Forsaken

"If that's what she wants to do, who are we to stop her?" Harry mused, flicking pieces of mud out of the end of his broom. He made a mental note not to fall in the mud during Quidditch again.

"Who are we?" Ron repeated incredulously. The bedroom was desolate bar the two teenagers and Ron's footsteps echoed off the aged flooring as he anxiously paced back and forth. "Who the hell are we? We, Harry, are Hermione's best friends! It is our moral duty to protect her from the perils of the Wizarding world! We are her only protectors in this dark and sordid world! We are her only non-muggle friends! We may well be her only friends on the entire planet!"

"Well…not really." Harry countered, examining the mud that had managed to creep behind his nails. "There's Lavender, and Parvati, and Neville…oh and Hannah, and -"

"Harry, shut up." Ron spat, not even looking at Harry as he continued to pace the floor.

"I was just saying -"

"I know what you were just saying and it was completely unhelpful, as usual. We can't allow Hermione to do this."

"I don't think she's really asking for permission, Ron…"

"Harry!" Ron cried exasperatedly. "I don't bloody well care if she's asking us for permission or asking us to be bloody ring-bearers, she's not going to go near that piece of scum!"

Harry looked at Ron wistfully.

"Do you really reckon she'd ask us to be ring-bearers? What exactly would I have to do? I'm not terribly good at speeches."

Ron delivered a swift slap to the back of Harry's head.

"Aren't you meant to be an extraordinary Wizard, Harry? Use some bloody common sense!" Ron screamed. Harry took this to mean Ron was serious.

"We cannot, under any circumstances, stand back and let her ruin her teenage life with him." He seethed. He began to pace the room again. "She doesn't understand the Dark Arts."

"Hermione probably knows more about any given topic that you and I do put together."

"Harry!"

"Sorry." Harry was silent for a moment before continuing. "But didn't you say to her last night that you didn't want her in your life anymore?"

Ron stopped in his tracks for a moment and considered what Harry had said before returning to a nervous but determined pace. He looked ashamed.

"I was angry."

"So? You still said it."

"I wasn't thinking straight."

"Yeah, but you still -"

"So what do you suggest we do then, Potter?" Ron interrupted sarcastically. "Just let them get on with it? Pat them on the back and congratulate them? Maybe we should throw in a bunch of frigging flowers."

"Don't be ridiculous, Ron." Harry said, standing up to face Ron, suddenly focusing on the subject at hand and turning his full attention to Ron. "I'm not happy at all about it. And I never will be. I'm just saying, if she wants to be with Draco then she can."

Ron's face reddened with anger.

"Draco? On first name terms now, are we? So are you, Draco and Hermione a little threesome now? Oh - that'll be cosy, Harry!"

"I'm serious!" Harry said. Ron stopped and looked at him. Harry sat down on his bed again and returned to preening his broom. When he spoke again, it was through clenched teeth. "I've made my decision now. If Hermione decides to forsake us for Draco, then that's ok. And -"

"I can't believe you're saying this! Have you no idea what he is -"

"And!" Harry persevered, glaring at Ron for his interruption. "If she is so persistent with this whole Draco affair, then fine…they can be together. But if she thinks for one minute that she can have Draco and still keep her friends…well; she's got it terribly wrong."

Draco's hands were sweating. First Transfiguration class with Hermione. First Transfiguration class with Hermione as a couple.

He couldn't help but smile at that thought.

She wasn't there yet. None of the Gryffindors were there yet, actually. Just the Slytherins. And him. Was he still a Slytherin? It was hard to tell. None of them were really talking to him after what Blaise and a few others had seen. Well, except Crabbe and Goyle. But they weren't exactly the Einsteins' of conversation anyway. Seeing Hermione meant he wasn't badass enough for Zambini and friends anymore. He didn't really see why though – he hadn't changed. He was still Draco Malfoy, heir to Lucius Malfoy and the Malfoy wealth and status. He wasn't angelically flawless now just because he was officially seeing Hermione. He wasn't suddenly a good boy and he most certainly was not Potter.

But he was better than any of those other Slytherins, standing there gawking at some Ravenclaw's breasts. 'Narrow minded twats' he pondered.

'…I died so many years ago…'

Draco looked up at the sound of music. By now, music in Hogwarts generally meant there was a Gryffindor nearby. Which, recently, had become a very good thing.

'…But you can make me feel like it isn't so…'

"Morning." He whispered in her ear as he managed to sneak up behind her. He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and she smiled nervously.

"Not here." She whispered, pulling her face away.

"Why not?"

"Because…someone will see."

Draco stopped and pulled Hermione to the side. The corridor was crowded and they were lost from sight in the swarm of teenagers going to class.

"And what? I thought we agreed last night that…" he trailed off. She was looking around nervously.

"Look, I know. And I agree. We should tell. But Draco – it's first thing in the morning. We don't have to tell people now."

"But why not? It's the best time! All the Gryffindors and Slytherins in our year are here. Surely if we're to make an announcement -"

"Announcement?" She hissed incredulously. "I thought we were just going to tell a few close friends!"

"What's the point in that? I'd rather just do it in one sweep, not have rumours and gossiping!"

"Class time is no time for distractions, Draco."

"Hermione!" he hissed, getting angry. Her calm and apathetic attitude was beginning to irritate him. "Why do you not want to do this? You said yourself that -"

"Yes I'm very well aware of what I said, thank you very much." She sighed. "I just…I want to sort things out first."

Draco looked sceptical. "What things?"

Hermione looked at two boys standing at the other end of the corridor.

"Not again!" Draco sighed angrily. "I thought all this rubbish with Potty and Weasel was sorted last night!"

"Don't call them that!" she hissed indignantly. She pushed her hair behind her ear and bit her lip. "And no, it wasn't. They shut themselves away in their room all evening. I haven't spoken to them since Ron slapped me."

"Can't believe that mongrel hit you, I'll fucking kill -"

"Oh shut up, Draco. Listen, I'll see you later. I'm going over to talk to Parvati. And get this silly notion of an announcement out of your head – it's a relationship, not a World Summit meeting."

"Hermione! Wait!" Draco tried to hang on to her arm but she shook him off as she walked away.

'…You're scared, ashamed of what you feel and you can't tell the ones you love…you know they couldn't deal…'

'Well what the fucking hell was that all about?' He thought to himself.

'…Well that's great but I don't wanna play…but being with you touches me more than I can say…'

The class slowly filtered through the doors to the Transfiguration classroom. Hermione hoped she hadn't been too harsh on Draco. She knew he was only trying but she was scared of what people's reactions would be. In fact, no…she knew what their reactions would be. And she had every right to be scared.

She walked over to her normal seat beside Harry and Ron and smiled tentatively.

"This seat's taken." Harry said, glaring at her. His eyes were cold and menacing behind his old glasses and Hermione was shocked at his antagonism.

"But…Harry…" She started.

"It's taken." He put his bag on the third seat and turned back to his open book on the table. Hermione looked hopefully at Ron.

"Ron…listen…"

"You heard what he said, Hermione." He said hoarsely. His voice was little more than a whisper and barely audible as he looked at the ground.

"But…But this is where I usually sit."

Harry's gaze did not flutter from the pages of his textbook.

"Well, you're not usually fucking Deatheaters."

"He's not a…" She trailed off. They didn't want to listen to her making excuses for Draco. No one did.

She turned round to look for a new seat. Draco's eyes widened and motioned to the seat beside him hopefully. She sent him a stern look.

"Parvati – can I sit beside you and Lavender today? Just for today." Parvati looked a bit taken aback but agreed and pulled the chair out for her. Hermione calmly composed herself and began to take the necessary textbooks out of her bag.

"Why's she sitting with us?" Lavender hissed at Parvati. Hermione pretended not to hear her.

"I don't know. She just is." Parvati hissed back.

"But why isn't she sitting with Harry and Ron?" Lavender hissed again.

"I don't know that either. Ask her yourself." Hermione looked at her books and pretended to be absorbed in them. They had never looked so inviting until it meant a distraction from this tedious conversation.

"Oi! Hermione!" Hermione gripped her book harder, pretending she was oblivious to life around her. "Oi!" Lavender shut the textbook and Hermione looked pleasantly surprised to see her inquisitive face looking at her.

"Why are you not sitting with Harry and Ron? Had a falling out have you?"

Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Yeah…something like that."

"Oooh, we love falling outs, don't we Parvati?" she gushed, her eyes glowing with glee. "So what happened then?"

Parvati turned round to involve herself more in the inquiry while Lavender carried on bombarding Hermione with questions.

"I can't really say."

"Why not? Come on…you can tell us."

"Look, it's personal. Ok?"

"But Hermione! That's what girls are for! Sharing girly gossip! Honestly – you've been hanging round boys for too long. You need some female influence in your life, that's what you need."

Hermione gritted her teeth.

"Look…it's not as easy as that. It's really complicated."

"Oh." Lavender nodded wisely. "Oh ok. We understand."

Both girls turned away to face the front. Lavender had a smug smile on her face. She leaned into Parvati to whisper somewhat indiscreetly.

"Told you she was screwing them."

"Well I thought they were just friends!"

"But I knew better."

"Well how was I meant to know?"

"'Cause I said to you, didn't I? I said 'Here Parvati – I reckon that Hermione's doing Ron and Harry.' And then you went 'Nah they just mates, Lav!' and then I goes 'Nah honest – I reckon she's doing them both!' and then you went 'But Lav – ain't she a lesbian?'"

"Yeah…and you agreed with me then!"

"Well yeah. I mean…they do say it's always the quiet ones…"

"Here Lavender – maybe she is a lesbian! But she's doing Harry and Ron too! Maybe Ron and Harry are girls dressed up!"

"Ooooh Parvati! I never thought of that! You might be on to something there!"

Hermione realised she was grinding her teeth. Did they honestly believe she couldn't hear them? Parvati's radio was still going. Why was this the one day Professor McGonagall had to be late?

"Here Parvati -" Lavender murmured. "Do you reckon that lesbian-ism is contagious?"

Hermione clenched her fists. She could not stand trivial and unintelligent girlish behaviour. That was why she had always stuck to hanging around with guys. Like Ron. And Harry. But they weren't interested anymore. No one was. She was alone.

Almost.

She quickly scribbled a few words down on a spare piece of parchment and folded it neatly.

"Dean?" she said to the boy on her left. She held out the parchment. "Could you please pass this over to Malfoy?"

'…You know, you got a willing slave…and you just love to play the part that you might misbehave…'

Draco was angry. Draco did not like being angry. Other people did not like Draco being angry. Draco made bloody sure of that.