For Every Action

Chapter VII

The next morning, I woke up early but incredibly tired. Ginny had fallen asleep on Parvati's bed, much to Parvati's distress when she finally came in at 2:30. I sighed as I pulled my robes around my shoulders. Parvati tended to come in later than any of us, and she was usually with someone different every night. I think that when Harry rejected her in fifth year, she lost it.

The Common Room was devoid of any signs of life, and I curled up on the sofa, still not fully awake. My engagement ring was radiating heat once again; I found it funny that Draco hadn't mentioned that fact. Several birds twittered, and I watched as they flitted around the windows that poured fresh light into the dark, familiar room. A voice filtered down the stairway from the boys' dormitory.

"Hey, Ron, let's go. I want to get out of here before she gets up." I froze, my mouth open wide with shock. It was Harry... I had to hide! Sliding down to lie straight across the couch, I cocked my head to listen.

"Harry," came Ron's voice down the stairs, "go without me, I've got to get dressed."

"Oh, really. Well, I guess I'm going to have to see what your sister's up for tonight. She wasn't too happy the first time." A thundering of footsteps sounded as Ron raced down the stairs.

"What did you do with my sister?" he exclaimed angrily, as he pulled on a maroon sweater over his head.

"Oh, not much," laughed Harry. "It was a good thing that Hermione was mad at me that night though."

He was with Ginny when I was with Draco... but Ginny didn't want to do anything. Poor girl! Oh my God, I have to talk to her! And to Draco, he'll be so angry! Harry made advances on his girlfriend! My heart chilled as horrid thoughts of Harry and Ginny, together whirled around in my head.

"She didn't really care for my advances, but I'll give it another try tonight. Wasn't very frisky last time. Said something about going out with Justin. Thankfully, neither she nor the Ferret found out."

"Harry, why didn't you tell me this?" cried Ron. Harry just smirked.

"You don't need to worry about it. I'm fine, she's good. Real good, in fact."

"Harry..." Ron sounded desperate.

"Ron, sod off. Just, let me do my thing."

"I swear, Harry, if you touch her, I'm going to hurt you," said Ron warily.

"Oh, don't worry. Don't tell anyone this, but she can't be any worse that Hermione. Seriously though...I mean, how much of a-" At this, I couldn't handle his comments anymore. Jumping up, my face flushed scarlet with anger at what Harry had said, what he had revealed to Ron. It was private! He had no right to talk about me in that way!

"Harry. James. Potter," I said, emphasizing his name. "What do you think you're doing? Since when did you just go and try it with anyone? And why Ginny? Did you have a thing for her before, or was it just that I wasn't satisfying enough?"

Harry shot me a glare that would have been sharp enough to cut my heart in half, if it were not already in my fiancé's possession. "Why would you care? I thought you and Draco were having the same amount of fun that night," he retorted, his face hardening.

"Harry, do you realize that if I knew that you had gone after Giny, we may have stayed together? I could have gotten rid of the baby, and Draco would never have known. We both lost ourselves that night, and we possibly could have found each other. You were to blame for our ruined relationship as well!"

A stunned look wallpapered itself on Ron's face, while Harry's was rapidly changing colour. It finally settled on a slightly pink shade, and his eyes held a fury that was unmatched even by my own.

"Hermione, do you really think I care? Do you?" I didn't move. "I wouldn't give a damn if you and Draco ran away and got married! Why don't you just bugger off!" he exclaimed, his arms flying in the air. I swallowed hard, and slid my ring around, so that the band was all that was visible. He didn't know how close to home he hit.

"Okay then, if that's how you want it," I answered distantly, with no emotion showing.

"Yes, Hermione, that is the way I want it! And you can keep clear of me forever! Just bloody well leave me alone!" Harry shouted, the vein in his neck throbbing. He glared at me for several minutes more, his eyes clouded with hatred, and anger pervading his mind. Stomping out of the room, he slammed portrait behind him He stomped out of the room, slamming the portrait behind him. I heard the Fat Lady shriek at his behavior and an angry remark from Harry.

I stood there for several seconds, not moving. Finally, I glanced over at Ron, who was in the same state he had been in at the beginning of the row.

"Ron?" I began quietly, as though pretending that everyone in the Tower wasn't already awake due to Harry's outbursts. He looked over at me, an expression of dismay evident on his face.

"You two are my best friends. My best friends," he repeated, sitting on the arm of a sofa. "To see you treat each other like this is maddening." I slid my arm around his shoulders. Why I was comforting him, I had no idea.

"It'll be okay Ron. Harry'll come round," I said condolingly, tears forming and streaming down my face. I doubted that, why I'm not sure. Harry was patriotically stubborn, I knew that for sure. In fact, he was so obstinately tenacious that I was unsure if he would ever come around. It took him a long time to accept something that he disagreed with. Please, please let him get over this. Please help us all get over this. I voiced silently, clenching my hands, throat sticky from crying. Especially Harry. He didn't deserve this....

~*~

As I walked into the Great Hall for lunch, I was jerked towards the Slytherin table Before I could protest, I found myself sitting next to Draco. "Wha-, what, what are you doing?" I asked in an irritated tone, completely forgetting the events of the previous night. Draco's playful smirk vanished, and a look of uncertainty settled on his face.

"I'm sitting with my fiancé," he answered in an undertone, grabbing my wrist tightly. "I thought that when you were going to marry someone, the general procedure was to spend time with them."

"Oh, Draco, I'm so sorry," I began, but as thoughts of Harry and Ginny swirled around in my head, I collapsed on his shoulder. Immediately, his grasp on my wrist was broken, and Draco pulled me closer as he wrapped his arm around me. A small sob escaped me, and I fought bitterly to hold back tears. How could Harry do this to me!? What was he thinking? What's Draco going to do when I tell him? A firm hand lifted my chin up, and I gazed into Draco's loving, unquestioning eyes as silent tears slid down my face. I rested my head on his broad shoulder and played with the collar of his robes.

"What did he do?" Draco asked quietly, still holding me tightly after several minutes. I lifted my head off his shoulder and looked straight into his eyes once again.

"He, um...he...well, to put it short, he and Ginny were fooling around while you were still going out. Not that she wanted to, but Harry, it was him. I know, I know it sounds really bad, but I just don't think that you should go storming up there and attack him," I said hurriedly, now avoiding Draco's searching, turbulent gaze.

He sat there for several minutes, not speaking. I could not read the expression on his face; it was as blank as an untarnished sheet of parchment. Draco pulled me up close to him, and whispered, "Sit here and eat your breakfast. Don't mind their looks, just try to be pleasant. And don't follow me. I mean it Hermione, stay here. I'll be back soon. I'll have it sorted." Without another word, Draco gently slid me off his lap, and stalked out of the Great Hall.

I sat there in numb shock, and finally shook myself awake. What on God's green earth is he going to do? I hope he isn't going to fight Harry, I don't know who'd win. Oh, and what's he to say to Ginny? I have to find her! I began to pull myself up, but thought the better of it as Draco's words flooded back into my mind. Pasting on a fake smile, I grabbed a piece of buttered toast and nodded towards Pansy. She looked at me with a glare of what can only be described as utter and complete hatred.

*****

After an hour, Draco still hadn't returned. I began to get worried, and removed myself from the Slytherin table, much to Pansy's liking. I had said nothing at breakfast, and being mute was quickly irritating me. As I left, everyone in the Great Hall refrained from speaking, and stared at me. I felt like turning around to face them and shouting "What's your problem? Can you all grow up!?", but I didn't. As soon as I slid past the doors, a huge buzz of conversation took over the silence.

I found Ginny in the Library, pouring over several volumes about the Dark Arts. Approaching as quietly as possible, I watched her for several minutes. Her usually bright, vibrant red hair held no more than a dull shine in its messy bun now, and the dark circles under her eyes emphasized the lack of sleep she had been receiving. Ginny's robes were pulled around her shoulders in a disheveled manner and her complexion was a flat, pale, pasty shade. It looked as though she hadn't smiled since I saw her last night.

"Ginny," I said softly, stepping slowly toward her. She jolted from her seat and was standing opposite of me in several seconds. Her eyes were wide with fright, apprehension and guilt. It looked as though she was going to bolt for a minute as she eyed a way out through the book cases. The air was virtually vibrating with the tension that strung it's way between us. "What are you doing with those?" I asked, trying to break the uneasy silence.

Ginny just shook her head, mouth open, somehow admitting defeat. "I, I was reading up on them for our test tomorrow. I didn't want to run into Harry," she replied, looking at the books and avoiding my eye.

"Oh," I answered somewhat surprised that she was actually doing work, not just avoiding me.

"Hermione, Ron found me. He knows all about me and Harry. You know all about me and Harry. Oh my God, what's going to happen when my parents find out?" She looked up at me, her eyes pleading. "If you can forgive me, please don't tell my parents. Please, Hermione. Any instability, and they're liable to hang Justin."

I was quiet for a time and then I answered her softly. "Does he know?"

Ginny glanced once again at me from her glassy eyes. "Who, Justin?" I nodded. "No. And he's going to have to, isn't her?" I nodded once again.

"I know he forced you, to, to do whatever you did that night," I began uneasily, resting my hand on a chair. "I know you didn't want to. Unfortunately, I heard the story from Harry's point of view. It's just been a little much to take in today. Especially after last night. I don't know right now though, if I can actually say that I forgive you." Ginny nodded sadly, gathered up her books from the table, and was leaving the Library when I spoke once again. "Draco knows." She didn't turn around, or even acknowledge that she heard me, but her back stiffened and she quickened her pace.