A/N: Seriously guys! I see the hits I get for my story, but no reviews? How am I supposed to know if I'm doing a good or bad job? Silly readers! Help me out here!
Summary: In this chapter, we are going to find out a secret.
Disclaimer: 2, 4, 6, 8, copyrights are what I hate! That's all right, that's okay, I don't own them anyway!
Chapter 3: Deception
'Sex!' Hermione exclaimed to herself. 'That is all Ron thinks about, is sex!' She stalked out of the dungeons, her Potions class over. Parvati and Lavender were behind her, but she didn't feel like talking to them.
"Isn't that new Headmaster dreamy?" Lavender gushed. Parvati giggled.
"I wouldn't mind getting sent to HIS office," Parvati added. Hermione shook her head in disgust. Didn't the two have ANY respect? They were 17 years old and STILL acting like bumbling idiots!
As Hermione rounded the corner, she bumped directly into Malfoy.
"Draco!" She exclaimed with a gasp.
"What do you want, mudblood?" Draco asked coldly.
"I-I just wanted to--"
"Apologize?" Draco sneered. Hermione looked uncomfortable.
"Um. Yeah," She said. Draco rolled his eyes.
"Typical mudblood. Always trying to make peace," Draco said with sarcasm. Hermione threw her hands in the air.
"Ugh! Just forget it!" Hermione exclaimed. She stomped off. Draco followed after her.
"Hey, Granger--"
"Just leave me ALONE!" She shrieked.
'Whoa,' Draco thought. There is obviously something up with her.' He followed her anyway, to see what her deal was. He figured he'd have to play nice. Ugh. Great.
"Er. Hermione?" He murmured. He could hear muffled sobs. Once she heard his voice she stopped.
"Don't men listen to anything?" Hermione asked.
"Not really," Draco said, not trying to be funny. All he received from that comment was a glare.
"Granger, what's going on?" Draco asked impatiently.
"Oh, like you care all of a sudden?" Hermione spat.
"Granger, we are Head Boy and Head Girl. We're going to have to spend a lot of time together this year," Draco pointed out. He had a point, but Hermione didn't want to talk to Draco about her sex-wanting boyfriend. He'd probably say something, or make fun of her like he always found a way to do.
"It's nothing," Hermione whispered. She looked away.
"Is it something with the Weasel?" Draco asked. Hermione didn't respond. Draco's voice softened slightly.
"It is, isn't it?" Draco murmured.
"If you really must know," Hermione said quietly, "He's got a bit of a problem…"
ooooFlashbackoooo
As the two continued kissing, Ron pulled her hips against his. Hermione felt his…problem against her.
"'Mione," Ron gasped. Hermione took a step back.
"Is that all you care about?" Hermione asked.
"Come on, don't be like this," Ron pleaded.
"Be like what?" Hermione was near tears. "The fact that I'm upset, I need comfort, and all you can think of right now is a roll in the hay!" She looked at him, obviously upset, and ran upstairs into her dorm room.
End Flashback"So that's it. That's all that happened," Hermione looked away. She couldn't look at Draco in the face. She feared if she did, he'd have some smug look on his face, or taunt her.
"Has he always been like that?" Draco asked.
"Since we passed our 18 month," Hermione replied. Why was Draco so interested in this anyway? Since when did he hold any amount of care for her?
"You think he might be…using you?" Draco asked.
"No!" Hermione exclaimed, flabbergasted.
"And why not?"
"Because…why would he use me for sex when we've been dating for almost 2 years? Why wouldn't he have just done so at our three-month or something? Why would he not try before we were dating?" Draco mentally shook his head. Granger was definitely in denial.
"When did he give you the ring?" Draco asked.
"Don't you dare make a jab at the ring. It may not be a sparkling diamond, but it's pretty," Hermione said. Draco rolled his eyes.
"That wasn't my question, Granger," Draco said impatiently. He did silently admit that Weasel could have gotten a better ring. However, he didn't say anything.
"He got it for me just this past summer…a couple hours before I went to France," Hermione remembered the event with a smile.
'Oh barf,' Malfoy thought.
"And when did he start acting the way he's been?" Malfoy asked.
"Since I got…back…" Hermione sank against the wall. It couldn't be. Did Ron just give her the ring so he could have sex with her? That didn't make any sense. It was a promise ring, not a sex ring! Draco almost felt sorry for her.
"He came back to the common room late," Hermione murmured in a daze. "You don't think he was…" Now Draco really felt sorry for her. Hermione had no self-confidence whatsoever. Draco had to admit that she was beautiful. If he had someone like Hermione…
'She's a mudblood, you dolt,' Malfoy argued with himself.
"I…I…I have to go," Hermione whispered.
"Are you going to be okay?" Draco asked. Hermione looked at him.
"I don't know," She said. "Probably. I'm just being paranoid," She tried to laugh. It came out forceful. Malfoy looked at her and nodded. Hermione gave him a tiny smile and went off.
ooooooo
She didn't know where to go. So she went wandering through the halls. She went wherever the moving stairs took her, until she ended up in front of the Room of Requirement. Maybe she should go in there…she could think, and it was quiet…the door faded into view, and Hermione went inside. And saw something that she knew would never leave her head.
"Ronald!" She gasped. Yes, Ron. With Pansy Parkinson. On a bed. (A/N: With a wrench! Bwahaha. Get it?) They froze together. Pansy's lips were swollen, and her hand was in his pants. Ron's red hair was tousled and his hand was up her shirt.
"'Mione!" Ron exclaimed. "Don't go!" But Hermione had already torn out of the room.
ooooooo
She couldn't believe what she saw. Hot tears streamed down her face as she took out everything that ever reminded her of Ron. Pictures, belongings, presents…and began tossing them down the stairs. When she was done, she took a box and stomped down the stairs, picking everything up and throwing—no—chucking them into the box. When she walked into the Common Room, Ron was standing there.
"Hermione," He began.
"I don't want to hear it, Ron!" Hermione exclaimed shrilly.
"But I can--"
"Don't tell me you can explain! There is NOTHING you can explain! What could have happened? Did you lose some money and you thought it was hidden up her shirt? Did she think it was down your pants? Did you have to use your tongue to see if it was in her mouth? No!" Hermione yelled.
"But--"
"No buts, Ron! I don't care if you're a boy that needs sex all the time! You made me believe that you LOVED me! Then you go and have at it with Hogwarts's…reigning…SLUT!" She screamed. Ron opened his mouth.
"No. I have no words for you," Hermione shook. "Malfoy was right, and he didn't even say anything. This…promise ring…was just a…sex ring!" She took it off and threw it at him, then tore out of the Common Room.
ooooooo
She had to find Malfoy. She searched the area where she ran into him. No Malfoy. She searched the dungeons. No Malfoy. Where could he be? She looked at her ring finger where the promise ring used to be. The image of Ron and Pansy together replayed in her head. She knew she was going to be sick. She clamped her mouth shut with her hand and sprinted toward the nearest bathroom. She didn't care if it was Moaning Myrtle's. As she ran, she collided full force with a pale face. She knew it was Malfoy, but she had no time to apologize. She crawled into the bathroom as fast as she could and went into one of the stalls where she immediately began to vomit.
Draco heard the sounds of retching and crying. He didn't want to leave her all by herself.
'Draco, you're turning into a bloody softie.' He thought. He got up, dusted his knees, and pushed the door open to the bathroom.
"Hermione?" He asked tentatively. He was immediately greeted with a ghoulish cry as Moaning Myrtle emerged from one of the sinks.
"Boys are not allowed!" She said in her high-pitched whiny voice. Draco ignored her and found what he wanted: a pair of legs in the kneeling position. He knocked on the stall door.
"It's unlocked," Came the weak reply. Draco opened the door and walked in. Hermione flushed the toilet, but knew she wasn't done. Draco held her hair back to get it away from her face. It was good timing because Hermione stuck her face in the toilet again and continued to vomit. Her body shook. Draco didn't say anything. He just held her hair back silently. When Hermione had emptied out all her contents, Draco stood her up and let her lean on him. He helped her out of the stall and guided her to the sink. He helped her wash her mouth out. Then he scooped her up in his arms and carried her out.
"Where are we going?" Hermione asked weakly.
"To the Room of Requirement," Draco said.
"No!" Hermione exclaimed. Her outburst surprised him, but he recovered.
"I am not taking you to your Common Room. I won't be able to let you in your room without knowing if you're okay. I'm not going to take you to the Hospital Wing, because I will get kicked out. We are going to the Room of Requirement," But Hermione continued to squirm.
"What are you, two?" Draco asked. Hermione didn't say anything. She just whimpered. Draco walked in silence until he reached the door. Hermione buried her face in his neck and sniffled.
'Odd.' He thought. He pushed the door open and walked inside. A bed was in there, and to the left, a basin with a washcloth. Draco laid Hermione down and dipped the washcloth into the basin. He pulled it back out, wrung it, and then placed it on Hermione's forehead. He sat down beside her.
"What happened?" He asked gently. She shook her head. Draco sighed. Then he noticed her hands. All the fingers were empty.
"Did…something happen…in here?" Draco asked. That was enough for Hermione. She burst into tears and clung to Draco, wrapping her arms around his neck. He looked startled, but awkwardly began to pat her on the back.
"It was horrible. I-I just came here t-to think, and there he was with…with…"
"With whom?"
"P-P-Pansy…P-Parkinson…" Draco blinked.
'Bloody fucking hell' He thought. And automatically, he knew. He'd kill the bitch. He just wasn't sure which bitch.
"You were right," She hiccupped.
"I didn't want to be," He whispered. He closed his eyes and sighed, holding her. That tramp. Hermione seemed to be calming down. Her breathing became relaxed and even. He realized she was sleeping. He gently moved her down in a laying position and moved next to her. She was so angelic-looking when she slept. He twirled her hair around his finger. He would stay here with her. Just for a couple of hours…
ooooooo
Hermione woke up around dinnertime. She almost forgot where she was. But she felt the warmth of someone else's body. She moved and saw Draco's sleeping form. He was being so nice to her. She watched him sleep until his eyes fluttered open. She smiled sadly at him. Draco reached over and touched her face.
"What time is it?" He whispered.
"Dinnertime," She replied.
"Are you hungry?"
"Starving," They both laughed a little.
"Hermione, I'm sorry, but I'll have to leave. I don't know what our friends would think if they--"
"I know. I understand," Hermione replied. Draco kissed her forehead, which sent shivers down her spine, and left. Hermione waited a few more minutes before she left too.
oooooo
"Hermione, are you all right?" Ginny Weasley asked. Hermione didn't respond. She was silent since she walked into the Great Hall. Ginny looked at Harry. They both shrugged. But Ginny noticed some special things no one else seemed to notice. She didn't walk in with Ron, she didn't sit next to him, didn't speak a word to him, and most importantly…she wasn't wearing the ring. Ginny knew something was wrong, but didn't say anything for Lavender and Parvati came in giggling.
"Professor Blackburn is sooo cute!" Lavender gushed. A couple of girls nodded in reply.
"He's weird," Hermione replied softly. "I feel like there's something he's hiding. I don't know what," But no one responded to her. She looked up and saw Draco looking at her. Their eyes met and held. Hermione's lips curved in a secretive smile. Draco inclined his head. Hermione did not care who was watching her.