PROLOGUE

I rechecked my trunk just to see if I had everything I needed. Robes, check. Toiletries, check. Wand, check. Books, check. Lesson plan, check. Yeah, that's everything. I shut my trunk and locked it, levitating it down the stairs. I walked to my living room and put my trunk and black sling bag in the fireplace. I grabbed a handful of Floo powder from a jar on the table and stepped inside.

I took a deep breath and shouted, "Staffroom, Hogwarts!" The green flames engulfed me and I shut my eyes, not wanting to get a dizzy spell on the way. When I opened them, I was staring at the empty Hogwarts staffroom. Well—almost empty. In the far corner, in a maroon armchair, sat Draco Malfoy, apparently reading a book. He raised his eyes and looked surprised to see me.

CHAPTER ONE—REUNION

"Hermione! You gave me quite a—"

"Don't even try to talk to me, Malfoy. You very well know how much pain I felt after you said everything between us was just a game. Just shut up and leave me alone." I stepped out of the fireplace and took out my things. I then took my wand out and pointed it at me. "Tergeo!" My wand siphoned all the dust, leaving me clean as if I hadn't traveled through the Floo.

"Hermione, just hear me out. You know—"

"That you're a total jerk? Of course I know that." I snapped. I took my things and went out. A few moments later, the staffroom door burst open and Malfoy came running toward me. He took my arm and grasped it very tight it hurt me.

"Let me go." I said quietly, almost in a whisper. He just tightened his grip even more. "LET ME GO!" I screamed in his face, clawing his hand off my arm. He looked surprised then pulled away probably because of the visible tears in the corners of my eyes that were threatening to spill. I ran off to my office on the second floor then shut the door angrily behind me. After all he did, he thinks he can be angry with me? The nerve!

Wait...let me explain...

Seven years ago, when I was in fifth year, Dumbledore thought it might be a good idea to hold a ball just to take our minds off troubling things around us. It was mandatory and everybody had to attend, even the first years. Of course, I didn't have a date. Ron already asked Lavender and well, that was disappointing. Harry was going with Ginny, who was very happy with it.

Anyways...well...there was this boy who approached me and asked me to dance. I agreed on the condition he'll tell me who he was. He did and well—I got the shock of my life! Not only did he tell me who he was, Malfoy also told me he liked me! I couldn't believe it, so I turned him down. But he confessed it to the entire school and I finally saw the light. We were together for two and a half years but he broke things off at the end of seventh year, confessing he was actually betrothed to Pansy. He promised to love me, to find a way to break things off... Well, he didn't keep that. A few days after we came back to school, he told me that I was being stupid and it was really all just a little game he played with Theo. He broke my heart and left me to pick the pieces and put it back together.

And now, he thinks he can get away with everything he's done to me? Well, he won't! I hate him and I hope that nothing he will say or do this year will change that.

I walked alone through the corridors, the Great Hall, and through the grounds of Hogwarts.

I stopped in front of an old oak tree that faced the Black Lake. I smiled and sat down beside its trunk and closed my eyes. I remember this place from seven years ago too—it was where Malfoy confessed to me.

I know that I shouldn't be here, where all my memories of Malfoy are. But, I just wanted to sit down and think things over—why I felt that Malfoy could ever love anyone like me, why I believed him when I'm supposed to be the brightest witch of our age, and why I accepted Ron's marriage proposal when before, I only thought of him as a friend.

I opened my eyes as I heard the grass crunching behind me. "Hermione?" I heard Malfoy say. "I knew I'd find you here." He stopped on his tracks and sat down beside me.

"Go away, Malfoy. I don't want to see you."

He sighed. "Don't you remember? This is where I confessed to you. I gave you that locket here as well. And, I know you remember my promise."

"A promise that you broke." I reminded him. "Besides, everything we had, what does it matter anymore? You're married to Parkinson, I'm engaged to Ron. We've gone our own paths and I've set everything I ever had to do with you aside. We have our own lives now. And I think it'll all be better if we don't come back in each other's life."

I stood up and Malfoy stood up too. He took my hand and said, "Just bear in mind, I never saw anything in Pansy that made me love her."

He let go of my wrist and turned on his heel and walked away.

Well, at least I know something came up from all of this—I still love him. Merlin, help me.