Draco was still reeling from his own admission, as he staggered back to the dorm; he desperately tried to clear his head. He had just confessed that he was in love with Hermione Granger…a mud blood…a member of the golden trio… every thing he had been taught to hate.
It certainly hadn't been a bolt of lightning from the blue… no… it had been more gradual than that, surely! Although, with the way time had flown, it had almost felt like one of those cliché, romantic whirlwind affairs. It was a ludicrous situation -a Malfoy in love. Thinking about his parent's marriage he laughed, well, there always was a first for everything! In fact, he was actually more surprised about how he had never managed to see Hermione before. Well, of course he had seen her, but he had never really SEEN her, noticed her... that way. What the hell? That doesn't make any sense! However despite his surliness, Draco was basically resigned to the fact that he would probably never make sense again where Hermione was concerned. Draco groaned as he dragged a hand over his face, recalling his thoughtless actions, he had just told Pansy Parkinson that he was in love!
Oh god…It will be all over the school by tomorrow…
Life how he had known it had ended, and by morning, his reputation would be in tatters, from a Lothario lover, to a 'one woman' man… Despite the destruction of his status, Draco was inclined to believe that this was going to be one of the best things that ever happened to him. With his declaration of love to Hermione apparent, he would be free of all those damnable fan club girls.
Ugh… thank god, I won't have to find any more undies mixed in with my belongings …
All of a sudden Draco remembered a very poignant fact, and was met with a sharp stab of panic. His father… Lucius Malfoy… would have his head on a platter if he ever found out. He would be dead. There would be no escaping his wrath… Draco's mind visualized the cane swinging down in a wide arc… Blotting out the thought, Draco moved rapidly through the winding corridors. I don't care what he says, because I'll just leave… it's not like there is anything left for me anyway…The faster he could get to Hermione, the quicker his insecurities could be wiped away. Once he reached the portrait hole, he hesitated. Would she still want to talk to him? Even though she had seen the Dark Mark? Draco glanced around, surveying the corridor for any unwelcome bystanders and then sensing the coast was clear, pushed his sleeve up once more, expecting the mark to still be the blackened stain he had seen earlier. However to his surprise, the marking seemed a whole shade lighter… Confusion swamped him. Why has it faded? Scrubbing at his skin, he noted that the mark still held an undeniable strength… then why had it faded? It shouldn't have faded, not even slightly because it was meant to represent the death eater's everlasting bond with the Dark Lord.
…Everlasting bond…
…so if it faded….
… was it not so permanent as we are made to think…?
Hope swelled in Draco's chest as he walked into the dorm, moving to press his ear against Hermione's door, he noted that no sound was emanating from within. Draco gently smiled, it sounded like she had stopped crying. "Hermione?" He said through the wood, "Are you there?"
No answer.
"Hermione?" Turning the doorknob, he stepped into the room, only to find it empty. Odds and ends were thrown all over the place … drawers ransacked…books thrown ruthlessly across the floor. Almost as if a massive search had taken place. But for what? Draco's gaze jumped all over the room, finally landing on a ripped sheet of paper. He bent down to retrieve it from the rubble; it was torn in several places, and looked like it had been wringed out to dry. He pieced it together to see what she had so wanted to destroy.
Your pride is your best asset, Hermione! As you always say, to be proud of oneself is to encourage others to be proud of you too. Pride is not a sin Hermione; it is a virtue, you -of all people- definitely prove these sentiments!
Remember that.
Love Ron
Draco let the paper drift from his unsteady grasp; he stood stock still, evaluating the gravity of what he had just read. It had been dated sometime last year, part of a love letter from Ron most likely… praising her pride. Seeing it in shreds could mean only one thing…Swearing, Draco wrenched open her door once more, and raced out the front portrait.
…I've got to find her!...
Draco was unseeing to the blurs of colour that surrounded him as he ran, dodging statues and students he sprinted for all he was worth.
One ferociously guilty, engulfing thought pounding his brain with every step,
"I've broken her…" he muttered. "I've broken her spirit… and with it, her pride…."
Hermione lay there, the carpet fuzzy against her face. Nuzzling it, she allowed her hair to become matted as she restlessly tossed and turned. "Oh Draco…" she murmured. "What have we done?"
… did I drive him to do it, did I drive him away… only to send him straight into her arms?
... me and my pride…
my stupid, foolish PRIDE…
Hermione choked back a fresh wave of tears "maybe it is better this way… Pansy and Draco is much more acceptable than Draco and freaky-mudblood Hermione ever will be…." Like Romeo and Juliet… but … more pathetic…
Pansy was beautiful, in a cold sort of way. In a sense, Draco's perfect foil – He was the blond haired hero, and she… she… was his long, raven-haired mistress. When they had been embracing, they had definitely seemed the snapshot couple… Hermione winced at the jolt of pain she felt. It hurt too much to think… oh god… it almost hurt too much to even breathe-
"Get up." A sharp voice cracked.
Hermione's eyes were blurred as she gazed up at this faceless individual. "Wha-?"
All of a sudden she was being unceremoniously hauled to her knees. Hermione bristled with annoyance. "What are you doing? Get your hands off me!"
Suddenly unknown hands were shoving her hard against the wall, holding her firmly by the shoulders, pinning her there, unable to move. Arching her back, Hermione struggled to free herself, but unfortunately their grip held fast, and with a crushing weight, she found her whole body restrained by her attacker's muscular torso. It was then that her eyes snapped up to look into a pair of slightly slanted brown-irised orbs, comfortably set above perfectly high cheek bones and beautifully dark skin.
"What do you want Blaise?" Hermione sneered "Is it that impossible for you to get a girl now that you have to resort to abusing them instead?"
She visibly flinched when Blaise's grip tightened on her upper arms, Her flesh seizing up beneath his fingers. "I'd watch my mouth if I were you, mudblood." Blaise growled. "I don't know what the hell you were doing on the floor, but to tell you the truth, I don't give a shit." Yanking her away from the wall, he brought her really close, as if to whisper in her ear "I've only got one thing to say to you… and I am only going to tell you once… stay the hell away from him." Shoving her back to the wall, he looked into her eyes, as if assessing what her reaction would be.
Rubbing her arms, she tried to allow for circulation. For a second she thought about pretending that she didn't know who he meant, but in truth, there really was no point. Too much pretence had already occurred, and she wasn't going to be the one who would further it. "You mean about me and Draco..." she began. "…well I believe you are mistaken. We are not together, and never have been." If only it could have been otherwise…
Hermione stared unblinkingly at Blaise, standing tall, she presented a formidable sight. Blaise had to admit that even he was slightly cowed by her overwhelming presence. However with absolute determination, he grabbed for her wrists, clasping them above her head, as he continued to pinion her against the cold wall. "You say it… sure… but your eyes speak with a different voice."
Hermione was pierced by that pointed stare, and cocked her head on an angle, making him unable to look her straight in the eye. She remained silent, knowing there was no way of answering without lying. She did hate Draco, it was true, but at the same time, she could not admit that there was nothing left of what she had felt before… that awe-inspiring emotion called love; could not be felled with one swift blow… as she had so hoped. Instead it stuck persistently, like paperclips to a magnet, so even though they were pulled apart, some magnetic attraction still pulled them back together again. It was said that opposites attract…
Blaise saw this fanciful look cross her face and frowned. "See! You lie to me even now. Your silence is damning!" In a softer tone he mumbled "You believe yourself in love with him… don't you?"
Hermione pushed her lips tighter.
Blaise's lips twisted cruelly. "Don't you see? Are you blind? Don't you understand that it were just a conquest to him?"
Hermione tried very much to ignore his taunts.
Blaise's voice turned cold as he stated "You mean nothing to him."
Hermione's eyes misted over, every fibre of her being denied his words. Surely I meant something! However her curiosity finally managed to get the better of her. "What do you mean a conquest?"
A look of vulnerability marred his expression, his eyes shifted warily.
"Well? Please.." Hermione droned sarcastically "You can't truly think you can hold out on me now that you have threatened me so thoroughly. Please Blaise; tell me why I can not LOVE Draco Malfoy…"
Her sarcasm forced a tick to occur just under his eye. Blaise replied with a very ambiguous answer. "He had a mission… all he needed to do was… um... to complete it."
Blaise was sweating under her probing gaze. Shit… I have said way too much… I really need to get out of here.
Hermione snapped to attention "A mission? What in heaven's name are you talking about?"
Blaise began to panic, his panic rapidly turned to anger. "Why are you so keen to know? Why don't you just mind your own business and just do what I say! Keep the fuck away from him, or their will be shit to pay…"
Hermione managed a slight shove, and as if in surprise, she found herself free from the wall. Massaging her wrists, she realized Blaise was still watching her every move. Like the predator, stalking it's prey… However Hermione's pride refused to let herself be browbeaten by some seedy member of Draco's 'Slytherin Posse'. With a lift of her chin, Hermione had the odd thought that perhaps she taken on much of Draco's arrogant bravery… except in her case, it was completely unfounded. At least Draco had the muscle to defend himself. Hermione probably couldn't even punch her way out of a paper bag –not that it was ever likely she would need to punch her way out of a paper bag. That was just absurd. Hermione gave off a sharp laugh, and recalling Draco's mocking voice she smiled. "Just you try and make me go away Blaise... Make me!"
She would have never expected Blaise to call her bluff, so as she began to move past him, she was instantaneously pulled backwards, landing in his embrace.
A sinister look graced his visage, "Hmmm… sometimes Hermione, I wonder what it is about you Draco could have seen … to make him disobey all that rely upon him"
Hermione knew it was pointless to struggle; his strong vicelike grip around her waist was harder than forged iron. Her back was to his chest, and although she tried to stay calm, she feared for her safety.
"It couldn't be your beauty; surely… he has been with far more beautiful women…"
Hermione bristled at the comment. "and you haven't, am I right?"
Ignoring her, he proceeded with his speech "and it couldn't possibly be your intelligence… Draco isn't fussy about those things…"
All of a sudden she was flipped in his arms, "Then it must have been the way you kiss…" His eyes lowered to land on her lips, Hermione turned an unappealing shade of grey. "Oh, I see you are growing pale, Granger… maybe this will teach you to keep away from him…maybe you will see that love truly is blind… and that you can feel it with anyone… only the naïve believe in the 'one and only' bullshit… Let me teach you, let me be the one to wipe away your ignorance…" abruptly he slammed his lips down onto hers, hard and punishing. He lacked the same finesse of Draco, and his lips were cold and unfeeling. There was no passion. There was no promise. He was not Draco.
As his lips slanted over hers for another clumsy caress, she bit down hard on his lower lip. Jerking back in pain, Hermione could see blood welling from the huge gash she had left. Swearing, he pushed his fingers to his lip, trying to stunt the blood, his other hand crashing down in a wide arc, to back hand her across the face. Defenceless, she fell to the ground, grazing her forehead in the fall.
"YOU STUPID BITCH! YOU'LL PAY FOR THAT!" Blaise drew back his leg and kicked Hermione in the ribs, forcing her to cry out in pain. Her back arching, as she instinctively turned away from her aggressor. Lunging down on top of her, he grabbed at her throat. "You've done this to yourself Hermione… You have forced me to do this… I'll have to dispose of you, to save Draco… but don't ever think I am sorry. I will never, ever be sorry… because I think even you know it is better this way…" He almost looked remorseful.
…her breathe was being strangled from her lungs…
…white spots began to dance before her eyes…
Softly she choked "D-draco…"
It was indeed a shock when Blaise was unexpectedly hauled off her. Hermione blinked several times in surprise, trying desperately to find her bearings. Pulling herself up onto her knees she gasped as she saw Draco holding Blaise by the scruff of his collar. He looked like a completely different person, his handsome features twisted into a livid mask of rage. Like an avenging angel, he rushed to my rescue… Hermione's foggy brain thought extraordinarily. Draco began screaming something indistinguishable. Hermione was just too tired to hear, wiped out from all the days' pain and lies...
With this final thought in her mind, she blacked out.
-
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Thank you!
Shakespearelozza
