Chapter Two – The Start of School
"So, what's up?" Draco asked Harry as they walked to the Slytherin table for breakfast. "Did you stay up late with your... er... friends?"
"Oh, yeah, I was up until around four AM last night," Harry said to Draco, with a grin.
"What'd you do?" Draco asked.
"Well, for a while these annoying little Hufflepuffs wouldn't leave me alone. I shooed them away, and Cho and I kissed in the armchair, nearest the fire. I wanted it hot, you see."
"Harry, you're only eleven!" Draco laughed.
"But twenty-five at heart..." Harry trailed off with a dreamy look on his face. "If only I was with that Hermione..."
"You're sure to be expelled if they find out. I heard from my father about this sixth year couple in his year. Two ended up in the boys' dormitory, in the morning, in the same bed. I mean no one heard anything. They were just talking, but she got tired and fell asleep next to him. The headmaster didn't believe them!" Draco frowned, a worried expression on his face. "Oh, and I almost forgot— my father said, 'It's excellent that the Potter boy has followed our path of greatness!''"
"Wow, I can't wait to meet him."
"He'll be coming any day now to evaluate Dumbledore." Draco smirked. "How long did you kiss for, anyway?" he added. "I've never kissed a girl, our age, before."
"Oh?"
"Nope... but I'm going to kiss Pansy tonight!"
"In the common room at two AM would be great, and er... maybe Cho and I could stop by, and stay a while," Harry said. "Although, she may be tired."
"I'd rather if you wouldn't. Have her come in your dormitory..."
"I'd be suspended!"
"Oh, yeah, well kiss her now, stand right in front of Granger and kiss!" Draco suggested. "Jealousy will consume her!" he added, with only a hint of sarcasm in his voice.
"Okay," Harry agreed. Cho was a little bit away from Hermione's chair and was walking toward Harry. Harry ran to Cho and held her in an embrace. He kissed her passionately.
"Go away, Potter. Go back to your dormitory, where you'll have privacy, you git!" Hermione snapped.
"Hah, you got what you deserved, Potter!" Ron exclaimed.
Meanwhile.... Fred and Lavender were at Slytherin table sitting next to each other and talking. "It's so depressing. We didn't get in the same house!" Lavender sighed, looking disappointed.
"At least Dumbledore doesn't mind when we sit at other house tables," Fred says. "We barely know each other, but I feel as if I'm in love," Lavender smiled.
Later in the Slytherin Common Room...
"Fred, you're the only Weasley who knows what he's doing..." Draco drawled. He stroked Pansy's hair, as she was sitting on his lap.
"I agree... anyway, let's play Truth or Dare," Pansy suggested, giggling.
"Okay," Draco nodded. He turned to Harry. "Harry, Truth or Dare?"
"Dare," Harry said immediately.
"I dare you to kiss Cho, for three minutes!" Draco said.
"Gladly," Harry said, though Draco could tell he was slightly disgusted. As much as he kissed Cho, he obviously still liked Hermione. Harry grabbed Cho roughly, kissing her, and then said, "Lavender, Truth or Dare?"
"Er... Truth?" Lavender guessed.
"Do you want to kiss Fred? If so, go ahead and kiss him."
"I do," Lavender said with a smile, and kissed Fred.
"How dare you?" Parvati said, slapping Lavender.
"What'd you do that for?" Fred said, coming in front of Lavender protectively, and scowling at Parvati.
"For stealing my boy!" Parvati exclaimed.
"Parv... I tried to tell you this morning that Fred and I are a couple, but you were busy talking about your new hairstyle..." Lavender frowned, looking at her best friend worriedly.
"Guys, let's all get together with our boyfriend or girlfriend or find one and make out!" Harry suggested out-of-the-blue. Draco rolled his eyes.
"But I don't have a boyfriend!!" Parvati whined.
"Then get one!" Cho snapped. "There, go make out with a second year or something!!"
"Or me," Blaise suggested. Parvati glanced back at the boy with straight black hair and dark eyes. Then she sighed and snapped,
"And who might you be?"
"Oh— Blaise Zabini..."
"Why does this matter, anyway?" Draco demanded impatiently. "I don't think Harry was being serious with his suggestion."
"Oh, that's what you think," Harry muttered, and Draco looked back at him.
"God, Harry, are you obsessed with making out with Cho or something... I thought you liked— you know..."
"No!" Harry exclaimed, but Draco knew he only said that because Cho happened to be sitting on his lap, rubbing her fingers down his stomach.
"We're only eleven!" Draco reminded Cho.
"Suppose you're right, everyone to bed!" Harry announced, shoving Cho off of him.
"I'm going to get my bags and camp here for the night..." Fred said.
"Sounds good, mate." Draco nodded. Harry trudged up the stairs giving Cho a quick kiss and opened the dormitory door.
"That game was wicked awesome, mate!" Blaise exclaimed when he saw Harry. "I heard from Draco that you're twenty-five at heart!"
"Why wouldn't I be?" Harry smirked.
"Never mind that, I think we should be off to bed." Blaise said.
"Okay," Harry replied. Draco opened the door with a bang.
"God, that... girl... she... best... never... no," Draco muttered.
"What's wrong with you?" Harry asked, raising his eyebrows at Draco.
"She didn't want me to kiss her!" Draco pouted.
"What'd you say?" Harry asked, concerned.
"I said, 'Good night, Pansy.' I leaned over and tried to kiss her, but she pushed me away and ran up the staircase into the girl's dorm. I tried to follow her, but the stairs turned into a steep ramp!" Draco cried out.
"I'm sorry, 'Co. Why don't you talk to her in the morning during breakfast?" Harry suggested.
"I guess, Harry." Draco sighed, looking back in the direction of the girl dormitory wistfully.
"Good night, Draco," Harry said over Blaise's snores.
The following morning was the day that classes began. During breakfast in the Great Hall, Draco walked straight to Pansy to talk to her. "Pansy..."
"What do you want?" Pansy snapped. Apparently, she wasn't a morning person.
"I was just going to say that I'm sorry that I... made you uncomfortable last night, if that was the case..." Draco nervously ran his fingers through his slick blond hair.
Pansy sighed. "Oh, Draco... I'm sorry, but I think our relationship is going too fast..."
"Whatever..." Draco uncertainly looked around. Just then, Harry walked in. "Harry, mate!"
"Hey, 'Co. Patched things up with Pansy?" Harry muttered under his breath, as Pansy piled food onto her plate.
"Yeah, she thinks our relationship is going 'too fast' or whatever..." Draco shrugged. "Anyway, so you're giving up on Granger?"
"No... the thing is, she will never like me, and will never see any good in me... I wish she would..."
"Oh, mate, don't give up," Draco frowned. "She'll like you straight away if you just..."
"Give it some time?" Harry asked glumly. "Nah, she's not like that..."
"Aw, well I'm sorry then," Draco sighed.
"She and that Weasley boy seem to have some chemistry. Let her go with that Weasel," Harry snapped bitterly.
Back in the Gryffindor Common Room:
"Oh, Ronald, stop it!" Hermione said, in a disgusted tone. Ron had come behind her and pulled her ponytail in an annoying/flirtatious way. Hermione glared at him and went back to her reading.
"You're such a bore, 'Mione. Books, books, books! That is all you care about. I could beat you any day at Quidditch, like you could beat me," Ron exclaimed.
"Why would I waste my time on a foolish game that I find stupid?"
"Oh, shut up."
"You shut up!"
"You started it."
"God, Ronald. You act like a little kid!" Hermione exclaimed and grabbed her bags. She walked out of the portrait hole. Hermione stormed through the halls, not paying attention, until she ran into a 5th year boy named Viktor.
"Watch where you're going, girlie," he snarled.
"I'll go wherever I want and I'll run into whoever I want!" Hermione snapped in defense.
"You want a piece of me?" Viktor demanded in a troubling tone and threw a punch at her. Hermione backed away slowly, shocked, and Viktor tried to grab her by the neck. Hermione stumbled away, but found herself coming to a dead end. "I've got you now, girlie," Viktor growled threateningly, and moved towards Hermione slowly. She sat down against the wall, now terrified.
"Oy, Viktor!" a boys voice called all of a sudden.
"Huh?" Viktor said rather stupidly, glancing around wildly. Then he saw who it was, and grinned. "Hey, if it's not the Boy who Lived! Hey, Potter, how've you been?"
"Good, Viktor. So, who're you hurting now?" Harry asked, trying to see past Viktor's bulky form.
A slow grin spread across Viktor's face. "Some Gryffindor first year," he said proudly.
"Move," Harry muttered, pushing past Viktor. Then his jaw dropped. "What are you doing?! That's Hermione, you can't hurt her."
"Oh?" Viktor asked.
"Yeah," Harry said angrily. "So back away from the lady. I don't want you touching Hermione. Any first year but her."
"Fine, Potter," Viktor sighed, looking disappointed, and stepped away from where he had cornered Hermione. Promptly, he lumbered off, most likely looking for his next victim.
"You alright?" Harry asked Hermione kindly as Viktor left, holding out a hand and helping her up. "Sorry about Viktor, he likes beating up younger students..."
"No thanks to you," Hermione snapped angrily as she stood, her eyes blazing with anger. "And you're friends with that git, Potter?"
"No— it's not like that, 'Mione... it's just, we've known each other for a while. He's the only other wizard that lives on my street, at home..."
"And he beats up on people smaller then him!"
"And...?" Harry asked uncertainly, wondering what on earth would be wrong with that.
"He was going to hurt me! Honest, Potter, you are unbelievably thick! I don't know why I'm talking to such a bloody prat! Why, you're worse than Ronald!" And with that, Hermione stormed off angrily.
"What did I say?" Harry asked himself miserably. Hermione ran right back into the Gryffindor Common Room, snapping the password at the Fat Lady angrily.
"Alright, dearie, don't be impatient!" the Fat Lady cooed, and the portrait swung open.
"'Mione!" Ron grumbled angrily. "Why are you back?"
"No reason, Ronald," Hermione snapped, looking up at the redhead.
"So, did you do anything interesting?"
"I was chased down by some stupid fifth year... and saved by Potter, of all people! I don't think you'd call that interesting at all, do you?!" She shrieked viciously.
"Whoa, calm down, 'Mione... I think you need to talk this out."
"Ronald!! I think it's because I'm Muggle-born. I heard that the whole Slytherin hoard all hate Muggle-borns except for Ha— I mean, Potter. Apparently, he loves Muggle-borns."
"Did you ever rule out the possibility that he may not hate you? I think young Harry has a thing for our 'Mione!"
"Don't be such a prat!"
And, meanwhile, at Slytherin house, Harry sulked around while Cho bothered him.
"God, Harry... this is so boring. All you've done is mope around!" Cho exclaimed. "You wouldn't even let me kiss you."
"I'm pissed off, okay?" Harry exclaimed. He walked up the stairs to the common room slowly. "You would too, if you saved someone's life and then she flicked you off."
"She?!" Cho exclaimed. "I don't like the sound of that. Who was it?"
"You don't know her, okay? Just leave me alone, or I'll dump you."
Cho looked worried, but said, "Bye, Harry. Talk to you later."
Harry just walked away in silence.