Manic Star

"I know I don't care about her, I know it!" Draco spoke to himself as he stared at the immaculate grounds of Hogwarts from a mezzanine near the library. It had been a week since the 'little' incident at the girls' lavatory and Draco Malfoy had been burdened with the possibility of being fatally attracted to the smart-ass Gryffindor lass. It was a fine Saturday afternoon, but the atmosphere didn't seem to help.

From a distance he watched a few couples walking the grounds, presumably older students, holding hands and whispering words of endearment to each other, unabashedly saying their

"I-love-you's", proclaiming they were ready to die each other, shit like that. Draco frowned a little and scrunched up his nose in a very aristocratic manner.

"I hope they shag themselves to death," Draco thought with a smile. It was actually a funny idea, as he imagined stark naked teenagers dropping dead in the middle of a frenzied climax. He laughed out loud.

"Draco are you alright?" a voice broke his laughter.

Draco spun around. It was Crabbe and Goyle, fresh from raiding the pastries served by the kitchen elves.

"Yes, of course I'm alright." He brushed up his flaxen hair with a single hand. "I just remembered something funny actually." He felt annoyed that someone would interrupt his moment of isolation.

Goyle shifted his footing and held up a muffin. "Want some? "

Draco's upper lip curled in disgust. "No," he replied seeing Goyle's dirty palm, holding up the muffin. " Goyle, seeing as I am prefect; I can deduct house points from you for the slightest reasons. When you offer pastries to me, next time- " he paused. "Wash your hands." He ended with a slight snarl.

Goyle shrugged. "Sure."

"Leave me alone will you?" Draco finally said irritably. "I'll see you at dinner."

There was a shuffle of robes and feet and Draco was alone once more. He saw a group of three walking up towards the castle and immediately knew it was them. The Golden Trio once more. And right smack in the middle was...

"Hermione! Damn it! Why you?!"

He watched as they walked, laughing in the cool afternoon wind, fresh from the giant moron; Hagrid's hut. For some reason he envied them. Maybe it was because he never had any true friends to call his own, or that he just didn't laugh as often as they did, or because Hermione was with them all the time. The last idea proved to be the most realistic.

He watched as Ron playfully pushed Hermione around, causing her to slightly fall out of balance...

~~

Hermione tripped towards the left. "Hey!"

Harry caught her by the shoulders. His heart stopped for a moment. Hermione's back was against his chest and he could smell her hair and her skin and...

"Thanks Harry," Hermione instantly said with a smile. She stood straight again and looked at Ron with a raised eyebrow. "Not fair Ron!" Hermione took out her wand and twirled it playfully with her fingers.

"Wh-what?! Now that's not fair!" Ron said with wide eyes.

"Start running Ron, because I'll use Rictusempra on you!" Hermione grinned.

Harry watched as Ron began running for his life as Hermione trailed behind. He laughed but his eyes were focused on her. She was running with her hair dancing in the wind, hair that was no longer untamed, flying like a chestnut colored banner in the wind.

Harry stopped seeing Hermione drop to the grass, giving up on her chase. She was still laughing as Ron stood a few hundred feet away from her gasping for air as he stooped a little.

"Bugger! I thought you'd never quit!" Ron yelled with a bushed smile. "For a prefect, you're slow!"

"And you're the lamest prefect ever!" Hermione snapped as she grinned.

Harry came up next to her. He looked down on her as she breathed in and out in fast rhythm. She looked up to him and smiled again. Her eyes were sparkling out of pure enjoyment; her cheeks were flushed...

"Tired?" Harry finally asked after a few seconds of looking at her.

She nodded and laughed despite her shortness of breath. "Help me up?" she asked.

Harry held out a hand and helped her up with one pull. "Do you eat 'Mione? You're so light."

"Of course I do!" Hermione replied. "I just have great metabolism. "

"Speaking of eat, I'm a little hungry," Ron said as he came up to them.

"You're always hungry." Harry rolled his eyes and Hermione laughed.

Hermione put each of her arms around the waists of her two best friends as they all walked together for the castle. There couldn't have been a better day. And she was away from Draco Malfoy's piercing stare too.

~~

Draco saw everything. Was this how it was going to be forever? That he could only stare at her from afar? That it was never going to be his waist that she would get to wrap her arm around with?

"Get a grip Malfoy! It's just her arm-" But he had never even felt her arm around his waist yet. And the pangs of jealousy started again.

He didn't plan to fall for her, not in the least. He remembered that killer day wherein he bumped into her in the library as she was going through books near the Potions section. He had been sarcastic and didn't waste another second to insult her. Of course, she lashed out but she quickly grew silent as she picked up her chosen books that fell on the stone floor.

He just stood to watch her, with an eyebrow raised, as if confirming the reality of their blood status with him standing and her on the floor. He saw her hair tumble down slowly from her neck and the soft skin that showed under her skirt when she shifted her legs to retrieve a book near his foot. Her long elegant fingers gracefully reached for the leather bound book. Her cherry lips parted slightly as if she wanted to say something to spite him again. She bit her lower lip, in an astonishingly beguiling way that caused Draco's eyes to faintly widen.

She quickly stood up, books cradled in one arm, against a large window that streamed in the morning rays. Draco sucked his breath in.

She stood there for a few seconds staring at him in an expressionless face. Then without another word, she brushed past him.

Draco was still rooted to his place. Bloody Mary! Was it the light? Or were his eyes in need of nerdy Potter-like glasses? Maybe it was Granger...she hadn't changed, right?

After that, the mudblood, bushy-haired, know-it-all Granger ceased to exist. It was as though he were seeing her truly for the first time in the four years and something months that they had been schoolmates and rivals.

It was bad news for Draco, very bad; unacceptable news. But he could not lie to himself. But he could keep it from everyone else, most especially from her.

That was, until the Veritaserum happened.

~~

Hermione quietly went down the Gryffindor common room. The rest of her roommates were chattering incessantly about ranking who were the hottest boys in school. Hermione had been tolerant until they mentioned Draco Malfoy.

"Now that Slytherin bad boy is hot," Lavender giggled.

It was the last straw. Hermione excused herself and went straight down to the empty Common Room. Solitude at last. She went to her favorite red armchair and made herself comfortable. Of course, she had a trusty book in hand.

Hermione started reading, and no sooner had she turned to the hundredth page, she fell asleep.

~~

Harry tiredly went down. "How stupid can I get? Really Harry, you ought to be more responsible for your homework. I'm sure I left it down here..." he muttered to himself.

He paused at the last step. At the far left corner was a sleeping Hermione. He quietly made his way up to her. She was curled up with her head resting on the plush handle of the velvety armchair.

Harry stared at her like he had never stared at her before. Everything was gorgeous. How come he didn't see this sooner? She somewhat shivered and somewhat stirred. Harry quickly went to his room to get his comforter.

When he got back, her book had already fallen to the floor and the Common Room's fire had completely died out. Only a few floating candles and torches lighted up the whole room, casting a dreamy and peaceful look on Hermione's face.

Harry moved closer to her as he placed the comforter over her body. By Merlin's blood, he wanted to kiss her! He was kneeling beside her face now...

"No!" Harry screamed to himself. "She's just a friend! Just a friend you hear?! Not someone you love like this! Harry Potter please be reminded that she is YOUR BEST FRIEND!"

Then he paused. "Not someone you love like this...?" He suddenly felt strange. Like something had crept up to him in surprise. "Oh god...I'm in love with her?!" How fucking inconvenient. He drew in closer to her face. Maybe he could...without waking her up...she'd never know if...

Suddenly Hermione's eyes popped open. "Harry?" she said groggily.

He drew in a sharp breath.

"Hey," Harry hastily said. "You fell asleep. I got you a comforter." He scratched the back of his head with an playful grin.

Hermione laughed and gave a diminutive smile. "Oh Harry! " she pinched his cheek softly. Harry's heart shot out a rush of blood. She picked her book up and sat on the armchair. "Well, I don't think I'll still need this. " She patted the comforter. "How'd you find me here?"

"I was looking for some of my homework."

"I'll help you." She directly stood up.

"No! " Harry said. Hermione looked at him quizzically. "I'll do it myself. Really. Go get some sleep. You've got circles under your eyes already." He laughed to hide his nervousness.

"You sure?" Hermione asked with a slight frown.

Harry nodded. "Absolutely."

She shrugged her shoulders. "Well, goodnight then." She gave him a hug.

Once Hermione was gone, Harry breathed a sigh of relief. Thank God she woke up, he thought. Or I would've kissed my best friend! I'd never forgive myself! Never!

But somewhere in him, was disappointment.