I Don't Know You

Grudges Resurfacing

"Surprised to see me?"

Draco nodded weakly, desperately searching for an excuse to get out of there. This could only lead to bad things.

"I figured. Look, I need to talk to you. It's about Hermione."

Of course. He should have known. Potter had noticed the change in Hermione. Yet instead of abandoning her like Draco's friends had, he had gone straight to the source of the problem. Me.

It was a mark of their friendship.

Potter didn't deserve to be friends with Hermione. Draco felt his fists clench at the thought, controlling the urge to instigate a muggle duel right there in the courtyard. Calm down, calm down…

"O- Okay," he stuttered, unsure of what to do or how he should act.

"Ron and I have noticed that she's acting very strange. She doesn't talk as much. When we speak to her it seems distant, like she's distracted. I've caught her sobbing in the common room several times, but she wouldn't explain why. And she's not enthusiastic in class anymore. It's as if… She's turned normal!"

Harry laughed at this, and went on.

"So, being her friend, I asked her what was up."

Draco sensed that he was finally getting to the point, and prepared himself for the blow.

"After a while of coaxing her into answering me, I got something."

A small, sly smile curled across Harry's face. Draco gulped.

"She said it was you. And refused to tell me anything else."

All at once, Draco's heart swelled with different extreme emotions. Hermione had not forgotten him! And then he also felt a stab of anger towards Potter for meddling in things… And a sharp twinge of jealousy in his heart that Harry knew her better than he did.

"So, now we're here, talking like civilized human beings. I'm just shocked that you haven't insulted me yet!"

"You haven't exactly given me a chance, now have you?" he sneered, ancient grudges resurfacing rapidly. Draco could actually feel himself slipping back into the persona of the arrogant pureblood Slytherin King that he had been his entire life. He knew his act well. The only person who had ever seen the real Draco Malfoy was Hermione.

"Okay, let's not go there. I just want to know one thing, and it's very simple and straight forward. I prefer for this not to get more serious than it absolutely has to be," he paused, gaining confidence. "What did you do to her?"

"Nothing," Draco snapped too quickly, not planning on giving Potter the satisfaction of luring him here successfully.

"Don't be stupid. Just tell me, that's all there is to it. Did you hurt her? Gods, tell me you didn't hurt her," he was starting to look desperate.

Draco still didn't say anything.

"Just so you know, Ron said he would personally beat you into the ground if you refused to cough up," Harry threatened.

"Hah! Was that supposed to be frightening? Like that blood-traitor weasel could even inflict a scratch on me! I'm so scared."

Potter was really beginning to get angry. It was clear how important Hermione was to him. Draco would have given anything to say, "She's important to me too!"

"Tell me Malfoy. I'm warning you. This can be easy, or it can be hard: For you." Harry raised his wand, directing it at Draco's throat.

"I'm just shaking with fear," he replied in a sarcastic monotonous drone, feeling none of the hatred and calmness he was displaying.

"Ron, get out here," Harry commanded, craning his neck slightly to the left.

Just then, Weasley appeared from behind a tree bearing his wand, looking menacing.

"What is this, the Wizarding Mafia?" Draco joked, determined to conceal his steadily building fear. It was now two on one.

"Shut it, Malfoy," growled Harry. Ron glared at Draco with a blazing hatred that Draco had never seen before- even from his worst enemies.

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER!" Weasley suddenly exploded, forcefully grabbing Draco by the neck and smashing him against the walls of the castle.

"I…" he stopped, almost having blurt out the truth.

Weasley loosened his grip, inclining his head, egging him to continue his thought. A minute passed before a response came.

"I love her. Okay? Are you happy? I'm in love with her."

Potter stood up, displaying complete incomprehension. He fell backwards a few steps, loosing his balance.

At first Weasley just stood there, his eyes widening in disbelief. Then he burst into action, tossing his wand aside, magic forgotten.

"I'LL KILL YA! I'LL KILL YA!" he screamed maniacally into the night, sinking his surprisingly forceful wrist into Draco's stomach and face alternately over and over again. "She's not yours to love! She's mine! MINE!" Ron howled, muddy tears streaming down his cheeks, continually beating Draco until he sank to the ground, blood flowing from his nose and mouth.

Then, Ron decided that a muggle beating just wasn't satisfying enough. He groped along the ground for his wand, and directed it at Draco's throat.

"Sectumsempra," he said in a cold, dark voice that not even Harry knew he possessed.

A familiar blinding pain shot through the front of his body. He vaguely remembered having Harry perform the exact same spell on him the previous year, but it had not been this painful. Draco was smart enough to know that the same spell, backed with a more emotional caster, could be ten times as powerful.

For a moment Weasley just stood there, panting heavily, staring down at Draco bleeding in disgust and hatred. It was the loudest silence they had both ever experienced. Even a shocked hush fell over the trees, it seemed. The whole world was holding its breath.

Then the emptiness was broken by a small, wounded voice that belonged to Harry Potter.

"C'mon, Ron. We should go. Just leave him," he said quietly, obviously still stunned at what had just happened and also that Draco had not even attempted to fight back. He had just let it all happen.

Ron nodded, and then strolled off with Potter down the path that led to their common room, leaving Draco quite alone and bleeding into the earth.

(A/N: Sorry about that, it was a painful chapter to write. But don't worry, things will get better. Only a couple of chapters left! They may take longer to get up, because I really want to get them perfect. Thanks for reading!)