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Chapter Twenty
A Battle Lost
As weird as it was waking up in the house, it was weird waking up in the girls dormitory. The curtains drawn around her shielded the light, and she shut her eyes when she pulled them back the next morning.
She fell asleep last night debating in her head whether it would be better to wake early, and go to breakfast, or walk in with everyone staring at her like a slug. She opted for the first option. At least when they all stared she would have something to stare at too. Her plate.
Hermione dressed slowly, and quietly as not to wake the other girls up. She crept down to the empty common room, and down the staircases with her pack in tow. When she entered the Great Hall she was the first one. The teachers hadn't arrived, but the plates, and glittering goblets laid out ready in the rows of four tables.
She went to the second to the right, dragging out a book. Until the food came she would concentrate on the pages.
Ten minutes later students started filing in. She knew they were looking at each other. It wasn't known how a word traveled so fast through a school at night. It was one of life's greatest mysteries. She kept her eyes to her book, not looking back.
Aside from Harry, and Ginny, no other Gryffindors would sit near her. Ron sat with Seamus Finnigan, and his brother George. Even Nevielle was avoiding her. She took her chance over her plate of dry toast to look to the Slytherin table. If the stares from Gryffindor were daggers, then the Slytherin held swords to kill. As down key as possible she searched for Draco, but didn't see him. What did his fellow housemates do to him?
Harry leaned to her, and whispered, "it's alright, we'll be with you."
"It's Draco I'm worried about."
As everyone left for their classes, Harry, and Ginny stayed particularly close. Hermione followed in a haze. She thought of Draco. He wasn't a coward, he wouldn't run from breakfast. Something had to happen, she knew it. She broke away from the crowd.
"Hermione, where're you going?" Harry called.
"Infirmary."
"You okay -"
"It's a hunch, go ahead without me, I'll see you in class."
She was jostled harder than normal on her way to the infirmary. Once she was knocked clear off her feet a blinding pain shooting through her back. She didn't see who did it, but soon a foot connected with her stomach, and she curled instinctively into a ball gasping for air that was knocked out of her.
A loud crack like a firework exploded in the hall. A furious voice of a prefect echoed off the walls.
"Fifty points from Slytherin! Fifty from Ravenclaw!" Harry bent down grasping the crook of her arm pulling her to her feet. He shoved her forward giving glares to each, and every student they passed almost daring them to think of fighting back.
The halls emptied as the students went into their classrooms. He walked with her all the way up to the infirmary. Her hand reached for the door, but she realized Harry wasn't leaving. He seemed to know what she was thinking.
"I'll wait out here. Go on."
"Harry, you need to get to class. You can't follow me everywhere."
"Watch me. I'll tell Flitwick what happened, he'll understand."
She nodded, and went inside. Rows of white beds, and matching curtains lined each side of the wall. Madam Promfrey, the nurse, was bustling around as she usual did. She spotted Hermione right off, and hurried over.
"What is it, dear? Are you sick? Come in, come in, lie down."
"No, Madam Promfrey, I'm here to see someone."
"Who would that be?"
"Draco Malfoy. Is he here?" She waited on the answer with bated breath.
"Yes, he is. You should be in class..."
"I'll only be a minute, ma'am. Please...?"
Madam Promfrey curtly nodded, and added, "but only for a minute. Mr. Malfoy needs his rest. Last curtain there, dear."
Hermione held her breath walking over to the looming bed hidden by a curtain. She pulled it back, and she let out a gasp. Draco laid there bruises forming on his face, a cut below his eye, and his arm in a sling.
"It looks worse than it is," he said.
"How did this happen?"
"Parkinson tried to kiss me when I got in the common room. I went to bed early, but this morning she was all over me again. I told her off, and she joked about me falling for you. Everyone laughed... Except me. All I remember is Blaise's fist coming at my face, then lights out."
"I'm so sorry -"
"What for?"
"If we weren't -"
"It's worth it. We knew this was going to happen, and I'm okay with it, whatever they do. Are you?"
Hermione shook her head. "I hate seeing you hurt."
He grinned. "That sounds so good coming from you. Look, don't worry, I'll be out of here in no time. You better get to class. It's your first day back."
She kissed his forehead, then his lips. "I'll come back later."
"Don't, I'll be out soon. I'll make my last classes. Meet me tonight at twelve in front of the statue of that witch with the hump."
She chuckled, biting her tongue to correct him of the right name. "Okay, tonight."
Hermione retired to bed early. Not because she was tired, but because she was sick of the insults, and glares she received in the common room. Harry, and Ginny couldn't always be around to protect her. Especially tonight.
Her heavy curtains were closed around her. She counted the number of times the door closed. One... Two... Three... Four. The last of her roommates were in bed. Now it was time for her to leave.
Hermione kept her wand at her side, much like she did when she overheard Draco's promise to kill her. It was a lot less threatening hearing one person wanting to kill her than an entire school. There was nowhere she was safe. Her dormitory was the closest haven she had. The girls were so disgusted with her that they wouldn't speak. Normally that annoyed her more than the loud jeering, but in this case it was easy. She didn't have to worry about the tar being beaten out of her in bed.
She peered into the shadows for lurking students, and slipped out of the portrait hole. The Fat Lady jerked awake in her frame calling out into the darkness, "who's there? Password?"
She stifled a giggle rushing through the hallway. It was a relief being able to walk around safe. No one was there. She did have to keep her steps quiet, because she was sure Filch was roaming around somewhere looking for a student to punish. Unfortunately for her she no longer had the status of a prefect. It was taken away from her when she left. She admitted it was for good reason. She couldn't do her duties when she was in hiding.
Hermione took the twists, and turns of the passageways until she came to the designated area they had promised on. She heard a soft hissing, and followed it behind the statue immediately grabbed by strong hands, her mouth captured by someone else's, a tongue flicking over her lips.
Draco leaned his head against hers. "I've been wanting to do that all day."
"I've missed you," she said breathlessly.
He wrapped a hand in her hair, his arm fully mended. "I know this first day has been rough. Went to my last class today, and I thought I would be murdered on the spot."
"I'm lucky, Harry, and Ginny have been real good about this."
"Really? What about the Weasel?"
"They say he'll come around, but... I don't know if he will."
Draco buried his face in the crook of her neck, his lips lingering there as he spoke. "I'm sorry, but we knew."
She leaned back, bringing his lips to hers. She turned, and nibbled his ear playfully. "I have to go," she whispered apologetic. "We have classes tomorrow."
"Yeah... Same time tomorrow night?"
She nodded happily, and snogged him once more. "Okay, I really have to go now. Tomorrow."
"Tomorrow."
They appeared from the statue. Hermione felt light, and cheerful. Whatever may come of the next day, whatever was said to her she had something to look forward to.
She made it halfway down the hallway when something from behind grabbed her around her waist. Her first thought was Draco, but he had gone the opposite way, and this wasn't his grip, he was more gentle, less broad. Panic took her. She screamed, it was piercing, but a large hand clamped over her mouth, muffling her cries. She heard Draco's yells in the distance.
"Hermione? You okay? Umph." There was the nasty sound of someone being hit.
Hermione couldn't see him. She had to see if he was alright. She bit down on the hand blood filling her mouth, and whoever it was howled in pain. She ran from the strangers grasp, and withdrew her wand from her pocket. "Lumos," the strangers face was lit, though the sudden glow hurt her eyes. She could see it was a tall bulky Slytherin. Goyle...
She sent a curse at him, the bang echoing. Goyle flew backwards off his feet crashing into the wall behind him, his head hitting it hard. He slumped down, looking like a beaten marinate.
She spun seeking Draco. She saw at the end of the hallway. He was in Blaise Zabini's hold, a dark boy with a bulky figure.
Draco's wand was a good foot from him. It was up to her now, she shot another spell from her wand, and with perfect aim Zabini flew back like his friend had. Draco straightened, and ran to her. He inspected her face in his hands as if he was going to find something there to tell him exactly how she was.
"I'm okay," she assured him. "Are you?"
"I'm fine," he said dismissively. "You're bleeding..."
She directed away from him, spitting the blood out. "It was Goyle's, I bit him."
He laughed approvingly, "good job."
"Get away from her!" Zabini yelled, back on his feet, his wand pointed directly at them, Draco's wand in the other. "Expelliarmus," and Hermione's wand flew out of her hand. She was defenseless.
"Not too quick are you, mudblood?"
Protectively Draco shoved her behind him. "You're problem's with me, Blaise. Leave her out of this."
"You leave the Dark Lord, and fall for a mudblood?! It's disgusting! It's no wonder your father won't claim you. I heard your mother cried of shame when she heard."
"I don't give a damn, Blaise," Draco yelled.
Hermione tried to listen for Filch. At any other time he would be bursting through handing out punishments like Christmas came early. Now he was nowhere to be seen, not even his spying cat Mrs. Norris. It figured, the one time they needed him. She couldn't be sure what good it would do. Zabini looked like he would curse anyone.
"Be honest here, Draco. Is a mudblood any better in bed than a Slytherin?"
Draco's expression was livid. "Why you -" He took a step forward leaving Hermione in Blaise' range, and he took his chance.
Hermione felt the force of the spell send her back through the air. Her body went rigid when she fell to the floor, a fresh course of pain striking her. It would only last a moment, she knew, but she didn't like her position. Her wand... Her wand was right there next to her, but she couldn't reach it. It was maddening.
She heard footsteps, intangible words, and then the sound of a body hitting the floor. She knew it was Draco, he didn't have a wand. They were done for. There was nothing saving them now...
As Zabini's gleaming face came into view a bright light blasted across it. He was gone. Rushing footsteps. Someone had come to save them! The next thing she saw was Dumbledore's hassled appearance.
They had lost a battle that night, but Hermione, and Draco were more determined than ever. They were going to win the war. No one, not even their own houses were going to tear them apart.