A/N: comments are wonderful thanks :) and yes, there is plenty in store for these two. I just need to get through the gritty stuff before Draco 'breaks down' and actually becomes a normal person toward her.
I was going to skip this part, and just move on, but for some reason I had more issues (weird, I know!) so this is why I continued from where I had left off - even though it makes this story slow-paced.. it will pick up! Besides, what's a Dramione fic, without another interaction! although...it is ugly *this is day 1 after all*
Chapter 3
He couldn't believe how slow the class was going. Every time he checked that wall clock it would be either two minutes later than the last time he checked, or five. It was annoying and frustrating, and that damn humming of hers was driving him up the wall! He closed his eyes and fists, and took several deep breaths. He needed to stay calm, no matter what!
Hermione went on about stirring her Potion, trying her hardest to ignore the icy glare from her table companion. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end and her skin suddenly erupted with goosebumps. 'Gosh his stare is so intense!' she bit her lip and closed her eyes for a moment as she stopped stirring. She couldn't ignore him any longer!
"Now what?" she hissed, trying to keep her voice steady. Hoping with all her might that he wasn't going to tease her about why she was not with Harry and Ron.
Draco narrowed his eyes slightly and pointed a finger at her, "Stop making that irritating noise." his voice matched his stare, icy.
Hermione swallowed tightly as she watched him ball his fist and placed it down on the countertop. She wasn't even humming that loud!
"So..." she breathed, finding a newfound sense of bravery, "Move then," she motioned to the unoccupied seats in the class room, "Sit somewhere else,"
His lips twitched into a sinister sneer, "No"
Hermione felt her stomach churn, "Why not? You obviously-" she broke herself off and shook her head, "Who put you up to this? Who said for you to sit-"
"No one, made me do anything, Granger,"
Hermione snorted, "What rubbish!"
Draco groaned. Of course the Mudblood knew something; she wasn't stupid. He always made her feel like the dirt that fills her veins; telling her that she had no business even speaking to him unless spoken to-something he usually avoided at all costs. Yet now here he is, sitting next to her one month after the start of term...
Draco quickly glanced around to see if anyone, most importantly if Blaise, was looking at them. Thankfully the sounds of clattering flasks and hissing potions, left everyone in the room preoccupied.
He figured to ignore her outburst and just return to the beginning of why she was here and not with them; why she wished that he should've thrown something at them?
"You never answered my question," he said in a low, toneless voice. His potion, left to the side, forgotten.
Hermione furrowed her brows at him, completely confused. Not only was it strange for him to even be speaking to her, but to forgo classwork to do it? Was extremely odd.
"Since when do you care about what-"
"Why" he sneered, not really wanting to hear her voice anymore than necessary. He jerked his head toward Harry and Ron. He didn't want to elaborate the subject any further. He figured she would get the hint of what he was asking without actually saying the words. In fact, he hoped she did.
Hermione studied him for a moment, trying to wonder what exactly he was asking. Why was she here and not with them? 'Ya right!' Or was it the comment about throwing something at them? Indeed, she was rather surprised to have said it, after all she never resorts to violence as an answer to problem solving! But again, why would he care? 'Obviously he's just looking for something to use against me...' she reasoned with herself. She decided on option two and refused to answer.
She returned to her potion, and resumed stirring. "I don't owe you anything"
Draco tensed his fists as he watched her go about her work as though she was not interrupted. How dare she deny him an answer!
"Listen you filthy Mudblood, when I ask you a question, you-"
"Call me all the names in the book, Malfoy, it's still not going to make me tell you!" Hermione sneered, her voice had gone shrill with rage.
Draco cringed as the high-pitched tone of her voice hit his ears. That did it; he couldn't take it anymore; it was time to use Legilimency. His father always told him, when people weren't being cooperative, he would leak into their mind to find the most horrific event of their lives and make them relive it. So the Mudblood claims to owe him nothing, well, he will just have to teach her a lesson. He glared at her and thought the word, 'Legilimens'
It took him close to no time to find a memory.
"How could you?" shrieked Hermione, the tears spilling down her face. "How could you do this to me, to us?"
Ron who looked the least bit sorry just shrugged, "Listen, Hermione I...I'm sorry you had to find out this way, but I...I'm not in love with you anymore"
"How dare you say what you and Lavender have is real love,"
"Well, we had sex didn't we? I mean, you sure didn't want-"
Awestruck, Hermione stepped backward, "Don't you DARE pin this one me! You said it wasn't important to you that waiting wasn't a big deal that-" she broke off in a sob.
"Well obviously I lied, didn't I?" Ron sneered, "I mean what bloke would ever want to have a girlfriend that won't sleep with him? He's got to be bloody barking!"
*SLAP*
*SMACK*
Instantly he felt a sharp sting his right cheek. Draco glared at the tear-stained face of his perpetrator as he put his hand to his face and rubbed it. 'So the Mudblood's a virgin...' he thought, as he gave her an unpleasant sneer. The knowledge of knowing she was pure made him even more uneasy.
"How dare you!" shrieked Hermione, as she tried with all her might to hold back the tears.
Draco's lips twitched into a sinister grin, "Please, you can't possibly be upset about that. You have no one to blame but yourself, how else was he supposed to act?"
"Don't you dare judge me on morals, Malfoy!" she spat. Both of them were completely unaware that the class was watching them.
"You must feel so ugly..." Draco said with a sneer, completely unfazed of her falling tears. "Even that blood-traitor Weasley doesn't want to taint himself with-"
"Oh go to hell!" Hermione choked through the tears of shame and embarrassment of Malfoy knowing the exact thing she avoided in telling him. She then stormed out of the classroom, leaving her books and things behind.
"Detention Mister Malfoy!" snapped Slughorn as he waddled over to their desk, "Never...and I mean never have I saw such despicable animosity from my House and from a Prefect of all people! I suppose..." he trailed off as he waved his wand over Draco's cauldron where the potion vanished from view. "A zero for today's lesson will do. Also, I feel you should write me an essay on all Everlasting Elixirs and their uses by next class! Off you go now, class is over for you"
Draco cussed under his breath, and clenched his hands. Damn that Mudblood, she cost him not only to lose his patience, but a dint in his perfect record! He looked up to see everyone glaring at him, except for Blaise who seemed rather pleased of the ordeal.
Frustrated, that he might have just cost himself the game, Draco gathered his things and stalked out of the room without a backward glance.
Hermione found herself back in the Gryffindor Common Room, darted up the stairs and right into her Head Girl bedroom. She slammed the door and shrilled out a frustrated scream. How dare he? How dare he?! So Malfoy knew Legilimency and used it on her because she had the gall to deny him what he wanted.
She took several strong breaths, as the tears threatened to fall. Sure Malfoy had only saw the beginning of the fight, but it was just enough for him to know what happened with her and Ron. The perfect leverage Malfoy spent no time in using against her in the most uncaring way ever! Her stomach churned and her chest seized as the sad realization of feeling undesirable and unwanted resurfaced.
"Curse you, Malfoy" she groaned through heavy breaths, "I hate you! I freaking hate you!" hot tears poured down her face as the ache in her chest sharpened. She stormed over to her bed and chucked her pillow off to the side of the room, knocking down a few lamps and books to the ground.
A sharp knock came to her door, but Hermione just chucked a pillow at the door, "Go away!" She was not in the mood to talk to anyone.
Crookshanks hopped down from his dresser and landed right in front of her, meowing.
"Oh, Crookshanks..." Hermione said trying to calm her frustration, "Sorry for yelling sweetie, mummy's just a little...annoyed at the moment."
The knocking continued and Hermione huffed a breath, glaring at her closed door. "I said LEAVE ME ALONE" her throat burned as she shouted. She clasped a hand on her neck and whimpered. 'Damn,'
"Yell at me all you want, I'm not going anywhere!" barked the voice of Ginny as she continued on pounding the door.
Crookshanks slinked his tail around and around then turned his attention to Hermione. She gave him a frown and scratched under his chin, "I guess I have no choice huh?" she mumbled as she moved the ginger cat to the side and then wiped her face of tears and opened the door.
The look on Ginny's face was complete horror. Hermione shook her head and sighed, "Okay, I'm here..." she tried her best to keep calm.
Ginny immediately threw all annoyance out the window and embraced her friend into a tight hug, "Oh gosh, Hermione..." Hermione sniffed roughly, into Ginny's shoulder, as she began to stroke the mane of brown hair, "Who did this to you? Was it Ron? Cause I swear I will-"
"No!" she muttered through Ginny's robes, "Malfoy he-"
Ginny rolled her eyes, "Oh Merlin, not again. Hermione, I thought that when he called you a, you-know-what, that it didn't bother you? That it was just him being pathetic and unoriginal and-"
"No! It's not like that, Malfoy..." she shook her head and groaned. Ginny grabbed her friend's shoulders and pushed her away. Hermione's face was all wet and flushed from the tears shed out of her frustration.
"What did Malfoy do, Hermione?" Ginny wiped the tears away with her thumbs.
"He..." she felt her stomach churn, feeling sick. "Malfoy used Legilimency on me, and..." she shrugged and laughed bitterly, "He saw the fight!"
Ginny's eyes shot wide, "He what? That cannot be allowed! Hermione, you should tell McGonagall!"
Hermione scoffed, "Yes that would be ideal, but for what really? What good would come out of it?"
Ginny looked ready to kill, "Hermione, you can't just let him do that and get away with it!"
Hermione shook her head, "Perhaps, but-"
"But then he could be expelled! Hermione, he invaded your privacy! That's grounds for dismissal, you know that right? Using a spell like that on another student is not tolerated here! I say you tell on him, and you'll never have to worry about him tormenting you ever again! It's what that wad of dragon dung deserves!"
Hermione chuckled, "Wad of dragon dung? That's a new one!"
"YES he is! Now, let's go report him, come on." Ginny took Hermione by the hand, "I'll go with you! But first, you need to clean yourself up cause you look like a terrible mess"
Hermione took a deep breath and sighed, "Thanks Ginny."
Ginny patted Hermione on the back, "Anytime Mione,"
E/N: I know..I know.. shame on Draco! but fear not folks, it has to get rough before it gets good! And it will, just be patient :)