One Fine Line

Disclaimer: You guys know the drill. I own nothing

Sorry this is a bit short, I just thought it was a good stopping place :)
Thanks so much to everyone who has reviewed! You guys keep me going!

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Chapter 7

“Hermione! Just the witch I wanted to see!”

Hermione glanced up from the morning post to see Ginny’s bright brown eyes eagerly watching her. Hermione inwardly groaned. She had learned that whenever Ginny’s eyes looked like that, something was afoot.

“Good morning, Ginny. What can I do for you?” She tentatively asked as she set the post aside and folded her hands on the table. Hermione sat alone; it seems that Harry and Ron were nowhere to be found, and after the past commotion about the love bite incident, Hermione didn’t fancy bearing the curious stares from anyone else. With a slight smile, she motioned for Ginny to sit on the bench across from her. This was Ginny after all; it couldn’t be that bad. Then again, she was a Weasley and related to the twins.

Ginny quickly sat and wasted no time in getting her point.

“Is he a good kisser?” She whispered eagerly, her eyes darting around to make sure no one was eavesdropping.

“Who…what are you talking about, Ginny?” Hermione cast a bewildered glance before forcibly stabbing a bit of egg with her fork. She thought Ginny would be above all this; though apparently, Weaselys seem to be taking a rather unhealthy interest in Hogwarts gossip.

“Draco!” she hissed.

Hermione’s eyes teared as she choked on the egg she had been swallowing. She gave her chest a few forceful whacks before accepting the glass of pumpkin juice that Ginny held out to her.

“What in the world…” she coughed and glanced around. Hermione cleared her throat before lowering her voice. “I have no idea what you are talking about, and frankly I would like to know who put that wildly impossible concept in your head.” Hermione narrowed her eyes before taking another sip of pumpkin juice.

“Er…well that’s a moot point really…” Ginny let her eyes wander as she attempted to dodge Hermione’s irritated glare. “Oh fine, Harry mentioned something to me last night. He thought that…perhaps it was Draco that gave you those love bites. He’s only worried about you, you know…this is Malfoy were talking about…” she rushed as she saw Hermione’s eyes darken.

“I think that the stress of being The Boy Who Lived has finally undone our dear Harry. He seems to have become delusional.” Hermione muttered curtly before continuing, “I’m not having a sordid affair with anyone, let alone Malfoy. Where on earth did Harry get an idea like that, and don’t tell me you don’t know, because I know he would have spilled that bit to you.”

“Well,” Ginny leaned forward, lowering her voice even more when she noticed that Lavender had scooted closer to them, “He mentioned that he and Ron were in your chambers for a study session last night. He said that there was some sort of weird vibe between you two-you and Malfoy, that is. He was going to shrug it off, but when Malfoy insinuated something and then leered at your neck…Harry said he mentioned three days. That would have been exactly when you came to breakfast with those,” she pointed to the fading marks on Hermione’s neck.

Since when did Harry become that observant?

Hermione’s lips turned in displeasure. Harry really did have impeccable timing when it came to his brain. Her eyebrow rose slightly at her inner sarcasm.

“Well, you can tell Harry that he’s completely out of his mind. There is nothing going on with anyone, especially Draco…and while you are at it, tell that brother of yours to cease all thoughts of revenge. I’m sure Harry shared his little insight with Ron and no doubt he is already trying to break down my portrait hole.”

Ginny’s lip jutted in a pout. “Hermione, you can tell me. I’m one of your best friends!”

Hermione sighed, “Ginny, there’s nothing to tell. I promise if there were, you’d be the first to know.” Part of her itched to tell her the truth, but she knew better…especially with Lavender looking like she was about to topple into her breakfast as she tried to listen in on their conversation.

“At any rate,” she pushed her empty plate to the centre of the table, “I’ve got a few things I need to take care of before classes start. I’ll see you at dinner.”

Ginny blew out a sigh of defeat, “Fine…I will see you then. Do stop by my room if anything happens to…come to you.” With a wink, she rose from the table and proceeded to exit the Great Hall.

Gathering her satchel, she walked towards the doors, stopping by Lavender on her way out.

“By the way,” she leaned down, “You’re sleeve is in your eggs.” She smirked as Lavender began wildly swiping her elbow with her napkin.

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Her classes had gone without much significance. Malfoy barely said two words to her in Transfiguration. She thought that perhaps he had seen the error of his ways since he had been so civil with her the night before, but she supposed that the blow to the head had merely jarred something loose. It seemed he had restored it, as he had returned to his normal, arrogant self. Not that any of this was of any consequence to her, she had just held the fleeting notion that maybe her year would turn out less stressful.

Her gaze dropped to the floor. As she continued down the hall, her thoughts travelled back to the conversation she had with Ginny. If Harry really did think that she was somehow involved with Malfoy, it could only spell trouble. She was, after all, like a sister to him and she didn’t want him making any rash decisions trying to protect her honour. She had to sort this out with him as soon as possible.

“OH!”

Hermione squealed as she fell into one of the many dark alcoves throughout the castle. A large hand clasped her mouth as she tried to scream. She flailed her arms in attempts to free herself from her attacker, but the grip on her body only tightened. A muffled groan escaped her as she felt her back being slammed on the cold hard stone. Her eyes pinched shut as sharp needles of pain seared down her spine.

As the pain began to subside, she slowly opened her eyes to see a cold and hardened grey pair boring into her.

Malfoy

She felt a surge of anger course through her as she tried to shove him from her body, only to have him throw his weight against her, further pushing her into the wall. He kept his hand clasped over her mouth, trying to muffle the constant protests from the riled witch.

“Shut it, Granger!” He tightened the grip if his left hand on her upper arm. “I’m going to take my hand from your mouth. If you scream, I will silence you, bind you, and leave you here for dead.”

Her brown eyes flashed with anger but expressed her silent accession.

He drew his hand from her mouth only to place it firmly on her other arm. He could she that she was beyond angry, and she had ever right to be, but so did he.

“Who’ve you been talking to?” His uncompassionate gaze met her furious one.

“What are you on about, Malfoy.” For being pinned to a wall, she was certainly not timid.

“I just got a rather nasty howler from-” He stopped himself; “I received a rather harsh howler berating me for my apparent affinity for mudbloods. Now, we both know that I have anything far from an affinity. We had our brief moment, and I assure you it had everything to do with your body and nothing more than that. Seeing as I’ve not told anyone about our little interlude, I can only assume that you ran off your mouth to someone, and I want to know to whom. You’d be surprised how fast information travels around here.”

Hermione snorted, “Please, as if I would tell anyone that you accosted me in my room. I don’t particularly fancy that information being spread around to the ravenous gossipers of Hogwarts. It’s bad enough having to bear them with those love bites you left on my neck…” Hermione’s voice trailed as she thought back to what Ginny had told her.

Harry noticed something weird between you and Malfoy…

Hermione groaned as it hit her. Harry must have mentioned something to Ron and Ron would have definitely slipped something to Lavender. Bloody hell…

“I do believe it is your fault that this information has been leaked,” her lips twitched into a smirk. It was going to be nice seeing his face when he realises he is to blame.

“You must have completely lost it…there is no way I would be so careless.” He spat back, crushing his fingers into the flesh of her arms.

She winced. She knew she would wake up tomorrow with more bruises.

“Well,” her voice took on an arrogant air, “When you so insinuated the goings on three nights ago, Harry picked up on it. You should really be more careful, Malfoy.”

His face began to tense as he thought back to what he had said. Damn, the little mudblood was right.

“Tell your friends to mind their own bloody business, if they know what’s good for them.”

“Is that a threat?” Her eyes grew cold. How dare he!

“Care to find out?” He cast her a warning glare before turning and leaving the alcove in a frustrated huff.

Hermione absentmindedly rubbed her arm where Malfoy’s strong fingers had gripped her. She had to get to Harry before any more damage was done.