The next day, Draco waited outside the Great Hall as everyone left breakfast. He watched the crowd until he caught sight of a familiar scar.

"POTTER." She called. Harry stopped instantly and turned. Next to him, Ginny eyes Draco curiously as he approached. "Good, Weaslette is with you." Draco added. "We need to talk."

"Wonderful." Harry proclaimed. "Can we start with you NOT calling my girlfriend Weaslette?" Draco stared at him.

"Well I thought Ginerva would be too formal, Ginny to be too....friendly, and I doubt you would approve of me calling her Potter's future wife."

"I don't object to that last one," Ginny added. Harry sighed.

"Forget it." he offered. "And where's Hermione? I haven't seen her since last night."

"And she didn't go back to the dorms last night," Ginny piped up. "That's two nights in a row now..." She grinned slyly, a hopeful look on her face. But Draco's serious expression seemed to crush whatever she'd been hoping for.

"That's what we need to discuss." Draco explained. "Hermione is no longer residing at Hogwarts." 

"What?" Harry and Ginny exclaimed in unison.

"But-" Ginny started. "But my ship!"

"Why not?" Harry demanded. "Where is she? If you hurt her, I swear-"

"If you would like the details as of her sudden departure I suggest you ask the asinine, psychotic, ginger pig you call your friend." Draco glowered, her eyes glittering dangerously. "And since you'll be speaking with him, would you be so kind as to mention that if he steps within twenty feet of me that I will blast his body out of existence with no mercy."

Harry and Ginny blinked in surprise. Draco offered them a smile.

"Much appreciated." he insisted. "I'll have Blaise contact you to figure out a time we can meet, seeing as if I get too close to the Gryffindor table I will be slaughtering the revolting, chicken-consuming stop sign that dared to hurt my girlfriend." 

Without another word, he turned on his heel and walked away, leaving Harry and Ginny in utter shock. 

*******

"Hey Harry," Ron offered as his friend sat down next to him in class. Harry was silent as he watched his friend. His best friend. And yet, as Harry watched him, he couldn't help but doubt that he could trust the man sitting before him. Ron eventually noticed his staring and raised an eyebrow. "What?" He questioned. Harry turned to face the front of the room.

"Nothing," he offered steely. Ron shrugged off the tone. Harry hesitated, wondering if he should ask. He remember the look in Draco's eyes from when they had spoken. Something had gone down. Something that Harry needed to know. 

"Ron," he began tentatively. 

"Yeah?"

"....What happened between you and Hermione last night?" 

Dead silence greeted him. 

"Nothing important." Ron explained. "We just talked." Harry felt his hands curl into fists. He was lying- Harry could feel it.

"Then why," he continued, his voice like a dagger threatening to stab. "Did Hermione leave the school?"

"Hermione left?" Ron repeated in surprise. He snorted slightly. "And here I thought she was tougher then that." 

The comment was a snapping point. Hermione wasn't the only one that had been affected by Ron's change of character. Harry had been strained, but he had stayed loyal to his friend. But now. Now, when Ron had done something so horrid that it had driven Hermione away from the place she loved most in the world- away from the people she cared about- that was too far. 

Ignoring everyone else in the class, Harry launched at Ron, tackling him to the floor. 

"Bloody Hell!" Ron swore, caught completely off guard as Harry pinned him to the floor. 

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER?!" Harry yelled, slamming Ron against the stone floor.

"Nn-nothing!" Ron declared. Harry let out a cry of frustration and punched him.

"DON'T LIE TO ME!"

"Fine!" Ron roared back. "I OFFERED HER A DEAL, OKAY! Said I'd go back to the old me if she'd ditch the ferret! She said NO! Turned me down as if he was some saint and I was the devil! So I did what I had to do to change her mind! She just needed some persuasion, but then she got away before she could see that I was doing it all for the greater good!" 

Harry's hands wrapped around Ron's neck as he glared down.

"What. Did. You. DO." He snarled. A faint, maniacal smile appeared on Ron's face as he choked out the words.

"I got out a knife, and I carved the word back on her arm. It seemed like she needed a reminder of who had stood by and let that happen to her, and who had screamed her name, begging them to stop."

Harry's grip faltered in shock, and Ron shoved him away, glaring. Harry stared in horror at the person his best friend had become, not truly believing what he was hearing. The other students in the class had gathered amongst themselves, whispering rumors already and eyeing Ron with fearful expressions. 

"Mr. Weasley." A stern voice announced from the doorway. Everyone's heads turned to see McGonagall standing there. "My office. NOW."