Choices

A/N: Sorry about the long wait. Here's chapter nine! I'm not sure how many girls there are in sixth and seventh year in the other houses, so I'm making up the numbers.

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Chapter Nine: Why Me?

Hermione shook her head and wondered how she'd managed to get where she currently was, sitting in the Room of Requirement surrounded by twenty gigling girls. All of them had been dosed with Veritaserum to make Truth or Dare more interesting. The brunette thought back over the course of the day. It had been a typical Saturday, until she'd been approached by Lavender Brown during lunch. Hermione thought that was strange in and of itself, as she and Lavender could hardly be considered friends. The blonde had approached her during lunch and asked her if she'd like to join in a little girls' night that Lavender and Parvati Patil were hosting in the Room of Requirement. Going against her better judgment, she'd agreed and asked if Elkara and Ginny were also invited.

So now here she was surrounded by the giggling gaggle of girls that were high on life (not mention a little tipsy from the firewhiskey and butterbeer).

"Allright, Hermione, truth or dare?" her thoughts were interrupted by Parvati.

Hermione considered for a moment, and said, "Truth."

"Damn, I was hoping you'd go for the dare. I have a really good one for you," Parvati pouted.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Just ask the question. I'll take the dare next time."

"Okay!" The girl brightened considerably. "Of all the teachers in Hogwarts, which one do you want to have sex with the most?"

"Professor Malfoy," Hermione blurted, then immediately slapped her hand over her mouth, cursing the genius that had thought of using Veritaserum.

"Well that's no great surprise. All the girls want to fuck him," Ginny said, trying to help her friend recover from her embarrassment. She thought for a second, then added, " Well, the straight ones anyway."

"Right then," Hermione said, clearing her throat. She addressed the Ravenclaw girl that Ron had a crush on, "Rachel, truth or dare?"

Rachel thought for a moment and said, "Truth."

Hermione grinned to herself. Maybe some good would come of this night after all. "If you had a to pick a Gryffindor to date, who would it be and why?"

The other girl blushed a furious shade of red and squeaked out, "Ron Weasley."

"And why?" Hermione prompted.

"He's so cute, and a great flyer, and he's sweet..." she trailed off turning a brighter shade of red than anyone thought possible.

The other girls gave Rachel a minute to recover from her embarrassment, before reminding her that it was turn to ask someone.

"Okay, hmm. Luna, truth or dare."

"Dare," Luna answered in her usual dreamy tone.

"I dare you to kiss Jo," Rachel said.

Jo, a sixth year Hufflepuff, squeaked and tried to hide behind Hermione.

Luna got up from her spot between Lavender and Ginny, walked over to the girl in question, and kissed the girl top of her head. She then made her way back to her seat.

"That doesn't count," Lavender immediately blurted out.

Luna turned to the other girl and said, "The dare didn't specify where I had to kiss her."

Hermione laughed and said, "She's right. She kissed Jo, it counts."

The game went on for another hour before Parvati decided it was time for something else. They spent the next several minutes debating on it before Hermione suggested Marry, Fuck, or Kill. Most of them had never heard of it, so she was asked to explain how to play.

"What we do is take three guys, for example Harry, Ron, and Neville, then we decide which one we'd marry, which one we'd fuck, and which one we'd kill. I'll start. I'd marry Harry, fuck Neville, and Ron would have to die because he's too much like my brother for me to be able to do anything with him," Hermione said, for once not having a know-it-all tone while explaining something.

Giny decided that it sounded fun, so she gave her answer next. "Ron would have to die, because he's my brother and that's just gross. I'd fuck Harry, and marry Neville."

"Why would you marry Neville?" El asked.

"Because he's gay," Ginny answered with a slight shrug.

"Fair enough. My turn," Elkara said, "I'd marry Harry, 'cause he's a sweetie. I'd fuck Ron, because I have a thing for redheads, and I'd kill Neville, but only because I don't know him very well."

The girls went around the circle giving their answers about Harry, Ron and Neville. Then Lavender came up with the next three. Professors Malfoy, Snape, and Flitwick. Hermione knew it was going to be an interesting round, since they were all still under the effects of the Veritaserum.

Ginny went first. "I'd fuck Snape, but only if the lights were out. I'd marry Flitwick, and Malfoy would have to die."

El went next, "I would fuck Malfoy, marry Snape, and kill Flitwick. Don't ask my reasons, that's just how it is."

"I would marry Malfoy, fuck Snape, and kill Flitwick," this came from Hermione, who was trying to resist the urge to laugh at the looks on the other girls' faces.

"Why would you marry Malfoy?" Rachel asked, finally managing to ocercome her shyness.

"So I could make his life Hell," Hermione answered with a grin.

Just then Dobby popped into the room and warned them that Professors Malfoy and Snape were on their way to the room at that very moment because they'd heard a rumour that a bunch of students were planning on having a party in there.

We need a safe way out, Hermione thought as hard as she could. The room obliged her wish and three doors, leading straight to the entrances to their common rooms appeared on the wall opposite the door they'd come in. Hermione made sure that all the girls got safely where they needed to go, then wished for a door leading to her common room. Elkara had stayed behind, deciding to spend the night in her own room.

"Well, that was an eventful evening," Elkara said as they climbed through the portrait hole.

Hermione yawned and nodded her agreement. The two girls said goodnight and headed off to their rooms.

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The next morning found Hermione being rudely awakened by someone banging on her door. She grumbled about rude assholes not letting her sleep as she rolled out of bed and stumbled to the door.

"This better be important," she half snarled as she opened the door.

"Well, good morning to you too," Elkara said cheerily as she pushed her way past the still sleepy brunette.

"Go to hell," Hermione muttered, stumbling back over to her bed and flopping down on it.

El flopped down next to her and started poking her in the back, trying to wake her up in the most annoying way possible. Hermione unceremoniously shoved the other girl off the bed.

"Hey! Not necessary! You've could have just asked me to leave you alone," Elkara declared.

"Would you have listened?" Hermione asked.

Elkara thought about it for a second and said, "Probably not. Anyway, get your bum out of bed, we have studying to do."

"Well this is a shocking twist. Hermione Granger doesn't want to get up to study," came a distinctly male voice from the doorway.

Both girls mock glared at him and, in unison, said, "Piss off Malfoy!"

"Back to surnames? Granger, I'm hurt."

Hermione sat up in her bed and grinned at the blond man. She was amazed at the friendship she'd built with the young man who had so recently been her enemy.

"You know I love you, Draco," Hermione said, only half kidding. She really was coming to love the blond in almost the same capacity that she loved Harry and Ron.

"Don't say that too loud sweet cheeks, wouldn't want anyone to know that the Slytherin Prince and Gryffindor Princess are friendly with each other," Draco kidded back.

"What's up with this house rivalry thing, anyway?" Elkara asked. "It makes no sense that just because you're sorted into a certain house you have to hate people sorted into other houses."

Hermione nodded her head in agreement. "I know it doesn't make any sense. As you saw last night it's really only the Slytherins that are hated by the other three houses, and it's the Slytherins that mainly hate the other houses. I know it's not right or fair, but we're taught from day one that all Slytherins are evil gits. Unfortunately, by the time we realize that it's not true it's too late for us to fix the damage. The exception to that, though, would be my friendship with Draco."

Draco, who was still standing in the doorway added his view on the matter. "We Slytherins are taught to keep to ourselves and not trust people from other houses. It's not right, but it has to be done to protect us. The other houses would tear us to shreds if they thought we actually had human emotions."

Elkara shook her head sadly, wondering if the coming war would finally united Hogwarts the way it should be united, or if it would divide the school irreparably.

"Come on, Hermia, we need to go get some studying done," Elkara said, effectively ending the depressing conversation.

"Oh, Hermione, my father's coming by to have lunch with me at one. Just thought you should know so you can make arrangements to be somewhere else if you want to," Draco informed her.

Hermione shook her head and thought, Why me? Aloud, she said, "Thanks for the warning, Draco. Does he know we're friends? Or would it be better if I weren't here?"

"I don't think he knows, but I don't think he'll mind it. He likes you a lot, you know? He says you're the most brilliant witch he's ever met," the blond told her, trying to gauge her reaction.

"Interesting. Could you leave so I can get dressed?" Hermione asked, trying to not sound like a bitch.

Draco complied with her request, and shut the door behind him, humming a song that sounded a lot like 'Over the Rainbow' from The Wizard of Oz.

"Was he humming 'Over the Rainbow'?" Elkara asked as Hermione was getting dressed.

Hermione laughed and said, "Yes, I think he was."

The girls giggled about that all the way up to the library, through their entire study session, and all the way back to the common room. They stopped giggling once they reached their portrait and heard shouting coming from inside. They rushed in to find the Malfoy men standing toe to toe and screaming at each other. The screaming stopped once the two men realized they were no longer alone, which was roughly three and a half minutes later.

Lucius stepped away from his son and glared daggers at Hermione. He hissed, "What exactly is the nature of your relationship with my son?"

Hermione, confused, decided that the truth was the best way to go. She said, "Professor, Draco and I are friends, nothing more. Are you angry about that, sir?"

He seemed to visibly deflate at her answer. "No, Miss Granger, I'm not angry about it. I'm sorry I reacted so badly. I heard a nasty rumour going round about you and Draco," he glanced at his son. "Obviously I could have handled the situation better. I'll take my leave now."

With that he was gone, and all that was left in his wake was an awkward silence that none of them knew how to break. Elkara, being the Elkara, decided to break the silence the best way she knew how.

She plopped herself down on the sofa and said, "Well, Hermia, it looks like he likes you as more than a student."

"What? How could you have possibly drawn that conclusion?" Hermione asked.

Draco sat down next to Elkara and said, "I'd like to know the same thing."

El rolled her eyes. "You're both totally blind aren't you? That wasn't rage that was pouring off of him, it was jealousy. Jealousy of Draco for having something that he wants."

"No way," Draco and Hermione said at the same time.

"Yes way, and Herms, we need to talk," El said, mildly exasperated.

"Don't call me Herms," was Hermione's answer as she stood and walked toward her room, El hot on her heels. Just before she closed the door she said,

"Draco, we'll talk later, okay?"

"Hermione," El started, once the door was closed, "you know about my abilities. I know that Lucius Malfoy really likes you a lot, and he is jealous of the relationship that Draco has with you. I think Operation D.L.M. needs to stop and you need to seriously stop and think about what you want. You need to decide if you want to persue a relationship with him. I know how men like him are. He'll toy with you a little bit, but if you say no he'll listen to you and respect your wishes."

Hermione was floored. She had never once thought that Lucius Malfoy might have a real attraction to her. She was attracted to him, she knew that, but was that enough for her to want to persue a relationship with him? She didn't know.

"What do you think I should do?" she asked Elkara.

"I think you should do what will make you happiest. I also think you shouldn't rush into anything. Weigh the pros and cons of getting with him against the pros and cons of not getting with him. I know you're watching all of your friends get together with people, and I'm pretty sure you want that for yourself. The question is, do you want that with Lucius Malfoy? I think Draco could use a friendly ear right now. I'll go talk to him and let you think on what you want."

Elkara left and Hermione was alone with her thoughts. Do I want that with Lucius Malfoy? The honest answer to that, she decided, was that she didn't know.

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A/N: I know it's short. I'm sorry!