You Don't Love Me-Chapter 2

"You don't think it's broken, do you Professor McGonagall?"

"No, and even if it was, Madame Pomfrey could mend it in a minute. We'll just have to wait till she wakes up."

"Oh, good, I was afraid something really bad was going to happen."

"So, Ms. Brown, who was it that hit her, anyway?"

"It was that slimy Slytherin, Draco Malfoy! He crept up behind her and just hit her on the nose!"

Hermione's eyes fluttered open, and she looked around the room, trying to regain her senses. "Was not" she whispered.

Professor McGonagall came over to the bed where she lay. "What did you say, dear?"

"I said, Malfoy didn't hit meLavender did" she said, closing her eyes again, and breathing slowly. Her nose was pulsing, and it felt like it had been broken.

Professor McGonagall didn't get to respond. "Oh, good, she's awake. Now, excuse me Professor, but I need to take care of my patient now. She'll be back in the morning, don't worry."

Professor McGonagall and Lavender were ushered out of the room by Madame Pomfrey, who came back over to her bed. "Now, dear, if you'll just sit up, I'll put this heating strip on you're nose and give you some of this potion, then we'll let Miss Weasley in to see you. She's been waiting for you to wake up."

Hermione smiled and sat up a little bit, leaning against the back of her bed for comfort. Madame Pomfrey gave her some potion that smelled of cherry and tasted similar. She applied a heating strip to her nose that looked like that thing that you put on your nose and then tear it off to get rid of blackheads (Sorry for my terminology, I'm not a beauty expert!).

As she finished drinking the remainder of the potion, Ginny burst through the door, accompanied by Harry. Hermione winced at the thought of what she was going to tell them. She couldn't very well tell Ginny that her brother had been cheating on her and then her brother's girlfriend hit her. And she didn't want to lie and say that Draco hit her. But luckily she didn't have to.

"Hermione, are you OK? We've been trying to see you forever! Ron told us all about what that slimy git Malfoy did! Why did he do it, 'Mione?" Harry said, as he came running over.

Hermione smiled. She still didn't want to lie, but she could see no way around it. "I don't know what happened, really. I was just sitting there and then a big knuckle rammed into my nose and I blacked out." There, that worked. "What are they giving him for it?"

"50 points from Slytherin and TWO detentions!" Ginny said triumphantly. "Isn't it wonderful!"

Hermione smiled again, but on the inside she was cursing Lavender. She didn't really think anyone would believe her if she told them that Lavender had did it, not Malfoy, and the only way Lavender or Ron would tell was if that had been given a draught of Snape's truth serum.

"So where's Ron?" Hermione asked, eager to hear what the answer was.

Ginny shrugged. "I think he's still at the Ball, it's not over till midnight. He didn't want to comeis there something wrong with you guys?"

Hermione looked away. "Yeah, hebroke up with me. I don't know why, really. He just said it wasn't working out."

She looked sharply at Harry to see if he had known anything about Lavender, and sure enough his face showed that he was ashamed of something, like a kid caught with his hands in the cookie jar. Ginny looked at Harry and noticed this as well.

"Harry? You know why, don't you? Tell me, Harry," she said in a voice that meant she wanted to know that very second.

Harry glanced at the floor then up at Hermione. "Him and Lavender have been seeing each other since the end of last year. When you asked him out, he was still in love with you and said yes, then he told Lavender and Lavender said it was fine, but he had to break up with you tonight. After a while, he said he was going to feel bad for breaking your heart, yet he wanted to be with Lavender. I'm not sure if he was lying or not. Sorry, 'Mione," he said, slowly.

Ginny gaped at him. "And you're just telling her this now? What kind of friend are you?" she said, half in anger, half in amusement, for which Hermione was very thankful, since if it had been all in anger, she probably would have burst out crying; but instead she laughed.

"Thanks, Harry, but I already knewthat they had been seeing each other, but not about the rest of it. Ron told me when he broke up with me. So, I guess that's it. I don't know if it'll ever be the same between us. And Lavender" she stopped herself. Was she going to tell them that Draco had not hit her, and it was Lavender? She didn't think they'd believe her, so she chose against it. "Let's just say I know things will never be the same between us."

Madame Pomfrey came back in. "Why don't you two go back down to the Ball? Definitely more fun than hanging around up here."

Harry and Ginny laughed. "Well, we were just gonna go back to the common room after this," Harry said.

"Oh, Ginny, will you get my Lord of the Rings book? I want to see what happens to Pippin!" Hermione said. (A/N: I am as obsessed with The Lord of the Rings as I am with Harry Potter, so you'll have to excuse me for all of my outbursts about it, m'kay?)

Ginny laughed. "Sure, Hermes!" she said, before they got up and went back to their common room.

About an hour later, as she was lost with Merry and Pippin in Fangorn Forest, someone else came in to see her. It was nearly eleven then, and most people were still at the dance, or up in the common room.

She looked up from The Two Towers and frowned. It was Ron.

"What do you want?" she asked, a bit nastily, but could you blame her?

He looked a little hurt, but not surprised. "I came to make sure you were alright."

Hermione rolled her eyes and put down the book. "Really, I'm just fine. Lavender about broke my nose, but I'm just fine."

Ron came over and sat down on one of the chairs next to the bed that Harry and Ginny had left. "Look, I'm really sorry about that. Please don't tell anyone, let them think Malfoy did it."

Hermione sighed. "Ron, no offense, but I really don't feel like lying to the Professors, and what makes you think I'm gonna stick up for Lavender, huh?"

"Well, why would you stick up for Malfoy? At least let them take points off Slytherin and not Gryffindor, that's not fair to the rest of us!"

"Ron! Bugger off! I really don't care what house wins the cup! Malfoy shouldn't get TWO detentions when he deserves none! Now go away!"

Ron looked at Hermione one last time. "Come now. If someone asks, tell the truth. Otherwise, let rumors flow. That's all I'm asking," he said, then got up and left.

Hermione sighed and started reading again.

Author's Notes: Alright, I'm really sorry!!!!!! This chapter isn't even half the length of the last chapter, but I'm surprised I got it up at all! I currently have three fics going, and it's not easy to do that plus you're bloody Algebra homework! (DIE MR. BROWN!!!!!) *panting* sorry about thatas always R&R and I promise if I get LOTS of reviews I'll have the next chapter up by Thursday!

With Love,

~*~Autumn Took~*~