CHAPTER FOURTEEN: Fights and Friendship

A/N: I don't own any rights to Harry Potter. Little magic is used and homosexuality, violence, rape and language are used. Don't like it? Don't read it. You've been warned.

"So what happened with you and Draco?" asked Ron eagerly.

"Nothing. We had dinner, watched the sunrise, stayed up all night, passed out and…that's about it. Next morning, we went to Hogsmeade and hung out, just the two of us."

Hermione looked at him with a stare that said, 'I think differently.' It really was the truth, for the most part. Harry decided not to tell them about Draco's past and that he had a crush on Harry since their second year at Hogwarts.

"So Harry…the dance is coming up," Ron said, "who are you taking?"

"Who do you think?" Harry asks.

"You've got to be bloody kidding! You can't show up to a dance with him!"

Suddenly a fight broke out near Draco's end of the table on the Slytherin side and voices were echoing through the Great Hall as the rest of the students became silent. Nobody could tell what was being said until Draco stood up and screamed at his two friends, Crabbe and Goyle, "YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO GO NEAR HIM! DO YOU UNDERSTAND? I WILL TAKE THIS BLOODY FORK AND SHOVE IT WHERE YOU DON'T LIKE SHIT TO BE SHOVED!" Goyle, standing behind Draco, jumped on his back and yanked on his hair that had caused Draco to go into a fit of rage and began to bash Goyle's head off of the table. 'I want to run to him, to stop him from being expelled,' Harry thought, 'but I can't…' And before he knew it, Hermione was running over to yank Draco off of Goyle whispering in his ear, "You'll be expelled! Are you crazy?!"

"He's the one who's crazy…I only asked you one simple fucking question Goyle!" But all Goyle did was glare at him with eyes of deceit.

"You've betrayed us, Draco…you've been socializing with the rival. You can be sure this won't be the last fight we have. You have my word on that Draco. Watch your fucking back, MATE!" Before Goyle left, he turned around and said, "I don't give a DAMN what your father did to you as a child! You're older and you can get the fuck over it! You're a fucking big boy now! Oh wait, I'm sorry, you never joined the death eaters so you must be a fucking coward! You're a little tiny boy! Little tiny boy who has a little tiny brain and can't pass potions!" Goyle spits in Draco's face and walks away. Draco made a grab for Goyle's collar but Hermione held him back saying, "Don't…just don't. Leave him alone and he'll leave you alone."

But she didn't catch him in time. Draco had grabbed Goyle's collar and punched him in the temple of his head as hard as he could. This knocked Goyle out.

"That's right. Does anyone else wanna fucking try me? Go ahead! Try! Push my bloody buttons cause I am NOT in the mood today." and walked out.

Hermione always tried to do the right thing but was never able to. Each time she took on a challenge bigger than her head, it always ended up worse than it already was. 'All I want to do is help people,' she thought to herself, 'but I never seem to do a good enough job. This time, I will.'

"Draco!" she yelled, "wait!"

"What do you want?" Draco turned around with red and puffy eyes.

"Why are you crying? Don't run! Come back! You can't run forever you know!"

Finally, he stopped, panting and running his hands through his hair.

"You don't know anything about this Hermione, just stay out of it."

Hermione was surprised that he had called her by her first name.

"Draco…what happened? Harry didn't tell me anything about last night except that you and him had dinner and missed class…you can talk to me. You're just as much of a friend to me as Harry…whatever it is, I'm sure I can help."

Draco shook his head, "No," he said, "you wouldn't understand…"

"How wouldn't I understand?"

"I NEVER JOINED THE DEATH EATERS! And what do you think my father did to me after I told him that I wouldn't?"

Hermione had tears in her eyes and asked, "What happened?"

"What would an abusive boyfriend do to you if you wouldn't sleep with him? Because that's how it went down that night…I told you that you wouldn't understand…"

"Actually Draco…yes, I do understand."

Draco's eyes widened at the words he was hearing.

"W-What? Are you serious? Was it someone in this school?" he asked her defensively and wanting to kick the guy's ass. Although it could have been the anger he was feeling toward Goyle that made him want to continue fighting.

"Remember that day in class when Snape asked me to stop by his office? Well, you should know me by now…I care about my grades and…what he said…he wasn't kidding."

"Oh my god…I can't believe me uncle."

"You're UNCLE?!"

"Yes, he's my uncle but only by blood…I don't consider him family after that day, trust me."

"Well believe it or not Draco, I've been getting just as much harassment and hell as you and Harry have been getting…I stood up and admitted that I was gay in front of the entire class! Don't you think it's time for you and Harry to do the same thing?"

"We will…at the dance."

"Oh…you two are going together? Harry was talking about that…off-subject but what were you and Goyle fighting about anyway?" she asked.

"Crabbe and Goyle were harassing Harry and I never spoke about it or confronted them about it till…well till now. I asked if they saw him or talked to him and they denied it and I told them what Harry told me. Then…it got ugly from there."

"So that dirty rotten man is your uncle?"

"Nobody else knows…more people know that I'm gay than about Snape being my uncle…I know what it's like Hermione…if he did to you what my father did to me, I understand and I honestly think that this alone…will bring us closer as friends…and you know me, I need more friends in my life."

"I'm glad you stopped running," she said.

"Me too."

"What's going on? Draco? Are you okay?" asked Harry from behind Hermione.

"Yeah, I think I'm doing a lot better now."