Help From Harry

Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling created all characters. No money for me! I own nothing here except the plot. Happy reading!

Thanks go to my original beta, Charmed Nay, and also to CocoaChristy for helping me dust this old story off and making it presentable.

Hermione felt very uncomfortable through dinner. She felt eyes on her from every table in the Great Hall. What made her feel the worst was the pair of hurt eyes across from her and the suspicious ones next to her. Harry and Ron hadn't mentioned a thing about Draco.

Ginny came in after everything had happened and sat next to Ron. She hadn't seen the public display of affection between Hermione and her new beau.

"Why is everyone so glum?" she asked brightly.

"I don't know," said Hermione innocently.

"You... don't... know?" sneered Ron. He rolled his eyes and crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"Now isn't the time," Harry said quickly before Hermione could answer.

Ron just snorted in reply. Ginny looked at each of them quietly. Hermione sighed. She toyed with her food, her appetite lost. Harry leaned over and whispered, "Come talk to me." She simply nodded. He got up and left the hall, claiming the need to start on his Potions essay. She waited until he was gone for a minute before silently getting up to follow him.

She heard whispers from every direction. Taking a chance, Hermione dared to glance at Draco. He was watching her intently. She gave him a shaky smile, and he winked at her. She heard Blaise Zabini taunt him, but he didn't seem to mind. She kept walking, pretending not to hear.

Once in the corridor, she spotted Harry and walked quickly to him. "Follow me," he said firmly and pulled her into an empty classroom. He warded the door to be sure that nobody else would come in or hear their conversation. "What's going on, Mione?" He had a hand on her arm tightly. She shrugged it off.

"It's complicated, Harry. I don't know what to say," she said softly.

"Why not start with the truth? I know you haven't been seeing Malfoy. What's he done to you?" he asked, eyes narrowed.

She sighed. She had to tell Harry the truth. She owed him that much. "All right, but please don't be angry for my deception. I felt I had no other choice." He steered her to a table and sat with her. "Harry, Ron was going to ask me out today. I could feel it. Yesterday, Ginny told me he was definitely going to do it soon. I just... I went mental for a moment. I didn't want to hurt him by telling him no."

Harry nodded, but his eyes grew cold. "So... You went and picked out the first git you saw?"

"No!" she said desperately. "No, it wasn't like that, Harry. Please listen to me. I was in the library. Draco came in. We talked." Tears formed in her eyes. Her sweet Harry, her best friend, was looking at her in disgust. When he tried to get up, she pulled him back down to her. "Wait, Harry, please let me finish," she begged. She told him the entire story from start to end. When she was done, he looked away for a long while before finally hugging her.

"Hermione, there could have been another way. You could have come to me. We'd have thought of something. What do you think hurts him more...you turning him down or you being with Malfoy?" he asked wisely.

"I know. It just seemed like a good idea at the time. I thought it was the answer. Draco and I both needed a way out of our situations." She hugged Harry back. "What am I going to do?"

"Well, you can do the right thing and tell Ron the truth, but then, he will be even more hurt and angry. Maybe you should go on with this for a few weeks until he's had time to accept that you won't be his girl. I can't make your decision for you, can I?"

"I have to keep the deal with Draco. He needs me as much as I need him. I will see this through." She smiled. "Can I count on you, Harry? Will you talk to Draco for me and not give me the cold shoulder?"

"Yes, but I won't be overly friendly to Malfoy. I mean, he is a git, and one I can't stand." He smiled back finally. "Thank you for telling me the truth though. I'll always be here for you." He stood and stretched. "Guess I'd better be off to find Ron and cheer him up. You might want to steer clear for a bit."

"All right," she agreed. "That's fair enough. I'll have a walk."

"And, Mione?" Harry said suddenly, looking worried.

"What is it?"

"Please don't fall for him," he said softly.

She giggled. "Of course not! He's Malfoy after all. I couldn't fall for someone like him." And he wouldn't fall for someone like me either.

"I know that, but he wasn't himself tonight when he walked up to our table. He was... different."

She nodded. "Oh, Harry, it was an act. Trust me. I know what I'm doing. This will all be over in a month. Just a mutual agreement between the two of us is all." How could Harry think that she'd fall for Malfoy? A flash of him kissing her passed through her mind. She shook it off and ignored the tingling in her stomach.

"Mione," Harry pressed. "What if you fall in love with him? Not him as he truly is, but the one he is pretending to be? He's still Malfoy underneath it all. You'll be hurt."

"I would never love Malfoy, Harry. He's done too much to us all for that to happen. I can handle this," she said, knowing that Malfoy would never touch her heart. Even if he does kiss well.

"For your sake, Hermione, I hope that's true. Because it's not Malfoy you are going to be close to the next four weeks. It's this fake Draco." With that, he was gone. She heard many footsteps walking down the corridor moments later and knew that dinner was over. She decided to walk out to the lake since she couldn't go to the common room. Harry would be there with Ron perhaps, and she didn't want to face Ginny yet.

The cool evening air hit her as soon as she opened the door. She wished she had known that she would venture outside. She would have brought her cloak with her. The sun's waning light still shown slightly in the distance over a peak on a mountain. Night was closing in around her, but the rising full moon lit her path well. She walked past a thick set of bushes and sat down near the edge of the lake. She would be hidden from anyone seeing her, especially at this time of the evening when everyone was in their warm common rooms. The thick greenery also kept some of the chilly breeze from hitting her, though the stronger gusts sifted through. The drop in temperature was drastic in comparison to how it had been during the day.

She thought of what Harry had said. He didn't want her to fall in love with Draco. She smiled and shook her head. How insane! His kisses did affect you, a voice in her head said. It was true. She had never been kissed that way before. She had been snogged before of course, but it had felt different with him. Harry was right. It now felt like he had become two different people entirely. Draco kissed well and pretended to be a sensitive, charming man while Malfoy, the spoiled prat, hurt anyone with words without caring. She did like the "new" person she had seen in him, but she knew it was all an act. When they would huddle closely or snog for the benefit of others, it would do her well to remember who he truly was. He was the son of a Death Eater. An evil father he had, that one. His father had wormed his way out of Azkaban prison once again. Lucius Malfoy, no doubt, would have wanted his son to follow in his footsteps, taking the Dark Mark.

That alone would keep her safe from feeling anything real for him. She may call him Draco now, but she'd not forget his last name or where he came from. She thought about Ron. Why couldn't she have feelings for Ron? It was apparent that Harry would accept a relationship between them. It wouldn't hurt their friendship there. In her heart, she knew that things would change between the three of them if she ever dated Ron. What if they never got on that well again, succumbing to normal relationship arguments and involving Harry? The entire time that they'd spent living together the past year had proved that things were best while they remained friends. She couldn't bear to see their "trio" broken apart. She couldn't jeopardize that for anything. Not even to make Ron happy. No, she would hurt him now by "dating" Draco, but he would get over it. He would see that they could never be. Hopefully, he would find someone else and be happy.

She used to always dream of being Ron's girl. Honestly, she'd even dreamed of being Harry's. However, being the thinker of the group, she'd thought of all the angles of possible relationships thoroughly. There could never be an intimate one between any of them. It was all there was to it. A chill swept over her body, and she balled up as best as she could. The wind was getting stronger and cooler. How long had she been out? Was it safe enough for her to brave the common room yet?

"You know you could freeze out here, don't you, Granger?" a drawling voice said from behind her. She moved to a sitting position quickly.

"How'd you know where I was?" she asked. He had taken her completely by surprise.

"Because I saw you come down here. I've been watching you and wasn't going to bother you, but you looked so cold. I wanted to give you something," he said, voice soft.

She swallowed nervously. "And what is that?"

He took off his cloak and set it about her shoulders. He fastened it quickly and sat next to her, leaving a fair amount of space between them. He took to staring out at the lake as she had been doing before. "Thanks," she said. He only nodded. She watched him closely for a few moments. He had changed a lot over the past couple of years. There was a new look in his eyes that hadn't been there before. It was one of defiance. What had changed in him to make him want to go against his father's wishes? It was apparent that he was no longer following orders as he used to.

Much about him was still the same. His pale skin was as smooth as ever, his eyes were still the same light, blue-gray color, and he still had that silvery blond hair. He wore it longer though. Thankfully, he'd given up on that slicked back look a couple of years prior. She had to stop herself. Her hand was halfway to his head before she realized that she was about to run her fingers through his hair.

She turned quickly to look at that lake. Harry's worried expression came to mind. I'll not fall for him. This is the same Malfoy who calls me a Mudblood every chance he gets. It's the same Malfoy who made life harder on us for so long. It's Draco who kisses so softly and makes me want to... Her eyes widened. Stop, Hermione! she yelled inwardly.

"You can touch me if you want to, Hermione," he drawled softly.

"No. I don't think I will, thanks," she replied evenly.

"Why not?" he pursued.

"Because... I don't know. There's no need. Nobody is here to make a show in front of." She shrugged, hoping her eyes didn't belie what her voice had said.

"But you wanted to," he insisted.

"Yes." She still wouldn't look at him. He didn't push her any more than that. He'd apparently gotten the answer he'd wanted. She stole a quick glance at him and found that his face was expressionless. There was no smirk. No sneer. No glaring eyes. She saw him shiver. A pang of guilt filled her. He had given her his cloak to keep warm, and now, he was doing without. She unfastened his cloak and scooted closer to him.

Draco's face turned towards her, and his eyes held hers for a moment. He seemed to be searching for something. He didn't smile or speak as she pulled part of the cloak over him and huddled closely. He only put an arm around her to keep her next to him, sharing her body heat. In silence, they watched the wind sweep across the lake, disturbing the calm water. She timidly put an arm around him, leaning her head against his shoulder. Silence stretched between them for many long minutes, and both had been dozing lightly, wrapped in each other's arms when they were jolted awake by Ron's loud voice.

"Found her, Harry! She's over here," Ron called out. "With him," he added snidely. Harry appeared behind him. He seemed momentarily relieved until he saw her and Draco huddled so closely together.

"Sorry," he said. "Thought you fell asleep out here with no cloak."

"Yeah, didn't know you had your boyfriend here to keep you warm," Ron said sarcastically.

"Is there a problem, Weasley?" Draco asked, a smug expression upon his face.

"Yeah, I'd say there is. You with your slimy paws all over Hermione for one!" Ron yelled.

"Ron..." Hermione began.

"No, Hermione. Save it. You do what it is you want to do. I just don't like the git! Never will. Can't see what you see in him," Ron bellowed. "You could have had... someone else!"

"Weasley, I think you should refrain from yelling at my girlfriend," Draco said heatedly, seemingly enjoying Ron's discomfort.

"Your girlfriend, eh? Well, have at her. Enjoy," Ron said.

Hermione gasped. He'd never been so mean to her before. It was quite the insult and left no need for interpretation as to what he meant. This hurt Hermione. Though she'd wanted to say mean things about Lavender while he'd dated her, she'd respected him enough to not do so.

Draco tried to get up, but Hermione pulled him back down. "Leave him. I'm all right," she said softly.

"Nobody talks about my girl that way, especially not someone who supposedly cares about her," Draco spat.

It was Ron who gasped this time. His face fell. "I'm sorry, Mione," he said and stalked off toward the castle. Hermione watched him walk away and felt distressed. He was hurting, and she was causing his pain.

"He'll be all right, Hermione. Needs some time is all," Harry said softly. "Here," he said, throwing his Invisibility Cloak to her. "Don't want Filch to see you when you come in." He turned towards the castle and quickly left.

She noticed that Draco was watching him oddly. He turned to gaze at her. "Hermione... you and Harry... Have you ever dated?" he asked.

"Never." What had prompted him to ask that? Was he jealous of Harry because of her? No. She knew better. He was just trying to get to know her better is all. How could they pretend to be in love if they didn't know everything about each other? She decided to ask some questions as well. "You and Pansy... Have you two slept together?"

"Yes," he said easily. She knew it was the truth. He was still in his silent mood though and didn't elaborate any more than that. She was curious.

"How does it happen?" she asked suddenly, not realizing she'd spoken aloud.

"What do you mean?" he asked confused.

"How... how do you be with someone? I mean, does it just happen?" She felt so stupid. He'd know that she had never been with anyone, but that didn't matter.

"Well," he said thoughtfully. "With Pansy, she just asked me, and I agreed. That was the first time. After that, whoever felt like it would tell the other one, and we'd arrange a meeting."

"Oh," she said disappointedly. She had always thought of other romantic things like she'd read in her mum's romance novels back at home. What Draco said seemed like a business arrangement. There seemed to be nothing romantic about it at all. No stars exploding. No peaks of waves to ride. She sighed.

"Haven't you ever thought about it?" he asked, breaking her chain of thoughts. "Having sex, I mean."

"Loads of times," she admitted, cheeks heating. "I just thought it would happen differently, I suppose."

"Like how?" he pressed.

"I don't know. That sounds... vulgar, what you and Pansy had. I just thought that making love was a bit different is all." She shrugged. "I thought that there would be a lot of feelings, romantic dinners, and some other rubbish, making it truly special."

His lips quirked up slightly. "I think that when you are with someone, Hermione, it will be. I suppose it's whatever you make of it." That was all he said on the matter. It gave her some hope though. Maybe there was some man out there like the men in her mum's love stories back home. Yes, someone a bit older than she was with dark hair, strong features, and always going against her at every turn would be her future. She grimaced as Professor Snape's face appeared in her mind. Not in a million years! She giggled loudly, unable to control herself.

"What's so funny?" Draco asked.

"Honestly?" she asked. He nodded. "Well, see I've read some of my mum's... love stories. They are very detailed when it comes to sex. In nearly every story, the guy is older, dark-haired, almost untouchable, experienced in the ways of the world, and daring. And," she giggled, "I was wondering if anyone like that was out there for me. Professor Snape seems to match that description. If that's what's there for me, then I'll stay single, thanks," she finished, laughing loudly.

He laughed with her, picturing Snape trying to seduce her. That will be the day! Once silence had settled back in on them, Draco slowly moved his face closer to hers. "Why does he have to be older and darker?"

"I have no idea. It's just how they describe him is all," she replied, looking into his eyes.

"Why can't he be young and fair?" he asked softly. His lips were only inches from hers. She closed her eyes and moved forward. At once, she felt his lips upon hers. She opened her mouth to accept as much of him as she could have. Her hand lifted to caress his cheek gently, and she felt one of his do the same. I could snog him all night, she thought happily. Moments later, she heard Harry's voice echo in the back of her mind, giving her a warning, and she broke away from him.

"I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean t-to..." she stammered, getting to her feet. She picked up Harry's cloak.

"Wait. Don't be sorry. It's all right," he was saying. But she wasn't sticking around to listen to it. She had to get out of there as quickly as she could before she kissed him again. She needed to be away from this new, touchable Draco.

"It's late, Draco. Have a good night," she said firmly and disappeared under Harry's cloak. She hurried to her dorm as quickly as possible.

Southern's Notes: This was a lengthy chapter, so I divided it up and stopped here. I'll work on editing the next part in a couple of days. Draco seems interested in her, but I wonder if he's just looking for a little "action" while they pretend to date. Hermione seems to be falling even though she doesn't want to.

Christy's Notes: I think Draco is definitely falling. He almost went after Ron for talking to his girl that way! Now, if Harry would just get out of Hermione's head...