The Best Of Me Chapter 12: Lies, a harry potter fanfic

The Best Of Me

Disclaimer: I do not own anything in affiliation with Harry Potter or JKR. Nor do I own the song The Best Of Me by The Starting Line.

lyrics

I want to give a special shout out to **Winter Fae** for being the best Beta-reader a girl could have. :)

Chapter 12: Lies

Lying, it seems, is a natural habit. Although not something we are always proud of, when we need it, the ability is always there for us to use. Almost as if it is a way to breathe, a way to survive. Lying, and lies, then act as a shield around us, a way to protect ourselves from all the hurt we could feel.

With that in mind, we need to know that Hermione Granger had lied before. She had even lied to Harry and Ron before; she had made up reasons not to do their homework and told them they did well in Quidditch when they didn't. Yet she had never, ever lied like she did to be with Draco. The worst part, the very worst, she would tell people years later, was looking them in the eye right afterward. The worst part was seeing the acceptance and love in their eyes, it was the belief that really got to her. They would eat it up, trust her, and then it would start to hatch in her mind again; the next lie.

Draco's story on the other hand is a very different one than Hermione's. After years of practice and lessons Draco had become a very, well, gifted liar. He knew it almost as if it were an art. Now, it is not to say the Draco always lied, or that he was a horrible person, it is just a fact that when he wanted to, he was good at it. So telling Pansy the truth was a new thing for him. And it was liberating. He wanted to dance and he wanted to shout, because even after she had found out the truth and figured out all the lies, she still accepted him.

Lies are a very horrible thing. No matter how small they start or how small they stay they will never be something to be proud of. It was Sir Walter Scott, a famed and amazing poet, who said the words, "Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive." It seemed the webs of Hogwarts were about to be unwoven.

The battled towers, the donjons keep,

The loophole grates, where captives weep,

The flanking walls that round it sweep,

In yellow lustre shone.

Light broke across the bed and an alarm rang for the fifth time before someone did anything about it. Reaching over Pansy, Draco hit the clock with more force than he had intended.

"Pans," he said as he shook her shoulder, "Pansy, it's time to get up, come on."

Her eyes fluttered open for one second, then closed as she turned herself more into his shoulder and tried to fall asleep again.

"Don't do that Pans, that's not even fair. You know we have to get up. If you miss breakfast before Arithmancy you are not allowed to blame it on me." And with that he untangled himself from the girl and stood up.

To most people on the outside it would have seemed like an awkward situation. A dorm full of girls, (well there were four of them, all around 17 or 18) and the one boy in it was casually getting out of one of their beds and changing. It was an understatement to say that Draco had a little experience in these situations.

"So Drake," Pansy said as she sat up in bed and contemplated the boy in front of her, "What are we going to do about your little, uh, secret?"

"We? Pansy, we are not doing much of anything. You are keeping this to yourself and I am going to try and find Hermione to talk to her about this."

"You know, and I don't want to preach here or anything, but it might just be easier if you guys told everyone what was going on."

He turned around to send her a death glare along with the you-have-got-to-be-kidding-me look. "Seriously Pans?"

"I know, ok, I know it sounds weird but just hear me out. After everyone found out and the shocked died down a bit don't you think it would all end up better? I mean, you're making her lie to her best friends, and that's just not good. For either one of you, or your relationship."

He came over and sat down next to her, putting his head in his hands. "Honestly Pans, I have no idea what to tell you. I mean, I get what you're saying, and it sounds so completely ideal. It's just, you don't even know how hard it was for me to come tell you the truth, and I can't even fathom what it would be like to tell everyone."

"I get that it's hard Drake, I do, but you know it was harder for you with me because you were letting me down," she said as she lowered her eyes to the floor, "You were breaking the promise. It'll be different with everyone else. I mean, you don't have anymore hearts to break right?" A sad laugh escaped her lips.

Draco felt the guilt rise in him again, when it would finally disappear he couldn't even imagine. "Yeah, well, I guess. It sounds like a good plan, it does, but not yet okay? I'm just not ready yet."

She got up quickly, as the awkwardness started seeping back into the room. "Right, what's a couple more lies anyway?"

He followed her out of the room, closing the door behind him. "Exactly."

Their armour, as it caught the rays,

Flashed back again the western blaze,

In lines of dazzling light.

Today. I'm going to do it today. No more backing down, no more 'Hermione the Coward', it's going to happen today. The same thoughts kept running through Hermione's head. Why she hadn't had the courage to do it yet she didn't know, but something was in her today, she would do it. So she got herself ready for the day and was just about to leave for breakfast when someone came rushing through her door.

"Hermione! We have to talk."

"Ok Harry," she said as she gave him a skeptical look, "What do we need to talk about?"

"Next weekend. You have to go with Ron and me to Hogsmeade."

"Harry, how many times do I have to tell you? It will probably work out, hopefully, but I might have work to do. You know that, so I can't promise anything." All the daily talks of this were starting to give her headaches.

"No need to worry 'Mione. I talked to Dumbledore yesterday. He ok'd it. We're good to go."

"What?" She asked with a trace of venom in her voice. "You talked to Dumbledore about me? Why Harry? Why would you do that?"

The smile slowly fell out of his eyes and out of his mouth, "Don't get mad at me 'Mione! Ok! This, this was our way of helping you!"

"Our? So Ron is in on this to huh?" Her voice was rising to a yell, "You both decided to take over my life?"

"No. Okay. It's not like that. We just wanted to help you, make things better."

"Better, Harry? Help? No! What did you say to him? How much damage did you do?"

"Don't even do that Hermione. We did this for all of us. You hardly acknowledge our existence anymore. We were sick of being the friends over in the shadows. We knew something must have been going on; you were being worked too hard. So we talked to Dumbledore."

"I cannot believe you did this."

"So what, you weren't being worked to hard? Because no matter how mad you get right now 'Mione there's something going on. That's it right? All the stress of being Head Girl and all the work you have to do? Right?"

It was at times like these that Hermione's lying skills were becoming close to Draco's. Whether she used it or not, she knew she had the ability to lie right to Harry's eye at that moment if she wanted to. And all the courage that had been in her minutes before was being buried. It was still there but all the doubts and excuses started rising again. But Ron's not here, I can't do this without him here. And Draco, I need to tell him this is going to happen. I mean I'm going to do it today. But not right now. I need time to prepare.

"I guess you're right Harry. There is a lot of work. But you still had no right to butt into my life, to mess with my credentials. So if you'll excuse me I'm going to go eat breakfast. Tell Ron that I need to talk to both of you later."

"'Mione," Harry called as she brushed past him and out the door, "Come on."

She turned to him with steel in her eyes, "Later. Okay Harry?"

She was off to prepare for the battle. Her only worry was who would win.

And while the king his hand did strain,

The old man's tears fell down like rain….

…But woe awaits a country when

She sees the tears of bearded men.

With a sharp eye, Head Master Albus Dumbledore looked over his students eating breakfast in the Great Hall. As he looked at each kid different facts ran through his head, things that had happened to them lately, feelings they had within them. Yet even as he did that he was waiting for the two Heads of the student body to appear, hoping with all his might that they had finally let go of the lies.

"Did you ever find Mr. Malfoy last night Albus?" A deep, sneaky voice whispered next to him.

"Oh," He said, shaken out of his thoughts, "No actually I didn't make it to him. Turns out he was busy. But again, thanks for the clues as to where he was Severus."

"Of course Albus, anytime. But, if I may ask, what would he be too busy with to talk to you?"

"Well you are allowed to ask, don't worry. But I am also allowed to refuse you the answer, it's a very complicat-" He cut himself off as he saw more people enter the room.

Hermione Granger walked through the rows of tables until she found the seat she had had since first year. Albus found himself shivering, looking into her eyes and finding there only more pain and sadness, for he knew she still hadn't done it.

His worst fears were confirmed when one Harry Potter walked in three minutes later. Bloodshot eyes and a stiff walk accompanied him as he followed the same route she had taken minutes before. But Harry did not sit down; instead he walked over to Ron and whispered something in his ear. Seconds later they both made their way back out.

Lovely, and gentle, and distressed-

These charms might tame the fiercest breast.

Across the room their eyes met. Sadness and regret in one pair, excitement and hope in the other. And for a second, before she got up to talk to him, Hermione had to wonder when it was that they had switched roles. It seemed only yesterday she was the more carefree, hopeful of the two while he had been the depressing pessimist. When had things gotten so screwed up?

So she started her day, almost like any other. She did things she knew she would.

She knew she was going to get up. And she did. She knew she would go over to him, to Draco, and without a single word get him to follow her out of the room. And she did. She was uncertain as to whether he would hold her hand, discreetly, while they walked out. Yet he did.

They could feel the hope from each other. It was radiating from their skin into the others, a connection. Would it be enough to hold them together?

He had known that she would come get him. And he probably could have predicted that, since physical contact had been so hard to come by, she would kiss him. And he would have been right.

Before any words were spoken their lips met. And his hands went through her hair and hers found their way to his chest. For her, it was a way to feel his strength, the muscle underneath him. And they had missed each other. That was the greatest force in-between them. Before this point their relationship hadn't been seriously physical, and Hermione wasn't sure it would be after this. But they needed each other at that moment.

So, in reality, they had both seen that coming. Although neither knew what news the other had to tell them, they knew that something big was there. Two people, the Heads of the student body, well respected (or feared as it may be), and generally the very top students, knew a lot about life.

Yet the one thing they did not know, that might, in hindsight, have been their downfall, is that two other people were watching them in the hallway. Two boys, best friends, who had been stunned into shocked silence until that moment now made a tiny sound, a gasp, and found themselves looking into the eyes of their betrayers.

"Harry," Hermione started.

"Weasel," Draco followed with behind her, a protective streak he rarely felt striking up inside of him.

"'Mione?" The Boy Who Lived asked, shock and doubt in his voice, "What?"

She turned, buried her face in Draco's shoulder, sobs wrenching her body. One more sentence escaped her lips. One last statement before life as she knew it ended. And she'd never even gotten to talk to Draco.

"Lies," Her voice was a whisper as Draco drew her closer to his side, "they were all lies."

But passions in the human frame,

Oft put the lion's rage to shame…

…O, what a tangled web we weave,

When first we practice to deceive!

Thank You's go out to all my wonderful reviewers who light up my life!  I wish I could put out individual thanks but I am so busy I'm about to burst, next time hopefully!  But still know I love you!!!!

 Also to Fae for being the coolest beta-er ever.  And to Alana, for finally reading my story and not shooting me down, WE NEED TO BRAINSTORM!

Please review and tell me what you thought of the chapter!  Thanks!!!!!