Driven

Acknowledgment: Ellen, for her "Hard Love" [Story].

"He's screaming!" Hermione exclaimed, horrified.

"Miss Granger, would you please!" Madame Pomfrey prompted, pushing past her, to give Ron his nightly medicine. "With the right form of care, he might be able to survive! Dumbledore has the best medic-wizards and witches coming over next week. Of course, that means I am not good enough for him," Madame Pomfrey huffed impatiently.

"What do you mean he 'might' be able to survive?" Hermione shrieked. "He has to! He just..." her voice trailed off, and she exploded, storming off. Unfortunately, after storming off, she ran into Harry in the hallway.

"Sorry," she muttered carelessly, trying to go past him, but he grabbed hold of her arm.

"Hermione..."

"I have nothing to say to you," she said coldly. "This isn't the time for your little teenage angst corner, Harry. Ron might die. Now I know you might be used to people dying for you, but - but -" she broke off, tears rolling down her cheeks. "I am so sorry," she breathed. "I didn't mean to imply about your parents..."

He didn't respond. Wrapping his arms around her, he felt her frail body writhe and shake in his warmth. He felt good close to her like this; it was like old times, where they were only friends. Where the three of them could only be friends, nothing else. And now she was dating Ron, his best friend, who might die. Just like Sirius. If Ron died, who else did he have, besides Hermione?

"What if he does, Harry?" Hermione sniffed. "What if he..."

"Don't even think it," Harry warned. "He isn't. I'll die before him...I have to die before him."

"What?" she murmured, her lips caught on his sweater.

"I won't let him die, Hermione," he promised. "I won't. If there's anybody that's going to die, it'll be me. I'll go first."

"Aw, well, isn't this sweet?" said a snarling voice from behind them.

They both turned around from the embrace, and locked eyes with Draco Malfoy.

***

Draco Malfoy peered over at them, raising an eyebrow suggestively. "I thought you were going out with Weasley, you mudblood," he sneered. "Didn't think he was good enough for you, huh? Or are you with both of them? That could be fun for you, I suppose..."

"Leave us alone, Malfoy!" Hermione shrieked, her arms folded over her chest.

"Did I catch on a nerve?" he drawled, his eyes twinkling beneath lashes.

"What're you doing here, anyways, Malfoy?" Harry asked, wrapping an arm protectively around Hermione's waist.

"Here to see Weasley's condition - he's going to die, is he?" Draco seemed absolutely gleeful at this embellishing statement. He dug in his robes for his wand, but Harry was much faster. Whipping it out of his robes, he pointed it toward Malfoy and yelled, "Petrificus Totalus!"

With that, Malfoy was struck against the wall, and slid all the way to the floor, his eyes glazed over, his arms to his side, his legs parted a bit, unmoving.

"Harry," Hermione breathed. "You shouldn't have...he just wants the attention..." They both moved away from Malfoy, and walked to another corner of the hallway.

"Do you think he has anything to do with this?" Hermione queried, wincing slightly.

"Knowing Malfoy..." he trailed off, looking at her. She looked flushed, her tears dried, but plastered to her pretty face.

Harry turned to her, a hand to tip her chin upwards. Her breath seemed to go intact for a while, and he leaned over in invitation to her lips. It was heart wrenching as he did this - the sensual kiss seemed to go on for hours when it was merely seconds, their legs tenderly touching, their bodies pressed together. Harry had never felt like this - the dizziness that overcame him, the want that was thumping against his chest. His tongue dipped into the parting of her lips, and she happily welcomed it, their tongues gliding against each other, her chest against his. They moved together, and he knew she could feel the reaction from him as they did. It was going to be painful to let her go - to see her kiss Ron again, and not him...

He brought his hands to her hair, wringing it in his fingers, in the back of his mind mocking and scolding him - it was wrong, but why did it feel so good? He reached underneath her robes, tugging at the buttons of her white blouse underneath, and she gave a small noise, pulling away forcefully. His hands fell away from her hair, and she was looking at him, her eyes welling with tears, her lips looking red, her hair in tangles.

"Why did you do that?" she breathed.

"You didn't...you didn't stop it," he protested.

"Harry, you know I am with Ron!" she snapped, the tears going down her cheeks once more.

"Yeah, that's right, cry, that's what Cho used to do too," Harry retorted snappishly.

She smacked him. It came to him as so startling that he only looked back at her with wide eyes. The stinging sensation was spreading across his cheek, and he was sure his face was gleaming red in embarrassment. She turned away from him, heading in the direction of the Hospital Wing.

"You didn't stop it, Hermione!" he yelled after her. "You responded to it, too! Who are you fooling, 'Mione? Who are you trying to fool? Yourself? You liked it!"

She stopped in her steps, turning around to look at him. Her voice was cold and stony as she spoke. "I...I love Ron, Harry. I am in love with him. You have no idea how that feels."

"I have no idea how it feels?" Harry said, laughing mirthlessly. "I love you, Hermione. I used to think you were just one of my best friends, but I love you more than that. I know exactly how it feels. But there's one thing you don't have to feel, Hermione. It's a little thing called 'rejection'. You don't have to suffer this. You love Ron. Ron loves you more than you can imagine. And if you don't know that, then you're an idiot."

She looked at him for several moments, her face unreadable. Then, she walked away, not turning back.

***

URGH! That must've been the worst chapter I've ever written in my LIFE. I mean, seriously. That SUCKED. SUCKED, SUCKED, SUCKED!!! I understand if none if you ever want to read this again. THAT. SUCKED!!!