A Long-Awaited Battle
Hermione was flabbergasted and at a total loss for words. She just did not know how to deal with Malfoy's little surprise. He hated her like usual at the beginning of the year, then they became friends, then he tells her that they should just go back to hating each other, then he tells her that he actually likes her. It was all too much. But Hermione knew that she had one thing to do that was important no matter how she felt about the situation. So, she left the Three Broomsticks (without telling Harry or Ginny) and ran all the way back to Hogwarts, not stopping for anything. When she did finally stop, it was right outside of Professor McGonagall's office.
BANG, BANG!
Hermione pounded on the door until McGonagall answered.
"Miss Granger!" McGonagall exclaimed when she finally answered the door. "What is all the ruckus about?"
"I need to speak with you, Professor." Hermione said, panting and out of breath.
"I am currently in a meeting with Professor Dumbledore, but if it is urgent then I shall ask him to leave." McGonagall said.
Hermione peered over McGonagall's shoulder and noticed Dumbledore sitting gracefully in a chair across from McGonagall's desk. He smiled and nodded at Hermione.
"No, don't bother." Hermione said, briskly walking into the office. "He'll find out anyways." She sat herself in a seat beside Dumbledore. "Good afternoon, Professor."
"Good afternoon, Miss Granger." Dumbledore smiled.
"What is it that you want, Miss Granger?" McGonagall asked, taking a seat in the comfortable chair behind her desk.
"To tell you the truth. I finally remembered what happened the night of the party." Hermione lied.
McGonagall and Dumbledore looked slightly interested, so she continued.
"I…er… was a little bit drunk, as you both know. It wasn't my fault, I didn't know about the drinks. But I did have alcohol in my system, which caused me to act a little…er…stupid. I kept pressuring Malfoy to…to sleep with me." She said, embarrassed.
McGonagall raised her eyebrow and looked rather disappointed, but Dumbledore showed no expression. "Please continue, Miss Granger."
"Well, I kind of tore both of our clothes off even though Malfoy said no, and that's when Harry walked in on the scene. He didn't even wait for an explanation; he just cursed Malfoy. And that's… that's my story." She finished, lamely.
"So Mr Malfoy has done nothing wrong?" McGonagall asked, shaking her head. "Why wouldn't he tell me?"
Hermione's eyes widened. She wasn't expecting this question. "I'm sure he has his reasons." She covered up. "He probably likes looking like a bad boy, you know?"
"Yes, yes, very well. I will have an owl delivered to Hogsmeade asking for the return of our Head Boy. It's a good thing you came forward, Miss Granger. Professor Dumbledore and I were just suggesting names for a replacement Head Boy." McGonagall said.
"Perhaps it would be best if we did have a replacement Head Boy." Dumbledore suggested as he surveyed Hermione through his half-moon spectacles. "Only for a little while."
"But Albus!" McGonagall exclaimed. "The boy has done nothing wrong! It's not right to strip him of his title!"
"I'm sure Mr Malfoy will understand." Dumbledore said, calmly. "Only for a little while, Minerva. Please send an owl to Mr Potter with the Head Boy badge."
Hermione's face fell as her eyes widened in shock; why Harry? Of all of the boys in the school, why choose Harry for Head Boy? I suppose because of everything he's done, Hermione told herself, bitterly. Damn him for being so heroic.
"Yes, Professor Dumbledore, I'll see to it immediately." McGonagall said before promptly exiting the room.
Dumbledore continued to survey Hermione. "Is there something you'd wish to tell me, Miss Granger?" he asked kindly the minute McGonagall was out of sight.
"No." Hermione replied, quickly. "Nothing at all. Er… I'd better be going. Good bye, Professor."
Dumbledore kindly nodded and watched Hermione until she was completely out of sight as well. Once outside, she slumped against the wall and fell to the bottom, dropping her head in her hands. Why me?
Hermione did not return to Hogsmeade. Instead, she took refuge in her dormitory by herself, savoring the last few hours before Harry would invade in her personal space and really be around twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.
At six o' clock, Hermione was almost drifting off into a peaceful sleep on the couch before two people entered her common room: Harry and Malfoy.
"Hermione!" Harry cried, rushing over to her and taking a seat on the couch. "Where have you been? Ginny and I looked all over Hogsmeade for you and we couldn't find you. We were so worried! I was so worried!"
"I… I had a lot to think about." Hermione said, shooting a meaningful glance in Malfoy's direction.
"Do you want to talk to me about it?" Harry offered.
"No, she doesn't." Malfoy butt in. "Actually, I'm sure that what Granger wants at the moment is for you to move further away from her and get a breath mint. Once you've done that, then you can smother her."
Instantaneously, Harry stood up. "You have some nerve, Malfoy. I should curse you right here, right now, just like the night of the party. You went down awful fast, didn't you Malfoy?"
Malfoy glared at him. "That was a coward's shot. You want a duel, I'll give you a duel. I'll whoop your ass any day Potter, don't forget that."
"Guys!" Hermione cried. "Just chill! Malfoy, what are you doing here?"
"I have to pick up a few things." Malfoy answered, grinning deviously. "I'm back."
"What a joy." Harry muttered, sarcastically.
"What's that Potter?" Malfoy disputed.
"You know what I'd like to know?" Harry challenged, completely changing the subject. "What really did happen that night?"
"You seem to have it all figured out already, Potter." Malfoy retorted. "It must have been fun for you to come up with a load of shit that gets me suspended, wasn't it? You know that your little story wasn't the truth, and yet you tell it to the whole school to fulfill your sick pleasure. I praise you, Potter."
"That's what you get for almost taking advantage of Hermione-" Harry began.
"You fucking bastard-" Malfoy spat.
"Harry, could you please wait outside for a moment?" Hermione interrupted. "I would like a quick word with Malfoy."
Harry did not go quietly, but a few moments later he was slouching against a wall in the long corridor outside of the dormitory.
Hermione crossed her arms and looked expectantly at Malfoy. "So? What's the 411?"
"411?" Malfoy asked, quizzically.
Hermione rolled her eyes. "What's going on?"
"Well, Saint Potter's been made Head Boy." Malfoy explained. "Finally, Dumbledore's favorite boy gets what he's always wanted: more fame and glory to stuff in that thick head of his. I'm shocked there's enough room for it."
"And what about you?" Hermione asked with a slight tone of concern in her voice.
"Me? I'm going back to being the King of Slytherin." Malfoy answered, coolly. "They all miss me there, anyway. It's better then cleaning the floor of the Three Broomsticks, that's for sure."
"For how long?" Hermione inquired.
"Dunno. I suppose we'll see with time." Malfoy replied.
Hermione gave a slight nod and shifted uncomfortably.
"By the way, thanks." Malfoy said, quietly. "For telling McGonagall. I think its bullshit that you all of-a sudden regained your memory of that night, though. But all the same, thanks."
"Malfoy, I like you, too!" Hermione blurted out.
"Duh." Malfoy replied, coolly.
"What?" Hermione cried, shocked by his reaction (or lack of reaction).
"It's so obvious that you may as well have I love Malfoy stamped across your forehead. I'm surprised the whole school doesn't know, that's how obvious it is."
"Aren't you full of yourself." Hermione said, mockingly.
"Too bad it's not gonna happen." Malfoy stated.
"What's not going to happen?" Hermione asked, confused.
"Us. You and me. Dating. That whole load of crap, it's not gonna happen." Malfoy explained.
"Why not?" Hermione cried, now completely confused. "You like me, I like you, it's all perfect! You've been the one comfort I've had ever since Ace-"
"See, that's the thing." Malfoy said. "Ace. That's the only reason you feel anything for me. It's called rebound, Granger. You get dropped so you go running to the next guy that you feel closest with. Sorry, but I'm not a rebound kind of guy. I don't do that. And come to think of it, I don't do dating. It's not my style."
"So what's your style?" Hermione challenged. "Sleeping with the girl and then dropping her? Real classy, Malfoy."
"Shut up Granger. You don't know a thing about me so you can take your theories and shove them up Potter's ass."
Hermione felt as though she had been slapped in the face. To her horror, her eyes began to burn as she tried with all of her might to hold back the tears that were fighting to escape.
Shit! Malfoy said to himself. What the hell is wrong with me? "Don't… don't cry, Granger."
"I'm not crying!" Hermione shrieked, defensively.
All of a sudden, Harry appeared in the common room. He immediately noticed the escaped tear trickling down Hermione's cheek and turned to face Malfoy, his chest bubbling with rage.
"Malfoy, get out of here now." Harry ordered, quietly.
"Go fuck yourself, Potter." Malfoy retorted. "As you can see I'm trying to talk to Granger, so if you could just go off somewhere and die then I'd be thrilled. Thank you."
"Get out of here before I make you." Harry repeated, his anger increasing with each passing second.
"I don't have time for this-" Malfoy began.
SMACK!
Harry's fist collided with Malfoy's jaw as his wand lay lost within his pocket, completely forgotten. All of the anger and hatred that Malfoy felt for Harry seemed to come down to this very moment. Malfoy punched Harry in the gut, then hit him square in the face. Harry fell to the floor clutching his noise and piercing Malfoy with a look of fury. He swiftly threw out his leg, hitting Malfoy's and knocking him to the floor as well.
"Guys! Guys STOP IT!" Hermione shrieked. She felt stupid and embarrassed; it was like a damn movie. The two guys fight over the girl like she's some sort of prize or something. If she needed anything, it certainly wasn't this.
Harry leapt on top of Malfoy and began repeatedly striking him in the face, something he dreamed of doing since the first day they arrived at Hogwarts. Malfoy seized his chance while Harry was drawing back for another hit to knee him in the stomach, causing Harry to roll off of him and cower on the warm, carpeted floor in pain. Malfoy stood up, wiping the blood off of his mouth with the back of his hand. The light clearly showed that he was sporting a bloody lip and a bruised cheek, distorting his usually handsome appearance.
"Malfoy, stop!" Hermione cried.
He didn't though. Totally disregarding Hermione's plea, he bent down and grabbed a handful of Harry's robes, lifting him onto his feet. Malfoy then drew back his arm and punched Harry with all of his strength, sending him right back onto the floor with a fresh cut on his already wounded lip.
"Harry!" Hermione screamed. She ran over to Harry and knelt down next to him, instinctively grabbing his hand and rubbing his back. Suddenly, Harry swiveled around and gave Hermione a hard shove, knocking her to the floor.
"Get out of it, Hermione!" Harry shrieked.
Hermione immediately sat up, stunned at just being pushed by her so-called loving boyfriend. For the second time in the last ten minutes, she began to cry.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" Malfoy spat at Harry, his anger duplicating three times its original state as he watched his archenemy physically abuse Hermione. With one blow to the head, Malfoy knocked Harry unconscious. He then rushed over to the small patch of floor next to Hermione that didn't have a spot of blood on it and impulsively wrapped her in his arms, waiting patiently until the crying ended.
"Is there something wrong with me?" Hermione sobbed, hopelessly wiping the tears from her eyes. "I'm a seventeen year old virgin who turned away the only guy I ever truly cared for before you. I play mind games with my best friend who I love like a brother, yet he just pushed me. And of course I get you suspended and stripped of your Head Boy badge! I'm just ruining lives left and right, including my own!"
"Just shut up, Granger." Malfoy smiled. He lifted himself up and then helped Hermione to her feet. Once they were both stable, he slipped his arm around Hermione's waist and led her into her bedroom, closing the door gently behind him.
"I'm not going to do it with you, Malfoy." Hermione sniffed.
"Too bad, I was looking so forward to it." Malfoy replied sarcastically as he led her over to her bed and helped her slip under the covers. He then walked around to the other side of the bed and slipped in beside Hermione, wrapping his arms around her and holding her, making her feel safe and secure. And that was how they fell asleep. Even with their argument still fresh in Malfoy's mind and Harry's abuse still fresh in hers, they drifted off to sleep, the world finally feeling right.