Crash Into Me.

Done exams. No big deal. I have a 5 day weekend in which I can write a couple more chapters of this. Then I have calculus and physics, so maybe none for a longtime. Chapter 7 will upset you all, hopefully. I also just realized that my story sounds a little like A Fine Frenzy's "Near to You." Look it up;)

"I'mbattle scarred/ I am working oh so hard to get back to who I used to be."

Without further ado, Chaptire Sept.

Love,

InSleep

A/N – This all belongs to Rowling, not me.

Hermione woke up in a strange apartment on a strange couch. She knew she was still wearing the clothes from the previous night's festivities, but she couldn't place her whereabouts. A kettle was screaming somewhere in the flat and her pounding headache was intensified.

She got up and wrapped the blanket around her before shuffling towards the excruciating noise.

She checked in a doorway, her eyes squinting in the morning light. All of a sudden she knew exactly where she was. "Ron?" she recognized the red hair and broad shoulders. His face was facing the opposite way, out the window, while he cleaned dishes at his sink.

"'Mione!" He turned and smiled. "Good morning!"

Hermione's stomach sank and she rubbed her eyes. "What happened last night?" She dared to ask the question that landed her in his flat.

"Nothing.. I tried to drop you at home but you insisted that you come over here for a little while to talk…" He took a breath and tried to stop, but Hermione wouldn't let him.

"What HAPPENED, RON?" She asked hysterically.

"You were so drunk… you called me Fred once, which was really funny since you two never really got on." He smiled. "Then you kissed me, but that's it… You fell asleep on the couch, so I let you sleep there."

Hermione let the memories of the night wash over her. She wanted to be with Fred again, and Ron was the closest thing to it. She remembered pulling him close and kissing him softly. But the kiss wasn't right so she stopped. It wasn't caring and beautiful like Fred, or hungry and driving like Draco. The kiss was just there, there was no chemistry, and there were no sparks. She remembered lying down and sleeping to avoid the panic welling in her chest.

Hermione left the kitchen to retrieve her shoes. "I'm leaving Ron!" She called. "I'll talk to you soon." She apparated into her own flat before Ron could leave the kitchen to follow. She knew it was wrong, but everything was so wrong already.

"Hermione?" Draco's voice was thick and tired.

Her flat was dark, except for the light coming from behind the blinds. "Why are you sitting all alone in the dark Draco!" She put on a smile and opened the blinds slowly, to prolong the inevitable question. Draco was lying on her couch without blankets or a pillow.

"Where were you all night?" Draco sat up and instantly she knew that he wasn't okay with the situation. "I popped by Neville's but you weren't there." His voice rose. "Then I overheard someone gossiping about you and Ron leaving together… Where did you GO?" He was almost yelling.

"Draco, calm down!" Hermione tried to sound casual. "I couldn't get home so I slept at his flat for the night." And tried to shag him. She silently said. She tried to straighten up her front room for no other reason than she felt guilty.

"Hermione, what did you do there!?" He asked. His expression switched from angry to horrified.

"Nothing, Draco. I promise. You're the only person I would pursue relationships with. You know that." Hermione couldn't bring herself to say "have sex with" or "love."

"I don't know why, but I feel like this has to do with, oh, Ron's brother? The only guy I've ever heard you say that you loved?" Draco's expression switched again. "Were you drunk?"

"Perhaps. I can't remember the exact happenings…" Hermione was singlehandedly ruining the only relationship she had. And she knew it.

"Damn it Hermione!" Draco clenched his jaw. "Why are you doing this!? You told me you just wanted to talk to him."

As much as nothing had happened, Hermione knew it was a weak case to fight, as she had arrived home at 8am the morning after a party with her ex best friend in the clothes she'd worn the night before. The whole situation did not look promising.

"It's hard, you know, to lose your fiancée." Hermione snapped. "I didn't DO anything with Ron!"

"How do I know that? You know you have the perfect guise. You aren't formally attached to me, so no one knows, and you can pretend to be all innocent to me because he's your best friend. I know what he wants!" Draco exploded. "Why else won't you tell anyone about us!?"

"It has nothing to do with that!" Hermione cried. "I'm scared."

"I don't care anymore. I'm done with this argument." Draco sneered. "I lost a wife, Hermione, and in a much less noble way."

He walked into Hermione bedroom and she felt herself following him and screaming. "You can't just STAY HERE. I'm LETTING you live here, and you question my FIDELITY TO YOU!?" He sat down on the bed and put his hands over his face.

"Leave me alone, Hermione."

"No, I think NOT!" She continued, tears falling down her face. "LEAVE!"

He looked up and cocked his head to the side. "Excuse me?"

"Take your belongings, and leave." Her voice came out cool and dangerously low.

"Fine!" Draco's chin stuck out defiantly and for a moment, they were 13 again. "Goodbye." He waved his wand and his belongings began to soar into his empty suitcase.

"Leave the blue shirt." Hermione ordered. "I love that one." She felt foolish, but she wanted it.

"No." Draco picked up the blue shirt and put it away very carefully.

With that, he left her flat. Hermione fell onto the bed and cried. She cried until she thought she was completely dry. Then she drank a glass of water and cried some more.

At some point during the afternoon, she sent her owl to Roma's office with a note saying that she would be missing days for personal reasons. She knew she couldn't face him, especially at work. Some time later, Roma sent the owl back with a reply that included the question "will Draco need this time off too?" Hermione sent a single word back. No.

In the morning, Hermione would wake up, make herself some tea, and return to bed to cry. At noon, she would take a bath and cry. In the evenings she would make toast and cry. Then she would retire to bed and cry until she fell asleep.

Cry for what? She wondered. And she didn't know. Although her yearning for Fred had subsided, she knew that she missed him everyday. It was a combination of the loss of her first true love, her ex best friend's presence, and perhaps the worst bit was losing Draco over a misunderstanding. She realized that she did like him quite a lot, and she felt attached to him. Losing him in one fell swoop was not worth the momentary high with Ron.

Hermione punched her pillow and bit her lip.

She found herself in a familiar situation, but she didn't know what to do.