Chapter 30

Draco wanted to run out of the room after them. This was very far outside his idea of a fun evening.

What the hell was he supposed to do again? Call a truce? Explain that he wasn't using Hermione? Ugh…why should Potter have to understand that? Who died and made him king of the world…oh, right.

Draco cleared his throat. Harry glared at him, still not sitting down. Neither of them moved for a while, and Draco sighed.

"Look, I hate you…"

"Nice start to this conversation. I hate you too." Harry nodded. It was almost comical how calmly they both said that. It didn't bode well for the rest of the conversation.

"…but, I'm not being given a choice here. Look, you can't stay mad at Hermione, because for some reason it makes her upset…"

"I'm not mad at Hermione." Harry growled, clenching his fists. "I'm disappointed that she would be stupid enough to fall for your crap, yes, but I'm only angry with you."

Draco felt his face flush with anger. "What are you talking about? Just what are you implying? That I'm tricking her? Oh, right, cause she's really that stupid. She's a big girl; she can take care of herself and make her own decisions. She trusts me, so who the fuck are you to say I'm lying to her?"

"I'm her friend, and for some reason she seems to have forgotten just what you are!" he yelled back. He took a deep breath, and lowered his voice. "I had three thoughts when we found Hermione trapped by you. One: That you had forced yourself on her. If she had even implied that that was the case, we would have wiped the floor with you. But she seemed fine, even after you said something to her that made her kiss you. I thought maybe she was too embarrassed to admit it, but that wasn't it, either…" He sat down in a chair next to the couch, and Draco took his own seat again. He was feeling outraged at this attack on his character, but was counting backwards from 10…

"My second thought, of course, was that you had lied to her to sleep with her. Maybe to piss me off, maybe just because you were bored; I don't know."

Draco was having trouble counting. Screw it. "How full of yourself can you be?! I can't-"

Harry cut him off. "You're one to talk. Anyways, it brings me back to my third thought and conclusion." He narrowed his eyes. "You're a sneaky bastard. You had it all figured out. If your side won, great. But just in case you lost…"

"Great. Your saying that I somehow manipulated Hermione so she'd help me out if the Dark Lord kicked the bucket."

Harry just glared at him.

"I didn't plan this!"

"You were certainly quick to hide behind her skirt the minute death eaters were being rounded up."

Draco was pissed, but he just couldn't find the words to refute that.

"So, having her on your side gives you access to me and my testimony for your trial…"

"Oh, right, it always leads back to you, doesn't it?" He sneered. "I'll have you know that I would never ask for your help. That was her. It was a favor she was asking of you."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Like I said, for some reason she seems attached to you. She doesn't see that you're using her…"

"I am NOT using her, ok? Just like my trial, I have no evidence for this, either, but it's true! I can't explain to you how appalled I am that I have to explain this to you, of all people!"

Harry laughed. "Very nice, Malfoy. You're not convincing me to believe your scheme; it's impossible. Drop it." He leaned in closer to Draco. "And leave her alone. If you hurt her, I know many people who can help make your life hell…"

"I'm going to Azkaban, aren't I? What's more like hell?"

Harry stared.

"Yeah, forgot about that, right? Why would I be with Hermione if her testimony isn't enough evidence to keep me out of prison? If you don't testify, then my "scheme" falls apart. So, all-knowing one, tell me why I'm still here?"

"Here, now? Trying to convince me to testify for you, of course! Do you think I'm an idiot? Circular logic!"

Both boys were on the edge of their seats, moments from jumping up and having at it.

Draco took a deep breath. If he didn't do this…would Hermione just give up on him?

"Who would she choose…" he wondered aloud.

"What?"

Draco shook his head. He hadn't meant to say it out loud. "Just wondering if Hermione would give up on me if it meant losing her friends. My bet is that she would feel bad about it, but that she would. She would also never fully forgive either of us for making her choose."

Harry glared. Then sighed. Then glared again. "I think she'd figure out your game and get over you."

"Don't you get it? Even if you don't believe me about my intentions in all this, you should at least know that she's….she's in love with me, ok?" He stood up and walked towards the window, peering around the curtains. He was not about to look at Harry as he said what comes next. "I'm…er…inlovewithhertoo." He said the last as fast as possible.

Neither of them said anything for a while. Harry stood up suddenly, and walked to the kitchen.

***

Ginny and Hermione had heard the louder bits and pieces, of course, but had been trying hard to ignore the living room as much as possible. Hermione felt so embarrassed she wanted to crawl under the table. Harry and Draco alone? Draco explaining the situation to Harry? This was just a very, very bad idea…Ginny was over-estimating their maturity.

Harry burst into the room very suddenly and held his hand out to Ginny.

Ginny looked casually from the outstretched hand to his face. "I'm sorry; you expect me to give back your wand now?"

Harry glared.

Draco glided into the room, trying his best to look cool and aloft. Not at all agitated, right? Look who's the calm one, right?

Inside, he wanted nothing better than to curse Harry into next week.

Ginny sighed. "I'll give you back your wands, but Harry…" She gazed up at him. "I swear I won't…" she broke off, looking at Hermione and Draco. She stood up and whispered something in Harry's ear. "…for a loooong time, if you go all childish on me."

Harry blushed violently and coughed. "On second thought, I don't need my wand back. I'd end up using it if I had it."

"Yeah, again, gross. Whatever, I said my piece. I don't know what else you want me to do." Draco slumped into the chair next to Hermione's. She gave him a worried look.

Harry sat next to Ginny, keeping as much distanced as possible between himself and Draco. To make a point, Draco backed his own chair away from the table, adding to the distance.

Ginny sighed. "Well…this was a bust…"

"Just what did you hope to accomplish?" Harry asked angrily.

She calmly looked at him. "I was hoping you could get over your dislike of Draco enough to see that he doesn't deserve Azkaban, as you know well enough. Just because he's with Hermione doesn't make him any more guilty of the crimes he's being accused of. And, I was hoping you see that this trial business is hurting Hermione."

Hermione sloshed her coffee onto her dress. She used her wand to clean it up, fumbling.

Harry looked at Hermione, thinking. His head dropped. "I'm sorry, Hermione. None of this is your fault, afterall…"

"But…this isn't Draco's fault, either." She answered.

Harry glared at Draco, then tried to hold in his anger and turn gentle eyes back to Hermione. "I don't agree. Hermione, use your brain. You're so smart; how is it that you can't see what he's doing?"

"Love is blind." Said Ginny with a grin, sipping her coffee.

"Your not helping." Hermione said to Ginny, then turned to Harry. "He's not doing anything wrong. Without him, I'd be dead. But more than that…I like being with him. I like talking with him, and I like that he always seems to do just the right thing when I'm upset. He has helped me get through the past two days just by being here…" Her voice held a world of sadness. It had been hard.

"I guess I haven't been much help." Harry said, somewhat sheepishly. "But him? Good god, Hermione! He's…Malfoy." Harry looked like he would be sick. "But…he was forced to do the things he's accused of…but not imperiused. I don't know what he deserves, but I can't just let them throw away his case…"

Ginny piped up. "But, you'd rather him get off free than go to Azkaban for a crime he's not responsible for. Look at him; how long do you think he'd last among the dementors?"

Harry sighed. "I…I'll help. But I have a condition."

Draco groaned. That sounded familiar. Did he really have to work this hard to get the help of his enemy? Ugh…

Harry continued. "I want you to stop this game, Malfoy."

"Game? There is no game, like I've been saying again and again!"

"Fine! Then prove it!"

"How the hell do I prove it?"

Harry's eyes narrowed. "You know very well."

Hermione gasped. "Veratiserum? But why? I don't get it. You're the one who had the visions. With your testimony, we won't need to resort to Veratiserum…no one should be forced to do that in front of a court…"

"I don't mean in front of a court. And I don't mean to find out the truth about his crimes during the war." Harry looked at Draco. "I want to know what he thinks he's doing with you. If he's telling the truth and nothings up, then I'll help. Actually, I'll help with the trial either way, but if he is using you…I'll be sure to take care of that on my own."