Disclaimer: None of it mine, except the different personalities of everyone, due to the switching of Draco and Hermione.
Chapter 8: Unholy
"Oh, I can't stand that Snape!" Ron exclaimed, looking outraged.
"Yeah, well, we can't do anything about it. If he wants to be a git, I can't exactly say, 'Look, you stupid prat, I helped your favorite student. How about some points, or favoritism, or something?' now can I?" Draco asked.
Harry snickered at the image. "I'd pay to see you do that Draco."
"I don't care how much it is, I'd never do it!"
Ron perked up suddenly. "I know one person you can use the gift I gave you on. Snape," he said giddily.
Draco laughed. "What would I do?"
Harry and Ron shrugged.
"Make him temporarily smitten over a student. Or even better, a teacher."
"Yeah, like Professor Sprout," Harry suggested.
"I'll do you one better…Trelawny," Ron exclaimed.
Draco grinned. "That's good, Ron. We'd just have to find a way to get her down here for dinner." He paused, looking around. "Harry, tell her you've seen in the stars—or whatever you're studying now—that tonight, someone is going to attack you."
"Wouldn't she tell someone, though?" Harry asked, doubtful.
"Of course not, Harry. She's such a bloody freak, it would never occur to her that it's your safety first," Ron answered.
Harry still looked worried, so Draco added, "We can include her silence in the revenge wish."
Finally, Harry looked less stressed, and agreed.
Draco smirked, feeling very devious indeed.
~*~
Hermione was so proud of herself. For a few days after she had found out he knew, she was sure there was no way now to make Draco fall for her. She had been thinking there would be no human way to get him to love her, after all he knew. It would just simply scare the crap out of him.
But bloody hell, she had a plan. A damn good one, if Hermione wasn't being modest.
Draco…he was such the little Gryffindor sap! Fell for just about anything, which would mean he'd buy her act…hopefully.
Hermione's plan was simple. So simple, so easy, it amazed her how she never thought of it before. Use his sympathies. Play on his emotions.
The idea was to find Draco and simply fawn over him. You know, the typical, 'Oh Draco, I'm so glad you found it in your heart to help me, after all I've done! Blah blah blah.'
Hermione squealed with glee when she saw the little mudblood round the corner of the halls.
"Oh Draco!" she called, waving her arm.
He looked at her suspiciously, but came nonetheless. "Yeah? What the bloody hell do you want, Granger?"
Hermione fought back the urge to taunt him back. Instead, she plastered on the fakest smile she could muster. "Snape told me…how you helped me," she began, trailing a finger up his arm. Biting her lip, she continued. "And, I'd just like to tell you how glad I am. I absolutely adore you for it," she told him in a sugary voice.
Draco scowled, pulling back his arm. "Don't touch me," he growled.
Undeterred, Hermione bowed her head, laying it on thick. "I just don't know what I'd do if I had to marry that…" she trailed off, shuddering. No need to pretend there… "Slimeball."
He glared at her, obviously still unsure what she was playing at.
"Are you worried, Draco?" she asked sweetly. "Because I'm fine. You don't know how miserable my life has been! But now—"
"What the hell are you babbling about?" he snapped.
Hermione's mind raced. Of course! Why didn't she think of it sooner? If she came on too nice, too fast, he'd be suspicious. So with the coldest voice she could reach, Hermione hissed, "Thank Merlin! If I had to go on like that for any longer, I'd kill myself!"
She thought she faintly heard Draco murmur, "Wish you would." But instead, he said loudly, "Once again, what are you going on about, woman?"
Hermione smiled saccharinely at him. "Just a bet going on between my friends and I…to see how long you'd catch on that I was pulling your leg. I won," she added smugly.
"How lovely for you," Draco sneered.
"Yes. They all underestimated your stupidity, and assumed you'd figure it out quick. I, on the other hand, knew you would be slow."
"You know, I don't know what you're up to, Granger, but I quite frankly don't care. Now if you don't mind, I have a message to deliver," he snapped, staring at her icily.
Hermione tossed her brown hair, and pursed her lips. "Whatever," she answered airily, blinking a few times. "Thanks for helping me win, Malfoy."
"Not a problem," Draco replied sarcastically, stalking off.
She sighed, biting her lip in frustration. This was so pointless…the boy was after all top student in Hogwarts. It wouldn't take a genius to discover her tricks.
"But then, never underestimate a Mudblood," she murmured with a tiny grin. "He's proved to be very surprising…"
~*~
Draco stared innocently into Trelawny's big, bug eyes.
"Really?" she asked curiously in that ethereal, unreal voice of her. "I must…I must come down at once, and see to it."
"Of course, Professor. Now, I'm not sure exactly who is going to bring Harry harm, but I certainly think—"
"Now, now, dear boy," Professor Trelawny interrupted, "Just go back to your dorms, and I will see to it…I must consult my cards. Yes, my cards…"
He bit his lip, forcing the goofy smile off his face. "Alright, I'll be going then," he informed her, waving the mist in the room around.
She had no response to this, and was already shuffling her cards, eagerly doing whatever it was that she did with them.
"Ahh…" he heard her murmur occasionally as he backed out the room and down the ladder.
Ron glanced at him expectantly as he dropped to the floor. "So?" the redhead questioned anxiously.
"That old quack," Draco chortled, clutching his stomach. "'I must consult the cards'," he mimicked in a wispy voice perfect to hers.
Ron cracked a smile, and looked over at Harry excitedly. "See there, mate? I told you if you didn't do it, he would!"
Harry nudged his glasses up, and gazed solemnly at the ladder. "So you made the wish properly, then?" he asked Draco nervously.
Draco pushed back the silvery blonde hair away from his eyes and nodded, breathing a little harder at the prospect of revenge on Snape. "Every last bit, including the dancing house elf."
Harry raised an amused eyebrow and asked with a grin, "Dancing house elf? I thought you were against their employment."
He smirked, and shrugged. "I was in a wild mood. So sue me."
"Well then, dinner should be exciting tonight, eh?" Ron asked, practically skipping down the halls. "We haven't done ridiculous things like these in ages!"
Draco continued walking along at a steady pace beside Harry. "So what do you reckon Snape will do once the wish wears off?"
"Oh, we didn't tell you? The wishes don't wear off," Harry replied with a stern face. "Part of why I didn't—"
"ARE YOU SERIOUS?!" Draco boomed, feeling his heart stopping momentarily. "Are you joking?!"
His friend cracked a smile, and turned to face him. "Yes. I just wanted to see how you'd take it. Really, you know, you're too gullible!"
"That wasn't funny," Draco muttered darkly, staring ahead at Ron, who had stopped at Draco's infuriated yell.
"Don't think the Australians quite heard you there, Draco," Ron joked, beginning to walk backwards. "Perhaps you ought to try yelling a bit louder."
"Oh, stuff it, Ronald."
~*~
Blaise was stalking around the castle when he bumped in Hermione, his favorite female Slytherin.
"Hey, Granger. What are you doing, wandering around all alone like that? Shouldn't your little bitch boy, Malfoy, be accompanying you?" he sneered.
Hermione stepped toward him, a friendly smile gracing her face. "Blaise…darling…how many times do I have to tell you?" she asked cocking her head.
Blaise shrugged back his dark hair, glancing at her with his piercing sapphire eyes. "Tell me what?" he asked coldly, looking her up and down.
"He means nothing to me, Zabini. I'm not into the whole different-house relationship thing," she answered, a curl slipping onto her face. "I prefer…dark, sexy Slytherin boys more."
He looked unimpressed at her low, seductive voice. "Is that so?" he asked bitterly. "Then what is it that possessed you to try and keep me from beating up the little Gryffinshit?"
"Blaise," she purred, "if you beat him into an unrecognizable bloody pulp…I wouldn't be able to get my revenge. And, Zabini, you know how much I relish getting revenge, hmm?" she asked, sticking out a lower lip.
Blaise's gaze followed her fingers, which were trailing along the collar of his uniform. He raised his icy eyes up to her face, and stared her down. "What are you getting at, Granger?"
Hermione blinked, and ran her tongue along her lips slowly. "Blaise…I've missed you a lot, you know that? Let's never fight again, ok?" she asked in a soft voice, stroking his arm soothingly.
He tilted his head, hair falling into his eyes. With a wolfish grin, he nodded, and gripped her waist. "Follow me," he ordered huskily.
~*~
The trio sat eagerly at the table in the Great Hall, nodding at the people trying to make small talk with them.
Ron chewed his biscuit, eyes trained on the door. Draco was chatting loosely with Ginny, occasionally flickering his gaze over there.
"Uh, expecting someone?" Ginny asked irately, waving a tiny hand in his face. "Because if not, I'm over here."
Draco's silver eyes widened virtuously, and he stuck a forkful of rice in his mouth. After he finished swallowing it, he shook his head while adding, "I really don't know what you're talking about."
The female redhead kicked him from under the table, her warm brown eyes flashing at him. "Draco Malfoy! You let me in on this secret, and tell me why you, Harry, and my brother are staring at the door!" she screeched.
The door flung open, and Draco spun towards it anxiously.
However, it was not the professor. It was Hermione and Blaise, hanging all over each other, and the female of the couple was giggling and swaying dangerously. Blaise kept his eyes trained down her shirt, and it was obvious what had made the pair late.
"Ew," Ginny commented, wrinkling her nose. "I've never met a sluttier girl, honestly! She'd probably give out to anyone who—" She paused, as if it had only occurred to her. "Ok," she began in an accusatory voice, "which one of you are aiming to get laid by Hermione Granger?"
Harry spit his pumpkin juice out, letting it fly pretty far, and Ron began choking on his second biscuit.
Draco smiled at Ginny, and raised his hand. "I believe that would be me," he joked, keeping a straight face.
She smacked him, and narrowed her eyes. "Now really, who are you waiting for?"
Draco looked over at his friends, and Ron nodded hesitantly. "It would be dangerous to deny her the information she wants," he warned, shaking his head as though in fear.
Ginny crossed her arms, satisfied, and smirked at the three boys. "That's right," she agreed. Raising her wand, she threatened, "Now tell me, or someone will be on the receiving end of my Bat Bogeys."
Draco hummed quickly, and turned to face her again. "It's just this silly little revenge plot, really," he admitted, sipping his juice carefully eyeing her.
"On…who?" she asked suspiciously.
He raised his gaze to the table of the teachers, focusing in on Snape.
Wordlessly, Ginny's eyes followed his gaze perceptively, furrowing her brows once she saw it was focused on the Potions Master.
"Snape?" she asked in a confused voice. "Well, I know he's an insufferable prat, but how do you plan on not getting caught?"
"Easy," Draco drawled lazily, leaning back on the bench, pretending it was a chair. "Just wait and watch, little Weasley. Just wait and watch."
"There is no way they can trace it back to us," Ron added in smugly, staring at the door again.
For the second time that night, the great door slammed open, and the Seer made her way into the room eagerly.
"Mister Potter?" she said, miraculously projecting her airy voice over the chatter of the students. Granted, they weren't as loud, noticing her, but…
On the other side, Snape stood up from the teacher's table and quickly made his way down.
Draco smirked.
A/N: *Exhales* Well…it's certainly been a while, hasn't it everyone? All I can say is I'm sorry, and feel free to give me a thousand lashings, but always remember: I am the one who brings thee updates! Lol, so consider this an early Christmas gift (if you like it)!
Erm, that's all really…except that now I think I've got the story rolling again, so no more 8 month waits (Good Lord, has it really been that long?!) Check out my other stories—I've updated them all, except the Living Arrangements one, but who's counting?
Read, review, enjoy!
[Submitted: December 7, 2003]