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Ch. 15 Fallen
Hermione looked at herself in the mirror, trying to fix her hair. It was their first day back to class after the break. Harry was to be released from the hospital wing early this morning. She had not gone back to see him, partly in fear, partly in anger. She avoided being downstairs in the castle as much as possible, in hopes that she would not have another encounter with Ron or Neville or Dean. But she knew today she'd have to face them. She would have to face her friends, her teachers, and the rest of school. Barely able to sleep the previous night, Hermione merely sat by the bay window and looked out to the horizon.
"It's going to be okay, honey," Draco whispered from behind. He too, unable to sleep, came into her room and held her as they watched the sun rise. He had not heard from his father, but he was sure that Lucius had heard of him and Hermione. They held a quilt over them and looked out at the castle grounds as the first hint of sunlight peered through the hills. Draco periodically kissed the back of Hermione's head, and she held his hand, very tightly. Tears streamed down both of their faces, as they knew their reclusive bliss would soon be interrupted by the stares of classmates and the whispers of the teachers when they thought Hermione and Draco couldn't see.
Hermione looked once more out of her window, the sun fully beaming on the castle grounds. It was cold out, and dew stuck to the grass. The rain had stopped yesterday, finally. She and Draco spent their last happy day together making love in her bed, holding the fleece blankets over them and listening to the ran pitter-patter on her window.
Draco knocked on her bathroom door.
"Are you ready for breakfast sweetie?" he asked.
"No," she answered sadly.
Draco wrapped his arms around Hermione. "It's going to be okay my love. I won't let anything happen to you."
"Besides Ron and Harry, I have no one else to sit next to, no one to stand up for me, what am I going to do?"
"You and I are going to sit together. We are going into enter the Great Hall, holding hands, and we are going to walk over to the Gryffindor Table, and we are going to eat some breakfast, together. I want you to ignore whatever happens. No one needs to be involved in our business. Hermione, you and I are a couple now. We're going to stick this out together. We're going to make us work, despite what everyone in the wizarding world thinks or wants. It's just you and me."
Hermione shuddered as he held her. She was nervous, nervous about going downstairs, nervous about seeing Harry and Ron, worried about being judged. She was the Head Girl, the smartest student at Hogwarts, one of the bravest, and she couldn't muster up the courage to walk down the halls. Instead, she looked up at her boyfriend and nodded. He gave her a small kiss on her lips. The warmth of his lips up against her sent sparks down her spine, like they always had.
Hermione looked in the mirror one last time. She looked tired; the bags under her eyes were big and dark. Draco held on to her hand, and they made their way towards the Great Hall.
Students were bustling around the main level of Hogwarts, all excited to be seeing their friends again. But mostly they were excited to hear of the unexpected coupling of Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy. How long have they been dating? Have they kissed? Do they share a room now? Have they slept together? Is Harry out of the hospital yet?
Harry stepped out of the hospital wing, well rested, well hydrated, and much calmer than he was before. He wanted to find Ron so they could eat at breakfast together, and talk about quidditch, and their game with Ravenclaw in 3 weeks. He wanted to see Hermione, he wanted to talk to her and apologize to her. He wished they three of them could be friends again and feel no awkwardness with Draco being Hermione's boyfriend, as much as he hated the thought. Harry had an epiphany while laying the hospital bed. Hermione was his best friend, and he had much rather have that than anything else. She belongs to Draco now, and it was his own damn fault for not speaking up sooner. He didn't want to lose her friendship. He wanted to be able to laugh with her, study with her, graduate together being the best of friends.
The students stopped what they were doing as they saw Harry walk by. He had grown used to their stares, to their whispers and merely dismissed them as he walked proudly to breakfast. He opened the doors of the Great Hall, and was greeted by the smiles of Hagrid and Professor Dumbledore. The room had yet to fill up. The sounds of Ron and Seamus waving him to sit down with them rang in his ears. He walked over and sat down, picking up a piece of toast and smiling.
A few minutes after Harry sat down, the doors to the Great Hall opened again, and walking in, hand and hand, were Draco and Hermione. Immediately everyone stopped what they were doing and stared at the sight. Even the jaws of Hagrid, Professor Trelawney and Professor Snap dropped.
Hermione took a deep breath in, and with Draco at her side, they walked together towards the end of the Gryffindor table. The room was extremely quiet; most had their eyes towards the two. They sat down and quietly began to talk. Hermione picked up a piece of toast and munched on it, even though she wasn't hungry. She couldn't taste the light coating of butter on top of her golden piece of Honey Wheat. Neither could Draco. He wished everyone would stop looking at them and just get back to their own damn business.
Finally he had had enough of everyone's stares.
"Why don't ya'll go find something more important to do, like staying out of our business!" he yelled. Those who were afraid of him quickly began to chatter up a storm with whoever would listen and stopped staring. Ron piped up.
"Well look who's all high and mighty around here! Mr. Malfoy, Head Boy, and now, Hermione's boyfriend, thinking he can just sit wherever he wants and no one's going to notice. I wonder how your father is going to feel when he finds out."
"FUCK OFF RON!" Hermione yelled. "I HAVE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS. IF YOU CAN'T ACCEPT ME AND DRACO TOGETHER THEN SHOVE THIS PIECE OF TOAST UP YOUR ASS. I LOVE HIM AND THERE IS NOTHING YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT!"
"OH, YOU LOVE HIM DO YOU? WHAT IS IT THAT APPEALS TO YOU ABOUT HIM? OBVIOULSY IT ISN'T HIS LOOKS! SO WHAT IS IT HERMIONE!"
"FUCK YOU RON! WHAT THE FUCK WOULD YOU KNOW ABOUT LOVE?! NO GIRL HAS COME WITH IN FOUR FEET OF YOU THE LAST I CHECKED."
She had hit the nail on the hid. Nothing but rage filled Ron as he sat up, storming over to them. Harry tried to stop him.
"Ron, just leave her alone! She's made her decision, there's nothing we can do about it. Why can't you just back off?"
"WHAT, NOW YOUR STANDING UP FOR HER? I DON'T BELIEVE THIS! I GUESS IT'S TRUE THEN. OLD CRUSHES DON'T DIE HARD!"
Hermione stammered. "What.?"
"THAT'S RIGHT, GRANGER, WHILE YOUR OFF SHAGGING MALFOY HARRY HERE HAS HAD THE HOTS FOR YOU EVER SINCE EITHER ONE OF US CAN REMEMBER. YOU ARE SPOILED AND SELFISH NOT TO HAVE REALIZED THIS. I DON'T KNOW EVEN KNOW HOW MALFOY CAN STAND YOU, BECAUSE I CERTAINLY CAN'T. I WAS SO SICK AND TIRED OF LISTENING TO YOU MOAN ON AND ON ABOUT VICTOR OR HOW YOU ONLY GOT A 99 ON A TEST. YOU ARE SUCH A PAIN IN MY ASS AND I AM PERSONALLY GLAD TO BE RID OF YOU!"
Tears stung Hermione's eyes. He had never called her Granger. Draco stood up.
"IF I DIDN'T KNOW BETTER WEASLEY, I'D SAY THAT YOU WERE JEALOUS. JEALOUS OF THE FACT THAT HERMIONE AND I ARE BETTER THAN YOU! YOU LATCH ON TO HARRY BECAUSE HE'S POPULAR, BECAUSE HE'S SMARTER AND A LOT BETTER LOOKING THAN YOU ARE! WHERE THE FUCK DO YOU GET OFF CRITICIZING HERMIONE FOR LIVING HER LIFE HOW SHE WANTS? I BET YOU COULDN'T DO ANYTHING REMOTELY BRAVE OR SUBSTANTIAL ENOUGH TO SAVE YOUR ASS!"
Ron wanted to ring his throat. Now he was complimenting Harry! "AM I THE ONLY ONE WHO HAS A PROBLEM WITH THIS?" He looked around, and no one raised their hand or added in their two cents worth in about Draco and Hermione. He looked down at Harry, whose green eyes were on fire with anger. Hermione got up and stood face to face with Ron. She said very simply.
"I don't want to know you anymore." And with that, she ran off.
"Hermione wait!" cried Harry and Draco in unison. But she didn't care; she didn't care where she was running. She wanted to hide from everyone and everything, as long as she didn't have to hear the horrible things that were going to be said about her. She ran as fast as her legs would allow; she had a favorable start ahead of Draco and Ron. She was in pain, her heart was broken and she wanted to disappear forever. Hermione darted outside and began running towards the horizon. She was running in an area she didn't recognize, but she didn't care. She was running so hard that her legs burned, but pure adrenaline and pain kept her going. In the distance somewhere she thought she heard her name.
Faster and faster she ran until she was completely out of breath. Draco and Harry were not far behind because their yells to her got louder and louder. She looked behind her and saw them coming towards her. Utter exhaustion had kidnapped her body, and she looked at them and smiled.
"Those are the guys that love me," she smiled. She thought she was hearing the sounds running water as her body and her senses were engulfed in a dark euphoria.
"Hermione!!!" Draco yelled in panic as he saw his girlfriend fall over the edge of the rocks and into the freezing river below.
Ch. 15 Fallen
Hermione looked at herself in the mirror, trying to fix her hair. It was their first day back to class after the break. Harry was to be released from the hospital wing early this morning. She had not gone back to see him, partly in fear, partly in anger. She avoided being downstairs in the castle as much as possible, in hopes that she would not have another encounter with Ron or Neville or Dean. But she knew today she'd have to face them. She would have to face her friends, her teachers, and the rest of school. Barely able to sleep the previous night, Hermione merely sat by the bay window and looked out to the horizon.
"It's going to be okay, honey," Draco whispered from behind. He too, unable to sleep, came into her room and held her as they watched the sun rise. He had not heard from his father, but he was sure that Lucius had heard of him and Hermione. They held a quilt over them and looked out at the castle grounds as the first hint of sunlight peered through the hills. Draco periodically kissed the back of Hermione's head, and she held his hand, very tightly. Tears streamed down both of their faces, as they knew their reclusive bliss would soon be interrupted by the stares of classmates and the whispers of the teachers when they thought Hermione and Draco couldn't see.
Hermione looked once more out of her window, the sun fully beaming on the castle grounds. It was cold out, and dew stuck to the grass. The rain had stopped yesterday, finally. She and Draco spent their last happy day together making love in her bed, holding the fleece blankets over them and listening to the ran pitter-patter on her window.
Draco knocked on her bathroom door.
"Are you ready for breakfast sweetie?" he asked.
"No," she answered sadly.
Draco wrapped his arms around Hermione. "It's going to be okay my love. I won't let anything happen to you."
"Besides Ron and Harry, I have no one else to sit next to, no one to stand up for me, what am I going to do?"
"You and I are going to sit together. We are going into enter the Great Hall, holding hands, and we are going to walk over to the Gryffindor Table, and we are going to eat some breakfast, together. I want you to ignore whatever happens. No one needs to be involved in our business. Hermione, you and I are a couple now. We're going to stick this out together. We're going to make us work, despite what everyone in the wizarding world thinks or wants. It's just you and me."
Hermione shuddered as he held her. She was nervous, nervous about going downstairs, nervous about seeing Harry and Ron, worried about being judged. She was the Head Girl, the smartest student at Hogwarts, one of the bravest, and she couldn't muster up the courage to walk down the halls. Instead, she looked up at her boyfriend and nodded. He gave her a small kiss on her lips. The warmth of his lips up against her sent sparks down her spine, like they always had.
Hermione looked in the mirror one last time. She looked tired; the bags under her eyes were big and dark. Draco held on to her hand, and they made their way towards the Great Hall.
Students were bustling around the main level of Hogwarts, all excited to be seeing their friends again. But mostly they were excited to hear of the unexpected coupling of Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy. How long have they been dating? Have they kissed? Do they share a room now? Have they slept together? Is Harry out of the hospital yet?
Harry stepped out of the hospital wing, well rested, well hydrated, and much calmer than he was before. He wanted to find Ron so they could eat at breakfast together, and talk about quidditch, and their game with Ravenclaw in 3 weeks. He wanted to see Hermione, he wanted to talk to her and apologize to her. He wished they three of them could be friends again and feel no awkwardness with Draco being Hermione's boyfriend, as much as he hated the thought. Harry had an epiphany while laying the hospital bed. Hermione was his best friend, and he had much rather have that than anything else. She belongs to Draco now, and it was his own damn fault for not speaking up sooner. He didn't want to lose her friendship. He wanted to be able to laugh with her, study with her, graduate together being the best of friends.
The students stopped what they were doing as they saw Harry walk by. He had grown used to their stares, to their whispers and merely dismissed them as he walked proudly to breakfast. He opened the doors of the Great Hall, and was greeted by the smiles of Hagrid and Professor Dumbledore. The room had yet to fill up. The sounds of Ron and Seamus waving him to sit down with them rang in his ears. He walked over and sat down, picking up a piece of toast and smiling.
A few minutes after Harry sat down, the doors to the Great Hall opened again, and walking in, hand and hand, were Draco and Hermione. Immediately everyone stopped what they were doing and stared at the sight. Even the jaws of Hagrid, Professor Trelawney and Professor Snap dropped.
Hermione took a deep breath in, and with Draco at her side, they walked together towards the end of the Gryffindor table. The room was extremely quiet; most had their eyes towards the two. They sat down and quietly began to talk. Hermione picked up a piece of toast and munched on it, even though she wasn't hungry. She couldn't taste the light coating of butter on top of her golden piece of Honey Wheat. Neither could Draco. He wished everyone would stop looking at them and just get back to their own damn business.
Finally he had had enough of everyone's stares.
"Why don't ya'll go find something more important to do, like staying out of our business!" he yelled. Those who were afraid of him quickly began to chatter up a storm with whoever would listen and stopped staring. Ron piped up.
"Well look who's all high and mighty around here! Mr. Malfoy, Head Boy, and now, Hermione's boyfriend, thinking he can just sit wherever he wants and no one's going to notice. I wonder how your father is going to feel when he finds out."
"FUCK OFF RON!" Hermione yelled. "I HAVE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS. IF YOU CAN'T ACCEPT ME AND DRACO TOGETHER THEN SHOVE THIS PIECE OF TOAST UP YOUR ASS. I LOVE HIM AND THERE IS NOTHING YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT!"
"OH, YOU LOVE HIM DO YOU? WHAT IS IT THAT APPEALS TO YOU ABOUT HIM? OBVIOULSY IT ISN'T HIS LOOKS! SO WHAT IS IT HERMIONE!"
"FUCK YOU RON! WHAT THE FUCK WOULD YOU KNOW ABOUT LOVE?! NO GIRL HAS COME WITH IN FOUR FEET OF YOU THE LAST I CHECKED."
She had hit the nail on the hid. Nothing but rage filled Ron as he sat up, storming over to them. Harry tried to stop him.
"Ron, just leave her alone! She's made her decision, there's nothing we can do about it. Why can't you just back off?"
"WHAT, NOW YOUR STANDING UP FOR HER? I DON'T BELIEVE THIS! I GUESS IT'S TRUE THEN. OLD CRUSHES DON'T DIE HARD!"
Hermione stammered. "What.?"
"THAT'S RIGHT, GRANGER, WHILE YOUR OFF SHAGGING MALFOY HARRY HERE HAS HAD THE HOTS FOR YOU EVER SINCE EITHER ONE OF US CAN REMEMBER. YOU ARE SPOILED AND SELFISH NOT TO HAVE REALIZED THIS. I DON'T KNOW EVEN KNOW HOW MALFOY CAN STAND YOU, BECAUSE I CERTAINLY CAN'T. I WAS SO SICK AND TIRED OF LISTENING TO YOU MOAN ON AND ON ABOUT VICTOR OR HOW YOU ONLY GOT A 99 ON A TEST. YOU ARE SUCH A PAIN IN MY ASS AND I AM PERSONALLY GLAD TO BE RID OF YOU!"
Tears stung Hermione's eyes. He had never called her Granger. Draco stood up.
"IF I DIDN'T KNOW BETTER WEASLEY, I'D SAY THAT YOU WERE JEALOUS. JEALOUS OF THE FACT THAT HERMIONE AND I ARE BETTER THAN YOU! YOU LATCH ON TO HARRY BECAUSE HE'S POPULAR, BECAUSE HE'S SMARTER AND A LOT BETTER LOOKING THAN YOU ARE! WHERE THE FUCK DO YOU GET OFF CRITICIZING HERMIONE FOR LIVING HER LIFE HOW SHE WANTS? I BET YOU COULDN'T DO ANYTHING REMOTELY BRAVE OR SUBSTANTIAL ENOUGH TO SAVE YOUR ASS!"
Ron wanted to ring his throat. Now he was complimenting Harry! "AM I THE ONLY ONE WHO HAS A PROBLEM WITH THIS?" He looked around, and no one raised their hand or added in their two cents worth in about Draco and Hermione. He looked down at Harry, whose green eyes were on fire with anger. Hermione got up and stood face to face with Ron. She said very simply.
"I don't want to know you anymore." And with that, she ran off.
"Hermione wait!" cried Harry and Draco in unison. But she didn't care; she didn't care where she was running. She wanted to hide from everyone and everything, as long as she didn't have to hear the horrible things that were going to be said about her. She ran as fast as her legs would allow; she had a favorable start ahead of Draco and Ron. She was in pain, her heart was broken and she wanted to disappear forever. Hermione darted outside and began running towards the horizon. She was running in an area she didn't recognize, but she didn't care. She was running so hard that her legs burned, but pure adrenaline and pain kept her going. In the distance somewhere she thought she heard her name.
Faster and faster she ran until she was completely out of breath. Draco and Harry were not far behind because their yells to her got louder and louder. She looked behind her and saw them coming towards her. Utter exhaustion had kidnapped her body, and she looked at them and smiled.
"Those are the guys that love me," she smiled. She thought she was hearing the sounds running water as her body and her senses were engulfed in a dark euphoria.
"Hermione!!!" Draco yelled in panic as he saw his girlfriend fall over the edge of the rocks and into the freezing river below.