A/N: Alright! The story's almost done! Guys, please please please review? Even if it's just one word? Please?!
-------------------------------------------------------------EXPLOSION--------------------------------------------------------------
Hermione stared up at Malfoy, eyes full with disbelief, and stuttered, "W-what did you say?"
Draco himself looked ready to slap himself and his mouth dropped in astonishment. He hadn't meant to say that at all. "No! What I meant to say was-" he felt something grip his tongue tightly. "Get the hell away from me, you foul-smelling witch!"
Hermione stumbled away from him, hurt colouring her eyes. "Dr-Malfoy, I thought you -"
"You're lucky to be born beautiful, whereas I am lucky to be born a great liar!"
Draco clapped his hands over his mouth willing himself to stop talking. The sound made a snapping, sharp noise that reverberated off the walls in the silent classroom. Draco didn't know what had come over him. Was he possessed?
His eyes wouldn't leave Hermione's as he noticed wounded shock quickly collecting there. Could she not tell this was not him?
Hermione shot a hurt look at him and ran out the door. Draco followed her, and said, "Hermione, wai - You are no better than a Squib with a brain half the size of a Doxy's!" Draco's eyes widened at what he had just said, but Hermione didn't notice. She took off at top speed down the corridor; the force of the air she ran against untangled her hair from her pony.
Draco watched her go, trying to wrap his head around the situation. It seemed that whatever he had wanted to say was coming out as something from a parallel universe. If he could only focus on what he was trying to say. Hermione needed to stop. She needed to listen to him. Hermione needed to stop. She needed to listen to him. Hermione needed to stop. She needed to listen to him. Hermione needed to stop. She needed to listen to him. . .
He took off after her, willing the words to form in his head. Once he caught sight of her beautiful brown hair, he ran faster, until he was mere feet away from her. He stopped, panting.
"Hermione!" She turned around at the sound of her name, and looked fearfully at Draco.
He tried to focus on his words, gritting his teeth, "Please. Would. You -" Almost there. "Lis - Please would you tell me why you are a bloody reeking piece of toe rag that's controlling the mind of a retarded Flobberworm?"
Draco could've screamed out in frustration! He felt like kicking himself a thousand times over, but knew that if he did that, he would really look like a raving lunatic. Where the hell was this all coming from?
He stood frozen, watching her walk away from him again, too weak to run. He watched her body shake and knew that it was because of him.
He was Draco Malfoy. And Draco Malfoy never gave up.
He didn't run after her this time. He called out from where he was standing, "Granger, you need to unders - Someone said you are not fit enough to sleep with trolls. I stuck up for the trolls."
Before either of them could react to this last remark, they heard brisk footsteps approaching. Draco whipped his head around to see McGonagall. She halted near the two of them. Her eyes quickly darted between the two students, picking up on the tension in the air. "Miss Granger? Is Mr Malfoy troubling you?"
Hermione shook her head resolutely.
Draco gaped at her. His heart filled with warmth as he realized that Hermione had just prevented him from getting into deep trouble despite the many awful things he had spat in her face.
Professor McGonagall's eyebrows rose in doubt. She turned to Draco. "Mr Malfoy?"
Draco grasped the chance to say something right. "Oh, definitely not, Professor. Granger can't help being a pathetic excuse for a witch - even a Mudblood at that."
If Draco was able to, he would have bitten off his tongue then and there. He seethed in silence, choosing to become fascinated with the speck of dust at his feet rather than look up and glimpse Hermione's face sting with hurt.
"I beg your pardon, Mr Malfoy?" Professor McGonagall queried in a stern voice. She didn't wait for an answer. "Such barbaric language is not to be used on Hogwarts' grounds - or anywhere for that matter. Ten points from Slytherin."
Draco tried to work up his defence, "Professor, don't you think -" and again he felt something vile grip his tongue, "-Do you still love nature, despite what it's done to you?"
Humiliation flickered across the professor's features, before her face settled once again into its usual stiff composure. "Another ten points, Mr Malfoy, and I'll be seeing you in my office this evening for detention. Eight o' clock. No wand." She strutted off, with her head held high.
Draco wrung his hair with his fingers. He really couldn't take it anymore. I think it's best if I just don't talk, he thought miserably. And to think it took him this long to come up with that solution.
Hermione gazed at him, many emotions flashing across her face. The hint of humiliation - a result of all his insults - were still there; there was the anguish that caused Draco's body to ache; there was a touch of torment; but the one that surprised him the most, was the faint understanding that was almost hidden under all of that.
Understanding? Did she know? No, she couldn't have, he thought, I don't even know.
The bell sounded for end of class and that's when Hermione muttered in a barely audible voice, "Alright then, Malfoy."
Alright?! What the hell was alright?! he yelled out mentally.
He continued to stare at her mutely, not daring to utter a word. She misread his silence as indifference, and turned away, melting into the crowds of students that were now pouring out of the classrooms.
Draco remained where he was standing. Hoards of students barged passed him, eager to get to the Great Hall for lunch. After a full ten minutes, he mused quietly to himself.
"It's not me talking. It's ... something else. Like a ... spell or a curse, or ..." he trailed off, still thinking aloud. "Hang on a second," he glanced round quickly, making sure no one was there. "This ... thing ... only seems to rear its head around other people. I can't very well say nasty things to myself ... unless I look in a mirror?"
"Talking to yourself, Malfoy?" a voice called out.
Malfoy whipped his head around. At the rate he was going at, he was bound to have whip-lash. Spotting the owner of the voice, he felt his mouth curl in something contrasting to pleasure at Weasel's presence.
"Ugh, Weasel. I'm busy right now. Can I ignore you some other time?" Draco definitely didn't feel any regret about voicing these insensitive words. It wasn't that he hated Weasel; he just ... liked him the least of everybody else.
"What, so now the middle of an empty corridor is your 'private space'?" Ron mocked.
Draco gritted his teeth in irritation. The daft idiot didn't even look offended at Draco's last comment. "Correction. It was empty before you chanced upon me here, you tomato-haired mental midget."
Ron's hand flew to his chest dramatically, and he verbalized in mock hurt, "Why, Malfoy, you know the nicest of things to say!" Malfoy felt like pummelling Ron's grinning face to a pulp.
"Weasel, could you just take your sorry arse to another place where it is appreciated? Oh wait, I'm sure that not even Lavender would appreciate it."
The buffoon still showed no signs of offence, though Draco did see him flinch at the mention of Lavender's name.
However, as much as it was in Draco's nature, he didn't feel like spurring the fire of insults. He simply turned away, realizing that it was going to take a long time to get rid of Weasel. However, Ron wasn't done with him yet. He heard Ron call out, "So how is she taking it?"
That stopped Draco. He rotated slowly, his eyes coming to rest on Ron. "So how is who taking it, Blubber-arse?" he repeated.
Ron smirked. "Hermione, of course."
Draco's eyes widened with comprehension, and then narrowed. Without saying anything, he spun on his heel, and stalked over to the Slytherin dungeons, trying to figure out how to reverse the spell Ron Weasley had casted on him.
---------------------------------------------------------to be continued------------------------------------------------------------
A/N: This chapter really wasn't that great, but I'd be glad if you click the button that says Review this Story/Chapter ... yup, just like that ... Perfect!