Disclaimer time - ok . . .blah, blah no, i do not own Draco, Hermione or any other characters you may recognize, if i did the movies would get far more interesting, trust me. those you don't recognize, such as they are, are mine. if you'd like to use, please just let me know. this is a newly edited, but still unbeta-ed chapter, because before i can update it, which i am working, i have to clean up a lot of the story, mainly because it's driving me nuts. i began this story long ago & it more than shows. hopefully, with corrections it will be even better.

Chapter 2 – With A Vengeance

Nighttime is always the worst, but at least it's another one I got through, mused Hermione, as she tried to unwind in the Gryffindor common room, staring sightless at the book that is open to another random page.

She should be going down for breakfast, but it would take too much energy and besides the food always tastes the same like paper. She glanced up to the clock and sighed. It was another 45 minutes until potions and nothing but time to kill. Hearing the shrill voices of her roommates drifting down from the staircase, she moved in a sudden burst of energy to high-backed chair in one of the dimmer corners.

It was bad enough when she had to deal with them in class, hanging out now was just too awkward on everyone's part. Hermione was well aware of her reputation at Hogwarts, even among her own housemates. For the past few years, she'd foolishly allowed herself to relax her guard, secure in the knowledge that she had found her proper place in life.

She might not have been the most popular witch, but she was used to scholastic achievement, rather than winning popularity contests. It wasn't that she basked in being a member of the Golden Trio, as she occasionally had been accused of, but that she had found people who valued her for more than someone to cheat off of, not that Ron didn't try to talk her into it at times, of course. Then there was Harry, who more than anyone else treated her like a real friend

Now that they were gone, it was a harsh wake-up call and the last thing she needed was to be reminded of that fact yet again and with that thought in mind, she sank even lower in the seat, hoping whoever it was would be on their way soon enough. It's funny how when you act like you're not around, you really can fade into the shadows, she noted with an ironic twist of her lips.

"So, Ginny, when is McGonagall going to move Hermione? Because I swear if I have to sleep in the same room as her for one more night, I'm going to start screaming like a banshee too." Lavender gripped, as Parvati started giggling.

"Oh come on, Lavender, now she's not that bad. She usually doesn't start until the early mornings, anyway," Ginny shrugged. "Besides, you know what McGonagall told us 'it's only to be expected under the circumstances'."

"Personally," Parvati piped up, "I think she is just desperate for attention since it happened. Seriously, Hermione would have been no one without them and now that they're gone . . . "

Her voice drifted off for a minute, before she continued, "I mean, of course, we all miss them, and if anyone has reason to be ssooo upset, well that would be Ginny and your family. And well, you know how much Lavender and I feel about Ron and Harry. Who knows, we might have been going out right now, if things had been different," she ended passionately.

"Well, I shouldn't be telling you this, " Ginny looked around quickly before leaning in closer to them, "but this is all going to be over soon, very soon."

"What? What do you mean," the two girls demanded to know.

Ginny just smiled. "Oh ok, but we can't let anybody know, remember? Dumbledore is going to make the announcement tonight."

"Are you serious?"

"No way?!"

She nodded at her two friends, sharing their excitement.

Lavender giggled, "I can't wait to see her face. Can't you just image?"

"Now that's just mean, Lavender," Ginny scolded her in a light voice. "Hermione is going to be shocked enough when she finds out and the least we can do is be there to support her."

"Yeah, oookay, Ginny," Pavarti smirked, rolling her eyes comically. "Like that's ever gonna happen."

Ginny laughed. "You are so catty, Pavarti."

"Oh wow, look at the time!" She exclaimed, glancing at her watch. "We had better get downstairs or there will be nothing left for us to eat."

They continue chatting as they walk out, never turning back to see the stunned expression on Hermione's face, upon hearing her "friends" uncensored thoughts.

She haltingly stood up, her book falling unheeded to the floor. "What, what the fuck was that?" she whispers to herself.

Walking across the room, she heavily sank into the couch on the opposite wall, wrapped her arms around herself and leaned over, long chestnut hair falling in her face. Hermione took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down and try to interpret their conversation as analytically as possible. Her attempt to emotionally detach herself failed miserably.

She felt as if the world had suddenly turned on it's axis and she was completely lost. Did that really just happen or was she really just going slowly mental as Ron had always been so fond of saying?

"I can't believe that. I mean, ok, Lavender and Pavarti, well they're hardly my favorite people, but Ginny? What the hell did I ever do to any of them?"

Standing up, she begin to pace around the room, as she bristled with every remembered word.

"I'm desperate for attention? Yeah, right, what a fucking joke. Unbelievable . . ." She scoffed, torn between bewilderment, anger and genuine hurt. "And they had the gall to discuss me with McGonagall?"

It was one thing for her classmates to dislike her. Hermione was more than familiar with that experience, but for a teacher, particularly one she so deeply respected? McGonagall had crossed all sorts of boundaries in taking such an action, it was in Hermione's opinion, nothing less than a betrayal.

Her teeth bit deeply into lower lip, as she sighed deeply, in an effort to regulate her breathing. She wasn't going to cry, not over backstabbing, air-headed little girls, who had nothing better to do with their time, she refused to. Intellectually, she realized that it was long since that she entered into the second stage of grief --- anger and focusing on her outrage, seemed to clear her thoughts.

"And with a fucking vengeance," the sarcasm seems strange on her tongue, but she decided it was long overdue. Better to be angry than to show any further weakness, from experience she knew people would only take advantage.

While she planning on speaking to McGonagall, she was more interested in this mysterious announcement Dumbledore was supposedly making tonight. For the life of her, she couldn't imagine what he would have to say that would involve her, Ginny, Lavender and Pavarti, but if they were so gleeful about it, it probably didn't bode well for her. The more she debated what it could be, the more her suspicions grew, but what - "

Her thoughts were interrupted by the voices she heard coming from outside of the portrait. Sounds like breakfast must be ending, which meant whatever privacy she had was quickly coming to an end if she stayed. Hermione walked back to her chair and quickly slipped her book back into her bag and made her way past the oncoming crowd.

Hmmm, looks like Granger is once again not making an appearance for breakfast. Draco sighed to himself as he lounged back into his seat and watched the Great Hall clear out. Yet another opportunity shot down.

You'd think at the least the bloody Weasels would make sure that the girl actually ate, he glowered slightly. Circe knew there were enough of them. Absently, he wondered how they can keep producing when they are so utterly incapable of the most basic skills of observation.

Sighing again, he strolled out, casually snatching several raspberry filled croissants that he knew she liked so well. Although, the notion of bullying her might be amusing, seduction has far more interesting possibilities. And besides, he smiled to himself, it is so early in the morning yet.

TBC

Ok . . . again this story is in the process of being edited/updated. new chapters will be coming out fairly soon. in between writing this, i've had a fire – lost everything, some personal disasters, family deaths and more than a few computers. i lost my mailing list long ago.

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