Chapter 2: I'm Just A Soul Whose Intentions Are Good
The next morning, Harry and Ron came by her room to catch up for the first time in too long.
"I still can't believe you have to share a room with that asshole." Ron hissed.
Malfoy was in the next room, able to hear everything that was being said as he rolled his eyes. Doesn't he have any new material?
"It's really fine, Ronald. He's not such a bad guy." Hermione said, never liking it when they would pick on fellow students, jerks or not.
What did she just say? Malfoy now listening more closely against the wall from his bedroom.
"How can you stick up for that piece of shit after all he's done?" Ron yelled, throwing his hands up in outrage.
"Come on, mate, calm down. Hermione is a sweetheart. She doesn't like us badmouthing people and you know that so just shut it." Harry interjected, shooting her a small apology smile.
"Do you forget how he stood there and watched his aunt carve that word into your arm only a few months ago?" he continued.
"Ron, stop it. I didn't mean for you to get all upset." she said, trying to calm him down as she tugged at her sleeve that hid the scar.
Merlin, that Weasel sure did get worked up over nothing. I don't know how she can stand him. Malfoy huffed to himself, still listening and waiting to be able to go downstairs to get ready for the day. Her little trio needed to hurry up and get the hell out of his sight.
"Next thing you know, she'll be fuckin him." Ronald muttered to himself, standing up and making his way over to the door.
"Ron!" Harry yelled, enraged at how he could speak to her.
Hermione, however, was at a loss for words.
"Well , well , well." Draco said, Ron's last comment being the last thing he could stand to hear.
"Is this really how friendship works with you Gryffindors?" he smirked, casually walking over to the couch, plopping down on it and placing his feet atop the table in front of him.
"This is none of your business, ferret." Ron seethed, drawing his wand and pointing it at the Head Boy.
"Put that away before you hurt yourself, Ronald!" Hermione finally spoke, drawing her own wand in defense.
"On his side again, eh? Must already be fucking him. Who knew this war would turn you into a slut?" he attacked her with vicious words with no remorse in his eyes.
"Ron that is enough!" Harry interrupted, pointing his wand right at his best friends throat. "Don't talk to Hermione like that just because you're pissed off she's trying to be the better person in this situation! Get out of here right now before I hex you myself!" All it took was one look at the boy who lived to know he was not bluffing.
"I'd listen to Potter, Weasel." Draco seethed, setting his wand on the table to show just how non threatened he found the poor boy in front of him. "That is no way to talk to a lady, even I know that." his voice completely sincere.
"Just tell me you still hate this asshole, Hermione. Tell me you haven't sucked him off and I will apologize." Ron crudely said, staring at the small witch with more judgment and disgust then she had ever seen cross his features.
"Ronald! Don't be so crude!" she shouted, narrowing her eyes at him further, starting to wonder to herself if he was drunk or just being revolting on purpose.
"Ok you, git, I was warning you before. Clearly the muggle here and I are less then friends, but bloody hell, she's still a woman and you should be so smart as to talk to her with some damn respect!" Malfoy snapped, shooting a quick spell at him with the snap of his wrist, sending the red headed boy into the wall with just enough force to hopefully knock some sense into him.
"Malfoy..." Hermione said with surprise, walking over to him and pushing his arm down that held his wand.
"I know, I know." he whispered in reply, lowing his wand while her hand stayed against his wrist. "I'm not going to cast another."
"Shit." Harry muttered as he watched his best friend crash against the wall and his other best friend talking to a Slytherin. What was this year going to bring upon them?
"He used magic on me!" Ron exclaimed, getting to his feet after a moment of catching his breath until he could see straight once again.
"And I'll do it again." Draco mumbled, although he was pocketing his wand now that Hermione had gently pushed his arm down.
"You don't have to do this." She whispered to only him. "You don't have to get into trouble for him. He's not worth it." She didn't want to see Malfoy getting punished, no matter how much their past made her want to hate him.
"Aww look at that. Don't they look friendly, Harry." Ron smiled humorlessly at the two Heads whispering.
"I am not on your side here, mate. You are completely out of line. She's my friend, for the love of god." he replied angrily.
"Come on, Hermione. Let's just talk in private, okay? I just want to talk." he said with an unsure edge on his voice as he stepped up to her, his body now right in front of both of the Heads.
And then it hit her; his breath. It wreaked of something strong and toxic like he had just consumed all the firewhisky in Diagon Alley. She took a step back, now slightly afraid. She had seen her best friend drunk many times during the war. It was his way of relief. And every time he was absolutely horrific.
"I do not want to speak to you when you are like this, Ronald.' she said, keeping her voice strong so he couldn't see her fear creep in.
"Potter,why would you bring this git here, drunk off his ass like this?" Malfoy shot Harry a look of annoyance
"I had no clue he had been drinking. It's barely after noon." he replied, surprised that he could be this drunk, this early in the day.
"Come on, Hermione. You can suck Malfoys cock later." he mumbled, a gasp escaping from her lips at how casual and crude he spoke to her. And then she felt defensive the moment he reached out and snatched her wrist from Malfoys arm and yank her towards him.
"Whoa." Malfoy narrowed his eyes as he shook off the shock of this entire situation. This was not how their roles were suppose to be played out. I should not be sticking up for the mudblood witch and poor boy Weasel should not be lashing out in the middle of the day in the middle of their room.
"Stop it, Ron!" she yelled, struggling against his tight grip as he pulled her roughly to the door. "You're hurting me."
"That's clearly what turns you on, so good! I'll keep hurting you until you change back to the old you!" he shot back at her, a loud pop filling the room as he yanked her arm so hard, her bone cracked from her shoulder. She let out a short scream of pain, her knees locking and her body falling to the ground with Ron's hand still gripping her numbing wrist.
"Get up, Hermione." he insisted, pulling her arm even harder causing tears of pain, not sadness, to fall from her dark brown eyes.
"Stop!" she cried out from the pain, remaining on the floor even as he tried to drag her towards the door, still.
"That's enough." Malfoy said mostly to himself as he stalked over to her defeated form. He drew his wand at the same time as he knelt down to her level.
"I suggest you let her go now, Ron." Harry said, trying to stay calm the way he always did when trying to sober him up.
"Not until we talk." Ron said, his voice losing its anger and turning into exhausted sadness, his shoulders starting to slouch over.
Hermione had a pained expression on her face, a bone visibly protruding from her shoulder.
"He's going to hex you, you asshole. Let her go now or I'll be helping that git do it." Harry snapped, stepping to Malfoys side instead of Rons. He put his hand on Hermione's wrist and slowly peeled Ron's hand away from her, causing another hiss of pain to escape her mouth. There was already a dark black mark forming across her wrist and all the men stared at it for a long moment.
"Shit." Draco exclaimed in a low tone, shooing the two Gryffindors away. Before they were completely out of the door he caught their attention one last time.
"Potter!" he called, causing Harry to look back over his shoulder, Ron slumped against his other arm barely conscience.
"I don't want to see him back here again, we clear?" he threatened.
Harry nodded curtly before leading Ron to the hospital wing. "I'm done with this, Ron. This was the last straw. I will not watch you put your hands on her like that. You're on your own, mate." he said to a passed out Ron, dumping him in Madame Pomfrey's care for the last time.