I Thought You Were A Dementor (rewrite)

Chapter 9 - Hard to Get

Chapter 9

"I swear to Merlin that I'll go insane if we have another day like today." Hermione grumbled, hunched over her potions homework; scribbling like she was possessed.

"Good things happen in the end." Harry smiled, popping a chocolate frog into his mouth as he relaxed by the fire. They had the common room to themselves, no noise, no interruptions. Yet Hermione was tugging at her hair with stress.

"'Mione, why did you hug Malfoy?" Ron questioned, ignoring her groan at the insufferable nickname. "I mean, Harry and I were right there but you leapt all over the ferret, all smiley and stuff." Ron licked melted chocolate from his fingers before wiping them on the plush armchair.

"He saved your lives. I was grateful." Hermione snapped, not looking up from her essay. The ink blotted on the parchment, her hand trembling slightly as she wrote.

"Last night he slept in Gryffindor sheets, right here in our tower." Harry scoffed, nodding at Ron's horrified expression. "Yeah, Hermione let him stay because it was late or something. 'Mione, you shouldn't be so sweet on him. He's done nothing to earn your kindness and shall not hesitate to stab you in the back." Harry continued, hearing the scratching of a quill on parchment falter as she took in his words.

Hermione glanced up, gritting her teeth as she looked at her ignorant best friends. "He's a human being, I treat him as one."

"I think you'll find that he's a ferret." Ginny chuckled as she entered the common room, clutching a tray full of hot chocolate. Hermione couldn't help but let out a giggle. "A bouncing, little ferret." Ginny cooed, handing each of them a steaming mug.

"He's not that bad. He did help me last night to get Tumble to Charlie... I do hope my poor little dragon is alright." Hermione sighed, she missed Tumble dearly.

"Mione, he probably just wants to clear his name. Remember a few months back when he threw you to Crabbe and Goyle? He certainly didn't want to do you any favours back then. He owed you and he owed us from that fire. It's all settling debt, he hasn't got any feelings." Harry reasoned, watching the thoughts spiral across Hermione's mind with a sense of satisfaction. Harry needed to protect her; she was the sister he never had. He wasn't going to let a death eater get under her skin, not as long as he lived.

"That does make sense." Hermione admitted quietly, sipping her hot chocolate sadly at the realisation. "I mean, we heard Pansy say that he uses girls... He probably just wants to use me to make himself popular again." Hermione glanced down at her completed essay, sighing softly to herself as she placed it delicately into her bag.

Ron slammed his mug down on the table, starling them all. "I wish he died in that lake." He said gruffly.

"You'd be dead if he did." Ginny rolled her eyes at his stupidity. "Remember Hermione- he's a foul, loathsome, evil little cockroach." Ginny mimed a punching action, sending Harry into a fit of giggles.

"Be careful Gin, his father will hear about this!" Harry laughed breathlessly, clutching his sides as he wheezed.

"He hasn't changed, probably got worse with time." Ron chortled. "I age like fine wine you see." He added, grinning as Harry snorted. Hermione sat there uncomfortably smiling, detached from the hilarity of the situation.

"You wait; he'll go home to mummy at Christmas and tell her how he's done her proud by befriending Hermione Granger. I suppose they assume you can get his nutty father out of Azkaban." Ginny scoffed, leaning into the chuckling Harry and kissing him affectionately on the cheek.