Disclaimer: none of the three of us own Harry Potter... yadda yadda yadda... all belongs to JK Rowling.... yadda yadda.... yeah you know the drill

~*Alternate Chapter 6*~
By: Harrys Gemini

Love, Hate, and the Weasley Twins

by Nickzchick and Daydreamer
 
 

Chapter 7
Alternate Ending
 

    "Ms. Granger, Mr. Potter, Mr. Malfoy, and Mr. Weasleys!" she shouted. "Explain what is going on here!"

    "Oga htnom knird s’yoflaM otni noitop evol emos deppils I dna derF," George started to confess. Professor McGonagall eyed him and Fred beadily and turned to Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Draco for an explanation.

    "Don’t ask me," Ron said. "I just woke up." He cast a wary glance and Hermione and Draco.

    "Well Professor McGonagall," Hermione explained, "It’s a very long and complicated story and perhaps we should get the twins to the hospital wing first.

    Professor McGonagall gave her a curt nod and listened to everyone’s version of the story on the way to the Hospital Wing, after all, it's a long way to walk.

    "Mr. Malfoy, what's your story?" Professor McGonagall asked him.

    "I suppose it started from the first night of the tutoring sessions. When some noise occured outside of the classroom, we went to check it out, after all, we are Prefects." Draco answered truthfully.

    "Hermione, is this true?"

    "Yes professor." Hermione answered, as she began to realize this.

    "Alright, thank you Mr. Malfoy. Hermione continue."

    "When we came out, there was no one out there, and I assumed it was probably Peeves.  Now that I think about it, Malfoy was still the Malfoy I've been dealing with for the past four years at this time."

    Then Draco interjected, catching on, and the boys and Professor McGonagall still listening, "Then, I drank from a glass of water that I had with me and I don't remember being hostile towards Granger, just being this sappy, lovesick person-"

    "Fool, you mean." Hermione teased, a loose smile forming on her face.

    "Hey! That's not nice!" Draco playfully retorted.

    Professor McGonagall, Ron and Harry watched the interaction with shock while the Twins listened, amused.

    "Go on." Hermione prodded. "Sounds right to me."

    "There's nothing to continue." Draco declared. He glanced at the Twins and looked at Hermione. "At least not for me. Why don't you take it from here."

    "Okay, nothing much happened for the past month except for your everyday presents, notes, trying to kiss me while we're alone, writing my name on your hand." At this, Draco made a face that sent Hermione giggling and Professor McGonagall barely being able to hide her laughter, Harry was about to laugh when Ron, absolutely infuriated, elbowed him hard which in turn caused him to wince in pain.

    "Yeah. Right, Except, that that Draco was the Love Potion infected Draco." Draco replied, obviously humored. Then saw Hermione with an eyebrow raised and catching on, he looked down at his hand. "I love Hermione Granger" Draco muttered, reading the scripture on the back on his hand, then quickly rubbing it off.

    "Anyway," Hermione said, continuing, "Today, when I finished lunch, I felt really sleepy and I passed out somewhere inside this castle. I don't remember anything after that except that when I came to, I was with Fred and George in an empty corridor." Hermione lied about the corridor part, not wanting to have the secret room busted. "I think that the boys could tell you what happened."

    Draco did not speak. But most of them looked at him. He then waved his wand at Fred, muttering "Finite incantatem."

    Fred came out of his petrified and slug barfing state, still weak but able to explain that part.

    "George was watching Hermione while I drank Polyjuice Potion and became Hermione for one hour. I went to the History of Magic classroom for the tutoring lesson. When I saw Malfoy in the hallway, I quickly told him that, as Hermione, I love him too. Ronniekins and Harry were passing by at the time, and they were obviously shocked. Ron then became angry, I think for being jealous, and started making trouble. A Wizard's Duel. At this time, I quickly made an exit as to the potion wearing off and came to the empty hallway on the other side of the castle. Then, Hermione woke up, we told her a true yet leaving out some parts story and she rushed off to tutor Malfoy."

    Fred stopped there and beckoned Harry to continue.

    "Oh, right. I didn't know anything but I told Hermione and Malfoy what happened and they figured out what Fred and George have done and sought revenge. That's the last bit."

    They finished the explanation, and all were afraid of the professor's reaction.  However, she didn’t seem so mad. Harry could have sworn that he saw a smile tug on the edges of her lips.

    She opened her mouth to ask Fred, "Why did you and George do this, Fred?"

    "As you know, we loved pranks, and we just thought that Hermione and Malfoy seemed the perfect guinea pigs for this."

    "What prank did you try to pull off?"

    "evol ni llaf seimene nrows owt ekam noitarepo" George declared proudly.

    "Huh?" All asked him except Fred who translated, "Operation: Make two sworn enemies fall in love."

    No one spoke after that.

    After they dropped Fred and George off at the hospital wing, Professor McGonagall whisked Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Draco off into the empty History of Magic classroom, yet again.

    "Even though what the Twins did is supposed to be for fun and laughter," she began in a strict disciplinarian tone. "The bad actions and accidental results deserve punishment.

    "Fred and George Weasley, have, I trust, learned their lesson considering their current predicament, so I will refrain from punishing them further. Mr. Potter is innocent of any wrongdoing and will also be pardoned, and I doubt that having a friendly chat with the result of the Serpensortia Spell is a crime nor a wrongdoing . Mr. Malfoy and Ms. Granger sought their revenge and broke rules simultaneously. 20 points from Gryffindor, 20 points from Slytherin, and a week of detentions. Mr. Ronald Weasley and Mr. Malfoy were dueling in the hallway. Mr. Weasley will receive a week of detention, and one more week of detentions for  Mr. Malfoy and 20 more points from both Gryffindor and Slytherin. That's all."

    She ended her speech and gave them all a patronizing glare. None of them were very happy except Harry who, finding the situation rather funny was struggling not to laugh in front of a teacher who was obviously in a mixture of bad and good mood and the unhappy and punished students.

    After Professor McGonagall dismissed them, Harry, Ron, and Hermione headed back to the common room. Ron and Hermione were very downcast at the prospect of a week of detentions. Harry on the other hand was busy preparing for the next day’s Quidditch match against Ravenclaw.

~

    "Hermione, it’s time to go to our detention." Ron told his friend.

    "Um, yeah. Where are we going?" she asked.

    "Professor McGonagall." Ron replied.

    "Hmmm." Hermione said as they walked down the corridor.

    "What no speech about how we broke the rules, and never to do it again?" He asked curiously.

    "No. After all that Fred and George did, they deserve all those curses and hexes. And you having a wizarding duel with Malfoy was well the best thing to do, to get him to snap out of it." Hermione said with a shuddered remembering Malfoy following her like a lost puppy.

    "And if you hadn’t I would have. I swear I was going to break in a little while."

    "You know I am so glad to hear that." Ron said unable to hide the happiness and relief from his tone.

    "Why?"

    "I was just afraid that you were going to fall for all the flowers, gifts, and love poems." He said with a shrug.

    Hermione laughed softly at this. "You think that is what is going to get me to fall in love?" she questioned.

    "Um, well I don’t know. Lavender was going on and on about this necklace Seamus gave her a couple of days ago." He said awkwardly.

    "Well I am not like her and you know that," she said with a smile as they made their way to Professor McGonagall’s classroom. 'Although,' Hermione thought to herself, 'it's not like Malfoy did that on his own accord. He was rather cute, even thought what he did is freaky.'

    "Well there you two are." The Professor said briskly as they entered. Malfoy gave them his usual glare. The pleasant attitude he had the night before was gone. "Mr. Weasley you will be filing papers here. Mr. Malfoy, and Ms. Granger you will go to Hagrid’s huts to get a batch of frogs, which will be use in my 6th year classes."

    They nodded as they made there way to their destination. There was a long silence between the two enemies as they made their way outside.

    "Listen Granger, you know all of that mushy stuff that I did was because of the love potion, right?" Malfoy said suddenly although, Hermione could notice a hint of unsureness in his voice.

    "Yes." Hermione replied.

    "Good, so everything is back to normal."

    "I guess so." she said slowly.

    Both of them could not help but think, "God what an awful conversation this is!"

    "Well," Draco started to say but stopped.

    "Well what?"

    Both of them stopped walking, and sat down on the steps that leads to the outside of the castle.

    "I don't, I don't feel any regret or embarrassment about what I did. And I'm not mad at the twins anymore. For doing whatever they did." Draco blurted out quickly. "And I don't think everything's just gonna be back to normal. Lucius- I mean my father will have my head for not going to pursue the Dark Arts and I don't know about the presents, it's not like I could return them or ask you to give them back. That would definitely be ungentleman of a guy. And-"

    "Shh." Hermione cut him off by hugging him. Which surpised them both. "You don't have to say anything, I don't think that everything is going back to normal too." She pulled back. "So what now?"

    "I don't know, Hermione." The name just rolled off his tongue like he had been saying it forever. He looked at her. No dreamy expression in them but his eyes did not hold any of the cold expressions in them either. He's just looking at her, like a normal person would do. The first time they see each other.

    "I don't know either, Draco." Hermione told him. "Do we go back to hating each other? For whatever reason?"

    "No. I don't think I could do that. Lucius told me that muggles, muggleborns and squibs are just a piece of dirt and can't think for themselves like house elves. But being with you proved him wrong. Under the love potion, I do not have control of what I want to do. But, as you teach that lovesick per- fool you were doing, made me realize deep inside that muggleborns do have their own minds."

    "So, you know everything I've been trying to teach you?"

    "No. I still don't get it, but now that I, Draco Malfoy, not the lovesick you have been teaching, am back, well... let's just say you'll have some competition once I bring myself to concentrate."

    They both laughed heartilly.

    "Besides," Draco continued, "It's Lucius Malfoy whom you, all of Hogwarts, base your impressions on what Draco Malfoy is. Lucius's little clone, Lucius's friends might as well call me when they tell me, 'Your son's just like you, Lucius!'"

    "I don't."

    "Well who do you base it on?"

    "The boy I slapped in third year, and the white bouncing ferret I saw last year." Hermione said, eyes twinkling and chuckling.

    "That slap hurt, and I might as well been riding on the Whomping Willow. About that ferret, well it hurt pretty bad. Secretly, I had my laughs about that too. Even had an idea to do that to you or Potter, or Weasley."

    "Sorry."

    "For what?"

    "For slapping you."

    "I deserved it. You know, during first year I tried to be friends with Harry?"

    "No."

    "Well, I guess I didn't really want to be friends with him. Just get him over to the dark side now that I think about it."

    "Oh."

    "Am I boring you?"

    "No."

    "Then, what's the matter?"

    "We have detention."

    "Yikes."

    "Heheheh. I don't mind not going yet. Besides, where does your story lead to?"

    "Well, my so called attempt to be friends with Harry back in first year started our enemy-ship."

    "Enemy-ship?" Hermione asked. "Is that even a word?"

    "I don't know... but it's the opposite of friendship."

    Hermione just laughed.

    "Well, it is!" Draco whined, sort of. "Anyways. Since my father's archenemy, according to him is Arthur Weasley, I suppose it's automatic for me and the Weasleys. Back in second year, that's when we really hated each other."

    "When was that?"

    "When I called you Mudblood for the first time."

    "Oh. You were horrible."

    "I was." Draco admitted. "I take every bad thing back, that I said. I'm sorry."

    "I suppose it's alright. Me too. Truce?"

    "Truce." Draco said, holding out his hand.

    Hermione took it, then felt a soft and warm tingle feeling when their hands connected.

    "Do you feel anything?" Draco asked her then clamped a hand over his mouth.

    "Yes, I do."

    That simple answer shocked him and they just stared at each other. Hermione puzzled things out now, but Draco still didn't, so she took initiative and stood up, pulling Draco along with her and leaned close. Then, she whispered, "Let's go and do our detention. Race you!"

    Then she took off, sprinting toward Hagrid's Hut which provoked him to yell "Hey! No fair!" and he took off too.

    They stopped just outside where they saw the box where they have to put the frogs inside. Had a tie, actually. Then they had their detention in silence, giving each other the time to think and catch frogs successfully. When they finished detention in half an hour, no sign of anymore frogs lurking around Hagrid's house, they went back to the castle and dropped them off on Professor McGonagall's desk with her permission. They were dismissed from that detention and were told to come back at the same time tomorrow.

    Hermione was about to turn a corner to the Gryffindor common room when Draco stopped her.

    "Hermione." He called out.

    "Yes, Draco?" She answered, stopping and giving him time to catch up.

    "Uhm. Keep the presents." He said when he reached her.

    "Oh." Hermione said disappointed, 'I thought he was going to say more than that.' "Okay, thanks."

    "And Hermione?"

    "Yes?"

    "Uhm. You were my first kiss. Just want you to know." He blabbed.

    "Huh?" She asked him, completely puzzled. Then it struck them both.

    "You mean to say I kissed Fred? Yuck!" Draco said, covering his mouth.

    "Oh. Right!" Hermione said, trying to hold back her laughter. "Well. I won't spread it out. And if it makes you feel better, here." She reached out to him quickly kissing him on the lips, just like he did to Fred. "And don't tell anyone that you kissed an imposter before."

    Draco was shocked. "Thanks, Hermione." He managed to say, lips burning a bit from where she kissed.

    "No problem." Then she turned and walked briskly until she reached the Fat Lady's portrait.

    "HERMIONE!" Draco finally managed to come out of his trance, smiled and ran after her, and when he saw her just outside of some portrait he yelled her name.

    "What's the matter?" Hermione asked, running back to him.

    He didn't answer except just made eye contact and drew her close, quickly sealing her mouth with his. While he kissed her, she put her arms around him and pressed up to him, kissing back with just equal passion. When they broke apart, they said, in unison, "I love you." Hermione giggled while Draco chuckled, and together, in unison again, they answered "I love you too."

    "Don't ask me how I come by to love you. I don't know why but I do."  Draco told her while stroking her hair.

    Hermione shrugged.  "I don't know either. But, I do know we have a strong chemistry."

    "Chemistry?" Draco asked, who didn't know what she was talking about.

    She reached up, giving him a quick kiss then asked, "What did you feel when I did that?"

    "Burning sensations." He answered without thinking.

    "That's chemistry. Besides, the more I thought about it, the more that I realized that you knew how to really annoy me.  And that's saying something."

    "I see. Same he" Then, Hermione reached up to him again and initiated another kiss.

    As they made-out, neither recognized quite a lot of people behind them, watching.

    Professor McGonagall with Ron and Harry, with their mouths open along with a few other Gryffindors who came from the hospital wing AND the Weasley Twins, grinning from ear to ear.

    Then, when the twins had enough, they turned to professor McGonagall and told her while gesturing to the two, "Mission accomplished!."

    Professor McGonagall nodded, and started applauding the couple.

    Hermione and Draco broke apart, and blushed, but were both all smiles. And that was the start of a beautiful relationship among Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger, complete opposites, caused by the love of pranks and the Weasley Twins.

    But, of course, the wise men of old always say, "Opposites attract."

    *What happened with Ron?*

    "Where's Ron?" Harry asked the twins.

    "Huh? Wasn't he with you?"

    "Yes he was just beside me. But, I don't see him now." Harry said then moved back a step. He was, however, refrained from doing so with a spread out arm, and fell.  "Ow!" He exclaimed.

    All turned to look at him, and was simulatneously asked, "What happened to you?" then Harry gestured over to the unconscious body on the floor.

    Ron Weasley fainted from shock.
 
 
 

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