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New chapter! Sorry it was so long coming, hope you all enjoy it. Please read and review!
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Broken Wings - Chapter 3.
Hermione sat rigid in the chair in front of Dumbledore's desk. She glanced to her left and saw Snape, McGonagall, Professor Sinistra and Professor Sprout were seated in chairs looking solemnly at her. She gulped and faced Dumbledore across his large curved desk. His long, spindly fingers were laced gravely together, he looked at Hermione over his half-moon glasses. She stiffened as his penetrating gaze hit her.
"Hermione. Are you ready to talk about this?" He asked her quietly. She nodded slightly, and took a shaky breath.
"Okay."
"Good." He opened a drawer on his desk and placed a small clear glass dome on the table, it had a pale mist in the centre, not unlike a remembrall. Hermione looked at it quizzically,
"This is a veracity ball, Hermione. It will change colours if you get confused through your explanation." Hermione frowned.
"So, its too see if I'm lying!" Dumbledore shook his head.
"No, it's simply there to ensure we get the accurate story. Are you alright with that Hermione? No one is doubting you in anyway it is merely precaution and used in lots of other issues that have two sides." Hermione glanced at the swirling mists and shrugged, she was telling the truth anyway, why should it matter.
"I'm ready." Dumbledore nodded again.
"Hermione, could you lead me through what happened the night you attended the Yule Ball?" Hermione shifted a little, then spoke in a slightly wavering voice.
"Well at about five o' clock I was all set to meet him... Justin. It was our year anniversary, anyway I went down to the big tree by the lake where we planned to meet, and Justin broke up with me." She looked up, and Dumbledore nodded encouragingly at her.
"Uh, well I was really upset and went and sat on my own in the rose bushes, Ron found me after a few minutes, and he took me to get cleaned up. He offered to take me to the ball since I didn't have a partner anymore. So I went to my room and me and Lavender got ready together, and then went down to the hall with Harry and Ron. I was just dancing and stuff when Justin came up and said he wanted to speak to me."
"Did he say what about?" Dumbledore asked.
"No, well he said 'us', Harry came over but I said it was fine and agreed to go and speak to him. He took me outside and started leading me towards the tree. I got kind of angry, because I thought he was being insensitive bringing me back there again. He got me to sit down and said he would take me back."
She stopped breathing hard, her face pale. Her eyes flicked wildly around and towards the door behind which she knew Harry and Ron were waiting for her. Dumbledore watched her patiently. Swallowing she continued,
"I said that I didn't want to get back together, and he got angry." Dumbledore regarded her with his dazzling eyes.
"Why did you not want to get back together?"
"Because, I told him that I didn't want to be with someone who would hurt my feelings. He... he said some horrible things about me and Harry and Ron " Hermione paused a tear escaping her brimming eyes and falling to the floor.
"What things?" Dumbledore inquired,
"Nothing really." Hermione said quietly, Dumbledore looked at the veracity ball the mists had turned into a deep amethyst colour.
"Sorry Hermione, but I have to get the full story. The veracity suggests you are holding back..." Hermione looked at the glass dome and sighed, swallowing she continued,
"He said that I lead them all on, and that I couldn't have everything my way. That I played games with my best friends and him... Then he kissed me, and I tried to push him off, but he was stronger than me and..." She continued her voice choked with sobs. "He was touching me and I couldn't get him off... he tried to push my dress up and I kneed him." She looked at Dumbledore tears pouring silently down her face, pleading silently to go. He looked sympathetic but leant forward,
"What happened next? How did you hurt your head?"
"He didn't hit me or anything... I tried to run and he grabbed my ankle, it made me hit my head on the trunk. Then he let go of my ankle and I blacked out." Dumbledore nodded.
"Thank you Hermione. You have been very brave. Justin will obviously not be allowed to return to Hogwarts. Madame Pomfrey wants to give you a last check over, then as you've probably realised, nearly everyone has gone home for Christmas, however you are free to make the most of the rest of your Christmas Holiday here as planned if you wish." Hermione tried to smile gratefully,
"If you need anything else do not hesitate to come to me." Dumbledore said as she got up shakily from her chair. He waved his wand at the door and Harry and Ron collapsed into the room, the rushed to Hermione's side and each grabbed an arm each. Dumbledore picked up the veracity ball which had returned to the original pale mist and put it back into the drawer. He smiled at the two boys,
"You are very lucky to have good friends like these two, Hermione." Hermione nodded seriously, guilt surging through her.
"I know." She turned to leave then spun round, "Uh, Professor."
"Yes?"
"Could, uh...could you please keep what I told you private?" He nodded his eyes sweeping the four heads of houses, who all followed suit nodding earnestly
"Thank you." Hermione said turning and heading down the stairs.
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Ron glanced across at Harry who shrugged at him and dashed after Hermione who had ripped her arms from their grasps and pelted up the stairs towards the common room. Ron chased after them, and came crashing into Harry at the painting of the Fat Lady. Wheezing he saw the painting snap shut and the Fat Lady glare at the two panting boys irately.
"Why on earth can't you students learn to be courteous? It is extremely rude to slam a door on someone; maybe you should tell your friend that." She said haughtily, looking down her nose at them.
"Oh shut up." Ron gasped angrily.
"Dolce Cherub" Harry said stoutly. The painting tutted loudly and swung forward muttering crossly about disrespect and lack of manners. Harry and Ron surged through the opening and came to a halt in the dimly lit common room.
"Where is she?" Ron asked looking around; the common room was empty apart from a pair of second year boys playing exploding snap in the corner. Harry turned to them.
"Did you see a girl come in here?" The smaller boy looked up,
"Yes, she ran up there." He said gesturing to the girls' dormitory, and after regarding Harry for a second he returned his gaze to the cards. Harry turned to Ron,
"Do you reckon she wants to be alone?" Ron shrugged,
"I dunno." They stood still for a moment in silence then Harry set off towards the staircase.
"I'm going up there."
"I'm coming." Ron started after him, Harry swung round, trying desperately to think of an excuse for Ron not to follow but unable to find one he nodded and headed towards Hermione's room.
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Curled up on her bed tears pouring down her face Hermione's mind whirled, it repeated Justin's words, and reminded her how powerless she was when he had pinned her down, and over the top of it all her feelings for Harry and Ron battled. She kept having flashbacks of the beautiful moments they had all shared as a trio, and the private times she had spent alone with each of them. The year Harry had taken her to the Ball, the perfect dances she shared with both of them, the evening when Ron found her in the rose bushes. They were endless and the memories kept replaying in her mind, becoming more painful each time. Think Hermione told herself, you just need to think, you can't have these feelings for both of them it's completely - a hammering on the door interrupted her thoughts.
"'Mione?" It was Harry.
"Hermione! Let us in!" Ron was there too, Hermione sighed and directed her wand at the door mumbling the unlocking charm and watched the two boys stumble into the room.
Ron started towards her side but Harry had got there first and thrown his arm around her shoulder, Ron watched as she collapsed against Harry in deep sobs. Frowning slightly he moved to the bed and sat on the edge waiting for her tears to stop. After a long few minutes Hermione drew back from Harry wiping her eyes.
"Feel any better?" Harry asked quietly. Hermione sniffed, shrugging.
"Not really, but thanks anyway." She smiled weakly and stood up. Ron and Harry jumped to their feet,
"Where are you going?" Ron asked grabbing her arm.
"I'm going to have a bath - "
"We'll walk you down." Harry said taking her other arm.
"NO!" Hermione wrenched free, "I mean - don't bother. I... I think I kind of need to be alone."
Harry's eyebrows knitted together,
"I don't know Hermione..." She shook her head, and retorted irritably;
"I just want to forget about it all now. I want to go back to normal." Ron glanced at Harry who raised his eyebrows and opened his mouth to object.
"I'll find you two tomorrow." Hermione snapped and pushed past the two puzzled boys. She fled down the stairs leaving her tears to flow freely down her cheeks. She didn't stop running until she reached the prefects bathroom, pulling out her wand she muttered,
"Lemon fresh." shot through the door, and slammed and locked it behind her. Taking a shaky breath, she walked to the edge of the large bathtub and distantly turned various taps on, not paying much attention to what poured out of them. Stripping her clothes off she sunk into the deep, fragrant bath and closed her eyes.
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Laying back amongst the bubbles Hermione felt her head clear. "Shit. I am not doing myself any favours, I lead my best friends on, and then when they try to help me I bite their heads off. I am a bitch." She thought angrily to herself, but even though the dull aching pang she had felt since Justin had hissed those words about Harry and Ron at her remained present, the stabbing pain of the attempted rape had somewhat lifted. Hermione sighed, at least she had a closure of some sense on that, Justin had been expelled. Her mind which since waking in the hospital wing had been buzzing with thoughts was becoming clearer. She had nearly been raped. Justin's reasoning had been that she played games with him, Harry and Ron. Her eyebrows knitting she thought hard about Harry and Ron. She had known them for over half a decade. She could trust them with anything, and she knew that they would do anything they could to protect her as she would for them. Hermione knew that she had had crushes on both of the boys at some points in their friendship, she loved both of them like brothers but felt herself constantly remembering special moments between herself and either Ron or Harry. I don't know what to do... I need to work out how they feel about me. I - She was interrupted mid thought by a loud banging on the door.
"Who's in there?" A loud voice yelled. Hermione ignored it and slid further into the water, however the hammering continued. Angrily she rose dripping scented bubbles and grabbed a giant fluffy white towel and wrapping it around her she opened the door a crack.
"Can I help?" She asked sarcastically eyeing the boy in front of her distastefully. Draco Malfoy sneered at her,
"I need to shower."
"Tough. I'm taking a bath sorry." She said flippantly, turning to close the door. Angrily he jammed his foot in,
"You've been in there for ages Granger, I need a quick shower!" Hermione shrugged,
"So? Take a shower in the Slytherin bathroom." She suggested. Draco shook his head impatiently.
"It's full. Come on Granger just let me have a quick shower, I've just been training." Groaning irritably, Hermione pulled open the door wide enough for Draco to slip in, a group of Seventh Year Ravenclaws catching sight of her in the towel through the crack in the door, wolf whistled. Rolling her eyes she slammed the door, and jerked her head towards the shower room.
"Okay, knock before you come back in here Malfoy, unless you want me to hex your manhood." Draco lips twitched into a smile but it morphed into a smirk so quickly Hermione wondered whether she had seen it.
"Whatever Granger. You might want to work on a hex of some sort to cover up your womanhood." He said his gaze flitting downwards for a mere second before he turned on his heel and marched into the adjoining shower room. Hermione frowned then glanced down.
"Oh shit." Her towel had fallen down and her chest was nearly visible. Annoyed that Malfoy had managed to retort to her comment, she dropped the towel and got back into the bath. Leaning back to contemplate the relationships between her and her two best friends.
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