"Hermione! Hermione!"

Hermione had time to register a flash of flaming red hair, before she was tackled with a bone-crushing hug. She laughed and hugged her friend back tightly.
"Hey, Ginny."

"You bitch!" Ginny half laughed, half cried. "You gave me the fright of my life! Where did you go?"

Hermione shook her head. "Not now. I'll tell you later. First let's finish dinner." As they headed towards the Great Hall, Hermione felt better. She was back home.

"Hermione!" Neville came running towards her and gripped her like she was going to disappear any second.

"Hey Neville." she said warmly as they embraced. "I'm sorry I left like that..." she looked apologetically at the two of them.

"Forget that. Let's have dinner."

Hermione sat down next to her friends, eating and laughing. She'd missed them. She'd missed the familiar smell of Hogwarts, the sound of chatter, the sight of a hundred students in black and the green grounds, and the feel of Draco-
Stop. Hermione grit her teeth. She was not going to go there. No. This was a new start for her, and she wasn't going to think about the past again. She was pleased with herself when her eyes hadn't fallen on the Slytherin table. Not once throughout dinner. But something gave her the feeling that he wasn't sitting among the mass of green and silver. Somehow, moving on from him was as exhausting as moving on from the war...

As she bid Ginny goodnight and made her way up the staircases to the seventh floor, somebody blocked her path.

"Granger." Hermione looked up and was surprised to see Blaise Zabini standing in front of her.

"Zabini." she said, surprised.

He stared at her a moment, and Hermione though she saw relief in his eyes. "Good you came back."

"Okay...thanks I guess." she said slowly, suspiciously. She had never had anything to do with Blaise Zabini. Why was he being so nice to her all of a sudden? Was he behind all this?

He nodded. "Draco will be happy." Her expression turned icy and she arched an eyebrow, hating the way her heart fluttered. Her worst imaginings had come true. He was behind this. Perhaps he had sent Blaise to tell her this? How...cowardly. Than face her himself!

"Whatever you mean, Zabini, I don't fucking care. Excuse me." she pushed past him, and she heard him groan. Internally she dreaded coming face to face with him. She hadn't seen him from over a month, and she didn't know how he would react when he saw her. Would he be angry? Happy? Pissed off? Indifferent? She hated that she even cared.

After she'd asked Professor McGonagall for permission to leave early, she'd left all her things and appareled directly to Australia, where her parents lived. They'd decided to stay there even after the war. They'd been surprised to see her of course, a week earlier than they'd expected. She'd enjoyed the stay with them. It was peaceful, and tranquil to spend time with her parents just as a normal muggle girl, and exploring the beauty of Australia...the monuments, the National Parks...everything. Though she tried to she couldn't forget him. Draco Malfoy. Hurt and anger had flared in her from time to time as she remembered his words. Her parents could sense something was troubling her, but they hadn't asked. And she was grateful for it.

She stood in front of the stone gargoyle. What if he's in there? She shook her head. Se would have to stop caring about what he did, what he thought and other bullshit like that. She was just here to finish her seventh year. And that's it.

"Fairy lights." she muttered, and the door revealed itself. She stepped in through the portrait hole.
And he was there. Sitting. In front of the fire. With several empty bottles of Fire whiskey around him, and a glass in his hands. He looked up and dropped the glass he was holding. The glass shattered, and the Fire whiskey stained the expensive carpet, making a blotchy spot on it.

It was a sticky moment. An uncomfortable one. Hermione's heart faltered as she looked at him. He was a mess. Dark circles under his eyes, hair not groomed in days, probably weeks. He'd lost weight too, his shirt hung loosely off of him. His eyes...they were dead. Worse than shattered. Just dead with nothing in them. But when he saw her, was that relief she saw? Guilt?

"Hermione." Hearing her name from his mouth (cracked and parched) was more painful than she imagined. It also made her angry. She averted her eyes, and made her way to her door, looking indifferent and cold.

"Hermione, please-"

"It's Granger to you, Malfoy." she said coolly, turning to see him. She saw with vengeful satisfaction when hurt flashed across his face. With that, she turned around and went into her room, shutting the door closed.

Hermione took a shaky breathe, her knees feeling week. That was harder than imagined. If this was how it was going to be, how could she possibly keep it up for another couple months? Deciding she needed to take her mind of things, she sat down on her desk and pulled out a quill and paper. Harry would be busy, she knew, but he'd always been understanding and supportive when she needed it. She wouldn't tell him about Draco...not yet, and not in the form of a letter.

But her stomach churned over the possibility of what he might say when he found out what had occurred. She could imagine his green eyes widening in shock and anger...I'll kill that git, Hermione. And you! Why did you even talk to him? You knew he wasn't the right influence! And look what he's don't to you now! He's used you for sex! That pathetic bastard!

Just write the goddamned letter, Hermione.

Dear Harry,
How have you been? Has your Christmas been enjoyable? How's the Auror training coming on? And Ron?
Hogwarts is the same, but you have to get adjusted to the scars the war has left behind. I'm sorry I'm writing to you after half the year's over, but I've been really busy, what with this or that, being Head girl.

We (Ginny, Neville, Luna and I) miss you both a lot. It's kind of weird to walk the corridors without you both next to me. But I must say it's wonderful to be back. I'm completely engrossed in my studies now, and I'm trying not to freak out for N.E.W.T.s !

I was going through a bit of a hard time here, too much pressure, so I thought I'd write to you to take my mind off things. Tell me about your Auror training, and I hope you and Ron aren't doing anything illegal under that invisibility cloak of yours!

Take care,
Love from Hermione.

(P.S.: By the way, Draco Malfoy is Head boy. I know, I know, I was shocked too!)

Hermione read the letter over and over again. Yes...it sounded just like her older self, not at all the brunette who'd been in Draco Malfoy's bed. There it was again! Just when would she stop thinking about that stupid git? Hermione rolled up the parchment. She contemplated whether going to the owlery now or later.
"Homenum Revelio." she muttered holding her wand. Nothing happened. That meant he wasn't there in the Head's common room. Good. She grabbed the letter and marched out, making her way to the owlery. Only a few prefects strolled past, and suddenly she remembered that she too had patrol duty tonight. Perhaps that's why he left...

The owlery was dark and silent. It reminded her of the time she'd spent here with him. It was painful to be here again. Pushing the thoughts and feelings inside, Hermione chose a barn owl and tied her letter to it's leg. She carried it over to the open ledge and watched as it soared into the night sky. There was no moon. And even the stars seemed dim. Perhaps they were reflecting her own inner feelings...

If she was being honest with herself, she missed him terribly. So much that it was a constant ache in her stomach. Not only the sex...but she missed his witty remarks, their mouthy arguments, light teasing, and occasional canoodling. Draco hadn't been the perfect man, but he had been her man. And she found perfection in all of his imperfections.

It doesn't mean anything to him, her brain told her. Maybe it was right. Maybe it had just been the idea of a good shag that had made Draco Malfoy even touch her. But her heart refused to believe it. Every beat reminded her of the way he had looked at her after they had sex. That soft, caring expression, the light caresses to her wrists which he had been gripping tightly just moments before, when he was humping into her. The sweet kisses he showered her with, the gentle stroking of her hair...

Something moved in the shadows and her head snapped in that direction. His face came out of the shadows, looking tired and frozen. Hermione swallowed. . .

Hermione tried to keep an apathetic look on her face but it was difficult. Guilt and apology was written all over his face, and suddenly she had the desire to run to him and hug him tight, giving him all the warmth he needed.

But then his words came back to her, and it angered her seeing him like this. Surely this was all an act to get back into her bed? HA! Like she was going to give him that! She turned away and started to walk back.

"Hermione, please wait!" the desperation in his voice, nearly made her turn around, but she settled for just standing stiffly, her back to him.

"Can't you just hear me out?"

Okay, that pissed her off. "Hear you out?" she asked in a deadly voice, turning slowly on spot. He stood a few feet away from her.

"Hear you out?" she repeated, a little more loudly, and she saw him stiffen.

"And why the fuck would I do that?" she shouted. "Did you hear me out in that stupid broom closet? Did you even bother to ask why I wanted you to stay back for Christmas? Oh, all I want is dick, isn't it?" she laughed manically, her arms flaying around. "Okay then! All I want is a dick! Why are you wasting your precious holy time with a slut like me?"

Draco winced as her harsh words cut through him like a knife. It was beyond physical pain what her words did to him. His head pounded so painfully, that he felt dizzy.

Hermione glared icily at him, then started walking out. He grabbed her arm and then suddenly, Hermione lost it. Her right hand moved with blinding speed, and it found it's mark on his cheek. His head snapped to the side, and Hermione jerked her hand out of his grasp.

"If all we ever did was 'purely sexual'," she said in a low voice, her words trembling with suppressed rage, "then let it be like that. If we were fuck buddies in your opinion, then so be it. It's over now, so don't ever fucking try to touch me again."

That night, neither Hermione nor Draco went back to the Head's dormitory. Draco just stood in the owlery all night long, his head bowed, his heart aching. The throbbing in his head had increased ten fold, and he wanted to rip his brain into shreds.

Hermione patrolled the corridors all night, steering clear of the seventh floor. Anger still flowed in her veins, but somewhere, in the depths, she felt slightly bad for slapping him. Her heart was heavy, and she couldn't concentrate on what she was going, or where she was going...

Their hearts burned unpleasantly, painfully. When the sun rose, it looked dim to both their eyes, as though the color had been leached out of the world, making it a monochromatic one. They met at the entrance of the gargoyle as the school woke up around them.

Hermione didn't look at him. It was like he didn't even exist. She gave the password, and went into her room, starting to get ready for the day, her mind full of images of his pale and frightened face. She tried to push them away...It wasn't easy.

Draco slumped on his bed, trying to cope with his blinding head ache, and telling himself over and over to get a grip on himself. It wasn't easy.

Nothing ever was...

...xxx...

Hellooooooo,

So, what d'ya think? The story is going to end tomorrow, on Valentine's day. So, be patient! And keep contemplating on what's gonna happen!

Cheers,

La icepopsickle xD