Chapter 17: "Trouble in Paradise"

"Do you think this torture is going to last too long?" Harry asked sitting in their Potions class.

"Harry" Hermione said sighing. "Sorry to disappoint you, but this is something you need to know if you want to be an Auror. You just have to know it."

"That doesn't make the prospect of spending time in here any better…"

"C'mon Potty! It's not like it's that bad! I like this class!" Draco said from next to Hermione.

"You like it because he loves you! I think he somehow likes you in a special way…" Ron said. Ron was now dating Luna, and she had somehow affected his senses… so he kept having these far-fetched conclusions about everyday situations…

"Shut up Weasley. You don't want me to accidentally kill you… do you?"

"Ok, stop it! Both of you! You are acting like five-year-olds!" Hermione said.

"But Mione! He started it!" Draco said.

"I don't want to hear another word… just keep quiet and… and I don't know… just keep quiet!"

"All right! All right! Keep your head on!" Ron said.

"I'm sorry… I just don't want you two to fight…"Hermione said pleadingly. "We don't want to give Snape another reason to punish us… you know how he gets."

"Ok, he's here." Draco said. He was somehow mad at Hermione for having told him off.

"Settle down! Settle down! Today we will be preparing a rigor mortis potion." Snape said as he settled down behind his desk. Murmurs could be heard throughout the entire classroom.

"It's too dangerous!" Hermione whispered frantically at Draco. He just looked the other way. "What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing." He just answered. She turned her head around, but he could notice she was about to cry. 'This is so not Hermione! She would never cry for me!' He thought. 'No one would ever cry for me! Draco, stop it! You're hallucinating! She's not crying!'

"Mr. Malfoy! This is the third time I ask you what are the uses of this potion!" Snape shouted leaning on Draco's desk.

"I'm… I'm sorry professor… the… the uses of the rigor mortis potion are two. You can use it to fake your own death, give it to someone else to make him believe that he is dead." Draco said turning red.

"Good…" He sighed. What he was going to say was something he hadn't uttered in many, and when I say many I mean MANY years. "Ten… ten… points for… for Gryffindor…"

The class continued without many eventualities… they prepared the potion… Harry and Ron got a pass mark… Hermione and Draco did too… but there was something wrong… Hermione wouldn't speak to Draco. She didn't speak to him all day… In their DADA class they were paired up by Harry who didn't know about their "fight"…

"Ok, you'll do this in teams of two. All right? Ok, let's start." Harry said looking around the classroom. "Ok, Hermione, go with Malfoy… Ron, you get Lavender, Parvati, go with Seamus… mmm… let's see… I want Neville… he will be doing something more advanced because he has already mastered this spell…" He continued pairing his class and when they were all ready, he told them about the spell. "Today we will be performing the bonding spell… Now repeat after me: 'Uniso!'" (A/N: I know the name of the spell is pretty lame… but I couldn't come up with any other!!!  if you happen to have a better idea please tell me and I'll gladly change it I really hate this name…)

The class followed "Uniso!"

"Ok, who can tell me what the uses of this spell are." Harry asked. "Yes, Hermione?"

"It's used to make two people that don't get along to be attached to each other by an invisible rope… or I don't know how to call it… well, the thing is that the two people have to care for each other… I mean it's not necessary that they hate each other… they just have to be mad at each other for the spell to work." She said.

"Great… who can tell me what this spell causes." He said. "Yes, Draco?"

"They can't be more than three metres apart from each other. There would be terrible consequences if they do… I don't know what they are… but I don't want to know either."

"Good. Now, who can tell me how to break the spell?" Harry asked. "Yes, Draco?"

"The two people have to show their true feelings."

"How?" Hermione asked. Draco turned to face her.

"Well, that depends… if they really are meant for each other, they'll end kissing each other… but if they are not, I mean, if they are meant to be just friends, they will only have to say I like the way you are."

"And how do you know? I mean, what you're meant to be with the other person." She asked looking at Harry.

"Well." Draco said still looking at her. "If you say 'I like the way you are' and you keep being attached to this person, it means you have to do something else… right?" He asked Harry.

"Yes, that's right. Twenty-five points for Gryffindor. You know what?" Harry said, understanding dawning upon his face. "You two will still be together, but you're classmates will choose who to be attached to."

"Why can't we choose?" Hermione said looking frantic.

"Because I'm the teacher and I say so, Miss. Granger." Harry said winking at Hermione. "C'mon, Mione! I can't be that bad! You've been attached to him since we got here!" Harry told her. An evil smile spreading on his face. "Now," He said, now addressing the whole class. "I will perform this spell and you will do the same with the person you have chosen. All right? I will perform the spell on these two here." He said motioning with his hands towards Draco and Hermione. (A/N: I made Harry perform it because I'm afraid that neither Malfoy nor Hermione are too keen on doing it well…). "Uniso!" Harry shouted. And Draco and Hermione felt as if a hook would pull them together… "Ok, it's done." Harry said happily.

Ron obviously chose Luna as his mate, so Luna slept now on his and Harry's room. Harry chose Ginny. Dumbledore made the necessary arrangements, so now Luna and Ginny had some of the classes with the 7th years, and Harry and Ron had to attend some of the girls' classes.

Hermione couldn't believe she was attached to Draco now… she was so mad at him… 'I won't speak to him' she thought. 'I'll just pretend he's not even there'.

"All right! I've had enough! What the fuck is wrong with you?" Draco asked as they were heading to their dorms. Hermione lowered her head, but didn't answer. "C'mon Mione! Answer me! Damn it!" (A/N: sorry about the cursing… but I couldn't find a better way to show Draco when he's really mad…)

"You are acting like a jerk… that's basically my problem…"

"Why do you say that?" He said calming down a bit.

"The way you treated me back in the Potions classroom doesn't give you any clue?"

"Oh…" He said. "I'm sorry! I was just angry because you hadn't stood up for me back in there!"

"Do you think I didn't want to? You have to understand that, first, you're not always right… and second, Ron's my friend too, and I will stand up for him as well as I will do for you." She was crying now. She opened the door of their bedroom and entered, Draco followed her. She turned around. "If you'll excuse me, Malfoy, I need some sleep right now." She said and went up to her bed and closed the curtains.

"Fine! I don't care, Granger!"

The weekend came to find a disgruntled Draco and an angry Hermione. They didn't even say hello to each other when they got. And now they were bonded to each other…

'If this is not a torture, I don't know what it is…' Hermione thought as she got out of the bathroom to find Draco reading a magazine. When she entered, he looked up at her, but didn't say anything.

'She deserves it.' He thought. He kept having his pride at heart, no matter how in love he was. 'But I don't. I love her. Draco don't be so stupid! Tell her how you feel.' A little voice inside his head said… it was his sensible conscience.

"Mione."

"What?" She said coldly.

"Don't be like that. I… really… I really need you…" (A/N: he can't say I apologize or I'm sorry because it's not on the Malfoy's family nature to do that.)

"You tell me not to be like that?"

"C'mon… I need you, I can't put up with this situation anymore. Please?" He said imploringly. Hermione saw in his eyes he wasn't lying.

"You have to understand that you're not the only person I have in my life. I mean, yes, I love in a different way, much more than I could ever get to love another man, but I have friends too, and I will protect them with my life if I have to, as I would do with you." She said almost crying.

"I'm sorry; I just got jealous 'because I thought you were turning your back on me…"

"Ok, but don't do it again, all right? I really don't like to argue with you. Ok?"

"As you wish, hon. Now come 'ere (A/N: come here) and give me a kiss."

"Ahaha! No sir! You have to go through some kind of punishment for your behaviour young man."

"C'mon! You can't resist me! And you know it." He said with an evil smile.

"Watch me." She said and started walking towards the door. He grabbed her waist and turned her around so they would be looking at each other.

"Are you sure you can?" He said laughing and kissed her. The spell had been broken.