Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter and not even Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, Draco Malfoy, Minerva McGonagall, Gregory Goyle… Okay, I think you got the point.
A/N: Well, there's not much to say about this chapter, but as everybody knows I love to write Author's Notes, so I'm thinking at something of interesting to write here, but nothings comes to my brain. Let's just say enjoy the chapter!
To Halo of Darkness: Thank you very much for beta-reading, and for being so quick in sending the chapters back.
Rules
Hermione quickly climbed through the hole of the Gryffindor common room and ran down the stairs. She had never been late for breakfast before, but the brainy Gryffindor has studied until two in the morning and had some difficulties getting up. She sat down next to Ron and Harry and helped herself to some eggs and toast. Hermione then started to stare at the Slytherin table. However, Malfoy wasn't there and neither were Crabbe and Goyle. "Hermione," said Ron, while checking his watch, "You are late."
"I know that, Ron," she said angrily, "I had to study last night."
"Really?" asked Harry, raising his eyebrows, "Lavender and Parvati told us that you came back late."
"They never close their mouths, do they?" she asked sighing, "Well, actually I had things to do; Head Girl's duties."
"Still with Malfoy?" asked Ron sympathetically, "Poor you."
"Yeah," Hermione answered, trying to hide a smile while she looked at the Slytherin table without spotting Malfoy yet.
"What classes do you have today?"
"Potions, Transfiguration and Defence Against the Dark Arts. Exactly like the ones that you have on Wednesdays, Ron," she answered looking around.
Ron snorted. "I was just trying to create some conversation," he said shrugging his shoulders.
"Ok, sorry," she said, absentmindedly.
"Hermione, are you ok? You seem distracted," Harry stated, looking at her with a concerned expression on his face.
"Really?" Hermione replied without tearing her eyes away from the assortment of Slytherins that entering the Great Hall.
"Yeah," Harry said, raising his eyebrows.
"Very well," the girl said when she finally saw Malfoy, followed by Goyle, Zabini and Crabbe.
"What?" asked Ron looking at her.
"Nothing," she said, standing up, "Now if you will excuse me, I have to talk to the Head Boy."
"You know," said Ron, following her with his eyes as she walked in Malfoy's direction, "If I didn't know her well, I would almost say that she enjoy spending all that time with Malfoy."
"Yeah," Harry said, looking at Hermione, "Well, let's go Ron, or we will be late for Potions," he added, standing up. Ron nodded and they headed for the dungeons. Hermione reached the Slytherin table and, with her hands on her hips, she looked down at Draco who was eating his scrambled eggs. She cleared her throat loudly. Draco looked at her.
"What do you want, Granger?" he asked her rudely.
"I have to talk to you," she mimicked his tone.
"Can't you wait?"
"No," she said firmly.
"I'm eating," he retorted, causing all his friends to laugh.
Hermione glared at him. "Never mind then; I have to talk to Miss Lovegood anyway," she said, stepping away.
Draco looked at her and stood up. "See you later," he called to his friends while running after her. He took Hermione's arm, guided her out of the Great Hall and pulled her into the closest broom closet.
"Hey," she said, with her shoulders against the wall.
"What do you think you are doing?"
"I don't know," she said, smiling, "That's why I needed to talk to you."
"What do you mean?"
"We didn't decide anything last night."
"What do we have to decide?" he asked her, puzzled.
"Everything."
"For example?"
"For example, how to win the bet."
Draco looked at her. "I thought that that was clear enough. You have to make him fall for you."
"Well, that was pretty obvious," she said sharply, "But I want to know what do you mean by 'make him fall for you.' Do I have to kiss him?" she asked, horrified.
Draco smiled at the idea of watching Hermione kissing Crabbe. "That would be funny," he said, almost laughing.
"You remember that all the things that I will have to do with him, you'll have to do the same with Luna, don't you?"
"Yeah," he answered, annoyed.
"So?"
"I think that I can bear to kiss Luna 'Loony' Lovegood," he said smirking, "And I think that she mustn't be all that bad in bed."
Hermione widened her eyes. "You won't dare."
"Actually I will," he said, calmly, "But let's just say that for winning the bet you have to kiss, have sex and make Crabbe saying that he loves you."
"You are the most evil person I've ever known," she hissed.
"Thank you," he said, smiling.
"Rules?" she asked, fearing the answer.
"You cannot speak to anybody about the bet."
"As if I would," she said, sarcastically.
Draco ignored her. "You cannot use love potions or things like that."
"And I think that you will have to remember that, as well," she said seriously.
"I would never do that. I think that I have enough charm by myself without using anything like that," he said matter-of-factly.
Hermione frowned.
"You cannot tell Crabbe anything about the bet," Draco added.
"He wouldn't even understand," she said thoughtfully.
"Yeah, you are right," he said quietly, "I think that that's enough."
"Just that?" Draco nodded. "I imagined that you would have said more things we can't do," she said.
"Any suggestions, Miss Know-It-All?"
"No, I'm not so stupid."
"Ok, then – Ah yes, one more thing," he said, smiling, "You have a week."
"What?" she almost screamed, "A week? But Crabbe will need a week only to understand what is happening."
"Yeah, that will be very funny," he said, laughing.
"Oh, but don't think that with Luna it will be easy at all," she said, finding a little bit of relief in the thought of Draco after Luna, "I really can't wait to see you dating her."
Draco looked fiercely at her, then he glanced at his watch and said lazily, "Well, I think that we should go now, or Slughorn will kick you out of his Slug Club."
Hermione looked at her watch and jumped. "Merlin's beard, it's terribly late," she said, pulling Draco out of her way and running out of the door in the direction of the dungeons. Draco followed her slowly. He didn't want to enter the class at the same time as Hermione. When he reached the Potions classroom door, he saw that she was waiting for him with her arms crossed.
"Well? Are you coming?"
"Why did you wait for me? You could have entered without me and-"
She waved her hand in front of his face, cutting him off. "We had Head duty, ok? We were together and will enter the classroom together." Draco snorted, but nodded. When they entered the classroom, all heads turned towards them.
"Miss Granger, Mr. Malfoy, may I ask as to what kept you?" Slughorn glared at them.
"Head duty," said Draco nonchalantly.
"Very well, very well," said Slughorn smiling, "Now take your seats and turn to page 768. Today we will make Amortentia."
Hermione was eating with a book on her lap when Professor McGonagall appeared in front of her. "Miss Granger, do you remember that this evening, we have a meeting?"
"Yes, Professor McGonagall," she said, swallowing some bread.
"Did you find Mr. Malfoy yesterday?" she asked, looking at the Slytherin table.
Hermione looked at Draco. "Yes, Professor McGonagall, he said that he forgot about the meeting."
The Headmistress sighed. "Well, I count on you to remind him about this evening."
"Yes, Professor, don't worry," she said while Professor McGonagall turned her back towards her and walked in the direction of the Professors' table. At that very moment, Harry and Ron came along and sat down next to Hermione.
"Why didn't you wait for us?" asked Ron, helping himself to some potatoes.
"Because I want to eat quickly and then study for some time before Defence Against the Dark Arts," she responded, reading something from the book on her lap.
"Aren't you overworking yourself?" asked Harry, looking at her.
"Yeah," she answered without tearing her eyes away from the book.
"Hermione, are you listening?" asked Ron, waving a hand in front of her face.
"Yeah," she answered again absentmindedly, raising her eyes to check if Malfoy was still sitting at the Slytherin table; he was.
"Hermione, are you going to give us your Transfiguration homework?" asked Ron.
"Yeah," she answered to her book. Ron and Harry exchanged strange looks.
"I really regret taking Muggle Studies at the beginning of this year," said Ginny, sitting across from Harry.
"You took what?" asked Ron bemused.
Ginny waved a hand in front of him. "Oh, stop saying that every time. You know that dad was the happiest man on Earth when I told him that I took that subject," she said, biting into a piece of meat.
"You know, Ginny, maybe Hermione can help you. She took Muggle Studies in her third year," Harry offered.
"Really, but she is a Muggleborn," Ginny exclaimed.
"Yes, well, you know how she is," said Ron massaging his temple.
"Hermione, why don't you say something?" she glanced at the brunette.
"Yeah," she answered without even looking at Ginny.
"Are you ok?" she asked, raising her eyebrows.
"Yeah."
"It's all she has said. She is studying," explained Harry, pointing to the book on her lap.
"Oh," Ginny finally understood.
Hermione raised her eyes and glanced at the Slytherin table again, but she didn't spot Malfoy. The Gryffindor girl looked at the entrance and saw that he was exiting with Crabbe and Goyle. She shut her book and jumped to her feet, causing Ron to spill his pumpkin juice. "I have to go or else I will be late for Defence Against the Dark Arts class," she said, heading for the entrance.
While she was exiting, Hermione heard Ron screaming after her, "Hey, but there are still 20 minutes to go before-" She didn't mind; her mission was to find Draco and tell him a couple of things that came into her mind during Transfiguration.
"Hey, Malfoy I think that Mudblood is going to follow you everywhere," said Goyle out aloud when he spotted Hermione.
Draco stopped and turned his head towards her. Then he snorted. "Crabbe, Goyle, wait for me in the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom." They nodded and left.
"Bye Vincent," Hermione waved at him, but he didn't even turn his head.
Draco smiled. "I don't think that he even knew that his name is Vincent. What do you want?" he added rudely.
"I wanted to tell you some thoughts that came to me during Transfiguration," she said smiling.
"About what?"
"Our bet."
Draco looked around and when he was finally convinced that nobody would have come in that corridor, he looked at her. "Well?"
"I thought about a couple of other 'rules.' First, you cannot transfigure yourself nor can you can use any kind of magic with Luna. Then you can't talk to Crabbe about the bet and I won't talk to Luna, even if I would like to warn her." Draco smiled but didn't say anything. "I thought that we should make the week start on Monday," she included thoughtfully.
"Why?" Draco was suspicious.
"Don't you remember? Next Saturday there will be a trip to Hogsmeade, the perfect place for developing a love story," she said matter-of-factly.
Draco looked at her and muttered something that sounded like "Girls," and nodded.
"You know, there is a thing that doesn't convince me at all."
"What?" he asked, quite annoyed.
"The fact that we have to make two people fall for us, but we don't love them back. It's quite immoral, don't you think?"
Draco tried hard not to laugh. "Immoral? I don't even know what this word means."
Hermione glared at him. "So what do we do after?"
"We simply split up with them," he said coolly.
"That's all? We just break their hearts?"
"Well, certainly Crabbe doesn't have a brain. About the heart I'm not sure," he said thoughtfully.
"I'm serious," Hermione said firmly.
"Me too," he said as serious as her, then he looked into her eyes, "Are you sure about the bet? Because if you want, you can always-"
"I'm sure," she said cutting him off, "Oh well, I should be in the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom in five minutes. I'd better get a move on," she said, looking at her watch, "Remember about tonight, or else Professor McGonagall will kill us," she said before disappearing behind a corner. Draco followed her with his eyes and then sighed. Loony Lovegood was a difficult task, but he would have done anything to be better than Hermione Granger.
That evening, Draco and Hermione spent a couple of boring hours with the Professors in the Headmistress' Office, which seemed to last a couple of days instead. They then noticed that the rest of their week passed too quickly, because on Sunday night, both of them were lying on their beds and looking at the ceiling without a clue as to what they were going to do the next day.