"Because I don't love you anymore!"
Draco stared at her, dumbfounded. Hermione was staring back, a slightly fearful, uncertain look in her eyes, as if she was slightly shocked herself by what she had just said.
"...What?" Draco managed finally, fighting to regain his composure.
"I said," Hermione said, stepping forward to look him in the eye as she gained a little confidence, "That I have been having an affair with Ron because I don't love you."
"But..." -- Draco searched desperately for some reason that this couldn't be true -- "But you're my wife!"
"That doesn't mean anything anymore! It hasn't meant anything to me for a long time. Being married to you is just yet another burden that I have to carry!"
"Well, then why did you marry me in the first place?!" Draco shouted, anger rising up inside of him. How could she be saying this?!
"Because I did love you, once upon a time when I was young and innocent and believed you when you promised me that you weren't your father and that you never would be."
"I am not like my father! I don't go around torturing and killing people!"
"Those aren't the only ways you can be like him, Draco! What about how you treat the children, Draco? Nothing they do is ever good enough for you!"
"I just want them to be successf--"
"You just want them to be like you. Miniature copies of yourself like you were to your father! And what about how you treat me? You just want me to be there when you want me and the rest of the time you don't care where I am or what I'm feeling!"
"I care when you're in Weasley's bed!"
"Only because you think I'm your property and get angry if anyone else so much as looks at me. I'm like your favourite broom -- just there to look nice and give you the occasional ride!"
"That is not true!"
"Yes it is! Not only that, but you are horrible to the house elves, even though you promised me that we wouldn't even have any, and you think Muggles are inferior scum and try to teach our children that!" She took a deep breath and glared at him. "In conclusion, I hate you," she said, and stormed out of their bedroom and onto the balcony.
Draco followed her, caught her by the arm and pulled her away from the railing to face him. "Hermione..."
"Don't touch me!" she cried, struggling against his grip.
"Hermione, I love you!"
"No you don't!" she said, fighting harder.
"Yes I DO!" he shouted, and pushed her against the railing in an effort to stop her resistance.
Except he must have pushed too hard, because she was falling, with the strangest expression on her face... and suddenly she was on the ground, far below.
She wasn't moving.
It took him a full five minutes to realize that she wasn't going to.
A tear fell from his eye. He fancied that he saw it fall on her face.
He stood there staring at her for a long time, and all the while he felt the realization closing in on him that this was it.
This was the end.
At last, he broke down and wept.
Author's Note: Well, I was reading "Anna Karenina" and just thought "Hmm..." and this is what became of it. Maybe I should have called it "Anna Karenina Condensed"... except Anna killed herself... I dunno. As you have probably noticed if you've read my other ficlets, I have this thing about Draco killing Hermione. Don't ask me why. Just tell me if you think that this ficlet was too run-of-the-mill to be any good! :)
Oh yes, and I am working on "In Love And War". I'm just having a teensy time management problem.