Disclaimer: I still own nothing... Still not Ms Rowling and still no HP boys :(
A/N: So this chapter is quite dark... If I need to change the rating please let me know :D oh and thanks so much to all the reviews/alerts teehee...Enjoy!
Chapter 4
Hermione was nearing the dungeons, where she had Double Potions with the Slytherins. Harry and Ron were waiting there, along with Neville, Parvati, Seamus, Dean, Lavender, and the majority of Gryffindors' returning seventh years. Hermione brightened immediately at seeing her beloved friends, Malfoy's taunting fading in her ears. Although they were early, most of the Slytherins were outside of the dungeons too. She avoided them and made her way to her group.
"Hey, Hermione!" Chorused the Gryffindors.
Hermione grinned. "Hey guys."
Dean and Seamus were entertaining everyone by quoting the Muggle movie, "Back to the Future".
Seamus exclaimed "Ah! What did I tell you? 88 miles per hour! The temporal displacement occurred exactly 1:20am and zero seconds!"
"Ah, Jesus Christ! Jesus Christ, Doc, you disintegrated Einstein!" Dean cried out.
"Calm down, Marty, I didn't disintegrate anything. The molecular structure of both Einstein and the car are completely intact." Seamus chuckled quietly.
"Then where the hell are they?" Dean replied.
"The appropriate question is, "when the hell are they?" You see, Einstein has just become the world's first time-traveller! I sent him into the future. One minute into the future to be exact. And at precisely 1:21am and zero seconds..."
The Purebloods of Gryffindor were stunned. Harry, Hermione and the other halfbloods and Muggleborns were spluttering with laughter.
"Um, sorry, but what the hell is an 'Einstein?'" Ron asked tentatively.
Dean and Seamus looked at each other in glee. It was a surprisingly "Fred and George" look. Ron looked at his dorm mates wearily.
Hermione laughed so hard that she didn't notice Malfoy until he shoved his shoulder into her back, pushing Hermione into the wall.
"OW!"
Malfoy shoved her again, pushing her back up to the wall, with his arm putting pressure along her collarbone, near her throat. He snarled in her face.
Suddenly, a dozen wands were drawn and levelled at Malfoy.
Malfoy smirked.
Draco had made it to the dungeons in time to watch Finnegan and Thomas' little Muggle skit. Ridiculous. The malicious plan that had formed in Draco's mind while he was running was about to come into play. A small part of his brain was telling him to stop, now, while the bigger, louder part was urging him on. He needed this. He deserved this. So when Granger stepped back, laughing, he shoved roughly into her. When he pinned her to the wall by his arm, the Gryffindors, like he knew they would, pulled their wands.
Do it. Spells, hexes, curses, anything.
"Back off Malfoy. Now."
He smirked at Potty's voice.
"Get your filthy Death Eater arm off of her!"
He sneered at Weasel's voice.
Then Draco pushed harder.
Granger choked.
"Stupefy!" Yelled a dozen different voices.
Before he lost consciousness, Draco locked eyes with Granger's horrified and concerned gaze.
Concerned?
He was floating, flying. He couldn't feel any pain. Draco smiled to himself. His plan worked. Did they kill him? To be honest, he kind of hoped so. He couldn't deal with this shit anymore. The stares, the hatred. The big brown eyes that looked concerned.
Big brown eyes, widening in horror and pain.
"Crucio!" Called the familiar voice of his aunt.
No... Please, no.
He looked down.
At his feet lay Granger, bruised, bloodied and broken. Draco stifled a moan. The memories he had tried so hard to repress had come back at him in full force.
Granger unconscious. The bodies of Death Eaters and Mudbloods alike. The snake, eating his Muggle Studies professor. The Dark Lord, looming over Draco's own broken form, sneering. His father, being Kissed by Dementors. His mother, whispering that he had to change his life, before turning around and abandoning him...
"Madam Pomfrey? Is he ok?" Came a soft, delicate voice.
"Miss Granger? What-? Oh, well he should be okay; he just needs to sleep off those Stunners. Poor boy. What did he do to deserve this?"
Hmm. Well he was a Death Eater, he nearly killed Dumbledore, he taunted the Golden Trio for years, and he hurt the Head Girl... The list could go on really, thought Draco.
But why was Granger here?
While he was thinking, Draco missed the rest of the conversation about him. With his eyes still closed, he heard Madam Pomfrey return to her office, while Granger moved closer to his bed.
"Malfoy? Are you awake?"
Stupid question, really.
Draco moaned and pulled his eyes open.
Hermione stood by Malfoy's bed, hands on hips, lips pursed in a very Mrs Weasley way. This "poor boy" was in serious trouble.
"What were you thinking?" She hissed.
"Um, what?"
"That look in your eyes, Malfoy. Just before you got... Stunned, you looked at me and I could see something..." Hermione paused.
"See what?" Malfoy asked through gritted teeth.
"You- you wanted them to attack. You knew they would protect me."
Malfoy visibly flinched.
"So I want to know why."
"Why? Why do you want to know?"
"Because you are hurting. I don't care that you are Malfoy, Pureblood, Slytherin, and amazing bouncing ferret. You are hurting. Are you- suicidal?"
Malfoy sighed. "Why do you care?"
Hermione hesitated. She seemed to be doing that a lot actually, she noticed.
"Well, I suppose, I always care about people. I need to care. It helps me forget what I went through last year, although, in this case, I am almost certain you have more of a reason to be hurting than I do."
Malfoy went into defensive mode.
"You have no idea what I went through. You don't care about me; you just want to tell every one of your dirty friends all about the Death Eater's secrets! Hell yes I have a reason to be hurting! You have no idea why I wanted to-" He broke off suddenly, snapping his mouth shut.
"Why you wanted to get hurt? You don't deserve that, Draco."
It was the first time she said his name. It slipped out.
"How do you know? You don't understand." He didn't notice.
"I know that when we were captured at your Manor, you did not look Harry in the eye. You would not look at him nor would you confirm it was really him. You. Were. Scared. Like you knew what would happen if you turned us in. So you stalled."
"Yeah, I stalled. And a fat load of good it did for you. Remember?" Malfoy asked, looking down at her arm.
Oh yes, yes she did remember.
"Oh and by the way, how dare you even suggest that I would tell everyone your secrets. I am not a Slytherin."
And with that, Hermione left the Hospital wing, her cloak billowing out behind her.
Leaving Draco to glare after her.
Again, he was slightly impressed.
A/N so longer chapter. I hope this was ok... I have had a bit of a stressful few days with exams... Yuck. So if this is shit please let me know! Or if you liked it I would really like to know too!
KaylaKay
xxx
