Dropped Her Heart Running

Hermione paced around the common room with Harry and Ron watching her. She had been rambling for twenty minutes now, every few seconds glancing at the clock then pacing and rambling again. "I mean of course I have to go! If I don't then that little tart might do something to my books. But then what if he tries something? What if his friends are there? What if something bad happens?"

"Of course we will go with you, so Malfoy's less likely to try something." Ron said. He fidgeted in his seat, this whole encounter bothered him.

"Yes but then if you do come he might do something stupid as well. I think that you two should hid and if anything goes wrong then come save me." Hermione said, her eyes filled with worry. 'Why is he doing this? Why does Malfoy care if the rumors are true or not? Could he li-... no, no that's stupid of course not! But still...' Hermione hadn't told Harry and Ron about the conversation in the library. She had just told them that Malfoy cornered her in the hall, yelled at her, and stole her books. Something inside told her not to tell them that part.

"I wish I knew why Malfoy was doing this. Why would he randomly go up to you in the halls, yell at you, then steal your books and ransome them off?" Harry asked, his green eyes concerned and confused. "It doesn't make any sense. Was there anything that he did before yesterday? Like did he talk to you or anything?"

"That's just it. I don't understand why he would bother with me now." Hermione said. But she didn't lie, she simply avoided answering a question.

"This is really weird, and I don't think that you should go to the Quidditch field today either. It feels wrong." Ron said. The clock struck 11:30, Hermione's heart pounded.

"I have to Ron, I need those books." She gave him a sad look, Hermione wished that this whole thing would go away. "We should go soon, it's a long walk to the Quidditch fields." Harry and Ron stood and followed Hermione out of the common room.

They walked to where the Quidditch fields were just in sight, Hermione told them to stay there and wait for her signal. She walked down the slope to the fields alone, her heart in her throat, and her breathing fast. She saw Malfoy before she entered the fields, his bright blonde hair made him stand out against the green grass. Though his scarf matched it quite well, he was alone or atleast it appeared he was alone. Her books were on the grass next to his feet.

"Give me my books back, Malfoy." Hermione glared at him. Although she was scared of what he might do she was instantly mad that he put her books on the damp grass.

"Answer my question, Granger." He glared back. Hermione had had enough, she pulled out her wand and did a summoning spell. The books floated into her outstretched arms, but Malfoy managed to grab one. He strained again the magic that pulled the book. "I'll let the book go if you tell me the truth."

Hermione glared, "Why do you care? I don't understand why you want to know so badly!" She yelled, she tried to force the book out of his hands with her magic but Malfoy held it.

"I want to know!" He yelled back. His face was turning red with the effort of not letting the book go. Malfoy's feet dug into the ground as he tried to stay rooted to the spot and not let the book get away.

"You don't have to know! Give me my book!" She tried again to pull the book putting more power behind the spell. Malfoy lost his grip on the book and it flew straight to Hermione, it hit her hard in the stomach. She doubled over in pain. Malfoy had falled on his face when he let the book go, but now he stood over her. Gently he took her wand away from her.

Malfoy knelt next to her and whispered in her ear. "Tell me the truth Granger, or I'll spell you with your own wand." He held the wand in front of her face as proof.

"Go eat slugs, Malfoy." She snarled, her voice was strained from the pain in her stomach.

"Fine then," He swished her wand and put the body locking spell on her. Her body snapped straight which brought more pain to her aching stomach. "I could do anything I want to you now Granger, you can't even blink." He took the spell off and she curled into a ball again. Hermione felt powerless without her wand.

"Are you willing to cooperate now? Go do I have to do it again?" Malfoy asked, his voice was low and calm. She knew he'd do it as many times as nessecary to get the information he wanted. Hermione didn't want to be put in the body locking spell anymore, she gritted her teeth together.

"First answer my question." She hissed. She was kneeling on the ground, glaring up at him.

"Alright, as long as you answer mine." Malfoy sat across from her, out of reaching distance but still in whispering distance.

"Why do you want to know so much?" Hermione asked, her glare disappeared. Hermione was baffled by this situation. She was sitting across from Draco Malfoy in the Quidditch fields talking.

"I like to know why rumors are going around about me." He said, his voice was light and empty. He was hiding something. "Now you answer mine, do you like me?"

Hermione sat frozen for a second, it was a trap question. If she answered yes, then it would admitting that she had feelings for Malfoy that was something besides hatred. But if she answered no then it would be lying. Also if he liked her back and she answered yes they might be happy together but if he did like her and she said no, it could devistate him. She weighted these options.

Hermione had taken so long trying to decide what to say that Malfoy finally asked, "Are you going to answer the question, Hermione?"

"I'm thinking!" She snapped, again she noticed he called her by her first name. She jiggled her foot and answered. "It's complicated. Sometimes I do, and sometimes I don't. It simply depends on what you've been doing that day. Like today, I don't like you because you've stolen my books and put me in a body locking spell. But when you don't do anything annoying or stupid, you can be a very decent person." She said quietly, her heart was pounding again.

Malfoy set her wand in front of her and she took it putting it back in her robes. "Well," He said quietly, then an evil smile crossed his face. Hermione's heart sank. "I won the bet, Pansy." Several Slytherins emerged from behind the tall stands, they had been listening the whole time. Pansy stepped out with the same evil smile as Malfoy had on.

Hermione snatched up her books and ran. A chorus of harsh laughter echoed behind her, tears were streaming down her face as she ran past Harry and Ron. She ran away from the castle instead of towards it, she ran into the Forbidden Forest.