A/N ALSO FAVOURITE CHAPTER! Includes a fight, a really messy one. As in this fight includes most our main characters. It's also quite a long chapter, hope this bothers no one!
Chapter 8 - My Mudblood
It had been just over a week, Tuesday, and Hermione was still quiet and unsociable. She'd taken to sitting on her own ever since last Tuesday morning, when she'd seen Ron sitting with the rest of the Gryffindors. She'd come to understand in the miserable week, that Ron and Lavender were highly unpopular due to recent events. However, she still refused to sit anywhere near anyone. This, she supposed, was her way with dealing with the pain - ignore the world. Don't trust a soul, don't speak to people if there's a chance they could be lying, keep out of people's way, and try to keep thoughts off of the snogging couple. She, to be quite honest, thought she was holding up very well. On the bright side, Ron had received a howler from Mrs Weasley and he was officially unpopular.
People had seen her during the couple of days she still possessed the cuts and obvious battle wounds she'd received, and had tried to be kind to her. That was the thing. They all seemed so sympathetic. The only good thing was that Snape had stopped teaching four days ago and now locked himself up in his study day in day out.
It was during breakfast that day when she was interrupted by Ginny. She was sitting by herself at the end of the Gryffindor table at least six seats away from everyone else on the bench when Ginny sat herself next to her and folded her arms. "Hey 'Mione," she smiled weakly. Hermione looked at her and sighed, "If you're going to ask me to sit with you again I'm going to have to disappoint you. No."
"'Mione this is ridiculous -"
"I said no Gin!"
"Hermione Granger will you at least just hear me out?!" There was a silence broken by the distant chink of cutlery and healthy mouths. "Right," Ginny breathed, "This is getting silly. I know you hate him, believe me the feelings are mutual, but you can't just sit on your own for ever! You look stupid!"
"Thanks Ginny, really thanks. So now I'm the stupid dumped girl am I?"
"You know that's not what I meant -"
"Ginny if that's all will you please just leave?"
"Not until you get up and -"
"Fine! I will get up!" Hermione half shouted, got up, and left leaving Ginny standing in the middle of the Great Hall. All eyes turned to her, so she quickly retook her seat next to Harry, Neville and Luna.
Hermione raced up the stairs carrying a virtually empty stomach, and muttered "Spero," thinking that it was a bloody ironic password. There was no hope on this world. Why hope when it never lasts, just get on with life while you have it. She glanced at the clock on the wall, realising she had a whole half hour before lessons began. Her eyes then traveled to Draco's room. She hadn't seen him since his act of kindness back on the first day of term, not properly anyway. She knew he was avoiding her, it was the sort of cowardly, pathetic thing a Malfoy would do. Today however she was determined to get him to speak to her. It had been over a week! She spotted his black and green bag by the sofa and smiled. He'd be back up here before lessons. She walked over to the sofa and sat down, waiting.
"Hey Draco you seem a little put off, sup man?" Blaise broke the awkward silence around Draco, Theo and himself. Draco sighed and stated heavily, "I'm so confused at the moment." Blaise propped his chin on his hands and looked at him. Theo grinned and asked, "It's a girl isn't it?"
Draco looked at him mortified and retaliated, "No! What the hell Theo?!" Theo just grinned whilst remembered potions the week before. But he supposed he was being a little unfair on his mate so he probed, "So what happened?" Draco guessed his intelligent friend could see right through him so decided to be honest. Honest enough anyway. "Okay so... I mean, you know all that stuff our parents told us about mudbloods and alike?" He asked, they nodded. Theo smirked.
"Come here Draco," Theo smirked, getting up and walking backwards to the wall. Draco sighed and followed him. Blaise rolled his eyes. "It's her isn't it," Theo smirked. Everything made sense now.
"What's her?" Draco snapped.
"Granger?!" He muttered, as if obvious. Draco looked outraged.
"What about the - girl?"
"See you can't even say mudblood. Why else did you look so panicky last week when she collapsed in potions?" Draco knew he'd had it but didn't give up. "I don't know what sick game you're playing at Theo but -"
"Oh give it up Draco," Theo snapped, "Just don't tell anyone!" He walked back to his table and grinned. Draco stood still, motionless as Theo continued with his food. "I knew it," Theo thought, "That's why he's been avoiding her, he must've let slip in their dorm or something." Draco finally sat back down and looked at his sausages, not nearly as hungry as before.
"Drakey, hey Drakey the bitch let me out!" Pansy's irritating voice appeared next to Draco's ear. He knew he should be happy for her, she'd been in their for over a week after all. But he wasn't. He was so caught up in all this blood business that all he did was groan and tried to smile but it came out as more of a grimace. "Dwakeywakey what's the matter?" she cooed. This, was getting beyond a joke now.
"Hey Pans that's cool. I should probably be going up to my dorm though, see you," Draco said as cheerfully as he could to his girlfriend and made his escape. Pansy scowled.
Fifteen minutes had passed since she'd looked at the clock when Hermione heard movement on the other side of the door and perked up a little. A couple of seconds later, the door swung open a little, and Draco's head poked through, clearly looking to see if the coast was clear. After he seemed certain she wasn't there, Draco hurried in to get his bag. SLAM! The portrait slammed shut and Draco jerked around to see the cause of it, and the cause stared him right back in the face. "Granger," he breathed through gritted teeth, shattering the silence, at the girl who stood stubbornly blocking the portrait. "Move!"
"No," Hermione snarled. "You've been avoiding me Malfoy. Why?" She could fight with him. It's not like he was her friend. There was nothing to lose from fighting an enemy so she might as well take out all her anger on him. Funny that, Draco being the only one she could talk to of all people. "I haven't been avoiding you!" He spat.
"Oh, yeah, and the sky's green!"
"Oh ha ha. I haven't been avoiding you Granger!"
"Hu. Right then. Why have you been deliberately not talking or looking or acknowledging me?" Maybe he was the one thing she could cope to be around at the moment. He meant nothing to her, so she couldn't feel betrayed by him. "FUCKING HELL GRANGER!"
"Leave it Malfoy. If you're going to be a jerk then at least don't pretend to be nice to someone when actually you're just MESSING WITH THEM!" Hermione yelled.
"I wasn't messing with you," Draco said irritatedly. There was a silence so full of noise it made Hermione want to scream in frustration. "I wasn't messing with you," he repeated.
"DRACO MALFOY I -"
"What?"
"I don't get it!"
"Believe it or not Granger, I don't get it either. I walked in here last week to find you're not back. It gets to nine and you're still missing. I open my door and you're covered in blood. I try to help and you refuse. I help again and you accept. You explain what happens and cry. And I help you! Now what was that? I tried to repeatedly help you during the space of what? An hour? Two hours? And to what? What was I playing at? I'm a pureblood, better than you in every way, a fucking mud-muggleborn, an inferior to me, and I help you! WHY DID I DO THAT HU? Now who's confused. WHY?!" And with that he snatched his bag and shoved Hermione out of the way, raising his hand. Hermione cowered slightly as she thought he was going to slap him but their eyes met as he grasped the portrait handle, wrenching the portrait door open and stomping out. Once the door slammed shut again, reality hit Hermione and she let the breath she had no idea she was holding, out. "Well," she sighed, "That was unexpected." She sat down and pondered. "He really can't stand the thought that we might just be equal can he? Of course not. Don't even try and hope otherwise. Don't hope."
.
"Same blood," Draco murmured outside his first lesson, Transfiguration. He couldn't understand how it was possible. And he couldn't understand why Granger thought he was going to hit her. Was she that paranoid? He just didn't get things anymore it seemed. No, he just didn't get her. He was better than her in every way imaginable, whether the blood looked alike or not. She was nothing. "What?" Theo asked grinning, although he knew perfectly well what he'd said.
"Damn it Theo!" Draco cried out in anger.
"What?" Theo smirked.
"SHUT IT!"
"What's going on?" Blaise grinned curiously.
"Nothing," Draco fumed.
"Draco here is having girl problems," Theo smirked.
"I AM NOT!" Draco yelled, causing people to stare. Blaise looked over at Pansy but Theo shook his head.
"Not her," Theo smirked.
"Who?" Blaise grinned.
"NO FUCKING BODY!" Draco yelled. "SHUT UP THEO!"
"Make me," Theo smirked smugly. Draco launched a fist at his face emitting gasps from the onlookers. Theo dodged and glared at him. "You need to sort it out man!" Another punch, miss. "You're right! No blood difference!" Enraged, Draco launched himself at his best friend but Blaise swung him around and asked, "Who?!" Draco yanked himself free of Blaise' grip and glared at the pair of them, breathing hard. "No, fucking, body," he breathed.
"Enter, class," Professor McGonagall spoke sternly.
.
"Where's 'Mione?" Harry asked Ron. Ron clenched his fists at her name but just shrugged. Harry shook his head and made his way over to Neville. "Where's 'Mione?" He asked him.
"No idea Harry," Neville replied, looking around the room.
"She's late. She's never late. I hope she's alright," Harry muttered, "Parvati, you seen Hermione?"
"No," Parvati giggled. Harry rolled his eyes and turned to sit in his usual chair next to Ron, to find it was taken by Lavender. He looked pointedly at Ron, who gave him a sincerely apologetic look. Harry rolled his eyes again and sat next to Neville, throwing his stuff on the desk. Neville looked at him. Harry looked back and saw Ron across the isle, hand in hand with Lavender. He didn't mind that, what he did mind was that he had cheated on his other best friend. "Sit class!" Professor Flitwick smiled to his class jollily. Half way through the register, he called out in his squeaky voice, "Miss Granger? Where is Hermione?" The class murmured with recognition of the name and looked around. "No bother," Professor Flitwick called out, silencing the class. "Now today, we will be revising the Cheery Charm!"
"Typical," Harry muttered, "She missed this class in third year as well! She could really do with a cheery charm." Ron snorted and turned away from his mate.
.
"What's wrong with him?!" Hermione screamed in her head, punching the cushion on the sofa. She walked over to the kitchenette and made herself a strong cup of coffee. "Mmm," she sighed with the first sip. And then she was properly awake, and dropped the cup, scolding coffee drenching her feet. "MERLIN!" She cried out and looked at the clock - 9:15. She was fifteen minutes late! She quickly waved her wand at her feet, which became cold immediately. "Damn it!" She screamed through gritted teeth. She frantically ran into her room to grab her bag and throw her charms books inside. But then, so what? It was revision. And besides, it was only Flitwick. As if struck by a brilliant idea, Hermione smiled to herself and ran out of her dorm, down the corridor, paying no attention to the curious portraits staring at her. The first time she could spend without sympathetic or hateful eyes. She relished in it. Skipping into the Entrance Hall, she flung the main doors open and skipped over to the lake and the green stretch of grass. She flung her school bag on the floor and lay back on the lush green grass. For the first time in a long time, she didn't care. Resting her head in her hands, she gazed up at the blue sky, blissfully enjoying not having to think of anything. At all. No school, no homework, no friends, no Ron, no Malfoy, no parents, no death eaters, no war. Only the faint buzzing of a bee and the chirping of birds, the rustle of the trees and the gentle slosh of the lake.
The bell rang at 10:30 signalling the end of lesson and Hermione watched the sea of students swarm out of the greenhouses. It looked like the sixth years were in there but she couldn't tell which house. "And so I told him to forget about the crazy, pathetic mudblood and he kissed me!" Lavender giggled a few meters away from Hermione to Parvati Patil.
"You really shouldn't call her that Lav, it's really mean," Parvati sighed.
"He's my boyfriend. She's nothing!"
"She was your friend."
"Was! She was my friend!"
"You broke her heart Lav."
"And?"
"For Merlin's sake Lavender! She was your friend! He was hers! Then you came along and screwed it all up! At least have the courtesy for not calling her by that derogatory term!"
"Uh, whatever! Ooooh look who it is! Mudblood!" Hermione jerked up.
"What the hell are you doing here? Get lost!" Hermione snarled.
"Ooh temper temper!" Lavender giggled, "You missed Charms you know, we were doing Cheery Charms, you could have done with a blast. Or twenty!" She broke into fits of laughter.
"LAVENDER YOU SHUT UP," Parvati shrieked.
"You know, Ron and I were having a great time kissing. You know, Ron, your EX! My Won Won," Lavender teased. Parvati looked at her best friend mortified. This wasn't right. "Shut up Lavender!" Hermione fumed.
"Touched a nerve did I?" Lavender laughed sadistically, reminding Hermione strongly of Bellatrix, "What? Don't want me to talk about my Won Won? Oh but I do, mudblood. You're nothing to him! He loves me, kisses me, touches -"
"Leave her ALONE!" shrieked Parvati loudly.
Heads turned, including Harry's, Ron's, Ginny's, Draco's, Blaise's and Theo's. All six stood frozen before Ron leapt after his girlfriend. Everyone else followed. Draco had no idea why he followed other than from instinct. "Bitch fight!" Blaise exclaimed in glee. Yeah, that was why he followed. Entertainment. "He loves me, mudblood, what did he ever give you?" Lavender laughed, "Certainly not his heart, I have that!" WHAM! Hermione's palm collided with Lavender's face leaving a large handprint. There was a scream from Lavender's mouth. Four boys and one girl stopped in their tracks, only Ron was moving towards the three girls. "GET OFF ME YOU INSANE MUDBLOOD!" Lavender shrieked. Every calm thread in Hermione had been stretched taught to the limit and had all of them snapped. She had snapped. She was pounding every inch of Lavender's stupid skin she could with all her might. Lavender had her arms over her face, shielding her as best as possible. Parvati stood horrified, unsure of what to do. "Bloody hell Granger," Draco murmured worriedly. Theo grinned. And then - "HERMIONE LOOK OUT!" Ginny screamed. BAM! Ron had backhanded Hermione to the floor in anger and looked at his girlfriend, who looked dead smug. "HERMIONE!" Three voices yelled as Parvati, Harry and Ginny ran to Hermione's aid, but there was a third, muffled cry that only the two boys next to him heard. "Granger!" Draco had shouted. Unable to hide his pleasure in that, Theo grinned from ear to ear and both he and Blaise stared at his best mate, who looked ready to kill. And then it dawned on Blaise, who said to Theo in awe, "Does he - he does doesn't he! I get it now!"
"You evil BASTARD RONALD WEASLEY!" screamed Ginny, lunging her fist at Ron's face but Lavender intercepted it with her wand, "Pertrificus Totalus!" Ginny fell frozen to the floor.
"THAT'S MY GIRLFRIEND YOU BITCH!" Harry roared, lunging himself at her. It looked like the Cheery Charms had most definitely worn off. Feebly, Hermione stood up but wasn't up for long. Parvati screamed as Ron whacked Hermione back down to the floor and brought his foot down on her face hard, and again, and - "WHAT THE HECK WEASEL?!" Draco yelled whilst storming forward, pointing his wand at the red headed boy. Ron staggered back. Hermione clutched her face in agony. Everyone fell silent, even Lavender, who's fist was inches away from Harry's face. Harry beat it away impatiently. "Malfoy what the fuck do you want?" Ron said after a minute or so, deciding to break the very pregnant pause in events, "As you can see we're a little busy." Hermione's eyes flitted between the two boys. What was he doing?! Why was he getting involved? "You heard me red head," Draco growled.
"Get lost!" Ron growled back.
"Get your foot, away from her," Draco growled in anger. Theo looked triumphantly at Blaise.
"Finally," Theo whispered in relief to his mate. Blaise nodded back, unsure why he was nodding. Hermione was confused.
"Why should I?" Ron snarled.
"As a head boy, I'm telling you to get off of her! She's your fucking EX GIRLFRIEND! Remember? Your best friend for six years and counting? First you cheat on her, then you let your new slut hurt her, then you abused her and threw her across the room, and now you're back to it! She's the same girl she was in first year you know! Your best friend!" Draco half shouted at him. Ron gulped. Everyone stared at him. Draco felt uneasy about publicly standing up for a muggleborn but it was too late to back out now. What the hell was he doing?! "I repeat," he said calmly although his voice was dripping with anger, "Get your foot away from her." It was fine, he was the head boy - his excuse.
But then Lavender had to ruin it. As she always does. "Won Won! He called me a slut!" Everyone apart from Ron and herself loathed her even more for this interruption. Harry looked at Draco and then to Lavender and snarled to her, "You're a bitch, you know that right? Slut, bitch, imbecilic moron! Call yourself what you want. You are a bitch!"
"Leave her alone Harry," Ron growled, "Lavender please be quiet." Lavender pouted. Harry silently unfroze Ginny, who immediately stood next to Harry, glaring at Ron, who's foot was resting on Hermione's stomach. "Weasley, I'm not going to tell you again. Get your foot away from her," Draco said coolly.
There was a silence. Then, Ron opened his mouth and spat, "Make me."
There was an uproar. Harry dragged Ginny out of the way whilst Parvati and Lavender screamed snd scrambled away from Hermione as Draco lunged himself at Ron. "Is he... Protecting Hermione?" Harry asked Ginny uncertainly. And then it clicked.
"You don't think it was Draco who healed Hermione last week after her's and Ron's first battle do you?" Ginny asked Harry in an undertone, emphasising the word. 'first', as though this were totally normal. Harry looked from her to Draco to Hermione and said in an equally low tone, "Well she definitely didn't. You might be right. Possibly." He couldn't get it in his head that Malfoy was being 'nice', to a Gryffindor, moreover a muggleborn. Parvati scrambled over to the couple, all eyes upon the raging boys next to Hermione. Both Theo and Blaise planted themselves next to the trio of Gryffindors too and watched their best mate tackle the enemy. "Who are we supporting here?" asked Parvati, eying the two Slytherins warily. Both Harry and Ginny glanced at them too before looking back at the boys fighting tooth and nail with each other. "Malfoy," the three boys and girl spoke in unison, although Harry was having serious issues with supporting his archenemy, who happened to also be a death eater.
Hermione attempted to move again but Ron kicked her back down, fuelling Draco's rage. "WHAT PART OF KEEP YOUR FEET THE FUCK AWAY FROM HER DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND?!" Draco bellowed, shoving Ron to the floor, but he quickly recovered.
"Oh I understand that part perfectly, ferret , what I don't understand is why the fuck you care! She's muggleborn!" Ron sneered. Malfoy staggered and stopped, the part of his childhood brain taking over again. Ron smirked. "Oh Merlin Draco why do you care?!" Theo moaned, "Get over your blood differences!" Blaise drummed his hands nervously in his lap.
"See," Ron smirked, "She's a muggleborn! She's your inferior!" Both Harry and Ginny gasped in horror. What the hell was happening to the red haired boy. Fair enough, he probably only said that part so that Draco would stop firing spells at him, but still! Draco watched a tear slide down Hermione's bloody cheek and made up his mind. He was reminded of his third year. "Yeah, you're right Weasel. For once in your pathetic life, you're right. She is an inferior mudblood," Draco smirked. Everyone apart from Ron and Lavender gasped, again. Draco turned away and in that moment Ron grinned in satisfaction, Draco turned and punched him square in the nose, breaking it. "She's my mudblood!" he spat at Ron, gritting his teeth as though she was his prey and Ron was trying to take her. Hermione made a small smile. Maybe the things you hate in life are the things you need to appreciate most - wait she did not just think that.
Open mouthed, Ron stared at the blonde boy in disbelief, then hurried off to help Lavender. "Ten points from Gryffindor!" Draco called after him, as he knelt down next to Hermione and turned her over, looking for any severe damage. It wasn't too bad, but she needed medical attention, now. Then he looked up and saw five pairs of eyes staring at him, dumbstruck. He shook his head and asked irritably, "Are you going to help or not?" They all moved closer. "Malfoy..." Hermione uttered quietly, "So much for that one off act of kindness." Draco shook his head and emitted a gold light from the end of his outstretched wand, which he used to heal Hermione with. Again, the end result wasn't perfect but it was better than before. "Thank you," Hermione murmured. Draco nodded and, just like that, left. Theo and Blaise, looking exasperatingly at each other, ran after him. "We've missed part of Transfiguration haven't we," Hermione sighed. Harry checked his watch and gulped, "ten minutes late." Hermione stood up and, just as before, found her legs worked a treat. "I got to go to Herbology, see you!" Ginny rushed, then sprinted in the direction of greenhouse four.
"We got to get you up to the hospital -" Harry began.
"Harry I'm fine!" Hermione snapped.
"But those spells could wear off!"
"They didn't last week!"
"So it was Malfoy who did it..."
"Can we not just talk after class?" Hermione asked, as the three of them sprinted off to Transfiguration.
McGonagall did not seem impressed at the three Gryffindors lack of punctuality, and kept them behind for a minute at the end of a very boring revision lesson. However, Hermione bravely claimed that she had gotten into a fight with a few people and that seemed to half resolve the case. "Would you at least tell me who beat you up?" McGonagall asked in her strict tone. "I noticed you were very battered at the start of last week too. Is this something I have to tend to?"
"No professor!" Hermione rushed out hurriedly, "It's under control."
"Very well. I trust you Miss Granger, although I did notice you weren't in Charms this morning. Was this to do with," she gestured towards Hermione's state. "No Miss, I... I... Was caught up in head duties," she lied.
"Very well. Five points from Gryffindor. Count yourselves lucky," the headmistress smiled. All three students sighed in relief.
"Thanks Miss," they all said as they turned to go.
Once outside, Harry and Hermione met up with Ginny in the Entrance Hall. "Library. Now," Ginny said firmly. They both obeyed.
"So," Ginny began, once seated in the window seat at the back of the library, "Spill!"
"There's nothing much to it," Hermione sighed, tapping her feet nervously. Damn paranoia.
"We want to know everything, including why he called you his mudblood," Ginny smirked. Hermione shuddered. "Sorry," Ginny said uncomfortably. "Firstly, I'm sure he only said that to get R-Ron off and secondly, it's a long story," Hermione said weakly.
"We both got free periods for the rest of the day and we can go down to the kitchens later to get lunch," Harry reasoned. It was true, they were missing lunch. "Alright alright," Hermione sighed, "It started when I saw them kissing. I missed out a rather large piece of information when I told you what happened." They both looked at her. "Okay..." Hermione began, "I legged it as soon as it had sunk in that they were kissing. That R- that he was cheating on me. I ended up running straight into Malfoy, literally, and he mocked me, so I yelled at him and started attacking him, to which he dodged obviously, but I think he felt a little bad for calling me a."
"Why would he feel bad?" asked Harry.
"First morning, we agreed I'd never bring up the end of last year in front of him, if he never called me a mudblood," Hermione replied. "Anyway," she continued, "I then ran into McGonagall, nothing special happened, and then I laid down by a tree for a while. An hour and a half in fact. Fun. Once I'd calmed down enough, I came back in, saw Lavender and him, had a small argument, and then I found you guys."
"Then," probed Ginny.
"Alright alright!" Hermione smiled, "Then I, by some miracle,"
"Stop!" Ginny interrupted and they all looked at her, "I need to embrace the moment," she grinned dramatically.
"What?" Harry asked.
"She smiled," Ginny giggled, receiving an exasperated look from Hermione, who continued.
"As I say, by some miracle I managed to limp back to my dorm and collapsed into a heap where Malfoy found me. He tried to be helpful at first, but I obviously threw him off and jumped up, stumbling. I managed to lean myself on the kitchen counter -"
"You have a kitchen?" asked Harry incredulously.
"Harry please, stay focused!" Hermione snapped.
"Wait you said he tried to help you. I don't believe that for one sec -"
"Harry you saw him earlier, he is capable," Ginny said annoyed.
"He's MALFOY!" Harry said clearly, pronouncing his enemy's name with great emphasis.
"Okay, guys! So I'm leaning on this counter where we have a blazing row in which he was desperate to know who did it to me and I refused to tell him, until I did. He seemed... Horrified."
"A Malfoy can't feel horror when it's related to another's feelings -" Harry huffed.
"And once I'd clarified that yes, it was Ronald Bastard Weasley, typical me went and lost grip on the counter and he caught me and laid me on the sofa!" She cut over Harry, smiling, as if in deep thought.
"Err... Back to story?" Ginny asked.
"Oh right yeah. Sorry," Hermione apologised, blushing and cursing herself for thinking like 'that'. "So I explain everything, right from the end of Arithmancy to then, and afterwards he seems mad and wants to kill Ron. What were the exact words he used? 'Your boyfriend was cheating on you, let his new girlfriend hurt you, and then abused you and you show up covered in blood. Because of him.' I can get where he's coming from. Then I asked why he cared and he confessed he didn't know. Then he healed me, I thanked him, and I went to bed. I don't know what he did after that."
"So it was him that healed you!" Ginny smiled excitedly.
"And today?" Harry asked, grinning. He was amused that Malfoy, of all people, was doing this for their Gryffindor friend.
"Today," she heaved, "I got fed up that he'd been avoiding me. So when he got into our common room after breakfast, I blocked the portrait and asked him why he was avoiding me. We had a blazing argument before he confessed that he was confused about helping a muggleborn continuously in the short space of an hour or two. Understandable I spose. And then, well, I decided to skip Charms."
"You WHAT?" exclaimed both Harry and Ginny loudly.
"I love it how me breaking the rules is the part you two find most fascinating!" Hermione exclaimed exasperatedly. This felt normal, friendly bickering. "Why?! Why skip?" Harry asked.
"I'd already missed fifteen minutes, it was the first time I'd received no sympathetic or hateful looks, and it felt great. So after my relaxing time out on the grass, Lavender came along and started taking the - well being her usual evil self, Parvati raged at her, and then you lot showed up. The end!" She finished. Silence. And then, "You weren't really doing cheery charms right?"
"Oh yeah, Seamus let's say got a bit... Over dosed," Harry smirked. Hermione scowled grumpily.
"So, you never answered my question," Harry smirked.
"What?" Hermione questioned.
Harry opened his mouth and asked with a grin, "How was kissing Malfoy?" Only now Hermione didn't over react.
"I don't know," Hermione spoke honestly with a subtle smile, "As I told you before Mr Potter, I was unconscious."
"You sounded remarkably like Umbridge then," Harry chortled. Hermione and Ginny burst out laughing, earning themselves a reproving glare from Madame Pince. "So what are you and Malfoy...friends?" teetered Ginny. Harry suddenly became very straight.
"I have no idea. He I suppose cares about my... Wellbeing... But not much else," Hermione sighed awkwardly. And then he breathed.
"Those two couldn't be friends. It was all very well having a, a carer or whatever, someone there for her, but she was not befriending him," Harry thought.
.
"And so yeah, you just saw what happened after that, stupid girl. She's meant to be head girl!" Draco finished his story on him and Hermione to Blaise and Theo. "Sooo, are you like... Friends?" Blaise asked, tentatively.
Draco looked revolted. "No!" He yelled, then slightly calmer sighed, "I don't know Blaise I just don't know. I mean... No we're not friends but I... I don't like seeing her..."
"You don't like seeing her hurt," Theo finished.
"Oi it's not like that!" Draco growled impatiently, "Can we just change the subject?"
"Okay..." Theo grinned, "So if you don't want to talk about how you saved her twice -"
"Shut up!" Draco hissed.
"Then why don't we talk about... How was it kissing Granger in potions?" Theo grinned slyly. Draco looked mortified by the question and furious. "What the bloody hell Theo?!" He yelled. Blaise laughed.
"Come on mate I noticed it. You were basically thinking 'if I do this fast enough no one will notice my -"
"Theo, SHUT UP! You say one more word and I'll -"
"You'll what? What will you do Draco?"
"Silencio!" But it wasn't Draco's voice. Blaise stood between the two raging Slytherins in the Slytherin Common Room, wand out. "Right!" Blaise smirked, "Better. I thought Draco told you to keep out of his girl problems Theo?" Theo glared. "And Draco, if I were you I'd watch out." Blaise flicked his wand again and the charms wore off.
"Why?" Draco spat.
"DRAKEY!" Pansy pouted, furious.
"Oh fuck me..." Draco sighed with his face in his hands.
"Drakey I saw you baby! Fighting for a - fighting for a - fighting for a MUDBLOOD!" Pansy screamed. Everyone looked around.
"This isn't going to end well," Blaise murmured to Theo, who nodded.
"Damn it Pans, yeah? And?" Draco spoke coolly but irritatedly.
"She's a MUDBLOOD! A WORTHLESS PATHETIC EXCUSE FOR A... SHE'S NOT EVEN A WITCH!" Pansy screeched, whilst Draco banged his fist on the table trying not to show any anger about her calling the head girl a mudblood. Noticing this, Pansy stuttered, horrified, "D-Do you... L-L-Like her?"
"No!" choked Draco.
"Then why were you trying to help?! Trying to help a filthy, worthless, inferior, mudblood!" Pansy asked viciously. Draco was enraged, but knew he had to put on the act. "Pansy... Why would I help a filthy, worthless, inferior mudblood if I had nothing to gain?" Draco soothed, inching towards her and ignoring the traitorous clench in his stomach he felt when he said that word. She stepped back and found she was against the wall. "I, I don't know," Pansy admitted breathily.
"Exactly," Draco whispered in her ear. Pansy moaned slightly as Draco trailed kisses along her neck.
"GET A ROOM!" Someone bellowed, and the unhappy couple traipsed upstairs into Pansy's dorm, Draco scowling behind Pansy's back.
"Oh Salazar!" Draco moaned unhappily as he rejoined his friends half an hour later, his socks on inside out and his hair slightly disheveled. "Drakey, Drakeywakey kiss me! Hold me! Fuck -"
"BLAISE!?" Both friends roared at their mate, who was imitating the annoying voice of Pansy.
"Blaise no just ew!" Theo shuddered.
"But baby -"
"NO!" Theo and Draco yelled. Blaise cracked up in laughter.
"Baby!" The real Pansy smirked, "Want another round?"
"No, Pansy," glared Draco. Pansy looked disappointed. Draco looked relieved. She left. He looked like he'd been told Christmas had come early. "Why do you still date her if you hate her that much?" Blaise asked.
"I don't hate her I just don't love her either. I like her as a friend. Stupid marriage law," Draco muttered.
"That's who your parents engaged you to?!" Blaise asked incredulously, fighting the urge to laugh, "Oh mate I'm so sorry for you!" Draco grimaced. "So, if you had to choose between Pansy and Granger," Blaise teetered. Theo and Draco both stared at him for a good five seconds. "Pansy - obviously! She's a pureblood! And, this is Granger we're talking about. Who'd date her?!" Draco stated, as if it were obvious. Theo shook his head. "Why did you call her your mudblood?" Theo asked curiously. Draco's face went blank.
"To get Weasley off her," he muttered, though he didn't think that was true. Why had he done that?
"Why does it matter to you?" Blaise smirked.
"I have no clue. Instinct I guess," Draco shrugged. That was a lie.
A/N Yes Draco that WAS a lie! You don't like that muggleborn by any chance do you? OMG I love that chapter so much, what will everyone think? Will Pansy be so light hearted? Tbc...