Chapter Eleven: Truth Be Told
Hermione and Draco instantly separate from each other; looks of shock plastered on their faces. "Harry!" Hermione exclaimed.
Harry stalked straight up to Draco and threw a punch at his face, knocking him to the ground and making him hit his head. "You stay away from her, Malfoy!"
Hermione reaches for Harry's arm. "Harry, stop! Leave him alone!"
He shook her off. "Why, Hermione? Of all the Slytherins, why did it have to be him?"
"Harry, please." Tears formed in her deep brown eyes. "Just listen to me!"
"Why the hell should I listen to you?!" He shouted. "You lied to us, Hermione!"
"I didn't lie! I would never lie to you or Ron."
Harry shook his head in frustration. "Ginny was right… I can't believe I didn't listen to her." He turned and went back down the stairs without another word, leaving the astronomy tower.
Hermione kneels down on the floor next to Draco, cradling his head in her lap. "Are you all right?" She whispers to him as tears gently roll down her cheeks.
"Yeah," Draco coughed, "I'm fine."
"No, you're not. You're bleeding." Hermione gently wipes the blood off the corner of his mouth with her sleeve. Then she ran her hands through his silky blonde hair. "I'm sorry."
"For what?"
"For this… For what Harry did to you… I should have been more careful."
Draco reached up to take her hand. "Hermione, this is not your fault."
"Then why does is feel like it's my fault?"
Draco, struggling the whole way, sat up to face her. "Hermione, you are not responsible for anything your friends say or do."
"But… he hurt you."
He cupped her cheek in his hand. "Don't worry about me. I'm fine."
They sat there like that for a while, not needing words to fill the silence. They were glad to just be with each other.
"Draco?" Hermione asked suddenly.
"Yes?"
"What are we going to do?" Worry was evident in her eyes.
"I don't know yet. But we'll get through this… We'll think of something," he assured her.
"I sure hope so…"
After making sure that Draco would be able to get back to the dungeons on his own, Hermione left the astronomy tower and headed back to her own dormitory. She rounded the corner only to hear the nasally voice of the one person she really didn't want to talk to. "Hey, mudblood!"
Hermione stopped and turned around to face her. "What do you want, Parkinson?"
Pansy walked straight up to the Gryffindor and slapped her across the face, leaving a bright red handprint. "Stay away from Draco! He deserves so much more than a filthy little mudblood like you!" With that, she turned and stalked away, her butt twitching as she walked.
"Hermione?" Luna stepped out from around the corner. "Are you all right?"
Hermione reached up to touch the tender skin where Pansy had struck her. "I'll be fine, thanks."
"Why did she do that?" Luna asked. "And why would she tell you to stay away from Malfoy?"
"They didn't tell you yet, did they?"
"Tell me what?"
"Well, I guess it's better that I tell you than them." Hermione took a deep breath. "I'm dating Draco Malfoy."
"I knew it!" Luna squealed.
"How?"
"Well, I already knew that you were dating a Slytherin and was just the one that seemed to make the most sense."
"And you don't hate me for it?" Hermione questioned nervously.
"Why would I hate you?"
Hermione looked down at the ground. "Harry and Ginny do. And it's only a matter of time before the rest of the school finds out."
"I'm sure they'll come around once they see how happy you are with him," Luna replied cheerfully.
"I don't know, Luna…"
Draco had finally entered the Slytherin common room only to be ambushed by one Blaise Zambini. "Of all the Gryffindors, did it have to be Mudblood Granger?!" "Don't you dare call her that!" Draco warned.
"So, it is true. For a second, I thought Pansy was just messing with me again."
"Is that all you came here for?" Draco asked. "To yell at me?"
"I had to know if the rumors were true," Blaise answered. "Your father is going to kill you."
"I know…"
"Just tell me one thing: why Granger?"
Draco looked Blaise straight in the eyes and said with confidence, "Because I love her."
Blaise let out a pretentious sigh. "You understand that we can't be friends anymore, right?"
"I do."
"Good. Take care of yourself Draco."
"You as well."
There was a knock at the door of Malfoy Manor. Narcissa Malfoy pulled it open to reveal an unexpected visitor. "Pansy, dear! What a pleasant surprise!"
"Hello, Mrs. Malfoy," Pansy said sweetly. "Is your husband home?"
"He is. Would you like to speak with him?"
"Yes, please," she smiled.
Narcissa welcomed the young Slytherin into her home and led her to her husband's study. "Lucius," she said, "you have a visitor.
Lucius Malfoy looked up from his issue of the Daily Prophet. "Ah, Miss Parkinson! To what do I owe this pleasure?"
"It's your son, actually," Pansy replied.
He waved at his wife, telling her to leave them. She did as she was told. "What about Draco?"
"There's something you need to know."
"Go on!" He was growing impatient. "Spit it out!"
"He has a new girlfriend," she smirked deviously.
"Your point?"
"He's dating that disgusting Gryffindor mudblood, Hermione Granger!"
Lucius's eyes grew wide. "What?!"
I just wanted to thank you all for the amazing reviews and for putting up with my excessive cliffhangers (heehee). The next chapter is coming soon! In the meantime, go eat some redvines... you deserve it! :)
