Shifting the Balance

Hello everyone.
And my favourite story has updated: Yay!!! It's called Water, by kissherdraco.It's just a type of story I really, really like.
Finally managed to update. Almost threw my computer through the window, aarrgggg!! Anyhow...my last two chapters, hope you like them!!
Again thanks to my wonderfull beta Oli!!!

Yasmin

_________________________________________________________

Chapter 12

~ Confessions ~

After potions Hermione wanted to go to the library. Ron and Harry went to the Gryffindor common room. To snog their girlfriends, no doubt. Hermione thought.
Hermione made it to the fourth floor. She walked though the hallway when suddenly she was grabbed from behind and pushed against the nearest wall. Malfoy held her there by fisting his hands in her robe.

“I already said I can’t meet you!” Hermione spat through clenched teeth.
Who does the bastard think he is, thumping me like that!

Malfoy looked around and realised they were seconds away of being discovered. He began to drag Hermione towards a cupboard.
Hermione was seething. Angrily she stomped him on his arm.

Malfoy glared at her. “Don’t. Do. That!”
“Well don’t drag me across the whole bloody hallway!” She countered.
Malfoy opened the door with a flick of his wand. Kicking the door further open with his foot and dragging Hermione into the cupboard with him. Once inside he let her go.
“What in the world are you doing?” Hermione spat.
She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him.

“I need to talk to you. In private.” With his wand he locked the door.
Hermione took out her wand as well and lit it. And to have it at the ready when necessary.

“I already said I don’t have the time!”

Malfoy sneered at her. “Well you will make time for this.”
Hermione just glared at him.

“I saw you leave Dumbledore’s office this morning!” He looked at her meaningful.

“Yes, and….? That’s none of your business.”

He immediately closed in on her and grabbed one of her shoulders.
“It IS my business when you’ve told ‘the old hoot’ everything I did to Lenn!”
Angrily he shoved her back.

“Why worry Malfoy? You seem so confident I know nothing.” Hermione mocked.

“Don’t play games with me, Granger.” Malfoy pointed his finger at her. “ Tell me what you told him!”

Hermione looked up at Malfoy. He actually had a little colour on his cheeks.
He must really be worried. And seething from anger apparently. Hermione looked at his hands that were balled into fists. Hermione looked up at his face. His eyes were narrowed and he looked down his nose at her. Well let him worry!, her mind screamed. The idiot!
Maybe if I let him squirm a little, he will tell me more about Lenn.

“I don’t have to tell you a single thing, Malfoy!”

He was upon her in a second, crushing her body with his against the door.
He grabbed her face and pushed it painfully against it. Her wand fell to the floor.

“I’m warning you Granger. Don’t do this. Just tell me.” He whispered in her ear.
Hermione tried to push him off. He was too close for her liking. She made a personal note never to get in these kind of situations with Malfoy ever again! “Get off!”

She shoved him away, but he caught her easily and twisted her arm onto her back.
He shoved her against the door again. Hermione yelped in pain. Her mind screamed all kinds of spells (stupefy, Flipendo, Reducto, Confundus…), because she dropped her bloody wand. Suddenly Malfoy leaped back and his eyes were rolling in their sockets. He grabbed his head and he was wavering from one leg to another.

Slowly Hermione turned. Malfoy held his head in agony and screamed ‘Finite Incantatum’.
When he straightened Hermione’s instinct told her to run. His grey eyes flickered when he came at her.
She held her hand in front of her, gesturing for him to stop. But he slapped her hand away. He grabbed for her at the nape of her neck.

“I haven’t told Dumbledore anything!” She yelled.
Malfoy looked down on her. He held her eyes. Figuring out if she was lying.

“You haven’t?” There was insecurity in his eyes. Something she had never seen in him before.
He narrowed his eyes. “You’re lying. You wouldn’t pass up an opportunity to make my life difficult.”

Hermione snatched her neck out of his steel-like grip. He let her go easily. She rubbed at her neck.
“Don’t confuse your cold, superficial ways with mine.” Hermione spat.

“I haven’t told anyone. And I still don’t know if I’m going to. “ She stared at him.

“And why is that?”

“I want to know what you did to him, Malfoy.”

“No.”

Hermione kept staring at him defiantly.

“Granger! NO!”

She kept looking at him and he saw something flash in her eyes. Something he didn’t want to deal with. Malfoy looked down.

“Malfoy please, I need to know if he’s coming back!” Her voice was uneven.
Malfoy looked at her and Hermione looked away.

“I need to know that he isn’t coming back. Because if he is…” She took a deep breath.
“You don’t know! You don’t understand. What he….”

She looked up helplessly. Malfoy grazed his fingers over her arm.

“What he would do! You don’t know! “ Tears were forming in her eyes.
“He would kill me!” She sobbed.


Malfoy did not know what to do. He felt really awkward. So he did the one thing his gut told him to.
He closed his arms around Hermione Granger, mudblood and Gryffindor know-it-all.
She sobbed into his chest. He held her and stroked her hair. A wave of vanilla and jasmine hit him.
An image of Hermione on the large wooden desk invaded his mind. Sitting there all high and mighty. Her legs rocking back and forth. Her mouth open in shock, licking her lips, looking all hot and bothered, making small sounds of pleasure. Oh SHIT!

Slowly Malfoy stepped back a little. He adjusted his trousers.
“Don’t worry, he won’t come back. I’ve made sure.”

Slowly Hermione stepped out of his embrace and looked to the floor. She was ashamed.
“Are you sure?” She dared to look at him.

“Yes.” He seemed a little nervous to her.

“Malfoy? Will you tell me what you did to him? I’ve already made my decision. I’m not going to tell anyone what happened. What Lenn did to me.” She looked up at him again.

“And I won’t tell that you helped me out.” She tried to catch his eyes.

He seemed to mull over her words. Then he looked at her seriously.
“I’ll only tell about the spell I used. Nothing more. You don’t ever ask me any more questions regarding Lenn Feartrent! “

“Fair enough.” She leaned against the door and Malfoy leaned to a ridge in the cupboard.

“I did some research on dark magic. At the Manor we have a fine collection of dark spells and hexes.”

“I’m sure you do.” Hermione muttered.
Malfoy glared.

“As I said, I’ve consulted the Malfoy Library and found a very powerful spell. A spell that would make it impossible for one to speak. So when Lenn is recovered from his injuries, he wouldn’t be able to return to Hogwarts. Hell, he can’t even use magic anymore! Spoken magic, that is.”

Malfoy looked over at Hermione.
“That’s really awful!”

“Don’t you dare feel sorry for him! He doesn’t deserve it!” Malfoy spat.
“ If you had taken care of Lenn, made sure he never laid a finger on you, I wouldn’t had to!”

“So, you think it’s my own fault men try to rape me?” Hermione was outrageous.
“How sick is that! I could’ve easily taken on Lenn myself! I CAN protect myself, Malfoy!”

“Yes, your many bruises tell me you’re doing a wonderful job!” Malfoy sneered.

“I don’t need another watchdog, Malfoy! I’ve already got Harry and Ron for that position!”

“No you don’t, Granger. They’re to busy sucking face with the Gryffindor whores.
As much as you try to deny it, you’re on your own Granger.”

Hermione gave him a foul look. His words cut deep, like they always do. But in the back of her mind she knew he was right. Ron and Harry had other interests. She has accepted this, though it still stung.
But she didn’t need Malfoy for anything! She sure as hell never asked for anything!

“I manage just fine on my own.” Hermione gave him an evil look when he tried to open his mouth to retort.

“If I ever need a psychotic hit man. I will remember to call you!”

“Ridicule all you want Granger. The fact remains that you are too weak.”

“Weak? I’m not weak! I’ve lived with YOU in the same common room for TWO MONTHS!! And I haven’t killed myself yet. I call that pretty strong and courageous.
I’ve probably faced more dangers in one year then you have your entire life!”

“Well maybe you’re brave and all that. That isn’t the problem.
You have this nagging habit to like people and see only the good in them. And face it Granger, the world doesn’t work like that. Most people have an agenda, they want something. You don’t seem to realise this. Or don’t want to realise it. Whatever.
But it will be your downfall. You trust people to much.”

Hermione blinked at Malfoy. This was yet the deepest conversation she had with him.

“Well I think its good to believe in people! If you don’t trust anyone….well, I think that’s very lonely.
You need people that care about you to survive. People who stay with you through good, bad and worst times.”

“You know what Granger, that all sounds really cute in fairytale land, but most people don’t have that.”

“You don’t have that.” Hermione stated softly.

Malfoy’s eyes flashed. “I wouldn’t go there.
You know why I spend most of the time teasing you?”

“Teasing? You’ve made my days miserable, Malfoy!”

“Whatever. It was easy. I’d always get a rise out of you. Even when I’d do something that really doesn’t concern you. You’re passionate like that.”

Hermione quirked an eyebrow. Did he just call me passionate?

“But what’s more, is that you are soft. I tormented you and your two lapdogs on a daily basis and you did nothing. Weasel and Pothead would pummel me or tried to get even. But you, you did nothing. You even tried to sooth many confrontations I had with you. I really could have said and done anything. And I really don’t understand, because I know you must hate me. And yet you let me walk al over you.” He halted.

Malfoy seemed to be in thought and smiled. “Well, not in third year. No, you slapped me in third year. I wondered if you had changed. But soon you were back to being the same soft and goody-goody Gryffindor. Even now you let me get away with a lot. And that’s not making sense. Because I know you care. Whenever I call you mudblood, I can see it hurts. I see the passion and anger light up your eyes…...but you don’t do anything.”

Hermione stared at him in disbelief. His words swirled in her mind. He was honest. And open. With her! His eyes held no malice. His face was unguarded. He was beautiful.
Hermione looked down quickly.

Malfoy cleared his throat and ran a hand through his hair.
“Yes, well, I’ve already said to much.”
He looked at Hermione who seemed miles away.

Hermione finally noticed Malfoy staring at her.
“Yes, I have classes. I must be going.”

Hermione turned to the door. Her hand grazed the doorknob when he spoke again.

“Hey Granger..”

She turned around and Malfoy took hold of her. Slowly he leaned in and brushed his lips over hers.
Softly he bit down on her lower lip. His tongue slipped over her lips and caressed the spot he had bitten. He pushed his hips into hers and groaned out loud.
He stepped back with a smirk on his face.

“Maybe we can get some work done for the Ball tonight.” He quirked an eyebrow.

Hermione felt her cheeks flush where she stood.
“Oh, yes.. the Ball”

Malfoy held the cupboard door open for her. Hermione slipped passed Malfoys chest and darted out.
She stumbled out into the hallway. She took a deep breath and regained her footing.

“Merlin help me, but I don’t hate you…” She whispered to the empty hallway.


Malfoy watched amused as the form of Hermione Granger got smaller.


***