Chapter 6
Warnings
"Well, well, well. Look who we have here." came a hiss from the shadows. Hermione strained against the hands holding her like cement to the statue. A sneering figure stepped from the shadows, a hand reaching out to brush back a few stray, black locks.
"Parkinson." Hermione seethed. Pansy just smirked.
"Acute observation, Granger." she said.
"What the hell do you want?" Hermione scoffed. She was losing her patience now. Pansy stared boredly at her nails.
"Just wanted a chat. There are some things we need to discuss." Pansy said.
"Like what? And why do you have to hold me down to ask?" Hermione said. She could feel her anger bubbling in her stomach, pushing upwards into her throat. Pansy suddenly moved closer to her, staring angrily into Hermione's eyes with her icy blue ones, slightly lighter than Ron's. Hermione recognized the emotions swimming in those eyes; anger, betrayal, sadness, frustration. Pansy began to answer the first question, ignoring the second entirely.
"Draco. Stop hanging around him. You don't know what you're dealing with. All of Slytherin House despises it. Their Prince is associating himself with a Gryffindor. But, oh, no, not just any Gryffindor. No, it had to be the Mudblood know-it-all bitch, Harry Potter's bestest little girlfriend. Goody goody girl." Pansy was fuming.
"Do you have any idea what it's doing to his reputation? What are the other Slytherins to think? The boy they all look up to is breaking one of Slytherin House's biggest rules. He never wants to speak to his real friends anymore. He would rather talk to you than to Blaise or I." Pansy snarled. A small hint of sadness passed through her eyes as they seared into Hermione's.
"He can associate himself with anyone he pleases. I don't see what the problem is, it's not as if we're the best of friends. We can't get through a conversation without arguing. And you don't run his life for him, thank you very much. Draco can make his own choices and you can't stop him." Hermione hissed back.
"I love him. He's my best friend, and I understand him much better than you could. You have no right. Stay away from him." Pansy said. Anger was bubbling to the surface in those eyes again as Pansy stepped back.
"I-" Hermione began.
"Stay away from him." Pansy snarled once more. She snapped her fingers. Suddenly, Hermione was released. She stretched her sore, aching arms. Crabbe and Goyle shouldered roughly past her and behind Pansy, staring ominously over Pansy's head at Hermione.
"You would be wise to take my advice." Pansy said, turning on her heel. Hermione watched them disappear around a corner before muttering a long stream of obscenities and heading for the library. She was trembling, though out of fear or anger, she wasn't sure.
"Mione! Over here!" Ron was waving at her enthusiastically. Hermione made her way over to their table and slipped into a chair. Harry's grin fell as he saw her expression. Ron was oblivious, reaching over to get something from his schoolbag. Probably homework he needed help on. I can't handle homework right now. Hermione took a deep breath.
"Hermione, what's the matter?" Harry asked, concern creeping into his voice as his eyebrows knotted together a little.
"N-nothing. It's just..." Hermione trailed off. Ron was now watching anxiously as well. Taking another deep breath, Hermione stood up again.
"I-i'm sorry, I need to go to the Hospital Wing. It's nothing, just a headache." Hermione said.
"Probably from all that studying. You need to tone it down a little, Mione, you'll make yourself sick with stress." Ron said. "I know I never will, I barely do homework as it is." he joked. Hermione gave them a feeble smile and stumbled from the library.
Draco winced. The large bruise on his side was definitely much better, but still aching. He shifted his weight a little to his other side and sighed. He hadn't been sleeping very well recently. He wanted to get out of the Hospital Wing already.
"Okay, Mr. Malfoy, once more." Madame Pomfrey bustled over with another vile medicine. Sighing dramatically, he sat up and stared warily at the spoon near his mouth.
"Oh, come on then, Mr. Malfoy, it's the last time you have to take it." the nurse chattered, putting it closer to his lips. He reluctantly choked down the thick concoction. Wait...did she say last time? Malfoy perked up a little.
"Last time?" he asked. She nodded.
"You're out today. Just put some ice on that bruise when you can for the next few days and put some of this salve on it as well, it'll heal it faster. You didn't think you'd get to stay here forever, did you?" the nurse joked.
Malfoy slid out of bed and smiled. I would rather marry Millicent Bulstrode than stay here another day. He found his robes and clothes folded in the nightstand drawer, and pulled the curtain shut.
The nurse left him to his privacy and went back to his office. He slipped his shirt off, his lean, pale torso almost glowing in the sunlight from the windows. He had just slipped the hospital pajama pants off and was standing in his white boxers when he heard the doors open and saw a silhouette on the other side of the curtain, approaching.
A shaky voice called out.
"Draco?"
The shadow's hand reached to pull back the curtain.
"Wait!" he yelped. He pulled his pajama pants back on. "Okay, I'm decent." The curtain slid open to reveal Hermione. She was sickly white, and her hands were shaking. She stared incredulously at the pile of clothes at his feet and slid upwards to his slimly muscled torso and to the large poultice. A flush spread over her cheeks and she turned around.
"I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt." she said quietly. She headed for the doors. He trotted forward, forgetting his half-nakedness and grabbed her wrist.
"What's the matter?" he asked. Hermione just looked at him. Confusion was swimming in her eyes. "Hermione, what is the matter?" he asked, a little more forcefully. We're slowly moving towards a first name basis, apparently. It's better than arguing, I suppose.' Draco led her to the chair at his bedside.
"Your friends. They... they had a chat with me today after I left." she began. Draco's eyes narrowed in anger. I should've known. Pansy did this. Crabbe and Goyle, too, perhaps. They're pretty stupid, though, I doubt they could've done much.
"It was Pansy, wasn't it?" he asked. She nodded.
"And Crabbe and Goyle." she added. There we are, I was right. Why didn't I try and stop them? Draco internally hit himself. Another voice came into the conversation, a hissing, sly voice. But you didn't know what they were going to do. You couldn't have done anything. Yes I could've. You can't stop them at anything. I know. It might be a bad sign if I'm conversing with voices in my mind, but I'll ignore it for now. What did they do to her? She's obviously upset. Pansy doesn't like it that you hang around Hermione more often now. The feast was only yesterday. It's been one day since Hermione brought me up here and- There you go again, calling her by her first name. I know, I know. Anyway, it's been less than 24 hours since we arrived at school. Yes, but you neglected them over the summer. I was busy, alright? Trying to avoid being branded with the Dark Mark, avoid being killed because I'm avoiding getting the Dark Mark, and getting increasingly worried that my spillings of dark activity to Dumbledore and the Order will be found out has sort of eaten up my time. Well, I can see why they're upset. They are a touchy bunch. Yes, I've noticed tha-
"Draco? Are you listening?" Hermione asked. Draco had a far-off look on his face. As she spoke, it snapped him out of his reverie.
"Oh, yes. Sorry."
Thanks for reading!
Charlotte
