Hermione's reaction was instantaneous, shoving Draco away as she pressed herself into the wall, hoping she could disappear. She blinked, glancing at Draco to see if he was offended by that, but he paid her no mind. No. His focus was entirely on Parvati. His eyes were hard and narrowed, a look in them she'd only seen here and there, a look she could never really place. It didn't matter that she couldn't put a name to it, because it scared her, nonetheless.
Parvati's mouth was parted, and her nostrils flared as she looked between them. She snapped her jaw shut with a disgusted shake of her head, resting her angry dark eyes on Draco.
"I knew it," she scoffed. "I bloody knew it."
Before Hermione or Draco had a chance to say anything, she was already turning away, a spring in her step. Hermione released a shaky breath as she watched her walk away, positive that Parvati was on her way to expose them. Hermione was sure that Harry and Ron wouldn't believe her, but she didn't want the chance to find out. Her breathing was becoming choppier, and Draco noticed, placing a hand on her arm to calm her.
"Hermione…?"
There was a question there as he looked into her eyes, asking permission for something. For what, she wasn't sure, or perhaps, she didn't want to say.
"Please…"
The word had barely escaped her lips when he took out his wand, a startled gasp immediately reaching her ears as Parvati fell to the floor. Draco hastily strode towards her, and Hermione followed. Hermione swallowed as he forced Parvati to her feet, an angry snarl leaving her as he pinned her to the wall.
"Let go of me! I knew the rumor was true. I knew there was a reason you cut me off so coldly. I really didn't want to believe that Granger," she sneered Hermione's name "…of all people was why."
Parvati struggled against him as Draco pressed the tip of his wand to her head. She shrunk in on herself, visibly afraid of him, and Hermione almost felt bad at the look of betrayal in the dark-haired girl's eyes.
"Draco, wait-! Just… Let me talk to her," Hermione quietly pleaded, touching his arm.
He looked over his shoulder at her with an incredulous expression.
"She's going to talk, Hermione. Do you want that?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
They both knew that she didn't want that…
"No, but… Give her a chance-."
"A chance to what…? Alert someone as to what's going on up here? We need to deal with her fast," he snapped.
Hermione sighed, looking at Parvati as the girl in question glared at her. She was bitter and angry, that much was obvious.
"He's just using you, Granger. You're a convenient shag," she spat.
Hermione huffed, letting the insult roll over her back as she stepped next to Draco.
"Parvati, do you understand what's going to happen? If I feel that you can't be trusted-."
"She can't," Draco cut in.
"…we will obliviate you."
Parvati's eyes widened, looking between them before scoffing.
"Merlin, you're in deeper than I thought. You'd risk screwing with my mind to keep your little affair with your Death Eater safe?"
"Parvati, please…," Hermione pleaded.
"Fuck you, Granger."
Now, it was Draco's turn to sigh.
"Okay, enough of this," he said just before wrapping his hand around her throat, a pained gasp coming from the other girl.
"Stop-! Draco, just…relax, please. You're going to give me a conniption," Hermione frantically breathed.
Parvati beat her fists against the blond, but he didn't budge, keeping a tight grip as Hermione drew her wand. Hermione took a deep breath, hesitantly stepping closer as she pointed her wand at the struggling girl.
"Can you do it?"
Hermione nodded. She didn't doubt that she could do it, because she could, but she felt like she was crossing a line. In the grand scheme of things, it wasn't that big of a deal. It was only the memory of catching them in the corridor that she was getting rid of. It was insignificant and definitely wouldn't affect the girl, but something about the whole ordeal rubbed her the wrong way.
"Hermione," Draco urged as Parvati kicked out at them.
She briefly closed her eyes before whispering a soft 'Obliviate', eyes focused on Parvati's as they seemed to glaze over. Once she was done, Draco aimed his own wand at her, gathering her housemate into his arms as she fainted. Hermione ran her hands through her hair, releasing a shaky breath as she followed him to the infirmary.
"What will she remember?"
"She was leaving the hall, going to the bathroom when she tripped and hit her head," Hermione answered.
Draco nodded, and when Madam Pomfrey took the unconscious girl from his arms, that was what they told her. Draco's hand grazed the small of her back as he led her back to their dorm. She was sure that he could feel her trembling. Hermione wasn't even sure why she was trembling. It really wasn't that big of a deal, but she supposed that was partly what scared her. It was something so minor, and yet Hermione did not hesitate to alter her memories.
"Are you alright?" Draco asked as soon as they stepped into the dorm.
"I'm not sure…but in case I'm not, I will be," she honestly answered.
"Hey," he said, turning her to face him before cupping her face in between his hands. "You did great. She's going to be fine."
"What if she's not? What if I messed something up?"
"You didn't," he assured her.
She smiled in return, but it didn't reach her eyes, and Draco sighed.
"Hermione, she's going to be fine, and if something is amiss with her memories, I'll go back and deal with it."
"I've never done that before. I've only read about it and am familiar with the theory, but-."
"Then we'll just have to practice, won't we? As much as we may want to, we really can't fault her for stumbling upon us in the corridor. We'll have to be more careful, but you should practice it more just in case. I have a feeling we'll be using it more often from here on out," he elaborated.
She rolled her eyes.
"Draco, that's not something you just practice on people," she scoffed.
"Why not? If they're willing, I don't see the problem," he responded with a shrug.
"Who in their right mind would be willing to be a test subject to have their brain scrambled?"
"Teddy for one," he murmured.
"I'm not doing that. Willing or not," she argued with a shake of her head.
Draco said nothing, but she could see it in his eyes that the conversation wasn't over. He trailed one hand down her face to finger the sleeve of her robe, eyes looking over her.
"Are you staying at Hogwarts for Christmas?"
"Probably not. I had thought of spending it at The Burrow this year, but with everything that's happened, I think I'm just going to go home," she sadly answered.
He tilted his head to the side in a way that she found, dare she say it, cute.
"The Burrow?"
Hermione chuckled.
"The Weasleys. It's what we refer to their house as…," she trailed off at the look in his eyes.
She stepped closer to him, gently brushing her lips along the corner of his mouth.
"I told you… I don't want Ron. Despite that being true, I just don't think I can be in close quarters with both him and Harry for days on end. Emphasized by the knowledge that he has plans to ask me out if what Ginny said is true," she reassured him.
"You say that you don't feel anything for him, and I'll believe you," he stated.
"I never thought I'd see the day where you'd be jealous of anyone," she joked.
Draco rolled his eyes, wrapping an arm around her shoulders as he pulled her against him. He leaned in to place a kiss just beneath her ear.
"I'm not jealous," he murmured into her skin just before straightening. "I'm angry at his audacity. There's a difference."
"However you want to phrase it," she replied with a crooked smile.
"Look, Weasley had his chance. In fact, he's had heaps of them," he sneered, gripping her chin in between his fingers.
He tilted her head up, leaning in to graze his teeth against her bottom lip, and Hermione arched against him.
"I don't envy Weasley, because I can give you, quite literally, everything he can't, and that includes reciprocated affection. There's no reason to envy him when it is my bed you sleep in, my counsel you seek, and my hands you allow to touch you. Weasley can only dream of being in my position, and the kicker is that it is no one else's fault but his own."
Hermione ducked her head into his chest.
"You're quite scary when you're trying to stake your claim," she whispered.
She could practically hear the smirk in his voice as he replied.
"If I wanted to stake my claim, Hermione I'd simply let you invite the dunce duo over and force them to listen as I fucked you to sleep in your own bed."
She reared back, eyes wide as he grinned down at her.
"Don't do that," she warned.
He waggled his eyebrows at her, a wicked look in his bright eyes.
"Wouldn't dream of it…"
"I mean it, Draco. That was awfully specific for a hypothetical situation," she skeptically replied.
"You can't fault me for fantasizing, Hermione."
"What are we fantasizing about?" a familiar voice asked as the sound of the portrait closing reached her ears.
Hermione turned to glare at the two annoyingly familiar faces before her.
"Don't the two of you ever knock? This is our private dorm, you know," she scolded, frown deepening as Nott made himself at home on the couch.
"Oh, what do you have to worry about? It's not like we're barging into your bedroom," Zabini scoffed.
"You say that, Blaise, but Granger and I shagged on that very floor," Draco argued.
Hermione closed her eyes, somehow knowing he was going to say that.
"Oh!" Nott exclaimed, pretending to be scandalized.
"Why on earth would you tell them that?"
"I was adding to your point," Draco said, waving her anger off.
"…and it worked," Blaise replied. "Noted. I will knock lest I want to see Draco or Granger's bare ass."
Hermione glared at him.
"Why are the two of you here? Surely, our dorm isn't the only quiet place in the whole school."
"We're actually here to talk to you," Nott said, standing now.
"Me?" she questioned, glancing at Draco as he rested his hand on her back,
"Draco said you're going to help us," Nott explained, blue eyes resting on her.
Oh. She took a deep breath, looking between the two of them before nodding.
"I am. I've already discussed with Draco what the story will be should any of you get caught, Merlin forbid."
Nott nodded, pleased, but Zabini simply gazed at her, an unreadable expression on his face.
"So…how exactly are you lot going to go about this?" she wondered.
"Well-."
"We actually want to hear what you have to say," Zabini said, cutting Nott off.
The slightly tan boy gave Zabini a confused glance, but his eyes found their way back to her, nonetheless.
"…what do you mean?"
Zabini smirked, so much like her dormmate it scared her, and shoved his hands into his pocket as he leaned against the back of the chair.
"Come on, Granger. We all know how that pretty little head of yours works. The minute Draco first clued you in on what is actually going to happen, I know a plan was formulating. Despite the fact that you get on my nerves half the time…," Zabini rolled his eyes at a look Draco seemed to have given him "…you're brilliant. So…what is the plan?"
She swallowed, looking over to find Draco's eyes on her as well as they all waited. Zabini was right, and so she pursed her lips before speaking.
"Well…I was thinking about how Draco dealt with Nott's father. He went home for the weekend to 'visit with his mother'. I think the best way to remain inconspicuous would be to follow that pattern."
None of them said anything, simply listening so she continued.
"If Parkinson goes home only for her father to die while she's there or immediately after she leaves, and the same happens with Greengrass and Draco and whoever else, it's going to raise suspicion. I mean, you all randomly visit your families only for something to happen to them during that time…? It's an obvious pattern that anyone would catch on to, and you'd be suspects in no time.
"If Zabini decides to visit his mother one weekend or feign sick enough to be sent home for a brief time, no one is going to immediately think of him if something happens to Parkinson's parents while he's away. In addition, it can't be the same method. I feel that goes without saying, but I want to make sure we're all on the same page. Everything needs to look as natural as possible. A tumble down the stairs, a freak accident, Merlin, even alcohol poisoning," she said with a roll of her eyes.
There was a crooked smile on Zabini's face as Nott listened, enraptured.
"Every incident should also be spaced out and as randomly placed as possible. So, these accidents shouldn't be occurring every two weeks on the dot or every month on the dot. Hell, you might be able to once get away with two in the same week if the methods are vastly different. Lastly, no magic. If you must, use as little as possible, but I'm afraid you might have to literally get your hands dirty for this" she concluded.
Zabini raised an eyebrow and briefly glanced at Draco, discernably impressed as Nott let out a low whistle. Draco had yet to utter a word.
"That's much better than my plan," Nott complained with a pout.
"What, pray tell, was your plan?"
He shrugged.
"Our parents and their friends are always throwing some fancy party or another. They really don't need a legitimate reason to drink, socialize, and talk about how rich and esteemed they are. I was just thinking plain old fashion poison, food or otherwise," he sheepishly answered.
Hermione rolled her eyes in exasperation as if she were dealing with a child.
"Nott, that would draw entirely too much-."
She didn't get to finish her sentence.
Draco had moved to swiftly grip her face in his hands before eagerly pressing his lips against hers. She gasped into his mouth, and he wasted no time in slipping his tongue past her lips, pulling a moan from her as he pressed himself against her. Her fingers dug into his side as his own found a resting place at the small of her back. She faintly remembered that two of his friends were standing right in front of them, getting a show, but when one of Draco's hands found her neck, tilting her head back as he bit into her lip, she couldn't remember why that mattered.
She heard someone, probably Zabini, clear their throat, but Draco paid him no mind. He took his time kissing her, deeply moaning into her mouth before finally pulling away. Hermione's chest heaved, eyes wide as she stared at him, unable to ignore the hunger in his eyes as he gazed at her. She flushed, and Draco smirked, slowly raking his eyes downward to follow the heated trail as if he could see her glowing skin through her clothes.
"I take it you like the plan," she exhaled, still fighting to catch her breath.
He took a step towards her, and Hermione was positive that if Zabini and Nott were not present, she would have found herself pressed into the floor as he ravaged her.
"Oh, I love the plan."
Just then there was a knock on the portrait door, and all four of them turned.
"That's clearly for you," Nott said to her, and she frowned.
She stepped away from them, a sneaking suspicion as to who was on the other side of the portrait as she approached it. She was loathed to admit that her suspicions were correct. She did her best to hide her displeasure as her eyes fell on Ron, a tentative smile on his handsome face.
"I checked the library, so I figured you must be here," he began to explain.
"Oh…yeah. I'm actually not feeling-."
"Can I come in?" he suddenly asked, and Hermione paused.
Her lips parted, glancing over her shoulder only to find Draco almost right behind her. Zabini and Nott had made themselves comfortable, seated as they watched. Draco raised an eyebrow, spreading his arm out as if he were welcoming Ron in himself. With a sigh, she turned back around.
"Sure," she mumbled, stepping out of Ron's way.
He clearly thought she was alone, if his widening eyes and the way he swallowed were anything to go by. He nervously looked between the other three occupants as he stepped further into the dorm. He cleared his throat, turning to face her.
"How long are they going to be here? I wanted to speak to you…um…privately," he whispered.
"We won't think you're rude if you want us to leave, Granger," Nott said, eyes resting on Ron.
She glanced at all three of them, not liking the way they all seemed to be trying to glare holes into Ron. She opened her mouth to speak when Ron beat her to it.
"Can't we just go to your room," he proposed, uncomfortable.
Hermione glanced over, trying to be as discreet as possible as she looked at Draco. There was a mirthful smirk on his lips, but the sight of it attached to his cold and unwavering gaze made her look away.
"Sure," she mumbled, following the redhead into her room, feeling eyes on her back the entire way.
Ron actually let out a sigh of relief as she closed the door.
"Merlin, how do you stand it? All three of them too! Does Malfoy always have them over? Surely there has to be some sort of…limit…or something," he spewed.
She rolled her eyes with a sigh.
"What did you want to talk about, Ron?"
He seemed to remember he had a reason for coming over and nodded.
"Right. I wanted to see if you wanted to go to Hogsmeade before we left for winter break. It would be just the two of us…"
Hermione folded her arms over her chest and glanced away.
"I don't think that's a good idea," she responded.
She looked up to see Ron's face fall, eyebrows furrowed.
"Why not?"
"Aren't you with Lavender?" she demanded.
Ron's face flushed, and he reached up to rub the back of his neck, a sheepish expression taking over.
"Not…not really. We're sort of taking a breather, at the moment-."
"You're either together or you aren't," she snapped. "It's not hard."
Ron huffed.
"It doesn't matter, because we'll just be going as friends."
"Ron, I don't want to play this game with you. I'm so tired of playing this game with you. No, I'm not going to Hogsmeade with you, because I believe you have more intentions than what you let on," she said.
"That's…that's not…"
He let out a deep sigh, crossing his own arms over his chest as he gazed at her.
"So what if I do? We like each other, Hermione! I know I wronged you, and I want to make up for that. I really do, because you and I make sense. We always have, and I know in the past I was too stupid to see it or act on it, but now… I want to be with you. I want to show you that I feel the same way."
Hermione looked away, shaking her head.
"We can't, Ron."
"Why not?"
"Because I don't…want you…anymore," she hesitantly replied.
She forced herself to keep her gaze on him to convey how serious she was. Ron blinked, a crestfallen expression on his face as he took a small step back.
"…what?"
"Ron-."
"It's only been…what…two months? Maybe? If you're trying to get back at me again or make me work for it-."
"I'm not," she interrupted, tangling a hand in her hair, the other on her hip as she bit her lip. "Ron…you had your chance."
"Is it someone else?" he pleaded.
"No! You hurt me! Do you remember that? You crushed me, so I moved on. I thought that was it, I thought you were happy and-."
"Well, I'm not! I'm not happy."
"Well, I don't know what you want me to do about that," she snapped.
Ron's jaw clenched, and he briefly looked away, chest heaving.
"If there's someone else, just say it. There's no need to come up with all of these excuses-."
"Excuses? Ron, I don't have to give you any sort of explanation. You do realize that, right? I could have just said no, let that be the end of it, and I would be perfectly well within my rights."
"I just don't believe you. I can't believe that in less than two months you're suddenly over me!"
"Fine! There is someone else! Are you happy, now? Does that make you feel better? You make it sound as if I'm in the wrong when you and Lavender aren't even really broken up," Hermione threw out with a humorless laugh.
Ron didn't say anything, he couldn't, so he settled for looking away from her with a pout. Hermione resisted the urge to sigh in frustration.
"I thought that was it, Ron. I truly thought you were happy with Lavender. Why would I continue to pine after you when you made it clear who you wanted? How absolutely pitiful would that make me?"
"You must not have felt very much for me, after all if-."
"Oh, come off it, Ron. You're with Lavender, so I moved on! That's how it works- you know… You always do this," she suddenly said, voice cracking.
Ron glared at her, looking very much like a child.
"You spoil everything. We were in the processing of getting back to what we used to be. It was slow, but we were going to get there eventually, and you've ruined it…again. I…," she trailed off with a huff, and just then her door flung open.
There Draco stood, a scowl on his face as he looked at Ron.
"Hermione and I need to go see McGonagall soon, so I think we'd both appreciate it if you'd left," he sneered.
Hermione didn't even care that Draco was lying. In fact, she appreciated it. Ron threw one last angry look her way.
"Gladly," he said, shoving past her dormmate.
Her face was hot, and tears threatened to fall as the portrait door slammed shut. There was a tense silence before she glanced up at him.
"How much did you hear?"
"Everything," he said, reaching for her.
She ignored his hand, wrapping her arms around his waist instead.
"Why does he always do that?" she mumbled into his chest to no one in particular.
"I can get rid of Blaise and Theo if you want," he offered.
She pulled away from him with a guilty frown.
"Please? I don't mean to be rude, but I just…"
She trailed off as Draco brushed his thumb along her lips with a small smirk.
"They'll understand."
She sank on her bed, spirits diminished as she heard the portrait door open and close.
It was late, much too late, but Hermione assured herself several times that what she was hearing was correct. Her name was being called. She hastily sat up in bed, Draco letting out a small groan as his arms fell off of her in the process. She threw the covers off of her and made her way to the door. Her mind was not playing tricks on her.
Professor McGonagall was in their dorm looking for her. Hermione blinked the sleep out of her eyes as she stared at the older woman in confusion.
"Professor…?"
McGonagall spun around, standing in front of Hermione's room, her empty room. Hermione's eyes widened as she realized how this looked, the insinuation of her empty bed in the early hours of the morning only for her to be exiting Draco's room, half asleep.
"P-professor, I can-."
"It is no matter, Ms. Granger. You must come with me at once," she frantically said, gripping Hermione's wrist and dragging her out of the dorm.
Hermione glanced over her shoulder as Draco finally exited his room, exhaustion and confusion plaguing his face as he watched them go.
"What's going on…?"
The severity of the situation was finally catching up to Hermione. Something serious must have happened if Professor McGonagall was frantically dragging her through the corridors at whatever devilish hour it was. Hermione got a good look at her face, and indeed there was the most worrying cocktail of fear, despair, and panic there.
Hermione suddenly halted, forcing her teacher and mentor to come to a stop.
"Ms. Granger-."
"What's happened?"
"Everything will be explained, dear once we get to Dumbledore's office. Mr. Potter and Mr. and Ms. Weasley will be joining you shortly-."
"Wha-? Why will they be joining me? Professor McGonagall, please, tell me what's going on. Something horrible has happened, I can see it!"
The older woman pressed her lips together, blinking back tears as she swallowed.
"Mr. and Ms. Granger…"
Hermione was stunned, eyes widening as she blinked. She was more confused than ever.
"My parents? What about my parents? Are they alright?"
McGonagall opened and closed her mouth before stepping beside Hermione, pressing her hand against her shoulder as she urged her along to the Headmaster's office.
"Everything will be explained shortly. We must hurry…"
Hermione's feet moved on autopilot, mind blanking as she rifled through a million different scenarios. A heavy sinking feeling began to fester in her chest as they got closer to Dumbledore's office.
~ SD ~