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Chapter 6:
Days had passed since Harry and Ginny's visit, and Hermione was beginning her second week at Grimmauld Place. Hermione was glad that they had visited. They were truly her best friends and were there to support her whenever they could. Ginny had pestered her about more Malfoy details, knowing that the brunette had not told Harry everything. Ginny knew Hermione like that. Like Harry and Ron, she could tell when Hermione wasn't sharing important information, but unlike the boys, she was always subtle about it. Harry had left upon Ginny's request, the redhead claiming she needed some 'time with her galpal'. Hermione snorted with laughter, Ginny really did now how to manipulate Harry. Harry had grimaced at both women, knowing that they were hiding something from him, but he left anyway. Harry was always kind like that. The girls had spent the rest of the evening chatting about this and that, Ron, Harry, relationships, and eventually Malfoy.
Ginny had told her about she and Harry's most recent visit to the Burrow, namely about their interaction with Ron. Ginny – as usual – had been furious and aggressive, wanting to know exactly what happened, then scolding Ron for his wrong-doings. Hermione wondered if that had been the way to do it, but she remembered that there was no other way for Ginny. Being the only girl, she always had to prove herself to her older brothers, bringing on her aggressive nature. It made Ginny an incredibly powerful witch and a very fierce opponent. Ginny had explained how Harry reacted, or how he hadn't reacted. He had stood there while Ginny had berated Ron, and didn't say a word. Ginny had gotten very annoyed by this, but Hermione understood. Ron and Hermione were both of Harry's best friends. He would never – and could never – pick a side for it jeopardised his friendship with both of them.
Hermione had then told her about the two times that Malfoy had carried her up the stairs, and how he had comforted and complimented her on their drunken Sunday night. Hermione had left out her encounter with Malfoy in the bathroom, because she was sure that Ginny would have fallen off her chair. Ginny had squealed – she always wanted to know more: had he kissed her, did she like him, had they talked about it? Frankly, Hermione did not know the answers to those questions. She had certainly not kissed Malfoy, and had not even thought about it before Ginny's questioning. But her opinion of Malfoy was changing: they were civil now, but they were nowhere near having serious conversations. Could she even have feelings for him?
Hermione remembered her sixth year when she, Ginny, Luna, and Parvati had been talking about Hogwarts most eligible bachelors. Of course, Harry had been one of the top, followed by Blaise Zabini with his good looks and charm, then Ginny unexpectedly blurted out Draco Malfoy saying that, "even though he was a total wanker, he was quite the hunk." All the girls had sniggered at this in agreement; Malfoy really was attractive. He had definitely had the best hair in school – beautiful light blonde and flawlessly coifed. He was tall, with large broad shoulder, and lean muscle that he had no doubt strengthened during Quidditch practices. It had been the first time she had really thought of the Slytherin as physically attractive. Hermione smiled as she recalled her school years, before things had gone sour, before she had left with Harry and Ron, and before the war, before the death.
She sighed, bringing herself out of her thoughts, and opened the windowsill, Accio-ing today's Daily Prophet. She sat back down on her bed as the Prophet glided in front of her. She glanced down at the front page, reading the biggest headline, 'War Hero Ron Weasley Rekindles Old Romance with Lavender Brown'. It had only been several days, she thought to herself. Hermione saw red, but she skimmed on.
"Weasley sits next to Miss Brown, looking at her lovingly. 'Hermione is nothing like Lavender! Lavender is sweet, loving, and gentle; Hermione was very organized, rough, and barely had any time for me. My relationship with Lav is different; better.' He kisses Miss Brown on the cheek, and both blush seeming very smitten with each other."
Hermione wanted to gag. She couldn't believe it. She looked around the rest of the front page to see if any worthy news had been published, but all she saw was articles about their messy split, about Ron's relationship with Lavender, and finally one in the top bottom left corner titled, 'The Young and Restless Hermione Granger'. Hermione wanted to scream. The article accused her of being an adulterer, sex maniac, self- centred, and obsessed with the war. They made the claim that Hermione had been cheating on Ron with Viktor Krum, and had even made a pass at Harry. She smoothed down her hair and reminded herself that these claims were all lies and unfounded. The Daily Prophet had been publishing trash since after the war, when it had changed management yet again. She sighed and reached for her glass of wine, which she had been nursing since dinner. She downed it and filled herself another, gulping the contents down her throat. She now felt warm and fuzzy, but nowhere near how intoxicated she had been the previous week.
Hermione wanted to talk to someone. She didn't want to disturb a presumably busy Harry, and Ginny was not the right person to call for this matter. She got up from her bed, walking out into the hallway. She advanced on Malfoy's door. She exhaled; did she really want to do this? She remembered his strong arms carrying her small frame, and his happy smile when they had talked in the bathroom. She mustered her Gryffindor courage and knocked lightly on his door.
ooooooooooo
Lavender Brown shifted uncomfortably in the wooden studio chair she was sitting on. She looked on seeing Ron actively talking with some Daily Prophet reporter. She knew what she was doing – the article for the Prophet as Ron had suggested, but she couldn't help it if her thoughts kept drifting back to Hermione. Would she be hurt? Would she have expected it? She had been thinking about how Hermione would feel since Ron showed up on her front door two weeks earlier. She had been having an internal debacle on how she felt about Hermione. She knew how Ron felt about her, but was that how she felt?
She had been reading something awfully mundane for her job on Diagon Alley when there was a loud knock at her door. She had opened it to find a dishevelled Ronald Weasley, who rushed into her apartment without even asking. This has immediately put her off. She knew something was up with him, but he could at least be polite. It wasn't like she had seen him lately – he spent all his time with Hermione. He had rashly explained to her what had happened: that Hermione had refused his proposal publically, humiliating him, then had gone and started a relationship with Draco Malfoy to spite him. Although Lavender knew that he was overreacting, she still felt unbelievably bad for him. She was the first to have a romantic relationship with Ron. He knew how sensitive he could be – especially when it came to Hermione. She had taken him in, letting him stay the night, then the week, then he started to act like a sad puppy nuzzling to her. She couldn't resist. When he kissed her a week later, she didn't say no. She knew how wrong this was, and why Ron was doing this – but somewhere deep inside she knew he still had feelings for her. Didn't he? Hermione had hurt him so much; he would never go back to her.
And here she was. Watching Ron bring the reporter back toward her, claiming the seat next to her and gently holding her hand. Ron did most of the talking in the interview, but she wanted it that way. He was the media man, and she knew how much he wanted to reclaim his spotlight name. But she would be there with him, she would help him, she would accept it unlike Hermione did. She pleased Ron and the reporter by acting shy and coy; she would hang off Ron's every word, giggle when he made a joke, and lean into him. He needed the attention! From that moment on, she strived to be everything that Hermione wasn't. He had always wanted to take the lead, but Hermione had never let him. He wanted power and control, but Hermione wanted that too. Sure, Lavender had been crazily obsessed and controlling at Hogwarts, but she had changed – grown up. She had had other relationships; she understood the concept of compromise.
She would do this right – and Ron would stay with her this time.
ooooooooooo
Draco looked up from his book, it was 8 o'clock, and the summer sun was beginning to set. He heard shuffling outside his door followed by three light knocks. "Yes?" he asked, assuming that Granger wanted something. He was surprised when she walked into his room, marching towards his bed and practically threw a copy of the Daily Prophet at his lounging form.
"Look at that rubbish! I can't even believe this! I can't believe HIM!" she let out an angry sigh and sat at the edge of his bed and crossed her arms across her chest. Draco looked down to the Daily Prophet to see the headline, 'War Hero Ron Weasley Rekindles Old Romance with Lavender Brown'. He smirked. She would get flustered over this little article. He scanned the rest of the page, skimming over the trashy news.
"Granger, you really shouldn't let this get to you. He's an arse and he's just trying to make you jealous. Plus, you know the Prophet doesn't publish anything that matters anymore. You really shouldn't worry about this." He reassured her. Draco looked at her troubled face. He was missing something; she was upset about something else.
"It's not really that. I assumed he would date again. I mean he could've waited more than two weeks, but…" her voice trailed off for a moment, "After last time, I didn't expect him to share anything with me, but it just hurts; he could have said something" she sighed. "That's not all though. You clearly haven't read the bottom left corner." Draco gave her a perplexed look as she smoothed her hair and looked down as though his bedspread was interesting. His eyes descended the page on the left side and he read, 'The Young and Restless Hermione Granger'. He quickly glanced at the article, picking up words like adulterer, harlot, Viktor Krum, sexual maniac, and obsessed with the past. Draco couldn't hold it in, he laughed out loud. He looked at Granger sitting across from him on his bed, her brow furrowed in a confused look.
He laughed even louder, "Looks like your secret is out Granger, the entire Wizarding World knows you're a nostalgic sexual deviant!" He kept laughing, leaning back against the headboard. He heard Hermione chuckle, then break out in laughter with him. She leaned forward and playfully smacked his arm, "thanks for telling them, Malfoy!" They were both laughing for what seemed hours, but in reality was maybe three minutes time. He looked at her giggling across from him. She sat cross-legged on the opposite side of the bed, looking down at the Prophet, laughing.
The young Malfoy was proud that he had comforted her, and made her smile when she had clearly been upset. He reached forward and swatted the Prophet from the bed, hearing it flop down onto the ground. "So Granger, tell me, are the rumours true? Are you a sexual deviant with a fatal attraction for Viktor Krum?" he smirked, not expecting her to answer.
Hermione looked at him and chuckled, "Complete bullocks, I've only been with Viktor once and that was fourth year the night before he left." She blushed, realized what she had just told Malfoy. "But I have never, and will never cheat on anyone." Her face instantly went serious; this had clearly touched a nerve.
"Granger, you're the confessed deviant here…why all the anger?" he slightly regretted his bantering tone. He really didn't want to start a fight right now. He softened his eyes slightly and hoped that she noticed that he was being sincere. She did.
"Well, I've seen what it does to people. All the jealousy and suspecting. It's just not good for anyone." She looked down at her hands once more, seeming slightly embarrassed at what she had just said, "God, I hate the media!" she cried trying to change the subject.
"Granger, have you been drinking?" he smirked as she blushed, "You're always so forthcoming when you drink." He looked at her again, she was nowhere near as intoxicated as last time. Her cheeks were rosy and pink, as though she had a slight sunburn. He watched her mouth as she giggled again, showing her slightly larger than normal front teeth.
"Malfoy, I always tell you embarrassing things like that I've shagged Viktor Krum, and you never tell me anything! Girls drooled over you in school, you have to have some stories of your own!" she begged. She looked like a young schoolgirl listening to her older sister's gossip; there was a spark in her eye that he had not seen since Hogwarts.
"Well fine, I went through a phase fourth and fifth year, where I thought I could get any girl I wanted, even Gryffindors." He chuckled as she over exaggeratedly dropped her jaw, "I bet Weasel would love to know that his innocent Lav has a soft spot for Slytherins."
Hermione squealed, "I cannot believe it! You've been with Lavender Brown? Gross."
He chuckled, "Fourth Year. I snogged her senseless in a broom closet by the dungeons. By then she had already snogged Nott and Blaise. Goyle snogged her a week later, and told us he had gotten other favours, but none of us believed him" Hermione screeched, shaking her head and bouncing her feet on the mattress like a five year old.
"EW! That is so foul! I'm surprised though, no favours for you? I would assume is she had put out for Goyle of all people…"
"I didn't shag her if that's what you think. I didn't stoop that low. Plus Granger, not all of us are sexual deviants like you!" She laughed. Draco had a feeling that this was making her feel a lot better about Ron dating Lavender.
She leaned forward again, "So if you didn't shag Lavender, who have you shagged? Don't' tell me the Prince of Slytherin is a virgin!" He contemplated giving her an answer, but Malfoys did not kiss and tell. She would have to learn about his conquests another day. Although Hermione seemed intent on getting a response, she let out a small little yawn instead. Draco saw that the alcohol was starting to take its toll.
"Granger, I think it's time for bed. I can tell you stories another day," He got off the bed and extended his hand to her. She did not take it, "Or would like me to carry you and tuck you in again?"
Hermione's eyes went dark, "I am not a child, Malfoy. For your information, I am not even drunk anymore! You always do this; you always treat me like a stupid child! Well newsflash, Malfoy, I helped take down the most evil wizard of our time! One – I should remind you – you are being incarcerated for supporting. I've killed people; I am NOT stupid and I am NOT a child!" she lifted herself from his bed and marched across the room, heading for the door.
"Granger, wait. That's not what I meant. Come on, I was joking" but Granger stamped out of his room, slamming the door in his face. "Shit" he whispered as he rested his forehead against the wooden door.