Well, I got on a little writing kick and ended up writing another chapter. That was an accident. But, I don't mind. This chapter is when the angst starts, so if you don't like that sort of thing, cover your eyes!
Girl's Bathroom (October 21)
"Okay," He threw off the invisibility cloak and pulled Hermione to one of the back stalls, in the case of some first year walking in.
"Why are we here?" She grabbed his arm and flung it off her arm. "And why are you pulling me?"
"Sorry," She said sheepishly, "I just needed to talk to you. I didn't mean to hurt you."
"It's okay Ron. I'm fine, just surprised. Now what is it that you want to talk about?"
"Malfoy."
Hermione's face went a little pale. She knew this was going to happen soon, but she wasn't ready for it. "What about Draco?" Her voice was a little shaky, and she knew he noticed it.
"Come on Hermione, you know what I'm talking about!"
"Yeah, okay. What about it?"
"Why?"
Hermione wrapped her arms across her waist and looked down at the floor, tears starting to form in her eyes.
'I can't let him see me cry. Just be strong, it's going to be okay. Draco isn't that bad, and I'll learn to love him the way I do Ron.'
"I thought you liked me." Ron was staring at Hermione, his face red from both anger and embarrassment.
"I do..." Hermione whispered silently, but just loud enough for Ron to hear her.
"You do?" His anger slid away and now his was shocked. "How can you, you're going out with Malfoy?"
"I didn't mean to."
"How could you not mean to?" The anger came back, and he was yelling at her.
It was then that her tears started flowing, she tried to wipe them away, but they kept coming. And no matter how hard she tried, Ron saw them too.
When he saw them he wrapped her arms around her and pulled her to him. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have yelled. I'm just so confused. If you liked me, why would you have gone out with Malfoy?"
Hermione pushed him away from him and sat in the corner of the stall with her arms wrapped around her legs. "I waited for you. I waited since first year for you. I gave you so many hints. I waited for you to ask me to the Yule Ball, I told Krum about you. He said if he asked me, you'd be jealous. I never meant for him to like me. Anyway, I kissed you in fifth year, remember that? But you never did anything about it. You never told me I was beautiful. Draco told me I was beautiful. He also told me I was smart and amazing. Then I heard you in your room saying that you love me, and again I waited for you to say something to me. At least I knew now that you felt the same way. But, you didn't do anything. Draco did though; he told me he likes me. So when he asked me out, I was so shocked that someone could feel that way about me, I said yes. I would have called it off if in the Common Room this morning if you would have said something, but you didn't. You whispered it, but I wanted it said to me!" The tears were flowing faster now, and she was no longer trying to stop them. Her face became red and puffy and it took everything in her not to yell at him.
When she was done Ron just looked at her, but all he could say was, "Oh." He sat down in the other corner of the stall, his long legs spread out in front of him with a spaced out look on his face.
They both sat in there not moving even after Moaning Myrtle came in and whined about whatever was on her mind. They both starred at the floor, tears flowing out of Hermione's eyes, and Ron looking spaced out.
After what seemed like ages Harry walked into the bathroom and called them both.
Without even thinking about it, Ron grunted and Harry crawled under the back stall and saw them sitting that way. He ran over to Hermione first, she was crying.
"Are you okay? What happened here?"
"Why don't you ask Ron?" She shook her head, got up, and ran out of the bathroom.
She leaned against the bathroom door, wanted to go back in there, but her pride kept her from opening the door. She could faintly hear the two of them talking.
"I should have told her when you told me to." She heard Ron's voice cracking. "You were right Harry. I should have told her already. 'She won't wait' you said. But No, I was an idiot and refused to say anything to her. Now I've lost her forever. What's worst is who I've lost her to. Do you know who I've lost her to Harry?"
Before Harry could say anything Ron started talking again, "Malfoy Harry, Draco bloody Malfoy."
Hermione couldn't take it any longer and ran to the Slytherin Common Room entrance.
Hallways (October 21)
She sat there for almost an hour before somebody showed up, but it wasn't whom she expected.
"Granger?" She heard the voice spit out her name. "What the hell are you doing here?"
Hermione looked up to see Pansy Parkinson staring at her. She didn't respond, she just looked at her and pulled her knees back to her face, sobbing.
"I hope Draco sees you like this, Granger. I hope he sees you looking like an idiot, and completely ugly. Then he'll dump you, you stupid mudblood, and he'll realize he should have stuck with me. He'll come crawling back to me after he sees what you look like now."
Hermione's sobs become louder, but she couldn't move. She didn't know where to go. She couldn't go back to the Gryffindor Common Room. No way was she going to face Ron anytime soon. Then there was Draco; if what Pansy said was true, then she didn't want Draco to see her like this. But she had no where else to go, she needed to talk to someone, even if he ended hating her, she'd know what to do.
"Will he really?" Hermione didn't look up when she heard the voice. She knew it was Draco, but she didn't want him to see her like this.
The last thing she heard was some word being muttered and then Pansy leaving before an arm wrapped around her shoulder.
"What's wrong?" He cooed and pulled her close to him.
She shook her head, but didn't lift it from her knees.
"Come on, Parkinson is just being a moron. Tell me what's wrong."
Hermione looked up and he saw her tear stained checks, her swollen face, and the tears still running down. He had to look away from her for a second so he wouldn't start crying.
'She looks so hurt...' "Who did this Hermione? Tell me who did this, I'll make sure they never do anything to you again."
"It's nothing, I'll be okay. I'm just tired, that's all."
"Don't give me that crap Hermione. Who are you protecting? It's Weasley isn't it? Did he touch you? I swear I'll..."
"No, he didn't. He didn't touch me. He didn't..." Her voice trailed off, and Malfoy's lips became thin.
"If he ever hurts you again, in anyway, tell me. I'll make sure he'll never think about it, or anything else again."
"No, Draco. He didn't mean to." She clapped her hands over her mouth.
"So it was Ron!" His eyes flared and more tears started running down her cheeks.
"Please don't do anything to him. He's one of my best friends, just leave him alone, please!"
"Okay, but only for you. If he makes you cry again, I don't know if I'll be able to restrain myself."
"Thank you Draco!" She put her arms around him and they sat like that until she fell asleep. After a while he realized there was no chance of her waking up anytime soon and he went into McGonagall's office, because he couldn't bring her to her room himself. He asked, but the Professor refused.
