A/N: Like always, thank you very much for reading this story, please review, and I apologize for taking a ridiculously long time to update! Happy reading!
"Merlin, Oh Mighty, my feet are killing me. Padma-boo just couldn't get enough of me last night. Dancing, I mean," Ron said with a disgusting smirk on his face.
Harry shook his head, ashamed of his best mate's stupidity. Hermione could only scoff and grimace at Ron's vulgarity. Slowly, but surely, Hermione's heart was moving away from Ron. She certainly loved him, but her affection was only that of a sister for her brother. If Ron kept this ribald behavior up, however, even that affection would be in question.
"Well another Gryffindor had her share of dancing last night, too," Ginny cut in with a smile, "Hermione danced with at least two-thirds of the Gryffindor gents."
Hermione blushed prettily as she mumbled a denial of such actions. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Ron's expression harden at his sister's announcement. He edged ever so slightly away from Padma (who was desperately clinging to him). Hermione found this curious, but she didn't give it much thought.
"I still hate that you had to dance with Malfoy, though," Harry said ruefully.
Hermione smiled gently and said, "It was only three minutes: no big deal."
"If it were me, I would've hexed the bastard," Ginny said, nonchalantly taking a bite of her apple.
"You're right, Gin, I should've," Hermione said, chuckling.
"It's not too late," Ginny said in a sing-song voice.
After dinner, Harry, Ginny, and Ron headed to their common room to relax before they went to bed. They invited Hermione, assuring her that she was always welcome in the Gryffindor common room, but she refused. She informed them of her Advanced Transfiguration exam in three weeks which she couldn't afford to fail. Therefore, she was going to spend her free time in the library.
Hermione started her solitary journey to the library while humming a tune. She immediately stopped, however, when she realized that she was humming the song that she and Draco had danced to the night before. Wait. Draco? Who the hell was Draco? Malfoy! Malfoy is his name!
She picked up her speed as her heart rate accelerated, while she mentally scolded herself. Hermione could see the entrance of the library, before a solid mass stepped in her path, blocking the view. Hermione mumbled an "excuse me" and attempted to step around the person. The person, however, only continued to block her way.
Hermione look up with frustration only to come face to face with Pansy Parkinson. The Slytherin had a look of pure contempt plastered on her pug-like face. Hermione snapped her head around to see if she could just go back the way she came. She could always just study in the Gryffindor common room as Harry had suggested. The Gryffindor was disheartened though when she saw Daphne Greengrass blocking her way from behind.
Hermione took a deep breath, turned back around to face Pansy, and asked, "What do you want, Parkinson?"
"Well," she began, slinking towards Hermione, "I'd really like to see you off the face of the planet, along with the rest of the stinking mudbloods, but that won't be happening for a little while. So, for now, I'd like you to keep your hands off of Malfoy."
Hermione stared at Pansy, uncomprehending what the Slytherin was saying. She then inquired, "What do you mean?"
Pansy fidgeted with annoyance then repeated, "Stay away from Draco. He's mine."
Hermione was still confused, and when Pansy saw this she quickly added, "I saw the way you danced with him."
Understanding dawned on Hermione, and with it, a physical sickening. She quickly asked, "What do you mean 'the way I danced with him'? I was forced to dance with him! That's all."
Pansy was starting to become infuriated when she retorted, "My arse you were "forced" to dance with him like that. It was like a frigging first dance at a wedding."
Hermione turned bright red and shouted, "It was not!"
Pansy snarled and took out her wand, "Well how bout I hex you so you make sure not to make an accidental mistake like that again?"
Hermione's eyes widened as she quickly reached to grab hers. Before she could though, Daphne had said "accio wand" and it was gone. Well there goes that plan, Hermione thought scornfully.
Pansy menacingly approached Hermione with her wand aimed at the Gryffindor's throat. Hermione opened her mouth to yell when something out of the corner of her eye made her catch her breath. None other than the boy in question stood casually at the library's entrance watching the scene unfold. His blue-grey eyes were intently on Hermione's which caused Hermione to flinch.
Hermione saw a glimmer of hope as she assumed that Malfoy would step in and stop this bullying from taking place. Her hope dwindled, however, as she watched Malfoy stay absolutely still, observing the scene. Hermione closed her eyes in frustration, and then fiercely opened them to glare at Pansy.
"Get AWAY from me!" Hermione shouted, violently kneeing the unsuspecting Slytherin in the gut. She felt a rush of excitement over her successfully attack, but was thrust backwards by a stinging slap from Daphne.
"You stupid mudblood bitch, how dare you touch a pureblood!" Daphne spat.
Hermione's eyes began to water from the slap, but she refused to let them fall. Instead, she brought her hand back to return the favor to Greengrass. She was stopped, however, by a very strong hand gripping onto her comparatively small wrist.
She frantically snapped her head around to see her third attacker only to see fierce blue-grey eyes. Hermione scoffed in disbelief, then immediately tried to wriggle out of his iron grip. As she was continuously unsuccessful, a few tears escaped her eyes.
"Ha! Good job, Drakey-pooh! You made her cry!" Pansy cried happily.
"Shut up," Malfoy coldly answered, "What the hell are you doing?"
Pansy was dumbfounded as she could only stutter in reply. She then pointed at Daphne, as she could not give a sufficient answer herself. Daphne was slightly more articulate as her only decipherable explanation was, "Damn mudblood…too close…Malfoy…"
Malfoy's expression and grip on Hermione's wrist were unchanging as he took in the sight of the two Slytherin girls. He then slowly and deliberately said, "She's mine to torment. Mine alone. Understand?"
Pansy looked as if she were about to explode as she grudgingly nodded her head. She and Daphne gave Hermione one last dirty look then left the corridor. Hermione was left with her wrist still encircled by Malfoy's hand. She again tried to wriggle out which only resulted in him tightening his grip.
"Get OFF of me, you arsehole! How dare you say I'm yours! I belong to no one, least of all the likes of you. Now, LET GO!" Hermione screeched.
Malfoy furiously snapped his head to Hermione and commanded, "Be quiet."
Hermione looked at Malfoy as if he had lost his sanity and said, "As if I'll listen to anything you tell me to do! Let go!"
Malfoy exhaled exasperatedly and began dragging Hermione in the direction of their dormitory. Hermione struggled the entire way and continuously threatened to scream. She was so tired, however, that she couldn't find the energy to do so. Once they finally made it into the common room, Malfoy tossed her onto the sofa in front of the fire. He then kneeled down, grabbed her by the chin, and began to examine the cheek which had been slapped. When he took out his wand, Hermione began to panic.
"What are you doing! Stop it!" She screeched.
He ignored her and calmly lifted the wand to her cheek. He murmured a spell and Hermione instantly felt a wave of coolness wash over her cheek. She gently shut her eyes because of the sensation and felt her pain dissipating. When she opened her eyes, blue-grey eyes stared into her own.
Hermione quickly came to her senses, scooted away from Malfoy, and asked, "What are you doing? You stood by as I was attacked, you stop me from defending myself, you proclaim that I'm yours, and then you heal my wound! Just who the hell do you think you are!"
Malfoy stood up, and Hermione fleetingly felt sympathy for he look very tired as he rose up. The moment passed, however, as he looked at Hermione and answered "I don't have to explain myself to you."
"Like hell you don't!" Hermione responded, "You are an arse. I am not yours. If you ever touch me again, I'll have someone kill you or I'll personally do it myself. Understand?"
Anger finally took over Malfoy as he exclaimed, "I just saved your arse a few minutes ago and now you're calling me an arse!"
"You didn't save me! You idly stood by as I was attacked, and then you butted in when I tried to help myself!"
"And that is where I saved your dumb-arse."
"Have you lost your mind?"
"If you had hit Daphne, you would have been blacklisted. Well, you're already blacklisted by being Potthead's best friend, but this would have been worse since you would have had hit a pureblood which would've given Slytherins' an excuse to attack you. I can get Pansy to keep her mouth shut, but I can't be certain about Greengrass. This could've gotten parents involved. Get it?"
Hermione understood exactly what Malfoy was saying, but she still couldn't believe how he could idly stand by as she was attacked, so she proclaimed, "That still doesn't excuse you just standing by as I was attacked."
"That would've hurt you as well. Me, Draco Malfoy, stepping in to help a mudblood? Hermione Granger nonetheless! You would've been killed in a week. Tops."
Hermione was so frustrated by the last hour's happenings that she couldn't completely respond to what Malfoy was telling her, so she simply asked, rubbing the bridge of her nose, "Why? Why do you care?"
With this he stood up, turned to leave, answered over his shoulder, "I can't have you killed before I finish tormenting you to my heart's content, now can I?"