Pure Happiness

                                                               Chapter 8-

                                                   Breakfast in the Great Hall

                                                                   * * *

            "You mean to say that stupid plan actually worked?" shrieked Pansy Parkinson, who was sitting cross-legged on the floor in front of the Slytherin fire. She giggled so hard that her glossy blonde curls shook across her shoulders. Draco smirked at her.

            "You're a genius, Pans!" he laughed. "She was so bloody flustered that she didn't even realize that I had taken her whole set of notes!" The other Slytherins roared with laughter. Draco mimicked Hermione by slapping the back of his hand to his forehead and sighing, "Oh, Draco! You are such a wonderful kisser!" This caused everyone to laugh again, and Draco seemed to wipe tears of joy from his eyes.

            "So," sneered Blaise, grabbing the pages of Hermione's notes. "What do you say we do with these?" He held it over toward the fireplace and smiled wickedly. "Burn it?"  Pansy laughed, but snatched them out of Blaise's hand.

            "No," she cackled, sounding very much like a fairy-tale witch. "Let's…." And together they whispered their ideas. Once everyone was satisfied with the result, several third years grabbed a couple of quills and black ink, and handed them over to Draco.

            "Shall I have the honour of… ah… tattooing the first one?" he grinned. Pansy nodded vigorously, and together all of the Slytherins started to destroy Hermione's hard work, only to embarrass her with it the next morning at breakfast.

                                                            * * *

            Hermione grabbed a shiny red apple from one of the wicker baskets in the middle of the Gryffindor table. She rubbed it on her robes, and then took a big bite out of it. Crunching loudly, Harry and Ron plopped down on either side of her. They all started eating, with Hermione the loudest, and started to stand up to leave.

            "You never do keep quiet, do you?" they heard a sneering voice behind them. Hermione whipped around, recognizing that horrible voice.

            "What now, Malfoy?" she demanded. He pouted a little, and stuck out the notes to her. Her eyes widened happily and she made to grab them. However, he held them back, out of her reach.

            "You dropped these last night, and I thought I ought to return them to you," he stated as innocently as he could, without gagging. He handed them over tentatively to her, and she took them cautiously.

            "Thanks… er… Mal- oh, my God!" she screamed. She rifled through the stack of parchment, glaring at him all the while. She shoved the papers at Harry and Ron, who'd been standing faithfully next to her the whole time. They ducked, and she started shrieking, "You… you… you!" Draco inspected his fingernails, bored.

            "I must say, Granger," he smirked. "I never knew you had such… strong feelings for me!" Hermione screamed in anger, her face blotching and blushing crimson, and started toward him. Harry and Ron instantly grabbed her arms, but she pulled and tugged and snarled at all three of them, absolutely killing to get her hands on her enemy.

            "You ferret!" she screamed. "I didn't… you must've… you absolute wanker!" Bawling, she tore away from Harry and Ron with all her force, and started to run away. That is, of course, until she collided into a periwinkle 'wall' with silver stars. She grabbed onto it, shaking, until she heard a small cough.

            "Hmm… Ms. Granger," she heard a soft, raspy voice. "What is going on around here?" She looked up into Professor Dumbledore's usually-twinkling eyes. She let out a small shriek, and jumped backwards.

            "Oh! Professor Dumbledore!" she gasped, looking around. "And Professor McGonagall! And Snape?" She was horrified. "I'm ever so sorry about all this! I mean, it wasn't my fault or anything but he… I mean… I didn't do…"

            "What," drawled Professor Snape, cutting her off, "is going on here?" Hermione started to blush and instantly looked down at her shoes. Draco, smirking yet again, stepped forward.

            "Why, nothing, Professor," he said, still with the same innocence. "I was simply returning Hermione's notes she left in the library last night." Professor McGonagall clicked her tongue and sniffed in distaste.

            "That's the reason Ms. Granger here was having a hysterical fit?" she asked, not believing him. Draco shook his head, trying to smile, which was quite unusual for him.

            "No, no, no, no, Professor!" Draco answered. "I was merely… well, astounded to find that Hermione here… well… why don't you all look at this…." He handed each of teachers a sheet of parchment, and while their jaws dropped, Draco gathered the rest of the papers and quickly flung some to the other tables. Everyone was reading them, sniggering and pointing at the words.

            "Draco Malfoy is the absolute hottest man to ever walk this earth!" Professor Dumbledore read out loud. He looked at the mortified Hermione over the top of his glasses. Before he could speak again, Professor McGonagall read, with shaking hands, a quote from the next page.

            "If only Ron and Harry looked like Draco… he's so darn cute that I'd do him any day!" she said uneasily. "Hermione and Draco forever!" Professor McGonagall looked away, turning a tad bit white. Finally, she closed her eyes and was able to let out, "Mrs. Draco Malfoy… Mrs. Hermione Malfoy… Dr. Hermione Granger Malfoy, wife of the famous 'amazing-in-bed' Draco Malfoy!"

            Everyone across the hall exploded with laughter. Professor McGonagall threw down the paper and her hands up in the air. But, before she or Professor Dumbledore could go on, Snape read, with utter distate,

            "Just those buns on him could drive a girl insane. Boy, if I could get my hands on them long enough to squeeze them, I'd be the happiest- and horniest- girl alive!" The hall went silent. Everyone looked at Hermione, and then absolutely laughed harder than they had before.

            "WHAT IS THE MEANING OF ALL THIS?" all three teachers shouted at once. Hermione looked up at them, crying, and raced out of the hall. Professor McGonagall started after her, but Dumbledore raised a hand to stop her.

            "Don't, Minerva," he said sadly. "I think she may need a bit of alone time right now." Sighing, they all headed up to the teacher's table, where Professors Sprout and Flitwick were hastily shoving some parchment underneath their napkins.

                                                            * * *

            Hermione flung herself onto her scarlet duvet. Sobbing, she pummeled her pillow with her fists, imagining Draco's face was really there. She continued this for quite a while, until Ginny Weasley came into her room.

            "Hermione?" she asked meekly. "May I come in?" When Hermione waved her away, Ginny grimaced, stepped inside, and slammed the door behind her.

            "I thought I told you to go away!" wailed Hermione. Ginny walked over to her, sat down on the bed, and started to stroke Hermione's big bushy hair.

            "Hermione Jane Granger," she started. "Don't take that tone with me! Are you upset about what happened outside?" Hermione shot her a look.

            "No," she said sarcastically. "I thought that was a jolly good time. Of course I'm upset about what happened! How on Earth could he… he…" She broke off, crying hysterically. Ginny rubbed her temples.

            "You mean you didn't write those notes?" she asked tentatively. Hermione wailed even louder. "I guess that's a no…." Hermione sat up, wiped her tears away, and said,

            "Oh, Ginny! It was awful…. I… I… I never wrote that! He must've changed it… that's it!" Ginny looked up at Hermione sharply.

            "What? What happened? Tell me now!" she demanded. Hermione grabbed a pillow and started to bash it on her head.

            "So… stupid! How… could… I… have… been… so… stupid?" she moaned. "Ginny! Quit hitting me… I'll tell you!" Ginny grinned lazily at Hermione, and cleared her throat for her to begin.

            "Okay. Well, last night I had had gone to the library to start preparing for the first event- and no, I won't tell you what it is. Towards the end of the night, Malfoy and I had a bit of a row, and he came over and kissed me," Hermione started. "Ginny, stop gagging… it's so unbecoming. Anyway, afterwards I noticed my notes were gone… he must have taken them and written those horrible things!"

            "Oh, Hermione!" Ginny exclaimed. "I know it's awful being humiliated in front of the whole school, but don't let it get to you. Malfoy, the prick, will know he's won."

            Hermione looked up into Ginny's sparkling green eyes. She sniffled a bit, before giving Ginny a big hug.

            "You're right," she laughed. "I'll think nothing of it. But you have to promise me that you and Ron and Harry'll help me get him back." Ginny grinned.

            "That sounds fantastic."

                                                            * * *

Chapter of pure crap, I know. But I tried to make it longer. And Hermione's middle name is Jane… I read it in an interview with J.K. Rowling. And I know Ron and Ginny's too. Just ask if you want them.