The Dark Side (Unedited)

Chapter 17

She awoke suddenly, shivering with cold. Her resistant eyes opened groggily, and she saw the culprit of the glacial crispness - the window had been left open. She quietly moved away from Draco, whose breathing faulted for a second as she left his arms and padded over to the window.

She could see out onto the busy street, full of people who were focused on their daily hustle and bustle. She watched a plump woman shielding her face from the biting wind, noticing how the she was completely oblivious to the snowman that had been created by innocent youths in a park on the side of the footpath, or the blinding Christmas lights that hung in shop windows and contributed to the street's beauty.

She realised that as a person grows older, they forget to cherish the small things. She vowed that she would always cherish waking up next to Draco, learning a spell for the first time, opening a book and acknowledging the new words.

She was so lost in her daydream that she flinched when Draco's cool arms surrounded her.

"Good morning." She could hear the smile in his voice. She felt his lips on her hair, and smiled herself. She turned her head and kissed him, feeling irrevocably happy and in love. They shared their usual tender and gentle embrace, before Draco grabbed her arms and deepened the kiss. She gasped, he'd never pushed any further before. She shuddered as a memory that she had tried vigorously to suppress hit her full on.

--

They walked through the corridor after their secret date in the library - Hermione giggled to herself, 'So rebellious!' She looked down at their interlocked hands, feeling giddy. Viktor was her first real boyfriend, she was always extremely nervous and diffident with him.

It was the night before his last Triwizard challenge, and she had arranged a get-together to wish him luck.

They passed through the frame entrance to her common room, as usual - Viktor insisted on walking her all the way to her room. As they reached the door, he pulled her close to him, and rested his lips on hers. It wasn't there first kiss, but she still felt inexperienced and worried she was doing something wrong.

He usually pulled back after a short while, but this particular night he seemed very interested. His hand went to the small of her back and he pressed her against the wall. She began to panic, but was scared to pull away in case this was normal and she was just acting like a little kid.

However his hand travelled lower and she began to feel very uncomfortable, so she gently pushed against his chest and tried to turn her head to the side. She immediately regretted it when his hands found their way to her head instead, slamming it into the wall. She whimpered in pain, but he just became more captivated.

She heard the door open and he dragged her into her room, throwing her on the bed. She tried to call for help - there were other girls in the room, surely they could her them? - but his filthy had clamped around her mouth, making it barely possible to breathe let alone form words.

He couldn't stop her sobbing though, and tears flooded her cheeks until her pillow was soaking wet. She felt him pull up her t-shirt and she kicked wildly, feeling a dreadful sensation in her chest. She wanted to vomit.

He had just reached the buttons on her pants when her elbow caught his cheek, and he groaned loudly due to the blow. She heard someone turn over in their bed and she silently pleaded for them to help her.

She heard a gasp and feet running towards her. Viktor was ripped off of her, and she heard Ginny threatening him all the way to the door, before she threw him out, kicking him on the way.

Her sobs now shook her entire body, no noise evaporating into the air, just her face contorted in fear and pain. Her arms were obviously bruised, and he had hurt her stomach as well when he was trying to pin her to the bed.

She felt Ginny climb in next to her, and she reached for her gratefully, trying to somehow rid her body of the dirtiness she felt.

"Oh Hermione, I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry." Ginny murmured repeatedly, trying to calm them both. She finally fell into a restless sleep, where she was haunted by Viktor.

When she woke early in the morning, she washed herself three times in the shower, trying to scrub her skin bare of Viktor's touch. There were huge bruises the size of his oversized hands across her stomach, which didn't disappear for a month. For around a week, she found blood in her urine.

Neither girls ever spoke about the experience to anybody.

---

She instinctively jumped away from Draco, incoherently muttering something about being hungry for breakfast. Her leaped after her, pouncing on her like a lion. She winced when he grabbed her arm, the same place Viktor's hand had been that terrifying night.

"Hermione, what's wrong? Are you hurt? Have I done something?" He fired questions at her, obviously worried.

"No, Draco it's fine. I just..."

"Is it about what I did, just then? I'm sorry I didn't mean to! It won't happen again, I promise." He stuttered, eyes wide.

"Draco, it's not you okay."

"But what's that supposed to mean?" She jerked her arm out of his grip.

"It was my fault anyway! I was only fourteen, what did I think would happen when I dated someone three years older-" she was interrupted by sobs, that she later realised were escaping from her chest. She fell against the wall and collapsed to the floor.

She had managed to keep her fear locked inside of her for all these years, why did it have to take over her again?

"Hermione, what are you talking about? Please? Talk to me, Hermione!"

She tried to take in a deep breath, she was being stupid. Nothing had actually happened that night anyway, it wasn't a big deal. She needed to stop crying over everything or Draco would think she was weak. She couldn't have anybody thinking she was weak.

"It's - It's nothing, I promise. Don't worry about it."

"Okay, I don't know very much about 'girl language' but I'm pretty sure that means that it isn't nothing." He dropped his head so that he was eye level with her. "Please trust me, I can't bear to see you like this. What's wrong, Hermione?"

She was silent for what seemed like ages. Finally she spoke, her voice crusty and uneven. "He was seventeen. I should have known better. I'd heard stories of it happening to other girls around my age but I never really thought... you know."

"Who was he?" Draco's voice sounded dangerously steady, like it was the calm before the storm.

"V-Viktor." She inhaled loudly. "Viktor Krum." Draco's body tensed, but he stayed quiet. He just traced patterns on her arm and back, his hands gradually moving faster and more frenzied as his breathing got heavier.

"Did he hurt you?" His voice was like ice, but it also burned her ears. She just looked down, ashamed that she'd brought it up. His delicate hand curled into a fist, and more silent tears streamed down her face. She furiously wiped them away, and tried to get up.

She was afraid Draco would try to hold her to him, however he let her stand. He rose also, and then wrapped his arms around her again.

"You know that I will never let anyone hurt you ever again. If you ever feel uncomfortable, please be honest with me. I'm so sorry that happened to you, but try to move past it okay? I'm not that filthy-" He sucked his breath in between his teeth, trying to compose himself. "I will never force you to do anything. I love you."

"I love you too."

"Oh wait, I might actually have to force you into doing something though." His eyebrows creased and he looked at me worriedly. "I obviously have no cooking skills whatsoever, so I had to experiment with the local breakfast cafés and I found an absolutely smashing peanut butter and banana pizza that I would love you to try."

Hermione gagged jokingly and screwed her face up. "Um, I'll definitely pass."

"Oh no, the girl who travelled across the entire country looking for parts of the most evil man in history's soul is afraid to try new food." She laughed and rolled her eyes, knowing she had no hope of diminishing his determination.