Don't Act Like You Know Me

Year 1 - That's a Fair Punishment

"Ron!" Hermione ran to the redhead positioned on the floor and kneeled by him. "Oh, Ron," Hermione grimaced as she tried to find a way to clean the blood up. "Ron? Are you awake?" Ron groaned as he clutched his stomach. 

"W-who i-i-is i-it?" Ron whispered.

Hermione disregarded the question. "We need to get you to the hospital wing. Who did this to you?"

"M-M-"

"Ron?"

"a-"

"Ron?"

"I-It was M-Mal-f-foy," Ron exhaled. Did Hermione hear that right? Draco did this? What did he even do? What is going on here?

"I got you, Ronald." Hermione used all of her strength to pick Ron up and carry him to the Hospital Wing just down the hall. She struggled, but she got him there.

"You're truly a kind person, Ms. Granger," Madame Pomfrey nodded.

"Will you please heal him?" 

"I will. He'll be back as good as new tomorrow, maybe a few bruises."

"Thank you, Madame Pomfrey." Madame Pomfrey gave Hermione a warm smile. Hermione left. 

Instead of delivering the letter she had written to Draco to the Owlery, she crumpled it up and threw it in the wastebasket. She didn't really have any desire to talk to him after that little show. Instead, she went to her first class, History of Magic with Professor Binns. Hermione walked in and took her seat next to Harry.

"Where's Ron? He left our dormitory fairly early and he wasn't there when I woke," Harry said.

"He-"

"Hermione?"

"He's in the Hospital Wing."

"What? What happened, Hermione?"

"Well, I was delivering a letter to the Owlery this morning."

"Uh-huh?" 

"And-"

"And what?"

"I saw Ron."

"Okay..."

"He was- covered in blood. There was blood all over him. Someone must have roughed him up or something," Hermione quivered.

"Merlin's beard! Did he say who?" Hermione thought for a second. She knew exactly what she should say. Should she tell Harry that Draco allegedly did that to Ron.

"He didn't," Hermione lied. Her stomach grew uneasy.

"Well, is he okay?"

"I hope so. I delivered him to the Hospital Wing."

"All by yourself?"

"I carried him the best I could. We made it all the way there."

"I wish I could've helped."

"It's what any decent person would've done."

"Have it your way then," Harry shrugged. "I have my first Quidditch lesson during break today." Harry changed the subject.

"That's awesome, Harry! How are you going to eat?"

"Going without it today. My lesson's with Oliver Wood, the captain of the Gryffindor team."

"Nonsense. I'll sneak you something in the second half of Herbology. I hope you have fun, though."

"Thanks, Hermione. I'm just nervous."