Disclaimer: No, I don't own Harry Potter. If I did, Fred would have lived, Snape would have lived, And Crabbe and Goyle would have died saving Ginny. Dobby would be purple, and Harry would be blond. Yep.
We got problems we don't know how to solve them
everywhere we go we got some skeletons that follow
We got baggage, you know we're gonna drag it
everywhere we go for everyone to see in the
broken hearts parade
and I'm putting my heart out on display
there's no masquerade just a funeral march for love today
the band strikes up and they're playing a song
dressed in black and we're singin along to the
broken hearts parade
I've never been better than I am today
-x-o-x-o-x-o-
"Oh come on, Granger!" Draco said, exasperated. "You've got to get on a broom. This is just ridiculous, you can't just sit in here and mope all day," He said.
"Wanna bet?" She asked, putting her hands on her hips. In the past few hours, it had become a normality that the two argue at every possible moment.
"Yes, I do," He replied, taking a menacing step closer. She immediately stepped away, crossing her arms, and Blaise put his hand on Draco's shoulder.
"Draco, I doubt bullying her into submission is going to get her on a broom," He said lightly, then turned to Hermione.
"Look, you don't have to go on a broom," He said, and she looked slightly relieved. "But, you ARE coming outside with us. Trust me, you don't want to get stuck with-"
"Telling tales about me again?" A voice said, and a rather tall boy with blond hair made his way down the hallway.
Theo visibly tensed, and his gaze turned to a glare faster than any of them could process. "Hello Jason," He said, his tone indicating that he wanted the boy to leave immediately.
The boy, apparently named Jason, just grinned in return. "So, who's your new friend?" He asked, gesturing towards Hermione.
"That's Hermione Granger," Draco said with a slight smirk.
Jason looked disgusted, an automatic reaction. "You're bringing mudblood filth into our house?" He asked. Hermione's eyes narrowed, and she stepped forward, her hand moving towards her pocket for her wand.
"Don't even think about it, Mudblood," He hissed at her, and her hand froze.
"Jason, just leave her alone," Blaise said, glaring at him. Jason turned his gaze to Blaise.
"This is my house, Zabini, and you'd do well to remember that."
"It won't be when you get hauled off to Azkaban," Theo said, stepping between Hermione and his brother.
She still didn't see why they were doing this, especially in this situation. Jason was Theo's brother...She was an old enemy from school, the filthy mudblood that they'd always refused to associate with...So why would they help her now? They had to have some sort of ulterior motive!
She was pulled away from that train of thought when Jason launched his fist forward, barreling it into Theo's face. Hermione let out a shocked gasp, and hit the floor as Theo fell into her, landing in a tangle of limbs. Her wand was out just as Jason began uttering a curse, and she quickly disarmed him without a word.
Draco and Blaise both looked surprised as Jason looked to his hand in surprise, then glared towards Hermione, completely disregarding his brother at that point. Theo and Hermione scrambled off the floor, and Jason reached out, grasping a handful of her hair, and pulled her towards him. The other three boys moved forward immediately, obviously doubting her ability to take care of herself, but she bought her knee up, hitting Jason between the legs, and he let go of her hair, gasping in surprise.
Jason put his hand on the wall for support for just a moment, and Theo took the opportunity to grab Hermione by the wrist, and pull her down the stairs, followed by Blaise and Draco. They ran outside, and towards the woods, entering them just as Jason got to the door.
"You have to come back eventually!" He called after them, but didn't follow.
Theo pulled her to a stop under a tree, where they all sat down, breathing heavily. After a moment, Hermione started, much to the surprise of them all, laughing.
Draco looked to Blaise and Theo, an eyebrow raised. "I think she's gone mental, mates..."He said, and poked the side of Hermione's head. "Oi, Granger, you alright in there?"
Hermione took a deep breath, and forced herself, with some difficulty, to stop laughing. "Yes, I'm fine," She said, glancing back towards the house. None of them looked convinced, but Blaise cracked a smile.
"Any particular reason you were laughing?" He asked, and she nodded.
"It's just...Well, can you imagine, three years ago, me doing that, then you all dragging me off into the woods for a reason other than to hex me?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Well when you put it that way..."Draco grinned, and pulled out his wand. "We could hex you if it would put your poor mind at ease."
Hermione smirked. "My poor mind?" She asked with a raised eyebrow. "I think that's the first time anybody's used that word to describe my mind."
"Don't smirk Granger, it makes you seem like one of us," Blaise said teasingly. Hermione just rolled her eyes, then sat back, propping herself up onto her elbows.
"Well at this point I don't think that's a horrible thing," She said truthfully. "But I've really got to ask..I mean, it just-you..." She frowned, trying to think of the right words.
"We're helping you because nobody deserves what you got, Granger," Draco said, his voice oddly gentle, especially for him. "We hate Weasley, and we weren't all too fond of you before, but we aren't evil."
"Could've fooled me," She muttered, thinking back to all the times he'd tormented her. He'd called her mudblood, they'd hexed her..What had changed?
"For someone so smart you're oddly oblivious," Theo murmured, and Draco shot him a look. "Well, she's not going to trust us any other way, Draco. Besides, it's not like she'll tell your father that you're helping. That would get her killed, most likely."
Hermione looked between them, confused. "I-what?"
Draco seemed to debate the matter in his head, then he sighed. "Well go on."
Blaise nodded, and Hermione turned to him. "You've met Lucius," He said. "You haven't met my father yet, but trust me, he's just as bad. Now, you can't even begin to say that you've never put on a facade in your life. That's what we're forced to do. We have to be known as the big-shots of Slytherin, we're destined to be Death Eaters, just like them. Theo's father was like that as well, but he's in Azkaban. We have no choice, not until we turn seventeen. Making the decision to keep away from the dark side could easily get us killed."
Hermione looked at the ground as she took the information in, nibbling on her lower lip. So they weren't as cruel as they seemed... For obvious reasons, it didn't surprise her as much as she thought it would have.
His words sent gears turning in her head. She was in the order, if they knew about this, she could get them protection...Ron wouldn't be too happy with it, along with Harry, but the adults would understand. Fred and George would too.
"Shit, climb," Blaise suddenly said, and jumped to his feet, jumping up to grab ahold of the branch above them. He quickly swung up, letting Draco go as well. Theo nodded to Hermione, and she did the same, climbing as high as she could, with Theo right beneath her.
"What are we doing?" She hissed at them, but Blaise put his finger to his lips, urging her to stay silent. She looked down, and saw Jason beneath them, looking around. None of them could move, and Hermione was perched precariously with one foot in a small foothold, slowly slipping.
As soon as her foot slipped out of the foothold and she began falling straight towards Jason, two hands grabbed her by the wrist. Draco had ahold of one wrist, and Theo the other, just holding her in the air.
Jason sighed. "Theodore, you have to come home," He called out, before heading back to the house. "I prefer if you left the mudblood out here, if you will."
Draco caught Theo's eye, and Theo just nodded. Draco let go of one wrist, and she swung towards Theo, who quickly grabbed her around the waist, holding her up. "Never climbed a tree before, Granger?" He asked with a smirk.
She rolled her eyes. "I've never had to climb a tree quietly to evade a boy that wants to hex me," She replied, before following Draco and Blaise down. Theo dropped down next to her.
"Well, we should get back to the house," He said, glancing at them. "Are you two staying?"
"No, I've got to get home," Hermione said, but was ignored.
"If your mum wouldn't mind," Blaise shrugged, and Draco just nodded his answer. Theo chuckled, and they headed back towards the house in silence.
(A/N- Thank you all who are reviewing. It makes me feel speshul 0.o lol. Keep it up. Also, if any of you have any ideas about where you want this to go. I've got a basic outline already, up to the last chapter, but I'm willing to take suggestions.)