CHAPTER NINE: Hermione's Problem

A/N: AHHHHH! I'M BACK!!! I know. It was . . . a few days since my last update and all - but my computer totally crashed and I lost *everything!!* I had to re-write - like - all these chapters I had saved, and now I'm sad. Really sad. *softly sobs* But . . . I s'pose eventually I'll *have* to rewrite. For you guys. Which I love!!

I would like to thank each of you individually, but I cannot do that anymore, since I have limited time on this thing now - but if you ask a question I'll be able to answer . . . I think. Anyhow, enjoy!

DRACO

It was all over the school today that Harry had decided to break up with Kara. I thought it was funny. Surely it was all a joke. I mean, for fucks sake, Harry wouldn't dump Snape's cousin's sister's husband's daughter's niece. Or something like that. Besides that, well, she was related to *Snape* - she was also part veela. And she *was* gorgeous.

But if Potter is telling the truth . . . she's not as hot as me.

Oh, shut up. He didn't say he though I was *hot*. Actually . . . he didn't even say he liked me. I was told to close the eyes to it. Which meant pretend he didn't say that. Which meant now I was confused. More confused than I normally was. Which meant that I thought more and more about Pudding. That isn't confusing. Which made me feel special. Which freaked everyone out.

"Which" is a cool word . . .

Um . . . Anyway . . . I've become a genius. I found a way to find out who Harry was breaking up with Kara for. A spell, that *everyone* would notice once I tried it . . . Only problem was, I had no magic, and I'd have to find someone to do it for me, without asking any questions as to *why* . . . And, I had to do research, *again* , to find out if they even had the kind of spell I was looking for . . .

RON

Harry has finally lost it. I think he's having some kind of nervous breakdown or something. He jumps every time someone opens a door, as if someone is following him, every time someone says "Slytherin" his ears go bright red and he snaps at them, and, the most important thing that has everyone (excluding Hermione) worried: He's going to break up with Kara.

It's not as if he even *wants* to do it. He's told me a million times how much he *loves* her and how much he *fancies* her, and how this was going to *hurt* him. I tried to tell him that if he liked her and all, why dump her? But, poor, nervous, broke down, disturbed, Harry. His eyes just got really watery and he shook his head sadly.

Hermione says I'm oblivious if I haven't noticed what's going on right now. Everyone seems to be really focused on him and Draco now-a-days. Draco seems to love it. He likes to dance whenever they stare at him. Harry, however, looks as if he's going to cry and almost always screams, "Don't tell Kara!" before running away.

Hermione is very *very* cold toward Harry now. She's always got a snide remark to say to him, and makes it an every day habit to yell at him for dumb things. She says she doesn't know why she does it, because she isn't mad. She's actually very pleased with him.

Harry doesn't even care that Hermione does this. I think he's learned to turn off his brain. I've always wanted to learn how to do that. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to do it yet. I can kind of put my brain on hold . . . but not shut it completely off.

Maybe that's a good thing. . . .

Yeah. Well. Draco keeps talking to himself now. Normally it's things such as "shut up!" and "I'm warning you!" but yesteryear, after coming back from the Library, he got into a fight with his mind. It was very funny, actually. Me and a bunch of others sat around eating popcorn as he cussed himself out, and beat himself stupid with his own fists. We didn't leave until he had knocked himself out completely after ramming into a wall.

Right. Well . . .

At least Harry isn't alone in this "breakdown" thing . . .

HERMIONE

I went to visit Draco in the Hospital Wing when Harry said he refused to do it. I yelled at him, saying, "Oh, so now you're *afraid* to see your lover???" and people around me grew uneasy. As if I was going to start choking him again. Ron, still completely oblivious to the whole situation, just screamed, "WHY CAN'T WE ALL GET ALONG??" before bursting into forced tears and running to his dorm-room.

Anyway. I was halfway to the Hospital Wing when I heard someone screaming. "JUST LEAVE ME ALONE, OKAY?! YOU AREN'T THE BOSS OF ME! YOU'RE NOT EVEN *REAL*!" and I hurried in that direction, only to find Draco laying in his hospital bed screaming into his pillow.

"Um . . . Draco?" I said, weakly, pulling the pillow off his head before he suffocated himself. But, knowing him, he was probably trying to do that now. They considered locking him away, like I had suggested when Harry confessed his newest crush.

"Granger?" he said, surprised. "Well . . . I wasn't expecting *you* of all people . . . Actually, I was expecting Reyan . . .and . . . maybe Goyle . . . if he could find the place . . ." his face was bruised and red. He looked as if he was sweating. Which made me wonder how long he had been under that pillow, and where the hell was Madame Pomfrey?

"Where the hell is Madame Pomfrey?"

"Um . . . I think that after twenty minutes of trying to talk me out of fighting with Gregory, she gave up on me. I dunno. She muttered something about 'crazy', 'useless', and 'mental case' . . . Reyan actually *did* come. But then he told me *why* he had come, and I threw him out."

"O . . . kay . . ." I said, pretending like I understood what was going on. "who's Gregory?"

"Gregory? He's the Voice in the back of my head. He's the one I've been fighting with. Apparently, he thinks he smarter and hotter than me and - you know what - just shut up - okay??? You're really pissing me off! -- No! *You* be quiet! You know what-" I caught his fist as he directed it at his face. "I can do it *myself*!" he said, snatching his hand away from me.

"Uh-huh . . . Listen, Draco . . . I've come here to give you . . . disturbing news."

"Yeah? Well, I'd rather you *not* say anything. You're scaring me. I don't like having a Mudblood hanging all over me-" in an instant I had pulled out my wand and pointed it directly between his eyes. "Go ahead," he snapped. "At least it'll shut Gregory up."

I breathed hard for a moment, before putting my wand away. It was useless. Malfoy would always be Malfoy, and even though I would like for him to be Seamus ,(Seamus . . . drool . .. ), he's going to *stay* Malfoy. And if Harry wanted to like this . . . *thing* . . . I would *have* to support him. Maybe even see what Harry saw in this . . *thing* . . . Though I *did* used to like him . . .

It was a *long* time ago.

"I came to tell you that-"

"Actually, Granger . . . I was wondering if you could do me a favour?"

"A . . . a favour??" I spat. "You call me a Mudblood and then you ask me for a favour?! You make me sick, Malfoy! You're one of the most-"

"Let me know when you're finished," he said, a twinkle in his eye that made me think he was Dumbledor.

I growled. "You - you -!" my breathing sped up, but then returned to normal. "What kind of favour?"

"I want you to put this spell on Harry. Point your wand at his forehead and say Scarapodia and then-"

"Wait, wait, wait. What kind of *spell* is this? What does it do?" he handed me a book and I turned to the page that told all about the spell. "Oh . . I see. You want to know who he likes, right?" before he could say anything it clicked. "YOU WANT TO KNOW WHO HE LIKES!!! Oh my *god*, Draco! Does that mean you're crushing on Harry?"

DRACO

Yes.

HERMIONE

"No!" he exclaimed. "I just want to see if . . . if he still likes Kara. And *why* he's going to break up with her if . . . Oh, stop giving me that look, Hermione! I *don't* - okay, I *do*. But don't say *anything*." I stared at him a moment.

"Okay. I won't. And I'll do it . . ." and suddenly, I was choking him.

A/N: Okay. How was it? You know what? *pulls out machine gun* I really don't care what *you* think. I hope you *choke* as a matter-of-fact. Yeah. You heard me!!!!

Ummm. I'm writing another Harry/Draco slash fic!! It's called Demented Stones, look for it . . . Specially if you like . . . ahem . . . *mature* readings.

Now that I think about it - I shouldn't have tried to kill you. I take it back. MWUA!