Chapter 3
Ron got up from the table and stormed off towards the exit.
"Ron, wait!" Hermione screamed while getting up from the table. He kept on walking like he couldn't hear her. Everyone still kept looking at her and Draco, whispering things to each other. Hermione ran after him, knocking people out of her way. Once she got to him, she put her arms around him and hugged him tightly.
"I love you, Ron. Not that foul ferret," Hermione said into his chest. For a few moments, Ron stood there not knowing what to do, but then he hugged her back just as tightly.
"I know you would never do this to me, Hermione. But seeing those pictures made me think otherwise. I need some time to think," Ron said while letting her go.
Hermione looked up at him tear eyed and mouthed no. She held onto his arms, not letting him go.
"Hermione please, I have to go."
"I won't let you go, Ronald. You promised forever, remember?"
Ron backed away a few feet and looked down at their finger tips parting away.
"I remember."
He turned around leaving Hermione behind with a trail of tears falling down her cheeks.
"Is this some kind of joke?" said a harsh voice behind her.
Hermione quickly turned around and saw Malfoy standing by the shadows of the Great Hall doors, clutching the photo in his fist. He took big steps towards her as she wiped away her tears.
"What makes you think that I did this?" she asked as he roughly threw the photo on the floor.
"Say goodbye to your perfect life because now it will be turned upside down just like mine," he read the letter in his hands.
"My life isn't even horrible!" she bellowed at him.
"Really?What a wonderful life you have that involves tears," he sneered. Hermione stepped towards him and slapped him across the face.
Fire burned in his cold gray eyes as he turned his face towards hers. Hermione raised her hand once again to slap him once more for the rude remarks he said towards her but he quickly grabbed it and squeezed it so tight that her palm began to turn white.
"You're hurting me!" she squeaked which made him tighten his grip even more.
"Slap me one more time you filthy piece of shit!" he growled when his nose was just a millimeter away from hers. Hermione swallowed hard and starred into his soulless eyes. He let go of her hand and threw the letter at her feet.
"I didn't do it, Malfoy!" she screamed with her back to him.
Draco walked away as students started to appear.
~o~
A week had went by with none stop whispering and gossip. This infuriated Draco. His fellow Slytherins walked away from him as he drew near; they ignored him completely at the common room. He lost his two good friends, Pansy and Goyle, and Blaise won't even acknowledge him.
Every day went by like a blur and he wanted nothing more than go any other place than where he was now. Azkaban sounded more appealing than the ruthless and clueless people that walked down these halls.
Draco walked out towards the lake area on Saturday morning, dreading the detention that he would be having later that night.
Fog surrounded him and the only thing that he could see was complete whiteness. He navigated his way through from hearing the many excited voices around him. As he walked further down the lawn, he starred at a tree shaped silhouette and walked towards it, hoping that it was a tree.
