In Ruins (Dramione FF)

You're Safe With Me

Naturally, by the end of the day, the whole school knew about the fight between me and Ron. Subsequently I was being avoided by a lot of people; even a few of the teachers seemed reproachful towards me in lessons. It was like the third year all over again, except we had still been around each other then; now, whenever I see him in a corridor he'll turn and walk away as fast as he can. It hurt to see all my friends abandoning me. I couldn't turn to the Slytherins, I was muggle born so I wasn't welcome there.

Draco had been let out of the infirmary a few minutes after Madam Pomfrey had found us. We had begun to spend all our time together because we weren't welcome anywhere else. Every time we walked down the corridor, heads would turn in our direction, conversations would freeze and after we'd passed they would begin talking again, their new subject obvious. We caused uproar if we entered the Great Hall so we had taken to eating alone in our common room, it was lonely but it was better choice than in there with all those glares.

I had never felt truly lonely until now. I had Draco but he was an empty shell, I suppose he felt guilty but every time I tried to talk to him about it he would drift away. I hadn't spoken to Ginny or Harry since the argument. In lessons they sat with Ron and Yasmin. I couldn't approach them; it was down to me that I had lost them.

And all this had happened in just one day. It felt like torture but I could only say that it honestly could not get worse! Not unless Voldemort came back during this, then we were done for. The Golden Trio had broken apart and we were now easy targets.

"It'll be okay Hermione." Draco promised me, taking my hand in his. We weren't a couple, but we were close. Sitting on the couch in the common room, I couldn't help but wonder if this was worth losing my friends. "They'll come around."

"Ron won't."

"Yes but you don't need him. Your other friends will come back; they just need to get over the shock." He whispered.  I sighed, leaning my head against him as he pulled me into his arms.

"What if they don't?"

"They will." He replied. "I would."

"But how do I know they're ready?"

"They'll let you know."

The momentary silence was broken by a loud bang at the portrait and Draco leapt to his feet, drawing his wand from in his robes. I pulled my own out and started to creep towards the door.

"Stay behind me." Draco begged and I obliged, sliding behind him. We slowly moved forwards and stopped to the left of the portrait so that when someone came through we would have clear shot at them.

"It could just be McGonagall." I suggested.

"McGonagall wouldn't wait outside." Was his intelligent reply.

Another crash echoed and the portrait swig open as smoke billowed through. A flash of red and a dart of blue later and the smoke cleared slowly.

"Name yourself." Draco called.

"It's Harry!"

"And Ginny!" They piped up. Waving my arm, the smoke cleared in an instant and I darted forwards into Ginny's arms.

"I'm so sorry we didn't come to see you earlier." Ginny cried, "Ron was being so possessive that if we even mention your name he goes all mental on us! We've just lost him and then we had to go find McGonagall to ask where your room was."

"Thank you." I whispered.

"Were not just going to let you go Hermione." Harry said. "Well sort Ron out."

"Thank you."

"Malfoy." Harry said.

"Potter."