Chapter 2: I Want the Truth, Even if it Hurts

Disclaimer: I forgot this last chapter, I don't own any of the copyrighted characters.

Potions had been going well. Hermione and Harry got their potion finished in half the time of the rest of the class. They looked around. Everyone was either arguing or glaring at one another. They got off really lucky with being paired together. They started talking about the summer and the stuff they had done. Neither mentioned the loss or the pain, but in the back of their mind they were thinking about it.

Things seemed to be going fine until Malfoy and Ron started going at it.

"You are such a prick. You fucking asshole!" Ron had jumped from his seat and raised his fist. His eyes were livid and glaring at Malfoy. Harry and Hermione looked at each other, then they turned to Snape who had an amused smile on his face. Both knew this wasn't going to end well for anyone, especially Ron.

"Truth hurts, doesn't it?" He stood and faced Ron. His body language telling everyone he was ready to fight.

"You're wrong! You're a self-righteous lying ferret." His face was turning red with every second that passed. Hermione took a glance at Snape. He has his feet propped up on the desk and was watching with curiosity just like the rest of the class. Silently, Hermione prayed it would all just stop and not go any further. But this is Ron and Malfoy; this could never just go away. Malfoy suddenly made eye contact with her, smirked, then whispered something that only Ron could hear. Ron turned and looked at her then Harry.

"You fucking bastard!" He hit Malfoy square in the jaw. Malfoy had a quick reaction and socked Ron back. They started going at it. Hermione groaned as she saw Snape still just sitting there. She hated to say it, but Malfoy was taller, bigger and looked stronger. She knew Ron would wind up hurt. Taking quick action she ran over to Ron and grabbed his arm. She tried to pull him back but he shrugged her off. She pushed her way in front of him. When Malfoy saw her in the middle he immediately moved away. Ron however, didn't have that much control. He tried to hit Draco again. His fist connected with Hermione's lip.

Hermione stumbled backward. Malfoy caught her before she fell. Ron immediately went to help her. Snape, finally, dispersed the crowd that had formed around them. Harry was just shaking his head in annoyance. Ron went to take Hermione out of Malfoy's hands, but she smacked his hands away. She attempted to walk away from both of them. As she began to walk she was hit with a dizzy spell. Once again Malfoy caught her.

"You okay?" He asked.

"Fine."

"Liar."

"Instigator!" She yelled at him.

"Draco, please escort Granger to the hospital wing. Get yourself cleaned up as well. Fifty points from Gryffindor and Slytherin. Ten points awarded to Ms. Granger. " Snape smirked. The rest of the class sat in stunned silence. "Mr. Weasley I'll see you tonight in detention." Ron groaned.

Harry walked over to Hermione to see if she was all right. For once, she didn't want Harry around to save her. At this moment, she didn't want him to see her. Whenever she really needed some one to save her, he was never there. She assured him she was fine and then walked out of the classroom.

"Granger, wait." She ignored him and continued walking. He followed her anyway.

"I can make it to the Hospital Wing with out assistance. Thank you, now go away."

"Then why are you walking out the opposite way?"

She frowned, "Because I have no intention of going to the Hospital Wing. Happy?" She walked to their common room and then into the bathroom. Malfoy followed but stopped at the door. He leaned on the doorframe and watched her. Methodically, she took the supplies she needed from her cabinet. She prepared everything she in the order she would use it. Malfoy stared at her, he was curious as to why she had all of this stuff in their bathroom when she could always just go to the Hospital Wing. She took a washrag from the drawer and began running warm water.

Watching her intently, he began surveying the damage. Her lip was bleeding and her jaw was swollen. "You should have stayed out of it." She snorted. "You never know when to keep to yourself, do you?"

Hermione was trying to get the blood out of her blouse, and was becoming extremely frustrated. "What was I supposed to do? Watch you beat the shit out of him? Plus, I've dealt with worse." She began rummaging through the bottles in the cabinet.

"So you admit I could have beaten him?" He smirked.

"If you would have just kept your mouth shut, all of this could have been avoided.' She signed and prepared a hydrogen peroxide pad. "What did you say that made him so mad?" She began cleaning the cut on her lip.

"I told him the truth." He was still standing in the doorway.

She turned to look at him, all the while dabbing her lip with antibiotic cream. "What truth would that be?" She checked the cut in the mirror and then began throwing all her used supplies in the trash. "Come here." Now, she was taking a fresh rag from the drawer.

"Why?" He questioned with suspicion in his voice.

"Do you want your eye to swell? And dry blood is a bitch to deal with, but excuse me for trying to make up for Ron's blunder."

"Oh." Slowly, he made his way to the counter where she was standing. She patted the counter wanting him to sit. The counter was low, so by sitting on it he was actually shorter and it was easier for her to see hi face.

She took the warm rag and put it to his face. "This will sting. Maybe." She began wiping the blood from above and below his eye. "What did you say to him?" She asked quietly.

Draco snapped out of the trance he had been in. "I told him a truth he didn't want to believe." He stared straight in her hazel eyes, wanting her to ask the question he knew she was going to ask.

"And what didn't he believe?" She was cleaning the blood from his lip and nose. He flinched slightly when the rag touched his lip. "Sorry."

"I told him, you're in love with the boy who wouldn't die."

Hermione stopped. She had a look of shock on her face. Then she laughed, "That was good. That was funny." Then, she stopped laughing and whipped him with the wet rag.

"Ouch!"

With all seriousness in her voice, "Why would you say that! Even if it was true, which it's not, that's such a stupid thing for him to get upset about." She was talking to herself for the most part.

"Not if he's got a thing for you." She whipped him again. "I thought you were supposed to be fixing me, not beating me! But if you like it rough." He raised his eyebrows in a suggestive fashion.

She huffed loud huff, "I'm starting to think I should have let Ron beat the shit out of you."

"I thought you said I would have won?" She 'accidentally' poked his bruise. "You're mean."

"You've got balls saying that to me!"

"I've got balls no matter what I say to you." Hermione blushed furiously. "And I was right with what I told Weasley. You are in love with Potter. If I judge correctly, since last year, maybe before."

Hermione kept her mouth shut. She quickly bandaged his cuts. Then began cleaning up her materials.

"Nice job, Granger. Where'd you learn the fancy bandaging?"

She smiled, "If I told you, I'd have to kill you."

After she washed her hands, she left Draco standing by himself. Deciding to take the rest of the day of, she laid down on the couch and closed her eyes. She started reviewing the work she had to do her classes. Scolding herself for being such a slacker so early, she remembered she forgot her books. Still feeling slightly dizzy she decided she had to go back to class. Now, she was regretting that she hadn't eaten this morning.

As she walked toward the portrait, someone knocked. Opening the door she was surprised to see Harry standing there. He held up her bag and books.

A/N: An explanation of why Hermione was getting along so well with Malfoy in the next chapter.

This will eventually become a HG/DM story, but I really don't want to rush it. I hate when they rush it and just jump on each other.

Thanks for reading…and now maybe you could review?