Driven

Disclaimer: I do not own the world of Harry Potter, but Blessings to JKR for creating it

A/N: I listen to my iPod all day long it provides me with inspiration on a regular basis. The song lyrics later in this chapter are from the Linkin Park song “One Step Closer”. Thanks to my new personal cheerleader Chavela you rock girl!

Chapter 9: Ramifications

Hermione walked down the front steps, the night had cooled off considerably and she shivered despite her light sweater. She pulled out her pack of cigarettes but found that her hands were shaking too much to use her lighter.

“Is it true?” Ginny said, taking the lighter from Hermione and helping her to light the cigarette, she hadn’t heard her coming down the steps.

Hermione nodded mutely then turned and walked down the sidewalk, she was hanging on to her composure by a thread and needed to put some distance between herself and all things Weasley even though she in no way blamed Ginny. Ginny stood there watching her friend walk away thinking, ‘shite Malfoy is going to flip.’ There was a pop as Hermione reached the end of the block and disapparated.

Ginny turned to go back into the house and saw Harry at the top of the steps looking down at her. She walked up the steps and wrapped her arms around his waist laying her head on his shoulder, “Harry, promise me something. If you meet someone, you’ll talk to me about it. And I’ll do the same.”

He tipped her chin up and looked into her eyes, “Ginny, I broke up with you for your own safety, not because I don’t love you. There won’t be anyone else, ever. If I live through this war and you’ll still have me we’ll be together full stop.”

Her eyes misted and she kissed him gently before they drew apart and went back into the house.
************

Hermione walked down Diagon alley in a daze, she had her cigarette in one hand and her free arm wrapped around her middle. She knew that people were staring at her, and one or two that she knew tried to stop her, but she just shook her head at them and kept going.

Once she reached the building her flat was in she dropped her cigarette and stubbed it out with her shoe. She fumbled with her keys for minute before getting the door open, and slowly heading up the stairs.

She walked into the flat and once she had the door closed behind her she lost her tenuous grip on her emotions, sliding to the floor with her back against the door. Finally she let the tears fall, and fall they did.

Draco was sitting in the living room with a book in one hand and a tumbler of firewiskey in the other; he set both down on the coffee table when he heard the door shut, “Mione?” He called out. He took his reading specs, a carefully guarded secret, off and set them on top of his book.

He stopped in his tracks when he reached the entry way and saw Hermione. She was slumped against the door, knees drawn tightly against her chest, tears streaming down her face as her body was wracked with silent sobs. And that was the least of it. She had a very large angry looking bruise on her cheek along with a recently mended cut.

Draco closed the distance between them in a flash sliding to his knees in front of her, and she winced when he gently touched her cheek before laying his hands on her shoulders causing her to wince again. He slowly slid her sleeves up her arms, revealing more bruises on both biceps.

He took a deep breath as he was flooded with concern and seething anger, “Mione, what happened? Who did this?” He said quietly. She just shook her head unable to answer. He helped her to her feet and guided her over to the couch. He sat down and drew her into his lap where she curled up like a small child, her face buried in his chest, soaking his t-shirt with tears.

He stroked her hair with one hand the other wrapped around her waist, and waited for the worst of her sobs to subside. Once her breathing evened out some he gently pushed her back a bit, “I need you to tell me what happened love.”

She looked at him through watery eyes and ran the back of her hand across her face. “I was at headquarters. Ron had been acting a bit off all night. I was hoping to talk to him, see if there was anything wrong. He took me into the back study and tried to kiss me,” she paused seeing the anger flash through Draco’s silver eyes.

She took a deep breath before continuing, “I told him no, I couldn’t kiss him because I’m with someone else,” her eyes filled with tears again; “he threw me up against the wall and demanded to know who.” She was sobbing again at this point but kept going anyway, Draco’s arm tightening around her waist, “when I told him he flipped and hit me. I passed out just as Harry and Ron’s brothers busted through the door and hexed him off me. He called me a traitor.” she finished on a whisper.

She buried her face in his chest again, wanting to crawl inside him and hide. About half an hour she had cried herself to sleep. Draco continued to rock her, staring at the wall across from him with out really seeing it. He had exactly one thing on his mind besides the girl in his arms, ‘Ronald Weasley is going to pay’
**************
Draco eventually nodded off, and woke up some time later at the sound of the front door opening and closing. He looked down at Hermione who had shifted in her sleep and was now stretched out on the couch with her head in his lap. I he hadn’t been so angry she would have been lying with her un-bruised cheek against a raging erection, the thought of which almost made him smile, almost.

He looked up as Blaise strode into the room with his overnight bag slung over one shoulder, “I dealt with Mum’s usual ‘you’re father’s disappeared again hysterics’ and got the hell out of……..” His bag dropped to the floor as he took in the scene before him. “Inferno santo! che cosa è accaduto?” He spoke flawless English, but whenever Blaise got upset (or excited) he would lapse into Italian. As a result Draco had long ago learned the basics.

Draco put up a finger indicating he wanted Blaise to wait, he then slipped out from under Hermione and lifted her into his arms and heading for her room. Once he had her settled he left her door open a crack and walked back into the living room. Blaise was in the process of downing Draco’s forgotten firewiskey and rubbing his temples.


Draco relayed what Hermione had told him while pacing back and forth across the room. Blaise was in general a pacifist but the look on his face when Draco was finished was anything but. Draco walked over and sat down beside him. He laid a hand on his boyfriend’s knee and looked at him, “Blaise I need you to stay here with her while I go sort Weasley out. I don’t want her to wake up alone.”

Blaise nodded and when a thought popped into his head he said, “So you and Mya…..”

Draco nodded and stood. He went back in to check on Hermione, retrieving his wand that was still sitting on her nightstand.

“Drake, what are you going to do?” Blaise asked, walking over to him.

“Dunno love. But it’ll come to me.” Draco said. He leaned in and kissed him lightly before turning and walking out the door.

Blaise ran his hands through his hair praying silently to the Gods that Draco would remain in one piece and out of Azkaban. He changed into sweats and settled himself on the couch with a fresh firewiskey, to wait for Hermione to wake up, and for Draco’s return.
********************

I cannot take this anymore
I'm saying everything I've said before
All these words they make no sense
I find bliss in ignorance
Less I hear the less you'll say
But you'll find that out anyway

Just like before...

Draco was on the war path. He’d been a great mood since he moved in with Blaise and Hermione. He’d almost been able to forget about his new double life. But at that moment he was feeling every bit a Slytherin, and he was ready to take a Gryffindor apart. He’d never been good at sharing, but he could probable let the fact that Ron had tried to kiss Hermione go. But no one with half a brain laid a hand on anyone that he loved.

Everything you say to me
Takes me one step closer to the edge
And I'm about to break
I need a little room to breathe
Cause I'm one step closer to the edge
And I'm about to break

He apparated to the end of the block nearest to headquarters and then stormed down the sidewalk. He ran up the steps and with an impressive bit of wandless magic had the door opened before he reached it. He heard voices in the parlor and walked in that direction sending several house elves running. He walked into the room to find all of the Weasleys, Ron still bound, Harry, his cousin Tonks, former professor Remus Lupin, and Mad Eye Moody. “We’ve been waiting for you,” Harry said.

I find the answers aren't so clear
Wish I could find a way to disappear
All these thoughts they make no sense
I find bliss in ignorance
Nothing seems to go away
Over and over again

Just like before

If Draco heard Harry he made no indication. He stalked across the room to Ron, putting his hands on his shoulders and bending down so they were eye to eye, “I could over look your advances; anyone who’s not blind can see that you love her. But when she told you she was unavailable and uninterested, that should have been the end of it. I’m sure she’s saved your ruddy arse more times than you can count on your muddy fingers and toes and you have the balls to call her a traitor.” He stood up and stepped back a few paces raising his wand as he went, “If anyone would like to leave the room before this gets messy I suggest you do so now,” he addressed the group mostly for the benefit of the women.

Everything you say to me
Takes me one step closer to the edge
And I'm about to break
I need a little room to breathe
Cause I'm one step closer to the edge
And I'm about to break

Molly Weasley nodded at her husband and shot her youngest son a look of deep disappointment and resignation before taking Ginny by the elbow and leading her from the room. Arthur walked over to Draco, “Draco, we’re pretty much going to let you have free reign here, we only ask that you don’t do anything he won’t recover from eventually.” He then whispered something in Draco’s ear which no one could hear. Whatever he said caused a classic Malfoy smirk, by which time Ron’s eyes were practically bugging out of his head, though a Silencio prevented him from speaking (they had all had enough of his ranting)


Everything you say to me
Takes me one step closer to the edge
And I'm about to break
I need a little room to breathe
Cause I'm one step closer to the edge
And I'm about to break


The first thing Draco said was “Finite Incantatum”, he wanted Ron standing, which he did as soon as he was free. As soon as he was standing Ron was hit with one jinx after another, jelly legs, bat bogie, and several whose results were too disgusting, though non fatal to describe. Finally once Ron was a quivering oozing mess, Draco muttered something under his breath leaving Ron no clue as to what was coming. But Ron was no longer standing there he had be replace by a copper colored squeaking ferret. Everyone in the room started laughing as the ferret started bouncing looking for the entire world like a little ball of fire dancing in the air.

Shut up when I'm talking to you
Shut up, shut up, shut up

I'm about to BREAK

Everything you say to me
Takes me one step closer to the edge
And I'm about to break
I need a little room to breathe
Cause I'm one step closer to the edge
And I'm about to break


Harry and Draco had a bonding moment when Harry walked over and slapped Draco on the back, “Good show mate. Take good care of her.” Draco ended the spell leaving Ron an absolute mess not unlike the mess he had left Hermione in. He walked over to the human puddle that was Ronald Weasley, “are we straight ferret?” He said before walking out of the parlor and the house.


A/N: Poetic don’t you think. I just couldn’t help myself.

Inferno santo! che cosa è accaduto?: Rough translation- Holy Hell! What happened?