A/N: The reviews keep getting more and more. Thank you readers! You are amazing. The part of the story about Cho has been very popular. I seem to have generated the hatred for Cho, which I was looking for. Harry and Hermione have been having a bad time of late. Things are bond to improve for them soon… Please keep up the response. It is deeply appreciated.
This chapter continues with Cho's evil deeds and ends with… you'll see. I know my last three chapters have been cliffhangers but I couldn't help making it four in a row. I promise this will be the last cliffie, at least for a while. This one isn't a bad cliffie but I warned you anyway. Happy reading and a belated Happy Valentines Day!
Chapter Seventeen: Busted!
"Dear God, please help me out! Here is the girl I love more than life itself. She dumps me without any reason and instead of hating her, I love her even more. What do you call this? Do I really love her this much or am I being an idiot not being able to accept the truth? As far as I can make out, the first is true. I can't stop loving her. My heart says that she loves me too. More than ever before. Then why is she acting like this? What did I or anybody else do to make her lose her personality? She is not like this. On top of everything she is lying to me. I checked every inch of the grounds but she was not there. Then why is she saying she was in the grounds? This isn't fair. I deserve the truth, don't I? If she has any problem, I'm always there for her. I want Hermione Granger back. Even if she can't be mine, I want her to be herself. I want that smile back. I want the talkative nature back. And if possible I want what we shared back. Please help me!" prayed Harry.
Hermione was standing right next to him. Though she was fighting tears, at the moment she was rather happy. She felt hopeful after a long time. Harry knew that she was out every night and also that she wasn't telling truths. To find out the truths all he needed to do was to follow her. Knowing him she felt he wouldn't do that. He hated to invade on people's privacy. The only way was to check the Marauderer's map. If only she could give him a hint. As her tears threatened to leak she quickly made her way back to her room. The tears now leaked out freely. Harry's prayer ran through her head. Each word was like a knife through her chest. The only consolation was that he still loved her. Her mental pain at the moment exceeded the physical pain caused by the slavery spell. She again wondered if she should just throw caution to the wind but her dream forced her to abandon the thoughts.
Next morning Luna told Harry something very interesting.
"You know Harry, Brian Lara the sixth year Ravenclaw prefect saw Hermione in the corridors late last night. He wasn't very sure but she seemed to be walking towards Cho Chang's room. I don't know what to make of this but I thought you should know," she said. Harry pondered.
"I don't trust Cho. Ever since I caught her following me and Hermione, I've been suspicious of her. However Hermione being near her room is by no stretch a good enough reason to accuse her. Had it been anybody else I wouldn't even have thought about it. But with Cho you never know," said Harry.
"So what will you do about it?" asked Ron.
"I think I'll go and have a stern talk with her," said Harry getting up. Ron and Luna watched as he was walking away.
"He's handling it worse than I expected," commented Ron.
"Come on Ron! Harry and Hermione fitted like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. How do you expect him to act when Hermione suddenly announces that it wasn't working? I'm surprised that he hasn't gone insane," replied Luna.
"I want to kill Hermione but I can't help feeling something is wrong with her. The part about her sneaking out every night is strange," said Ron.
"No, what we are seeing now is not Hermione. I just hope she can get out of this mess and be with Harry again," said Luna. Ron held her tightly.
"I may sound horrible but I'm glad that this hasn't happened to us. I don't know what I'd do without you," said Ron, pulling her closer.
"You won't be without me. I'd never leave you. You are all that I have wanted," said Luna resting her head on Ron's shoulder. Ron kissed her softly.
"I've missed that so much," moaned Luna.
"We haven't had much time to ourselves lately. With Harry in such a state, we've had to be with him. I don't grudge him but I too have missed it," replied Ron, pulling away. They sat together till it was time for them to leave for classes.
Harry knocked on Cho's door. When Cho saw Harry at her door her heart lifted. Was Harry already over Hermione? She hadn't expected things to work out so fast.
"Can I sit and have a talk with you?" asked Harry, trying to remain polite. Cho's hopes were raised even further. She was almost jumping with glee.
"Sure Harry," said Cho in anticipation. "How come you're here so soon?" she added. Harry gave her a confused look.
"I'm here for a personal reason. As you would know, Hermione and I have broken up," said Harry. He was trying to make this a formal issue. Cho, on hearing the first sentence was amazed. Things were going exactly as she'd wanted.
"I want to know if you've got anything to do with that," continued Harry. Cho was shocked. How could Harry have known this? She recovered quickly.
"What makes you think that Harry? I've never tried to come between you and Hermione. You know that very well," replied Cho, offended.
"Then what does Hermione do out of bed every night? And what was she doing near your room last night?" pressed Harry. Cho was now desperate. Harry couldn't know all this.
"Harry, Hermione is the Head Girl. She can move around anywhere in the school, whenever she wishes. As for yesterday, I can assure you that she never came into my room. I have absolutely no contact with her!" said Cho in a panicked voice.
"No need to get hyper. I was only checking. I need to find this out," said Harry and left the room. Cho stared after him. It was only a matter of time before he would be hers. However at the moment she needed to control the damage. She sent an owl to Hermione asking her to stop her nightly visits and start coming at five in the morning.
Hermione was sleeping soundly, when intense pain woke her up. She noticed that it was five past five. Remembering Cho's message, she drowsily got dressed. When she knocked on Cho's door, there was no reply. Hoping that Cho would be asleep she turned back but to her disappointment Cho opened the door.
"I guess the pain woke you up," said Cho. Hermione briefly nodded.
"Good spell, isn't it? If you'd let Harry be, you wouldn't have had to face its effects," smirked Cho. Hermione looked away.
"Any specific instruction today," asked Hermione. She was almost resigned to her fate now.
"No but I want to discuss a few things with you," replied Cho.
"Can't wait," replied Hermione sarcastically. Cho acted as if she hadn't heard.
"Today I'm about to tell you about my future plans with you and with Harry. I plan to make my move on Harry today or tomorrow. If I don't succeed I'll start looking for spells. The book on Dark Magic is very helpful. I'm sure to find something there. The more important matter is you. We'll continue this way till school ends. After that you'll have to leave the country and never return again. I think that'll be the easiest way for both you and me. You won't be getting in my way and being away will keep your mind off Harry. That'll make your life pain free unlike now. We won't meet again. But remember, the spell remains active till you die. So don't even think of trying anything silly," explained Cho. Hermione was horrified.
"You can't do that Cho. Separating me from Harry is one thing but this is my home. My parents and all my friends are here. I can't leave the country!" exclaimed Hermione.
"I'm the final authority. I've never said that your parents can't visit you. They can come to you as often they want, even stay with you. As for your friends, I've noticed you hardly have any friends, now that you aren't associated with Harry. People befriended you only to get close to Harry. On your own you are nothing," said Cho. Hermione was enraged.
"Cho, why are you doing this? I've never caused any harm to you. If you want Harry, why don't you get him like a man? The method you are applying is extremely cowardly," said Hermione.
"I'm no man," replied Cho. There was no getting around it. Hermione sighed.
"Let me tell you one thing Cho! You will never get Harry! He already suspects something is wrong with me. Before long, he'll discover everything about you and we'll be back together. You've underestimated the power of love. Wherever evil is, the good always lies two steps ahead. Let's see who leaves the country this summer," shouted Hermione before marching out of Cho's room.
"Keep dreaming, Hermione Granger! Keep dreaming!" whispered Cho with a smile.
In the afternoon Cho was having her quidditch session with Harry. Harry felt bad about accusing Cho the previous day. After the session was over, Harry called out Cho.
"I'm sorry about my outburst yesterday. I shouldn't have accused you without proper evidence," he said, as they were walking back from the Quidditch pitch. Cho knew her chance has arrived. Now she could move in on Harry. Harry had provided her with the perfect opening.
"It's okay Harry. I know that you didn't mean it. I sympathize with the position you're in. It must have bean very hard for you. I mean your breakup with Hermione. You two seemed to be getting along so well. I wonder why Hermione left you. If you ever need any help, feel free to ask me. You've helped me a lot," said Cho comfortingly.
"That's kind of you, Cho. I'm sure Hermione and I will be able to sort out our problems soon," replied Harry. He was surprised to see such a change in Cho. Ever since he had caught her following him and Hermione, she had transformed for the better. She had kept out of his way. She had been more flexible as far as the Quidditch sessions were concerned. Most importantly, she hadn't jumped onto him now that he was single. Perhaps she could be a nice person if she wanted.
Cho thought of taking a chance by slipping his hands into hers but decided not to rush things. By Harry's voice she knew that his attitude towards her was no longer hostile. If things worked out she could get him to bed very soon. All it needed was an invitation to her room and a couple of drinks.
"You've been a good friend Harry. I know we've had our sour moments but we've worked our way through it. It's been a pleasure working with you. Let's forget the past and start over," she said extending her hand,
Though Harry had noticed Cho's changes he wasn't sure about taking Cho's hand of friendship. He didn't want to hurt her, so he briefly shook it. Cho smiled at him.
This entire scene was witnessed by Hermione who was sitting with her books in the grounds. She couldn't hear what was being said but understood it as Cho's move. Despite what she saw she had complete faith in Harry. She knew that he wouldn't fall into Cho's trap. Still she was determined to protect him from Cho. Her hate for Cho increased. As did her love for Harry. She admired the way he was handling the situation, he'd been unfairly put into. She desperately wanted to tell him what was going on. A warm sensation passed through her body.
Harry entered the Head's quarters. Immediately his mind filled with Hermione's memories. The Quidditch session had momentarily made him forget the reality. He loved flying but his love for Hermione was limitless. He saw the sofa in which he and Hermione had gotten cozy so many times. He sat down on that sofa and watched the spot where he'd told her about his feelings. His heart swelled with the love he felt for her.
Hermione entered the Head's quarters and saw Harry sitting on the sofa. Her mind told her to ignore him and proceed to her bedroom. But something stopped her. Her legs carried her next to him. She tentatively sat down. His eyes were closed. She kept watching him for sometime. She loved the way his lips parted, when he was asleep. She gently held his hand. To her surprise all this hadn't caused any pain to her.
Feeling a touch on his hand, Harry woke up. He didn't open his eyes though. He knew that touch like the back of his hand. There was just one person other than him allowed inside the Head's quarters. Fearing it was a dream he opened his eyes. Hermione was sitting next to him.
"Is it really you, Hermione? Please don't let this be a dream," said Harry softly. Hermione didn't reply. She gently moved her head and placed her lips on Harry's. Another warm sensation passed through her body.
"I DID IT! I DID IT!" shouted Hermione, jumping in the common room. Harry was flabbergasted. One moment Hermione was kissing him and now she was jumping like a maniac.
"What's going on Hermione? I don't understand any of this," asked Harry. Hermione, who was jumping around suddenly stopped. Her expressions changed completely. She seemed overwhelmed. Tears were rolling down her cheeks.
"We did it Harry! It's over! Finally it's over. I don't know how it happened. I'm still in shock. Please tell me this isn't another dream," said Hermione.
"If I remember correctly, I was the one who was sleeping. You held my hand and then…," he couldn't complete as Hermione threw herself on him and kissed him fiercely. Harry kissed her back with passion. He had missed this over the past month.
"If you are okay, can you tell me what happened? I'm going to kill the person responsible for this," said Harry.
"It's a very long story. Just recapping it will torture me but I know it's important," started Hermione. She told Harry everything. His face kept growing grimmer till it was red with anger. He stood up.
"Where are you going?" asked Hermione.
"To beat Cho to death," said Harry angrily.
"Please don't do that Harry. It'll only cause trouble for you. I have a better idea than that. I want you near me now. I've missed you so much," pleaded Hermione. Harry couldn't refuse that. Hermione explained her plan to frame Cho. Harry had to admire her intelligence. She had made sure Cho would be caught red handed.
"I'm so glad you're with me again," said Harry pulling Hermione close.
"I was never away Harry. You were always there in my heart. Though it caused me pain I couldn't stop thinking about you," replied Hermione. Both of them stayed in through the evening. Harry wanted to tell Ron that all was fine but didn't want to leave Hermione even for a second. Soon it was time for bed.
"I don't want you to be alone. Sleep with me tonight," said Harry, hoping for a positive response.
"I'm not sure Harry. Do you think we'll be able to control ourselves?" asked Hermione uncertainly.
"I would never do anything against your wishes Hermione. I thought you knew that. I just want you safe," replied Harry.
"Oh Harry! You're perfect. Nobody could have been sweeter than you," said Hermione hugging him. Harry's bed was large enough for both of them. They held each other as they slept.
Harry woke up Hermione at quarter to five. It was time to implement their plan. He had already sent owls to McGonagall and Lupin the previous night. He hoped that they would manage to do what he'd said. He put the invisibility cloak around him. The two of them walked to Cho's room. Hermione knocked.
"Hi Hermione," said Cho dryly, as she opened the door. Harry quietly slipped in behind Hermione.
"Cho I have a problem. I tried to write a letter to Harry yesterday, telling everything about you. It was painful until one moment when everything went blank. When I woke up I seemed to have lost a few memories about recent times. You've put me under some spell, haven't you?" asked Hermione.
"I thought you would be sensible not to test this spell. The effects could have been much worse. Yes I put you under the slavery spell. You will have to do what I order or else you'll feel intense pain. I'd ordered you to breakup with Harry and to forget any romantic feelings you have for him. You cannot get involved with his love life. Also you aren't allowed to tell about this to anybody. Is that enough?" said Cho.
"Cho that's horrible. You can't do that to me! Why would you want to do such a thing? It won't help you in any way," dramatized Hermione.
"The attempt has really pooped you. I want Harry. I need him as my boyfriend to get ahead in my job. You were the only obstacle in my way. Since the two of you wouldn't budge, I used this spell. I found it in a book of Dark Magic in the restricted section of the library. I've made great progress. Harry has no idea what I'm doing. He was quite friendly with me yesterday. I think the 'wine and getting him to bed' plan will be a reality very soon," said Cho pompously.
"You're just a coward. You won't get anything out of this. I love Harry and there is no power greater than love," shouted Hermione.
"Hermione just because I'm being lenient doesn't mean you can shout at me when you want. This spell is meant to torture. I think you should get some of it. Take this knife… What did you just say about Harry?" said Cho realizing what Hermione had said so nonchalantly.
"I said I love Harry. Thought your ears were in a better condition than that," replied Hermione with a smile.
"No it can't be! You must have been joking. Say it again," said Cho, panicking.
"I LOVE HARRY," shouted Hermione at the top of her voice. Cho looked stricken. She searched for her wand.
"And I LOVE HERMIONE," said Harry pulling off the invisibility cloak. Cho barely had time to react before another stern voice interrupted her.
"We thought you were fooling Potter but I see it is deadly serious," said Professor McGonagall, removing the Disillusionment Charm. Professor Lupin followed the act.
"Both of us were surprised when you had asked us to be in Miss Chang's room under the Disillusionment Charm at five in the morning. We had no idea such crimes were going on in the school. All of you please sit down. We have a lot to discuss. Miss Chang, don't try anything funny. There are four highly capable wizards in the room. Anyway Harry has your wand," said Lupin.
Everybody sat in the room. Hermione again narrated the entire story. Cho was busted beyond doubt. McGonagall was particularly interested in the story.
"Miss Chang will be handed over to the Ministry. She'll have to face a criminal hearing at the very least. The exact nature of her punishment will be known after that. If it was left to me I would recommend lifetime imprisonment at Azkaban. Such matters cannot be dealt within the school. On a positive side I'm very eager to know exactly how the spell broke. Miss Granger could you please describe the events from the time you saw Mr. Potter and Miss Chang talking?" said McGonagall. Hermione did as she was told. McGonagall smiled knowingly.
"Do you have any idea of what caused the spell to break?" she asked.
"It broke when we kissed," replied Harry shyly.
"I'm disappointed at that answer. If life was a fairytale there would have been no troubles. I'll tell you. When Hermione saw Miss Chang implementing her plan to get you, she must have felt worried. Any other person in her place would have lost her mind. But she didn't because she trusted you. She knew you would never fall for Miss Chang's disgusting tricks. That is love at its purest form. The wave of heat signaled the beginning of the end. When you met in the common room both of you were thinking about each other. The love you felt broke the spell completely. Never in history has this spell been broken. Your love is dangerously strong. Its capacity in times to come will be legendary," explained McGonagall. Both Harry and Hermione blushed. Lupin and McGonagall escorted Cho out after a quick goodbye.
The rest of the school got to know about Cho's deeds that morning. Ron was willing to strangle her. Hermione received sympathies from everybody. She was so glad that things were as they should have been. Nothing could make the day better.
In the night Harry and Hermione were alone in their common room. Harry was fidgeting around quite a bit. Hermione noticed this and grew curious.
"What's up with you?" she asked.
"Hermione I wanted to talk to you about something," said Harry. Hermione put down the book she was reading, knowing that he wanted to say something important.
"I have been thinking about this for a long time. Unfortunately our 'breakup' spoiled it for me. Do you remember the time we were discussing about not celebrating Valentines Day in a special way? Do you remember what you said you'd rather do?" asked Harry.
"I said I'd rather be with you here instead of going to some crowded place," replied Hermione simply.
"What was the exact word you used for 'here'?" asked Harry. Hermione tried to think but couldn't remember. She shook her head. Harry took a deep breath.
"You said you'd rather be at home. I couldn't stop thinking about that. I always want to give you what you want. I want to give you a home. We'll be out of school in a few months. It will be difficult to be the way we are now. Weekly meetings are not the same as staying together everyday. Our relationship in romantic terms has been quite short but we have seven years of friendship behind us…" Harry stopped losing his nerve.
"Please go on Harry," encouraged Hermione. She was tense with anticipation. Her excitement was evident in her voice. Harry regained his confidence.
"Hermione, if you want that is, will you move in with me?" asked Harry.