A/N: I do not own Harry Potter or any characters/locations related to the franchise. That all belongs to the wonderful J.K. Rowling. I hope you enjoy the only thing I do own...the plot. Also M rating for language and possible sexually explicit scenes (really just wanted to be safe with the rating).
-TNHGTNHGTN-
Draco had spent most of the holiday with the two Heads of House as they hung out in the common room. On the first night Hermione suggested he stay on the loveseat for the night. He borrowed some of Theo's sleep pants and the next morning transferred clothes into Theo's room for the remainder of the break. Hermione tried to find time to discuss what happened between her and Theodore but it seemed that every time they had a moment together something would come up. Most recently she had been trying to corner him in the common room when a familiar cat-like Patronus had appeared. McGonagall's voice echoed through the room as the Patronus opened its mouth and spoke, "Hermione, one of the prefects who was staying this holiday has come down with Pixi-pox. You will be in charge of their rounds this evening. Happy Christmas!"
Giving Theo a small smile Hermione had pulled on her robes and left the common room. She was currently wandering the endless labyrinth of the dungeons and was starting to make her way up to the main floor. The musty air of the dungeons clung to her nose, causing it to crinkle when she passed by a particularly moldy spot. She passed by the Slytherin common room entrance and continued up the stairs, impressed by the silence of the castle. As she was about to round the final corner, she heard a scuffling and some deep mutterings that did not seem pleasant.
Taking out her wand and peeking around the corner Hermione spotted David Travers. He was the same boy who shared her study course with her. The Slytherin who always made her laugh. His sandy blond hair was stained red with blood, and his face was bruised. He was pinned against the wall by two figures. One was a hulking brute who had his forearm pressed against David's throat, the other was slim and lithe with her wand pointed directly into David's cheek. Goyle and Pansy. Hermione rounded the corner, she thought she might have seen David give her a warning shake of his head, but she ignored him and cleared her throat audibly.
"Pretty sure that would be 25 points each from Slytherin for being out after curfew, and 10 points each for conduct unbecoming of Hogwarts students. Except of course from Mr. Travers here." She said, raising her wand slightly as Goyle lowered David to the ground, and Pansy turned to face her.
"Whatever, Mudblood." Pansy sneered, "This doesn't concern you. This is a house matter."
"Seeing as how you are out in the halls after curfew it does concern me Parkinson. Leave Mr. Travers alone or I will speak to Professor McGonagall and see that you both have detention from now until our N.E.W.T.'s." Hermione said, her heart was pounding with adrenaline as she watched Goyle pull his wand slowly out of his back pocket.
"Oh, that's cute. The half-blood cunt has a mudblood girlfriend." Pansy raised her wand slightly twirling it between her fingers. She moved down the hall towards Hermione who raised her chin in defiance and stood tall. Parkinson stopped right between Goyle and Hermione at about the half-way point.
Goyle grabbed Travers and spun around so he was holding him against his chest, his dark wooden wand pointed directly under David's chin, as his other arm was wrapped around his neck. Goyle laughed a little before a look of disgust crossed his face, "She is ugly and her blood is filthy." Even at this distance the smell of him filled the hallway. He smelled of alcohol and muggle cigarettes, Hermione smirked a little at the irony of someone so anti-muggle being addicted to one of their products, "Why Malfoy and Nott feel the need to protect her I will never know." Hermione raised her chin higher and she squared her shoulders refusing to back down from him. She had opened her mouth to reply with a snarky comment when Pansy began to speak.
"Oh you didn't hear?" Pansy asked, glancing over her shoulder to look at Goyle quickly before training her eyes back on Hermione, a smirk placed on her pug-like face. "He and Theo have been using her. They know that if they get Potter and this filth on their side they will be able to clear their name from the war. How else would a Malfoy or a Nott be welcomed back into society. It's quite brilliant, and very Slytherin of them." Pansy gave a low cruel laugh. A smile dawned on the bigger Slytherins face as realization sank in. Hermione stared at them for a second in confusion.
"You're lying," Hermione rolled her eyes, but her hand clenched her wand slightly tighter. Her biggest fear was being spoken out loud to her after months of trying to conquer it. Her heart sped up just a bit, but she kept her mind trained on the task at hand. David needed help, and she would fucking help him.
"Am I?" Parkinson gave a playful pout before continuing, "I know you are smarter than to actually think a couple of pure-bloods would willingly spend time with you for pleasure. Did they tell you some sob story about how mistreated they were? How they wanted to change but daddy wouldn't let them? Please, it was all part of their plan." Pansy rolled her eyes as if she was shocked at Hermione's naivete. Hermione's mind was reaching for straws at this point. There was no way they were tricking her! She was Hermione Granger, she was smarter than this. But... they were the second and third smartest in her year. If anyone could manipulate her it was them. No! She wouldn't believe it.
"Nott...he wouldn't. He beat you up...he…noticed me." She stammered, though she wasn't really talking to them, she was thinking out loud. Goyle gave her a scowl and started forward, but one look from Pansy had him remaining where he stood. He did jam his wand deeper into Travers throat making him give out a strangled cry.
"Oh please." Pansy scoffed, folding her arms and cocking a hip out to one side, "He watched you because you were Harry Potter's mudblood best friend. I wouldn't be surprised if his father had him keep an eye on you since first year. Did you really think he cared? As for beating up dear Goyle here...certainly got you to trust him didn't it." Pansy explained slowly as she leaned in closer towards Hermione and stage whispered, "Really I am just here ruining their hard work, but I'm sick of Draco ruining his name by souring himself with you."
"Leave her alone, Parkinson you bitch." As Travers finished his sentence hell began to break loose in the abandoned corridors. Pansy turned on her heel, wand raised to face Travers. Hermione could hear the start of a curse escaping Pansy's lips, and acting on instinct she raised her own wand and cast a quick silent Protego. The silver shield erupted between Pansy and Travers just before the bright blue curse would have hit him. Hermione's protection spell crackled, but held strong as she cast a quick stunning charm. The stun hit Goyle in the forehead, her charm passing easily through her own shield. He fell back away from Travers, but unfortunately David was unable to keep his balance and fell with him.
As Hermione was distracted by David falling, Pansy turned around and shot out a simple slicing hex. The Gryffindor heard the tail-end of the spell and dropped at the last second, she felt the spell slice her forehead barely skimming the skin, but could feel the beginnings of blood as it trickled down her forehead and into her eye.
Hermione raised her wand and sent another Stupefy that Pansy blocked. They kept shooting spells back and forth towards one another until Hermione got the upper hand. Pansy may have had dark magic she wasn't scared to use, but Hermione had skill and experience, and over the past few weeks she had slowly been getting better at responding to situations. She was finally becoming herself again, and here in the corridors she felt strong and powerful with no fear of a breakdown. Finally, Parkinson was in a corner, and with a quick disarming charm Hermione had the pug-faced girl's wand in her hand and was staring at her with dark eyes.
David came up to stand next to Hermione as she hissed,"I suggest you go back to your common room before I lose my temper Parkinson."
"Of course. Wouldn't want to end up like poor Traver's dear mudblood mother," Pansy's last taunt was met with a well aimed stun from David, who now held Goyle's lost wand. Once her body fell to the floor Hermione took a step back and collapsed against the wall trying absorb the new information that whirled around in her mind.
"You alright?" David asked her, leaning his lanky body down to look her in the eyes. He ran a quick hand over her forehead to make sure the cut wasn't too deep.
"Yeah I'm alright, thank you." She sighed as she finally caught her breath from the impromptu duel and the way her mind was processing everything. "What are you doing out past curfew?"
He gave her a small smile before his face turned red, "I was just making sure a friendly Hufflepuff made it back to her common room," Hermione's face turned bright red with acknowledgment, "Why don't I escort you back to your common room too?" David prompted while stepping over Goyles supine form.
"I still have rounds to do," Hermione shook her head before standing on shaky legs. He leaned down to Goyles form and dug through his robe pockets before pulling out an alder wood wand. He smiled down at it before turning his attention back to Hermione and discarding Goyle's on the floor next to the thugs unconscious form.
"I don't care." David declared as he offered his arm. Feeling like for once she deserved to skive off her duties, Hermione grabbed hold of his arm for support as they started walking up the stairs."Hey Hermione, quick favor," David looked down at her as he walked up the stairs towards the main floor, Hermione nodded for him to continue, "Don't tell anyone about what happened down there. Ok? It won't help anything other than making me a bigger target than I already am." She opened her mouth to argue, but at his severe look she just nodded and clung to his arm a little tighter for reassurance. After they made it to the third floor in silence Hermione looked up at David and let her curiosity burn until she couldn't take it anymore.
"What happened to your mother?" She blurted in a rush.
"She died," David said in a low voice, making sure they didn't trip on the trick stair.
"I'm sorry," Hermione said, squeezing his arm where she was holding it.
"She fought. She was so brave and kind. Loyal too. She was a Hufflepuff, and was so proud to be one. Used to tell me all the time it was the best house," He rolled his eyes as a small smile came on his lips, "Dad met her on the pitch. She was the only Chaser that could out score him. When he told his mum he was in love with her….he was forced out of the family, but father didn't care and married her right out of Hogwarts." Hermione's mind drifted to Sirius Black. Harry's godfather had also been forced out of his family due to his beliefs. It made her heart hurt when thinking about how unforgiving the pure-blood families could be.
David had gotten quiet again. His dirty blond hair was hanging in his face as he watched their feet. "She had gone out to get groceries right before Easter. She said we needed a ham and asked if I wanted to go with her. I was so caught up in writing a letter to a bloody girl I said I wanted to stay home. Death Eaters killed her right next to the apparition point. She was on her way home." A couple of tears escaped his eyes as they made it to the seventh floor. "I should have been there with her. I could have helped her."
"David, I believe you were right where you needed to be." He looked up at her, the guilt of his mother's death clear in his eyes. "If you would have gone, you would be dead. Who would help younger Slytherins when they are being bullied for being half-bloods?" She had often heard of David sticking up for those of 'lesser' blood status down in the Slytherin dungeons, something that she was extremely proud of and had told him as much during their study sessions. "Who would make me laugh when I feel like I'm going to die while studying Potions?" He gave her a small sad smile.
"You think so, Hermione?"
"Yeah, I do." They were at the portrait now, and David was standing there waiting for her to go in. She gave him a tight hug running her hands down his back for comfort. Just before she went in she raised her wand and cast several healing spells on his head and face. Once she was sure he would be ok she nodded, and said a quick thank you before sending him on his way back to the dungeons with warnings of 'be safe' spoken between them. She watched him walk away as Pansy's words assaulted her mind. She felt a few tears fall down her face from fear before she turned and entered the common room praying that Nott and Malfoy were already asleep.
Those prayers were not to be answered as Hermione entered and saw Theo sitting on the couch with Draco playing a game of Wizard's Chess that Draco had brought up from his dorm. They each gave her smiles as she entered the room, but those smiles quickly fell as she came into the light. Theo was up before Draco, reaching for her and wiping stray tears that had started to fall down her face, before tilting her chin and looking at her head. She pulled away, Pansy's words still ringing in her ears and planting seeds of doubt about the boys intentions. She felt bad about it, but didn't want to open herself up anymore than she already had.
"Wha-"
"I am fine." Her words were clipped and had barely any emotion.
"Clearly you are not-" Theo said, motioning to her head which was still dripping blood.
"Don't worry about it...besides didn't you say you were bad at healing spells?" She snapped as she jerked away from him again.
"I kind of lied…" He huffed, as he sheepishly rubbed the back of his head before looking at her, "I am actually quite good at healing spells."
"Don't worry, it's not life threatening," She sneered as she began to register his words. He lied to her? If he could lie about something as simple as his ability to do simple spells, what would stop him from lying to her about more important things? Did he lie to her? How would she ever be able to tell when he could block all his emotions? Draco was a rather accomplished Occlumens too. Did Draco lie to her? How could she ever trust either of them ever again? Before she could stop herself the words began to spew forth like a geyser, similar to the way she had yelled at Professor Flitwick. "Do you honestly think being my friend is going to wipe your reputation clean?" Her voice was shaking as she turned to face away from both boys.
Theo looked confused and taken aback by her words but she couldn't help herself. She was cold, tired and hurt, and everything Pansy had said had started to make sense in her addled brain. Why else would someone like Theodore Nott find her even remotely attractive? Maybe Ron had been right about the way the Slytherins were manipulating her.
"What are you on about, Granger?" Malfoy asked as he came around the chair.
"Do all the Slytherins know what you're up to, or did you just tell Pansy so she would be waiting for you at the end of the year after you sullied your perfect pure-blood reputation by being friends with me?" She asked. Venom was coursing through her words as grey eyes became hard in front of her. "Don't worry she made it perfectly clear what you two have been doing this whole time. Sorry to disappoint you, but you won't get the chance to use me for my name." She started towards her dorm room and was almost there when Nott stepped in front of her blocking her path.
"Hermione...please, what are you talking about," Theo asked, his blue eyes a shade of brilliant cerulean as he fought back confusion and hurt.
"No. Not Hermione. Not to you. I am Granger and you...you are Lord Nott." She said, putting emphasis on the title he had gained from his father and pushing past him. "You were just one more person whose problems they wanted me to solve," She scoffed and rolled her eyes remembering when he promised he would never ask her to do just that, "Fuck off both of you." Both boys' eyes widened as they heard the Gryffindor Princess curse for the first time. She then stormed into her room and slammed the door. That night she cried herself to sleep while holding Theodore's blanket. Over the months Nott had created a pavlovian effect where she still relied on his scent for comfort, and if she couldn't be with him, his blanket was the next best thing
-TNHGTNHGTN-
A/N Hope you enjoyed this Bonus Chapter!