Silencio

Chapter 9

Hermione hurried into the Great Hall. Oh, no. She was late for breakfast again, and now she would have to hurry... again. Harry and Ron were waiting for her and she almost jumped onto the bench, sitting down hard. She stiffened, her eyes watered, and she groaned loudly. Both of her friends stared at her.

Don't blush. Blushing is what gives it away.

"I, uh, missed the disappearing step and bruised my behind," she said rather lamely. They didn't seem to notice, though.

"Ah..." Ron said, grinning. "Pain in the bum that step is, isn't it?"

"Come on now, Ron," Harry said, barely hiding his own grin. "Don't arse about."

"Oh, haha, very funny!" she said, scowling at the two jesters. Yet she was relieved that they hadn't questioned her. The same way she was relieved that it was still so cold that it wasn't odd that she was wearing her scarf, covering her neck all the time...

She hadn't missed the step, of course. Her behind was just fine. The reason for her slight discomfort was Malfoy and his rather intense pursuing of her over the last week or so. He hadn't missed a single beat in cornering her every chance he got. She had spent the past many nights in his bed and there had even been a few free periods dedicated to... well, not Arithmancy, in any case. It was beginning to take its toll on her. Last night she had been set on saying no, but... Goodness! He could be so persuasive when he put his mind to it.

It's not his mind he puts to it...

She almost giggled at that thought. She knew what was driving him, anyway. He was still jealous. It was as if he thought that if he seduced her enough times in a short enough time, then she would forget all about other boys. It worked, but she wasn't about to tell him that. Not that he had any reason to begin with, but she wasn't about to tell him that, either.

She had indeed let McLaggen kiss her. It hadn't been a very good kiss. It was something done to her rather than with her. She had tried to close her eyes and enjoy it, but nothing happened. Absolutely nothing. And then he had become just a little too fresh, and she had fought her way free. As she had turned away from him, she had thought she'd seen someone disappear around the corner and for a second she had thought it was Malfoy. She had scolded herself for being silly enough to think that, but then the next day he had cornered her and had been so angry and spiteful. When she had realized the reason, it had thrilled and scared her. He had punished her with the most hurtful kiss, which was, ironically, still better than what she had gotten from McLaggen.

Now you know.

She wasn't entirely sure where those words had come from, but she could hardly hide the truth of it. Now he knew how it felt to give himself fully to someone who then turned around and flaunted someone else. There was no question in her mind that he had given himself fully that one night before Christmas. The times they had been together since then had been good—no, better than good; great!—but he had been holding something back, as had she. She couldn't define what that something was, but it had been a vital part in making that night special.

Still, she had no reason whatsoever to complain on that front....

She really had to say no tonight, though. She did. One reason was that she had seen Lavender and Parvati put their heads together whenever she walked into a room and she knew why: as her roommates, they had noticed that she hadn't slept in her bed for a long time. It was just a matter of time before they told others. Hermione didn't know what she should do about this. Her reputation was still suffering from the virus she'd had and this would certainly be the death of any claim she had to the benefit of the doubt.