In the midst of loud thunder claps and the pouring rain, two boys stared at anything but each other- no, this isn't because there was a heavy cloud of sexual tension hovering in the air so thick you could slice through it- it was due to their not uncooperativeness.

Harry wanted Hermione to try and get over whatever it was that bothered the poor girl and get a move on but Draco wanted something else; he wanted Hermione to come out with it, even if it wasn't going to sit well with her, so that they could help her get through it. The two wanted to talk to her about this but she was being unresponsive, just like how she was one month back.

Currently, the girl in question was staring into the fireplace where flames were dancing to unheard music, entranced. She was found soaking wet just an hour ago near the Black Lake and she hadn't said a word since. The professors knew better than to fuss over her, they had a dead body to attend to.

The girl could obviously could hear the two boys quarrelling at a corner far away from her but she couldn't care enough to break it up. Hermione was wrapped in layers of blankets as her mind was wrapped around one thing, Tom Marvolo Riddle Jr.

"I will come for you", he said, words laced with warning and authority.

Hermione glared at him defiantly, though she was quivering in fear on the inside. She knew that. What's worse, he knew that as well.

He held up two fingers and made a 'come hither' motion at her and her body obeyed, kneeling at his feet like some obeying, loyal dog. All the while, her mind was screaming at herself not to, knowing full well of what was to come.

Tom used a hand to pull her messy hair up until tears ran down her cheeks, her head throbbed and she felt like her scalp was that close to being ripped off. He forced her to look at him, only to meet angry orbs staring back at him. He pulled her hair harder until she was begging him to let go, and all the while, he was smiling wickedly at the horrific screams, enjoying each and every second of it..

He didn't just pull her hair, like some sissy, he did other things as well. Her screams were louder than when the others violated her, she was really wishing to even die at his hands right there and then but he wouldn't let her. He would always stop before she was near death and healed her enough to still be living, suffering.

The quarrelling she had been using as background noise ended with a huff from one of the boys, it was either one of them giving up or they were still on different pages and was not going to get on better terms any time soon. She tilted her head up at the approaching boys and blankly stared as they sat at the couch opposite of her.

They looked constipated with their sour looks, she noted.

"Hermione", Harry said, catching her attention, "are you okay?"

A nod. A lie.

"C-can you tell us what happened that day?" Came his next question, the stutter didn't go unnoticed by the other occupants of the room but no one voiced it out.

Hermione apparently stilled at the mention of it, but she quickly relaxed. She observed her two friends before finally giving a sigh. Hesitation flashed inside her but she quickly shook it off. Her words came hoarsely at first, due to her earlier crying, "promise?"

A confused look was what she received. Hermione elaborated, "not to tell anyone".

Both of them readily nodded their assent, not a glimpse of hesitation was found. Hermione felt a little more confident. Not enough.

"Take your time", she heard a certain Slytherin say.

Hermione bit her lip, looking down at her lap in nervousness. Remembering the warnings he sent her way, she minded her words and made sure she said nothing that could lead to the dangerous man, boy, monster or whatever.

After a few minutes of contemplating on the best way to put her situation into words, she settled with "they took me and treated me like a prisoned queen.. and-", she felt her breaths shortening in panic and her heart starting to pump faster in her chest like a hyperactive jumping around in a small room. She didn't, couldn't, dare to break it up to them but she had to. She was a Gryffindor and she never quit, so why should she start now? "-they.. they touched me".

She felt a lump in her throat but she swallowed it down, her eyes stung from the tears she felt stab at the back of her eyes. Hermione did not dare look at the boys anymore, she had returned to staring at the fire and poorly tried to keep her tears from spilling,but they were already running down her cheeks like a broken dam. The silence she received from her friends made her feel even more smaller and a whole lot more filthy. The tears came even more freely now as she didn't even try to hold back.

This was it, they were going to leave her and let all the others know, to shun her and let her be the oddball, all the more odder and freaky now that she was dirty and disgusting.

Hermione braced herself for the insults that she was expecting to be thrown her way but was surprised to feel a hand rubbing her shoulder in what she thought was a comforting stance. She took it as an act of acceptance and just flung herself to the person, all the while crying her eyes out like a newborn baby.

To say that the two young boys were shocked was an understatement, they were horrified at the very least and feelings were beyond comprehension, their thoughts were going haywire. However, they knew one thing, Hermione needed help and help they will provide. They were not going to just leave her hanging like an idiot, or more precisely a broken soul.

Harry was her best friend and he was going to live up to that, no matter what. Especially since she had been there when he needed a friend or her brains for that matter. He didn't want to be useless when he knew there was something he could do to help. He was her friend, and friends don't leave each other when in need.

Draco on the other hand barely knew her but the past few months they had begun to be friends, and any sane person knows that this is no laughing matter. When she had no idea what this friendship had done to him, she had made him feel more at ease with himself, no longer wanting to be the assholic bloke that bullied and he somewhat finally began to understand himself and muggles better. They were nothing near as filthy and barbaric as what his father had drilled into his thinking. Yet, that wasn't point. He was going to do everything that he can for the girl he calls a friend, even if it meant he was tarnishing the Malfoy name.

Draco watched as Harry did a fine job at consoling the girl, she was already declined to tears and hitched sobs now. By then, Draco took it up to himself to get them drinks. He had went off to a corner and summoned three mugs of hot chocolate filled with marshmallows, whipped cream and cocoa powder to humor them.

When he returned to the room, he noted that Hermione was already drying her tears and no longer crying her eyes out. The two Gryffindors looked up as he entered, the drinks trailing after him in the air and floated to rest in front of each of them.

Hermione stared at the drink blankly.

"Try it, it's not poisoned", Draco said.

Hermione carefully held it in her hands and took a sip, licking a little of the whipped cream. Her eyes flickered to Draco, thank you, they said.

He nodded and took a sip of his drink, getting comfortable on the couch as if he owned it even when there was a noticeable uneasiness. Harry stared at the inviting beverage, glancing at the nonchalant Slytherin boy before taking a sip a well.

The three went silent for a while, maybe a few minutes, maybe an hour? Who knows? but they were listening to the pitter patter of the rain tapping on the tall windows of the room as though it was singing a soothing melody to lull them to sleep.

"You won't... Leave me... Right?" Hermione asked, traces of her earlier sessions of water working were not there, if you count the red eyes. She was still not daring to look at them

"Of course I wo-" Harry said, cut off by a scoff on his right.

"That's ridiculous, Hermione, I will be damned before getting caught leaving a friend when they're like this", Draco said a matter of factly, his tone sounding.. Determined? Harry was at a loss, he was seeing so many new sides of the Draco Malfoy he was staring at that he didn't have time to retort at the blonde for cutting him off.

He turned to his left to see Hermione changing the look on her face from surprise, confused, realization and thankfulness. Her lips broke into a smile.

"Oh really?" The brunette said playfully, moving in her seat to be able to face the both of them. Draco rolled his eyes at the familiar look on her face, grudgingly mumbling a "yes" when he realized that Harry was still in hearing distance. Harry was amused, to say the least.

Hermione laughed at this and drank more of the now warm drink, eyes now flickering to life. It was dim, but it was there.

They got up to leave the room seeing that it was almost lights out, with Draco walking ahead of them out the door. Hermione pulled him back, as well as tugging Harry closer. She looped her arms around their necks and pulled them both into a group hug. The action alone surprised the boys but Hermione didn't care.

The two were so stiff as she hugged them it was hilarious to her. "Thank you", she mumbled, face chin resting on either of their shoulders. Murmurs of "you're welcome" was heard until she released them from the awkward hug.

Draco looked he wanted to shrivel up and die and Harry was not far off, he was squished in a hug with Draco for Merlin's sake but they didn't voice it out. Hermione needed the hug more than listening to their little awkward friendship that was blooming because of her.

The girl took the liberty to walk between them, and initiated them to start heading back to their dorms before - (flitwick?) caught them and think that they were being rebellious.

As soon as they passed the door heading out to the empty hallways, Professor Dumbledore was just making his way to enter the said room. He looked at the three, smiling. "Just who I wanted to see, Harry, meet me at my office, I will be there as soon as I finish discussing things with Ms. Granger.. Mr. Malfoy, you can go back to your dorm if nothing else needs my attention?"

Harry nodded, "yes professor". Soon, he left to presumably make his way to the mentioned office.

Hermione fell silent and watched as Harry left. "No, professor, I'll leave", said Draco, his posture returned to the 'stick up his arse' expression and turned to her, a small, barely there nod was sent her way before he too left her.

Hermione was then alone with her headmaster, to discuss things. "Shall we, Miss Granger?" He said, waiting for her to reenter said room. Hermione dreading every second of it.

So that was the fourteenth chapter. I hope you enjoyed that, thank you very much for reading this, and have a nice day :) I forgot to update this along with the thirteenth chapter, silly me T_T