Insufficient Denial

Insufficient Denial ~hotsleekeyz~

Chapter 3

Castigated

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Hermione insisted that she be released that day. She couldn\'t take it to be with Draco any longer.

Somehow, guilt flooded her. Draco had far severe wounds than her and she punched him in the stomach to avenge for her damaged skin. Small thing though, but she didn\'t think she was fair. How it bothered her too much that she came to almost apologizing for what she did.

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The door opened to her room. Harry entered without saying anything and sat beside Hermione on the bed.

\"Feeling any better?\", Harry asked.

\"I guess I\'m fine. I\'m sorry you had to do all my workload as Head Girl. I\'ll help you as soon as I recover\"

\"Ron is dead worried. You won\'t tal him him so he thought you wanted to end your friendship with him, not to mention that he heard Malfoy telling something about caring for you and all. . . \" Harry paused a while and continued. \"Hermione, Ron cried all day. When I checked on him this afternoon, he got cuts on his wrists. You see, he loves you---and you\'re pushing him away. I could understand him. You exchanged his love for Malfoy. . . You\'re being unfair! You have no idea how Ron is suffering because of what you did\"

Hermione retorted at once. \"You got it all wrong Harry! Malfoy was snapping at me about \'caring to make my life a living hell\'. It\'s not what you think it is. I even had to insist Madam Pomfrey to release from the hospital wing at once. I couldn\'t take Malfoy around! And for your information, Malfoy and I have been full-pledged enemies since first year. . . and he was the one who stabbed me last night. Is that good enough for your ears? Next time, don\'t accuse me at once because YOU DON\'T KNOW ANYTHING!\"

\"I didn\'t know, I\'m sorry. . .\"

Hermione pushed Harry to aside as she stood to leave.

\"Where are you going?\", Harry inquired at once.

\"I\'m going to talk to Ron\"

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Hermione was walking alone along the corridors late that night. She wanted to avoid Harry for a while. She thought Harry would never care for her that much anymore---considering he\'s with Ginny already.

She went down a set of stairs and stopped at the one leading to the hospital wing.

*Maybe Hermione wanted to visit Draco. . . VISIT?!*

//It wouldn\'t hurt to peep in there, right?//, she thought to herself

Hermione was about twenty meters away from the door of the infirmary when she felt someone behind her. She turned around and saw Ron staring at her from a distance. She was about to run to him when Ron walked away faster than she could have managed to step once.

//Great! This is just great! Now RON wouldn\'t believe me, with me at this goddamn hallway//

Hermione walked again. She reached the door and luckily, it was left ajar. She peeped inside for any sign of Draco.

Hermione saw part of the legs of someone by one bed.

//So, he\'s still here//

hermione was about to turn around when she bumped onto someone\'s strong, lean chest.

\"What are you doing here, Mudblood? I thought you were anxious to be away from me\", Draco spat.

\"Shut up. It\'s none of your business\"

\"I can\'t shut my mouth now, especi now now that you\'re caught in the act of trying to peep inside for any sign of a handsome, young man\"

\"I was looking for Ron\"

\"Inside the infirmary? And I expected you\'ve been looking for a someone handsome---like me\"

Draco\'s brow raised and he smirked nonstop.

\"Bugger off, Malfoy! For your stupid mind\'s information, Ron slashed his wrists today\"

\"My fault?\", Draco asked sarcastically, with still a smirk playing on his lips.

\"You\'re trying to make me lose my cool, aren\'t you? You know, I\'m getting suspicious about you. You\'ve been following me around as if you\'re some kind of stalker. To tell you, I don\'t like what you are doing\"

\"Really? Then I should be enjoying this. . . How I like to make you furious. . .\"

Footsteps were heard from afar, then a voice. \"Draco baby, where are you?\" It was Pansy.

Draco glared one last time at Hermione. \"I\'m not done with you bitch. If you want to make sure you\'re safe tonight, don\'t you dare go walk alone. I have my eyes on you\"

Draco turned away and left Hermione in her own confused thoughts.

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\"Ron! Why is your face as red as your hair? Did Hermione talk to you already? She went out to pay you a visit\", Harry as Ron stormed inside the quarters.

\"Visit ME? She went to visit Malfoy!\"

\"Tell me she didn\'t!\"

\"She just did. I saw her. Now my suspicions were confirmed, that ferret boy will pay for losing me Hermione!\" Ron stormed out of the quarters into the darkness of his thoughts.

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Hermione was walking musingly as she saw Ron headed her way.

\"Ron! I\'ve been looking around for you!\"

Ron didn\'t seem to hear her.

Someone suddenly pulled Hermione by her waist into the shadows.

Ron woke up from his trance when he heard Hermione scream for help, \" Ron! Help me!\"

But Ron couldn\'t see where she was.

He tried to walk around but he saw nothing.

From a distance, Ron heard a body thrown to the floor. But there wasn\'t any sign of Hermione.

\"Mione! Where are you?\"

No reply.

Ron lit his wand and started to pace around for any sign of Hermione.

Not far away, he saw an unconscious body laid flat on the floor.

\"Mione!\" Ron ran to Hermione and fell to his knees to check on her. He tried patting Hermione\'s cheeks but she didn\'t awake. Ron panicked that the only thing he thought of doing was to carry Hermione back to the quarters.

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\"Ron!\", Harry yelled as he rushed to Ron who panted terribly.

\"Hermione. . . someone attempted to take her. . .\"

Ron\'s eyes were wide open. He already forgot about his hate for Hermione.

\"Malfoy. . .\", Harry hissed under his breath.

\"What\'s Malfoy got to do with this?\"

\"He was the one who stabbed Mione last night and I bet he\'s the one who wanted to take Hermione\"

\"But why?\"

\"I guess the snake has shed its skin. . .\" Harry took one deep breath. \"Malfoy. . . \"

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Morning came and Hermione woke up in her bed. She stood to bathe in the bathroom. She didn\'t see any sign of Harry, so she went in.

Hermione filled the tub with warm water and her bath salts. Hermione took off her clother and plunged in.

She was too relaxed that when she looked at her stomach, a gasp escaped her.

\"What\'s this?\"

Hermione stood nakn frn front of the mirror. She saw a mark just below her navel---something that looked like a tattoo.

She leaned nearer to the mirror and saw the mark clearly-it was a vicious- looking snake.

Suddenly, the mirror seemed to bleed. . . blood appeared on the mirror\'s surface and formed three horrific words--- \'You Are Cursed\'.

When Hermione blinked again, the words were gone. She could only see herself looking flabbergasted in the mirror.

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Hermione exited the quarters and saw Harry standing outside with a serious look on his face.

\"You\'re still here. I thought you\'d go down with Ron\", Hermione said in curiosity.

\"We\'re going down together\"

Hermione stared at Harry who looked very grim. They were about to enter the Great hall when she asked, \"Harry, why are you doing this?\"

\"You can\'t go around alone by yourself. Danger is hunting you down\"

Harry entered without looking at Hermione. . . so she just followed him inside.

They took their seats side by side opposite the Weasleys.

\"Mione, change of plans. Harry\'s got to be with you all the time since the incident at Hogsmeade\", Ginny mouthed.

\"Huh? What\'s happening here?\", Hermione asked as if she has not a clue.

\"Harry will be your bodyguard until you\'re safe. He and Gin cooled off so that this whole security thing wouldn\'t hinder in their relationship\", Ron explained.

\"You didn\'t have to do that! Besides, I\'m fine, you guys!\", Hermione claimed.

\"No, you are not\", Harry said blankly.

\"Could you guys explain this clearly? I don\'t get it!\"

Before anyone could have spoken, an owl hovered above Hermione and dropped something wrapped in black velvet and tied with a silver ribbon, in front of Hermione. It didn\'t contain any information about the sender, so she opened it without regard.

A silver dagger was contained in the velvet. It elevated itself on top of the table, and it magically damaged the surface to form the words---

\" \'You Are Cursed\'? Hermoine, this is what we\'re talking about. Maybe this could suffice as evidence. You aren\'t safe without Harry\", Ginny mouthed.

Hermione tried to look over the Slytherin table to find the person she most suspected to do it, only that the person wasn\'t there. She turned her head towards the door and saw Draco walking out to the hallways.

Hermione stood at once and ran to Draco. Harry followed her without knowing.

As soon as she caught up with Draco, Hermione pounded her fists at Draco\'s back in fury.

\"What do you think you\'re doing?\", Hermione spat angrily.

Draco just looked at her and grabbed her by the hand, then dragged Hermione out of everyone\'s sight.

Harry reached the hallways, only that Draco and Hermione were already gone. Ron ran out to Harry only to see Harry disappear before him.

\"Since when did Harry knew how to Disapparate?\", Ron asked himself.

\"I have NO idea\", Ginny replied from behind, seemingly astounded just as Ron was.

Harry Apparated in front of them.

\"I can\'t go inside the room Malfoy took Hermione to. . . malfoy, you\'ll pay for this!\", Harry yelled as he punched the stone wall in front of him.

~Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns characters, setting, etc. Except: the plot is mine.~

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there\'s chapter 3 for you guys! Terribly sorry for the long intervals of updates. I\'ll just type here something from the other fics I have. My hands have been abused for weeks now. It\'s hard to type continuously.