Chapter Three

Hermione was horrified. She stood there a moment before the scream finally escaped her lips. Ron, on top of the pretty blonde that Hermione had just met at dinner, broke from the embrace and drunkenly stared at her. Through the drink, recognition could be seen of what he was doing. He stumbled off of Rachel, his pants around his knees.

"Hrrp mione, I can explain." He slurred. But, Hermione was already leaving. The door crashed closed behind her and she raced down the staircase, losing both shoes along the way. Tears streaming from her eyes she reached the landing to the common room and caught a glimpse of the girls who had stared at her earlier. They were snickering at the sight of Hermione upset and that only made her cry harder and run faster.

Harry stood from his corner and made a questioned look. He moved to stop her, but she bolted past him, through the painting and out into the hall. Once there she cut a hard right and make her way down the moving stairs. True to their name they moved a few times until Hermione was almost to the dungeons. She finally couldn't run anymore, found a wall and sank to the cold, marbled floor.

Sobbing hard into her hands she couldn't erase the image of the man she was supposed to be with for the rest of her life in throws with a woman they had both just met. "He was drunk" isn't an excuse Hermione! Even intoxicated we all make choices! He chose this; he chose to hurt me!...How many other times has this happened?

She cried harder for a moment, wondering who else could he have shared a bed with while they had been together. She wiped her face and scratched herself with her engagement ring in the process. Looking down at her hand and the ring it held, few more tears rolled down her cheeks. She took it off and examined it. It was then she noticed a shadow above her.

Looking up, she saw blonde hair, a muscular frame and those gray eyes staring down at her.

"What do you want, Malfoy?" She seethed. She was heartbroken and vulnerable right now. She didn't need to be mocked by the same boy who teased her throughout her school career.

"I just wanted to see if you were ok. No offense, but you're a mess." He chuckled softly and sat down next to her, his legs stretching out far past hers. Looking down at herself, she realized he wasn't being cruel, he was right. Her skirt clung to her, slightly ripped from running in it. Her feet were dirty, red and sore, now that she looked at them. She was sweating and could feel her hair sticking to her face. Not to mention what little make up she wore was probably dripping all down her face due to her crying.

She tried to smooth out her hair and wiped away as much make up smudge and tear stains as she could. She looked at Draco who's laugh had disappeared and was now wearing a sincere look of concern.

"I've..I've had a rough night." Hermione sniffled, trying to make her voice steady.

"I can see that. I'm here to talk if you'd like." Hermione took his words in and sorted through them. It didn't sound as if he was trying to be callous. Also, what could it hurt? Her? She was already there.

"I caught Ron cheating on me with another woman." It was blunt, and the words stung as they came out. Draco looked down the hall from which she had come barreling down like a freight train.

"I'm sorry." He said turning back to her. It was the nicest thing that had been said to her all day. Naturally, tears began to slowly slide down her cheeks again. "Hey, hey, don't cry. Not for that prat." He wiped away her tears with his thumb, then realizing what he had done, she assumed, lowered his hand quickly to his side. His touch was warm, comforting almost.

"It's not your fault," she admitted truthfully. "He's the one who professed his love to me, asked me to spend my life with him and then crush my heart in his hand not even a whole week later!"

"Wow. What a complete fool." Draco was staring at the wall adjacent them when Hermione looked up.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"Well, look at it this way: you're smart, beautiful and so wonderfully strong willed. Only a fool would take your love and throw it away." He looked her in the eyes then. They were soft and full of meaning.

"You really think all of those things about me?" She felt a chill run up and back down her spine. His face came closer to hers and his "yes" came out barely louder than a whisper.

Hermione's breathing sped and she could smell his. It was sweet and welcoming.

"Well," he said as he stood offering his hand to her for the second time that day, "why don't we find you a different place to stay the night?" She took his hand and stood. Her feet were even sorer as she stood awkwardly on them. She stumbled slightly towards Draco and let out a small groan of pain.

"And, how about we get you some shoes too?" He laughed and she smiled and let out a quiet chuckle. They turned to trek back upstairs when a crashing sound rang out through the halls.

Less than a minute later a screeching alarm sounded through the halls on all sides of them. The Headmistresses voice came through but only muffled the alarm:

"Stay in your dormitories. There is a threat. Until we know what and where it is, stay put!"

"Come on, we've got to get to shelter." Draco kept hold of Hermione's hand and led her down the stairs to the dungeons.

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