Disclaimer: Obviously I do not own Harry Potter, all rights to it go to Ms. J.K. Rowling :)
Pairing: Draco/Hermione
Hermione was currently sitting inside the head girl room in Gryffindor tower. The beginning of this term had been really different then the ones she had been so used to in the past. Besides the fact that Dumbledore no longer was the one greeting the students, Hermione also had to deal with the fact, that the only person around that she knew well was Ginny. Harry and Ron had been asked to join the auror program early and had denied the need to go back to Hogwarts. Hogwarts seemed empty without them. Although it's not like she wanted to see Ron again anyway. Over their long break before Hogwarts, Ron had let Hermione in on a little secret. Apparently, she was boring and not spontaneous enough for Mr. Ronald Weasley.
Hermione sighed, closing her book. Thinking of Ron only made her heart hurt. She had really loved him...like a lot. She sighed and looked out of the large window that showed a perfect view of the lack. It was only 5 o'clock; she should have enough time to take a walk around the lake to calm her nerves. She pinned her Head Girl pin onto her robes, and found herself walking out of the common room and out into the crisp cool evening air.
In no time at all she had found herself walking towards the lake to her normal spot under the trees by the lake that Harry, Ron and her had always rested under. However, she quickly noticed that there was already someone sitting against the tree, looking out towards the giant squid that had just jumped out of the lake. She squinted, trying to make out who in the world could have possibly been sitting there. "Oh well." She thought she'd just have to share. The closer she got though, the more clearer this person became to her. She instantly recognized the platinum blond hair, that absolutely only one person could have had, which made her silently groan. Not him, there was no way she could share her spot with that slimy ferret. She sighed noticing how close they were and quickly turned on her heels, towards the other end of the lake. Against her wishes, though her feet failed her as she turned and found herself tripping over a rock and landing right on her knee.
Hermione found herself squealing as she fell to the ground. She then groaned as she heard the distinct shuffling of feet coming towards her. She didn't dare look up, knowing who was coming towards her, going to come and make fun of her pain. "You alright there Granger?" She heard the indistinct smirk hidden in his voice. She growled and turned on her butt to assess the damage she had done to her leg. The rocks on the ground had made a nice tear in her knee but she'd be all right as long as she cleaned it. "Are you going to answer me Granger or not?" Hermione's eyes dared to dart up to him, where he stood over her, smirking. She noticed he was holding out his hand to her, which made her blink, and then came to her senses, pushing his hand away as she stood up by herself. She scoffed and dusted off her skirt. Malfoy made a sort of growling-like noise. "Well fine then Granger, be a bitch then." Hermione's eyes flashed with anger and she turned to look at Malfoy. "I don't need your help Malfoy! I don't need anyone's help so, just leave me alone and never come near me again!" Draco's eyes widened and then something weird happened, something Hermione would have never expected, Draco's face actually looked like he was concerned. Nevertheless, his mask quickly replaced that face. "Well damn Granger, what swam up your skirt today?" Hermione rolled her eyes and she found herself stalking back up to the castle with a flick of her hair. She did not need this from Malfoy of all people right now.
Sadly, her torment was not going to end quickly. She was shocked to hear footsteps coming up from behind her. All she had wanted to do was relax and stop reminiscing about her and Ron, but of course, that git had to be there to ruin everything. "Granger!" Malfoy called. "Granger!" Hermione groaned but did not turn around. She had just walked through the main doors, when she felt a slender hand wrap around her wrist. "Hermione!" "What?!" She practically spit at him as she turned around, her long bushy hair flicking out and slapping him in the face. Malfoy flinched from this, like he actually flinched away from her. His silver eyes fell on her brown ones. "I wanted to tell you something before you stormed away from me." Hermione straightened towards him fully to meet his gaze before she glared down at his hand, which was still wrapped around her wrist. Malfoy noticed and he quickly let go. "What Malfoy? Please, I don't want to do this right now." He sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "Damn Granger, you really need to calm down, how is anyone supposed to even talk to you when you being so damn stubborn?" Hermione let out an offended squeal and turned again to leave, and that's when he made his biggest mistake. This time Malfoy reached for her other arm and he successfully grabbed it in the middle. Hermione's eyes widened in fear and she quickly turned on him and began to try to pull her arm free. "Let go!" She screamed, tears beginning to form in her eyes. Malfoy's eyes widened and he quickly let go. He watched as her sleeve rose up past her elbow and instantly realized what had happened. There, on her perfectly pale arm was the scar that read," Mudblood." "Granger...I'm sorry." He barely whispered the apology. She didn't even attempt to listen; her tears had now freely begun to flow from her eyes. "Do not ever touch me Malfoy! Never! I don't need you half-assed apologies because they are worthless and don't mean anything. You don't mean the words that come out of your mouth, you say they to get others to think you care, but you can't fool me." She watched his eyes squint as if in pain. She felt her knees getting weaker and she quickly turned around to try to get away from him before she collapsed in front of him. She ran up to the stairs and out of sight before she allowed herself to slide down against the wall, her knees tucked into her chest, and she cried. The memories of that night floating back into her memory.
The manor was huge and dark. The only room she ever saw though was the drawing room. It would have been beautiful if the circumstances had been different. However, under these conditions all that she could feel was horror. If she remembered anything from that day, it was his face, especially his face. She lay on the floor, being cruicioed and tore into by his aunt. Her eyes for some odd reason had sought him, and he was watching, almost as if it was nothing. He had a hard face and he no emotions dared surface. He was really going to sit and watch. Thankfully, Harry and Ron had rescued her. Nevertheless, his face as he watched her would forever be etched into her mind.
Draco sat in the great hall, his face in his hands feeling something he hadn't felt since the war. Was that grief? Better yet, was that grief for Granger? Why? Because you stood by and let it, happen. A voice in his head said. Draco sighed, ran a hand through his sleek blond hair, and then got up to retire himself to the Slytherin common room.
