Operation Humiliation

Gossip always had a high tendency be dispersed among the inhabitants of Hogwarts rather swiftly, and this was by far no exception. The news of Draco Malfoy's flattery to Hermione Granger had to be one of the biggest romantic upsets since the union of James Potter and Lily Evans. Every person in the school-even the entire British Wizarding world-knew that a Malfoy wouldn't even take into consideration being civil or courteous to someone with less than pure-blood, let alone the Muggle-born bushy-haired know-it-all he had despised and tormented for years.

Not a student, ghost, or teacher was undisturbed by this highly uncharacteristic behavior of Draco Malfoy. Some found it greatly entertaining, horribly shocking, rich and priceless, eerie and suspicious, or some found it adorable and sweet. The reasons behind these feelings were easily understood, but nobody could understand why one would be apoplectic and livid. Unless you were Ron Weasley.

Ron always got furious and maddened whenever Malfoy said anything to Hermione, a tradition which he uncontrollably preserved.

"I can't believe that lying, cheating, insincere, vain, immature CAD!" he raged on their way back to Gryffindor Tower the evening of that delicate and touchy day. Harry and Hermione mentally agreed to let Ron be, rather than to gamble their friendship upon arguing with him. Harry was not surprised by Ron's behavior, even if he thought it was incomprehensible. Hermione, on the other hand, was quiet and acted as if she was heartbroken.

She hadn't muttered a word all day long, but she was beginning to fight her speechlessness. Speaking up could unravel the entire scheme, because Harry and Ron weren't to know anything of what Hermione and Ginny had thought up. Hermione could only report to Ginny, and Ginny could only report to Hermione. This was heavily agreed to because Harry and especially Ron's ignorance was to play strongly into the conclusion, and since neither of them had exactly excelled at keeping their heads, they were to be excluded. Hermione felt a little treacherous upon this rule because Harry and Ron had always included her in their plots, rather reluctantly at times, but they still included her. These ideas were ricocheting back in forth inside Hermione's head like a fierce rally in a tennis game, and her misery won out.

"Ron! Why do you have a problem with what Malfoy said? He wasn't offending anyone for once, why must you complain?" she inquired as the trio slouched into their favorite warm and lumpy armchairs by the fire, while many curious ears turned in their direction.

"Hermione, you know that he has to have something up that cunning sleeve of his," he replied shrewdly.

"Not necessarily, he might just finally be maturing and learning not to judge people by the 'clarity' of their blood!" Hermione reasoned defensively.

"Why are you sticking up for the creep? He's been trying to make our lives difficult since Day 1 and now that he complimented you, you take his-"

"I'm not taking his side Ron, and I don't think I ever could. Maybe you just don't get it, but it really makes a girl feel good when a guy says something like that! It doesn't matter who it is, just the fact that it's sincere! Ron, people never say things like that to me! I've only had that one other time in my life, and you've gone and ruined both of them! Way to be a good friend," Hermione spat nastily, as she whirled around angrily and beautifully fixed metallic hair began to revert to the big bushy type.

Everyone stared amazed at Hermione as she stormed up the spiral staircase to her dormitory, Harry, who finally had had enough of their childish bickering, sighed audibly and quietly exited through the portrait hole. Hermione was a bit surprised by her own behavior, and she kept thinking that maybe she overreacted a little too much.

As she opened the door to her dormitory, ready to collapse onto her cozy, warm four-poster and ponder about the actions and reactions she witnessed that day, she noticed that it was already occupied by an eager and impatient fifth-year. As Hermione entered the room, the girl scurried from her relaxed and quiescent position next to Hermione's pillow to kneeling at the end of the bed like a child on Christmas, excitedly awaiting the news.

"How did it go?" Ginny demanded anxiously, but happily, which for the first time since Potions, made Hermione smile sincerely.

"Phase One of Operation Humiliation is complete, and I say full speed ahead to Phase Two!" Hermione proclaimed, causing Ginny to leap onto her feet and bounce frenziedly with euphoria and triumph on Hermione's bed. But, Hermione was puzzled. Hands down this was the most talked about incident all year long, surely Ginny had heard news from some source no matter how random or out-of-the-blue?

Hermione's thinking must have reflected on her facial expressions because Ginny smiled shrewdly and said reassuringly, "Don't worry Hermione, I already knew. I mean, how can you not? I haven't seen the castle in the state since Fred and George's departure. And mind you, that one will be in the books for a good long time. I just wanted to hear it from your point-of-view, because I knew you'd be a lot subtler than the prattle I heard from Luna Lovegood. That nutcase said you smacked him on the lips after you blew kisses at him throughout the entire class period. I mean, you have done some pretty unpredictable stuff in the past, but this is pushing it just a tad."

Throughout Ginny's explanation, Hermione's face changed from confusion, to sudden and relieving comprehension, to predictable agitation, to thankful relief, and then back to her convinced and pleased grin.

Then it became Hermione's turn to explain herself and Malfoy's reactions accurately. Ginny nodded wisely as Hermione carried on, still grinning madly.

"So, where do I come in?" Ginny inquired unexpectedly.

Hermione was once again confused. "I thought we said-"

"I know what we said, but I'm not entirely sure that will work," Ginny remarked pointedly.

"Oh, Ginny! I think it is a little too late to refigure everything. Besides, I can't imagine that I could come up with a-"

"Excuse me, but you are not the only one with a brilliant brain here. I had a little idea of mine own..." Ginny mentioned slyly, in a voice oddly similar to the own Hermione used the other night.

Hermione was very impressed at this, but all the same she lay on her bed, chin in her hands as she listened mystified and wondrous.

* * *

Situations were playing similarly in the Slytherin Tower. All its inhabitants were thoroughly shocked, but their amazement grew to anger and suspicion rather than admiration, amusement, or humor. Well, not all.

Draco Malfoy was even more conceited and proud than was normal. He had endured much taunting, similar to that he imposed on others, and

received many sneers, atrocious threats and cruel remarks than he ever had in his life. It all bounced off him like rubber off of a shield. But by the end of the day, the shield started to break. Draco also started to figure that maybe his fellow classmates thought he was getting soft and beginning to relinquish to the Mudblood and Company. After this, he started to become disturbed by accusatory comments.

"Beware those who walk this hall, Malfoy-the-mush is coming!"

"Go bring her some flowers, Malfoy! Muggle girls love that!"

"Draco and Granger sitting in tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G. First comes love, then comes marriage, then-"

"SHUT UP!" Malfoy roared, after having to suffer being serenaded by

several seventh and fellow sixth-year Slytherins slightly over twenty rounds of that ridiculous chorus, late that evening in the common room. "Will you all give it a rest now? I have had enough!"

"My God, Draco! What do you expect? You of all people go suck-up to the Mudblood for absolutely no reason at all, what are we supposed to do? Follow you like dogs?" Theodore Nott called from across the dimly lit room, full of eager spectators.

Draco than burst out laughing. The common room then fell completely silent save Malfoy's rambunctious and hearty cackles. "What do you mean by that one?" sassed Malfoy, the arrogance back in full measure. "Wait. Don't tell me. You think this was random? You think I didn't have a plan? Me-Draco Malfoy-at the mercy of the annoying and revolting Granger?"

He chuckled merrily at his own response, then his cunning and sneering face transformed into one more evil and sly, and his eyes cold and ruthless.

"I have plans for that little Mudblood and her comrades Potty and Weasel. Wait, no, I'm wrong. I'm not the one with the plans," He finished mysteriously, yet every single solitary person in the room solved the mystery faster than you can say 'Sherlock Holmes'. Malfoy slowly, slyly and gracefully made his way up the stairs; every eye focused on him so intently that not a soul noticed a tiny, flesh-colored string that oozed its way out of the portrait hole.

* * *

Ron Weasley laid in his bed fuming for hours, fists clenched so tight his fingernails dug into his hand, but he hardly noticed. This was the first time through out the day that he was able to analyze and to study the events of the unusual Potions class. He recalled for the umpteenth around Malfoy's actions. The thought of him and his hypocritical, insolent, and steely manner made his blood thrash and boil and his savagely furious heart beat so perpetually and strongly he assumed it would burst out of his rib cage, yet he couldn't have cared less. Ron was so focused and engulfed in his musings that he never noticed that Harry never came up.

The nerve of that scumbag! I can't believe him! That doesn't make much sense, but none of it really does. Ron thought angrily. He had no right in the universe to say things like that to her...The way he has treated her all these years! Like she was low-rate, useless, attention-seeking God-knows-what.

Suddenly, Hermione's manicured features floated into his thoughts, causing an entire rift in his emotions, pondering and senses. Ron's towering demeanor disintegrated immediately into a more peaceful, pacific, and daydreamy one.

She did look beautiful though. I loved the way her hair fell over her face, perfectly and gracefully! Her eyes were as radiant as the sun, but not as much as her smile. Oh, her smile! I adore it when she smiles, she's so gentle, clever, caring, elegant-

Ron sat up so fast you would think he had been electrocuted. He cautiously and nervously glanced around at the closed coverings of his four-poster as if someone could have been hiding there, and listening to what he was thinking, forgetting that his thoughts were inside his head and not said aloud.

What are you thinking? This is Hermione, you idiot. One of your best friends! So what if she's really nice, smart, and pretty, and all that? You can't fancy her! For one, that's just the most ridiculous and laughable ideas ever! Second of all, you have a fantastic friendship together, and you need to carry each other through this whole You-Know-Who fiasco, with him 'resurrecting' and him pursuing Harry and the whole Order! And Harry needs another thing to worry about like a whole in the head. You can't ruin what you already have! No, Ron, you dispose of these foolish feelings and concentrate on more important things-not sudden minor crushes on you best friend! Ron's as-sensible-as-he-gets section of his brain argued. But the lesser sensible and more honest and stubborn part of his brain wanted to have the last say.

Fine, I won't do anything about it. But do keep in mind that this is anything but minor.

* * *