Crimson Rain Drops
Chapter 5
Disclaimer: I only own the plot and the characters that obviously aren't in the books
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Cold as Ice
Hard as Stone
Both believe
They must face this world alone
What happens
When Enemies Meet
All they share; a love of hate
But what they find; they do not seek
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Previously:
Hermione reached forward and grabbed the bowl of Gummie Bears at the same time as Draco.
"Granger, I want those"
"Nope. Sorry. I laid claim on these a long time ago. I get them every time Eva brings them as she never remembers to bring the Nibs."
"Weren't you ever taught to share?"
"No. And from the looks of you I would say you weren't taught to either" Hermione shot back.
"True, but come on. They're the best thing here and I want 'em"
"Malfoy don't fight her on this. Trust me" Dallis cut in. "I mean, I fought her for them one time at the end of last year, and I thought she was going to kill me, she fights for her sweets. Literally"
"I'm with Dallis on this one Malfoy. I taught the girl how to fight and I'll openly admit that she can beat even me now. She's freakishly strong" Luke put in.
"Don't I know it" Draco mumbled, unconsciously grabbing his wrist.
Hermione's gaze shot down to it and she started laughing uncontrollably. Why she didn't know. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that she had bested Draco Malfoy, the supposed strongest, fiercest student in Hogwarts.
In the end she won the Gummie Bear fight and Draco settled on Sour Skittles, though that's not to say that he didn't fight for the Gummie Bears. God no. He and Hermione must've fought back and forth for half an hour before he realized there was no way to win.
The other three sat, watching to two banter. It amused them actually that they could go on like that. For enemies, they got along pretty well. The more you looked at them and listened, the more similarities showed through. Of course, outside of these walls, they fought to the bitter end.
But for that evening, they had fun. At one point they had removed all the couches, and Hermione sparred with each person there, winning each time. The only person that she was even close to evenly matched was Draco.
It was here that Draco figured out just how far he could push this girl. What to say in order for her to get angry and what to say so that she would go far enough to hurt him.
He had been brought up to never hit a girl (though his father never honoured that). But he realized that Hermione wasn't your average girl.
He noticed, like the others did, that when you hit her in certain places, she would flinch, but keep on going like nothing had happened. He noticed though, that the places that hurt, weren't from normal sparring or working out. Many bruises had ended up in the same areas on him. This is when the comment, I will never scream for pain. I never did with him, and you're not any different, made sense to him. That's when her personality change and even the smaller changes that he had notices, all clicked together.
She lived a similar hell. She lived the way that he did. Only, she seemed to have learned to cover it up and how to work out her problems much differently then he had. Maybe he would do good to take few pages out of her book for once.
One by one, they all eventually dropped off to sleep. Hermione was the last to go. She was curled up on the sofa next to Luke. She always took a place next to him. Especially ever since Dallis had come into the group.
True, this is the first time that Dallis had been in here, but he fit here now. In fact, Draco even fit here now. She looked around, and saw Draco curled up, right across from her. He wasn't quite asleep yet, though. From the looks of it he was in the realm that existed between the two. The one that she hated, but fell into almost every night.
This realm holds the most vivid dreams. And when you're in it, you never seem to truly sleep. Finally, her eyelids fell, seemingly to heavy to keep open anymore.
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Hermione groaned as she looked at the clock on Monday morning. It was 7:30 already, meaning that she had exactly an hour and a half to get ready for class; this included eating, showering, and dressing. Sure, this sounded easy enough, but Malfoy spent like 45 minutes in the bathroom every morning and if she didn't get in there quick enough she would have to wait. She was lucky today though. Draco was just coming out as she came out of her room.
"Granger" he sneered. Despite what had taken place on Saturday, when the whole group had so seemingly bonded, Hermione and Draco still fought like there was no tomorrow.
Hermione just glared back as she headed for the bathroom door. She was too tired to say anything even semi-sarcastic right now. She still couldn't believe that she had been the one to let him in. They had woken up on Sunday morning and the first thing that happened was a fight. Draco said something that Hermione didn't agree with.
It had all started out as a "friendly" debate, but it had escalated from there. They fought for a good hour before the other three final stepped in. They never would've, as it's never good to get in between Hermione and someone she's fighting with because more than likely they'll get hurt, but they had to. Too bad it didn't help much.
First Dallis got in her way, and next thing he knew he was laying on his back on one of the couches. Next was Luke and Draco blessed him with a black eye. Last Eva had tried desperately to reason with her, but that just caused more problems. Normally, Hermione would resist when hurting Eva, but not this time. Hermione had pushed her friend out of the way, then, against the advice of her brother, she got in between Hermione and Draco again. Hermione had lost it at the point. She didn't even remember how, but the next thing she knew, Eva was on the floor, holding her ankle. They later found out that it had been broken. Ironically enough, both Draco and Hermione came out of the whole thing without so much as a scratch.
Hermione felt bad for what she had done to her friends, but in her eyes they deserved it. They never should of come between her and Malfoy. She had warned them before. After that warning, it had only happened once up until recent. Luke had seen her fighting with Harry and Ron in the halls and, noticing her stance, had come between them. He had come out of that with a broken rib.
Hermione stepped out of the common room at 8:15, just starting to really wake up. She headed for the Great Hall. Usually, she would have sat with Eva today, but due to the circumstances, she opted for sitting with Harry and Ron.
"Hey guys" she greeted, a fake smile plastered on her face.
"Morning Hermione. Did you sleep last night?" Harry questioned
"Why?"
"Because you look like crap" Ron put in, receiving an elbow in the side from Harry. "Hey, well she does" he mumbled, rubbing his side.
"I love you too Ron" Hermione glared at her once-friend. She found this so hard, pretending to be someone she's not. At least with the other three, she can show some of the real her.
Harry just shook his head. They finished breakfast with a whole bunch of meaningless conversation. Finally, it was time for class.
"Why do we always get potions with Slytherins?" Ron whined, as they made their way down to the dungeons.
"Because our houses have the most rivalry. Dumbledore thinks that this is good for us" Hermione answered matter-of-factly. She had to say something smart at some point today.
Five minutes later, Snape breezed into the room, his usual scowl on his face. But when he reached the front of the class it had turned into an evil smile.
"Partners," he started, "one from each house" They all sat there waiting for him to tell them who their partners would be this year. "Well, we don't have all day. I trust your mature enough to choose your own partners" Snape snapped at them.
They all got up and moved to pick a partner before Snape changed his mind. Hermione went and sat down beside Luke. As always, Dallis and Draco were partners because there were more Slytherins than there were Gryffindors. (a/n: I'm so sick of Hermione and Draco being paired up together)
Hermione left the Potions room as fast as she could when the bell rang, not wanting to talk to Harry or Ron. She didn't know why, but being around them today was just to hard. She couldn't handle it right now.
She went through the motions of her everyday life for the rest of that day, managing to avoid Harry and Ron. It really wasn't that hard, the only classes that she shared with them was Potions and Transfiguration, but McGonagall had sent Hermione on one of her random errands after she finished that days task. She stayed in her dorm all through lunch and after classes were over. But then dinner came. There was no way to avoid it now. And even if she had wanted to stay in her dorm, there's no way Luke would've let her. Luke, quite literally dragged her to the Great Hall.
He wouldn't sit with her though. Said that he had a project or something to talk to a fellow Slytherin about. She walked over to where Harry and Ron were seated, not making eye contact with anyone. She slid silently onto the bench, and scanned the hall, looking for someone, anyone that would be able to get her out of here. The only people she could think of were Luke and Eva. No help there tonight.
She started to tune into the conversation that Harry and Ron were having when she heard her name mentioned. It was about homework or something. Something they needed help with. What else was new?
"I'm not sure you guys. Check it for yourself. Its your homework, your responsibility. Not mine." In all honesty, she didn't even know what subject they had been asking about.
"Hermione, come on, we really need your help. Cant you, I don't know, go to the library and get something for us that can help us?" Ron whined
"No" she answered bluntly. "I have better things to do with my time then doing your homework. And why cant you two get off your lazy asses and find something for yourself? I'm not here to do your homework, or to even help you with it. In fact, I don't even know why I'm here. The only thing you guys ever need from me is help to get out of the stupid situations you get yourselves in or help on your homework. Other then that and I may as well be invisible. I mean, if you two were truly my best friends, you could tell me my favourite colour or even my favourite past-time"
"It's yellow and reading Hermione, it always has been" Harry told her, looking very confused.
"Really? I wish someone would've informed me" Hermione's eyebrows were raised, a smirk on her lips and her eyes like stone. "I can tell you three people who would tell you different. Actually, I think I'll take you to them and ask them what I just asked you" She then stood up, and started to walk towards the Slytherin table. She only paused for a moment so that Harry and Ron would see that she was serious. Reluctantly, they stood up and followed her, looking like they were being led towards their death.
Hermione stopped by Luke, Dallis and Draco, who were very involved in a conversation about some Quidditch team.
"Hey guys" Hermione greeted.
They kind of jumped when they heard her voice not really expecting it. They turned towards her, and not even Draco could hide his shock to see Harry and Ron standing behind her.
"What are you doing here Mia?" Luke questioned.
"Nice manners there Luke"
"Well, you don't usually come over here Mia, what else did you expect?"
Hermione pondered that for a moment, "to tell you the truth I'm not sure. But to answer your earlier question, I came over here to prove something to Harry and Ron. What's my favourite colour and my favourite past-time?"
Luke gave her a strange look but still answered her. "It's anything really dark, but you love slate grey and black and you love to work out"
Hermione looked to Dallis, keeping the same blank expression, not saying whether or not he had it right. "Like Luke said, dark. And you love to run" Dallis shrugged as he answered.
"Malfoy, for the fun of it, would you answer my question?" Hermione turned to him, interested to see what he said.
"Granger, any idiot should know this. You love the dark colours, but you love slate grey and black, like Laurthian said but you also love egg plant and navy blue. You love working out, and writing"
Hermione just nodded, "thanks you guys". She then turned and walked over to the Ravenclaw table, Harry and Ron following dejectedly behind.
She stopped at Eva. "Hi E"
Eva turned and looked at Hermione. "Yes?"
"Look, I'm sorry ok, but you shouldn't have gotten in the way. You know how I get"
"I know, I know, but damn Mia, you didn't have to do that"
"You think I meant to? I don't even remember doing it"
"Fine, whatever. Now, what did you want?"
"I just wanted to ask you what my favourite colour and past time were. I'm trying to prove something to Harry and Ron"
Eva looked at Harry and Ron with surprise, their presence finally registering. "You're finally doing it?"
"Something like that"
"Ok. Dark, because its you. You're the shadow, and you like that. You like the blackness of night and the greys of the stones. And you love the relief and escape that exercising gives you. And writing. Its your form of communication"
"Thanks Eva" she then turned and headed for the door leading out of the Hall.
It wasn't until she was in the hallway leading to her dorm that she even realized that Harry and Ron were still following her.
"What do you two want?" her voice cold. Emotionless. This was a side of her that they weren't used to.
"To know what the hells going on" Harry's eyes were narrowed to small slits. Ron couldn't even speak.
"What do you mean what the hell's going on? Was it not just spelled out for you in there?"
"What happened to you Hermione? You were fine this morning, then all the sudden, you're avoiding us like the plague and then you start asking us all these questions. How can we know any of this if you don't talk to us anymore?"
"Don't go there. Don't you dare start telling me this is all my fault. I've tried for the past two years to get it through your heads. To get you to open your fucking eyes to the reality that is us. But you wouldn't. The only time you ever talked to me was when you needed help with something. Have you not noticed that I haven't written you guys at all for most of the last couple of summers?"
"We thought you were out of the country and just didn't have time to write us, like you told us"
Hermione shook her head her eyes traveling from one face to the other. "You're so stupid. Those were lies you idiots. And that wouldn't explain why I never talked to you in school anymore would it?"
"Well, no but…"
"But nothing. Do you even know what its like to be me? I finally found people that I can be myself around. I finally found someone who gets me without asking questions. I have friends that never asked me for help with their homework. Sure, they don't know what goes on in the summers, but they know there's something. But they wait for me to tell them. They know when I'm lying. Hell, even Malfoy knows when I'm lying"
"Hermione, come on, that's not fair . How were we supposed to know anything?"
"By looking at me!" she rolled up her sleeves, displaying several of her scars. "By watching the changes that took place". She lifted her shirt slightly, displaying her stomach. "This is what happens when you have a family that hates you. This is what happens when your father hates the sight of you and when your mother cant stand the sound of your voice"
Harry and Ron stood, speechless.
"At a loss for words you two? Was the painted picture of my perfect life ruined? I cant believe you actually believed what I told you. You will never know what its like to be me, and I hope you never know. But you'll never have to worry about that. And you'll never have to worry about me lying again. You know now that we don't belong together. Malfoy knows me better then you two. All I have to say is good bye and good luck"
With that she turned and started to walk away, but she felt someone's hand on her arm. "Hermione wait" Ron pleaded.
Hermione froze, her body rigid. "I have nothing to say to you two"
"Hermione, how could we know when you never told us anything or even hinted. You never gave us a reason to not trust you so we did"
"Ron, let go of me"
"Not until you hear me out"
"Wrong thing to say Weasley" The three turned to see Dallis, Luke, Eva and Draco coming around the corner.
"Don't you know that you should never say no to Hermione when she's like this?" Dallis questioned.
"Why?" Ron asked, his hand still on Hermione's arm.
"Not important, I just suggest that you let go" Luke brushed off his question
"She could kill you in a matter of seconds, without magic" Eva threw in
"I'm not letting her go until she listens to me" Ron said again
"Your choice" Draco shook his head, not knowing why he was even here.
"Ron, let go. NOW"
"Her…" but he was cut off as her fist connected with his eye.
This is when Dallis, Luke and Draco stepped forward. They figured if they all stepped forward they had some chance of stopping her.
"Hermione, think. You could lose Head Girl if you kill them. Worse you could be expelled and sent to Azkaban. They're not worth that" Eva, who was standing off to the side, reasoned with her.
Hermione looked at the boys, all of them, then dropped her fists and fell out of her stance.
"Now listen, and listen good because I wont repeat myself" she said looking straight at Harry and Ron. Stay far, far away from me unless you want to find yourself in the hospital wing or six feet under. Understood?"
Harry and Ron nodded, not knowing what to say.
"Good" she then turned and walked gracefully to her dorm.
"Stay away from her or you'll have four to deal with instead of one, and we're the ones that taught her everything she knows" Luke glared at them.
"Five" Draco corrected, and when he saw Luke looking at him like he was crazy he elaborated, "They'll have five to deal with. I would rather help her then be on her bad side. I've seen what she can do"
"Ok, so five. And anything she told you is not to be repeated"
They then turned and followed Hermione's path to the Head common room, leaving Harry and Ron there to process everything they just heard.
Hey all, sorry this took so long to get out. I've had it sitting here, waiting to be edited for like 2 weeks. I don't know when my next chapter will come out because we're moving (again). If we're lucky it'll be on the weekend, but that depends on babysitting. If you want to know where I'm ever at as far as my stories go you can go to http/ Also, I have a new story out called Daddy, I Love You. It's a new twist to my writing and an idea I've been toying with for quite some time. I figured that if I never put it out, it would never get read, there for never get reviewed.
Anyway, let me know what you think of the chapter. I always love reviews. They're my inspiration and I need them.
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L&H, Pure Mudblood
(edited on August 23 2005)