CHAPTER ELEVEN: Say Hello, Kara

KARA

I walked into the Great Hall when I got back from vacation, and it got really quiet. I looked around, to see who they were staring at, and realized it was me. "Um . . . hi?" I said, unnerved, walking over to Hermione to take a seat.

They still didn't say anything so I looked at Seamus and laughed, slightly, trying not to blush. "Um . . . Where is Harry? I thought he'd be here to welcome me when I came back from vacation . . ."

Seamus blushed now, as if he knew a secret that I didn't. "Well . . . he . . . he's not here. As you can see by the fact that his seat is empty. I'm - um - I didn't see him kissing Malfoy earlier - you know - he's going out with you - and nothing's happening with Malfoy. At *all* . . . you know?"

I coughed. "Right . . . So, where are he and Malfoy making out at?"

Seamus fell over.

HARRY

Okay. So . . . where do I begin? . . .

I think Kara hates my guts. I dunno what gave me that impression, exactly . . . Maybe it was when she walked in on Malfoy and me in our snogging session and had a horrified look in her eyes. Or when she slugged Malfoy so hard she knocked him out. Or maybe it was when she burst into tears and threatened to kill me . . . Either way, she didn't seem too happy about it.

And when Draco came to, he seemed shocked. I think that he hadn't expected me to want to be with him. And I'm really not sure if that's what *I* want anymore.

DRACO

I'm going to *kill* Kara. She's trying to take away the one thing that I love more than Pudding. The one thing that gives me condolence anymore. . . And then I think to myself: Wait a minute. *I* stole Harry from *her*. Then things get a little awkward for me. Yes, I made Harry cheat on his girlfriend, and no, I wasn't feeling guilty about it. Actually . . . the only thing I felt at that point was the bump that had formed on my head from her blow to my face. And the lightning bolt scar that had began prickling through the night as I tried to sleep.

Makes me wonder . . . Is this what it feels like to be Harry Potter?

I'd get rid of the scar, if there was a way to do it. I've searched through millions of books, but I haven't seemed to find the cure for it yet . . .

And Ronald Weasly is running on my last nerve.

RON

Hermione came back today! It felt odd, seeing her again, knowing she wasn't just my best friend. She was my mental friend. She's crazy. She's special . . . It's almost kind of attractive . . . In an affable way, of course.

When she walked into the Great Hall that morning she calmly walked over to where Harry and I where sitting, and Harry instantly covered his neck, shaken with the thought that she might try to kill him. However, she did nothing of the sort. Just sat down beside me and gave me a smile. Back to the Hermione I had known since I first started school. A snot. But at least not a crazy one.

"Hullo, Hermione," I said after a brief pause. She looked at me, with a vacant expression in her eyes, and then they lit up suddenly.

"Oh my, Harry! I was going to tell you! Draco *likes* you! I found out in the Hospital Wing! He wanted me to cast a spell on you to see if it was him you truly liked! That's why he has the scar on his forehead! That's why he's been acting so strange!"

Harry looked at her a moment, his eyes large, but then they went back to their normal state and he looked back down at his food, as if seeing past it. As if something bothered him.

Hermione's smile faltered. "Well . . . don't you like him, Harry?"

"Like Draco? Harry and Draco? Ha! That's funny!" maybe I said this a little too loudly, because suddenly the entire room was quiet, and I was the only one laughing at the joke. "Well . . ." I said, feeling my face grow hot. "It *was* funny."

Harry gave me an evil glared and pushed his try away. "I dunno, Hermione. I thought that he hated my guts . . . and now he's got that scar and I have *no* idea what people are thinking. Also - this had added onto the fact that Draco's a *boy*. A *boy* for heaven's sake! . . . Now *every body's* involved in my love life, and if we go out, everybody will know, and if we break up, everybody's gonna know. And if we-"

"I *get* it, Harry," Hermione snapped at him. I sighed deeply, and once again the attention was averted back to me.

"Um . . . the fact *is* - is . . . I didn't get enough sleep last night." a lot of people began talking again and some 'oh's' were muttered. They were blaming my clueless ness on my lack of sleep. And, frankly, I would rather much know what was going on. "I want to know what's going on." I demanded, banging my fist on the table.

There was another silence, and Seamus spoke, "Ron, I'm going to say this once, and only once. After that - forget it. Harry has tried talking to you, Reyan has tried talking to you, Hermione has tried talking to you, and everyone has given hints. But you just don't get it. Draco, and Harry are lovers. Yes, that's right. Lovers . . . And, yes, you can go throw up now."

I shot him a look of thanks and ran out, holding my stomach tightly.

HARRY

Sad, actually. Ron finding out and all. I was going to turn it into a game, too. See how often I could change what was really going on. He has a funny look on his face when he's confused, I'll say that much. It's almost as delightful as it is wehn he's embarrassed . . But . . . *sigh* Ron is also beginning to annoy me. He's like Reyan was. Always following me around. I have to use a stall when I go to the bathroom. A *stall*! So he won't be right there.

Of course, he's probably peeking under the next stall, or through a crack. I wouldn't hold it past him. He's really going to kill me.

Today, Hermione and me were going to go for a walk around the lake. She says me and her should go back to how it was before she tried to kill me, and I agreed. I actually do miss her I-don't-want-to-choke-you-to-death-while-your-sleeping ways. It was *supposed* to be just me and her. But, Ron decided to follow behind us, wearing all camouflage . . stepping on things . . . It was bad enough it was snowing and he didn't fit in with the scenery.

"Ignore him," Hermione murmured, after looking back to see him walking towards us, trying to make as little noise as possible as he trudged through the snow.

I couldn't resist turning around to look at him. I did, and when he saw me watching, he stood very still. As if I couldn't see him. "Gee," I said, giving him the satisfaction of winning. "I don't see anyone behind us. Not even Ron."

Hermione grinned. "So . . . Harry . . . . care to tell me anything about what's going on between you and Malfoy?"

I took a deep breath and shrugged. "Well . . . how is Kara taking it?"

"You want the truth?"

"Can I handle it?"

"Probably not."

"Okay. Tell me."

She looked at her hem on her jacket for a moment before speaking again. "She's not taking it. She mopes around all day, and doesn't eat. She's missed school for the longest time and she's talking about committing suicide."

"Oh God! . . . Really?"

She studied my face for a long time and burst into a fit of giggles. "She's *fine* Harry, she's just fine! You can date Malfoy and not have to worry about what Kara's feeling, okay? She's over the shock of breaking up. I think she was over it before she even got into it."

I grinned, and heard Ron trip over and groan loudly. "Thanks. That's the best advice I've heard in a long time."

"I try."

HERMIONE

Me an Kara stood inside the building, looking down at Draco, who was meeting Harry in front of the castle in about five minutes. It was their first date, you see, and no way could we miss it. I mean, this is what I had been waiting for. I wasn't going to pass up the opportunity to see them actually lock lips.

Draco paced around the front, bringing his hand to his hair, and making sure it was glued to his skull, and trying to find out which pose he liked best. We watched as he walked toward a frozen puddle, at his reflection. "Hello, Harry, you look nice . . . No. . . ." he leaned casually back. "Great outfit Harry, really brings out your eyes . . . Good God no . . . I'm a Malfoy for crists sake." he gave an evil glare. "It's about *time* you got here, Potter. I've been waiting all this time in the blistering cold." Me and Kara exchanged glances. "Yeah. That's the best thus far."

We gulped, and saw Harry running down the halls muttering, "I'm late - *please* let him still be there!"

Kara giggled. "Was he this way with me too?"

"At first." I said, although he had never, ever been like that except with Malfoy.

"Ugh." she stated, before we returned our attention to what was going on outside. Harry ran a hair through his hair really quickly and then strutted over to Malfoy, rather nervously. We watched Malfoy's glare and prepared for the worst. "Sorry I'm late." Harry said, coughing.

Draco just nodded.

"Shall we go then?" Draco nodded again, his lips closed tightly together.

When they left, me and Kara followed after, our skills of spying were so much more advanced that Ron's, because they never turned around to look once.

DRACO

I have decided I'm not going to say anything to him tonight. I'm not even going to look at him. Because I know once I do, I'm going to yell at him for being so late that he made me believe I was being stood up. So . . . I hope he feels bad and knows never to mess with a Malfoy.

KARA

The went inside the Three Broomsticks, and me and Hermione followed, running to a table directly behind them, so we could see them except they couldn't see us. "So," Harry began, trying to break the silence. "I don't know much about you, Draco. I mean - nothing about your home life . . . Why don't you tell me?"

Draco shook his head quickly, as if he was ashamed.

"Well, it can't be worse than mine . . . But if you want . . . I'll tell you about me?" Draco half nodded. "Okay . . . I live with my aunt, uncle, and cousin, Dudley. He's two pounds short of being a horse. I live in the smallest room in the house, get the shortest supply of food, and get bullied around. I hate it there. I hate going back . . . being here - this is like - the best day of my life." Hermione snorted, and we quickly covered up our face with menus when Harry turned around to look at who was laughing.

"And . . . yeah." his face was bright red. I could tell she had discouraged him. "You know . . ." I whispered after a moment of studying them. "They'd make the cutest babies." Hermione stared at me a long time, and then agreed.

"They really would . . ."

Harry was still talking, so far, Draco hadn't said a word.

HARRY

It was a very bad date. The people in the booth behind us kept laughing at anything I said, and Draco never said a word . . . At least . . . Not until I dropped him off, anyway. "Well, Draco . . . I know tonight wasn't a very good night and whatever . . . but . . ."

Then, he opened his mouth, his words coming out quickly. "Harry - I love you almost as much as pudding. I want to cut off every strand of your hair and glue it to my own head so people think that we are one. I want to take a hot glue gun and glue you to my side so we're never apart. For you I'd shave my entire body with a dull rusty razor blade and take a bath in vinegar. You are the hole in my doughnut. You are the candy on Halloween. And - you are those little toys you find buried in the cracker jack boxes!" he burst into emotional tears and ran crying inside his room, slamming the door behind him.

A/N: I wanted to thank you reviewers!! I love you all! You are Malfoy's speech to Harry - to me!! Except, without the emotional tears at the end!!