A/N : I'm not one of those people who won't write without reviews, but
they're sure encouraging! Thank you to all of you who have taken the time
to review, you're the reason I'm still writing, *hugs* to all! Also, mad
props go to anyone who e-mails me with who originally said the Oreo quote.
(Raven_Child14@yahoo.com)
Chapter Nine
Hermione sat up in bed, her heart pounding. Her pulse was racing, and she was out of breath. She'd been having nightmares about what had happened the week before, and how she hadn't done anything to help Breena. She'd been too scared to do something to stop Malfoy, and in her panic had ruined everything.
Breena and Sorcha had switched places again, so the sisters were in their rightful houses, leaving Hermione to only speculate how Breena was feeling towards her at this point. Hermione slipped out of her bed and headed for Myrtle's bathroom. She needed someone to talk to, and Myrtle was better than no one.
As she opened the door, she could hear Myrtle talking to someone already. Hermione sighed and peeked around the corner to see who it was. No surprises there, it was Pansy.
"You couldn't sleep either, huh?" Hermione asked, coming into the room. Pansy shook her head.
"I haven't slept well in a long time," Pansy said absently. Hermione joined Pansy on the sink. "Hermione, what if you have something you really should tell someone about, but are too scared to do it?"
"I was wondering much the same thing," Hermione admitted. "You don't know exactly whom to tell, and you're scared of the consequences. "
"Exactly," Pansy agreed. She thought for a moment. "Did Draco, um, well, you know, you too?"
"Pansy, what are you asking me?" Hermione asked, feeling her blood turn cold. "Are you asking me if Draco raped me?"
"Well, I don't know if rape is the right word, I don't know," Pansy sputtered.
"Pansy, if Draco forced you to have sex with him, then it's rape, whether you enjoyed it or not. Unless you were willing from the beginning, or are okay with it now, which you're obviously not.Pansy, you have to tell someone," Hermione pressed. Pansy broke into tears.
"He said no one would believe me," Pansy told her. "I didn't think it would count as rape because I like him so much, and they all think I just want attention."
"No Pansy, you need to go and see Madame Pomfrey, and make sure you're okay," Hermione instructed. "I'll go with you," she offered. Pansy's eyes grew wide.
"No, I'm too scared. They'll know it was him," Pansy was panicking.
"You don't have to tell them," Hermione informed her, wanting to bite her tongue for admitting it.
"I don't?" Pansy was suddenly relieved.
"No, the most important thing is to make sure you're okay," Hermione reinforced. It was true, at least. She knew Madame Pomfrey could test to see who it was if it had happened recently enough. But she wanted to take care of her friend. "Let's go, Pansy."
* * *
Draco lay awake in bed, staring up at the ceiling. He had lost control and he hated it. He got out of his bed to take a walk. The night air would help him sort out his thoughts.
Rape was certainly not a hobby of his, although he felt like it was rapidly becoming one. It wasn't even worth it most of the time. He'd had better sex when he really cared about the person he was with. The only reason rape had been good at all was the surge of power he felt from it. It was a nasty habit to form, and he was sure to get caught if he kept it up. He knew it had only been a temporary form of relieving his angst.
He wandered around the castle, wondering what was going to happen to him next. He had no designs on any of his classmates, and no idea where he was going with his life. He was beyond out of control at this point. He sat on a window ledge, and studied the moon. He was deep in thought when Hermione passed him, in tears.
He jumped up and grabbed her, scaring her almost to death. Her eyes were wide, her face was pale, and he could feel her shaking.
"Are you alright?" he asked her, his brow furrowing. She nodded slowly. "Don't lie to me, people don't just cry for the hell of it."
"I don't want to talk about it," Hermione said bitterly. Draco shrugged and sat back down on the ledge. "Why are you being so nice to be now?" she asked. He shrugged again.
"I don't have any reason to dislike you," he told her. "You're just a muggle-born. You're loads smarter than me anyday and everyone likes you," he explained. "It evens itself out in the end. I'm born to money and power, but everyone hates me so I can't use it." "That is power, in a way," Hermione told him, sitting down on the neighboring window ledge. He shrugged and looked out the window again.
"Seven seconds," he said, after a little while. Hermione frowned, and he turned to look at her. "Seven seconds. That's how long to dip an Oreo in milk for it to be perfect. It will be just soggy enough but not so soggy that it falls apart," he told her. A smile crossed her face.
"How do you know about Oreoes?" Hermione asked. He grinned.
"I have a sweet tooth," he admitted. They laughed, and he went back to looking out his window. They were quiet for a long time, but it was a comforting silence -not one of those long awkward pauses.
"I'm going to bed," Hermione said, after a bit. "I'm about to fall asleep," she told him. He nodded.
"See you in potions tomorrow," he told her. She nodded and headed for bed.
Chapter Nine
Hermione sat up in bed, her heart pounding. Her pulse was racing, and she was out of breath. She'd been having nightmares about what had happened the week before, and how she hadn't done anything to help Breena. She'd been too scared to do something to stop Malfoy, and in her panic had ruined everything.
Breena and Sorcha had switched places again, so the sisters were in their rightful houses, leaving Hermione to only speculate how Breena was feeling towards her at this point. Hermione slipped out of her bed and headed for Myrtle's bathroom. She needed someone to talk to, and Myrtle was better than no one.
As she opened the door, she could hear Myrtle talking to someone already. Hermione sighed and peeked around the corner to see who it was. No surprises there, it was Pansy.
"You couldn't sleep either, huh?" Hermione asked, coming into the room. Pansy shook her head.
"I haven't slept well in a long time," Pansy said absently. Hermione joined Pansy on the sink. "Hermione, what if you have something you really should tell someone about, but are too scared to do it?"
"I was wondering much the same thing," Hermione admitted. "You don't know exactly whom to tell, and you're scared of the consequences. "
"Exactly," Pansy agreed. She thought for a moment. "Did Draco, um, well, you know, you too?"
"Pansy, what are you asking me?" Hermione asked, feeling her blood turn cold. "Are you asking me if Draco raped me?"
"Well, I don't know if rape is the right word, I don't know," Pansy sputtered.
"Pansy, if Draco forced you to have sex with him, then it's rape, whether you enjoyed it or not. Unless you were willing from the beginning, or are okay with it now, which you're obviously not.Pansy, you have to tell someone," Hermione pressed. Pansy broke into tears.
"He said no one would believe me," Pansy told her. "I didn't think it would count as rape because I like him so much, and they all think I just want attention."
"No Pansy, you need to go and see Madame Pomfrey, and make sure you're okay," Hermione instructed. "I'll go with you," she offered. Pansy's eyes grew wide.
"No, I'm too scared. They'll know it was him," Pansy was panicking.
"You don't have to tell them," Hermione informed her, wanting to bite her tongue for admitting it.
"I don't?" Pansy was suddenly relieved.
"No, the most important thing is to make sure you're okay," Hermione reinforced. It was true, at least. She knew Madame Pomfrey could test to see who it was if it had happened recently enough. But she wanted to take care of her friend. "Let's go, Pansy."
* * *
Draco lay awake in bed, staring up at the ceiling. He had lost control and he hated it. He got out of his bed to take a walk. The night air would help him sort out his thoughts.
Rape was certainly not a hobby of his, although he felt like it was rapidly becoming one. It wasn't even worth it most of the time. He'd had better sex when he really cared about the person he was with. The only reason rape had been good at all was the surge of power he felt from it. It was a nasty habit to form, and he was sure to get caught if he kept it up. He knew it had only been a temporary form of relieving his angst.
He wandered around the castle, wondering what was going to happen to him next. He had no designs on any of his classmates, and no idea where he was going with his life. He was beyond out of control at this point. He sat on a window ledge, and studied the moon. He was deep in thought when Hermione passed him, in tears.
He jumped up and grabbed her, scaring her almost to death. Her eyes were wide, her face was pale, and he could feel her shaking.
"Are you alright?" he asked her, his brow furrowing. She nodded slowly. "Don't lie to me, people don't just cry for the hell of it."
"I don't want to talk about it," Hermione said bitterly. Draco shrugged and sat back down on the ledge. "Why are you being so nice to be now?" she asked. He shrugged again.
"I don't have any reason to dislike you," he told her. "You're just a muggle-born. You're loads smarter than me anyday and everyone likes you," he explained. "It evens itself out in the end. I'm born to money and power, but everyone hates me so I can't use it." "That is power, in a way," Hermione told him, sitting down on the neighboring window ledge. He shrugged and looked out the window again.
"Seven seconds," he said, after a little while. Hermione frowned, and he turned to look at her. "Seven seconds. That's how long to dip an Oreo in milk for it to be perfect. It will be just soggy enough but not so soggy that it falls apart," he told her. A smile crossed her face.
"How do you know about Oreoes?" Hermione asked. He grinned.
"I have a sweet tooth," he admitted. They laughed, and he went back to looking out his window. They were quiet for a long time, but it was a comforting silence -not one of those long awkward pauses.
"I'm going to bed," Hermione said, after a bit. "I'm about to fall asleep," she told him. He nodded.
"See you in potions tomorrow," he told her. She nodded and headed for bed.