Driven

Acknowledgment: Ellen.

"Did you guys kiss?" she had asked with a furtive glance at Harry. He hesitated, leaning forward a bit, a triumphal smirk wanting to fill his lips.

Harry nodded, slowly and reluctantly. Hermione could remember the way Ron had reacted completely. A bit jealous, but happy for his friend, he had shown his enthusiasm by throwing a punch in midair, a look of knowing covering his face.

She could remember only bits of conversation later.

"So? How was it?" Ron had asked eagerly.

"Wet."

"Are you such a bad kisser?" Ron frowned.

"Of course he's not," Hermione had prompted. Ron looked at her, outraged, obviously furious.

"How do you know?" he challenged, his eyes narrowing.

Hermione opened her mouth to speak when suddenly someone was shaking her awake.

"Please, don't," she whispered, her voice coming out muffled.

"Hermione," the voice whispered. "Get up."

"Please, Draco, no..."

Her eyes opened and she saw someone she certainly did not expect and did not want to see.

Herself.

***

Harry lurked around the dungeons, unsure of what to do next. Was he being incredibly stupid, being under the Polyjuice Potion? But of course, he was doing this to save Hermione. His chest welled with an incredible soaring feeling that tingled from his arms and through the whole length of his body. He closed his eyes, leaning against the wall, remembering all the times she, Ron and him had spent together. Their first year, they had gotten through to assist Harry on getting the stone before Voldemort came into power again. Their second year, where Hermione had been unconscious, but her logic was still so intact, right there in her very hand that they had gotten themselves down to the Chamber of Secrets. Their third year, where Hermione and him had saved Sirius and Buckbeak...Sirius was too painful too think about right now. He gulped, not wishing to recall further memories. All he knew was that this pain he was feeling was nothing less than the pain that was equal to the worry of his fourth year, where he thought he might lose Ron in one of his very tasks in the Tri-Wizard Tournament.

How could he have done this? How could he have betrayed Ron, when Ron had done so much for him? He had to come clean about the Polyjuice Potion; it was killing him inside. But he knew he was taking a fatal risk at his friendship. Wishing not to ensue this decision, he began to walk down any stairs he found as he pondered the filthy place. He finally found himself in front of the blank wall that led into the Slytherin common room. He waited with his Invisibility Cloak, thinking it might not work - however, it was fortunate that one of the Slytherins had obviously gotten drunk and had proceeded to sneak into the common room without being noticed; hence, how Harry managed to go in, following the person.

He looked around frantically. Where could've Draco taken her, exactly? He wasn't foolish enough to hold her prisoner in his own dorm room, that was accurate, but there had to be somewhere in the common room...his eyes caught on some curtains that hid a window at the end of the common room; it was not noticeable...he trudged forward and separated the curtains with one, swift movement. He saw it was a regular window, and was prepared to feel disappointed but his eyes caught on something that the lower part of the curtains had been hiding. On the wall under the window was a surface outline of something...he tried to pry it open, but it was much too difficult. He took his cloak around after looking around, and pushed onto it, and it moved a bit.

He reached into his robes and took out his wand. "Alohomara?" he tried feebly. To his amazement, the outline of the wall opened, leading to a dark, musky passage below. Putting his wand protectively in his pants pocket, and covering himself with his Invisibility Cloak, he set himself down, trying not to yell as his body was being transported under grounds. What if Hermione wasn't down there at all? What've there was danger waiting for him, and he would never come up again? His heart raced at these questions, but he knew too well that he couldn't dwell on them now; he observed the place had had just landed on. It was a hallway, with only one door. He was about to go in when he realized his Invisibility Cloak had fallen off. Looking around, he saw that it was down the hallway, awaiting his grasp.

Harry walked toward it, but before he could pick it up, a familiar voice found itself into his eardrums.

"Hermione?" someone stammered. "What the hell are you doing out here?"

Harry didn't think. Merely doing the same thing he had once done in third year, he took his wand out and pointed straight at Draco Malfoy.

"Petrificus Totalus," he said, and in one flick and swish, Draco fell to the floor, rigid, unmoving, but his gray eyes piercing into him.

Harry knew this would happen; it was the only reason he had turned into Hermione in the first place. If Draco caught him, he would only be obliviated, therefore giving Harry the chance to attack. If things were different, however, Draco would attack Harry without a single thought.

Biting his lip, Harry turned the doorknob, his heart still painfully wringing in his chest, and entered.

***

Hermione looked absolutely awestruck when she saw him.

"Who the hell are you?" she spat, backing away in the farthest length the chains would let her.

He held up a hand, and began counting down until he started transforming. His nails shortened to their usual bitten down cubicles, his legs went a bit longer, his hair shortened into the messy locks of raven-colored hair he had inherited from his father, and brown suddenly turned into the glowering emerald that his mother had given him. He observed the girl that sat before him. Her clothes were filthy, unwashed. Her brown hair was more tangled than ever in it's most bushiest form, her eyes were wide, with black circles under them. Her face pale, cuts and bruises over her arms and wrists. He flinched. How could she still manage to hold up a beautiful grace, even without looking so good? Damn it, even her filthy, stingy state was turning him on. What the hell was wrong with him? His heart pounded, but he reminded himself of Ron, although his pants were getting rather uncomfortable...

"Harry?" she stammered in disbelief. "Is that really you? Or is it Draco playing a sick joke?"

"It's me."

"Prove it," she said, glancing at him uncertainly.

"Well...we don't have much time," Harry said crossly. "Once Draco wakes up..."

"I said, prove it," she said shrilly. He jumped a bit.

"Alright, alright," he said, gazing at her with an apologetic look. "Umm...well, I know that my first kiss was Cho, that once in third year you used a time turner to get to all your extra lessons, and oh yeah, that you've got a birthmark on your-"

"Enough," she said stonily, closing her eyes. Inhale, exhale. "Draco's insane. Get me out of here. Now."

"With pleasure."

***

Finally, I commanded myself to upload this chapter. Sorry for the delay!

Review,

Love,

-S.A. Court