Chapter Eight

&&&&&&&&

Unbelievable.

Unbelievable.

So Stella had been right – that blasted boyfriend of hers was out to get his girlfriend, Hermione Granger. Here was the proof, standing right before his very blue eyes: that prat had his arm around her and she obviously liked it.

What was Stella saying earlier when he went back to the Great Hall?

"You know, Benjamin," she said rather nonchalantly when she dragged him out once again from the Hall, "I haven't the heart to tell you all this, but – I think – you should keep an eye on Hermione."

He asked why, and she replied with the same indifferent tone.

"I suspect that Draco's rather… taken with her."

Which explained why he was here right now after curfew hours – he wasn't just going to stand idly by and allow Draco Malfoy to steal away the potential love of his life! As soon as Stella uttered those words, his eyes flared – rather dangerously, which was unusual for a nice Hufflepuff like him – and he instantaneously and literally ran around the castle to look for Hermione and tell her not to see that Slytherin anymore.

It couldn't wait for tomorrow, he thought, and this was exactly why.

They were seeing each other secretly!

No, Benjamin couldn't blame Hermione – she was the innocent victim after all – so he suspected that Draco had lured her and cornered her during her patrols! The sneaky, conniving, evil…

"Benjamin!" Hermione squeaked, her brown eyes wide with astonishment. She anxiously looked at Draco and then at Benjamin.

Benjamin narrowed his eyes and glared at the other boy. He noticed, with positive fury, that Draco's hold on Hermione had tightened. He was immediately fueled with an urge to punch him right then and there, but that wouldn't be so mature, would it?

"What are you doing here, Malfoy?" He demanded co

Draco merely smirked, and to Benjamin's dismay, he had not made any notion to let go of Hermione. "Just fancied a nighttime stroll. What's it to you?"

The Hufflepuff's eye twitched. He glanced at Hermione. "With you?" If she dared to say yes, then he would be badly hurt – she had turned him down earlier yet she chose to be with Malfoy? It would definitely be a scar on his ego.

Draco spoke on Hermione's behalf. "Relax, you dolt," he snapped, scowling sordidly, "It's not like we snogged or anything behind your back and Stella's. See, we're friends – unless you're too dense to understand that."

"Draco!" Hermione hissed in disapproval, but Draco did not pay her any mind.

"If there isn't any rule banning good friends from seeing each other even if it were in the middle of the night, then you can't stop us now, can you? You'd know that there was nothing wrong with that."

Now what was Benjamin to say to that?

Draco glared at Benjamin and Benjamin glared back in defiance. This Slytherin was highly arrogant and proud – all the more reason to hate him. No way in the world would he snag the girl; Benjamin wouldn't allow that until the day Hogwarts was ruined. Draco simply did not deserve her.

"What would Stella say when I tell her about this?"

"She'd realize there was absolutely nothing wrong with seeing Hermione. She's smart enough to know that." Benjamin vaguely heard him mutter under his tone, "Unlike you."

He stepped forward, his hand itching to pull out his wand and hex Malfoy. It wouldn't be a good idea, though, because despite the fact that Hermione was the girl who was in the middle of their heated 'fight' (it wasn't a fight yet, though, merely a prelude to one), she was still Head Girl and had the power to punish them.

Hermione, as always, had the good sense to pull away from Draco and face him. "You'd better return to your Common Room, Draco," she said rather firmly. Benjamin was rather pleased to see the downcast look which the Slytherin now sported. "Better not let Filch catch you, or else he'll be mocking me, telling me off for not being a responsible Head Girl."

"But –"

"See you tomorrow." Hermione replied curtly, giving him a slightly remorseful smile. Benjamin's eyes constricted to slits and for a brief moment became suspicious of her. All that, though, seemed to clear away when his chest filled with gloat when Hermione turned away from Draco and began to make a beeline for him instead.

"I'll bring you to back to Gryffindor Tower," Benjamin remarked affectionately, now pleased that he was the one who had an arm around Hermione. As they rounded the corner, he took one last look at the now fuming Draco Malfoy and sneered.

Ha, he thought as Malfoy pointedly glared back at him, You'll never get her.

&&&&&&&&

The next day Stella was positively in a good mood. The first step of her plan had rather been successful – she was sure because the first time she saw Draco today, he was in a sour mood, quiet and subtly infuriated. Benjamin was looking pleased and was livelier than usual when he greeted her that morning; she was vaguely aware that he had a merry skip to his steps. Hermione was in a surly disposition, refusing to look anywhere at any Slytherin (or Hufflepuff for that matter) and made sure that she was always in the Gryffindor Common Room.

As she leaned back on her desk and dismissed all attempts to take down notes from what Binns was saying, she grinned and congratulated herself for a job well done.

The first step was easy though, she reminded herself, twiddling her quill in her fingers. Benjamin was completely the possessive type, she deemed unpleasantly, feeling every bit sorry for her friend Hermione. The moment she had pulled Benjamin away last night after dinner and told him how Draco seemed to like Hermione, Stella could have sworn that his wonderfully blue eyes flamed red with jealousy and passionate hate. His usually good-looking face had transformed into a horrifically angry expression and he turned a bit too red.

To be honest, he looked a wee bit dangerous.

Ah well. It would pay off in the end. After all, she would make sure that Hermione and Draco would get together, and that Benjamin would be forgotten.

Hopefully.

&&&&&&&&

Ron let out a frustrated sound, causing Harry and Hermione to glance up at him from their work.

"What's getting you so worked up?" Harry asked, looking strangely at his redhead friend.

Ron's ears were a deep shade of scarlet – a sure signal of probable venting out of pent up anger and frustration. He dropped his Divination assignment on the stone bench beside him and snarled, "Him! Him! It's driving me crazy with him popping out everywhere we go!"

He thrust an angry finger at someone across the courtyard and the two followed him with their eyes.

Hermione groaned. Harry let out a flat, "Oh. Oh."

Because across the courtyard from where they sat was Benjamin. It was him alright – with his great black hair, lean figure and an unmistakable yellow and black scarf wrapped around his neck, making a great effort to look around the vicinity, obviously in search for someone. Hermione had a sickening feeling that she knew who he was looking for.

"Does he not have any other friends?" Ron grimaced, staring expectantly at Hermione. She looked back at him indignantly. As if she knew.

"Drat, that Benjamin sticks to you like some Permanent Sticking Charm, Hermione," Harry muttered distastefully. "Can't you do something about him? Because he's not only bothering you – he's bothering me and Ron."

Hermione sighed in resignation. "So what do you think I should do about him?"

Ron's eyes lit up rather hopefully. "Break up with him, why don't you?"

"We're not even a couple, Ron –"

"Well, he seems to think so, doesn't he?"

Hermione glanced at Benjamin. He did seem to think that she was his girlfriend… How in the world was she to break the news to him that they were seeing things in different perspectives? Because in her own view of things, they were not at all romantically attached to each other.

Harry closed his book, adjusted his glasses and sighed. "It's not that we disapprove of you dating Hermione," he said rather acidly, "but really – if you don't mind me saying in my behalf and Ron's – don't you think he's a tad clingy?"

"Don't forget irritating," Ron managed to say. He glanced over her shoulder and scowled. "And I think he's just spotted you, so I think we'd better get going. I can't stand that bloke. Harry?"

Harry nodded and stood, slinging his bag over his shoulder. Hermione groaned; couldn't there be some way to run along with her two best friends? She had rather spend her time with them than with Benjamin, as guilty as that made her feel.

"See you later, Hermione," they muttered, and Hermione longingly stared at their backs as they made their way back to the castle. Just right then, Benjamin had reached her and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"Sugar Quill," he cooed tenderly as he sat down beside her.

Hermione grimaced. It was a newly found habit of his to call her with a pet name now – and of all the lovely pet names there were in the world, did it have to be Sugar Quill?

"And hello to you too, Benjamin," she replied a bit too grimly as she wanted to go back to her Ancient Runes textbook so badly.

Benjamin pouted and Hermione inwardly rolled her eyes. Merlin, did boys pout like that? It was a real turn-off, didn't he know? As handsome as he was, he was annoying. Terribly. To the point that she wanted to pinch him on the ear.

"Potter and Weasley were with you again, Sugar Quill?" Benjamin took a quick glance at where the two Gryffindor boys disappeared to.

"Yes, why?"

"Well, I've been meaning to talk to you about that," he started, adjusting his scarf so that the end would be behind his back. Hermione did not look up from her reading. "You see, Sugar Quill, I hope you don't take it too badly – but I'd rather not have you seeing those two too much anymore, alright?"

That made her snap her book shut and for the first time, look – no, glare – at the boy who was playing with one of her loose curls.

"You don't want me to see Harry and Ron anymore?" she breathed heavily, her nostrils flaring. This boy was suggesting that she shouldn't be able to hang out with her two best friends for seven years? No – she would not have that at all. That was dreadfully unfair! Besides, what could stop her? They were both from Gryffindor anyway. "You can't possibly tell me to do that! You know that they're my friends!"

"Don't you think they're – er – stealing you away from me too much? I mean, look at the time they spend with you! It's – it's – a lot!"

Hermione's anger rose a notch higher. She knew where this conversation was leading to. This was just a prequel to what he really wanted to talk about. "Oh, and I suppose that you'd rather I not spend so much time with Draco as well, too?"

Benjamin's lips curled and he scowled. "Actually, yes." He looked right in front of him and glared defiantly into space. "I don't like him – I don't like him at all. He's a right out arrogant, insatiable jerk –" He turned to her expectantly – "And you're supposed to despise him after all! Harry Potter hates him and that goes for your other friend too, right?"

Hermione gaped at him.

Admittedly, Benjamin had a point – she was supposed to loathe the very path on which Draco Malfoy walked on, scorn his very existence and feel nothing but contempt for the Slytherin.

But that changed, hasn't it? Hermione thought bitterly. There's nothing I can do about it anymore.

She couldn't just simply throw away the new feelings she had for Draco and resume to hate the boy; as she recalled, she abhorred the feeling to be in love with him, but what was she to do about it? She loved the butterflies he could give her when she was with him; she enjoyed his company as much as Harry and Ron's; she delighted in being special to him – not as special as Stella was, but special all the same.

But then, she thought, wasn't she even more special in Benjamin's azure eyes? Why was there no bubble of joy spouting within her whenever he'd gaze adoringly at her? She'd tried – desperately so – to force herself to feel any amount of sparks for Benjamin, but to her dismay, there was nothing. Absolutely nothing.

Why though? She had asked her logical self so many times before. Why could she not feel anything more for Benjamin than Draco? Why could she not forget him?

What was she planning to do anyway?

It wasn't like she was thinking to steal him away from Stella; heavens no, that was not Hermione Granger. And what if Draco didn't even feel the same way?

Her hopes sank. She never really gave much thought of that. What if Draco didn't even feel the same way?

Then what were all those wasted thoughts and daydreams for? What were all her hopes that the way he'd look at her or what he'd say to her were special for? They all plummeted down horribly in the pit of her stomach.

"Please, Hermione," Benjamin implored, forgetting to use his pet name for her as he took both her hands from her lap and grasped it desperately, "I'd really feel much better if you wouldn't see Malfoy anymore – go on spending time with your two other friends, I don't really care – just please let me get my way with Malfoy."

Hermione bit her lip and glanced at Benjamin. She really did love gazing into those pools of cerulean blue…

And before long, before she could regret her saying it, she smiled meekly and nodded, "Okay."

Benjamin kissed her squarely on the bridge of her slightly freckled nose.

&&&&&&&&

He was angry.

He was livid with rage.

He was tempted to smash his plate of bacon and eggs right onto the floor and hex the next person who'd march up and talk to him.

Hermione was avoiding him!

And today was when he finally could not take it any longer. It had started last Monday and had continued on until today, which was Friday. He had found himself standing it for the first two days, making up excuses in his mind on her behalf on why she had hardly talked to him, much less as to smile at him. Then on Wednesday he found that she was downright not paying much attention to his very existence! In the classes which he had with her, she made sure that she was far away from him as possible and would bolt out of class first when the bell rang.

It was hard to try and catch her anywhere without having both Potter and Weasley with her or that Hufflepuff he openly despised. And it was of no use to try catching her eye – she barely gave him a fleeting glance.

He did not like it at all.

That was why he spent all day last Thursday trying to find out why, which led to his poor attentiveness during Quidditch training. Draco fingered the bruise on the left side of his forehead and winced – he had been hit by a Bludger because of it.

And today, this morning, he now had a conclusion why. That Bert guy had done something!

The bell rang and Draco left the Great Hall quickly, his black robes billowing gracefully behind him, for he had lost his appetite all of a sudden – just thinking of that Hufflepuff was enough to make him puke. And then with an annoyed scowl, it dawned upon him that he was having History of Magic with his fellow seventh year Hufflepuffs.

Sure enough, when he arrived with Crabbe and Goyle traipsing clumsily behind him, there was Benjamin with a group of Hufflepuffs and apparently, he was telling some story to the others.

And as he passed by them, he realized what he was ranting on about.

"- and I'm bringing her to Madam Puddifoot's on the next Hogsmeade weekend – she'll love it because I have a surprise for her that'll make her adore me all the more –" And somewhere along his sentence, Benjamin subtly sneered at Draco, while Draco glared coldly back.

He'd show him, Draco thought evilly, the Slytherin in him gushing through his blood. He'd make sure that he beat Hufflepuff tomorrow so badly at Quidditch. As the bell rang once more, he sat down, feeling a bit more gleeful than during breakfast.

&&&&&&&&

"Forty points to nil, in favor of Slytherin!"

As the crowds cheered, Draco whizzed around the Quidditch pitch, smirking to himself and actually gloating with joy that the game had barely begun and they were already squashing the Hufflepuff team rather well.

He wove in and out of the pitch, in search of the Golden Snitch. The Hufflepuff seeker was all the way at the other end of the field, and to Draco's delight, he too was unsuccessful.

"Another ten points to Slytherin! Fifty to zero!"

Draco laughed – how he wished he could see the face of Benjamin scrunched up tight in anger. He wasn't part of the Hufflepuff team, yes, but Draco knew for a fact that he cared a lot about Quidditch and that he was a rather sore loser when his House lost.

As Slytherin scored two goals once again, Draco creased his forehead in concentration and told himself to find the Golden Snitch once and for all because truth be told, this game was getting rather boring – Hufflepuff had just proved that they were not a team worth playing against.

And in a matter of minutes, he had found the little winged ball hovering nimbly by one of the Quidditch poles, and he soared into the air to claim it – his opponent seemed to have noticed it too and Draco saw him directly flying to the Snitch as well –

But Draco was quicker and in seconds it was in his fist –

The Slytherins erupted in cheers and he turned to the crowds to throw them a triumphant grin –

Just in time for a Bludger to hit him squarely on his arm. He cringed in pain and did not dare to let the Snitch go.

Madam Hooch's whistle blew loudly and the commentator announced that Slytherin had won by sixty points; Draco flew down and staggered to the ground, the Snitch still in his hand, his right hand holding his left arm gently.

"Which of the Beaters sent that Bludger flying against the Slytherin Seeker?" came Madam Hooch's angry voice. As Draco watched her stomp towards the Hufflepuff team, the rest of the Slytherins came around him and asked if he was alright.

"Are you okay, Draco?" Crabbe and Goyle asked simultaneously, to which Draco replied that he was.

"Really, those Hufflepuffs were playing dirtily today," Pansy Parkinson commented haughtily, "Even dirtier than us!"

"Who cares – we still won," Draco smirked and he grimaced, suddenly remembering that his left arm was probably broken. Not any moment sooner as they traipsed back to the castle did Stella appear from the crowd, looking worried.

"Are you alright?" She breathed, and Draco nodded in reply. The rest of the Slytherins bid them goodbye, leaving the two alone. Stella offered him her arm to cling to, which he did.

"I'll come with you to the Hospital Wing – I couldn't find Hermione, though –"

Draco frowned, suddenly reminded that Hermione wasn't at all there. He looked away bitterly.

In the distance, they heard a familiar voice talking. Draco turned just in time to see Benjamin once again, scowling – the Slytherin smirked, knowing that he had just made the Hufflepuff angry because of the outcome of the game.

As Stella and Draco walked steadily to the castle, Benjamin (to Draco's dismay) was speaking in a loud voice, as if he intended for them to listen to him. "Slytherin just got lucky today," he said foully, "We've beaten them loads of times before anyway - one lousy game doesn't matter."

Draco's blood boiled.

"Too bad the Bludger hit that Slytherin Seeker all too late –" Benjamin continued, " – then we could have won this match, don't you think –"

All that happened afterwards came too fast. Before long, Draco's fist collided with Benjamin's face. Stella let out a horrified, "Draco!" She tried to pull her boyfriend back, but it was futile attempt, for despite his broken arm, his uninjured one was strong enough to pull himself free and go at it once again with Benjamin.

He suddenly forgot that he was a wizard capable of magical harm – instead though, he thought that punching the conceited prat was all the more self-satisfying and effective to shut him up. Benjamin winced for a second, but later on anger and hate flamed in his blue eyes and he hit Draco back without so much a thought of what he was doing.

"You git –"

"We still would have won anyway – don't be too arrogant as to think we wouldn't have still beaten you –"

All this occurred in only a minute and now a crowd was growing around them, watching to see them fight. Not anytime later did their wrestling about the past game end; all too suddenly it was no longer about Quidditch but about a certain girl.

Finally there was a way to vent out Draco's pent up hatred against this boy.

"You bloody don't deserve her, you prat –"

"Who cares? I have her, don't I? You –"

"Oh, yeah? She's too good for you – what makes you think you'll have her any longer –"

"Then what – you'll take her for yourself? Ha! I won't allow that –"

"You bloody –"

"Why don't you just admit it, Malfoy? You fancy her – are you a bloody coward to admit it–"

More punches ensued between the two boys.

"WHAT IN THE NAME OF MERLIN IS GOING ON HERE?" Professor Snape's voice echoed menacingly in the air and all who stayed to watch the brawl stepped back to allow passage to the Potions Master. Draco breathed raggedly, clutching his broken arm, and glared at Benjamin, whose lip was bleeding profusely and whose eye was darkly bruised.

"Mister Malfoy," came the quiet albeit angry tone of his Head of House, "I'm heavily disappointed that you were particularly part of this commotion. I expected so much better from you."

"I apologize, sir," he muttered, not daring to look up at the beady eyes of Snape.

"Fifty points from Slytherin and Hufflepuff," he barked, "You – report to Professor Sprout right after you two get to the Hospital Wing. The rest of you, go back to your respective Houses!"

All at once everyone disappeared hurriedly and with a swish of his cloak, Snape too vanished into the castle. Benjamin glared atDraco and shoved past him, taking the way towards the Hospital Wing. Stella had stayed behind, her eyes quite fearful and her hands finding her way to his arm.

"Come on, Draco," she said softly, pulling him to go as well to the Hospital Wing. "We'll have to ask Madam Pomfrey to fix your arm…come on…"

Heaving a frustrated sigh, Draco obliged and allowed his girlfriend to steer him back inside the castle.

&&&&&&&&

Hermione ran out of the Common Room the moment the news of a dispute reached her ears – Harry and Ron, who had seen a glimpse of it told her (rather enthusiastically) that it was of Draco and Benjamin, and they were, according to them, fighting as if to their very death. She had, unfortunately, not been there to witness it – she had gone earlier to go to the bathroom.

"It was brilliant, mate," Ron had said jovially, "Those two can kill each other off and do us both a favor!"

Harry had nodded heartily in agreement. "Really brilliant – Hermione?"

But to their surprise she jumped on her feet and sped out, only to hear Harry explaining to Ron that she was probably only worried about Benjamin.

It was rather odd, though, that she found herself not worried more about him indeed, but of Draco. As much as she tried to wave it off, it wouldn't go away.

Feeling out of breath and warm when she arrived at the entrance of the Hospital Wing, Hermione composed herself and entered just in time to see four pairs of eyes looking at her – Madam Pomfrey, Stella, Benjamin and Draco.

"Hermione!" Stella gave a sigh of relief. "We're so glad you're here!"

She did not say a word, her heart thumping quickly when she realized what position she was in. On her right was Draco still sporting his emerald Quidditch robes, his left arm bandaged and a bag of ice resting on his head, and on her left was Benjamin, his face quite red and bruised. A set of gray eyes were looking at her anxiously, and she determinedly did not gaze at them directly, and another set of blue eyes were expectantly staring at her, demanding her that she should come to Benjamin.

Oh, how she regretted having come down here. If she had earlier known of the decision she was to make, then she would have wholly resisted visiting either of the two boys!

"Miss Granger," the nurse said grimly, obviously (as usual) put out that a visitor came when she was tending to her patients, "Have you come for either of these boys?"

"Yes, Madam Pomfrey," Hermione replied quietly, ignoring the horrible lump that had formed in her throat, "I have."

"Well, come on then," Madam Pomfrey said irritably. "I'll give you ten minutes!" She picked up her tray of potions and retreated to her office with a slam of the door.

Hermionetook in a deep breath and looked up. With her heart thumping heavily, she began to take her first steps...

&&&&&&&&

And to Draco's absolute shock, Hermione Granger lifted her chin and directly walked over to Benjamin's bed, without so much as a worried look over to him.

&&&&&&&&

Author's Note: It's a chapter to be proud of – a record of 4,400+ words for just one chapter!I'm getting the hang of making chapters long and I'm enjoying it! Hahaha! See, I updated much faster than before – now you didn't have to wait for half a year for an update. grins Thank heavens it's summer and I have all the time to work on my stories! Please do review because reviews do make my day, may it be bad or good; at least when you review I know that there are people who take time to read my work. Constructive criticism very much allowed! It'll help my writing in the future!

Thanks to all those who reviewed the last chapter! You guys were awesome! cough I love long reviews cough

Wait for the next chapter – though I have no idea what'll happen then. :D