The music was giving her a headache. Hermione Granger sat at one of the many round tables around Hogwarts Great Hall sipping a glass of pumpkin juice. Glancing around the hall she watched as masked couples danced and groups of friends laughed together, for the first time in two years. Sighing she found Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley in the crowd; they had their arms happily wrapped around each other. She searched the crowd for her other red-headed best friend, Ron Weasley. Finding him chatting with who she believed to be Neville Longbottom, Luna Lovegood, and Hannah Abbott she smiled wistfully. Seeing her friends happy after the year of despair that they had spent on the run was what made her happy. She watched as Ron moved slightly closer to Hannah. Rolling her eyes Hermione shook her head. She wondered if it would be to weird for her to give Ron advice on how to snag Hannah, after all she was technically his ex-girlfriend after only a month of dating after Harry had defeated Voldemort. Glancing at her watch she decided to take a stroll outside. Standing she contemplated briefly on interrupting Harry and Ginny to let them know where she was heading but decided against it and made her way through the crowd of masked students instead. Slipping out of the Great Hall doors she removed her mask as she walked across the entrance hall to the front doors of the castle. Easing the doors open she slipped outside. Taking a deep breath of the crisp October air she cast a warming spell as she moved down the front steps to the courtyard below. As she walked she thought about the last six months.
After Harry had defeated Voldemort she and Ron had given their relationship a try but after only a month they had both realized that other then that first kiss there was no passion there whatsoever. They both decided it would be better to remain friends instead of forcing something that wasn't going to work. Shortly after their breakup Hermione had decided to go to Australia to find her parents. So far she had had no such luck. She knew giving them fake memories and sending them away would be a big risk but she hadn't counted on them moving from where she had sent them! Harry had contacted Kingsley Shacklebolt, the new Minister of Magic, and had asked for the ministry to look into their whereabouts. So far she hadn't heard anything. Sighing she took a seat on one of the cement benches surrounding the courtyard.
Glancing around she couldn't believe that Hogwarts had been reconstructed so fast. She was pleasantly surprised when she had received the owl asking if she would like to return to retake what was supposed to be her 7th year. Headmistress McGonagall had sent a letter to everyone that would've been in her year asking them to return and almost everyone had accepted. Even Slytherins had returned which had surprised everyone. Yawning Hermione tilted her head back to stare up at the starry sky thinking about the interaction that Professor McGonagall had forced onto them all. Instead of staying in the old dorms like they used to a separate wing had been constructed for the 18 year old 7th years. In a likely ruse to force them together Slytherin and Gryffindor had been all placed together while Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff had been put together. Each student had their own room complete with an adjoining bathroom but they shared a common room. They had only been back at Hogwarts for a month but there was a definite invisible line drawn down the middle of the common room. The Slytherins generally stayed to their side while the Gryffindors stayed on their side. Sometimes though she would catch Neville having a conversation with Blaise Zabini or Daphne Greengrass so she had hope that they could eventually intermingle together. She had even started to have a few conversations with Pansy Parkinson of all people and had found that she wasn't as bad as she originally thought.
Playing with the bracelet around her wrist Hermione decided she had been gone long enough and should probably get back before anyone noticed her missing. As she began to rise she was suddenly grabbed from behind. Flailing her arms she screamed as she fell straight back over the bench onto her back. With the wind knocked out of her Hermione couldn't catch her breath before she was drug back into the dark surrounding the courtyard. She heard the muttered curse before she was paralyzed, unable to move, unable to scream. She wanted to fight but couldn't. She wanted to not feel but could. She could feel the cold seeping into her dress chilling her to the bone and she could feel the pain as her innocence was ripped away in the cruelest of fashions.
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He didn't know why he had let Pansy and Theo talk him into attending the Masquerade Ball. He was bored and completely sick of the glares he was receiving from the general population of Hogwarts. Stepping outside Draco took his mask off as he took off down the pathway towards the courtyard. He was glad to get away from the judgmental fools. When he had received McGonagall's owl he had been adamant about not coming back but that stupid new minister, Shacklebolt, had made it part of his probation for his involvement with the war. Reluctantly he had returned only to find himself sharing a common room with the saintly Gryffindors. His only reprieve was the private room he now had however that was even semi ruined by the fact that his room was right next to the Gryffindor princess, Hermione Granger. At least on the other side of him was Theo so as long as he always came out of his room and turned right he hopefully wouldn't run into the brains of the Golden Trio. So far it had worked for the first month but they still had several more to go.
Sighing Draco casually strolled the pathway around the courtyard when an odd sound made him pause. Honing his war senses he stopped to listen. Hearing a rustling in the brush he pulled out his wand as someone slowly crawled from the darkness. Walking closer he called out, "Who's there?" With a gasp the figure looked up and Draco was staring into the haunted eyes of Hermione Granger. Her lip was split and slowly bleeding and she had scratches from the branches crisscrossing her face. "Granger, what the hell are you doing?" he asked moving closer. When she didn't answer but put her head down again instead Draco took the opportunity to move closer to her slowly crouching next to her. "Granger?" he whispered, "You're shaking like a leaf." Undoing his suit jacket he took it off and slowly went to put it around her shoulders. Before he could get it around her she shrunk back away from him. Furrowing his brow Draco took a deep breath, "Hermione," he called loudly causing the girl to look up with wide owlish eyes, "It's Malfoy. Let me help you," he told her slowly putting the coat around her shaking shoulders. Taking her nod as assent he put his arm around her shoulder and began pulling her up, "Let's get you off the ground," he told her as he moved her over to the bench. Getting a good look at her he could see bruises around her neck, down her arms, and on her face. Draco clenched his jaw, "Who did this? Was it Weasel?"
Shaking her head she blinked several times, "No…I…..I…don't….know," clutching her shoe she told him, "I…I….couldn't…..get it….back….on. I…tried…but….it won't go…on," she told him as she began to hyperventilate. Taking the shoe from her Draco knelt down in front of her, "Granger calm down," he told her taking her foot and putting her shoe on. Instantly he almost wished he hadn't because then he could honestly say he didn't know for sure what had happened to her but seeing the blood on her legs confirmed his suspicions. Sighing Draco looked up at the shaking girl, "You need to go see Madame Pomfrey," he told her.
"NO! No….no one can know, Malfoy, please," she begged looking up at him shaking her head furiously. Pinching the bridge of his nose Draco considered his options, "Granger, you have to get checked…there could be….things wrong….down there," he told her waving his hand trying to convey what he was saying. "Look let me help you upstairs and I have someone who can….check that," he told her softly, "You just need to trust me, okay, I won't tell anyone and neither will she."
She stared at him for what felt like hours before her eyes slowly started to well up with tears and she nodded her head, "Okay," she whispered, "I'll trust you." Taking her arm he helped her to her feet. "Wait," she whispered clutching his arm, "I dropped my wand." Nodding Draco held his wand up calling, "Accio Hermione's wand," watching as her wand flew out of the darkness and into his hand. "Okay, let's go," he told her as he helped her slowly up the path towards the castle.
Hermione stopped just before entering the castle. "I…can't go in…..looking like this," she told him. Nodding Draco pulled out his wand. Seeing the wand Hermione pulled away from him slightly eyes wide in terror. Noting her shift Draco told her slowly, "I'm going to disillusion us, that's it, don't be afraid of me." Swallowing Hermione nodded, "I'm sorry," she whispered. Snorting Draco waved his wand and felt the sensation as he slowly disappeared, "There's nothing to be sorry for, Granger, just remember I'm not the bad guy here." Smiling slightly as she too disappeared he heard her whisper, "At least not this time. Thank you for helping me, Malfoy." He didn't acknowledge her appreciation as he turned and opened the doors to the great castle. He felt the air shift next to him as she made her way inside and he reached out to grasp her arm. Slowly they made their way up to the newly constructed 7th year dorms.
Stopping in front of the portrait leading to their shared common room Draco lifted the charm on himself so that he was once again visible. Startling the old man in the portrait Draco told him the password to gain access to the room. Stepping inside Draco was glad to see that the common room was still empty. Moving towards the steps leading upstairs to the dorm he slowly helped her up the first few steps. Panting Hermione clutched his arm, "It hurts. Let me crawl up." Rolling his eyes Draco shifted his arm to around her shoulders and let his other arm run down the back of her body till he felt the back of her legs. In one swift movement he had picked her up bridal style, "I'm not going to let you crawl up the stairs like a dog, Granger," he muttered, "Besides this is faster," he told her making quick work of the remaining steps. Striding to his door he muttered the password, pushed the door open, kicking it shut behind him, before depositing her on the bed. Pulling his wand again he took the disillusion charm off of her.
Eyes wide staring around she looked up at him, "Why did you bring me here? My room is right next to yours." Rolling his eyes he crossed his arms over his chest, "And you don't think someone would wonder why I was going in and out of your room? I told you, Granger, you have to get checked out so you stay here and I'll be back in a few minutes." As he made his way back towards his door she asked, "Who are you going to get? I don't want anyone knowing about this." Stopping at his door he looked back at her, "I'm going to get someone who knows what you're going through and she'll never ever tell anyone about what happened. Just sit tight I'll be back," he told her before opening the door and closing it softly behind him.
Sighing Hermione laid back kicking her shoes off before pulling her feet up under her. Turning onto her side she pulled Draco's jacket tighter around herself inhaling his scent before she began to sob.
