Two Can Play That Game

"Oi, Draco... I believe you're getting soft!" called out Blaise, and he stood in the way of Draco and the mug of coffee to get his attention. Bad idea.

"Uh...yea...definitely," said Draco, absently agreeing with whatever his friend said and pushed him away from his path and reached out for his coffee.

"Hah! You admit it!" accused Malcolm, who stared at Draco as he cradled his coffee in his hands and gently sipped it.

"What?" asked Draco, taken aback.

"You just admitted you were getting soft! Merlin! The way you were acting around her... all soft and mushy! ALL WEEKEND!" accused Malcolm again.

"What? Me? A Malfoy. Malfoys aren't soft," Draco replied in a dignified manner.

"Uh huh," Blaise replied sceptically. "The way you were treating the Mudblood, like you actually acknowledged the fact that she's human."

"Yes, I know she's human. So are those petty Muggles she calls parents," stated Draco, not liking where the conversation was going.

"Not once did you call her a Mudblood. I believe you even called her by her first name, uh... what was it, Merhione?" explained Blaise.

"Hermione," corrected Draco, after taking another sip of coffee.

Mmmm... Coffeeee...

Mmmmmm...Hermione....

"HAH!" exclaimed Blaise,

"You even know her name!" shrieked Malcolm.

"You'd expect one to know the name of your girlfriend," justified Draco, looking down at the coffee in his hands as he began to stir it.

"She's your girlfriend?" asked Malcolm dumbfounded.

"You'd expect me to be involved with people I shag," replied Draco, slightly hurt that his friends didn't know this.

"Pansy," stated Blaise.

"Lavender," continued Malcolm.

"Emily," persisted Blaise.

"Anna," sustained Malcolm.

"Michelle," prolonged Blaise.

"Ashley," added Malcolm.

"Ashley??" questioned Blaise

"Yep," confirmed Malcolm. How the bloody hell does he know this??

"When?" enquired Blaise.

"Fifth year." MERLIN'S BEARD!!! HOW DO THESE PRYING BASTARDS KNOW THIS?!?! But Draco still kept the smug expression on his face.

.:: Flashback ::.

Draco entered the Slytherin common room and noticed such peace and serenity. Half of the Slytherin house was gathered here, mostly reading quietly by the fire. Too quiet.

He had to make it stop.

Feeling very smug about something; he wished to share it with the world - well, with his captivating housemates anyway -, so he climbed on a coffee table,

"I SHAGGED ASHLEY RIVINIA!!!" Draco shouted to no one in particular, so loud that all eyes were on him.

.:: Flashback Ended::.

Oh yeah... almost forgot about that.

"I was actually going out with her in Fifth year!" shouted Blaise. Damn.

All's fair in love and war, mate.

Was that a bloody MUGGLE quote???

"You went out with a Hufflepuff???" taunted Malcolm. Shame. Draco glanced at Blaise, expecting him to deny it.

"..." Blaise didn't quite reply. SHAME! This was just getting out of hand.

"Stop!!! Okay, yep, besides them!!" bellowed Draco, earning him questioning glances. "They don't count," he added in an attempt to clear things up.

"HAH!" Blaise pointed a finger at Draco, relieved he could change the subject. "So a Mudblood counts, does it?"

"Yes she does count. She will shatter Potter for me," stated Draco. "That's why she counts."

"I don't... do I?" asked Pansy, who was reading by the fire. They had totally forgotten about her. She got up and walked over, like a cat cornering a mouse. Why on earth am I the mouse? Draco hugged his coffee closer for comfort. Shit.

"You know what I mean," Draco tried to cover up, while waving his hand imperiously.

"Perhaps, you should explain," Pansy said, her hands moving disgustingly down his chest. Draco sipped his coffee.

"You know... with my ingenious scheme to devastate Potter by stealing his girl," replied Draco, who tried to convince her; almost - yep, almost - as much as he was trying to convince himself.

That's why I'm doing this. To break Potter.

Nothing else. Nope. Na-da!

"Really, is that what you're thinking?" asked Pansy coaxingly.

"You really wanna know?" he replied, brushing his lips against hers.

"Yes," she whispered in his ear.

---

"Lavender, Parvati... GO AWAY!" shrieked Hermione, throwing her brush at the two.

What a renowned way to treat my friends. Or at least the people I'm hanging out with... instead of that bastard Harry and his whore Ginny.

The thought of them made her chuck yet another object, her snow globe, at the two girls.

HOW COULD THEY??? The thought of her two friends banging in a closet somewhere disturbed her greatly. Oh well, at least I have Draco.

Crap.

I DID NOT just have that thought.

Hermione was very confused... twice. Twice this week she didn't get something. Or was it this month? Oh well, whichever it was... this was a new record. Hermione was never confused. Never. Now Hermione was losing track of things.

That made her even more irritated.

And there goes her beloved photo frame. The picture you might ask? Her and... Harry FUCKING Potter!!!!

"PMS," one of them mumbled to the other and left her alone.

This remark, oddly, drew a smile to her face. She began chuckling as she remembered yesterday... and last night. Wow. Things are getting better and better.

She walked down the stairs, only to be greeted by Ron and Harry. Angry Ron and Harry.

"Where were you last night?" asked Harry

"I sent Ginny to look for you in the afternoon," continued Ron "She said you were with Malfoy," he practically spat out the name.

"What were you were doing with Malfoy all night?" Harry inquired, his face tight and cold.

Wouldn't you love to know?

"Uh... I was at the library," Hermione replied

"No, Ginny and I were at the library," Harry said.

Right on cue Ginny came prancing down the stairs and completely ignored Harry and Hermione, only gracing her brother with a warm smile. This led to a questioning expression from Ron to Harry.

"We had a fight," admitted Harry, impishly, "but we'll make up," he added upon seeing Hermione's smug expression.

---

Valentine's Day!!! Soon.

Shit.

---

Harry's POV

This was so stupid. Everything is so stupid.

.:: Flashback ::.

"I love you," she whispered unexpectedly to him, and brushed away her flame coloured hair that hid her eyes, to gaze in mine. She was expecting an answer. All she received was silence.

"H-Harry," she stammered, "do you... do you love me?" she asked. We both knew the answer. At least I did. She received only silence yet again. Her hands cupped my face and gently held me in place; my face was unable to move and I wasn't allowed to flee.

She sighed. It was a lovely sigh, a caressing sigh. I'll be damned if I know how sighs can be caressing. I cared for her, yes... definitely. I probably loved her, yes... but not that way.

She was like a sister to me. Rather unbearable to kiss her. Let alone in front of my One True Love. I couldn't believe it was turning out like this. I was never meant to start another relationship so soon. I was just fooling around. For Hermione's sake.

"Hermione," she stated, I tensed up just hearing the adorable name. I closed my eyes; I didn't want them to betray anything. "Why did you break up with her then?" she asked.

My eyes fluttered open. None of your fucking business, I wanted to reply. But I didn't. "If you still... love h-her," she choked out.

"I don-" I began to start to deny any knowledge of why my soul mate and me ever broke up.

"Don't deny it!" shrieked Ginny. "You do love her," she accused. "I see the way you look at her when you think no one's looking. I notice the way you tense up every time either of you is near each other. I thought it was because you just broke up. But... I guess not."

Well, blimey, I wasn't going to deny that. The girl's got problems if she thought I was.

"Just tell me, why? Why her?" she asked of me, the second meaning was too obvious; why not me?

"You're like... a sister to me," I stated. "In that instance I do love you." I tried to coax away the tears brimming in her eyes.

"A sister?" she asks, her voice wavering.

"Uh... yeah, I - I thought you knew, like you felt the same!" I tried to reason,

"For God's sakes, Harry, those weren't brotherly and sisterly Kisses and Hugs we shared!" Ginny exploded. "Not to mention..." She trailed off; I looked down at the floor. Bloody hell, the patterns at the moment were so interesting. Couldn't really blame me for looking away, could you?

"I - I..." I began, not knowing how to explain, "I'm sorry," I offered. I didn't really want to admit I'd been using her. What happens if she talks to Ron?

"Is this because of Hermione?" she asked, flying into a fit of rage. "I don't see why, aren't you two over now? Isn't she getting all cozy with Malfoy now?"

Well, that does it. Didn't need to bring him into this now! But no... she wasn't finished.

"HERMIONE HAS MOVED ON!!!" she stated very loudly to me. "Don't you think it's time you do too?" she asked again, now in a quiet voice, her I'm-deadly-serious-so-don't-fuck-with-me voice; too quiet.

"I love her," I admitted. I owed Ginny at least this much. She was clearly shocked at my confession. "I always will," I proclaimed in a voice that tried to duplicate hers... but failed miserably.

"Then why did you dump her?" she asked venomously. "Or did she get rid of you? Is that why you're moping around like a ghost?" she tried jeering. "And WHY ON EARTH did you ever go out with me, or even kiss me if I was like your sister?" she asked.

I remembered why... I saw Hermione storm across the Great Hall the day after our break up and I flew into a panic frenzy.

I couldn't think of anything to do; I wanted to grovel at her feet and make her take me back. I couldn't. No. So instead, I grabbed the person next to me, THANK HEAVENS it was a girl. That girl was Ginny. Big surprises on what we started doing. I'd have to confess, it was horrible; but I wasn't such a complete sod to tell that to her.

"Hermione," I began explaining; I started flushing at the name, it had been so long since I said it aloud... too long. I sighed. I owed Ginny an explanation; I might as well have started at the beginning.

I closed my eyes. I didn't want to face her anymore.

"Hermione and I... we were very close," I stated dully, "She was my best friend and girlfriend... everything: my whole world," I continued in a similar fashion, the monotony of my words still cut her, I could feel it in the air. "I had a dream," I went on, but paused remembering the dream, the unpleasantness, "basically," I recapped for her, not wanting to elaborate, "it told me that all the people I loved most would die. My parents... already ticked off. Sirius... gone," I couldn't bring myself to say the word dead about either of them. "The person I care about the most next to them is..."

"Hermione," Ginny finished for me, beginning to understand. I think.

"So, I had to do what was best for her. What would I do if she was to suddenly get murdered ... because of me?" I explained "I thought about it for a month or so... and I finally brought myself to do... what I never thought I would."

"Then, why? Why fool me? Why feed me with fantasies, tempting me and showing me what I can never have?" questioned Ginny further.

"I wouldn't have gone through with it if she felt the same way. She's too smart. She would've known something was wrong. Hermione... she would never have if stopped she thought it was something like this. That's how you helped me," I stated simply. "She thinks we're involved, and...and now we've fallen out. She's not speaking to me."

Ginny now understood. I never loved her. Thank god that was clear. But I think something else dawned on her. Bugger.

"You used me," She stated, her voice devoid of emotion.

Shit. What the hell was I supposed to say to that? No I didn't use you... I just encouraged your whimsy illusion of us being together so I could protect, yet hurt, Hermione.

As I pondered this, I didn't even notice her slip out of the door.

.:: End of Flashback ::.

I was so caught up in my sudden flashback that I almost collided with Professor McGonagall.

"Harry, please, watch where you're going," she said brusquely. "And be careful as to not run down the hallways, or I'll be forced to take points from Gryffindor."

McGonagall and Hermione seem to have a lot in common, certain strictness about rules for one thing. Both have been described as being particularly clever. Strange. I can't stop thinking about her now more than ever.

Right on cue she came prancing down, hand-in-hand with the git Malfoy. What does he think he's doing with my girl? Sod.

"Potter," he said as a greeting, flaunting Hermione's hand in his,

"Malfoy," I replied through gritted teeth. Hermione never lifted her gaze off of the despicable Malfoy. She looked totally smitten. Did she ever look at me like that? God, I couldn't handle it.

I grabbed her arm, the free one. Bad idea.

"What do you think you're doing?" I hiss at her. That definitely came out wrong. Man... that made me sound like the insensitive bastard she thinks I am. Crap.

"What do you think you're doing, Potter?" asserted Malfoy, gliding Hermione away from me gently. Well done, knight in shining armor.

"He's... Malfoy, Herms! He's dangerous," I whined. Couldn't she see that? She penetrated me with a cold glare. Big surprises where she got that from. "Look what's he done to you!" I exclaim. "What have you done to Hermione?" I ask of Malfoy.

"You want to know what I've done to her? Hmm... let's see... let's start with the things I haven't done to her," drawled Malfoy. Screw him. What was he playing at? "I haven't messed with her mind, eluded her with false promises... and I haven't broken up with her," he began.

I fumed. Bastard.

"Not to mention I didn't get jiggy with her best bud, totally eating the Weaselette's face in public." He made a face. "Honestly Potter," he sighed. How fake. "I haven't been ignoring her for Merlin knows how long!" he continued, "but I have been faithfully loving Ms Granger." he bows. "Showering her with complements and gifts she so rightly deserves." He kissed her hand. Disgusting. "And..."

"ENOUGH!" I shout. "Enough," I whisper. "Hermione, can I talk to you... alone?" I emphasized the last word.

I walked towards the nearest empty room. I expected her to follow me. She didn't. I waited until the moment where I began to think she wasn't coming. Then she hesitantly entered the room.