Draco was really enjoying his new life even though he felt like he had a dual personality.  Part of him still wanted to make Harry Potter suffer; another part of him wanted to please Hermione.  As Draco walked down to his next class, Care of Magical Creatures with Hagrid and Gryffindor, he thought things could not have worked out better.  He was very pleased with himself.  He had the one thing Harry was too scared to get, the girl on his arm.  He turned his head to gaze at Hermione, and she looked up at him.  He gave her a smile, and then with his free hand he patted the hand she was resting on his arm. 

As Harry and Ron joined the class, Harry noticed something that made his heart ache, Draco with Hermione on his arm.  He did what he always did, a big breath and then he turned away.  He couldn't bear the sight.  Draco saw Harry's pain and guided Hermione over to where he was standing.

"Hi, Potter."

"What do you want?" snapped Harry as he looked at Hermione's hand.  He knew she should be on his arm.

Ron looked at Draco with a murderous glare. 

This made Draco's smile broaden.  "I thought that we could be friends now that I am dating Hermione."

Harry spoke quickly, "You know what, Malfoy?  You thought wrong!"

"Did I?" asked Draco.  He gave a knowing glance to Hermione.  Then he leaned back for what he knew was going to happen next.  He enjoyed the scene, yet deep inside he flinched at a momentary unnamed sadness.  Then he realized what was causing his distress; seemed Harry would befriend anyone, yet Draco's second attempt at friendship was rejected.

"Harry Potter!  I am shocked and outraged.  I have been trying to convince Draco to attempt a civil relationship with the two of you for my benefit.  I see that Draco was right from the beginning.  He warned me that I would be very disappointed in you."  Her voice softened and drifted away, "I never thought you would ever disappoint me.  I guess I was wrong."  Draco smirked and winked at Harry and then walked away.  To Harry's displeasure he took Hermione with him.  Harry felt like a fool, Malfoy had played him perfectly.  Know your enemy!  Malfoy had won that round.

******

Harry and Ron spent the next several days preparing the antidote for the necklace of Clea.  It wasn't a complex potion that required Hermione's exactness.  It was actually a series of carefully planned events; events that would trigger memories that allowed Hermione to remember her past life before Draco Malfoy.  Both boys occasionally lapsed into arguments about who would best illicit the correct response from Hermione.  In the end, it was the sacrifice that kept them debating possibilities.  Who would be the most willing to commit a form of self-sacrifice?  What was a self-sacrifice?  Was it some form of physical denial or was it an emotional loss?  Each night the boys would search through the library cross-referencing love and self-sacrifice.  None of the results sounded very promising inmost cases, the person had to lose their love to save the person they loved.  Harry felt a sense of dread gathering in his chest each day they continued.  He hadn't experienced love in his life, and the thought of losing the love he had found was tearing his soul.

It was a difficult time for both boys as they both missed Hermione's friendship.  For as badly as they imagined the loss of her attention if she struck up a romance with one of them, the reality of her relationship with Malfoy left no time for any other friendships.  He was extremely possessive of her time and demanded her full attention always.  It was irritating to Ron and Harry who often felt themselves getting sick at the displays of affection that were growing more and more frequent in the halls of the castle.  Even when Draco was trying to be kind, he just had a nastiness that made Ron and Harry crinkle their noses in disgust. 

"How self-absorbed can a person be?"  Ron asked with raised eyebrows.  Harry had no answer and merely shrugged turning away from yet another encounter with the current 'Hogwart's Sweethearts'.  Draco was loudly whining to Hermione about his need to see her more.  Hermione was patiently explaining that she already was sacrificing huge amounts of study time, Harry and Ron time, not to mention sleep, so that they could find time together.  Draco could care less; he wanted more time and she really didn't need that much sleep.

"That is really pitiful." Complained Ron.

"Extremely!" replied an exasperated Harry.  He was becoming concerned for Hermione's health.  Lately, she was looking very pale and in addition to large under eye circles her mood was becoming rather sharp. 

"Hi, Hermione" Harry ventured as she walked past him.

"Oh…Hello, Harry, sorry can't stop."

"…But Hermione, I just want to …"

"Really, what word don't you understand?  I can't stop!"

Harry sighed and Ron complained.

"That's it!  We have to do something soon."  Ron had voiced Harry's thoughts.

Looking at each other, they both knew that an answer to an unspoken question was the key.  Who would sacrifice what?

"Let's go see Madame Pince" Harry said.

Ron nodded.  It was time for a desperate move.  No one in his or her right mind would ask an adult like Madame Pince for help.  She was an ornery woman who gave complex answers to simple questions, but right now they needed any answer.

"May I help you, Mister Potter and Mister Weasley?"  Madame Pince pushed her glasses up her long slender nose as she lifted her eyes off of a ledger book.

"Well…we….um," Harry stuttered casting sideways glances at Ron who just kept moving his own mouth up and down without producing any sound at all.

"Out with it, Mister Potter.  I haven't got all day."    

Harry proceeded quickly.  Very quickly, before he lost his nerve.  "What would be an act of self-sacrifice referred to in this text?"  Harry put the opened page showing the necklace of Clea in front of Madame Pince.  She took the book scanning the entry quickly.  When she finished, she raised her eyes to look into Harry's, squinting as she did so.

"What are you playing at, Mister Potter?"

"Well….we…we," Harry tried to continue but her sharp gaze was making his mouth dry. 

"We need to research this for a paper entitled 'Magical Artifacts and the Unsuspecting Trouble that can Ensue.'"  Ron said confidently.

Wow, I almost believe him myself.  Harry smiled at Ron and turned to nod at Madame Pince.

"Well, gentleman, grab a chair.  We are going to have a short talk."  Madame Pince said with a slightly relieved and amused voice.  She began a flurry of grabbing several books from various shelves around the library.  "Let's begin a little research on the male psyche.  As teenage boys, I am sure you could tell me all the things you would never want to do or you would find embarrassing.  Let's see what stands out to you from examples in the past."

Harry and Ron sulked back to the common room.  Harry had his hand to his forehead and Ron was rubbing his eyes.  Ron broke the silence first.  "I am exhausted!  We just spent the whole night going over every case example that woman could reference."  He turned to Harry,

"Could you believe what some of those dolts where willing to do to break that spell?  Talk about humiliating!" 

Harry couldn't even spare the words; he just let out a breath of air through his clenched teeth.  He actually was relieved…. Hermione was worth every single embarrassment he read and more.  They continued on in silence, they would begin tomorrow.  Harry had a good idea that he would be the one to break the spell.