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Courage to Find the Strength

Chapter 17

"What's with you today, Malfoy?" Pansy plopped herself down next to him on the couch in the Slytherin common room.

"None of your business," he coldly replied, being careful that no part of her actually touched him. Yet, despite his obvious discomfort with her presence, she leaned in seductively anyway.

"Well, whatever it is, maybe I can make it all better?" she crooned, letting her hand rest dangerously high on his thigh.

He gripped her hand and returned it to its owner. "OW! What the hell was that for?" she cried, rubbing the injured appendage.

"What do you really want, Parkinson?" he asked, sounding annoyed.

"Me and the rest of your housemates have noticed how strange you've been acting all week. You know you're not yourself. I didn't think it possible, but you're even more moody now than you ever were. Isn't that right, guys?" Crabbe and Goyle vigorously nodded. The two henchmen were looking and feeling much better now that they were allowed to associate with their leader again.

"What's it to you what mood I'm in?" he snarled.

"Touchy-touchy. And you certainly ARE being evasive. You know, I half expected you to thank me for getting rid of that Gryffindor bitch for you," she huffily pouted. She was so busy cracking her bubblegum and absorbed with herself, that she missed the violent way his head jerked towards her. Crabbe and Goyle would later swear on their lives that his eyes actually glowed red.

"Repeat that one more time for me." If she'd had any extinct of self- preservation, she would have heard the deadly undertones in his voice. As it was, even Crabbe and Goyle tensed and began scouting exits.

"Yeah, it was pretty easy to accomplish just like he said it would be. God! Did you see her when she came back all pale and uggh! It was too perfect!!" Pansy clapped her hands and looked around. "Hey, where'd Crabbe and Goyle go?"

Unnoticed by Pansy's prattling, the two goons had high-tailed it out of the dungeons having seen the ever-increasing glower of their ringleader. Pansy gulped hard and almost in slow motion turned to stare at Draco. "EEEEEEEEEP!" she squealed. "Please don't kill me! Please don't kill me! Hey, somebody help me!" But no one in the room dared move a muscle. For most, the memories of what had happened last semester were all too fresh.

"Pansy, my dearest housemate, if you value your own miserable life, you will tell me who put you up to writing that letter." He slowly brought his wand up to her face. She had scooted so far back on the couch, she'd pinned herself.

Realizing her terrible slip-up, Pansy started groveling. "Anything, baby. Anything! Just put the wand down, okay? I'll tell you whatever you want to know. Just don't hurt me! Please!"

"You WILL tell me what I want to know, and we'll see what happens from there." The wand was pressing into her forehead, slowly grinding deeper. Pansy's eyes were as round as saucers. She scrambled in her robes for her own wand, but Draco's other hand caught hers in a crushing grip.

"Ah! Ah! What do you want to know?!"

"Who. Set. You. Up?" he emphasized each word so that her small little brain would have no problems processing his request.

"Draco, he's going to kill me if I tell you!" she whined, tears of panic falling down her cheeks.

Malfoy growled and ground the wand deeper.

"OWWWWWWWWWWW! Oh my God! Okay, it was Lucius Malfoy! It was your own damn father!"

"What else?" he snarled.

"Oh, this fucking hurts! He paid me in gold Galleons to magically forge a love letter in Hermione's handwriting from her to Ron. I delivered it by owl post. Oh, fuck! Please, stop! He said you'd be out on the town and me, Crabbe, and Goyle were to tail the little bitch.. ARRRGGH.I mean Hermione, and to find out where you were going and to make sure you were in the right spot at the right time. But, you showed up at the coffeehouse right as I got back from the park, and the rest just happened. Please, Draco, please stop. Please."

Draco sat back and pulled the wand away. From her forehead a thin trickle of blood dripped down the sides of her twitching face. She stared at him in terror for a moment before bolting from the room. He looked around the room at the stunned spectators.

"Anyone else have something to add?" In a flash, they were all very busy with other things.

***

Draco caught up to Hermione in the hallway the next day.

"'Mione, I know you're still mad, but I wanted to tell you something I think you'd be interested in knowing."

"What's that?" she growled.

"Pansy's the one who wrote that letter. My father made her do it."

He smirked as she tensed and nodded. No further acknowledgement was needed as he sat back to watch the fireworks. Down the hall, Pansy was fumbling with a hand mirror, trying to adjust her new bangs to hide the wound on her forehead.

"Hey, 'Mione, where're you going?" Ron called after her as she burst angrily through a crowd of people. In total shock, he watched Hermione grab the back of Pansy's hair and throw her to the ground, skidding a few feet.

"YOU BITCH!" Hermione screamed. She went to reach for her wand, but decided an old fashion ass whooping would be far more satisfying. This was the first time she'd ever gotten in a knockdown drag out fistfight with another girl, and she suddenly understood why Harry had snapped. Wailing on Slytherins felt way too good! "Get Up!"

Pansy staggered to her feet and pulled out her wand, which Hermione swiftly kicked out of her hand. The two girls stared at each other with souls full of hate before they leapt at each other, hands full of the other's hair and became one snarling, swirling mass of robes, tresses, and flailing arms and legs. It took the might of Hagrid to separate the two. Professor McGonagal came rushing out of her classroom to see what all the commotion was about just in time to see Hagrid struggling to keep the two wildcats apart.

"Pansy Parkinson! Hermione Granger! Stop this at once! What on earth has gotten into the lot of you this semester!"

"I'm not done with you, bitch." Pansy hissed.

"Whenever, you obnoxious slut." Hermione retorted, still struggling in Hagrid's strong grasp.

Ron's jaw was still on the floor when Draco strolled by, hands lazily shoved in his robes, and a satisfied smirk firmly set on his gloating face.

***

That evening Hermione and Harry were freezing outside shoveling manure from behind the various stables into an even larger pile of compost. Hagrid was off feeding and tending to the animals.

"Can't.see..why..we.don't..just.use.magic," Hermione's teeth chattered.

"Because.it.wouldn't.be.a.punish.ment.then," Harry responded, desperately trying to retain heat. He slapped his arms to try to regain feeling. "So, you really pounded Pansy one?"

"Yeah," she grinned. "Felt good."

"Have you've spent any more time with Malfoy?"

"No, I'm too angry. It's funny. I never knew I was this mad at him until I confronted him in the forest. All this rage just poured out, and now I can't stand even looking at him. It's like all I want to do is just bash his stupid face in."

"So, you're still in love with him, huh?"

"Damn it, Harry! Did I say that? Did those words come out of my mouth?" she cried.

"No, but you can't fool me, 'Mione. I told you. I know you better than anyone else in the world. You love him, and you know it."

"I'm SO confused, Harry. I don't know what to think anymore," she forlornly answered.

"You'll figure it out," he said, knowingly.

"Why do you want me to reconcile with Malfoy so badly?"

"Because I think you're lost without each other. I used to be as disgusted as Ron was at the idea, but you're a completely different person when you're in love. It's amazing! You glow! Now don't glare at me. You know how much I care about you even when you're not all lovey-dovey inside." He dodged the snowball, briefly wondering if he really wanted to know what was inside the projectile. "As for him, there's something about you that makes him turn good. And if what we suspect about the Death Eaters is true, we're going to need all the allies we can get."

"Harry, I'm not going to prostitute myself just so Malfoy will help us out," she felt insulted.

"You know what I'm trying to say. Malfoy's just as in love with you or else he wouldn't have gotten so upset. Do you think that he would have wigged out like he did if he weren't really, really jealous?"

Hermione sighed deeply. "That's what I tried telling myself when all this first happened. One thing, I thought you hated Malfoy?"

"He's an obnoxious prick, but other than that he's okay."

Hermione laughed so hard she brought tears to her eyes. "Just okay?"

"You can't argue he's an outstanding wizard, and he's an amazing Seeker. If he'd just get over himself and put aside all that rot his father's been filling him with, he might turn out fine."

"So you think I should give him another chance?"

"I think you both owe it to yourselves to find out what's going on between you."

"And it can't hurt learning about the Death Eaters either," she sounded convinced.

Harry was pleased their talk had gone so well because he was secretly desperately worried about the oncoming assault of the Dark Lord's. Malfoy really was their only chance, but if he dared hurt Hermione again.. Harry's hand closed on his wand tightly. However, he shook it off when he heard Hermione start to whistle, happy once again.