Cursed | Draco Malfoy

Five

She ran, she sprinted.

Umbridge had just tortured her.

And she couldn't do anything about it. She was helpless, a pond in her game of chess.

She ran, as her chest heaved up and down. Her tears spilling on her already red and dampened cheeks. She shut her eyes briefly, right before she smashed into someone else's shoulder.

"Blimey," she spat. "I'm sorry-" she began, until she looked up to who she had bumped into.

His silver, anger-filled eyes peered into hers, with a smug look of loathing for the curly-head in-front of him.

He now had no blood around his face — although she could see a small blue bruise forming in the middle of the bridge of his nose.

Not wanting to deal with him, she tried to brush past his shoulder - but his cold slender hand grabbed her wrist.

Her left wrist.

She shrieked, immediately pulling her wrist out of his grasp — earning a weird look from Malfoy. "What the hell is wrong with you, mud-blood?" He snapped.

Then, his eyes studied her face — the gaze locked in them had changed momentarily before he shut it off. Like a mask. "Oh you're crying, again? Just what do you have to be crying for?" He spoke angrily, clearly the Slytherin boy had still been furious with her for her actions that early morning.

Hermione didn't regret it, if anybody deserved it in this school the most — it would be him.

"None of your business, Malfoy." She retaliated against his inquire, her hand still clutched around her burning wrist — the marking made by Umbridge still fresh and throbbing. His eyes snapped down to the motion for just a second before they made their way back to her eyes.

"Now if you'll excuse me-"

He reached for her elbow this time, grabbing it forcefully and shoving her sleeve up — revealing the scar made by the Professor just minutes ago.

Something lurked in Malfoy eyes. Concern? Curiosity? Confusion? He stared it just a bit longer, before she ripped it away from his grasp — pulling her sleeve back down, avoiding his eyes.

"I shall not disobey Umbridge?" He spoke, eyebrows rising in a quirk as he looked at her. She looked away; mainly not wanting Malfoy to see her eyes glistening once more.

She inhaled a breath, meeting his gaze, but there wasn't anger, or hatred — just, blank. "A punishment for harming mommy's prince." Hermione uttered, like a snap, the same expression of abhorrence refilled Malfoy's steel grey eyes.

"Perhaps you should refrain from acting on your thoughts. Or was it that Gryffindor courage in your gallant heart?" He said sarcastically. She could tell he was trying to get on her nerves even more.

"Maybe if you weren't foolish, this could've been prevented." He looked away with a scoff, she felt like a student getting lectured by a professor.

"Did I say I regretted my actions?" She protested as her gaze challenged his. "I'm perfectly happy I acted on my thoughts — just this once, getting in trouble was worth it." Her face inched closer to his.

"You deserved it." She spoke truthfully.

Their noses were practically almost touching, as a grin stretched across his face. "And you deserved that marking from Umbridge. Clearly, you don't know how to control yourself when it comes to me. Merely, it could be a reminder before you even think to lay a finger on me again, mud-blood." A stone expression stilled on her face as he spoke, it wasn't a warning  Draco Malfoy had spoke — it was a threat.