Hermione's POV
"You wanna what?" I exclaimed.
"It's not that big of a deal," he replied.
"They will literally rip you to shreds. Ron and Harry especially don't like that I'm spending time with you already."
Draco laughed. "I've been handling you and your friends for years, don't worry," he said.
I frowned. "Let me rephrase," he said slowly, cracking a smile, "Don't worry."
About to leave for lunch, him and I were making a plan to go to the Gryffindor vs Hufflepuff quidditch game that day, since all my friends would be playing in it. But that wasn't the problem. He also wanted to come and get me at the Gryffindor table so we would leave the great hall together after lunch.
"I'm not gonna keep avoiding those two idiots even if it's them who love to start altercations," he said.
I shot him a disapproving glare. "Let me rephrase," he repeated, "I'm willing to be civil for your sake, but I can't help it if they start something. And if they do, I won't hesitate to teach them not to do it anymore."
I nodded with fake understanding. "We wouldn't want to put a dent in that great Malfoy ego of yours, now would we?" I asked, putting on an innocent smile.
He nodded. "Glad we understand each other," he said.
We both chuckled. "So it's a plan then?" He asked, "Your friends might be leaving early anyway for the game."
I sighed. "Ok. Just... ok."
He laughed again. "Ready to go?" He asked, but then turned his expression into one of mock seriousness, "Or do you wanna go to the Great Hall separately, too?"
"Ha!" I exclaimed, "Let's go, Draco."
Dressed in our street clothes (Afternoon classes were cancelled, and we changed out of our uniforms after morning lessons), we made our way down to the great hall. I could hear all the excited buzzing from outside about the upcoming quidditch game. "You sure your okay being seen with me?" Draco gasped.
"The question is if your okay being seen with me," I retorted jokingly.
He smiled with amusement, and I giggled. He pushed the door open and let me go first. I felt a few eyes on us as we came in, especially our two packs of friends. I could almost feel them gawking. No matter, I put my hand up in goodbye to Draco, and he did the same, and joined his buddies at the Slytherin table near the wall.
After we split, I walked past the Ravenclaw table to my friends. "Hey," I greeted them.
"Hey there," Ginny greeted back, sipping her pumpking juice and setting it back down.
"Why did you come down with him?" Ron asked.
"Boy, you don't waste any time with formalities, do you?" I joked, but seeing his serious expression, I cut my laughter short and apologized.
"We live together," I explained simply, sitting down, "We were going to the same place. We're friends."
Ron seemed to tense, and Harry and Ginny simoultaneously took another sip of juice. "Are you coming to the game today?" Ginny asked quickly, trying to diffuse the obvious tension.
I nodded. I wonder if I should include Draco in my answer. Maybe not. "I'll be there," I replied simply and cheerfully.
She smiled, and we continued to eat our lunch in good moods. My friends talked about quidditch and once in a while I even joined in. I was finishing up the last of my meal, the first of my friends to finish eating, when Harry spoke to me. "How did the Slytherin team look when you went to their practice, Mione?" Harry asked me.
"I was just there to work with Ama," I explained, "I wasn't really paying attention to the team."
Ginny snorted into her drink. I frowned at her. "Classic Mione," she laughed.
I smiled. "Sorry," I joked, "I know how valuable that information would be."
We both laughed softly. "Are you guys... mmph mm hmm?" Ron asked through a mouthful of chicken, "done yet?"
"We don't have to leave yet, Ron," Ginny scolded, "We can at least wait till Harry's done eating, yes? It's not our fault that you eat at a thousand miles an hour, and Hermione only had a bit anyway. Why don't you guys head down together instead?"
Ron looked at me hopefully, but I couldn't, obviously. I was about to respond with some lie I hadn't yet thought of, but didn't get the chance. "Hermione?"
I turned around. Draco was standing there, emotionless but composed.
"Hi!" I greeted him.
"If you're finished, would you like to go?" He asked, smiling.
I smiled and nodded. "Gryffindors," he nodded in greeting to my friends.
"Hey Malfoy," Ginny said, rather cheerfully.
Harry nodded back, and Ron stared down at his food. "Yes," I answered, "Let's go. Ron?" I turned back to Ron, in case he wanted to walk with us since he was already done with his food.
He shook his head silently. "Ready," I said, and started to walk with him.
I took one last look back, and saw Gin elbow Ron and hiss something to him. Why was he in such a bad mood? I asked myself. "Can we stop back at our dorm?" I asked Malfoy, "I remembered a sweater, but I want to bring my Gryffindor scarf."
He nodded. "Sure, we have time."
He waited outside the portrait for me while I ran inside and looked for my sweater. It had been several mintes before I found it around the doorknob in my bathroom. "I found it!" I exclaimed opening the portrait, but I lost the smile when I realized he was already talking to someone.
"Ew," she said when she saw me, but returned to Draco.
"Why don't you come with us to the match?" Parkinson asked whinily, "You can sit with me."
"Should I... uh... meet you there?" I asked him carefully.
Pansy turned around and looked at me in disgust. "That won't be necessary," Draco replied softly, but then his tone hardened as he returned his attention to the other girl, "Pansy? Go away."
She made a face of mock hurt. "Fine. Goodbye for now, Draco."
She turned away from him to walk away but stopped in front of me. "And I'll see you later," she spat.
Was that a threat? I wondered. I turned to Draco, eyes wide. "Don't worry about her," he said camly, "she's crazy. Let's go, eh? You have your scarf."
I nodded.
"Where do you want to sit?" He asked me as we climbed up the stand staircase.
"With the Huffleuff fans," I answered.
He gave me a questioning look. "For your sake," I joked.
He nodded with a smile. "Gotcha," he said, "Sounds good to me."
We took our seats next to a few Ravenclaws, Luna among them.
"Hello Luna!" I greeted her cheerfully.
"Ah, hello Hermione. And Draco," she added, and then paused, looking at us up and down, "I see you have found her, and with impressive timing; I commend you. However I must say these are highly ironic circumstances, aren't they?"
I looked to Draco, my face marked with confusion, but he was only smiling. "Thank you. It was... much less difficult than I anticipated."
"Uh," I interrupted, "Am I missing something?"
He laughed. "No, not really," he answered, "Lovegood here had just found me when I was doing... research. For some reason she had already had her suspicions on myself. Apparently, it's the obviously reason why I'm so attractive," he said with a smirk.
"That's the only explanation I can think of," I joked, and turned back to Luna, "Enjoy the match."
She nodded curtly, and turned back to her Ravenclaw friends. Meanwhile, I took my seat beside Draco. "She could really tell?" I asked, surprised.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- -
Still Hermione's POV
The match was in full swing, you could say. It was seventy to seventy, and the energy was high. Harry and the Hufflepuff seeker were both searching for the snitch at high speeds, but neither were successful, even after this half an hour.
Draco was practically on the edge of his seat. Making a comment with almost every play, he was like an excited kid, it was adorable.
I told him I was going to go to the bathroom, and he nodded, although I wasn't quite sure he heard me. I left anyway, I'd be back soon. I reached the foot of the stand's staircase, and made my way through the lines of tents until I found the quidditch pitch's bath house.
"Hey you!" I heard a sickeningly familiar girl's voice approach me from behind.
I let go of the handle to turn around, my hand reaching for the wand in my pocket, but it was too late. I felt a large hand that couldn't have been a girls collide with my face and heard a nasty crunch before my vision went a bit fuzzy. I allowed my body to go limp and fall to the ground in an attempt to not be hit again but it was a mistake.
I was kicked in the ribs several times, and felt a harsh kick to the face before I blacked out.
Draco's POV
"Hey man! What are you doing over here?" I heard Blaise call.
I turned to see him apporaching, thankfully alone, and he took Hermione's seat next to me. Hermione, I thought suddenly, wait, where did she go? I couldn't remember. She probably told you and you weren't paying attention to her, you idiot.
"Have you seen Hermione!" I asked Blaise, ignoring his greeting, my tone suddenly desperate.
"No, I haven't," he said, surprised by my sudden question, "Why?"
"Well," I started stupidly, "She was sitting with me, but now she's gone."
"She probably left to talk to some friends or something," Blaise explained, "I'll chill here till she gets back."
I sighed, but he was probably right. I was probably over-reacting, but it didn't feel like that. The ominous feeling inside me grew steadily, before I felt a familar aching pain in my head.
I groaned quietly, but the pain increased, and I grabbed the back of my head where the pain was originating. Blaise heard me, and now seemed worried. "Draco? Is it that head ache again?"
I nodded. "Ah!" I exclaimed, as the pain became much more shooting.
"Should we go to the infirmary?" Blaise asked, grabbing my shoulder, helping to hold me steady,"You could black out again or something."
"No," I said, "But you have to come with me, now."
I hadn't been in this much pain for a while, but I knew what it meant.
"We have to find her."