LUST | dramione

11 | alohomora

"Can I take you to the Hospital Wing? Or we can get you to Mungo's." Draco steps closer to her, unaware that Ron is watching them. Perhaps he doesn't care.

Ron's tone becomes confrontational as he pulls away from Pansy's company and joins the others.

"Just where do you get off? Why would she want your help - of all people? It's your fault we're even risking our lives. I say we let them have you. It's only right that you suffer to some extent."

Hermione peers around Ron's thick arms to stare at Draco. There is an undeniable pain behind his gaze as he looks to her, longing to call her his. After a long moment, he brings his eyes to Ron, glaring at him. She knows that he's looking to blow off steam now.

"Shove off. I was being polite. Something you could work a little harder at becoming."

She wishes he would walk away before something slips - before everyone finds out about her rapidly accumulating secrets. But neither male can stop at their own hand.

"You know we all hate you, don't you? Why did you even bothering come back? It seems like you've preyed on her. Made her believe she actually likes you."

"Ron, stop it," she cries but he ignores her.

"Your life is never going to be more important than hers. I'm done with all of this. You can deal with the consequences that you brought upon yourself. Leave Hermione out of this."

Meanwhile, Draco is silent. Likely, calculating the situation. Then, he smirks at Ron, surely desperate to get a rise out of him. No one else noticed but Hermione sees him zone out before seemingly coming back into his body. Was he reading his mind?

He laughs. It isn't from joy but a deep apathy that one holds when faced with an intolerable situation.

"You and Potter used her for your own benefit and then abandoned her when it suited you. But it would crush you to know she left you for me, wouldn't it?"

Hermione had never said anything like that aloud but it was a deep fear within herself. Was it so obvious or had he read her mind?

"Maybe you think using Pansy will make you feel better but you don't think of her in the same way as you do with Hermione." Draco's silver eyes flash mischievously as he smiles.

Ron suddenly throws himself at Draco, yelling at him to never read his mind again.

Legilimency is the incredibly difficult task of reading a person's most inner thoughts. For some, the act will enable the understanding of basic images while others can hear entire conversations.

She wonders momentarily if he's ever used the skill on her.

A moment later, a shrill voice draws everyone's attention away from the current situation. Ginny races toward the group.

"What is going on here," she shouts as she drops beside her brother.

When she withdraws her wand, Draco attempts to crawl away on his hands along the wet cobblestone street but he isn't quick enough.

Hermione swiftly intervenes, drawing her own wand. Her dark eyes meet Ginny's.

"You don't have to do this. They're done fighting. It's over. Right?" She glances back over her shoulder and Draco shouts in agreement. She turns her attention forward.

"I don't know who you are anymore. The Hermione Granger I know wouldn't protect that slimy eel. You used to think he was vile. He called you horrible names, 'Mione." Ginny lowers her wand, placing it back within her pocket. However, she isn't quite ready to leave, she needs some answers.

It's overwhelming holding a lifetime's worth of secrets with hardly anyone to turn to. She just wants her best friend back in her life. If telling her everything gets her to understand, then maybe it's worth it to break the news.

"I know what he called me. I mean, I have the bloody word carved into my arm. I see it every day but no one was there for me after everything. Ron," she stops and turns her gaze to him.

"You and Harry left for the Academy." She looks back at Ginny.

"Ginny, you have Quidditch and your clubs. I had my Head Girl duties that happened to be done with Draco. He was there for me when no one else was and he isn't the person you believe him to be. If you spent an afternoon with him, you'd see the person I see - the person Pansy sees. He's not a monster."

Ginny's face contorts in disgust.

"You have gone mental. Do you even hear yourself? I put so much of myself into clubs and sports because that coward helped a psychotic villain murder my brother and countless others. He deserves to be in Azkaban, although I'm sure he'd weasel his way out of it just like his scum-bag father."

Her words are venom, slowly sinking into everyone within earshot.

"You're being unreasonable. We both dealt with everything in our own way."

The conversation is no longer about the two young men but instead about their deteriorated friendship.

"Why didn't you reach out to us?"

Hermione's vision blurs as tears fill her waterline.

"I don't know," she admits. "You were already dealing with so much, I didn't want to be a bother. I see that I was wrong to assume so much and I'm sorry. Can you forgive me?"

"I can forgive you for not speaking to me but I can't ignore that you're willing to be friends with a Malfoy. My brother's death will not be in vain."

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