A/N Hey! Back with another update, if you're new, read and review, if you've been following this story from the very beginning, well done, and review. Like I said last chapter, the reviews mean a lot and I like to include your say in the story. This is a fairly long chapter and so...
Chapter 11 - Lavender Brown
"Hermione," Ginny sobbed, an hour later, 1am, 1st of November.
"Yeah Gin?" Hermione smiled to her best friend. They were both sitting against the wall of the Common Room, as everyone had come back from the ball by now and were sleeping. She was trying to keep a brave face for Ginny. If she broke down, there would be no one else to support the poor girlfriend. "Will they... You know... Come back?" Ginny asked through tears.
"Of course they will, just give it a few months and you'll have your boyfriend back," Hermione smiled back.
"Thank you," Ginny said after a long silence broken only by muffled sobs made by the young ginger girl.
"I have no idea what you're talking about," Hermione smiled but Ginny leapt up and hugged her. They sat like that for a while until Ginny said heavily, "Seventeen years ago, almost exactly, Harry's parents died at the hand of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Now, seventeen years later, Harry is going out to avenge them."
Hermione smiled in thought and finally said, "We should go to bed. Do you want me to stay in your dorm tonight?"
"Nah... I'm fine. Thanks 'Mione," Ginny replied with a smile. Hermione nodded and left the Common Room.
Rushing silently down to her Common Room, she muttered "Spero," pushed the button and walked briskly into the comfy, homely room and collapsed down onto one of the sofas. "Late again?" drawled a voice from the shadows. Hermione started and sat bolt upright, glaring at Draco, still in his vampire costume, through the dim moonlight. "Again, why, may I ask, are you lurking in the shadows Malfoy?" Hermione growled through tears.
"Wondering where you were," Draco shrugged.
"Care to explain why?"
"Why are you lying on the couch?"
"I asked first."
"Fine, I was simply curious why you legged it out with Miss Weasel."
"I'm lying on the couch because... Oh Malfoy I haven't got time for this!"
"I told you now you tell me."
"Make me!"
"Honestly I'm too tired for this argument -"
"Then leave me be!"
"Is it about me? Are you embarrassed you danced with me?"
"What?! N - No! I... No it's got nothing to do with that!"
"Then what is it!" Draco said impatiently, swishing his wand and illuminating all the candles. He was already in a bad mood about Pansy. "Granger what the fuck? Wha - Why are you crying?" Now with the bright light glaring down on her, Hermione's tear streaked, makeup run face was available for all eyes to see. "Will you just leave it Malfoy?"
"Was it Weasel?"
"No!"
"Someone else?"
"What? I - For Merlin's sake Malfoy just go!" Hermione yelled through a sore throat. Draco did not move. He kept looking down at the pathetic looking mess on the sofa. "Go," Hermione said through a hoarse voice. Draco looked at her for another moment, before getting up, opening the cupboard above him, getting a glass out and filling it with water. He then walked over to her and set the glass upon the table, before retiring to his dorm. Hermione looked down at the glass and picked it up with shaking hands. "He could have at least said goodbye," Hermione thought, thinking about Harry. Slowly, the dead bride drank her water, her lips staining the glass a deep reddish black, and went into her room to grab her nightgown, before traipsing back out to the bathroom to have a late night shower.
After her shower, Hermione retired to her room in her nightgown, looking at the clock to check the time. Two thirty am. And she wasn't tired. Hermione carefully hung her dress and veil up in her wardrobe before flinging herself onto her bed. Under the covers, Hermione didn't feel a bit more tired. In fact, she just felt more awake than ever. After an hour of tossing and turning, Hermione just gave up and stood up, clutching onto her pillow, and walked over to sit on her windowsill, which was more of a window seat. She sat with her knees pulled up tight to her chest and opened the window a crack to let the wind rustle through her hair, which had returned to its usual state after the shower. Where were they now? Were they camping in some damp forest, or in some hut on a sandy beach perhaps? And why hadn't they considered taking her with them?! Angry, Hermione cast a silencing charm around her room as to not disturb anyone else, and threw her pillow at the wall. She could feel another mental breakdown coming on but she tried to keep it in. This was not the time. But then, when was it ever? She screamed.
-.
Beep. Hermione shifted in her bed, trying to get comfortable.
Beep. She shifted again, wondering why her back ached.
Beep. What was that impertinent beeping noise anyway?
BEEP! "Alright!" Hermione yelled, sitting bolt upright and nearly falling off her bed - although she wasn't on her bed. Looking around, Hermione noticed she'd managed to fall asleep on the windowsill. No wonder her back was aching. Hermione stood up, groaning at the pain in her back. BEEEEEEEEP! She turned and flicked her wand viciously at the magical alarm clock she'd bought recently from Hogsmeade. Yawning, the head girl began to get dressed, deciding not to have a shower as she'd had one mere hours ago. She guessed she'd fallen asleep at about four fifteen a.m, and it was now six forty eight.
Draco woke about a quarter of an hour later to the smell of Granger - again. Sighing, he swung his legs over his bed and sat up on the edge of it - to see his eagle owl tapping on his window. Yawning, he got up, wearing a black t-shirt and boxers, and opened the window, holding out his arm for the owl and taking the letter out of his beak. He recognised his father's writing on the front and sighed. It was bound to be another letter yelling at him to go to the meetings. The eagle owl took off in a flurry of feathers, leaving one behind. Flicking the letter open, he read the first line and gulped.
"Dear Draco,
Due to recent events, you're mother is asking your presence in the house for lunch on Wednesday. We are all expecting you as we are in need of a serious discussion about your antics and priorities. We are aware of your school work overload as you have explained in previous letters but this is urgent. If you do not make Wednesday lunch by no later than ten minutes after your second lesson I will take matters personally into my own hands. We are expecting you.
Sincerely,
Your Father"
"Accio school clothes," he muttered, and a pile of freshly laundered clothes zoomed over to him, and landed in his outstretched hand. "Recent events," he muttered, thinking about the recent event. He glanced at the letter again briefly, before tossing it onto the bed and walking over to his door, swinging it open. He noticed Granger sitting on the arm of one of the black sofas, sipping a mug of what he assumed was tea or coffee. Taking no further notice of the girl, he went into the bathroom to take a shower.
Ten minutes later he was dry again and feeling much more awake. He pulled on his clothes and walked back outside. She was still sitting there. "How long have you been sitting there?" He asked, walking over to her. She didn't seem to even acknowledge him. "Oi! Granger!" He tried again. Nothing. She sat perfectly still, staring at some invisible spot on the wall directly in front of her, holding her mug of coffee (definitely coffee judging by the smell) in her lap. "Granger! Snap out of it!" Draco snapped, standing right next to her. She jolted and the mug of coffee slipped from her grasp and soaked her legs. But she didn't even flinch, making Draco assume it was cold. "W-What?" She stammered.
"I said, how long have you been sitting here?" He asked again.
"Um... What's the time?"
"Have you been here all night?"
"What? No of course not. Don't be so silly."
"Really," Draco smirked, giving her a very unconvinced look.
"Really," she said back, sternly.
"Soooo..."
"Since about six fifty!"
"No need to snap at me Granger," he smirked, "Six fifty. That was fucking ages ago. That was like..." He looked at the clock, which now read: 'seven twenty'. "That was like half a bloody hour ago!" Draco exclaimed, shocked.
"Uhu," Hermione nodded, paying no attention whatsoever.
"God Granger I'm going to breakfast," Draco snapped, turning and walking out. Then he paused and said amused, "And you might want to clean up your legs." Hermione looked at her coffee stained legs and got his point. Draco left to the sound of his dorm mate swishing her wand irritably. What had got her wand in a knot - more than usual anyway.
Draco walked over to the Slytherin table, over to Pansy, who was sitting with Tracy, Daphne and Millicent. "Pans -"
"Leave off Malfoy," Pansy hissed. He shook his head and glared at her for a moment, before he turned back around and sat with Theo and Blaise. He needed to marry her at some point so she ought to start warming to him again. "Man I'm sorry Draco," Blaise murmured. Draco scowled at him and grabbed a platter of bacon and helped himself to a cooked breakfast. "We're cool though right?" Blaise asked, trying to sound confident.
"You've lost me my girlfriend, Blaise!" Draco snapped, "I might as well hang out with Crabbe and Goyle! At least they don't screw with my life!"
"Hey I was reluctant! It was Theo's -" Blaise snapped, but stopped when Theo glared at him.
"Just piss off," Draco muttered, shutting his friends up.
A few minutes later, he saw the brunette walk through the doors, looking very distant. He didn't know what she had to be sad about. It's not like she just lost her boyfriend - well she did but... "For Salazar's sake Draco stop thinking about the mudblood!" Draco's brain yelled at him. Draco shook his head and watched the girl out of the corner of his eye, walk over and sit at her usual end of the Gryffindor table, on her own - again. Apart from the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws, most people stayed at their own house tables out of habit, even though they could sit where they wanted. All the Slytherins sat together, and all the Gryffindors sat on their table. It was odd though, "Why has Weaslette and Scarface not gone to sit with Know It All?" Draco thought. His eyes did a quick scan of the hall, spotting the ginger girl with a gaggle of girls including the loony one from Ravenclaw, a Gryffindor girl from his class, an identical match to the Gryffindor girl who wore Ravenclaw robes, and the stupid boy from Gryffindor - Longbottom. "Where is Scarface and Weaselbee?" He thought aloud. Theo looked up at him and then to the Gryffindor table. So did Blaise.
"That's a point," Theo nodded confused, "Where are Potter and Weasel?" Draco looked at him. And then it dawned on him. He looked closely at the ginger girl and noticed that she, too, looked like a wreck. She was definitely crying and looked - confused? A few seats from her, the Lavender girl was looking distraught. And then at the other end of the table, the head girl sat quietly, silent tears ruining her untouched food. He knew what was wrong, and didn't know how to feel about it. Potter and Weasel were missing.
After breakfast, the blonde Slytherin boy walked briskly up to his dorm to pick up his bag, although he had other intentions too. He'd seen the mudblood - muggleborn - leave mere minutes before. "Spero," he said dryly, before entering. "Where are they?" He asked roughly, walking over to her. Hermione flinched and glared at him. "I'm not in the mood for your -"
"Where are Potter and Weasel?" He asked clearly and impatiently. Hermione froze, but then scowled and turned to get her bag. "Hey!" He shouted at her retrieving back, but she was already out the portrait hole letting loose a sob with fresh tears cascading down her face. "Damn it..." He muttered.
-.
It wasn't until Wednesday that Draco finally got to talk to Hermione, as she'd been avoiding him as much as possible. On Wednesdays, the Slytherins had Defence against the Dark Arts with the Gryffindors as a double period in the morning and it was the perfect opportunity to corner the bookworm and get a confession. He hadn't been able to ask her in potions, which was the only other lesson he shared with the Gryffindors (apart from the defence against the dark arts class on Fridays). "You'll be working in pairs today class," Professor Lupin smiled cheerfully.
"What are we doing Professor?" Parvati asked brightly.
"Today we will be putting what you have learnt throughout last term into practice," Lupin answered with a smile, "So, naturally, as last term included a lot of defensive and offensive spells, and a recap on dangerous creatures, we will be duelling in pairs. Use as many different spells as you want to bring your opponent down."
The class started moving into their own pairs. Lavender very sulkily went over to partner up with Parvati, who accepted her begrudgingly; Dean partnered with Seamus; Goyle went with Millicent; Crabbe paired up with Pansy. "Blaise?!" Theo moaned in annoyance, as Blaise just shrugged apologetically and partnered up with Daphne, who he had kissed the previous night at the ball. Theo just glared at him and paired up with Draco, which left Hermione and Neville. "Hey Neville," Hermione sighed, trying to smile but wasn't particularly up to it. "Hey Hermione!" Neville grinned, but his face fell at the sight of Hermione. "Okay look, pretend I'm a death eater Hermione, it'll take your mind off it honestly," he grinned. Hermione looked at him sarcastically and grinned, "Expelliarmus." To her complete and utter surprise, Neville dodged. "Pertrificus Totalus!" He cried back, but Hermione easily dodged it.
Five minutes later however, Neville had crashed into a desk and was lying limp on the floor. "Oh my gosh Neville are you okay?!" Hermione cried out, running over to the bleeding boy. She'd hit him with a heavy stupify curse and he'd been knocked off his feet and sent flying into the desk. The desk splintered slightly and Professor Lupin was on his feet, running over to the pair of them. "Rennevate," Lupin said loudly, flicking his wand at the unconscious victim. He bent down slightly to the horrified looking girl and whispered, "Maybe go a little easier next time huh Hermione?" Neville stirred and let out a strangled moan, clutching his ankle. "Damn," Lupin muttered, "Sprained ankle come on Neville."
Hermione bit her lip and said in a hurry, "Does he need to go to the hospital wing?"
"Not really, no, but it would be best don't you think?" Lupin smiled gravely, making Hermione feel even worse. "Seamus could you take Neville up?" He asked.
"Sir," Seamus moaned in his Irish accent, "Why me? Expelliarmus!" He yelled, his concentration back on Dean. Lupin looked around the room and his expression turned even more exasperated. Everyone looked very busy except from... "Theo what are you doing?!" Lupin called over, slightly annoyed and walking over to the pair of Slytherins. "Draco's being too harsh on me sir," Theo fake whimpered. "I'm sure you're fine," Lupin said dryly. Then his expression changed and he said brightly, "Why don't you take Neville up to the hospital wing?" Theo looked outraged.
"Professor I'm duelling Draco!"
"No you're not," Lupin pointed out, "And I'm asking you to stop." Theo growled and stomped over to Neville, shoulders hunched, and helped him out the door. No one saw what happened after that, but Draco guessed it was alright. Theo never was too harsh on others, despite their house or blood type.
"Who will I duel now sir?" Draco sighed, once the door had closed. Lupin looked around and spotted Hermione sitting on a desk. Draco looked up at him in horror and said arrogantly, "No. Don't even think about making me work with her!"
"You will do what I say Draco. Please go and work with her," Lupin said kindly with an edge to his voice. Draco let out an irritated huff and stormed over to the girl saying loudly, "Stupify!" Hermione turned and quickly whipped her wand out in front of her standing up shouting, "Protego!" Draco smirked and shot back another curse, to which Hermione dodged and shouted, "Impedimenta!" He dodged it and smirked, "Locomotor Mortis." But that too, missed. He sent another curse at her and it lightly skimmed her ear. They started circling each other, moving round and dodging incoming curses.
"Incendio!" She yelled, and a smile briefly flickered across her face as Draco's robes caught fire. Fuming, he muttered, "Aguamenti," and a spout of water gushed from his wand, putting his robes out and leaving them slightly smoking. But she had waited too long. "Incarcerous!" Draco bellowed at her and, for the second time that year, large black ropes flew from his wand and snaked their way up Hermione, pinning her to the wall. "Get them off me!" Hermione screamed, attempting to wrench them off of herself but they only tightened. Nobody else in the room noticed. Why? Why did she feel like she was living her thoughts when he did this; tangled and confused. And then she heard Ron's voice. Mudblood. "Get OFF!" She squealed, but Ron was walking towards her. Ron, her ex-best friend. He had his wand out. She writhed and fought the ropes and then - Draco's face swam in to replace her fictitious Ron. Draco smirked and walked up to the struggling girl, chuckling a little. She looked him dead in the eye stubbornly but even he could see the glimmer of panic in them. He smirked but his face fell when he realised exactly what he was doing - again. He was bullying her - again. She shrank away from him and he flicked his wand, muttering, "Emancipare," and the ropes loosened enough for Hermione to wrench them off and point her wand at him yelling another offensive spell, which he dodged successfully. She looked livid. "Granger," he muttered, as she tried another spell at him, which missed.
"What?" She spat.
"Where are they?" He asked quietly, mere centimetres away from her. She looked away from him and closed her eyes breathing slowly. "Do the teachers even know they're gone?" He muttered.
"I told McGonagall Monday after potions. Why do you care Malfoy?"
"Where are they?"
"I told you Sunday night just to leave me alone and I meant it!"
"Is this what you were upset about? That's why you and Weaslette legged it?"
"Malfoy please!"
"No!" Malfoy hissed.
"STOP IT!" She screamed angrily. He had no idea why he was pressurising her like this. She looked furious and desperate and, underneath the mask, miserable.
Thankfully for Hermione, the bell rang just then and Hermione shouldered her bag and walked briskly out of the room. "Hey mudblood!" A girl called behind her. Hermione kept walking, ignoring her. "Mudblood I'm talking to you!" Lavender shouted at her. Hermione turned and Lavender smacked her face. "What the hell?!" Hermione cried in anger.
"Got your attention now haven't I mudblood," Lavender spat, "Where are they?"
"What?" Hermione spluttered.
"Where's my Won Won?! He's gone and you know where. TELL ME!"
"Ha," Hermione smiled sadistically, "Did your Won Won trust Miss Mudblood with his whereabouts but not his pathetic girlfriend?Cute!" Someone passing by sniggered. Hermione turned to see Seamus and Dean smirking at her comment.
Lavender fumed and then her face changed. "Well I just want to let you know that my Won Won is an amazing dancer," she giggled, "and kisser come to that. Did you see us ki -"
"Not wanting to be rude, Lavender," Hermione said bitterly, "But I really don't care. I don't want to know how your boyfriend kisses you and you can't make me tell you where they are."
"Oh thank Merlin you can finally admit he's my boyfriend. Mine! And you can stop running after other people's boyfriends too! First it's me, then poor Parkinson, who's next? Your mum?!" Lavender shrieked and laughed loudly. Hermione swung her fist at her but she dodged. "You couldn't get much better than a pathetic muggle if you tried!"
"DON'T YOU DARE CALL MY MUM PATHETIC YOU BITCH!" Hermione screamed.
"Lavender do the world a favour and walk away, you're doing yourself no favours," Seamus retorted annoyed, in a very Irish accent.
"I'm sorry mudblood, but you're just so... How can I put this... Worthless. Nobody would ever be with you even if you tried!" Lavender cackled, ignoring Seamus, but Hermione was already storming off in the other direction, towards the library. The pair of boys walked away, throwing dirty looks back at the Gryffindor Bitch.
She flung herself onto her usual window seat and took out a Defence Against the Dark Arts revision book, but could not concentrate on the text. Ten minutes later and she'd read a single line. Sighing, she picked up her bag and headed back for Defence Against the Dark Arts.
She arrived a minute late, and apologised to Professor Lupin. She sat in the only available seat, which was right at the back of the classroom on the left. There were only two other people on the back row of desks and one of them was looking right at her. Hermione tried to ignore the blonde Slytherin and looked ahead of her, not seeing anything. Her teacher was writing something on the blackboard and she could hear the odd snippets of sentences Lupin was saying such as, "You will be writing... Must include detail on... Finish by the end of the lesson... Vampires... Mudbloods... Purebloods... Worthless... Mudbloods..." Tap tap tap. Someone was drumming their fingers on the table. She looked at Professor Lupin, and realised she'd started imagining everything he'd said since he'd said 'finish by the end of the lesson.'
"And I know you all have your own books but if I could just have a volunteer to dish out some of my books to the class, as they include much more precise notes on what we are writing about," Lupin said with a smile. Lavender's hand shot straight up into the air and she smiled, "I'd be happy to help Sir!"
"Why thank you Miss Brown," he replied warmly, "Over in the back cupboard next to the door." Lavender smiled and stood up, walking over to the cupboard and bending down to pull out the books.
She'd just given Draco and Theo a book to share when suddenly she was bearing down on Hermione with the last, very tattered looking book. "Stop sulking mudblood, you look as pathetic as this book without even trying," Lavender smirked quietly, so only Hermione could see or hear her, "Even my lovely boyfriend agrees. He never had any feelings for you, seeing as he was dating me during the summer." Hermione felt if possible, even heavier. All through the summer? Lavender left smirking, with a skip to her walk. She and Ron had only started dating on the 31st of July. When had he gotten together with the girl she once called friend?
Halfway through the lesson, Draco leaned over to Theo and muttered in a slightly concerned voice, "I swear she hasn't picked up her quill all lesson." Theo glanced up at him and followed his vision to the brunette, who was sitting with her chin in her hands, elbows on knees, and looked pretty upset - which wasn't unusual for her anymore, he'd decided.
It was 12:10, twenty minutes to the bell, when Professor Lupin came round to check their progress, and stood behind Hermione for a long time. She sat, twiddling her quill between her fingers, staring at her parchment, which read the date and her name. "You've been sat here for over an hour now Hermione, I'm surprised in you. Do I really have to put my top student in for a detention?" Lupin sighed over her shoulder. Hermione blanched and looked at her paper, her mind as blank as it was. "Is it because Harry and Ron are -" he began. "No!" Hermione snapped at his name. It's name. Lavender caught her eye and smirked, before standing up and walking over to her. "Sir, I think I've finished Sir!" She beamed, then added in mock shock, "Merlin Hermione! You haven't written anything!" Draco and Theo looked around at the two girls. "Hey what? Hermione is that true?" Dean asked surprised.
"Hermione?" Parvati asked uncertainly. Hermione shut her eyes and listened to Lupin move away from her and along to someone else's desk. "Mudblood," Lavender whispered in the head girl's ear, "You have no friends." Hermione sat, angrily in her seat and said as calmly as possible, "Sit in your own seat." Lavender just smirked and went back to her own seat.
No sooner than two minutes later though, a square piece of parchment the size of a post it note was thrown over scrunched up into a ball and hit Hermione hard on the head. Rubbing it furiously, she glared at Lavender just as furiously, who was smirking at her, and unfolded the note. Anger, hatred and sadness all flooded into her head with a mixture of a hundred other emotions as she read the moving enchanted message: "No friends for you to run and cry to, they abandoned you. Who'd want you? You're nothing more than a filthy, worthless, mudblood, mudblood." Hermione screwed it back up and tossed it onto the floor. Enraged, she stood up and looked at her desk, before swinging her hand across it and sending her blank parchment into the air and watched briefly as it flew to the floor. Aware that all eyes had turned to her, she picked up her bag and threw her quill and unopened ink into it before kicking her table over and stalking out, kicking her chair over too as she went. "HERMIONE GRANGER?!" Professor Lupin yelled, confused and exasperated. The oak doors banged shut behind her. Parvati sat there dumbstruck, as did the rest of the class. Lavender however looked beyond smug. Noticing this, Draco picked up the scrunched up bit of paper and unfolded it, his eyes widening. He reread the message over and over again, anger bubbling inside him like a volcano ready to explode with every word he read. Only he was aloud to hurt her like that. Fuming, he slammed it down on his desk and looked wildly around the room for Lavender, but Theo grabbed his shoulder to stop him from making a scene. He too seemed outraged though. "Professor, I think you should see this," Theo called over to Lupin, who strode over to the pair and snatched up the note. His eyes reread the words until he looked beyond furious. "Who wrote this?" He asked in a deadly, trembling voice. No one raised their hand. Only Draco and Theo could see that it was clearly Lavender who did this, but neither of them were in the position of saying so. That message had Lavender etched all over it, woven into the very fibres of it, Salazar, it even smelt of her. He had to see if Hermione was alright "Wait WHAT am I thinking?!" He yelled in his head angrily. He was not going to make a scene.
.
Charity Burbage's lessons were never the most gripping, although the youngest Weasley did do her best to listen, even with the Ravenclaws bickering away constantly. It just so happened, that whilst listening briefly to a rant about mobile phones, Ginny Weasley's eyes moved to the door, where she could hear running footsteps. "Smart phones are now used by nearly every muggle in the western civilisation, as they can be not only used for calling and texting, but simple things such as calculators and even games! Now, who knows what the Internet is?" Professor Burbage smiled encouragingly. Ginny was barely listening now, her hand was in the air and was straining for attention. "Yes Miss Weasley? Do you know what the Internet is?" the middle aged woman asked kindly.
"Err... What? Yes but - Miss can I go outside please?" Ginny asked distracted. She had seen a girl with brown hair streak past and was positive it was Hermione. "Pardon? No absolutely -" Professor Burbage began.
"Please Miss, I think I saw one of my best friends run past crying. Can I at least see if she's okay?" Ginny employed. The blonde woman walked over to her and looked intently at her before saying, "As the bell will go in the next ten or so minutes and you have been a pleasure to teach so far this year, I will let you leave just this once." Ginny beamed and shoved her equipment into her bag, before darting out and following the muffled sobs. "Miss can I leave Miss?" asked a Gryffindor boy of the same year as Ginny (obviously as he's in her class). "Absolutely not!" Mrs Burbage cried in frustration, "Now, who can tell me what the Internet is?"
.
"Theo, do you still have those nosebleed nougats?" Draco muttered to his friend, giving in after a full two minutes after Lupin reading the note. "Yeah, you want?" Theo whispered back, grinning.
"No I was going to use them as cat treats," Draco muttered scathingly. Theo reached down into his bag and, after some heavy rummaging, pulled out a sweet. "Cheers mate," Draco smirked and bit into the orange side. Two seconds later, Draco had the sweet hidden and he'd gone a horrible pale colour. In addition to this, the first drips of blood were emerging from his nose. "Theo," Draco said loudly, with a slight drowsy tone to it, "Got any tissues?" Theo looked around and his face contorted into one of false surprise - although it looked pretty convincing. "Holy shit Draco you need to go to the hospital wing!" Theo gasped, gaping. Lupin looked around, about to scold Theo for his language, when he saw Draco and shook his head, walking over to the pair of them. By now, Draco's nose was streaming with blood. Lupin stopped in front of their table and looked intently at Draco before saying, "You may go," to Draco. Draco was about to leave when Lupin called his name and he turned back around. "Draco, don't cause any trouble."
"It's just the hospital sir," Draco reasoned.
"I know a nosebleed nougat when I see one," Lupin said in an undertone, so only the two boys could hear. Draco gulped. "Go do what you must, lesson's nearly over anyway," Lupin smiled cautiously, "and maybe after all that, you can tell me why you want to help your supposed enemy." Draco's eyes widened but a mere second later his face was contorted into disgust and he took his bag and left briskly.
Once the door had closed, he ate the purple side to the sweet and the blood instantly stopped and his face returned to its natural state. With a wave of his wand, all traces of blood had left him. And then he stopped. "What the hell am I doing?" He asked himself angrily. He was just about to go back inside the classroom when he heard distant running footsteps and someone, a girl he was sure, shout "Hermione!" Shaking his head, he started walking. The walking became faster and he was sure he could hear two pairs of feet so he sped up, walking quickly. Before he knew it he had broken out into a run, following the two females' footsteps. Then one of them stopped and, rounding a bend, Draco could see a redheaded figure standing at the end of the corridor, looking first to the left, then to the right. "Hermione!" She yelled, "What happened?! Where are you?!" Draco stopped at the other end of the corridor and looked at the confused redhead. He walked forward confidently until he was about four meters away from the girl, and stopped. Ginny heard him and spun around. It took a split second for her eyes to adjust to the blonde boy in front of her, but as soon as they did, she walked towards him and breathed, "What did you do?" Draco just looked at her and smirked.
"Nothing," he shrugged, still wearing his famous smirk.
"Don't lie to me Malfoy, you were in her class I know it! What the blazes happened?!" She growled, raising her voice at the end. They were so close that their foreheads were nearly touching. "Is that so? Well I can tell you it wasn't me, nor Blaise seeing as you mentioned him," Draco growled back, anger dripping off of the words he spoke, "I know all you Gryffin-brave-hearts all think us Slytherins are always to blame, but this time, try looking in your own house."
"What are you talking about?" snapped Ginny, "My brother's gone!"
"Leaving his formidable girlfriend behind," Draco smirked casually, leaning back a little but keeping their eyes level. Ginny looked confused for a moment - but then it clicked. "What's she done?" She asked, trying to keep her voice calm. She took a step back from the Slytherin, who nodded. "She's been bullying her," Draco muttered - and then added, "I think." Ginny looked uncertain.
"That's understandable, but why did she storm out? Assuming that's what she did," Ginny asked.
"It got... Out of hand," was all Draco could come up with.
"Go on," Ginny urged impatiently. Draco sighed and explained everything, all the time wondering why he was even here at all. "She WHAT?!" Ginny yelled, as he got on to describing the letter and Hermione's departure.
"Keep your bloody voice down!" Draco hissed, "I told you Granger read it, freaked out and -"
"How heartless is she?! Of course Hermione has friends! That BIT -"
"Keep your fucking voice down!" He hissed again.
"How could she," Ginny murmured, "And why is my brother dating her over Hermione?" Draco just shook his head and was about to say something about her brother not even deserving Hermione, when the bell sounded. All too quickly, doors all along the corridor burst open and streams of students flooded out into the tight space the corridor offered. When Draco looked back to the space Ginny had been, she was gone.
-.
"Hermione!" Ginny yelled, spotting her friend in the library. No answer. "Hermione!" Still, no reply. She ran up to the simmering student, who looked a lot calmer than expected, and gripped her shoulders, shaking her slightly. "Hermione! Anyone home?!" She called. Dazed, the brunette lifted her gaze to stare unseeingly into the redhead's eyes. Ginny shook her head and sat next to her on the window seat. "Saw you do a runner," Ginny started. Hermione just looked at the ginger girl. Why couldn't people just leave her be? "And Malfoy ran out after you, did you know that?" Ginny continued. Wait - she'd heard the name Malfoy. Why did that mean something? Oh yeah, Draco Malfoy. "Said Lav's been giving you a hard time," Ginny talked on, "Why didn't you say? - Hermione are you even listening to a word I'm saying?!"
"Oh look it's the mudblood who stormed out of class," a girl smirked I front of them.
"Piss off Parkinson," Ginny scowled at the Slytherin.
"Calm it Weaslette, I want to know where your boyfriend is, the whole schools been on about it."
"It's been like three days," Ginny sighed, irritated, "Surely you can ask someone -"
"Tell me or I'll hex you!"
"No! Leave us alone!"
"What's wrong with the mudblood anyway, raging out of class I didn't think was her type."
"Get a life Parkinson, stop invading others," Hermione growled, looking her dead in the eye.
"Are you talking to yourself? Mudblood? Who's the one invading my life?" Parkinson cackled. Mudblood. Mudblood mudblood mudblood. "Mudblood -"
"SHUT UP!" screamed Hermione, so loudly her voice cracked. Everyone looked at her. Madam Pince marched over to the trio. "You will not shout in her Miss Granger, do I make myself clear?!" She hissed at the girl, but Hermione just shouldered her bag and ran out, completely blanking the librarian. "Oh my God," Ginny breathed once the strict woman had left them. Pansy shook her head. Catching sight of her, Ginny breathed, "This is all your fault!"
"Oh come off it Weaslette! Me?"
"Yes you! Calling her a mudblood!"
"Really. That one word -"
"Yes that one word!"
"Chill it bitch, we all know your over reacting cos of your boyfriend. Besides if that word gets her all revved up then she's crazier than I thought and needs to grow up."
"Shut up! Anyway I could say the same for you! I saw you Sunday night -" Ginny began angrily, but Pansy had her wand to the redhead's throat.
"Shut it," Pansy breathed. Ginny shook her head and walked out the library for lunch. She was acting unusually calm for a Parkinson. Hermione wasn't in sight in the corridors or the hall.
-.
Draco was about to enter the hall when he stopped dead in his tracks. "Oh no," Draco thought, "Fuck! The letter!" And with that, he ran outdoors onto the grounds and legged it as fast as he could to the gates. What had the letter said? Straight after lesson or something. He checked his watch. "No, no NO!" He thought, after seeing that lesson was ten minutes ago. He left the track to cut through the grass near the greenhouses to avoid the bend in the path, which would take extra time. This resulted in mud spattering all the way up his robes but he didn't care, as he could use a simple scouring charm for that. Lucius didn't take 'fashionably late' as an option.
It took another two minutes for him to reach the open gates. He stood there, hunched over, panting like a dog for another twenty seconds or so. Then, he pulled out his wand and apparated on the spot, feeling as though he was being sucked through a tight tube.
A/N Confusing. First of all, I think Lavender is being a bit of a meany there. Secondly, I wonder why Draco is being called home. It's just home right? What could possibly go wrong?! Find out next Tueday! Follow and Review!