Chapter 4 - Let the Tricking Begin

A week later, Draco and Hermione agreed it would be to suspicious the next day, their "relationship" came out in the open as they walked, hand in hand, into the Great Hall, all talk stopped as spoons, forks, and knifes dropped on to plates in a huge clatter of metal on glass plates, even the teachers looked shocked, eyes wide. Then there was a large uproar of shouting Slythreins and Gryffindors, both houses accusing them of being a traitor, the only ones not yelling at the two tables were the two Heads' best friends, Ginny and Blaise Zabini. The two had told them the plan, and as the two tables roared at the two, the tuned them out a bit as the separately thought of the memory of telling their best friend the plan.

Hermione hesitantly knocked on the door leading to Ginny's room the second day of school after classes, "Hey Ginny, can I come in?", she had asked.

Ginny had called out from the other side of the door, "Sure, come on in Hermione!"

Hermione had opened the door and shut it quickly, her nerves on end, then she sat down on a random bed in the room, "Ginny, I need to tell you something, but you need to have a open mind when I tell you."

Ginny had looked at her in suspicion, "What is it, Hermione? I promise I'll keep an open mind, best as I can."

Hermione had taken a deep breath and lunched into Draco's idea, as she talked Ginny had a small smile growing on her face, finally Ginny spoke, "How do you know you can trust him? I mean, this is MALFOY we're talking about."

Hermione had bit her lip, "He told me somethings about his past that made me feel his words were true and that he would help."

Ginny had hesitated for a minute, but then had said, "Ok Hermione, if you feel you can trust him then I'll help. I'll tell Ron the most outrageous stories about you and Malfoy, and I'll explain it to Harry to you, if you'd like. He's taking your side in the fight, after all."

Hermione had grinned and her loving best friend, "Thanks Ginny", she said giving her a hug, "I really appreciate it." Ginny had just hugged her back in response.

Draco, meanwhile when Hermione had been remembering her encounter with Ginny, her remembered him explaining it to Blaise, the only one Draco could feel he could trust in Slythrin, and he hadn't been a Death Eater.

Draco had been lounging in the Slythrin Common Room, which was empty, with Blaise. Draco had been thinking of how to broach the subject when his friend had interrupted his thoughts, "Drake, what's on your mind? I can see the gears of your brain running furiously from here."

Draco had smirked his famous smirk at him, "I'm doing something very un-Slythrin, my dad would kill me if he knew."

Blaise leaned forward, instantly interested, "What's up, Drake? What'd you do?"

Draco knew he had his friend hooked, so he made a show of preparing to tell, being very slow about it until Blaise had glared at him in annoyance, then he went on to explain, "Well you know how Granger and the Weasel were together? Well they broke up, and I don't know, I just felt this NEED to help her. So I offered to help her make the stupid Weasel jealous."

Blaise's eye were wide with shock, "How are you going to help her?"

Draco grinned at his friend, "Fake dating, of course, a few kisses here, a hand holding there, and BAM rumors everywhere and a bunch making it back to the Weasel."

Blaise looked impressed, "That muggleborn Granger IS pretty cute, good job Drake, and angering Weasely in the process? Nice, very nice."

Draco looked at his friend, shocked, "Her? Cute? Yeah, right. She's just a, a mud- muggleborn, not worthy of me in reality."

Blaise raised an elegant brow at him, "You sure you don't think that she's nice to look at at ALL?"

Draco looked at his friend and then said slowly, "Well, maybe a little, but not worthy of me still."

Blaise just looked at his friend, "Right, Drake. Whatever helps you sleep at night."

Both Draco and Hermione snapped into reality, the students of all 4 of the tables shouting threats and glaring at their joined hands with hostility. Hermione slipped her hand out of his and calmly walked to the angry Gryffindor table. Draco followed suit and headed to the murderous looking Slythrins, sliding onto the bench next to Blaise. "So," Draco started, talking to Blaise, "How you today?"

Blaise smirked, "Wonderful, Drake. How are you and your new girlfriend?"

Draco smirked in return as he answered his friend, "We are lovely, already snogged.", he lied smoothly.

Blaise snickered and at the Gryffindor table her fellow "8th-years" were screaming at her.

Dean shouted, "What happened to Ron, Hermione? He's going to flip."

That's the point, Hermione thought. Aloud Hermione said, "Ron and me broke up the day before I came here. He was paranoid about Head Boy and Girl sharing a dorm and bathroom. When I got to my common room that first night I was crying and Draco comforted me and it just.. went from there."

Seamus looked at her sceptically, "You're not under a spell or curse?"

Hermione smiled, "I'm positive.", it worried her sometimes about how well she could lie.

Lavender ran up and gushed, "Oh my god, Hermione! Maybe you and Draco could have a double date with me and Ron!"

Hermione covered her wince, "You two are dating again? Since when?"

"Since the night before school! He owled me saying he wanted me back and I was sooo happy to accept!", Lavender gushed totally unaware of Hermione's rising need to hide and cry somewhere.

Hermione said, struggling to keep her voice from cracking, "I, um forgot something in my room, be right back", she then rushed out of the room, holding back her tears.

Seeing her rushing out of the hall, Draco got back and quickly followed her, she was heading back to the Common Room.

Hermione collapsed onto the couch, tears now streaming freely down her face. Draco walked in not to long after and sat at her feet, stroking her shaking back in calming circles. He could feel rage building up in him for whoever had made her fall into such a state, she was always so strong and here she was, bawling her eyes out. He could figure out what had set her off, Ron. Once she had calmed down a bit he asked her, "What made you so upset?"

Hermione confirmed his suspicions, "Ro- Ron started dating La- Lavender as soon as me and hi- him broke u- up."

Draco swore, "I should kill that jerk for hurting you so badly."

Hermione looked up at him, her brown eyes bloodstained from crying, "Why do you eve- even care, Mal- Malfoy?"

Draco looked at her, and thought, where was this rage coming from? And this need to help her? "I don- don't really know. But, I do care.", he answered honestly. He was scared he may have began to fall for the one girl that would get him killed if he and her started dating for real.

Hermione looked at his eyes and the look in them was similar to the one Harry had in his eye when he looked at Ginny. It scared her to death. Was Mal- Draco in love with her? That couldn't be, he couldn't love, he was a heartless ex- Death Eater, but deep down it felt like she was trying to convince herself of that because she was falling for him too.