time, boy, you will love the one you were meant to love."

After applying the potion, James sat back and waited for Sirius. Within moments, he came rushing in. "James!" He cried, "here comes Ginny, but she is followed by the other boy. What shall we do?"

"Do nothing, Sirius, the commotion they make will be sure to wake him up." James replied. They concealed themselves with a spell again and stood at a distance to watch.

"Why do you think I love you mockingly Ginny?" Draco asked. "Every time I pledge my love, you scorn me and I weep. Why do these feelings make you feel as if I'm humiliating you? I have done nothing wrong, unless it is a crime to love."

"You're getting smarter all the time Draco," Ginny said, "but you still won't give up. I already know your stupid game. Stop pledging your false love to me, give it to Hermione, your true love."

"I don't know what made me swear my love to her in the beginning."

"It seems you don't know now either, after all, you are giving her up."

"Harry doesn't love you Ginny, he loves her." Draco cried.

In the wake of Draco's shout, Harry jerked awake. He turned and saw Ginny standing there. Staring at her as if seeing her for the first time he said, "Oh Ginny, my beautiful Ginny. You're beauty astounds me, how lovely are your eyes, your lips. Your skin, the snow around cannot begin to compare to your flawless and silky smooth skin. You're heavenly, divine and unique."

"I can' t believe this!" Ginny exclaimed, "You are both teasing me and making me look stupid. If you two had manners, you wouldn't be hurting me like this. Why are you treating me like this? Both of you professing your love to me, when you should be enemies, fighting over Hermione's hand. But you band together, just to mock me. How could two men like you become so spiteful and petty as to treat me like this?"

"Harry, stop tormenting poor Ginny," said Draco, "You are in love with Hermione. Both of us know this. So, right here, right now, I surrender Hermione to you. Why don't you give me Ginny. I love her, and I will until I die."

Ginny was growing impatient, "You're both wasting your time!"

"Draco, you can keep Hermione, I don't want her. Even if I did love her, all trace of that love is now gone. My heart only stayed with her for a little while, now it has been returned back to Ginny."

"Ginny, it's not true!" Draco said.

"Look Draco, here comes your loved one." Harry said maliciously.

Sure enough, Hermione came through the trees to where they were all standing. "Draco! I've been looking for you all night. Where did you go?" Hermione asked.

"Why wouldn't a man go if his love compels him to?" Draco said.

"And who would lead you away from me Draco?"

"Ginny, of course, who else? I love her, with all my heart and soul. She is more beautiful than the moon and stars combined. Why are you following me? I left you for a reason you know."

"You can't be saying this Draco! This isn't true." Hermione cried.

Ginny seethed, "I see how it is Hermione! All of you have decided to play a trick on me. All you want to do is spite me. How insulting, Hermione. Are you a part of this conspiracy too? After all of the secrets we've told each other? You're like a sister to me. Would you forget this long and dear friendship two join immature boys in their little game? I really thought that you were above this. Why do you scorn me so?"

Hermione, shocked, said, "I'm not scorning you, Ginny dear, it seems that you are scorning me!"

"Well haven't you told Draco to follow me around this entire forest, all the while praising my looks, complimenting my figure? And what made Harry, who used to kick me around like a dog, start calling me precious, heavenly, divine and unique? Why would he say such things to someone he hates? And why does Draco turn away your love, which is so precious to him, and offer his to me? None of this would have happened if you didn't give them permission and your consent. I see what your plan was. You, so smothered in love, decided to make fun of me, a miserable, loving, but not loved in return, girl. I don't see how you could be so cruel."

"I have no idea what you're talking about Ginny!"

"Of course you don't," Ginny snorted, "You wouldn't reveal that you have been tricking me after all this time would be. Go ahead. Pretend to be serious. Make faces at me behind my back, keep up this oh-so-funny joke. Maybe if you had some sense of pity or compassion you wouldn't do such a thing to me. But as it is, I must go. So goodbye to you. I suppose it's partially my fault but my leaving will put it to right."

"Don't go Ginny dear," Draco begged. "Listen to me and my reasons for you to stay. My love, my soul, my life!"

"It stopped being funny a long time ago Draco" Ginny said quietly.

"Darling, don't tease her like this," Hermione pleaded.

"If you can't persuade him Hermione, I'll make him understand." Harry said, pulling out his wand.

"You won't make me do anything Harry, no more than she can persuade me. Your threats have no effect on me. Ginny, I'll say it again, please don't go. I love you, I swear upon my life that I do. I would fight anyone to the death if they said that I didn't love you."

Harry growled menacingly, "I love her more than you do!"

"Oh really? Then come with me and prove it."

"All right then Draco, wizards duel, let's get it over with."

Hermione grabbed Draco's arm and held on with all her might. "Draco, how is this whole thing going to end?"

"Get off of me woman!" Draco cried, all the while trying to escape.

"Oh yes, Draco, pretend to get away. Act like you would follow, but stay put. You are nothing but a coward." Harry sneered.

Draco, unable to disentangle himself from Hermione's grasp said, "Let me go you horrible creature! Before I curse you off!"

"Love, why have you turned so nasty?" Hermione sobbed. "Why this sudden change?"

"Am I your love Hermione? Why would I be your love? Go away!"

"You must be joking! Please, tell me your joking!" Hermione pleaded, still hanging onto Draco.

Ginny, still convinced that it was all an act said scathingly, "Yes, he is pretending, and so are you."

"Harry," Draco shouted, "my challenge still stands! Will you fight or not?"

"I would certainly duel with you Draco, That is, if you can free yourself from the grip of the girl behind you."

"What do you want me to do Harry? Hurt her? I could never do that. Even if I hate her, no gentleman should treat a lady in such way."

Hermione stepped back, eyes full of unshed tears, "What's this? You really think you can hurt me more than you already have. Nothing you could do would hurt me more thank you hating me. But I don't understand. I'm still Hermione. You're still Draco. What changed? You loved me before, but now you hate me. Are you joking or telling the truth?"

"Yes, I'm telling the truth." Draco said, "And I never want to see you again. So why don't you give up? I have nothing to say to you besides this, I hate you and I love Ginny. Get over it!"

"How could this happen to me," Hermione wept, turning to Ginny, "It's all your fault Ginny! You turned my love against me, stole his heart and selfishly made it yours."

"That's really rich Hermione! Don't you have any modesty, no womanly shame? Do you really think I would do that? Shame on you, you little puppet!"

"Puppet? Puppet you say? Oh, so that's how you want to play it. Just because I'm smaller than you doesn't give you the right to compare our heights. You probably think it's your height that has drawn Draco and Harry to you. You think they hate my shortness. I'm not that small am I? At least my hands can reach my wand!"

She leapt forward, preparing to fight, but was suddenly held back by Draco and Harry, who dug their heels into the slippery snow to keep a hold of her.

Ginny, now very frightened, said, "Guys, please tease me and joke about me, but don't let her hex me. I'm not as quick as her. She would curse me before I had time to pull out my wand. But you two probably think she's a perfect match for me since she's so small."

"Small again? Did you really say that?"

"Hermione, don't be mad at me. I've always loved you like a sister, always kept your secrets. The only wrong I ever did you was to tell Harry of your secret meeting. And I only did this out of love for Harry. After I told him, he followed you into this forest, and I followed him. He has scolded me and threatened me, so if you'll just let me leave, I'll go back to the school and never bother you again. Just let me go."

"Well go then, what's stopping you Ginny?" Hermione spat.

"My foolish heart that I am leaving behind."

"With Draco?"

"No, with Harry."

Draco tightened his grip on Hermione's arms, "Don't worry Ginny, she won't hurt you."

"No indeed she won't" Harry agreed. "Especially with me protecting you, dear Ginny."

"You protecting her! I think it is me who protects her! Besides, Hermione is not holding me back now, so follow me, if you dare, and we'll see who has the right to have Ginny."

They pulled out their wands and ran into the trees. Hermione whirled around and spoke to Ginny, "You, this is all your fault." Ginny began to edge toward the trees. "Oh no you don't," Hermione said, but it was too late, Ginny had begun running after the two boys, yelling over her shoulder, "I can't trust you, I'm not staying with you any longer. Your hands and wits may be sharper, but my legs are longer to run away." She soon disappeared into the dark forest.

Hermione looked after her, mouth open in disbelief, "I'm astonished. I don't know what to think." And she ran after her.

After all four had left, James and Sirius emerged from the shadows. "A fine mess you've made this time!"

"I'm sorry, your Highness," Sirius said sarcastically, "if I made a mistake. Didn't you tell me that the boy would be wearing Hogwarts robes? I followed your orders exactly because I bewitched a boy from Hogwarts. I'm actually glad this happened, I think that their fighting was immensely entertaining."

"Well, I suppose it was pretty funny," James admitted, "But we still have to fix this problem. Since the two are looking for a place to fight, follow them, and confuse them. Cloud their vision with fog, impair their judgment so that they never meet. And when they lie down, exhausted, put this potion on Draco's eyelids. It will remove all former enchantments. When he wakes, this whole thing will feel like but a dream to him. Then, the four young lovers will return to Hogwarts much happier. As for me, I will go and set my queen free from the spell she is under and remove the hideous monster."

"I completely agree James," said Sirius. "But we must work quickly, night is almost over. Lord what fools these mortals be! To fall in and out of love so quickly and surely."



A/N: I know there's supposed to be more in this scene but it was already so long and I'm really tired because my computer crashed and I had to write this whole scene over again. I also lost the next few scenes so they might not be up for a while. But till then, toodle-oo!