Unexpected Love

Chapter 2 -

Hermione took a seat on her bed and recalled the past week's events. A tear rolled down her cheek at the thought of all the turmoil Malfoy had put her through. He didn't act the way he had for the past six years; this time his behavior was much worse and it was directed at her and only her. It started out with rude comments and a few tricks here and there, but soon it seemed that he was doing all he could to frustrate her.

When her potion spilt in Snape's class; when her bag ripped numerous times walking to class; when a sudden gust of wind blew up her skirt and stayed there until she was embarrassed to tears; and when she would turn around and find a pair of grey steel eyes glaring at her, she knew that everything happening to her was because of him...

Malfoy...

Parvati soon stepped into the room and couldn't help but notice Hermione's crying.

"Hermione, look, I know how that prat Malfoy makes you feel but, why don't you just get him back?"

"I...I...I just can't," Hermione whimpered between sobs. "I...I have...a...a .relationship to...to concentrate on and I'm...I'm having enough trouble with...with that."

"It's ok. I can see what this is doing to your relationship. Malfoy makes you miserable and just when you need Ron most, he isn't able to be the boyfriend he should be. You're right though, you need to concentrate on Ron and just forget about Malfoy. If you want I'll get him back for you."

By this time Hermione's crying had subsided. "It's alright. I'll just have to put up with it. I'm going to go to bed. I'm incredibly tired. Goodnight."

"Sweet dreams Hermione."

*****

The next morning Hermione walked into the Gryffindor Common Room only to be confronted by her boyfriend Ron.

"Hey Hermione, where were you last night? I thought you were going to meet me in the Astronomy tower after dinner."

"I'm sorry Ron, I was tired and I went up to bed a little early. I should've let you know."

"God, I'm not stupid. I know Malfoy said something and my question is why the bloody hell do you have to disappear every time he does something. I never see you anymore thanks to him and you just keep letting him get to you."

Hermione couldn't believe what she was hearing, "Ok, I'm sorry for not being there but what do you do every time Malfoy makes my life a living hell? Nothing. You don't hold me or kiss me or tell me that everything is going to be ok. I can't turn to you, so you know what I do? I go somewhere alone and that's why I'm never there," she snapped angrily.

Ron stood speechless and gaped openly before trying to speak, but Hermione cut him off first, "I'm going to breakfast. I'll see you down there."

Hermione entered the Great Hall doors and did her best to keep her cool as she sat down next to Harry. However, she couldn't concentrate on anything at all and no matter what Harry said she would just drift away.

"So...Hermione, what was in the mail today?" Harry asked her, knowing fully well that a Death Eater had been spotted in the London area as it was on the front page of the Daily Prophet.

"Nothing very important," she drawled slowly as she bit into her toast.

"Nothing? Nothing about Voldemort or Death Eaters?" Harry asked in a whisper.

"Nope. Probably just some same old news," she spoke as her voice drifted off.

A few minutes passed by in silence with Hermione staring at some spot on the table unblinkingly when Harry's curiosity took hold. Unfortunately at that moment as Hermione took another bite of toast. She didn't feel that same crunchy toast with peanut butter on it, but she tasted something kind of crunchy but it was covered in something gooey and icky.

"Oh my God! What is this stuff? Parchment and...glue. This is disgusting." Hermione cried out loudly and as soon as the words exited her mouth her ear caught a snicker coming from the Slytherin table. Hermione stood up and marched over to where Malfoy just happened to be sitting with his arm around his little slut of a girlfriend Pansy.

"Stay away from me Malfoy and to teach you a lesson about who you're messing with, Peniscopetit!" Hermione screamed at him.

"What the hell was that Granger? Some kind of spell you made up? I know you're smart but you can't make up spells," Malfoy snickered at her.

"For your information I didn't make it up and obviously my spell is working. Why don't you look for yourself?" Suddenly a pained expression spread across Malfoy's face as he followed her eyes to look down at his penis. It was a whole lot smaller than it was a few minutes ago and the shrinking was beginning to get painful.

"You shrunk my balls Granger?" he seethed. "I will get you so bad you...bitch...you slut. If you thought you felt the wrath of Draco Malfoy before, you were wrong. You don't know what you're in for!" he screamed at the top of his lungs before running out the door to the hospital wing leaving Hermione with a smile of satisfaction.

She turned back to the Gryffindor table, however her eyes met with a pair of blue ones causing her to hurry out the door and to her next class before they could confront her.

"Harry, how could she possibly just get herself more tangled up in that Malfoy shit?" Ron asked him with a little bit of anger that was brewing up inside of him.

"Here, let's take this into the hallway," Harry suggested. Once they closed the huge mahogany doors behind them Harry asked him, "What have you been doing to help her out with this Malfoy problem anyway?"

"Geez, now you sound just like her," spat Ron. "She is obviously getting herself deeper into this to avoid me. She runs off every time he does something and I'm starting to believe that she's having second thoughts about us as and that she's trying to avoid me."

"Oh my god. How could you be any more freaking stupid?" Harry yelled out. A second later he stated in a softer voice, "I'm sure she didn't mean to get the wrath of Malfoy, but she did and what she needs is you to be there for her and not get pissed off at her for something that is not her fault. You know what? I wouldn't be surprised if she was having second thoughts by now, thanks to the way you're acting towards her."

"What the hell do you know about relationships anyway?"

"Why don't you ask your sister? She says I'm doing a pretty great job of being a boyfriend and you...you're a lousy one."

It was true. Harry had started dating Ginny around the time Ron and Hermione had hooked up and Harry was a kind, affectionate boyfriend who can easily charm women. Of course, he had the same kind of problems as other boys his age, but somehow he was able to handle it much better. He knew he was able to trust Ginny even if he wanted to beat up the boy in her Herbology class who always tries to hit on her. However, Ron just wasn't experienced enough and he could never admit that he was wrong. So many of the Gryffindors believed that the Hermione and Ron relationship was doomed.

*****

Two weeks had passed and gone and Hermione had not yet seen or heard a word from Malfoy. She knew that he had it in for her but there was no sign from his actions that he was going to stick to his promise. He never tortured her in the hallways anymore and even though she did have classes with him, he never acknowledged that she was even there. For the first week she had been scared as hell because she knew that the Malfoys were a strong and powerful family and she'd hate to see what Draco Malfoy would be like if he was to be so angry that he would use that power. However, she calmed down throughout the second week after the event and started to believe that Draco Malfoy was really all talk and no action.

This also had quite an effect on how her relationship with Ron was going. At first it was really tense because everybody believed that Malfoy would do some horrible thing to her but as time went on people started to relax and Hermione and Ron had never been better. For once in his life Ron decided it would be best if he listened to Harry's advice. He knew he was scared but he wanted to make it work with Hermione so badly.

About a month into term, somewhere around midnight, Hermione sat down on a comfy couch right beside the fire and opened up one of her favorite Muggle books, The Lord of the Rings. It was amazing just how these books were just like her own world, and she just imagined how anyone could possibly dream up a series like this. After about an hour of reading she heard footsteps coming down the stairs. She lifted her head up above the couch just enough to see who it was coming down the stairs when the flaming red hair of the boy caught her eye.

It was her boyfriend, Ron. She immediately sat up allowing Ron to know she was there. As soon as he saw her sit up a smile spread across his face and he hurried down to her and swept her up in his arms. The firelight was just a low glow and it gave them a very sexy mood. He planted a kiss on her beautiful soft, glossy lips before setting her back down on her couch and at the same time sitting with her.

Hermione didn't know what was going on with Ron but she knew one thing for sure, she liked it. Ron made the next move again by making a trail of butterfly kisses starting with the tip of her nose and making his way down to the base of her neck. Meanwhile, Hermione let her hands slide up Ron's arms and come to rest at the back of his neck while allowing her fingers to mess with his hair. Ron also had his hands moving too. One of his hands slid around her waist to her back and pulled her into him which deepened his kiss as he kissed her fully on the mouth while the other rested gently on her waist.

To Hermione, what Ron was doing to her was absolute bliss. She'd had sex with a few guys before but she knew that this would be so much better than anything she'd ever experienced in her lifetime. Her knees weakened the moment his mouth found hers and they kissed deeply and passionately. Her hands became restless and searched him for something to do. They came to the bottom of his shirt and she grabbed on and pulled it off of him. The touch of his skin was like a soft blanket that she wanted to wrap all over herself and to Ron, her hands were so gentle against his bare chest and back that it sent shivers down his spine.

Slowly the hand that was lying on Hermione's waist rose up to her stomach and inched its way under her shirt to her breasts. As his hand reached her breast he cupped it in one hand and gave it a little squeeze. This made Hermione kiss him with more passion than ever and start her hand on a journey to his pants. However just has Hermione's hands grasped the belt buckle Ron froze and slowly started to pull away from her.

"Ron, what's wrong?" Hermione inquired as she sat up straight and tried to straighten up her messy hair.

"Hermione, I just can't. I can't do it," Ron confessed after a long pause of silence.

"Honey, I know you're a virgin and you don't have to be scared about it."

"It's not that. I just can't. I'm sorry and I'll hope you understand."

"Of course I will," Hermione told him while placing a kiss on his cheek and with that note she got up and went up to her room so that she could go to bed.

Hermione had barely walked into the room before she was surrounded by Lavender and Parvati.

"So...what are you doing up so late?" they inquired.

"I was just reading a book downstairs," Hermione said with ease as she walked over to her bed.

"Oh yeah, well, where's your book?" Lavender asked her.

"Oh shit, er, ok you caught me. I was with Ron," Hermione gave in.

A gasp escaped from both girls and a smile spread across their lips, "So, was he any good?"

"I don't know because he stopped."

"He stopped right in the middle of sex?" Parvati asked.

"No. We didn't even get there. We were making out and he was feeling me up and just before I could get into his pants he stopped and told me that he couldn't do it."

"Wow. Well, who came on to whom?"

"He came up and swept me into his arms and that's how it started."

"I don't know a single guy who would do that other than Ron. I've even heard that Harry and Ginny are getting pretty close to doing it," Lavender told her.

"I know but you know what, these past few weeks I've been ready and hoping that something like this would happen and he screws it up. The last time I got any was the beginning of the summer and I'm so ready for some now. I like him and all but until now there has been no heat or passion in this relationship, which is something that I really want, and he stops it and tells me he can't do it."

"Yeah, guys are pretty confusing, especially Ron, because I think he isn't normal. Anyways, we'll give you your space and let you sleep. We'll talk to you later about this. Good night, Hermione."

"Good night, Lavender and Parvati." By then Parvati's snores could be heard from across the room.

*****

The Firebolt 5000 was absolutely amazing. Ginny had never experienced anything like this in all of her life. Her small arms clutched Harry around the stomach as they flew around the field a few times before Harry directed the broom towards the castle. Ginny smiled as they began to pick up speed and they raised high into the air. After a few thrilling spins and turns Harry and Ginny landed at their favorite spot. It was a deserted ledge on one of the towers where no one could see them and one of their most favorite romantic spots. Ginny pulled a small blanket out of her bag, set it down on the ground and then sat on it herself as Harry sat next to her.

The picture of the two was absolutely beautiful. Harry had his arms wrapped around Ginny as she leaned into his strong chest. Ginny simply wore a long-sleeved shirt and jeans that showed off her curves nicely. Harry sat there wearing a blue zip up jacket over a dull red shirt and dark blue jeans.

They just sat there with each other lost in the beauty of the sunset. In reality they only had fifteen minutes until dinner but to Harry and Ginny ever single minute of solitude with each other was completely worth it.

After a few minutes their focus switched from the beautiful scenery to each other's eyes. Another reason they loved coming to this spot was that they could talk about whatever they wanted without having to worry about people listening in on them.

"Harry," Ginny began, "I have something that I really want to tell you."

"Ginny, you know that you can tell me absolutely anything. What is it?"

"I wanted you to know that...well...I'm ready."

Harry looked a little surprised, "Ginny, are you sure? This is a huge step. Not even Ron and Hermione, the ones who have loved each other since they first met, are able to do it."

"Yeah well, Ron is the one who isn't ready. Hermione has been ready for ages. However, I'm positive that I'm ready for this. I'm ready to give myself to you," Ginny whispered into his ear.

At that Harry looked over at Ginny and kissed her fully on the lips. After a few moments of a deep passionate kiss the couple got up and headed off to dinner.

To Ginny the fly back was just as amazing as they fly over to their secret spot. However, when they got close to the field she saw that Hermione and Ron were not where she and Harry had left them. When the two flew off to their secret spot Ron and Hermione were sitting in the bleachers looking very much in love. Now only Ron was visible and he was looking quite upset.

After Harry and Ginny landed on the field they ran over to Ron immediately to see what was wrong.

"Ron, is everything ok?" Ginny asked while expressing concern for her older brother.

Ron gave Ginny a look as if he was a little unsure about that question. He seemed to be a little confused but that moment passed and he blurted out, "Just leave me alone. I am absolutely fine. I don't need you coming around and checking up on me. I can take care of myself."

*****

"Professor McGonagall, you've...you've got to be kidding me. You're not serious, right?" Hermione asked her with an expression of fear on her face.

Minerva McGonagall's face remained stern and expressionless. "Oh my God! You're not kidding are you, Professor?"

"I am afraid not Ms. Granger."

"How...how did this happen?"

"The Muggle police believe that it was a heart attack on both parties. However, we believe there was magic involved."

"You mean, wizards m...mu..." Hermione's voice would not let her continue the sentence.

"Yes, we believe some wizards or witches murdered your parents and to add on to that, your mother was eight weeks pregnant with a girl."

At this moment Hermione's world completely crashed. She didn't know if things could be any worse but now, to know that her parents would never be there and that she would never get to hug them and kiss them, or tell them that she loved them ripped her heart out.

Hermione silently got up out of her seat and strode out of Professor McGonagall's office without saying a word.

"Ms. Granger," Professor McGonagall called out, "you are excused from classes for the rest of this week."

Hermione gave a weak smile and continued on her journey to stroll the hallways. She had no idea where she was going except for the fact that she wasn't hungry and she wasn't tired but her feet led her to the Great Hall anyway. Just before she could open the door, it popped open and a greasy blond head stuck out. She caught hold of the steely grey eyes on her worst enemy and was shocked at what she saw.

As Malfoy's eyes gazed down on all the pain and suffering in Hermione's eyes, Hermione saw contempt, smugness, and a smirk at the fact that she had lost her loved ones. There needed to be no exchange of words yet she knew that he knew about it somehow before another soul knew and that somehow, he was behind it.

As quick as it started, it ended and Malfoy walked back into the Great Hall. Hermione sensed another pair of eyes on her and she turned around to find she was facing her boyfriend. She quickly ran over to him, wrapped her arms around him, and buried her face in his chest.

"Hermione, we need to talk," Ron whispered quietly into her ear while unwrapping her arms from his waist.