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Tussle	By : Ravengirl7 Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Draco/Hermione Views: 31449 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own anything having to do with the Harry Potter Universe and no money is being made from this story.

Chapter List
- 8
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Draco was on the way back to his common room after lunch. It was mid-February and though most aspects of his life were still absolute shit, one area continued to be the silver lining to the cloud that was his sixth year. His meetings with Granger were becoming one of the few things he looked forward to.

And it wasn�t just the physical aspect, which was bloody fantastic. She was really the only person he could talk to anything serious about. Since about half of the Slytherins in his year had relatives who were Death Eaters, he couldn�t trust them out of hexing range. Because of the enchantment they were under, she was the only person he trusted with his real feelings. Even without the enchantment, Granger had this sense of trustworthiness about her.

Being able to talk to her allowed him to better keep his fears and insecurities hidden from his housemates. With them, he was able to give the impression of a person who had fallen from power, but was just biding his time. Draco frowned as he skipped over a trick step in the staircase.

What if things changed? What if the Dark Lord forgave his father and welcomed him back to the fold. The idea made Draco feel uneasy. His father�s fall from favor had shaken him. Before he had thought his family was untouchable, but he had quickly learned that power at someone else�s whim wasn�t true power.

He still believed strongly what he had confided in Hermione at Christmas; a future with the Death Eaters was not a reliable one. However, he didn�t know where else he could go. Dumbledore�s cronies despised him. There was Snape but, to be honest, Draco didn�t know how much he could trust him. The man had both the Dark Lord and Dumbledore convinced that he was on their side, and he was lying to at least one of them. Maybe Hermione would have an idea about it.

He was shaken from his reverie when he saw a familiar head of dark hair working it�s way down the crowded hall going in the opposite direction. He picked up his pace. He felt a knot form in his chest when he saw Hermione�s face; she had clearly been crying. She plowed past him without even looking at him.

He suppressed his urge to chase after her and instead Draco hurried to his common room. He sat in a corner where he wouldn�t be disturbed. He pulled out his notebook and hastily scribbled in it:
I just saw you in the hall, are you alright?
He bit his lip and tapped his quill impatiently, waiting for a response. Finally it came.
I don�t want to talk about it.
Irritation swept through him. What did she mean she didn�t want to talk about it? Granger always talked wanted to talk. Talking was her favorite thing outside reading.
But I want to know.
I don�t care! Bugger off will you!
Draco waited a few minutes but she didn�t add anything else. He snapped the little notebook shut. Well if she wasn�t going to confide in him that was just fine!

***

Draco spent the next several hours brooding. He sat on his bed, staring at the little griffin statue on his nightstand. If only he knew something about what was upsetting her; he couldn�t help if she shut him out. Did she think Potty and Weasel could help her better? Bah!

He was coming down the stairs to go to dinner when he got an idea of someone who could assist him. He descended to the common room and sure enough, there she was sitting in the corner completely poised. Pansy might behave like the queen bee of Slytherin, but in reality, Daphne Greengrass was the actual force of power among the girls of his house.

Daphne was a very interesting girl. She was Slytherin, but not strictly pure blood. Her father was from an old wizarding family, but her mother was a muggle born witch. This fact meant that her first few years of Hogwarts were made� difficult by the other girls. Sometime around her third year however, people generally started leaving Daphne alone. This was because Daphne Greengrass knew things about people. People who used to be cruel to her suddenly found they no longer could be, without risking unfortunate information about them coming to light.

Draco admired her to a certain extent, although had never pursued her romantically because his parents would not have approved of her lineage. Draco snorted; his parents would prefer Daphne a million times over to Hermione.

As he approached the willowy blonde, Daphne looked up. Her black eyes scrutinized him. Finally, she smiled.

�Draco, how nice,� She gestured to the empty chair next to her.

He sat, thinking how best to phrase his request.

�Have you heard anything� interesting lately Daphne?�

She tilted her head to the side thoughtfully. �That depends. I hear many interesting things.�

�I was just curious about a recent uproar in Gryffindor house,� he said smoothly, trying to mask the fact that he was just taking a stab in the dark.

Daphne raised an eyebrow. �I might know something about it, but I�m not sure why I should tell you.�

He should have known the information was going to cost him, and not in Galleons either.

�I could owe you a favor?� he suggested.

Daphne�s eyes narrowed in thought.

�That could be useful,� she said, leaning back in her chair. She turned to him and continued in a much lighter tone, �I�m correct in assuming that you are curious about the fiasco that occurred in the Gryffindor common room this morning?�

Draco nodded.

�Apparently, a seventh year named Cormac McLaggen got into a row with your little patrolling partner. Called her some very nasty names, namely �whore�, made her cry. Potter and Weasley of course followed their usual impulses to beat McLaggen to a pulp but McGonagall intervened before they got started.� Daphne shrugged. �There isn�t much else to it. Lavender Brown is in a tizzy over how quickly her boyfriend jumped to defend Granger. As you said, they�re all in an uproar.�

Draco feigned indifference, �what�s the good of being a Slytherin if the Gryffindors are going to beat each other up and insult each other for you?�

Daphne sighed and shook her head.

�You need a hobby Draco.�

�I have plenty of hobbies,� he muttered. In fact, he had just found a new one; thinking up horrible things to do to Cormac McLaggen.

***

That evening, there was a hasty knock on Madam Pomfrey�s door. Professor Slughorn escorted a student who was bleeding profusely from a bloody nose into the hospital wing.

�Could you help Poppy? I�m at a loss.�

Poppy recognized Cormac, a Gryffindor. The boy�s nose appeared to be broken. Really, it was simple to heal a broken nose. She waved her wand.

�No don�t!� Slughorn shouted. There was a sickening crunch as Cormac�s newly healed nose suddenly broke again. He cried out as his nose resumed bleeding.

�You could have warned me! Merlin!� Poppy cried, sitting the boy down on the edge of a cot. McGonagall bustled in and waved Slughorn over as Poppy continued to examine Cormac.

�Any idea who the culprit is Minerva?�

McGonagall shook her head. �Potter and Weasley are in the common room and have been there for the past several hours. Miss Granger is still in her room and hasn�t come out since dinner. How is he?�

Poppy cleaned her hands in a basin of cleansing potion. �Well his nose isn�t merely broken, he�s also been cursed. Every time someone tries to heal it with magic it simply breaks again.�

Slughorn and McGonagall frowned. That was very advanced spell work and borderline dark magic. However, neither Professor could think of anyone outside of Gryffindor house who had cause to cast such a spell on Cormac.

�You have no idea who did this?� McGonagall asked.

�I told you! The torches went out and then I was attacked! That stupid bitch is behind this, I know it!� Cormac shouted.

Minerva and the other faculty frowned. Hermione was well liked by all of them.

�Maybe there are some other spells that could help Mr. McLaggen,� she suggested.

�I might have some potions we could attempt,� Slughorn said coldly.

Cormac gulped. It was going to be an unpleasant evening for him.

***

Two days later, Draco met Hermione in the tower room they occasionally used. They didn�t have long, just the short time between their last afternoon class and dinner. After being apart for a few days Draco immediately pulled her too him and hurriedly kissed her. After enjoying each other�s lips for a few minutes, Hermione pulled back.

�Sorry I�ve been so distant; it�s been a rough couple days.� She said quietly.

�Do you want to talk about it?�

She eyed him suspiciously. �I think you already know a lot about it.�

Draco sighed and looked away. �How did you know it was me?�

�Apparently,� she said calmly, �Harry and Ron were in the common room surrounded by other students at the time of the attack and so they couldn�t have been involved. There was only one person outside of Gryffindor, who I could think of, who would resort to beating up someone who insulted me.�

�I didn�t beat him up,� Draco said firmly. �What a very muggle thing to do.�

Hermione snorted, letting herself smile. �No you certainly didn�t. Did you know that the professors tried several different charms and potions before they finally determined Cormac�s nose would heal naturally?�

Draco grinned, �Merlin, how� awful.�

Hermione prodded his shoulder. �I can take care of myself you know.�

�I know,� he said seriously, �I just��

He trailed off staring at her, unsure how to finish that sentence.

�You were upset,� he finished lamely.

They stared at each other for a long moment. Hermione finally leaned in and ran her lips over his gently. He responded to the kiss, and there was a sudden, uncontrollable ache in his chest. He was in turmoil. Draco didn�t have strong feelings for many people, and he was beginning to feel overwhelmed by his emotions. He felt her arms circle around him.

He redoubled his efforts, kissing her passionately. Hermione trembled and pressed her body against him. She was so warm, he wanted to wrap himself up in her warmth. His intense need to have her flared up strongly and Draco firmly broke the kiss. Hermione looked up at him still reeling. It took all of his willpower to let go of her.

�I should get to dinner,� he said quickly. He looked at her longingly before leaving the room.

Completely bewildered, Hermione sat heavily on the floor trying to understand what had just happened.

***

A week later, Draco was sitting in the library when Daphne breezed in. She sat in the chair across from him. On the outside, she was her usual calm and collected self but her dark eyes were blazing with fury.

�Daphne,� Draco said pleasantly.

Daphne seemed to be forming in her mind exactly what she wanted to say.

�I have a task for you,� she finally said. �I would like it very much if you and Granger patrol the dungeons last tonight.�

Draco nodded slowly, slightly confused by the request. �I can do that� and this would fulfill my obligation to you?�

She smiled coldly. �Definitely.�

She quickly rose and disappeared around a corner. Draco had a sinking feeling that he and Granger wouldn�t get any snogging done that night.

***

It didn�t take long for Draco to discover the source of Daphne�s anger. One glance at her younger sister explained it all. Daphne�s younger sister Astoria was in Ravenclaw house; just as clever as her older sister, though perhaps not as ruthless.

Draco nearly gasped as he passed the younger girl in the hall a few hours later. The fourth year had a large purple bruise on her cheekbone. When she saw Draco staring, she pulled the hood of her cloak up and hurried past him.

Someone was responsible for that mark, and clearly, Daphne planned to make him or her pay.

***

Professor Snape sat in the hospital wing late that same night. Near midnight, Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger had waked him. They had found Stephen Cornfoot, a Ravenclaw in their year, at the bottom of a set of stairs. The boy had a broken leg, arm, and several cracked ribs. When questioned, the he insisted that he had fallen down the stairs but Severus could tell he was lying; the fear in his eyes gave him away.

The two prefects sat writing their report of what happened while Dumbledore spoke quietly with Poppy. Severus ran his fingers through his hair. Looking in to the boy�s mind hadn�t helped, he had briefly seen someone but it didn�t make any sense.

�Sir?�

Snape was roused from he reverie as Draco handed him the report he had written with Miss Granger. �Anything else Sir?�

Snape shook his head, �No, go back to your dormitories.�

Professor Dumbledore now stood at Severus� side as Draco and Hermione left the room.

�Did you manage to glean anything?� he asked quietly.

�I don�t think so, he was thinking of someone in my house but it made no-�

�Daphne Greengrass?� Albus interrupted.

Snape raised an eyebrow. Dumbledore continued.

�Apparently her sister suffered quite a nasty fall the other day, or so she claims. However, rumor has it that a young man was responsible for her injuries. And today, Mr. Cornfoot here also takes a tumble.�

Severus felt anger roll through him. He felt absolutely no sympathy for the young man sleeping in the hospital bed.

�I�m sure if we ask her, the older Miss Greengrass will claim she has been in bed all night and will have several girls to back up that claim.� Dumbledore said quietly.

�Without a doubt,� Snape said, rubbing the back of his neck. After a pause he continued. �If Mr. Cornfoot continues to insist that he fell, I see little benefit in trying to pin the deed on another student.�

�Indeed.�

Dumbledore gazed out the window for a few moments, thinking. He finally said,

�It�s interesting. Most see those from Slytherin house as self-absorbed, but ruthless determination has its other uses. Merlin help anyone who harms someone they love.�

Severus Snape remained silent; his eyes were far away.

Dumbledore also seemed lost in thought.

�Still no idea who assaulted Mr. McLaggen I believe; it�s odd, I haven�t seen that nose breaking hex since� you and Lucius were students.�

�Hmm?� said Severus, returning to the present.

�Oh nothing, it�s just nice to see Mr. Malfoy and Miss Granger getting along so well,� The old wizard added nonchalantly. �Goodnight Severus.�

Well on the bright side another chapter! Unfortunately, no smut... hope you still enjoyed it!
- 8
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- 10
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Tussle