Chapter 8/./ Rumors

I went to the Hospital Wing after I stopped by the kitchens for a snack, early the next morning. Pomfrey met me at the door, seeming anxious. She led me to Hermione, speaking so fast that I had to struggle to keep up.

"Her breathing's been labored and hard all night. Her heart rate is slow, and she doesn't seem to respond to anything. Not since you left." I heard her breathing before we even walked in the room. It seemed as though she were fighting to hold on. I felt a tug at my heart, and quickened my pace into the room.

She was lying in the same position she had been when I left, her hair spread all over the pillows. I felt my heart skip, and wondered if I was coming down with something. Immediately when I entered the room, her breathing slowed to a normal pace, as though she were simply sleeping, though it was still scratchy in her throat. Madame Pomfrey shook her head.

"You do wonders for her, Mr. Malfoy, and I can't even understand why. I'll bring your lunch by at 12 so you don't have to leave. Unless you..."

"No." She nodded, smiling slightly, and leaving me with Hermione. I looked over at her again, before taking her hand. She seemed so fragile, her porcelain skin nearly blending into the white bedsheets. She sighed deeply in her sleep, and she looked so peaceful. I almost expected her to start having her fits again. I stood there for I don't know how long. Just taking in the frailty of her form, how skinny she had become from not eating, how deep the bags under her eyes were. It seemed to me that no one had really noticed the extent to which Hermione had been hurting. I finally sat down in a chair, scooting it close enough that I could rest in it and still hold her hand. Her hand felt so cold in mine. If I hadn't heard her breathing, I would've sworn she was already... gone. But slowly, her hand started to grow warmer in mine. I didn't know if it was because of the heat of my hand on hers, or for some reason I didn't understand, but I was thankful.

In the time I had spent searching for information on Hermione, I had grown closer to her. I didn't want her to die before I saved her. I wanted her to finally be free. With this thought spinning around in my mind, I laid my head against our hands and promptly fell asleep.

"Draco..." her voice was calm and warm, even as it faded into the distance. "Thank you.."

"Mr. Malfoy?" My head shot up, and I rubbed my eyes groggily. Pomfrey was staning in the doorway, smiling at me. It was a little strange.. "I apologize, you missed lunch. You just looked so sweet, I didn't have the heart to wake you up. And then someone cursed the Great Hall, so I was down there forever trying to get everyone straightened out. I'll give you the password to the kitchens, if you like." I shook my head, fighting my urge to yawn.

"What time is it?"

"Oh.. It's nearly 11." I jumped up from the chair, surprised. She looked more shocked than I felt.

"Umm... Thank you."

"I would much appreciate it if you came back tomorrow, if only for a few minutes, Mr. Malfoy." I nodded.

"I have to go. Good night, Madame Pomfrey." I didn't wait to hear her salutations.

I reached the Gryffindor portrait at 5 minutes after 11. Lavender and Parvati were standing there, shifting nervously, as though they did not expect me to show up. They grinned as I approached them, and I returned it wholeheartedly. We hid in a small classroom, not wanting to get caught after curfew.

"Okay, girls, are you ready for some revenge?" My grin turned evil as I leaned in to tell them my plans.

By the time I was done, Lavender and Parvati were cackling evilly.

"Fight fire wih fire," Lavender said. I smiled.

"I know it's not much, but it's the best I could think of."

"Oh, Malfoy, it's great. The only thing better than proving a gossip's gossip wrong, is spreading more about her than she spreads," Parvati told me, and I made a mental note to remember that.

"I'm planning on proving what they say about Hermione wrong, I just have to find out the truth," I said softly. Lavender and Parvati left with mirror images of the sweet smile Pomrey had had on her face.

What was happening to the female population? Had they all taken non-descript love potions?

And in the morning, my plan took place. I wanted to stay in the Great Hall and watch the chaos take place, but I had a special mission of my own.

"Hey, Ginny!" How lucky I had been to spot the one person I was looking for the moment I exited the entrance hall.

"What do you want?" she asked, as she continued to walk past me, as though she were on her way to Care of Magical Creatures.

"Hey, I need to tell you something. It's important." She stopped, looked at me, and sighed.

"What is it, Malfoy? And please, make it fast, I need to speak with Professor Sprout before class." Not Care of Magical Creatures, Herbology. Of course.

"Y'know I wouldn't tell you this if it wasn't true, right?" And it was true. What's better than a rumor that's true?

"Malfoy, just spit it out."

"I saw Harry snogging with Cassandra out here the other day." Her eyebrows shot up, and her eyes grew wide. I thought I saw them fill with tears, but she turned away.

"Thank you, Malfoy," she whispered, just loud enough for me to hear, before continuing on to her class.

When I went inside to grab a snack from the Great Hall, all hell had broken loose. What started as a small rumor about how Harry was cheating on Ginny with Cassandra (which Lavender and Parvati gratefully spread around) turned quickly, as rumors around teenagers do, into numerous others. I heard one as I was leaving the room about the quintuplets begging Harry for an orgy, and him turning them down. Parvati and Lavender winked at me, and I wondered if they'd made that one up themselves. Glancing over at the Ravenclaw table, Cassandra, usually calm and collected, was sobbing hysterically, and Christina was giving her an evil look. Claire and Carrie were nearly ripping each others' throats out, and Cathy was nowhere to be found. That worried me a little, but I pushed it aside. I waved at Lavender and left.

I reached the Hospital wing,and it was cold and silent. Madame Pomfrey was nowhere to be found, so I went into Hermione's room alone.

And she was still there, lying calm and peaceful, unconcious on her bed. The bags beneath her eyes were starting to clear up, and with the nourishing potions Pomfrey was forcing her to drink, her form wasn't as skeletal anymore. I still wondered about the hair. I sat down in the same place I always sat, and took her hand again.

She was warmer this time than she had been in days, and I took comfort in that.

I was sitting there, staring at her, when I heard a noise from outside. Knowing it wasn't Pomfrey, I laid Hermione's hand back down and ducked behind the bed, intent on watching whoever it was.
And to my enormous surprise, who else but one of the Ravenclaw quintuplets comes in the room? I shook my head softly, trying not to laugh. It was Cathy. She was talking to herself.

"I won't screw it up this time. This time, she'll die." My head shot up, my ears perked to attention. "I'll redeem myself in the eyes of the others, I will!" Her voice was fierce, almost insane. She pulled a vial out of her pocket and dumped the contents into the jar of water beside Hermione's bed. She started out of the room, but I jumped up and caught her.

"You're not going anywhere," I said.

"Hey, hey, what are you doing!" she shouted, scared.

"What should've been done a long time ago." Madame Pomfrey came to see what all the shouting was about.

"Mr. Malfoy, I do have pa- Oh, Ms. Jacobs, a long time no see. Mr. Malfoy, why are you holding her arms like that?"

"So she doesn't get away." She was struggling worse than I had expected. "Listen, I found out what's causing this cold thing Hermione's got."

"Oh?" Pomfrey asked, immediately curious.

"The Ravenclaw quintuplets. I have reason to believe they've been putting potions in that-" I nodded my head to the pitcher, "-water. But this time, it wasn't about hurting her, making her sick. This one tried to kill her. Heard it from her own mouth."

"Well, Mr. Malfoy, I do believe I must take this young lady from you then." Dumbledore had shown up behind Madame Pomfrey, and eased Cathy out of my hands.

"Don't drink that water," I warned Pomfrey as she started to taste it. She nodded, looking cross to have taken an order from a 17 year old. She left the room, and I sat down in the chair, sighing. It had been a long day, and morning classes hadn't even begun. I looked up at Hermione, and jumped.

There were honey brown eyes staring back at me. Her eyes seemed so clear, so awake, that it seemed hard to believe she was still asleep.
"Hermione?" I asked softly, not wanting to disturb her. She tilted her head to the side, a crooked smile on her face.
"Thank you," she whispered, her voice, unused for so long, gravelly and hard to use. She gave me one last smile, before passing out again.

But this time, she wasn't breathing.

"Pomfrey! Pomfrey!" I screamed, but I couldn't help it. She was not going to die! I heard a crash from outside and Pomfrey rushed into the room. She saw that Hermione looked as though she were simply sleeping, and started to reprimand me.

"Mr. Malfoy, why are you screaming bloody murder?"

"Because she's NOT BREATHING!" Her eyes grew wide as the realization suddenly struck her.

"Mr. Malfoy, you're going to have to leave. I will inform you of her situation at dinner," she said as she was pushing me out the door. I took one last look at Hermione, and the smile was still on her face, soft and innocent. I nearly cried as I walked back to my common room.

To hell with classes, I was going to speak to my favorite Ravenclaws.

And they were not going to enjoy it one bit. But as I approached the Ravenclaw dormitory, I found them with their trunks packed, trudging towards the entrance. They all shot me evil looks as they passed, and I wondered what was going on.

"They've been expelled, Mr. Malfoy. Thanks to you," Dumbledore said from behind me, and I wheeled around to face him.

"It serves them right, though. All they've done is cause havoc and mayhem since they got here." He nodded.

"I must go assist with Ms. Granger. You are more than welcome to take the day off, Mr. Malfoy. I am sure it has been hard on you." And with that, he was gone. I went back to my common room, and when I was nearly there, I was met by Lavender and Parvati, who were grinning hugely.

"They're expelled."

"So I heard," I said, walking on. I felt no emotion, no smugness at getting them expelled, no greatness. Is this what it would be like if Hermione was gone? No one to worry about, no one at all.

And then a sudden realization struck me for the first time. This was our last year.

We were to be graduating in May. And what would happen then?

A/N: Okay, so here is the revenge you've all been waiting for. It wasn't much really, but they've been expelled, so they can no longer make our lives hell... right? Well, we'll just have to wait and see. I don't have a new preview, so I hope you like it! and review review review! I don't know exactly when the next chappy's coming out, but as soon as possible, I assure you! Until next time!