Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about this story! I've merely been taking an extended break due to my exams, which are (finally) almost over, but I admit I left this story a lot longer than I was intending too. Sorry for the short chapter as well, but I promise I will be uploading much sooner next time around. Stay tuned and enjoy the story :)

9. Devastation

Hermione hadn't gone back to visit Draco ever since that night. She had wanted to see him again, but her friends seemed to have made some secret pact to never let her out of their sight. She was getting frustrated, but she couldn't let it show: she couldn't let them see that anything was wrong. Even worse was Ron. Ever since she had kissed him he had been clinging to her like a leech. He even studied with her now, and it appeared that they were now officially an item. Ron had told everybody; even people she didn't know would give her secret smiles as they passed by. It was like the whole school had been waiting for them to get together, and it was maddening.

Ginny, of course, was ecstatic. She had known all along that Ron had been secretly harbouring feelings of love, and she had probably grown fed up of Ron whining to her about his aching longing for Hermione. Harry had been calmer, but still complimentary, and Hermione could tell he was secretly pleased for his friends, although he often feigned utter devastation. The fact that everyone was acting like the whole situation was some sort of miracle made Hermione want to scream. But she had to play along.

'Hermione!' Ron's familiar call filled the otherwise silent library as he bounded up to the table where Hermione was sat, studiously reading a textbook.

There is no escape, Hermione thought dismally as she turned to face the eager-eyed boy with a falsely wide smile. Funnily enough, Ron had been in an insanely good mood ever since the kiss, which was in some ways a relief. 'Ron,' Hermione said, 'you'd better have a good reason for disturbing me.' She raised an eyebrow and gestured to the stacks of books piled up around her. The library was her place of sanctuary- it was like a second home to her, and it was not to be violated unless absolutely necessary. She had made that very clear to all of her friends.

'Actually, I do,' Ron replied, stepping forwards to peck Hermione on the lips. Quickly, she turned her head so that Ron ended up kissing her cheek.

'Please, Ron,' she hissed under her breath as he pulled back. 'Not in public, remember?'

'Sorry,' Ron said with a goofy smile. He scratched at his ginger hair awkwardly. 'I'm just happy, that's all. And you may want to get to class, which starts in...' he glanced at his watch, 'oh, five minutes.'

Hermione had to stop herself from rolling her eyes as she gathered up her things. 'I don't need you to keep me organised Ron,' she huffed, snapping the book she had been reading shut. 'It's me we're talking about here. I knew perfectly well what the time was.'

'Uh huh,' Ron said with a sly smirk. 'So maybe you knew the time. But you're cutting it a bit close considering we have Defence Against the Dark Arts.'

'What?'

'It's Monday afternoon. Last period. Did you forget or something?' Ron smirked again.

Hermione had been so absorbed in her thoughts and her books all morning that she had completely forgotten. Defence Against the Dark Arts meant Snape, and Snape meant you had to get to class early. Unless you wanted about 100 points docked off Gryffindor, which she didn't. As a prefect, it was her obligation to set a good example. 'Oh no,' she said, staring at Ron with wide eyes.

'Don't worry,' Ron assured her. 'We can still make it.' Before she could react, he grabbed her free hand (the one not clasping numerous books to her chest) and took off at a run, dragging her behind him as they weaved past bookcase after bookcase and out into the corridor.

They weren't late, as it turned out: they had arrived before Snape, but they were amongst the last of the students. Ron had refused to let go of her hand as he pulled her into the classroom when Hermione tried to shake him off. Immediately, practically every pair of eyes turned on them as they entered, but Hermione barley even noticed, despite her embarrassment. She only saw one pair of eyes: piercing, stormy grey eyes she hadn't expected to see for a while. Draco had been released from the hospital wing early, and that was clear by the fact that he was now sat in his usual place in between Blaise Zabini and Gregory Goyle at the back of the room. He looked paler than usual, but other than that he seemed to be fully healed. She watched as his eyes travelled to Ron, who was stood beside her, and then down to their clasped hands. He stared for a while before abruptly turning away to whisper to his friends.

Blaise and Goyle burst into a fit of giggles as Draco himself smirked maliciously, not bothering to look back at the two Gryffindors who had just entered. It was obvious he had said something cruel. Hermione felt her face heat up as Ron led her to sit down. Harry was already there, and had reserved them their usual places. He looked at her sympathetically as she began to slowly unpack her bag for the lesson.

'Just ignore them,' he said softly. 'They're not worth it.'

'Easy for you to say,' Ron growled from Hermione's other side. He snaked his arm around her shoulders protectively, hugging her towards him. It took all of her will power not to throw him off.

It couldn't possibly get any worse. Ron was falling all over her in front of Draco. What would he think? She hadn't got a chance to explain herself to him yet- about how she'd had no other choice in order to throw Ron off their scent. She couldn't imagine what he would be thinking, but she knew it wasn't good. She looked up at Ron, not daring to look across at Draco, and realised he was still talking.

'It seems that not everyone is pleased about our relationship,' he was saying. Hermione cringed. 'I have a right mind to-'

'Ron!' Hermione cut in, gently untangling herself from him. 'I'm fine, honestly.' She cast a glance towards Draco's table, trying desperately to catch his eye. 'I don't care.' She saw him turn and then glare at her with such malice she found herself leaning away from him.

His gaze switched seamlessly to one of amusement as he leaned forwards towards her table. 'Well, well,' he said, Blaise and Goyle continuing to snigger behind him. 'What do we have here? Love blossoming amongst the Golden Trio. Careful, Potter, I wouldn't want to get in between those two, I'd expect them to be... very messy, which tends to be the case when you have a pair of inexperienced lovers.' He sat back, folding his arms with a triumphant smirk.

Hermione was trying to stay calm. It was an act- it had to be! Draco would never truly say things like that and actually mean what he said. It was just all part of staying in character and being the Draco Malfoy everyone else knew, not the one she was used to. But he sounded so convincing...

Harry laughed coldly. 'Yeah, like you know anything about love, Malfoy. You only know how to be unpleasant. So, don't go believing that anyone cares about what you think, because you don't really know how to.'

Draco raised a blonde eyebrow indifferently. 'Ah, Potter, that's where you are wrong,' he cast a subtle sideways glance at Hermione, 'I know that deep down, what I say really does affect you. And it hurts to know that what I say is the truth.' He paused. 'Take Granger for example. She probably teaches herself kissing techniques out of a handbook. For all I know, she probably practices on the back of her hand every night, hoping to one day meet that special someone...'

Hermione felt her skin go all prickly. Why was Draco saying all this? It didn't sound as if he was faking it, even though that was what she kept telling herself. He could have stopped after a couple of insults, and the charade would have still been in place. But Draco wasn't finished.

'And Weasley, he gets tips off his parents. The amount of times he's probably watched them slobber all over each other, secretly wishing he was brave enough to kiss a girl himself for the first time... knowing that it could never be,' he sighed dramatically, making his eyelids flutter. 'Of course, the only girl he could get was Granger. Sadly, that's the only filth available to people like the Weasleys.' He paused again, meticulously, this time looking Hermione directly in the eyes. Don't, Hermione thought, a sinking feeling in her stomach. Then he said it. The word confirming that it wasn't just a ruse. That he meant everything he said. 'Mudbloods.'

Hermione looked away swiftly, tears welling in her eyes. She couldn't believe it. Draco had once told her he regretted calling her that name, and she'd believed him. What had made him change his mind? What had given him the desire to be so cruel to her all of a sudden? She wasn't on the verge of crying because Draco had called her a mudblood. No, he used to use that insult all the time. It was the fact that he had called her a mudblood now, after everything they had been through. And after that night in the hospital wing... Was he upset that she hadn't come back to visit him? That she had left in such a hurry?

Ron stood up abruptly, knocking his stool backwards with a clatter. Draco narrowed his eyes. 'You son of a bitch,' Ron snarled, starting forwards purposefully. Draco stood too as Ron came right up to him, their faces inches apart. 'Don't you dare speak about my girlfriend like that,' he warned.

'Or what?' Draco said with a smirk. Hermione wished he would stop smiling that that. 'Why shouldn't I? She,' he pointed to Hermione accusingly, 'is an insult to our race. As a pure-blood, you are a disgrace not to honour that.'

'She's a witch, just like any other witch,' Ron fired back, his fists twitching by his sides. 'And she is twice the sorcerer you will ever be.'

Draco laughed, his eyes flashing dangerously. Hermione shivered. 'I don't think so,' he said. 'And I would watch what you say around me, Weasley. I know what you did to me, and I'll take it out on her if I have to.'

'Ron, don't!' Harry called as Ron, who was shaking all over, veins bulging at his temples, drew back his fist. But Draco was quicker; his arm a blur as he pulled it back and released it. He hit Ron hard, causing him to stumble backwards.

'My father is very angry with you,' Draco said lividly, breathing hard. 'And mark my words; it will be your family who has to answer for it.'

At that Ron gave a vicious cry and lunged forwards again, grabbing for Draco's throat. Half the class were out of their seats now, after watching the event unfold. Hermione was shouting for Ron to stop, her vision blurring. She could hear others calling out too. Harry was trying to pull Ron away, as was Blaise, whilst Goyle sat dumfounded. Then another voice sounded above the rest.

'Stop right there,' Snape boomed, marching into the classroom with a sweep of his cloak. Ron leapt back immediately as everyone scrambled for their seats. Hermione had forgotten, as had everyone else, it seemed, that they were supposed to be having a lesson. Snape was later than usual. Draco coughed roughly, his hand to his throat as he slid back into his chair.

'Detention, Weasley,' Snape continued in a sharp tone, moving to stand behind his desk at the front of the classroom. 'And 100 points from Gryffindor for attacking another pupil. I do not wish to know what was going on, however, I shouldn't think it wise to go round strangling someone who has just been released from the hospital wing after a certain Quidditch accident,' he added sternly, his beady black eyes flitting around the room surreptitiously.

Ron gulped. 'Yes, Professor,' he said in a muted voice, accepting his punishment instantly. There was nothing more he could have said anyway.

'Professor?' Harry piped up nervously. Hermione turned to him, poking him in the leg.

'Shut up,' she whispered between her teeth. 'You'll only make it worse.'

'What is it, Potter?' Snape ground out.

'It wasn't all Ron's fault. Malfoy provoked him and-'

'Enough,' Snape cried, cutting him off. 'Detention, Potter. Clearly you didn't hear the part where I said I didn't want to know what was going on. I only know what I saw and that is all. You and Weasley can stay behind after this lesson finishes.'

Hermione groaned. What had Harry been thinking? It was inevitable that Snape didn't care what he or she or any other Gryffindor thought about the matter. His attempts to frame Malfoy had always been futile. Snape adored him, and he adored all Slytherins. Sighing, she turned her attention back to the lesson, although she was unable to concentrate. The classroom remained silent from that point onwards, with Snape making everybody write essay after essay about things they had previously covered.

Hermione worked with diligence, although her mind was elsewhere. She found she couldn't bear to look at Draco. Thinking of him and what he had said- and his face as he had said it- made her feel sick to her stomach. She couldn't rap her head around it, and she refused to believe he meant it, but he must of. She just didn't know why. Whatever her thoughts and feelings, she needed to meet with him and find out what was going on, so, using a bit of spare parchment, she wrote him a note. It said plainly:

Room of Requirement

It was much like the note he had given her in Hogsmeade, and she prayed he would understand and decide to meet her. When class was over, she took her time stacking her books away, but it appeared that Draco was taking his time as well. She felt her throat constrict- she knew he was avoiding her. Eventually, however, he began to make his way to the door, and Hermione purposefully stepped into his path, bumping into him. She slipped the note into his cloak pocket just in time before he shoved her roughly to the side. 'Get out of my way, Granger,' he snapped furiously, stalking off without looking back.

Hermione let out a breath she didn't realise she had been holding. Collecting the rest of her books from her desk, she hurried after him, leaving behind Ron and Harry who were staying to serve their detentions. When she made it to the door, she felt the tightening in her throat worsen. Just outside the doorframe, lying on the floor, was a crumpled bit of parchment. Fingers shaking, she bent to pick it up, reluctantly unfolding it. It was her note, but this time it was Draco sending her a message.

I know, I know, I'm sorry. But every story has got to have a little bit of drama in it to retain interest don't you think? In the next chapter you'll be finding out why Draco was acting so strangely, unless you've already guessed it. Please remember to post a review, and thank you for reading... :)