Even When There's No Way, There's Always A Will

~* Hi everyone, thanks for the people who have reviewed, I hope to start Quidditch in the next couple of chapters so be on the look out for that. Enjoy this chapter! *~

Chapter 27 ~ That's The Way It Is

Draco had lost it all, as it seemed. Andrea wasn't talking to him and Cho most certainly would never speak to him again for the way he treated her. He was wrong to react the way he did, and now knew that he loved Cho more than ever, and did not want to lose her again.

Too late now, he thought bitterly to himself as he wandered the empty corridors alone, late for Potions. Draco considered skipping Snape's class altogether, knowing the trouble he would be in for his lateness.

As he walked, someone grabbed his arm from behind and yanked him into a nearby, dark classroom. Draco spun around, wondering who it could be wanting to talk to him enough to drag him into a classroom. He came to face Hermione.

'Granger?' She pressed a finger to her lips, motioning him to keep his voice down.

'Shhh,'

'What do you want?' He asked, doing as she said by keeping his voice to a small whisper.

'I wanted to talk to you, there's rumours Malfoy,' She said softly.

'What kind of rumours?' He asked curiously.

'Well, the kind which make people want to tear you to shreds,' Hermione said.

'Care to explain?'

'Well, Cho's been saying some things, apparently,'

'What kind of things?' Draco urged.

'She said that you hurt her, physically, okay she said that you beat her, and screamed at her not to tell anyone,' Hermione said finally. Draco looked mortified. 'She also said that … that you … that you raped her,' She finished in a spluttering mess. Draco was just about to say something when Hermione cut in. 'Don't say anything to that, from what Andrea's told me of you, you're a somewhat decent guy and wouldn't ever do that to someone, and she's also told me that you love Cho very much, even enough that you're willing to sacrifice your friendship with Andrea,' She paused. 'Which I think is quite stupid as she's still defending you after your argument,'

'I know that Andrea's a great friend, and I'm quite sorry that I had that argument with her, I didn't mean it, however, what Cho's saying, I just can't understand it,' He said. 'I mean, I know I said some pretty terrible things to her when I found out that she'd been sleeping around with guys, including your precious Harry Potter -' Hermione's eyes widened.

'She slept with Harry?'

'Apparently it was all to get over me or something like that, but she told me that she slept with Potter, which made me sick to the stomach, I could hardly even look at her, knowing that she betrayed me like that,' Draco told her.

'I don't believe it, how could Harry do something like that? I don't think he would, maybe Cho made it up in spite of you?' Hermione wondered.

'I don't think she made that up,'

'But she made up all the other lies about you, and now a lot of people are hounding your blood, including some foreigners who have sided with Cho, the "Innocent, sweet victim of Draco Malfoy",' Hermione said.

'But I don't think she would have made that up about Harry, because that's when she was being honest with me,'

'Why don't I just ask Harry then?' She asked.

'Why are you doing this?' Draco asked abruptly, putting Hermione on the spot. She looked taken aback.

'Do you always question when people try to help you?' She asked, as if trying to avoid the question at hand.

'Look, could you just answer my question, Granger, I'm in no mood for playing games,'

'Did I say it was a game? This is serious business Malfoy, and if you're not prepared to take my help, then kindly don't waste my time,' Hermione said sternly.

'I'll take your help, if you'll only give me a reason for your change of attitude,' Draco said, putting his foot down.

'Well, if you must know, Andrea asked me to,'

'What? Why?' He asked, shocked with this sudden revelation.

'Because she's too noble to help you herself,' Hermione answered.

'What's that supposed to mean?' He replied.

'Look, all you need to know is that this is Andrea's way of helping you, without really helping you at all,' Hermione said. 'Now, you're in a lot of trouble, first of all, we need to squish those nasty rumours which Cho has been telling people,'

'How do we go about doing that?' Draco asked. 'How can we prove that I didn't do what Cho told everyone I did?'

'I'm not sure on that, but I'll let you know as soon as I find out,' Hermione said, deep in thought. 'However,' She went on. 'If anyone asks, just simply tell them that you didn't do any of that stuff to Cho, say nothing if people don't talk to you first,'

'Not even if they give me a dirty look, or just come straight at me with curses?'

'If someone sends a curse at you, do what anyone else in that situation would do, counter it,' Hermione said simply.

'Fair enough, but what if teachers get wind of this?' He asked. 'I could get expelled,'

'They wouldn't expel you,' Hermione said, although Draco could tell that her voice wavered. It was true, Hermione and Andrea had not thought of the possibility that he could get expelled.

'You never know,' He replied glumly.

'Anyway, Cho's not that stupid, she would never tell teachers,'

'But someone else might,' Draco said.

'Who?' Hermione asked.

'Someone who doesn't like me, someone who's out to get me, someone who resents me for being with Cho,' Draco said, not giving a name, but Hermione seemed to know who he was talking about anyway.

'Harry,'

'I have no doubt in my mind that Potter will go straight to Dumbledore, he always does,' Draco said. Hermione looked around the room nervously.

'Well, maybe I can use a memory charm on Harry, just a small one, but big enough to wipe away the memory of being told the rumours,' Hermione said, not sounding like she was all too keen on the idea herself.

'Sounds like a plan,' Draco said and turned to leave, but Hermione stopped him.

'Listen, Malfoy, just because I agreed to help you, doesn't mean I like you, I'm doing this for Andrea, and Andrea only, it doesn't matter to me whether the whole school knows something about you that isn't true, it matters to her,' Hermione said.

'Ditto, Granger,' He replied, and walked out of the classroom.

Cho was in the Ravenclaw common room that night. Making sure that people were to believe the things she was saying, she had given herself bruises, on her face, and body, making it seem as though she really had been beaten by Draco. Mariette came over, carrying a goblet of pumpkin juice. She handed it to Cho.

'I'm so sorry to hear about Malfoy, but Anabelle and myself did warn you about him,' Mariette said as Cho took a small sip of the juice, unable to drink properly because of the large cut on her lower lip from when she had thrown herself at a wall. Cho had taken a lot of pain to get back at Draco, she hoped she would be successful, and he would be driven out of Hogwarts.

Cho let out a sigh, 'Yeah, I know, and I'm very sorry that I didn't listen to your warnings,' She said.

'It's going to be okay,' Mariette pulled Cho into a comforting hug, and Cho smiled, hoping that Draco was just finding out about her nasty little surprise.

'Yeah, things should hopefully get back to normal soon,' Cho said, putting on a sad voice, and she sniffed a couple of times, pretending to hold back fake tears. As she did, a loud banging could be heard in the hall outside the common room, like someone was being belted against the walls.

Cho and Mariette exchanged glances before hurrying towards the common room entrance and jumping out.

Draco Malfoy was parading around with a wooden chair, occasionally hurling it against the walls in a fit of rage. Mariette stepped out.

'Malfoy! What are you doing? How dare you come back here!' She screamed, Cho standing back, watching. Draco spun around, his hair flipped out of control, something that had never been seen before as he always had his hair gelled and tamed. He looked straight past Mariette and rested his eyes on Cho.

For a moment, both of their gazes softened, but Draco shook his head vigorantly and glared at the girl who was trying to make his life miserable.

'How could you do this to me?' He raged, eyes flashing in betrayel and anger.

'Oh so this is all my fault?' Cho growled.

'Cho, please, let me deal with this,' Mariette pleaded. 'Just go back in the common room, he won't be able to hurt you anymore,'

'What the fuck!' Draco roared. 'Cho, you know that I would never do anything to physically harm you, so why all this?' Cho looked frightened.

'Look, Malfoy, please stop, you're scaring me,' She said. Mariette gave Draco a death stare.

'You have put me through hell and back, with me finding out about you and Harry,'

'Now wait just one minute, what about Cho and Harry?' Mariette interrupted. Draco turned to her.

'Oh, you didn't know? Cho can tell you lies about me, yet she conceals the truth about herself?' Draco mocked. 'I had no idea,'

'Cho, is he for real? What's going on?' Mariette demanded. Cho's eyes widened.

'I have no idea what this maniac is talking about,' She said defensively.

'You know damn well what I'm talking about!' Draco bellowed. 'You're history for being easy,' He said it loud to make sure that people who may have been listening would be able to hear.

'You lie,' Cho growled.

'Do I? Do I really?' Draco asked.

'Just because you don't want to take responsibility for your own actions -'

'You're joking, you're not still on about that, how could you Cho?' Draco asked, lowering his voice.

'You broke my heart, and you're paying for the damage that you've done,' She said haughtily. Mariette looked between Cho and Draco, both fuming with rage.

'You're the one sleeping around with your ex-boyfriend's nemicis,' Draco said.

'I did no such thing,'

'That's not what you were saying the other day,' Draco confirmed.

'Like people are going to believe you anyway, they'll just think you're trying to get your own back at me,' Cho bluffed.

'Not when Potter himself confirms my story,' Draco reassured her.

'Like he would say a bad word against me,' Cho said confidently.

'Oh I think he will,' Draco told her.

'Really, and what makes you think that?' Cho asked.

'Nothing that concerns you,' Draco muttered, and walked away, leaving a shocked Cho and a confused Mariette.

~* If any people are reading this, and liking it, please let me know in review, even if only one person's reading, I'll still update, but if no one's reading, then I'll just put this fiction on hold for a while. Thanks guys. *~

~Gryffindor Gal~