Disclaimer: If I were jk Rowling, I would not be writing stories on ff.net. I would get them fucking published. The plot though, is mine. All mine!!!!!!!!

Authors Note: This story is just a little fucked up. If you don't like that, then fuck off! (Just a little too much sugar this morning.) Anyone who can tell me how to get italics and bold and stuff to work on the internet, you will be loved forever if you explain it to me!! Just a little something: If someone doesn't tell me, I won't update and I purposly left this chapter hanging. (literally)



Chapter One:

Sudden Death......

"The mail's arriving." Said Hermione to her friend Ron and her boyfriend Harry one morninig at breakfast while she buttered her toast, stating the obvious. There were thousands of owls, swooping around the great hall, delivering letters to their masters. Suddnely, a letter dropped into her lap from one of the school owls. It was from her parents. Absently she opened it and started to read, when the word leukemia jumped out at her. Her mother ahd been diagnosed with leukemia? No. She thought. This can't be happening. She read the rest of the letter near tears. Her father was leaving her mother because he couldn't deal with it. Bastard.

"What's wrong, Mione?" Ron asked her, noting the stricken look on her face. "Bad news?"

"Nothing." She said wiping the tears from her eyes. She got up and ran out of the great hall. A few people stopped what they were doing to gawk at her.

"What's wrong with her?" Ron asked Harry.

"How am I supposed to know?" Harry snapped.

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Harry and Ron walked into their muggle studies class together and saw Hermione sitting, as usual, right up front. They went to join her. "How's it going?" Harry asked.

"Great. We get our marks for the first half today." Hermione answered.

Shit. Harry and Ron thought at the same time. Marks? That can'tbe good... no, that's never good. They turned around to talk to Seamus and Dean, who were sitting behind them.

As the teacher started passing out the report cards, Hermione began to smile. Whaen she got hers, she took a quick glance at what she was sure was going to be one hundred percent. What she saw almost made her pass out. Thirty-two percent? How is that possible? I practically am a muggle. I failed muggle studies? NO!

"Is something wrong, Hermione? You look a little pale." The teacher asked kindly.

"No. Nothing's wrong." She replied coldly. The room was swirling around her. She was going to faint. this couldn't be true, there had to be a mistake... but no, there it was on the parchment, Hermione Granger, Muggle Studies, 32%

No, this can't be true, Hemione thought again, knowing it was useless. She, Hermione Granger, had failed. She had failed Muggle Studies. Suddenly, Hermione ahd an overwhelming urge to lay her head on her arms and just cry....

She had to pass out, she knew, that was the only way she could get out of class without having to answer any questions about how well she did.

She wanted to pass out, but she didn't,.

*********************************************

After dinner, Hermione was headed towards the library to put in some extra study time. There was no way she was going to fail muggle studies. As she walked she was also thinking about the strange twists her life was taking. She was so lost in thought that she took a wrong turn and found herself in a deserted corridor.

It was stangley dark here for this time of night, and a little cold too. Hermione continued to walk down the hall, when she heard some voices around the corner from her.

"Oh Harry. What if Hermione finds out? She'll never forgive me." the voice was strangely familliar, and Hermione felt a sudden sickening feeling... this wasn't good. Wasn't good at all.

"It's okay Ginny. Hermione's at the library studying, and she thinks I'm in bed." Harry's voice said.

Hermione walked silently around the corner, just in time to see Harry, the guy she had been dating for a year, kiss his best friend's little sister. Ginny Weasley.

Hermione turned and ran away. Everything was getting blurry. She had no idea where she was going.

She ran until she felt like her legs were going to give out beneath her, and she turned one last corner and then she ran smack into someone.

"Watch where you're going, you filthy mudblood." Draco Malfoy sneered. "Really, it's amazing how pathetic you are."

Hermione picked herself up off of the floor, tears streaming down her face and she walked away, not even bothering to commant on how rude he was, or how pointless his comments were, as she would have done on any other day.

Draco stared at her receding back, wondering out loud "What the hell is wrong with her?" He shook his head, then continued on his way to his common room. "Probably PMS."

The Slytherin common room was a cold and dark place, as it was hidden down in the dungeons. Draco walked in and took his place in the arm chair near the fire, his spot. Any one who tried to sit there would soon feel his wrath. Yes, this chair was his, probably the only thing he could claim that wouldn't be directly accounted for by his father.

You know, suicide is always an option. He thought. My father finally beat my poor mother to death. What child wouldn't have problems growing up in that atmosphere? Not a normal one. No. I won't give Lucius the satisfaction of knowing I killed myself. That would make it too easy on him. Plus, it would make everyone at school very happy. And we can't have that.

Just then, Pansy Parkinson waltzed in and planted herself on Draco's lap.

"Hey Drakie." She cooed, throwing her arms around his neck and placing a big, wet, completely disgusting kiss on his mouth.

"Get off me, Parkinson." He snapped at her. "I really am not in the mood to have a two-sickle whore draping her fat arms all over my body, when we both know I can do better than a dog-faced gold-digging slut like you. Get off."

"No, I think I'm comfortable right here Drakie." She purred, her face almost completely buried in his neck.

That's it. He decided. I'm gonna kill myself. That's a much better option thatsitting here entangled with Pansy day after day. Briefly he wondered what would happen if he just sat there and let her suffocate herself in his neck, and then decided that he would die of revulsion first.

"You know what, Parkison? Get the fuck off of me or I will hurt you. And not in the usual, spanking kind of way. I mean that I will slit your throat and laugh as you drown in your own blood kind of way. So please, if you wish for me to stay out of Azkaban... get your fat ass off of me right now!"

Pansy stared at him for a minute, decided that he was serious, then hauled herself off of his lap, pouting. "Fine, Drakie-baby." She sighed. "But when you come back, you have to stay and spend some quality time with me, okay?" She batted her eyelashes at him. "Right, Drakie-baby?"

He ignored her and walked straight out of the common room. I'm not coming back, you half-witted, insipid, boring, hideous, repulsive, vile, and disgustingly obese prostitute! He thought. Good riddance, you irritating tramp!

*********************************************

Hermione burst into the Gryffindor common room, very nearly hysterical.

Everybody stopped what they were doing to look up and see who was there. They were all whispering among themselves, probably talking about her.

That's right. She thought. Go ahead. Whisper about me all you like. You'll all be singing a different tune when you find out what a low-down piece of scum the famous Harry Potter is. They were staring at her again. "What?" She shrieked. "Am I bothering you? That's what I thought." She commented when they all looked away guiltily.

She ran up the stairs to the girls dormitory and threw herself on her bed. Ron, who had watched the whole scene silently, followed her, even though he wasn't supposed to be in the girls dormitory.

"Are you okay Hermione?" He asked quietly.

"Go away. You're not supposed to be here." She snapped.

"Do you wanna talk about it?" He asked.

"Yes. Yes I do. I want to talk about the slut you call your little sister."

"Ginny? What did she do?"

"Why don't you ask Harry?"

"Oh. That." Ron said, not sounding surprised. " You know Harry isn't very smart. He's a guy. And anyway. It's not like they're doing anything bad."

"Ron that your sister you're talking about!" She was hysterical now. "You just don't get it do you?"

"I know it's my sister, and I understand perfectly. Don't you think that you're overreacting just a little, Hermione?"

"OVERREACTING!!" Hermione screeched. "I am not overreacting just one bit! That little skank you call you sister is purposely trying to get her hands on my boyfriend! And normally I wouldn't mind, but Harry seems to be going along with it just fine!"

"You are to overreacting!" Ron snapped. "I don't see why you're acting this way! I mean, you of all people! Why can't you be sensible for a minute, and-"

"Sensible!" Hermione yelled. "I am too being sensible, and you're just being a blind ignorant fool because it's your sister we're talking about!"

"You're just jealous, Hermione, because Harry's doing it with Ginny and not you-"

Hermione watched, almost in a trance, as her hand flew up and smacked Ron straight across the face. "You bastard!" she hissed. "Don't you dare talk to me like that again! You hear me?" without waiting for an answer, she spun and stormed out of the room, running down the hallway.

I'll show them. Hermione thought. I'll show them all. Won't the be sorry when they find my body at the bottom of the astronomy tower. When I get up there, I'll jump. It'll be fun. I'll fall, and when I reach the bottom, I'll be free. Free from this pathetic excuse for a life. It's not like anyone will care. Nobody cares about me. All I ever was to them was free answers to all of our homework. Well I'll show them. I'm more than that. I'm Hermione Granger, top of the class, or at least I was, until stupid muggle studies. What was up with that anyway? I practically am a muggle. I grew up in a muggle home. Both of my parents are muggles. And thinking about my parents, my dumb-ass of a father should die a slow and painful death involving lots and lots of blood. And then he should burn in hell. Like a little ladybug in a candle flame. No. He's not good enough for hell. And my mother... how dare she go and get leukemia right when my whole life decides to fuck itself over? Bitch. No that's not really fair. It's not like she meant to get sick. It just happened. I should blame my ancestors. It's all their fault. She turned the last corner and started walking upthe stairs.

Oh goody. It's raining. I love the rain, and now I can die in it. I wonder what if Harry will be sorry? And what about Ginny? I almost feel sorry for Ron. No I don't. He doesn't understand. He doesn't care. Well. Here I am. The astronomy tower. There's the spot where the railing's gone. I remember how it broke. Harry and Draco had a really bad fight in fifth year, and they started cursing each other. Well Harry got a little too into it, and accidentally blew up the railing. Harry again. I hate him. But I don't want him to die, because if he dies when I die, there's a chance that we might meet in the afterlife. Over to the edge of the tower now. It's awfully high up. Can I really go through with this? Of course I can.

*********************************************

Time for freedom. Thought Draco as he started up the stairs to the astronomy tower. Time to die. At least if I die I can't give Lucius the satisfaction of killing me. He doesn't deserve anything. Bastard. And Pansy. She is so damn annoying! I could kill her, except that I'm gonna kill myself, and I wouldn't want to accidentally run into her in the afterlife. If there even is an afterlife. Not that it matters anymore. Shit. It's raining. I don't want to die wet. It'll mess up my hair. Oh well. I wonder what people will say when they find my mangled body lying in a heap a t the bottom of the tower? How ironic. The place where so may couples find happiness is where I'm gonna kill myself. I'll jup right off the spot where Harry blew up the railing. That was a funny sight. Potter in trouble because I pissed him off. Those were the days. The look on his face when Snape caught him was priceless. No. I'm getting too happy. I can't be happy. I'm going to die tonight. I wonder if this is how my mother felt when she realized that she was gong to die? Probably.

He looked around and sighed. He stood in the corner, wondering if he really wanted to die. I suppose I could just run away, could just turn around, go back to my room, get my hundred galleons and run off. I'd never have to see the bastard again, that way... But then again, he could hunt me down. Nothing is beneath him, he would tell everone that I was confuddled and that I didn't know what I was saying. Funny, though, how that works. I could go to the ministry, tell them everything, and he would just show up, smile brightly and say that I was confuddled, and they'd let him take me away. They wouldn't even try to give him a little veritiserum, see if he was telling the truth. Poor mom... she'll never rest in peace. I'll never be able to put flowers on her grave, never even know what Lucius did with her body.

He turned the last corner on the spiralling stairs and was about to walk over to the place where the railing had broke when he saw someone else standing there. Hermione Granger.

"What the hell are you doing here, mudblood?" He asked Hermione, who was standing still, trying to decide whether or not to jump.

"Wha..?" She said. Caught off gaurd, she turned around and took a step backwards. She let out a little shriek of surprise as she toppled over the edge.

"Oh fucking hell!" Draco swore, throwing himself forward and grabbing at her, managing to grasp her wrist.