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"Tried to give you warning
But everyone ignores me
Told you everything loud and clear
But nobody's listening
Called to you so clearly
But you don't want to hear me
Told you everything loud and clear
But nobody's listening
I got a heart full of pain
Head full of stress
Hand full of anger
Held in my chest
Uphill struggle
Blood, sweat and tears
Nothing to gain
Everything to fear
Heart full of pain"
'Nobody's Listening' Linkin Park
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Draco slowly ate his eggs, while his fellow Slytherins discussed their plans for the day. Draco silently listened, but was startled by a hard slap on the back. Draco turned around to see a grinning Sam and a frowning Blaise. Blaise's cheeks were flushed, and he was wearing a look of shock, disapproval and resentment. Draco stared at the pair as they sat down in both of the empty seats on either side of him.
Blaise grumbled before loudly biting into his bacon. Sam sat grinning at Draco foolishly.
"What's it with you two?" Draco asked curiously. Sam laughed and patted Draco roughly on the back, causing Draco to choke on the eggs he was eating. Draco reached for his goblet of orange juice, and then took a large gulp.
"Easy now mate." Sam grinned. Draco looked at Blaise who was boisterously tearing a part a piece of bacon.
"Tell him Sam." Blaise grumbled. Sam smiled at Draco.
"Do you remember how you asked Eva to be your girlfriend?" Sam asked. Draco nodded slowly, before plopping another forkful of eggs into his mouth.
"Erm, being that it was yesterday morning, I remember." Draco scoffed. Blaise snorted loudly, and Sam continued to grin at Draco eagerly.
"Anyhow, I thought. Hey I'm keen on someone at this school!" Sam paused for a supposed dramatic effect. Blaise rolled his eyes, and Draco continued eating, only half-listening to the Aussie Slytherin.
"Get to the point you git." Blaise said grouchily. Sam laughed yet again, before he spoke.
"I have a girlfriend." Sam smiled. Blaise was still glaring at Sam, and Draco shortly paused from his breakfast to look at Sam.
"You playboy, I could have sworn I saw a pack of Slytherin second years sobbing hysterically this morning in the common room." Draco said sarcastically. Sam laughed heartily before turning to his own plate. Draco smirked, turning his attention back to Blaise.
"What's creeped up your arse Zabini?" Draco asked. Blaise turned and scowled at Draco and Sam. Draco smiled before shoving a large piece of bacon into his mouth.
"Blaise is going out with Potter's friend," Blaise said, his voice low. Draco, caught by surprise by Blaise's comment, began choking on the piece of bacon he had just plopped into his mouth. Draco coughed loudly. Sam hit Draco firmly in the back again.
"Went down the wrong airpipe mate?" Sam asked. Draco continued to cough; he reached for his goblet and downed the contents of it before he was ready to speak again. Draco inhaled deeply, and ran his hand through is new longer blonde locks uncomfortably.
"By Potter's friend, I assume you don't mean the red-headed git." Draco coughed in disbelief. Blaise shook his head, and Sam shook his head.
"Look. I know you aren't exactly fond of her friends." Sam said slowly.
"Look Sam. You're in Slytherin. People expect certain things from us." Blaise snapped. Sam shook his head, his numerous piercings jingling as he rotated his head. Draco opened his mouth to speak, but his throat was dry. Draco had tried to frequently ignore the fact that Sam was a close friend of Hermione's, but him dating her was an entirely different story.
"Don't get started with me on that Slytherin shit. I can date whomever I want." Sam spat. Draco still sat in between them speechless. Several Slytherins' attentions quickly snapped to Sam and Blaise.
"Do you know what she is Sam?" Blaise spat ferociously. Sam continued to glare at Blaise, his face unreadable. Draco tried to speak, to get them to stop, but he remained silently.
"She's a fucking filthy Mudblood. How could you stand to be seen with someone like her?" Blaise scoffed cruelly. Several sneering Slytherins' eyes fell on Sam, just waiting for him to explode. But something strange happened. Draco could feel his eyes lock intently with Sam. Draco slowly shook his head. Sam suddenly stood up, knocking his chair to the ground. Blaise's reflexes caused him to jump violently. Sam stared at him, a look of pure rage in his eyes.
"Your not worth it you slimy git." Sam said venomously. He slowly began to walk towards the grand doors of the Great Hall.
"Your going to fucking regret everything you just said to me Sam!" Blaise finally retorted after realizing that Sam was out of earshot. Draco sat silently, afraid to speak.
"Can you fucking believe him Draco?" Blaise asked coolly. Pansy, Crabbe and Goyle shook their heads while Draco remained hushed.
"The fucking nerve of that git. You see? You can never trust anyone new around here." Blaise said again. Pansy nodded before piping in.
"The nerve. Your right! You can never trust 'em." She said shrilly. Crabbe and Goyle nodded in agreement.
"Draco?" Blaise asked, suddenly realizing that Draco was yet to speak. Draco cleared his throat before speaking. He turned to Blaise.
"You were wrong mate." Draco said softly.
"What?" Blaise spat, his blood obviously boiling. Draco rolled his eyes, he wasn't afraid of this prat.
"Your in the wrong. We're his friends; we are supposed to stand by him. No matter what he does, or in this case, who he likes." Draco murmured. Draco could hear a collective gasp come from his so called friends. He was starting to feel that his only true friend had already left the Great Hall.
"Draco, have you lost your fucking mind?" Blaise snapped callously.
"Dunno." Draco took a small nibble off a smaller chunk of bacon. Draco suddenly began speaking from a place deep inside of him, a place that had been hidden for years beneath his cold and numb exterior. His parents death had unleashed this beast inside of him, and much to his surprise, all of his frustrations about his phony friends suddenly came to the surface. "Maybe I have gone mad, like everyone's been saying. Or maybe listening to you people fucking babble on about your insignificant lives and problems, with your egotistical 'thou shall worship me' attitudes, has driven me bonkers! Hello! No one fucking likes us! All we do is scorn other people and make them feel like shit! Come on, let's be honest, we are fucked up. Blaise." Draco turned to Blaise who was staring at him in awe. "You are the most fucking shallow person I have ever came across in my shot sixteen years of living, and I know some pretty shallow people being that I'm fucking 'friends' with you lot!" Draco snapped his voice rising in tone as he went on. He turned to Crabbe and Goyle. "And you goons, you are the fucking dullest people I've ever met. How you ever could look down and ridicule someone and make them feel insignificant, and not feel a tad bit hypocritical, stuns me." Draco snapped quickly, his lips were now moving faster than his mind could, as he felt his pent up stress escape his tired body. Crabbe and Goyle stared at him naively.
"Oh! I'm sorry! You two dimwits couldn't define the word hypocrite, even if the definition was two inches away from your two pudgy faces!" Draco laughed maliciously at Crabbe and Goyle before he turned to Pansy. Her lip was quivering, knowing that her turn was upon her.
"Pansy…Pansy… Pansy." Draco cooed sarcastically. "Honestly…" Draco leaned over and tapped Pansy's temple. "Hello? Is there anything in there? Really! At times, you can be a good person, but then there are those other times. Which is most of the time, when I wonder, does Pansy Parkinson ever fucking think for herself? Your always agreeing with everything that comes out of Blaise's." Draco turns to look over at Blaise, " Fucking mouth, think for yourself for once!" Draco snarled. Pansy stared at him, a sad look on her face. Draco however, mad with power, could not see the hurt in her eyes. The monster lurking deep inside of him was out, loose and out of control.
"And me… Draco Malfoy! I am the fucking slimiest of all of us! I walk around thinking I'm fucking better than everyone else here, even my so-called friends. When really I'd be surprised to find anyone more fucked up them me. My father was a cold and conniving bastard, my mother couldn't even spell love, yet alone give it. I might as well be heartless because I don't fucking feel anything or anyone! My parents killed themselves being the selfish hypocrites that they were. News flash, I'm just like them, and I'm like all of you prats. Blaise, I'm shallow. Crabbe and Goyle, I'm fucking dull too, and Pansy, I never think for myself. I'm mean, I hate myself, I hate the world, I'm depressed, I'm conniving, heartless, alone, and I forgot to mention, I'm fucking insane." Draco growled. Everyone at the Slytherin table looked up at Draco, every one of them speechless. Draco could feel their eyes, but the aftermath of everything he had just said still did not feel real. He could hear hushed whispers among the small group of Slytherin's who had overhead Draco's outburst. He could hear them mutter about how he was right in a strange way. He could hear some of them whisper that he was delusional. He could even hear some of them whisper how much they secretly despised him and some of their other fellow housemates, but were too afraid to utter it aloud until that moment. Draco growled before burying his head in his hands, suddenly realizing the immense magnitude of his mistake.
News of Draco Malfoy's alleged mental breakdown spread throughout Hogwarts in a matter of hours. Draco however, regretting some of the harsher things he said about Blaise, Crabbe, Goyle and Pansy, did not regret giving everyone a glimpse at the internal machinery of his own bewildered mind. Several versions had spread throughout Hogwarts. Each Slytherin, who was there first hand for the breakdown, each told their own fabricated versions, inserting fictional comments about several people throughout the school. Draco contemplated going to the Infirmary, but he knew that's what everyone would want him to do. Therefore, Draco struggled through his Double History of Magic class. If Sam had not of been there, Draco would have stormed out of the classroom. The tension between Draco and Blaise was thick, and Draco was not the only one who could feel it. When the double period ended, Draco slowly made his way down to the dungeons for Potions.
Even though Sam was walking with him the entire way, Draco had never felt more ridiculed, or noticed. He could feel the hard gazes follow him as he made his way down Hogwart's stone corridors towards the Potions room. Draco finally reached the potions room with Sam. Draco noticed that Blaise and Pansy were already in the room, sitting in their own respective seats. Draco locked eyes with Pansy, who gave him a pitiful look, then with Blaise who gave him a look of pure detestation. Eva looked up at Draco vacantly before her eyes fell sadly back to the tabletop. Draco glared at her at first in confusion, he had least expected Eva to be a bit of a comfort, but she had stared at him just like everyone else had been staring at him that day, like he was crazy. Draco was beginning to think that he was. Draco slowly sat down in his seat, something oddly taking over him. He looked over at Hermione, and much to his surprise; she was grinning at him maliciously. Draco blinked his eyes several times before opening them again to look at Hermione. She was staring at him vacantly; she stared at him for what seemed like an eternity before she slowly turned back around in her seat.
Hermione Granger
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"Heaven seems a wasted place
To never get a chance to grow there
Wear your sign
I will wear my crown of thorns
And watch the storm break around you
Where's your sign?
Where's your sign love?
It's only mine
Innocent, innocence
The father tossed you around some
And mother lost you
Where's the sign now?"
'Wear Your Sign' Jason Mraz
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Hermione laughed heartily at Ginny Weasley's joke. They were sitting at dinner in the Great Hall. All four tables that night were abuzz with activity, and with gossip. All Hermione heard anyone talk about that day, was about Draco Malfoy. Hermione first tried to ignore the comments, but then she started to listen, and found herself fascinated. Sam had told her during lunch about Draco's strange behavior during breakfast, then his short argument with Blaise. Hermione sighed before taking another sip of her pumpkin juice.
"Hermione did you hear about slimy old Malfoy losing it this morning?" Ron asked Hermione, trying to spark up a conversation. Harry, who was sitting across the table, suddenly looked up at them.
"Yes." Hermione mumbled, Ron, not sensing Hermione's extreme discomfort, continued to talk about Draco.
"He's really losing it. I heard that Dumbledore considered sending him to St. Mungos. But then again," Ron paused, taking another bite of his corn on the cob. "Now that he's gone mad, he isn't as obnoxious towards us. Eh Harry?" Ron asked Harry, who had returned to talking to Eva. Eva stared up at Ron, and snorted.
"Ron, maybe you shouldn't be talking about that." Harry said gently. Hermione looked down at her plate when she realized Eva had been staring at her. Hermione could not bear the fact that Eva knew about her relationship with Draco. The thought of Eva confronting him was constantly nagging at Hermione's brain throughout the day.
"Fine." Ron snapped towards Harry, he looked over at Hermione a split second before returning his attention to his food.
"Well, do you know what I found quite interesting?" Eva said suddenly, her voice cold.
"What?" Harry asked curiously, pushing up his black wire rimmed glasses on the bridge of his nose. Hermione took another large gulp of her pumpkin juice; she could feel Eva's eyes lock on her cruelly.
"With all this shit going around school about Draco, no one is talking about who started the whole confrontation in the first place." Eva spat harshly. Her harsh stare was like daggers upon Hermione. Hermione could feel her face flush a deep red. She still had not mentioned the new status of Sam and her's relationship to Harry and Ron.
"And better yet," Eva continued. "Why how 'bout you fill them in Hermione?" Eva asked; her eyes finally drifted away from Hermione and back to her plate. She viciously stabbed her fork into a thick piece of roast beef.
"What she talking about 'Mione?" Ron asked curiously. Hermione growled in anger, this was a new low, even for someone as wicked as Eva.
"Uh…" Hermione managed to mumble. Eva lifted an eyebrow in mock sympathy. Harry gave Hermione an odd look, sensing the tension between the two girls. Ron reached for his goblet and began downing down its contents.
"Come on Hermione. You haven't told them about your new Slytherin Beau?" Eva said in a fake tone. Harry's mouth dropped, and Ron spat out the pumpkin juice he had been drinking.
"What?" Ron managed to spat. Hermione shook her head shamefully.
"I'm going out with Sam now." Hermione said, her voice hoarse. Eva smirked in satisfaction, and Harry remained silent.
"But…" Ron managed to stutter. "What happened to Krum?" Ron asked. Hermione shook her head.
"Oh, don't be silly Ron. I never went out with Krum." Hermione snapped. Harry glared at Hermione before he finally spoke.
"You said nothing was going on between you two." Harry said gruffly. Hermione began racking her mind, thinking of the right thing to say without upsetting her two friends more.
"Things change Harry." She finally managed to squeak. Eva just stared at them vacantly; Hermione clutched the knife she had in her hand tightly, wanting nothing more than to send it hurtling towards Eva's face.
"Hermione, he's in Slytherin." Harry said gravely, his voice was soft. He leaned forward, his eyes were glimmering mysteriously, "Don't make the same mistake twice Hermione." Hermione felt her mouth go dry, and her mind go blank. She had never seen Harry behave this way before. When she looked into those eyes; she saw something different, drastically different. Maybe he was right; maybe her relationship with Sam was doing more damage than good. Hermione sat back in her chair, suddenly feeling uncomfortable in Harry's presence. Harry did the same, remaining silent throughout the rest of dinner. However, right before Hermione was going to stand up to depart for the Gryffindor common room, a loud scream came from the Slytherin table. Hermione looked over in horror as she realized what had been going on at the Slytherin table. Draco and Blaise were standing up on the Slytherin table, wands pointed. Hermione noticed in horror that Sam lay at Draco's feet, his face an odd shade of blue.
The next few moments happened quite slowly. Hermione witnessed Professor Dumbledore, Professor Lupin, Professor McGonagall, and Professor Snape, all reach for their wands instinctively. Draco and Blaise, a look of fury in both of their eyes. Draco and Blaise both muttered hexes, a bright blue smoke emerged from Blaise's wand, causing Draco to stumble and fall back in pain. A dull purple haze emerged from Draco's wand, hitting Blaise. Blaise screamed in horror as he began to sprout feathers all over his body. Professor Dumbledore quickly turned towards the amazed student body, and said in a loud gruff voice.
"Everyone please return to your common rooms, this very instant." Dumbledore quickly turned back towards the Slytherin table, where Professor Snape and Professor Lupin had picked up Sam's limp body and began walking towards the door behind the teacher's table. Hermione felt her heart catch in her throat, her mind was screaming at her to run after them and find out where they were taking him. However, Hermione remained with her housemates, as they slowly made their way out of the Great Hall and back to the common room, Hermione holding back tears the entire way.
Later that night while Hermione was in the lavatory brushing her teeth, the door creaked open and Eva strolled in. She was wearing her school robes, her eyes puffy and her face red like she had been crying. Hermione, who was brushing her teeth, quickly spat out the foamy toothpaste into the sink, and turned off the running water. She quickly put her toothbrush in the respective holder before turning to exit. Eva quickly stepped out in front of her.
"Hermione, where are you going?" Eva snapped, a threatening look in her eyes. Hermione quickly looked down upon the stone floor.
"Going to bed." Hermione mumbled. She turned to get past Eva, when Eva stepped in front of her again. Great. This is just bloody excellent. Hermione sarcastically thought to herself, she could feel what was coming next.
"Did you see what happened during dinner tonight?" Eva muttered, her voice low. Hermione thought of a particular witty comment, but sensing Eva's anger, she remained silent and nodded her head.
"I just came back from the infirmary. Blaise put a hex on Sam. Draco got upset and they both put hexes on each other. Draco's hex worked, Blaise is covered in bright yellow feathers. However, Blaise's hex did not work so well. Sam is still unconscious because of the hex Blaise tried to put on him was done incorrectly. Oh and I forgot to mention." Eva paused; her voice was dripping in sarcasam. "Draco's eyes are swollen from the Conjunctivitis curse Blaise placed on him. Real mess." Eva finished. Hermione felt her heart skip a beat, she had not tried going to the Infirmary
"Why are you telling me all of this?" Hermione asked curiously. Eva continued to glare at her in contempt.
"Just informing you about all the mess you've caused." Eva spat. Hermione eyes widened at the sheer nerve of the Beauxbatons girl.
"What?" Hermione scoffed. "How is an impromptu duel gone wrong my fault?" she snapped, still glued to her spot.
"I don't know, you tell me." Eva replied coldly. Hermione shook her head.
"Bloody hell! What do you have against me Eva?" Hermione asked, becoming very agitated. Eva ran her hand swiftly through her long black hair before speaking.
"He cares about you, you know that right?" Eva said suddenly, her voice much softer. Hermione, caught off guard by the comment, was too stunned to speak. Hermione had to get out of the lavatories, she quickly stepped to the side, but Eva forcefully pushed her. Hermione stumbled back causing Eva grabbed her hand hastily then she slammed her forcefully against the wall. Hermione winced; she didn't expect Eva to physically harm her.
"I know about your little thing with Draco, but let me tell you something." Eva paused, leaning forward, her eyes locking with Hermione's. Hermione held back tears as she felt a dull throbbing pain in her back. "If you're going out with him just to hurt Draco, I'll seriously kill you. Do not fuck with me Granger. Am I clear?" Eva snarled. Hermione nodded, her lip quivering. Eva growled, slamming her against the wall yet again. Hermione, obviously overpowered, by the taller rougher girl, slowly slumped down the stone wall. Eva picked her up by the chest of her satin sleep robes and pushed her against the wall a final time. "You've already done enough." Eva growled. She hastily let go of Hermione and stormed out of the lavatories, slamming the door behind her. Hermione finally lost her composure, slumping onto the floor and tears flowing freely from her eyes.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Yes, I know, I made Draco go postal on all of his 'Slytherin' friends. Keep in mind, all the things he said were basically what he felt about his friends, but never had the balls to say. I know, they may of seemed a little harsh, but you'll find out why Draco lost control like that in later chapters.
Also, Eva, in case you haven't notice, adores Draco, and she feels that Hermione is up to something by all of a sudden agreeing to go out with Sam. And What's the deal with Harry? Hmmm… (Places head in hands in wonder)
Anyhoo, I've started school again. Exams are next week. Less writing time? I think so. Pooey. Sadly, I haven't gotten any new reviews… I think… I don't know, I'm not on the net right now. But I still would like to thank my reviewers who reviewed yesterday I think. Thanks!
By the way, to the people who were wondering why I haven't gotten a lot of reviews (I have twenty three right now… I think). I haven't a clue neither. Maybe no one finds my summary interesting. I changed it several times now. Maybe people read it, but they simply don't feel like reviewing it. I don't know, all that matters to me is that it's being read!
Also to the few people who actually read the song lyrics, aren't the lyrics for Wear your sign insane? Two minutes long, it's haunting actually. I suggest everyone try and hear that song by Jason Mraz. I felt it felt this chapter perfectly, it sounds like something Hermione would be thinking, hearing all this gossip about Draco. (Especially the 'storm break around you part. CHILLS!) But yes, that's all for now though, Ciao!
~Alisha~
