Chapter 11: Forgiven
I awoke from my slumber three hours later and felt everything hit me like one of Pansy's spells. It was too much, all at once. I was so angry, and upset, and hurt. So it was true. You just couldn't trust a Malfoy.
Hours after I had slammed the door in his face and he was still outside. His pounds on the portrait had become weaker, quieter, and less frequent, but they were still coming. I supposed that he'd tried to enter using the password I had given him, and was probably furious when he discovered that it wasn't correct anymore. It had been changed just two days prior to this disaster.
I paced the common room anxiously. I wanted to be anywhere but here. I wanted to be with my friends. I thought of my friends, how wonderful they were, how happy they made me. How unhappy Draco was making me right now.
An owl I didn't recognize was tapping on the glass of the window and my curiosity led me over to it. I took the letter that was wrapped around its leg, fed it a treat from the bag on the windowsill, and watched it soar away. I opened the letter slowly, and scanned it.
I need to see you.
I recognized the handwriting. I weighed my options. I was suddenly in a strange, oddly peaceful state of mind.
The pounding had stopped.
I tiptoed over to the portrait and opened it quietly. Draco was fast asleep on the bench right next to it. His fist was bruised from over three hours of banging. His sleeping face was troubled.
"That boy really is trouble," said the lady in the portrait. Her voice was so soft, I could barely hear it. Understandably, she didn't want to wake up Draco. I imagined she didn't like being hit for several hours. "You should keep away from him, and keep him away from here."
No response was given to her, no sign that I'd even heard her. As I walked away, her voice rose. I turned a corner and she began shouting, which, of course, caused Draco to awake. He continued his pounding. The portrait lady couldn't get him to quiet down long enough to tell him that I'd disappeared.
Walking soundlessly through the deserted hallways, it briefly occurred to me that lessons were taking place and that I was missing them. For once, I didn't care.
I kept walking, through the massive front doors, out on to the grounds, until I reached a shady area. I sat down there with a sigh.
"I didn't even have to tell you where to meet me," said the person next to me.
"I know how much you like it here," I shrugged. "I figured this was the best place to look for you. What is it you want?"
"Forgiveness."
"Forgiveness," I repeated. I peered at the person. "Proceed, Jason."
"I didn't treat you right when we were dating," he told me.
Really? You don't say.
"You mean when you treated me like your punching bag," I said coldly.
His eyes narrowed very slightly. "Yes."
"Why?" I asked. "Why did you do it? You were such a nice guy at the beginning. You didn't seem the abusive type. What happened?"
"I honestly don't know, Hermione," he said, rubbing his eyes. "I liked you so much the whole time we were dating. I loved you. But then-"
"What?" I asked.
"It's hard to explain," Jason said. He was clearly trying, but he just couldn't seem to get the words out. "It felt like there was this fog all around me and I couldn't really control myself."
"Come on, Jason," I said, one eyebrow cocked. "You expect me to believe that?"
Jason shrugged and there was a silence.
"I just put up with your shit for way too long," I sighed. A second later, what I had said registered, and I was surprised. I never swore.
"Yes," he said. There was another silence.
"Why aren't you in class?" I asked. "And how did you know that I wasn't?"
"You looked upset when you came to breakfast," Jason said, shrugging. "I noticed how Malfoy kept looking at you, all concerned. Then, you practically ran from the Great Hall and he followed, yelling your name. It really fucked me off."
"I know," I said. "You looked really angry."
"I hate that you're dating him," Jason said glumly. "But what did I expect, right? Anyways, I passed the Head dorm on my way to the Gryffindor tower and there Malfoy was, banging on the portrait and yelling your name. And all of a sudden, I just felt like being out here. And talking to you."
This was the guy I knew, the one I missed. Where had he gone when we'd been dating? And why?
"So am I forgiven?" Jason asked, almost timidly.
"As forgiven as you're ever going to be," I said.
He laughed. "Good enough for me. So what now?"
"I guess we go back inside," I shrugged. "We'll be able to catch the next class if we hurry."
Jason rolled his eyes and we walked back to the school together. As soon as we stepped through the doors, I saw Draco turn a corner and stop dead in front of us.
"Hermione," he said quietly. His eyes narrowed and darkened to a steely grey when he laid eyes on my companion. He glanced at me briefly, betrayal in his eyes, before launching himself on to Jason.
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