Can't Fight the Feeling

CAN'T FIGHT THE FEELING...

CHAPTER 1

It was a bright sunny day at Hogwarts. Spring is near and everyone seems to be happy and in love.

Harry and Ginny who are always together everywhere they go, Ron and Cho, Collin and Jane (a sophomore student) and Neville and his new friend Sheen. Even the teachers are in love (except for those who aren't really that lovable, like Snape)!

Mr. Filch seemed to have noticed Madam Pomfrey lately and the two seemed to get along well (except for Mrs. Norris who occasionally scratched Madam Pomfrey's legs), and Madam Hooch is now with the new Quidditch coach Matthew Bloomberg.

Almost everyone at Hogwarts is happy, almost everyone seems to be complete and almost everyone is in love, except for two very different people, Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger.

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It was nearly past lunchtime when Crabbe and Goyle met up with Draco that day. He was sitting alone in the Slytherin common room waiting for the two to show up.

"Sorry we're late, we had to take Laura and Reena back to their houses before we went here" said Crabbe as they approached him.

"Yeah, and we got to take them to spring dance next, next week!" added Goyle, a gleeful smile on his face.

"What?" exclaimed Draco, looking confused and disgusted at the same time. "You mean you two are actually going to that bloody dance?"

Crabbe and Goyle looked at each other. "Why? Aren't you going?"

Draco paused for a moment and said, "Why should I? Besides, who needs that crappy Spring Dance anyway? They're gross because all the people get love struck!"

"You're just saying that because you're not in love like us!" Crabbe smiled to himself and remembered Laura and their conversation a while ago.

"He's right Draco! When you fall in love, you will understand everything!" Goyle agreed.

"Well, I'll never understand it." Draco paused. "Never, because I'll never fall in love with any one! Got that? Never!"

Goyle glared at him. "Whatever you say, it's your life!"

"Look, we better get going or we'll be late for Potions class," grumbled Crabbe. Draco resignedly stood up and joined them, sulkily stomping through the corridors.

Meanwhile, Harry Ginny, Ron, Cho and Hermione were sitting at the table near the potions classroom, talking about the upcoming spring dance.

"I can't wait to go to the spring dance!" exclaimed Cho. "I'll be wearing a new robe decorated with fancy accessories in different colors," she proudly grinned. "How about you Ginny? What are you going to wear?"

"Oh! I'm going to wear a pink and purple robe decorated with beads! And it gets better when my mom puts a spell on it to make it a little glossy and glittery!"

"Wow!" Cho imagined what Ginny would look like. "That is so cool!"

"How about you Hermione? What are you going to wear?" Ginny turned to Hermione.

Hermione lifted her head from the book she was reading. "Nothing" said Hermione dully."

"What? Why?" Cho and Ginny asked her curiously.

Hermione just looked at them and sighed. "I'm not going!"

"What? How come?"

"I'm not going because it's a total waste of time anyway. I'd rather read and study because our exams are coming up soon," Hermione answered patiently.

Cho stood up furiously. "What? You're going to spend the night studying, while you can be at the great hall having fun with us? That is so pathetic!" She planted her hands dramatically at her waist.

"She's right Hermione, it's the spring dance! We're supposed to have fun! Everybody is going with their dates!"

Hermione's face fell. "I don't have a date," she said haltingly. She knew she couldn't go with out anyone although she wanted to. "Besides I don't like dances. It's where people dance together holding hands until they get all mushy and all the loving-thingy happens! Yuck! That's gross!" she said, trying to sound disgusted.

Ron smiled and said "Ha! So, that's why you're not going! You don't have a date!" Ron laughed. "Hermione has no date! Hermione has no date!"

Hermione glared at him. "Shut up Ron! That's not why I'm not going! I'm not going because I don't want to!"

Harry stood up and sat beside her. "Maybe we should fix you up with someone so you can have a date!"

"I don't want a date!" Hermione stubbornly averted her eyes.

"Harry's right!" Cho agreed. "Who knows? Maybe you'll even fall in love!"

"But I don't want to fall in love!"

Ginny sat beside Hermione. "You know we can set up you with someone! Uhm... who could it be? Let's see..."

"Stop this rubbish!" Hermione shouted, making everyone who was passing by look at her. She sat back down again, tried to speak as softly as she can. "Guys, will you please drop this? I'm not going! I do not need a date and I do not want to fall in love, I just don't want to go! It's a total waste of time for me! That dance is for people who like to be mushy, like to have dates and most of all people who are in love! And I'm not one of them because I'm never going be in love! Got that? Never!"

Ginny approached her gingerly. "We're sorry Hermione."

Hermione took a deep breath, collected herself once more and smiled at them. "It's okay. I'm sorry too. I must have been just overreacting. Maybe I'm just tired because I've been in a lot of pressure lately."

They all went back to their normal conversation until it was time for Potions Class to start. Ginny and Cho went to their classes and then Harry, Ron and Hermione went to their Potions class. Today they had a new potion to create that included one big fat frog, a charka's feather and a whole lot of knotgrass mixed all together in a big hot pot. As usual, Harry had his daily dose of insult and humiliation from Snape. Draco kept on bullying him and Ron was having a difficult time mixing his ingredients. But Hermione was different that day. She hardly recited in class, which was somewhat weird because she was always participative. Harry and Ron hardly noticed it but someone unexpectedly did.

It was Draco Malfoy.

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Draco wondered why Hermione was looking subdued in class that day. He didn't know why but there was something inside him telling him that he should go and talk to her. So when Crabbe and Goyle went to fetch Laura and Reena, Draco followed Hermione to the library.

When he was about to go in, he stopped himself. "Wait, what am I doing here? Why am I following Granger anyway?" He thought of leaving but then something inside him felt like he needed to follow her and ask her what was wrong.

So Draco entered the library and stumbled through the pile of books neatly placed on the floor. With the loud sound he created, everyone turned took at him and said "Ssshhhh!" He glared at them and turned to fix the books then went to look for Hermione. He saw her in left side corner of the room alone, holding a book but not seem to be reading it at all. He walked towards her and stops at the side of her chair but she doesn't seem to notice him.

"Ahem."

Hermione looked up startled. "What are you doing here Malfoy? If you're here to mess me up, not now okay!?"

"No, I'm not. I'm here to... Uhm..." He fidgeted uncomfortably. "I was just wondering what's wrong with you today at class?"

Hermione was a bit surprised. "What? You're wondering what was wrong with me today? Nothing! What's this Malfoy, another one of your jokes?"

Malfoy didn't answer. He didn't know what to say.

Hermione glared at him and continued. "Well, it's not funny! So stop fooling around and leave me alone!" She shoved the books all over the table and left.

Malfoy, on the other hand, was stunned by what she did. "What did I do?"

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That night Hermione could not sleep. She kept on tossing and turning in her bed and she kept on thinking about Malfoy and what he just asked her. Draco Malfoy, their mortal enemy from the other house, the person who always criticized her friends and called her a Mudblood.

What was that about? What was he pulling this time?

Why did he ask her if she was okay? Hermione sighed.

"He couldn't possibly care. Could he?" She imagined him walking towards her and asking her with this slight smile in his face, that face that made girls all over Hogwarts go crazy, and she realized that Draco was kind of cute and when he smiled. She stopped herself, appalled by her thoughts. This was Malfoy! She can not think of Malfoy!

"What am I doing?" she asked herself. "This isn't right! I am not supposed to think of Malfoy! This is all wrong! This is nonsense! I'm just surprised, that's all! Nothing more nothing less! Tomorrow this will all blow-over!" She assured herself and closed her eyes, trying to fall a sleep.

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Meanwhile at the Slytherin House Draco could not sleep either. He got out of bed and went to the Slytherin Common Room, lighted the fireplace and sat in the couch. He had been thinking of what had happened in the library and he had been thinking about Hermione. He was wondering why she was acting like the way she just did.

"What is wrong with her? I haven't even done anything yet!" Draco thoughtfully poked at the fire. "Wait, why did I even bother to care anyway? I don't even like her! She's a Mudblood!" But then he thought about her and what happened a while ago. "She's kind of pretty when you look at her, too bad she's stuck with that Potter!"

He jumped up from his seat and realized that he was thinking of the wrong person! He was not supposed to be thinking of her. "No! This is not right!" he said, trying to convince himself that he's not supposed to be crushing on Hermione, of all the people.

"I was just a bit surprised with how she acted, that's why! No more, no less!" He stood up and paced around restlessly. "She's a Mudblood, for heaven's sake!" he reminded himself. "Tomorrow this will all blow-over and this will go away like nothing even happened!"he assured himself as he poked out the last of the flaming embers and went back to bed.