"There's been another attack! Someone else has been raped!" yelled an Irish voice.

Hermione slowly opened her eyes and looked around. She wished she had woken up from the nightmare. As she unwillingly dragged herself out of bed, showered, and dressed into her casual clothes, she decided to go straight to the Great Hall for breakfast.

Hermione rubbed her eyes sleepily and sat at the Gryffindor Table in between Harry and Ginny.

"Please don't tell me that what Seamus said earlier is true. Has someone else really been raped?"

Harry took a bite out of his bagel and then nodded.

"Who was it this time?" she asked, pouring herself some pumpkin juice.

Seamus sat across the table from the three friends and started to eat as well. "It was Cho Chang who was attacked. She was walking around the Hogwarts Grounds yesterday evening and when Dumbledore had found her, she was lying on the ground, not moving or anything. She's up in the Hospital Wing right now." explained Seamus Finnegan as he continued to eat.

Hermione looked sympathetically at Harry. "Harry, I'm so sorry..." She knew how much Cho meant to Harry, especially because the two were going out.

Harry just nodded shortly. "Yeah, thanks Hermione..."

Suddenly, Hermione's appetite had disappeared and noticed that Draco wasn't at his table like he usually was for breakfast. A bad feeling had erupted in her stomach.

"Umm...does anyone know who the attacker is yet?"

"Nye, but everyone's saying that it's that bloke Draco Malfoy. All the girls that have been raped have told the teachers that the attacker had gray stone-like eyes and no one knows who else would have that color eyes. Wouldn't surprise me, to tell you the truth. He's always been a bloody snake." Replied Seamus as he finished the pumpkin juice.

Hermione looked down at the table for a second and then back at Seamus. "Why do they all assume the attacker is Slytherin? What if he wasn't even a student at Hogwarts?" she asked them.

The three friends stopped eating and looked at Hermione curiously.

"Well, the Slytherins have always been a bad sort, Hermione. They've been known to do awful things like that. The teachers are even thinking that it's a Hogwarts student and they all think that it's a seventh year. If you think about it, all signs are basically pointing to Draco." Insisted Ginny, who looked blank.

Hermione just nodded, not wanting to argue with any of them. She knew that Draco could be a down right bastard but did he really have the heart to rape an innocent girl? Just because his father was a Death-Eater didn't mean that Draco was as well.

"I'll meet up with you guys later. I have to do something first."

Hermione disappeared from the Gryffindor Table and walked out of the Great Hall, searching for any signs of Draco Malfoy. She was halfway down the corridor when she heard voices. Hermione stopped in her tracks and looked to the side to see two Slytherins talking back and forth to each other.

"This is just brilliant! I've been telling you since the school year started to be careful!"

"Draco, we have been careful. No one knows that it's us. They think that it's someone not even from our school! We're in the clear."

Hermione's heart leapt up into her throat and she let out a cry. She didn't think that Draco was a suspect but now, she wasn't sure what to think.

"Who's next? Who do you think deserves to be attacked? I personally think that goody-two shoes Granger from Gryffindor does." The voice replied coolly.

Hermione suddenly could swear that she could hear her heart in her head. Her mind was racing, not know whether she should run for it, or confront the two. Either way, she'd be noticed.

Hermione didn't even need to do anything though. The fast paced breathing pattern did her in as she continued to listen in to the conversation. She had let out a whimper and no sooner had she done that, two Slytherins approached her and she got a better look at both of them.

"D-Draco?"

The other Slytherin that Hermione didn't recognize quickly backhanded her, causing her to cry out in pain.

"Stop! That isn't necessary."

The tall boy looked at his friend in question and confusion, as if he was a traitor to his own country.

"Draco, she knows! The little Mudblood's been listening! She'll do us both in!" argued the teenager.

Draco Malfoy looked at Hermione before brushing a hand through his blonde silky hair and looked around.

"Do you know him, Granger?"

Hermione looked at the teenager again and shook her head.

"Well of course she would shake her head no! It's obvious that she doesn't want to be hurt!"

Draco sneered at both of them and Hermione could tell what he was thinking. Out of all the corridors that were around Hogwarts, she had to stumble upon them in this corridor.

"Granger, you tell anyone you saw and heard us, you'll regret you were ever born. Understood?"

Hermione felt rage build up inside her. She didn't entirely understand the situation and she didn't want to jump to conclusions right away. As far as she was concerned, her feelings were just sneaky suspicions. She knew that she wouldn't be able to prove anything either, but perhaps her word would just be enough.

Hermione looked at the ground. "Yes, it is."

The unrecognizable Slytherin nodded his head in satisfaction and then motioned for her to leave.

As she turned to leave, she heard them talk again.

"That little Gryffindor bitch is going to get us caught! That is why we've got to...take care...of her!"

"Let it go, leave her alone. Now anyway, like I was saying..."

The voices died out in the distance as Hermione kept walking away from them until she could no longer hear them at all.

Hermione didn't go back to the Great Hall though. She ran up to the Astronomy Tower instead and stood at the part that overlooked the Grounds. The young Gryffindor stood there for over fifteen minutes but instantly turned around when she heard footsteps.

"Granger...I-I'm sorry..."

Hermione walked towards Draco angrily. "I can't believe you, Draco Malfoy! You...you raped Ginny and Cho! You bastard! How could you? I-I know your heart is cold but I never thought that you didn't have a heart at all!"

Draco saw that she was close to tears at this point but he felt like he had to defend himself, regardless.

"Grange-Hermione! Listen to me for a second! I didn't attack them! I can't tell you who it was but it wasn't me! Don't listen to everyone, Hermione. They just point the finger to the most obvious person. The son of a Death-Eater!" Draco argued.

Hermione slapped him hard across the face. "You selfish bastard! Stop lying to me! I'm not as thick as you take me for!"

Draco sneered at her darkly, with a look that her that he wanted to slap her once more back.

"You stupid Mudblood! How dare you, of all people, accuse me of something that I'm innocent for! I did not attack anyone! I would've thought you knew even I wasn't that heartless! I don't care if you don't believe me because I know the truth. I cover my friends and they cover me. I want to be friends but I can't trust someone who accuses me for every little event that happens here! It's fucking bullshit, Granger. There's no excuse for it. Maybe one day you'll regret every accusation you ever accused me of and then you'll be sorry. Trust me, when that day comes, I won't be the one to help you get back on your feet." Without another word, Draco turned around and headed back downstairs of the Tower, leaving Hermione with herself alone once again.

She let empty tears fall from her face before falling to her knees, with only her thoughts and her feelings left.