Hermione examined herself in the mirror. She had dropped a lot of weight. Her cheeks were sunken in and she had shadows beneath her eyes. Lifting up her shirt she could see her ribs jutting out. She was repulsed. Hermione had never understood why some girls would go to extremes to look similar to how she did now. I look sick! She mentally decided to begin eating properly, missing her womanly curves.
They were going to Diagon Alley the next day. Hermione hoped to see Harry and Ron, but then she was afraid that the moment they laid eyes upon her they would know what she had become. She began testing out different make-ups to cover her Dark Mark, though she did not possess many cosmetic items from the wizarding world, which probably would have been more effective.
She had been trying to catch Draco's eye the past few days, yet the rare times she did, he would simply sneer and turn away. Narcissa was also watching Hermione's actions closely, careful not to leave her son alone with her. Hermione was hurt, not able to understand Draco's animosity towards her.
The next morning Hermione sat in her room, lightly dabbing concealer on her arm, she got it mostly covered, yet it still looked as if she had a weird bruise. There was a light tapping on the door and Draco walked in. "Are you ready to go?" he asked, avoiding her eyes. "We'll be using the Floo network and stopping at Knockturn Alley, then we will go to Diagon Alley while my mother shops." He turned to leave.
"Wait!" Hermione got up and grabbed his hand. He snatched it way, looking offended. "Draco, what's wrong?"
He sniffed, and Hermione was reminded of the Malfoy she knew and detested at Hogwarts. "Well," he began in a mocking tone, "perhaps I'm just bothered by the fact that you are now going to be snogging the bloke I despise when you don't even make much of an effort with me. And you didn't even try to refuse... of course you were probably jumping inside to have an excuse to hook up with Potty. Funny, I always thought that the Weasel would win you over."
"Draco, you're being ridiculous!" Hermione shrieked in confusion. "That's not it at all. Don't you realize that if I declined his request I would probably not even be going back to school? Harry and Ron are my friends, end of story! And I'm sorry I haven't been able to talk, or do anything else with you lately, but your mother has kindly deferred me from doing so. Draco, I have loved my time with you. How can you not see that? I want to be with you."
He observed her carefully and then shrugged. He muttered after a few minutes, shoving his hands in his pockets. "What has my mother said to you?"
"It doesn't matter; just keep pretending that you hate me."
Hermione rather disliked Knockturn Alley, and tried to remain inconspicuously close to Draco while travelling through it.
"Um, do you think we can go to Gringott's after?" Hermione asked, ignoring the jeering calls of a group of grungy men.
"Granger, go wherever the hell you want, I am not following you around." Malfoy snapped, giving her a quick wink.
Hermione wasted no time in backtracking to Diagon Alley, Draco soon caught up with her. "We have to meet her in three hours." After visiting the wizard bank, they purchased new robes and restocked their supply of potion ingredients. Hermione began recognizing people from Hogwarts, some of them waved while others gave her a puzzled look, indicating towards Draco. She shrugged them off. Making their way towards Flourish and Blotts Hermione saw a group of people outside the ice cream parlour, most of them with flaming red hair. She tried to duck away.
"Oi! Hermione! Over here!" She saw Ron waving frantically. Draco looked at her quizzically as Ron and Harry approached. "What is he doing here?" Ron snarled, looking at Malfoy venomously.
"Manners, Weasley." Draco said smoothly. "I was just telling the mudblood here to watch her step."
"Watch it, ferret-boy." Harry warned his hand tightening on his wand. Malfoy sneered and began heading towards the book shop. Hermione watched him go and then followed Harry and Ron back to their table, exchanging greetings with the rest of the Weasley family.
"Where did you go this summer, Hermione? We've been sending owls like crazy." Ron exclaimed, handing her a vanilla ice cream cone.
"Oh, we went on a trip to visit my Aunt in Ireland." Hermione lied. "It was beautiful there."
"Have you been ill?" Harry asked, noticing her somewhat gaunt face. She looks like she hasn't slept in weeks.
"I'm just recovering from a slight flu I got on the trip." Hermione said lightly. "I feel much better now."
They purchased their books together and also found the remaining items on their school lists. Hermione checked Harry's watch, she had ten minutes until she had to meet Draco's mother. Walking down the busy street, Hermione allowed herself to enjoy the last few moments of her friends company before she returned to Hogwarts where she would be obliged to manipulate them. She absentmindedly watched a group of young withes pouring over a magazine with an attractive young wizard on the cover. Hermione suddenly felt something grab her hand and jumped rather violently. She saw Ron pull away, blushing madly. She smiled uncomfortably and busied herself in her purse, afraid to give Ron another opportunity.
"I have to go and meet my parent's." She said, trying to look happy. "I'll see you two on the train." She noticed Ron getting closer to her; she suppressed a sigh and quickly parted, waving at them as she disappeared into the crowd. She ran the path to Knockturn Alley and saw Narcissa and Draco waiting at the entrance, looking sour.
"Finally." Draco said mockingly. Hermione stuck her tongue out at him when Narcissa turned her back. He smirked and took her parcels from her before catching up with his mother.
The Malfoys... What a family. Hermione mused to herself. She skipped up beside Narcissa who gave her a bitter look. Hermione returned it and then smiled to herself. Narcissa looked affronted, while Draco snorted with amusement. They are starting to grow on me.