*Disclaimer ~ Nope still don't own them.  (Isn't this getting annoying?)*

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Falling Head Over Heels

The Story of Hermione Granger and

Her relationship with Draco Malfoy

By: Befuzzled

Chapter Four ~ Quidditch and Flying Plans

"So won't you fly with me

I want to make you feel alright

Alright with me

Let me mend your broken wings

And set you free girl

It's alright

Girl can't you see."

~98 Degrees

After Hermione had gone up to her dorm, Harry and Ron began plotting ways to interrupt or stop the flying sessions between Hermione and the disgusting, revolting, pitiful-excuse-for-a-human, Slytherin Prince, Draco Malfoy.  They both knew that Hermione was more than qualified to handle herself, but they had come to think of her as a sister, and what brother didn't constantly worry about protecting their female sibling from the evil being trying to harm her?  They just had a feeling something bad was going to happen.  But that was beside the fact, they enjoyed thinking of ways they could rescue Hermione and still have a chance to curse Malfoy.

They both thought about the growing witch.  She had changed so much but yet she was still the same bookworm, adventurous, knowledgeable friend they had grown to love after the first little disputes in first year.  The inseparable trio.  The perfect team, coming to the rescue just when all hope is nearly lost with wit, cleverness, brash reactions, and courage.  Everybody seemed to be picking up on the extra boost of confidence they all had now.  With the moral support and newfound self-esteem they drew attention to themselves, most welcome but then of course there was Malfoy.  They figured it had to be jealousy.  Anybody could be jealous of their friendship, but especially Malfoy, all he had were the goons he seemingly used as bodyguards, and they that ugly pug Pansy Parkinson that was always hanging on him.

"So…" Harry interrupted their thoughts, "what other ideas do you have for Malfoy?"  His voice dripped with abhorrence and distain when he spoke the name.

"Hmm…I could write to George and Fred and ask for some of their creations.  One of those is bound to mess up Malfoy somehow."

"Oh good idea!  But didn't Hermione help perfect some of their recipes through correspondence this summer?" 

"Yeah but that makes them that much better.  She may even feel like she had something to do with his down fall."

They talked through everyone's laughing and games, as the common room emptied out, and did not finally go up to their dormitory until the fire had died out enough for the room to gather a slight chill.

They had run out of ideas to disembowel, break, and harm Malfoy in any way so the talk turned to Quidditch as it normally does, any conversation with a group of boys always has to touch on the topic of sports, it's like an unwritten rule.  "So let's make a list of all the positions we have, which ones we don't, and then who could fill them."

So Harry wrote:

Seeker -Harry Potter{6th}

Keeper- Dean Thomas{6th}

Chasers- Ron Weasley{6th}

                    - Lavender Brown{6th}

                                - Courtney Thornberry {3rd}(?)

Beaters-Dustin Shoe {2nd}(?)

         - _________

"Okay so we have to verify Thornberry and Shoe but who's going to fill in the last place?" Ron questioned feeling proud that he could say 'we' not just as a Gryffindor but as a teammate as well.

"Well what about those fifth years I think Kevin Snipes or Paul, um this is a guess, Gold?  They remind me of Fred and George, a little bit.  And since beaters get hurt a lot we could have an alternate.  Or maybe one of them won't want to do it.  Or we could have a beat off."

"What do you mean by beat off?"

"Like we have all the people who want to be beater, perferabbly just those two and we give them games or whatever to test their skills against each other.  I don't know we could get the whole house involved and everything.  Get some support for the team or whatever.  We have a lot of people to replace and I think a lot of people believe think we aren't as strong as we have been these past five years.  Since Wood left we have lost a bit of our edge and now with your brother and most of the chasers gone, we have to rebuild the wall at the edge of the cliff before we fall."

Ron was nodding anxiously and understandingly.  He liked all those ides.  There was more to discuss but they would have to wait until morning since it was already midnight and they were the last ones in the common room.  It was cold and dark, somewhat reminiscent of the Slytherin common room.

That same night, all of Hermione's dreams involved brooms.  Some were about the Quidditch matches to come later in the year; others were of her falling from a broom, recollecting the first time in Madam Hooch's class.  But one stood out the most when she awoke the next morning; it had to do with the new "course" she would be taking after hours.

She was flying with Draco Malfoy, she supposed it was one of their lessons. What else could it be, she would never volunteer just to get on a broom with that untrusting git.  She sat in the front of the broom controlling it and Malfoy sat behind her "helping" her learn tricks and how to control and understand all the movement the broom could make with the lightest touch from her.  She wasn't scared not anymore, even through the multiple tricks Draco insisted on her doing.  Out of nowhere Harry and Ron appeared on their brooms, below them, rage and vengeance displayed in their narrow slits of eyes.  Hermione couldn't help but think they were acting more the stereotype of a Slytherin than the actual member of the house was.  They continuously flew circling around under Hermione and Draco as if Hermione were going to fall and they had to be ready to catch her. They act failed to reassure her though since it felt like they were a bunch of sharks waiting for their prey.

Out of thin air green and red sparks came flying.  Hermione had looked down, Harry and Ron were no longer circling instead they were falling into a hoop of people wearing dark hoods and cloaks with white mask. Her hands shot to her mouth in horror.  She felt herself diving to catch up with them, but she wasn't directing the broom.  It was Draco!  He landed the broom, got off and without a second to spare caught Harry in the middle of the dark circle.  Hermione managed to protect Ron from plummeting into the ground but was not quite strong enough to stop them both from falling.  The brooms reached the ground and splintered apart sending shards of the wood in every which direction.

Hermione was on the ground with Ron's head cradled in her lap.  She was in tears she didn't know what was going on and why she was surrounded by deatheaters.  She also didn't know why Malfoy, Draco Malfoy, a Slytherin, had saved her best friends lives.

Suddenly Dumbledore appeared and the masked people popped out of sight. Looking to Hermione and Draco, "Are you both okay?" 

"Yes, Sir." Answered for himself and then turned to Hermione who could do nothing but nod as her downcast eyes once again studies his face..

"Good then let's get your friends up to the hospital wing to find out what's wrong with them."  With that the comatose boys were levitated and walked to Madam Pomfrey.

The dream ended there with Hermione sitting in between their beds holding each of theirs hands well Draco stood comfortably behind her massaging her shoulders in a sympathetic manor.

The next morning at breakfast, Hermione was engrossed in a book.  She wasn't really absorbing ths like she would normally it was more of a cover to give her a chance to think about and dream last night and what she should do about it.  She was caught in a twister of different emotion and didn't touch her food through out the entire meal.

Good I could stand to lose a few pounds. Have you seen Lavender or even that pug Parkinson – They are so thin!

Harry and Ron tried to interrupt her reading to no avail.  "Well it's off to potions I guess this should be interesting."

The trio started to make their way down into the dungeons, but before they reached the other students Hermione realized she had forgotten a book and took off running back to the common room.  She grabbed the book and dashed back to the other side of the castle all the while thinking

Maybe I should take up running.  It's a good form of exercise since I don't play Quidditch so I need it.  Please, please god if you're listening let me get to potions on time, please, please

Hermione dashed down the cold depressing corridor to join her comrade with second to spare.

"Well look who it is – the Dream Team – Potter, Weasel, and Granger."  The voice drawled from behind them as they waited for that brief moment outside Snape's room.  It was Malfoy.

"What are you jealous or something Malfoy – or are you satisfied with dumb and dumber?"  Ron retorted sending a disapproving look in the direction of the oversized garbage disposals.

"Okay Ron that's enough, we don't want to lose Gryffindor points."  Hermione said calming both Ron and herself at the same time.  She was always the one who knew when to draw the line, it was her acquired role in the group, the level-headed one.

 Suddenly Snape opened the door to his classroom, grudgingly ushered everyone in, "If your even one second late I'll take points."

Hermione sat in her usual spot in between Ron and Harry, laughing and telling jokes.  This didn't last long though.  "Today we will be making memory potions – to bring back forgotten memories of your past.  I have already assigned pairs."  The entire class groaned at the last announcement, but were used to being disappointed in this class.  Snape began reading pairs of names off a piece of parchment: "Patil and Parkinson; Potter and Goyle; Weasley and Crabe:  Granger and Malfoy…."

Every Gryffindor had a Slytherin partner – none were too happy about this.  They didn't want to share their long lost, precious memories with their partners.  Harry and Ron were especially mad.  Snape had placed Hermione and Draco on the farthest possible side away from them.  They couldn't protect her from malevolence called Malfoy.  They were hardly content with just shooting over dirty looks.

Hermione quickly absorbed herself in gathering, measuring, and mixing the ingredients to their potions.  She made only necessary conversation, little eye contact, and no physical contact with her potions partner. "Um, could you pass me the frog entrails?" 

"What's the magic word?"  Draco teased.

"Abracadabra" Hermione stated flatly.  "Could you please just give it to me, Malfoy?"

"Well you almost got it right." He spread his words into the air and shoved the frog innards at Hermione.

"Thanks."  They worked silently for the next few minutes.

"Your next flying lesson is tonight, at 6 o'clock in the Quidditch pitch, okay?"

"Oh you weren't actually serious about those were you?  I mean I don't want you wasting your time on a mudblood and if I need to go anywhere I'll use a car, floo, or have Harry and Ron take me.  Honestly I really don't need lessons."

"Are you that scared?"

"I am not scared.  Brooms and I just don't see eye to eye.  It's not like you care anyways."

"I'll see you at six, we'll start slow," he said as class was dismissed, then added "there's no reason to bring Weasel and Potty."

Hermione let out a groan and with it the decision not to tell Harry or Ron about her "tutoring" session with Malfoy.  She didn't want them to get expelled for hurting Malfoy, even though she wouldn't mind him getting impaired.