Chapter Four.

Hell Hath No Fury Like A Witch Scorned

The next morning i raced to the great hall to receive my schedule for the year.

"Yes! Transfiguration, charms, defense against the dark arts, potions and care of magical creatures!" I jumped excitedly, "and a free day on Thursdays to study!"

"Yeah i got the same thing," Harry beamed at me.

"Awww crap," Ron muttered unhappily, "I got divination, transfiguration, Herbology, defense against the dark arts and Care of magical creatures with all my free study time through the week!" He grumbled as we ate our breakfast and even more so when Harry and I finally left to attend our first class of double potions together.

Ron had asked me to assign his classes this year as he would like to do what he was best at but it did not help his case when he was complaining like a baby who just had its lollypop taken away. I walked down the halls chatting and saying hi to anyone who recognized me or i recognized myself but eventually on our way to the dungeons, the number of people began to thin out drastically. Harry slipped his hand into mine and squeezed it. I shut my eyes for a split second to ease the tension in my head and try killing the butterflies in my stomach.

"Harry..." i started, "there's something we need to talk about..."

"Mmm?" he inquired without a word. I pushed him hard against the wall and pushed my lips against his with enough force to give him the message.

"I really like you Harry." I turned and ran to potions trying to regulate my breathing, as I got closer to class.

Harry stood leaning against the wall brushing his lips where warm ones had just been a smile covering his face from ear to ear. After a few moments of privacy, he decided that he himself should make his way to potions.

As soon as I saw, the blonde mop of hair slumping against the wall beside the entrance to our first class of the year and made my way directly towards him.

"Malfoy don't ask questions just be my partner in potions okay?"

"What? Why should I?"

"Cause I said so and i thought i said don't ask questions."

"I don't have to do what you say Granger"

"Just shut up and do it!"

"Fine," he grumbled whilst he returned to his slouching muttering under his breath, "So much for a truce." All of a sudden, the hallway began to fill with students and i watched in mortification as Harry came closer towards me. I quickly changed my point of interest to my feet and tried to hide my reddening cheeks. To my sheer dumb luck no sooner had Harry made it to my side than my unlikely savior appeared storming into the classroom his robes billowing behind him and his books tucked neatly under his arm.

"Hermione i need to speak with you later," Harry then pecked me on the cheek and walked off. I felt the butterflies in my stomach that i had tried so hard to crush kill and destroy came roaring back to life like a fairy every time someone who really believed in fairies clapped their hand and bought them back to life and the feeling of being stared at didn't help the strange sensation for me.

"You coming?" the familiar voice of one Draco Malfoy sulked from behind me in my childish girl daze. He made his way to the des at the far back of the room, stood behind it, and nudged his head at me indicating me to follow. I sat beside him and stared at the back of Harry's head that in return turned around and gave me a funny look causing me to giggle into my hands.

"Something funny Miss Granger?" Snape drawled at me bored at my obviously childish behavior.

"No professor," I blushed deeply i could swear that all my blood belonged in my face because of the amount of blushing i have been doing in the last few weeks.

"Five points from Gryffindor for disruptive behavior." I applied a face that would have anyone think i had been forced to suck lemons instead of attending potions, which in all honestly i would prefer to suck a lemon, for a few moments until he turned around and i dropped the sour look from my face reminiscing the thought of Harry's strong arms encircling me and the feel of his powerful yet oh so soft lips against mine in a brief but what to me seemed electrified by the heat, passion and spontaneity of the moment that had passed between us.

I was rudely awakened from my daydreaming by a hard poke in the side with the corner of a book by Malfoy telling me that class was finished. I looked down to find that happily my parchment was filled with the notes from the lesson as given to me by Snape without my noticing. Relief washed over me until i remembered my predicament and the butterflies once again returned to my stomach. What had i done? Would this ruin our friendship? Had I just ruined our friendship? Did he like me too? Panic surged through me like a rushing river and my heart felt about ready to give in.

"What have you got next?" I asked Malfoy. In reply, he simply handed me his timetable only for me to discover his like Harry's was exactly the same as mine. "I'll be your study buddy if you walk with me to classes our timetables match can't hurt."

"Why don't you walk with the beloved saint potter?" He asked his voice skeptical but somehow sounding like he was about to laugh.

"He uhhh," I stumbled with an excuse, "He is probably busy talking to someone else." As soon as I had said it, i knew it had come out bad and was a very unbelievable but he just rolled his eyes.

"Fine," he grumbled not in the least buying it but deciding for some reason unbeknownst to man to keep his big trap shut for once.

Charms was much like potions but instead of daydreaming away the class, i was panicking. If he liked me, he surely would have said so by now but instead he wanted to talk. All this waiting was driving me crazy i hated not having the answer. Dread filled my stomach.

"Granger what is wrong with you today? I thought i was pale! You are as white as a sheet!" Malfoy nudged me ten minutes before class was due to finish and snapping me back into reality only made problems worse.

"None of your business Malfoy," I snapped back at him my voice no higher than a whisper that only his ears could hear.

"You haven't even answered one question all day!"

"Shut up, I'm trying to concentrate!"

"You are not your too busy drooling over..."

"I said shut up Ferret Boy!"

"Fine," he grumbled not bothering me any longer and finally deciding to save his breath thankfully.

After our class was lunch and Malfoy and I were making our way to the great hall without saying a word when Harry came running up behind us.

"Hermione! Hermione wait up I'm not a bloody Emu!" he puffed and panted as he finally made he way to my side. "Can we talk now?"

"Sure Harry," i stood there waiting for him to start talking.

"In private?" he nodded towards Malfoy. I nodded and Malfoy began walking to the Hall by himself as Harry and I made our way to an empty classroom

"Look Harry if it is about this morning forget about it okay? Just pretend it never happened."

"Hermione he grabbed my wrist and pulled me closer so our lips were just millimeters apart, "you know i cant do that, it's in the open now," my stomach now felt like someone was filling a lead balloon with helium inside of it, "I mean you're a really nice girl but you're just not..." he didn't need to finish his sentence, i just wasn't girlfriend material. I blinked the forming tears from my eyes and ran past Harry trying so hard to empty my broken heart. I ran Malfoy in less than three minutes and plenty of other stunned students until i finally made my way to the lake where i tripped over a rock landing hard on my knees and tearing my skirt and scraping my hands. I felt more of a wreck than i looked and i sat there for a good ten minutes while i stared out and over the vast cool waters of the lake letting my broken heart have a chance to mend somehow. I pulled a joint from my bag and cursed loudly when i could not find my lighter. From the side my eyes caught a flicker of blonde hair and a smaller flicker of flame.

"Go away Malfoy."

"well okay if you don't need a lighter," he went to put it back in his pocket and realizing the dilemma I was now in i felt like crying again, "well if it means that much to you I'll trade." he laughed at my sudden attack of spookiness. Then to my stupidity, the answer came to me.

"What do i have that you could want Malfoy? Besides i can just light it myself," i pulled out my wand and muttered a short incantation and a large flame propelled itself from the end. I used this flame to light the small whit smelly stick hanging out of my mouth.

"True, well firstly some that," he nodded towards the joint in my hand now smoking away, "You also have brains and friends." I again just looked over the lake feeling as if i wanted to cry. "Ok, ok so you're a loner I'm sorry," he tried joking, which only made me cry. "Gees girlie let's not have a flash flood." I sniffled, wiped my nose on my sleeve, and took out another joint for Malfoy and having a toke of my own.

"I just stuffed things up big time," I sniffled again.

"Well I have lunch to waste and no one to talk too."

"Why are you being so nice?"

"I have no real friends to talk to it would be nice to have someone who registers as a human being to talk to that wont talk about Voldermort and seeing as i am no longer bound by him and you looked pretty lonely yourself so why not? What's up what have you stuffed up?"

"If i told you you'd only laugh."

"I promise you i won't."

"Yeah right Malfoy the whole school would know by the end of lunch and everyone would just laugh at me again." I got up and stormed back into the castle.

When I arrived at the great hall, most people had already had lunch and was milling around the school somewhere. I sat myself down and made myself a bacon and cheese sandwich. A red headed mass of muscles plonked himself down next to me and stole my sandwich straight from my hand before i could even take a bite of it.

"Yum! My favorite! Thanks Hermione!" Ron smiled cheekily at me. I made myself another sandwich with bacon and mushrooms and ate it hungrily my munchies taking hold of me. After demolishing one, I finished another two and one more just for the hell of it.

"Blimey Hermione! Where do you put it all? You're so tiny and yet you eat so much!" Ron asked open mouthed in awe of my eating efforts.

"Munchies..." I started with my mouth full, "Ron shut it you look like your about ready to give some poor guy head!" As I said this, he continued to go redder than his hair and almost the color of cooked crispy bacon. "Ron are you hiding something from me?" I smirked.

"Hermione, I'm gay..." Ron barely muttered trying to make sure i was the only one who heard unfortunately for him my reaction was anything but quiet.

"YOU'RE WHAT? WHAT ABOUT YOUR POOR GIRLFRIEND DOES SHE KNOW?"

"Shhh," he hushed me, "I'm gay Hermione with Neville he has been my "girlfriend" i found out just before the end of last year."

"WHAT? NEVILLE!" a dark head popped up straight after my outburst as Ron clamped his hand over my mouth.

"Talking about you not too you okay?" Ron called over to him realizing his iron grip on my mouth Neville's head disappeared where it came from earlier.

"Ron can we talk in private please?" I asked quietly his face falling as i said so, 'I'm fine with you and Neville Ron it's about Harry." His face fell even more.

"Hermione I already know about this morning... Why didn't you tell me you were diggin' Harry? I would have done anything to help if i didn't want him all to myself." he giggled but his face quickly became serious again. "He has also told like everyone in our year before the end of lunch everyone will know...I'm so sorry Hermione." I felt anger rising inside of me like a hot volcano ready to split my seams and pour hot lava own some kind of surface not caring what surface it was or what i burned in my pathway. Not only i was i not good enough for the famous golden boy Harry Potter but also the superstar in his own right had to be a damn diva and tell everyone else that I had made a move and had been rejected. Everyone had to know i wasn't good enough; it wasn't enough to hurt me he had to rub it in.

In my shock i had left the great hall Ron calling after me but to scared to follow and when i came to I was standing before Mona Lisa clenching and unclenching my fists into and out of balls of extreme rage that my insides were finding more than difficult to contain.

"Hey Mona."

"Oh hey Hermione."

"How have you been?"

"Not bad for an ancient piece of art. What's eating you if you don't mind me asking? Its not the Harry thing is it?"

"YOU know?"

"Hunny I'm the first to hear anything really, nearly headless nick keeps me filled in on all the goss."

"Humph, Boys nothing but trouble."

"You don't have to tell me hunny I had to put up with Da Vinci! Like i always say though hell hath no fury like a witch scorned," the famous painting giggled.

"Hmm that sounds like some good revenge," I laughed as she whispered a little spell in my ear, "Usagi-Chan." She opened up and i went to my room where i rolled some more joints as my supply was running low and i then left for my next class defense against the dark arts.

When I got there, i found Harry surrounded by an entourage of his fans and as they all saw me coming a group of tarted up; skanky, airheads giggled and Mona's advice sprang into my mind like fire in the Australian outback.

"Hell hath no fury like a witch scorned; Hell hath no fury like a witch scorned." Harry pushed his way to the front and wrapped his arms around me.

"Hermione! Baby! I'm so sorry!" but before he could utter another heartless word I pushed him into his rent-a-crowd and drew my wand.

"Hell Hath no fury like a witch scorned Potter!" I yelled cursing him and he glowed the color of a man about to vomit and then returned to normal.

"What did you just do to me?" Harry asked bewildered

"Just what you'd call a Pinocchio spell, with a little twist but you can figure out what happens when you lie all by yourself, I'm sure it wont take long," I beamed at him. I looked at the stunned mullets around me but i noticed from the corner of my eye a blonde figure smirking at the memory he had of me casting the same spell on him. His blue eyes twinkled mischievously but I felt lost. I had just jinxed any chance with Harry away at the moment.

As tradition went, we had a new defense against the dark arts teacher and his name was Professor Meat Pie. Apparently, he had been a very famous Auror from down under helping the magical and muggle community against the death eaters in Australia he had a very strong accent and said "Mate" a lot, and he always insisted we said "G'day," to him, which wasn't as easy as it sounds with our thick accents. He was very toned with a shining tan, short dark brown hair and moss green eyes that always twinkled with mischief and mystery. He was a prankster and loved telling jokes appropriate or not and even more than, jokes he liked a good what he called a "yarn" what ever that meant. He also enjoyed complaining about your weather. I would learn a lot from and about this professor over the year to help me in the real world but all the knowledge he passed to me would take too long to write so i wont. Meat pie was really his last name but i never learned his first. He must have copped a lot of shit growing up in Australia with his last name as Aussies are famous for their meat pies, sunny weather, beautiful beaches, strange lingo and relaxed attitude not to mention the need to provoke. Everyone here loved him as he was so friendly and polite it really made me want to visit Australia sometime.

He spent the lesson giving us theory on trolls and decided we would start all our practical work next week.

"Good job Granger, I must say that prick really needed someone to do that to him i cant wait till he finds out what it does," Malfoy whispered to me as we wrote our notes and while i checked out the spunky new professor drooling over him having push Harry far from my mind i thought it was about to go on to bigger and better things and i could at least bet that the Professor was bigger as i had accidentally pulled the sheets off Harry one summer morning after honestly forgetting that he had told me the previous night that he had slept naked.

"Only a matter of time Malfoy only a matter of time."

Today we studies all the strong and weak points of trolls and how to get them every time i was fascinated as i was almost killed by one in first year and "Sheer dumb luck" had saved my ass. I suddenly felt very lonely again all thoughts of revenge gone from my mind.

After school was finished, again Harry pulled me into an empty classroom.

"What did you do to me?" He snapped impatiently.

"Potter, I cast a truth spell you see... oh Nah I wont spoil the fun," I tried to wave him off his snapping had made me once again impatient with him and my temper was getting the best of any common sense i thought i had.

"Hermione...I...I... I love you." a small giggle burst from my mouth before i could stop myself. Normally this is what i want to hear but the small dick growing on his forehead made it hard not to laugh at him.

"You shouldn't lie i can see it in your face." He ran to the nearest mirror he could find and yelled ferociously.

"HOW DO I MAKE IT GO AWAY?" he begged

"Tell the truth," I said simply

"Hermione I don't really love you..."

"I know potter." he cringed at my frankness

"Why are you doing this Hermione?"

"Because not only did you toy with my feelings, lead me on and then crush me, YOU TOLD EVERYONE ABOUT IT!"

"I'm sorry," was all he replied meekly but i could tell he was lying from the extension growing on his forehead. I couldn't help giggling again.

"Yeah right whatever..." i paused for effect, "Dickhead!"

"I never led you on Hermione," it smacked him between the eyes, " i never toyed with you and never meant to hurt you," it was now hanging just under his nose, "and i never told anyone i swear!" It was now so long he could fit it in his mouth. Knowing i knew he was lying he changed tactics. "You know what Hermione i did toy with you, lead you on, hurt your feeling and tell everyone that i had done so. But you wanna know why Hermione? you have always been a know it all bitch who always had to be right and have her way and I'm sick of it your nothing but an up-tight frigid bitch and no one with a brain would want someone as plain and annoying as you!" he reprimanded me shocking me to my core.

"And the truth will set you free," i whispered hoarsely as he glowed again a sickening green and returned to normal his extension completely disappearing. I turned and I too disappeared closing my heart never wanting it to break like it was breaking right now never wanting to be betrayed again. I ran all the way to my room where my life was about to take some seriously unexpected twists and turns that my entire life would depend upon and in my entire life i would never guessed or believed.