Pushing their fake-romance was pretty easy. All Draco had to do was carry her damn bag when they went out the next day, and she'd smile and laugh with him before calling him an idiot. They spent time on the grounds even if he'd much rather be asleep, and it caught the attention of pretty much everyone who was out that Saturday.
When she was distracted reading in the sun, he tried to figure her out. She wanted all this revenge on the Weasel, but she wouldn't face him when they passed each other in the hallways or even explain what exactly her freak out episode was yesterday by the library. He could think of almost nothing that could scare the bookworm away from her natural habitat.
And the things he could think up didn't sit well with him. She'd said Weasel said the wrong name in bed, not exactly the circumstances leading to that moment. Since she wasn't in the dorm two weeks ago when things went wrong he safely assumed she was somewhere else in the school at the time it happened.
But the library? That seemed a little too… weird.
"…and if we do it that way I'm sure Ron will be crying – Malfoy, are you even listening to me?"
Draco blinked, glancing at the girl beside him. They'd found a nice tree near the lake, with enough of a breeze he didn't feel like he was melting in his clothing. Propped back against the tree he could watch her flip through books and rattle on about whatever came to mind while being able to daydream himself.
Maybe he should've paid a little more attention.
"What?" he asked, stretching. They'd been out there at least an hour, and while he liked the sun he couldn't exactly nap there. This whole facade they were putting up really cut into his beauty sleep.
Granger rolled her eyes, not looking quite as annoyed as he expected. "I was giving you an outline of my newest plan. Did you hear anything I said?"
"Can't say I did."
She huffed, glaring off towards the lake. "Could you at least try and be interested?"
"Granger, I don't see why you're giving me a summary again. You know what you want to do, so do it. We're already outside, the entire bleeding school is eating up the charade, so move forward with your plan. Talking with me about it every single day will make no difference. Go on, go do something. Look, gingersnap is coming this way."
She momentarily blanched, shooting him a look as though to ask where the nickname gingersnap came from, but held her tongue as Weasel approached. Draco assumed correctly that he wouldn't be able to refrain from coming to bother them.
Glancing out the corner of his eye, he noted Brown standing a few paces behind the ginger. Huh, he hadn't seen the bint hang around him for the past two weeks.
This was new.
"Hermione."
"Ronald."
Weasel's lip twitched, eyes roving around the pair. Draco made no move to shift towards Granger, deciding to let her handle this one all by herself. He helped her out last week when Weasel cornered her, this one was all hers. His interruptions constantly would only impede her ability to move on and stand up for herself, not benefit her.
"Could I speak to you alone for a moment?"
"You can speak to me right here," she bristled, sitting a little straighter. "After everything Ron, I don't know why you think I'd ever agree to go off alone somewhere with you." Draco noticed Brown look annoyed behind him, irritated by the question.
You couldn't just bring your slut along and then ditch her for your ex. Poor strategy Weasel, poor strategy.
Huffing, the ginger glanced briefly over at Malfoy before he spoke. "I'm just trying to let you know Lavender and I are officially together now, so you can stop messing around. I know you just want to make me jealous."
"What would give you that idea Ron? I'd actually have to want you back and I've already learned my lesson, a mistake I won't make again. Hope you have fun with Lavender, maybe she'll like all the bruises you leave behind."
Draco smirked, momentarily proud of Granger for not giving into Weasley's little game. He decided to slip her comment about bruises into the back of his mind for later, something to ask another time. It wasn't really a surprise, he'd seen the marks already.
Lavender apparently thought this was the ideal time to jump in and moved right behind Weasel, slipping her hand into his. She kissed the side of his neck, shooting Granger a grin. "Don't worry love, anything Won-Won gives me is desired and appreciated."
Granger made a face, looking momentarily disgusted. "I don't think you really have to tell me that."
"She doesn't," Ron grumbled, pushing her off. "And we've talked about this! Don't call me Won-Won-"
"But I thought we agreed you liked it!"
Despite himself, Draco couldn't stop the snort of laughter that escaped. Really, this is the girl Weasley cheated on Granger with? It was like throwing away a cake just to land on a knife. There was no way Brown could be considered a better option than Granger, at least she didn't have ridiculous nicknames going on.
Then again, he did just refer to the twat as a gingersnap.
Weasel wheeled around on him, Draco unable to stop himself from laughing a few more times before meeting his gaze. Seriously, did he expect to have a good relationship with a girl who made him sound like a toddler? "What are you laughing about, ferret boy?"
"Oh, oh nothing Won-Won." He snorted again, throwing his head back. "This is priceless."
Face turning red, Ron took a step towards the blond. Draco tilted his head forward again and sized him up, debating if he'd get in too much trouble if he engaged in a fight. Granger almost sort-of liked him now, so she might vouch for him against the headmistress if something happened. Besides, it would be oh-so-satisfying to see the git lose to him again.
And it might look heroic, like he was actually trying to defend Granger. That could help strengthen their lie, but he was worried it would make Weasley believe he could still attack her if he wasn't around. After all, she hadn't stuck up to him before.
"Listen Malfoy," he snarled, drawing his wand. "I don't know what you find so funny, but this doesn't concern you. This is between me and Hermione. Why don't you and Lavender fuck off for a minute?"
Lavender's eyebrows shot up, picking up on Weasel's hostility. She immediately got in his face, hands clenched together. "Ron! I thought we came over her to rub our relationship in Granger's stupid face together. I will not fuck off so you two can chat!"
"And I don't have anything to say to you," Granger agreed, standing up from her place on the ground. Weasel moved to grab her arm but Draco didn't react, watching her swat his hand away before he even got close to closing his fingers. "And I don't give a damn who you decide to date anymore. So long as it isn't me, it's not my problem."
Draco smirked, getting up as well when she moved over to stand beside him. He probably wouldn't get to hex Weasel now, but that was okay. Granger standing up for herself was so much better.
"Well isn't that a relief," he snapped, grabbing Lavender around the waist as though to rub in his point again. "Lavender was always there when you couldn't be. Dating her is a million times easier than sneaking around behind your back ever was. Do you really think I was going to wait around forever to deflower you? I'm not an idiot Hermione, I knew it'd take forever to get you to give in! I've had to look elsewhere for over a year, way before you ever agreed to date me."
He barely had time to register what Weasley said before Granger was moving, pulling away from him to drop her things and draw her wand, shoving the ginger hard enough to get him to stumble back a couple of feet and loose his grip on Brown.
Lavender looked just as surprised, rooted in place. Draco wasn't actually sure what she knew about the situation, but she didn't seem as in-the-know as she thought she was a couple moments ago. Deciding he had something else to discuss with Granger later, he focused on what she was doing just in case her overcharged emotions got the best of her.
Glancing around, he was grateful that although there was an audience no one was interfering and choosing to side with one or another. There were people who were both of their friends out there, and if people started defending Weasel she could lose her resolve to stand up to him.
"If I was so frigid about everything then why did you ever ask me to date you?" she screamed, her voice echoing in the clearing. "If you were already sleeping with that skank then what did it matter if we dated? You knew there were certain things I would refuse to give you and you persisted anyways! If she gave you everything I didn't then why the hell did you bother with me?"
Weasel tried to stand his ground to no avail as Granger pursued him, backing him down the hill and towards the edge of the lake. Draco tensed a little, wondering if the git would actually try something. If he did he'd have more than enough reason to intervene, and he'd be lying to himself if he said the idea wasn't appealing.
"Because I still want you!" he seethed, unable to level his wand with hers as she jabbed him in the chest, forcing him backwards step by step. "I wouldn't have put so much damn effort into getting you if you didn't mean something to me."
"I mean nothing to you!" she screamed, nearly dropping her wand so she could push him. He stumbled back to the edge of the water, almost losing his footing. "If I ever meant anything to you then you would never have pushed me to have sex! You never would've let me get drunk and tried to have taken advantage of me when we were both well past our limits. You don't care for me Ron, you care for the person I symbolize to you. Well I'm not the same person you met as a first year and I didn't want to sleep with you!"
"If you didn't keep your legs pressed together so tight maybe I'd have had a chance!" he seethed, dropping his voice. It didn't matter, and Draco acknowledged that as he looked around the clearing at the other students, many of whom had moved forward when Granger started screaming, their interest piqued. Everyone could hear what he was saying.
"So you never actually slept with me," she replied, her voice lower as well. Draco took a step forward, watching the pair closely. If she tried to push him into the water he could just as easily try to drag her in, and he couldn't let that happen.
"Of course I never did!" he cried, apparently not yet realizing what he was saying. "You're right, I'd have to trick you to get you to open your legs! You won't do that for anyone, even-"
Granger cut him off, blasting him with a spell that send him flying back several feet into the dark waters. He disappeared for a few long moments, a blanket of silence falling over the clearing. No one said a word, even Brown who seemed to be resting on the balls of her feet, intent on rescuing Weasel the moment he surfaced.
Draco couldn't help but smirk. She didn't let him get under her skin again.
Weasely resurfaced after another moment, gasping and whipping his face of water. Miraculously he'd held onto his wand, and the blond couldn't help his disappointment that he wouldn't be forced to search the murky waters for it.
She leveled her wand at him, stance stiff as she glared at him from the bank. "Say it again Ron! I want everyone to know the truth. Tell them, did we really sleep together?"
He sputtered, glaring from his place in the water. "No, alright! No, I lied. You are way too much of a frigid bitch to sleep with anyone!"
"That's not true," she replied, her tone much calmer than before. "I just didn't want to sleep with you, and I've never been more certain of a decision in my life. I would never want someone so faithless to have me." She took a step back from the edge, nodding her head like she was satisfied. "Thanks for being truthful Ron, even if I never should've had to push it out of you. Good luck getting back to the shore, I'd hurry before a giant squid finds you."
"You can't-"
"This is goodbye, Ron," she continued, voice almost soft in the dead silence around them. "Augamenti κύμα."
Draco's smirk widened as a wave of water shot out of her wand, forcing Ron further from the shore. She spun on her heel, ignoring the stunned looks of the people surrounding them as she moved back up the hill, eyes fixed on Draco.
He barely registered Brown panicking and running down the hill, drawing her own wand to try and bring her precious Won-Won back to shore. With a wave of his wand Draco collected their things, securing all of them in his grip as she reached him, wrapping one arm around her shoulders.
"Take me back to the dorm," she whispered, her voice lacking the fire it had moments ago.
"Of course," he agreed, steering her away from the crowd. People were already talking, and off in the distance he thought he saw Pansy and Blaise watching the whole thing. Pulling her a little closer he grinned, rubbing her shoulder. "I'm proud of you."
"Really? I'm pretty sure I just made a bigger mess."
"Hmm, yes and no. Don't worry about it right now, just be happy you stood up to gingersnap and got him to admit the truth."
"You can't seriously be considering that as a real nickname, can you?"
Grinning, he winked at her. "Why not? Seems like the perfect fit now."
She laughed, wrapping an arm around his waist. "You are unbelievable."
Gazing at her for a moment, he couldn't help the way his lips rose into a smile. "Yeah, you are too."
A/n: I hope you liked this one. Hermione isn't done fighting her demons with Ron yet, so don't worry about this story wrapping up with a neat little bow anytime soon. I just didn't want her to wait for twenty chapters or something to finally snap and tell Ron off. This chapter really inspired me, so I'm hoping to have the next one up really soon!