Chapter 2
He just stared. Harry didn't expect Hermione to react like that, and Draco's little comments didn't help either.
"Why did you do that?" He yelled at Draco. "You knew how she would react!"
"I dunno. It's fun, I guess. She's great when she's pissed!"
"Oh c'mon Malfoy, You're such an arsehole. I know you know that pisses her off." He smiled. "I think red hand marks look good on your face."
Harry walked away without another word. He was going to go apologize to Hermione.
"Hermione?" He asked her. She was sitting at the table, moving some fizzing whizbee's around on the wood surface. "Are you okay?" She now had on a bathing suit top and denim shorts. Her hair was dry and pulled into a low ponytail.
"I asked you not to. I didn't want to get wet. I'm not feeling well." She turned and he saw tears stains on her cheeks. "You're such a prat, you traitor!"
"I'm not. You can't even take a joke." He forced himself not to yell. "Why are you acting like this?"
"Maybe it's because my parents have been murdered, you are friends with my biggest enemy, other than You-know-who, and my Boyfriend is missing. Has any of that crossed your mind?" She asked. Hermione stood up, but was still a head shorter than him.
"And maybe it's someone's time of the month to top it off?" Harry joked. He smiled lightly.
His comment set her off completely.
"HOW DARE YOU, MR. HARRY JAMES POTTER! YOU HAVE SOME NERVE TO ASK SUCH AN INNAPROPRIATE QUESTION AT SUCH AN INNAPROPRIATE TIME! LEAVE ME THE HELL ALONE! I DONT WANT TO TALK TO YOU EVER AGAIN!"
She pushed him down and stormed off.
"HERMIONE!" He yelled after her, but she had already rounded the corner. He popped a fizzing whizbee in his mouth and rolled his eyes. "I might be right."
"Hey." He turned around to see Draco.
"Go away. You've caused enough trouble already. You need help Malfoy, and lots of it." He brushed by him and went to his room.
Viktor Krum was bound by glowing blue ropes in some sort of cell.
"Dees is not right! Who are you? Let me go!" He ordered the cloaked man.
"I do not think this is a possibility. We must first get our hands on Hermione Granger. You can help us. You will be a lure. You can call her up and ask to meet you someplace. You know her favorite spots." A man with and evil tone of voice and a silver hand snarled.
"Kill me now, I will never help you." He growled.
"Where is she? You know where she would go!" A wand was placed at his neck.
"I vont tell you! I vont help you!"
"Then you will die."
"I would prefer death than betrayal of my friend." He muttered.
"Don't you mean your girlfriend?"
"Yes. And I love her. You will never get anything from me."
Draco paid the owl that delivered the post in the morning. He read the headline, then turned to the article.
"Viktor Krum's Body found," he started to read the article aloud.
"This morning at around three a.m. Viktor Krum was found outside the Shrieking Shack. A number of injuries to his body and face leads investigators to believe he was tortured on multiple occasions. Another letter was found by his body reading 'Watch out Granger, You've slipped from our grasp once, but it wont happen again. He loved you too much to help us, but we will find you.' Apparently the Ministry held recently released information. Miss Hermione Granger has gone missing, but Hogwarts Headmaster Albus Dumbledore, Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc. Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards assures us she is safe and perfectly fine. Her parents, both muggle dentists, were murdered only two nights ago. One from torture, the other from the unforgivable, Avada Kedavra curse. Whoever is a suspect of this crime will spend ten weeks in Azkaban Prison and receive the Dementors Kiss (The Ministry has convinced approx. 10 Dementors to rejoin our side). Please report if you see Hermione Granger by owl."
Draco stopped reading, in awe. One single thought came to his mind. 'Hermione's single!'
"Draco... It's not true, is it?" A whimpering voice behind him asked. "Tell me you made it up!"
Hermione walked forward, her eyes watery and red and puffy. "He's not! He can't be!"
"Uh..."
"Give me the article!" she yelled, her arm outstretched.
Draco, unwillingly, handed her the paper. He watched as her eyes scanned the article, tears flowing. Now he felt horrible about his thoughts before. The only thought had been selfish, very selfish. "I'm... I'm s-sorry..." he muttered.
"What?" She looked up. Her cheeks were wet and tinted pink slightly.
"I'm sure you are!" She threw the article in his face and ran out.
"A guy can't do anything right!" He growled, slamming the table with his fist.
"What happened that I don't know about?" Harry asked, apparently in awe. "Hermione ran out crying and you're beating your furniture. Did you two fight again or something? What did you say this time?"
"Here, take a bloody look!" He tossed the prophet at Harry, who caught it.
"Then why are you so pissed?"
"Because my favorite Quidditch player died. And she's being such a bitch!" He lied.
"Maybe Ron can calm her down, since we can't, though i highly doubt it. He's coming tomorrow you know." He sat down and a mug of butter beer appeared. "Great house-elf service you got here. Not that I fully support the services of house elves, but I don't agree with Hermione's spew either."
"My father abused the house-elves. Only the ones that slack off should be punished, at least in my mind. You have to keep them in some sort of order," he said rather loud.
"You're trying to annoy her even more again."
Hermione and Ron were sitting on the front porch. They lay in the hammock and looked at the starry sky.
She felt surprising calm around him, unlike how at school where they always fought.
Ron had his arm around her shoulder and she rested her head upon his chest.
Hermione had gone outside to cry and be alone. To think about Viktor and how she had loved him. It had been around ten when she had left the house and around midnight when Ron had joined her.
"Ron..." he made a soothing noise to show he was listening. "Tell me I'm' dreaming. That the past week isn't real. That I'll wake up in the morning and everything will be perfect!"
"Hermione," he rolled over and pulled her into a hug. "I don't know how you feel. No one will or ever can. But don't do anything you'll regret. Please promise me that."
"I don't think I can, Ron, for I already would have broken the promise." She moved slightly closer to him, but the hammock moved and she fell into him instead.
Hermione had been crushing on him since second year. This was possibly the closest they had ever been. Definitely the most comfortable they had ever been together.
"Hermione..." he moved closer, though it was almost impossible. "I..."
"Don't," she tried to move back a bit. "My boyfriend has just been murdered, I can't!" But she did.
Hermione gave in. She let him kiss her, then gave in and kissed him back.
"Are you feeling better now?" Ron's hot breath hit her ear in a whisper.
"Yes... But I don't want you to be a rebound! Give me some time... until school starts. I only need comfort. I wouldn't have, er, you know, if I wasn't in an emotional break down; if my family hadn't been murdered."
"I'm sorry Hermione. I had to take the moment. The moment I have wanted since third year. But I shouldn't have. I know that and I'm sorry." He hugged her.
"'It's okay. Everything's a jumble right now. I could kiss Draco and think nothing of it! Though don't tell him, please."
"You like him, don't you?" Ron asked.
"Of course not! That's just sick Ron! I just need to go to sleep." She tried to get up but he held her back. "Oh, C'mon Ron!"
He let her go and she walked inside.
Hermione opened her bedroom door, ready to sleep in her own bed. She stumbled to her bed in the dark and slipped under the warm blankets.
But, to her surprise, someone else was there. She tried to move away, murmuring "sorry, wrong room apparently."
Cold fingers wrapped around her wrists and a slight growl came from whoever was next to her. "No, you've got the right room."
"Let me go! Are you lagered up or something? I'm serious!" she whispered, for that was all she could manage. He scared her half out of her mind.
"So it's sick to like me huh? Is that how you feel?" Draco asked.
"Yes! That's how I feel, now at least. I just might have lied to Ron, but I'm not to you! You're a sick arse, and it would be just plain wrong to like you even the slightest bit!" She tried to pull away from his grasp. "Let me go!"
"Why?" he asked pulling her into him as she struggled to get away. "Didn't you say you could kiss me and think nothing of it?"
"Well. I changed my mind! HARRY!" she yelled. "RON!"
"Silencio," he whispered. She yelled but no sound came out. "Hermione, what will you do now?" He moved into kiss her, but she spat at him.
She grabbed her wand from her pocket and tried a spell.
"PRETIFICUS TOTALUS"(sorry if this is misspelled) she mouthed. Draco's body became stiff as a board. Hermione ran out of the room and found Harry's. She pounded the door and he opened it groggily.
"It's a spell, help me!" she tried.
"I'm not up for games, Hermione!" He tried to turn, but she grabbed his wrist and pulled him into her room.
Hermione flicked on the light, and there was Malfoy, stiff on her bed.
Harry stared at Draco's still body. He muttered the counter curse and Draco started to move again.
"The mudblood cursed me!"
"You were in my bed! And you cursed me first!" she was able to mumble. Harry assumed the Silencio charm had been used.
"Why were you in her bed, Draco? That's just wrong!"
"I was... um... I..."
"He was going to..." Hermione started, but Harry covered her mouth with his hand quickly.
"No accusations please," he grumbled.
"I would agree!" Draco scowled.
"Shut the hell up, Malfoy, and leave. Go to your room and leave Hermione alone," he ordered.
"Whatever Potter." Draco swung the door open and slammed it closed with a loud BANG!
"Harry," she whispered, "you're not really friends with him, are you?"
"I dunno. He's being an arse now, but he was okay before. I don't know what his problem is."
"Harry, I'm going to go to bed. I'm so tired, G'night, just keep him away from me please."
Harry eyed her carefully. Why had she been out of bed and why would Draco have been into hers so quickly. He would find out, but now wasn't the time. He nodded and smiled. Harry flipped the light switch and left the room.
Unfortunately, Draco was waiting up for him.
"What the hell do you want?"
"For you to stay out of my business!" Draco ordered.
"Hermione brought me into it, so just shut the fuck up and move," he responded in a growl.
"Why don't you bloody well make me?"
"Are you ready for a duel? Or are you going to chicken out, like you did in first year?"
"You're still on about that?" Draco asked, pulling out his wand. "C'mon Potter! Why isn't your wand out already?"
"Oh, you'll be wishing my wand was back in my pocket when I'm done with you."
"Harry? Draco?" Ron's tired voice came from the dark end of the corridor.
"Not now Weasley," Draco ordered.
"STOP! Do you want to get expelled?"
"I'd hate to agree with Weasley, but we can't get expelled. Not that you're off or anything."
Harry glared at him. Draco turned around, as did Harry, and they went to their rooms. He trashed his bedchamber, throwing everything around in a large mess.
"Dammit," he growled, "Repairo." The spell immediately fixed the entire room it was so strong.
He fell asleep at around three, awaking at around ten. Hermione and Draco were quarreling again, so he broke it up. Hermione had stormed out, only to return with her nose in a book. She walked outside and Ron followed her.
Hermione sat on the steps of the Malfoy Manor. She was fully aware that Ron was watching her while she read So You Want To Be A Wizard? She found it hilarious how the muggle Diane Duane portrayed Wizards and Wizardry. (A/N: Read that series, that's the first book, It's great.) She slammed it down in pure anger and watched it slide across the damp grass from her force.
"Hermione..."
"No! Ron, you know you shouldn't have kissed me! I'm stuck with that foul piece of dirt! He's treated me like nothing for the past five years! There were other places we could have stayed at for the summer!"
"That's a wonderful description of me." Draco said, grabbing Hermione's shoulders to turn her around.
"Isn't it?" she muttered under her breath.
"Sorry, didn't catch that. Care to repeat it?" He asked, glaring daggers at her.
"Nothing, Draco, It's nothing. That i assure you." Hermione growled sarcastically.
"No, it's something. And i want you to tell me," he responded in a cool, calm, voice. She met his glare, fire rose in his gray-blue eyes.
"I. Don't. Want. You. to know."
"Oh, Hermy, you're hurting my feelings."
"DONT YOU DARE CALL ME THAT! I DONT GIVE A FUCK ABOUT YOUR FEELINGS!" Hermione backed up, surprised by the word she had allowed out of her mouth.
"Hermione!" Harry gasped.
"Tell me Her-"
"NO! Now skrew off!" She raised her hand to punch him, but he caught her arm and twisted it behind her back.
"That was very rude of you..."
"LET HER GO DRACO!" Ron ordered.
Draco ignored him. "Hermy. Did I not warn you at the Quidditch Cup to take care of yourself?" His hot breath hit her ear. "Am I not offering hospitality to you? Did I not save you from those Death Eaters that killed your parents?"
"JULES!" Hermione yelled suddenly. "What happened to my sister?"
Draco let go of her. "Who gives a shit?"
"You have a sister?" Ron and Harry asked in unison.
"Look, Malfoy. You didn't warn me. You were trying to get me pissed. You think I didn't know? You call ME A 'FILTY LITTLE MUDBLOOD' EVERY BLOODY TIME YOU SEE ME!" she screamed. Blood rushed to her face.
"Why you little git!" Draco said through clenched teeth.
"Prat!"
"Arse!"
"Wanker!" She shoved him, much to his surprise, and he fell off balance. She tried to pin him, but was flipped on her back.
"I will try not to hurt you, but i wont let you hurt me," he growled.
"DRACO! HERMIONE!" Ron and Harry yelled. "STOP! NOW!"
"Shut up Weasley and Potter. I'd-" She kicked him in the shin.
And so a fight emerged. Draco blocked what he could of Hermione's blows, but didn't try to hit her. Hermione was going on full force. He jabbed her for the first time in the jaw, possibly fracturing it. He kicked her legs, leaving bruises. Hermione slammed him in the solar plexus, causing him to double over.
"HERMIONE! STOP NOW!" Harry ordered her.
"Give it up, mate. We can only stop them with magic and we'd get into trouble by using it." Ron said.
"Why didn't we get into trouble last night?" Hermione asked. "We were using magic!"
Draco pinned her as she pondered the answer. His hot breath hit her face. The flame in his eyes was extinguished. Blood was trickling down his forehead and cheek.
"Think its over?" Hermione heard Ron ask Harry.
"Yeah. Are you two okay? Can we leave you to sort it out?"
"Yes." They both answered
Harry and Ron turned around, eyeing them carefully
Tears formed in her eyes as an immense pain surged through her right leg.
"Are you okay?" He asked, wiping away a tear and a lock of hair that crossed her face.
"My leg," she murmured. "I hurt it when you pinned me."
"Here." He got to her side and picked her up. She wrapped one arm around his neck and another held where she thought she had a broken rib. "OH!" Draco fell, Hermione skidding across the floor painfully. Her body stayed in a limp heap.
Two strong men in Death Eater masks picked Hermione up and dragged her away.
"DRACO! HARRY! RON!" one extremely large hand covered her mouth, preventing her from speaking.
Harry and Ron ran out, wands at the ready. They were surprised, but they prepared to cast spells.
Hermione kicked and pulled and tried to get away, using all the strength she had.
"LEMME GO!" She yelled, the hand taken away. Hermione managed to slam one guy where it hurt. He doubled over and she tried to swing at the other guy who was holding her.
He somehow managed to push down her flailing arms and get his wand to dig into her side. He kept the wand on her body, but trailed it up to underneath her chin.
"Don't move, Granger. And you, Potter, Weasley, get into the house if you want her or yourselves to live. Drop your wands and get to the door.
They did as told. The man muttered a spell and Hermione went limp.