Sorry about the Delay. But here's the next chapter! Gives a little insight to Draco's life too. Please Review I love you all :)
As usual when I woke Malfoy was gone. But this time I was a little surprised. Before making my way to potions I stopped by Madam Pomfrey's infirmary to see if maybe Malfoy has checked himself in last night.
"Miss Granger?" a voice called when I entered the room. I spun around a little surprised.
"Oh, hello Madam Pomfrey," I smiled awkwardly; I hadn't expected to be caught snooping around. I took a quick glance around and saw Malfoy nowhere in sight. The only person in the infirmary was a 2nd year who had been poisoned by one of Fred and George's quick growing hair chewing gum. Her hair was streaming out of the bed from her head, nose, legs and armpits. She smiled sickly over at me.
"Can I help you with something?" Madam Pomfrey asked.
"Oh no thank you," I said, backing away with a smile. Awkwardly I left as quickly as possible.
My timer vibrated telling me I had 5 minutes to get to class. I pushed Malfoy from my mind, consolidating myself with that thought that he was probably already in potions.
I felt a two huge arm sling around my shoulders. Harry and Ron grabbed me in the hallway, leaning all their weight on me.
"Hey Hermione," Hey both laughed. I Shrugged them off with a giggle.
"What's wrong with the pair of ye?" I asked.
"Looking forward to next week's potions test?" I joked.
"Defiantly not!" Ron said, sounding almost offended.
"It's the Quidditch match between Slytherin and Griffindor!" Harry winked.
"Bout time we showed that ferret what he's really worth, don't you think?" Ron said grabbing my book bag and carrying it for me.
I had completely forgotten today was the big day Harry and Ron had been talking about for ages. Malfoy was a seeker, but there was no way in hell he'd be able to ride a broom after what happened last night.
"I hope he takes a bluger to the head!" Ron squealed.
"You shouldn't wish those kinds of things on people Ron. You wouldn't want them to happen to you, would you?" I asked, hoping also that I hadn't given myself away a little. I regretting it immediately after I said it.
"Of course I wouldn't want those things to happen to me Hermione, but come on, in all sense of the word I'm a somewhat decent person. But Malfoy…He's scum of the earth! Look at the way he's treated us over all the years. Look at the way he's treated you! He made mud come out of your nose as a 'mudblood' joke. He'll always be a cunt Hermione. He'll never change!" Ron argued. I merely nodded my head in agreement. I didn't want to fight. Ron smiled back a little apologetic for raising his voice. Maybe he was right? Would Malfoy ever change?
To no one's surprise -not even my own – Malfoy wasn't in Potions or any class that morning.
"He better not chicken out!" Harry said at lunch looking around. The Match was after Lunch and he and Ron were shaking with excitement. I couldn't help myself either; subconsciously I had searched the hallways for him. He was nowhere to be found.
Crab and Goyle sat at the Slytherin table with Blaise and Pansy. The spot where Malfoy normally sat was empty and Pansy caught me eying it up. To my wonder she didn't scowl at me. She had a questionable look upon her face, before I dropped my head down to my book.
"Don't tell me you're reading that again Hermione? Do you live with that book?" Harry asked, laughing as he turned the book away from me and towards himself.
"I enjoy Hogwarts; A History!" I stated, grabbing the book back.
"What more is there to know about the school, you already know everything?"
"Oi!" Ron said, elbowing Harry in the ribs.
"There's the Ferret now," Ron whispered as he made his way down the main hall.
I watched him argus-eyed and curious. My stomach dropped when I saw his face. It was badly bruised around his jaw and neck as if someone had tried to choke him. I swallowed deeply.
"Woah!" Ron said, smiling his head off.
"I see somewhere already stolen my idea of hitting him with a bludger!" Ron was smiling bigger than ever.
"Oh my," I whispered, barely audible. He was walking with a limp and his usual greased back hair was aloof and fluffy. I watched him run a rigid hand through his hair and wince and his sat down beside Pansy.
"Someone must have roughed him up good!" Harry said, giving his opinion.
"Bout time! Cunt deserves it!" Ron squealed with happiness.
"Ron! Language!" I barked.
I watched a Pansy interrogated him about his bruises and cuts. I could tell he was charming the questions off. He leaned in, kissing just below Pansy ear seductively. Her mouth shut instantly. The line of questions stopped. I saw him roll his eyes in thanks. He nipped at her neck and smiled his infamous charming smile before turning away from her to stare up at the professors. He scanned the line; stopping at what I could only guess was Dumbledore. He stared long and hard at him, his eyebrows creasing in confusion. When Dumbledore looked back at him Malfoy jolted and looked down. A look crossed Dumbledore's face that I didn't recognize and then it was gone.
"That Pansy really does look like a dog, I actually feel bad for Malfoy that he has to put up with that!" Ron whispered low, as if the Slytherin's could hear us over the noise of the hall.
"RON!" I warned.
"Okay! Okay! I'll stop," He smirked.
"Are you coming Hermione?" Ginny asked as we passed the entrance to the Quiddicth Players Room.
"I'll catch up with you! Save me a seat?" I asked, smiling at her. She looked a little doubtful but went on her way any ways. Scanning the halls for anyone I leaped over the half door into the Slytherin Players quarters. I had hoped that most of the players would be out on the pitch by now, but just in case I casted a distorted vision charm.
It smelt like sweat and smart remarks.
"Fuck!" A voice mumbled. It was the voice I had been looking for. But there was also another voice too.
"Come on Malfoy, what the fuck happened to you last night? Why won't you talk about it? Some first year beat you up?" Blaise chuckled. There was a bang and harsh quick breaths. I rounded the corner to see Malfoy pinning Blaise against the locker.
"Alright calm down man!" He said between breaths.
"I was only joking man." Malfoy dropped Blaise to the ground.
"Get out of my face!" He said through clenched teeth. Blaise picked himself up off the ground before falling out the door onto the pitch. Malfoy dropped down to the lockers, sliding down against them onto the floor. He gathers his legs and brought them up to his chest and hid his face in his knees. I watched him breathe deeply for a long time before I sat down beside him and lifted the charm.
"Why don't you tell me what really happened?" I whispered. Malfoy jumped, almost a foot into the air.
"Granger!" He panted in shock and out of breath.
"What the Fuck! Are you trying to make me crap my pants! What are you even doing in here?" He asked clutching his leg in pain. He went to rub his face in frustration as he sat back down but winced in pain. I lifted my hand to trail my fingers along his jaw line but he slapped my hand away.
"Don't!" he warned. I sighed, folding my hands on my lap.
"Get out of here! I want to be alone." He didn't curl up in a ball like before; he retained the act of being a superior Malfoy.
"Malfoy you're in no shape to play a match. I forbid you from going out there in your condition," I whispered, lacking confidence. Which was worsened when Malfoy burst out laughing.
"You forbid me? Oh Granger, you make me laugh. What got you all worried about me all of a sudden? Don't tell me?" He laughed even harder, unable to choke it out.
"Don't tell me that you're in love with me?" he almost chocked on the laughter.
"I wouldn't stoop so low," I barked back. I hadn't meant to sound so mean, but it immediately silenced Malfoy's laughter. A harsh silence filled the room.
"I'm sorry," I whispered, bumping his knee slightly with mine. He chuckled a little.
"Why? You know it's true. I'm the world's biggest cunt and everyone knows it." He exhaled. And just like that the chanting began. The crowd outside began chanting Malfoy's name.
"They love you," I suggested.
"They love my status. No one really wants to be friends with the great Malfoy."
"I wouldn't want to be friends with Malfoy," I said, letting the silence drag before I added, "But maybe Draco." I got up without saying anything and left. I didn't watch the match; instead I went to the library to hide in my sanctuary.
Draco's Point of View
More than 6 years ago.
My dad clenched my shoulders hard.
"You remember what I said now Draco, about her and the rest of them?" his breath smelt of cigars as he slicked back a stray piece of hair. I nodded.
"That a boy," my father smiled down at me and I couldn't help smile back. Even if I wasn't going to play along with his ways. I was almost 12 I could make my mind up about blood status. Hermione was my friend and that was that.
My mother hugged me tighter than she ever had before I jumped on the train. She gave me a box of chocolates. I couldn't ignore the strange look on her face as she waved goodbye.
I was so nervous sitting in the compartment in the train. I had told Hermione to meet me in the 3rd last compartment of the train. I slicked back my hair and wiped the sweat of my hands by sliding them up and down my pants. The compartment door slid open and my heart raced.
"Can you smell them? I can! There stinking up the place with the filthy blood." A rather heavy boy laughed, followed by 3 other people who also laughed. I went to say something about this compartment being taken but they sat down before I could say anything.
"I saw one just there, she had a head of hair like a bush!" The other boy said. The girl sat in beside me and smiled.
"How's it going Draco?" she asked winking.
"How do you know my name?" I asked, worried. They all laughed.
"Everyone knows you?" She said a little confused.
"You're a Malfoy sure." The Dark skinned boy said. The all relaxed like we had known each other for years.
"I'm Blaise, this is Crab and Goyle and this is Pansy. Don't worry you'll get used to her!" Blaise said elbowing her in the ribs.
"Hey!" she complaining elbowing him back.
"I can't believe the filth there allowing attend this school. How can they expect us to mix with Mudblood scum? My father's furious. He wrote to the head of boards complaining about mixing purebloods and mudbloods. Its ridulious, I feel dirty even being on the same train as them!" Blaise said.
"Mudblood?" I asked, my eyebrows knitting together in confusion. They all looked at me a little shocked.
"Muggleborn kids? Witches and Wizards with non-magical parents," Pansy said, smiling a little too widely at me.
"Obviously you hate them too? Otherwise you wouldn't be a Slytherin!" Blaise laughed and everyone joined in.
"But we haven't even been sorted yet?" I said.
"Yeah, but when you know, you just know, and I know," Blaise winked.
I listened intensively to the rest of their conversation about 'mudbloods' and I knew instantly why my father had told me about it. I knew why he had forbidden me to see Hermione for the rest of the summer. In the slightest way his actions were almost preparing me for this. I now knew and understood the look on my mother's face as the train took off from the station. She knew this would happen and the decision I was going to have to make. And I knew, from the second the used the word 'mudblood' what I was going to have to do.
"Come on lets go find the idiot of a trolly lady, I'm starved!" Blaise said and Goyle and Crab practically jumped at the idiot.
"Coming Malfoy?" Pansy asked. I realized they were all calling me Malfoy. No one had ever called me that before. I nodded mechanically and followed.
I looked into all the compartments of everyone else, watching them smiling and laughing, making new friends and swapping childhood stories. Just letting Blaise, Crab, Goyle and Pansy into my a half an hour ago my compartment a half an hour ago I had –without knowledge- choosing my path. A blur of brown bumped into me, knocking me out of thought.
"There she is," Goyle laughed.
"Hello ugly, pick that bush up outta the earth and through it on your head?" Goyle sniggered.
Hermione whirled around, her hair brushing my neck and her smell bolting at me. It had been almost a month since I had last seen her. She ignored Goyle before turning back to me, and doing the unthinkable. She threw her arms around me and kissed my cheek. I froze underneath her. Within a second she caught on, froze slightly in my arms and backed up. I gave her a panicked look as Blaise and the rest of them stared at each other in shock. Hermione combed a hand nervously through her hair as her eyes stared deep into mind.
I knew if I was going to have the balls to do this I couldn't stare into her innocent eyes anymore. I looked away, took a deep breath and looked at Blaise.
"You know this piece of dirt?" Blaise asked in disbelief. I clenched my teeth together to stop myself from getting sick.
"Never seen this freak before in my life," I sniggered, pushing her away softly but roughly enough in hopes she'd just leave so I wouldn't have to do this.
She looked at me but I didn't dare look at her eyes. I saw a tear run down her cheek.
"You promised me! Draco?" she whispered my name. Blaise laughed, but looked at me severly as if to say he was bored with her and wanted to go.
"Can you smell something?" Pansy laughed.
"Come on Malfoy let's go! Finish up with your little 'friend'" Blaise said. I sighed inwardly and preformed like they wanted me too.
"We're not friends," I faked laughed. "She must be high on train fumes or something," I sniggered. I leaned in as close as I could to her ear, inhaling briefly her beautiful scent. I angled my body away from the guys so they couldn't see my face. I clutched her hand a little. I knew what I had to say to make her go away.
"Stay away from me…" I whispered harshly, loud enough for everyone to hear. "…you filthy little mudblood!" I spat. I moved away as quickly as my feet would let me. Blaise following at my wing.
"You not coming to get food?" Blaise asked, putting a hand on my shoulder, giving it a squeeze.
"I'll be there in a minute, I'm just going to the bathroom," I smirked, opening the bathroom compartment door and slipping in. As soon as the door was closed I dropped to my knees and got sick into the toilet.
There were many reasons why I did it. Not because of peer pressure. I knew that. The reason I had done it was because I could never subject Hermione to the life I was now destined to live. She could never handle the hate, the lies and the prejudice. I tried to console myself with the thought that I was protecting my friend but I began to think about never being able to talk to her again and the vomit came again. There was a bang on the compartment door.
"Malfoy? You okay?" Pansy sneered. I wanted more than ever to say no and go home to my mother but I had to begin the lies sometimes. So I started with the biggest and most common lie ever told.
"I'm fine."
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