Chapter 2 – Helpless
Ron was right. Hermione didn't have any family close enough to go to and he would find her straight away if she went to Harry's or Padma's. Hermione didn't have a home anymore, so she thought of the next best thing; Hogwarts.
As you're not allowed to apparate into Hogwarts grounds she ended up in the middle of Hogsmeade, right next to The Three Broomsticks. Hermione started walking in the opposite direction, knowing too well that someone she knew would undoubtedly be in there. Right now, she didn't want their pity. Hermione was too proud for that.
She found herself walking into a small alleyway next to the Hogs Head. She knew it wasn't really safe there but at that moment, Hermione couldn't care less. She slid down a building wall and brought her knees up to her chest and hugged them tight to her body. Hermione's eyes filled up with tears and pretty soon they escaped and she began crying hysterically. She wasn't upset that Ron had cheated on her, but because of the pain in her cheek and because she knew of what he could do to her.
Hermione brought her hand up to her cheek where the pain was pulsing through her and she felt a sticky substance on the growing lump that had formed there. She realised that his ring had cut her face. He had bought the ring after the war just to spend some of his money and to show off how much he could spend. From the back of her head, she felt a warm, moist substance that had begun to trickle down the side of her face.
She took in more of her surroundings and noticed how it was getting dark. The chill of the February night caught up with her and she pulled her jacket closer around her. The alleyway had a damp smell to it and it was full of rubbish and crates that had once held bottles for the Hogs Head. Hermione was sat next to some boxes, hidden from anyone walking past but she still had enough room to see them.
Hermione was helpless. She didn't know what to do. She could go and stay at the Leaky Cauldron in Diagon Alley but Ron would eventually find her as someone would inevitably see her and go and tell him of her whereabouts. It had happened once before. Hermione liked to be in control of situations, but right now she was not.
She tried to stifle her cries as the door to the pub opened. Two men walked out then shook hands and walked separate ways, one coming in her direction. Unable to hold on to her tears and sniffling, the man looked in her direction having heard her. At first he didn't look like he was going to stop walking past the alleyway but then he halted. Hermione tried to be silent, holding her breath to try and stop the tears from escaping, just so he'd carry on walking. It was no use.
The tall man stepped into the alley tentatively and drew his wand, prepared for anything. As he stepped past the boxes he noticed the girl, sat there, crying and lowered his wand, but not putting it away entirely in case this was some sort of trap.
Hermione looked up through her messy brown curls at him to see if he was going to help her out or ignore her. Just as she was about to look down she caught sight of his bright blonde hair that she could distinguish anywhere.
"Malfoy?"
Hearing his name, he looked closer at the crying girl in front of him to see if he recognised her. He took in the curly brown hair, big brown eyes, clear skin disturbed with tears, and her curvy frame.
"Granger?" He realised. "What, what are you doing here?"
"Baking a cake. What do you think I'm doing?"
"Well, crying down a dingy alley, but that's not like the Granger I remember from school so I thought I'd ask."
"Well, what are you doing? Shouldn't you have thrown something at me by now, laughed in my face and called me a mudblood?"
His strangely calm face clouded. "I haven't called anyone that in years. Don't go judgemental on me Granger; you don't know anything about me anymore."
"You were the one that brought back the memories of Hogwarts. Things change." She replied simply. Her crying had subsided slightly seeing Malfoy, as her guard had automatically gone up. She knew she shouldn't be worried about him doing something bad. Hermione had heard about how much good he had been doing for the Wizarding World in the past few years but old habits die hard.
"They do. But still, why are you sat here crying your eyes out?"
"Why would you care? You may have 'changed' Malfoy buy why would you care about me? We never got along." Hermione said bluntly. "Just go, I'm sure you've got more important things to be doing."
He ignored everything she said. "Where are Potty and Weasel? I thought they'd be around considering you're like the three musketeers." She raised an eyebrow at his knowledge of the muggle story. "And did you realize you're bleeding?" He said, eyeing her cheek.
"Yes I did, thank you very much."
"What happened to you? Why aren't you with the other two thirds of the mighty 'golden trio'?"
Hermione pulled a face at the 'golden trio', which Malfoy picked up on. "What, trouble in paradise?" He laughed. "Oh wait, weren't you with Weaselbee? Did you have an ickle argument? Did you realise that he actually has the intelligence of a carrot, not because of the ginger hair, although that could've been a factor, but because of his lack of brains?" Hermione brought her hand up to her mouth to try and prevent another round of tears. "What? I was just speaking the truth." She let out a small choked laugh at the extent of Ron.
She turned to Malfoy, who was now leaning against the opposite wall. "He cheated on me." Hermione didn't know why she told him, but she knew that she would have to tell people eventually. She might as well get it over and done with.
"Why do you care? You're too good for him anyway." Realising what he had just said, he continued. "Anyone is too good for him really. You're finally shot of him, right? Haven't you been with him since the war? Too long if you ask me. I couldn't stand five minutes with him."
"You don't know Ron, he'll come after me. He always does when I try to leave him."
Malfoy paused. "Hang on; did he do that to you?" He pointed at her swollen, bloody cheek.
Hermione nodded slightly. If he looked a bit annoyed before, he looked like a child that had just been told Santa wasn't real now.
"He hit you? He hit- He hit a woman? I knew he was low but I didn't know he was that low. Merlin, what an asshole. I know I'm not exactly King Nice but I would never hit a woman. What about Potter? Where's he? I can't imagine he beats his girlfriend, I'll give him that. Is he still with Weaslette?"
"No, she also cheated on him with Zacharias Smith." Probably wasn't the best time or place for a gossip but the conversation was calming, her heartbeat steadily going back to its usual pace.
"What, the Hufflepuff? I heard she hated him! And do Weasleys just think it's acceptable to cheat on other people?" His face showed signs of disgust. Wow, Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy agreeing on something. What was the world coming to?
"Apparently so..."
He looked uncomfortable on what to say next. "So, what are you going to do now?"
"I don't know. I can't go to Harry's because that's one of the first places he'd look, along with all my other friends." She started mumbling to herself. "Merlin only knows what he'll do next..."
"Shit." He said more to himself than to Hermione. "What about the Leaky Cauldron?"
"I considered it but someone would probably see me and tell him." She looked up at Malfoy. He looked like he was having a mental battle with himself.
He sighed. "Fine! You can stay at my house. But for one night only."
"Why?"
"Why? You know as well as I do that we don't bloody get along Grang-"
"No, I mean why are you being nice to me and, well, letting me stay with you?"
"Well I can't exactly leave you here to get raped can I? I'm not Weasel, I'm not that bad." He sneered at Ron's name.
"But I don't want to, you know, intrude." She said sheepishly.
"You and your bloody pride Granger. Whatever, you're coming with me." He got a hold of her hand and pulled her to her feet. "Just think though, Weasel would never look at my house for you." With a crack, they apparated away. When she landed on solid floor, Hermione looked up to find herself at none other than Malfoy's town house, in... Muggle London? Wait, what?