It's like I'm lost
It's like I'm giving up slowly

"Bugger off, Goyle," Draco muttered, entering the Slytherin Common Room and pushing Goyle out of the way. He went up to his Head Boy dormitory - which had another entrance, but it was exclusively for Hermione - and lay on the bed, one arm behind his head. Every so often, Hermione's face would pop into his mind's eye, contorted in pleasure. Draco smiled; he loved making her make that face. He could hear her soft moans in the silence of the room and felt himself start to get turned on, but he knew Hermione wasn't availible and he'd given up masturbation ages ago. Just then, the door slammed open and Draco was face-to-face with his Lucius Malfoy.

It's like you're a ghost that's haunting me
Leave me alone

"Father," Draco said, standing up obidiently and forcing thoughts of Hermione out of his mind.

"Draco," Lucius replied shortly, seating himself at his desk and smirking at Draco's waist. "Honestly, son, I would have thought Miss Parkinson could take care of that."

Draco hid the grimace by tying his robes. "Parkinson looks like a dog."

"Don't let me hear you say that again or you'll have to be punished."

"Father, honestly, she's a whore. Every boy in Slytherin's had her at least twice and I don't plan on getting a disease -" Draco's rant was cut off by his father back-handing him across the face.

"DO NOT SPEAK OF HER LIKE THAT! She's your future bride, Draco, and it would do well if you wouldn't call her a whore."

Draco cringed; he'd tried to put it out of his mind that he and Pansy had been betrothed since they were born. There weren't many pureblood families left that weren't inter-related, and he sure as hell wasn't going to procreate with Weasley, so Mr. Parkinson and Lucius had planned on their children marrying soon after their birth. Draco, on the other hand, hadn't planned on falling for Hermione - and his father would kill him if he found out.

"Are you even listening to me?"

"Yes sir," Draco lied.

"Okay, then we shall enact the plan tonight."

"Plan, sir?"

"Honestly, Draco - you told me you'd listened. Yes, the plan," Lucius lowered his voice to a whisper, "is to get rid of the Mudblood."

Draco's face went pale. "Er...come again, sir?"

"The Mudblood - Potter's Mudblood. The Dark Lord seems to think she's quite vital in Potter's success, and hopes to make a...a proposition with her," Lucius grinned sadistically and Draco felt his blood run cold.

"So...you don't want her...dead?"

"Gods no - not yet anyway. The Dark Lord wants to have a meeting with her and, ah, discuss her future," Lucius smirked again before standing. "You can lure her away from Potter and Weasley long enough, can't you?"

I've been doing it for months, you bastard, but I sure as hell am not bringing her to you, Draco thought. "Yes sir, I can."

"Excellent. Have her at the Hog's Head tonight at midnight...or else."

With a swish of black cloak, Lucius was gone. Draco collapsed on the floor, frantically thinking of a way to get out of this one. Hermione was in danger, but he couldn't tell her - Lucius would find out. How could he tell her? There HAD to be a way.

It's like you're a ghost that's haunting me
Leave me alone

"Oh honestly!" Hermione grumbled, crumpling up her essay and throwing it into the fireplace. She just couldn't concentrate; she had to see Draco. Their time apart, though brief, was tearing her apart. Hermione knew she had become relient on the feel of his skin on hers, his rough finger tips caressing her inner thigh -

"ENOUGH!" Hermione banged her head on her desk in frustration. Just then, the Portrait Hole opened and in walked Ron. He said nothing to her, which greatly confused Hermione, and suspected it was because of their earlier row.

"Ron, are you okay?"

"Fine."

"Are you sure? I didn't mean to upset you," Hermione stood up and walked over to the squashy couch where he sat, sitting down beside him. "Would you at least tlook at me?"

"Hermione, what in the bloody fuck were you thinking?"

Hermione was taken aback by his language, but cleared her throat to answer. "Well, you made me rather mad - you and Harry - never listening to me -"

"So you go and do that?" Ron snapped, jerking his head toward her. Hermione saw the most immense anger she had ever seen in his eyes and felt her skin crawl.

"Ron...?"

"I mean, I can understand it if it was Harry, but MALFOY? And in a LIBRARY? That's just tacky," Ron stood up and loomed over Hermione. She felt her heart stop momentarily and stared blankly at the fire. Oh God please let this be a dream.

"You're no better than that slut Parkinson!" Ron yelled, slamming his hands on her thighs where the skirt and knee-highs didn't quite meet, so there was only bare flesh. Hermione winced in pain but was still staring at the fire in shock.

"How long?" Ron asked, dangerously quiet.

"What?" Hermione looked at him as though she'd just seen him.

"HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN FUCKING MALFOY!" Ron slapped her hard across the face and sent her falling to the floor.

"Ron please -!"

"SHUT UP! SHUT UP YOU FILTHY WHORE!" Ron slapped her again and kicked her hard in the stomach. Hermione choked; the pain from his blow was so fierce her eyes clouded over with tears and she was momentarily blinded. Sure, Ron had hit her before, but he'd never been so brutal. She recalled once when she had spilled ink on his Chudley Cannons sweatshirt at the Burrow when doing her homework. It was the summer before fourth year, and Harry hadn't arrived yet. Hermione had tried to clean it up but Ron came in, furious, and punched her on her upper arm. He had apologized, of course, but ever since that moment Ron had found hitting Hermione very enjoyable. He'd even taken a swing at her after the Yule Ball before Harry had come in the Common Room, which resulted in Hermione diving out of the way and across the room.

"Ron, stop, please," Hermione begged, her body beginning to bruise.

"No, you deserve this; you've betrayed me. You've betrayed Harry. You've had Malfoy," Ron looked at her, disgusted, "so you can't get any worse than that, can you?"

Hermione turned her head and looked at him, wiping her eyes, and desperately afraid of what he would do. "Wh-what?"

That was enough for Ron. He forced Hermione back to the ground and held her there with one hand over her throat, rending her speechless. Ron ripped her underwear off and forced her skirt up, causing Hermione to scream - but it only came out as a light muffle. Hermione threw her hands up to try and knock him off her but it was futile; Quidditch had made him stronger, and Hermione couldn't do anything.

Ron was beginning to unzip his fly, and Hermione could tell he had an erection; apparently he got turned on by hurting her. Had all their fighting been some sort of crude foreplay? Hermione continued to try to fight him off but he held her arm down, the other one having been bent in an odd way around her back.

"I've always wondered what it'd be like to fuck you Hermione," Ron said huskily. Hermione thought she was going to throw up. "And now I'll get to." Hermione felt his hand trailing up her leg slowly, and she tried to scream again but failed. He had reached her inner thigh and began to fondle her clit, causing Hermione to start crying. She felt so dirty, so horrible, so like an object.

"Ohh Hermione you're so soft," Ron groaned, closing his eyes and relishing in the feel of her. Hermione was sobbing hard but still tried to fight him off, only earning a finger inserted inside her.

"Are you wet, Hermione? Are you?" Ron asked, inserting more fingers for a reaction. "Come on, let me feel you. Let me taste you." Ron lowered his head to her skirt and licked her thigh, slowly going closer to her most intimate spot. He had removed the hand from her throat to roughly grab her breast, but Hermione was already hoarse from the pressure applied. Hermione felt his tongue inside her and seized her chance; she kicked out hard, hitting him right in the crotch.

Ron howled and jumped back. Hermione grabbed her Ron and performed as many jinxes and curses she could think of before grabbing her underwear and high-tailing it out of the Common Room. She was still crying, and only made it half way to the Charms corridor before she fell to the ground, her body shuddering.

She couldn't believe it - Ron had tried to rape her. One of her best friends...tried to rape her. Hermione buried her head in her arms and cried hard. Who could she trust? She thought she could always rely on Ron and Harry, but Ron had damaged her trust over the years until it had finally broken with his little stunt in the Common Room, and Harry was never around anymore, so all she had was...

"Hermione?"

"Draco!" Hermione scooted back against the wall, frightened. He walked over, concern etched on his handsome features, and cupped her cheek.

"What's wrong?"

"Everything!" Hermione bawled, pouring out her story into his chest. He held her and stroked her hair, kissing her head from time to time and telling her everything would be alright. He seemed to know something she didn't, but she did not dare ask. He kissed her softly, picked her up, and carried her to his Head Boy dormitory.

"You can stay here," Draco whispered, laying her on the bed. "I've changed the password after a...mishap...earlier, so only I know what it is." Draco kissed her cheek lightly and covered her up. "You won't have to go back to the Gryffindors for the rest of the afternoon."

"But - Ron and Harry know my password - I-I can't -"

"You can stay here for tonight. It's my dorm," Draco smiled. Hermione nodded, rolling onto her side.

"Promise me something."

"Anything. What?"

"Don't go after Ron."

"WHAT!" Draco exclaimed, "How can you expect me NOT to? He tried to rape you! That filthy bastard touched you and I won't have it -"

"Draco."

"What?"

"I plan on telling the Headmistress what he did, which will surely get him ex-expelled," Hermione said, hesitating on the word "expelled."

"Do you promise to go through with it?" Draco looked at her seriously.

"Y-yes."

"Hermione I know he's your best friend but he can't get away with this - "

"I know. I'll tell her, I promise. I'm just tired, okay?"

"Okay...I've got something to take care of. I'll see you later," he kissed her again before exiting. Hermione lay her head on his soft pillow, waiting for sleep to come.

And I know these voices in my head
Are mine alone
And I know I'll never change my ways
If I don't give you up now