So here's the next chapter, and I struggled slightly with it.

I've been super busy, and I've been writing other fics on my account on AO3, (mostly Frerard, which you can read here: /users/Juliet_Urie_Way_Iero_Dawson), and I started another series, so I finally came back to this story after a brainstorming session involving four cups of coffee, writers block, and three MCR albums later.

This chapter is pretty juicy and long, so again, enjoy! And don't forget to favorite, review, and follow!

Hermione woke up Saturday morning, a bright smile on her face. She was so excited, she practically jumped out of her bed, and almost put on her clothes backwards. She had been looking forward to today, because between classes and Lavender's little behaviors, she needed a break.

Pulling on her black jumper, she looked at her outfit in the mirror: white skinny jeans, a black t-shirt with a band logo on it, and her blue high tops. She looked good enough to go into Hogsmeade. She grabbed her coat and made her way to her secret study spot, just before she went to have breakfast. She was meeting Draco, like she had promised him the night before.

Stopping in front of the portrait, she uttered the password and walked in, looking around for Draco. She was puzzled, because she didn't see him. All of a sudden a pair of cold hands covered her eyes, and a deep voice perforated her ears.

"Guess who?" it said, and she whirled around, her wand at the ready. She lowered her wand when she saw it was Draco, a stupid grin on his face, and breathed a sigh of relief. She studied him, and noticed he was wearing a navy blue sweater, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and dark pants with white sneakers. He looked so handsome.

"I thought you were someone else. You almost scared me half to death!" she said, holstering her wand.

"Sorry love. Didn't mean to frighten you. Just thought it would be funny." He moved past her and sat in his favorite chair, or, well, her favorite chair, and swung his legs over the arm.

She glared at him; he knew full well that she hated when he did that. She stomped over to where he was sitting, and after a brief moment, sat on him hard, knocking the breath out of him. He gasped, and quickly pushed her off.

"What'd you do that for?" he exclaimed, rubbing his smarting stomach.

"You know I hate it when you sit on the chair like that," she said, chuckling a little bit.

"Yeah I know, but you hurt me," he said, pouting a little, faking a wounded expression.

"Oh don't you even do that! Trying to get me to feel sorry for you, you insufferable snake," she said, in a loving tone.

He smiled, and sat up, still rubbing his stomach. "So, what're you gonna do in Hogsmeade today?"

"Nothing really, just hang out with Luna and Ginny, probably going to buy a few books. Nothing spectacular."

"Wish I would go with you. I wanna spend more time with you. Probably take you out on a date. Merlin knows how much I hate not being able to be seen out with you in public."

"I know, Draco. We can't risk it though."

He leaned forward and pulled her into his lap, kissing her cheek. "No matter. Sitting here with you in our secret spot is all I need." He tucked a stray hair behind her ear, and rubbed her cheek with his thumb. "Just being around you is enough."

She smiled, and kissed him on the lips. "I know." She leaned her head into his shoulder, and stroked his hair. "What are you going to do today?"

He sighed. "As of right now, nothing. But later I might go to the Three Broomsticks with Blaise and Theo, but that's it. I got a few errands to run. But I'll mostly be bored until four or five."

"Sounds so riveting." Hermione said sarcastically, staring into the fire.

He pinched her butt, and she squeaked, squirming in his lap. He gasped, and quickly moved to adjust himself, hoping she hadn't noticed his slight bulge.

Unfortunately, she had. "I-I'm sorry, Draco."

"It's fine, Hermione. It's just a natural reaction." He moved, so that she was sitting mostly on his legs and not on top of his growing erection.

She stood up, and leaned down and kissed him. "Well, I should be off. I have to go eat before I meet with Harry in the library to go over some Charms homework. Meet me here at around two?"

Draco nodded. "Yeah. I'll see you then, love." He stood up and hugged her, placing a kiss on her forehead. She curled into his touch, and gripped him harder. He always smelled so good, like parchment and freshly mown grass, with a hint of mint toothpaste. And she loved his hugs.

He smiled and let go of her. "Go on. I've kept you long enough."

She chuckled and left the room.

Draco watched her leave, and turned to go sit down again, ignoring the painful bulge in his pants. He sighed, and willed it to go down.

Hermione made her way to the Great Hall, a big smile on her face. Draco always made her smile, and Ron had begun noticing the change in her demeanor. Not like she cared, of course. Ron was always at the back of her mind, seeing as how Draco was always on her mind. She rarely talked to Ron anymore, but that wasn't a choice on her part, oh no; that was something Lavender had decided for her. Any time Hermione tried getting close enough to talk to Ron, Lavender always managed to divert his attention, never giving Hermione a chance to mutter out a "Hello".

And as Hermione walked into the Great Hall, she noticed that Ron was sitting all alone for once in three weeks. Seeing her chance, she darted towards Ron and sat right next to him, beaming at him all the while. He looked up and smiled at her, chewing his bacon, and went back to reading the Daily Prophet. She was slightly surprised that he was up this early, and wondered for a moment why he was. Pushing her thoughts aside, she opened her mouth to speak, only to be interrupted by Colin Creevey.

"Hiya Ron! Whatcha up to?" Hermione groaned, knowing she'd lost her chance. She slumped in her seat, defeated. Colin continued to ramble on, not noticing that Ron wasn't paying any attention.

Ron glanced at Hermione and noticed her sad expression. He put up a hand to stop Colin, and Colin quieted, and slowly walked away.

"What is it, 'Mione?" Ron asked, rubbing her hand affectionately.

She looked up and saw his concerned expression, and smiled a bit. I'd missed being this close to him. "I'm okay, Ron. I just missed talking to you is all."

He smirked, and hugged her. "I've missed talking to you too, Hermione. It feels like it's been ages. Lavender's always around and to be quite honest, I wish she'd give me some time to myself. I can't go anywhere without her practically attached to my hip."

Hermione laughed. "That is true." She made a plate, and chewed on some toast. "So, anything new, other than Lavender and winning the Quidditch match?"

"Not really no. Just a lot of homework. And studying, whenever I can, that is."

Hermione choked on her toast, and gasped for air. "S-studying? Ronald Weasley, studying?!" she said, mockingly placing a hand over her heart. "I think I'm having a heart attack!"

Ron laughed, and lightly punched Hermione's shoulder. "Oh shut it. I couldn't very well ask you for help, now could I? With me being almost always preoccupied with Laven-"

He stopped abruptly, and his face blanched. Hermione stopped chewing and turned around to see Lavender standing behind her, her bottom lip quivering.

Ron got up and moved towards Lavender, who recoiled and ran out of the Great Hall, and Ron sighed, exasperated.

"I'll talk to you later, okay?" He said, then ran after Lavender, calling her name.

Hermione just watched him leave, and then stared at her plate. Well, that went well. She continued eating.

After Hermione had finished her breakfast, she made her way to the library. She quickly checked her watch, a gift from her mum, and saw that it was a quarter to 10. She hurried, knowing she was running late. She burst through the library doors, slightly out of breath. She made her way towards the table where Harry was sitting, an open book in front of him.

"Hey Harry. Sorry I'm late." She sat down, and took out her Charms textbook. "What are we working on again?"

"Conjuring charms. Page 456." Harry said, running his fingers in his hair. He looked stressed.

"What's wrong?" Hermione inquired, worried about her best friend.

"Luna… Luna's been acting weird. I don't know what's wrong with her. She's acting more unusual that she usually does. She's always tired. She's sick. And she's eating a lot too. Like, a lot. I'm wondering if she's deathly sick."

"Uh, Harry? Have you guys…?" Hermione asked, knowing what might be wrong with her.

"Yeah. Do you think…?"

"More than likely, yes. She could be pregnant."

"Fuck." Harry cradled his face in his hands, and Hermione could see he was shaking. She rubbed his back lovingly.

"Harry, it's okay. You'll be fine. I'm sure there are options-"

"No, Hermione. It's not that I don't want this kid. I'm just worried about Luna. She's not good with this thing. It'll be hard for her. People tease her already and I don't want anything bad happening to her or the baby. Not to mention she's got two years of school left. That's a lot to put on a fifteen year old."

Hermione, taken aback, was silent for a few moments. Then, she asked him a question.

"Do you love her?"

"Of course. I really love her. I'd want nothing more than to be with her for the rest of my life. I may only be sixteen, but I know I love Luna. She's amazing, and she understands me more than anyone."

"I understand Harry. But I wouldn't worry about it until you know for sure, okay?"

"Okay."

They began on their homework, occasionally taking breaks, until about a quarter to one.

"Hey, I've got to go, okay? I've got to meet... You know…"

Harry nodded. "Yeah yeah. Don't get into too much trouble okay?" Harry was okay with Hermione and Draco's relationship, even if he had his doubts. So far, Draco hadn't given Harry any indication that he shouldn't be trusted. But Harry was cautious nonetheless.

Hermione packed her stuff up and made her way to her spot, and was rounding the corner when she saw Blaise Zabini, in the most compromising position with a certain Ravenclaw.

Blaise heard Hermione's footsteps, and turned around, a smile on his face.

"Heya, Granger! What're you up to?"

Hermione watched as the Ravenclaw, who she determined to be Zacharias Smith, quickly adjust himself and smooth his hair. His lips appeared to be swollen, his tie loosened, and his shirt slightly untucked. And a noticeable bulge in his pants. Hermione suppressed the urge to giggle; Blaise had apparently worked his magic on the Ravenclaw, who was now blushing a deep magenta color, which contrasted magnificently with his dirty blonde hair.

"Uh, nothing really, Blaise. How about you?"

"Oh nothing really. Just having a little chat with good ol' Zackie here. Isn't that right, darling?" Blaise turned to the embarrassed boy, who nodded, clearly uncomfortable.

Hermione, now giggling, opened her mouth to speak when, for a second time that day, was rudely interrupted.

"Blaise?! What's going on? And who is HE?!" a voice boomed out from behind her, and she turned around to see none other than Ernie MacMillian, who looked furious.

Blaise sighed, and looking to Hermione, he gestured to Ernie, and said, "I've got to go. Love never waits, I suppose." Then he walked over to Ernie, who immediately began shouting, pointing at Zacharias, who was slowly inching away from his spot, trying to escape the two lover's squabble.

Hermione continued on her way, finally reaching the portrait. Entering the study room, she spotted Draco who was sitting on the couch, and he looked to be fast asleep. She quietly made her way over to the spot, and studied him as he slept.

His lips were slightly parted, and his brow was relaxed; he looked positively angelic. She could hear his shallow breaths, watched the way his fingers twitch slightly, noting the way his platinum blonde hair seemed to fall across his face in small, soft tendrils. In sleep, Draco looked positively gorgeous, even more beautiful than he was awake. He looked peaceful.

She continued watching him, smiling the entire time. He was hers, and she was his. She was happy, for the first time in a long time. She stroked his hair gently, noting its silky softness.

His face changed from a peaceful look of tranquility to one of extreme sadness, in a matter of minutes. His brow furrowed, he began murmuring feverishly, and Hermione stopped her ministrations, worried that he might be having a nightmare. When he started whining, and thrashing about, that's when she woke him up, shaking him until he woke up, his eyes wide, his hair a mess.

"What's wrong? You looked like you were having a nightmare, Draco."

"Yeah, I guess I was. It was a bad one." He sat up, and stretched, yawning in the process. "How long've you been here?"

"No longer than a few minutes at most. I couldn't bear to wake you. You looked so peaceful."

"I was. Till that damn nightmare. Which I really don't wish to talk about," he interjected, before she had a chance to ask what it was about.

She closed her mouth and nodded. "Okay." She sat down next to him, and leaned her head on his shoulder.

"Have you been here all day?"

"Yeah. I didn't really want to do my errands so I decided to just take a nap. It was quiet, so I thought why not?" He lay his head on top of hers, and held her hand, rubbing his thumb across it. "How did you thing with Harry go?"

"It went well. Managed to finish most of his homework. Even though he was worried about…" She stopped, wondering if she should be sharing this information with her boyfriend.

"Worried about what?"

"It's nothing. I probably shouldn't talk about it."

"Is it about me? Because I'll talk to him again. I don't want him thinking that I'm going to hurt you. Otherwise he'd never fully accept our relationship." Draco didn't really care about whether or not Harry accepted their relationship; it was mostly for Hermione's sake that he sought Harry's approval. He knew she couldn't truly be happy unless Harry fully supported her decision.

"No it's not about you. It's about Luna."

"Oh. Okay." He dropped the subject, and continued to sit with her in silence, staring into space.

"By the way, I stumbled across Blaise a little bit ago. I thought he was dating Ernie?"

Draco, confused, looked at Hermione. "Yeah he is. But what would make you doubt that?"

"Well, because I saw him with Zacharias Smith. And they looked like they had just engaged in an intense snogging session up until I interrupted them. And that's when Ernie showed up." She began giggling. "He wasn't too happy."

"I wouldn't imagine so. Blaise has wandering eyes and a wandering tongue. He's not very monogamous."

Hermione laughed again, and Draco couldn't help but laugh with her. Her laugh was like tinkling bells, so pure and innocent and contagious.

They laughed for a few minutes and eventually fell silent. Hermione sat up, and adjusted herself so that she was slightly draped over Draco, and when she found that position uncomfortable, she got up, and went to sit by the fire, crossing her legs underneath her.

Draco got up and sat behind her, and put his arms around her, rocking her back and forth, kissing her neck. She leaned back into him, placing her head so that it rested on his shoulder, and closed her eyes, letting herself relax. He inhaled her cherry blossom scent, and closed his eyes, enjoying feel of the witch in his arms. It was quiet, save for the crackling of the fire and their soft breathing.

"I love having moments like this with you. It's nice. The time I get to spend with you is the highlight of my day." Draco whispered, nuzzling her neck.

Hermione smiled, and brought her hands to her waist, where his hands were resting. She entwined her fingers in his, and sighed.

"I know Draco. I love spending time with you. You make me feel peaceful, like my mind can finally rest. You have an effect on me; kinda like the one I have on you."

He laughed, and she could feel the way it made his body shake. "What's so funny about that?" she asked.

"Never in a million years would I have thought that Hermione Granger, bookworm extraordinaire, would say she loves spending time with me, Draco Malfoy, the most insufferable ferret in the entire world."

"Well, I guess you grew on me. And you're my insufferable ferret."

"And you, my bookworm extraordinaire." He turned her face towards his, and kissed her gently.

She kissed him back, and he deepened the kiss, bringing up his hands and tangling them in her hair, pulling her closer so that her body was flush against his. He could feel himself becoming aroused, but he didn't care. He just wanted to lose himself in the feeling of kissing her, his witch. He untangled his hands from her hair, broke the kiss, and flipped her around, so that she was straddling him, and continued kissing her, running his hands up her back and underneath her jumper.

Hermione, wanting Draco to touch more of her, pulled away and hastily took off her sweater, and threw it on the chair, and attacked him, pushing him down and resuming her kissing. Draco was fully hard by now, and while running his hands along her spine, let them rest on her backside, and began to grind against her, his arousal rubbing against her center. He couldn't help the moan that escaped his lips.

The moment he did that, Hermione stopped, and yanked herself back, panting slightly, and shaking. He looked at her, confused, and then realized what was wrong.

She was reliving her rape.

They had never been this far, not in the short span of the two days they had been dating, and he had completely forgotten about her past experiences; he had been so caught up in the moment he had forgotten to hold back.

He sat up, and she rested against his shoulder, sobbing really hard. Her entire body was shaking violently, and she couldn't stop. The only thing he could do was sit there and hold her tight, trying to center her, rubbing her back and rocking her back and forth, murmuring comforting words into her ear. After a few minutes, she emitted a shaking breath, and her shaking stopped.

"Love, I'm so sorry. I got so caught up. I'm so so sorry…" Draco whispered, trying not to cry. He hated that she had been hurt so badly. He hated that she had flashbacks, night tremors. She had told him about the one she had recently, and it hurt him so much to hear about it. He wished he could take the pain away. All of it.

"I-It's okay. It happens…" she said shakily, sniffling and wiping her eyes. Her soft, small body seemed so fragile in his arms, and he loosened his grip, scared that she might break. Stop thinking she's so fragile, Draco. She's strong. She's told you not to treat her like a victim. Just comfort her. Tell her it's alright.

"I know, but I triggered it. I hate myself for doing that. It won't happen again, I promise. Just take a few minutes, okay? I'm just going to hold you."

Hermione nodded, and they resumed sitting in silence, Hermione still straddled in his lap, her legs wrapped around his waist, and his arms wrapped around her.

"I-I do want to try, eventually, Draco. To, you know, do things. I'm just not ready." She said quietly, her head against his neck, her arms wrapped loosely around his waist.

"I know, love. And we'll come to that bridge when we cross it." He felt her nod, and continued to stare into the fire.

A sudden beeping noise interrupted the silence and Hermione checked her watch and gasped. "I need to go! I'm gonna be late!" She got up and retrieved her sweater, and hurriedly threw it back on.

She was out of the portrait hole before he could even could say goodbye.

Hermione practically ran to the courtyard, and finally arrived, out of breath. She saw that Ginny and Luna were already waiting for her, and Hermione noticed that Luna looked a little sick, and her face seemed rounder. She looks pregnant.

Hermione walked up to the pair, and smiled. "Hey, sorry I'm late. Are you both ready to go?"

Ginny nodded. "Yeah. What took you so long?"

"I'll tell you both later."

They made their way to the carriages, the ones that would take them into Hogsmeade, not opting to walk since it was so cold. Getting in, Hermione watched Luna try to get into the carriage and noticed that she seemed to wobble a bit. Poor Luna. She is pregnant. I wonder if she knows.

After Ginny got in, they were on their way, the sick look on Luna's face only seeming to amplify tenfold. The swaying motion of the carriage only served to make the poor girl sicker, and Hermione feared that she might throw up in the carriage. Thankfully, they got to Hogsmeade before something of that nature happened.

Getting out, the three girls began to walk to a local bookshop, chatting along the way, and made their way into the bookstore, casually browsing. Hermione beelined straight to the history section, wanting to find something on the Half-Blood Prince. When she found nothing, the girls exited the bookshop, Hermione feeling slightly defeated. They made their way to the Three Broomsticks, and ordered three butterbeers, sitting at a table in the corner that provided them with a full view of the bar.

Hermione shrugged off her coat, and caught the attention of Luna, who seemed to be rambling about conspiracy theories involving the Were population and Cornelius Fudge's involvement.

"Daddy reckons Fudge had a cousin or aunt who had been bitten by a Were and therefore completely hates them, wanting to exterminate-"

"Hey Luna? Could I talk to you about something quickly?" Hermione interrupted, and Luna smiled.

"Of course, Hermione. What is it?"

"Well, Luna, erm, Harry's worried about you."

"Why on Earth is Harry worried about me?"

"He, uh, reckons you're pregnant."

"Well, I am. Five weeks, to be exact. I found out a couple days ago."

"Oh." Hermione, flabbergasted, couldn't comprehend how matter-of-factly Luna had talked about her pregnancy, as if it was nothing.

"And you're okay with being pregnant at 15?" Hermione didn't want to sound too judgemental; after all, Luna was quite mature for her age. She just wanted to make sure that this baby was something she really wanted.

"Why not? I'm with someone I love. Harry's the first and only person I've been with, as I am with him. I love him alot, and he loves me. It may be hard, but it's what happens when two people make love, isn't it?"

"Well, yeah."

"Don't worry Hermione; you'll find someone who you'll love with all your being eventually. And who loves you with every fiber of their being."

Hermione blushed. "I think I might have."

This time, Ginny, who had been listening to the conversation, piped in. "Ooh, who is it, Hermione? Tell us!"

Hermione, hesitant, decided it was too late to withhold who it was.

"D-Draco Malfoy."

Both girls went silent, and two gasps, followed by the unmistakeable sound of glass shattering, were heard coming from in front Hermione.

She turned slowly, and saw Ron and Lavender standing there, mouths wide open, a broken butterbeer bottle by Ron's foot.

The look on Lavender's face was priceless, in Hermione's opinion. Surprise, disappointment, and confusion littered the blonde witch's features, and Hermione had to suppress the urge to burst out laughing in front of her.

Ron's face, on the other hand, made Hermione slightly sad. Hurt, sadness, and confusion, but most of all, anger, were prevalent on his face. Hermione opened her mouth to speak, but Ron stopped her by raising a hand to silence her.

"Don't. You. Even. Dare." He sputtered out, his eyes wet, his voice trembling with insurmountable fury. He looked so betrayed, so hurt, so angry. Lavender looked over at her boyfriend, confusion on her face. Why was Ron acting so peculiar? He was with her, Lavender Freaking Brown, the prettiest girl in Hogwarts, second to Cho Chang. Why was he so angry that Hermione was with Draco Malfoy, who was arguably the hottest guy in their year, other than Blaise Zabini? Then it clicked.

Ron still loved Hermione. And he wouldn't stop, no matter what Lavender did. And as Lavender realized that, she felt her heart break a little and ran to the bathroom, leaving the duo to face off.

Hermione watched Lavender come apart, and as the witch left, she turned her attention back to Ron. "Ron I can-"

"NO! You don't get to say a single thing to me. No, no, don't even try. You disgust me!" He raised his voice and began attracting the attention of the other patrons in the bar, and Hermione worriedly glanced around the room.

"Ron please, can we talk about this outside?"

Ron, still trembling, stomped towards the back door of the bar, and opened it, gesturing outside. Hermione followed, and he stepped out, slamming the door behind him.

He turned to her, his brows furrowed. "WHAT THE FUCK?!"

Hermione jumped, his booming voice scaring her. "R-Ron p-please stop y-yelling…"

"What does he have that I don't?"

Hermione averted her eyes, not wanting to look him in the eye. "He actually pays attention, Ron. HE pursued ME. HE likes ME. I'd been sending you signals for the past two months but you ignored them. And then you got with Lavender, so I gave up. I was hurting, Ron, and you didn't care! He comforted me when you weren't there! WHAT WAS I SUPPOSED TO DO?"

"Wait for me! You were supposed to wait for me! WE are supposed to end up together, not you and that slimy git! But no, you can't keep your legs closed, can you? I bet you slept with McLaggen, too, huh? Stupid whore-"

At that moment, Ginny burst from the door, and slapped Ron across the face, before Hermione had the chance to.

"RONALD BILIUS WEASLEY! HOW DARE YOU!"

Ron rubbed his cheek, and glared at Ginny. "Stay out of it Gin," he warned.

"No! How dare you say that about Hermione! She's your best friend; you've known her for over five years! Now, she made a choice that you don't agree with, but that's her prerogative. You don't get to judge her based on who she chooses to give her heart to. Not when you're with that slag Lavender Brown."

Ron's face reddened, and he glared at Hermione.

"At least Lavender doesn't consort with Death Eaters."

Hermione's heart broke, and her head snapped up, and this time, she looked Ron square in the eye. "How dare you?! How the HELL do you know if he's a Death Eater?! Hm?! Have you actually taken the time to get to know him? No? I didn't think so! So shut your mouth, Ronald Weasley, about things you know nothing about! I don't understand why you're not okay with this, because Harry is!"

That caught Ron's attention. "...Harry's okay with this?!"

"As a matter of fact, he is." A voice said behind them, and everyone turned to see it was Luna.

"How the HELL does Luna know all about this?" Ron asked, turning to the platinum blonde girl.

"Harry told me. And you know what Ron? I'm okay with it." Luna said, walking over to Hermione and grabbing her hand, showing her loyalty to the brown haired witch.

Ginny, on the other hand, looked slightly uncomfortable. "Ron, I think you need to leave."

Ron nodded, and turned to leave when Hermione moved forward, and stopped him.

She took a deep breath, and said the three words she had never allowed herself to say to her best friend.

"I was raped. A while ago. I've never had sex that was consensual, Ron. I'm not a whore."

He stopped, and looked at her curiously. Then, he sneered.

"Serves you right. Probably deserved it." He yanked his arm away from her, and entered the pub, leaving Hermione silent, staring at the spot her former best friend had occupied only a second ago, dumbfounded.

She couldn't believe Ronald Weasley, the boy who had been her best friend for close to six years, had said those words to her. She could feel herself crumbling, and her body swayed, and she found herself falling to the ground, until a pair of arms caught her and she passed out.

When Hermione woke, she found herself in a bed, presumably in the hospital wing. She observed her surroundings, her vision still a bit hazy, noticing it was dark, so it must've been night time, and smiled when she saw a platinum blond head resting at the foot of the bed.

"Draco…" she quietly croaked out, and the head moved slowly, and Hermione saw her boyfriend's face come into view, a worried look marring his perfect features.

He sat up and climbed into the bed with her, and cuddled against her, his cold hands resting against her warm ones, and snuggled close to her, his face buried in her hair.

"I was worried about you, pet. Lovegood said that you passed out while you were in Hogsmeade. Said you would've hit the ground if Dean Thomas hadn't caught you." He kissed her head. "What would've caused you to pass out?"

Hermione swallowed, and took a deep breath. "Ron found out. About us."

Draco sighed, and snuggled closer. "Well, bugger what he thinks."

"I told him I was raped after he insinuated that I was a whore." Hermione took a deep breath, wanting to cry. "He said that I probably deserved it."

Draco stilled. He was pissed. "Oh? Did he now?"

He could feel Hermione nod, and she started to shake. Fuck, she was crying.

He pulled her closer, and wrapped his arms tight around her. "Deep breaths, love. I'm here. It's okay, go ahead and cry."

And Hermione did, until she fell asleep with Draco right next to her. Draco, ensuring that she was truly asleep, extracted himself from her, and walked out of the hospital wing, being careful not to disturb Madame Pomfrey, who had fallen asleep in her chair.

Draco was shaking. He was angry. No, scratch that. He was FURIOUS.

How dare that red headed fucker say that Hermione deserved her rape?! No one deserves that! Not even the worst person on earth!

You know, Draco, interjected the first voice, one he had taken to call Erik, you could do something about it. Hurt him, you know? Hit him where it hurts the most.

Yeah, piped up the second voice, whose name was Alice, get him by hurting someone he loves; that slag Lavender.

Or, said the third one, who was Alexander, just hurt him directly.

All of you need to shut up! I need to think. Draco thought, his mind racing, and the three voices shut up, giving him a moment's silence.

I know what to do.