CHAPTER 2~ I Hate You
DRACO'S POV~
I packed my trunk. All of my clothes, my wand, and most importantly my dagger. I couldn't take him anymore. I threw floo powder in the fireplace and yelled, "Leaky Cauldron!" I watched as fireplace after fireplace went spinning by. Finally my feet hit the ground and I was standing inside the Leaky Cauldron.
"Ah, Mr. Malfoy, what are you doing here at this time?" Tom asked me.
"Tom, do you have a room for me to stay in for the rest of the summer?"
"Room thirteen is available," he informed me.
"Thanks. How much will that be?"
"I'll give you a discount because you are still young. It'll be 100 galleons."
"Isn't that a really low price? I mean, I am staying for an entire month," I objected. It wasn't that I minded, I was just kind of shocked that he would be so kind to me.
"Don't worry about the regular price. I will still treat you the same way that I treat the others. Besides, I don't need the money," Tom answered.
I nodded and handed him 100 galleons then thanked him and headed up to my room. The room was very spacious, but maybe that's because I was the only one in it. I put my trunk at the foot of my bed and laid down. My head hurt so much. All I wanted to do was sleep, and that's exactly what I did. That night I had a dreamless sleep, it was the first time in a long time that that had happened.
~
HERMIONE'S POV~
It was finally the week before school started and we were going to Diagon Alley to get our school supplies. "Hurry up!" Mrs. Weasley called up the stairs. "You're gunna want as much time as possible to get your supplies and meet up with your other friends."
"Okay Mum, we're coming," Ron answered as we walked down the stairs.
We all flooed to Diagon Alley. I brought a book bag with me. I told Harry and Ron that it was so I could carry all my supplies easier. That of course was a lie, I could've managed fine without it. Even though I hadn't cut myself since I got to the Burrow, I had a feeling that Harry and Ron were going to ditch me for their girlfriends and that Ginny was going to meet up with some of her fifth year friends. Somehow in the back of my mind, I knew I would end up being alone and running into trouble. I wasn't one to cry or scream in these situations; I would simply turn to my dagger. It was my way to cope with all that shit.
Since we landed in Madame Malkin's, the first thing we did was buy our robes. Well Harry and I did. Ron and Ginny just stood off to the side with red faces. They had their hand-me-downs to wear and said that they didn't need new ones. When Harry and I were finished, we walked outside into the warm summer air.
"Hermione, why have you insisted on wearing long-sleeve shirts all summer? It's like 90o today!" Harry asked.
"I'm comfortable like this. I don't really like t-shirts, they bug me," I lied. That had become one of my new hobbies, and I was getting pretty good at it. They shrugged it off, and I figured they new something, but they didn't let on.
"Harry! Harry!" It was Cho Chang. She came running over and threw her arms around him. "I've missed you so much," she squealed. They kissed quickly.
Harry then said to me, Ron, and Ginny, "We're gunna go somewhere. Sorry to leave you like this, but I'm sure you can manage without me." Ron nodded and when Harry turned and went off, Ginny made a face at his back. I giggled a little as we kept walking. Ron was the next to take off with Lavender. He was very rude. He just kind of walked over to her and they took off together.
"That was rude!" Ginny said. "He didn't even say anything, he just took off! What an asshole!"
"I totally agree with you, Gin. Your brother is an asshole. We'll get him later though. Let's go get our books or something," I suggested.
"Books, books, books. What else catches your attention, Hermione?" she joked.
I smiled. "Wouldn't you like to know?"
"Maybe."
"Don't get your hopes up, Gin. I can't tell anyone what really catches my attention. It's not even funny. Actually, it's life threatening."
~
DRACO'S POV~
Finally it was the week before school started. I had roamed up and down Diagon Alley everyday. I bought all of my supplies and the newest broom, the Sky Cruiser 980, weeks ago. I also bought some novels to pass time quickly. These last three weeks were the most relaxing I've had all summer. I didn't look at my dagger once, but I still carried it in my book bag everywhere I went just in case. During the weeks, I had met up with Crabbe, Goyle, Blaise Zambini, Pansy Parkinson (who still thought she was my girlfriend), and some other Slytherins I didn't know too well but talked to none-the-less. I saw some people from other Houses, but when they saw me, they scowled and turned the other way. Not that I minded, I can't stand them anyway.
I was walking around the week before school. It was then that I saw Potter, but he wasn't with Granger and Weasley, he was with Cho Chang. They walked hand-in-hand and didn't even realize that I was there. I was actually glad; I wasn't in the mood for a fight.
I continued to walk down the street and I heard Weasley's voice. ".Yeah, I know. I didn't even say goodbye or anything. I just went right over to you. Sometimes Hermione could be so dense. She doesn't even realize when she's not wanted. Harry, Ginny, and I all made plans to meet up with someone today so that we could ditch her."
Then I heard this real girly laugh. "Oh, Ron, sometimes you are so smart!"
I saw Weasley and that Brown girl, or whatever her name was. I ducked into an alley because I didn't want them to see me and know that I heard. **How could they do that though? Hermione has been their best friend since first year. Shit, did I just call Granger Hermione? When did that happen? I'm not even supposed to think that. She's Granger, always Granger, only Granger. But still, how could they do something so cruel to their best friend? I wouldn't even do something like that. I'd be direct in telling someone that they were annoying and stupid and dense and that I didn't wanna hang out with them. Why the hell do I even care?** I thought. When I was sure they passed, I headed down the street again.
I saw the Weaslette soon after. She was laughing with a group of girls. ".Yeah, I left her in Flourish and Blott's." That's all I caught, but I knew whom she was talking about. I was heading that way anyway, so I decided to go in and look at the books and possibly torment Granger about her background and her "friends". It had always been a hobby of mine. When I walked in, I saw a girl who was thin, but not skinny, with short, blue hair, a baggy black sweatshirt, and black shorts that came down passed her knees. I couldn't see her face, but from where I was standing, it looked like she was staring blankly at the shelf of books in front of her. She appeared to be contemplating something.
Deciding to be half way decent, I walked over to her to see if she was all right. "Hey," I said. "Is something wrong?"
I saw the startled expression she gave me as she looked up. "What do you want, Malfoy?" she asked with an obvious not of resentment in her voice.
"Do I know you?" I seriously had no idea who I was talking to. I didn't remember ever seeing someone like her at Hogwarts, but she obviously knew me.
"How the hell could you not know me? You have tormented my friends and me for the past five years. Now would you please just leave me the fuck alone?" She tried to move past me, but I grabbed her arm.
"Granger? What the hell happened to you?"
"Are you talking about my appearance or my attitude? I've had people questioning me about both lately."
"Both. Your hair is short and blue and it isn't bushy. Your clothes look like something I would wear." He looked down at what he was wearing and sure enough, he had on a black sweatshirt and long black shorts. "And you're speaking with a malice that I have never heard in your voice. And you're cursing, which is something I have never ever heard you do."
"Malfoy, this is the real me. I'm not the goody-goody girl you see at school. She's an act, and this year, everyone is gunna know that."
I nodded, then said, "Where are your friends?"
"Who knows, who cares. They've been acting like assholes lately. They complain that I'm not telling them something, which is true. But I have a good reason for it. Why would you care where they are, anyway? You wanna go torment them?"
"Nope, I've already seen them, but I didn't say anything. I'm not in the mood. Potthead is with that Ravenclaw whore. They weren't really talking, just walking around. Weasley was walking around with that Brown slut. They were talking about how they ditched you and how Potthead and the Weasels made plans to ditch you today. And then I saw Weaslette and heard her tell her friends that she left you here." I looked down at her and expected to see tears forming in her eyes, but there weren't any. All I could see was pain, hate, and anger.
"They said that?" she asked after a few seconds.
"Yeah, I just thought you should know."
She nodded and then turned around and walked out.
~
HERMIONE'S POV~
I quickly walked out of Flourish and Blott's. I couldn't believe it. My three so-called best friends, actually my only friends in the entire world ditched me. My head hurt so much that I couldn't even think straight. I walked down the nearest alley until I reached the brick wall at the end. I knew that no one would find me or even look for me there. I opened my book bag and dug through it until I found my dagger. I pulled it out of the pillowcase and rolled up my left sleeve. I placed the blade on my left arm and dragged it down. This time I pressed it down harder than I normally would, and I was also a little too careless and hit my vein. The blood gushed put uncontrollably. "Fuck!" I screamed. The last thing I remembered was someone running down the alley, and I passed out.
~
DRACO'S POV~
After Granger left, I couldn't help but to feel guilty. My original intention was to get her pissed off, but when I saw her face I actually wanted to help her. Ha! That's funny, a Malfoy helping a mudblood. It had never been heard of. I had really expected her to cry, but her face was like stone. The only emotion she showed flooded out through her eyes. I had never seen that look in her eyes before, she's usually happy or sad, there isn't much of an in between with her. She usually looked like she wanted to cry after I had talked to her, but now I knew that she had changed in basically every possible way.
I left shortly after she did. I didn't much feel like buying a book, I had enough to last me a while. Instead, I decided to head back to the Leaky Cauldron. I walked slowly thinking about the conversation I just had with Granger. I wasn't really rude or mean to her, and that was definitely a first. Every time that I had seen her in the past five years, I always had something mean to say to her, but not that day. As I was passing an alleyway, I heard someone scream, "Fuck!" It was definitely a girl's voice and it sounded like she was in trouble. I started running down the alley, and I saw someone fall over onto the floor.
I ran over and knelt down by her. "Shit!" I said as I saw the girl's hair. It was Granger. She had a dagger in her right hand, and her left arm was covered in blood. I took that dagger out of her hand and grabbed the pillowcase that mine was in from my bag. I took my dagger out and wrapped the pillowcase around her arm. Knowing that I needed to get her back to somewhere I could look after her, I threw both daggers in my bag, tossed both bags over my shoulder, and carried her back to the Leaky Cauldron.
When I got her back to my room, I did a charm to close up the deep gash and make it stop bleeding. I paced around my room while I waited for her to get up. At first I couldn't figure out why I was so worried about her. This is the girl I had tormented since I was eleven years old. This is the girl I had put through hell for five years. Then it hit me. I had been the source of her pain for five years, and that was only when I saw her at school. I couldn't help but wonder what this girl went through at home. She was probably like me in so many ways, and I wanted to find out what happened. I still didn't like her, but I didn't hate her either. I felt somewhere in between.
When she finally did wake up she moaned and asked, "Where am I?"
"At the Leaky Cauldron. I found you in an alley," I answered.
"I'm surprised you saved me. I thought you hated me."
"No I don't hate you, but I don't exactly like you. I guess you can say that what I feel is respect."
She nodded and paused for a minute. "You know then. What happened I mean."
It was my turn to nod. "Don't worry, I'm not gunna tell anyone. Actually I do the same thing."
Her eyes widened. "You do?"
"Yeah, since last summer. I bought this dagger at a muggle shop. The owner said that there was only one other in the world that looks like it, and it was purchased fifteen minutes before I bought mine. I now know who has the other one." I pulled out the two daggers and placed them on the bed.
She blinked and looked up at me. "Can I see your arm?"
Reluctantly, I rolled up the sleeve of my shirt. I watched as she admired every one of my scars. "Why do you do it?" I asked trying to distract her.
"I started doing it last summer. I couldn't take my parents anymore. They treated me like a slave. I had to do everything in the house. Eventually, they started calling me horrible names, and I found that physical pain was better that mental pain. It took my mind off things for at least a few minutes. Soon after, they started beating me. I refused to cry; I wouldn't let them see that I was in pain. Throughout the year, I have become stone cold. So what about you? Why do you do it?"
"My father's an asshole. Plain and simple."
"That's it?"
"Yup. I hate him. He makes my life hell and he killed my mother three weeks ago and didn't bother giving her a funeral."
I saw her go quiet. It looked like she was contemplating asking me something. "Malfoy, I don't wanna go back to the Burrow. I'll go psycho- ass bitch on them."
"So where's all your shit?"
"The Burrow," she answered shyly.
"You want me to come with you?" She looked at me with pleading eyes. "You know damn well that they'll think I'm forcing you to come with me."
"Malfoy I don't give a damn what they think! All I know is that I hate them and that I don't hate you at the moment! You better help me, Ferret Boy!" she yelled at me.
"When did I become Ferret Boy again, Mudblood? My God, you act as if I did something wrong! Shit, I don't know why I brought you here in the first place. If you don't appreciate my fucking help, then you can get the hell out!"
"I'm sorry. I am very grateful that you helped me. Can you just do this for me, Malfoy? Please?"
It was odd. Granger was begging me, Draco Malfoy, to help her. "Fine. I'll come with you and I'll pay for your room." The next thing that happened was very unexpected. She got up and threw her arms around me.
"Thank you, Malfoy!"
~
HERMIONE'S POV~
I couldn't believe what I did. I hugged Draco-umm Malfoy. What the hell was I thinking? I wasn't thinking. "Jeez, Granger, I'm flattered that you feel that way, but I don't return those feelings." He smirked as he pulled my arms off his neck. That smirk, it was so evil, yet so sexy. His hair wasn't slicked back anymore either, I noticed. It was shorter and spiked.
"God, you're so full of yourself. Let's just go get my crap."
"Don't get so damn defensive, Granger, I was joking." His silver eyes were dancing around in their sockets. There was an emotion that I had never seen in them before. Happiness was it? I couldn't tell, and I didn't have much time to think about it because he was already at the door. I got up and followed him to the fireplace.
"You go first," he commanded. "Imagine if I showed up at that house without a reason? I'd be hexed into next year." He smirked again as I stepped into the fireplace.
"Hermione, dear, where were you?" Mrs. Weasley asked. "We were all so worried about you. Are you okay?"
"You shouldn't worry about me," I said coldly. "I know your kids don't." She didn't have time to respond because just then Malfoy showed up.
"What's he doing here?" Mrs. Weasley looked at him with pure hatred in her eyes.
"Helping me. Come on, Malfoy." He followed me up the staircase and into the room Ginny and I were sharing.
"Hey," Ginny said when I walked in. "I was so worried about you." She moved to hug me, but I backed away.
"Don't touch me. You think I don't know what you did?"
"What the hell is that doing in my house?" asked Ginny looking at the door to her room.
"He's helping me get the fuck out of this hell-hole!" I yelled at Ginny. Then I turned to Malfoy, "Can you carry my trunk, please? I'm in no condition to do it myself."
He nodded and did as I asked because he knew that my arm was very weak. I had lost a lot of blood.
"You put Hermione's stuff down right now," Ginny screeched.
I heard footsteps running down the stairs. "What's going on in here?" demanded Ron.
"What the fuck is he doing in here?" screamed Harry.
"Shut up both of you!" I yelled. "I know what you three did to me! I know that you ditched me on purpose to hang out with someone better. All three of you are assholes. I hate you all!"
DRACO'S POV~
I packed my trunk. All of my clothes, my wand, and most importantly my dagger. I couldn't take him anymore. I threw floo powder in the fireplace and yelled, "Leaky Cauldron!" I watched as fireplace after fireplace went spinning by. Finally my feet hit the ground and I was standing inside the Leaky Cauldron.
"Ah, Mr. Malfoy, what are you doing here at this time?" Tom asked me.
"Tom, do you have a room for me to stay in for the rest of the summer?"
"Room thirteen is available," he informed me.
"Thanks. How much will that be?"
"I'll give you a discount because you are still young. It'll be 100 galleons."
"Isn't that a really low price? I mean, I am staying for an entire month," I objected. It wasn't that I minded, I was just kind of shocked that he would be so kind to me.
"Don't worry about the regular price. I will still treat you the same way that I treat the others. Besides, I don't need the money," Tom answered.
I nodded and handed him 100 galleons then thanked him and headed up to my room. The room was very spacious, but maybe that's because I was the only one in it. I put my trunk at the foot of my bed and laid down. My head hurt so much. All I wanted to do was sleep, and that's exactly what I did. That night I had a dreamless sleep, it was the first time in a long time that that had happened.
~
HERMIONE'S POV~
It was finally the week before school started and we were going to Diagon Alley to get our school supplies. "Hurry up!" Mrs. Weasley called up the stairs. "You're gunna want as much time as possible to get your supplies and meet up with your other friends."
"Okay Mum, we're coming," Ron answered as we walked down the stairs.
We all flooed to Diagon Alley. I brought a book bag with me. I told Harry and Ron that it was so I could carry all my supplies easier. That of course was a lie, I could've managed fine without it. Even though I hadn't cut myself since I got to the Burrow, I had a feeling that Harry and Ron were going to ditch me for their girlfriends and that Ginny was going to meet up with some of her fifth year friends. Somehow in the back of my mind, I knew I would end up being alone and running into trouble. I wasn't one to cry or scream in these situations; I would simply turn to my dagger. It was my way to cope with all that shit.
Since we landed in Madame Malkin's, the first thing we did was buy our robes. Well Harry and I did. Ron and Ginny just stood off to the side with red faces. They had their hand-me-downs to wear and said that they didn't need new ones. When Harry and I were finished, we walked outside into the warm summer air.
"Hermione, why have you insisted on wearing long-sleeve shirts all summer? It's like 90o today!" Harry asked.
"I'm comfortable like this. I don't really like t-shirts, they bug me," I lied. That had become one of my new hobbies, and I was getting pretty good at it. They shrugged it off, and I figured they new something, but they didn't let on.
"Harry! Harry!" It was Cho Chang. She came running over and threw her arms around him. "I've missed you so much," she squealed. They kissed quickly.
Harry then said to me, Ron, and Ginny, "We're gunna go somewhere. Sorry to leave you like this, but I'm sure you can manage without me." Ron nodded and when Harry turned and went off, Ginny made a face at his back. I giggled a little as we kept walking. Ron was the next to take off with Lavender. He was very rude. He just kind of walked over to her and they took off together.
"That was rude!" Ginny said. "He didn't even say anything, he just took off! What an asshole!"
"I totally agree with you, Gin. Your brother is an asshole. We'll get him later though. Let's go get our books or something," I suggested.
"Books, books, books. What else catches your attention, Hermione?" she joked.
I smiled. "Wouldn't you like to know?"
"Maybe."
"Don't get your hopes up, Gin. I can't tell anyone what really catches my attention. It's not even funny. Actually, it's life threatening."
~
DRACO'S POV~
Finally it was the week before school started. I had roamed up and down Diagon Alley everyday. I bought all of my supplies and the newest broom, the Sky Cruiser 980, weeks ago. I also bought some novels to pass time quickly. These last three weeks were the most relaxing I've had all summer. I didn't look at my dagger once, but I still carried it in my book bag everywhere I went just in case. During the weeks, I had met up with Crabbe, Goyle, Blaise Zambini, Pansy Parkinson (who still thought she was my girlfriend), and some other Slytherins I didn't know too well but talked to none-the-less. I saw some people from other Houses, but when they saw me, they scowled and turned the other way. Not that I minded, I can't stand them anyway.
I was walking around the week before school. It was then that I saw Potter, but he wasn't with Granger and Weasley, he was with Cho Chang. They walked hand-in-hand and didn't even realize that I was there. I was actually glad; I wasn't in the mood for a fight.
I continued to walk down the street and I heard Weasley's voice. ".Yeah, I know. I didn't even say goodbye or anything. I just went right over to you. Sometimes Hermione could be so dense. She doesn't even realize when she's not wanted. Harry, Ginny, and I all made plans to meet up with someone today so that we could ditch her."
Then I heard this real girly laugh. "Oh, Ron, sometimes you are so smart!"
I saw Weasley and that Brown girl, or whatever her name was. I ducked into an alley because I didn't want them to see me and know that I heard. **How could they do that though? Hermione has been their best friend since first year. Shit, did I just call Granger Hermione? When did that happen? I'm not even supposed to think that. She's Granger, always Granger, only Granger. But still, how could they do something so cruel to their best friend? I wouldn't even do something like that. I'd be direct in telling someone that they were annoying and stupid and dense and that I didn't wanna hang out with them. Why the hell do I even care?** I thought. When I was sure they passed, I headed down the street again.
I saw the Weaslette soon after. She was laughing with a group of girls. ".Yeah, I left her in Flourish and Blott's." That's all I caught, but I knew whom she was talking about. I was heading that way anyway, so I decided to go in and look at the books and possibly torment Granger about her background and her "friends". It had always been a hobby of mine. When I walked in, I saw a girl who was thin, but not skinny, with short, blue hair, a baggy black sweatshirt, and black shorts that came down passed her knees. I couldn't see her face, but from where I was standing, it looked like she was staring blankly at the shelf of books in front of her. She appeared to be contemplating something.
Deciding to be half way decent, I walked over to her to see if she was all right. "Hey," I said. "Is something wrong?"
I saw the startled expression she gave me as she looked up. "What do you want, Malfoy?" she asked with an obvious not of resentment in her voice.
"Do I know you?" I seriously had no idea who I was talking to. I didn't remember ever seeing someone like her at Hogwarts, but she obviously knew me.
"How the hell could you not know me? You have tormented my friends and me for the past five years. Now would you please just leave me the fuck alone?" She tried to move past me, but I grabbed her arm.
"Granger? What the hell happened to you?"
"Are you talking about my appearance or my attitude? I've had people questioning me about both lately."
"Both. Your hair is short and blue and it isn't bushy. Your clothes look like something I would wear." He looked down at what he was wearing and sure enough, he had on a black sweatshirt and long black shorts. "And you're speaking with a malice that I have never heard in your voice. And you're cursing, which is something I have never ever heard you do."
"Malfoy, this is the real me. I'm not the goody-goody girl you see at school. She's an act, and this year, everyone is gunna know that."
I nodded, then said, "Where are your friends?"
"Who knows, who cares. They've been acting like assholes lately. They complain that I'm not telling them something, which is true. But I have a good reason for it. Why would you care where they are, anyway? You wanna go torment them?"
"Nope, I've already seen them, but I didn't say anything. I'm not in the mood. Potthead is with that Ravenclaw whore. They weren't really talking, just walking around. Weasley was walking around with that Brown slut. They were talking about how they ditched you and how Potthead and the Weasels made plans to ditch you today. And then I saw Weaslette and heard her tell her friends that she left you here." I looked down at her and expected to see tears forming in her eyes, but there weren't any. All I could see was pain, hate, and anger.
"They said that?" she asked after a few seconds.
"Yeah, I just thought you should know."
She nodded and then turned around and walked out.
~
HERMIONE'S POV~
I quickly walked out of Flourish and Blott's. I couldn't believe it. My three so-called best friends, actually my only friends in the entire world ditched me. My head hurt so much that I couldn't even think straight. I walked down the nearest alley until I reached the brick wall at the end. I knew that no one would find me or even look for me there. I opened my book bag and dug through it until I found my dagger. I pulled it out of the pillowcase and rolled up my left sleeve. I placed the blade on my left arm and dragged it down. This time I pressed it down harder than I normally would, and I was also a little too careless and hit my vein. The blood gushed put uncontrollably. "Fuck!" I screamed. The last thing I remembered was someone running down the alley, and I passed out.
~
DRACO'S POV~
After Granger left, I couldn't help but to feel guilty. My original intention was to get her pissed off, but when I saw her face I actually wanted to help her. Ha! That's funny, a Malfoy helping a mudblood. It had never been heard of. I had really expected her to cry, but her face was like stone. The only emotion she showed flooded out through her eyes. I had never seen that look in her eyes before, she's usually happy or sad, there isn't much of an in between with her. She usually looked like she wanted to cry after I had talked to her, but now I knew that she had changed in basically every possible way.
I left shortly after she did. I didn't much feel like buying a book, I had enough to last me a while. Instead, I decided to head back to the Leaky Cauldron. I walked slowly thinking about the conversation I just had with Granger. I wasn't really rude or mean to her, and that was definitely a first. Every time that I had seen her in the past five years, I always had something mean to say to her, but not that day. As I was passing an alleyway, I heard someone scream, "Fuck!" It was definitely a girl's voice and it sounded like she was in trouble. I started running down the alley, and I saw someone fall over onto the floor.
I ran over and knelt down by her. "Shit!" I said as I saw the girl's hair. It was Granger. She had a dagger in her right hand, and her left arm was covered in blood. I took that dagger out of her hand and grabbed the pillowcase that mine was in from my bag. I took my dagger out and wrapped the pillowcase around her arm. Knowing that I needed to get her back to somewhere I could look after her, I threw both daggers in my bag, tossed both bags over my shoulder, and carried her back to the Leaky Cauldron.
When I got her back to my room, I did a charm to close up the deep gash and make it stop bleeding. I paced around my room while I waited for her to get up. At first I couldn't figure out why I was so worried about her. This is the girl I had tormented since I was eleven years old. This is the girl I had put through hell for five years. Then it hit me. I had been the source of her pain for five years, and that was only when I saw her at school. I couldn't help but wonder what this girl went through at home. She was probably like me in so many ways, and I wanted to find out what happened. I still didn't like her, but I didn't hate her either. I felt somewhere in between.
When she finally did wake up she moaned and asked, "Where am I?"
"At the Leaky Cauldron. I found you in an alley," I answered.
"I'm surprised you saved me. I thought you hated me."
"No I don't hate you, but I don't exactly like you. I guess you can say that what I feel is respect."
She nodded and paused for a minute. "You know then. What happened I mean."
It was my turn to nod. "Don't worry, I'm not gunna tell anyone. Actually I do the same thing."
Her eyes widened. "You do?"
"Yeah, since last summer. I bought this dagger at a muggle shop. The owner said that there was only one other in the world that looks like it, and it was purchased fifteen minutes before I bought mine. I now know who has the other one." I pulled out the two daggers and placed them on the bed.
She blinked and looked up at me. "Can I see your arm?"
Reluctantly, I rolled up the sleeve of my shirt. I watched as she admired every one of my scars. "Why do you do it?" I asked trying to distract her.
"I started doing it last summer. I couldn't take my parents anymore. They treated me like a slave. I had to do everything in the house. Eventually, they started calling me horrible names, and I found that physical pain was better that mental pain. It took my mind off things for at least a few minutes. Soon after, they started beating me. I refused to cry; I wouldn't let them see that I was in pain. Throughout the year, I have become stone cold. So what about you? Why do you do it?"
"My father's an asshole. Plain and simple."
"That's it?"
"Yup. I hate him. He makes my life hell and he killed my mother three weeks ago and didn't bother giving her a funeral."
I saw her go quiet. It looked like she was contemplating asking me something. "Malfoy, I don't wanna go back to the Burrow. I'll go psycho- ass bitch on them."
"So where's all your shit?"
"The Burrow," she answered shyly.
"You want me to come with you?" She looked at me with pleading eyes. "You know damn well that they'll think I'm forcing you to come with me."
"Malfoy I don't give a damn what they think! All I know is that I hate them and that I don't hate you at the moment! You better help me, Ferret Boy!" she yelled at me.
"When did I become Ferret Boy again, Mudblood? My God, you act as if I did something wrong! Shit, I don't know why I brought you here in the first place. If you don't appreciate my fucking help, then you can get the hell out!"
"I'm sorry. I am very grateful that you helped me. Can you just do this for me, Malfoy? Please?"
It was odd. Granger was begging me, Draco Malfoy, to help her. "Fine. I'll come with you and I'll pay for your room." The next thing that happened was very unexpected. She got up and threw her arms around me.
"Thank you, Malfoy!"
~
HERMIONE'S POV~
I couldn't believe what I did. I hugged Draco-umm Malfoy. What the hell was I thinking? I wasn't thinking. "Jeez, Granger, I'm flattered that you feel that way, but I don't return those feelings." He smirked as he pulled my arms off his neck. That smirk, it was so evil, yet so sexy. His hair wasn't slicked back anymore either, I noticed. It was shorter and spiked.
"God, you're so full of yourself. Let's just go get my crap."
"Don't get so damn defensive, Granger, I was joking." His silver eyes were dancing around in their sockets. There was an emotion that I had never seen in them before. Happiness was it? I couldn't tell, and I didn't have much time to think about it because he was already at the door. I got up and followed him to the fireplace.
"You go first," he commanded. "Imagine if I showed up at that house without a reason? I'd be hexed into next year." He smirked again as I stepped into the fireplace.
"Hermione, dear, where were you?" Mrs. Weasley asked. "We were all so worried about you. Are you okay?"
"You shouldn't worry about me," I said coldly. "I know your kids don't." She didn't have time to respond because just then Malfoy showed up.
"What's he doing here?" Mrs. Weasley looked at him with pure hatred in her eyes.
"Helping me. Come on, Malfoy." He followed me up the staircase and into the room Ginny and I were sharing.
"Hey," Ginny said when I walked in. "I was so worried about you." She moved to hug me, but I backed away.
"Don't touch me. You think I don't know what you did?"
"What the hell is that doing in my house?" asked Ginny looking at the door to her room.
"He's helping me get the fuck out of this hell-hole!" I yelled at Ginny. Then I turned to Malfoy, "Can you carry my trunk, please? I'm in no condition to do it myself."
He nodded and did as I asked because he knew that my arm was very weak. I had lost a lot of blood.
"You put Hermione's stuff down right now," Ginny screeched.
I heard footsteps running down the stairs. "What's going on in here?" demanded Ron.
"What the fuck is he doing in here?" screamed Harry.
"Shut up both of you!" I yelled. "I know what you three did to me! I know that you ditched me on purpose to hang out with someone better. All three of you are assholes. I hate you all!"