Chapter 9: Keeping Secrets
The next morning Draco woke, thoughts and nightmares running through his sleep fogged mind.
It was dawn, and in the face of Lucius's threat, Draco knew what he had to do. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hermione woke up at 7.00 am, feelings of peace and security humming in her mind.
She got her robes and dashed into the bathroom, anxious to see Draco, for no other reason than to see his handsome face.
Hermione finished brushing her hair, and without putting any makeup on she rushed out into the common room hoping to catch Draco before they went down to breakfast.
He was sprawled lazily on the couch near the fireplace, his face curiously blank.
Hermione sensed that something was wrong, very wrong.
"Draco, are you alright?" She asked apprehensively.
He remained silent for a moment not looking at her, but at the window where his owl perched in waiting.
"I'm sorry to break this to you," He drawled sneeringly at her "but I think this has go on far enough. You were a bet that Pansy proposed to me 'If you can hook her then dump her you get 10 galleons.'" He lied convincingly.
She stared at him blankly, and then dawning realization brought devastation along with humiliation.
Tears stung Hermione's eyes, but she held them back refusing to let them fall.
Draco cringed inside at the utter devastation upon her face.
He stood up trying to think of something else to drive her away, but he never got the chance.
Crack!
Hermione slapped him with all the hurt and betrayal she felt inside.
Pain seared along his right cheek making him gasp.
Hermione stood there looking at the red imprint made by her hand. She could remember another time when she had slapped him. It seemed as if he'd never changed at all.
Turning on her heel, she ran out the portrait door.
She could clearly hear John and Catherine (the portrait) saying, "Kids can be so cruel these days," Said John. "Yes indeed," replied Catherine "Why in my day." The voices faded as Hermione ran down the corridor.
"Hermione! What's wrong?" She heard Harry call out. She ignored him, her thoughts turned in on cruelty and betrayal.
She ran through all the twisting corridors until she found herself outside.
She knew where she was going now. To the place that always gave her peace through tormenting times. A garden that nobody seemed to know about. It was near the Quiddich grounds.
She'd never thought of it before, but it could be similar to the Room of Requirement, the room they had use for DADA practices.
It was a beautiful garden with a two-seater bench faced at the lovely flowering trees. The sunlight filtered through the branches making the garden seem surreal.
Hermione sat on the bench her head and shoulders drooping with a grief she had not thought she could feel.
How could she have misjudged him? Why would he do this to her? She had never done anything to warrant his heartless cruelty!
Anger started to boil in her veins and she covered her face as she sobbed bitterly, tears dripping onto her palms. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Draco stood in the middle of the common room, the imprint of Hermione's hand still stinging.
He didn't mind, in fact he welcomed the pain, it was no more than the pain he had inflicted on Hermione.
He hated doing it, but it was for the best, at least until his father was dealt with.
He wouldn't have Hermione hurt for anything in the world, not since he'd fallen in love with her.
Draco sat down at the table near the window where his owl waited for his letter.
Father, In regard to your last letter, I have discontinued the relationship I had with Hermione Granger, I hope you are pleased. No such occurrence will happen again while I reside at the manor. Draco.
He rolled up the parchment he'd written the message, tied it to his owl's leg and sent him off to his father.
The next morning Draco woke, thoughts and nightmares running through his sleep fogged mind.
It was dawn, and in the face of Lucius's threat, Draco knew what he had to do. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hermione woke up at 7.00 am, feelings of peace and security humming in her mind.
She got her robes and dashed into the bathroom, anxious to see Draco, for no other reason than to see his handsome face.
Hermione finished brushing her hair, and without putting any makeup on she rushed out into the common room hoping to catch Draco before they went down to breakfast.
He was sprawled lazily on the couch near the fireplace, his face curiously blank.
Hermione sensed that something was wrong, very wrong.
"Draco, are you alright?" She asked apprehensively.
He remained silent for a moment not looking at her, but at the window where his owl perched in waiting.
"I'm sorry to break this to you," He drawled sneeringly at her "but I think this has go on far enough. You were a bet that Pansy proposed to me 'If you can hook her then dump her you get 10 galleons.'" He lied convincingly.
She stared at him blankly, and then dawning realization brought devastation along with humiliation.
Tears stung Hermione's eyes, but she held them back refusing to let them fall.
Draco cringed inside at the utter devastation upon her face.
He stood up trying to think of something else to drive her away, but he never got the chance.
Crack!
Hermione slapped him with all the hurt and betrayal she felt inside.
Pain seared along his right cheek making him gasp.
Hermione stood there looking at the red imprint made by her hand. She could remember another time when she had slapped him. It seemed as if he'd never changed at all.
Turning on her heel, she ran out the portrait door.
She could clearly hear John and Catherine (the portrait) saying, "Kids can be so cruel these days," Said John. "Yes indeed," replied Catherine "Why in my day." The voices faded as Hermione ran down the corridor.
"Hermione! What's wrong?" She heard Harry call out. She ignored him, her thoughts turned in on cruelty and betrayal.
She ran through all the twisting corridors until she found herself outside.
She knew where she was going now. To the place that always gave her peace through tormenting times. A garden that nobody seemed to know about. It was near the Quiddich grounds.
She'd never thought of it before, but it could be similar to the Room of Requirement, the room they had use for DADA practices.
It was a beautiful garden with a two-seater bench faced at the lovely flowering trees. The sunlight filtered through the branches making the garden seem surreal.
Hermione sat on the bench her head and shoulders drooping with a grief she had not thought she could feel.
How could she have misjudged him? Why would he do this to her? She had never done anything to warrant his heartless cruelty!
Anger started to boil in her veins and she covered her face as she sobbed bitterly, tears dripping onto her palms. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Draco stood in the middle of the common room, the imprint of Hermione's hand still stinging.
He didn't mind, in fact he welcomed the pain, it was no more than the pain he had inflicted on Hermione.
He hated doing it, but it was for the best, at least until his father was dealt with.
He wouldn't have Hermione hurt for anything in the world, not since he'd fallen in love with her.
Draco sat down at the table near the window where his owl waited for his letter.
Father, In regard to your last letter, I have discontinued the relationship I had with Hermione Granger, I hope you are pleased. No such occurrence will happen again while I reside at the manor. Draco.
He rolled up the parchment he'd written the message, tied it to his owl's leg and sent him off to his father.