Disclaimer: Only the story idea is mine. The characters you recognize and Hogwarts and such are all J. K Rowling's. Thanks to my betaashash52009!
I Knew That Something Was Wrong
It was later that same day, just after dinner, when Hermione heard the Head's portrait door open, and looked up from her position on the couch expecting to see Draco. She did, but the slender figure of his Italian housemate walked into the space as well. Surprised by the sudden appearance of Blaise, she stopped working on she had been completely engulfed in moments ago and pulled her legs off the couch, staring at the two intently. They did not stop in the entranceway but came to sit beside her in the common room; Draco on the couch and Blaise on the chair placed on the other side of the room.
It was no secret to the blond that Hermione had yet to feel entirely comfortable in Blaise's presence- which he liked to assume had to do with him being male and not because he was Slytherin- but had never questioned her about it. That being said, they had agreed that Blaise would stay a bit of a distance away from her in this conversation, at least until the Gryffindor moved on from her fear and learned to trust the Italian.
They exchanged a few pleasant if not slightly dull hello's, all of which excluded Blaise, until Malfoy decided it was apparently time to cut to the chase. "Weasley was acting odd today, don't you think Granger," he began, raising a delicate eyebrow. Blaise sat forwards in his chair, elbows on his knees, waiting to see what she had to say.
The girl glanced between the two boys. Obviously, this was the entire reason why Blaise had come up today, but what difference did he make? Usually Draco could push her far enough to the point where her mind would swim and she was uncertain what to think next. So why was Zabini so important just now?
Thinking back, the ginger had seemed a bit cocky the entire day, and kept glancing her way. It had been unsettling, but that was nothing out of the ordinary. After all, she had a right to feel unsafe around him after everything that had happened. "He was no stranger than any other day."
Blaise stifled a scoff but noted that his blond housemate couldn't hold back an eye roll. "You need to use those eyes of yours a bit more Granger," the blond said, "He's been looking at you like prey since breakfast. You need to be cautious, because we think he is planning something again."
"What more could he possibly do to me," she asked, eyes narrowing. "If he repeats the act then it's a bigger sentence, and even Ron wouldn't want that. He maybe playing a dangerous game, but I think he is smarter than that."
"You give the bastard a lot of credit then," Blaise muttered.
"What was that Zabini?" she asked icily, glaring at him now. The very idea of Ron even getting close to her made her sick to her stomach, but she wouldn't let them know that. They were being helpful enough, but they didn't need her emotional baggage bothering them. If Ron came around again, she wasn't quite sure how she would react.
Besides, there was nothing saying that he really wouldn't try to attack her in such a way again.
"Calm down Granger," Draco drawled, holding up his hands. "You have to stop considering the Weasel you used to know as still existing. You may have it implanted in your mind to defend him because you have known the idiot for years, but you have to remember what he did. The fool doesn't need your defense, because that is going to do nothing to save his arse. I'm not Potter- and thank Merlin for that- so there's no reason to snap at us for having an opinion of your rapist."
She clamped her mouth shut, listening to his words. The blond was right; she didn't owe Ron anything and in this small room of people she had no reason to defend him. Merlin, he was willing to betray her in the worst possible way! She needed to stop defending him, she really did, and unfortunately Malfoy was a lot better at hating Ron then she was. They had been friends since first year after all. Old habits die hard I guess, even when things change so much.
Hermione didn't say anything out loud though, and only nodded her head. Things were still in the process of developing, changing into where her life would take her once all of this was said and done, and she just wasn't keeping up. When the two men were met with only silence, Draco continued speaking. "If the Weasel is after you again Granger, then you need to go tell someone as soon as you can- preferably today if you want to ensure nothing happens. Blaise and I-"
"No," she interrupted, rubbing her head, "I can't tell anyone yet."
"Are you waiting for him to come around then," Draco asked, frowning. Why is she always so bloody stubborn?
She shook her head. No, that wasn't it at all. The matter of alerting someone of Ron's misdeed had been hanging over her for a while now, but she owed an explanation to someone else first, someone who was very dear to her. "I can't yet Malfoy," she said after some time, resting her head in her hands. "I have someone else I need to tell first."
The blond turned and glanced at Blaise, who shrugged. "Who? The Weaselette?"
Hermione glanced up at Draco, who was still frowning. He didn't know why or how it would help telling the girl, but she ruined his train of thought as she spoke. "No you git, I have to tell Harry."
The blond groaned. Just what I need- scarhead making an entrance.
Hermione was the first to retire that night, leaving Blaise and Malfoy in the living room. The moment she was gone Draco leaned forward and looked at his best mate. "She is batty."
The Italian nodded. "I wonder why she insists on telling Potter when she should be focusing on Weasley's younger sister."
Draco scoffed, standing to find himself something to eat in the Head's kitchen. "I wouldn't tell that girl; she has a temper."
"Maybe she does, but it's her brother. Besides, it's not like Potter will take it much better either. Fuck, he probably won't believe her."
The blond nodded, returning just then with nothing but an apple. "That's what I'm thinking."
The following morning Hermione made sure to stand right outside of their first class, so she could grab a hold of Harry when Ron was not within earshot. The table would have been entirely inappropriate simply because the redhead would know something was up if she drug Harry away from a meal, but here in the hall she knew she could make up a decent excuse being Head girl.
Glancing around, she noted that Harry and Ron had just rounded a corner, and braced herself to deal with the ginger. He was already giving her strange looks from down the hall, and she realized Malfoy must have been right about his newest plan; something was coming, and that limited her time.
"Harry," she said when the two finally reached her. Nothing could make her look at Ron, but she knew he was watching her with complete intensity the moment she said Harry's name. "McGonagall asked me to bring you up to her office. She has something to discuss with you." She knew she sounded like the goody-two-shoes bookworm she was known to be, but that couldn't be helped. She needed to get Harry away.
He nodded. "Sure thing Hermione," he said, moving so that the two could fall into step beside one another. Unfortunately, Ron decided this included him as well. Harry said nothing about the third member of their party, but she couldn't allow Ron to come with if the entire conversation was about him.
"Ronald go to class," she deadpanned, not even sparing the ginger a glance. She couldn't, not without chancing losing her courage and sending Harry back to class. If she did that she doubted she could ever tell him, and that would overcomplicate things again. "McGonagall strictly asked for Harry and you're going to get me in trouble by coming with."
The ginger was glaring at her past Harry by now, who watched the entire exchange but didn't understand the large amount of tension. Yes, the two were separated, but Ron was practically seething anger even before she had started telling him he couldn't follow. "What gives Hermione, you've never said no before."
The double meaning was not lost to Hermione, but she fisted her hands and fought down the raging emotions inside. She would not let him get to her, not now. "I'm trying to keep my place as Head Girl, and I won't have you ruining that," she said in a steady voice; it seemed to do nothing to faze Ron, but he gave her a short, twisted smile before masking his face as Harry glanced between the pair.
"Fine then Hermione, I'll see you soon," he said, turning and starting away. The fact that Ron Weasley of all people dropped an argument so quickly wasn't normal, and both teens paused to stare after the retreating Gryffindor, who never once looked back. The action did nothing to settle Hermione; if anything, her stomach dropped. That smile was terrible, and made her mind spin. What did he mean by 'seeing her soon'?
Harry turned back first, seeming to lose interest in their redheaded friend. He continued to walk in the direction of McGonagall's office, and Hermione hurried to keep up. "That was strange," he said as they continued. "You know, Ron really hasn't been himself lately. He's always so angry Hermione, but I can't figure out why." He stopped walking. "He never told me exactly how you two broke up either," he continued, implying that he would enjoy hearing the reasoning behind everything.
Oh Harry, you hit the nail on the head. She leaned against the wall behind her and sighed. "We didn't break up on good terms, really."
"I gathered that," the raven-haired boy replied, crossing his arms.
She nodded, gulping. This was really going to happen, and she really was about to tell someone her secret. Feeling the floor come out from under her, she slid down the wall until her bottom hit the stone. Harry looked puzzled but sat cross-legged in front of her, hands folded, waiting.
He knows something is up… he wants me to talk. Oh god, I can't do this!
But then, she didn't think her legs would carry her far either. Taking a deep breath, she looked up into her best friends eyes. "There's something I need to tell you, and you're not going to like it."
Harry's brows furrowed together, but he said nothing as she began to tell her story.
It did not go unnoticed by either Slytherin that Granger was absent through their entire first class. At first, Malfoy thought maybe Weasley had finally done something to her, but decided that probably wasn't the case once Zabini pointed out that Potter was missing too. He came to the conclusion that she must've finally mustered up the courage to tell Potter about his demented friend, and could only imagine the waterworks Potter was dealing with. I'm certainly glad not to be him.
The class moved slowly, but Draco was paying their professor very little attention. He was focused on the ginger-haired student in front of him, who seemed to become more and more aggravated as the class droned on. The blond wondered if that was because of the absence of Potter, or because Potter was likely with Granger. The moment the bell rang the huffy Weasel was out the door, and Malfoy thought he couldn't have made more of a scene. Exchanging a glance with Blaise, he figured they both had the same idea in mind; he was probably pissed at Granger for one reason or another. Standing, they made their way out of class as well.
"You're lying," Harry said blatantly when she finished telling her story. He was already on his feet, arms crossed. "Ron would never do that."
She shook her head. "You don't know what he's capable of," she replied, a bit desperately. She needed him to believe her, but from the moment she came up with this plan she had doubt in her mind that he would believe her. Now faced with the reality of that, she was terrified that he would storm off. Her hands were searching blindly through her bag as she continued. "Here, I have-"
"I'm not interested in what you have," Harry said tiredly. He had no idea what to think, but Hermione's story made Ron seem completely out of character, and he wanted to believe that maybe she had made the whole thing up, but that just wasn't Hermione. Then again, raping wasn't supposed to be Ron, but that's what the story made him out to be; a rapist. If he believed her, he was betraying Ron, but if Ron had really done something like that, then the ginger betrayed him. His head hurt and he just didn't want to think about the situation anymore. "I need to think; this isn't something I'm going to take lightly," he continued, throwing some snap into his voice, even if he wasn't sure if he was angry.
"I have this," she said, pulling out Ron's letter to her, but Harry shoved it away from him.
"I'm not reading anything Hermione," he spat, turning away. He needed to go talk to Ron immediately.
"Harry-"
"Not now Hermione," he said, backing away. "Not right fucking now." He turned and rushed away, not sure what else to do. Did she want him to pity her? He didn't know if he should pity her!
Watching Harry rush off, she felt her heart drop. He didn't believe her. Whispering a spell, the note shot off after him and tucked itself into an outer pocket, so that he would find it later. He rounded a corner a moment later, leaving her alone.
She slumped back against the wall. He didn't believe her, and if he ran off to go and talk to Ron, that wouldn't do any good. Those two were always a bit closer with each other then her, and that put her at a disadvantage. Tears wanted to fall out of her eyes in frustration. Would anything ever go her way?
Standing, she decided she would not be studying in her free period. Instead, she chose to head back to the Head's dorm and take a bath. After all, no one would be looking for her, and she really just needed to think.
A/n: Sorry for not responding to reviews last chapter! I did this time though as quickly as possible. Now, want to let me know what you thought of this chapter?