Note: I'm extremely sorry it takes me a really long time to upload, but this is not an abandoned story. Also, reviews are a great motivation boost! (:

Chapter Seven:: The Only One Who Ever Hurt You

Every part of Draco Malfoy was screaming. But every part of him was screaming a different response. Most parts were screaming for him to run after Hermione and hold her hostage until she confessed what really happened but that small part –that damn idiotic pride of his – kept him glued to the spot.

She had already stripped him of all that his was worth and he would not give her the satisfaction of stripping his one last pride.

He had other means to find the cause of her distress. Such as heading in the direction she ran from. Draco wanted to scurry, run to wherever she ran from but Malfoys don't hurry. He had to keep some dignity as well, ensure he was still a Malfoy at the end of the night. Hermione had already confused him so much with her charm that sometimes he wasn't even sure whether he was a Malfoy anymore. Sometimes he thought he was just simply hers.

Shaking his head at those thoughts, Draco strolled in the direction she came hurtling out of. With each step he took, he realised he was heading to the Astronomy Tower. Something inside him was clenching hard and his breaths were coming out in short hisses. You could still be a Hufflepuff and know that the Astronomy Tower was where people go to have a heavy make-out session, if not more.

Clenching his teeth in anticipation, Draco blasted opened the door, playing over any possible outcomes he could face. The best possibility was if no one was in the Astronomy Tower.

His breath came out in a whoosh as he saw Frederick Zannard sprawled across the floor, face-down and blood oozing from the corner of his lips.

You could still be a mere Squib and know that Hermione was with him before she came scurrying out, fear and distraught written all over her pretty features.

Draco wanted to kill him. He wasn't sure what Zan did, wasn't sure if he wanted to know what Zan did because there was no way Zan did something pleasant to send Hermione away like that.

Cautiously, for Zan's sake as Draco wanted to whisper that two-worked spell, Draco etched closer holding the wand menacingly in his trembling hand.

On closer inspections, this waste of a life was fast asleep. He was even snoring slightly.

The anger and fury was still in his body but this time, there was confusion as well. Did Zan fall asleep and that's why Hermione was mad? Or was it…something else? What he feared most? He stopped his brain from envisioning those images of Zan advancing on Hermione, because if he kept those up, Zan would be dead, regardless of whether he was innocent or guilty.

Impatience also entering his body, Draco kicked at Zan. He didn't feel like being polite and wakening him up in a pleasant matter. That Ravenclaw was lucky Draco didn't repeatedly bang his foot into his body.

"Wake up," Draco snarled leaning down to look at that face. Despite how Draco was straight and how he hated everyone who wasn't Slytherin (Hermione excluded), he had to admit Frederick Zannard was very good-looking.

Draco wanted to slap that face until it was distorted into ugly features but well, boys do not slap. Perhaps a foot to the face will help?

Instead, lucky for Zan once again, Draco prodded that all too good-looking face with his wand sharply. Frowning when the Ravenclaw continued to snore, Draco repeated the action even when there was fire hissing at the end of his wand.

Then Draco remembered something, which was surprising since he hardly paid attention in class. If a victim was subjected to sleep by a spell, it would last two hours if the anti-spell was not cast.

Draco muttered the counter-spell for the sleeping spell, knowing it would be inactive if Zan fell asleep due to other means. But Zan mumbled something unintelligent and started to stir, which confirmed Draco's fear that someone did indeed put Zan to sleep. And that person was most likely Hermione Granger.

"What are you doing here, unconsciously staining the floors with your blood?" Draco hissed, pointing his wand warningly at his chest. He didn't want to give Zan any time to regain his thoughts, sometimes people said the most interesting things when incoherent.

"Whaa…? Where's Mione?" Zan groaned attempting to sit upright but could not proceed with Draco's wand still in the same threatening position.

As soon as Draco heard Hermione's name, his control snapped. Hermione wouldn't have left in such disarray nor put Zan to sleep (she had to be the last person to see him, right? Or else he wouldn't have said her name…) and no-one was allowed to hurt Hermione. Except Draco and although he was technically 'hurting' her, it was more protecting her life.

"Stay the hell away from Hermione," Draco snarled pushing the wand into Zan's chest so he was forced to lie down.

"Malfoy?" Zan asked, still looking disorientated. "What are you doing here? Did you take her?"

"I know what happened," Draco hissed ignoring his questions. He saw Zan wince as the fire erupting from the end of his wand hit his chest. "I vow it would be best for your life if you don't do anything like that again."

"Let me up, would you?" Zan growled, reaching into his robe for his wand but Draco moved his wand to follow his hand's direction.

"Stay away from her, this is your last warning," Draco hissed once again, trailing his wand slightly over Zan's hand so he could feel the fire from the tip of the wand. "Don't make me warn you again."

And with that final warning, Draco left. He wasn't sure whether he could keep his control in contact if he remained and he was certain Hogwarts wasn't ready for a murder just yet.

….

Hermione knew she couldn't stay in her dorm forever but how could she leave and face everyone? She didn't want to see anyone, especially Zan or Draco.

Merlin, why did Draco have to be a prefect too? All the prefects stayed in an area specifically built for them and Quidditch Captains, and a dormitory was occupied by the prefects of the same year level (girls and boys separate, of course). Draco could be waiting in the common room…well not waiting for her but could be sitting there enjoying the luxury of the Prefect Common Room. So it was logical that Hermione wanted to stay in her room and not leave in case she saw him.

With a sigh, Hermione decided to pack her things into her suitcase. To take up time, she wasn't using spells but the old-fashioned way. It was time to move back to the Gryffindor quarters despite the better furnishings of the Prefect quarters.

When her possessions were very nearly packed (thus taking up more time to arrange her belongings), Hermione left her dorm with her suitcase behind her. She used magic to force her suitcase to follow her lead as she did not want someone asking whether she needed help carrying the heavy load.

She ignored the Seven Years murmuring in tight circles when they witnessed her departure. After years hanging around with Harry, Hermione had adapted to rumours. It was confrontations that would be her undoing.

Despite how Hermione wanted to waste as much time as possible packing her belongings, now she wanted to head to the Gryffindor quarters as quick as possible. But that was a downside to that: the quickest path was where most people walked. If she used the deserted paths, it would at least half an hour (sometimes Hogwarts was too big) and using magic on something that heavy was starting to drain her.

Taking another deep sigh, Hermione decided to take the quickest path hoping that if she had to see anyone, it would be Harry or Ron. Those two wouldn't pester her too much and Draco would not approach her if she was with them.

Of course with her thoughts always preoccupied on Draco, she forgot about Zan. Who seemed to materialise right in front of her.

The first thing Hermione registered was fear that seemed to choke her from breathing and the rapid beating of her heart. But soon the fear diminished and all that remained was her anger. She had her wand and that was nothing Zan could do to her that she didn't want either.

Even if he was looking at her with large puppy eyes filled with regret, guilty and pain.

"Hermione," he breathed and his voice sounded tortured. "I am so sorry, I don't know what overcame me. It was the loss in Quidditch and I've been feeling so inadequate…Please…forgive me."

Hermione knew she was a compassionate person, everyone knew that. But compassion does have limits and it most certainly can meet compromise.

"I can forgive you Zan but…we can't be what we were, I need time," Hermione affirmed and she knew she failed at trying to cover the tremor from her voice.

Zan took a step with his long arms outstretched – as if to grab her – and Hermione reflexively took a step back. Anger flitted his brown eyes before it settled back on pain.

"There's no point in forgiving me if we can't go back to what we were, what we are. I admit I slipped up but it was the first, let's just forget about it," Zan pleaded.

Hermione shook her head fervently, aware that she was gripping her wand (that was hidden beneath her robes) so tightly that her knuckles were sore.

"I can't and I'm sorry. Maybe some time in the future, I need time, I can't just forget something like that," Hermione tried to reason but it sounded like a beg to her ears.

She had never been afraid of guys before; she didn't believe those stories about men overpowering women because she honestly thought that she would be able to dispel them with her wand. But last night…she felt like a victim and she had forgotten about that with thoughts about seeing Draco, always Draco. But now, being with Zan, she remembered everything he did and how she felt helpless and fear. She'd never forget what Zan did to her, how she thought he would take her without her will.

"Bye, Zan," she whispered pulling at the luggage and trying to walk pass him. Her other hand was still locked tightly around her wand.

Fear consumed her body when he snaked out a hand to tightly grip her upper arm, knowingly or not grabbing the arm which held the wand. She had been too afraid last night to inspect her body because she knew there would be bruises and now she was certain she'd have more.

"Let go of me," Hermione said firmly despite her shaking form.

"Don't act like you're all innocent and perfect," Zan hissed, tightening his grip so that she yelped in pain. "I know about you and him. Why else would he corner me? Why would he care? So don't pretend you're the perfect best friend to the infamous Harry Potter when you're sleeping with the enemy."

Colour drained from Hermione's face as his words lashed out. He didn't name the person he was talking about but Hermione had a feeling she knew who. She always jumped to the worst conclusions because if she could face that outcome, she could face the conclusions that weren't the worst.

"Who are you talking about?" Hermione asked attempting to look confused and disgusted but probably appearing scared instead. Which would be understandable in her condition.

"You just want to hear his name, don't you?" Zan continued to hiss bending his head closer to hers. Hermione flinched and tried to squirm away but his hand trapped her. "Draco Malfoy. I'll find out what's going on between the two of you, I promise you that, you filthy teasing Mudblood."

With that, he growled and let go of her arm storming past her. His cloak sweeping past him send wind blowing through Hermione but that was not the reason why Hermione was still numb with cold.

He knew. How did he know? That accusation could not be out of the whim because no-one would ever conjure up a thought of Hermione being in a relationship with Draco. If he exposed their secret relationship, Hermione could already imagine the consequences. Harry and Ron, both incredulous and disgusted. Her best friends feeling betrayed because she could not confess to them her sins, when the three of them used to share everything.

Then there was always Draco himself. She could already envision him being disowned by his parents because he mingled with Muggle-borns and being an outcast with the Slytherins. But the worst that could happen to her was if Draco disregarded the exposure, not acknowledging what they had, and side with Zan calling her all those names.

Hermione closed her eyes against the tears that were becoming all too familiar with her. How did this all happen to her? She thought love was supposed to bring happiness, closure, warmth. Instead it seemed like each time she thought of him, another dagger slashed at her heart so soon she'd have no heart left. Lose the ability to love.

But then she recalled something Zan said, which was forgotten when she was afraid of his suspicion and his hand on her body. He had said Draco cornered him. What did that mean? Draco couldn't have told Zan about their relationship or else Zan would not attempt to find out the truth. Did he threaten Zan? What did he do to make Zan so suspicious?

Fury enveloped Hermione once again when she thought of Draco's reckless behaviour. But that small, always loyal part to him, whispered something to her that ease some of her constant pain; it seemed to answer Zan's rhetorical question.

Perhaps Draco Malfoy cared after all.