Unexpected Union

Chapter 7

"Go away," Hermione said. It sounded like she was just on the other side of the wooden door.

"Just tell me what happened."

"None of your business, just go." She replied. It was obvious that she was crying.

"Fine. Suit yourself." Draco said as he turned and went back down to the common room.

He returned to his book, and settled back down on the couch in front of the warm hearth. His attention wasn't on his reading though. He couldn't stop his mind from wandering to what might have made Hermione so upset. He didn't see her the rest of the night. She kept herself locked in her room. Eventually he decided to head to bed, and he had a night of fitful sleep.

The next morning, Hermione was already gone by the time he got up for breakfast. He saw her in the Great Hall, and to his surprise the Weasel wasn't slobbering all over her per usual. Her face looked all red and puffy. She'd obviously spent the night crying. To his credit, Potter looked concerned.

It was then that he saw Weasley walk into the Great Hall, but he wasn't alone. He was holding hands with a blonde girl. It took a moment for Draco to remember her name, but when Blaise asked, "What's the Weasel doing with Brown?" he remembered her name, Lavender Brown. That was a very good question, what was he doing with this other girl. Draco had seen him kissing on Hermione just at supper the night before. Something happened, and it was obviously why she had run in crying and locked herself in her room all night.

Ron and Lavender sat down near Harry, and the weasel immediately started groping the blonde girl as she giggled and pecked a little kiss to the ginger's throat. Draco couldn't help but notice the familiarity between them. This wasn't something new. It was obvious to him that these two were intimately familiar with each other.

Draco's attention moved to Hermione and Harry. There was a look of confusion on Potter's face. He obviously didn't know much more than Draco did. It was the look on Hermione's face that made him stop breathing for a moment though. The flash of hurt that contorted her features was something that he never wanted to see again. She got up and ran out of the Great Hall, bursting past the ginger and his new girlfriend. Potter shot Weasley a disgusted look and then got up and followed her out.

Draco wasn't sure if it was curiosity, or concern that made him follow them, but he found himself standing up from the Slytherin table and trailing Potter out of the Great Hall. He followed behind them a ways, staying out of sight as Potter finally caught up with Hermione and pulled her to a stop.

"What was that all about 'Mione? What happened? Talk to me," Harry asked.

"Ron broke up with me last night," Hermione said as the tears began overflowing down her cheeks.

"You guys seemed so happy though," Harry said, "I don't understand why he'd do that, and then to throw Lavender in your face...I..."

"He...he wanted to, ummmm...you know...he wanted sex," Hermione replied, obviously mortified about the topic.

"What?! He broke up with you because you wouldn't sleep with him?" Harry nearly yelled.

Hermione looked like she wanted to crawl in a hole and die. "I'm so sorry 'Mione. I'm gonna kill him. I can't believe he'd be such a prat," Harry responded as he pulled her in for a hug.

Draco was nearly vibrating with anger. He'd done some pretty shitty things in his young life, but to profess your love for a girl, and then break up with her because she wasn't ready for sex? Then on top of that, to parade your new girlfriend a matter of hours later...he was incensed. He just wasn't sure exactly why. He never cared before about what happened to Granger. Why did he care now? It was just because he had to live with her now. That had to be it. He just didn't want to have to live with her moping around all the time.

He left Harry and Hermione in the hallway, Harry trying to calm her down. He returned to the Great Hall where he spotted the Weasel and his new little whore still at the Gryffindor table, his hand disappearing up under the blonde's skirt. He shook his head and sat back down next to Blaise. "What was that all about?" Theo asked.

"The Weasel is a chump and a moron, what's new?" Draco responded, trying to hide the depths of which it was bothering him.

"Why did you go running out after her?" Blaise asked with a smirk, like he knew the answer, but wanted to hear it from Malfoy's own lips.

"She's my roommate, and fellow Head," Draco replied, hoping that Blaise would just drop it.

"Uh huh. So why did you go running out after her?" Blaise asked again.

"She's my responsibility," Malfoy answered, getting a little flustered. Why was Blaise pushing this?

"Is she though? I mean Potter seemed to be on task. I don't think you were needed at all," Blaise said.

"Fuck off," Draco spat. Clearly having no real answer for his actions.

"Merlin, you like her!" Blaise exclaimed.

"That's...no...go fuck yourself Zabini," Malfoy said as he got up intending to leave before any other uncomfortable revelations were made.

"Holy shit," Theo chimed in, "You do! You like the mudblood."

Draco spun around on his friend and had him by the robes in less than a heartbeat. "Don't you ever call her that again," he spat.