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Struggling Through New Beginnings	By : HarryGinny4eva Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Draco/Hermione Views: 31233 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: Spoilers - I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 16
- 17
- 18
Chapter 18

Draco
forced himself to straighten and breathe as he stared after the departing
redhead.

How could I have
done that? What was I�was I thinking? Oh, Merlin, will he tell Potter? Hermi�her?
What a laugh they�ll all have as they talk about how far the mighty have
fallen. Merlin, Pansy would just love this, if I told her! And, where did that
come from anyway? How the hell could I want Hermi�her
all of a sudden? I can�t. I don�t. I wouldn�t want her for all the�shit. But, I
do. Damn! Now what? She wouldn�t even consider spitting on me if I was on fire,
so the entire thing is moot isn�t it? Besides, what am I thinking?! I have to
marry Pansy. Even if Hermione would think about�after all I�ve done to her�But,
what if�

�Draco?�
Pansy�s voice finally broke through his thoughts.

�Malfoy,
snap out of it!� Millicent snapped. �What the hell is wrong with you?�

When
he didn�t answer, but continued to stare at them, Pansy stepped closer and put
her hand tentatively on his arm, �What did Ro�um�Weasley say to you?�

Draco
expelled a breath and looked down into Pansy�s worried upturned face. It briefly
flitted across his mind that something was very wrong when he felt absolutely
nothing when standing next to his fianc�e, but could barely think when across
the room from a woman he, only a few months ago, wanted eradicated from the
planet.

�It
was nothing,� he said finally. Then he stepped back and reached for his bag,
�I�m going down to drop these off before class.�

Pansy
nodded, but said, �But, you seemed��

He
cut her off, �I�m fine, Pansy. Nothing you need concern yourself with. Did you
need something when you came over here?�

Pansy
pursed her lips at his refusal to talk to her when he was so obviously upset,
but she didn�t feel it was her place to push him. She almost laughed at the
absurdity of that thought. She didn�t feel close enough to her own fianc� to
push him to talk to her about his feelings. She stuck with shaking her head and
looking away from him. But, Millicent wasn�t so stymied.

�Oi, Malfoy. It can�t be nothing.
You looked ready to vomit on your own robes. What did that wanker
say to you?�

Draco
noticed Pansy stiffen, but hold her tongue, at the slur on Weasley and shook
his head. �Seriously, Millie, it was nothing out of the norm. Now, if you
ladies will excuse me.�

Before
either could answer he turned and quickly left the hall. He knew his actions
bordered on the rude, especially since he was at least mentally thinking about
cheating on Pansy, but he needed to get away from everyone, her especially.

He
was so lost in his own personal turmoil that he didn�t notice as his feet
carried him to the dungeons and the Slytherin dorms entrance. The pointy-faced,
goateed wizard on the portrait stared haughtily at him as he awaited the
password, but Draco didn�t even see him. He was too entranced by his own
confused thoughts and feelings.

�It
is easier to enter when one actually utters the password aloud, Mr. Malfoy,� a
deep, husky voice intoned.

Draco
jerked out of his musings and turned to face Severus Snape. So many thoughts
bombarded him at once that he couldn�t speak as he stared into the man�s face
only a few feet away.

�It
isn�t polite to stare,� Snape rasped. �And, breathe before you collapse.�

Draco
felt his head swim as oxygen swiftly filled his lungs; and the sudden pounding
of his heart threatened to take him to his knees. But, years of training took
over and he instinctually straightened and blanked his face and thoughts.

�Is
there something you needed, Professor?�

�Many
things, Mr. Malfoy, but that is neither here nor there. Follow me.�

Draco
stamped down the immediate refusal and turned to follow the billowing cloak of
his Professor.

Neither
spoke until they�d reached the empty Potions classroom. Snape swept into the
room, but Draco stood unsure in the doorway.

�Sit,�
Severus softly commanded as he settled in his chair behind his scarred desk.

Draco
finally spoke as he entered the room and took a seat in the front row, �You are
doing well?�

�I
am,� Severus nodded. �But, you are not.�

Draco
ignored that statement and looked at his mentor closely, �You�ve lost weight.
Mother would not be pleased. Speaking of which, has she been informed of your
return?�

�She
has not. Though I assume news of our return will move swiftly. I will send her
a note to arrange a meeting.�

�She
would appreciate that,� Draco nodded.

All
was quiet for a long moment, then Severus leaned back in his chair and cocked
his head to the side as he said, �A muggle-born, bushy-haired, know-it-all that
hates the very ground you tread on, Draco? Could you not choose someone more�inappropriate?�

Draco�s
head snapped up and he glared at the gaunt man before him, �It�s rude to
intrude on the thoughts of others.�

�Not
when they are broadcast so clearly,� Snape sneered. �And,
what of the lovely Ms. Parkinson? Do you not think your future bride would be a mite upset were
she to learn she is second to that Gryffindor witch?�

Draco
rolled his eyes, crossed his arms and leaned back tiredly in his chair, �As she
seems to have an interest in Weasley, I think she would be quite pleased,
actually.�

�She...,�
Snape began only to trail off in confusion and revulsion.

Again
there was silence as each fell into deep thought. Even though Draco couldn�t
think of a specific word to follow the question, he finally broke the silence
with one word. �Why?�

Snape,
who had watched Draco grow from baby to boy to young man, seemed to understand
the many implications of Draco�s question. He decided to start with the biggest
topic first.

�It
was the right thing to do. The Dark Lord was an ego-maniacal, half-blood with
nothing but the desire for power and more power. He cared for nothing else. He
used fear and torture to enforce loyalty and slaughtered those who followed him
without care. He cared for no one, but himself. He cared nothing about blood.
Not muggle, half blood, nor even pure. If he had, he would never have��

Draco
softly whispered a truism he hadn�t wanted to admit all summer, ��let Lily
Potter die.�

Snape�s
breath hitched, and his face drained of what little color it had, but he still
sneered, �You would throw my past in my face?!�

�No.
That�s not what I�I would never��

�Do
not speak her name to me!�

Draco�s
mouth snapped shut as he nodded. He watched as Snape took a deep breath before
the older man spoke once more; his voice more controlled.

�In
deference to our history I will give you this. Professor Dumbledore has often
spoken of love. It was the source of Mr. Potter�s protection. It was the reason
behind your mother�s actions in the end. And, it was ultimately the downfall of
the Dark Lord. It is an emotion more powerful than many realize. And, yes, it
was the reason behind my actions for the past eighteen years.�

Draco
couldn�t stop himself from asking, �So, where does that leave you now?�

The
sneer came back to Snape�s lips, �It leaves me unchanged. The only difference
is I no longer must fear the threat of exposure. There is little else to be
exposed.�

Draco
didn�t know what to say to the man who�d unknowingly protected him so
selflessly for the past few years, but suffered unbelievable emotional and
physical pain to do so. So he remained quiet and looked down at the desk to
avoid the tortured look in Snape�s eyes.

The
wizard�s next words next words made Draco�s head snap up and he found his
professor staring unfocussed at the wall over Draco�s shoulder. Snape�s voice
was soft, almost a whisper, but his words were sure.

�You
could be a better man than either your father or I, Draco. And, as loathe as I
am to admit it, you could do worse than Ms. Granger, if given the chance. Life
has a way of throwing change at us, whether we are ready or not; whether we
want it or not. Should the opportunity present itself for you to make different
choices than your predecessors, take them! Do not accept the normal for fear of
the unknown. And, do not choose the safe path, unless you feel it is also the
right one. If you feel the need to repay those of us who helped you, pay that
debt by not living a life that might in the end leave you with regret.�

Draco
let the words sink in for a moment before he leaned forward to ask more
questions, but Snape cut him off as he stood and swept toward his antechamber.

�You
may show yourself out. I will contact Narcissa, so she is not surprised
tomorrow. Goodnight, Mr. Malfoy.�

Draco
blinked as the door shut behind the billowing cloak and the room fell into
silence once more. He slowly stood and left the classroom, his thoughts awhirl.
He was so confused his head hurt. He didn�t know what to think as he considered
the words of both Professors Dumbledore and Snape. All he knew for sure what
that a few months ago things had in a sick, twisted way, made sense, though
they�d most assuredly felt wrong. Now, nothing made sense to him, and wasn�t
sure what to feel.

xxxxxx

�Even in the stars one can sense the centaurs�
power,� Professor Sinastra�s nasal voice said in the
darkness. �If you look at it just right, you can almost imagine the arrow
flying from his bow.�

Harry crossed his arms and leaned back against the wall of the astronomy tower.
He couldn�t concentrate on what the teacher was saying in his last class of the
day as he had too many things on his mind. Part of his brain continued to play
out his last conversation with Ginny, and then Neville�s words. Even after
talking to Ron about it for the past hour, he still couldn�t understand what
had happened or why she�d gotten so upset.

But, his fight with the love of his life warred with the memories that kept
playing over and over in his head. Every time he glanced across the tower he
saw Draco and thought back to the last time he and the blonde man had been
there together. Harry kept replaying the look on Draco�s face as he lowered his
wand in front of their former Headmaster and then the events that led to
Dumbledore�s �death.�

Closing his eyes against the pain of the memories, he reminded himself that it
was all over. Dumbledore was alive. But, when he tried to force the images away
and think of something else, his fight with Ginny would come back again. He
didn�t even notice the groan that escaped his lips.

�Let the memories come, Harry. If you fight them, they will continue to hurt
you,� Luna whispered from his left. �If you face them, the pain will lessen.�

He turned to look at her and saw that she wasn�t even looking at him. She
stared up at the sky, as if fascinated, and he wondered if she realized she had
spoken. There were times when he thought she might be skilled at Occlumency since she always seemed to know what to say and
when, even though most believed her words to be little more than drivel.

�It�s just hard,� he whispered back, turning his face to the sky. He didn�t
realize how loud he had spoken until he felt Parvati reach over from his right
to pat his leg in comfort.

�She loves you, Harry. Just give her time to settle. It will be okay,� Parvati
whispered. �I think she�s just confused and overwhelmed. It�s not you.�

He nodded silently and continued to look at the sky. Then he sighed, �Why can�t
things just go right for a change?�

xxxxxx

�What exactly do you think is so wrong? You seem to
be adjusting just fine,� Blaise�s said softly on the other side of the tower,
so as to not draw attention to his and Draco�s conversation. They didn�t need a
detention from Sinastra so early in the school year.
And, as Head Boy, as Snape had reminded him, he certainly didn�t want to lose
his house any points.

Draco heard the snide edge to Blaise� voice and took a breath before he
answered. He and Blaise had started their conversation over an hour ago before
class, but they hadn�t reached an understanding and he was getting as
frustrated as his friend.

�Everything and nothing. Regardless of what you insist
upon believing, you aren�t the only one confused as shit around here!�

Blaise practically spat, �I�m not confused. I see everything very clearly. It�s
you, Greg, and Theo that seem to not remember who you are! Hell, even Snape seems
to have forgotten his place!�

�His place?� Draco sneered as he turned to look at
Blaise. �What place would that be exactly, Blaise?�

�He�s head of Slytherin, even if he isn�t a pureblood! He should act like it.�

Draco shook his head and pretended to look up at the constellation the teacher
was pointing out to the class, as he said, �And, how would he do that exactly?
There is no common thread amongst those of our house, even those of pureblood, dammit. I finally figured that out. Why can�t you? Purebloods
aren�t all rich. Look at the Weasleys. Hell, look at me
now. We aren�t all better or smarter, half of our
house is evidence of that. The only things we have in common are families with
long histories, inbreeding that is wiping us out, and a hell of a lot of
problems.�

�I don�t even know you anymore,� Blaise answered. �What happened to the Draco
Malfoy I used to know?�

Draco sighed heavily, �He lost too much and grew up too fast.�

Blaise growled in frustration as those words came from Draco, just as they had
from Snape. He couldn�t think of anything to say back, so he just stopped talking.

The professor asked a question of the class, but neither paid any attention to
it or the answer as they stayed lost in their own thoughts. They just wanted
the day to finally end.

xxxxx

Pansy awoke the next day to the sound of
Millicent�s snorts and snores heard clearly through the closed bathroom doors
from the other bedroom. A glance at her clock told Pansy it was still very
early, but she knew she wouldn�t be able to go back to sleep. She lay still for
a moment and thought back over the previous two days. It was as if a veil she
hadn�t been aware of before had been lifted and she could finally see
everything clearly.

She smiled as an image of Ron flitted across her mind�s eye and wondered how,
if, she could make him see her. He wasn�t dimwitted, but he also wasn�t quick
when it came to affairs of the heart. His years of �not� pursuing Hermione were
clear evidence of that, so Pansy knew she�d have to think of something blatant
to make her intentions clear. But, she also knew she had two major obstacles in
her way. First, there was the issue of his possible disinterest; a thought that
made her want to curl up and cry. Pushing that depressing thought aside, she
focused on her other problem, Draco Malfoy and their engagement.

One thing she had decided the day before while talking to Hermione and Ginny
was that, no matter what, she couldn�t marry him. They were friendly, and might
someday be close friends, but she couldn�t imagine spending the rest of her
life like her parents had. The very idea of spending her vacations alone, or
with a lover, while Draco did the same, and then pretending to be devoted to
one another when at formal functions, saddened her. She wondered how her
parents did it. And, she wondered how they would take the news of her plans.

Pansy sighed once again as she tried to find the words she would need to
explain her choice to them. Thinking back on her life, she couldn�t think of
one time she had defied them, or not acted as they thought was appropriate.
And, now, she would be doing both at once. She knew they loved her in their own
way, but knowing she was going to upset and disappoint them so severely made
her question her decision. Maybe she should just leave well enough alone.
Besides, what would she do if Draco chose to fight her? He would win and she
would still lose the freedom she hoped to gain. With resolve she pushed that
thought aside. No, she wouldn�t let that happen.

�Ron or no Ron, I am not marrying Draco Malfoy!� she whispered to herself and
sat up in her bed. With a nod, she got up and prepared for her day. With a packed
day of classes to focus on; her love life would have to wait. She would need to
concentrate today since she had Charms, Muggle Studies, and History of Magic.
And, that was after she attended one of her favorite classes, Ancient Runes.
She smiled to herself when she remembered Hermione, Parvati and Theo would be
in her class.

As she walked into the bathroom she shared with Millicent, she laughed to
herself. Only two days ago, she had firmly believed Theo to be a boorish, snot. His �holier than thou� attitude had always
made her feel as if he�d viewed her as a parasite. But, now, seeing him in the
throes of a crush, she realized she had never really known him either. Much
like Draco, he had hidden his insecurities behind bland, bored looks, and
waspish answers; his harsh words his only protection against those around him.
As he lowered his defenses in his pursuit of Parvati, Pansy got to see a man
she would never have believed existed. Each time she thought of his stutters as
he spoke to the pretty Indian, Gryffindor woman, it brought a laugh to her
lips.

She also recognized the look of determination mixed with uncertainty in his
eyes when he spoke to people now. It was if he was challenging everyone to see
him for what he was and confront him with it, so he could defend himself. She
recognized it because as she applied her lip gloss and stepped back from the
mirror, she saw the same look in her own eyes.

xxxxx

Hermione had had a difficult evening, barely any
sleep and a bad morning, as evidenced by her appearance in the mirror. Her eyes
were puffy, her skin blotchy, and her hair a mass of ringlets she couldn�t be
bothered to do more with than pull it back into a bun at the base of her neck.
She hauled her bag up on her shoulder and flounced down the stairs to meet
Parvati and head to class as she thought back over the night before.

First, in the common room after Harry had been located the previous evening and
he and Ginny had left to go back to her room talk, Ron had acted like an
overprotective brother and warned her to stay away from Draco Malfoy and Blaise
Zabini. He�d ranted about their attitudes and actions for the past seven years,
as if she hadn�t lived it, too. He had started with the anger he felt from Zabini,
but quickly moved to the strange actions of Malfoy. When Hermione had
questioned his sudden obsession with the two Slytherins, he�d clammed up and
refused to say why he was so adamant she stay away from them. This, of course,
had led to a major row when she had reminded him that she could take care of
herself and he had said that she was no match for the two physically larger
men. She had let him know what she thought of that and he had told her that she
should and would listen to him and stay away from them. Hermione reminded him
that they were no longer together and that she could and would befriend anyone
she saw fit.

After she had left him and gone up to her room, his shouts still ringing in her
ear, she�d slammed the door and poured her anger out in her diary. While
writing she kept going back to Draco�s actions, her new feelings around him and
Ron�s anger, and ended up so confused that she hadn�t been able to study
properly afterward. Finally, she�d decided she needed air and gone back
downstairs to sit on the balcony outside of their common room. As she�d stared
at the stars above she noticed movement from the tower and realized from the
glint off of his hair that Draco must have gone back after class. She stared up
at him lost in thought as to what he was doing and thinking. She knew he
probably needed to exorcise the demons of his past and felt her heart go out to
him as she envisioned him dealing with the pain of his actions during sixth
year by himself up there.

Part of her wanted to go to him and give him the hug she thought he might need.
But, the rest of her laughed at the thought that he would accept her offer of
kindness. More likely than not, he would sneer at her compassion and stalk
away; leaving her embarrassed to have tried. Again. She continued to stare up at the tower as he paced
back and forth until he stopped and she thought she could feel his eyes on her.
She gasped at the thought and backed off the balcony her heart pounding. She
flew back up to her room, ignored Parvati�s questions on if she was okay or
not, and went to her room. When her swirling thoughts gave her a headache, she
forced herself to lie down and try to sleep. It hadn�t worked and she had
gotten up the next morning very cranky and touchy still trying to figure things
out for herself.

Parvati refrained from speaking when Hermione met her at the door and they
silently made their way to class. When they reached the long hallway of
classrooms they passed HIM and Hermione pursed her lips in aggravation; an
action Parvati noticed. She chanced a glance at Draco and saw him watching
Hermione out of the side of his eyes. She was pretty sure he wasn�t aware of
the slowing of his step, or the way he stood straighter, even as he kept his
face passive, nodding to whatever one of his housemates was saying to him.

�Did he say something to you? Do something?� she asked softly after they had
passed him and she heard Hermione�s expelled breath.

Hermione shook her head and sighed, �No. He just�well, I�oh this is ridiculous!
I don�t know what�s happening, Vati.�

�What�s happening to whom? You? Or, him?�

�Me, I guess. And, Ron. And, Harry
and Ginny. And, Drac�him.
Just everything.� Hermione stopped outside of the
classroom and leaned against the wall to wait for the Professor to open the
doors. She kept her voice low as she continued, �I knew things would change
when we came back here. I knew everything would be different, I guess I just
didn�t think about how different.�

Parvati leaned closer and kept her voice low as she saw Pansy and Theo
approach, �I know it won�t help to say, but just try not to rush to judgment,
Hermione. Give things a chance to even out. I think everyone�s emotions are
running high and no one really knows what�s happening. No one knows where they
stand anymore. Everyone has suffered, changed and, I guess, grown up this past
year, even, I think, Draco Malfoy.�

�Hello ladies,� Theo said as he came up to them his cheeks flushing a bit as he
smiled softly at Parvati.

�Hi!� Pansy echoed brightly.

�Hi,� they chorused, but Parvati�s was only for Theo.

Pansy threaded her arm through Hermione�s and leaned closer, �Are you okay? You
look a little, um, like you had a bad night.�

�Nicely put,� Hermione chuckled at Pansy�s attempt at tact. �I look like crap
and I know it. But, I am fine, Pansy. Just a lot on my mind.�

�Anything you want to talk about?� she asked sincerely.

Hermione shrugged, �Maybe later, okay?�

�Okay,� Pansy nodded.

�How about you?� Hermione asked. �Did you think about
what we talked about yesterday?�

Pansy nodded, �I just have to figure out what to say to my parents. And, Draco. I know it won�t hurt more than his pride, but I
don�t want him to think any of this is because of whom he is or all that�s
happened to him and his mother.�

Hermione nodded, but remained quiet.

�I did come to another realization last night though,� Pansy ventured; her eyes
down as she tried to find the right way to say the next sentence.

�And,� Hermione prompted.

�He�s interested in someone. Really interested. I know
he hasn�t a clue what to do about it, but I know him well enough to know how he
acts around someone when he likes her. I think they would be great together if
they gave one another a chance. I like her. She�s pretty amazing, actually.
And, they�ve known each other for a long time, but they don�t really know know each
other. They�ve been at odds a lot, so I�m not sure what he�s thinking. But, I
see the way he looks at her when he thinks no one is watching, and he seems to
be really�well, I guess interested is still the best word. I know they�ve never
really had a long conversation with one another and I don�t know if she would
even think about giving him a chance. He was always such an ass to people
before. Especially her. And, he doesn�t open up and
talk about himself easily, so I don�t know if he would risk putting himself out
there just now, after all that�s happened, to risk her rejection.�

�Everyone has changed, Pansy,� Hermione said, hearing herself
echo Parvati�s words. Then she smiled softly and continued, �I�m sure he�s not
the same person he used to be. None of us are. If he likes her, maybe he�ll
show her some of those good qualities you assure me he has.�

�Yeah, maybe,� Pansy said as she looked back down at the floor, unsure how to
proceed.

For reasons she couldn�t quite understand Hermione felt uncomfortable talking
about Draco Malfoy�s love life, but forced a smile,
�And, think how it could work out for you. Maybe he would even be the one to
break things off if he fell in love with this girl.�

Pansy nodded and glanced up her face earnest, �While that�s true, I wouldn�t
want either of them to think that I would force them on each other just to get
out of my problems. I�m not that type of person, Hermione. I really like them
both and truly think they would be great together. I can see them having a
long, real relationship. They would really bring out each other�s best
qualities. But, I would never suggest something like this just to��

�Oh, Pansy, I didn�t mean to suggest��

�I know,� she interrupted. �I just didn�t want you to think I was being�well,
sneaky and Slytherin about things.�

�It honestly never crossed my mind,� Hermione said as she shook her head. �And,
I would think you would know Drac�Malf�ahem,
him well enough to know his type of woman. If you feel so strongly about it,
maybe you should give them a push and see what happens. You never know unless
you try, right?�

Pansy tilted her head thoughtfully and then nodded and smiled. Just then the
door to the classroom opened and Professor Lupin beckoned them into the room.
Pansy watched Hermione and the professor greet each other warmly and took her
seat. With crossed fingers she waited until the Professor stepped up to start
class before she leaned close to Hermione.

�You�re right. And, maybe you should give him a chance then, so he can prove
he�s not the guy you think you know. There�s my push.�

She smirked when Hermione�s head whipped around, her mouth open to retort, only
to be stopped by Professor Lupin beginning the class.

xxxxx

Draco stood next to a silent Blaise and Greg and
waited for the rest of the Charms class to show. The first people to come
around the corner were a laughing group which included Potter, Weasley, Ginny,
and Luna. He noticed that Harry and Ginny stood apart from one another and
wondered what had taken place to separate the usually hand-holding couple.
Before he could ponder it much further he felt Blaise stiffen beside him and
watched their laughs die as they locked eyes with one another.

The foursome moved to stand quietly against the opposite wall and Draco
wondered why they all bothered with the silence, as the air itself crackled
with their animosity. He suddenly felt tired again.

Finally, Luna shook her head and looked across at them. �Good morning, Greg,
Draco, Zabini.�

Blaise grunted folded his arms and looked away. Draco nodded a greeting, but
didn�t speak.

Only Greg smiled as he stood a little straighter in relief at the tension being
broken, �Morning to you, Luna. Um, hi, uh guys.�

Harry and Ron nodded, much as Draco had done, but didn�t answer. Ron and Draco
glared at one another, but didn�t speak. Ginny rolled her eyes at them and then
smiled at Greg, �Hey. Good morning so far?�

He nodded and opened his mouth to answer, but before he could Pansy came
tearing around the corner, skidding to a halt out of breath near them. Everyone
jumped and several wands appeared quickly, but surprising himself
even more than the others, it was Draco who stepped forward in concern. She was
his fianc�e, after all, and in most ways, a friend.

�Pans? What�s happened? What�s wrong? Are you okay?�

Pansy�s head shot up from where it had been hanging between in her shoulders as
she bent over gasping for breath. She couldn�t talk, so she settled for nodding
and trying to straighten up, grabbing at the stitch in her side. She looked
around and saw Harry, Ron, Ginny, Draco, and Greg all had their wands pointed
at the corner as if expecting something awful to come around after her. She
almost laughed in glee when she noticed that Ron had actually moved to block
whatever it was from getting to her.

�Seriously�okay�nothing bad�just in a�.hurry,� she gasped.

Draco still looked doubtful, but lowered his wand slowly, �You�re really okay?�

Before she could answer Ron added, �What happened?� just as Ginny asked, �Pansy,
what happened?� and Harry asked, �Why?�

Pansy finally looked around at the tense group and giggled nervously, �I�m fine
really. Sorry to scare everyone. I was just in a hurry.�

Ginny still looked skeptical, but slowly lowered her wand, �Are you sure?�

Pansy nodded, �Yeah.�

Ron turned to look at her in confusion and repeated Harry�s question, �Why were
you in such a hurry to get to Charms?�

Pansy looked up into his eyes and blushed, �I, um, I, well you see��

She was saved from answering when Theo and Parvati�s voices were heard coming
around the corner.

�I just love having a room all to myself. I always miss that when I came back
to school. Padma and I have separate wings, so it�s
always been a bit strange having to share a bedroom
throughout the school year.�

They heard Theo�s low laugh, �Well, imagine growing up an only child and then
having to share with a bunch of other blokes most of the year. Blaise snores
like a��

His voice trailed off as they rounded the corner and were faced with the stares
of their friends. Theo flushed at the look on Blaise�s face.

�Oh, uh, hi,� Theo said.

Parvati�s smile slid slowly from her face as everyone stared at them, their
good mood evaporating. She nodded a greeting, but didn�t break the quiet. Greg
looked around and realized who was missing.

�What happened to Hermione? Where is she?� he asked, his voice laden with
concern.

Just then she came around the corner, answering his question. The look on her face
froze everyone for a moment. She was angry.

Pansy squeaked and stepped back from the advancing young woman.

�Running won�t help you. I heard what you said quite clearly,� Hermione stated.
She seemed not to notice the others as she continued, �That was low, Pansy! I
can�t believe you would even suggest something like that! �

Pansy realized Hermione wasn�t going to hex her to bits and took a cautious
step forward, �I wasn�t joking, Hermione. I really do believe it�s true. All of
it.�

Hermione was now chest to chest with the slightly taller woman, hands on her
hips, �Well, you boxed me into a nice, little corner didn�t you? Even after
saying you didn�t want to be sneaky about things. That was quite, dare I say,
Slytherin of you, wasn�t it?�

The others stood with their heads going back and forth between the two women
whose voices were slowly rising. Even as other students entered the hallway, no
one said a word as the fight raged in their midst.

Pansy had the grace to blush a little, �Okay, but just the last bit, and if you
would listen to me��

�No, I will not!� Hermione interrupted. �The very idea is ridiculous! And, all
that �she wouldn�t give him a chance� crap, what was that?! Even if I did, we
both know he wouldn�t!�

Pansy put her hands on her hips, too and half shouted, �It wasn�t crap! It�s
true. I see it in his eyes, in his actions. You can�t be that blind and na�ve.
You have to have noticed!�

�I don�t have to have done anything,� Hermione huffed. �Hell, Pansy, I�ve been
single all of day and half and you�ve got me practically married off to him! Besides,
it�s a non-issue. Even if I am the teensiest bit interested, I wouldn�t put
myself through the humiliation of saying anything. He�d gleefully rip me to
shreds! And, it was very unfair of you to place it all on me!�

Pansy looked a bit sheepish as she defended herself, �I didn�t mean it that
way. I just wanted you to think about it clearly, without preconceived ideas.
You just have to trust me when I say I know for a fact that he wouldn�t rip you
to shreds. And, timing has nothing to do with it. You said you�ve been over Ron
for a long time!�

Hermione was about to answer when Ron muttered, �Gee thanks!� and interrupted
their fight.

Both women froze as they realized that the entire class was watching their
fight. Everyone watched as both witches� faces slowly drained of color and they
could almost see them each going back over the fight to check what they had
said. Hermione finally stepped closer to Ron.

�I�m sorry. I didn�t say it like that,� she said.

He looked down at her and gave a half shrug, �Whatever.�

�No, Ron, listen to me,� she asked reaching for his arm.

He pulled it away, but didn�t move as he continued to look at her.

She suddenly couldn�t think of anything to say, and was saved by Pansy stepping
forward. She cleared her throat and wrung her hands as she spoke.

�She didn�t say it like that, Ro�Ron. I promise. She just��

He finally sighed and crossed his arms, �Look, can we just drop it?�

Both women nodded mutely and looked down. The rest of the class stayed silent
as they took in the conversation, the news of Ron and Hermione�s breakup, and
the implications of what the two had said during the fight. Before anyone else
could say anything the classroom door opened and Professor Flitwick
beckoned them in for class.

Draco stayed where he was as the class started to enter the room, lead by
Hermione. He watched his friends and hers go in after her and wondered about
their fight. Question after question swirled around in his head. Hermione had
been over Ron a while? Pansy wanted to set her up with someone? With who? Why did Hermione think the guy would humiliate her
over it? Didn�t she know how popular and pretty she was? Who was the guy? And,
why was he, Draco, so angry that some other guy was going to get a chance with
her? When did he get so�involved in the love life of Hermione Granger? And, why
did she show up, smelling like�home, every time he finally got the scent out of
his head?

�Will you be joining us today, Mr. Malfoy?� Professor Flitwick�s
voice squeaked up at him.

Draco jumped slightly and then nodded as he passed the professor. �Sorry, sir.�

He quickly scanned the room for a seat and his eyes met Hermione�s. For a
moment he felt like he should say something, anything, to erase the look of
confusion that instantly erased her soft smile. He felt his body start to take
an involuntary step toward her, but was thankfully saved from the embarrassment
when the professor pointed out a seat a few rows back from her and suggested he
be seated so they could begin class.

Draco hid his embarrassment behind a smirk and moved across the room to the
seat saved for him by Greg and Blaise. Just when he thought he would make it
without mishap, he passed Hermione and her soft welcoming perfume washed over
him once again. He smothered a low groan and he forced his feet to continue to
move.

xxxxxx

Author�s Responses � You are all too kind. I
can�t tell you how much I appreciate your words of kindness. Thank you. And,
Happy New Year back to all of you!

stella: �Yes, Draco admitted it. To
Ron and himself. lol And, Ron�s feelings are
very protective, but he is no longer thinking of Hermione as his. No worries on
that front. ;-) Thanks, hon!

kazfeist: Glad you liked �em. Thank you! And, yep, poor Draco is singing the Emo blues. lol

bLondpierogi: Trust me, he
couldn�t believe it either. Lol Thank you for reviewing.
I will update again on Wednesday.

Mrs.Malfoy:
Well, I am glad you read it and enjoyed it enough to review. And, I very
selfishly hope you continue to do so. :-) And, just so you know, I update every
Sunday and Wednesday. Thank you very much!

Jullsy: I think this
chapter answered your questions about Draco�s thoughts on Pansy and himself. He
has no idea what he�s doing or thinking. ha ha ha And, I hope you enjoyed
your little Severus moment. ;-) Thank you, as always!

margaritama: You will get your
Dramione sooner than later. They just needed to get
through their first couple of days. lol Your views on
Blaise are spot on, though he wouldn�t admit that to himself right now. ;-)
And, yes, poor Draco is in a bit of a pickle isn�t he? What the heck was he
thinking?! And, I love that you understood Ginny�s outburst. Thank you!!

LadyBlueEyes: Nothing to
forgive, hon, no worries. I am just glad you are
still reading and enjoying it. :-D And, I love that you understand all of the
confusion they are feeling. I hope you had a great New Year�s night. Hugs to
you!

Moon Goddess: Just in case you
are still reading, and I do hope you are, I thought I would respond. Thank you
for your review, even if you are unhappy with me and my story right now. As
evidenced by my screenname, I absolutely LOVE Ginny.
I do not, in any way, shape or form, see her as an immature person and if you
stick with me, you will see that. I fully believe she has handled things with a
lot of maturity and grace, but I also believe everyone has a breaking point. In
the past two days, she has had a lot of responsibility thrust on her shoulders,
has had new people she once hated prove to be different, and had Ron and
Hermione break up; her world is shaken. For the first time in her life, she
gets to make the decisions, she is in charge, and she is a little overwhelmed.
Simply put, she flipped. And, we tend to lash out at the ones we love most. I
am not saying her words are untrue, Harry has completely controlled their
relationship until now, but I am saying I think her flip out and upcoming
thoughts and feelings are fully justified. If you don�t agree, I can only say,
not everyone can agree on everything, and that�s okay. I hope you do continue
to read the story, and I also hope you see my love for Ginny shine through.
Thank you again for the reading you have done and for reviewing.
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Struggling Through New Beginnings