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Old 09-01-2011, 07:50 PM   #131 (permalink)
steflegan
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Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Orlando, FL
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Hogwarts RPG Name:
Melina Morninglory- "Glory"
Second Year

Ministry RPG Name:
Violet Downing
Minister's Office
Ravenclaw
WizWorld Universal / Tom Felton for President

Chapter 36: The Rise and Fall of Relationships Part II


Hermione and her mother looked up at the sound of Molly’s voice. “Oh Ronald,” said Hermione, “what’s he done now?” She realized she had barely seen him since she arrived at the house. She thought she heard his voice last night, perhaps in a dream. But then she shuddered as she remembered her nightmare. Which brought her to another question. Hadn’t Draco been there? Where was he now? As strange as it seemed, she felt vulnerable without him next to her.

Sensing her daughter’s thoughts, Jean said, “Are you looking for Draco, sweetie?” Hermione nodded, looking just a tad bit nervous. “He’s gone up to shower, I think. Would you like me to tell him to come in?”

Hermione thought for a moment. Though so much had happened to them, and between them, he was still Draco. Her sworn enemy. He wasn’t an enemy anymore, that was for sure, but what was he now? A friend? More than a friend? Why hadn’t she asked for Ron, or Harry, or even Ginny? Why did seeing Draco seem like the best idea in the world?

A few moments later, she sighed with relief as she heard his footsteps coming down the hall. However, when the footsteps became a body and a face, it wasn’t Draco. It was Harry.

“Harry!” she cried, “oh it’s so good to see you!!”

Harry strode right to her and pulled up a chair. “Hermione, how are you? We were so worried about you. If anything had happened to you…I’m just so glad you’re safe!”

Hermione frowned on the inside. If anything had happened to me? Where does he think I was, on a holiday by the sea? She knew she was feeling overly defensive, but Harry just couldn’t understand, not completely. Just like no one would ever understand the daily struggle Harry dealt with.

She put a smile on her face. “I’m glad too. There were moments when I feared I’d never see you or Ron again. Or anyone, for that matter. If it wasn’t for Draco, I probably wouldn’t have.”

It didn’t occur to her that those words would be the last ones Harry wanted to hear. He stiffened and looked away from her. “Yeah, that’s…great, Hermione. We’re all glad you’re safe.”

Hermione gave herself a mental smack in the forehead. Oh, why hadn’t she thought before she spoke? Just because things had changed between her and Draco, nothing had changed for her friends. “I mean that the thought of seeing you and Ron again, and my parents-everybody-kept me strong while I was there.” Just the mention of that horrible place, still painfully fresh, made her want to see Draco immediately.

Harry smiled and relaxed at her words. “Is there anything I can do? Or Ron? Please, we’re your best friends. There’s nothing we wouldn’t do for you, you know that. Ron wants to see you very badly. He’s asleep upstairs, but I know he’s been missing you terribly.”

Her heart warmed at hearing that. Her Ronald. Even though she never knew quite where they stood in their relationship, she still got shivery when he looked at her a certain way, or when he put his arm around her. She had missed him terribly as well. “I can’t wait to see him,” she smiled.

Harry hugged his friend, warmth spreading through him that she was back, and everything was returning to normal. His warmth was short-lived. He felt her straighten up, and when he pulled away, relief and happiness were coloring her face. He turned, expecting to see Ron, or maybe Ginny. Instead, he saw the last person he wanted to see.

Draco stood in the doorway, looking right past him and directly at Hermione. “How are you feeling, love?” His expression was a mixture of concern and tenderness, a look Harry had never seen on the boy’s face in all the years he’d known him. His insides boiled at the endearment Draco had used.

Draco walked right past him without so much as a glance and knelt down in front of Hermione. She was practically beaming. Harry was practically fuming.

He held her hand and drank in her face. Her eyes were so pretty. He’d never even allowed himself to see that before. “Do you need anything? Is there anything I can get you? I’m sorry I wasn’t here when you woke up. I, uh, had a little business to take care of with the One-Eyed Ogre.”

Hermione’s eyes widened in apprehension. “What happened? Are you okay?”

Draco smiled and ran his thumb over the back of her hand. “Everything’s fine, I promise. Don’t worry about me. Now, can I get you anything?”

She shook her head. “No, just stay here, okay?”

Harry bristled. The affection between them made him want to vomit. Then a thought occurred to him. A love potion! That slimy prat slipped her a love potion! Of course; now it made complete sense. He stood up angrily and glared at Draco.

Draco stood and faced him. Eyebrow raised, he returned the stare evenly. “Is there something that you need, Potter?”

Harry’s cheeks flamed red. “Yes, Malfoy, I need for you get out of here and crawl back under the rock you came from.”

“Harry-” began Hermione.

“No, no,” said Draco. “Don’t get yourself worked up, Hermione. Potter’s just voicing his opinion. It’s your opinion that matters to me.” He gave her a calming smile.

Harry’s hands balled into fists. “Nobody wants you here, Malfoy, can’t you get that? Why don’t you just leave?”

“But that’s where you’re wrong, Potter. I believe Hermione wants me here.” Draco smirked at him.

“Oh, cut the bull, Malfoy!” Harry thrust his face inches from Draco. “What did you do to her, huh? What kind of love potion did you slip her? Because nobody’s buying this lovey-dovey crap between you!”

“Harry!” Hermione retorted. “Now that’s enough. He did no such thing! You weren’t there, you don’t know what he did for me!”

“It’s alright, Hermione. Yeah, Potter” he snapped, “I had a lot of time to slip her a love potion while she was being tortured and we were running for our lives. Are you really that obtuse?”

“Harry please,” Hermione begged, tears forming in her eyes. “It’s not that way, I swear!”

“Oh come off it, Hermione!” he retorted. “He spends one day posing as a hero, and you’re ready to forget all the years he’s treated you like dirt? He and that word on your arm are well-acquainted, if you’ll remember.” He pointed to her forearm and she started to cry.

Draco took a threatening step forward. “Don’t you dare upset her, Potter, because I’ll serve you your own heart on a platter.”

“That’s enough, both of you!” Hermione panted. She was starting to go pale again. “Harry, I want you to be here but if you can’t stop this, I’m going to need to…ask you to leave.” The words were daggers in her heart, but she couldn’t have them fighting. She couldn’t take any more pain.

Draco took a step back and placed a hand on Hermione’s shoulder. She was breathing heavily, and her forehead was breaking out in a sweat. “Listen, Potter. You are not going to upset her again. Why don’t you run along until you can behave yourself?” And then, just to show his confidence in the situation, Draco simply turned his back on Harry and knelt back down with Hermione.

Harry, beyond furious and wounded by Hermione’s words, stormed out of the room.

****

“Are you all right?”

Draco smoothed the hair from her forehead and took her hand in his. He’d been enjoying the sparring match he was having with Potter until she got upset. Then it wasn’t funny anymore. A fiercely protective streak had shot through him, and he would have beaten Potter to a bloody pulp if he ever made her upset again.

Hermione began to cry afresh. “I can’t…take that. Not now. I just can’t, please.” Tears streamed down the sides of her face as she lay back on her pillow.

Draco felt a stab of guilt in his heart. “I’m sorry, Hermione. I shouldn’t have kept it going. I never wanted to cause you more pain.” He rested his head on her shoulder. “He was right, though. I treated you like dirt for years; I have no excuse for that.”

She rested her hand on the top of his head. “And I already forgave you for that. I don’t want to dredge up the past. I want to make a new start. And I know you do too.”

He kissed the top of her shoulder, and rested his forehead on it again. “That’s all I want. I want to make everything better for you. I know that everything is disorderly right now, but…I want to be with you, Hermione.” He couldn’t look her in the eyes, afraid of what he might see there.

She brought her arm up and cradled his head. “Everything’s so confusing right now. But I will say,” she chose her words carefully, “that I feel completely at peace when I’m with you.” Beyond that, she wasn’t sure what she wanted yet.

Now he did look at her. “You will always be safe with me, that I promise you.” Determination sparked in the steel of his eyes.

She sighed and closed her eyes. “I do believe that, Draco. And it means more than I can even tell you.”

****

Harry slammed the door to the room he shared with Ron. “That filthy, miserable son of a banshee! I’m gonna kill him!” He walked over to the wall by the bathroom and punched it hard, guaranteeing a bruise on his hand.

“Wha-?” Ron managed a single syllable in his hung-over state. He winced at the volume of Harry’s voice.

“Malfoy, that’s what! He's turning Hermione against us! She just kicked me out of the room where they are!”

Ron sat straight up, his foggy brain clearing at a miraculous rate. “He what? She what?”

Harry paced across the floor at the foot of the bed. “I was with Hermione and Malfoy showed up. He went to her as if I wasn’t even in the room! We got into an argument- no surprise there- and then Hermione started to cry. I was about to take his head off for it when she asked me to leave the room!” He sat down on the edge of the bed and slammed his palms on the mattress.

Something inside Ron snapped at that moment. Adrenaline coursed through his veins and gave him enough power to stand up. He quickly donned clothes and marched to the door.

“What are you going to do?” Harry asked nervously. He didn’t like seeing Ron in his act-before-thinking state. “Maybe we should-”

“No!” he hollered. “I’m going to end this now. I’ve had enough of him- he’s done for.” He threw open the door and made for the stairs.

“Wait! Don’t upset Hermione! She isn’t well!” But Ron was already nearing the bottom of the staircase. Harry hurried after him and followed him into the parlor.

Ron nearly lost it right there. Draco’s head was on her shoulder; she was resting hers on top of it. He stood there, seething, and the two at the couch looked up. Hermione’s eyes widened in fright. “R-Ron! Please! I want to talk to you! Don’t do anything!”

Ron never took his eyes from Draco, who stood up, guarding Hermione. “We’ll talk, Hermione. But first I have to take out the trash.” He advanced on Draco, who looked positively vicious.

Draco closed the gap between them in seconds and planted the side of his fist into Ron’s chest. He could already hear Hermione crying, and it infuriated him. “Not here, you ignorant fool. Not in front of Hermione, or don’t you give a damn about her feelings in this?”

“Don’t I give a damn about her feelings…” Ron repeated incredulously. “You bloody mother-”

“Stop it! Stop it all of you!” screamed Hermione with more strength than she should have exerted. “Stop hosing down this room with testosterone! Doesn’t anyone care what I think?”

Draco answered, though his eyes never left Ron. “Of course, Hermione, we all care. I’m sorry. We’re going to take this conversation outside.” And he put some force behind his fist to push Ron backward.

“Don’t take it anywhere!” she pleaded, though she knew they were all past the point of no return.

“They have to sort it out, Hermione,” Harry replied.

“No they don’t!” argued Hermione, but her voice was getting weaker as she quickly tired out. “Please, please boys. Don’t be stupid.” But her words held no more strength. She fell back against her pillow and closed her eyes, fatigued tears dripping from them.

Draco’s voice was deadly. “Turn around. Outside. Now.” For once, Ron didn’t argue. He wheeled himself around and headed for the back door in the kitchen.

The three incensed teens blew through the kitchen where Arthur and Kingsley had sat down for a game of wizard chess. The men looked up from their game, and each drew an uneasy breath as they caught the look on the boys’ faces.

“What exactly are you boys doing?” Kingsley’s deeply resonant voice filled the room. None of the boys wanted to stop and explain.

Finally, Harry replied, “Just sorting some things out, that’s all,” and continued out the door. The men looked at each other and decided to keep an eye on the “sorting out”, in case it got out of hand.

Fan-bloody-tastic. Draco swore silently as he stormed down the three steps that led to the house’s backyard. Mad-Eye hadn’t given him his wand back yet. This was one fight in which he really needed to be armed. Well, too late for that- he’d have to rely on speed and quick thinking. Otherwise, he’s going to clean up the backyard with my face.

He and Ron squared off, Harry remaining slightly off to the side. Ron drew his wand and waited for Draco to do the same. When Draco just stood there, he began to get irritated.

“Take out your wand, Malfoy! Unless you’re afraid of getting killed in a duel.”

Draco let out a short laugh. “It astounds me that you always think so highly of yourself. I hate to disappoint, but my wand is currently in Mad-Eye’s possession. So there wouldn’t be much of a duel, would there? Now I myself don’t mind taking you on with my bare hands. But if you’d feel more comfortable with your wand…” It was so easily predictable to push a Gryffindor’s buttons.

“I don’t need a wand to beat you, Malfoy,” barked Ron as he tossed his wand to Harry. “My fists can more than handle the job. And I’ve been waiting for this for years.” And without another word, Ron launched himself at Draco.

The first move was easy to dodge. Draco simply moved to the side and almost chuckled as his attacker fell and cracked his shins on the steps. But Ron sprang up like nothing had happened and tackled Draco at the waist, bringing both of them down hard on the frozen ground. Draco felt the side of his face connect with the unforgiving earth, and pain exploded across his cheekbone. He couldn’t pull away from Ron’s strong grip, so he threw his head back as hard as he could into Ron’s face, feeling the crunch of Ron’s nose behind him.

Ron let go and roared in pain, blood streaming out of his broken nose. Draco took the opportunity to scramble away and get back on his feet. No sooner had he did this than Ron was on him again, shoving him back to the ground. He moved his head to the side, dodging Ron’s fist as it came crashing down where his face had been mere seconds before. He responded with a knee to Ron’s stomach, which did little harm but afforded him the chance to roll out from under Ron’s grasp.

But he wasn’t fast enough. Ron grabbed him by the hair and slammed his head into the ground, causing Draco to momentarily see stars. He felt Ron’s knee in his back and knew the boy was grabbing for his arm. I am so close to being completely screwed, he thought as his mind searched for a countermove.

He pulled his arms under him and used them to push up as hard as he could, while rolling his body toward Ron, causing the redhead’s knee to slide off and knocking him off balance. Ron landed on the other side of him, and Draco got to his feet fast. He planted a swift kick to Ron’s ribs. Ron cried out and grabbed his side, rolling onto his back. Draco lifted his foot to bring it down hard on Ron’s stomach, but Ron reached up and grabbed his leg, twisting it and sending him crashing back to the earth again.

The two were fairly evenly matched. Where Ron used force, Draco used quick thinking. Where Draco had speed, Ron had brute strength. They continued to spar, throwing punches and landing kicks, wrestling each other to the ground. Draco was actually surprised that Potter wasn’t joining in.

It barely registered to them that they were attracting a crowd. Fred and George had come outside, remaining on the perimeter but ready to spring should the need arise. Ginny had run out too, and was screaming for someone to stop them. Arthur and Kingsley came slowly down the stairs; they were once boys, and both remembered that sometimes the only way to settle a dispute was to duke it out.

Draco was getting tired. He still wasn’t fully recovered from the ordeal at his home, and he needed more rest than he’d gotten thus far. He was starting to worry that his endurance wouldn’t hold up. And, Merlin’s beard, Ron was strong! He’d underestimated the Weasel’s capabilities. He threw an elbow into Ron’s sternum, and launched himself backward. He landed solidly on his feet and leapt to the side to come at Ron from a better angle. He pounced on Ron, using both arms to pin his enemy in a strong headlock.

Ron struggled against his grip- he found that he’d also underestimated Draco’s ability- but being the youngest of six brothers gave him more than enough experience. He grabbed Draco around the chest and threw them both sideways down to the ground. Draco momentarily lost his grip when he landed, and that was all Ron needed. He pinned Draco’s shoulders to the ground with his knees and proceeded to pummel him in the head.

There was nothing Draco could do to stop the assault. Ron had bested him, and now he was going to pay for it. He felt his own nose break as a result of a well-placed punch and spat out a great glob of blood from his mouth. He could hear Ron screaming at him.

“Don’t you touch her! Don’t you ever come near her! I’ll kill you! Call her what you really think of her! Call her a Mudblood! Go ahead, call her a Mudblood, I dare you!” Ron landed several punches into Draco’s stomach and began pounding on his ribs. Draco heard the sickening crack of the bones in his ribcage before he felt the searing pain. Unconsciousness was threatening to steal him from the world.

“All right, we should step in,” said Kingsley. He took a step forward and was halted by Arthur’s arm.

“Not yet, wait just a moment.” Kingsley noticed that Arthur seemed to be watching the fight with a tad more enthusiasm than called for. “Let him finish.”

“You mean, let them finish, don’t you?” Kingsley eyed Arthur warily. It was true. Arthur was enjoying this fight. Kingsley had just put his hand on Arthur’s arm when a shrill voice pierced the air.

Ginny was livid. “Somebody stop this!! What is wrong with all of you?! STOP THIS!!” She’d had enough of the males around her just letting Ron beat the absolute tar out of Draco. What if he actually killed him? She whipped out her wand, pointed it and, using all her strength, bellowed, “STUPEFY!!”

Ron flew back with such force that he hit the tree in the yard 4 metres back. He was out cold. Ginny raced over to Draco, more to check for a pulse than anything else. Harry watched her, distress and anger in his face.

“How could you all stand around and let this happen?!” she yelled at those around her. Her father and Kingsley were gently lifting Draco off the ground and carrying him into the house. Ginny glared at her brothers, and at Harry, that they could be reduced to such heartless barbarism. She marched into the house behind her father, tears replacing anger. Harry went to Ron and revived him; Fred and George came over to check on their brother.

“What happened?” Ron asked, still feeling a little disoriented.

“You won,” Harry told him firmly, his heart still stinging from Ginny’s reaction.
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Last edited by steflegan; 09-18-2011 at 09:15 PM.
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