I had a slip of the mind and made a mistake. However, I owned up to it, apologized for it (and apologized to the reviewer themselves) , and corrected it. That is literally all I can do. Any other negative comments are just looking for a reaction. I did my part.
Sorry for the A/Ns, but I have always been one to call out unnecessary behavior. Anyone who is against that is clearly new to me and my writing and can gladly leave.
The last scene in this chapter was actually the first scene that I wrote for this story. I always had every intention of it ending up like this. I'm so excited!
Disclaimer: I Own Nothing
Ginny's concerned face was the first thing that greeted Hermione when her door opened. Ginny had moved to say something, but Hermione's expression stopped her, her words getting caught in her throat. Ginny frowned. Something was wrong…
"Hermione…? What's wrong?"
Hermione swallowed, opening her mouth to speak when she cut herself off with a sob. She flew into Ginny's arms, wrapping her own around the younger witch, crying into her shoulder.
Hermione had never felt so angry and humiliated and sad in all her life. She wanted to spill everything, telling Ginny exactly what happened and who it had happened with, but her body would not let her. Her frame shook from the force of her tears and Ginny rested her hand on her back, rubbing small circles.
The rest of Ginny's dorm mates were asleep and the redhead looked over her shoulder, making sure that it stayed that way. She stepped out of the doorway, closing it behind her, and wrapped her arms around Hermione. She leaned against the door, holding her best friend as she cried her heart out…
"Are you up for going to class today?"
"No," Hermione simply stated, finishing the schoolwork that Ginny had been bringing to her.
Ginny sighed, biting her lip, but otherwise opting to remain quiet.
It had been three days since Hermione had shown up at Ginny's room door, looking like a nervous wreck. Ginny had inquired several times as to what had happened to cause such a scene, but each time was met with either a negative or simple silence. Ginny, however, was far from stupid. She knew that Hermione was supposed to meet with him that night and it didn't take a genius to put two and two together; something had happened between them.
Hermione finished her assignment, putting her quill down and tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. She swallowed, lightly sighing before looking down and playing with her fingers.
"He and I are no longer together… I figured I could at least tell you that much," Hermione suddenly said.
Ginny wasn't surprised in the least at hearing this information. She sat down beside Hermione.
"Why?"
Hermione sharply inhaled, anger filling her all over again.
"Let's just say that…he and his best friend can both go straight to hell," she spat.
Ginny's eyes widened slightly, even more curious now than ever to know what had happened.
"Did he hurt you?"
"…not physically," Hermione whispered.
"Hermione…I really don't want to push, but…you're scaring me," Ginny said.
Hermione licked her lips, jaw clenched before swallowing.
"He sold me out like a piece of meat. That's what happened," Hermione hissed, looking up at Ginny.
Ginny frowned in confusion.
"I don't understand…"
Hermione let out a humorless chuckle.
"Remember what you said about them sharing me? Turns out…you were right," Hermione bitterly mumbled.
Ginny's mouth fell open in shock, quite surprised that she had, in fact, been correct in her assumption.
"Was the surprise…his friend?"
"Yeah. It gets better… I wasn't made aware of said surprise until we were already in the middle of it."
"Oh, hell no," Ginny whispered.
Every time Hermione recalled seeing Malfoy's face upon removing the blindfold, she got so incredibly angry all over again. She wanted to curse both he and Blaise to the very pits of hell. She just…she didn't understand it. Blaise knew that she was open to new things. She wasn't prude. She knew that polyamorous relationships or anything of the like were quite common in the Wizarding World. Hell, from what Ginny had told her, Fred and George had participated in the act quite often.
If Blaise had talked to her about it, she might have actually considered it. Of course, she knew exactly why he didn't do so; Malfoy. Blaise knew that she would have never agreed because of Malfoy. She hated Malfoy with a passion and Blaise knew that…
She was brought out of her thoughts by Ginny's rising figure.
"We are going to give him a piece of your mind," Ginny said.
Hermione shook her head, lips pursed.
"I'm not talking to him. I don't want to see him…probably never again," Hermione sadly whispered.
Ginny paused, suddenly sitting back down and taking Hermione's hand.
"You really did like him…," Ginny guessed.
Hermione swallowed, throat constricting and vision blurring again.
"I just feel…so betrayed. He knew how much I trusted him and he used it to his advantage, Ginny. Merlin, if I had known that this was how they were going to repair their friendship, I would have just walked away…"
Ginny squeezed her hand, urging her to continue.
"I mean…I've changed a bit since becoming intimate with…him. I'm more open to new things now, but he knew how much I hated him. He knew how I felt about him and to think he thought that I'd actually…," Hermione trailed off with a huff.
Hermione recalled Blaise's little monologue before he had covered her eyes. He actually thought that she would enjoy being with Malfoy? What a laugh! She suddenly shook her head.
"I don't want to talk about this anymore. How's Harry doing?"
"Much better. He should be out and about by tomorrow… He's been asking about you," Ginny replied.
Hermione sighed, letting her head rest in her hands. She couldn't face Harry knowing that she'd had sex, and enjoyed it by the way, with the guy who did this to him. The same hands that had hurt Harry were the same ones that had been all over her. That little confession encouraged the little voice in her head that was already taunting her, mocking her other reason for her anger that she didn't even want to acknowledge.
Hermione closed her eyes, recalling how she had allowed herself give in to pleasure with the excuse of being unaware. The minute that the blindfold had come off, she had wanted to push Malfoy away from her, scream at the both of them, and leave. However, she hadn't. Instead, she had welcomed Malfoy's kiss, telling herself that the damage was already done.
Hermione's heart sunk as she acknowledged that this wasn't even the worst of it. Harry was right. Malfoy was one of them, a Death Eater. She had seen the mark on his arm, even going as far as to touch it, and it had done nothing to deter her…
Hermione clutched her book to her chest as she made her way to the infirmary. Her conversation with Ginny earlier had forced her to realize that she was being selfish. She was letting her own problems interfere with her concern for her friend. Harry had been hurt by that…that vile snake worshipper and she refused to let said man stop her from seeing about him.
She turned the corner and immediately ran into a broad figure, her book flying out of her hand. She opened her mouth to apologize when her words stopped in her throat.
She stared at Blaise as he stared at her, probably with the same expression that she was wearing. Her jaw ticked and she balled her hands into fists, bending down to get her book when he beat her to it.
"Hermione, I'm sorry!"
"I'd like that back," she said through clenched teeth.
"Not until you talk to me. Please, I can't tell you how sorry I am…"
"What could I possibly have to say to you? What could we possibly have to say to each other?"
Blaise swallowed.
"Hermione…"
Hermione scoffed at the audacity and narrowed her eyes.
"Fine. Keep it," she spat, shoving past him.
"Damn it, Hermione. Here," he called.
She turned around, snatching it out of his hands and continuing on her trek. She got halfway down the corridor when she slowly stopped, the anger and the hurt and the humiliation making its way throughout her body. She slowly turned around, tears brimming her eyes…
"Is that what I am to you? Someone you can just pass around to your friends?"
Her voice barely came out above a whisper and Blaise walked towards her, swallowing.
"Of course not-."
"Really? Are you sure about that, because actions speak louder than words, Blaise, and right now, that's what your actions are telling me," she exclaimed.
Blaise looked down, frowning. He shoved his hands into his pockets, eyes troubled before looking up at her.
"I care about you so much, Hermione. You mean so much to me, but…so does Draco…"
Hermione scoffed in disbelief, not sure whether to laugh or cry.
"So…your best friend comes to you and says 'Hey, Blaise…it turns out that I want Hermione too and that's why I've been such a tosser lately' and because your relationship is just that great, because the two of you are just that close, you say 'Okay, Draco. I'll see what I can work out'," she heatedly whispered.
Blaise frowned, jaw clenching.
"It wasn't like that, Hermione. That is not how it went-."
"But that's exactly how it went! You didn't even discuss it with me! You put his feelings before mine," she screamed, tears skipping down her cheeks.
Blaise exhaled, briefly closing his eyes.
"You said that you were open to something new. You said…"
"Oh, don't even go there!"
"…you agreed, Hermione!"
He reached out towards her and she slapped his hands away.
"Don't fucking touch me. You knew exactly what you were doing, Blaise! You left out important details for a reason. You know that I would have never agreed knowing it was Malfoy," she spat.
Blaise glared at her.
"You know how I feel about him. He's been nothing short of cruel to me, and I don't care if it was because he was harboring some feelings of his own. That will never excuse his behavior. I hate him," Hermione tearfully whispered.
Blaise suddenly let out a humorless chuckled, an amused smirk gracing his lips.
"Oh, come on, Hermione. We both know that's not true…"
Hermione blanched, eyes widening as she stared at him in disbelief.
"Excuse me? Now you're telling me what I feel?"
Blaise stepped closer, looking down at her, looking nothing like the Blaise she knew.
"I meant what I said when I told you that I'd never do anything I didn't think you'd like. I see the way you look at him when you think no one else is watching. We both do…"
Hermione's heart sped up and her anger doubled.
"You have some nerve," she whispered.
His response was even quieter than hers, barely above a whisper.
"You wanted him. We both know it. We're all adults here, Hermione, so let us start being honest with each other. What are you really angry about? That it happened or that you enjoyed it?"
"My lack of protest and reaction was to be expected in such a situation when my mind wasn't clear. I couldn't think properly nor logically, so believe me, that 'enjoyment' wasn't real."
"The scratches on both mine and Draco's back would beg to differ."
Hermione had struck him before she knew it and she gasped in shock, eyes watering as she brought her hands up to her mouth. She stared at his turned head in sorrow, surprised at herself.
"I- I'm so-," she cut herself off.
She blinked, frowning before shaking her head.
"You know what? No. No, I'm not sorry that I did that. You deserve so much more," she spat.
Blaise straightened up, touching his cheek.
"Harry was right about you, about all of you. All of you Slytherins are the same and why was I a fool to think any differently," she whispered shaking her head.
"I'm so so-."
"I don't care. I want nothing to do with you, Blaise. Don't talk to me, don't look at me, don't come near me, hell, don't even think about me. You put him before me and this is where it got you. I hope that the two of you are very happy together," she threw at him, turning and walking away.
"You're the best thing that's ever happened to me, Hermione…"
Hermione pushed the tears back, clutching her book to her chest.
"…but I think that our relationship has allowed you to forget what house I belong to."
Hermione paused, tilting her head.
"I'm not just going to let you walk away."
She slowly turned around, staring at him in a mixture of anger and disbelief.
"What?"
"We Slytherins are ambitious creatures…," he began, walking towards her.
She narrowed her eyes at him.
"If you think that I'm just going to let you walk away, then you must not know me very well. You're my happiness, Hermione, and you've got another thing coming if you think I'm going to let you go so easily."
"Are you threatening me?"
Blaise stared at her, expression guarded and dark eyes boring into her own.
"Take it however you like. I'm just simply informing you that I'm not giving up without a fight…"
"Well…let me know how that works out for you because you clearly don't know me very well," Hermione quietly replied.
"We Slytherins always get what we want…"
"Well, there's always a first time for everything."
She walked away from him, fighting the urge to curse him into oblivion as his eyes bore into her back.
As always, let me know what you think!