Disclaimer I do not own anything. The characters belong to a fabulous woman by the name of JK Rowling. OC are of course mine, but they won't come into play until later. The rating is only for now, bot sure if it will move up a notch yet. Enjoy and let me know what you think and suggestions are always welcome.
CHAPTER 1
"You were with her weren't you?"
He put his head down. She knew the answer before he even had to say anything. She took a deep breath and walked over to the big chair by the fire. She felt cold even if the heat from the fire was placing small beads of sweat down her forehead. He didn't move from his spot. She could see out of the corner of her eye. He still didn't answer.
"I guess that's the answer isn't it?" She said more to herself than to him.
"Hermione-," he started. Hermione stood up suddenly which made him stop. She started towards the portrait hole in front of the common room. "Where are you going?"
She continued to leave not saying anything as the portrait swung open and she was gone.
Walking down the dark corridor, Hermione Granger did not know where she was going. It seemed like every portrait that she passed were staring and whispers filled her ears. The faster she went, the louder the whispers got. Please, just be quite, she thought. I just need to get away. Just shut up. Shut up.
"SHUT UP!" she cried. Her screams echoed through the hall. Hermione held her hands to her ears, trying to get the sounds out. The echo ceased and she looked around. The movement she saw was the flicker of shadows coming from the dancing candlelight. She continued through the hallway, reaching a long staircase.
"Astronomy Tower," she whispered. She took a deep breath before she climbed the stairs. Knowing nobody would be up there, she walked faster to try and ease the pain she felt in her heart. The astronomy tower was hardly ever used to do the fact that it was the tallest tower in Hogwarts and nobody really wanted to climb the long staircase. She closed her eyes and slowed down once she was halfway up. Tired from climbing she sat on the cold stone steps to catch her breath.
Hermione jumped when she heard a noise coming from bottom of the stairs. Someone was climbing. Filch, she thought suddenly remembering that only Filch would be up this late at night. Frantically, she got to her feet and climbed the rest of the steps, reaching the tower. She looked desperately around, trying to find a place to hide. Her eyes settled on a dark corner of the room. She quickly ran towards it and pushed herself against the wall.
The sound of the footsteps finally reached the tower as someone came to an abrupt halt. Hermione shifted a little trying to get comfortable in the small area she was in. She listened silently as the footsteps moved past her and stopped. Carefully, she took a step away from the wall to try to see who it was. She knew it wasn't Filch because she couldn't hear the purrs and meows that Mrs. Norris would have made. Ever since second year when Mrs. Norris was petrified, Filch never went anywhere without her fearing that she would meet the same fate, or worse.
Oh no, Malfoy. What is he doing here? He's not supposed to be out after curfew. Malfoy stood at the window staring out into the clear night sky. Why is he just standing there not doing anything? Hermione looked to him again. He seemed to glow in the moonlight. Hermione turned her head again towards the entrance to the tower. The sounds of more footsteps were becoming clearer as they grew louder. Movement behind her made her realize that Malfoy had heard too. She moved back trying to hide even further into the wall.
"Draco?" The voiced called out in a hush whisper. Pansy Parkinson stood in the doorway. Malfoy turned around once he saw who it was. "What do you want Pansy?" Malfoy replied coolly his backside facing her.
"Draco. Why won't you talk to me? I've been looking for you all over the place and all you seem to be doing is ignoring me," she said sadly, sounding on the verge of tears. Hermione stood silently listening to the obviously distraught Pansy. Malfoy kept silent. "I thought maybe we could talk about what happened."
Malfoy finally turned to face her with a scowl on his face. "Look Pansy. What happened, happened. All we had was a little fun. It didn't mean anything, so stop trying to over analyze this thing that happened between us ok."
Pansy's eyes watered as she listened to him. "But I-I," she stuttered as tears fell down her face. Hermione couldn't help but feel sorry for her. "I thought you cared about me," she whispered.
Malfoy laughed a cruel laugh that sent chills down Hermione's spine. "You actually thought that I could care about someone like-like you," he spat out over his chuckles. He stopped laughing and walked towards Pansy his famous Malfoy smirk on his face. "You are a filthy little whore who has been touched more than a doorknob has. Honestly Pansy, how could anyone care about a thing like you?"
Hermione gasped at his words. How could anyone be so cruel? She thought. It's obvious how much Pansy cares about him. Malfoy leaned into Pansy, staring straight into her eyes as Pansy looked back at him, now sobbing uncontrollably. "There's only one person I care about. And you could never be half the woman she is. What happened last night, will not be known to anyone other than you and myself. Do you understand me?" he asked in almost a whisper. Pansy looked down not looking up. "DO YOU?" Malfoy screamed, making both Pansy and Hermione jump in fear.
"Y-yes," Pansy cried out. Hermione couldn't believe what she just witnessed as Malfoy shoved Pansy to side and left the astronomy tower. Pansy fell to the floor sobbing hysterically. Hermione waited until she heard Malfoy's footsteps descending, then she stood away from wall and walked over to Pansy who was still sprawled across the floor.
"Pansy?" she asked as she knelt down beside her. Pansy jumped at the sound of her voice, startled to see someone else in the tower. "No, no don't be afraid. I didn't mean to scare you." Pansy looked at her stunned.
"What are you doing here?" she asked, wide eyed.
"I'm sorry, but I didn't mean to intrude. I was just-," she stopped remembering why she was there in the first place. She had forgotten all about it when Malfoy had come in. "I was up here just thinking when I heard someone coming so I hid. I didn't mean to overhear your conversation with-," she stopped as Pansy's lip started to quiver again. "Um, are you all right?"
Pansy stared at her, not really believing what she was hearing. "Well, what do you think? You heard everything that was said," she said rather forcefully, then her face softened as she went on. "How could anyone be so cruel? How can he act like that after all that happened? After I (hiccup) gave my (hiccup) self to him," she cried continuing to sob. Suddenly, Pansy flung herself into Hermione's arms and hugging her as she wept.
Hermione sat there, shocked, as she held Pansy not sure of what to do. She patted her back, trying to comfort her as best she could. She had never really comforted anyone in this situation before, well, any situation so she tried her best. "I don't mean to be so blunt, but it is Malfoy we are talking about. And if you ask me, he doesn't deserve what you are so willing to give him," she replied angrily realizing for the first time that her and Pansy seemed to be in the same situation, sort of. "I know you won't believe me, but I know exactly how you feel."
"You do?" asked Pansy as she pulled away and looked at Hermione with a tear streaked face.
Hermione gave Pansy a small smile. "Yes and I don't think we should let him get away with this," she replied with a smirk on her face.
"What do you mean?" Pansy asked as her sobbing subsiding.
"I have an idea of how we can get him back," she said as she felt the wheels in her head starting to spin. "He needs a taste of his own medicine."
Hermione woke up the next morning feeling exhausted. She hadn't gotten back to the common room until close to 3 earlier that morning. She spent the better part of that time with Pansy devising a plan as to how to get Malfoy back for what he had done. Not to mention Hermione's own little problem she was facing. She had finally decided to end what she had with Ron if she was going to eventually forgive him for what he did. Yes, it was Ron. How could he have done something so cruel? Hermione thought. Wait, that sounds oddly familiar. She shrugged it away as she climbed out of bed and dressed for breakfast.
Everybody seemed to have gotten up early, seeing as she was the only one in her dorm. Good, I don't have to see her face right now, she thought. Not that it would matter to her. She decided last night that if her and Pansy's plan was going to work, she had to act like she didn't care what happened.
Once she was ready, she walked down to the common room. There were a few people still in their pajamas as she reached the common room. It was Sunday so there were no classes. Just as she was going to reach the portrait hole, a hand stopped her.
"Hermione, can we talk please?"
Hermione looked to see Ron in back of her, pulling her to the exact same couch she had been sitting at last night. The fire blazed in front of her just as it did the night before. "What exactly do you want to talk about Ronald?" she asked him in the calmest voice that she could muster once he was settled down next to her.
He looked at her strangely, as if expecting her to explode. Yet she sat there quietly waiting for him to talk. "Well, I-I," he stuttered.
"Is this about what you did yesterday?" she asked, quickly interrupting him. He nodded and muttered what sounded like "yes." "Well, Ron," she continued, "what happened, happened. It didn't mean anything," again this sounded oddly familiar. "I don't see how we should dwell on this thing that occurred so we should just forget about it."
Ron looked at her opened mouth. He wasn't sure if he should believe her, seeing as she was being so calm about things. "W-what?" he said, finally finding his voice.
"Well, if you're finished talking. I'm hungry so I'll be going to breakfast." Hermione stood up and started to leave, leaving Ron gaping after her with his mouth still wide open. She stopped abruptly and faced him, "Oh, I forgot to tell. This so-called relationship we have together," Ron looked at her confused. So-called, he thought. "I think we should forget about that too," she finished as she walked out of the portrait hole with Ron once again gaping after her with his chin practically hitting the floor this time.
Hermione sat at the Gryffindor table eating her breakfast with a smile on her face. Harry sat on the right side of her and Ginny sat in front of her. She was thinking about the first task of her plan. It was Pansy's job to do it so she glanced over at the Slytherin table. She searched up and down the table for her, but could not seem to find the raven-haired girl. Her eyes finally fell on a pair of silvery-blue ones gazing back at her. She couldn't help but feel trapped in those eyes when a voice finally pulled her gaze away.
"Hermione. Hermione," a hand waved in front of her face. She looked to her right as Harry put his hand down.
"Yes," she said putting a smile on her face.
Harry and Ginny exchanged a knowing glance at each other. "We were wondering if you were feeling all right?" Harry asked worriedly. Why is she acting like nothing even happened? he thought.
"Of course I'm feeling well. Why wouldn't I be feeling all right?" she replied as she continued to eat her breakfast in silence. She cast a glance at the Slytherin table again still not seeing Pansy.
Ginny spoke this time. "Well Hermione, we just found it odd that after what happened you seem to acting rather, um, cheerful."
Hermione looked from Harry to Ginny and then back again to Harry pretending to be puzzled and then placed a knowing look on her face. "Oh, are you talking about what happened with Ron?" They nodded unsurely. She smiled again to them. "You don't have to worry about that. I took care of it this morning. Everything's fine now."
Harry and Ginny shared a puzzled look. "It is?" Harry asked.
"Yes, now if you'll excuse me I have some things to take care of in the library," she said as she got up from her seat. They still had a questioning look on their faces. "I'm sorry guys. I really don't have time to explain. I'm sure that if you talk to Ron he'll explain everything to you. I'll see you guys later."
With that she headed towards to doors to the great hall. All the while not feeling a pair a silvery-blue eyes upon her.
Hermione headed towards the library wondering where Pansy could've been. Maybe she was more messed up than she originally thought. Pansy had been very upset, but she seemed to have calmed down once Hermione had explained the plan to her. She seemed rather excited after that. The first part of the plan was to find out whom this 'person' was that Malfoy claimed to care about. It was obvious this 'person' didn't want anything to do with him seeing as Malfoy didn't have a girlfriend. They gathered that he had already tried to make her his and had failed, or that he was nervous and hadn't done anything at all. Knowing that no girl in their right mind would want to be with someone like him they were going to try and recruit her. They only hoped and prayed that this girl would want to help them otherwise their plan would be ruined.
Hermione didn't notice someone start to walk in step with her while she was thinking.
"Well, well, well. If it isn't my favorite little mudblood," a very familiar voice said as he stepped in front of her blocking her way.
She jumped at the sound of his voice and stopped in her tracks. Hermione was surprised to see him and hoped she hadn't been speaking her thoughts out loud.
"Do you need something Mr. Malfoy? Because if you don't, you are just wasting my time," she said trying to get around him, but to no evale.
Malfoy looked down at her and smirked. "Now, now Granger. Why the formalities?"
Hermione glared at him from where she stood. He had at least a good 6 inches on her, standing at a nice 6 feet. Not too tall, but a nice height. She was merely 5'6", but that was pretty average for the girls at Hogwarts. "Cut the shit, Malfoy. What do you want?"
Malfoy smirked wider, if that were possible. "Such language Granger. Now what would Professor McGonnagal think of her star student speaking in this manner." Hermione continued to glare at him. "Well, as I don't want to waste my time anymore I came to tell you that I heard about what happened?"
Hermione started to panic. Had he found out about their plan? How had he found out? Did Pansy tell him thinking he would change his mind? "W-what do you m-mean?" she managed to spit out.
"About you and the weasel. How he cheated on you with that Brown girl," he smiled evilly clearing enjoying the pain he might be causing her.
Hermione heaved a sigh of relief. "Oh, that. I thought you might be talking about something important," she said as she smiled up at him seeing his own smile fade away.
Confusion crossed Malfoy's face. "Don't you care what he did to you?" he asked with a frown.
"Actually, I found that I could care less," she said deciding to play with him a bit. This could be fun. Let's see him try to mess with me, she thought.
"Could care less?" he asked. "Yeah right, mudblood. You know you're dying inside. Can't face the truth that his hands were on someone else? Let's face the facts," he said stepping closer to her so that they were face to face. "No one other than the weasel would want to touch your tainted blood."
Hermione glared at him as the words spilled out of his mouth. Then she smiled sweetly at him, moving a little closer towards him. "Oh really. You think so. I guess I don't want to be touched ever again then, huh."
Malfoy stepped away from her confused. "What do you mean?"
"Well, I broke up with him. I figured a life of celibacy shouldn't be so bad, seeing as life with Ron wasn't exactly, um, fulfilling," she said somewhat seductively.
Eyes wide as if a deer caught in headlights, Malfoy gazed at Hermione in awe. Hermione took this opportunity to get by him. "Since, it's obvious that I'm wasting my time I think I'll just go now," she said walking past him, leaving Malfoy to think about her words.
Hermione practically ran to the library once she was able to get away. As she entered, she searched the library's reading room to see if Pansy was already there. Not spotting her, she walked to the back of the library where Pansy was sitting at a table in the corner of the room.
Hermione sat down next to her. "Where were you at breakfast?" she whispered, not wanting anyone to hear. Pansy sat there quietly fiddling with her hands and not looking at her. Hermione looked at her puzzled. "What's wrong?"
Pansy finally looked up from her hands, but still did not look at Hermione. "I found out who the girl is," she said with a mixture of anger and hurt in her voice. Hermione looked at her, confusion written in her face. Pansy stayed quiet, looking straight ahead.
"Well?" she questioned impatiently. "It can't be that bad. Can it?"
Pansy finally looked at her dead in the eye and said quietly, "It's you."
A/N: This is my first fic so please be gentle. Please review.