Hermione and Draco walked down to the Great Hall for breakfast together. As they stepped into the bustling room, a silent ambiance took over. Small, forced coughs were the only things heard. Many, if not every person in the room, knew that Draco and Hermione were a couple, but it still through everyone off to see them together, not to mention anger many.
'What the fuck does he see in her?' Pansy asked rhetorically.
Much to her dismay, Blaise answered happily.
'Ass...tits...eyes...smile...personality...brains...le—'
'Shut up Zabini.' Pansy snapped. 'You know damn well Granger doesn't have anything I can't give Draco.'
'Well, Hermione has got—'
'I said shut up.' Pansy said menacingly.
'Well then stop bringing up what Hermione "doesn't have".' Blaise retorted.
Pansy rolled her eyes and subtlety flicked him off.
'I saw that Parkinson.' Zabini said casually, continuing to eat his morning pancakes.
Pansy swore under her breath and got up angrily from the Slytherin table. She marched toward the doors leading out of the Great Hall, she eyed Hermione and Draco standing there. She smiled at Draco, but pushed Hermione roughly as she snaked by.
'Stupid whore.' Draco muttered as she walked away.
'Draco, she loved you this is hard for her.' Hermione said.
'She didn't love me, she just liked a good fuck.'
Hermione cringed when he said this.
'Oh sorry.' Draco said when he noticed her uncomfortable facial expression.
'Draco, don't bring up what you've done with other girls, please.'
He nodded.
'Well, I'm sure you're hungry, and looks like Potter and mini Weasley is waiting for you.' Draco said shrugging in the direction of the Gryffindor table.
Hermione glanced behind her and saw Harry and Ginny occasionally stealing glances at Hermione and Draco.
'Yes, I suppose they are waiting, as Blaise is probably waiting for you.'
'No one is waiting for me, I'll see you in DADA.' Draco said walking to the Slytherin table.
Hermione walked over and sat next to Harry, across from Ginny.
'Morning, 'Mione.' Harry said.
'Good morning, Harry, Ginny.' Hermione smiled.
'How was your night?' Ginny asked, hiding a giggle.
'Umm...good. Thanks. Yours?' Hermione asked, raising an eyebrow.
'Not as memorable as yours.' Ginny grinned.
Hermione looked at her questionably.
'Oh for heaven's sakes. Ginny saw you ride off on a broomstick with Malfoy.' Harry said rolling his eyes at Ginny's childishness.
'Oh.' Hermione said blushing.
'Where did you go?' Ginny asked happily.
'Draco took me to dinner...it was nice.'
'That's it? What else did you do?!' Ginny cried.
Hermione laughed uncomfortably.
'Ginny!' Harry scolded, 'Hermione doesn't have to tell you what she does with Malfoy.'
Harry then turned to Hermione.
'And please, don't tell me...I don't want to know.' He said half-jokingly.
'Alright. I won't.' Hermione laughed.
'Did you hear about Ron?' Harry asked, changing the subject.
Ginny grunted at the sound of her estranged brother's name. Hermione looked at Ginny's upset face.
'No. What happened?' Hermione asked.
'He went back to the Burrow this morning.' Harry said.
'My poor parents. I'm sure my mother has a beating waiting for him.' Ginny smirked, 'And chores.'
'Wait, is he expelled?' Hermione asked.
'No. Suspended for three weeks, and detention with Snape when he comes back.' Harry responded.
'Oh.' Hermione said quietly, looking down at her full plate of food.
'Are you okay?' Harry asked.
'Yeah, this is a time of celebration. My antagonistic brother is gone...for awhile.' Ginny said.
'Antagonistic?' Harry asked. 'Where'd you find that word?'
Ginny blushed.
'I'm trying to increase my vocabulary. It's the word of the day.' She chuckled.
'Ahh...I was going to say, normally you tend to stick to 7-letter words or less.' Harry joked.
Ginny pouted and kicked him under the table.
'Ow! I was just joking, Gin!' Harry laughed, with a hint of pain. 'So, Hermione, are you going to be okay?'
'Yeah, I'm fine. It's just strange...Ron being gone.'
'I know. He shouldn't have done what he did though.' Harry said, cringing at the thought of the actions of his former best friend.
'I know.' Hermione nodded agreeing with Harry. 'So, Harry how was your night?'
'Fine. I just listened to Gin going on about what she thought you and Malfoy were doing...quite torturous actually.'
Hermione laughed, Ginny shrugged innocently.
-
Draco sat next to Blaise, neither really talking, they just ate in a comfortable silence.
Draco could hear Hermione and her little redhead girlfriend laughing behind him. There was a small part of him that wished he could sit over there with her, hold her hand and laugh with the rest of them. Then there was the other part of him that said 'You'll never fit in'. As Draco reached for his goblet full of pumpkin juice a raven colored owl flew in.
Draco nearly choked when he recognized the owl as his father's and noticed the letter was red.
'Hey, man. Something wrong?' Blaise asked, hearing Draco sputter his juice.
Draco ignored Blaise, grabbed the note from the owl and took off, running out of the Great Hall.
-
Hermione took a sip of her pumpkin juice. She looked across at Ginny, whom was looking incredulously at the Slytherin table. Hermione turned around to see Draco rip a red owl letter out of the claws of a black owl and then run out of the room. A sickening feeling reached Hermione's stomach.
'I better go see what's wrong.' Hermione stated as she got up and quickly walked out of the Great Hall.
-
Draco ran into a secluded room and opened the red letter. His father's threatening voice filled the enclosed area.
'Draco! I have heard very disheartening news from a friend of yours. You are dating the mudblood? What the fuck is this? What shit are you trying to pull? Did you think I would not find out? I want you to immediately stop this dangerous path you are traveling. You are a stupid boy! I promise I will stop this relationship of yours, if you don't. And you will not like the way I stop it. You are eighteen and you will be getting your dark mark soon, I cannot risk the Dark Lord finding out, so you best take care of this mistake you have made. Your health will be severely jeopardized if He finds out. I can not promise what I may have to do to your fucking mudblood mistake, if you do not take care of this. I will give you two days to fix this, if I still hear that you are going down the wrong path I will take matters into my own hands. However, I must tell you that you already fucked up by going out with that filth, and even if you do fix the situation, you will be punished anyhow. Your mother thinks blindly and does not want me to force you to do anything, but do not worry, she will change her mind shortly.'
The letter shredded and then ignited, getting rid of any evidence.
Draco was filled with anger and fear. Anger of his father threatening him, ordering him around, and fear for Hermione and his mother. He knew his father added the statement about his mother in the end to cause Draco grief, make Draco feel that his mother's beatings would be his fault...and that's exactly how Draco felt. Draco fell to his knees and cried the hardest he's cried in years.
-
Hermione left the Great Hall and saw Draco run into a room. She walked up to it and stood outside thinking whether or not to go inside. Just as she was about to put her hand on the doorknob, she heard a booming voice yelling at Draco in the room. She was about to walk away, but then she heard the word 'mudblood' and she stayed and listened.
After the yelling was done, she found out it was Draco's father who sent him the howler. He found out about their relationship. Memories of Draco's saying the risks of his father flooded back to her. She felt sick, and afraid. She then heard something worse. She could hear Draco crying. She didn't know what to do. She knew if she went in, then she'd begin to cry when she saw him. She thought he might be mad that she listened in. She didn't want to leave him in there either, though...but maybe he needed to be alone right now.
Would he really want her to see him like that? Crying about his mother? She didn't want him to get upset with her. She walked away sadly. Maybe she'll ask him about it later. Maybe.
-- Later on that night, after classes are done--
Draco and Hermione hadn't really talked that day. Hermione said 'Hi' to Draco during DADA, he returned the 'Hello', but it was not cheerful, more of a fearful 'hello'.
Hermione was lying on her bed finishing some Mythology homework when someone knocked on her door.
'Yes?' Hermione called.
'It's me. Can I come in?' Draco asked from the other side.
Hermione sat up.
'Yeah, sure, Draco.'
He came in cautiously.
'Hey, Hermione...can we talk?' He asked.
'Oh no...this is it. We're breaking up.' She thought.
'Yes.' She said hesitantly.
'I want to apologize for—'
'What? You're apologizing?' Hermione asked, interrupting him.
'Yes, for this afternoon. During the day, I acted stand off-ish and I'm sorry. I've had a lot of things on my mind today, and I didn't want you to think I was trying to avoid you.'
'Oh.' Hermione said plainly. She for sure thought he was going to break up with her.
The howler from his father was no joking around. There was a part of her that wanted to break up with them so Draco wouldn't be hurt and yelled at more by his father.
'Draco, I-I heard something.'
'What?'
'I ran after you when you left the Great Hall.'
'I didn't see you.'
'I didn't make myself seen. You ran into a room...I didn't go in.'
Draco's eyes widened. A sad look overcame his face.
'Did you listen to the howler?' He asked.
She nodded sadly.
'I'm sorry, Draco, I was going to walk away but then I heard the word 'mudblood' and I couldn't go. I listened and I was then going to go again, but I heard you...I heard you...'
'You heard me crying.' Draco finished for her.
'Yes. I was going to go in, but I didn't think you would want me to. I thought you might be mad so I left.'
'I wouldn't have been mad.'
'I didn't want to go also because I know if I would have saw you, I would have started to cry, too.'
Draco sat on the bed with her. He took her hands and kissed each one. He then looked into her eyes and spoke.
'Hermione, my father is a very dangerous person, and he has power. I don't want him to hurt you, I won't let him. I prayed he wouldn't find out, but someone told him and now he knows. That's what I've been thinking about all day, I wasn't sure what to do about it.'
'Draco, I heard the part when your father said he would punish you for this...severely if you didn't break up with me...I can't live in a pretend euphoria knowing you are hurt, I don't think we can be together.'
'I'm not afraid of my father...I'm just afraid of what he might to do you.' Draco said, 'I know we haven't been going out very long, and I'm sorry I also don't think we can be together anymore.'
'I understand, Draco.' She said in agreement. 'But your father also said that because you decided to go out with me in the first place...you will be punished anyhow...'
'Don't worry about me, Hermione.'
'What will he do to you?' She asked sadly.
He didn't give her an answer.
'Let's just forget about it all and enjoy our last night together.' Draco shrugged.
'Draco...what will he do to you?' Hermione asked again. 'I'm going to worry and think about it constantly unless you tell me.'
'I don't know exactly what he'll do to me. I don't want you to worry about me...I've lived with the man's wrath for 18 years. I can take one more beating.'
'Beating?' She asked worriedly.
'I mean, punishment, I was over exaggerating by saying beating.' He said quickly.
'Draco...'
'Don't worry, I'll be okay, Hermione. He's my father, he can't do too much.' Draco said forcing a grin.
Hermione nodded, not sure if she could to believe him. Hermione saw pain in Draco's eyes, but she decided not to ask about it. She let go of his hands and hugged him tightly.
'Draco, promise me something?'
'Anything.'
'Promise me that you won't change, go back to being mean and cruel even if we aren't together anymore.'
'My father must believe that I have changed my ways and gone back to the path I was on.'
Hermione pulled away from the hug and looked down.
'I'm sorry.' Draco said.
'We can be together at night, here in our room at least.' Hermione sighed.
'For sure, I'll bring my "good" side back here every night, okay?'
Hermione smiled.
'I'm going to miss passionately making out with you.' Draco said half-jokingly.
'I'm going to miss it too.' Hermione laughed.
