( exhales Um....sorry! -;; Jus read, don't kill, 'kay?

Disclaimer - Don't own nothin. Rowling does. Cheers to her!

DMTABF - Thanks for your critique. I just needed something for Harry to be suspicious about (the potion thing), and besides, I can't help it if he's slow :P. I appreciate it, though.

I was almost going to continue the story without responding in any way. I figure - why bother? But I really feel like I should. By the way, this only applies to dreamingmaggie, so the rest of you just go on and read. Mags - Sorry you can't take a little feedback. It's not like I don't appreciate your... response to my story. But most of you critique wasn't constructive, and could have been easily fixed if you'd bothered to read the story a little closer and pay attention to what's happening. If I sounded snappy.... I had reason to. If you don't like that, I'd appreciate not hearing back about it. (To the best of my recollection, though, I don't remember being rude. Only factual)

And why on Earth would you think I was 14?)

/

By the time Draco got halfway to the Slytherin table he was, for once in his life, wishing he'd've listened to Pansy. ((A little note - he'd've? Any objections? I happen to like it. It might not be 'correct', though....))

His stomach was doing unpleasant things when he heard a voice from behind.

"I told you so,"

Great. Pansy had followed him back in. He sat down and eyed her suspiciously as she squeezed in across him.

"What's going on? Why do I keep hearing...my name?" he demanded. He didn't add that he'd heard Hermione's name quite a bit as well. A sick feeling was settling into where his breakfast should have been.

Pansy leaned forward conspiratorially.

"Some third year Ravenclaw says she saw you last night!" she whispered excitedly, eyes round.

"Saw what? Who would listen to some little Ravenclaw twit?" he scoffed, heart pounding madly. It couldn't be possible. Just someone spreading a rumour.

Pansy stared at him, face unreadable. Draco grew uneasy.

"Well? Spit it out!"

--

Hermione couldn't speak. She was having trouble drawing in breath. Caught like a deer in the headlights.

She blinked stupidly at Parvati, Harry, and Ron. They were looking at her anxiously. Her mind raced.

It wasn't possible. She'd made sure they weren't followed. Had been on alerts the whole time she was outside.

Well.... Almost the whole time.

She shook her head and cleared her throat.

"T-that's ridiculous!" she finally managed to cry. The three across from her sighed, relieved, but she noticed Harry was still looking at her suspiciously. She put a disgusted look on her face.

"Me? And Malfoy? Are you kidding? That's disgusting!" She shook her head again. "Whoever said this is obviously off their rocker. How could anyone believe such a thing? This is preposterous," her face was flushed.

"Hermione, we didn't believe it," Ron assured her, obviously trying to calm her down.

Hermione was shaking. With fear that they'd know she was lying, with relief hat they'd fallen for her act, with anger. She was furious. At Draco, at whoever had spotted them, at herself for not being more careful.

"I won't stand for this. Whoever spread this will be sorry if I ever find out who they are," she seethed darkly. Harry and Ron looked at her nervously.

"Hermione.... It's probably just a joke. There's no need to get worked up over it. No one will believe it - how could they?" Harry assured her hurriedly. Ron nodded in agreement. Hermione relaxed.

"Well.... Fine, then. But I won't hear any more of it!" she finished primly, and continued assembling her breakfast.

--

"......What?"

A deathly silence followed Draco's delayed response. He glared icily at Pansy.

"What the hell did you just say?" he repeated, his voice dangerously quiet. Pansy looked uncomfortable.

"Well, I mean, it's not like I.. We.. Believe it!" she stammered nervously. "I mean... that is... we only just heard... its not... not like it's...true... is it?" she added at the end, more of a statement than a question. Her eyes were boring holes into him.

His cheeks turned pink.

"Are you suggesting that I would lower myself by fraternizing with a Mudblood?" his voice had risen a level or two. People were turning to look at them. Draco curled his hands into fists.

"Are you even suggesting that it might be possible that I, Draco Malfoy, could ever harbor any kind of feelings for Granger?" he was practically shouting. Pansy was cringing in her seat, making hushing noises.

"Are you suggesting that I fancy Granger?" Nearly the whole Hall had gone silent to listen to him rage. He glared at Pansy, not caring that it wasn't fair that he was lashing out at her when nothing was her fault. She looked on the verge of tears.

"No! I was just...s-saying! You asked what she said and I told you! Don't take it out on me, it's not my fault!"

Draco sat, breathing hard, looking at her. He rarely let himself lose his cool. It was too important everyone kept thinking what they did of him. He turned his glare on the people around them.

"What are you all looking at? Bug off!" he snapped before turning back to Pansy.

"Look, Pans, I'm-" his apology was interrupted by a thick exclamation.

"Hey!" ((A little note - Exclamation, what did I tell you?))

Draco looked at Goyle, annoyed.

"What do you want, Goyle?" he sighed.

"Your hair... it's normal again," Goyle remarked.

Draco rolled his eyes. "Why yes, yes it is, isn't that fascinating?" He turned back to Pansy, who was eyeing him suspiciously, obviously over the previous episode. Draco stared back at her.

"What is it now?"

"Your hair...." she murmured thoughtfully. Draco exhaled impatiently.

"Yes, we've already established that it's no longer the banner for Potter's sexuality, now can you please get to the point?"

Pansy smiled at him. "But how did it get that way?" she asked slyly.

Draco's breath caught in his throat. Bloody hell.... How could he explain that? He'd already bragged how he'd escaped detention by having to wear that ridiculous charm, and it was supposed to last three days at least.

Oy.

--

Hermione stared miserably at her hands. They'd heard the entire conversation. If it could be called that. Ron and Harry were looking at her nervously.

"Er.... Hermione... are you okay?" Ron leaned forward tentatively, trying to read her face. She wiped her eyes under the guise of brushing back her hair and looked up at them, smiling bitterly.

"Why wouldn't I be? Like I care what that git thinks," she scoffed. Harry and Ron both nodded.

"By the way," she added, eager to change the subject from her own well being, "who started the rumour?"

--

"It's true, though!" Giselda insisted, her back pressed against the corner of the hallway outside the Great Hall, surrounded by a crowd of people from all Houses. Her face was red and she looked intimidated, but her eyes looked back with angry defiance.

"I'm not making it up!" she repeated.

"That's disgusting," a Slytherin girl spat. Harry rounded on her. She glared at him, daring him to make a move.

"Why would you say something as.... Disturbing as that?" someone demanded. There was a murmur of agreement. Giselda stamped her foot.

"I'm not just saying that! I saw it! I was out looking for Pud and I saw someone necking by the lake and -"

"Gissy, don't be such a nark!" Carlee cut her off from her position next to Ron. "It's none of your business what they do in their free time-"

She was cut off by a loud, angry response from the group around her.

After it had quieted down, Harry turned to face Giselda again.

"Honestly.... Why did you say it?" he asked gently, still keeping his voice firm.

"I'm telling you, it's true! Why can't you leave me alone?" she shrieked at him.

Hermione gave her a disgusted look.

"That's it. I can't be bothered to care about horrid people who spread vicious lies about other people. " She said stonily before turning and shoving her way through the crowd. Harry and Ron hesitated a minute before hurrying to follow her. The crowd dissolved quickly after that, as classes were about to start.

They caught up with her just as they reached Gryffindor Tower.

"Hermione! Hermione, wait up!" they called out. When she would slow down, Harry reached out and grabbed her shoulder, turning her around. They caught a brief glimpse of her tear stained face before she buried it in her hands and ran up to the girls' dorm.

Her friends stared after her, stunned.

A few minutes later she returned, in seemingly better condition. She was smiling, but there were still red patched on her cheeks.

She managed to get to class without having to answer too many questions. She just let them assume she was upset over the 'rumour'.

What they didn't know wouldn't hurt them.

Yet.

/

Gonna cut it off there so I can post another chapter quick. Sorry about the delayed updates! cringe I don't like it at all.

But the good news is, my room's almost clean!

I like Chex Mix....

Any constructive criticism is appreciated, and even some not-so- constructive.)