Disclaimer: I don't own it or anything else in that matter. I don't own anything in the house where I live except for the clothes I'm wearing. I'm not paid, all I get for the work I'm doing is the love and approval from the kids I teach. So if you should decide to sue me…there's nothing (and I mean it) there's absolutely nothing you would get out of it…
Author's Note: sorry folks that it takes me so long to update, but there were exams straight after the Christmas holidays and I had to get my Upper 6 through AS-Level retakes and then there were a whole lot of GCSE-mock exams. And please, can anybody explain to me how 12 of my 14 Year 11 (5th form) pupils didn't get anything above a D?
Whatever. Good thing it was just a mock exam.
Right. Thanks for all the reviews. I'm on 24 people's favourite list and I can't believe it…it's wonderful, it plasters a huge grin on my face every morning when I go and check on the websites and my students really appreciate it when I'm in a good mood. Especially after those appalling exam results.
The following chapter is a bit pointless, but suddenly I had the most brilliant idea how to go on with the story and now I've got it planned out in my head and I'll try to finish it as soon as possible and with an Exeat weekend to come your chances are that it won't take me too long to post another chapter.
So, on with the story and keep the reviews coming… J
***
Married!?
Chapter 7
Brooding
***
She hated herself for it. How could she have been so stupid. She felt sick and disgusted and she wanted to scream and punch and shout, but something in her wouldn't let her do it. She breathed and opened her mouth, but no sound would come from her throat and she clenched her fists so tightly that her fingernails left deep white marks in her skin.
This was awful. She was awful. No wonder Harry let her down. No, she had let Harry down.
She wanted to cry, so badly, but the tears wouldn't come. She just sat there, feeling miserably and lonely and hating herself.
She pictured Draco's face and imagined herself punching and kicking it to a bloody pulp. Since when had she changed into such a violent self, Hermione wondered idly for a second, but then the silent rage took over again and swapped away any rational thoughts that usually determined her mind. Things had changed since the war had begun and during the last 48 hours she might have changed even more. It was all his fault. No, not only his. Ron. Thinking of his name made her heart sting with pain. It was Ron's fault as well. She wanted to hurt him. Make him pay for what he did. Make him realize what he had done to all of them and finally, make him change back to his old self. The Ron she loved and trusted and could rely on.
How she whished herself to be back at Hogwarts. To have a time turner and to be able to switch back to when everything had been all right. When there had been classes and meals and friends and life had been fairly normal.
Normal. What was normal anyway? She had never had a normal life.
It was to late now anyway. Everything had been messed up. Things couldn't get any worse whatever decision she might make from now on. And with a sigh she got up from the ground and headed away from the clearing.
Usually she knew what she was doing. Hell, she had her entire life planned in every single detail from the moment on that she had entered Hogwarts, but now nothing seemed to matter anymore. She had no idea what she was going to do; she would have time to think of a plan later.
***
Life could have been wonderful for one Draco Malfoy if those strange events that had decided to happen during the last few weeks hadn't changed his entire view of the world. Now he was just a miserable being with no money, no allies and most important of all, no power.
In fact, at the moment things didn't look good for Draco at all. This good-for-nothing, pathetic excuse of a wizardy had struck him with a spell that even First years could easily deflect and now he was lying face down in the mud, his limps numb with cold and all he wanted right now was a time turner to take him back to when everything had been all right. When he had been at Hogwarts and not in this horrible forest and his arms and feet still bound by a spell although he wasn't stupefied anymore. Why for heaven's sake had it always to be him?
And that all because of a mudblood. If it hadn't been for her he could have been on the zenith of his power by now. But no, it was always those stupid mudbloods that had to ruin everything. If he had had enough strength in his body left, he would have sworn. Life just was not fair.
He was so absorbed in his thoughts that he didn't notice someone repeatedly hissing his name from the bushes a few feet to this right. It wasn't until a little pebble hit him square on the forehead that his mind stopped brooding and his attention focused on the present.
"About time, Malfoy, I thought you might have been gone for good already."
Draco quirked an eyebrow and unsuccessfully tried to make out the owner of the voice.
"What do you want?" he asked suspiciously, but kept his voice down.
"To get you out of here. But if you don't stop prating around I don't think I'll bother at all."
"I wasn't prating around."
"Oh, please. Now listen, can you move?"
"Do I look as if I could move?"
"All right. Why do I bother. Stay here, I come and get you in a few seconds."
"Stay here? I actually thought I might go for a walk, you know…" he drawled, but the rustling of leaves and twigs told him the stranger had already moved out of earshot.
Minutes passed in which nothing happened and Draco already thought it had been nothing but a cruel trick played on him by his captivators, when he heard "Finite Incantatum!" and his legs and arms started to hurt even more as he could move them on his own free will again.
"Right then, Malfoy, let's go." Hermione stated brushing a few leaves out of her bushy hair.
He stared at her incredulously for a second and then his gaze fell on the three people behind her, who were lying motionless on the ground.
"How did you-"
"Knocked them out cold. But they won't be out for long, so we better get going."
Slowly he got to his feet, eyeing the girl in front of him suspiciously.
"I won't hurt you, Draco, now move."
He threw one last glance at the men sprawled on the ground and then, speechless, followed Hermoine who had already started a head.
