Denying Draco

44 - Hermione's Betrayal

Hermione Granger strolled through the corridor slowly after her second class of the day. She was in a constant daydream of picturing Poppy Dumbledore standing in the toilet cubicle with tears down her face and body shaking violently.

'Granger!' The bark of her name made her jump and she turned to see Draco Malfoy approaching her. She instantly felt angered. Goyle was his friend and Goyle had done this because he'd thought he was entitled to Poppy since his friend had already been with her.

'What do you want?' Hermione asked, sternly.

'What's going on with Po...Dumbledore?' Draco asked, his tone rude and sharp but he glanced down the corridor quickly and turned back to her. She swore she saw his face ever so slightly weaken and she wondered if that was a look of concern.

'What do you mean?' Hermione asked.

'I saw her...earlier,' Draco murmured, letting out a stubborn breath. 'Running down the corridor crying. I can't find her...'

'Mind me saying so, Malfoy, but it looks to me like you actually care,' Hermione replied, flatly.

'Don't fuck about,' Draco muttered. 'What's going on? Where is she?'

'She's currently in her dorm,' Hermione sighed, knowing she would be betraying Poppy if she told him.

'Why?' Draco asked, abruptly. 'You'd better tell me what's going on before I get pissed off.'

Hermione knew what would happen if she told him. Hermione could see that Draco was unsettled and irked that something was wrong with Poppy. Hermione knew that as Poppy's friends, they had to just be there for her and they could not lay a finger on Goyle but Hermione also knew that Draco would not react in the same way. Something told her there certainly was a growing concern in his tone and if anyone was able to go against Poppy's request and do something about what had happened to her, it was Draco. After all, it was his friend, and it wasn't right to let Goyle get away with it.

'Granger?' Draco snapped. 'Start talking.'

'I can't tell you,' Hermione sighed. 'She doesn't want anyone to know.'

He took a step forward and glared. 'Now you'd better fucking tell me.'

'Why do you need to know?' Hermione asked.

'Because I want to know, so tell me before I'm forced to pull out my fucking wand,' Draco spat. 'I swear, if I have to use the Cruciatus Curse on you I will.'

She gulped and let out another torn sigh. She couldn't let her friend keep this to herself and suffer in silence. Something had to be done. 'Something happened to her...'

'Something happened? What? What happened?' Draco's words fell out quickly and impatiently.

'Someone...' Hermione closed her eyes softly and prayed in her head that Poppy would forgive her. 'Someone...did something to her.'

She watched his nostrils widen and his chest rose and fell heavily as he stared back at her, his expression sinister and dark. 'Did something? What does that mean?'

'I can't say much more,' Hermione murmured, trying to walk away.

Draco grabbed her arm and pulled her back. 'I swear to you, I will force this out of you if I have to. I don't care how painful it gets for you, I will fucking get it out of you one way or another!'