I know that a lot of the chapters start with Hermione waking up, but I think it's a good place to start from. Can I just say, I have typed over 10,000 words and 3 chapters, in a row, with out stopping, for the past 15 hours, and it is now 8 o'clock in the morning. I am very very happy with myself right now!
Hermione awoke, light streaming in from her window and her face sticky with dried tears. She walked down stairs and saw Draco, haggard and exhausted, still sitting on the couch. He leapt to his feet the moment he saw her and pulled her into a tight embrace. He felt her stiffen slightly and pulled away quickly.
"I'm sorry." He said, backing away, looking apologetic. " Are you alright?" he asked, concern etched all over his pale face.
"Yes, thank you." She said, her heart melting at his empathy, she looked at his eyes, and then noticed the dark circles underneath them, "Have you been awake all night?" she asked, rushing forward. "Why?"
"I didn't want anyone to disturb you." He said plainly, trying to keep the exhaustion from being evident in his voice, he failed.
"Oh, Draco." She said, embracing him again, "You didn't have to do that. Go. Sleep. I'll be fine."
He wanted to protest but his fatigue won out. He gave her another soft squeeze then headed to his room for a much-needed nap.
She stared after him for a moment, then turned and went into the bathroom for a long, hot shower. She left the dress on the bathroom floor, it was tattered beyond repair now any way and walked out of the washroom, clad in only a towel. She put on a pair of muggle sweatpants and a thick woolen jumper, having no intention of going down to breakfast, and possibly not for the rest of the day. She dried her hair with a flick of her wand and grabbed a couple more books to peruse today, and walked down stairs. Draco was up again, sipping a cup of black coffee, Hermione hated coffee, she'd tried it a few times during all night studying crams, but it just made her feel jittery and unfocussed. In front of Draco, on the coffee table was a basket.
"What's that?" she asked curiously, sitting down across from him.
"That is your breakfast." He said, opening it with a wave of his wand, and setting it up before her. Inside were muffins, toast, some sausages and best of all, a large pot of tea complete with cream and sugar.
"Thank you." She said, smiling weakly at him as he poured her some tea and added the perfect amount of milk and sugar. "Why are you being so nice to me? You seem so different now," she asked shyly, cupping the warm beverage between her hands and sipping it slowly.
He sat there for a moment without speaking than said, " I don't know. I just can't bear the thought of you being hurt. You are the only person who I've ever been able to be myself with. I like myself when I'm around you, I guess."
She sat there for a moment before responding; "I like myself when I'm around you too." She said finally. They sat there in silence, while Hermione ate her breakfast.
"Do you want to just stay here today?" he asked when she had finished.
"Yeah, I know I'll have to face him eventually but I don't want to just yet. I do want to talk to Ginny though, I'm surprised she hasn't come yet."
"She did" he answered, " last night after you were asleep and she stopped me as I was coming back up here from the kitchens."
"Why didn't you tell me?" Hermione asked, looking perplexed but not angry.
"I wasn't sure if you wanted to see anyone" he answered simply, "I told her I'd owl her when you were."
"Could you. Now?" she asked meekly, like sick child.
He nodded mutely and tied a letter to an owl next to the window that Hermione hadn't noticed before. He sat back down quickly and then noticed the books she had brought down with her.
"Are those?" He asked pointing to them.
"Yeah, they're more Veela books, but as far as I can tell, they pretty much repeat the stuff we've already found. Did anyone at the ball, you know?"
"No, but that doesn't mean it wasn't them, the pull isn't very strong yet, thankfully."
"That's good!" she said as Ginny burst through the door.
"Oh, Hermione!" she said, rushing to her best friend and hugging her tightly, "I'm so sorry, Ron's an arse. If it's any reassurance, he now has giant green boils in a very uncomfortable place."
Hermione winced then giggle softly as this. "Thanks Gin. It's not like we were every really dating, not like you and Harry. He never took me anywhere, or did anything with me." She said softly, small tears, trickling down her face again. Ginny reached for a tissue but Draco was faster, in an instant her was at her side, handing her a white and green silk handkerchief. "Thank you," she said weakly, dabbing at her eyes. She started to give it back when he shook his head.
"Keep it." He said tenderly. "Well, I'll leave you two to talk about all of your girly things. Goodbye" he said, and then departed.
"So, how are you?" Ginny asked seriously.
"I'm fine. I'm just tired, and sad. I'm not even that mad at Ron. I knew he didn't care about me anymore than a friend."
Ginny looked at her like she was crazy, "You're not mad at him? That's even more reason to be mad at him, he led you on even after he knew he didn't love you, and then he cheated on you. If I were you I'd be calling George and Lee Jordon with some very interesting orders." Ginny said, her voice rising in defense of her friend, "Luckily for you, I already did!"
"Ginny!" Hermione yelled, smiling in spite of herself, "What did you get?" she asked suddenly interested
"Nothing dangerous, just some ton tongue toffee's and a few doses of u-no-poo." Hermione busted out laughing.
"I want to say, I hope those two don't have side effects when mixed, but I actually do!" she said chuckling.
"Oh don't worry, I asked. Apparently when you have both at the same time that cause a light toffee colored skin rash to spread to your… Well, lets just say Ron won't be getting lucky for a long time."
They resumed laughing, and after a while Hermione felt almost normal. They stayed in Hermione's dorm until dinnertime, eating left over muffins, and planning elaborate ways to castrate Ron. The most effective idea so far, was to place an invisible bear trap on his broom. But by six the muffins and the plans had run out so they left for the Great Hall.
When they entered the Hall Ron was thankfully nowhere to be found. Hermione and Ginny ate silently until someone came up to them from the Durmstrang table.
"'Ello. 'ermione. You left quite suddenly last night, I couldn't find you." Said, Alexander, taking a seat next to her. He looked at Ginny, "Ello, please forgive me vor not introducing myselve. I am Alexander Krum at your zerveese."
Ginny smiled at him, "Ginny Weasley."
"Eet iz a pleasure to meet you." He said before turning back to Hermione, "Zo, where did you run off to last night?" he asked.
"Sorry, Alexander. Last night was hard for me."
"Vatever for?" he asked concernedly.
"I caught my boyfriend cheating on me." She said simply, biting back tears.
"'Ermione." He said, leaning closer and squeezing her hand with his, "I am zo zorry. I knew 'e vas no gentleman, 'e ez a scoundrel!"
Hermione smiled at him appreciatively. "Thank you."
He smiled at her. "Oh, I just remembered, I 'ave my schedule. Vould you like to zee vat classes ve 'ave togezure?" he asked.
"Sure." She said, taking out her own. As it turned out Alexander and her shared several classes; Arithmancy on Monday and Tuesday, as well as History of Magic and Astrology on Tuesday, Potions, and History of Magic on Wednesday, Astrology again on Thursday and Potions again on Friday.
After comparing schedules Alexander had to leave, he bid them both farewell, and kissed Hermione on the hand before leaving.
Hermione and Ginny left shortly after that to return to the Head's dorm. When they reached it Ron was waiting outside her door. Hermione looked at him coldly, "What do you want?" she asked.
"I want to say I'm sorry! I was stupid and wrong and I want a second chance. I promise I'll be the best boyfriend ever."
"Ron, even if I did forgive you for cheating on me, you treated me like crap the entire time we were dating. You were overly jealous but you never did anything with me or for me! You just expected me to be there for you, while you weren't there for me. Why can't you see that we're not meant to be together?" just then the door behind Hermione opened and Draco walked out.
He took one look at Ron and drew his wand, "What did I tell you about hurting her!" he shouted, looking at her already tear stained face, "Leave!" When Ron protested, he lifted his wand higher, his eyes darkening into pools of boiling blackness. Ron turned and left with one more pleading look at Hermione.
The minute he was around the corner her stony façade crumpled. She burst out crying and her resolve melted away. Draco reached her first. Wrapping his arms protectively around her, he led her into the common room and onto the couch. She leaned into him, burying her face once again into his chest.
There she sat, for what seemed like hours, crying away her heart. Every single tear she shed felt like a knife wound into Draco's heart.
At about seven thirty Ginny had to leave for quidditch but Hermione was still crying onto Draco. With instructions to come first thing tomorrow morning, she left.
At some point in the night, Hermione's sobbing stopped to be replaced by soft snuffles and eventually the deep slow breathes of a sleeper. Draco sat there, refusing every logical thought in his mind, and fell asleep with her still curled up in his arms.
And that was how Ginny found them the next morning, Draco sitting on the couch, holding Hermione tight to his chest, with her, buried deep into him, her head tucked into the crook of his neck.
She cleared her throat loudly and both slowly woke up. Hermione awoke first, and realizing the position she was in, she attempted to wriggle loose without disturbing Draco, but to no avail. Her movements quickly brought him back to reality and he opened his eyes. Their look of dreamy contentment was quickly replaced by embarrassment and fear as he saw Ginny standing there, eyebrows raised and arms folded across her chest.
Hermione got up first and turned to look at Ginny, her face etched with questions.
"I'll just go then." Said Draco, motioning to his room. He stood up quickly, and entered it without looking at Ginny.
"Well, I already know most of the answers to the questions I have, but just in case, I want to hear them from you." She said, looking at Hermione smugly.
"He was just comforting me Gin!" said Hermione indignantly, "I must have fallen asleep and he didn't want to wake me up so he stayed. Simple as that!"
"Sure." Said Ginny under her breath. "Okay" she said, returning to full volume. "Well, I just came to check on you. You'll have to face Ron, today sadly but I made it a bit easier by placing a jinx on him that makes his eyebrows change color." Hermione smiled at the malevolently gleeful expression on Ginny's face.
"Great." She replied, "Now I've got to get ready, "Do you know what time it is? She asked Ginny who looked at the clock.
"About seven." She replied, hugging her friend then turning to leave. "If you're late to breakfast I'm going to assume it's because you and Malfoy are, to put it technically, fornicating." She said with a laugh as Hermione threw a pillow at her.
Hermione rushed up stairs and put on her uniform, grateful for the weekend to be over and things to return to, almost, normal. She rushed down stairs quickly, with out Malfoy for once, to make absolutely sure Ginny had no cause to tease her, though she left a note explaining to him on the couch next to his bag.
She arrived in the Great Hall in record time and found a seat next to Ginny.
"Glad to see you're not shacking-up." She said, by way of a morning greeting, "though seriously, I know you guys weren't doing anything last night."
Hermione smiled at her as she grabbed some toast and eggs and started to eat. The post owls arrived, a large barn owl dropped down in front of Ginny, carrying the newest addition of Witch Weekly. Both girls passed the breakfast reading it eagerly, finding several feminine spells that could be used on Ron to great effect. All to soon, the warning bell rang and Hermione headed off to Charms.
She purposely arrived there in the nick of time so as to not have to talk to Ron.
"Hello," greeted miniscule professor Flitwick from atop his books, "I would first like to welcome, the new students from Beauxbatons who will be joining us for the remainder of the school year. And now would you all split into pairs and collect one of these balloons. You will be practicing the deflating charm today. Remember to be careful, if you deflate them to quickly they will explode."
Ron immediately started toward Hermione but she pretended not to notice and quickly walked toward Auraline.
"Hello," she greeted her. Walking over to a set of desks, balloon in hand, "How are you enjoying Hogwarts so far?"
"Eet is wonderful. Eet is much more welcoming than I assumed and zee grounds are very large."
Hermione smiled and they both set to work attempting to deflate the balloon without popping it. By the end of the lesson, they had reduced six balloons to the appropriate size, and had earned ten points each to Gryffindor and Beauxbatons. When the bell rang Ron hurried over to Hermione, as she walked to Transfiguration. He stopped in front of her blocking her way.
"Please talk to me!" he pleaded, a desperate look in his eyes, "I'm really sorry." She pushed past him and into the transfiguration classroom.
Standing in front of the class was a tall, dark haired man in navy blue robes. "'Ello I am Professor Baudelaire, your new Transfiguration teacher." He said in a light French accent, to the Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs assembled. "I wecome you all, please take a seat, vile I pass out zees mice. Ven you get yours please attempt to age zem, zlowly" The students all rushed to get seats near their friends, and Hermione took hers with Harry on one side and the wall on the other.
Ron sat on the other side of Harry and spent the entire class period attempting to talk to her with out the new teacher noticing, which resulted in him being the only one assigned homework.
When they left and hour and a half later Ron was still furiously attempting to make amends.
Hermione finally snapped as they were walking to the greenhouses after lunch, "Ron!" she shouted, rounding on him halfway down the lawn, "I haven't forgiven you, I may at some point in the future, but right now I'm just trying to get over it! So leave me alone!"
Ron stared at her, "Get over what?" he asked thickly, hiding his glee that she had finally responded to her.
"Get over the fact that you, my friend for seven years, my boyfriend and brother of my best fried cheated on me!" she shouted, red in the face. "The fact that you lied to me went behind my back and snogged that little Brown slut in the middle of the garden!"
He looked at her in shock, "I said I was sorry, Merlin, can't you just let things go!" he retaliated, advancing, looking irate.
" Ron, I can't just." Her yell was cut off when her crushed his lips onto hers.
She backed away, slapping him across the face and turning to run back to her common room, crying her eyes out once again.
I hope it's good. My brain has completely stopped working, I've been writing for over 15 hours straight, and it is like 8 in the morning here. Apparently a mixture of Diet Coke and Chocolate covered espresso beans fuels my creativity, also at around five in the morning the chocolate-coated ones were becoming to sweet so I grabbed a bag of regular coffee beans and commenced eating them, like any normal person would. Wow, I am strange.
GothGirl3030: Thank you so much. There are two more chapters I have planned; I can't wait until I get to post them. I've already written them, but I need to write the ones in between.
CrunchyMunchers: Thank you! I hope this is soon enough for you. Wow, over ten thousand words and three chapters all typed and uploaded in one day. I think this might be a record. I know it is for me! I seriously need to sleep now but I keep getting ideas.
Hallifer777: Don't cry, Here it is
LadyBookworm80: Sure, I wasn't sure if it would work, the link is now up on my profile.
Ariah23: Never fear, there will be drama with Alexander coming soon.
