Becoming Beta

Chapter 12

"Hermione! Where have you been? We went to the Hospital Wing, but Madam Pomfrey said she hadn't seen you," Ron blurted. He and Harry had just rushed into the Great Hall for lunch and spotted Hermione eating at the Gryffindor table.

"I'm fine, Ron. Professor Snape healed me. I sat in the classroom with him for a bit so he could monitor for a concussion," she told them.

Harry had worry written on his face, "Are you ok? You got hit pretty hard there."

Harry and Ron took a seat across from her, and she reached to grab Harry's hand, "Really, Harry. I'm fine. Professor Snape gave me a headache tonic, so good as new."

Ron started piling food on his plate and nodded at her. Hermione narrowed her eyes, well, the least he could do ist apologize!

Ron jumped suddenly, "Oi, what's that for, then?" He scowled at Harry.

"Aren't you going to apologize to Hermione for knocking her out in Defense, Ron?" Harry asked, raising his eyebrows and gesturing toward Hermione's own narrowed eyes.

Ron flushed, "Oh, right. Erm, sorry Hermione. I didn't mean to knock you out in Defense." He quickly looked back at his plate and started shoveling food in his mouth.

Hermione sighed loudly, "It's fine, Ronald." She offered Harry a small smile and a roll of her eyes. Harry seemed to agree. He rolled his eyes in return and shifted his attention back to his food.

So far, so good. At least they haven't grilled me about Draco. Hermione smiled to herself. Maybe she would be able to keep this a secret.

After lunch they all had a free period, and Hermione decided to sit with Harry and Ron in the Common Room. She should have known they would eventually confront her about Draco. As soon as they were in the common room, Harry started with the questions.

"What's going on with you and Malfoy?" he asked, trying to sound casual. But Hermione could hear the suspicion in his voice.

"I don't know what you mean," she replied evenly. Looks like I'm not going to be able to avoid an explanation after all.

"Don't try to pull that, 'Mione," Ron told her.

Hermione rolled her eyes, "It's nothing. We've talked a few times. We ran into each other in the library and I had noticed he has been looking peakish and-"

"He's a Death Eater!" Harry shouted.

"Peakish, you noticed he looked peakish?!" Ron shouted at the same time.

"Honestly," Hermione sighed. "It's really not that big of a deal. Harry, you are convinced he's up to something, right? Has following him around all these weeks gotten you anywhere?"

Harry glared at her and shook his head, "No, but that doesn't mean you have to be chums with him."

"I'm not! I just figured that if he was up to something, I'd see if talking to him would get it out of him," she told them.

"Talking to him? You're talking to him? What does that mean?" Ron fumed.

Hermione huffed at them both and went to sit in an armchair in a corner of the Common Room. At least the room was relatively empty. When they joined her, dropping into armchairs facing hers, she cast a Muffliato around them.

"Has he been a prat at all this year? Teasing you? Calling you names? Bumping into you in the hallway? Because he hasn't to me. So when I see him, when we run into each other in the hallway or library, we talk. I ask him questions. I'm trying to find out if he's up to something like you are so convinced, Harry. I don't think he's a Death Eater." Hermione told them, leaning forward with her forearms on her thighs. She wanted her two best friends to understand that Draco wasn't a bad person simply because he had been born to a bad family. She clung to the idea that her mate had a good side. And while having a mate didn't have the same meaning for her as it did for him, clearly it was something pretty serious. She wanted to write to Remus and ask him about mates, but couldn't figure out a way to do it without raising his suspicions.