Chapter Nine

Hermione managed to convince herself pretty quickly that the break-up was best for everyone. Finally giving her mind a chance to voice its opinion only confirmed it. She'd been functioning on something other than logic for the last few months and whatever it was, probably hormones, had its day.

She was actually glad that it was over, keeping her dirty little secret lost its novelty. She was glad that was all straightened out now. She didn't like lying to her friends.

"Why is Malfoy staring at you?" Ginny said one morning in the Great Hall.

Hermione snuck a quick look and he was staring daggers at her. She had already decided that the best course of action was to ignore him as much as possible and do her absolute best to not be in the same place. She knew his schedule pretty well, so she had a good idea where he would most likely be.

"I have never tried to understand why Malfoy does anything." Hermione said and returned her attention to the Daily Prophet. "Why start now?"

So maybe the lying wasn't entirely over.

Sadly, the daggers directed at her continued in class as well. It did make her uncomfortable but she did her best to ignore it. If she was completely honest, it hurt like hell, but she was giving her analytical mind free rein and it seemed to well adapt to suppress any sentimentality she had. She vowed that she was not going to 'go out' with anyone else this year. She obviously had the most atrocious taste in romantic interests and she really couldn't be trusted.

Draco's constant attention was wearing on her. She was having trouble keeping track of what she was going with this particular potion, she may even had gotten a couple of the directions switched around. Damn him. He was doing this on purpose, trying to get her off balance.

After class, she wasn't quite quick enough due to the mess she had made all over the table, which left him room to pin her down as she left class. She cursed Harry for his enthusiasm to go to Quidditch training, leaving her to clean up and walk back alone. Didn't it ever occur to him that she might need help?

"So I don't get a say in this?" Draco said as he blocked her way.

"No." She answered and waited out the silence. "You know this is the only way."

"Why does everything have to be so black and white with you? Should teach me for getting involved with a fucking Gryffindor." He said and walked away.

Hermione was left clutching her bag. It did hurt being reduced to a 'fucking Gryffindor', but she guessed she understood that he wasn't happy. Actually he made it out like this was all her fault, which it wasn't. This was his fault, she thought as she felt the anger pulsing through her veins. He is the one who wouldn't fight. She was ready to take on the world and he was ready to deceive the world for the sake of the relationship. Not even close, how dare he blame this on her. Effin coward.

Her bad mood settled in for a stay. And now she couldn't even have her evenings in the library anymore. Turning up in the library would just send the wrong message and she couldn't really trust herself. Because her body does not seem to have caught up on the whole break up thing. Judging by the things she saw in her head whenever she let her mind drift, it wasn't even close.

The tension was getting to her, giving her a headache. Maybe a nice leisurely bath in the prefects' bathroom would be the ideal activity tonight. A chance to unwind and there would be no chance of him being there as he wasn't a prefect. She guessed being a Deatheater was a bit of a drawback when being considered. Actually it was amazing that he was let back into Hogwarts.

The Hogsmead weekend was a thing of undue excitement really. Even for those who would normally be jaded with numerous Hogsmead weekends past. There was even an early snow fall to complete the picturesque walk down to the little village. After stocking up on supplies, which tended to be more about sweets for Harry and Ron, pretty much the same as it had for the last 5 years. Hermione had a look through the book store, while Ginny was more interested in ready made potions.

After a while walking around the snow feeling like they were third years all over again, they went to the Three Broomsticks to get a bit of lunch. It was sweltering hot in there with too many people seeking refuge from the cold.

Hermione ordered a steak pie with her butter beer and they sat around and chatted for a while. Even George made the trip out and he was on relatively good form for once. He was even chatting with fifth year girl who obviously had the biggest crush on him. Being twenty, he was somewhat of a catch in the eyes of the girls. Particularly as he had his own successful business already.

Lunch had been fun, it had been a while since they had hung out and laughed together as a group. It even picked up Hermione's mood until a chance parting of the crowd revealed the Slytherins on the other side of the room. Particularly a blond one lavishing his attention of a pretty blond Slytherin girl. Lavishing his tongue more like. She only glimpsed it for a minute, but it nearly froze her insides solid.

She tried to reason with herself. This was good. He had moved on. At lightning speed, no less. But whatever she told herself it gutted her that she had been replaced so quickly.

The good atmosphere was gone and Hermione started to feel suffocated by all the people and the heat. She quickly excused herself and ran out the door. As much as she hated it, she was going to cry again and she was not a cryer, damn it. A brisk walk to the Shrieking Shack sorted it out. She got the hurt and the shock out and ended up rubbing snow on her eyelids to get rid of their redness.

It was for the best, she reasoned, better off getting it done now than later. She felt like a right twit being so hurt by it. Even worse was her feeling of ownership of him, because it felt like that other girl was touching something that belonged to her. Irrational as the feelings were, she was smart enough to recognise them at least.

Once she'd calmed down she started walking back to village. Her jeans were wet and she used her wand to drive the moisture out of them. When she got to the edge of the village she heard raised voices and when she came around the corner she was a group of slytherins harassing a girl. Not just any girl, a third year muggleborn.

She couldn't believe that she heard one of them calling her mudblood and the others laughing. Hermione felt her blood boil. She'd fought a god damn war to ensure these arseholes knew their place.

She whipped out her wand and sent a hex that snapped like a bullwhip. The boy winced loudly and they all whipped around to face her. She was still a well known war hero and none of them were game enough to take her on. Her skills were after all legendary now.

"What did you call her you piece of shit." She said shaking with anger. Unfortunately the older Slytherins were walking around the corner as well.

"I called her a mudblood." The offending boy said with confidence that seemed ready to desert him if she so much as moved a muscle. It grew somewhat as he noticed the older Slytherins backing them up. "Because that's what she is."

"Why don't you say that to my face." She said quietly with so much intensity the birds stopped chirping.

The boy gulped and took a step backwards. The whole group was quiet and avoiding her eye.

"I will." Draco said standing with his arm around the blond girl. "Mudblood."

Hermione couldn't believe what he had just said. She was completely stunned. And it probably hurt more than anything else he had ever done to her. Hermione stared into his eyes, but she was too disgusted to look at him. His betrayal was like a punch in the gut.

"Guess you're all confident now that your daddy is out of prison." She said, feeling an intense desire to hurt him. "How many times has your daddy been in prision, Malfoy? Actually it seems to be an infliction for most members of your family. At what point do your family become prison trash? Call me what you want, but don't have some glorious delusions about yourself."

She could tell that she'd made him furious. His lips drew together into a tight line and he was unhooking his arm from the girl and whipped his wand out.

"Go ahead." She challenged. "We all know where you'd end up."

They stood there for a few seconds, while Draco considered his rather limited options.

"Didn't think so." She finished and walked away.

Her hands were completely shaking as she walked around the corner and out of sight. She couldn't believe he'd turned on her. She was pretty proud of herself for being cool like a cucumber throughout. Seriously, who did he think he was dealing with. If that's the way he wanted to play it, she sure as hell wasn't going to wilt and back down.

Damn it, she was going to cry again.