Something was wrong with Draco Malfoy.
It wasn't that noticeable to many. Draco was a skilled liar. All he had to do was shrug his shoulders and give some half-assed excuse as to why he didn't want to do anything that day, or why he looked upset. Most people would just shrug it off. He wasn't that well-liked around the Gryffindors, and even some of the Hufflepuffs. If you were to, say, go up to a random sixth year and point out that something looked wrong with the Slytherin prince, they would simply roll their eyes. "Yeah." They'd scoff. "He's an inconsiderate pureblooded arse. Think's he owns every building he walks into."
And in fact, they did.
But they didn't know Draco like a certain muggle-born did. The only side of Draco that those prats knew was the cold and angry side of him. They knew the 'holier than thou' side. But they didn't know him.
There was more to Draco Malfoy than the Wizarding World knew. He wasn't just a pureblood. He wasn't just some blond bloke that needed an attitude adjustment. You see, the boy wasn't exactly "open" with many people. He couldn't be, to be frank. There was only one person Draco couldn't lie to, and that just so happened to be his father. If word got out about anything he truly believed - well, Draco just didn't think he'd want to be near his father when he found out. Lucius couldn't know; not about how Draco didn't want to be a Death Eater, or that he didn't actually believe that muggle-borns were scum. And Lucius certainly could not learn that Draco had sneaked behind his back and actually befriended one of the so called "filthy mudbloods" he (Lucius) detested so passionately.
That's right; Draco Malfoy befriended a muggle-born girl. Not just any muggle-born, either. Draco became friends with Hermione Granger.
And she saw through his lies.
It was quite stressful and difficult, their friendship, because Hermione's friends (Harry and Ron) were not exactly… well, let's put it this way: if those three were to meet in a dark alley, and they could get away with most things, Hermione would hate to see the outcome. But even from a distance, Hermione could see that something was horribly wrong with her pureblooded friend.
Maybe it was the way he ignored her in the corridors between classes, or the way he looked uncomfortable while surrounded by his Slytherin "friends". Maybe it was the way that Draco had begun to look like he were going to burst out in tears at any time. The way he looked so stressed. Could've even been the fact that he had been sulking around in the hallways, or even that he hadn't been answering her owls. To be completely honest, it was the way that he had been acting as a whole.
Hermione had tried countless times to talk to the blond about the way he had been acting lately. Time and time again she would stop him in the hallway, pull him into an abandoned classroom, and simply beg to know that was wrong. Draco, however, would just glare and shove her out of his way. He would insist that it was nothing. That he was fine. And then he would walk away, leaving Hermione staring at the cold, stone floor.
Why? Hermione often found herself wondering. Did I make him angry? Did his father find out we were friends? Why does Draco keep lying to me like this?
They were close friends. Had been since their third year. Draco and Hermione had been caught in an argument, where both of them had said some things to each other that a professor overheard, and long story short, Hermione ended up having to tutor Draco for a month without fail. At first, it was difficult, and the two of them were nearly always fighting. But soon, the insults stopped, Draco calmed down (as did Hermione) and they actually began to speak to each other like civilized human beings.
Of course, all of that had to stay a secret. It was a common known fact that Hermione was muggle-born, just as it was a common fact that the Malfoys were pureblooded muggle-born haters. But as it turned out, the second wasn't fully true. It wasn't all of the Malfoys; it was Lucius Malfoy. Draco and his mother, Narcissa, didn't actually think that muggle-borns didn't belong in the wizarding world. They didn't believe that witches and wizards such as Hermione should be mistreated and shunned for their parentage.
Though they obviously had to pretend to agree with Lucius. Narcissa agreed simply because she did not want to start any arguments between them, because she feared that it would split her family. But Draco? He had a bigger reason. Narcissa hadn't seen Lucius as angry as he could be. She hadn't seen him take his anger out on the house elves, and she certainly hadn't been on the receiving end of it like her son had once. Once. Draco refused to be there ever again - no matter what he had to do.
Hermione sighed and picked up her books off the desk she had set them on before pulling Draco into the room, and walked out the door before heading to class. She was determined to get answers from Draco at some point, and she would, in due time.
She knew that Harry had his own little theory of what was going on with Draco. Harry thought he was a Death Eater - that he had gotten the dark mark. And honestly? She couldn't believe it. Hermione knew Draco better than most people, and she couldn't bring herself to believe that he would hide such a thing from her. It was just preposterous! He wouldn't do that.
Yet there was still a small voice that told her it was. It was completely possible, and she knew it. Draco's father was a Death Eater, and as far as they know, he still was. For Harry, the only proof needed was already there; the way Draco treated muggle-borns, the way he was always pushing others around, the fact that Lucius was already a Death Eater. It just made sense to him. Not to mention that Harry overheard him speaking on the Hogwarts Express about nor going back to Hogwarts next year.
Hermione knew that Harry was just letting his anger and hatred cloud his judgment, but she couldn't shake the uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach. Could it be true? Possibly. But why wouldn't he tell her, then? Weren't they friends?
The incident with Katie Bell didn't help Hermione's nerves any. If anything, it just worried her even more. Whoever cursed Katie was definitely trying to get Dumbledore. That much was clear.
"I know that it's him." Harry crossed his arms as they sat down in front of the fireplace after returning from classes. "It only makes sense."
"There's no proof, Harry." Hermione countered, opening a book and trying to busy herself. She certainly didn't want to hear Ron or Harry ask why she seemed angry at Harry's theory. What could she say to that? 'Oh, yeah. About that… Draco and I are friends.'? Because that'd sound ridiculous, and she knew very well that they would be upset she kept this from them.
"The proof is all there, Hermione! Come on, I thought you were the smart one here?"
"The only proof you have, Harry, is that his father is a Death Eater. That's not-" Before Hermione could begin to raise her voice, as she had begun to do, she paused and took a deep breath. "That's not enough. Not for any professors or aurors, anyway."
Ron frowned at this, and looked between Harry and Hermione. "Well," He began. "I'm sorry, Hermione, but I have to side with Harry on this one."
Hermione tried to resist the urge to roll her eyes. She said nothing, and instead looked down at her book. They could be such close-minded gits sometimes!
"Why're you defending him anyway?" Ron asked, "I thought you hated him?"
"Just because I dislike someone, Ronald, does not mean that I believe that such accusations should be thrown around against them!" Hermione glared and slammed her book closed before promptly leaving the common room and stomping up to her dormitory.
Ron and Harry looked up and watched Hermione leave. Once she was no longer in sight, the two changed their gazes to each other, each with a look of confusion on his face.
"Ruddy hell… what's got her wand in a knot?" Ron asked. Harry just shrugged. They had both noticed a change in their friend lately, and they were beginning to wonder if something was wrong. They were both getting very curious, but neither wanted to actually ask Hermione what was wrong.
What would they even ask? God knows that Hermione would get 'defensive' and insist that it was nothing.
But the boys did see a connection; Malfoy. Each time Hermione seemed to get angry or upset, Malfoy was the subject of the conversation. Was the ferret still bothering her? That wasn't likely… right? Hermione was almost always with Harry and Ron - they even had all the same classes. So when would Malfoy have the chance to insult her without the pair knowing?
On top of that, there was the incident with Katie Bell. Harry just knew that it was Malfoy. He didn't know how, but he knew it. Even Ron agreed that it would make sense! So why couldn't Hermione? She was always the smart bookworm. Could she really be so blind? Surly not. Harry also knew that he didn't have much evidence against Malfoy. Not enough to prove anything, anyway.
"We should talk to her tomorrow…" Harry sighed, and moved off the floor, and onto the now free seat on the couch. He opened up the Half-Blood Prince's potion book, and began to skim through it. "Maybe then she'll actually tell us what's bothering her."
"I don't know, mate. She seemed pretty upset." Ron said doubtfully, looking over at the fireplace.
Harry glanced at Ron out of the corner of his eyes and shrugged. "Then that's all the more reason to."