Chapter Three:

"Harry what's-" Harry fled through the Gryffindor common room, brushing past Ron and Hermione, who were huddled over a game of wizard chess. Ron looked at Hermione who looked back, puzzled.
"What's with Harry?"
"Dunno. But go on. You say Crabbe and Goyle did that?" Hermione nodded. "I'll kill 'em."

"Checkmate."

Harry locked the dormitory behind him before ripping off his robe and throwing it to floor. He emitted a frustrated cry, slamming his fist against his four poster. "What was that? What the hell happened?" He was crying now, his chest heaving up and down heavily. "What have I done? What did- why!" He flung himself down on to the bed, crying out again in anguish. His chest felt tight, his muscles sore. Every time I close my eyes- He stood up and ran to the bathroom, feeling sick. I think... I think I might've-

Malfoy walked through the hallways with a more egotistical air than usual. His long robe covered his skirt (for all his planning he had still forgotten a change of clothes) and he walked with long strides, humming gaily.
"Crabbe? Goyle? What are you doing behind that statue?" All of a sudden a grin broke across his face and he laughed.
"We- weren't? Where were you?" At that Draco just smirked, adjusting his robes before walking away. Potter. I wonder if he's feeling as well as I am! Doubtful. He smirked as he remembered Potter's face. He seemed so surprised. But Draco had gotten a reaction out of Harry. It was a stronger one than he had thought he would've gotten.

"Harry, it's been three days! What's up?" Hermione's brow was steeped in worry. She reached her hand across the table to his, where he was staring off past what the view of the window offered. At her touch, he jumped, then stood up with a cry. That was too violent a reaction to just be surprise... "Harry..."
"No I have to go! I'm- late!" He ran off, glancing backwards, stumbling, then continuing at his run.
"But there aren't any classes... Harry..." She frowned before sighing and tracing a pattern on the table with her finger. It's all too coincidental. Crabbe and Goyle stuff me in a closet and now, he's been acting weird towards me! Ron also said something about how they split up to look for me. He said Harry hadn't come back until late, until after he had found me. So then... what was Harry doing? Why- why wasn't he excited to learn Ron found me? Relieved? Why? There's something else going on here. Why had Draco's flunkies-

Draco.

The truth serum.

What has Draco done?

Hermione's finger had paused without her knowing it, her eyes turning red as they stared without a blink. "What have you done..."

Harry was day-dreaming in potions, his eyes occasionally wide, occasionally tightly shut. Questions needed to be repeated and so far he had managed to serve detentions in all his potions class, one in herbology, and two in transfiguration. Concentration had become non-existent. His friends were worried and one more detention in Snape's class would earn a free ticket to Dumbledore's office.

A paper bird landed on his desk, right between his hands. It fluttered down in front of him, begging to be read. Harry hesitated.
"Don't Harry. It's from Malfoy." Ron's eyes were dark and shifted focus past Harry's shoulder, where Draco sat out of Harry's vision. Ron shot him a dirty look.
"Ronald Weasley- you can flirt with Potter later." Ron's face reddened.
"I wasn't-!" Snape cast him a dark glare. Ron shut his mouth quickly and snickers echoed off the walls, mainly resonating from Draco's area.
"Just- don't ok?" Ron whispered before turning back to his thick potion book.

Harry grabbed the little paper bird, hearing the crinkling paper beneath his fingers. He took a deep breath before opening each wing. The body crackled apart, revealing a written message that wrote itself before his eyes.

Wanna play again?

Underneath the message was a single box with a 'Yes' next to it. All of a sudden, ink appeared over the box, checking it in.
Harry's face grew dark and he crumpled the parchment, stuffing it into his bag so he could burn it later. He didn't even bother looking over his shoulder.

"It's almost Halloween. That means the feast in the Great Hall!"
"Ron, do you always think with your stomach?" Hermione rolled her eyes. She had a surprisingly small text in her hands, which she was keeping well hidden by a large pillow.
"'Mione, what are you reading?" Hermione blushed but cleared her throat.
"That would be none of your business. But I think I might have a way to help Harry."
"Oh?"
"Just let me talk to him."

She closed the book and almost set it down before hesitating and finally tucking it into her robes.

"Harry? Harry hang on- can we talk?" Harry hesitated before nodding. "It's just, you've been acting really weird, but it's mostly only towards me. So, I have to ask you-" She pursed her lips before reddening. "Oh jeeze ok... um... bloody hell..." She took a deep breath and looked up at the ceiling. "Do you- um... Harry do you have a crush on me?" Her eyes drifted back to his, her face turning a deeper red. Harry remained silent before finally, a small smile spread in the corners of his lips.
"Um... no but um... do you have one on me? I'm sorry Hermione I just-"
"No! It isn't that! Oh thank goodness." She let out a huge sigh of relief. "Honestly, I thought you had one on me!" Then she paused. "Wait. If it isn't that you have a crush on me... why were you acting strangely?"

Harry's face ranged in so many emotions it was hard for Hermione to keep up. Shock, sadness, confusion, disbelief, more shock...
"Harry, what is it? I won't tell- you know that. Please?" He shook his head before opening his mouth, reconsidering, then closing it again. Finally, after a few moments of silence, he spoke softly.
"I don't know what happened." His voice grew tight. "I can't even explain it to myself." Hermione's eyes searched his face.
"But-"
"I can't." He raised his eyes to meet hers, his eyes filling with tears.
"Oh Harry!" Hermione flung herself on him, wrapping him in a large embrace. Harry tightened at first, his muscles tensing. He finally loosened and hugged back, burying his face in her thick hair.
"It was Draco, 'Mione... he-" His voice was muffled by her hair and his tears, but Hermione understood. "He raped me..." the only words she missed were at the very end, when his sobs were the heaviest, his face buried deep.

"and I think I liked it."