Love and Hate: A Dramione

Chapter 5

When Hermione arrived at the Entrance Hall, she was surprised to find it quiet and empty. The huge clock struck 9.

I must've been outside longer than I thought.

With more urgency, she walked faster towards Gryffindor tower.

A few minutes later, as she neared the tower, she heard Ron's voice farther down the corridor and around the corner.

"There's my Head Girl," came Ron's voice.

Hermione's heart lightened. He had waited for her, no doubt knowing she would be upset. He was on her side and thought that she deserved the position. She still mattered to someone. Hermione brightened a little bit. As long as she mattered to Ron, Harry, and the other people she cared about, it didn't matter as much what other people think. Hermione quickened her steps.

"I knew you would get it," Ron said, making Hermione stop in her tracks as she reached the corner. "I think this is a bad idea though. What if someone sees us? Hermione's coming back any minute. We should move somewhere else."

"Why does it matter?" Genevieve's voice was unmistakable. It made Hermione furious but she was rooted to her spot in shock and she couldn't move even if she wanted to. "You said you were going to dump her tomorrow anyway," Genevieve continued. "What was that you said? Oh right, that you only went out with her because she was there but she's such a bore."

"It's such a turn on when you're malicious," Ron stated with a grin.

What a sick bastard, Hermione thought still rooted to the spot behind the corner. She could now see Ron as he backed up closer to the wall.

"You're words not mine babe," purred Genevieve now walking up to Ron and in Hermione's field of view.

"But Hermione's still my friend and I'd like to keep it that way. It wouldn't be good for my reputation – or yours for that matter – if she or anyone else knew that we've been doing this for a few weeks behind her back."

"You weren't so worried about that last night," Genevieve laughed lightly. "Or the night before that." With that, she pressed Ron against the wall and put her lips to his.

Despite what he said, Ron didn't make a move to stop her and kissed the girl with equal fervor. Hermione on her part was still in so much shock, all she could do was watch. Ron's moans broke her out of her reverie causing her to gasp. Genevieve stilled and Ron looked up. Hermione met his eyes for a brief second and ran down the corridor, with tears once again blurring her eyes.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Without thinking, Hermione ran to the Astronomy Tower. She climbed the steps higher and higher, with a million thoughts running through her head. She could see now that she had been so blind. Ron had never liked her. He simply used her. Tired of being the third wheel when Harry started going out with Ginny, Ron needed to find a girlfriend and had asked Hermione because, as he so eloquently put it, "she was there". Ron had always been resentful of the attention Harry received. Hermione was sure that Ron was also happy with the attention he got once he went out with Hermione and had completed the picturesque scene everyone had always predicted for the Trio. Now she could see why he never bothered to take her out on real dates. She finally saw that he only held her hand in the corridor when there were others present and that he did it to get attention. She saw, looking back, that his "mini study dates" weren't a way for them to get time alone at all. It was merely his way of using her to help him with his homework. Even their friendship was a sham. Wasn't he, after all, the one who never liked her in the first place? He only helped save her from the troll in the bathroom because Harry felt guilty and pulled him along. Since then, they had always clashed – staying friends simply because they were both attached to Harry. She was so stupid! Of course, that fact didn't come as a shock now. She was definitely stupid enough to not get the Head Girl position after all she did. She thought her world had fallen apart earlier tonight? She thought life couldn't get any worse. She was wrong. Now her world crashed and burned right before her eyes. All had worked for, all she thought she had, rained down before her in a fiery shower of sparks. Her last shred of hope – that she might still matter to someone no matter what the rest of the wizarding world thought – was taken away from her. Ron obviously couldn't care less if she never existed. Harry... Harry had Ginny now and he was too burdened with his own demons to care about her insecurities and failures. And he shouldn't. Why he should he care about someone who didn't belong in the world he was trying to save? Besides, he was also (although not at the same level as Ron) captivated by Genevieve and he had her to help him now. Genevieve Harrington. The girl who took everything away from her in one fell swoop. She should've known better. Who was she to compete with a Pureblood? Head Girl did mean "the best of the best" and she was nothing but a Mudblood.