Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, they are the brilliant works of the marvelous J.K.Rowling. I also do not own Coldplay or To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee.

CHAPTER 21

Hermione awoke early the next morning. She hurried out of bed and got dressed quickly. She still didn't feel very well from the day before, but she did notice that she wasn't shaking anymore but had a dull headache. She decided she did not want to miss any classes today, but did not want to go to breakfast. She was hungry, having eaten nothing yesterday, and so sent an owl to the kitchen to request some food. She did not know whether they would answer to an owl, but she did not want to leave her room just yet. If they did not deliver back any food, she would just have to go without until lunch. She got out her study books and did a little bit of homework to take her mind off things and catch up a bit. Within 20 minutes there was a tap at her window, and there was a pair of owls (her owl plus a kitchen owl) carrying a small parcel.

She placed the parcel on her bed and gave a small treat to each of the owls. When she pulled the string on the box it sprung into a breakfast tray, complete with two pieces of French toast, a glass of orange juice, a blueberry muffin and small rose in a vase. There was a note on the tray which read, Anything for the Head Girl. From the elves in the kitchen. She smiled and ate her breakfast while she studied. About 10 minutes later she heard noise in the common room and the sound of the door closing. Draco had left for breakfast.

Once Hermione had finished her food and caught up on most of her study, she collected the book's she'd need for her class and unlocked her door. She crept out without making a single sound just in case he was still there or had come back, and slipped out of the dorm. She arrived just in time for her first class. She sat with Ron and Harry as she usually did and the lesson went smoothly. At lunch she sat with her friends in Gryffindor and they laughed and joked like normal. Hermione's trauma was starting to melt away as he felt her confidence growing. If someone asked her why she had been in the hospital wing, she would simply reply that she 'hadn't been feeling very well, but she was better now and thanks for asking'. While she was still trying not to think of him, she couldn't' help but glance over at the Slytherin table to where Draco was sitting. He was smiling at her and he winked when she caught his eye. She was so confused.

On her way down to the dungeons that day for D.A.D.A, Draco rushed up behind her and put his arm around her shoulders. He kissed her playfully on the cheek and suddenly she felt very uncomfortable with him. She closed her eyes and thought to herself 'I want to disappear'. Hermione didn't know if it would work but hoped to God it would. She felt a cold chill pass through her body. Draco jumped and looked confused. She didn't wait around and ran quietly down towards the dungeons. Once she had turned a few corners and was out of his sight, she thought "I want to reappear" and felt a warm feeling all over. She proceeded to D.A.D.A quickly in case he caught up with her.

When Draco entered D.A.D.A he found Hermione sitting where she usually sat between Harry and Ron. They had sensed something was up but did not mention anything. She did not look at him when he entered, but sensed that he was not pleased. He sat where he usually did and stared daggers at her for the rest of the lesson. As they were leaving the class, Draco pushed past Hermione in the narrow corridor. Harry and Ron looked at her to see her reaction, but she made an effort not to look worried or upset. She couldn't let on that she had gotten herself into serious trouble.

Hermione stayed close to people she knew for the rest of the day, not wanting to be alone for a second. She didn't want the day to end, but she knew it could not wear on forever. After dinner, Hermione decided to go back to the Gryffindor Common Room with her friends. They were glad she wanted to join them and they sat together for hours, just like old times. But eventually the talking died down and her friends were getting tired. She kept trying to make conversation but they all seemed to want nothing more than go to bed. They looked at her suspiciously. She could tell they wanted her to leave so they could get some sleep, but they were too polite to ask. She had known this moment would come sooner or later. She smiled at her friends and got up from the couch. She hugged them each individually; a long, tight hug like she was never going to see them again. She exited the common room and left her friends tired and confused.

Hermione walked slowly down the corridor from Gryffindor. It was not a long walk and she wanted to stretch it out for as long as possible. She hoped that since it was so late Draco would have gone to bed already. When she finally did enter her dorm she found it to be completely dark except for the weak glow from the fire. She raced towards her stairs and was up the first few when she heard someone say,

"We're out late, aren't we?" Hermione's heart sank. He had waited up for her.

She turned slowly to see him standing in front of the fire. His arms were crossed and from what she could tell of the dark figure, he looked tense. She stepped back down the stairs, knowing there was no point trying to get to her room to hide. She stayed at the bottom of the stairs and did not look up at him. Her eyes were fixed on the floor and she waited for whatever it was that was coming.

"Quite a little stunt you pulled today." He hissed. She could feel her face start to burn with embarrassment.

"Come here." He demanded. She did not move.

"I said COME HERE!" Hermione made her way slowly towards him. She walked around the couch and stood between him and the coffee table. Still she did not look up.

"Look at me." She slowly tilted her head upwards but kept her eyes on the floor.

"Being quite disobedient today, aren't we? I told you to look at me." She snapped her eyes to look into his steel grey ones and he looked at her with contempt.

"Are you afraid of me?" He asked as if she was being pathetic.

"No." Hermione lied.

"You should be" His voice was calm and even as he said this.

"That disappearing act you did today. I didn't like it." He waited. Hermione did not say anything. What was there to say? He took a deep breath and removed one of his arms from their crossed position. As if out of nowhere he raised his hand and slapped her squarely across the face. She hadn't had time to brace herself and fell awkwardly onto the edge of the coffee table. She lay there, stricken with fear and he bent down to keen at her side. He reached out and clutched her face tightly with one hand, squeezing her cheeks hard into her teeth.

"You humiliated me today. You won't make that mistake again, will you? WILL YOU?"

"No!" Hermione whimpered through her compressed cheeks.

"Now you listen to me. There will be no repeat of today. You will honour me, and you will respect me. Especially in public. You'll tell no one about any of this. We are a couple. So we'll act like one. Do you understand?" Hermione nodded. As he had done in the bath that night, he roughly pushed her face backwards as her let it go and walked up to his room.

Hermione was still stunned from the strike across the face and sat there for a moment trying to catch her breath. She could feel a bruise forming on her abdomen where she landed on the coffee table and the side of her face was burning. It didn't help that he had squeezed her cheeks so hard. He had gone from lashing out at her and apologising, to lashing out and acting like nothing had happened, to acting as though it was his right to punish her for what she had done. What was next? She couldn't see it getting much worse from here. She was his property now and there was no way she could think of to get herself out of it.

She decided she did not want to spend another night cowering on the floor and he seemed satisfied now for the night. She picked herself up off the floor and groggily stumbled to her room, a bit light-headed. She plonked herself on her bed, not forgetting to lock her door securely. She eased off her shoes and changed into her pyjamas. Before she got into bed, she opened up one of her closed doors to have a look at herself in the full-length mirror. Her face was bright red and was starting to look a little swollen. She lifted up her shirt and assessed the damage to her abdomen. Surely enough, a bruise was starting to form and the area was very tender. She would have to heal it in the morning; she could not be bothered to do it now. It would be uncomfortable to sleep on but she didn't care. Maybe every time she rolled onto it it would remind her of how stupid she'd been and never to ignore her friend's warnings again.

Hermione wandered over to her bed and slid under the covers. She turned off her light and rested her head on the pillow. She was being stronger this time. She did not cry, or sit for hours feeling sorry for herself, and she noticed she was not shaking this time. Was she... getting used to it? Getting used to being abused by him? Hermione could hardly believe what she was thinking. She lay there for awhile and realised she didn't feel like sleep just yet. She turned her lamp back on and picked up a copy of To Kill a Mockingbird. She sat up and read to catch up on what she had missed the day before, and then she was done she put on her iPod and listened to it until she fell asleep.