Harry Potter & The Perils of Hermione Granger

by D/H Shipper
 
 

Chapter 8
A Bunch of Bad News From Lucius
 

'Draco,

Mr. Parkinson and I have been planning upon our two great families to unite one day, and this is our chance. Mr. & Mrs. Parkinson have gladly offered their daughter's hand in marriage to you and our lineage. Don't wince, but be proud that you are to be part of an even greater plan that Our (soon to be our) Master offers. I shall discuss this with you later.

- Lucius Malfoy'
 

Draco sighed with relief, as his father hadn't found out about himself and Hermione and their short romance. Nor did he find out about yesterday's desperate attempt to end his own life. 'It was too good to be true, wasn't it?' He thought silently nodding his head 'yes' to his own question. 'Well maybe it's better this way. Harry's not going to put her in danger. But she might put him in danger if ...' Draco put the letter down, tucking it between his books so that if anyone searched his items he prayed that they would not find it.

Draco didn't want that information out in the open any sooner than it had to be. Though he regretted that he doubted that Hermione cared at him at all. Harry and company felt sympathy towards the young Slytherin and would only glare at him from a distance. Hermione stood in their midst, watching from a distance.

He still had the opportunity to speak with Hermione in Potions because she was his partner, but obviously with Professor Snape, Head of the Slytherin House and a very proud one at that, he couldn't very well speak about his personal and private feelings for her. Yet, something about that dungeon made Draco seem uneasy about saying anything - even though he was Professor Snape's favorite pupil.

**

Harry Potter, however, felt there was a difference in Hermione's every day behavior. He didn't suspect any cheating though, since Hermione hadn't been acting wierdly. She only was gazing out windows and day-dreaming in class way too much. One day, she even fell asleep in class and her objects were floating around her head like she had some strange gravitational force.

As if things couldn't be worse, Harry felt that the relationship between himself and Hermione wasn't meant to be. Though he didn't want to break Hermione's heart, and would often wonder if he was just worrying about nothing.

"Ron, Is there something different about Hermione?" Harry asked questioningly. He moved his own white bishop to capture a pawn. "She seems like she wants to stay in that room forever."

"I'll say!" Ron exclaimed, as one of his horses took Harry's bishop. "I asked her if I could copy her homework just one portion of it, and she just handed it over. It's not like her. I was expecting the whole lecture, but she just went ahead and gave it over." Ron tapped his fingers on the chess board, waiting for Harry to move.

"Anything more mysterious?" Harry asked, moving his pawn forward like he wasn't really into the game and was just there for the chat. Ron sighed, and pushed the chess board away.

"Harry, I can tell you're worried." Ron said, sympathetically. His dating life wasn't exactly alive at the moment, but of course there was always Lavender and Pavarti. Though Ron felt like they weren't exactly choice decisions.

"I know. Well strange things have been happening around Hermione. I caught her asleep in History of Magic, and well things were floating around her head. It freaks me out to think that her evil side is still there, after all the anguish we put through it." Harry explained before he continued. "Anyway, I have a feeling like Herm and I weren't supposed to be together by some wierd feeling. I don't know why I'm saying this! It's just really really wierd and even I can't explain it." Harry threw up his hands exasperatedly.

"So you think that the whole Harry and Hermione wasn't supposed to happen. But if that wasn't the case who is Hermione supposed to be with?" Ron asked, examining the chess set longingly.

"Don't give me a wierd look or anything, but I think she's supposed to be with Malfoy." Harry said, sighing loudly. Ron winced. "You're giving me the wierd look! Oh come on, Ron! You saw how in love she was with the guy! Don't act like you haven't seen her."

"Oh, I know. I was just thinking that you would be better for Hermione than Malfoy. But if you're uncomfortable, then why don't you tell her? She's our best friend and maybe we were only meant to be best friends." Harry grinned for the first time in days, thanked Ron, and dashed upstairs.

**

"Ginny, You're my best girl friend. I need your help." Hermione said, slowly and softly. Ginny nodded to tell her to continue without any words. "Well I like Draco and I'm going out with Harry. It doesn't feel right. He's my best friend and I wouldn't have it any other way so maybe we weren't supposed to be together."

"Plus remember what that spell said? The man who the plagued loved the most. Harry didn't use the knife! Draco did. Now you see what I mean? I've got to tell him! Draco thought I didn't care and he almost killed himself. Oh, Ginny! What am I supposed-" There was an abrupt knock at the door. "Come in!" 'Oh.. It's Harry.' She thought worriedly.

"Hey, Herm. Can I come in? I have to talk to you.. alone.." Harry said quickly. Ginny nodded and winked at Hermione and closed the door behind her.

"What do you want to talk about Harry?" 'He's going to break up with you..' Hermione cautioned herself, and sighed.

"Well about you and me." Harry started uncertainly. "Well I'm not sure if we are supposed to be together.. Maybe we should break up, I have a bad feeling about this. Not because of you but because of the past.."

"I think so too." Hermione said softly.

"I'll always love you, Herm. If anything happens to me, I want you to know that."

"As I will always love you, Harry. Always." Hermione tried to smile as Harry left her room, with a tear running down his cheek. "Always." She whispered again as she dried her tears and emerged from her Gryffindor Dormitories.

**

"Hey Granger." Draco greeted, but he was smiling even though he had recieved the message from his father. "I heard about your recent break up with Potter. I just wanted to say-"

"Don't say it, Draco." Hermione sighed. "Harry and I aren't exactly the perfect couple for each other right now. I don't know why, but there wasn't a spark. You know what I mean." Draco blushed as Hermione continued. "Well, I admitted that I still had a- you know-" Her voice became soft and hushed. "thing for you." Her voice regained her volume. "Well you know that now."

"Wow. Really?" Draco asked.

"Yes!" Hermione insisted. "I finally found out who I was meant to be with.. and it was you. Even Ginny admitted that I was happier when I was 'with' you, even though you are the Slytherin you are."

"There's something I should tell you too." Draco said quietly, a knot tightening in his stomach. "I'm going to be engaged." Draco looked down at his half-finished Potions Essay. "It wasn't my idea. It's an idiot one of my father's. He's got the idea that Pansy and I will be a good couple and could help bridge our families together." Hermione looked at him blankly- without any expression at all.

"I don't know what to say, Draco." Hermione said softly. She started to pack up her books and leave the library, but Draco grabbed her right hand.

"Please, Hermione. You mean a lot to me, especially since that night. Don't leave me like this! I need you." Draco begged desperately. At this point, he no longer looked like the Hogwarts School bully. If Hermione would have thought in the past that at this moment, Draco Malfoy was begging her for her presence, she would have laughed the thought away. But matters like
this were serious.

"You know, Draco. I love you, but if it's your father's will what can I do to stop it?" Hermione took his hand in hers and sat back down. "I will always love you. You know that don't you? I've got a bond with you that I can have with no one else. Not Harry, Ron, or Ginny. We're lovers from the past."

"Would you still go out with me until it's official? I can't stand that prat Pansy!" Draco whined. Again came the hush from behind the bookshelves.

"Sure Draco!" Hermione's mood brightened. "Now it's official!"

**

"Alright students! Settle down!" Fred and George threw a piece of paper over at Crabbe and Goyle who were holding hands. "Settle down students." Professor Snape called, but no one listened. "Settle down or there will be a week's detention for
anyone who dares to speak again!" Professor Snape whirled and his face turned a very scarlet red. His ears turned pink as
well when he was angry.

"Hahaha!" Pansy screamed as she pounded her desk in laughter. Apparently she hadn't heard the Professor above her own din.

"Parkinson! As much as this pains me- See me after class for a week's detention." Snape said, disappointedly. Hermione glanced at Draco who was smiling smugly. "Now get with your partners and sit at the desks. You will take notes and then you shall preform the potion later." Professor Snape waved his wand and notes appeared on the Blackboard.

"Copy these directions for the Polyjuice Potion. The only reason I have to teach you this is because of the twits in the Ministry of Magic have added it as the Fifth Year Potions Requirements. If you are caught using a Polyjuice Potion, you will be suspended from Hogwarts - no questions asked."

Draco gluped. Last year, he'd used a Potion to turn into Cho Chang and ditch Harry Potter. Though Harry never knew it, Cho found out. Cho never found out who impersonated herself, though. 'Lucky me.' Draco thought sighing. He scrawled down the notes, as Professor Snape lectured on the good habits of cleanliness, which he noted that Crabbe and Goyle could have.

**

Draco placed two strands of Unicorn Hair into the cauldron. The green mixture didn't seem like it was the Polyjuice Potion, but it looked like the stuff from their Potions Books. "Alright, Herm. Drink up." Draco urged.

"No way!" Hermione wrinkled her nose in disgust. "You go first."

"Ahem, who said I would go first?"

"I did!" Hermione grinned.

"Alright. How about the same time?" Draco suggested.

"You've got my vote." Hermione agreed.

"One... Two.. Three.." They both emptied the viles down, and for a moment there was a wrenching pain in their stomachs. Hermione looked up to see her own reflection staring back at her.

Draco looked at Hermione oddly, then laughed. "I didn't know I was that handsome!" Draco exclaimed, Hermione pulled his now-long hair. Harry and Pansy came over, and grimaced.

Harry hit his forehead. "Hermione, You've got to change back. I can't stand to see Malfoy in you!" Harry mentally hit his forehead again. "I mean, You're not a Malfoy, and I just thought that you should change back.." 'Not yet.' Harry sighed silently.

Pansy looked at Harry oddly. "It's killing me to be the 'Boy who lived'!" She shrieked and ran around the room in terror of her new "reflection".

"Girls.." Harry rolled his brown eyes and grimaced.

"Hey!" Draco and Hermione shouted at the same time!

"I'm a girl at the moment! You shouldn't speak like that Potter! You're disgracing yourself." Harry groaned and nodded his head. Draco smiled smugly, and Harry admitted that Hermione did look rather sexy with that look on her face - one eyebrow arched, and the other relaxed.

"Yeah. I'll be a girl in fifteen minutes. Thank god. No offense, Draco." Hermione sat down on the lab chairs and felt her hair. It was smooth, but the thought of short hair sent shivers up her spine.

"None taken." Draco admitted. If there was anything wierder than being Hermione, it was being a teenage girl. It was a feeling foreign to him, and he was just curious as to what was under the robes, though he thought it would be cruel and decietful so he kept his hands where he could see them. "Potter, so how's it like to be a girl for once?"

"It's wierd." Harry answered after Hermione got up to find Ron. "Though I find it easier to talk to 'Hermione'."

"Not here. Sorry, Potter. Talking to Pansy Parkinson isn't exactly 'my thing'." Draco said apologetically.

**

Fifteen minutes later, the chaos in the Potions Dungeon was now settled. Professor Snape had finished laughing himself silly since Neville and Ron's potion had gone wrong. Their bodies had changed, but of course their heads remained on the right bodies. Ron looked like he needed to hit the tread-mill and excercise a little. Neville looked like he had gone anorexic, which was what made Professor Snape laugh so much because he had never seen Neville so "trim" as he put it.

It was to Ron's relief when his body fat went away and he went back to being good old, skinny Ron. Harry became himself again, and savored the time that he had with his friends. Draco had become his vain self again, and Hermione - well couldn't get over being a guy for that portion of time and well she retired to her dormitory early that night. Hogwarts wasn't going to be the same anymore.. After the body-changing, teenage body exchange that happened in fourth period Potions class that day.
 
 
 

Author's Note: No cliff-hangers. I might be gone without a computer to the Bahamas, but look forward to a rather serious chapter. I'd say kidnapping, action, and a teeny bit of romance in between. Look forward to Chapter Nine : Kidnapping, Friendship, and Lost Hope.

Thank you to everyone who reviewed ! From now on, I will post your name in the last chapter :) But I want you to know that every little bit counts! Thank you so much for your encouragement to finish. I sorta need a beta reader so please e-mail me at
Rebelchickxoxo@yahoo.com.
 

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Chapter 9