Chapter 6 Friends or Fiends?
"No Hermione, no! There is absolutely no way that you can make it up to us ever I mean –"
"Us? Leave me out of it," said Harry darkly.
"YOU! Very well," continued Ron, a maniacal expression now coming upon his eyes, and a flush creeping up to his cheeks, "So many years we have fought against him, so many times he's abused, let us down, so many snide remarks, bad looks, times he's gotten us into trouble, and now… THIS?" He stamped his cup of orange juice on the photo, spilling half the amount on it. Now Draco's face was covered in blotches, and it looked like he and Hermione were attending some party down at the beach, and water had splashed in his face, definitely did it not look like the original: him and her making out in the forest.
"Listen Ron! I didn't mean for any of this to happen! I know how much trouble Malfoy's cost us, just… it sometimes works out this way… people come together… you won't understand, it has never happened to you. " Now Hermione was blushing, she sat down and tried to start on her food as though this matter was over. Ron however didn't think so.
"Nope Hermione. It's YOU who doesn't understand. And that's what you've been doing our whole friendship: not understanding!" and with those words, he stomped out of the Great Hall.
"Hermione, it is you who doesn't understand," Harry confessed to her, then flailed and crept down into his chair under the look she gave him, his body automatically set to reflex "go into hiding".
"So you are in this AS WELL!" She shot him a look that clearly stated "traitor".
"No, it's not that, you don't understand," Harry tried to explain.
"I UNDERSTAND THAT I DON'T UNDERSTAND!" then realizing what she just said, added, "will you get on with it then?"
"Yes, see it's hard to explain…" Harry trailed off, gesturing to try to convey the meaning of his unspoken words. "It seems like me, you and Ron have been friends for ever," he started his story, "and I mean for you at least, it has always been that way, friendship. But for Ron…" Hermione sat there with a confused look upon her face,
"I don't understand," she confessed.
"Yea, that's what Ron meant. Hermione you will if you just look over your whole relationship with Ron, believe me, you will get it. Now sorry, I have to go to Divination and you better hurry up as well, I'm sure you don't want to be late for Arithmetics. Bye," he hastily got up from the table and hurried out through the door.
Hermione left soon as well but she didn't go to her class. Instead she went out into the grounds and decided to go and spend her lonely life, without friends and without anyone who could understand her, alone. She sat on a garden bench and set her mind on finding out what exactly Ron and Harry meant.
'Was there a long forgotten quarrel? Was it a lie? No, it's just stupid Ron. He's just jealous that I finally have a date and that Draco cares for me. Oh that Draco, I knew there was good in him. He's so sweet, so…so…' Just then she heard a snigger in the trees and someone's sharp voice cut through the cold, fresh morning air. She listened closer and the group of people seemed to moving towards the path where she was sitting. Hermione decided to keep sitting there to see who it was, but the couple (or whoever it was) seemed to stop where they were.
"I'm telling you, she fell for it like a little child. You were great! I never knew you were so so so brave! I mean you having to kiss her and all, I'd die, the ugly mudblood," Pansy shrieked.
"Well, yes, ahem…" muttered Draco. Somewhere next to him Crabbe and Goyle demonstrated their ogre talents by grunting at the same time.
"Ha, we owe you," said Goyle.
"Yea, I'd never think you could seduce her," grinned Crabbe.
"That was one sweet dare!" Grunted Goyle.
"Yea, Granger! To think of it, perfect student, little mudblood and being seduced by Malfoy himself! Too bad for her it was just a dare, right Draco?" Giggled Pansy nervously.
"Yea…Just a dare," Malfoy agreed. 'It was just a dare… right?' He thought to himself.
"But that was cool! I mean how you got someone to take the photo and all. You really didn't need to do that, we would have believed you anyway Draco," Pansy assured him.
'Wait, so it wasn't them taking the photo? This is strange…' Draco thought, confused.
Hermione gulped back her tears and ran from the path. Right at this moment, Draco and his crowd of followers emerged from the bushes. Realizing what just had happened, he called her back, but she wasn't listening.
"Ha, that little mudblood, this is the perfect closing to the whole thing!" Shrieked Pansy in excitement.
"Close your foul mouth, and leave her alone Parkinson," Spat Malfoy. Then he turned away from her and started walking towards the woods, to think alone, where no stupid Pansy could bother him.
Pansy and Draco's cronies stared at his retreating back in awe and disbelief.
Later that night…
The Forbidden Forest was dark and only a little light shone through the trees. But even a little moonlight was enough to make his silvery blond hair gleam.
"Good evening father," he said coldly.
"Good day Draco," he replied, not a bit warmer than his son greeted him. After a short silence Draco dared to ask,
"Do you have a specific purpose for being here, or can I go back to the castle?"
"I have a purpose, a very important purpose!" He assured his son, "Draco tell me, did you enjoy our previous encounter?"
"Yes father, seeing you is a great pleasure always," he lied.
"Well then, what may I ask is this?" He proceeded in his drawling monotone pulling the now famous photograph out of a pocket in his robe. "Well, I'm waiting for an explanation!" He added after a few seconds of silence. Draco looked petrified; it was bad enough for his school to know about it, now his father was probably going to kill him.
"I…uh…" he tried to say something, scared his father would be even madder if he kept silent.
"WHAT IS THIS I ASK YOU!" Lucius roared. "After our previous meeting, I thought I made my opinion clear. Or was it not clear enough for you? Do you need some parts restated?"
"Well, no… no," Draco mumbled.
"I thought I told you quite clearly, I never, NEVER, want you near a mudblood! Do you even understand the disgrace you are bringing to the family? Obviously not. I sent a couple of my helpers to track you down and see what you were doing. I knew what you were doing, every single minute of the day. And then, after so many days of progress, what do I see! YOU and a MUDBLOOD, in the forest! YOU, wasting yourself on her!" He looked expectantly at Draco.
"Oh…well…" Draco suddenly realized that he didn't have an explanation, that he didn't want to explain himself. He did exactly what he wanted to, and if that meant showing in whatsoever way that he loved this…this mudblood, then so it is. "So what," he suddenly found himself saying, "So what if I kissed Hermione–"
"So what? SO WHAT!" Lucius cut him off. "You DARE to ask me about it? No Draco, you are a disgrace to this family, an outcast, an exile! You shall never be a real Malfoy, as long as I live on this earth, you shall not return to this family!"
"Well good, because you know what, I don't want to! I… I HATE YOU!" He spat and scared, started running towards the castle.
After a couple of meters, he felt being dragged back by an immense force. Looking back with much difficulty, he saw his father's wand erupting with a huge line of sparks, connecting him to it. He was thrown into the air, and Lucius' face transformed to sport a crazy, maniacal smile. With a flick of the wand, Draco was send plummeting towards a huge tree, and as he slammed with all his force into it he became unconscious. The last thing he remembered was lights flickering and a female voice screaming in the distance…