All The Pretty Little Horses

Author: Rhapsody

Chapter Summery: Ginny writes, Hermione dreams, our favorite little Cypris researches. Ron meets Ripped Leg, Sir Bloody, and Squony the Pony!

Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Note: This story was written before the release of Order of the Pheonix. It does not reflect OotP canon and any characters appearing from OotP may not be in character.

"You know you want me, 'Mione. You know Weasel could never give you what I could. Just remember, a deal is a deal. Anything you want. I may appear to be…" Draco trailed off and smirked then started again. "Evil, but I always keep my promises." Draco walked out of the small room, muttering 'Finite Incantatem!' and leaving her standing there, stunned.

Chapter 2

Lucky For Me

The torments of the heart are hard to deal with. It's the most difficult thing in the world knowing that what you want is so close and you can't have it. Sitting right next to someone who you want so deeply and knowing that they will never be yours is almost worse than death.

There you sit, right next to me. You stare blankly at the fire, occasionally commenting about something. I just sit and smile.

It seems irrational really that feeling are regarded as so secret. If there were no secrets society would be so much of a better place. It's considered almost a crime for someone to confess their feelings for someone.

It's taboo for the girl to make the first move. It's almost unheard of for the girl to be the first one to say, "I Love You." I wish it weren't that way. I want to run up to you in the corridors and pin you to the floor and tell you how much I care about you, but something is holding me back...

But it's not just society, it's me. It seems every time I start to get close to some one I push them away. It's not fair to anyone, but I don't know how to stop it. There's a wall built around me and the only thing I can do is wait for someone to come and break it down.

Ever since what happened in my first year I have carried the burden of self-disgust. Sometimes I wish I was never born, but that though scares me as well. I know that if I had never been born many of the people who my decisions have affected would be totally different people.

Right now I guess I'm just stuck. I'm lost in my emotions. It's like a teardrop that turned into an ocean and now I'm drowning in it.

I'm afraid to pull anyone else in. I don't want them to get lost too. But how can I not pull them in? It's all just a series of decisions that effect everyone, no matter how hard we try to contain them.

They say if a butterfly flaps its wings in Japan it causes a tornado in South America, or something like that. I wish it didn't work that way.

I wish I could live in a jar, that way when I flap my wings I can't hurt those I care about. I wish I could protect them all from everything. But most of all I wish I could protect them from myself.

All I ask is for someone to rid me of this self hatred, someone to set me free.

Ginny looked back at the old pages of her dairy, pages devoted entirely to Harry. She laughed. She had written them with so much feeling, so much devotion to him. She always wrote better when she felt passionately about something, and one year ago she felt passionate about only two things: Quidditch and Harry. But then, there was that one section with pages about weird things. Some mysterious blond boy. She never remembered writing them. She shivered with apprehension. She sighed and turned to that part of her dairy.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Hermione left Potions class and ran up to an empty classroom. What had just happened…? Why did he…? What did he want…? Why did I let him do that…? But a little voice in her head kept going over what he had said, "You know you want me, Mione, you know Weasel could never give you what I could…" Her mind was in a whirlwind, what was she going to do? What if Ron found out?

"DAMN IT!" she yelled "DAMN HIM! UGH!!!"

She was frustrated with him for doing this to her but she was more frustrated with herself for letting him do it to her. She threw her already broken inkbottle at the blackboard in the front of the room. Peeves appeared in front of her.

"Is Little Miss Prefect mad about something?" He made a sad face at her.

"LEAVE ME ALONE PEEVES!" She threw a book at him and he disappeared.

"Ouch! That hurt!" He said sarcastically and left her alone once more.

She sat on one of the desks, mingling in a mindset of displeasure and disgust with herself. She was so wrapped up in her confusion that she didn't even notice when Cypris Moon entered the room. Cypris grinned at the frowning girl on the desk. Ooh, Draco had done a good job at making the Granger girl upset. Cypris tapped her on the shoulder.

Hermione jumped. "What the hell, Peeves!"

Cypris cocked her head back and laughed a very pompous laugh, making Hermione turn and look at her suspiciously.

"Ahh, you must be Hermione Granger. No, I'm not Peeves. I'd think you'd know who I am being that we have Astronomy, Potions, and Arithmancy together." She smirked.

"Yes, now that I think of it, you are in my Potions and Arithmancy. You're Cypris Moon, aren't you?" Hermione still looked suspicious.

"It figures as much that you wouldn't recognize me, that whole changing forms usually confuses people. I thought you'd be smarter…"

"Oh," Hermione said, "So you're a fairy. What type are you?"

Just then, Cypris scowled and her hair began to turn a gold color at the tips. It gradually spread up her hairline until her hair was red, like the sunset.

"See? I change forms. Anyways, I didn't come here to make friends with a Gryffindor. I came here to see why the hell Draco would want to kiss you."

"How should I know why the slimy git does things? Probably to break up my relationship with Ron, which is already as good as over, being that it's totally fake." Hermione cringed at the thought of her voice saying that she wasn't in love with Ron. She had been so sure of it.

"Temper, temper. Why are you so mad? Most girls would line up and pay to have a snog with Draco. I see you aren't one of them."

"I see you are." Hermione flashed an arrogant smile.

"To tell you the truth, yes, I would enjoy something of the sort," Cypris confessed. "But…" Hermione was smirking, Cypris could tell she was losing control of the conversation.

"Continue…" Hermione prompted, but Cypris wouldn't have it.

"It's not business of yours. I don't understand why you are such an ungracious little tart, but what I do know is with an attitude like that, you can't be the mudblood Draco thinks you are."

"Tart! You're the tart. I'm almost temped to dump you in a giant cup of tea!"

"Ouch, that hurt." Cypris said, her voice dripping with sarcasm, "Anyways, I must go, but first let me do something, will you?"

Hermione stepped back, "Don't touch me."

"If you aren't going to cooperate then I'll just have to hurt you worse." Cypris glared, her temper obviously mounting.

"I have a little joke for you." Hermione smiled wickedly, "How many tarts does it take to screw in a light bulb?"

Cypris appeared un-amused. "How many?"

"It doesn't matter because if they don't leave me alone I'll hex them!" Hermione forced a cocky laugh and glared, "What don't you find my jokes funny? I have another if you'd like to hear!"

"No!" Cypris said loudly, before composing herself. "I mean, no, I don't want to. What I want is some of your blood and you are going to give it to me, or I am going to have to extract it. And after all of your little comments, believe me, I wouldn't mind making it a painful experience for you."

"Here then." Hermione took out a piece of parchment and a quill. She dug the quill into her finger and let a drop of blood onto the parchment. She then continued to place the tip of the quill in her blood and used it to write her name. She thrust the paper at Cypris.

"There, and I even wrote my name on it so you wouldn't forget whose blood it is. I'm sure you have quite a collection."

Hermione picked up her books and walked out of the room pinching her finger to stop the blood flow.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Harry and Ron were very puzzled as to why Hermione had left so abruptly after Potions. The two were walking down a dreary looking corridor, talking. There were depressing black curtains hanging on the high walls, and the suites of armor had old bloodstains on them. Pictures of decapitated soldiers and injured horses were moaning and attempting to wave at them.

"Ick, this corridor is really disturbing…" Harry was looking around at the battle scenes depicted on the walls as the headed towards the library to look for Hermione. It was an unwritten rule about her that if she was nowhere to be found, she could be found in the library.

"Where's Hermione? I'm starting to get worried." Ron had his eyebrows scrunched together, like he did when he was thinking.

"Ron, you know she went to the library." Harry said.

"Yeah, she probably did. Want to go find her?"

"Isn't that where we were going?"

"Oh… yeah, sorry, forgot. I was thinking about something else."

Harry lifted an eyebrow. "Sure… What's on your mind?"

"Maybe Hermione will want to go for a walk around the lake? It's a really nice evening and after Halloween the weather gets pretty crappy. "

"Yeah, Hermione would like that…" Harry commented. Ron was very, very, happy to have a girlfriend and whenever Hermione was mentioned, he either became a beaming ray of sunshine or he got all dazed and had the tendency to walk into things. But Harry obviously wasn't the only one with his mind elsewhere.

"The sunset will be really nice, too." Ron added. He looked over at Harry who had gotten a far off look. "You okay, mate?"

"What? Umm, oh yeah, that's a good idea… maybe Ginny'll come too."

"Why the sudden interest in my sister?" Ron inquired.

Harry straightened up, getting defensive. "She's your sister, she's Hermione's friend, why can't she be my friend too?"

"You run up and get her, she's probably in her dormitory reading. Okay?"

"M'kay! Meet you in the library Ron!" Harry turned back the way he and Ron had come. He left the disturbing corridor and ran the fastest route to the Gryffindor common room. Harry ran up to the portrait hole and muttered the password. He entered the common room and raced up the staircase to the girls' dorm where Ginny slept. He knocked loudly on the door.

"Who is it?"

"Harry. Hey, you wanna go for a walk around the lake with Ron, Hermione, and me?"

Ginny did a double take. She stared blankly at Lizzie who was sitting on the end of her bed.

Lizzie smiled and whispered, "Answer him!" while poking her on the shoulder.

"K, sounds great, let me grab my cloak."

Ginny giggled. In her mind it was quite exciting that Harry had come to see her three times in the last month; he hadn't even come to see her three times in the last four years! Ginny turned to Lizzie.

"Do you mind me running off like this?"

"Of course not!"

"Tell Megan and April that I went for a walk with Harry, if they come looking for me!" She picked up her cloak as Lizzie grabbed the Teen Quidditch Weekly off the bed and headed to the door with her.

"Do you and Harry have some sort of relationship?"

"I'm not quite sure."

Ginny's mind drifted back to the night where Harry had disrupted the whole tower of sleeping girls. She laughed. "I guess I'll find out later."

She winked at Lizzie, pulled the door open, and left with Harry.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Ron continued down 'the corridor of severed heads', asking himself why he had even taken this hallway. He then remembered that on Thursdays this was the shortest route to the library. Momentarily he would be in the library talking to Hermione. His Hermione. He walked into a suit of armor.

"Arg! Why are yee knockin' down Sir Bloody! He is the oldest suit of armor in the seven seas, matey! Arg! I am the pirate Ripped Leg!" The pirate in the portrait shook his hooked arm at him, making Ron step back a little.

"Erm, sorry about that, erm, Sir Blood…" Ron said apprehensively.

The little pirate told him proudly, "'Tis Sir Bloody and you'd be good to remember it, matey! He sailed the seven seas and slaughtered men and took their women as his hostages. Then he cast them out to sea, killing their children!"

"Lovely. Umm, accomplishments that fellow had…"

"Arg! He was a brave one. Didn't fear death. Drowned wearing this suit of armor! Sunk to the bottom of the sea! He was a bloody one!"

"Nice…" Ron said. Ripped Leg began to talk to one of his mates, momentarily forgetting about Sir Bloody.

"Ah, I see you've lost your friends so you've resorted to talking to pictures." A voice came from behind him.

Ron wheeled around to face Draco Malfoy.

"I didn't ask the ruddy little pirate to start talking to me," Ron said, defensive.

"Who are you calling little! Land lover! You should fear me! I will come upon your port and slaughter your children!" Ripped Leg snarled, waving his hook around. He would have looked comical if he hadn't looked so angry.

"Thanks for the offer, but I don't have any children. Sorry to disappoint you, Ripped Leg." Ron shot at the portrait. Ripped Leg spat at him.

"Arg! I will trample your city with my mighty steed, Squony!"

"Nice name, is he Squony the Pony?" Ron asked, grinning.

"Arg! How dare yee insult my steed!"

"Will you just shut up, Ripped Leg? What kind of a name is Ripped Leg anyways?"

"Hey, Weasel," Malfoy interrupted Ron's conversation with the pirate, "Are you done talking to the picture yet?"

"I told you, I didn't want to talk to it!" Ron said, sounding pathetic.

"Right. Anyways, I just thought you'd like to know that I had a nice little talk with your Mudblood girlfriend during Potions. She told me loads of interesting little tidbits about her feelings!"

Ron stiffened. "What did you ask her, Malfoy?"

"That's for me to know and you to find out!" Draco taunted the other boy, obviously pleased with himself.

"If you hurt her Malfoy, I'll kill you!" Ron was glaring.

Malfoy just smirked. "Trust me Weasel, I wouldn't dream of hurting her." Another smile crept across his face and he left Ron there heaving with anger while Ripped Leg yelled insults.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Hermione was all alone; she had no one to turn to. She couldn't tell Harry, and especially not Ron, about her little rendezvous with Malfoy. Think of what they would say! She'd just pretend nothing ever happened, yes, that's what she would do. And why did Cypris want her blood? She knew that nothing could be done to curse her with it being as she gave it willingly… at least there were no curses anyone but an Auror could do. She turned and started walking towards the library to go study. Studying always got her mind off of her troubles.

"Hermione! Hermione!" She heard Ron's voice behinds her. She turned around to see him running towards her very quickly. When he reached her, Ron gasped, "Are you okay?"

"Yes, why wouldn't I be?"

"Malfoy said you two had an interesting talk during Potions, and I wanted to make sure he didn't do anything to you."

Hermione froze. Damn it, Malfoy! the voices inside her head screamed.

"What did he tell you?" she asked rather nervously.

"Only that he saw you and you told him some stuff about your feelings. He wouldn't tell me anything else… he didn't hurt you did he?"

"Oh no, he didn't do anything to me… " -- that I didn't let him do, she thought. "It was no big deal."

"Good, because if he ever did anything to you, I'd kill him! I love you, Hermione!" He leaned in and kissed her gently. She pulled away. It just didn't feel right. She didn't belong with Ron, but she didn't want to hurt him.

"Is something wrong, 'Mione?"

"No, nothing, just don't call me 'Mione. It reminds me of something… rather unpleasant."

"Whatever you want, Hermione." He smiled widely. He looks kinda like a repulsive puppy when he does that, she thought. Good god! I'm even starting to think like Malfoy, what did he do to me?

"Oy! Ron! Hermione!"

Harry and Ginny were running towards them, Harry smiling dumbly. Ron looked suspiciously at Harry.

"Let's go for a walk then!" Harry said.

"Yeah, a walk sounds good." Hermione said. She grabbed Ron by the arm and they walked down the bloody corridor, passing Ripped Leg.

"Arg! Weasel! We never finished our fight! Don't run away, you coward!"

"Who's that, Ron?" Ginny giggled.

"Ahh fair miss! I am Ripped Leg the Pirate! I have sailed the seven seas! Fear me as I will trample your village with my steed Squony!"

"Oh my gosh! You are the cutest little thing in the whole wide world!" Ginny teased.

"Cute? Arg, you are wrong! I am a fierce pirate! I will rape you and kill your children!"

"That's just what he wants us to think!" Hermione said.

"Ripped Leg, can I see your noble steed?" Ginny asked, fluttering her eyelashes.

"Arg! Yes yee may!" Ripped leg smiled in delight. "Men, bring out Squony my noble steed!"

Another little man ran through a door to the gallery of the ship and within a few seconds the pony was being led through a second door and out onto the deck of the little ship where Ripped Leg was beaming impatiently.

Ron laughed. "I told you it was Squony the Pony." The pony neighed in response, obviously preferring to be called "noble steed".

"She's beautiful, Ripped Leg." Hermione commented, smiling at the little pony.

"Aye, I bought her off a sailor at a port in London and then I killed his family and left their bodies to the vultures!" Ripped Leg replied.

"I see…" Ginny said, "Well it was a pleasure, Sir Ripped Leg."

"Arg! A Sir I am not! You must be referring to Sir Bloody o'er there!"

"Oh God! Don't get him started with Sir Bloody!" Ron groaned.

"Well, we must get outside and watch that sunset before it's over." Ginny said, walking away from the picture. Ron automatically grabbed Hermione and they left the corridor, Ginny and Hermione saying their farewells to the pirate and promising to visit again.

"Honestly!" Ron said in undertones to Harry, "The girls act like he's a gentleman. You'd think they like the gruesome little guy."

"I think it's the whole brave adventurous pirate thing." Harry whispered back as Hermione and Ginny continued to laugh about the little pony.

They walked quickly down the stairs and through winding corridors. They waved at passing pictures, and when they got in sight of the entrance, they all broke into a run simultaneously. They ran until they reached the edge of the lake just as the sun dipped under the horizon. The cool air had settled near the ground and a light layer of fog began to appear, as if by magic, like a soft blanket covering the surface of the lake. Ron and Harry flopped to the moist ground and Ginny spread her cloak out for her and Hermione to sit on.

"Oh, sorry Hermione, I should've thought." Ron apologized.

"It's nothing." She returned absentmindedly, half because she was a tinge tired and half because she was pondering over what Cypris had wanted.

"It's a shame we missed the sunset." Ginny commented as a lock of hair fell into her face. Harry naturally brushed it away.

"Yeah, there's always tomorrow."

"I have to study for the potions final."

They launched into discussion about how unfair Snape was, and the upcoming Quidditch match against Hufflepuff. Hermione dropped out of the conversation and was replaying the incident with Draco in her head. There they were together in a dimly lit little chamber. She closed her eyes momentarily. I have to tell someone, she thought, or I'll go completely insane.

"Hermione, are you okay?" Ron looked concerned that she hadn't been talking.

She hurriedly asked Ginny to come with her, claiming they needed to discuss 'girl things', and dragged her off towards a tree under which they could sit and talk.

"What's wrong, Hermione? I've never seen you like this."

"It's a long story."

"We have all night if we need it."

"I really don't know if I can tell you about it, I'm just not sure." She was stalling, giving herself time to decide whether to share about Cypris.

"I can tell when you're lying. You want to tell me, Hermione, you're just afraid I'll tell Ron. You know I won't."

"I know. Okay. Well, today in Potions we were working with a truth potion..."

"Veritaserum?"

"Yes, and I got paired with Draco Malfoy…"

"What happened?"

"I could tell her…" A voice came from behind them. Hermione and Ginny turned to look and saw none other than Malfoy himself.

"But I'm not sure if you should tell the little Weaslette about our little snog. I mean, really, 'Mione, telling someone that your cheating on her brother, I thought you were smarter than that."

"I didn't ask you to follow me here Draco, kindly leave me and Ginny alone." Hermione was coloring, and she was glad it was dark.

"Whatever you want, a promise is a promise." He smirked at them. He almost looks charming, Hermione thought. Ginny frowned at her.

"What was that about? 'A promise is a promise'? You were really snogging with him?"

"That's what I wanted to tell you, and I wouldn't exactly put it in quite those words, but…"

"Do you like him?"

"I don't know Ginny, I just don't know." She answered.

Ginny looked at her questioningly. "Tell me exactly what happened Hermione, please, then maybe I'll understand."

"Well, in Potions, Snape partnered us off and I ended up with Draco as my partner. He kept asking me all these questions about my love life and what I really thought about people. He told me that I could have whatever I wanted and I told him I didn't know what I wanted and then he just kissed me. It was weird. But now that I think about it… I liked it."

Hermione was close to tears by the end. She was so confused and yet, for some reason, she liked the attention from Draco. The sky darkened and Ginny lit a small fire into a jar she had summoned, a skill she had learned from Hermione. She found it ironic that at one time she had looked up to Hermione and depended on her. Now it was Hermione looking to her for advice.

"Did he say anything else to you?" Ginny peered deep into her eyes and she could tell Hermione was just confused and she didn't want to hurt Ron, or anyone for that matter.

"There's this one phrase that I can't shake off. He said 'You know you want me, 'Mione, you know Weasel could never give you what I could. Just remember a deal is a deal, anything you want. I may appear to be evil but I always keep my promises.' I keep replaying what he said in my head. I'm scared, Ginny!"

"Of what?"

"That he's right."

~*~*~*~*~*~

Cypris sat alone in the Slytherin girls' dormitory. Unlike the Gryffindors, the Slytherin girls had separated their room using forest green velvet curtains to ensure privacy. Her bed was open. She had taken down the curtains so she could be in view of the window. The moon peeked through the sheer black curtain that was strung delicately across her window. She sat in a black wooden chair and peered at the chess set in front of her. It was a hobby for her to solve chess puzzles. She had done it since she was a child.

Cypris picked up a black knight and was twirling it through her fingers, the white, and clean light of the moon illuminating her jet-black hair. She bit her lip. She couldn't concentrate. She was pondering over the Granger girl.

"What a common ugly surname, Granger." She said aloud to vent her frustration. She returned the knight deftly to its place upon the chessboard and got up. She stood up and slid the chair under the lip of the table. She thoughtlessly walked to the narrow window and pulled back the sheer curtain. Moonlight spilled into the room.

"Now. I have to do it now." She said to herself, her voice echoing eerily in the empty room.

"Do what now?" A voice said. She turned to face Draco standing near the edge of her "room".

"Oh, nothing that concerns you." Cypris said cockily.

He walked up to her and grabbed the end of her chin, his eyes boring into hers. "You're lying."

Cypris mock-cheered, "That's one point for team Malfoy!"

"I am not amused, Cypris."

"If you didn't want to talk to me, why the devil did you come in here?"

"I was looking for Pansy, but she's obviously not here, so I guess I'll leave."

"Don't you want to know what I'm doing?"

"Not particularly," Draco said noncommittally.

"Now you're the one who is lying."

"I'm not in the mood to play games."

She smirked. "That's quite surprising. It seems to me that you came in here to play games with Pansy."

He sighed. "Damn it, Cypris! Can you be serious for one minute?"

"I'm always serious. I never say anything I don't wholeheartedly mean."

"I see… can you clarify something for me then?"

"Maybe…"

"What is this thing you're doing that has to do with me?"

"First you have to tell me something."

"What?" Draco asked sharply, irritation apparent in his voice.

"Isn't it wrong for you to be snogging Granger one minute and Pansy the next?"

"How do you know I snogged her?"

"I asked her."

"I see. Why were you talking to her?"

"To get this!" She said triumphantly. Cypris handed him the parchment almost lazily, as if people commonly had blood stained parchment lying around.

"Nice." He said casually, glancing at it.

"And she's a cocky little bitch, that one."

"I see she took the liberty to write her name for you."

"Yes, 'so I wouldn't forget who's blood it was'." Cypris sniffed. "That's unlikely."

"I would think it'd be so you could spell her name."

"Funny you say that, Malfoy, I was just about to do something with that." She snatched the parchment away from him and pulled out her wand.

"What are you doing?"

"Watch," she said. She murmured a spell over the parchment and lit the end on fire with a candle from her bedside table. Draco watched as the fire flared and went out, leaving the parchment looking as if it hadn't been touched.

"So I was right," Cypris murmured in his ear seductively as she ran a finger down his cheekbone. "She's a pureblood, like us."

~*~*~*~*~*~

At dinner that evening, Ron kept trying to snuggle with Hermione, but she would just turn and snap at him, "Not here, Ron! What if someone saw?" Harry and Ron were both puzzled by her sudden snootiness. Only Ginny knew about whom she was concerned. Hermione was constantly worried that Draco would come over and comment about their little meeting in front of Harry, or worse, Ron. She was totally confused about what to do. Every time she heard his name mentioned, she would turn crimson. He had been right; she wanted him, badly.

She had tried to study that night in the common room, but even then Ron wouldn't leave her alone.

"Are you okay, Hermione?" he asked. She looked up at him. Ron did seem very concerned, as usual.

"Just tired, I guess."

Ron leaned in to kiss her but she pulled away and claimed she wasn't in the mood. Ron left, and Harry, who had been watching them, approached her.

Hermione let out an exasperated sigh. "I just feel like he's smothering me, Harry, I wish we could all just be friends again, all this girlfriend/boyfriend stuff is stressing me out."

Harry hugged her and she started sobbing in his arms. Harry told her, "It's okay, I'll talk to Ron. I know you don't want to hurt him."

"Thanks, Harry," She sobbed and looked up into his green eyes. They were so deep. Hermione froze. No, Hermione! You can't start thinking like this! First you fall in love with Draco Malfoy then the next day you are lusting over your best friend! Why I am thinking that! I'm not in love with Draco-- just because he's seductive and really sexy doesn't mean I'm in love with him! But… Harry. He's nice and his eyes are so-- Stop it Hermione!

She had a constant problem with letting her mind wander, and wherever it wandered it always landed on Malfoy. Harry left her to go find Ron and talk to him. After a while, Hermione got up and ran into her dormitory and cried herself to sleep.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Draco did a double take. Did Cypris just say Granger was a pureblood?

"What are you playing at?"

"Nothing, Draco my dear, it's actually quite simple you know. Her real name can't be Granger. Stupid muggle name. She might even be related to one of us!"

Cypris smiled as a look of disgust crossed his face, before continuing, "Lucky for me I looked up some old wizarding families with genetics like hers. The brown eyes and brown curly hair. The slim face. I have narrowed it down to three French families: Beauford, Le Soir, or Le Fay. They all also have stories of members of the family going into hiding as muggles for one reason or another. Which partially explains why your mother gave you those odd instructions."

"Cypris, I could almost kiss you!" Malfoy flashed one of his rare real smiles.

"Then why don't you?"

"Because you're a repulsive--"

She cut him off. "Shut up!"

He turned and was about to leave when an idea dawned on him. "Cypris, come here."

She glared at him. "What?"

"A little closer…"

Draco motioned with his finger and she stepped closer. He leaned towards her and she gasped just as he placed his lips over hers. She closed her eyes and kissed him back. He ran his hands down her back and she played with the hairs at the back of his neck. He began kissing her neck and she gasped again as he began unsnapping her bra through her shirt. She pulled away and stared at him.

"What are you doing, Draco Malfoy!"

"I thought this was what you wanted." A smile played at his lips.

"You really are evil Draco, you know that, don't you?"

"It takes one to know one."

"Why, yes, it does…" she said grabbing him and pushing him down on her bed.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Hermione saw herself. She felt disembodied and then it downed upon her, she was dreaming. She suddenly felt a rush and she was pulled into her own body…

***She sat alone in the common room. It was night. The normally bright and cheerful room was shrouded in darkness. She sat by a simmering cauldron. She was putting in the second to last ingredient when Neville Longbottom came up behind her. She turned around to see his somewhat dumpy face smiling dumbly at her.

"Oh hello, Neville." She smiled, making him blush scarlet.

He looked inquiring at her, "What are you doing up so late?"

She leaned in closer so Ginny (who was having a snog with Colin Creevy on the couch) wouldn't hear. "I'm brewing a love potion. Well, not exactly a love potion but it's similar. You know love potions can only be done by extremely talented wizards and witches." She smiled before continuing, "Don't tell anyone! Especially Ron and Harry, I don't want to be ridiculed until I die…" She trailed off.

Neville felt himself puff up with pride. He was being told something by Hermione Granger that she didn't even want her friends to know.***

The real Hermione stirred. Even in her light sleep her thoughts were clear and concise, despite the stress she was enduring. She was swinging back and forth across the line between sleep and wakefulness. She knew one thing, though. In her normal dreams she never knew what others were thinking. She had read somewhere that memories could be stored in dreams...

***"How does it work?" Neville looked anxious and yet interested.

Hermione's eyes sparkled as she began to explain. "Well, after you add the last ingredient, you simmer until it turns a pinkish color. Then you pour it into a small vial and do the Infatuos Souliar Charm on the vial. The spell is activated when the vial is broken."

Neville was in awe and very puzzled at the same time, "And, umm, what, umm, does the spell do?" he asked.

Purple and pink bubbles began to float up from the brim of the pewter cauldron. Hermione picked up a small black book and paged through it until she found the dog-eared page she was searching for. She skimmed through the potion's instructions.

"Could you hand me the small bag of fireflies? Not the large one, mind you." She asked Neville. He quickly handed her a bag and she continued. "Did you know the chemical that produces a firefly's glow also assists in instant travel?"

The question was left unanswered as Hermione dumped the entire bag of fireflies into the cauldron, "Okay, little fireflies, just swim around in there for a while… what was that you were saying Neville?"

"Erm, what does the spell, I mean potion do?"

"Well it's actually a charm, but when the vial breaks the person is transported to their soul mate. They remain there until they kiss them. Then they are both transferred to where the spell was initiated together. It's harmless really, unless… Oh I won't think about the side effects if it goes wrong…" Once again she trailed off.

She suddenly began scooping the fireflies out of the cauldron with graceful strokes and carrying them to the window to set them free. Neville decided to help and as he got up he noticed a far smaller bag of fireflies laying next to him on the ground. He silently scolded himself for his stupidity for giving her the wrong bag and to cover his error he released the small bag of fireflies out the window…***

Hermione sat up straight in her bed. She quickly opened her bedside drawer and pulled out the purple bound dairy that Ginny had given her, and transcribed the dream onto the cream colored paper with growing concern. She assured herself it was just a dream and nothing could come of it. What does it matter if the Neville in my dream is a total dolt? But the little voice in the back of her head kept telling her it wasn't a dream...