Author's Note:

Okay so fanfiction formatting sucks ASS. It completely destroyed my chapter when I put it up – so, I took it down and decided to attempt to fix the formatting. No1dracolover—thanks for the review about it, please tell me if it's better this time! I had to paste it directly into the document editing fixture for it to work. Sigh. If anyone knows how to make the "" stay between scene cuts when I add chapters, please tell me, because it's apparently not letting me do it. I used the 'ruler'...but I don't like it much.

So yes, I took a while to post this chapter—there's a lot more of the same drama. But yes, don't worry; it leads somewhere—to the next chapter of course! Which I'm in the process of thinking about. My goal is to finish this story before I go back to school, so I can devote the rest of my fanfiction time to the other story that I started. There's actually another fanfiction that I have, that I've been meaning to post. It's technically a one-shot for now, but we'll see the interest in it when I get around to posting it.

For now, enjoy!

Chapter 10: Nothing is What It Seems

When Hermione and Ron had walked out of the portrait hole, they found Harry sitting on the ground, his back against the wall, and his head in his hands. Hermione immediately dropped to the ground and placed her hand on his shoulder. When he raised his head to look at her, his eyes looked almost dead. She told him to march his behind back upstairs and go back to bed. Quietly, so Ron didn't hear, she told him to meet her in the library after lunch (when they had a free period) and she would go over all the material that he had missed that morning. He smiled tiredly and thanked her.

When he stood up, he almost fell forwards, but Ron caught him immediately. When their eyes locked, Harry felt a stab in his side and he made a noise of protest and pushed Ron away. Ron felt beyond frustrated as he watched Harry walk back inside the Gryffindor Portrait hole.

He looked at Hermione helplessly.

She patted him on the shoulder as they began walking towards the Great Hall for lunch.

"Give it time," she whispered.

George was walking purposefully ahead of Fred, and Fred continued to call out to him as they walked down the stairs.

"Oy George, wait up!" George tried his best to get a grip on his emotions, but he felt like they had gone permanently out of whack and refused to cooperate.

Finally, when Fred caught up to him, George had collected bits and pieces of his sanity together and decided to fully attempt to be civil, and yes, even like his usual self, to his twin.

"Hullo," George said quietly, as Fred caught his breath. Fred kept giving him sideways glances that were getting on George's nerves. But he controlled himself.

"Are you alright?" Fred asked cautiously.

"Of course!" George blurted out merrily, throwing an arm around his brother. "Hungry?"

Fred was too eager for everything to be alright to notice the sudden shift in George's behaviour and immediately threw his arm around George's shoulders.

Unfortunately, Fred didn't notice the grimace that graced George's features when he did so.

When the group of them had come out from lunch, Hermione had disappeared to the library without warning. Yet her purpose was to meet up with Harry—among other things.

Upon arrival, she found the section she had been previously searching through and took out all the books and placed them on the desk beside her. After doing that, she took out her Transfiguration and Charms textbook. She had seen Harry perform the transfiguration of the amphibian, and she also knew that Harry could master the charm they learned today in class easily. That was not the actual reason she had offered to get him caught up on the lessons. The real reason was the books that she had already laid out on the table from the library's own collection.

They were the books that discussed her current predicament with Malfoy. She wanted Harry's advice on what to do, and if he knew any of Malfoy's reactions or effects he was experiencing from the aftermath of the cosmetic.

Hermione took a deep breath and gazed out the window.

Harry would be there any minute.

Harry, who had taken his invisibility cloak with him after waking up for his second nap of the day, ventured out of Gryffindor Tower and down the stairs.

He could hear the entire conversation from where he stood as he descended the stairs, and he felt his previous energy he had gained from his nap begin to slip out of him in waves, leaving only enough energy for him to just...walk.

And walk he did; down the stairs, towards the group of people he had also been so close to. When he heard Malfoy say heatedly:

"I think Harry's been keeping secrets from you, Ron,"

he immediately responded with something that would throw the blond off,

"I've also been keeping secrets from you, Draco."

The use of Malfoy's first name had been enough to startle him (and the rest of them to be sure). Harry knew that Ron had been hurt from how distanced he acted, and the aloofness of his tone.

Harry was so tired. He just wanted to avoid all of them. When he slipped the invisibility cloak on, he ventured down the stairs away from them. He reached the door and opened it, only to remember that he had a meeting with Hermione. He cursed at his own forgetfulness and shut the door, making a beeline for the library.

When he got there, he looked around for the brown haired girl, and found her looking out the window, books littered all over the table. He sat down on the chair in front of her and slipped off the invisibility cloak. Hermione's features didn't even register surprise.

"Harry, before we go over your lessons, I need to talk to you about something."

Harry had already prepared himself for this.

"About Malfoy?"

Hermione nodded. "More specifically, the effects of the lipstick."

Harry's face seemed to look even more exhausted, if that were even possible. "You both have been thinking about each other a lot."

Hermione blinked. She was surprised she didn't even have to ask him about Malfoy's reactions to the potion.

"I think it's only a side effect of the potion."

"Oh do you?"

The tone in Harry's voice startled Hermione deeply. Instead of tired, he sounded perversely amused.

"Harry?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly.

"Hermione, don't give me that crap about it just being the potion. If you want my advice, here it is: you both like each other. It's obvious that you both like each other. There's nothing stopping you from being together and don't give me any excuses about him being a son of a Death Eater. Who cares? You only live once. And you should be happy that you've found someone who feels the same way about you. Because, and believe me, one sided things like that are not fun."

Harry had already stood up in the middle of his rant. When he had finished, he had turned on his heel and threw his invisibility cloak over his head and left the library. Hermione's mouth was hanging open, her face a mixture of confusion and incredulity.

What the hell had gotten into Harry? 'One sided things'? What on earth…

He hadn't even let her explain about the bond that Malfoy and her shared and that is what she needed his advice about. She had researched it to a further extent and found that not only did it draw them closer to each other but, if they kept at it at the rate they did, they would end up together...forever.

The sad thing about all of it was that that the lipstick had only been a catalyst for something that could have happened with any physical contact between them. Forbidden fruit. Classic case of Romeo and Juliet syndrome if she'd ever seen it.

Hermione had sent an owl to Professor Snape earlier that morning, asking him if he had discovered anything about the potion. She had seen him talking to the twins during lunch, and she waited on edge for a reply to her letter. Which was why she had been staring at the window.

The owl arrived then and Hermione flew to the window and opened it, taking the letter from its beak. She pulled out a biscuit from her pocket and gave it to owl. It hooted happily in reply and flew off towards the Owlery.

Hermione ripped open the envelope as she walked back towards the desk. She scanned down the piece of parchment, reading Snape's familiar spidery black scrawl.

Miss Granger,

I have attained the information that Potter asked me to retrieve for you. I ask you to execute extreme caution with this information (and to please not mention it to Potter).

I'm sure you are familiar with Ashwinder eggs, which are a common ingredient found in most love potions. The Weasley twins seemed to have retrieved their egg from a source that I am most disturbed to claim to be Lucius Malfoy. I know this may be alarming but neither of them realized whom he was, as he was disguised, using a Polyjuice Potion. This recent development has given me the impression that the so called Ashwinder egg that they retrieved was not an authentic Ashwinder egg. I know Lucius has the means to afford one, but I also am aware he has the talents to find greater uses for it. To give it up for nothing, he could only have one motive.

I suspect that the egg was tampered with. The only thing I can do is to test the lipstick (which I will need from you shortly) and to speak with Lucius himself, under the pretense that I am merely a curious potion maker who is interested in the actual contents of the ingredients.

The only lead I can give you is Runespoor. If an Ashwinder and a Runespoor were to breed together, the results would be astronomical. It has never been done before, and I can only imagine that Lucius has had help from the Dark Lord to concoct such an abnormality.

If remnants of this egg were in this lipstick, I can only tell you this: you and Mr. Malfoy are not safe. You are both now being slowly controlled by the other's actions and emotions. These bonds are rare—and very powerful. I can only assume that the Dark Lord has the intention to use this bond against you both and manipulate you entirely to his side.

Continue your research, Miss Granger, for I know that is precisely what you are doing. Do not mention this to anyone—not even Mr. Malfoy. It will put you both in great danger if he has access to this information. The Dark Lord is an extremely talented Occulmens, as I'm sure you're already aware. Even with my instruction, Mr. Malfoy will be defenseless against the ever probing nature of the Dark Lord.

Respectfully,

SS

Hermione stared at the letter for a long time before the words became a blur to her.

A single tear dropped onto the page, smudging the ink. She realized then that she was very much alone.

She looked back to the window, her eyes clouded with despair.

There was only one open-mouthed stare in the company of the six individuals that stood in a deserted hallway on an upper floor of Hogwarts, not far off from the stairs.

Ron Weasley looked shell-shocked in the pale light of the hallway, as he gazed at the blond Slytherin who was panting heavily with repressed emotion. His eyes glittered maliciously at the red head, who seemed as if the world gone out from under him.

Fred was looking at his twin, his face clouded with something akin to mounting horror as he noticed George's face twist in disgust and anger. He figured the truth was bound to come out sooner or later. He knew that his younger brother would take the news even more harshly than George however.

He had been in the dark about it the whole time after all.

"W-what? What the bloody hell are you on about, Malfoy?"

Malfoy only smirked in response.

"You--" Ron stopped and looked around at his siblings.

Ginny bit her lip uncomfortably; Fred did everything to avoid Ron's gaze, and George--He was still staring hatefully at Malfoy, as though, by some wandless magic of his own, he'd cause the Slytherin to spontaneously combust.

There was certainly trouble in Weasley harmony indeed.

And Malfoy was soaking it up.

"So Weasel--Surprised? You shouldn't be. Who else better fitting for Potter to go to for the best fuck of his life than none other than Draco Malfoy?"

Ron looked as if he would throw up any minute.

"Harry w-would n-never..." Ron was stuttering over his own words, the anger pouring out of him in waves. If one looked closely, they would see steam exuding from his ears. Draco would never forget the look on his face just then, nor the look in his eyes when they shifted to the sound of approaching footsteps.

When Harry appeared from basically out of thin air, everyone seemed to stop breathing. Ron's eyes were frantic as they looked at Harry. But Harry's face remained expressionless, as though he chose to remain unaware to what was going on.

"It's not true!" Ron burst out, shooting past Malfoy, strolling purposefully forward till he reached Harry. Harry looked at him in shock for a moment before he slowly turned his head to look at Malfoy over Ron's shoulder.

Malfoy had turned his body to follow Weasley's movement, so his eyes had locked with Harry's the moment he had glanced his way. Malfoy's smirk had disappeared from his face when he saw Harry's eyes flash with rage. He took a step backwards, only to be cut off by Ginny, who steadfastly stood in his way. He could feel the girl's wand digging into his back.

"What isn't true?" Harry asked quietly, his voice soothing.

Ron's face had held many expressions in his lifetime. All in varrying degrees of anger, embarassment, confusion, hatred, and affection. But the expression he wore now was unlike Harry had ever seen. It was a look of immense pain, suffering, sadness, desperation and longing. Harry had no idea what to think.

"About you...and Malfoy."

"What about me and Malfoy?"

Ron grimaced when he replied. "About you and Malfoy...sleeping together."

Harry said nothing.

"Harry?" The tone of his voice was the same as it had been when they were young; when Ron called to him for help, to save him from whatever horror lay ahead. But Harry had no help to offer him then; he remained aloof and silent as he stared at Ron, who seemed to be crumpling before his eyes.

"It's true," Harry whispered.

Ron almost took a step back from Harry, until Harry reached forward and grabbed onto his shoulders tightly.

"It doesn't change anything Ron--not one thing. You're still my best friend...you'll always be my best friend."

There was a brief moment when Harry thought that he had made things right; when he could see traces of the old Ron staring back at him through Ron's eyes. But that moment was broken when the red head's eyes shifted and turned so cold they seemed to flash dangerously at Harry.

Harry knew that he had lost, even before Ron's arms shot forward to shove him away violently, his voice echoing violently off the stone walls.

"I DON'T WANT TO BE YOUR BEST FRIEND!"

Before anyone registered what had happened, Ron whipped around and shot straight for Malfoy who had been too stunned by Ron's outburst to prepare for the sudden attack. Ron's fingers had balled into a fist and swung roughly forward before Malfoy had time to even blink. The force of the blow had been so hard that it knocked him roughly into Ginny's wand, almost piercing his skin, and sent them both flying backwards into a portrait that hung on the wall. There was a crash and the portrait came off the wall, landing on Malfoy's legs. Ginny had managed to roll out of the way in time.

Ron's grin was feral as he gazed down at Malfoy before turning on his twin brothers.

"You all knew and didn't TELL me! I'm just Harry Potter's bloody sidekick! Well I'll show YOU just how powerful I can be!"

Ron whipped out his wand and pointed it at his twins. George shoved Fred forward, blocking the impact of the curse just as a black shadow burst out of the tip of Ron's wand and shot straight forward into Fred's stomach. Fred doubled over in pain; his body shaking uncontrollably.

George looked down at Fred and pointed his wand at him.

"Finite Incantantum."

When Fred stopped moving, he opened his eyes and looked up at George.

"How could you...just..."

"Let you suffer the whole curse? Easily. I heard what you did with Harry--how could you think I wouldn't find out?" George hissed, brandishing his wand. Fred cringed and attempted to cover his head.

"What did he do with Harry?" Ron asked, also pointing his wand down at Fred.

Harry growled, looking from Malfoy, to Ginny, to Fred in all of one second, before stepping forward angrily.

"Nothing, Ron. Fred just came to apologize to me for the whole Charms incident. Remember? When I got hurt?"

Ron ignored Harry, staring at George.

"Well?"

George sneered down at his brother.

"I told him to go apologize to Harry for basically almost killing him. So he went. I followed him, to make sure he actually apologized. When I got there, he was doing something he shouldn't have been."

"What was he doing?" Ron said impatiently, flicking his wand as though he'd use it on George.

"TOUCHING SOMETHING THAT WASN'T HIS!" George's foot shot forward, kicking Fred in the side. It hadn't been deliberately hard, but it was enough to make Fred squirm away from him.

"George, that's enough," Harry said forcefully, kneeling down beside Fred. "He's your twin for Merlin's sake."

"Exactly. My own twin betrayed me!"

"Betray you? Are you mad?" Harry asked, glaring up at George.

"I heard it!" George shouted. "He knows that I love you, and he went and--"

George cut himself off, biting down on his bottom lip roughly. Harry let out a slow breath, the anger fading immediately.

"George...I didn't know."

George nodded, and swallowed painfully, staring down at the floor.

"Oh so Malfoy wasn't enough then, Harry? Had to go and have Fred too? You don't care who you hurt, as long as you get something out of it!"

"Shut up Weasley, you're full of it."

They all turned to look at Malfoy. Ginny had cast a healing charm on him and he was finally able to stand. The whole side of his face was swollen and Ginny was currently attempting to make the swelling go down.

"Stay out of this Malfoy. I don't know what spell you put Harry under to get him to do anything with you, but when I find out, I'm going straight to Dumbledore--"

"He knows," Draco said quietly.

Ron goggled at him and turned to Harry, who had helped Fred up. Harry looked away from Ron, running his wand over Fred's body, checking for damages.

"Dumbledore let you put a spell on Harry? Have you all gone mad--?"

"No you dunderhead! Dumbledore knows about Potter and I--us--together."

Ron sneered. "Together? So you're a couple then?"

"No!" Harry said hatefully, glaring at Malfoy.

Ron looked back and forth between the two.

"So you're fucking but not a couple?"

"NO!" Harry and Malfoy shouted at the same time.

Ron looked angry. "You're lying! George! Tell me what's going on!" Ron yelled, looking to George for the answers.

George sneered. "What do I know anymore? When my own twin betrays me!"

Harry stood up and shoved George as hard as possible. "Aren't you listening? Fred and I did nothing. I was dreaming," Harry forced himself to say, "and Fred walked in on me; he thought I was in pain, I was moaning like I was about to die. In my sleep, I started rutting against his leg and I'm sure he was too surprised to do anything. I came against him, right when I opened my eyes, it was Fred. If you heard me shout Fred's name, it just me surprised to see him there."

George looked torn for a second before asking petulantly, "But I heard him shouting your name! Explain that."

"I was trying to wake him up," Fred said dully, his eyes sad.

George looked like he had the wind knocked out of him. He realized how paranoid he had become, what with this thing with Malfoy and everything else surrounding Harry. He stared at the floor for a moment before kneeling besides his twin.

"Merlin, Fred…" George's voice was soft and he sounded as though he were about to cry.

"'S'alright. People do crazy things…when they're in love."

George cracked a smile and the twins immediately hugged each other. Fred winced and George immediately apologized.

Ron made an odd sound and the twins and Harry looked at him.

"What were you dreaming about Harry?" The question was so quiet, but in the stillness, everyone seemed to have heard it. And everyone was looking at Harry—

—Whose face was the colour of Ron's hair.

"I really don't see how that's any of your business—"

"You lie to me about Malfoy, and you're just going to keep on lying to me, aren't you!"

"For god's sake Weasley, he was having a wet dream. Does Potter tell you his wet dreams?"

This comment seemed to upset Ron so much that he walked back over to Malfoy and kicked him.

"Oy!" shouted Harry, stepping over to Ron, Malfoy and Ginny, who was shaking her head at Ron. "What do you think you're doing? He has a point."

"That doesn't make him alright in my books," Ron said in an argumentative tone. "Is Hermione still in the library?" Ron asked, looking around, as though she might appear.

"Yah," answered Harry unthinkingly.

Ron narrowed his eyes at him. "And how would you know about that? You weren't even here when she went!"

"I uh…realized I needed to get something from the library and saw her there."

"We saw the door open," Malfoy said quietly, gazing at Harry, as though he too mistrusted him.

"That's when I remembered!" Harry replied hotly, glaring at them both. Malfoy and Ron continued to stare at him, waiting for some other explanation, as though he actually had one to give. Harry cursed silently and clenched his hands. What did it matter to them anyway? He had said he wanted to be alone and then went to the library to speak to Hermione, so what? As if it was any of their business.

"Hermione told me to meet her there. She wanted to go over lessons with me," Harry said, trying to control his emotions.

"You're lying!" Ron shouted, jabbing his wand at Malfoy, as though it was he who was causing Harry to lie.

"He isn't," a quiet voice said from the stairs. It was Hermione. Ron's head snapped towards her immediately. Her eyes were red, and her face pale in the dimming light of the hallway. She walked towards the group and looked around. She noticed how Fred held his body awkwardly against George, along with Malfoy's bruised face.

She looked at Ron. "What have you done?"

Ron sputtered indignantly. "What makes you think that I did it?"

"Malfoy wouldn't be stupid enough to take all of you on. Besides, Harry's wand isn't even drawn." Ron looked to Harry's hands, which were obviously empty and curled into fists. Ron's shoulders shook slightly in barely repressed anger.

"Yah well. Malfoy provoked me."

"Doesn't he always?" Hermione asked as she walked towards Malfoy. She withdrew her wand and Malfoy stepped away from Ginny immediately, tilting his head back. Hermione waved her wand and whispered a few spells and Malfoy's face was restored to normal. Malfoy shivered when he felt Hermione's spell wash through him and he tried to hide it be stepping forwards to glare hatefully at Ron.

"Honestly Weasley, after years of all of this bullshit, can't you learn to control your anger?"

"Why you little—"

"Enough!" shouted Harry, stepping between Draco and Ron. "I've had it with this constant bickering and rivalry. Ron—" Harry said abruptly, turning to face the red head, "Malfoy and I have come to some sort of truce, alright? There's a bloody war going on. We don't have time to deal with these petty arguments."

"You say that now, Harry! But you and him…you…" Ron trailed off, looking physically ill. Hermione's eyes widened.

"He knows?"

Ron reacted so violently to Hermione's comment that he shot right past Harry and straight into Malfoy, knocking him to the ground once more.

"YOU RUINED EVERYTHING!" Hands and feet were flying everywhere. Harry, Ginny and Hermione got to them first, while Fred and George ran up to the pair of them. Curses were flying everywhere; it was only thanks to Ron's uncontrollable anger that each one managed to miss everyone they happened to be flung at. Finally, Malfoy and Ron were ripped apart. Malfoy's nose was bleeding and his eye already seemed to be swollen again. Hermione rushed over to him and started the healing charms again when a voice that came from the shadows startled them all to stillness.

"What is going on here?"

Harry swallowed slowly and turned around. It was Snape. Malfoy stepped away from the twins who were holding him out of Ron's grasp, while Harry had his arms woven tightly around Ron, who had gone limp at the sight of Snape, his eyes wide and alert. Harry could sense that Ron's guilt had already slipped its way through his system and he could feel Ron about to step forward and address Snape. Harry immediately let go of Ron and stepped in front of him.

"I attacked Malfoy sir." The others looked at him quietly. Hermione ignored Snape, cleaned the blood of Malfoy's face, healed his nose, and applied a cooling charm to his right eye where he had been hit. Snape was silent for a moment before he spoke softly,

"20 points—" and they all cringed, knowing they'd probably lose 20 points each because it was Snape and that's what Snape did… "—to Gryffindor."

They all stared. Draco didn't even react to the statement. He was staring intently into Hermione's eyes.

"To Miss Granger. Not many students can cast medical spells as adept as Poppy's. You may, however, want to escort Mr. Malfoy to the hospital wing, to see if any other damages have been done." Hermione nodded her head slightly in acknowledgement.

"Come with me, Malfoy." Immediately, the blond boy stepped forward and followed Hermione to the staircase that would lead them to the Hospital Wing. Malfoy looked back at Harry with an intense stare. Harry watched him leave, before returning his attention to Snape. Ron watched the exchange, feeling as though he swallowed a pound of lead.

"Now Potter. About you attacking Mr. Malfoy…"

"Yes, sir. I broke his nose."

Snape raised an eyebrow at him. "Then why were you holding Mr. Weasley when I arrived?"

Harry flushed and realized his mistake. "I…uh…" Snape sneered at him and turned his gaze on Ron.

"25 points from Gryffindor for its obvious disrespect for other students, and…" Snape trailed off, looking at Harry, "pathetic attempt at heroics. Detention, Potter. Come with me." Snape spun on his heel and began walking down the corridor.

Harry took a deep breath before following after Snape, feeling his insides constrict with anxiety. Ron took a step after him and took his arm. Harry turned around and came face to face with Ron.

"You didn't have to do that," Ron said quietly. Harry looked at him, his eyes questioning.

"That's what friends do. They stand up for each other."

Ron was silent and then, in a cold, resolute tone he replied, "Friends don't lie to each other." He then turned and walked off in the other direction, ignoring his siblings as he went. Harry watched him, his eyes observing the proud tilt of his head and the way his hands clenched tightly at his sides. It was fourth year all over again. But so much worse, in ways that Harry couldn't even begin to contemplate. He only hoped that, in time, things would work themselves out.

"Now, Potter!" Harry turned, his eyes to the ground, and began following Snape, wishing that he had never gotten involved with Malfoy.

"Hope you're both alright," Harry mumbled to the twins quietly, giving Ginny a small wave as he disappeared into the shadows.

The twins and their younger sister watched him go. Fred and George looked at each other, their faces twisted into a grimace. They suddenly felt that there was a great deal more going on than they realized. George lowered his head and covered his face with his hands.

"What the hell is going on?" he whispered to no one in particular, his shoulders heaving with exhaustion. Fred wrapped an arm around his brother as Ginny watched them quietly. Fred had absolutely no idea how to answer his brother, for he was in the dark about everything as well.

"Still," Fred thought, steering George towards Gryffindor tower, "I intend to find out."

Please review!

Madi Black