Evilbunny & Hoshi *start crying* WE DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER!! IT'S NOT FAIR!


AN Anyway- sorry that this chapter didn't come out when we promised, but ff.net died again. *shakes fist at computer* (damn) Anyway, we'll get started on the next chapter as soon as we can. Just, don't wait up for it. On to the reading!



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Chapter 5
Close Calls


"Today," Hagrid told the class as they approached, "we will be looking after Horklumps and Puffapods. Please pair up into groups of two's. Boys will be working with Horklumps, and girls with the Puffapods."

Harry moved to work with Ron, while Hermione and Draco grouped together. The rest of the class got into pairs with whoever was closest. Draco wasn't too thrilled about the Puffapods. She knew that they made trolls sneeze, but she wasn't sure if they could make humans sneeze. She had read about them a year ago. To Hermione's surprise, she started muttering nervously to himself.

"Nononono....I can't sneeze. Not out in the open where they can all see me..." Kari began to tremble with worry and her forehead was glazed with a little sweat from being nervous. Hermione was quick to take this to account because she *is* the ever-vigilant one of the group.

"Are you alright, Kari?" Hermione seemed concerned, even considering the fact that Kari had stolen some of the scholastic limelight from her.

"Oh- I'm okay, I guess."

Hermione didn't buy it. "Are you sure? You look a little nervous. It's okay though. Puffapods only make you sneeze. Unless are you allergic to them?"

Kari was looking for answers.

"No- I'm not allergic. We took the medical potion today, so it can't be that." She paused for a moment, before a small smile touched her lips, "Geez, Harry's eyesight was horrible."

"You're changing the subject. So you aren't allergic. That's good. Must be nerves, but just don't worry because they can't hurt you."

//Yeah right. But they can hurt my *reputation!*//

"So Kari.... what's this fascination with Harry's eyesight? Do you like him or something?"

Draco's face was stained crimson and she coughed.

"N-no! No way!" //DAMN GIRL HORMONES!! STOP BLUSHING! SHE'S GOING TO GET THE *WRONG* IDEA!!!//

Hermione looked at her coyly, like the cat that was playing with a mouse. "You're blushing Kari. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you have a little *crush* on him."

"No I don't." Draco pouted and her eyebrows wrinkled. "I don't." she said again, trying her best to convince Hermione. But Hermione wouldn't leave the subject alone.

"You can tell me Kari. I won't tell anyone. I don't blame you for liking him. I did once, but he's kinda like a brother to me."

"A brother?"

"Yeah. He's always looking out for me and for Ron. Especially when Draco Malfoy was still here. He was really awful and he always picked on the three of us in particular. I hated him, but I kinda feel sorry for him too. I mean, how can someone like that have any real friends?"

Kari frowned thoughtfully. //I guess I was pretty bad huh. And I don't need pity. I have friends.....now. Well, I guess I can call them Kari's friends, but it's still the same.//

Hermione was brought out of her reverie. "But why am I talking about him for? He's transferred and it's a good thing too. One more Mudblood crack and I'd have slapped him again. Hehe. So, where was I? Oh yes, Harry is like our brother, rather than just a best friend."

She looked over at Ron and Harry's group. Harry was performing the Wingardium Leviosa spell in the Horklump while Ron was trying to clean its underside. Harry was caught off guard when Seamus's Horklump jumped in front of him and he fell over, causing the Horklump to fall on Ron's foot. Ron yelped and looked like he would curse the thing. Harry laughed at his antics and Ron blushed then he laughed too.

Draco watched the infamous duo with a happy sigh, then, she did the worst thing possible, she giggled. //Here we go with the giggling again...//

Hermione poked her in the side, "Kari," she said, "if you want to get close to Harry- which you are doing a great job, by the way, why don't you just ask him out- or something?"

Draco's face turned even more red, "is he, always that nice? Like in potions, when he stood up for me?"

Hermione shrugged, "yeah."

"Did he even offer to walk you to class? Or, hold your hand- or, I don't know... sometimes I think he likes me, then other times I wonder if he's just being nice."

"Kari, Harry Potter is one of the nicest people in the world. But, he's also one of the most untouchable. I don't think anybody has ever told him how much they care for him. He lives with his relitives, you know? And they- well, they don't like him too much. Besides, getting him to trust you might not be that hard, because he's always willing to give someone a chance. But sometimes people use him, because of the Boy-Who-Lived crap, and he hates that."

Draco stared at her friend in shock, "really?"

Hermione gave her a smile. "Yeah, but- c'mon. We have to care for the Puffapods now."

Draco sighed, "Al-alright." //Please, if there is a god please don't let me sneeze!//

They went to the Puffapod farthest from the others since it was the only one left. Hermione picked it up and examined it. "It seems to be in good condition."

Draco inched closer to it. "Yeah. Maybe it's not so bad after all....agh!"

Well whatever god was listening must have hated Draco, because when Hermione was setting it down, the Puffapod must have been triggered because a bunch of smoky pepper clouds sprouted and curled around them and obscured the vision of everyone near them. Some of it got up Draco's nose, and without a chance of warning or hiding from Hermione, she sneezed loudly and transformed. Hermione coughed and looked for Karisuta, but what she found instead was Draco Malfoy.

Draco panicked, and sprinted towards the forest, Hermione fast on his heals.

"*You*! What are you doing here?!" She spat. Panicked, Draco spun around and shushed her by covering her mouth with his hand.

"Shh! Do you want the world to hear?"

"Mnnhh! Mmm!" Hermione exclaimed but Draco couldn't hear what she said because he muffled her voice.

"I'm going to let go, but please for the love of all that is holy, be quiet and don't run away!" Draco carefully took his hand off her mouth, and as a sign of trust did not restrain her from running. Hermione looked at him quizzically.

"What the hell are you doing here? Why the hell aren't you at Durmstang- and- why the hell are you wearing Gryffindor robes- and a, uh- skirt?" Draco was taken aback. Hermione never used that kind of language. Not to mention, he figured she'd be smart enough to put two and two together. The tension between them was venomous and so thick, you could cut it with a knife.

"Well you see," Draco said, trying to explain, and smoothing his skirt at the same time, "It's kind of a long story-"

Hermione narrowed her eyes, "you had better start talking Malfoy, or else I'm going to Dumbledore."

"Don't bother, he already knows."

"He knows?" Hermione asked, disbelief and distrust written clearly across her face. "So, what's going on?"

"Yes, it's- but I uh, there was this- um- spell gone wrong. Dumbledore decided to help me out- resort me- that's why I'm in Gryffindor." Draco was at a loss for words, on how to explain what had happened, and found himself tripping over what he was trying to say.

"You're not checking us out while we sleep are you?"

"No!" Draco yelped, completely embarrassed at the question and the sudden turn of conversation, and then started blushing heavily, "I, uh, don't like girls, anyway."

Hermione's eyes widened, "you're gay?" she breathed, "but what-"

Draco covered her mouth again, a pleading expression on his face, "I told you, it's a long story- please don't tell anyone-" he begged, "if- if my father finds out about the spell, or that I'm gay- I'm toast. I was supposed to talk to him Saturday- so Dumbledore let me use his office fire."

"I don't know what to say-" Hermione said after a pause, her eyes still shocked. "So you're- you're Kari?! My *new friend* Kari? The Kari with the crush on Harry?!-"

"I have NOT got a crush on Harry!" His face lit up like Rudolph on a stormy Christmas Eve.

"This is all very weird Malfoy. Okay, so let me get this. You got hit with a spell, it turned you into a girl, you lied and said you were from Durmstrang, you spent the night in the Gryffindor *Girl's* Dormitory, you can change your gender by sneezing, and you have actually been nice and normal toward us. Now, you want me to keep this a secret?"

"Uh- yes...? I know it's a lot to ask of you, after everything that has happened between us, but I'm begging you Hermione. You can't tell anyone. And to kinda make it up to you, I apologize for ever picking on you. You're a great person, really. I mean it, and you are a good friend. So, please don't tell anyone. I don't want to ruin things for you and your friends again."

"I'm quite speechless. I really don't know what to say to you. But somehow, I believe you. Consider this as a second chance. So... are we friends?"

"Yep. Friends." Draco extended his hand and Hermione happily shook it. Then he sneezed again turning into Kari. Hermione jumped back in shock.

"I guess this is going to take some getting used to," She said, looking around at the tree's surrounding them. "Let's get back to the class."

As they walked back, Kari was first to speak, a bit hesitantly, it was true- but she asked anyway, "this is going to get weird now, huh?"

"That's what I'd say. We can't keep it secret for too long. We'll have to prep the guys for this....surprise."

"I bet Ron will be pretty disappointed, huh? He seems to have taken a liking to me."

Hermione blushed.

"Oh? You're jealous aren't you, Herm? You like him?"

"Y-yes." Hermione admitted, blushing redder still.

"Well, that's okay. You can have him. Just leave Harry to me." Draco mentally punched herself. And physically smacked her forehead. //ARGH! STUPID GIRLY HORMONES!!//

"Oh, so you do like Harry now?" Hermione giggled.

Draco sighed, defeated, and hurriedly changed the subject, "So- Snape's a real bastard isn't he?"

But privately to herself, she was thinking //that's not what I meant about Harry.... Or maybe I did? I'M SO CONFUSED!!//


*****


That night at dinner, Harry and Ron were looking at the two girls across from them a little oddly.

"Okay," Harry finally said, "something's up. You two have been giggling ever since Care of Magical Creature. WHAT'S UP?"

Ron looked over at Harry somewhat slyly, "maybe they're gossiping about a certain pair of boys?"

Draco and Hermione exchanged glances before smirking at each other.

"Yeah," Draco said, buttering a piece of bread, "I tell you- that Neville is hott."

Ron's jaw dropped. Harry laughed.

"Not at hott as Seamus, now there's a hottie!"

Hermione and Draco giggled even louder, and Ron's jaw hit the table. Quickly followed by his forehead, which he was repeatedly banging. This only caused the two girls to giggle more. But their laughter was silenced when four owls flew to the Gryffindor table. One for each of them.



"You will serve your detention tomorrow night. Meet me in the dungeons to receive your duties.
Professor S. Snape"



"Oh," Draco said flatly, "I had forgotten about Snapes's promise for detention."



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Evilbunny: *starts victory dance*

Harry: Here we go again-

Draco: *watches Evilbunny* what's with her?

Hoshi: Who knows? *starts dancing with Evilbunny*


AN How's that, all you reviewer out there? *scans people reading story* Oh, so- nobody's actually reading this- oh well. Please review- it really means a lot to us story writers, if you story readers, show your appreciation *waves* thanks!


Draco: Ohh! she had a serious moment...!