GAME OVER

A month later and Hermione's life had taken a turn for the better. She sat happily beside Ron's bed in the infirmary while he groaned on to Harry about Lavender being annoying and him wanting to get rid of her.

Hermione merely smiled. Although she was pleased to have Ron back in her life, she hadn't quite forgiven him for the Lavender situation and every time she thought about it she felt extremely guilty and hypocritical.

She had wanted nothing more than Ron to want her and no one else and when he started snogging another girl she not only went and snogged Ron's worst enemy but she lost her virginity to him. She also couldn't forget her date with Cormac McLaggen.

Hermione had done well to try and forget about her antics with Draco but at the end of the day Hermione knew that she would never be able to forgive herself for stooping so low and going on such a tangent.

She had chosen to avoid confrontations of any sort with Malfoy since that last day in the bathroom. She could tell he had gotten no closer to succeeding whatever task it was he had. She often spotted him heading into the second floor girl lavatory a few times, though she had never mentioned a thing to her friends; she knew how Harry would react and Hermione wasn't quite sure what to believe when it came to Harry's elaborate theories.

It wasn't until the day that Harry came back to the common room with blood and water all over him that Hermione realised that Draco might be in trouble. As Harry told the story, Hermione sat terrified, not quite knowing how to feel. After scolding Harry about the Advanced Potions book and the Half-Blood Prince, she had journeyed down to the hospital wing and slowly opened the doors.

She was pleased to see that Draco was the only one there; it seemed no one else was presently visiting him and that Madam Pomfrey was off somewhere else for the time being. Heading in, she stood by his bed a moment, looking down at his face. She recognized the effects of Essence of Dittany – the skin on his face was dry and slightly scabbing, obviously in the state of healing.

Hermione was startled into reality when she noticed his eyes beginning to open and she retreated several steps, not sure how he would react if he saw her there.

"I know Potter didn't mean for this to happen, Granger," Draco croaked, groaning as he turned his head slightly to look at her. It seemed he had noticed her after all. "Saint Potter use Dark Magic when actually knew what the spell did? He probably didn't even know it was Dark Magic."

Hermione bit her lip and shook her head.

"I'm fine anyway, Granger," Draco went on. "Scars should be gone in no time."

Hermione nodded, still biting her lip. "I'll just … I'll just go then."

As Hermione retreated, she heard the Slytherin boy shuffle in his sheets and she was nearly out the door when he called to her.

"Granger, I deserved this."

Hermione watched him for a moment, remaining silent, before heading through the door and away from him.

Back in the common room ten minutes later, Hermione sat beside Ron and smiled softly to herself, feeling pity for Draco Malfoy overwhelm her. Staring out the window to the Hogwarts School grounds, she realised that everything from foolish games to redemption couldn't save Draco Malfoy from the misery that clouded his every waking hour.

THE END