Delusion

She looked so upset, and he knew she had good reason to be. Her best friend falling into the clutches of Hogwarts' resident slut. He hoped however that Potter had more morals in him than what he'd just displayed. Smirking, he walked up to the gagging Granger.

"Sorry, are we, that Potter's found a new...sex interest?" he said.

"Shut your trap Malfoy, I am not in the mood," she snapped back at him.

"Ouch. Not so often that a mud blood dares to snap back at me."

"Not so often that a pure blood takes so much interest in me. Now what the hell do you want or are you waiting for me to hex you?" God. Even her shriek sounded sexy to him.

He didn't know how to be nice to her, so he continued the charade. "Don't worry...mud blood, for once you and I are on the same boat." He turned quickly and left to his dorms, hoping that Pansy did not have it in her to convince Potter to sleep with her.

* * * * * * *

Hermione finished her homework and walked back to the Gryffindor common room, a little upset that Harry still hadn't returned and it had been two hours. Why had Harry even gone with her in the first place? They didn't have to work on Potions now! Harry hated her, he couldn't stand her, but here he was, working with her out of class! What was wrong with the world?

She sank down in one of the comfortable chairs in the common room. Pretty soon Ron came up to talk to her.

"Ron, what was that about, earlier, before Parvati interrupted?" Hermione asked lazily.

"Oh...nothing. I was going to ask you to go with me as a friend but then..."

Hermione sat up. "Thanks a lot Ron. I'm always the back up, aren't I? Nothing more!" She got up, fuming and raced away to her room. God. She couldn't stand Ron; he was so immature sometimes! Honestly, how could he say something so fucking immature? Bloody idiot!

She grabbed her diary and scribbled some lines on it to make herself feel better, and then collapsed into a fitful sleep.

* * * * *

Ron stared at Hermione's retreating back for a few seconds, a little dazed. Well, he thought grimly, all my chances are up now anyway. He liked her, yes, but he was realizing more and more that it was going to be the kind of fancy you never did anything about. If she ever knew...he mused, what would she say? Would she be stunned? Or worse, would she laugh? Ron wondered if Hermione fancied Harry. Many girls did, he knew. He was sick and tired of girls coming up to him only to ask about Harry's whereabouts. Harry was supposedly "second hottest" guy in the school, according to all of Ginny's friends. They had only giggled when he asked who was number one, but Ron knew it wasn't a Gryffindor. Probably Malfoy, he thought with contempt. Goddamn Malfoy.

Speaking of Harry, where was he? He'd been missing for hours now. Ron had a vague recollection of Harry scowling and saying that he'd felt obliged to help Pansy in their potions project, but that was a godawful lot of time staring over a bubbling potion. Slowly he walked down to one of the empty classrooms where many students chose to do projects. He only knew about them because Hermione frequented them; they were her "extra-credit" rooms. Only one of the rooms was in use. He walked up to it and opened it, and to his horror...

"It's not what you think, Ron!" Harry said, breathlessly. Pansy only smiled smugly.

"It's exactly what you think," she whispered, but Ron picked it up anyway.

"For once she's right!" he yelled at Harry. "What the hell are you doing, sticking your tongue down her throat?"

Pansy picked up her books and exited quietly. "See ya later, Potter," she said, smirking. Ron scowled at her as she left.

"Harry, what is wrong with you?"

"Honestly she threw herself at me; I wasn't kissing her of my own accord, I promise!" Ron looked at Harry, and as much as he wanted to believe his best friend, was still a little hesitant.

"I hope that's the truth, Harry. Don't let her screw you over...you know what Pansy's reputation is." A red-faced Ron quickly left Harry standing there, looking bemused.

* * * * *

Draco paced his common room, a little worried now. Pansy had been gone an awfully long time, and he was getting worried that she might actually be getting somewhere. He paced nervously. If he lost the bet, he was completely screwed. He did not want Pansy hanging around on his arm, that would be the worst torture anyone could subject him to. Finally, after what seemed forever, Pansy showed up. Her lips were swollen so Draco knew she'd gotten somewhere. This could not be happening. He, the Draco Malfoy, sex god of Slytherin, could not be losing.

"Well?" He asked expectantly.

"Well, what?"

"Are you succeeding or not?"

"Oh baby. Give me a week and I'll have him. He's so much easier than I thought."

Draco scowled. C'mon, Potter, he thought angrily, where is your resistence? "How far did you get?" he asked, trying to seem casual.

"Oh...two deep, passionate kisses. If that damn Weasley hadn't walked in right then I bet I could have him go down on me." Draco screwed up his nose as a nasty mental image came to his mind. For the first time he cursed himself for being a pervert.

"Weasley walked in?" For once, he was grateful that Weasley existed. Very grateful.

"Yes. Stupid twat. Anyway, Draco, it looks like I'll be winning. Love you, and later...good night." With that she turned and went upstairs.

"We can't have that, can we?" he muttered to himself. No. It was time to take drastic measures.

The next morning, Draco knew exactly what he had to do. He caught up with Granger as she was walking down for breakfast. Luckily she was alone.

"What do you want, Malfoy?" she snapped at him.

"Must you always be so harsh? I only have a proposition."

"A proposition? What is it?" she said, looking suspicious.

"Look. I happen to know that Potter and Pansy snogged last night."

She turned abruptly. "You're not shitting me?"

"Ooh, watch that language, Granger. But no, I'm not 'shitting' you. As much as it disgusts me, I am not kidding."

She nodded. "That's horrible. Disgusting mental images."

"Tell me about it. I got some more explicit details of what would have happened from Pansy last night." They both cracked up, and Draco was really surprised. Agreeing with Granger? Was insanity taking over the world?

"So, what does that have to do with you and me?"

"Very simple, really. In all honesty, would you really want to let your best friend sleep with the slut of Slytherin...no, the slut of the entire school? She's only going to play him."

Granger screwed up her nose. "No. Of course I wouldn't. And I presume you wouldn't want to see your girlfriend screwing Harry?"

"Granger! Disgusting! She's not my girlfriend, watch your mouth. Ordinarily, I'd love it if Potter got screwed over, but...well, you see, I'm a conniving little bastard."

"Tell me something I don't know."

"I always play dirty. You can't expect me to not cheat. A few days ago, Pansy and I made a bet that she couldn't sleep with Potter...god knows why she wants to...by the end of this month. If she did, I was supposed to be her boyfriend...only if hell freezes over...for the rest of the year. If she didn't, she was never going to bother me again. You see where I'm coming from?"

She looked at him straight in the eye. "So obviously you come to me for help. Ooh, to the mud blood, now?"

He flinched. "Um, sorry...well, would you like to...show your bad side, and...I don't know, break them up?" He smiled seductively, and she was instantly taken.

"Let's shake on it," he said, a wolfish grin appearing on his face. That's it, Granger, he thought as their hands met for a fiery shake. Pansy, you've basically just lost.