Well, I know I left you all with a cliffhanger which is veryyyyy mean, I know. But I wanted to make sure you guys would still want to read this after the long non-updating period of time in which I was in Colorado—Steamboat Springs to be exact, so if any of you guys live there/near there, maybe I saw you or something!

Anyway, I'm happy I'm back! And here goes the next chapter.

Chapter 19

The first thing that Draco tasted was…well, nothing. He just felt the slime. It was like the mold growing on the outside of the castle, all gross and slippery and chunky. Then came the taste. It was like ketchup and liver and goat's milk all mixed together, and little chunks of strawberries floating in it.

He threw up a little in his mouth, and nearly spat it out. His face twisted as he tried not to, because Cho was glaring at him, and the waitress was still there, and he didn't want to be rude. Frankly, he didn't care about being rude to Cho after she shoved the glop in his mouth-it was the waitress he didn't want to be unkind to.

His stomach heaved, and he struggled to keep from barfing.

Cho's angry expression dropped, and she leaned forward. "Are you okay?" she asked, concerned.

Draco shook his head wildly and he started to turn green.

"Maybe you should-" She began.

Draco didn't stick around to hear the rest. He bolted for the restroom and charged into the room, pushing in front of whoever was next. Luckily, someone had just left, and he slammed the door, and threw up in the toilet.

He leaned over it for a minute, breathing deeply. "Oh man," he muttered. "I thought for a minute there I was gonna die."

Then his expression changed. He felt his face grow hot and his heart started throbbing with something. Something strange. Something different, something he had felt around only one person, something that made his heart skip a beat, make him the tiniest bit nervous-not that he'd ever admit that. His father always said that displays of emotion was a weakness he should never reveal-something that was wonderful and scary and that made him deliriously happy and deathly afraid at the same time. Something like… Like? he wondered. Then the voice from before spoke again softly, "No. LOVE." Draco shuddered violently. Words formed in his mouth. Uh-oh, he thought. It was the spell in the drink. He felt a strange urge to open his mouth and let out the name he was aching to say, but he held back. The magic grew stronger, punching and kicking, pushing to make him say, to make him yell, to make him scream out what he really felt-NO! he thought. No, no, no, no, NO! Just because you say I should say it doesn't mean I will! Cho's here, and I- Then he paused to think for a moment. Oh. Wait. She isn't here-

The spell seized that moment and his mouth opened.

And for a second, nothing came out.

Then words. Just four simple little words, whispered with the utmost care and adoration.

"I love Hermione Granger."

Draco fainted.

…

Hermione stomped away from the café, half satisfied. At least he got sick, she thought. He deserves it!

She ignored people waving to her and pulled her cloak's hood over her head to hide her flaming red cheeks. I CAN'T BELIEVE HE LIED! she thought. I can't believe I trusted him. I bet he didn't even want to go out with me! I can't believe I even liked him! Never mind that-I don't like him anymore. I WON'T like him anymore. I absolutely refuse to! But despite her harsh words, a tear trickled down her cheek as she hurried up to the castle.

…

Draco awoke a few minutes later. There was a cool cloth on his forehead, and he saw Cho's face peering down at him.

"Wh-what happened?" He asked, struggling to sit up. He looked around. He was lying on a bright pink loveseat at a table with two drinks full of sickly looking glop-"You," Draco seethed, and jumped up, ignoring the pounding headache demanding his attention.

Cho shrank away. "Drakie, I-"

"I don't want to hear it. You have nothing to say to me!" Draco yelled. "You forced me into drinking that revolting concoction that made me sick! I can't even believe you!" He twisted on his heel, and stalked away.

"Draco!" Cho said loudly. "Wait!"

"NO!" yelled Draco, and he shoved open the door, knocking a little girl over, and he ran out, not looking back.

He jogged up to the castle, full to the brim with pure anger. That…that…that little bitch! He thought, and he kicked a stone, which flew nine feet. We're OVER! I hate her, I hate her, I HATE HER! He must have said the last three words aloud, because a Hufflepuff looked at him strangely as he pushed through the gates.

"Oh, screw you," he yelled, and the Hufflepuff stopped short, waiting for him to pass. "Serves him right," Draco muttered, pulling off his coat, already at the door. He ignored the warmth that washed over him, and ran up to his dorm.

"Gingerpie!" He shouted at the portrait.

It didn't budge.

"I said, gingerpie!" he yelled forcefully.

Nothing.

"GINGERPIE!"

Still nothing.

"GINGERPIE!" he screamed, and when it still didn't move, he slumped to the floor, half crying. "Gingerpie," he sobbed, and beat against the portrait. It was too much for him…Hermione, Cho, the drink…everything. "Gingerpie…"

"Holly leaves," said a short clipped voice, and the picture swung open.

"Mr. Malfoy, are you quite alright?" asked Professor McGonagall, peering at him through her glasses.

"Yeah," he mumbled, and got up, dusting his robes off. "Thanks…" he stumbled through the entrance and the portrait shut behind him with a snap.

You're back. The words glittered with anger, and Draco saw Hermione sitting in the couch across from the door, her expression stony. I'm surprised. I thought you would've stayed longer…Christmas shopping.

"No," said Draco dryly, and sat down in an armchair by the fireplace. "I finished early."

Did you have anything to drink?

Draco looked at Hermione strangely. "What do you mean?"

I mean what I wrote. Did you have anything to drink? She leered at him, eyes narrowing.

His mouth went as dry as sandpaper, and the blood drained from his face. "Oh…that…"

Yeah. That. Hermione dropped her emotionless aura, and the hurt showed plain on her face. Draco, you told me that you were going to go Christmas shopping, not on a date! I can't believe you lied to me! I thought… She shook her head, and looked away.

"Hermione, it wasn't planned that way! She had told me that if I finished things early to come and eat lunch with her! It was a prior commitment…sort of…" said Draco desperately.

You could've TOLD me! I mean, how do you think I felt when I was walking by the café and decided to look in the window to see what kind of idiots ate there, and I saw YOU there? And not just by yourself, with CHO? Which sorta explains why you were there-I mean I know you would never go there by yourself, you're not that stupid. But STILL! Hermione wrote in the air indignantly.

"Look, I'm SORRY! I really, really, really, really am!" said Draco. "I wanted to go into Hogsmead with you!"

YEAH RIGHT! Like I'm gonna believe you after this! Anyway, if you say you did, how much did you want to go? Probably not at all! Hermione looked away.

"A LOT. Like, I had dreamed about it and stuff, and I couldn't believe I said no when you asked, and do you know how much I yelled at myself about saying no? SERIOUSLY. I would've gone with you over Cho anytime!" Draco yelled, then realized what he had said. "Oh man…did I just say that…aloud?"

But Hermione had heard, and she looked at him, and her jaw dropped, her eyes wide. You…you did? Really?

"What the heck?" Draco threw up his hands. "Yeah, I did," he whispered. "I really like you, Hermione. A lot. I've thought about you more than you can imagine…and ever since I got together with Cho…every date, I wished it was you that instead." He looked away, ashamed. "I probably sound so stupid…and you probably hate me…or at least don't feel the same. You know what, I'm sorry, I probably just ruined our friendship. I think I'd better leave-"

No! Don't go!

"What?" said Draco miserably. "Do you want to yell at me? Berate me? Something along those lines?"

No…I want to tell you how much I feel the same. Hermione smiled.

"Really?" Draco couldn't believe it.

Yeah. I thought about you all the time…every time I saw you, it was like my heart skipped a beat, and I wished I was with you. And whenever I saw you with Cho, it was like torture. I wanted to scream that you were mine and she couldn't have you ever, ever, ever, ever. But I couldn't talk, and nobody even knew about our friendship, let alone a relationship, so I thought it was hopeless. And you're a Slytherin, I'm a Gryffindor, we've been enemies since forever, and it just seemed VERY unlikely-at best. And today, when you lied, I felt like my heart was ripped out, stomped on, and thrown down a really big hill. Hermione smiled weakly.

"How do you feel now?" Draco asked, staring at her intensely.

Incredible. Just amazed. Amazed that you would feel that way, amazed that this could happen, amazed in general…as well as so extremely happy that I could almost talk. Hermione grinned hugely.

"Oh man. Oh man, oh man, oh man." Draco brushed a silky strand of hair out of his eyes. "I can't believe-oh, what am I doing sitting over here?" He got up and sat down right next to Hermione and looked into her eyes. "Hermione, I-" He leaned forward a little.

Hermione's heart started beating faster. Is this what I think is gonna happen? She wondered, and inched a little closer. She could barely breathe as she leaned forward-

"Draco, I am so sorry-DRACO MALFOY, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?" The portrait swung open to reveal a livid Cho. Her hands were clenched together, and her eyes were slits.

"Shit," muttered Draco, then got up. "Cho, I can explain-"

"I DON'T EVEN WANT TO HEAR IT, DRACO! NOW GET OUT OF MY WAY WHILE I POUND THIS WHORE INTO THE GROUND!" She tried to stomp past him, but he held out an arm.

"Stop it, Cho. Don't," Draco warned. "Or else I'll do ten times worse what you did to her."

"But…Draco…she was hitting on you! While you were my man!" protested Cho angrily.

"Cho, I'm not yours any more. I never was. I like Hermione now, and you and I have to go our separate ways," Draco told her simply. "It just wasn't meant to be."

Cho looked back and forth from Draco and Hermione, who was standing now. "She hexed you, didn't she? That bitch hexed you, didn't she?"

"No, she didn't hex me-" Draco began incredulously.

"Of course she did! That's the only reason why you would go with…that…instead of me!" Cho gave Hermione a disgusted look. "When I have to be wary of Hermione Granger, that's the day that hell freezes over. And I'm pretty sure it hasn't."

Oh, believe me-it hasn't. It's roaring and ready for you. Hermione's hands were on her hips and she was shooting Cho an icy glare.

"Excuse me?" Cho asked, her eyes glinting dangerously. "I'm the one who's going to hell? I'm not the one who hexed another girl's guy into liking me!"

I didn't hex him! If anybody put a spell on someone else, it was YOU. I don't know how Draco dated you in the first place-it was OBVIOUSLY some type of curse! Hermione was furious.

"A curse? A curse is having to share a common room with a bitch like you! You guys are enemies! Your mind is so twisted that you want your enemy to fall for you because no one else will, and since you know that he would never, ever, ever, ever, ever do that, you hexed him! Admit it. I'm right. I know it!" Cho shouted.

How could you say that? Have I ever gone against the rules here? NO! And hmmm, let's think, here's a rule: Do not put spells on other students. Ooh, look a rule! That I haven't broken! Unlike you-you sneak off every night with some other boy to have a nice screw before bed, no matter if you have a boyfriend or not! Hermione smirked as Cho's eyes widened.

"That's…that's…that's not…not true…" Cho faltered.

"CHO?" Draco was shocked, and looked at her in a mix of surprise and disgust.

I KNEW it! I always thought you were doing that! Hermione grinned triumphantly.

"WHAT? You…you mean you guessed?" Cho's mouth dropped open.

Uh, yeah. I'm not a STALKER. Hermione crossed her arms and smiled sweetly.

"That's IT, you little bitch! You're going down!" Cho shoved past Draco and hurtled towards Hermione, hands outstretched and face snarling.

Bring it on! Hermione stepped aside as Cho flew past and grabbed her hands, twisting them.

"Owww!" Cho yelped, then her eyes narrowed. She wrenched herself out of Hermione's grip and threw her on the ground. Hermione's eyes widened as she hit the floor. "Who's winning now, asshole?" She snarled.

Hermione grabbed her ankles and swiped them out from under her, and Cho landed next to her. It's not over yet, she wrote.

Cho jumped on top of Hermione and put her hands around her neck and began to squeeze. Hermione whipped her wand and Cho flew backwards into the wall with a crash.

Hermione stood, breathing heavily, strands of hair hanging in her face, watched Cho wince as she got up. Then Hermione jumped at Cho, and there was a flurry of activity as they rolled around on the floor, scratching and ripping at each other's faces and skin with their nails and kicking wildly.

Draco just watched this all in shock. Cho was CHEATING on me? Oh my fucking god, what is happening to the world as I know it? HERMIONE is fighting with CHO over ME. HERMIONE. CHO. ME. This is scary, he thought with a wide-eyed expression.

Meanwhile, Hermione had a black eye, and scratches all up and down her arms, as well as a cut on her face. Cho's nose was bleeding sluggishly and both her eyes were black, as well as many, many, many bruises on her arms.

Cho looked down crossed-eyed at her nose and shrieked. "My nose! It's broken. You broke my nose! I can't believe you!"

Well, you deserved it! YOU cheated on your ex-boyfriend! Hermione crossed her arms cockily.

"HE'S…NOT…MY…EX!" Cho shrieked as she clutched her nose.

Draco snapped out of his trance. "Actually, Cho, you are. It's over. Sorry…wait, I guess I'm not-YOU were the one to cheat on me. So I've gotta let you go. We weren't meant to be," He said simply, looking her straight in the eye.

Cho burst out crying hysterically. "B-but Dr-dr-aco…I though-t-t…no, baby, don't leave me!" She launched herself at Draco, burying her face in his shirt, getting him wet. But, instead of comforting her, which was her hope, he just looked down at her, disgusted.

"No! Cho, stop it," he said, pushing her away.

"But don't you like the way I make you feel?" she whispered, and grabbed his arm.

"I feel nothing for you," he said, getting frustrated. "Except for-"

"For what, baby?" she said seductively.

"Contempt," he spat, and she moved away like he had stung her.

"Well, if that's the way you feel, FINE! See if I care!" Cho turned away and ran out of the room, leaving the portrait banging behind her.

Draco smiled weakly at Hermione. "Well, that was solved the hard way."

…

So now the two are finally together…without saying a word on Hermione's part. Hoped you liked it!

…

Anonymous Reviews Column

lilsakura-OMG I love this story called Unbreak My Porcelain Heart (fp). It's on my favs. And on here…I actually like some slash, so I'd recommend Where is the 'Malfoy' in 'DA' (the little quotes are needed-this is also on my favs) and some other non-slashy ones. I'll have to get back to you on this.

Karen- Yeah, I know. Cheerleading…is not my thing. Roflmao…falling off cliffhanger…-holds sides- That's great! I love it! Oh, and I hope summer comes soon!

Sarah-Awwwwwwww, -sniffles- thanks. Best one? –blushes and blows nose- Lol.

Moi-Yes. Yes, they are. And HA. You are not right. Sorry! But for once, in my puny insignificant little life, I AM. This is a big moment. I am never right.

…

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