A/N: Chapter Thirteen has arrived. Please R&R.

13

Feeling Bitter Feelings

Draco still sat in the courtyard. His lips tingled slightly from their earlier contact with Hermione's. He was mildly sad about the way Hermione had run off so quickly. He had tried to get her to stay, but she was so very obstinate about going back to Gryffindor Tower.

"You would almost think that she had to get back to someone instead of having to get back to somewhere," Draco said with a small amount of bitterness in his voice. He had seen the look of surprise-disappointment maybe-in her eyes when she had opened them to see him.

Draco felt his stomach turn over. He hated doing this to himself. He was changing completely. He had gone from hating a girl to being mad about her, from being a creep to being a decent person, from wearing his hair back all the time to wearing it down and in his face. He had made so many drastic changes in order to make Hermione feel something for him, and he still wasn't sure if she even liked him.

He heard someone coming toward him and looked up to see one of the people he never enjoyed seeing. "Potter," he said, narrowing his eyes.

"Malfoy," Harry replied, keeping his gaze hard but compromising, "I wasn't looking for you, but here you are. We need to talk."

Draco raised an eyebrow. "Talk then."

"You know how much I hate the idea of you and Hermione . . . together," Harry began, taking a deep breath.

Draco smirked. "Enough to tell hopeless lies," he said.

Harry glared at him. "Hermione says you're not that bad of a guy. Ron and I beg to differ."

"I'm not surprised. Of course, Weasel has such an obvious obsession with Hermione that he would have to hope that I'm a horrible person."

"How can you call Hermione a mudblood one year and seem to have feelings for her the next, Malfoy? It makes no sense, and I don't buy it."

Draco sighed. He had known his past behavior was going to come up in the conversation eventually, but he still felt unprepared as it did. "Potter," he started, looking out across the courtyard, "I don't see why you care so much about this. It's just a fling, after all," he said tactlessly. He knew it wasn't a fling. He knew he couldn't drop Hermione like he had Pansy. Somehow, though, telling Potter that it wouldn't last made more sense that telling him the truth.

Harry clenched his fists at his sides. "You mean to tell me that this is just a relationship for your enjoyment?" he asked, enraged.

"It sounds a lot harsher when you put it that way," Draco said, smirking again.

"If you hurt her-"

"Ubp," Draco put up a hand to stop Harry, "No one said anything about hurting anyone."

"You just said-"

"Potter, you misunderstand me so easily. I said it was just a fling. That doesn't mean anyone will be hurt by the end of it all," Draco said. He couldn't believe he was saying all of this as if he meant to end his relationship with Hermione. "Surely she knows it means nothing."

Harry stood rigid. "Hermione is far too smart to get involved in a short-term relationship," he said.

"You think much too highly of your friend," Draco stated calmly. He wanted to clap his hand over his mouth and beat himself. Why was he saying all of this? Surely, Potter would tell Hermione.

"What did you say?"

Draco smiled viciously. 'Don't do it,' he told himself. "You heard me, Potter."

"Malfoy, do you even care about Hermione?" Harry asked, shaking.

Draco looked up at the sky, daring himself to tell Potter the truth. "If I did, why would I tell you?" he asked instead.

Harry whipped out his wand, aiming it directly at Draco's throat. "To keep me from killing you," he whispered sadistically.

Draco saw someone coming out of the corner of his eye, thanking the stars for his luck. He forced himself to seem helpless, quickly tossing his wand to the side.

"Mr. Potter," a voice drawled from behind Harry.

Harry lowered his wand slowly and turned, cringing. "Professor Snape," he muttered.

"You are aware that there is to be no magic done outside the classrooms; are you not?" Professor Snape went on, and Harry could tell that he was calculating the amount of points that he was going to take from Gryffindor.

"Yes, Professor."

"You are also aware that magic is not to be performed on other students unless you are directed to do so by a teacher; correct?"

Harry nodded.

"You have also been informed that you are not to cringe as you turn to look at your teachers; have you not?"

Harry was sure that Snape had made the last offence up off the top of his head. "Actually-"

"Good. Seventy-three and a half points from Gryffindor. You should be glad I'm not giving you detention," Snape said, glancing around Harry at Draco who put on a fake look of relief, "Mr. Malfoy, come with me," Snape said, beginning to walk away.

Draco grabbed his wand off the ground and hurried after his Professor.

A/N: Do you forgive me yet? Please review.