READ ME A/N: In case you can't tell, this is going on at the same time as chapter 5, after Hermione leaves Harry, and Ron to go change. As soon as Hermione comes into play again, it all collides back in one time.
~Chapter Six~
Ron looked at Harry with disbelief. "Why'd you let her go?" Ron asked. "Because," Harry began, "we've been really hard on Hermione ever since she got shot. It's Malfoy we ought to be pissed at!" Ron's face brightened. "Your right Harry. Let's go"
The two boys made their way back out onto the grounds, fury mounting with every step. After they had passed through the oak front doors they saw the figure of Draco watching the lake. They made their way over to him.
As they reached him, thunder rumbled, and Draco turned around. When he saw them he stopped, staring blankly at the two boys that stood in his way. For a moment, not a word was said, and just as Draco was about to say "What?" Ron's fist went colliding into Draco's face, and behind Ron's fist was the anger, hate, and jealousy that Draco had been causing him for six years now.
If the boy that had witnessed this thought he heard the thunder rumble again, he was wrong. He was hearing the mounting storm inside Draco.
Draco calmly put a hand up to his lip, which he found was bleeding, and responded by forcing his fist back at Ron twice as hard. The tortures that Draco had managed to keep captivated inside himself since he was a child, were ripping apart their barriers and lashing out at Ron.
Now, as sure as the whole of Hogwarts was that Harry wasn't one to fight, (as he was always the one holding Ron back), he was not one to just stand there let his friend be punched. He ran forward and hit Malfoy in the chest. Blow after blow Harry released his avengence for Ron. But now, Ron was back with him, punching Draco as if it brought nourishment to his body that food could not.
Draco fell to the ground, and lay there for a moment. He could vaguely hear the panting of the two boys in the distance. He had let himself be beat by his two rivals. No! He suddenly thought. He couldn't let it happen, and he got up with remarkable strength.
He brought Harry down with a strong kick, knocking the consciousness out of him, and then turned to Ron. However, Ron was too quick, he swung at Malfoy ripping parts of his shirt off, and leaving blood where his finger nails had been.
~*~*~*~*~
Hermione pushed out of her chair as fast as she could. She wanted out onto the grounds but it seemed like the whole school was blocking the doors. She however found a way to push her way through the crowd. The teachers, not as small, were left behind shouting for the kids to get out of the way, but to no success.
When she finally reached the scene, what she saw terrified her. Harry lying lifeless collapsed on the floor. Ron with a black eye, and bloody lip, and Draco with his shirt spotted red and ripped, also with a very bloody rip, beating the shit out of each other.
Hermione felt herself start to hypervenalate, shaking trying to support her body that was weighed down with so much grief. The once beautiful crystal rain seemed to turn black. The rain was impairing her vision. And then she saw nothing but black.
"STOP" came the shocked voice of Professor McGonagall. "STOP THIS INSTANT!" Draco knocked Ron down with one more punch (Much to the delight of all the Slytherins watching) and then fell over himself. His legs felt so weak. He was breathing hard, as he looked around, he was astonished. The whole school seemed to be watching, in the front of the crowd were all the Professors, and a girl crying on her knees. Hermione. He tried to get up to reach to her, but his arms were suddenly grasped by Albus Dumbledore's strong, long fingers. Professor Flitwick had Harry, still unconscious, levitated, and Professor Snape had Ron, who was too weak to get up on his own.
They were being led silently up to the hospital wing. Draco thought for sure he would be expelled for this. His only comfort was that Harry and Ron had to be expelled as well. People would be so astonished that the boy who defeated you-know-who had been expelled, that no one would pay any attention to him. Which was exactly how he liked it. When he was ignored, he was happy.
When they arrived they were all put in a bed. Draco waited for any possible remarks, or lectures coming his way, but none came. Professor Snape muttered something to Dumbledore, who nodded and they both left the ward together.
Madame Pomfrey came bustling out, making a fuss over his state, as usual. He could tell, however, that she wasn't as kind as usual. Presumably, she didn't approve of taking care of kids that chose to fight. Nevertheless, she mended his cuts, and his swelling lip, and told him (rather bitterly) to lay down and be quiet.
She went over to Harry and Ron's beds and revived them. She gave them a potion, healed their cuts, and hurried off somewhere. After nearly ten minutes of deadly stares at each other, Dumbledore entered again, and pulled out a chair to sit in the middle of the three beds.
He cleared his throat and said "I will not ask you why you were fighting, because human nature is all to predicable. However, I will ask you to tell me what you were fighting about."
Harry and Ron exchanged nervous glances, and Draco felt uncomfortable on his own. What were they going to tell him? They had seen Draco and Hermione making out on the grounds, charged downstairs, grabbed Hermione, sent her away, and started attacking each other? How 'bout...no. That was not likely to get them out of trouble no matter how true it was. Instead Ron said " Well, ever since this, evil, stupid, ill...sorry, Malfoy shot Hermione, she's been acting weird. She doesn't hang out with us anymore! She spends all her time with Malfoy. We think he's been doing something to her head." Draco snorted "Yeah, that's highly likely Weasly" Ron looked around at Malfoy "Well she seems to be spending a lot of time with you! I don't see why you wouldn't have the opportunity!" Ron said, voice rising.
Dumbledore spoke quietly "Please tell me, Mr. Weasly, if you are refereeing to the counseling that Ms. Granger has been giving Draco?" "Well, yeah" said Ron. Dumbledore frowned slightly, "And why shouldn't Ms. Granger be helping Mr. Malfoy?" "Well," started Ron slowly "Because he's a Slytherin, and Hermione's a Gryfinndor!" Still frowning Dumbledore said "But you are all Hogwarts student's, and you should all support each other, especially when one needs it."
Nobody quite knew what to say after that, so Dumbledore said " Harry and Ron, if you are feeling well enough, I ask that you please go down to Professor McGonagall's office. She will need to give you your punishment. Draco, if you could please go see Professor Snape, but first, I would like to speak to you." Draco saw Harry, and Ron's eyebrows raise at this, but they slowly left the infirmary. After they were gone Dumbledore spoke to Draco, "The end of your sixth year is almost at an end. We must decide where you are going to stay for the summer holidays. I trust that you do not want to go home?" Draco shook his head. He doubted whether he would be allowed to go home, whether he wanted to or not.
"I could make special arrangements for you to stay at the castle over the holidays if you would like?" "Yes sir, please" said Draco. He was feeling a bit depressed at this. He probably wouldn't be able to do much at the castle. Some of this feeling must have shown, because Dumbledore went on to say "You may visit the village of Hogsmead as often as you like, and you may have friends come and visit you, but I'm sorry to say that I cannot permit you to leave the grounds anymore than that."
When he entered Snape's office, Snape's expressionless face looked up at him. He made a motion for Draco to sit down. After taking a seat, Snape parted his lips. "Before I give you a detention, I want to ask you something." "Alright" Draco replied with confusion. "What are you doing over the holidays?" "Oh," Draco said "I'm staying here I suppose." "Oh" Said Snape, looking relieved for some reason. "Okay, well, you will serve a detention with me this Tuesday from 8 to 10. Alright? You may go."
It was great having a head of house that favored you, thought Draco as he left the office. He smiled evilly as he imagined Potter and Weasly getting three weeks of detention.
Now Draco didn't know what to do. It was still raining and most of the older students had gone to Hogsmead. He quickly decided against Hogsmead as he would get enough of it during the Holidays. He thought of Hermione, but didn't think he should go looking for her, so he strolled out once more onto the grounds.
~Chapter Six~
Ron looked at Harry with disbelief. "Why'd you let her go?" Ron asked. "Because," Harry began, "we've been really hard on Hermione ever since she got shot. It's Malfoy we ought to be pissed at!" Ron's face brightened. "Your right Harry. Let's go"
The two boys made their way back out onto the grounds, fury mounting with every step. After they had passed through the oak front doors they saw the figure of Draco watching the lake. They made their way over to him.
As they reached him, thunder rumbled, and Draco turned around. When he saw them he stopped, staring blankly at the two boys that stood in his way. For a moment, not a word was said, and just as Draco was about to say "What?" Ron's fist went colliding into Draco's face, and behind Ron's fist was the anger, hate, and jealousy that Draco had been causing him for six years now.
If the boy that had witnessed this thought he heard the thunder rumble again, he was wrong. He was hearing the mounting storm inside Draco.
Draco calmly put a hand up to his lip, which he found was bleeding, and responded by forcing his fist back at Ron twice as hard. The tortures that Draco had managed to keep captivated inside himself since he was a child, were ripping apart their barriers and lashing out at Ron.
Now, as sure as the whole of Hogwarts was that Harry wasn't one to fight, (as he was always the one holding Ron back), he was not one to just stand there let his friend be punched. He ran forward and hit Malfoy in the chest. Blow after blow Harry released his avengence for Ron. But now, Ron was back with him, punching Draco as if it brought nourishment to his body that food could not.
Draco fell to the ground, and lay there for a moment. He could vaguely hear the panting of the two boys in the distance. He had let himself be beat by his two rivals. No! He suddenly thought. He couldn't let it happen, and he got up with remarkable strength.
He brought Harry down with a strong kick, knocking the consciousness out of him, and then turned to Ron. However, Ron was too quick, he swung at Malfoy ripping parts of his shirt off, and leaving blood where his finger nails had been.
~*~*~*~*~
Hermione pushed out of her chair as fast as she could. She wanted out onto the grounds but it seemed like the whole school was blocking the doors. She however found a way to push her way through the crowd. The teachers, not as small, were left behind shouting for the kids to get out of the way, but to no success.
When she finally reached the scene, what she saw terrified her. Harry lying lifeless collapsed on the floor. Ron with a black eye, and bloody lip, and Draco with his shirt spotted red and ripped, also with a very bloody rip, beating the shit out of each other.
Hermione felt herself start to hypervenalate, shaking trying to support her body that was weighed down with so much grief. The once beautiful crystal rain seemed to turn black. The rain was impairing her vision. And then she saw nothing but black.
"STOP" came the shocked voice of Professor McGonagall. "STOP THIS INSTANT!" Draco knocked Ron down with one more punch (Much to the delight of all the Slytherins watching) and then fell over himself. His legs felt so weak. He was breathing hard, as he looked around, he was astonished. The whole school seemed to be watching, in the front of the crowd were all the Professors, and a girl crying on her knees. Hermione. He tried to get up to reach to her, but his arms were suddenly grasped by Albus Dumbledore's strong, long fingers. Professor Flitwick had Harry, still unconscious, levitated, and Professor Snape had Ron, who was too weak to get up on his own.
They were being led silently up to the hospital wing. Draco thought for sure he would be expelled for this. His only comfort was that Harry and Ron had to be expelled as well. People would be so astonished that the boy who defeated you-know-who had been expelled, that no one would pay any attention to him. Which was exactly how he liked it. When he was ignored, he was happy.
When they arrived they were all put in a bed. Draco waited for any possible remarks, or lectures coming his way, but none came. Professor Snape muttered something to Dumbledore, who nodded and they both left the ward together.
Madame Pomfrey came bustling out, making a fuss over his state, as usual. He could tell, however, that she wasn't as kind as usual. Presumably, she didn't approve of taking care of kids that chose to fight. Nevertheless, she mended his cuts, and his swelling lip, and told him (rather bitterly) to lay down and be quiet.
She went over to Harry and Ron's beds and revived them. She gave them a potion, healed their cuts, and hurried off somewhere. After nearly ten minutes of deadly stares at each other, Dumbledore entered again, and pulled out a chair to sit in the middle of the three beds.
He cleared his throat and said "I will not ask you why you were fighting, because human nature is all to predicable. However, I will ask you to tell me what you were fighting about."
Harry and Ron exchanged nervous glances, and Draco felt uncomfortable on his own. What were they going to tell him? They had seen Draco and Hermione making out on the grounds, charged downstairs, grabbed Hermione, sent her away, and started attacking each other? How 'bout...no. That was not likely to get them out of trouble no matter how true it was. Instead Ron said " Well, ever since this, evil, stupid, ill...sorry, Malfoy shot Hermione, she's been acting weird. She doesn't hang out with us anymore! She spends all her time with Malfoy. We think he's been doing something to her head." Draco snorted "Yeah, that's highly likely Weasly" Ron looked around at Malfoy "Well she seems to be spending a lot of time with you! I don't see why you wouldn't have the opportunity!" Ron said, voice rising.
Dumbledore spoke quietly "Please tell me, Mr. Weasly, if you are refereeing to the counseling that Ms. Granger has been giving Draco?" "Well, yeah" said Ron. Dumbledore frowned slightly, "And why shouldn't Ms. Granger be helping Mr. Malfoy?" "Well," started Ron slowly "Because he's a Slytherin, and Hermione's a Gryfinndor!" Still frowning Dumbledore said "But you are all Hogwarts student's, and you should all support each other, especially when one needs it."
Nobody quite knew what to say after that, so Dumbledore said " Harry and Ron, if you are feeling well enough, I ask that you please go down to Professor McGonagall's office. She will need to give you your punishment. Draco, if you could please go see Professor Snape, but first, I would like to speak to you." Draco saw Harry, and Ron's eyebrows raise at this, but they slowly left the infirmary. After they were gone Dumbledore spoke to Draco, "The end of your sixth year is almost at an end. We must decide where you are going to stay for the summer holidays. I trust that you do not want to go home?" Draco shook his head. He doubted whether he would be allowed to go home, whether he wanted to or not.
"I could make special arrangements for you to stay at the castle over the holidays if you would like?" "Yes sir, please" said Draco. He was feeling a bit depressed at this. He probably wouldn't be able to do much at the castle. Some of this feeling must have shown, because Dumbledore went on to say "You may visit the village of Hogsmead as often as you like, and you may have friends come and visit you, but I'm sorry to say that I cannot permit you to leave the grounds anymore than that."
When he entered Snape's office, Snape's expressionless face looked up at him. He made a motion for Draco to sit down. After taking a seat, Snape parted his lips. "Before I give you a detention, I want to ask you something." "Alright" Draco replied with confusion. "What are you doing over the holidays?" "Oh," Draco said "I'm staying here I suppose." "Oh" Said Snape, looking relieved for some reason. "Okay, well, you will serve a detention with me this Tuesday from 8 to 10. Alright? You may go."
It was great having a head of house that favored you, thought Draco as he left the office. He smiled evilly as he imagined Potter and Weasly getting three weeks of detention.
Now Draco didn't know what to do. It was still raining and most of the older students had gone to Hogsmead. He quickly decided against Hogsmead as he would get enough of it during the Holidays. He thought of Hermione, but didn't think he should go looking for her, so he strolled out once more onto the grounds.