Radios and Grindylows
"Hey, Hermione! Look what my parents sent me!" Parvati screamed as she jumped onto Hermione's bed brandishing what looked like a muggle radio.
"It's a Sadio or something! Watch this!" she flicked a switch on it and a song came blasting out.
"You're everywhere to me and when I close my eyes it's you I see, you're everything-" the song was cut off as Parvati flicked the switch again. She looked thrilled.
"I got it for my birthday! Dad says it runs on datteries or something!" Hermione looked up at Parvati and smiled. She had come up to the dorm to think about what had happened earlier with Draco. She hadn't really wanted to talk to anyone but Parvati's smiling face cheered her up a bit.
"Actually, it's a radio." She said. "And it runs on batteries." She smiled so Parvati wouldn't think she was a know-it-all. Luckily, Parvati smiled back.
"Oh yeah! I forgot you're muggle born!" Hermione proceeded to show her friend were the batteries were kept, which thoroughly amazed Parvati.
"Cool." She breathed in awe. Hermione smiled and handed back the radio.
"Wait, Parvati," Hermione said. "How did you get a muggle contraption to work in Hogwarts? Surely Hogwarts: A History wouldn't lie. Then again it's very out of date…"
"Oh my dad did some spell on it or whatever – who cares anyway? It works, that's all I need!" she laughed and Hermione chose to ignore her ignorance and law breaking. "Hey, why don't you come downstairs? Everyone's down in the common room?"
"No, I…" she stopped mid-sentence. "Actually, yeah, why not?" Parvati grinned and jumped off the bed, pulling Hermione with her. They walked down the staircase together, Parvati ranting on about Lavender now wanting to become a muggle pop star.
"There you are!" She heard Harry call from across the room. She turned around to see his and Ron's worried faces.
"Hey." She waved. She told Parvati she'd catch up with her in a minute and joined the boys in the far corner of the common room.
"How are you?" Ron asked quietly, standing to let her sit in his armchair. She smiled thankfully and sat down.
"I'm ok, thanks." She nodded. He placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. She turned to smile at him and in doing so, saw his grazed knuckles.
"You're hand…" she began. Ron quickly hid the offending hand behind his back and sat down on the arm of Harry's chair.
"Oh Ron, why? Why did you go after Draco?" she pleaded.
"Hermione!" he exclaimed. He looked around nervously, thankful he hadn't attracted too much attention. "Look, I had to do something, ok? I couldn't let him get away with it."
Hermione felt a stab of guilt. Yet again, it's all my fault. "He looks awful." She whispered, looking at the crimson carpet.
"What?" Harry said, looking up at her. "When did you see Draco?"
"When he came to tell me abou-" Hermione stopped short. Oh shit.
"What?" Ron said tightly. "Malfoy came to see you?"
Hermione nodded slowly. Why had she come down here in the first place?
Ron looked infuriated. "I swear, if that idiot laid one finger on you…"
"Ron, please!" Hermione pleaded. "He didn't do anything. He just came to say what you'd done!"
"Hermione!" Harry cried. "Why are you sticking up for him?"
Hermione felt her shoulders sag as silent tears rolled down her cheeks. "You wouldn't understand…" she whispered.
"No, Hermione, we don't understand!" Ron shouted, oblivious to the heads turning to watch the scene unfolding before them. "Why don't you tell us?" She dropped her head into her hands and shook her head violently. She heard Ron sigh and felt his arm wrap around her shaking shoulders.
"I'm sorry, 'Mione. I didn't mean to shout. I'm just having a hard time getting around the idea that…" he trailed off, not wanting to speak the words nobody wanted to hear.
"I'm sorry too." Harry said, reaching out to hold her hand. "I can't possibly understand what you're going through, after all, I've never been raped."
That makes two of us Hermione thought miserably. This thought signalled a fresh wave of tears and she started to shake uncontrollably. Ron stroked her arm soothingly; Harry squeezed her hand to comfort her. In the background, she could hear Parvati's radio complimenting her thoughts.
'Why'd you have to go and make things so complicated?'
*~*~*~*~*
Draco sat under an old elm tree, looking out over the lake. He could see the Giant Squid teasingly poking a very aggravated Grindylow and couldn't help but feel a little bit of compassion for the usually annoying creature. The poor bugger had probably just come up to the surface to see a different side of life, to experiment. Do what he wanted, and also what he'd always been told not to do. 'To fill his hearts desire', one could say. But just as he was in reaching distance of what he'd longed for for so long, he was being pushed back. Kept away from what he'd wanted all this time. And try as he might, he couldn't overcome that obstacle. He kept trying, but the squid wouldn't back down. He'd never get what he wanted. Not today, and probably not ever. The story sounded depressingly familiar to Draco.
His observing was rudely interrupted by shrill laughter from the opposite end of the lake. He glanced over and recognised that Patil girl from his Potions class. He couldn't name the other people surrounding her but from the red robes they had donned told they were Gryffindors.
He scowled. What gave them the right to interrupt his 'lone time'? It had taken him long enough to ditch Crabbe and Goyle. He just wanted to be on his own now…
Oh, great he thought sarcastically as music blared from a small box Patil was waving around. They're going to cause noise pollution just to annoy me even more. The word 'paranoid' quickly skipped across his mind, but he dismissed it quickly.
He listened closely. 'Feelings, nothing more than feelings, trying to forget my feelings of hate…' He didn't recognise it, which probably meant one thing; muggle music. He groaned inwardly. At this precise moment he did not want anything muggle related anywhere near him. Especially her. Perhaps his father's philosophy wasn't as incredulous as Draco had always thought; maybe anything muggle associated was scum.
What was he doing? Here he was, feeling bitter about Hermione's rejection and comparing himself to Grindylows. What the fuck had she done to him? He decided she had somehow brainwashed him. He didn't need her. He never had. It was just a one-off attraction. Not even that. He didn't need her, and he certainly didn't want her. 'I wish I'd never met you, you'll make me sick again...'
Looking back, he realised he'd never really wanted her. Maybe it was just one of those psychological things. He knew she wasn't initially attracted to him, so he wanted to beat her down. Have what he couldn't ever have. Like the 'bad-boy' attraction Psychiatry Medi-Witches had been ranting on about, except the opposite way round. He'd never really liked that mudblood at all.
But now, now he hated her. He hated her for messing with him like that – even if he had subconsciously been messing her, but she did it intentionally. He hated her for spreading rumours about him – if a teacher heard he would certainly be expelled, for who would doubt the mudblood? And he hated her for getting her little followers to beat him. Beat him like he was lowly scum. Like her. He felt his wounds sting as he thought about the attack earlier on. How dare she? How could he ever have thought he liked her? Even loved her? 'Feelings like I never liked you, feelings like I want to kill you live in my heart…'
It was over. He'd never feel the need to be with her ever again, he'd never want to look into those hazel eyes of hers, kiss her perfect lips…never. He didn't want anything to do with her ever again. He could fool himself that he'd never wanted to be near her, but deep down he knew she'd hurt him. And he was never going to leave himself that vulnerable again. He was certain this time – he sincerely hated her, more than anything before. More than that twat Lockhart, more than Potter, even more than the entire Weasley family put together. He no longer had any connection with Hermione Granger, and that was how he wanted it to stay. 'Feelings like I've got to get you out of my life…'
He leaned back on the tree trunk and absentmindedly picked grass and threw it into the lake. The Giant Squid swatted angrily as the grass stuck to him. Draco smiled. The Grindylow hadn't been able to seek revenge on the Squid, so Draco would do it for him, even if it was just annoying him with grass. As the song on Patil's musical-box-device came to an end, Draco realised something; this little Grindylow would also get his revenge.
'Get out of my life.'
A little note from me: Well, what did you think? Are you liking the change in Draco? Please drop a review and tell me what you think.
Gooey Gooey Coca Beans: lol, um, ok! Glad you liked that chapter!
Iris: ok so I'm guessing you don't like this then. Well, it's not everyone's 'cup of tea', I never said it was. But in future, if you review and don't like something, please give constructive criticism and point out which particular section is 'silly and immature'.
DiOsA4U: thanks – I'm trying to steer away from the fluff, but sometimes I have to!
C: wow, thanks!
LostAngel: um, ok then. You scare me sometimes … lol only joking!
Femme Fatale: yeah I know Hermione's a confused little bitch, and now Draco's joined the ranks :D. Lol. Hmm you'll just have to see *wink wink*. I was thinking of making him do that but I thought it was too soon and I wanted him to have a talk with himself first. But I do have something planned… About Draco being OOC, I figured that the books only really show Harry's emotions. I mean, if someone's your enemy, they aren't going to show their vulnerability and good qualities to you. He can't be evil 24/7 so his personality is really left for HP readers to interpret. Thanks for reviewing!
ProfessorDragonfly: lol, yep some people can be asses. Big asses. Thanks!! Glad to hear you like it!
Louise: hehe I'm vicious? I'll take that as a compliment! Ummmm maybe. I'm not promising anything!
Thank you anyone who reviewed! Please review this time too (I'm trying to get at least a hundred for this fic!!) leave your e-mail address if you want me to e-mail you when I update.
mystical xx
DISCLAIMER: All Harry Potter related material is the very talented JK Rowling's property, the song 'Complicated' is by Avril Lavigne, 'Feelings' by The Offspring. All I own is the plot, the elm tree and Parvati's radio. I'm so privileged.