One Foot Wrong

This story is written for the Album to Story Challenge by Gamma Orionis.

This is what it said: The rules of this challenge are pretty simple. You say an artist/band - anyone you want - I name an album by that artist/band, and you write a story with one chapter based on each song on the album.

I asked for a P!nk Challenge and she gave me the album Funhouse, which is fun because I haven't really heard the whole album before writing this story. This won't be a songfic kind of story. I am just influenced by the songs and will go from there. I will try to upload at least once a week.

Rating: M for language and sexual content in later chapters

Summary: Draco & Hermione. Hermione breaks up with Ron, and when catching a drunk Draco Malfoy in one of the hallways he accidentally calls her beautiful.

Disclaimer: Characters and all its surroundings are property of J.K. Rowling. The songs used in this story all belong to Pink.

Chapter 1:

"So What"

You weren't there,
You never were,
You want it all,
But that's not fair,
I gave you life,
I gave my all,
You weren't there,
You let me fall.

Have you ever felt like you were drowning? Drowning into nowhere. No way out. Grasping onto anything and everything that is surrounding you, but somehow, someway , there is no way to hold onto it. Life is slipping by and there is no way to push the brake. Scared, lonely, you keep drowning… drowning into nowhere…

Brushing her teeth to go to bed, she looked up into the mirror in the bathroom and just watched herself. Compared to some of the pictures on her nightstand in her bedroom, she had matured a lot. Her eyes lay deeper in her face and her cheekbones were clearly standing out now. Her cheeks held a natural pink and her hair had straightened out just a little bit. But it wasn't just that she looked older, she felt older too.

She touched her cheek with her hand and sighed. She didn't recognize herself anymore, she had changed so much in such a small time that she was afraid to see her own reflection. Tears were now rolling down her cheeks and fell on the smooth surface of the sink. She hated herself and the girl she had become. She was weak and stupid.

Her relationship with Ron was eating her, from the inside and the outside. She loved him, maybe too much. He was hurting her, using her, going out with other girls behind her back. And she had let it happen too many times now to still say anything about it. When she had started dating Ron he had been a fantastic boyfriend, buying her small gifts every now and then, holding her hand when walking down the halls, giving her surprised kisses on her cheek. But in the last couple of months all of that had faded. He would only really look her up if he wanted affection or sex. Oh yes, she was good for the sex… but being the girlfriend type wasn't good for him anymore. She knew it was wrong of her… to still be in a relationship with him, but she just loved him too much. She had always thought that she would marry Ron, have a family and grow old together. Now, she wasn't so sure anymore.

"Hermione, are you in there? Do you want to come along with me to dinner?" She heard Ginny saying, who was standing just outside of the bathroom door. She wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand, looked herself over in the mirror, sighed and opened the bathroom door. A huge, fake smile plastered on her face.

"Yes, just a sec." She closed the door again, blew her nose and followed Ginny out towards the great hall for dinner.

"Do you and Ron have any plans for Valentine's day?" Ginny asked her as Hermione caught up with her and walked right next to her. Ginny had become a close friend to Hermione, although their one year age difference she really had a feeling that Ginny understood her.

"No, I don't think so. I've heard a party is planned in the great hall though, we might go there."

Ginny nodded. "Harry and I will first go out to dinner and then probably go to the party." Hermione felt a pang in her heart. Of course they had something planned, Harry and Ginny had been going out for a couple of months now and it had gotten pretty serious. She was jealous. Jealous of their relationship, jealous of their Valentine's date. Ron hadn't asked her yet and she doubted he would. Probably assuming that she would come around to the party.

Reaching the doors of the Great Hall, both girls walked in and found their normal spots at the table, right next to Harry and Ron. Well… Ron should be here somewhere. She looked around for him and after only a couple of seconds she found him not too far from her, standing next to Lavender Brown. She continued watching him as he sat next to Lavender and took her hands, all the while smiling and talking to her. He never took Hermione's hands in his anymore, and yet there he was sitting next to someone that wasn't his girlfriend, holding that girls' hands. She saw him leaning forward and planting a kiss on Lavender's cheeks and something just snapped inside of Hermione.

"What do you think you are doing Ron?" Hermione stalked over to the couple sitting on the bench together. Ron looked up at Hermione, when he noticed her, a guilty look fell on his face.

"Hermione…"

"Oh, you actually do know my name. I thought you had forgotten about me."She spat at him and grabbed his arm forcefully and demanded him to stand up and talk to her. And so he stood up and faced her. Contemplating what he was going to say to her this time.

"Yes, Hermione.. of course I haven't forgotten about you.. you're my girlfriend." He tried, but he could see in Hermione's eyes that this time she was serious. Fire was blazing in her eyes as she threw the next words at him.

"Well not anymore I am. Fuck you Ron. You treated me like shit.. you.." She paused, not sure if she meant it. Or if she meant it, if she had the guts to do it. "You don't deserve me." She continued and looked at him for just a couple of more seconds, then stormed off, out of the great hall. Feeling almost everybody's eyes on her back. Good, they all heard.

She could hear somebody running after her and felt someone touching her shoulder.

"'Mione.. please." It was Ron. He had followed her out and was now trying to turn Hermione around to face him. To plead her to not break up with him.

"No Ron… not please this time." Her eyes were giving away how much pain she felt. She was broken and all she wanted to do was run up to her room and cry her eyes out. Why couldn't he just give her at least that?.

"You don't mean this.. you can't mean this. We're meant for each other 'Mione.. please.." He was begging her, this pathetic excuse of a boy was begging her to take him back. "I can change, I will change.. for you."

She just looked at him, feeling sorry for him. How could he have fallen so hard and changed so much from the nice and caring boy he once was. Growing up, developing handsome features had changed him into a cheating bastard, girls throwing themselves at his feet, just because he was friends with the famous Harry Potter. In some way she couldn't really blame him for any of it. But she had made up her mind, she refused to be hurt by him any longer.

"No Ron. We're done." And she walked away from him, finally letting the tears pour out of her eyes.

I'm gonna get in trouble
I wanna start a fight

Draco Malfoy had seen it all happening. The Mudblood and the Weasel breaking up in the middle of the Great Hall. The Weasel even followed her out after she had stormed away from him. He shook his head and chuckled. He would never chase a woman that way. He would never lower himself like that. Woman should follow him around, not the other way around. He couldn't help it, but be curious what was actually happening right now behind the heavy doors of the Great Hall. He slowly stood up from the Slytherin table and walked out of the great hall, just in time to hear the Weasel pleading the Mudblood to take him back. Oh, his day just couldn't get any better.

He rounded the corner and could now clearly see Hermione Granger standing there, listening to the Weasel's plea. She looked strong, though he could see that she could break any second. Unfortunately he couldn't see the Weasel's face.

He had never understood their relationship. Oh sure, in the beginning they were two lovebirds, never leaving each other's side. It had been disgusting really. But it all changed and he had never really spotted them together in the last couple of months. He even saw the Weasel with other girls now and then, chatting them up, flirting, kissing their cheeks and walking them to their classes. He had even wondered if they had broken up. But rumors travel fast on a school like this, and he hadn't heard that ,at one point, the golden couple had broken up.

He saw Granger leaving the Weasel, contemplating for a second who he should torture and to pour a little of extra salt into their open wounds. He weighed his options, the Weasel would turn extremely red, would become angry and would probably start a fight… Something that he would love to see and make happen.. However, he choose the Mudblood. She had always been his favorite to torture, to hurt. Just because it was that damn easy. He could always get so easily under her skin. But she was also the one person out of the golden trio who dared to stand up to him. She challenged him, oh she intrigued him.

"Oi Granger!" He shouted as he left the Weasel standing there by himself and he followed the Granger girl. She either didn't hear him or she ignored him. She did started walking faster though, giving him the impression that she probably did hear him but didn't want to talk to him.

He wasn't going to run, never. "Granger! I have a message for you." She hesitated for a second, he could see it in the way she missed a step. But she kept on walking nonetheless. "Granger… it's a message from McGonagall, she said it's important." He tried again. This time it worked, she had halted and waited for him to catch up with her.

"What is it Malfoy?" She had sighed out loud, he could see that she wiped her eyes just before she turned around to face him. But her eyes were a dead giveaway of the tears that had been streaming down her face just seconds ago. He saw her eyes turning from a sad look to now cold. She had put a mask up so he couldn't read her. Too bad he had just witnessed everything that just happened between her and the Weasel boy.

He chuckled softly to himself as he saw the golden girl so broken up. "Granger? Something the matter?"

She just shook her head. "No, nothing. What's it to you anyway.. since when do you care?" She raised her eyebrows and watched him closely, he could tell that she was trying to read him. Yeah, like that was ever going to happen.

He looked her over once and smirked. "No, I guess I don't. You just don't look very peachy. But then again… you never did."

He could see the hurt flash through her eyes just briefly before they turned cold again. "Thanks for your opinion Malfoy. But I don't need your opinion." She scoffed. "You have a message for me?"

"Nah, not really. I just wanted to see how you are holding up after your break up with sweet little Won-Won." He watched her carefully, but no response came. "Oh wait.. is that the right name? How does that Brown girl always call him? Won-Won right?" He had hit a nerve, he could tell. She sniffed once and just glared at him.

"Leave me alone Malfoy." She spun on her heel and started walking away.

"He slept with that Brown girl, you know.. when still being with you. Did he tell you that?" It was a flat out lie.. as far as he knew. It could have happened though. It worked, Granger turned back around and walked back up to him.

"What did you just say?" Her voice was soft now. He knew that she had heard him.

"Yes, it's all over school. 2 weeks ago or something." He eyed her up, new tears were welling up in her eyes.

She shook her head wildly. "No…" She paused and turned her back on him. "No, you're lying. He didn't."

"It's what I've heard Granger. I thought you'd want to know." He started to walk away from her. Deciding that he would get her some more later on.

"Thanks…" He heard her whisper and he knew that she had believed him.

And now that were done
I'm gonna show you tonight
I'm alright
I'm just fine
And you're a tool so
So what

"My brother is bloody stupid Mione." Ginny said to Hermione as she stroked her hair and tried to calm her down. Hermione was lying on her bed, face down in her pillow as she kept on crying.

"You were right.. he doesn't deserve you. He's a slimy git." Ginny had been trying to comfort Hermione for the last hour, but so far nothing had worked. She had been mad at her brother for hurting Hermione like that. She had looked him up, slapped him hard in the face and accused him for taking her future sister away from her. She had always loved the thought that one day Hermione would be her sister in law.

"He slept with Lavender." Hermione murmured softly into her pillow. Ginny could barely hear her. "What?" Ginny said.

Hermione looked up at her, her eyes red and puffy from crying. "He slept with Lavender." She once again said. "How could he do that to me?" She fell back into her pillow again. She felt pathetic, and maybe she was. But she had let herself to allow the tears for tonight… to get over him, to get over them.

"No, no.. he couldn't.." Ginny was now staring off in space, not really believing what Hermione was saying. "Did he tell you that?" Hermione just shook her head. "Malfoy did." She simply said.

"Malfoy? You talked to Malfoy?"

Hermione once again looked up at Ginny. "Yes, he followed me out of the Great Hall…trying to kick me while I was already down, I s'pose. He told me that they slept together.. 2 weeks ago."

"Hermione, if that is really true. And I know it's all very hard for you Hermione. But do keep in mind that it is Malfoy telling you this. But you need to confront Ron with it." Ginny paused. "You deserve to know the truth."

Hermione just nodded, inhaled deeply and swung her legs over the sides of her bed. "I know." She gave Ginny a small smile and stood up. "I know." She repeated once again as she walked out of the room.

Ginny followed her closely, wanting to see everything.. wanting to back Hermione up. Storming into the common room, Hermione found her target. Ron was playing chess with Harry over at the fire place. He had looked up when he saw Hermione standing before him, her arms on her hips as she held an angry glare.

"Hermione?" He asked hopeful. She shifted her weighed from one foot to the other and just glared back at him. Then with a certain calm that she didn't know she could've possessed at that given time, she spoke. "Did you sleep with Lavender, Ron?"

" Come on Hermione.. Ron would never do that." Harry started, but she raised her hand to stop him.

"I want to hear it from Ron, Harry. I want to know the truth." She watched Ron's face, he had turned red. She knew enough.

"Ron?" Harry looked at his best friend. Hermione could see the disappointment in his eyes. "You slept with her?"

"How could you?" She almost hissed at him. It was all just a little bit too much. And Ron just sat there, too guilty and at loss for words to even say anything to her. "I thought Malfoy… I thought Malfoy lied to me..but now.."

"Malfoy? Did that bastard tell you this?" Ron quickly stood up and wanted to walk away, probably to find Malfoy. But Harry stopped him.

"Yes, he did. And you know what Ron? I'm glad he did." She stopped for a second, looking at him. "Was she the only one Ron.. or were there more girls?" She almost whispered, not sure if she could take his answer. He looked away from her.

"I'm sorry 'Mione." Was his only answer.

"Me too." As she walked up to him and slapped him hard on his cheek. His eyes went wide at the realization that she just hit him.

"I'm so done with you." And she walked away, out of the common room.

Running down the stairs, into the library.. she needed time for herself. She needed to escape all of the thoughts that were running into her mind. Opening a random book she sat down in one of the chairs and just started reading.

"Well, well.. look who we've got here." She heard a familiar voice. She looked up and stared into the eyes of no one other than Draco Malfoy. He took a seat opposite of hers and just stared at her. She had wanted to ignore him and was reading once again in her book but she couldn't shake his eyes off of her.

"Did you talk to the Weasel?" Normally she would have hated his nickname for Ron. But now she couldn't care anymore. She looked up at him, her big brown eyes staring straight into his grey ones. "Yes actually, I did." She looked away from him. "You were right… he slept with her." She said softly, she didn't want to give too much away of her feelings. But she wanted to somehow thank him for telling her.

He raised his eyebrows. "Really?" He chuckled softly. "I actually made the story up. But who knew Won-Won actually had it in him."

She just stared at him. "Yes, well… thanks I guess." She stood up, knowing he wouldn't leave her alone if she would've stayed here.

"Oh, no need to thank me. It was my pleasure really." He smirked.

She simply nodded at him, understanding that he had been messing with her mind. She used to hate it whenever he would mess with her.. but tonight she couldn't hate him. He had helped her.

Let me know what you think! Reviews are much appreciate and will help me write faster ;)