Disclaimer: I don't own some of the characters. Credit to J.K. Rowling.
This is based on pixie-dust-24's original plot.
Recall
Draco dumps Pansy. Draco goes to Hogsmeade alone and sees Hermione there.
Chapter 14
Bitterness
Theodore and Blaise were lounging on one of the couches. The common room was empty. It was late at night anyways.
"Zabini," Theodore called out, feeling a bit light-headed.
"What?" Blaise asked.
They sat in silence for a few moments.
"What's up with Draco and the Gryffindor girl?" Theodore asked suddenly.
"Who?" Blaise asked but he knew who Theodore was talking about.
Pansy was about to go down and sit in front of the fire. But then, she heard voices – two familiar voices. At the mention of Draco's name, she froze on her spot, beside the door that led to the girls' dormitory. She stayed out of sight and listened to their conversation.
"The girl named Ivana or something," Theodore replied.
Ivana, Pansy thought. She remembered the girl who she shared a compartment with on the train to Hogwarts.
"Oh… her," Blaise said, feigning ignorance in the matter.
"I saw them in Hogsmeade together," Theodore shared.
"Really? Where?"
"In a tea shop."
"Did the Head Boy hurt her in any way?" Blaise asked.
Theodore thought for a while then said: "With what I saw, I don't think so."
"Why, what did you see?" Blaise asked.
"Malfoy was sharing a table with the girl. He was reading a book while she drank something," Theodore replied.
Blaise stared thoughtfully at the crackling fire. Silence filled the air.
Pansy thought that was the end of their conversation but then…
"You know something about them, don't you?" Theodore broke the silence.
"Maybe," Blaise replied with a smirk.
Blaise was a bit drunk already; Theodore observed.
"Did Draco and Pansy break up?" Theodore asked.
Pansy winced. She hated that question.
"I'm not sure," Blaise replied though he remembered seeing Pansy crying while she was surrounded by her friends.
"What are you sure of then?"
"That Malfoy's engaged."
"What?!" Theodore raised an eyebrow.
"Engaged. To Ivana," Blaise turned to Theodore.
Pansy gasped. Realizing this, she covered her mouth with her hand. She thought they heard her. She relaxed a bit when the conversation resumed.
Theodore glanced at the goblet and said: "I think you drank too much."
"As if you didn't," Blaise said with a smirk.
"How many goblets did you drink?" Theodore asked.
"I didn't drink the goblet. It's too hard," Blaise replied mockingly.
"I meant the whiskey, Zabini," Theodore said in exasperation.
"I'm not sure," Blaise raised his goblet and stared at it thoughtfully. "But this is what's left of the whole bottle."
Blaise brought out the bottle of Firewhiskey that he had hidden behind the couch. The bottle had a quarter left in it. Theodore only drank two goblets. Blaise drank the rest.
"That's enough," Theodore took the bottle and the goblet from Blaise's hands.
Blaise didn't protest. Instead, he fell asleep on the couch almost instantly. Theodore glanced at him after putting the bottle and the goblets away. He shook his head and chuckled.
Hermione made her way down to the Great Hall. Maybe it was her imagination or maybe waking up on the wrong side of the bed; but she feels like every time she passes by a group of people, they look at her.
Hermione walked into the Great Hall and sat with the Gryffindors. She barely sat down when she realized she was beside Lavender. Lavender smiled at her. It wasn't a friendly smile – it was more like a knowing smile.
"Is it true?" Lavender asked when Hermione was drinking from her goblet.
"What is?" Hermione asked after wiping her chin with a table napkin.
"You're engaged to Draco..?" Lavender said in a whisper.
Hermione's eyes widened. "No," she replied quickly.
"It's the hottest rumor as of now," Lavender said.
Hermione glanced at Draco. He was talking to a Slytherin about something. He was talking calmly. She hoped the rumor wouldn't reach his ears but what she didn't know, it already did. The rumor was spread quickly in the Slytherin House.
"No. I am not engaged," Draco said in reply to one of the questions thrown to him by one of the Slytherins.
"Then who's this Gryffindor girl we're hearing about?" A girl with blond curls asked.
"Gryffindor?" Draco asked, his brows furrowed. He dared not glance at Hermione. It would falsify what he just said if he did. He hoped Hermione won't look at him.
"Yes. The Gryffindor named Rihanna," another girl with dark hair chimed in.
Draco laughed inwardly. Rihanna, he thought. "I don't know her."
"The Gryffindor's name is not Rihanna," the blonde protested.
Draco tensed.
"It's Agatha," a guy interjected.
Draco relaxed again.
"Stop contemplating on a measly rumor," Draco said and drank from his goblet.
"But you really broke up with Pansy?" The dark-haired girl asked.
Draco tensed but he looked as if it was not an important matter. "Yes."
"Why?" The guy asked.
"With those questions, another rumor will surely start," Draco said. It ended the conversation.
How the people got to know about the engagement was beyond Draco's knowledge but he was sure of one thing: the rumors originated from the truth. He knew the truth had to either come from their parents or the two of them.
Blaise almost choked on his food when he heard two Slytherins beside him talking about Draco's engagement to a Gryffindor girl. Blaise remembered parts of what happened last night and he remembered that he told Theodore about the engagement. Blaise thought it was a dream but now that he heard rumors spreading, he knew it has something to do with what he told Theodore last night.
Blaise stood up and tapped Thedore's shoulder, who was sitting a few seats away from him. He motioned him to follow. Theodore obeyed. They both stepped out of the hall.
"Did you tell anyone about what I said to you last night?" Blaise asked in a whisper.
"Which one?" Theodore asked.
"The one about an engagement," Blaise replied.
"No," Theodore said, not bothering to lower his voice.
"Was anyone else with us when I told you that?"
"No."
"Then how did the bloody rumors start?"
"Maybe people saw them together in Hogsmeade," said Theodore as he shrugged.
Blaise paced for a while before Theodore placed a hand on his shoulder to stop him from doing that.
"Tell me something," Theodore began. "Was the thing about the engagement true?"
Blaise huffed.
"On second thought, you don't need to answer that. You won't get so worked up if it weren't," Theodore said with a smirk.
Blaise punched his arm playfully.
"How did that bloody rumor start?" Draco asked Hermione when he dragged her to the owlery one night.
"I don't know. Why do you ask me?" Hermione retorted. She didn't want to be defensive. She had told Blaise and maybe she was wrong about that but she would never tell Draco she told Blaise.
"I heard it was from Slytherin," Draco said.
"Then what have I got to do with the rumor mongering?" Hermione rolled her eyes.
"You didn't tell anybody?" He asked.
"No," she replied quickly – maybe a bit too quick. He didn't notice it though.
They were silent for a while. Hermione stroked her owl's head.
"Maybe they saw us when you were dragging me in Hogsmeade," she said after a while.
"Are you blaming me about this then?" He sneered.
"I'm not blaming anyone. You're drawing your own conclusions," she replied.
He didn't reply to that.
"But then… what's wrong about them knowing?" She asked.
"Everything. One, you're a Gryffindor," he replied.
"Shallow reason," she muttered.
"Is this, once again, part of your plan?" He asked, scornfully.
She rolled her eyes. "It's just a rumor. We can just deny it."
"It's not that easy."
"It really won't be easy if you keep attacking me and dragging me in public."
"That would even prove the rumor wrong. If –"
"No! I am not in favor," she protested. She already knew what he was about to say.
"If they see me hurting you… then, maybe, they'll think the rumor isn't true," he suggested with a smirk.
"Even so, I am not in favor," she repeated.
"Who asked for your opinion?" He teased.
She glared at him.
He wasn't really going to carry out the plan. It was just to tease her. He knew, by now, that she hated being pushed around.
"Hi, Ivana," Lavender greeted her one afternoon when she entered the dormitory. She was with Parvati and two other Gryffindors.
Judging by the way they looked at her, Hermione knew they were talking about her before she entered the room. She forced a smile on.
"Am I interrupting?" Hermione asked but she already knew what they were going to say.
"No," Parvati said with a smile.
"Don't mind me. I'll just leave my books and go," Hermione added.
She walked to her bed and dropped her things on it.
"See you later," Hermione said. She could feel four pair of eyes follow her until she reached the door.
Blaise felt someone tap his shoulder. Thinking it was Peeves or probably one of the ghosts playing tricks on him, he ignored it.
"Blaise," a voice called.
Blaise flinched. He didn't expect anyone to talk. He turned around and almost fell back when he found Ivana standing behind him.
"Am I that scary?" Hermione asked and touched her face consciously.
"N-no," Blaise replied. "I was just expecting someone else."
He was avoiding her for days now. He was feeling guilty for drinking with Theodore nights ago and telling him that Draco was engaged.
"I have to ask you something," Hermione said.
"Go on," Blaise said. He knew the question already before she could even ask it.
"Did you tell anyone about the engagement?" She asked.
"No," was Blaise's brisk reply.
"Really?"
"I told no one."
Hermione sighed. "Good. I thought it was you," she said and smiled.
"Is it the rumor?" Blaise asked, deciding to play where this conversation will go.
Hermione nodded.
"Why are you still up? If someone else sees you, they'll surely take points away," Blaise said, remembering it was late at night.
Draco watched from afar as Hermione talked to Blaise and he thought: Dating along the hallway at this hour?
Draco couldn't hear what they were talking about so he inched closer. He still couldn't hear anything. He decided to just go ahead and walk towards them.
"It's past curfew, Miss Casso Vinci," Draco said.
Hermione's head turned to him. Draco saw surprise pass her eyes.
"She's with me," Blaise interrupted.
"Are you meeting at this late hour for an important matter?" Draco asked, feeling superior.
Before Blaise could think of a suitable reply, Hermione snapped: "Mind your own business, Malfoy."
"Don't talk to me that way," Draco hissed.
"Why?" Hermione said testily. "Because you're the Head Boy?"
"And because I can dock points," Draco retorted.
"Abusing your power now, eh?" Hermione glared at him.
"And since you're out at this late hour, it'll cost twenty points for Gryffindor," Draco said.
Blaise held a hand out to stop Hermione from talking back at the Head Boy.
"You better go back to your room now," Blaise said and looked straight into Hermione's eyes telling her to obey him.
Hermione held his gaze for a moment before straightening up. She understood what Blaise wanted to say with that look. She has no power over the Head Boy, academically.
Hermione glared one last time at Draco and left.
Draco was doing his rounds when he met Ron and Harry along the hallway that led to the owlery. It seemed they came from there.
Ron smile insolently. Before Draco could pass them, Ron turned to him.
"I heard you're engaged to a Gryffindor," Ron teased.
Draco turned around. Something inside him told him to just ignore them and leave but the challenging tone in their voices was just too tempting.
"It's probably none of your business if I really am," said Draco.
"I never knew you fancied anyone from our house," Harry chimed in.
"I don't," Draco retorted.
"Well… we just want to let you know what we think," Ron began. "We don't think you deserve anyone from Gryffindor."
Draco moved closer to him. "Because I deserve better."
"That's where you're wrong," Ron inched forward. He was as tall as Draco.
"Anyone from your house doesn't deserve me," Draco seethed. "Even that know-it-all mudblood: Granger."
Ron punched him the moment he finished saying 'Granger'. Draco fought back and punched him too. Harry interrupted and pointed his wand at Draco.
Harry had cast a spell. Draco fell hard on the floor, face first.
"Nice one, Harry. I never knew you could do that nonverbally," Ron said as he stepped beside the petrified form. Harry looked down at Draco. Draco couldn't move a muscle. He stepped on Draco's face. Blood flowed out from his nose.
"Now, we're even," Harry said. He had not forgotten what Draco did to him in the Hogwarts train last year.
"What are you doing?!" Hermione came rushing at them.
Hermione shoved Harry and Ron aside and examined Draco's face. She reversed the petrifying spell. Draco's hand automatically moved to his nose. It was broken. He was in pain but he wouldn't show it to her. Hermione muttered a healing spell. The blood stopped flowing almost instantly.
Hermione made a move to touch his nose to check if it was alright but Draco moved away. He stood up and walked away, walking hastily back to the Slytherin common room. He left her there staring at him.
"What were you guys doing?" Hermione turned to Harry and Ron.
"He insulted our friend," Ron replied.
"You better avoid him as much as you can," Harry interjected.
"He's a Slytherin," Ron said. "Don't forget that."
They had already taken ten steps or so when Hermione said, "Wait!"
Harry and Ron stopped and turned to her.
"I have something to tell you," Hermione began.
Harry and Ron listened intently, curious of what she could possibly tell them.
"Your friend… Hermione," Hermione said.
"She's in Beauxbatons," Harry said when she paused.
Hermione shook her head.
"No," she paused and gulped. "I'm Hermione."
Author's Note: Cliffhanger… dundundundun...
I hate cliffhangers too but when you're the writer, sometimes, you can't help it…
Thank you so much for the reviews in the last chapter!
Anyone wanna guess what happens next? Review and tell me...
Happy Birthday to me!!! A review would be a nice gift... :)
thanks in advance...
garsch, Chapter 14, can't believe it... :D
To the people who review anonymously, if ever I feel the need to reply, my replies are found in my profile...
Chapter 14 posted on 12.14.2006... :D