So HI update time!

Today is my birthday! So for a present from you awesome guys it would rock if you could review for me :)

So thanks a lot to those who did review, (NikkiHeat2000, dutch potterfan, hermionegirl) this chapter's for you, and to see a personal reply just check the AN at the end of the chapter :)

Oh, and to my rather negative reviewer on anon, yes this is a bit of a Ron bashing fic, I didn't realise there were so many, I apologise. There will be more to come, but if you don't like the story no one's forcing you to read it sooo...

ON WITH THE CHAPTER

Description: Hermione tries to talk to Ron...

Disclaimer: Just checked, still not JK Rowling. xo

Love you guys, especially for 50 followers, you all rock! :') xo

REVIEW whatever you want, character developments, plot twist ideas, whatever you like :)

Chapter 4

Hermione finished casting her concealing charms for the day and tried a smile in the mirror.

After she'd promised to accept Draco's help, they'd just stood in silence for a while, pretending not to notice the other's tears and enjoying the comforting solace of the Owlery.

At around ten at night, they silently went their separate ways, not mentioning anything else.

She wasn't sure if this meant they were friends, or even anything more, but she had a feeling the talk had just been a way for the pair of them to vent to someone they weren't attached to in any way, an 'unloading' session of sorts.

With a final attempt at a smile, she opened the door and headed back into the girls dormitories, and then back down to the common room.

She was about to just leave early for breakfast, when she noticed Ginny sitting in one of the high backed chairs by the fire, glaring at her expectantly.

"Hey Gin, I was just heading down to,"

"No, no you're not." Interrupted her friend, standing up and grabbing hold of Hermione's arm, shoving her down into the chair beside her.

"Gin I really don't,"

"Hermione for the next minute and a half you're not going to say one single word, you're going to listen to what I have to say." Hermione nodded begrudgingly, and shut her mouth. Ginny took a deep breath and began, rushing her words so Hermione couldn't interrupt.

"I know there's something going with you and Ron, don't argue I'm his sister and your best friend, did you really think I wouldn't notice?! I have a theory, and I know you're not going to like it, hell I don't even like it but I guess we're friends and I really need to talk to you about this."

Hermione raised an eyebrow but nodded.

"OK. Now, please don't freak out, especially if you don't know. But I noticed you guys had been arguing a lot, and the other day I went into the boys dormitory to borrow one of Ron's books, and, well let's just say it looked like a girl had been in there, um, visiting."

Hermione's jaw dropped, unsure if this little discovery was worse than Ginny knowing the truth or better.

"How, um what made you think that?" She stuttered, leaning back into the chair in shock. Ginny rubbed her temples and looked at Hermione sadly.

"Hermione there was a pink lace bra, in Ron's bed. He told me it was yours but I know you're more of a black lacy girl. My suspicions were confirmed when I heard someone in the shower."

"So? It could have been one of the other boys." Hermione interrupted, grasping at straws.

Ginny shook her head sadly.

"I knew you were out studying, and all the other boys in their dorm were in the common room. Hermione nothing's set in stone obviously, but I just felt you ought to know. You must have known something was up, the way you two have been acting lately."

Hermione was lost in thought for a moment, and simply nodded slightly as Ginny rubbed her arm gently. Maybe if Ron was getting tired of her she could leave him be without having to hurt him anymore.

It would also mean she wouldn't be letting him down, and they could become the friends she knew they were meant to be.

"Gin? I have to go can you excuse me?" She said standing up quickly as Ginny nodded sadly in understanding.

"No, I understand, you may want some time alone, if you like I'll talk to Ron about it?" Hermione shook her head, contemplating what to do.

"No, maybe I should talk to him about it." She decided, shouldering her bag and heading up to the Owlery where she knew Ron would be sending the usual weekly letter to his parents.

"I'll go now, I'll see you at lunch, in about half an hour?" She called back to Ginny, and made her way up to have the conversation she desperately wanted to avoid.

"Draco? Draco?" Draco Malfoy snapped back into action, his thoughts of Hermione and the bruises scattered over her pale skin slipping away into the folds of his mind.

He looked up at Blaise who was staring at him expectantly, and realised he'd been tuned out for at least the last ten minutes.

"What?" He snapped, as Blaise raised his hands and began to leave the common room.

"Sorry for thinking you might be interested, since you have that thing for Granger." He sat up straight lightning fast, causing Blaise to chuckle lightly as he turned back to face his friend.

"What about her?" He asked, trying to brush off the concern in his voice and replace it with mild interest.

"Ah, it's the talk of the school actually. Apparently she was arguing with someone in the Owlery earlier this morning, no one knows what happened but she ended up in the hospital wing."

Draco felt his heart rate quicken in terror, and he looked anxiously at his friend.

"Wait, they, they traced the wand that got her didn't they? They can always trace spells from duels."

Blaise shook his head, a small smirk on his face.

"That's the best part, there wasn't even a duel, apparently some person beat her up and left her up there, they have no idea who it could have been I guess"

Draco pushed past his friend, fire blazing in his eyes as he saw red.

Weasley.

He just knew it was Weasley.

The tight knot of fear in his stomach tightened when he reached the doors of the hospital wing to see Professor McGonagal waiting outside.

She raised an eyebrow when she spotted Draco coming towards her.

"Mr Malfoy I must admit I"

"How is she? Is she going to be OK?" He gasped, still out of breath from running all the way to the hospital wing.

McGonagal's eyebrow seemed to rise even higher, as she pursed her lips and sighed slightly.

"She's doing worse than we thought, we were rather shocked to discover that she actually had multiple bruises covering multiple patches on her body, I was actually wondering if anyone knew about those, as many seemed to be a few days or even weeks old." She gave him a meaningful look, causing Draco's eyes to narrow in hatred.

"No I haven't been beating up the precious Gryffindor princess." He snapped, glaring at her furiously.

"Ask Hermione, she took a pretty bad fall one day in the Owlery, you know how icy those steps can get. Luckily she wasn't seriously injured, she came to me and told me about it." He lied through his teeth, hating Weasley more and more with every sentence he spoke.

McGonagal nodded, still looking quite puzzled.

"And since when did the pair of you become so close?" Draco almost blushed, ruffling his hair awkwardly as he shrugged.

"I don't know, we're friends. She had an argument with one of her friends I think, we hung out a bit." McGonagal almost smiled, and pushed open the door a crack.

"I'm sure she could do with a guest, why don't you pop in and see if she's awake?" Draco gave the Professor one last withering look before nodding, and stepping through the door.

He spotted the long chestnut locks a few beds from the end, and began to walk towards her.

"Hermione?" He asked tentatively, unsure if he was allowed to touch her.

They'd only met up to talk a few times, and he still wasn't sure if they were actually friends or not.

She rolled over, a sleepy soft smile on her pink lips, and his heart jumped into his mouth when he saw the dark, nasty bruises that plagued her creamy skin.

He felt an angry lump form in his throat as he tried to smile at her as she blinked her chocolate eyes a few times.

"Draco. What are you doing here?" She smiled, and then touched the bruises on her face gently, before being brought crashing back to reality.

"Oh God." She whispered, before rage began to cloud her vision.

"Do you know what happened?" He asked blankly, as she nodded slowly.

"I went to see Ron, Ginny. Ginny thought he'd been cheating on me." Draco's jaw clenched and his face quivered.

"I wanted to confront him, ask him for the truth, but he just got so angry and,"

"You've got to stop this. Now. I just lied to your head of house and I don't plan on doing it again, not for that monster." Draco snarled as Hermione clenched her fists, and let go.

"I'm going to fucking kill that bastard, I can't believe it, and I was just trying to talk to him. I knew it, I knew it all along." She was practically shouting, and it was a few minutes before she noticed he was simply standing there smiling at her.

"What?" She hissed as his grin just grew wider.

"Just look at you. You're ok." He smiled as Hermione scowled.

"I'd hardly say I'm alright Draco you idiot." He began to laugh, causing Hermione's scowl to deepen further.

"But just look at you! You have something my mother needed, but never had."

"What's that you son of a banshee?" She snarled.

"Anger. That's all you need. Do you think you can stop this from happening by feeling sorry for yourself and catering to that swine's every need you know. The fact that you're angry? That might just save your life." He smiled slightly as Hermione's eyes began to widen in understanding.

She grinned up at him and punched him on the arm lightly.

"Ow." He muttered as she laughed and rolled her eyes.

"Don't be a baby."

"Don't take your anger out on me, bitch."

"Dick."

The pair laughed together into the late hours of the night, talking through their school years and joking about people they used to know.

Hermione went to sleep feeling truly happy for the first time in weeks, with the boy who was saving her asleep in the plastic chair beside her bed.

hermionegirl: Thanks so much for the comments on characters! With Draco, that's my plan I think he knew all along he loved her, but he's going to try and convince himself otherwise for a bit, that he's just helping her because of his mother and because he wants sex. I have plans for all the other characters, and your tip about Ginny reminded me I needed to add that in! Thank you :)

dutch potterfan: Yup, I'm developing his character a bit, stepping away from the hateful person his father made him, because he doesn't want to be that anymore. :)

NikkiHeat2000: Yup, he sure does! Don't worry there'll be quite a bit of justice coming up, for all involved. :))

Hope you guys enjoy this chapter :) and I love hearing from you, so please keep on reviewing :D

LOVE YA and see you all soon :) xo