Chapter Text
Storm clouds should have been the first indicator on how the day was going to go for Hermione when she made it to campus the next morning. It seemed like every eye was on her before she even made it through the gates. Whispers started, then the glares set in. She swallowed thickly, her gaze darting to everyone around her before Astoria caught up and swiftly intercepted her by the arm, with Theo on the other. The three of them moved toward an empty alcove by their lecture hall. Astoria’s eyes were wide as she fiddled with her long brunette curls. Theo stood by her side, his jaw clenched, green eyes blazing as he dug his hands into the pockets of his jeans. Thunder sounded in the distance.
“You really have no idea what the fuck is going on, do you, Granger?” Theo’s voice cut through before Astoria could attempt to soften the blow. The younger girl flinched, her hand darting to his wrist in warning.
“This is what I was texting you about. Word spreads fast, and Harry is saying really disgusting things about you and Draco, Hermione. People are talking. And believing it.”
Hermione stared in disbelief. She knew whatever he was spouting would make him the victim, but she hadn’t known the extent of the slander against her. Her voice shook as she finally asked the question she was dreading.
“What’s he saying about me? About Draco?”
Astoria blinked, chewing on her lip nervously, not daring to look at her as she answered. Theo shook his head, his fingers weaving through his wavy hair.
“Harry’s saying you’ve led him on for months. That you’ve been using him and getting close to Draco because you like hurting him. He called you a manipulative little bitch who gets off on the attention.”
Hermione gasped at the disgusting remarks, her hand flying to her mouth while her honey-colored eyes filled with tears. Astoria continued where Theo left off, as gently as she could.
“Harry’s also said Draco threatened him, and that he’ll be going to the headmaster in the next few weeks. He’s compiling evidence, apparently. I don’t know how much of that is true. It’s just what’s been going around the grapevine. I’ve also been getting calls since yesterday about you.” Astoria took a breath.
“Hermione, Harry isn’t going to stop. Not only is his ego bruised, but he’s actively turning people against you because of whatever it is you’ve got going on with Malfoy. This is getting ugly.”
Hermione shook her head in disbelief. She picked at the nonexistent lint on her blue sweater nervously before trailing her nails along her gray leggings.
“This is preposterous! Draco and I are partners for this project for Whitman’s course. Harry knows that, and he doesn’t like it! I know he hasn’t said it, but has Harry even mentioned how over the top he was getting toward me? Constantly badmouthing Draco at every opportunity. At first, I was too, but then I saw him putting in effort into the project. Yes, the bar is in hell, but he took the work seriously, and I couldn’t help but respect it.” Astoria’s brows rose as Hermione continued.
“Yet, of course, Harry found a problem with that too. Funny enough, Draco is the only person he’s had a problem with. He even went so far as to say he wanted to go to Whitman herself and get my partner switched. Then that air of superiority never stopped. I get that he’s protective, but it started to feel like he was trying to own me. Then he confronted me yesterday, called me a stuck-up bitch, and accused me of throwing our friendship away because I rejected him. How is that fair? I’m honest about not having feelings, and I’m at fault?”
Theo and Astoria exchanged glances, not knowing how emotionally deep this went or how far Harry was willing to go.
“Oh, Hermione…” Astoria stepped forward, hugging her friend tightly, and Theo pinched the bridge of his nose.
“Fucking Potter. Granger, be honest with me. What’s Draco’s deal in all of this?”
Hermione blinked, stepping out of Astoria’s arms, unsure of how much to admit as Theo’s green eyes bore into hers. Aside from what Astoria knew, it was clear she hadn’t told Theo the juicer details, and at this moment, he looked like he might set the university ablaze, especially if she told him everything.
“Draco and I have been civil. He’s been a great project partner, and I’ve found myself enjoying his company more than I thought I would. Over the course of the project, it’s become easier to talk to him.” Hermione flushed, heat creeping up her spine. Theo wasn’t buying it.
“Uh huh. And does this sudden closeness involve you starting to fall for him? Genuinely? Because that’s what Potter seems to think. He thinks he lost you to the man he hates the most. I’ve been with Astoria all night while the calls and messages were coming in.” He shifted from foot to foot.
“I texted Draco, and he said he was with you. What were you two doing?”
“Getting breakfast and working on our project.” Small truths wouldn’t hurt. She didn’t want to put Draco’s business out there, especially with Harry on the warpath.
Theo sighed, and Hermione wasn’t sure if he believed her, but he didn’t push. Astoria stayed quiet, careful not to make eye contact with anyone other than Hermione.
“Keep your distance from Potter. Like Astoria said, it’s going to get ugly. Something tells me Harry isn’t acting alone. Someone is getting to him, and he’s eating it up. Be careful, Hermione. Especially now.”
Astoria nodded in agreement before taking Theo’s hand.
“We’ll see you in Sociology later. If we hear anything else, we’ll let you know. I’ll text you.”
Hermione nodded, watching the pair leave, dread swirling in her stomach.
How could this get any worse?
Classes passed in a blur.
The whispers were ruthless, and Hermione had never felt like such a horrible person. She hadn’t even done anything outright to warrant it.
“Vile bitch!”
“Poor Harry for falling in love with someone like her. That’s my worst nightmare.”
“Ugh, he’ll realize his worth, and she’ll crawl back to him when she’s done whoring herself out.”
She spent the morning swallowing a constant lump in her throat and blinking back tears, trying not to let the comments get to her.
Around 11:30, she was headed back to her dorm for a bit of a reprieve when she saw Draco heading toward her. A frantic, nervous energy moved through his posture when he finally looked up.
Hermione’s brow furrowed, her own anxiety momentarily forgotten as she focused on the raw distress etched across Draco’s face. The quad was starting to fill with students between classes, their curious glances adding another layer of pressure. She reached out, her fingers tentatively brushing his arm.
“Hermione, please. We need to talk privately, now.”
“Draco, you’re scaring me. Tell me what’s wrong,” she urged, her voice soft but firm. “Whatever it is, we can figure it out.”
Draco flinched at her touch before taking a shaky breath, his silver eyes locking with hers, filled with a contempt so raw it made her stomach clench.
“It’s not something we can fix,” he choked out, running a trembling hand through his platinum hair. “It’s something I did. Something I’ve been doing. From the moment this project started, I—”
“Draco Malfoy!”
The sharp, furious voice cut through the air. Harry was striding toward them, his face a mask of righteous fury, green eyes blazing as he zeroed in on Draco’s proximity to Hermione. The small crowd of students lingering nearby suddenly found excuses to stay, their eyes darting between the three of them, practically salivating at the drama unfolding.
Draco’s face paled further, his chance to confess slipping away.
“Hermione, please,” he whispered, desperate. “Just listen to me for five seconds. I’m an awful person. I’ve done something unforgivable. Truly unforgivable.”
But Hermione wasn’t looking at him anymore. Her attention was entirely on Harry, who was closing the distance between them. A surge of protectiveness, hot and fierce, rose in her chest. This was Harry’s doing. The rumors, the whispers, the way she could still hear him calling her vile names and pairing them with even crueler assumptions. It was all because of him.
“No!” she snapped, turning back to Draco, her voice louder than she intended. “I’m not letting him get into your head. Don’t you dare let him poison you further.”
She didn’t give Draco a chance to respond. She didn’t give Harry a chance to speak. Acting on pure instinct, fueled by anger and a desperate need to push back against the narrative Harry was spinning, she grabbed the front of Draco’s shirt, fisting the fabric in her hand.
“You don’t get to control this, Harry,” she threw over her shoulder before locking her gaze onto Draco’s wide, shocked eyes.
And then she kissed him.
Her heart pounded in her ears. The feeling of his lips on hers made her chest tighten and her blood hum. This kiss was different. It wasn’t in a bar. It wasn’t a secret in Astoria’s room after a night of self-loathing. This was public. In front of everyone.
She poured all her emotions into it. Her anger at the rumors, and her new, unexpected feelings for the man in front of her, all went into that single, public act. She felt Draco freeze against her, his body rigid with surprise, before his hands came up to grip her waist, pulling her closer as he began to kiss her back with a desperation that mirrored her own.
The quad went so silent you could hear a pin hit the concrete. Then came a flurry of gasps and excited murmurs. Phones were undoubtedly out, capturing the entire thing. Hermione didn’t care.
When she finally pulled back, panting for breath, her eyes found Draco’s, darkened with an emotion she couldn’t place. Then her gaze drifted to Harry, who stood frozen, his face drained of color, fists clenched at his sides. The look of devastation was so intense that it almost made her falter, but the memory of his cruel words and the lies he’d spread pushed her forward.
Draco’s hands were still on her waist, his thumbs moving back and forth against the fabric of her shirt. He stared at her, his expression a chaotic mix of shock, desire, and lingering guilt that she couldn’t quite understand.
“Hermione…” he started, his voice hoarse, his eyes pleading for her to understand something she couldn’t yet grasp.
But it was too late. Harry had found his voice, and it dripped with disdain.
“You really are fucking shameless. Acting like a complete whore. Kissing him to spite me.”
Hermione felt Draco tighten around her waist at the words. It felt like she was being stabbed in the heart by the pure malicious audacity of her former best friend. It was clear they would never come back from this.
Harry then shot a look of pure rage at Draco. “You’ll get what’s coming to you, Malfoy. I swear it.”
With that, he turned on his heel and stalked off down the cobblestone path, shoving past a couple of younger students and forcing them aside as they gaped after him.
The crowd soon began to disperse, their gossip trailing in Harry’s wake. Hermione was left standing in the middle of the quad during the class transition, her heart still hammering against her ribs, Draco’s body heat still warm against her.
She had just made everything a thousand times worse.
And she didn’t even realize it.
So much for keeping her distance.