The day started out pretty nicely for Hermione. She had woken up to breaking dawn, and the view out her window was beautiful, beams of pale light climbing higher and higher amidst blue-grey clouds. After pulling on her robes, roughly combing through her unruly curls, and dashing on some lip gloss, Hermione exited her room to find the common room empty and Malfoy's door still shut. He should wake up earlier. They would have to see McGonagall soon. Hermione had half a mind to barge into his room and pull him out of bed, but she quickly brushed this incredulous thought away. Briskly, she pushed open the portrait and went down to the Great Hall for breakfast. "'Mione!" She smiled as she saw the redhead waving toward her from his place at the Gryffindor table.
"You're early today," she said to him as she approached.
"Of course," he pulled her into a rib-cracking hug, "Got to be prepared for my girl, ain't I?" Hermione blushed. After the kiss they had shared during the war and the feelings they had admitted to each other afterward, they had been inseparable. Or, at least, for the first few months. Now, she didn't know what to make of their relationship.
"I can't believe Malfoy is Head Boy," Ron said immediately after he broke their hug, "Bloody hell, 'Mione, he must be terrible."
"Yeah..." was all Hermione could only reply. Really, now that she thought back on it, Malfoy hadn't spit a single curse at her the day before.
Then, her thoughts were interrupted by Lavender's loud screechy voice.
"Is anyone sitting here?"
Before anyone could speak, she had squeezed herself between Hermione and Ron.
"Hi Hermione," Lavender fluttered her heavily mascaraed eyes before immediately turning on Ron, pushing her barely covered chest at him.
"Won-won, I'm having trouble with the Patronus Charm. Could you, possibly, tutor me a little after Defense Against the Dark Arts class later?" Her voice was sticky with honey, and Hermione fought the urge to just push her off the bench. She shot a look at Ron, signaling him to tell her to leave, but was surprised when she saw his eyes fixed dreamily on Lavender.
"Yeah, well, sure." Was all Hermione heard when she abruptly stood up from the bench, her toast uneaten, and rushed out of the Great Hall.
Her mind blank except for the scene she had just witnessed, Hermione did not register when her head came barreling into a soft but firm object. Her books clattered to the floor, some hitting her legs painfully as they went down.
"Careful, Granger." That familiar drawl. She had run into Draco Malfoy's chest. She saw him staring at her through those cold grey eyes. Hermione felt her breath
hitch up in her dry throat. Behind him, she could see his Slytherin cronies. Pansy Parkinson was there, hanging off Malfoy's arm. Her eyes were still full of malice and glee, but she hadn't made a move to kick at Hermione. After the war, the Slytherin gang had toned down quite a bit from what they had been before.
"Could you get off me now?" The pale lips of the boy in front moved, and Hermione quickly fell back. Then, as if registering the tears in her eyes, he opened his mouth again, seemingly to ask, but Hermione had already finished gathering her books and rushed past him and his guffawing friends.
After the meeting with McGonagall that morning, in which Hermione had not been able to process a single word, she went down to her first class of Defense Against the Dark Arts. Her gaze fell on the redhead at the back of the classroom, his hands moving animatedly, and his back turned to talk to someone. Harry, probably, she thought. Then she added to herself: Ron is just a kind guy who wants to help everyone. Yes, that must be it.
"Ron," she said loudly as she reached him, "Are you really going to teach Lavender the Patronus charm later? You know how I feel about that."
Then, she saw who he was talking to.
"Hey Hermione," Lavender smiled sweetly up at her, "What were you saying again? We didn't quite catch that."
Ron looked very guilty, his eyes darting around the room.
"Naw, Hermione. She's just a friend. You know how it is. I'm just helping a classmate." Then, as if mustering up all his courage, he straightened up to meet her eyes. "In fact, I don't see why you have to make such a huge deal."
"I see," was all she could manage before turning her back on the two and marching away. She could feel the sea in her ears, waves crashing against her whole body, and water threatening to seep through her closed lids. "I'll see you around then."
She looked around for an empty seat and spotted Harry sitting near the window. But as she started to walk toward him, she saw that the spot beside him was taken. Ginny, of course. How could she have forgotten?
Hermione surveyed the room through watery eyes. Every seat seemed to have been taken. All except the one beside Draco Malfoy. She was taken aback, he was always surrounded by his Slytherin friends. Although he had a bad reputation, he was still one of the most popular people at Hogwarts. Looks really could win people over. The bell rang, shaking her from her wandering thoughts, and had her trudging reluctantly over to his table.
"Could I sit here?" She asked, gritting her teeth.
"No." Came the aloof response. Hermione sat down.
"Can't you stay with the Weasel, for god's sake?" Malfoy put down his book. Hermione ignored him. Malfoy sighed then, not putting up a fight, and continued reading. Again, Hermione was surprised. From what she had known of Malfoy, he was sure to have started a fight right then and there. But apparently, he had changed, and quite a lot at that. DADA class went dragged on, with all that Hermione could hear being the small chuckle and light, breathy laughter from the back of the classroom. She glowered down at her book.
The bell finally rang, and Hermione bolted for the door, not sparing a single glance in the direction of her boyfriend and Lavender. She might have also accidentally knocked over Malfoy's propped bag as she left, as she could hear an annoyed grunt coming from the latter.
Back in the Head's rooms, Hermione let out a loud breath. She would start homework and find Ron later. They would talk it out together. Ron would listen to her. She was sure of it. She fumbled around her bag for the DADA homework the professor had set for them but came up with nothing but a crumpled piece of parchment with her scribbled notes.
Groaning, she felt back on the bean bag couch. It had taken her nearly twenty minutes to get from the classroom back to her dorm, and she didn't want to take the trip again. But, again, the undone homework nagged at her mind, and she stood up. She couldn't waste precious time now being mindless over other unimportant things. She had to focus on the work she was set with. There were still three full hours until lunch in which she had no classes, and she really could take the time to get some valuable work done. Pushing open the portrait hole, she headed back to the classroom.
Even before she reached the classroom door, she heard it. Moans. And the sloppy sounds of bad kissing. "Please..." she whispered to herself, "Don't..." Don't what? Her brain wondered, please don't let it be Ron? Please. Stop kidding yourself.
Yes, she knew — a clear as day, unmistakably — it was Ron and Lavender. But, and she hated herself for feeling that way, she still had hope. Maybe it was someone else. She had to make sure. With trembling fingers, she turned the doorknob and pushed it open silently.
Pale fingers running through a mop of flaming red hair, Ron's unmistakable grunt, and Lavender's giggles and screams. The door was now wide open as she took in the scene before her. Clothes were strewn all over the marble floor, and the two were locked in a passionate embrace. "Ron..."Hermione's voice shook with uncontrollable anger, but more with crushing sadness and disappointment. "What have you done..."
"Hermione!" Ron turned so fast that he almost got whiplashed. Hermione nearly hoped he would. "Let me explain..." His voice trailed off near the end as if knowing there was no going back.
And for the second time that day, Hermione fled.
