Disclaimer: shit! I never remembered to put the disclaimer! Well anyway, obviously, Harry Potter and all its characters do not belong to me. But I s'pose that they'd be happier with JK Rowlings anyway…

A/N: OH MY GOSH!! I got reviews within the first day that I posted this story!! I'm overjoyed!! Thank you to violin181 and fairlady for being one of the first couple reviewers!! You are so totally awesome! ^_^

well anyway… I should really write this story, ne?? yeah… hehe… ^_^

Strip Down

Telling Them…

By Kristina Chang

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Last time:

"Well… I've been trying to get Draco to be nice to me… since he became friends with Ron and Harry… but anyway let's have a party tomorrow!"

"Umm… Herms… what is this party gonna BE?" Lavender asked hesitantly.

"Oh! I didn't mention that yet? We're gonna make the guys want us." Hermione grinned. "They're gonna want us so bad that they'll go crazy if they don't have us. HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! (evil laugh) Oh! He He. Oop! Got carried away." She smiled so innocently that you could practically see the halo floating above her head. It barely concealed the imaginary horns sticking from her forehead.

"Uh… right. How exactly?" Parvati asked this time.

"Oh um… well. We're gonna…" Hermione motioned for them to lean in closer so that no one else would hear. "We're gonna … strip." Hermione then laughed gleefully while clapping her hands together.

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The next day… after Hermione totally passed out from thinking too much…

Hermione woke up bright and early. She just couldn't wait to tell Harry about the party. Since you're wondering when Hermione ever even considered liking Draco at all… Well even if you weren't wondering… I'm gonna tell you anyway.

Well… it all started that day… when Draco was just starting to befriend Ron and Harry. It was the day after they'd made the agreement to stop arguing and fighting. After seeing how Draco could put aside Harry and Ron and his differences, Hermione began to see him for being Draco Malfoy and not just Malfoy, which he was so commonly called since their first year. As the three became better friends, Hermione observed the REAL Draco Malfoy more and more. Although he did not speak to her, except to call her names, she would watch him under hooded eyes in the classrooms or in the silent corners, when she wasn't doing anything, which was a lot of the time. (cough*stalker*cough) she saw the real him in a total of two weeks. He turned out to be… not as bad as she had originally thought. He had a nice side. And after befriending Harry and Ron, his goons, Goyle and Crabbe, faded into nothingness. Well… he just ditched them. He became a real person in Hermione's eyes. And Hermione began to like this side of him more and more.

Hermione seeked out Harry and fervently hoped that he was alone. She found him talking with Ron and Draco in the Great Hall. At the Slytherin table. As if there was any place she was most UNwelcome. Well… it was there. And just because of her parentage. A fact that she could have never controlled.

Hermione sauntered up to the table where the three were sitting as casually as she could. Which was pretty damn casual, then she put her acting skills to the ultimate test.

"Hey Harry. Can I… speak to you for a moment?" Hermione purposely acted fidgety under all the Slytherin's beady gazes. She rung the front of her robes and switched from foot to foot. But inside, she was far from nervous. She was actually smirking inside at how easily fooled the Slytherin were.

Smart as he was, our dear friend Draco took the bait.

"What are you? Scared of us Slytherins, Mudblood?"

Ron and Harry immediately shot him a glare, which Draco ignored. Hermione, however, was waiting for this statement. She immediately stopped shuffling on her feet and stood straight and tall

"Actually Draco, I'd be more scared of a couple of teddy bears in bikinis. And I wanted Harry…" she left that sentence hanging for a while when she saw the livid look on Draco's face and smiled at him before continuing.

"…to come with me…" hanging again. "So I could tell him something very VERY important concerning him and me…" she looked at the surrounding Slytherins and she spoke again, smirking first.

"…that none of you need to know." Hermione finished off nonchalantly and she giggled to herself when she saw the many angry stares of the Slytherins. She thought to herself…

'I wonder why they're so angry. Hmm…it's not like I DISSED them or anything… I mean, I DID lead Draco into thinking that Harry and I are… doing something we're NOT or maybe because I brushed them off like nothing and like they don't mean shit to me. Oh! I think THAT might be why… oh wait… no… I DID diss them… the teddy bear thing! Oh that's right. *giggle* oh but Draco's not angry. He seems quite… hmm… amused, if I might say so myself. And I do.' Hermione dragged Harry away from the Slytherin table.

"You shouldn't have done that." Hermione just stopped and looked at Harry like he had three heads. She spoke in a normal tone so that anyone around them, like the Slytherin table, could hear.

"WHAT!? I don't think so. I'm not scared of a group of people. ESPECIALLY a group of Slytherins. And like I'd ever EVER be afraid of the Slytherin KING. I'm the Gryffindor QUEEN! I'm afraid of NO ONE! Least of all a bunch of snakes." Hermione exclaimed quite proudly and not to mention, loudly, too.

"You'll get yours MUDBLOOD Granger. Your time'll come." Pansy Parkinson's shrill voice was heard throughout the Hall. Hermione just turned around calmly to address her.

"Oh yes. PANSY. My time will come. But I'll make sure that yours comes way WAY before mine. And… oh yes. My NAME is HERMIONE GRANGER. NOT mudblood. Remember that." Hermione finished in a serious tone and dragged Harry outside to the Great Hall doors, not paying any attention to the whispering around the Hall. She knew that everyone had heard her. But she didn't care. She'd been in the center of attention before. She didn't really like it, but she could deal with it if need be.

As soon as Hermione and Harry stepped out of the Great Hall and into the hallway, Hermione stopped to talk business.

"Well, dear Harry. What I needed to talk to you about was tonight. You're not doing anything, are you? Of course you're not. Well good." Harry had his mouth open, but closed it after Hermione answered her own question.

"My… friends are having a party. And they wanted you to come. It's in my room; the girls and I are "renting" it out to them. And they wanted you to bring Draco, Ron, and Seamus. It's just you four. So don't go talking about it. Or else they'll get really…angry. And you don't want that to happen. Well anyway, I'm not really gonna be there. So yeah, you're gonna have to er…fend for yourself. I'm just kidding. You won't have to. I think you're rather going to enjoy this little party. Oh, very much." She giggled.

"Um…Hermione, you know these people right?"

"Oh! Of COURSE, Harry. I wouldn't stick you with STRANGERS…" she was looking at him with wide eyes, acting innocent, which she was far from.

"Oh. OK. Who are they? If you know them, well, so will i."

"Oh Harry. I can't tell you silly. It's a secret. But I CAN tell you that you will enjoy this party. Well be at my room at 11 aright? Good. Oh. I'm sure that the Fat Lady will let Draco into the common room. I'm sure he's been through before. I'm gonna go back to the table. If you're late, you're all gonna pay for that. And suffer my wrath! HA HA HA HA HA! (evil laugh) Just kidding. Go back to your Slytherin buddy." With that, she pushed him into the Hall. She made sure all eyes were on them (specifically Draco's) and kissed Harry on the cheek.

She winked at him and turned to wink at Draco, then headed to the Gryffindor table, laughing merrily.

"Now WHAT the hell was THAT?!" Ginny exclaimed, fury written all over her face.

"Chill Gin. I was just messing with their heads. You know how guys are. They think everything MEANS something. I just wanted to play around. I'm not going after your man. Don't worry about it. Potter is ALL YOURS! And besides, he's like my brother. That's just…just… icky!" Hermione screwed up her face like she smelled something bad.

Lavender, Parvati, and Ginny all laughed at her. Ginny was relieved that Hermione just thought of Harry like a brother.

"Oh Herms. I think Draco likes you. He's been staring at you since you came in." Parvati told Hermione.

"Oh really? Well good. That Pansy slut is really starting to annoy me. Maybe he'll stop fucking her and get rid of her."

"Oh… is someone JEALOUS?!" Lavender teased and laughed.

"No! Someone is NOT! She just makes me want to …vomit… at the way she hangs all over him. it's disgusting!"

"Right right. And da Nile just ain't a river in Egypt." Ginny teased her some more.

"Ugh! You… people!" Hermione laughed. "I just don't know why I'm friends with you dorks!"

Lavender laughed and answered.

"It's cuz we make your life so much more interesting. And 'sides, you need SOME PEOPLE to unleash all that creative talent in your brain with. Am I right, girls?" the others nodded and laughed.

Meanwhile…

The boys stared at the four girls at the Gryffindor table; each of them entranced by their beauty. Harry suddenly remembered Hermione's statement.

"There's a party tonight. Gryffindor room. No talking about it. Malfoy, you're invited. I gotta talk to Seamus." Harry told them without taking his gaze away from a certain red-haired Weasley sitting at the Gryffindor table. (NO, not Ron!) He turned to look at Ron and Draco, who both nodded in reply. Harry then walked over to Seamus, informing of the event that happened later that night.

Authoress's Notes: Yay! Finished with another chapter! Don't forget to review!

Kristina Chang