AN: This chapter contains heavy cursing, physical violence (harsh wrist grabbing/smacking), verbal abuse. Most importantly there is a situation that can be construed as sexual violence and (Hermione definitely reacts in a manner that suggests that is how she was beginning to interpret the situation)

I promise this chapter is not as dark as the trigger warnings suggest (it's definitely angsty though) but I do want to be a responsible author and make sure that my readers are provided with as much warning as possible without giving the whole chapter away. I'd rather over warn you all (if that is a thing).

If you are a reader that is triggered by the above and would not like to read anything relating to the above but would still like to read my fic I can happily provide you with a summary of this chapter via private message.

Chapter 5

Hermione had never felt more mortified in her entire life.

She stood in the middle of the bathroom, wrapped in nothing but a towel glaring at the insufferable prat standing across her.

"Well!" She huffed. Seeing him smirk down at her was making her blood boil.

He laughed.

He actually had the audacity to fucking laugh.

That's it.

She didn't usually promote violence but Hermione remembered how satisfying it had been to punch Malfoy back in third year and she wanted to feel that again. She wanted to punch that infuriating smirk that was plastered on his face.

She stomped towards him, hand raising as she got closer, ready to strike him.

The laughter died immediately. His eyes grew cold and before she knew what was happening he had grabbed her wrist and whipped her around until she felt herself hit the wall. It all happened so quickly. She stared up at him, disoriented.

He was close. So close to her.

The force of the action had dropped her towel.

She was standing there, naked, Malfoy's hand wrapped tightly around her wrist, eyes full of wrath.

"Don't ever raise your hands at me again you filthy little Mudblood." He spat at her.

Hermione was frozen. She couldn't breathe. She could feel the cold air hit her naked body but she felt inexplicably hot.

He was so close. And she was naked. And she was wet. And he was so close.

A wave of panic washed over her. Every nerve in her body alert.

"Let go of me." She said. She meant for it to come out strong and confident but her voice was too low.

"No." He grabbed her other wrist before she even saw his hand move and he pinned both her arms above her head, the motion making her breasts stand at attention. Her head rushed with a million thoughts. All too fast.

"Ma-ma-" She started to whimper. She was terrified.

Malfoy stared her down. His face inches away. His eyes showed know emotion. Dead.

She could smell him, he was so close. She could feel tears begin to form, her eyes were getting cloudy. She didn't want to cry, especially not in front of him. She didn't want him to see her scared. Scared of him. But she couldn't help it. She felt the knot in her throat.

And just as quickly as he had grabbed her, he let her go. He turned around and grabbed the towel from the floor and threw it at her. Hermione still couldn't move. The towel bounced off her body and hit the floor, pooling around her feet.

Malfoy turned around, giving her his back.

"Fucking relax." His voice came out strained. "I'm a lot of things Granger, but I'm not a rapist."

Hermione took deep breaths. She wasn't going to cry. She refused to cry. She would not give him that satisfaction.

Her mind was racing, trying to figure out what the fuck had just happened.

She shakily reached below her to grab the towel, eyes never leaving Malfoy. Terror and anger mixing and become something she couldn't describe.

She wrapped the towel around her body once more. They both stood in silence for a minute.

"So it's okay for you too spy on me but flip the tables and I'm the fucking pervert." He spat. He was still facing away from her.

Hermione still couldn't find her voice.

They both breathed deeply.

Hermione kept staring at Malfoy's back. He had grown over the summer. He was taller. His body, although still lean, had muscle. She could see them under his thin white shirt. He seemed to be wearing pajama bottoms as well. Had he not been able to sleep either? Is that why he had come harass her? Why? Why her? There were plenty of other Muggle-born witches at Hogwarts? Why her?

Why?

Why?

Why?

The question was like a bucket of ice water to the face.

"Turn and look me in the eye Malfoy." Hermione heard herself say. It did not sound like her. It was like she had become two different people. The girl who had spoke scared her. Her voice came out like daggers ready to cut down anything and anyone who stood in the way.

Malfoy didn't move.

"Turn and fucking look at me." The voice that was hers but wasn't hers said.

Still, Malfoy didn't move.

"Turn the fuck around and fucking look at me you little piece of shit." She shrieked.

Slowly, Malfoy began to turn until he faced her, but his eyes were staring at the wall behind her.

"Look me in the fucking eye and tell me what the fuck was that."

Nothing.

"Malfoy look me in the fucking eye you fucking waste of space."

Cold grey eyes met chocolate brown.

For a brief moment, so brief she was sure she had imagined it, she saw shame reflected in his stare. And then it was gone.

"Don't flatter yourself Granger." He said, sounding almost bored. Almost. But his voice was too strained, too shaky. He couldn't hold her gaze.

"Don't…don't flatter…" If Hermione had been in shock a couple of minutes prior, that had definitely brought her back to reality. And she was livid.

"How fucking dare you!" She screamed. "How fucking dare you, you coward!"

"I said fucking look at me!" She yelled so loud it made Malfoy jump a bit. His eyes found hers once more. "Yes, yes I saw you and Pansy, yes I stared and you know what else, fuck it, yes it turned me on, but you were in a PUBLIC hallway. PUBLIC MALFOY! FUCKING PUBLIC HALLWAY!" Hermione's voice was so loud and shrill she was sure someone outside was going to be able to hear her despite the magic surrounding the room.

"I WAS IN A PRIVATE. DO YOU EVEN KNOW WHAT THE FUCK THAT MEANS? FUCKING PRIVATE! PRIVATE ROOM." She was so mad she couldn't even see straight anymore.

"THEN NOT ONLY DO YOU INSULT ME YOU." Hermione had begun smacking his chest, her fury was too much, she couldn't contain it, she needed an outlet and hitting him in the chest was proving to be a great one. "FUCKING" hit. "ATTACK" hit. "ME!" hit. Hit. Hit.

"HOW! HOW IS THAT EVEN FUCKING CLOSE TO THE SAME THING!" She was smacking him all over now. His chest. His arms. His stomach. His face. Wherever her arms could reach. She kept smacking him until she started losing steam.

Her breath was ragged. She kept smacking him until she couldn't anymore. Until she physically could not life her arms anymore.

She took a step back and stared at him. He was looking at the wall behind her, eyes dead of all emotion.

As she tried to control her breathing, she slowly realized that he hadn't stopped her once. He let her hit him again and again. Despite what he had said earlier, he just stood there and took it.

He didn't flinch or try to back away. He didn't grab her wrists again. He had just stood there, motionless, staring at the wall behind her.

Hermione was still breathing hard.

"Are you done?" He said robotically. She continued to huff.

He bent down in front of her to grab her towel because once again it had fallen off her body. She had been to enraged to even notice. He held it out this time. He held it out to her. His eyes were still glued to the wall behind her.

She grabbed the towel and wrapped it around her self for the third time.

Only when she was covered did he turn to look at her.

Their eyes met.

Anger.

Terror.

Grief.

Confusion.

Dead.

It was all too fast. It was too much.

Hermione looked away.

She could feel Malfoy next to her. She began taking deep breaths.

She heard Malfoy leave and close the door behind her.

She could hear his distant footsteps as the echoed of the empty prefect's restroom.

She counted to ten slowly.

That should be enough time for him to have exited the bathroom.

10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.

And then she broke down.

Why?