Disclaimer:
You just had to spend it all, -
every hour, every minute -
You just had to make it all
wonderful, beautiful. (Glowworm-Apples in Stereo)
Hey, at least I tried to make it wonderful and beautiful, even if I didn't make it original or creative. Arf arf! .
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Last time on LGG:
Draco claimed her lips for the second time. Hermione was startled; she hadn't really thought that the kisses they had shared earlier that day had meant anything to him, but here he was, proving her wrong. Quickly, Hermione regained herself and gave back a little of what she was getting. Draco seemed more than happy about this and his lip caress became a little more energetic. She parted her lips slightly, allowing the Slytherin tongue to voyage inside. This crusade was short lived, as just at that moment, the compartment door burst open.
.
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CHAPTER THREE: Sweep Away the Shards from Underneath Me
Hermione pulled away quickly at the loud and startling sound, then gasped as she saw who was standing there.
"Dammit, Ron!" she yelled, then quickly stood and spun to face the window, trying fruitlessly to open it. She slammed her palm against the glass in frustration and Draco sighed slightly, standing and coming to her assistance. He opened the window easily and Hermione threw her head out, taking a gasping breath as if there were no air in the compartment. She said nothing more and Draco turned to Ron, looking exasperatedly at the angry looking red head.
"Why don't you just go away, Weasley? She doesn't want to talk to you," he said and Ron glared at him.
"I don't care; I want to talk to her! Hermione, what did you mean by 'did you come to see what brutally beat the shit out of me?' Are you implying that Harry and I only came here to make sure that you were hurt?"
"Wow, Weasley, you sure are quick on the uptake. How long did that take you? An hour? New record, I think," Draco said in Hermione's defense, as the troubled girl said nothing; her face remained outside the boxcar, her eyes closed, and her skin wet.
"Screw you, Malfoy," Ron said icily, momentarily forgetting the fact that he had a matter to discuss with the disturbed woman who still stood in front of the window, dead to the world outside her own mind.
"Sorry, Weasel; I don't swing that way. Where's your little Gryffindor girlfriend? I'm sure she'll give you whatever the hell you want, providing you can pay her. Oh... right, forget I mentioned it," Draco said, purposely distracting Ron from the fight he came to start.
"For your information," Ron said hotly, crossing his arms childishly. "Lavender is with Harry at the moment... and, I TRIED to give her money, but she refused. She isn't like that." Draco almost burst out laughing.
"Are you telling me that your pity-fucking girlfriend is somewhere alone with your best friend, who, last I knew, also happens to be dating your sister, and you don't even care?" he asked disbelievingly and Ron stuck his nose in the air.
"Of course I don't care. It's none of my business what she does unless it's during 'us' time. Right now is not 'us' time. Right now is her 'me' time. Meaning I am not a part of it. Now, if you'll step aside, Malfoy, I believe I need to have a discussion with my friend about her behavior. Hermione?" he said angrily, as if he were upset with her.
"Like hell I will. Go away, Weasley. She doesn't need your shit right now," Draco demanded, stepping behind Hermione so that she was blocked from the intruder.
"As if you know what she needs, Ferret. Just move; this has nothing to do with you. I have a right to know why she seems to think I hate her, don't I? Yes, now cut your crap before I kick your arse," Ron threatened, nostrils flaring and hands balled at his sides.
"Well, the way she tells it you were pretty obvious. Now that you know this, you have no business here," Draco said harshly, glaring at Ron. Hermione remained silent, head still thrust out the window, rain hitting her delicate skin. Ron put a hand to his chin and looked to the side thoughtfully.
"I told Harry we were being too obvious, but did he listen? No. I said, 'At least we should send her a letter; she'll get suspicious' but he said no, there was no reason to waste our time. Probably right, actually. Bitch would've found out eventually, I suppose. Better this that having to spell it out for her. So, Hermione, are you feeling better?" Hermione let out a sob; she had in fact been listening to the entire exchange. At the sound, Draco grew even angrier. Hadn't they realized how much they had torn this beautiful girl? Must the torment never end? "I thought that if you, know-it- all Mudblood Granger, were too sick to attend a prefect meeting, then there had to be something pretty wrong. Not life threatening I hope? Nah, didn't think so. Oh well; always another day."
"Honestly, Weasley, if you don't shut the hell up and get out of here I am going to personally throw you out," Draco warned and three whistles were heard through the open window.
"NEXT STOP: HOGSMEADE STATION! ARRIVING IN TEN MINUTES!" called the conductor and Ron turned toward the door.
"Suppose I should be going; Lavvy promised me that.... she promised me something. Unfortunately, I'll see both of you later. Bye now," he said and slipped out quickly, a smirk on his face. Draco watched until the annoying little Gryffindor was thankfully out of his sight, then turned around, planning on consoling Hermione. He hesitated a moment, then placed a hand gently on her back. Hermione didn't seem to mind this, so he went all out; moving his arms around her waist and holding her against him. Again, Hermione had no response. She continued to stare out the window, but it was obvious that her face was wet from more than the rain.
"Hermione?"
"What did you tell them about my not being at the meeting?" she asked quietly, turning her head a bit to be better heard.
"Just that you weren't feeling well. Potter already knew I was sitting with you, so he asked where you were. I assumed you wouldn't want me to tell him the truth," he explained and Hermione nodded slightly.
"It doesn't really seem to matter now, does it?" she said dispassionately and Draco involuntarily held her a bit tighter; all he wanted to do at that moment was sweep the shards out from underneath her; catch her in mid-air and never let her fall.
"You weren't kidding, were you?" he said quietly, his head resting on the hair which tumbled down her back.
"Yes, Draco. I made all of that up; I'm pretty good at lying aren't I?" she said sadly, losing all emotion in her voice. Draco said nothing, just held her for comfort as she continued her hypothermic ritual. "I hate everyone," she said icily after a moment, sounding as if she really did mean it. "Why are they doing this to me? Honestly, what did I do? To my knowledge, I've done everything right; I was a good friend, I would listen to them and give them advice, help them study, everything a person is supposed to do... and now this? I probably deserve it; I must have done something wrong... I just have to figure out what it is and then we'll see if I can fix it."
"Hermione, I highly doubt you did anything to deserve THIS. Don't let them get to you, you're much too good for them," Draco whispered, then pulled away from her and stepped to the side, taking his wand from his black cloak. Hermione turned and watched him, almost wishing he hadn't moved. There was just something about him that made her feel safe, which was strange in itself considering their past. Draco flicked his wand toward himself and his clothes melted away, being replaced by his Hogwarts uniform. Hermione smiled a little at this and closed the window, then sat back down on her bench. Draco slowly sat on his bench as well, watching as Hermione closed her eyes. She really was quite beautiful.
In no time at all, the train pulled to a stop and Hermione was jolted from the extremely light sleep she had entered. Draco was sitting across from her, smiling warmly, and Hermione took a deep breath and reached for her bag, which still lay beside her. Following Draco's example, she took her wand from the largest opening and changed her clothes, then stood and moved toward the door of the boxcar, frowning at the dozens of happy and excited children who filed past her compartment. Draco simply watched her, and Hermione knew of it. She turned to him and smiled slightly.
"Coming?" she asked and he stood, following her out the door and into the horde of brats on the other side.
S~S~S~S~S~S~
Once they had made it safely off the train, Hermione and Draco walked slowly toward the carriages together. Hermione still looked rather sad, but seemed happy to be fully exposed to the refreshing rain. Draco too liked rain, but did not particularly like standing around in it and getting soaked, but he did so for Hermione, because she seemed to need him to.
"I have an idea," Hermione said unexpectedly, looking up from the ground. Draco turned to her.
"Do you now? Pray tell what this spasm of no-doubt genius has brought forth," he said and Hermione smiled a bit at his compliment.
"I don't know if I can do it by myself; I might need some help... but I want to get back at my little people who hate me club. All GABS members must die... or at least be horribly embarrassed. Sometimes being the smartest witch in the school comes in handy. What do you think?" Hermione asked, turning her head up to look at him. Draco was at least two inches taller than her, but his height made her feel safe, somehow. She felt as if those few inches let him protect her from anything, and she hoped he would, should she need it. None of the children in the halls had said a word to either of them as they exited the train, and Hermione knew that a majority of them had been friendly with her at least once in their lifetimes; yet no one seemed to bother to say a word.
"Go for it, Hermione. I'll help you if you want; being a Malfoy comes in handy sometimes as well," Draco said, smiling as he climbed into a carriage and turned to offer his hand to Hermione. Unlike the last time, she took it and smiled as she stepped up and into the small room with him.
"Thank you," she said happily, but also sounded a little surprised. Draco Malfoy helping Mudblood Granger into a carriage, like an honest gentleman, was not something seen everyday.
"No problem; sounds like fun," Draco said, thinking she was thanking him for helping seek revenge. Hermione smiled evilly as she remembered her idea.
"Yes," she said in a tone of voice suggesting fowl play. "It most certainly does."
Once the carriages made it to the top of the hill, Draco helped Hermione out of their coach and together they walked to the castle. She was ignoring her thoughts for the time being and was focusing on her surroundings. It was more than strange to be walking to the building on the first day of school with her arch enemy while they silently planned revenge on her friends, but Hermione decided it wasn't so bad. It could always be worse. At least she still had someone; she'd rather be with Draco than no one any day... and right now she could almost say that she'd rather be with Draco than anyone. He had just met her this morning, or in the way that two people should meet, and he was already her very best friend. He had comforted her when she needed comforting, stood up for her when she needed to be stood up for, and cared about her, even if she wouldn't admit that she needed to be cared for. Never had anyone done any of those things for her.
Harry and Ron had occasionally stood up for her against Draco, but she had reason to believe that that was for appearances only; so as not to show their weaknesses to the enemy. She did miss Harry and Ron, but she missed the Harry and Ron she had known for the past few years, not the Harry and Ron she had met near the end of last. For all she was concerned, those latter two could be eaten by piranhas.
Hermione and Draco walked slowly and silently, causing those behind them to do the same or walk around them. They didn't particularly care about the dozens of glares they received; they would probably have come anyway. Then, two very familiar, non-fish consumed, heads roughly made their way around, speaking in semi-hushed voices. Hermione noticed these two and silently alerted Draco. They shared a thought, then a smirk as they quietly crept up behind the two boys, eavesdropping without them even noticing.
"Ron, I think there's something up with Hermione... she's planning something. Evil is afoot," Harry said, then laughed. "I've always wanted to say that."
"Codswallow, Harry! What are you talking about? Granger may be book smart but she is no good at strategizing. What's she going to do, cover us in honey and hang us upside down in the forest? Honestly, she's rather dim in that department." Hermione glared at Ron's back, but said nothing. **Idea noted. **
"But she was sitting with Malfoy, Ron. Malfoy. Why would she do that if she didn't know something we don't?" Harry asked, sounding almost worried.
"No Harry; she doesn't know anything we don't, but we don't know anything she doesn't either. She knows we're against her; I went and talked to her while you were with Lav... speaking of whom, did she make you pay her?" Draco almost ruptured something by holding in his laughter at this comment, but Hermione simply smiled and shook her head. It was rather funny. Harry was blushing and immediately changed the subject.
"So Granger knows we're using her? How did she find that out?" he asked and Ron shrugged.
"Probably noticed the avoiding we've been doing since she killed Voldemort." Draco turned to Hermione and she beamed proudly, glad that someone finally was giving her the credit she deserved. The Slytherin looked confused, but Hermione put a finger to her lips to signal quiet, then mouthed the word 'later'. Draco nodded and turned back to watch where he was going.
"She did not kill Voldemort, Ron. I killed him, she just did all the research and beat him to a bloody pulp, but it was MY curse that killed him," Harry said angrily and Hermione glared.
"Sorry, sheesh... you don't have to get all uppity about it. It's not like anyone would believe us if we said she really DID kill him... and I'm not saying that she did," he added the last part quickly to avoid a lashing out from his friend.
"But back to the current matter at hand, Ron. Malfoy will corrupt her; we can't let him near her, or he'll turn her against us. We can pretend like we're sorry and we're trying to be good friends, and don't want her to get hurt, and all that blarney," Harry suggested, earning a glare from both Draco and Hermione.
"I don't really think it's necessary, but if you say so Harry. The only problem is, I think she may already have been turned against us. She wouldn't even talk to me earlier... Malfoy works fast," Ron said suspiciously and Harry nodded.
"Why is he even bothering with her, anyway? What happened to that whole 'I hate all muggles and mudbloods' attitude he's possessed since forever? Why the sudden change?"
"I don't know. You know those dark ones... messed up in the head," Ron said, tapping his head with his finger. Draco was not too happy about this comment, and probably would have said something if not cut off by Ron again. "Look, there's Lavender! Hey baby!" he called, running to catch up with his girlfriend. Harry followed behind, whether for Ron or for Lavender, Draco didn't know. She was such a little whore. Draco then turned to the girl beside him, who looked confused and angry, the sadness in her eyes covered by false indifference.
"You okay?" he asked and she turned to him quickly, her glare becoming softer. Looking down at the ground, Hermione nodded. "Don't worry, we'll get them back. I promise. Revenge is always sweet," he said, gaining a small smile from his new friend.
In no time, the undercover duo found themselves at the doors of the great hall. Hermione hesitated before looking up at Draco, but he smiled down at her and she couldn't help but to smile back.
"This is where I leave you, Miss Granger. If you come across any trouble, just punch them or something. That always works. Try to knock them out, if you can. That's always more embarrassing for them, you being a girl and what not," Draco said and she nodded, then moved to open the door, but Draco stopped her. He stepped in front of her and pushed the big brass handle on the gallant redwood door, then gave her a tiny kiss on the cheek before he stood against the wall to let her through. Hermione smiled and entered the great hall, stopping only a few steps in and surveying her surroundings.
The Gryffindor flags still hung from the ceiling; fabric born reminders of their House Cup win the previous year. Each of the four house tables were already jam packed with students, all jabbering animatedly with their friends. Looking down the Slytherin table, Hermione noticed that Pansy was batting her eyelashes suggestively at Crabbe... or Goyle; she could never remember which was which. Quickly she ran her eyes along the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw tables, seeing nothing interesting, then moved her sights to the far right, where two hundred Gryffindor were seated, talking with their friends and waiting for dinner.
Lavender was licking Ron's ear and Ginny sat on Harry's lap, feeding him after dinner mints. She sneered in disgust. It was like she and Draco weren't even there; maybe suicide wouldn't be necessary... she already seemed dead to the world anyway. Hermione was about to turn around and walk back out the door, but Draco, who had been watching as she looked around the room, brushed past her and gave her arse a bit of a squeeze. Hermione jumped at this unexpected motion, but Draco smiled and continued walking, seemly to the disgust of one Pansy Parkinson, who was glaring at him as he came nearer.
With a sigh, Hermione decided it best not to attract attention or concern...yeah right... and just go sit down and try and eat something. Or try and live through dinner. Whichever was easier. As she was walking to her usual seat, Dumbledore stood and clapped his hands.
"May I have your attention please? Everyone, please sit down," he said in that certain tone that wasn't forceful, yet still caused everyone to stop talking and turn toward him. Hermione hurried to her seat and sat down, ignoring the glares from Ron and Harry, who were seated on either side of her. She placed her bag on the floor between her feet, making sure she could feel it at all times, and laid her forearms straight in front of her on the table, staring at her empty gold plate, wishing the food would just get there so she could get out of that hell hole. As soon as everyone was seated, Dumbledore began speaking again. Harry and Ron discontinued their glaring momentarily and looked up at the professor, but Hermione continued to stare at her plate.
"And now for the sorting," said Professor McGonagall after Dumbledore finished his speech. Hermione groaned and closed her eyes as if in pain. Luckily, this year only brought with it about twelve new students, and the sorting was over in mere minutes. Then, much to Hermione's delight, the food appeared and everyone took their eyes off her, now concentrating on their dinners. She looked up at Draco, who was sitting in the same positing she was, arms lying on the table and head down, staring at his food. She sighed and picked up her fork, deciding to eat and get it over with.
"You know, Hermione, I think that Malfoy is bad news; it's probably not a good idea to hang out with him," Harry said, then looked at Ron for support.
"Yeah, what Harry said. Malfoy's got issues; he could be dangerous," he said. Hermione was trying very hard to hold back her tears. She knew this would happen eventually; they had said after all that they would try to break them apart, but the fact that the two people she had trusted the most in the world were backstabbing her in the front was almost unbearable. She took a ragged breath and began to pick at her potato.
"Don't worry about me, guys. I can take care of myself. I don't know about Malfoy yet, but he seems alright. Hasn't hurt me as of the time being, and until he does, I see no reason not to trust him," she said, putting on a fake smile.
"But that's just it, Hermione. What if he does hurt you?" Harry asked and Ron nodded.
"We're your friends, Mione. We don't want some git like Malfoy hurting you if we can help it," he agreed and Hermione tried not to lose her smile. This dialogue was too close to home.
"Honestly, I'm fine. Let's... talk about something else," she suggested cheerily and Harry and Ron both nodded, then launched into a conversation about Quidditch, of all things. A conversation about Quidditch which slowly evolved into a conversation about shoes. Hermione tuned them out within minutes and set her sights on the blonde across the way that looked to be enjoying this as much as she was.
S~S~S~S~S~S~
Meanwhile, at the Slytherin table, Draco was having similar problems. Luckily or not, none of the Slytherin had seen him with Hermione, which was probably a good thing, as they can be easily grudged. He looked up and caught the eye of the pretty Gryffindor prefect he had had the intense pleasure of meeting. She was staring directly at him, and he stared back for a moment, then smiled. Pansy, unbeknownst to Draco, was watching the entire thing.
"Draco? What are you staring at? It isn't the Gryffindor mudblood, is it?" she asked, but Draco said nothing, taking a note out of Hermione's book and totally ignoring her. Pansy's eyes narrowed. "Malfoy, I will not have you being with, talking to, staring or even looking at that mudblood. What would your father say?" Again, Draco said nothing. He did, however, turn to Pansy with cold eyes at the mention of his father. She seemed a little intimidated and shrunk back in her seat, dropping the subject. The blonde boy then turned his eyes back to the Gryffindor table, but the object of his fascination was missing. Hermione was gone. Quickly he looked to the Great Hall doors; just in time to see Hermione slip through them.
"What's wrong, Draco? Aren't you going to eat or something?" asked Crabbe, who was staring at Draco's plate with a jealous eye.
"No," Draco said. "No, I don't think so." He got up from his seat and walked semi-quickly toward the doors, following his friend. He could hear Crabbe gobbling down his food before he even made it half way to his destination. Ignoring this, Draco walked calmly through the said doors and hurried out into the lobby, looking around for the missing Gryffindor. He found her just feet away, sitting in the corner made by the wall and staircase, knees drawn up and head rested upon them, her eyes closed. He cautiously walked over to her, hoping he wasn't an intrusion.
"Hey," he said quietly and Hermione opened her eyes, startled at first, but calm as she recognized him.
"Hey Draco," she returned and sighed, smiling she tiniest smile possible.
"Are you alright? Why are you out here?"
"I'm fine, I just didn't want to be in there anymore. Too many people that hate me in one room, I guess. Creepy," she said with a slight shudder and Draco nodded.
"And I don't know the passwords to anywhere, so I can't do much until McGonagall shows us where the prefect dormitories are."
"If you went to the prefect meeting, you would know that the password to the Gryffindor common room is Fairy dust, Hufflepuff is Gumdrop, Ravenclaw is clovarium, and Slytherin is Obscurité Cachée. Prefect common room is Opale pallido. Only the heads know the password to the Head common room, though."
"Guess I missed more than you told me about then, didn't I? That's alright; I don't think I'd really be welcome in any of the house common rooms, and I don't know where the prefect one even is, so I'll just stay here, I guess," she said sadly, moving her feet closer to her. Draco smiled down at her and ran a hand through his hair.
"Mind if I join you, then?" he asked and Hermione looked curiously up at him. "I don't want to go back in there either, and besides, Crabbe ate all my food." Hermione giggled slightly and Draco's smile doubled. Making her laugh gave him the same rush as making her miserable did... but it was better; nicer, warmer. He liked it. "So, may I?"
"Of course," she said, patting the tiled floor next to her. Draco gratefully accepted her proposal and sat beside her, the wonderful scent of her hair once again entering his system. Hermione laughed a little again and placed a hand on his knee. "You know, it was actually kind of funny. Remember how Ron and Harry said they would do all that stuff to try and turn me against you? They were saying it like word for word what they said before. It wasn't funny at the time of course, but now that I think back on it, it was."
"Mm..." Draco mumbled, leaning his head back against the staircase behind him and turning it to get good access to the wonderful lemony odor.
"Are you even listening to me?" she asked and turned to him with a slight smirk. Draco looked guiltily at her and she shook her head, turning it back forward. She said nothing more for a while, and Draco continued to move closer to her hair.
"Hermione, has anyone ever told you how wonderful you smell?" He placed a hand gently on the other side of her head as he said this, holding her steady and letting his face nuzzle against her ear, the silky hair nearby giving him everything he needed. She smiled.
"Yes Draco, I get that all the time. 'Wow, Mudblood, you smell great today.' Yeah right, like anyone in their right mind would compliment me," she said sadly and closed her eyes, enjoying the affectionate touch by Draco's hand and face.
"Well, I'm telling you now. You're intoxicating," Draco said and kissed behind her ear lightly, a sweet and simple gesture which caused the warm chills to move through Hermione once again. "You know, I never did get to finish my one condition," he said smartly and Hermione turned to him slightly.
Draco pulled back enough to smile at her, then brought his lips back to her own partially opened ones. He wasted no time making up the beginning half of the kiss, and soon the two were madly snogging. Hermione moved onto her side, giving herself better access to her arm, which then traveled up Draco's chest to his shoulder while the other supported her against the floor. Draco, who was sitting up straighter, had use of both his hands. He kept one permanently rooted in her hair while the other moved to her waist, attempting to pull her closer.
Alas, again their kiss was ended prematurely by the entrance of another person. McGonagall, followed by two hundred angry Gryffindor and Slytherin, burst into the lobby. Luckily, Draco and Hermione managed to break themselves apart before they could be incriminated.
"Miss Granger, Mr. Malfoy! There you are! We've been looking everywhere for you! I suggest you take your housemates to their common rooms; these children need sleep! Come back to the Great Hall after you've finished this task and I will show you to your common room. Now, go!" she huffed and turned around, cutting her way through the mass of students, Gryffindor moving to the right, Slytherin to the left, and made her way back to the head table.
"Uh, yeah, we should maybe...yeah," Draco said and stood up, briefly leaning into Hermione's ear. "Fairy dust," he reminded her and walked off. "This way, then, Slytherin. Come now, haven't got all day," he said forcefully and the Slytherin house followed him down a corridor. Meanwhile, the Gryffindor were looking expectantly at Hermione.
"Right," she said, standing up and grabbing her bag from beside her. "Gryffindor, this way," she said and led them away. As they walked, Harry and Ron made their way to the front of the group, wanting to talk to their 'friend.'
"Mione, I thought we told you to stay away from him!" Ron hissed and Harry glared and nodded once in agreement.
"And I thought I told you to shut the hell up and let me deal with my own problems," she said harshly and began walking a little faster "Keep up, now, Gryffindor!" she called, and they did, with the exception of Harry and Ron, who simply stopped and stood in the middle of the crowd, letting all the younger students walk around them. They looked at each other and Hermione faintly heard them say: 'This is going to be harder than we thought.'
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PRF: Shazi: Yeah, maybe. It's over now, though, lol
Hota-chan: Wow, you have a good vocabulary, lol! I'm glad you like it so much! Sorry if the cliffy didn't turn out as exciting as you wanted, but I needed that for plot development! Hehe.
Some1: Look! You're in ANOTHER author note! Lol. I like to put everyone here who reviews; it's my job to make you all feel special... haha. Thanx for the support ~ Some2
Daydreamer: I too love it! Or at least like it; it's quite enjoyable if I do say so myself... which I did.
Hasapi: Psyche smikey... she's just messed in the head! Lol. And yes; oh so many bad words could replace that asterisk. Haha.
Jamie: Wow! Thanx! I don't mean to sound full of myself, but I never USED to write this good. Read chapter 1 of Flames of Ecstasy if you think I'm good, lol. Whatcha gotta do is just write! Write write and write some more! Then you get at least somewhat presentable! Yea! Lol, thanx again!
You just had to spend it all, -
every hour, every minute -
You just had to make it all
wonderful, beautiful. (Glowworm-Apples in Stereo)
Hey, at least I tried to make it wonderful and beautiful, even if I didn't make it original or creative. Arf arf! .
.
Last time on LGG:
Draco claimed her lips for the second time. Hermione was startled; she hadn't really thought that the kisses they had shared earlier that day had meant anything to him, but here he was, proving her wrong. Quickly, Hermione regained herself and gave back a little of what she was getting. Draco seemed more than happy about this and his lip caress became a little more energetic. She parted her lips slightly, allowing the Slytherin tongue to voyage inside. This crusade was short lived, as just at that moment, the compartment door burst open.
.
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CHAPTER THREE: Sweep Away the Shards from Underneath Me
Hermione pulled away quickly at the loud and startling sound, then gasped as she saw who was standing there.
"Dammit, Ron!" she yelled, then quickly stood and spun to face the window, trying fruitlessly to open it. She slammed her palm against the glass in frustration and Draco sighed slightly, standing and coming to her assistance. He opened the window easily and Hermione threw her head out, taking a gasping breath as if there were no air in the compartment. She said nothing more and Draco turned to Ron, looking exasperatedly at the angry looking red head.
"Why don't you just go away, Weasley? She doesn't want to talk to you," he said and Ron glared at him.
"I don't care; I want to talk to her! Hermione, what did you mean by 'did you come to see what brutally beat the shit out of me?' Are you implying that Harry and I only came here to make sure that you were hurt?"
"Wow, Weasley, you sure are quick on the uptake. How long did that take you? An hour? New record, I think," Draco said in Hermione's defense, as the troubled girl said nothing; her face remained outside the boxcar, her eyes closed, and her skin wet.
"Screw you, Malfoy," Ron said icily, momentarily forgetting the fact that he had a matter to discuss with the disturbed woman who still stood in front of the window, dead to the world outside her own mind.
"Sorry, Weasel; I don't swing that way. Where's your little Gryffindor girlfriend? I'm sure she'll give you whatever the hell you want, providing you can pay her. Oh... right, forget I mentioned it," Draco said, purposely distracting Ron from the fight he came to start.
"For your information," Ron said hotly, crossing his arms childishly. "Lavender is with Harry at the moment... and, I TRIED to give her money, but she refused. She isn't like that." Draco almost burst out laughing.
"Are you telling me that your pity-fucking girlfriend is somewhere alone with your best friend, who, last I knew, also happens to be dating your sister, and you don't even care?" he asked disbelievingly and Ron stuck his nose in the air.
"Of course I don't care. It's none of my business what she does unless it's during 'us' time. Right now is not 'us' time. Right now is her 'me' time. Meaning I am not a part of it. Now, if you'll step aside, Malfoy, I believe I need to have a discussion with my friend about her behavior. Hermione?" he said angrily, as if he were upset with her.
"Like hell I will. Go away, Weasley. She doesn't need your shit right now," Draco demanded, stepping behind Hermione so that she was blocked from the intruder.
"As if you know what she needs, Ferret. Just move; this has nothing to do with you. I have a right to know why she seems to think I hate her, don't I? Yes, now cut your crap before I kick your arse," Ron threatened, nostrils flaring and hands balled at his sides.
"Well, the way she tells it you were pretty obvious. Now that you know this, you have no business here," Draco said harshly, glaring at Ron. Hermione remained silent, head still thrust out the window, rain hitting her delicate skin. Ron put a hand to his chin and looked to the side thoughtfully.
"I told Harry we were being too obvious, but did he listen? No. I said, 'At least we should send her a letter; she'll get suspicious' but he said no, there was no reason to waste our time. Probably right, actually. Bitch would've found out eventually, I suppose. Better this that having to spell it out for her. So, Hermione, are you feeling better?" Hermione let out a sob; she had in fact been listening to the entire exchange. At the sound, Draco grew even angrier. Hadn't they realized how much they had torn this beautiful girl? Must the torment never end? "I thought that if you, know-it- all Mudblood Granger, were too sick to attend a prefect meeting, then there had to be something pretty wrong. Not life threatening I hope? Nah, didn't think so. Oh well; always another day."
"Honestly, Weasley, if you don't shut the hell up and get out of here I am going to personally throw you out," Draco warned and three whistles were heard through the open window.
"NEXT STOP: HOGSMEADE STATION! ARRIVING IN TEN MINUTES!" called the conductor and Ron turned toward the door.
"Suppose I should be going; Lavvy promised me that.... she promised me something. Unfortunately, I'll see both of you later. Bye now," he said and slipped out quickly, a smirk on his face. Draco watched until the annoying little Gryffindor was thankfully out of his sight, then turned around, planning on consoling Hermione. He hesitated a moment, then placed a hand gently on her back. Hermione didn't seem to mind this, so he went all out; moving his arms around her waist and holding her against him. Again, Hermione had no response. She continued to stare out the window, but it was obvious that her face was wet from more than the rain.
"Hermione?"
"What did you tell them about my not being at the meeting?" she asked quietly, turning her head a bit to be better heard.
"Just that you weren't feeling well. Potter already knew I was sitting with you, so he asked where you were. I assumed you wouldn't want me to tell him the truth," he explained and Hermione nodded slightly.
"It doesn't really seem to matter now, does it?" she said dispassionately and Draco involuntarily held her a bit tighter; all he wanted to do at that moment was sweep the shards out from underneath her; catch her in mid-air and never let her fall.
"You weren't kidding, were you?" he said quietly, his head resting on the hair which tumbled down her back.
"Yes, Draco. I made all of that up; I'm pretty good at lying aren't I?" she said sadly, losing all emotion in her voice. Draco said nothing, just held her for comfort as she continued her hypothermic ritual. "I hate everyone," she said icily after a moment, sounding as if she really did mean it. "Why are they doing this to me? Honestly, what did I do? To my knowledge, I've done everything right; I was a good friend, I would listen to them and give them advice, help them study, everything a person is supposed to do... and now this? I probably deserve it; I must have done something wrong... I just have to figure out what it is and then we'll see if I can fix it."
"Hermione, I highly doubt you did anything to deserve THIS. Don't let them get to you, you're much too good for them," Draco whispered, then pulled away from her and stepped to the side, taking his wand from his black cloak. Hermione turned and watched him, almost wishing he hadn't moved. There was just something about him that made her feel safe, which was strange in itself considering their past. Draco flicked his wand toward himself and his clothes melted away, being replaced by his Hogwarts uniform. Hermione smiled a little at this and closed the window, then sat back down on her bench. Draco slowly sat on his bench as well, watching as Hermione closed her eyes. She really was quite beautiful.
In no time at all, the train pulled to a stop and Hermione was jolted from the extremely light sleep she had entered. Draco was sitting across from her, smiling warmly, and Hermione took a deep breath and reached for her bag, which still lay beside her. Following Draco's example, she took her wand from the largest opening and changed her clothes, then stood and moved toward the door of the boxcar, frowning at the dozens of happy and excited children who filed past her compartment. Draco simply watched her, and Hermione knew of it. She turned to him and smiled slightly.
"Coming?" she asked and he stood, following her out the door and into the horde of brats on the other side.
S~S~S~S~S~S~
Once they had made it safely off the train, Hermione and Draco walked slowly toward the carriages together. Hermione still looked rather sad, but seemed happy to be fully exposed to the refreshing rain. Draco too liked rain, but did not particularly like standing around in it and getting soaked, but he did so for Hermione, because she seemed to need him to.
"I have an idea," Hermione said unexpectedly, looking up from the ground. Draco turned to her.
"Do you now? Pray tell what this spasm of no-doubt genius has brought forth," he said and Hermione smiled a bit at his compliment.
"I don't know if I can do it by myself; I might need some help... but I want to get back at my little people who hate me club. All GABS members must die... or at least be horribly embarrassed. Sometimes being the smartest witch in the school comes in handy. What do you think?" Hermione asked, turning her head up to look at him. Draco was at least two inches taller than her, but his height made her feel safe, somehow. She felt as if those few inches let him protect her from anything, and she hoped he would, should she need it. None of the children in the halls had said a word to either of them as they exited the train, and Hermione knew that a majority of them had been friendly with her at least once in their lifetimes; yet no one seemed to bother to say a word.
"Go for it, Hermione. I'll help you if you want; being a Malfoy comes in handy sometimes as well," Draco said, smiling as he climbed into a carriage and turned to offer his hand to Hermione. Unlike the last time, she took it and smiled as she stepped up and into the small room with him.
"Thank you," she said happily, but also sounded a little surprised. Draco Malfoy helping Mudblood Granger into a carriage, like an honest gentleman, was not something seen everyday.
"No problem; sounds like fun," Draco said, thinking she was thanking him for helping seek revenge. Hermione smiled evilly as she remembered her idea.
"Yes," she said in a tone of voice suggesting fowl play. "It most certainly does."
Once the carriages made it to the top of the hill, Draco helped Hermione out of their coach and together they walked to the castle. She was ignoring her thoughts for the time being and was focusing on her surroundings. It was more than strange to be walking to the building on the first day of school with her arch enemy while they silently planned revenge on her friends, but Hermione decided it wasn't so bad. It could always be worse. At least she still had someone; she'd rather be with Draco than no one any day... and right now she could almost say that she'd rather be with Draco than anyone. He had just met her this morning, or in the way that two people should meet, and he was already her very best friend. He had comforted her when she needed comforting, stood up for her when she needed to be stood up for, and cared about her, even if she wouldn't admit that she needed to be cared for. Never had anyone done any of those things for her.
Harry and Ron had occasionally stood up for her against Draco, but she had reason to believe that that was for appearances only; so as not to show their weaknesses to the enemy. She did miss Harry and Ron, but she missed the Harry and Ron she had known for the past few years, not the Harry and Ron she had met near the end of last. For all she was concerned, those latter two could be eaten by piranhas.
Hermione and Draco walked slowly and silently, causing those behind them to do the same or walk around them. They didn't particularly care about the dozens of glares they received; they would probably have come anyway. Then, two very familiar, non-fish consumed, heads roughly made their way around, speaking in semi-hushed voices. Hermione noticed these two and silently alerted Draco. They shared a thought, then a smirk as they quietly crept up behind the two boys, eavesdropping without them even noticing.
"Ron, I think there's something up with Hermione... she's planning something. Evil is afoot," Harry said, then laughed. "I've always wanted to say that."
"Codswallow, Harry! What are you talking about? Granger may be book smart but she is no good at strategizing. What's she going to do, cover us in honey and hang us upside down in the forest? Honestly, she's rather dim in that department." Hermione glared at Ron's back, but said nothing. **Idea noted. **
"But she was sitting with Malfoy, Ron. Malfoy. Why would she do that if she didn't know something we don't?" Harry asked, sounding almost worried.
"No Harry; she doesn't know anything we don't, but we don't know anything she doesn't either. She knows we're against her; I went and talked to her while you were with Lav... speaking of whom, did she make you pay her?" Draco almost ruptured something by holding in his laughter at this comment, but Hermione simply smiled and shook her head. It was rather funny. Harry was blushing and immediately changed the subject.
"So Granger knows we're using her? How did she find that out?" he asked and Ron shrugged.
"Probably noticed the avoiding we've been doing since she killed Voldemort." Draco turned to Hermione and she beamed proudly, glad that someone finally was giving her the credit she deserved. The Slytherin looked confused, but Hermione put a finger to her lips to signal quiet, then mouthed the word 'later'. Draco nodded and turned back to watch where he was going.
"She did not kill Voldemort, Ron. I killed him, she just did all the research and beat him to a bloody pulp, but it was MY curse that killed him," Harry said angrily and Hermione glared.
"Sorry, sheesh... you don't have to get all uppity about it. It's not like anyone would believe us if we said she really DID kill him... and I'm not saying that she did," he added the last part quickly to avoid a lashing out from his friend.
"But back to the current matter at hand, Ron. Malfoy will corrupt her; we can't let him near her, or he'll turn her against us. We can pretend like we're sorry and we're trying to be good friends, and don't want her to get hurt, and all that blarney," Harry suggested, earning a glare from both Draco and Hermione.
"I don't really think it's necessary, but if you say so Harry. The only problem is, I think she may already have been turned against us. She wouldn't even talk to me earlier... Malfoy works fast," Ron said suspiciously and Harry nodded.
"Why is he even bothering with her, anyway? What happened to that whole 'I hate all muggles and mudbloods' attitude he's possessed since forever? Why the sudden change?"
"I don't know. You know those dark ones... messed up in the head," Ron said, tapping his head with his finger. Draco was not too happy about this comment, and probably would have said something if not cut off by Ron again. "Look, there's Lavender! Hey baby!" he called, running to catch up with his girlfriend. Harry followed behind, whether for Ron or for Lavender, Draco didn't know. She was such a little whore. Draco then turned to the girl beside him, who looked confused and angry, the sadness in her eyes covered by false indifference.
"You okay?" he asked and she turned to him quickly, her glare becoming softer. Looking down at the ground, Hermione nodded. "Don't worry, we'll get them back. I promise. Revenge is always sweet," he said, gaining a small smile from his new friend.
In no time, the undercover duo found themselves at the doors of the great hall. Hermione hesitated before looking up at Draco, but he smiled down at her and she couldn't help but to smile back.
"This is where I leave you, Miss Granger. If you come across any trouble, just punch them or something. That always works. Try to knock them out, if you can. That's always more embarrassing for them, you being a girl and what not," Draco said and she nodded, then moved to open the door, but Draco stopped her. He stepped in front of her and pushed the big brass handle on the gallant redwood door, then gave her a tiny kiss on the cheek before he stood against the wall to let her through. Hermione smiled and entered the great hall, stopping only a few steps in and surveying her surroundings.
The Gryffindor flags still hung from the ceiling; fabric born reminders of their House Cup win the previous year. Each of the four house tables were already jam packed with students, all jabbering animatedly with their friends. Looking down the Slytherin table, Hermione noticed that Pansy was batting her eyelashes suggestively at Crabbe... or Goyle; she could never remember which was which. Quickly she ran her eyes along the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw tables, seeing nothing interesting, then moved her sights to the far right, where two hundred Gryffindor were seated, talking with their friends and waiting for dinner.
Lavender was licking Ron's ear and Ginny sat on Harry's lap, feeding him after dinner mints. She sneered in disgust. It was like she and Draco weren't even there; maybe suicide wouldn't be necessary... she already seemed dead to the world anyway. Hermione was about to turn around and walk back out the door, but Draco, who had been watching as she looked around the room, brushed past her and gave her arse a bit of a squeeze. Hermione jumped at this unexpected motion, but Draco smiled and continued walking, seemly to the disgust of one Pansy Parkinson, who was glaring at him as he came nearer.
With a sigh, Hermione decided it best not to attract attention or concern...yeah right... and just go sit down and try and eat something. Or try and live through dinner. Whichever was easier. As she was walking to her usual seat, Dumbledore stood and clapped his hands.
"May I have your attention please? Everyone, please sit down," he said in that certain tone that wasn't forceful, yet still caused everyone to stop talking and turn toward him. Hermione hurried to her seat and sat down, ignoring the glares from Ron and Harry, who were seated on either side of her. She placed her bag on the floor between her feet, making sure she could feel it at all times, and laid her forearms straight in front of her on the table, staring at her empty gold plate, wishing the food would just get there so she could get out of that hell hole. As soon as everyone was seated, Dumbledore began speaking again. Harry and Ron discontinued their glaring momentarily and looked up at the professor, but Hermione continued to stare at her plate.
"And now for the sorting," said Professor McGonagall after Dumbledore finished his speech. Hermione groaned and closed her eyes as if in pain. Luckily, this year only brought with it about twelve new students, and the sorting was over in mere minutes. Then, much to Hermione's delight, the food appeared and everyone took their eyes off her, now concentrating on their dinners. She looked up at Draco, who was sitting in the same positing she was, arms lying on the table and head down, staring at his food. She sighed and picked up her fork, deciding to eat and get it over with.
"You know, Hermione, I think that Malfoy is bad news; it's probably not a good idea to hang out with him," Harry said, then looked at Ron for support.
"Yeah, what Harry said. Malfoy's got issues; he could be dangerous," he said. Hermione was trying very hard to hold back her tears. She knew this would happen eventually; they had said after all that they would try to break them apart, but the fact that the two people she had trusted the most in the world were backstabbing her in the front was almost unbearable. She took a ragged breath and began to pick at her potato.
"Don't worry about me, guys. I can take care of myself. I don't know about Malfoy yet, but he seems alright. Hasn't hurt me as of the time being, and until he does, I see no reason not to trust him," she said, putting on a fake smile.
"But that's just it, Hermione. What if he does hurt you?" Harry asked and Ron nodded.
"We're your friends, Mione. We don't want some git like Malfoy hurting you if we can help it," he agreed and Hermione tried not to lose her smile. This dialogue was too close to home.
"Honestly, I'm fine. Let's... talk about something else," she suggested cheerily and Harry and Ron both nodded, then launched into a conversation about Quidditch, of all things. A conversation about Quidditch which slowly evolved into a conversation about shoes. Hermione tuned them out within minutes and set her sights on the blonde across the way that looked to be enjoying this as much as she was.
S~S~S~S~S~S~
Meanwhile, at the Slytherin table, Draco was having similar problems. Luckily or not, none of the Slytherin had seen him with Hermione, which was probably a good thing, as they can be easily grudged. He looked up and caught the eye of the pretty Gryffindor prefect he had had the intense pleasure of meeting. She was staring directly at him, and he stared back for a moment, then smiled. Pansy, unbeknownst to Draco, was watching the entire thing.
"Draco? What are you staring at? It isn't the Gryffindor mudblood, is it?" she asked, but Draco said nothing, taking a note out of Hermione's book and totally ignoring her. Pansy's eyes narrowed. "Malfoy, I will not have you being with, talking to, staring or even looking at that mudblood. What would your father say?" Again, Draco said nothing. He did, however, turn to Pansy with cold eyes at the mention of his father. She seemed a little intimidated and shrunk back in her seat, dropping the subject. The blonde boy then turned his eyes back to the Gryffindor table, but the object of his fascination was missing. Hermione was gone. Quickly he looked to the Great Hall doors; just in time to see Hermione slip through them.
"What's wrong, Draco? Aren't you going to eat or something?" asked Crabbe, who was staring at Draco's plate with a jealous eye.
"No," Draco said. "No, I don't think so." He got up from his seat and walked semi-quickly toward the doors, following his friend. He could hear Crabbe gobbling down his food before he even made it half way to his destination. Ignoring this, Draco walked calmly through the said doors and hurried out into the lobby, looking around for the missing Gryffindor. He found her just feet away, sitting in the corner made by the wall and staircase, knees drawn up and head rested upon them, her eyes closed. He cautiously walked over to her, hoping he wasn't an intrusion.
"Hey," he said quietly and Hermione opened her eyes, startled at first, but calm as she recognized him.
"Hey Draco," she returned and sighed, smiling she tiniest smile possible.
"Are you alright? Why are you out here?"
"I'm fine, I just didn't want to be in there anymore. Too many people that hate me in one room, I guess. Creepy," she said with a slight shudder and Draco nodded.
"And I don't know the passwords to anywhere, so I can't do much until McGonagall shows us where the prefect dormitories are."
"If you went to the prefect meeting, you would know that the password to the Gryffindor common room is Fairy dust, Hufflepuff is Gumdrop, Ravenclaw is clovarium, and Slytherin is Obscurité Cachée. Prefect common room is Opale pallido. Only the heads know the password to the Head common room, though."
"Guess I missed more than you told me about then, didn't I? That's alright; I don't think I'd really be welcome in any of the house common rooms, and I don't know where the prefect one even is, so I'll just stay here, I guess," she said sadly, moving her feet closer to her. Draco smiled down at her and ran a hand through his hair.
"Mind if I join you, then?" he asked and Hermione looked curiously up at him. "I don't want to go back in there either, and besides, Crabbe ate all my food." Hermione giggled slightly and Draco's smile doubled. Making her laugh gave him the same rush as making her miserable did... but it was better; nicer, warmer. He liked it. "So, may I?"
"Of course," she said, patting the tiled floor next to her. Draco gratefully accepted her proposal and sat beside her, the wonderful scent of her hair once again entering his system. Hermione laughed a little again and placed a hand on his knee. "You know, it was actually kind of funny. Remember how Ron and Harry said they would do all that stuff to try and turn me against you? They were saying it like word for word what they said before. It wasn't funny at the time of course, but now that I think back on it, it was."
"Mm..." Draco mumbled, leaning his head back against the staircase behind him and turning it to get good access to the wonderful lemony odor.
"Are you even listening to me?" she asked and turned to him with a slight smirk. Draco looked guiltily at her and she shook her head, turning it back forward. She said nothing more for a while, and Draco continued to move closer to her hair.
"Hermione, has anyone ever told you how wonderful you smell?" He placed a hand gently on the other side of her head as he said this, holding her steady and letting his face nuzzle against her ear, the silky hair nearby giving him everything he needed. She smiled.
"Yes Draco, I get that all the time. 'Wow, Mudblood, you smell great today.' Yeah right, like anyone in their right mind would compliment me," she said sadly and closed her eyes, enjoying the affectionate touch by Draco's hand and face.
"Well, I'm telling you now. You're intoxicating," Draco said and kissed behind her ear lightly, a sweet and simple gesture which caused the warm chills to move through Hermione once again. "You know, I never did get to finish my one condition," he said smartly and Hermione turned to him slightly.
Draco pulled back enough to smile at her, then brought his lips back to her own partially opened ones. He wasted no time making up the beginning half of the kiss, and soon the two were madly snogging. Hermione moved onto her side, giving herself better access to her arm, which then traveled up Draco's chest to his shoulder while the other supported her against the floor. Draco, who was sitting up straighter, had use of both his hands. He kept one permanently rooted in her hair while the other moved to her waist, attempting to pull her closer.
Alas, again their kiss was ended prematurely by the entrance of another person. McGonagall, followed by two hundred angry Gryffindor and Slytherin, burst into the lobby. Luckily, Draco and Hermione managed to break themselves apart before they could be incriminated.
"Miss Granger, Mr. Malfoy! There you are! We've been looking everywhere for you! I suggest you take your housemates to their common rooms; these children need sleep! Come back to the Great Hall after you've finished this task and I will show you to your common room. Now, go!" she huffed and turned around, cutting her way through the mass of students, Gryffindor moving to the right, Slytherin to the left, and made her way back to the head table.
"Uh, yeah, we should maybe...yeah," Draco said and stood up, briefly leaning into Hermione's ear. "Fairy dust," he reminded her and walked off. "This way, then, Slytherin. Come now, haven't got all day," he said forcefully and the Slytherin house followed him down a corridor. Meanwhile, the Gryffindor were looking expectantly at Hermione.
"Right," she said, standing up and grabbing her bag from beside her. "Gryffindor, this way," she said and led them away. As they walked, Harry and Ron made their way to the front of the group, wanting to talk to their 'friend.'
"Mione, I thought we told you to stay away from him!" Ron hissed and Harry glared and nodded once in agreement.
"And I thought I told you to shut the hell up and let me deal with my own problems," she said harshly and began walking a little faster "Keep up, now, Gryffindor!" she called, and they did, with the exception of Harry and Ron, who simply stopped and stood in the middle of the crowd, letting all the younger students walk around them. They looked at each other and Hermione faintly heard them say: 'This is going to be harder than we thought.'
.
PRF: Shazi: Yeah, maybe. It's over now, though, lol
Hota-chan: Wow, you have a good vocabulary, lol! I'm glad you like it so much! Sorry if the cliffy didn't turn out as exciting as you wanted, but I needed that for plot development! Hehe.
Some1: Look! You're in ANOTHER author note! Lol. I like to put everyone here who reviews; it's my job to make you all feel special... haha. Thanx for the support ~ Some2
Daydreamer: I too love it! Or at least like it; it's quite enjoyable if I do say so myself... which I did.
Hasapi: Psyche smikey... she's just messed in the head! Lol. And yes; oh so many bad words could replace that asterisk. Haha.
Jamie: Wow! Thanx! I don't mean to sound full of myself, but I never USED to write this good. Read chapter 1 of Flames of Ecstasy if you think I'm good, lol. Whatcha gotta do is just write! Write write and write some more! Then you get at least somewhat presentable! Yea! Lol, thanx again!