Chapter 4 story 4

At breakfast things were less awkward for some and more so for others. Blaise and Ginny sat together talking animatedly about this and that. Draco sat as far from Hermione as he could without falling off the table. Alicia, Katie and Angelina were sitting next to the boys.

Flint turned out not to be a morning person to no ones surprise and moodily picked at his food. Cassius was reading the paper and Adrian and Draco were discussing the season's best Quiditch plays.

Hermione felt very alone. Katie, Angelina and Alicia had joined in on the conversation with Adrian and Draco and Ginny was buys talking to Blaise. Hermione looked longingly at where Ron and Harry were sitting together at the Ravenclaw table. It would be nice to have someone to talk to.

Draco noticed her watching the Weasley bee and Potter and snorted in disgust. While the others were busy talking he took a piece of parchment out of his bag and wrote her a note. Screwing it into a ball he tossed it at her. It hit her cheek and she turned and picked it up.

Honestly Granger. Quit dreaming about Weaslebee and Pothead. You're in Slytherin now remember? Even if you are a mudblood.

She dropped the note as though she'd been stung. She could feel tears pricking at the back of her eyes and when she turned to glare at Malfoy she could see the cruel amusement in his eyes.

Getting up from the table she turned and left the Great Hall. Ginny finally looked up from Blaise and when she saw Hermione rushing out the doors she quickly excused herself from the conversation with Blaise and followed her friend.

Blaise noticed the note on the table and picked it up. When he read what is said he turned and gave Draco a disapproving look. Draco merely turned his attention back to Adrian taking a sip of pumpkin juice.

Suddenly he was being dragged with his tie by Blaise out of his seat.

"Blaise what the hell?" He choked. Blaise continued to pull him out of the hall without glancing back.

When they were outside Blaise released Draco and turned to glare at him.

"That was low." He said flatly.

"That was dangerous. You nearly strangled me." Draco returned, straightening his tie.

"Look I know you're hung up on whose got what blood but I don't give a damn. As you know I happen to like Hermione and she is a member of our house. I also know that you were fantasizing about her last night so you can cut the crap about not liking her."

"I don't like her." Draco snapped. "Wanting someone is different to liking someone."

"Whatever. This was low Draco."

"You've said that."

"Well your not seeming to get it."

"Who are you my father?"

"No. Your father wouldn't be lecturing you about being nice would he?" Draco laughed at that.

"No he wouldn't."

"Look I'm not asking you to like her. Just try not to be such a git."

"Fine." Draco sighed. He knew Blaise was right. He wouldn't admit it to his friend but he'd actually felt a stab of jealousy when he'd seen Hermione watching her friends. What did she see in them?

"Alright. Now come on. We've got DADA with Snape."

Ginny had done her best to cheer up her friend who she'd found crying in the bathroom.

"I don't know why it still bothers me when he calls me that." She sobbed gripping the sink with both hands.

"Of course it hurts. But Hermione, Malfoy's just a stupid immature git. He means nothing. Don't let him get you down."

"I know. I can't help it." She wiped the tears from her face and Ginny gave her a towel.

"Come on. I'll put some cover-up around your eyes."

"Why?"

"Because they're red. You don't want him to know he made you cry right?"

"Yeah, right."

Ginny did a quick make-up spell on Hermione's face and helped her pull her hair back into a loose bun.

"You're beautiful Hermione." Ginny told her friend. "Inside and out."

Hermione went down to class on her own. She'd always been able to go with Harry and Ron. Now she was the only person her own age from Gryffindor who'd been moved to Slytherin. She would have no one to sit with. Her class was with Gryffindor but as Harry and Ron were in Ravenclaw she couldn't even sit with them.

She walked in quickly before she could chicken out and found class had already started. She froze. Snape turned to see who it was and frowned when he saw her.

"I'm sorry I'm late Professor." She forced herself to say as she looked around for a seat. Snapes eyes glinted.

"Take a seat Miss Granger." He said turning back to the board. Hermione was stunned. The last time a person had been late to Snape's class they'd lost their house 50 points. Then it hit Hermione. She was in his house now. She was safe. She sat down at the first empty seat, which happened to be next to a girl who used to be in Ravenclaw that she'd spoken to once or twice.

The girl smiled at her and moved her books to make room for her. Hermione tried to remember her name. It began with M she was sure. Madeline? Madison?

Snape had begun giving instructions for a new spell they would be learning. Hermione soon realised that now Snape had taken over DADA it would be less about defence and more about the dark arts. She wondered what potions would be like with Slughorn.

They had to pair up to practise what would be a pretty nasty curse. It made the person on the receiving end become immediately ill with stomach ulcers, a fever and nausea. The spell would last several days and couldn't be completely cured though potions could aid recovery. One partner would cast the spell and the other person would deflect it on to a rat (they were each given a group to practise on).

The girls name was Miranda. She would be casting the spell and Hermione would be deflecting it. They were standing near where Blaise and Draco were practising. Draco was laughing at something Blaise had said and it made Hermione furious to see him so happy. They practised a few times and Miranda was getting good. Hermione glanced over at Draco again as Miranda was preparing to cast the spell. He looked over at her and Hermione could still see the cruel amusement dancing there in his eyes. It made her blood boil.

"Ready?" Miranda asked. Hermione nodded and Miranda shot the curse. Mudblood. The sound of his voice came into Hermione's head as she cast the reflective charm. She closed her eyes. Before she knew what she was doing she'd deflected the curse not onto the rat but just past it to where Draco Malfoy was making ready to deflect his own curse. He didn't have time to look up before the spell hit him and he doubled over in pain.

Hermione jumped slightly shocked by herself. How could she do that? What would Snape do? Surely he wouldn't let her get away with that in his house or not.

Snape hurried to Draco's side. The blonde was on his knees breathing harshly wth sweat dripping from his brow.

"Miss Granger," Snape called her. Hermione gulped.

"Yes professor."

"Please escort Mr Malfoy to the hospital wing, immediately." Hermione nodded her head relieved he hadn't said anything worse and she and Blaise helped Draco to his feet.

"Oh my head!" Draco groaned.

"Not you Mr Zabini. You can stay here and practise with Miss Heaney."

"Come on Malfoy." Hermione muttered pulling him along with her. He leaned his head on hers, apparently to weak to stand.

"I think I'm going to be sick." He said. Hermione had his arm over her shoulder and was practically dragging the full grown man along.

"Malfoy I can't carry you to the hospital wing. Come on now. You can do it. One step at a time." She used a soothing tone. He'd better not be sick on her. Draco made sounds of agony on every stair and it took nearly an hour to get him to the hospital wing. When they did Draco immediately collapsed onto a bed. A moment later he threw up and had to be stripped because his clothes were soaked through with sweat.

"I'm dying!" He cried thrashing his head about on the bed.

Hermione didn't know if she was supposed to stay or not. She felt bad about what she'd done. The letter had been cruel but that was no reason to lower herself to his standards.

"Draco," she murmured sitting by his bed. Draco's eyes were closed and his forehead was screwed up in pain.

"It hurts." He whimpered.

"I know Draco, I know." He'd extended his hand into the air searching for hers. She took his hand and squeezed it.

"I'm sorry." She whispered. Draco squeezed her hand back.

"Don't go." He said. Hermione looked around the room awkwardly. "Please."

"Okay Draco, I'll stay."

Madame Pompfrey succeeded in getting Draco's temperature under control and with Hermione's help managed to shove a potion down his throat.

"It'll make you feel better." Hermione told him firmly.

"Rubbish!" Draco snapped. He still hadn't let go of her hand.

"It will. Just swallow." He did so very reluctantly.

"That's it. Feel better?" Hermione asked, voice oozing with sympathy.

"No." Draco replied stubbornly but the colour came back to his cheeks and his breathing evened out.

"Okay." Hermione went to stand and Draco's hold on her hand tightened.

"Where are you going?" He asked abruptly.

"To class."

"You can't leave me. Look what you did to me!"

"What I did to you was no more than you deserved." Hermione snapped. Draco opened his eyes to look at her.

"I meant what I said in the note." Draco told her. Hermione felt the tears coming again and tried to wrench herself away from him but Draco held firm. "Your in Slytherin now. You could at least try to act like you belong there."

"According to you I'll never be anything but a mudblood. Why should I try to pretend to be what I'm not?"

"Oh who cares if you're a mudblood? Honestly Granger you should know by now that that's practically my nickname for you. It doesn't mean anything. Well, it means you should call me master and follow me around bowing but other than that-"

"Malfoy are you trying to tell me that you use the name 'mudblood' as a term of endearment?"

"Exactly."

"Why do I find that hard to believe?"

"Because you didn't read it in a book." Draco tugged on her hand and Hermione fell back into the chair beside his bed. "Now come on. I apologise if I've injured your ego with my harmless little nickname. But just think of that note as my welcome into Slytherin. I acknowledged you as a member of my house. You should take that as high praise."

"It's not your house."

"You know what I mean. Now come on. Don't you want to make sure your housemate gets better?" He simpered pathetically.

Hermione rolled her eyes but stayed sitting.

"You're a git Malfoy."

"I know. Blaise told me this morning."

"Don't ever call me a mudblood again."

"Don't ever curse me again."

"Deal."

"Fine."

A few hours later Blaise came in to check on Draco and see where Hermione had got to. He was more than a little surprised to find her asleep in the chair next to the bed where Draco was dozing, a satisfied smirk on his face. He noticed their hands were entwined over the blanket.

Sneaky bastard. Blaise thought to himself. Probably planned the whole thing.

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