Fancying Friends

Hello children;) how you doin'?

I'm really sorry that i haven't updated for awhile. Been busy at the hospital I broke my foot :/
But i'm here now , and i hope you enjoy this.

I also want to thank matena for the idea she gave me
I also want to say to jansee517 that neither a or b of your guesses are correct :P but , you give me inspiration and hope that this story will go far ;D

Thanks to the reviewers and i'd just like to say thank you to all the people – i mean seriously there were tonnes of you – who put this story on your favourites list and who put it on story alert :') i just want to remind everyone that the more reviews and suggestions and stuff i get the faster i will update and so on and so forth. I had a lot of fun writing this chapter. It got to the point that when i was writing about a facial expression Hermione was supposedly doing.. i was doing it too xD

ANYWAY

Enjoy the story

~Suka (Expression Please)

********Second Year**********

It was roughly a month before Christmas and the feud between Ron and Hermione had cooled down since a year ago. Since their first argument in the second week of their first year, the months had gone by smoothly and quickly - and Hermione couldn't have been happier about it. She was, however, very smug every time they passed each other in the corridor or made eye contact during meals. Hermione could see her new make-over had the Weasel on the edge of his chair with goggling eyes and his mouth in a perfect 'O'.

But, Hermione noticed that it wasn't just Ron's attention she was catching with her new look. Over the months she'd made plenty of 'friends' (being a Slytherin, she wouldn't dare call them that). Blaise, Draco, Astoria and herself had become exceptionally close, ruling the corridors when they walked by. She'd befriended almost all of the Slytherin male population of her age as well as become acquainted with a few Ravenclaw's here and there and one or two Hufflepuffs. But, she didn't dare associated herself with any Gryffindors, not in fear but in pure caution - in case they were friends with a certain red-headed Weasel.

People had been stopping and staring at her for a year now, and Draco was surely getting tired of it. Blaise and Astoria were too, but Draco seemed to take it to a whole other level. The four of them were disconnected from Pansy over the past year after having a row about Pansy's obsession with Draco, and with Daphne part of Pansy's clan, that left Astoria for Hermione to confide in.

"Tor?" Hermione said as the two of them were relaxing in the green light of the Slytherin common room. Astoria looked to her best friend. Hermione tried to be as non-chalant about the up-coming conversation she was about to start. "Draco's been acting weird for a really long time now," she stated. Astoria raised an eyebrow, unsure of what Hermione meant. Draco was Draco as far as Astoria was concerned.

"How so?" She asked Hermione, slouching down on her love-seat and crossing one foot over the other atop the coffee table between them.

Astoria and Draco weren't as close as Hermione was with him. Over the year - after her half-attack at Ron and after Pansy and Daphne had their way with her looks - Draco and Hermione got so close they were almost inseparable. They had every class together, and soon Blaise was part of the strong connection too. When Pansy and Daphne left (the argument was between all six of them - Pansy and Daphne against Draco, Hermione, Blaise and Astoria. Draco was sick of the clinginess Pansy burdened him with, Hermione and the others were defending him when she retaliated) Astoria joined in and soon they had a whole circle of friendship. But Astoria always felt like she wasn't as in sync with the other three.

Hermione knew all of this about Astoria. The two told each other everything, and Hermione felt like Astoria was the only one to trust.

"You know how when you guys made me over, how I was going to be the centre of attention? How you three said I'd be the only person anyone saw?" She asked, leaning her head back in her chair and lulling it sideways so she could still see Astoria. Astoria nodded, giving Hermione a look of confusion.

"Draco seems to be getting really… pissed off by all the attention. I mean, come on Tor, and don't pretend you don't see the looks we get when we go anywhere!" Hermione felt the hysteria rise in her voice, and it was then that she acknowledged the fact that she was getting annoyed with it too. "It's been a year, Tor. It still hasn't stopped."

Astoria looked at her best friend. "Blaise and I are annoyed, too, you know?" she said somewhat hurt. "Why don't we get this recognition?" she added, no louder than a whisper. It was Hermione's turn to look at Astoria in confusion.

"I know… But you and Blaise… You, like…"

"Don't mean as much as Draco," Astoria finished for Hermione. Hermione shook her head, frowning in frustration.

"No, that's not what I meant!" She defended herself. Astoria just nodded and made to get up.

"I know what you meant," Astoria said looking at Hermione with a look of awkwardness. "I just wish it didn't hurt. Mi, I love you and I want to help-"

"So why can't you?" Hermione interrupted, standing too so she was facing Astoria with only the table between them. Astoria just sighed.

"I just think that until you figure out why Draco's behaviour affects you more than me and Blaise, that's when it'll stop hurting me. I don't know about Blaise, but I'm supposed to be your best friend." Astoria said, and with that she made her way to her dormitory. Hermione gaped after her and sat back down in confusion and helplessness, completely forgetting about Draco, her feelings toward said blonde-haired boy and the all attention that was putting her friends on edge.

Blaise was entering the common room from his dormitory just before the conversation Hermione and Astoria had exchanged and decided not to intrude, waiting behind the Statue of Salazar Slytherin to the side of the stairs. He listened to the whole conversation - unintentionally - and felt his heart ache. Despite his very Slytherin attitude, he had a soft spot for Hermione and his two other best friends.

He was about to come out from behind the statue, looking left and right to see if anyone else was around. He looked back to Hermione and saw one lone tear slip down her cheek, making his face fall. He wished he didn't have to see her cry.

Blaise stepped forward to make her way over to her but the voice of their portrait on the outside was heard through the room.

"Hermione Granger, you have a visitor here to see you. A Gryffindor, no doubt."

Blaise's fists clenched, assuming it was the freckle-faced weasel here to have another go at his first love. He followed behind her silently as she got up, wiped her eyes and exited. He got a quick glimpse of the person waiting for her just before the portrait door closed and his eyes widened when he saw the messy black hair and glasses waiting for her.

Hermione stepped out of the portrait hole to find Harry Potter standing before her.

"Hermione," He said, his face lighting up ever so slightly as she looked into his green eyes. He noticed her hazel eyes were shiny and wet, like she'd been crying. She sniffed as elegantly as she could before speaking.

"Hello, Pot- I mean, Harry," she said shifting her weight from one foot to the other slowly. She tried to act natural, like she wasn't at war with herself about feelings and friends and being the centre of attention of everything. She smiled a big, hopefully not too forced smile. "What's up?"

Harry found it weird that Hermione was smiling at him. He would have thought for sure after spending the year being friends with Ron she would have all but bit his head off. But no, here she was smiling at him like they were old friends.

"Uh, there were just a few things I wanted to talk to you about," he said scratching his head. "Um, want to walk with me?" He asked sort if awkwardly, thrusting his thumb gently over his shoulder as an indication of movement from the hall.

Hermione stared at the dark-haired boy in front her. It was true, she sort of fancied him a little when they met on the train just over a year ago, and she thought he was sort of cute. But those feelings were dismissed as she became her inner Slytherin, the one the Sorting Hat predicted she'd be.

"Sure," She said, motioning for him to join her in her first step. It seemed sort of odd in Hermione's mind, that she was strolling through the castle with Harry Potter as it was nearing dark outside. But, she thought to herself. There's no harm in being civil. I mean Harry and me… We were never enemies.

"So what was it you wanted to tell me about?" Hermione asked Harry after a few minutes of light conversation on almost anything. They found themselves near the library and decided to take a seat in there. Harry looked everywhere but Hermione as he sat next to her, finding the right words to say.

"I know that you and Ron will probably never be friends," he started. Hermione snorted rather unattractively and it made Harry laugh. "Nope, never," he repeated, chuckling. He looked at Hermione intently, calming down a bit but still fidgeting with his hands. "I want the chance to be, though." he said. Hermione's eyes widened in shock. Harry wants to be… friends? Hermione thought, awestruck at the request.

Hermione began to speak. "Harry I-"

"I know Ron's been giving you a hard time," Harry interrupted; scared his request would be rejected. She is, after all, the ultimate Slytherin Princess, he thought to himself. "And I know I was there through it all," he continued. "But his plotting and grumbling and rambling about you is driving me crazy. I told him from the start it wouldn't be worth fighting you. It's been a year and he's not come up with a thing and in all honesty, he's pissing me off." Harry concluded his rambling and looked to Hermione guiltily, but hopefully.

Hermione looked carefully at Harry. Looking deep into his eyes, she could tell that he was sincere. She knew that Harry meant what he was saying, and Hermione wanted to let him be her friend. He was the same boy she met on the train, if not even kinder. He's such a Gryffindor, she mused silently.

"Weasel is kind of a prat," She said, chuckling slightly and smiling small. Harry broke into a wide grin, taking her comment as an acceptance to his request of friendship. He looked into her eyes and Hermione stared straight back. She saw and felt everything she felt the first time she met him and found herself smiling at the memory.

Any sign of controlling her thoughts was long gone, and Hermione was giving in to the heat of the moment and shock of Harry's offer. Soon, she found herself leaning in slowly as was Harry.

As Harry's nose was getting closer to hers, Hermione's mind decided to play tricks on her. Harry's hair transformed slowly from black to platinum blonde, his eyes from green to grey. Before she knew it, Hermione was staring into the face of Draco Malfoy once again. Stunned and embarrassed, Hermione ducked her head in the hope that her dark hair would conceal her rapidly increasing blush. Harry felt the tension increase and scratched the back of his head nervously. Clearing his throat quietly, he moved over slightly, creating a bit more space between the two. Madame Pince's voice made them both jump.

"Why are you two still here?" She scolded. "Get back to your dormitories NOW!"

The Gryffindor and the Slytherin quickly jumped up and speed walked their way out of the library, taking off at a sprint speed once they were clear of it and laughing the whole way to the Slytherin common room entrance. Hermione smiled at Harry as they leant over their knees trying to catch their breath.

"That was a, uh, nice talk, Harry," Hermione said once her breathing returned to normal. Harry nodded and grinned in agreement. "We'll do this again some time,"

With a smile and a wave, Harry was on his way back to the Gryffindor tower, smiling like an idiot the whole way. Hermione, on the other hand, went back to her confused and ashamed state of mind once Harry Potter was out of her sight.

She sighed heavily before muttering the password to the woman in the portrait.

"Emeraldia Sliven," Hermione whispered looking forlorn. The woman in the portrait looked at her with concern.

"Rough evening?" She asked Hermione. Hermione just nodded with a small smile-slash-grimace for a thank you. The woman nodded in understanding and opened up for Hermione to enter quietly.

She went straight up to her Dormitory, hoping Astoria was still up there.

"Tor?" Hermione called through the room. When no one answered, she figured she'd catch her in the morning. She had a lot of thinking to do anyway.

What confused her most was the fact that she saw Draco's face when she was… with Harry. She knew she had a thing for Draco in first year when Ron tried to humiliate her in first year and for awhile after that. But when the argument with Pansy and Daphne happened, she all but forgot about it. Why, though? She asked herself. Why would I like Draco? Hermione pondered over this for awhile as she lay in bed waiting for sleep to take her away.

Draco was a dear friend to her. He was supportive and there for her. She told him everything (almost) and he did the same. He was also funny, creative, smart, witty, and bad. Not to mention good-looking - very good-looking.

"That's why when he acts weird it gets to me!" She thought out loud. Hermione looked around to see if anyone had heard her and found Astoria waiting in the doorway. Hermione looked guiltily at who she hoped was still her best friend.

Astoria rolled her eyes and made her way over to Hermione's bed. "Explain," was all she said and Hermione's eyes brightened up.

"Potter?" Draco exclaimed as Blaise recounted what he saw and heard to Draco when he returned to the dormitories after listening in on Astoria and Hermione. Blaise seemed kind of glad Draco was angry that Hermione went off with the Potter boy. He finally found someone who knew how he felt. Even though Draco had denied it for a whole year, Blaise knew his best friend had feelings for Hermione.

Draco was both angry and upset by this new Blaise had given him. He didn't understand what would possess Hermione to hang out with the stupid Potter boy. He's a Gryffindor for crying out loud! He thought. He knew had some sort of feelings for her, but it had varied over the year. She was smart, attractive, sassy, independent and possessive. Everything Draco liked and more. She was so different to the other Slytherin girls - and WAY less clingy than Pansy (Pansy had the idea they were betrothed and were to be together forever. He disliked her very much).

"Blaise," he said, his face falling. "You don't think she… fancies Potter, do you?" Blaise looked at Draco with the same expression and shrugged.

"Dunno," he said, looking to the floor and shuffling his feet.

Draco kept looking at his best mate. He knew Blaise, and he knew that Blaise had a crush on Hermione too. He didn't care that he and his best friend liked the same girl - who also happened to be their best friend - but he did care if said girl liked another boy. Draco lay back on his bed as Blaise did the same.

"You like her too, huh Blaise?" Draco asked as he kicked off his shoes. Blaise paused for a brief moment and then carried on preparing for bed.

"Yep," he said, unashamed. He'd already hinted to Hermione that he did, and she seemed to have accepted that but didn't take it seriously. It didn't hurt Blaise but it made him more persistent to make her feel the same. Draco laughed at his friend.

"Get in there, mate," He joked. Blaise laughed to and pointed at Draco.

"May the best man win," Draco said, watching as Blaise nodded with an evil grin.

The next morning, Ron and Harry were on separate ends of the very long Gryffindor table. Harry sat happily with Seamus and Dean, while Ron sat with his brothers, Fred and George, tormenting him all through breakfast as he sat glaring at Hermione. When Harry had got back to the Gryffindor tower after being with Hermione, Ron was perched on the arm of the sofa waiting for him. He had exploded at Harry for 'socialising with the enemy.' Harry just waved his fellow Gryffindor off and proceeded to their dorm with a goofy smile on his face. The same goofy smile he wore that morning at breakfast.

Seamus and Dean noticed Harry's grin and looked at each other. The next thing Harry knew, they were throwing questions at him like bullets.

"Who is she, mate?"

"Is she hot?"

"What house is she in?"

"Gryffindor?"

"Ravenclaw?"

"Oh, I bet she's a Slytherin!"

Harry rolled his eyes t them and continued to eat before gathering his thoughts into words and speaking to his overly nosey friends.

"It's no one," He ensured Seamus and Dean. "I'm just in a good mood. Quidditch try-outs are today." Seamus and Dean nodded in understanding but still not fully convinced Harry was telling the truth. They were right, of course. Harry knew he would kill it at the quidditch try-outs because a certain Slytherin brunette gave him hope. At that moment, a smaller red-head that Harry had seen hanging around in the Gryffindor tower with Ron came up to him with a big smile.

"Hi Harry!" She said enthusiastically. "Good luck for the quidditch try outs! You'll do great." And with that she bounced off happily with her other first-year friends giggling and whispering about the older Gryffindor. Harry raised an eyebrow and watched as the little red-head disappeared from sight. Guess she likes me or something, he thought to himself, shaking it off.

"What'd my sister want?" A voice said from behind him. Naturally it was Ronald, and of course – now that he thought of it – the little girl that had approached him had the same fiery red hair as Ron as well as the matching splash of freckles over the bridge of their nose.

"Oh nothing," Harry replied finishing up his last bite of toast. "She just wanted to wish me luck for quidditch try outs, you know." Ron looked at Harry as he finished up his breakfast. "What?" Harry said looking awkwardly behind him. Ron just chuckled as they filed out of the hall.

"You know, Ginny has had a crush on you since i got home at the end of last year and told them about you." Ron said matter-of-factly. "And, when you came over for the holidays before this year started... she was so excited. I'm surprised she hasn't got a hidden shrine of you in her room somewhere." Harry laughed as Ron rambled about his sister's feelings and then paused for a moment.

"How do you know she doesn't?" He asked with a raised eyebrow. Ron just shrugged his shoulders and the two continued walking. "I checked, she just has small vials of love potion hidden in every nook and cranny."

Harry looked at Ron with a worried look and Ron stared back.

"What?" Ron said.

Hermione and Astoria were hanging out by the lake on Christmas Eve, deep in conversation as they wrapped their arms around themselves and pulled their beanies over their ears. The snow was falling gracefully around them, leaving specks of white on their shoulders and lap.

"So," Astoria said looking at the brunette with questioning eyes. "Have you told Draco since our discussion like, a month ago?" Hermione scoffed and tried her hardest to hide everything she was thinking from her eyes. There was no way she had ever planned on telling Draco her secret. It was way too risky for her to do, for Draco to have to deal with. There were so many things she had left to tell Draco, and the rest of her friends. It'd been a year and she'd kept her secrets intact – she had absolutely no intentions of letting them out now. She'd done so well.

Unfortunately for Hermione, her honey-haired friend could read her like a book. "'Mione," she said putting her hands on Hermione's shoulders and turning her so they were face to face. "I know that look. What's on your mind?"

Hermione bit her lip and diverted her eyes away from Astoria. "I... I don't want to talk about it." She said quietly. Astoria looked at her with concern. She knew it was hard to crack open Hermione, she wasn't exactly the open kind of book she read. Hermione was closed, the kind that you can only guess from the small summary at the back. Astoria didn't like it when Hermione kept secrets, but then again she didn't want to intrude on her privacy.

"What is it?" Astoria prodded. "Wait doesn't tell me... that's not your natural hair colour!" Astoria faked a shocked look as Hermione turned her head to look at her. The two of them began to laugh and laugh, the kind of shrill laughter that could be heard at all corners of the school.

After calming down ten minutes later, Hermione turned to her best friend. "Tor, you know that I like Draco..." She started with a curious tone to her voice. Astoria just rolled her eyes.

"Blaise." She answered Hermione's question before she even had a chance to ask it. Hermione's eyes widened in shock at Astoria's open confession. She just admitted she liked Blaise, their other best friend. Hermione felt immediately bad about it, though. She knew Blaise didn't have just a crush on Hermione – it was more of a super crush.

Astoria continued to read what Hermione was thinking via her eyes. "I know," She said nudging Hermione's shoulder with her own. "Blaise likes you. I don't mind, but, you see, you like Draco Malfoy. I have nothing to worry about."

Hermione's eyes brightened immediately. At least I won't be losing Tor to a boy I don't like that way, she thought to herself.

Said boy was currently in the Slytherin common room on his own, sitting by the fire. He was upset that Hermione never took him seriously. He wanted to change but his Slytherin ways and outgoing personality got in there first. He sighed and silently gave up. I'll never get in there, Draco. He thought to himself. But he didn't feel bad for long.

Blaise knew that Hermione was always going to be his close friend. That wasn't going to change. He accepted the fact that Hermione wouldn't ever feel that way about him. There was no use in beating himself up about it if he couldn't change it.

Draco, on the other hand, was not so fortunate. He knew that Hermione liked someone; she and Astoria were always talking about it in hushed conversations behind them in class and at meal times as well as in the common room. He was now determined to make said 'Hermione's crush' be him. He just didn't know how. It was the Christmas holidays so he had about a week and a half to figure out a plan worth fulfilling. He had to have Hermione – no matter how long it took.