Marked

The Reason

Chapter 4: The Reason

"Granger - Granger, wait, would you please just slow down - "

He sped up slightly to chase her as she trotted forward, her arms crossed protectively over her chest. She released her rigid posture only once, to wipe her hand across her face furiously in a single and only marginally effective sweeping motion.

"We can't apparate from here, Malfoy," she said distractedly. "And I have to think of where we could go in Little Whinging that won't alert the Ministry - "

"No you don't," he reminded her breathlessly. "We already agreed on that - "

He collided into her stiffened form as she stopped abruptly. "You're right," she said blankly, blinking. "You're right, I'm sorry, I - I forgot - "

He sighed, patting her shoulder. "It's okay, Gr- "

"Don't!" she yelped suddenly, bringing her hands to her face and shrinking from his touch as though he had stung her. "Don't call me that right now."

He winced. "I'm sorry - Hermione," he said gently. "But it's okay - it's okay, you don't have to apologize - "

"I just - I can't think right now," she said, a pale, anguished look taking over her face. "I - I can't - "

"Of course you can't," he said sympathetically, trying to pull her towards him. "It's okay - "

"No!" she shrieked. "No, no, if I can't think - if I can't focus, and be perfectly logical about this - I - I just can't - "

The tormented look on her face dealt him a hard blow right to the chest.

"You don't have to be logical right now," he insisted calmly.

She shook her head vigorously. "Don't patronize me, Malfoy," she snapped.

"I'm not patronizing you," he said indignantly, taken aback. "I'm just trying to - I don't know, ease the burden - "

"I don't need my burden eased!" she said, teeming with frustration. "I can handle this." She straightened, seemingly oblivious to the tears actively pooling in her eyes. "I'm fine. This was the logical thing to do."

"Yes," he agreed hesitantly, physically made uncomfortable by Granger's emotional disturbance and entirely uncertain how to proceed. "But - "

"This was the logical thing to do," she repeated determinedly. "And I am logical." She closed her eyes briefly, letting a rogue tear escape down her face before looking at him with a startlingly pleading glance. "Right?"

He furrowed his brow, frowning. "What? Of course - "

"If I'm not," she cut in, turning to him and placing both her fists against his chest, "If I'm not perfectly intelligent and focused and rational, then what am I?" Her gaze filled with horror. "If I'm not perfectly logical - then who am I?"

Draco gripped her arms tightly. "You're Hermione Granger," he said intensely. "It doesn't matter who your parents think they are - you're still Hermione Granger, and you're the brightest witch of your - "

She cut him off with a broken wail. "I'm not," she sobbed, collapsing forward. "I'm not, I'm - I'm just a mudblood - "

He shook her forcefully. "No," he said furiously. "Don't you say that fucking word - "

"Why not?" she asked manically, laughing harshly as she narrowed her eyes. "You've called me that a million times."

"How many times have I told you not to compare yourself to me?" he hissed bitterly. "I'm an idiot, I always have been - "