Hermione

I woke the next morning trembling, and drenched in sweat. You would think that after dealing with these bloody nightmares, that I would be used to them by now. At the very least, they shouldn't affect me like this. I rolled out of bed and started my usual morning routine, desperately trying to shake the haunted look of Ron's eyes out of my memory.

"Hermione, if you keep brushing your hair like that, you are likely to tear it out." Ginny sneered from the other side of the room. Bloody hell. This is going to be a fantastic day isn't it? Huffing an impatient sigh I grabbed my clothes and stepped into the bathroom grateful to close the door on those fiery eyes that looked so much like her brothers. I muttered a silencing spell at the door and turned to face the mirror. I had to calm down.

I took a deep breath trying to force the images out of my head. Desperately tried to stop my arms from trembling. But they came anyway. Just like every day. Like a movie on fast forward, I only saw glimpses of a true nightmare…but it was more than enough. Ron, blood, the gun, Mackenzie, the note… Faster and faster they flipped behind my eyelids until I found myself sitting on the floor weeping into my shredded fingers. I broke the mirror? Shards of mirrored glass were shattered all over the bathroom. It wasn't until I grabbed my wand did I notice the twenty seven deliberate horizontal lines that trailed up my forearms. Light headed, I collapsed back on the floor. Trying to catch my breath I watched my so-called dirty blood drip to the floor. But what a feeling. My head spun, but the visions…the pain, seemed to flow out of my arms at the same time.

"Hermione. Come on! I gotta pee!" Ginny pounded on the door. With a wave of my wand all evidence of my episode vanished, and my arms reluctantly healed over. Glancing at my arms one last time, I smiled. I had found my solution.

Draco

I really needed to calm down. Mother really wasn't going to force me to marry Pansy was she? I understand the politics. I understand money. But Pansy?! No bloody way. Not if I had anything to say about it. I gripped my wand harshly willing some stupid first year to walk past me. I could use a good hex. Watch some stupid fat kid go running down the hall with a curly pig tail. That would make my day. What would really do the trick would be an honest battle. I needed someone that would actually be worthwhile to duel. Someone who would actually stand a chance. Someone to take the focus off of Pansy Parkinson. But who? Who was mastered enough at spells, foolish enough to actually duel me, and skilled enough to last? Would have to be someone truly brilliant… I froze in my endless pacing as the answer drew a sneer to my lips. As if they knew the way already, my feet took off to find the Mudblood.

Hermione

No. Not now. I can't handle this right now. I looked up from my pumpkin juice as the flashes started. I watched my cup tremble as my hand shook Breathe just breathe. You can do this. I took a shaky breath as a pair of furious eyes slid into my view. Not Ron's. I kicked myself.

"You okay Hermione? You look a little pale." Ginny actually sounded genuinely concerned, it almost sounded like she actually cared. I gave her a polite nod in return, feigning a full mouth. Ginny smirked as if remembering that Ron never had that certain courtesy of at least keeping his mouth closed while chewing. "Are you ever going to tell me who you're seeing? Or who you were seeing?" I shook my head.

"Fine. I give up. I was thinking about asking Harry to come to Hogsemeade this weekend, what do you think…?" Ginnys voice trailed off as the flashes started clawing their way over my mental wall. Trembling I slowly stood from the table and fled the dining room, ignoring my once-best friends irritated glare.

I made it to the second floor corridor before my legs gave out and I sunk to the floor, willing myself to breathe, yearning for something sharp.

Ron. Blood. Mackenzie…

Draco

I found her on the second floor. Sitting in the dirt like she had a headache or something.

"Mudblood" I snarled. She looked up at that at least.

"Oh piss off Malfoy. I'm so not in the mood right now." I smirked. Like she had any choice in the matter at the moment. I needed this.

"In the mood for what, Mudblood? Casual conversation with your superiors?" I could see the fire light in her eyes. Here it came.

"Shove off." And she walked away. My mouth fell open. She walked away? What? I didn't understand. She was never this difficult to provoke. In an act of sheer desperation my mouth fell open and my brain turned off.

"What ever happened to dear old Weaselbee, Mudblood? Pansy told me you were sleeping with him. Someone else told me that he got in some kind of muggle accident. Someone else told me that you might have had a hand in it. Got tired of him, did you?"

She froze. Shoulders slightly trembling she took several deep breaths before turning around to face me. In the coldest tone I have ever heard, venom dripping off every word, she whispered "Maybe your contacts wouldn't be so loyal to you if they knew that you were just a sadly misunderstood boy, desperately crying for attention, that's been abused for most of his life. Desperately trying to save face for the family, because there's nothing else for dear old mum is there?"

My vision turned red as my fist connected with her jaw.

Hermione

My vision flashed white as Draco's blow landed. Along with a very distinct scent of peppermint. My neck snapped backwards with the momentum of the blow, as something inside me broke and I lunged at that pale white throat.

I couldn't tell you who was winning, who was losing, or why neither of us thought to grab wands…but it seemed like hours before both of our heads snapped up at the sound of a very small meow. There at the base of the stairs stood filch and Ms. Norris. I had no idea how long he had been standing there, but I knew as soon as that smile cracked his lips, he had been there long enough.

"My, my" he purred "look what we have here, Mrs. Norris." He lovingly stroked the mange-ridden cat with gleaming eyes. "And here I was just thinking that this was going to be such an uneventful night."