Here's Ch. 2! Enjoy! Oh and I forgot to say in Ch. 1 that unfortunately I do not own any of the characters of the Harry Potter series. It all belongs to J. K. Rowling. The poems are mine though. 

THE SWEETEST THING Ch. 2

Hermione's POV

"If love was an easy thing

Would people care less about it?

Do we challenge ourselves

By making it harder?

Do we strive for what we cannot achieve

Though we claim the lesson learned is the true gift?

If what I ask is so,

Then is real love not possible?

From what I've seen and done

The greatest challenge

Is in not challenging myself at all

Fore the pain when the challenge is lost

Is greater than the love

When I have won."

Krista Everett

"You don't understand ANYTHING about my feelings and especially about love, Ronald!" Hermione's voice rose over the loud chatter in the Gryffindor common room and those standing near her were silenced by their own surprise.

"But Hermione, I do love you!" Ron pleaded. "Lavender means nothing to me. It was just a stupid dare. You are the one I care about."

Hermione couldn't help but see right through Ron's lie. His long freckled nose was accented by a trickle of blood where she had punched him and to her, it seemed like his nose was getting longer with 

each lie he was feeding her. What she wouldn't give for a drop or two of veritaserum so she could have proof of his cruel lies.

"Ron," Hermione took a deep breath and spoke calmly. "You say you care about me, right?"

"Of course!" Ron stared deeply into Hermione's eyes trying to look truthful, but she caught a flash of guilt and knew that she was right to be mad at him.

"So, if you care about me, then you want me to be happy right?"

"Yes, 'Mione. I'll do anything you want."

"Good, and this is what I want you to do. STAY AWAY!" She spun around and rather than going to her room to cry into her pillow she rushed out of the common room. Hermione ignored the complaints of the fat lady as she flew by and charged down the stairs. She didn't even have to think about where she was headed; her feet knew the way easily.

She wished tears would roll down her cheeks but she was too mad to allow any other emotion to take over. Hermione thought about the look on Ron's face when she had walked in on him snogging Lavender. Lavender Brown, of all girls! How could she have been so easily deceived? She imagined the look on his face now as he watched her walk away.

After a few minutes and multiple staircases Hermione finally reached her destination. She had still not calmed down as she pushed open the large, heavy library doors and walked to her favourite table in the back corner. She didn't have any homework to do; she had completed it earlier that afternoon and since it was Friday she was free for the weekend. It was a Hogsmead weekend too, one in which she had been planning on spending quality time with Ron.

Hermione decided to take a book from the fiction section. Though she didn't always have time to read books for entertainment, she did enjoy a break from heavy duty textbooks every once in a while. She reached for a novel that had been on her mental list of "books-to-read" but as she pulled it out, remembered it was a gooey romance novel. In fact, she realized as she shoved it back between two others, it had been Lavender who had recommended it to her. Hermione wondered how Lavender had time to read if she had been snogging Ronald in secret all this time.

Looking around, Hermione settled on a dusty book on the lowest shelf. She pulled it out and brushed off the black cover, revealing green and silver writing. She paused, and the only word that came to mind was Slytherin. But she was feeling rebellious and she didn't care if the book was associated with Slytherin or the Dark Lord himself. She just wanted to lose herself in the words and pages and besides, didn't people always say you can't judge a book by its cover? Well she knew that was true. Ron seemed like a nice guy but in reality he was a cheater and she hated him for it.

As she made her way through the tall bookcases, Hermione got a funny feeling that something else wasn't right and when she turned out of the fiction area she realized why. There, sitting at her table, looking up at her as if he had been expecting her was the person she hated even more than Ron, 

though at the moment it was difficult to know who she really did despise more. And from this distance it looked like Draco Malfoy was smiling at her so it was hard for her to actually remember why she disliked him so much. Though she knew it was wrong she couldn't help feeling a little weak at the knees for his handsome looks and intelligent mind, second in their year only to her. In fact, there was no reason for her to not like him at the moment. Wasn't she about to read a book decorated with Slytherin colors?

She continued to walk toward him when she remembered the truth. He was the one who hated her. Well, all muggle-borns really, but perhaps more she than most others. And all because she was part of the "Golden Trio." Well Ron had royally screwed that up for a while so maybe Malfoy wouldn't be as bad to her.

As she got closer to him the smile she had imagined on his face became a sneer and her hopes fell. Who was she kidding? Malfoy would just make her life even more of a living hell by teasing her about being, well, rejected in a sense, by Ron. She scowled and prepared to fight him for her table, feeling a slight sting in her eyes now that yet another thing was choosing to not go her way today.

"Malfoy," she sighed, "we've been here for five years and you know very well that this is my table so would you please leave before I make you?" Hermione stood defending her threat with one hand on her hip and a menacing look on her face. She hoped he wouldn't cause too much trouble.

"Don't think so, Granger. You see I was here first and I don't really plan on leaving, thanks." Malfoy's mouth formed into his famous smirk and he looked at her with his cold, gray eyes. Hermione was about to retort, but then she caught a snatch of sympathy before the hardness returned to his face.

Knocked off course, Hermione could only plead with him. "Please, Malfoy. I'm really not in the mood to fight today and you aren't even doing any work. Can you just lay off for once?" She tried not to make it sound like she was begging but she knew her tired face betrayed her.

Malfoy continued to stare at her. "Like I said, I'm not leaving, but there's a nice table over there," he pointed to the other side of the library, "where I'm sure you'll be just fine and you won't be bothering me. Actually," he paused for effect," why don't you go hang out with the weasel?" Malfoy sneered all-knowingly, his acidic words doing the damage they were intended to inflict.

Hermione caught herself before she burst into tears and instead, slammed the book onto the table and sat in a chair. She picked up the book and opened to the first page but the words were blurred by the moistness in her eyes.

"What do you think you're doing, Granger? I thought I told you to go sit somewhere else so you wouldn't bother me," Malfoy peered at her over the book.

"And how would I possibly be bothering you, Malfoy?"

"By your senseless blubbering about a stupid git who wasn't even good enough for you in the first place. You shouldn't have wasted your time with him."

Hermione stopped cold. She stopped thinking. She stopped breathing. Was Draco Malfoy the one who was really telling her this? She looked at him in wonder and saw surprise in his own face.

"W-w-what?" Hermione barely whispered her question.

Malfoy looked like he didn't want to keep talking but he opened his mouth instead. "Listen, if you need or want someone to talk to...I, uh...well...it's just that I'm bored and I happen to know a thing or two about dating. Besides I wouldn't mind making the weasel jealous...but not me I mean! It would be you of course, but...I could..." Malfoy struggled for the right word, "teach...you, if you wanted..."

Hermione stared dumbstruck at the boy sitting across the table from her. Why the bloody hell would he want to help her? And why did he think she wanted revenge? Well, it wasn't a bad idea but... Malfoy?

"And...er...why do you think that I would want to make Ron...jealous?" Hermione asked.

Now, Malfoy seemed to be able to answer her question easily. "Well, the book you're reading was written by an old, famous Slytherin about getting revenge with his enemies. I've already read it and improved upon the ideas suggested." Malfoy grinned widely, proud of his evil scheme.

Hermione sat still, considering Malfoy's proposal. Her first thought was that there was no chance that she would take him up on his offer. Though she was mad at Ron, she still cared for him and getting even was not on her list of things-to-do. But as she thought about it more she couldn't help but feel a little bit excited at the prospect of making Ron jealous when, at the moment, she was burning with anger, betrayal, and perhaps a tad of jealousy herself.

Malfoy mistook her silence for unwillingness to accept his idea. "It was just a thought..." He stood up and began to walk away.

"Wait!" Hermione surprised herself and stood up too. Malfoy looked at her, a curious glint in his eyes. Against her better judgement, she asked, "W-what did you have in mind?"

"Really?"

Hermione nodded and pushed her chair in. She picked up the book and walked a few steps to stand beside Malfoy.

"Alright, Granger! I didn't think it was possible, but maybe you do have a mean bone in your body." Malfoy laughed and began plotting with Hermione, a genuine smile stretching across his face.

So there you go! Please R&R and I'll do my part to get the next chapters written and uploaded. Thanks for reading! 