Friends, Enemies, and All the Broken People

5. Strange Bedfellows

CW: Ron is in this chapter and they have a major confrontation...this chapter will have a depiction of a panic attack as a result of a confrontation with one's abuser. Discussion of past trauma.

Betawork done by december_noon, Kindajew/datingstilinski1967, rosenymphadoraweasley5, and crookshankscrew.

Thank you again for all the love you have given this little tale of mine. I really didn't expect anyone to read it except for the 10 people I suckered into reading it so...thanks for being here.

peace and love,

sam

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The past few weeks had given Draco time to observe Granger. The pair had enough classes together, with and without her hoard of Gryffindors for him to see the changes in her behavior. She was never truly relaxed.

Except for the library. With him.

It was like she was holding her breath all day. She was tense and jumpy, always rubbing absentmindedly at her arm. Then she'd get to her—their—table.

She exhaled.

He noticed it in her shoulders and the way she would let them fall. Granger would take up space in that library. She would disappear into her own world of books and logic where nothing else mattered.

Seeing her so calm and confident only made the changes seem harsher—more obvious.

Granger was anxious around the Weasel and tried her best to create space between them. She didn't sit next to him. She pulled away from him when he would drift close to her in the halls. She didn't move from her seat until he was already at the door. The Weasel never seemed to care, though. Always finding a reason to touch her or to whisper in her ear. Whatever he said must not have been sweet nothings or inside jokes, though. She always looked like she was trying to hold the pieces together after any interaction with him.

The break-up must have been uglier than Draco thought.

He'd catch her staring at Lavender Brown across the dining hall or in class. Draco expected to see jealousy or anger in her eyes. He couldn't put a finger on what he saw. It almost looked like guilt. Draco had tried to joke with her about the new relationship, but Granger would just quickly change the topic without so much as a passing comment.

Her behavior with Potter and female Weasley were the most interesting to observe. She was nervous. Cautious. Draco didn't know her well enough to spot the difference between a genuine smile and a fake one, but her smile never reached her eyes. His mother would have that same smile at society events. It looked genuine enough, but there was something lurking underneath.

It was an act.

But what was she hiding that was so bad she couldn't tell the Chosen One? Why did she avoid Ginny's concerned looks?

Something had clearly happened between Granger and Weasley. Something she was ashamed of. Something she hadn't told anyone about.

It wasn't just her relationship with the Gryffindors that was strained. Her Muggleborn, war heroine status in Slytherin made her a pariah on the best days and a target on the worst.

Despite Theo's best efforts, Granger was a loner. Daphne was a constant mealtime companion and even Pansy had taken to sitting with the Muggleborn witch. Theo took the post across the table with Draco next to him. They were her guards to prevent anyone from messing with her—which they did. Often.

The Slytherins, mainly Astoria, had made it a mission to make her feel as cast out as possible. From stealing her books to cornering her in hallways, the Slytherins were taunting her. They scattered anytime Draco or one of the others approached so they never heard the innumerable insults being thrown at her. But as people who had said and done worse to Granger, they had a fairly good idea a certain M-word was being said quite often.