Scared Of Loving You

Part 5 - Revenge is Sweet

"Damn Malfoy! I bet he asked Snape to make Truth Potions on purpose!" Hermione thought angrily.

Professor Dumbledore watched the three Gryffindor students standing in his office. Hermione Granger had a frown on her face, Harry Potter stared at the ground and Ronald Weasley gawked open-mouthed at Fawkes the phoenix.

"You three broke many rules last week because of the inappropriate prank you played on Mr Malfoy. For that, I have decided to deduct fifty points from Gryffindor. And you will be given detentions, starting from tomorrow."

Dumbledore gave them a stern look and the three friends fidgeted guiltily. Dumbledore's disapproval suddenly made them all feel very bad indeed.

"Very well. You may go back to your common room now. I believe class has ended already. You shall receive further instructions about your detention by owl tomorrow morning." Dumbledore said a bit coldly, sounding unlike his usual friendly self.

Hermione, Harry and Ron trudged miserably back to the Gryffindor common room, feeling as if their plan had seriously back-fired. Harry muttered the password to the Fat Lady and they entered the room, slumping in large armchairs.

"This isn't fair!" Ron whined, breaking the silence. "Draco got Snape to make the Truth Potions because he knew it was us!"

"Well, who else would he expect, Ron?" Harry snapped back in annoyance.

Ron looked hurt, but guilty all the same. Hermione watched as Harry slowly took off his glasses and rubbed his frowning eyes. He blinked a few times and she couldn't help feeling a bit mesmerised by his amazing green eyes. She blushed when she saw Ron catch her looking and wink very slowly and obviously at her. Harry by then had put his glasses back on and he looked around, puzzled.

"Am I missing something?" he asked in a weary voice.

"No!" Hermione replied, a bit too quickly.

Biting her lip anxiously, she hoped she hadn't sounded too nervous. Harry gazed at his two friends suspiciously.

"I wish I could get that rotten Malfoy back." Ron growled, changing the topic.

A sudden idea popped up in Hermione's mind. A word had appeared in her mind. Revenge... She stood up, eyes glittering and turned to smile evilly at her friends.

"I think we can..." she whispered dangerously.

Harry and Ron exchanged a glance. The last time they had seen Hermione like this was the time they had actually played the prank on Draco. Her eyes sparkled excitedly as she watched her two best friends expectantly.

"W... What are you thinking of?" Ron asked, slightly afraid to find out.

"I think it's time Draco Malfoy... Got a taste of his own medicine."

***

Hermione smiled happily to herself when she remembered the admiring look she had received from Harry when she had told them her idea. She blushed as her thoughts switched to later that night when she had kissed both Harry and Ron (to his great annoyance) on the cheek good night in her excitement. They had both had been very surprised, but Hermione was too happy to care then. No wonder she had got no sleep that night!

Though the next morning, Hermione was ready. That morning, she woke up early and bounded up to her best friends clutching a small bottle in her hand. They had all arrived at the Great Hall, an hour before breakfast, when no one else was around. Harry and Ron grinned at her as she sat down next to them.

"I really do hope this works," Hermione said worriedly.

"Don't worry, usually whatever you do turns out alright," Harry grinned at her.

Blushing, she bent her head down, as if inspecting the bottle in her hand.

"Our secret weapon!" Ron announced snatching the bottle from her grip.

And then using a high-pitched voice he imitated what Malfoy had said the day before, "Veritaserum is a Truth Potion. So powerful, that only three drops will have you spilling your innermost secrets... Well, Malfoy, let's see what secrets you have to hide!"

The best friends giggled amongst themselves childishly and walked over to Malfoy's usual seat. An empty goblet welcomed them at the Slytherin table. As they crowded around it, Hermione heart began thumping unusually fast, not from nerves but from being pressed against Harry's side. She could feel tingles running down her spine.

"Oh, come on! The suspense is killing me, Ron!" Harry laughed.

Ron held the bottle above the goblet, letting it hover dramatically close. After what seemed like an eternity, three crystal clear drops fell from the bottle into the cup, pretty much invisible at the bottom.

"There! Done! Now, we can just sit back and enjoy the show." Ron said, adding an evil laugh.

"Malfoy... is... is getting what he deserves," Hermione sniffed, flicking her straight, chestnut-brown hair over her shoulders, secretly hoping he would be utterly humiliated in front of the entire school.

The threesome then headed back to the Gryffindor common room, waiting for everyone else to get up. Once the other Gryffindors had woken up, they headed eagerly to the Great Hall, barely able to contain their excitement. Hermione and Harry were too eager and impatient to eat. Ron, who was always hungry, shovelled down his breakfast. Some of the other Gryffindors looked at them curiously, so they were forced to swallow a few mouthfuls. Harry ran his hand through his messy black hair, which was messier than usual, as if he had just woken up. Hermione smiled a small smile to herself, wishing she could run her fingers through his hair.

Harry, misinterpreting her smile, said to her, "Yeah, I can't wait till Malfoy comes either!"

"That's a first," she replied laughing.

A loud hooting from above indicated the owls had arrived. A flurry of wings swept down from the ceiling and packages and letters landed in front of several students. Hedwig landed gracefully beside Harry, who took a letter out of her beak. She stared haughtily at Ron's owl, Pig, as it fluttered hyperactively around his head, before dropping a letter. A tawny school owl also dropped a letter in front of Hermione. They all glanced at each other, knowing exactly what it was about.

"Detention..." Harry groaned, temporarily forgetting about Malfoy.

"You are to meet Mr Filch at his office tonight at 9pm. You will receive further instructions from then on." Hermione read aloud.

"Oh no..." Harry moaned. "With Filch!?"

"Lo-mm-ok!" Ron exclaimed, halfway through his breakfast.

They looked up at the doorway of the Great Hall as Draco Malfoy, accompanied by his two cronies, sauntered inside and went across to the Slytherin table. He sneered at the three friends as he went past, to Harry in particular. Watching eagerly as he walked over to his seat, they held their breath. Ron had even dropped his fork.

"My seat is dirty," Malfoy announced loudly in a bored tone, as he stood by the table.

The three friends looked at each other in amazement. They didn't expect this! What would happen if he didn't sit in his usual place? Ron began to bite his nails nervously.

"Uh... Have my chair, Draco," Goyle replied stupidly.

Draco looked at it disgustedly at first, but then shrugged and sat in his normal spot. He grabbed a nearby apple and started chewing slowly and lazily, nearly driving the friends insane.

"Hurry up!" Hermione hissed under her breath.

And then suddenly, as if it were in slow motion, Malfoy reached over towards his goblet, picked it up and took a long drink. It took all Hermione's self control to not get up and start cheering. Ron and Harry looked equally gleeful.

"Someone asks him a question and all his innermost secrets start pouring out!" Harry remarked cheerfully.

Draco sat still in his chair, staring at his plate. Suddenly, he looked up and caught Hermione's eye, which scared her for a second. She looked away, squirming in her chair and hoping she didn't look too guilty.

"Duh... Draco... What are you thinking? You look like you're thinking?" Crabbe asked dumbly.

"I... I'm thinking..." Draco stuttered. "I... I'm thinking about... h... how pretty... Her... Her... Hermionelookstoday."

A silence swept across the Great Hall. Every student turned and stared at Draco in total disbelief and shock. Hermione gasped and looked at Harry and Ron wide-eyed. Her insides had started to become queasy as she was aware that people had turned to look at her as well.

"Duh... What? I thought you didn't like her. Do you like her?" Goyle asked, obviously confused.

"I... I really like her!" Draco replied, looking very embarrassed and frustrated. "I've... l... liked her for ages! I... I... LOVE HER DAMNIT!"

There was a short silence, before suddenly, the entire Great Hall burst out laughing. The only ones who weren't laughing were Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy who shrank down in their seats blushing furiously and wishing they'd die. The teachers were also laughing and even Snape's mouth twitched. Whistles and catcalls echoed throughout the hall.

"Ooh! Malfoy! In love with a Mudblood?"

"I knew it all along!"

"How could you, Draco!" Pansy Parkinson cried shrilly amongst the noise.

As the noise and laughter grew louder and louder around Hermione, she began to feel dizzy from all the chaos, unable to shut out the cruel laughter ringing in her ears. She glanced at Harry and Ron and her blood began to boil when she saw them cracking up uncontrollably. She clenched her teeth and glared angrily at her best friends.

"That's IT," she hissed, before storming out of the Hall.

"Ooh look Malfoy! Your girlfriend's upset!"

"Go give her a kiss and make up why don't you!"

Jeers and teasing floated through the doorway before she slammed it shut. She stood outside, shaking with anger, starting to feel more and more miserable. Her anger gradually faded and realising what had just happened, her bottom lip began to tremble.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid MALFOY! He is such a prat!!" she screamed feeling more angry and upset and humiliated than ever in her whole life.

At that moment, the door burst open and a very red-faced Harry and Ron ran out.

"Hermione!" Harry gasped.

"What?" she replied coldly.

"Did you... Did you... see... his face!" Ron gasped, trying to stop laughing.

Hermione could see that Harry was trying not to laugh.

"Oh go on, you prats. Keep on laughing then!" she said sarcastically.

Harry and Ron could both see how upset she was, but they couldn't contain their laughter for any longer. Suddenly, they burst out laughing, unable to control themselves. Ron held onto Harry's shoulders to stop himself from falling onto the ground.

"I can't believe you two!!" Hermione cried angrily before running off to the Gryffindor common room.

"I am so STUPID! Why, oh why, did I think of that stupid prank?" she thought angrily to herself.

She could hear their laughter ringing in her ears all the way to the common room. When she reached the portrait of the Fat Lady, she was panting from running, so she had to stop to catch her breath.

"Password?" the Fat Lady asked.

"One second..." Hermione breathed.

"What's wrong dear? You look awful!" she asked.

"NOTHING!" Hermione yelled. "Um... I mean... Jumping Jelly Fruits..."

The Fat Lady frowned at her, before swinging open to let her in. Hermione raced upstairs to her room and flung herself onto her bed. Until now, she had been fuming, but another feeling now swept through her. She felt betrayed and utterly humiliated. A wave of unhappiness spread through her and her eyes started to become blurry.

"My two best friends laughed their heads off at me..." she thought to herself. "Harry Potter laughed at me. The whole school laughed at me!"

A single tear fell from her eye landing on her pillow. She stared at it and then as if a gateway inside her had opened, she began to sob uncontrollably into her pillow. Teardrops fell down her face and onto her pillow as great sobs racked through her body.

"Why? Oh, why me?" she sobbed, now feeling extremely sorry for herself. "Why did... Malfoy... me? And... Harry! Ron!"

She wailed into her pillow and she felt more alone than she had ever been in her whole life.

End of Part 5 - Revenge is Sweet

A/N: i didn't mean to end it so sad =( but i have a feeling it won't stay that way for too long... hehe... stay tuned... and don't forget to review!