Chapter Eleven
A week passed after Hermione got out of the hospital wing. The nineteen year old witch threw herself into her studies, all while looking over her shoulder every five minutes. Whoever was out to get her was not going to show up very soon. That didn't take the worry off her back, nor Draco's. He felt bad about not being able to notice a break in.
It was a week before her NEWTs and Hermione was sitting in the library, reading, with Ginny next to her. Tomorrow was Saturday, a Hogsmeade day.
"So, are you going tomorrow?" Ginny asked nonchalantly.
"Going to Hogsmeade? Yeah, I have to. Why?" Hermione asked suspiciously.
"No reason, I just was wondering." Ginny murmured, looking back to her Potions homework. Suddenly, Hermione's eyes narrowed.
"Merlin, is Draco asking you to spy on me?" She barked.
"Spy? No, that sounds wrong." Ginny defended. "I'm simply going to make sure you stay safe."
Hermione rolled her eyes and shut her books. "Whatever. It's late, so I'm going to head to bed."
"I'll go with you." said Ginny quickly. Hermione bit the inside of her cheek in annoyance. Ever since she had been attacked, Ginny had been dubbed her personal body guard.
"No, you stay." Hermione snapped. She left the library quickly. Hermione raced through the halls. It was dark, the castle walls casting eerie shadows on the wall. She went up to her dormitory and made it safely.
"Hermione?" Draco called from the kitchen. She walked in and set her bag on the floor. Draco was holding an unopened letter in her hand. He handed it to her. "Here, this was addressed to you."
It was from her mom. Just to be safe, Hermione waved her wand over the letter. Thankfully, it was safe. She ripped it open and her eyes flitted over the words. Draco watched her intently.
"What did it say?" He asked curiously. Hermione looked up and smiled tightly.
"Oh nothing, just information on Christmas." She bit her lip, tears stinging in her eyes. "I'm going to bed. Goodnight."
Draco's eyes followed her as she slipped into her room. He himself decided it was time to turn in.
Hermione woke up the next morning in low spirits. She got dressed in a pair of jeans and a wool sweater. After that she pulled her curly hair back into a french braid and didn't even bother to put on much make up, just a simple coat of mascara.
When she left her room, Draco was lounging on the couch, a copy of a Quidditch magazine in his hands.
"I'm going to Hogsmeade for the day." Hermione said as she slipped on her brown boots, then her coat, and finally her scarf.
"Have fun." He said absently. Hermione rolled her eyes and left. Before she left, however, she grabbed her bag full of her text books. In the upcoming week, she had her NEWTs. That thought nagged in the back of her brain, and she needed to study.
It was noon by the time Hermione got to Hogsmeade, late. She set up shop in the warm Three Broomsticks Pub. Hermione studied transfiguration, charms, and potions for two hours until she heard someone clear their throat. Hermione looked up and saw a familiar, gangly ginger staring at her. Ron's blue eyes were hard and his lips pressed in a tight line. Without being invited, he sat down opposite her.
"Ginny told me you'd be here." Ron started. Hermione was silent, the lines of his last letter flickering through her head.
"Yeah, but I'm kind of busy..." Hermione muttered dully. She wanted to avoid a confrontation, but she knew it was unavoidable.
"Well I think now is a great time to chat." said Ron loudly. Hermione cringed.
"Lower your voice!" She hissed. Hermione gave in and slammed her book shut. "Talk. In your letter you called me a lying traitor. I'm also going to say, please man up and have the audacity to at least break up with me in person."
"Who said I wanted to break up?" Ron asked incredulously. Hermione frowned.
"You did. You said you weren't even sure if you wanted me as your girlfriend."
"And I'm not," Ron said slowly. "But I think a break up is a little fast, don't you?"
Hermione was thoroughly confused by then, a rare feat. "Ron, what are you saying?"
"I think we should take a break. You've got some particularly bad press right now, and I don't really want to be asso-"
Hermione cut him off. "You don't want to be associated with me?"
Ron shrugged and casually played with a paper napkin. "You are a traitor, I mean, a member of the golden trio siding with a Death Eater? It's horrible for my reputation if I'm dating the traitor."
Hermione felt enraged. "You know what Ron, don't worry about it."
"About what?" He asked, still clueless.
"About our relationship because it's over. I cannot believe I ever loved such a self centered git!" Hermione shrieked. Sloppily, she packed her books into her bag and stomped out, leaving a befuddled Ron behind. Tears sprang into Hermione's eyes as she walked back to the castle in the snow.
She streaked into her dormitory and straight into the bathroom. Without a second thought, she filled the bath tub. As the sobs came, she yanked off her clothes and slipped into the hot water. This time, it was thankfully not poisoned. Hermione cried as the hot water soothed her aching muscles. The stress slowly ebbed away.
Until there was a knock on the door. Hermione sighed, "Come in."
Draco pushed open the door, then gasped when he saw her in the bath tub. Hermione was too unhappy to care. Besides, the bubbles were so plentiful they splashed over the sides. Draco saw this and quietly sat down.
"What's wrong?" He asked sincerely. His blonde hair was shaggy and over grown, but he still looked elegant and handsome.
Hermione paused, not saying a word. Finally she answered. "Everything."
"Elaborate." He suggested. Hermione lifted a pruney hand out of the water to wipe her eyes.
"Well, I received a letter yesterday telling me that my mum and dad aren't well enough to return home for Christmas, as scheduled. Then Ron told me that he didn't want to be my boyfriend because I had to much bad publicity on me right now. Plus Harry's probably still fuming. And I have my NEWTs this week." Hermione babbled. She began to cry again. "I just don't know what to do or where to go."
Draco chuckled darkly. "You're telling me. Even if I manage to evade arrest, I'm one of the most hated people in the wizarding world. It's not like I can waltz down the street and be fine. I can probably never get a job, finish school, or do much of anything."
Hermione frowned. "I'm starting an internship with Henry Block in January."
"Ew." Draco scrunched up his nose. "You only agreed because he's fit."
Hermione rolled her eyes. "No, but that is a plus."
The pair lapsed into silence, just enjoying the presence of another. It was Hermione who spoke up.
"Draco," She began. "when you're cleared of all charges, would you like to spend Christmas with me?"
His eyebrows shot up in surprise. "You mean, like at your home?"
"Of course. I mean, it's just I have no one and neither do you, so I thought..." Hermione trailed off.
"The answer is yes, absolutely." Draco beamed. His mind flickered to memories of Christmas past. Usually they were lonely and dark, unless he stayed at Hogwarts. Narcissa and Lucius weren't always home at Christmastime, instead they traveled or attended luxurious parties.
"Good. Now, you can go. I'm going to get out and see if I can find Ginny." Hermione let out a long sigh.
Draco blushed and exited the bathroom quickly. Outside, he sighed. Draco finally understood why Hermione had been so upset, but he couldn't help but feel a little bit pleased. He now had plans for Christmas. Well, hopefully. There was a tiny nagging in the back of his brain that shouted that he was going to Azkaban for a long time.
Hermione got out of the bathtub and wrapped her damp, curly hair into a messy bun and slipped on a pair of leggings and a sweater. Draco was in his room when she left the bathroom. Hermione walked out of the common room, and next door to the Gryffindor dorm. Luckily it was empty. Unluckily, it was Ginny and, surprise, Harry who sat in the corner.
"Ginny can I speak to you?" said Hermione coolly. Ginny looked nervous.
"Actually, I was hoping that the two of you could talk. He's visiting and I knew you'd come talk to me." Ginny said quietly. Harry's eyebrows rose.
"I will only agree is Harry agrees to be civil." Hermione spoke in a clipped tone. Harry rolled his eyes but agreed. Ginny jumped up and darted up the stairs, into her dormitory. The two at odds friends were alone. Hermione cleared her throat and then sad in the arm chair opposite of Harry. She was quiet. It was Harry who spoke first.
"Why?" He asked. He was quiet at first, but his voice steadily rose. "Why. Why! Why, Hermione?"
As his voice raised, Hermione flinched. She stared at her hands and tried not to cry. It was rather difficult. "Why what, Harry? Why did I attempt to save a poor boys soul?"
Harry was quiet for a moment. "No. You tried to save an evil man's soul. He's not a boy, Hermione, who's hand was caught in the bloody cookie jar. It's wrong, Hermione, think of all the things he's done!"
Fire built up in Hermione. "Like what?" She was through being sad, she was now angry. "What has Draco Malfoy done? I mean actually done?"
Harry scowled. "He tired to kill-"
"Tried." Hermione interjected icily. She crossed her arms against her chest. "Now try again."
"He caused your torturing." Harry reminded.
"We've made peace with that incident." Hermione said in a clipped tone. Harry rolled his eyes.
"Hermione you cannot come to peace with something like that." He scoffed. Hermione blanched.
"Oh, and you're still brooding over Xenophilius, are you? No. You forgave him." Hermione shot back.
"That's different-" snapped Harry.
"It is not, and you know it." barked Hermione. She let out a long breath, trying to calm herself. "Now, let's get down to it. You're mad at me why?"
Harry answered quickly. "Because you're a traitor."
"And how am I a traitor? Wasn't it me who stood by you through thick and thin?"
"You had to-" Harry yelled. Hermione balked, momentarily stunned. Her anger refueled.
"HAD TO?" She screamed, throwing her hands in the air. "You think I had to erase my parents memories? That I had to skip my seventh year to go on a mission with you? That I had to lose hours of sleep because I was scared that I would die the next day? You think I had to stay with you when Ron deserted? Well news flash, Harry, I didn't."
Hermione spoke with such vehemence that Harry was silent for about a nano second. He frowned. "I didn't mean it like-"
Hermione cut him off. "Then how did you mean it? Because you cannot twist that in a good way. Face it Harry, you wouldn't be here right now if it wasn't for me. So, you owe me enough respect to allow me to make my own decisions. Especially if they don't concern you."
Harry lowered his green eyes. He let out a long, shaky breath. "I can't."
"Can't what?" Hermione snapped.
"I can't respect you. I can't forget this. Hermione, what you did is wrong."
Hermione let out a screech of anger. He just didn't get it. He probably would never get it. Harry and Ron were just too thick headed. That thought greatly saddened Hermione as she turned on her heel. Without so much as another word, Hermione left. Harry watched her go, before sinking into the leather chair. Ginny appeared. She frowned at her boyfriend.
"You were too harsh."
Harry sighed. "I know."
A/N: So originally when I wrote this, I didn't include the fact that Harry was visiting and it was inconsistent so I fixed it. Voila. So I'm about complete with writing this story. It's a matter of reviews that keep me updating. Sorry, that's the way it is. I'm also working on a new story about a wizarding plague. Dramione of course.
