A/N: sorry for the delay, this was a difficult chapter to write, or so I thought, actually once I started it wasn't that bad, but anyways. on with the story.

************************************************************************ Letters To You

Chapter 3: Dinner Fiascos

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Classes seemed to fly by as the day went on, and before Harry knew it, it was already dinner.

"Don't worry Harry, it's not that big of a deal." Hermione tried to cheer him up. They left Gryffindor Tower, where they dropped off their schoolwork, and headed towards the Great Hall.

"Not that big of a deal?" Ron said exasperatedly. "Hermione, he is only our worst enemy in the entire world, and poor Harry has to make a fool of himself tonight and shake the moron's foul hand." Ron patted Harry's back sympathetically.

"Ron, he's not going to make a fool of himself, he's going to set a great example." Hermione said in a tone that suggested this argument was over before it'd really begun.

Harry sighed audibly and held the door open as Hermione and Ron passed by, neither of them talking to each other. Together they sat down in their usual spot on the table, each of them being rather silent as they waited for dinner to start. Harry noticed the sky through the ceiling, it was turning slightly pink as the sun was setting. The students around them seemed generally excited for the meal, or maybe for the show before the meal, Harry thought discouragingly.

He glared at his empty plate, and silently agreed with Ron. Harry knew he was going to make a great idiot out of himself tonight, and the entire school was there to witness it.

As time dragged by, Harry became aware that he was staring at Hermione. He marveled inwardly about how much she had changed and the glow that surrounded her as she talked to Ginny down the table. He was trying hard to ignore the knot growing in his stomach, so he looked away, but it was too late. She was saying something to him.

"What?" She smiled.

"Uh, well, I was just thinking." He said stupidly. Harry hoped Ron wouldn't notice their conversation. (Which he didn't.)

"That much was obvious." Hermione laughed. Harry couldn't help but smile.

"How do you do that?" He asked suddenly. His striking green eyes never left her own soulful brown ones.

"What?" She asked confused. A wavy strand hair fell across her face, and he ached to reach across the table and move it for her.

"Just, I don't know. Make me feel like everything will be o.k." Harry instantly wished he hadn't said that. They both sat in silence, their faces red with embarrassment.

"Harry, Go!" Ron hissed, shaking his friends arm rather roughly.

"Huh?"

"Front of the hall, McGonagall just called you up there, shaking hands. Does any of this ring a bell?" He said sarcastically. Harry looked around, he noticed Draco strutting his way toward the Professor's table.

"Right" He said uncomfortably. He stood up slowly. Glancing down at his friends, he began his death march to the faculty table. On the journey, Harry could only think of how much he truly hated Malfoy. He could always get away with anything, Harry thought angrily.

When he reached the front of the hall and joined the two on the platform, his fists were tightly balled and his knuckles were white. For the life of him, he could not stop glaring. Malfoy looked like he was enjoying himself, which only made Harry even more furious.

McGonagall gave them both a stern look, and Harry thought she looked like a weird bird. Her choice of (unusually awful) hat only enhanced his opinion, as tonight's pick was covered in moldy green feathers and adorned with a hideous crow's claw.

"Now would everyone please pay attention, as these two students show their camaraderie, and shake one another's hands." She crowed to the Hall. Everyone's eyes were on the two. Malfoy was smirking, Harry glaring. None of them moved.

Finally when Harry had had enough, he forcefully stuck out his hand. Some students gasped with surprise. Malfoy gave Harry the most evil grin he'd ever seen, and grabbed his open hand. It looked as though they were going to squeeze their hands to dust as they began to move up and down slowly, never breaking eye contact.

The hall, that was full of normally very talkative students, was deathly silent as they watched the infamous archenemies shake hands. No one seemed to know what to do; they just sat in their seats and stared in awe. Some were even shaking their heads slowly, as if in denial. Who would have thought they two biggest rivals in school would end up like this?

As if on cue some one began to clap, breaking the silence like the sharp crack of a gun. Everyone swiveled around in their seats to see who had started the lone clap. Hermione stood up and began to clap louder, while Harry and Draco looked at her strangely, and Harry couldn't help but smile. Suddenly Dumbledore began to clap. Then Ron stood up across from Hermione, and clapped as well. Before Harry knew it the entire school, except the Slytherins, were clapping exuberantly. Whistles emerged from the crowd, and a nameless girl screamed Harry was sexy.

Harry could no longer see Hermione because the entire school was now standing and cheering. Only Hermione would think of doing something like that, and he felt immensely grateful. He looked back a Draco, who was scowling, and tried to release his hand, but Draco pulled him near. There faces were too close for comfort, Harry thought. It looked as if they were sharing some kind of hug, but Draco whispered

"I told you this wasn't finished, Potter. You'll regret this- you and your mudblood whore of a girlfriend." He stepped back, releasing Harry's hand and smirked.

As if in slow motion, Harry watched his arm come back, fist curled. With a strength Harry didn't know he had, it ripped through the air, and collided with a sickening thud against Draco's face. He felt Malfoy's nose crack beneath his knuckles. Malfoy himself, had been thrown back from the sheer force of the blow, and he landed hard on the floor. His usually greased back hair thrown messily out of place, and in his eyes. He was clutching his nose, and when he pulled his hand away, it was covered in blood.

The students gasped as one, and everyone rushed to the front of the Hall surrounding the two. They were silent and some seemed horrified. Harry could see Malfoy's gang advancing on him, but McGonagall stepped in.

"Potter!" She screamed. Harry seemed to realize the magnitude of what he'd just done. He had just hit another student. He hadn't just hit- he'd punched. He'd knocked the shit out of Malfoy. (Who was being helped up by his friends, and probably on his way to the hospital wing.) Harry had done all that right in front of his friends, his classmates, and his teachers. He turned to McGonagall, and his face instantly paled as he looked. She seemed too angry to speak; either that or she was battling with herself, trying not to attack him where he stood. Harry couldn't tell.

"Potter, detention!" She positively yelled, but she wasn't finished yet. "You will see Dumbledore after dinner. Right now, you must, leave. Just go." She looked disgraced.

Harry was embarrassed beyond all respects of the word. He'd never lost control of his temper like that before, and he felt ashamed. He chanced a glance at Dumbledore, but he did not look back at him, and Harry turned to leave.

As he stepped off the platform the crowd of students backed away immediately. Some of the first year girls were even crying as he walked past them. Harry was careful not to look at anyone. They all seemed just as shocked as he was.

When he reached the area where he was sitting before the catastrophe, he noticed Ron and Hermione still sitting there. They were the only ones still sitting. Ron gave Harry a puzzled look, and Hermione didn't look at him at all, she had her head buried in her arms. Harry swallowed and suddenly felt violently ill. He practically ran out of the hall, leaving all the betrayed students behind him.

Once out of the hall, he pushed open the massive oak front doors and stepped outside. He had never felt this bad. Harry sat down on the carved stoned steps. Even after Cedric had been murdered, he never felt like this. Harry had never embarrassed his friends before.

He couldn't stand it, so he ran to the lake.

The air caught in his ribs, causing a stitch to form, but he ran through the pain. When he reached the shore, he stumbled and fell on his hands and knees. His chest was heaving from lack of air. Harry wiped the sweat from his face, and realized that tears were mixed with them.

He was going to be expelled and he knew it. ************************************************************************ I'll work on getting the next chapter out, finally I can reveal the plot! R/R!!