It was sunday afternoon, and hermione was in the common room, doing homework.
"Hey Hermione, you coming to Hogsmeade? We're leaving in about a minute." Hermione looked up from her book. It was Harry. She contemplated it for a second
"No, harry, I don't think I will today, too much homework." She said.
"All right, suit yourself, see you in a few hours then." Harry said and with that, he turned and walked out of the portrait hole. Hermione sighed, picked up her things, and left for the library.
Hermione had been in the library for about an hour when she heard a voice.
"Hello there" The voice said. Hermione jumped about a foot off her chair. She turned around angrily and saw, much to her surprise, Professor Lupin.
"Oh, Professor, you really shouldn't startle people like that, you could give someone a heart attack" Hermione said, and Lupin smiled and sat down next to her.
"So, what brings you here on a Hogsmeade weekend? You should be out having fun with Harry and Ron" He said. Hermione rolled her eyes.
"Well, I would, if it weren't for the ridiculous amount of homework we have due in next week. I don't even see the point of having homework after the NEWTS" She sighed. Lupin smiled, amused.
"Well, if it's any consolation, I don't like giving homework, but I have to at least pretend i'm actually doing my job, you know." He said, and hermione laughed.
"Well, if it's any consolation, I actually like doing the homework you set for us, at least it's interesting, even Harry and Ron do it" Lupin made a mock surprised face and chuckled. Hermione sighed. That laugh.... it sent shivers down her spine. She stared into space for a second, then realised that Lupin was talking.
"I'm sorry," She said, "What did you say?" Lupin cocked an eyebrow at her in the sexiest way imaginable... well, at least in hermione's opinion.
"I was saying that the staff were deciding who was going to be class valedictiorian, and they decided that it was going to be you."Lupin said. Hermione nodded,"All you have to do is say a little speech at the Graduation Ball and open the dancing. You need to find a person to dance the opening dance with, and that, I think, is it. I myself was class valedictorian seventeen years ago. I couldn't find a dance partner, so I danced with Professor Mcgonogall." Hermione laughed and said,
"Okay, I think I can find someone crazy enough to be my partner, and I can certainly write a speech. Is that all?" Professor Lupin nodded, and said
"Yes. Well, all that said and done, I must be off, I was crazy enough to set homework for the first-years on the potential . I think i'm beginning to lose my touch" and with that, he gave hermione a pat on the hand, and was off before she could say "nice arse"
The next day, Hermione was walking down the corridor when she heard a voice coming from an empty classroom.
"Granger, my my my, what a surprise to see a georgeous mudblood such as yourself wandering around all by herself" It drawled.
"Shove off, Malfoy, remember what happened last time?" She had transfigured Malfoy into a slug after he had called her a mudblood.
"Aahh, yes, I remember, I am prepared this time. Expelliarmus!" Malfoy cried, and Hermione's wand flew out of her grasp, and malfoy pointed his wand at hermione, "You humiliated me, Granger, and you will pay. Come here." She entered the classroom, "Now, get on your knees."
"No, Malfoy, I will never do anything you tell me to do." Hermione said.
"I will give you one last chance, Granger, get on your knees."
"No"
"Then you give me no choice. Imperio." Hermione felt a weird sensation sweep through her body, "Now, Granger, " a voice said inside her head, "Instead of getting on your knees, you will take your clothes off." Hermione screamed internally, and didn't do it. 'No!!!' she thought.
"You insolent girl, when I tell you to do something, you do it." and with that, Malfoy slapped Hermione hard on the face, sending her to the ground.
"Now, if you won't do it, I will. Do not move." Malfoy ripped at hermione's robes, tearing them off. He tore apart her blouse, sending buttons flying everywhere. He then pressed her against the wall, kissing her roughly, and slapped her again when she struggled, leaving a red handprint on her face. Hermione felt something press against her thigh, and realising what it was, felt immediately repulsed. Forcing all her will, she broke the curse, and pushed malfoy away.
"Oh, we're quite the fighter, aren't we?" Said Malfoy, and he lunged at Hermione. Thinking quickly, she kneed him in the groin and fled out of the classroom, tears blurring her vision. She ran down the corridor, turned the corner, and, not looking, ran right into Professor Lupin, who caught her before she hit the ground. Lupin took one look at hermione and his eyes filled with concern.
"Oh my god, Hermione, what happened? You look terrible." He said. Hermione started to cry.
"I...It was M..Malfoy, he t...tried to ra...." She fainted, and Lupin, shocked, caught her in his arms. He picked her up and carried her to his room, where he laid her down on the couch. He immediately got some floo powder from a jar near his fireplace and threw it into the fire.
"Albus," He said into the fireplace," Come quickly, it's an emergency." Almost immediately, professor Dumbledor stepped out of the fireplace. He looked at hermione's limp form on the couch.
"Oh, Remus, what happened?" Dumbledore said.
"I don't know," Said Lupin, "I literally ran into her just around the corner, and all she said was something about Malfoy, and fainted. Albus, I think he tried to rape her." Dumbledore's eyes filled with sorrow for Hermione, and pointed his wand at her.
"Enervate." He said quietly, and Hermione stirred and opened her eyes. Lupin knealt down infront of the couch and looked into them.
"Hermione," He said gently, "I know it's difficult, but can you tell me what happened? Here," He said, giving her a cup of tea, "This has a calming draught in it. it wil help you feel better." Hermione took the tea and sipped. She waited a minute, and then resolved to tell them now and get it over with.
"All right," She said,"I'll tell you. I was walking along the corridor when Malfoy spoke to me. He was angry and asked me to go inside an empty classroom. He said he was going to make me pay for turing him into a slug. He disarmed me, and told me to get on my knees. I didn't so he put the Imperius curse on me and instead of telling me to get on my knees, he told me to take my clothes off." Lupin's eyes filled with anger. How could that little bastard?
"I struggled for a while with the curse, and Malfoy got tired of waiting. He slapped me, and then tried to rip my robes off. He pressed me against the wall, slapped me again, and it was then that I broke the curse. I kneed him in the groin, and ran away." She finished, and looked at the professors. Professor Dumbledore's once twinkling eyes were now cold, and Professor Lupin had his head bowed, not saying anything.
Dumbledore was the first to speak.
"Thank you for telling me this, Miss Granger, I will see to it that the proper punishments are enforced." He took some of Lupin's floo powder and threw it onto the fireplace.
"Severus," He said into it,"Please find Mr Malfoy and bring him with you immediately to my office," and to Hermione he said,"Miss Granger, you will stay here with Professor Lupin until I come back." He nodded at them both, stepped into the fire, and vanished. Professor Lupin finally looked at Hermione.
"Now, Hermione," He said,"If you want to get some rest you can, or if you just want to talk..." Hermione burst into tears. Startled, professor Lupin got up and sat next to her on the couch.
"Hermione, what's wrong?" He said, wrapping his arms around her, then mentally whacked himself in the head. 'You dolt,' He thought to himself, 'Of course she's going to cry, someone tried to rape her, that's what's wrong.' He absent-mindedly stroked Hermione's hair. Hermione looked up at Lupin, tears still flowing down her face.
"I'm sorry," She said,"I 't bear it. Please don't go away, I just need someone right now"
"Wouldn't dream of it" Replied Lupin. He got the rug from the back of the couch and wrapped it around Hermione, who rested her head on Lupin's chest and quickly fell asleep, Lupin stroking her hair. Lupin decided to wait until Albus came back. When he finally did come back, Dumbledore had a grave expression on his face.
"Master Malfoy," He said quietly,"has been expelled from Hogwarts and is facing ten years in Azkaban for using an Unforgivable. Unfortunately, this puts Hermione in a dangerous position, as, most likely, rogue death eaters will seek revenge. After her graduation in two weeks, she must stay at Grimmauld Place until she finds an alternative. You will be her caretaker while she is at Grimmauld Place." Dumbledore nodded and left Lupin's office. Professor Lupin waited a while, then woke Hermione up to tell her the news.