The Darker Side of Love

Chapter I

She could feel the ground giving under her feet. Feel the scrap of branches on her face and body, twigs pulling at her hair. Holding her back as she tried to rush faster and faster. Ducking and weaving between the trees, into the gaps, using all she had to get away. She had to get away, had to run, had to escape.

Hermione sat straight up in bed, gasping for breath. Trembling she turned to see what time it was. Seeing it was 6:00 in the morning, she got up and went to get ready for the day. Leaning against the shower wall, she thought back on her recent series of dreams. All of them were the same; all of them had the same ending. She also knew she was getting less and less sleep.Merlin, what the hell is going on? Why am I dreaming this?

Groaning she finished showering and got dressed. Combing out her long hair took some time; it had grown over the summer. Now it was down to her hips. It was no longer bushy but loosely curled. She had filled out over the summer, and gained some height. Now she proudly stood at 5'7". Returning to her dorm she gathered her things and headed to the Great Hall.Entering the Great Hall, Hermione saw that there were no teachers and only one student. He was someone she had seen very rarely, but knew had been in almost all her classes. It was the Slytherin, Blaise Zabini. I didn't know Slytherins even got up this early. Huh, go figure.

Hermione had only seen this boy once before, this year, on the train to Hogwarts. In the past she was always was aware when he was near, if only on a subconscious level. He was a Slytherin prefect, he and Draco had been in the same car with her for half the trip back to Hogwarts. Wasn't I the lucky Gryffindor? She had been thinking about actually paying some attention to the quiet Slytherin once she realized that he was one of the few people she didn't know at least one story about.

The eggs on her plate had gone cold by the time she realized she had been staring. And that Zabini was staring right back at her. Blushing, Hermione looked back down at her plate."Something you wanted, Granger? You seemed to watching me pretty close." Hermione looked up to see him sitting across from her. How in the hell did he move that quiet and that fast? "No, just wondering why an ass like Malfoy and one of his followers managed to make prefect.

There was the barest of smirks on his lips and his eyes caught her. She wasso caught in his intence gaze she didn't hear someone approach.She watched in fascination as his blue eyes went two shades darker, but he wasn't looking at her anymore. "The same way a filthy mudblood and an idiot weasel got to be one. I'm surprised to see your still alive, Granger." It took a second to register, but then Hermione turned around to see Malfoy towering over her. Shit, he got taller. Malfoy now stood just under six foot and Quidditch had seemed to only help him out more. His hair was loose, instead of slicked-back and his grey eyes where hard with malice.

She glanced towards the Head's table, no one there yet. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the other Slytherin was on his feet as well."No one to help you now, mudblood, how you gonna get out of this one?" Standing up Hermione looked at him and smiled. It turned into a grin as confusion showed in his eyes. "The same way I always do, Malfoy, by intelligents, strength, and doing the right thing at the right time."

She stayed looking at Malfoy, but she heard what could almost be a laugh from behind her."Careful, or you may fall into a Slytherin's mind set." Zabini walked around the end of the table to stand next to the two enemies. "With thinking like that you might have fit in with us nicely."

"What the hell are you talking about, Zabini? A mudblood fit in with Slytherins! Disgusting. It would a hideous disgrace on the house." Hermione looked at the two warily. They didn't seem to like each other very much, and she didn't like the idea of her being like them or between them at the moment. The three very different students turned at the sound of the Great Hall doors opening, and yells of, "Malfoy, get away from her!", and, "Hermione, what's wrong!"

Looking around she saw Malfoy next to her and Zabini over at his table. A knowing smile telling her that he knew he had almost caught her before Draco showed up.

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Chapter one enjoy. R&R