Song for the Chapter: Paradise ~ Coldplay

Hermione's POV

I couldn't get out of there fast enough.

Sure, it had been a nice place, the food had been good, and Draco had been oddly...normal. But it was the moment when he put my robes around my shoulders that my head started screaming ALERT! ALERT! ALERT!

What can I say? I was taught to avoid strangers, but also weird guys. So when I say I couldn't get out of there fast enough, I mean it. I hurried down the corridor and waved my wand over myself as soon as I got back to the common room, slipping quickly into pyjamas. It was pretty late, after all.

The common room was empty - or so I thought. It was just as I was climbing the stairs up to the girls' dormitory when somebody stepped out in front of me and almost sent me toppling down the steps.

Ron.

"Ron?" I asked hollowly, my throat suddenly going dry. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"What are you doing here?" Returned Ron sharply, looking me up and down. He frowned. "Have you...been with someone?" I swallowed. Yes, Ron, I wanted to say, but not in the way that you bloody think.

"No," I lied briskly. "Why should you care, anyway? I bet you're already eating Lavender's face off, knowing you. How's the nose, by the way? Do you need it breaking again?"

Ron winced. "Fine, thanks," he said bitterly. He squinted at me like I was an alien, then sniffed the air obviously. He stifled a gasp. "You have been with someone!" He cried, his tone accusatory. 

I laughed drily, pushing past him on the stairs. "What gives you that idea?" I asked. I was trying to keep my cool and not burst into tears again - after all, Ron was the one with the broken nose. And I was the one who'd administered it.

"You stink of perfume," Ron spat, sniffing the air again. "And it's not yours, either." I flushed pink. Okay, now I was in a tight spot. I inhaled sharply and sighed, checking my watch.

"Look, Ron, it's late," I started. "Maybe you should just go to bed before you do something stupid." Ron scoffed loudly, and I flinched, wondering if somebody could hear us. Imagine the scandal. I shuddered at the thought.

"I don't think so!" He snapped triumphantly, as though he'd just unearthed a conspiracy. "You've been with somebody, Hermione. And mark my words, I'm going to find out who it is."

Despite being seriously scared at this point, I pulled a Malfoy technique and laughed it off with a smirk. That's what he'd do, right? Jesus. I have one dinner with the guy and I start to turn into him. Remind me not to do that ever again.

"Good luck with that," I muttered, voice dripping with sarcasm. "Who's to say I have been with someone, anyway?"

Ron chewed his lip. "I - It doesn't matter!" He cried indignantly. "I know what you've been up to. And when I find out who it is, I'll tell the whole school."

"Ron Weasley, the day you do that, the sky will fall," I murmured. "Goodnight."

Ron said nothing - he stood on the bottom step, staring after me with a complex mix of anger and irritation crossing his face. Sure, I'd convinced him pretty well that his detective work didn't bother me. But I was actually scared.

What if he did find out, somehow, where I'd been? Even if he knew nothing had happened between me and Draco, he'd be fuming. I had no doubt whatsoever that he'd tell the whole school. And I knew he would, too.

I sat nervously on my bed, thoughts racing through my mind. I recalled Draco's words when I asked him why he'd invited me to dinner: "Because I felt like it, Granger." 

Something was telling me there was more to it than that. What it was, I had absolutely no idea. I'd leave the specifics to Detective Ron.

Author's Note: Hi! We already have over 70 reads, I'm so happy! Special thanks to @Sakschi for voting on the first 4 parts :) Votes and comments are always appreciated, new part should be up soon <3