Disclaimer: Okay peoples you know the drill….

Note: I put chapters 8 and 9 out on the same day so if you haven't already, read chapter 8 first!!!

Chapter 9: The Truth

Warning: The first part might be a tiny bit R rated… but I'm not a good rater… so whatever…

Hermione struggled to free herself from the stranger's grasp. One hand covered her mouth and the other had her firmly around the waist. She couldn't escape. She was pulled to the back of the room and was placed on top of a desk.

He whispered into her ear. "I saw you in the hall today and I realized I need you. I love you." The voice was hauntingly familiar. He let go of her mouth only to place it around her back. His face was revealed…

"Malfoy!" she gasped. The tried harder to free herself from his grasp but she just couldn't manage it. He held her closer to him. He was practically on top of her.

"I love you, Hermione. I need you. Dump Potter. I'll take you to the ball. You're to beautiful for him or anyone else." He pulled her as close he possibly could. "I love you. Be mine forever." He moved his face to hers and placed his lips on hers, pressing hard. Hermione couldn't move, she couldn't stop him.

He pressed harder, forcing his tongue into her mouth. She was crying. She tried to roll away but his grip was to hard. His hands began to wander in places that they shouldn't have been. His right hand had managed to wander up her shirt and began attempting to undo her bra.

She felt something move against her leg, but it wasn't his hand. She became more frightened of what was happening. Luckily with his right hand not holding her so tightly she managed to slip away and pull out her wand. "Stupefy!" she shouted.

Malfoy collapsed on the ground. He was completely unconscious. She stood, shaking furiously from her ordeal. She carefully redid her bra and ran to the door. "Alohomora!" she shouted. She ran out of the door and up several staircases to the Gryffindor tower.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

"Hermione? Hermione are you okay?" Harry stood outside Hermione's room, knocking on the door. "Hermione, what happened? Did a bunch of guys go after you again?" The door opened, revealing Hermione, tears staining her face. "Hermione! What happened?" She walked over to her bed and sat down. Harry followed, closing the door behind him. She explained the whole story, every horrible detail.

"I'll kill him. I'll kill him."

"No, I don't want anything else to happen today. I just wish it never happened."

"Hermione, after what he did to you? After what else he would've done to you if you hadn't gotten out of there! I'll kill him!"

"Harry, things have been bad enough today. I don't want to make things worse. I'll be fine. At least I told someone. I could have it bottled up inside of me, torturing me. Just promise me you won't do anything irrational."

"Okay, I promise." He placed his arms around Hermione, holding her close. "Come on, we're already late enough for Care of Magical Creatures."

"I don't want to go. Malfoy will be there."

"Well, I guess that we can explain to Hagrid that we weren't in class because of personal reasons. He'll understand if you were upset. So are we just going to stay in here?"

"Yeah. I just need you to hold me." Harry continued to hold her, kissing her every now and then on the forehead. The peace was interrupted by a knock on the door. Harry got up and opened the door and before he could see whom it was he was pushed out of the way and the door slammed shut. Ron, panting, stood in front of them. Hermione stood up, furious at his presence. "Get out!" she shouted. "How dare you come in here after handing me over to Malfoy!"

"Wait! Hermione! I need to tell you something. I didn't mean to do any of it! I swear. I need to explain everything to you guys. Sit down." Harry and Hermione looked at each other and sat down. "Okay, here it goes. It all started that day on the train. I know, I was being a prat, but I get that way.

"Well I was upset and I was about to get of off the train when Malfoy came over to me. He asked me why I was fuming and stupidly I told him. The next thing I know, he handed me a drink and told me it would calm me down.

"Well, it turns out it was a control potion that he got from his father's secret collection of illegal magic. He made me hang out with him. Of course, it also doubled as a hypnosis potion so I gladly did everything he told me to do. Like break up with Lavender. I have to fix that. I really like her. I never wanted to break her heart. Everyday he gave me more of the potion to keep me under his control.

"Anyway, it turns out that he did it to me because he wanted to, um, do something really bad to Hermione, 'to make her pay for being a mudblood' as he said. Then this morning, he said he saw you in the hall and stated that he absolutely loved you and had to have you right away. So I did what he told me to do.

"Afterwards, he came back fuming about it being my fault that I wasn't guarding the door. The potion had worn off a little before Malfoy wanted and I managed to get away before he could get me to take any more. And here I am. Look, I'm really sorry about what happened. I really didn't mean for anything to happen to you but I couldn't fight off the potion."

Hermione sat contemplating the story. She knew Ron was telling the truth, it was one of those feelings that you get when your friend tells you something. "It's okay, Ron. I'm fine. Just stay away from him"

"I want to kill the-,"

"Don't even bother, Ron. It's not worth the energy. Look, you'd better go find Lavender and work things out with her," said Hermione.

"Oh yeah, thanks I nearly forgot." Ron got up to leave. "I'll see you guys at dinner then?"

"Yeah, now go. Lavender will probably be up to the tower any minute," said Harry.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Dinner was torture for Hermione again. Boys kept racing up to her, asking her to the Ball. One boy kneeled down and kissed her hand. More kept grabbing at her clothes. Harry struggled trying to keep them at bay. Eventually, Professor McGonagall had to start pulling the boys away and sending them back to their seats.

Once dinner ended, Hermione started heading back to the common room when a group of girls stopped her, anger in their eyes. "Excuse me," she said, trying to get past them politely.

"Oh no you don't! We have a bone to pick with you. What the heck do you think you were doing out there? What did you do to my boyfriend? Why was he asking you to the Ball?" asked a 6th year Ravenclaw girl.

"And how come my boyfriend was kneeling on the floor? And don't think I didn't seem that kiss!" said another girl, this time a 7th year Slytherin.

"I don't know why they were all hanging around me."

"A likely story," stated a 6th year Hufflepuff. "You just better stay away from them. You have your own boyfriend, keep away from ours!" Hermione nodded her head and bolted to the Gryffindor tower. When she arrived she saw Harry and Ron sitting at a table playing a game of wizards chess, Ron winning of course.

"Hey, Hermione! Why so late?" asked Harry.

"Oh, nothing. I only got mobbed by a group of girls who wanted to know why I was stealing their boyfriends," she sighed sarcastically, pulling up a seat next to them."

"Oh."

"Hey, how'd everything go with Lavender, Ron?" she asked.

"Oh, yeah. Well I explained everything and she took a while to respond to me. She forgave me." Ron had a toothy smile. "We're back together and tomorrow I'm going to ask her to the Ball."

"Good for y- you," yawned Hermione. "I'm going to go to bed. I'm exhausted."

"I'll see you in the morning, Hermione," said Harry and he kissed her on the cheek. "Sweet dreams."

"Night." Hermione headed to her room and opened the door when someone tapped her on the back. It was Parvati.

"You'd better hurry down stairs Hermione! Crookshanks is attacking Neville's toad again!"

"Not again!" she moaned and raced downstairs, her door still ajar.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Thanks for reading… hope you enjoyed!

And now the long awaited thank yous:

Lyssa- smarty pants! How'd you figure all that out… I know it was obvious… thanks for reviewing

Andrew: There… I told u… happy now?… no more being a baby… I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

MissLexiRe: Thanks for thinking that… hope you enjoy the rest

Jen Squared: its u again… I still don't understand why you love it so much… thanks (tehe)

Thanks for reading!