Author's Note: I've almost rewritten this chapter in the proof read, but I hope it's still okay. Thank you to the reviewers, I really like this story and I'm glad you do too.

Chapter Four

She could hear their voices outside; there must be at least twenty people outside. She knew what she would have to do, but doing it would take a lot of guts.

She opened the door carefully, hoping that they wouldn't notice her until she was ready. Her estimations were correct, there were about twenty of them, and the Weasley twins were shouting at the top of their voices for order. Hermione noticed how they avoided each other whilst bossing everyone else around and sighed sadly. She coughed rather loudly, and they went silent, immediately forming a line against the wall, as if they were troops for inspection. "Look, Hermione will sort this out, once and for all." Fred walked up to her.

"Which one of us do you want to go out with?" He smiled at her. She scanned the line of boys, they were all from Gryffindor, Ron looked uncomfortable, and Harry just stared.

"What makes you think I want to go out with any of you?" For the millionth time that day, she gripped her wand tightly.

"Come on, every guy from Gryffindor is here, what you want a slytherin boyfriend?" George scoffed as he approached Hermione and Fred. Fred whirled around and shot him a warning glance, but George steadfastly ignored him, and stood beside her. Hermione decided to ignore the exchange and scanned the line once more, taking in all the faces. Some were only first years, and with mixed emotions found Dean not to be there.

"Maybe I don't want a boyfriend." Hermione felt awfully closed in, with the twins each side of her, and eighteen hungry looking boys standing in front of her, looking at her as if she was a steak dinner.

Fred smiled and took her hand. "Hermione, I know that you are a kind and loving person, who wants to spare all their feelings, but it's hurting them, thinking they have a chance with you. Just tell us who you like more."

"I like you all as friends."

"Cut the crap, 'Mione." Ron stepped forward and pushed George out of the way, taking Hermione's other hand. George fell back a few paces and then hit Ron hard on the arm. Ron turned and glared, and Hermione knew what was coming. Ron obviously knew what she was thinking, because he ignored George and turned back to her. "Tell them who you like." He gave her an encouraging smile.

"None of you!" She pulled her hands from the stunned Weasley brother's and set off down the corridor as fast as she could. She just heard George (Or Fred, they sound similar at speed) shouting, "follow her!" She ran faster.

She ran until her heart pounded and her feet ached, they were still in pursuit. The only place where she could think of going to was the place where the only person she was remotely safe to be with was, the Slytherin Dungeons. He had to help her, he would be inhuman not to.

Halfway there, she ran into Malfoy himself. "What's wrong, Mudblood, your boyfriends chasing you?"

"Yes." She said bluntly.

"That's nice for you." He walked to the end of the corridor and shouted "Hey! She's over here!"

"Stop it!" She hit the laughing boy. "Help me!"

"Oh, alright." He tapped a statue with his wand and shouted "Pirrilium Maxus" The statue leapt aside, and the Slytherin Prefect's door came into sight. She pulled him through the door and slammed it behind them. Listening intently for any signs that she'd been spotted, she heard Fred shout, "She's probably went that way!" and the sound of many feet running away.

"This, is getting ridiculous." She turned back to Malfoy, who was staring at her. "Are you sure you don't want to kiss me?"

"You sound a little disappointed there, Granger, but sorry, it seems this spell didn't work on me." He flopped on the sofa. He seemed to have forgotten she was even there in an instant, as he started to stare out the windows into the grounds. She basked in the company and not being centre of attention, and for that instant, forgave Malfoy for all his wrong doings in exchange for letting her have these few moments of peace.

She sat next to him; it would seem he was the closest thing she's got to a friend at the moment. "But why didn't it work on you?"

"Maybe magic isn't strong enough to make me ever like you."

"Maybe…" She looked about the room for the first time. It was like hers, except the sofas were leather and the room was green and silver. "There's got to be a way to stop this madness. A counter spell, anything."

"Well, if you don't know it, it probably doesn't exist. Which is all the better, this is just getting funnier and funnier."

"Come on." She stood up and grabbed him by the arm, dragging him towards the door.

He pulled his arm away from her, as if she was poisonous. "Wait a minute, Granger, where are we going?"

"To the library to look for a cure."

"Woah, and you think I'm going to go to the library for you?" He stopped in his tracks.

"Oh, come on! You have to help me! I'd do anything!"

For a moment he looked at her. His eyes lit up with mischief. Inching towards her, she backed away. "Err… Malfoy?"

He didn't reply. Maybe he was under the spell, just clever at hiding it. She backed away until she hit a cold stone wall. He didn't stop advancing on her until his face was less than an inch away from her own. "Malfoy, what are you doing?" He closed the gap touched her lips with his.

"Ewww!" She shoved him off her, and he fell to the floor, laughing. "What the hell did you do that for?"

"Oh, come now, Granger, don't take it so personally." He didn't bother moving from the floor.

"Don't take it so personally? You KISSED me!"

"I was only seeing what all the fuss was about." Standing up, he moved closer to her again.

"You're insufferable." She pushed him away and stormed out.

She ran up the corridor in the most terrible mood, her heart thumping angrily and her breathing ragged. How dare he! She needed him to help her and he turned it all into some sort of mind game! Her feelings of forgiveness evaporated.

She turned the corner, not really knowing where she was stomping, but just blowing off steam. She ran up some stairs and took another left, and then ran into someone who was just standing in the middle of the corridor.

"Ow." She said, sitting up and taking stock of her limbs. All there, nothing broken. She looked up to see who it was that she had knocked into and found Dean Thomas staring at her as if he had seen a ghost. Great. The person that she had most been dying to see, ever again. Not.

"Hermione." He said, his eyes round. "How are you?"

"Perfect." She said, smiling at him sickly sweetly. "Never better." He leaned over to give her help to stand and she pushed his arm away, standing by herself and dusting off. "Goodbye." She said.

"Hermione, about what happened…" He called after her as she pushed past him.

"Save it, Thomas." She snapped as she stomped off around the corner, heading for the courtyard. Her anger had evaporated now, leaving her drained and exhausted. No one was going to help her, fine. She could take care of herself. But she could think of at least one boy who wasn't going to get away this easily.

Hermione felt as insignificant as a pendant on a chain as she sat between Harry and Ron in charms. They each had a hold of her arms and were staring triumphantly at the other classmates who kept throwing them jealous looks. She looked over at Dean Thomas and saw that he was staring steadfastly ahead, and her eyes narrowed. Maybe this was all his fault, seeming as the day before this all happened was when he… She'd have to investigate it further.

Sighing, she listened to Flitwick praising her last essay on counter-charms, and the class applauded. The loudest to applaud, was Malfoy, who also wolf whistled and shouted.

She was glad that he was enjoying himself. But he was foolish if he didn't think she would get her revenge. No one kisses Hermione Granger without her permission and gets away with it. She already had a plan that would make sure that this was as horrible for him as it was for her. She still couldn't rule out his involvement in all of this.

"Now, we are going to use the truth charm. It is not at powerful as truth serum, but it will force the victim to unearth secrets about themselves and others that they would normally be reluctant to answer. Plus, they can only answer yes and no. Get into partners." Flitwick glanced about the room, winking at Hermione.

Everyone looked at Hermione expectantly, hoping they would be picked. She rested her head on her hands and sighed. There was a tap on her shoulder; it was Ron, who was grinning at her.

Someone called out; "I want to go with Hermione!" Looking in the direction of the shout, she saw Malfoy almost explode with laughter, as every student got on their feet and protested.

It took quite a while for the ruckus to subside, and when it did, Seamus and Blaise had to be taken to the hospital wing. Flitwick scowled at his students; "Hermione will pick who she wants to be with."

Looking around, she saw the only person not to be staring at her pleadingly was Malfoy, who was watching her like an eagle watches a vole. He was having way too much fun, she needed to rain on his parade a little, show him that she wasn't going to let him play with her like this. Picking up her things, she moved into the seat next to him, which had been occupied by Blaise. He looked a little startled, then smirked. "Don't you like people worshipping you?"

"No." She got out all her books and arranged them on the desk beside his. Everyone else chose partners and Flitwick continued. "Now, be careful which questions you choose to ask, because it may well be that your partner will pick similar ones when it comes to your turn. The words are 'maxims honnette'"

"I'll go first." Malfoy pointed his wand at her throat. "This should be fun, 'maxims honnette'."

Hermione felt dizzy and her head span, all she could hear was Malfoy's voice.

"Do you fancy Weasel even a little bit?"

"No."

"Do you fancy Potter?"

"No."

"It is true you hate everyone in the school loving you?"

"Yes." Her head was a little clearer now, and she wondered why he was asking her such obvious questions.

"Is there someone in the school affected by the spell that you fancy?"

"No."

"How about someone in the school not affected by the spell that you would like to be?"

"Yes." The words came out before Hermione could do anything about it. She looked in horror at Malfoy smirk, and wanted to run away before he could ask any more unwanted questions.

"Did you enjoy that kiss this morning?"

"Yes." Stop stop stop!