Author's Note: Hi guys! You didn't really think that things were going to stay all sunny and perfect forever, did you? I had to throw at least *some* angst into the mix. I honestly don't know how long this story is going to be. For a while now, I've just been writing stuff off the top of my head. The thing at the end between Draco & Harry was a spur of the moment thing.

A couple of people asked me which year they're in. I have NO idea. But feel free to make up your own minds.

Again, love-love-love the reviews. I can't believe I went from just 2 in the beginning to over a hundred now. *sweet smile* and hugs to everyone who's bothered to review the story so far. I LOVE YOU ALL!!!

Special thanks to: Milady69, ~Mary~, TanisaFyre (mad passionate monkey sex, huh? *laughs* I'll keep that in mind), Elenas, LenaLovely12, di, Jen~, Bunny-kuo, Rings Of Saturn, Liliane Evyl, Athena, nycscribe46 *shakes your hand back*, Sue, SnippyandSnarky, Alex Destine, Koyuuno The Wonder Inu (thanks for the plushies), JediGurrl, bluevanilla (for your honest remark), DD and Kale. Not forgetting Nez, Jordan, Saavik and SparkySparkles.





Chapter 10: Of Delusions and Missiles



"Is there something wrong, Harry?" Hermione asked, for the third time this morning.

The three of them were in the Great Hall having their breakfast together, for the first time in over a week, since the accident. They had started out talking animatedly; feeling excited to be back together again.

But Hermione can't help but notice how Harry had kept lapsing out of the conversation.

"Oh. Everything's fine, Hermione. Erm, you were saying?" Harry replied, feeling guilty. His mind had drifted and had no idea what his two friends had been talking about for the past five minutes.

"Right." she said, not entirely convinced at all, and continued "Ron and I want to go to Hogsmeade this weekend. They're having that new launch for "Famous Witches and their Cats" and I want to get a copy for myself before it all sells out."

"Fine, fine. But we'll still have time to go to Honeydukes, won't we?" Ron interrupted anxiously, his mouth still full of porridge, causing a few flecks to fly out of his mouth and land unceremoniously on the table.

Hermione wrinkled her nose at this, but just said "Of course, Ron."

Harry looked back down into his bowl of porridge, which was still virtually untouched. He hadn't felt like eating much this morning. He stirred his spoon in the now lumpy porridge slowly.

Last night's conversation with Draco still hung heavily in his heart. He hadn't managed to get much sleep after it. But by dawn, he had made up his mind to try to forget everything that had happened between them during the past couple of days. It wouldn't do him any good otherwise, he decided.

*What would be the point anyway? It obviously meant nothing to him.* he thought defeatedly to himself.

And this morning before breakfast, he had resolved not to look in Draco's direction the entire time that they would be in the Great Hall.

He'd been doing an admirable job so far.

Even when Ron had made that sarcastic comment to Draco as they were passing by the Slytherin's table, Harry had pretended not to hear it and chose to say hello to Colin Creevey instead.

A move that did not go unnoticed by Hermione.

*Something's happened.* she had thought to herself then. *I just don't know what, why or who.*

Meanwhile, Draco had gotten up from his seat, having finished his breakfast and was now walking towards the doors with Crabbe and Goyle trailing closely behind, as usual.

As Draco passed by their table, Harry stiffened involuntarily and immediately lowered his head to fix his eyes down on the table.

And that's how Hermione started to get an answer for her question.

++++++++++++++++++++

(20 minutes later)

Ron cursed softly under his breath. His crucible of powdered dragon's tooth had spilled over and created a fine mess on the dark surface of his worktable.

Next to him, Harry wasn't doing very well either. He had never been very good at Potions, but the week-long break from schoolwork had made his mind work even more slowly now.

He checked the bubbling mixture in his cauldron and stirred it cautiously.

*That doesn't look very green to me.* he sighed. He tried squinting his eyes; trying to see if there was a tinge of green at all in the brown liquid.

"Mr. Potter!" a voice suddenly boomed close to his ears.

Harry almost jumped in shock, he'd been staring so hard at his potion that he had been completely oblivious to Snape hovering closer and closer towards him in the meantime.

The professor looked at Harry's dismal potion and sneered.

"Trying to convince the potion to switch colours, Mr. Potter?" he drawled. "I don't think this method's worked very well for you." he added sarcastically.

His comment earned appreciative laughter from the Slytherins seated on the other side of the classroom.

Harry didn't turn to look if Draco was one of them. He was keeping his resolve, no matter what

"20 points from Gryffindor. And you may stay after class to help me clean up." Snape announced, with satisfaction.

Ron was fuming. He turned to Harry, expecting him to be furious as well.

And gaped at his friend in disbelief.

Harry was completely expressionless. He had picked up his quill and seemed utterly resigned to his fate. He wasn't even frowning.

"Fine." he said simply and started writing some notes in his Potions textbook.

Even Professor Snape was taken aback. He stared dumbstruck at Harry for a moment before turning back to the rest of the class and continuing with his lecture.

*Something is definitely very, very wrong.* Hermione thought ominously and made up her mind to question Harry as soon as possible.

++++++++++++++++++++

Harry wrinkled his nose in disgust as he looked over his hands. His palms were now both stained with dark green smudges, having gotten them from wiping off the careless spills on the tables.

He sighed. He had worked in complete silence so far, but he knew Professor Snape had looked up a few times to look at him while he was working.

"I'm done. May I leave now?" he spoke up.

Snape looked up from marking his papers and his eyes roamed over the work tables appraisingly.

"Very well." he said grudgingly after about a minute. He waved a hand in dismissal and started to continue with his grading, but he soon looked up again to watch Harry's retreating back, still puzzled by the boy's strange behaviour this morning.

However, he soon forgot about it and lost himself in his work again.

But one person didn't forget.

++++++++++++++++++++++++

"GAHHHH!!!"

"Hermione! What do you think you're doing!?" Harry demanded, clutching at his chest.

He had been walking back towards the Common Room after his punishment with Snape when a dark figure had suddenly appeared in front of him as he was turning around a corner, giving him the fright of his life.

"Oh, sorry, Harry! Didn't mean to frighten you, I thought I'd just wait until you were done and walk back with you."

"Well, that's very nice of you, Hermione. But it certainly wasn't necessary. Where'd you leave Ron?" Harry managed out. He had actually thought for a moment that a dementor was coming after him and his heart was still racing somewhat.

*Someone should really tell Hermione that skulking around dark corners near the dungeons isn't the best thing to do around The-Boy-Who-Lived.*

"Oh, Ron. I mentioned something about brownies in the Common Room and he disappeared."

Harry chuckled and shook his head. They started walking together through the corridor.

"Actually Harry, I did want to ask you one thing." Hermione started cautiously.

"Yes?"

"Did something happen between you and Draco Malfoy?"

Harry stopped dead in his tracks and looked at Hermione, startled.

"Why would you ask that?"

"Well, you haven't really been acting like yourself. You've been quite withdrawn and really distracted. And when Malfoy walked past us during breakfast, I could see that something's obviously bothering you about him." she listed matter-of-factly. She was about to continue and add the bit about his odd behaviour in Potions but Harry raised a hand to stop her.

"Hermione. Look, I appreciate your concern about me, I really do." he said, "But, stop please. . . There is absolutely nothing going on. I'm probably just a bit overwhelmed. Coming back to classes and all. . ." he let his voice trail off, knowing how unconvincing his argument was, but at the same time desperately hoping Hermione would just drop the subject.

It wasn't helping with his whole resolve to erase his mind of everything Draco-ish.

Hermione just nodded and smiled at him understandingly.

Eventhough she didn't believe a word Harry was saying, she didn't want to push her friend. She didn't want to hurt him, especially when he obviously was having a hard enough time as it is, despite his own delusions.

*What do I do now?* Hermione wondered to herself, worriedly, as they walked side by side.

They soon reached the entrance to the Gryffindor Common Room, ready for a short break before their next class.

Hermione said the password to the Fat Lady in the painting, "Golden Snitch."

It swung open and before they could take a step inside, something small and covered with bright orange sparks came shooting out and whizzed over their heads, missing them by inches.

Harry had instinctively dove down onto the floor, pulling Hermione with him.

Meanwhile, the orange missile continued on its path down the corridor and possibly onto other innocent, unsuspecting students.

"Nice one, Fred! Now, light the other one!" George's gleeful voice came through from within the Common Room.

Hermione got up and brushed herself off furiously, feeling quite ready to yell at the Weasley twins.

"Dumbledore will have your heads! Stop it this instant, both of you!" Percy's voice interjected before she could.

Hermione stopped. *That's it! The headmaster!*