My writing thus far has consisted solely of Sakura-centric Naruto fanfics, so I thought I'd broaden my horizons a bit by

branching out into Hermione-centric Harry Potter fanfics.

I'm not a hundred percent sure I haven't made some character(s) outlandishly OOC.

Eh, but that's the beauty of fanfics isn't it?

To mold characters and situations into anything that suits your fancy?

Well, enough of my ramblings.

On with the story!

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Disclaimer: I'm not too sure why I'm even putting this up. I mean, seriously, if I owned Harry Potter, Hermione would have her own harem. But, to ward off any possible legal complications, I, regrettably, do NOT own Harry Potter in any form or fashion.

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Hermione narrowed flashing amber eyes on the nonchalant male in front of her, fury at his indifference towards the situation coursing violently through her veins.

How dare the bastard stand there calmly gazing back at her after the little stunt he had just pulled?!

Was he really that much of an egotistical asshole?!

Did he really believe himself entitled to act the way he just had?!

Deciding to ponder the ferret's arrogance later, preferably after she had beaten him to a bloody pulp, she pinned the unrepentant male with a hard glare.

"What the hell," she asked through clenched teeth,"was that ?"

Draco -the asshole!- actually had the gall to look confused.

"I'm afraid," he drawled, while cautiously gauging her reaction, "I haven't the slightest idea what the bloody hell you're talking about."

"No ide-!" She abruptly cut herself off.

Taking a deep -cleansing- breath, she managed to respond in a significantly more composed voice. "Since," amber darkened, "you seem to have recently developed a case of selective amnesia, let me remind you of your actions dearest."

The endearment was scathingly growled, more closely resembling a curse.

"You," rage radiated off the petite female in suffocating waves, "apparently felt at liberty to make out with Parkinson." Eyes crackling in anger, she continued, "And you did this in my presence!"

The infuriated brunette roughly shoved the blonde against the wall. "Did you even stop to think how that made me feel?" She looked straight into his startled eyes. "Well, did you?!" she demanded.

"Hermione, you do-"

She cut him off with an impatient hand.

"This isn't the first time you've done this." Her raging eyes misted with supressed tears, "You do this all the bloody time Draco, and I'm sickof it."

The Slytherin felt his own ire begin to rise. Why he questioned angrily to himself is she getting so emotional over this? Those girls were just a cover for him, she should know better than to get so worked up about it!

He smoothly removed himself from the wall, effortlessly looming over the much smaller female. He took in her hurt expression and her flaming eyes and felt irritation seize him. Why is she being so fucking thoughtless?

They couldn't just waltz about proclaiming their love to one another damn it! They were Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger, the present-day embodiments of light and dark, purity and corruption, good and evil!

Both had unseverable ties to opposing sides, sides that would not be happy to find they were together; sides that were not adverse to using violence.

If their relationship were discovered…

"You know damn well I have to in order to keep up appearances." His silver eyes flashed in annoyance, "You know how much shit we'd have to deal with if anyone found out about us."

"I fucking know that damnit!" she quickly turned her back to him to hide the turmoil on her face. In a whisper, she softly repeated, "I know that."

Yes, she knew that all too well. Voldemort may have been killed, but the war still raged on. Their futures remained uncertain, it would be sheer stupidity for them to include more complications in their lives…especially if the complications could so easily be avoided.

So what if her boyfriend had to flirt, snog, and even occasionally shag with another girl to keep up the illusion that he was single?

It kept them free of suspicion, so really there was no harm done…right?

Except…there was.

Every time he gave of himself so freely to another female, and she was forced to watch powerless from the sidelines, she felt her heart break just a little more.

She'd become so embittered, so obsessively jealous, that she sometimes couldn't recognize herself.

Was this relationship really worth losing herself?

Was having her heart trampled daily really such a small price to pay for being Draco's girlfriend?

I mean, they loved each other and that was all that mattered…right?

Hermione squeezed tortured eyes shut, unable to delude herself into believing that anymore. In fact, if she was brutally honest with herself, she didn't even know if she still liked Draco.

He was far too accepting of their situation. The blonde even seemed to enjoy the fact that he had to mess around with other women.

Never, in all the time they had been together, had he expressed even the tiniest hint of remorse for being obligated to cheat on her.

Could she truly be in love with such a man?

She wasn't sure…not anymore.

No good she forlornly realized can come out of this. A healthy relationship should strengthen and improve the individuals in them. Their's…their's did the complete opposite.

This she thought while fighting back tears has to end.

Steeling her features, the resolute witch turned back to him.

Draco, seeing her calm state, took the opportunity to attempt pacifying her. "You know I love you," sincere silver bore into her, "only you."

Mistaking her silence as acceptance, he forged on, firmly taking hold of her shoulders, "Those girls mean nothing to me 'Mione," his warm voice gently coaxed her to forgive him.

Unfortunately for him, she had already decided to give him up.

Shrugging his hands off dismissively, she raised a carefully blank face towards him. "I think," she paused, trying to word the sentence appropriately, "we should end this thing between us."

His eyes instantly flashed to her's.

"Thing?" he stared incredulously, and furiously, at her. "What we have is not a thing," he growled, "it's a relationship."

She shook her head. "No Draco," shielded amber pools met blazing silver, "this," she swept a hand between them, "stopped being a relationship a long time ago. Sometimes," she mused aloud while gazing absently in the distance, "I wonder if it ever was one."

The first traces of panic bubbling up inside him, he angrily snapped, "Of course it was!" He pulled her forcibly against him, "It still is! You listen you stubbo-"

Tired of argueing with a man she wasn't even positive she still had any feelings for, she -with a strong shove- extricated herself from his grasp.

"No," she quietly rebuked, "you listen." All previous rage draining from her, she rubbed a weary hand against her forehead. "This isn't working Draco," she ignored his sharp protests, "surely you can see that. If we continue," a resigned sigh escaped her lips, "if we continue, we'll only end up hating each other."

Draco's face became shadowed.

"Don't be stupid," the intensity in his low voice raised goosebumps on her skin, "you're the only thing in my godforsaken life that has any fucking meaning. You," silver darkened to a stormy charcoal, "are sorely mistaken if you think I'll ever let you go."

"And you," and indecipherable flicker passed through her eyes, "are foolish if you think you have anything left to hold on to."

She gave him a tired smile. "There are plenty of girls out there Draco," the smile turned slightly bitter as she softly continued, "you shouldn't have any trouble finding one to take my place. So just…just leave me alone."

Casting a quick immobilizing spell on the distracted male as he opened his mouth to furiously object, she turned and slowly walked away.

She never looked back.

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…I really have nothing useful or informative to say.

Later.