Chapter 20:

Pansy walked towards the Great Hall hoping there was some breakfast left. She didn't want to get out of her dorm earlier because she knew she couldn't face Draco. Not this morning, not after how he treated her last night. Besides, who could think about breakfast when their mind was racing with truly depressing thoughts? At one point, she even figured she wouldn't eat at all. After all, who needed food anyway?

She shrugged that thought out of her mind right away. No, starvation is not the answer. No matter what, no matter when; no men is ever worth risking your health over. Never. She was walking up the dungeon stairs with tears rolling freely down her cheeks. She knew she should be used to the way he was treating her, after all it has been going on forever; but she couldn't help but feel used and unwanted every time he shoved her away from him the minute he felt he had no more use of her. That was wrong, even in her books.

He would never hug her, just to hug her, or kiss her just for nothing. He had her when he wanted her and sent her off when he didn't. She was fed up with being treated like the dirt beneath his feet, yet she stuck by his side. Why? It was a mystery she couldn't solve herself. She erased her tears in a frustrated manner and walked further, swearing on whatever pride she had left that this was Draco's final shot. One more toe out of line and she would dump him, no matter how much agony it would cause her.

As she walked by the broom cupboard that was located on the ground floor, she heard weird voices that got her suspicious. After all, they were in a school full of teenagers and it was a late Sunday morning. She was a prefect and she was hurt. If she could help it, she would catch someone breaking the rules and get them in trouble. Pansy walked towards the door and opened it with a silent 'Alohamora'.

"Tsk, tsk," started Pansy with a sneer, which was erased from her face the minute she noticed her blonde haired prince snogging another girl.

The tears that rolled down her eyes were her initial reaction. She stood by the door, drowning in tears and gasping in shock. "How could you?" she asked, after finally gathering enough strength to speak. Seeing his arrogant expression made her lose all control. She walked the small distance between them and smacked him as hard as she could across the face.

"We're over!" she said, the fierce expression in her eyes proving this time she really did mean it. She then raised her head high and walked out of the cupboard slamming the door behind her.

Draco shrugged his shoulders in reply and turned his attention back to Vanessa.

"Was that your girlfriend?" Vanessa asked, recovering from the momentary shock she was in after the scene she has witnessed.

"Ex," Draco clarified, "Ex girlfriend," he added with a smirk.

"But you didn't tell me you had a girlfriend," exclaimed Vanessa.

"Baby, does it really matter?" he asked, smiling sexily.

"Well yes, no, maybe... I don't know. Oh Merlin!"

"Come here you," said Draco, brining Vanessa closer to him and engaging her in a passionate kiss before she had the chance to protest.

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"You kissed me!" accused Ginny, poking Blaise in the chest.

"And you kissed me back," exclaimed Blaise, a mock innocent look on his face.

"It doesn't matter, you kissed me first," Ginny replied, stubbornly.

"Yes it does, you could have stopped me."

"No I couldn't, you were holding my hands."

"Yeah, only for the first few seconds. You were the one who placed them on my neck the minute I released them," smirked Blaise.

"Ugh," said Ginny, in loss of a good come back. "Still you shouldn't have done it."

"Why not?"

"Because."

"Of what?"

"I told you, me and you, not happening."

"Why are you being so stubborn about it?" asked Blaise.

"Because I don't have time for this in my life right now."

"You don't have time for what?"

"For us, whatever we might be."

"Why not?"

"Because I have a boyfriend," replied Ginny, hoping she could pass with that somewhat honest answer.

"Sorry, I forgot. Harry fucking Potter, the idiot that left you. Great boyfriend by the way."

"Don't you go mocking my relationship Zabini. I haven't seen you with a girl for longer than a day. At least I can make things work."

"Are they working out greatly for you?"

Ginny found herself lost for words once again.

Blaise seized his opportunity and asked her. "Why are you closing yourself up? What is it you fear?"

"I do not fear anything."

"Than why won't you open up to me?" he asked, coming closer to her.

"Because."

"Because of what?"

"Just because." Replied Ginny, as she saw his face lean closer to hers. Surprised, yet determined, Ginny leaned in and initiated the second kiss she shared with Blaise Zabini that day.

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Every sense of hope that was still left in both Ron and Hermione, was shattered immediately. The kiss was once again cold, distant, and lacked passion. They pulled away from the kiss, afraid to look into each other's eyes.

It took Ron a minute before his anger finally seized him. He got up from the ground and kicked the stones that were beneath his feet. He was frustrated and confused. He really did love this girl, but nothing he did worked. Not to credit himself, but he was a better kisser than that. Lavender wouldn't have stuck with him if he would have been that horrible, would she? What was it that he and Hermione lacked? Why weren't they as great as a couple as they were friends? Why was this love thing so damn hard?

"I think we should just let it go, before it gets too far and somebody gets hurt." said Ron, breaking the silence five minutes after the kiss. "Obviously it isn't working, why bother right?" he added, with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Ron, don't say that," tears rolled down Hermione's cheeks. She got up and stood next to him, holding on to his hands. "I care about you, a lot. We can make it work somehow."

"No, we can't." said Ron looking away from her hurt face. He couldn't stand seeing tears in her beautiful eyes. She didn't deserve to hurt like she did over him, heck over anyone. "We both know we won't work, let's just leave it at that." he added, wiping the tears from her face with the tips of his fingers. "Let's not drown in hopeless delusions.

"Ronald, please," pleaded Hermione.

"Hermione please," replied Ron, looking into her eyes, and expressing everything he couldn't with words. His eyes told her that he did care for her, very much and as much as he wanted everything to work, he was realistic.

"So we just give up? Just like that?" she asked with a sniff.

"Nah, not just like that. We'll always be there for each other, won't we?"

"I guess we will." said Hermione, as the realization of her shattered dream, of a fairytale love with Ron, sank deeper and deeper into her heart.

"Come on, let's get back to the castle. We have N.E.W.T.'s to study for." said Ron with a half smile.

"Sure," Hermione shrugged her shoulders and followed his lead, not really conscious of anything. As if she couldn't really live now, she could merely exist.

Hermione realized that all her silly dreams of happily ever after, were just that, dreams. She understood at last that they would never turn into reality. She silently cried the entire way to the Gryffindor tower. She cried because in the blink of an eye she had lost everything she was hoping to have. She lost Ron as a boyfriend, along with that years of wasted aspirations and wishes. All was lost and there was nothing either one of them could do to bring it back. They just didn't work together, it was as simple as that. She only hoped that it would be that simple to recover from the shock and to be able to live her life once again.