A/N: Argh, another short chapter :( Why is it that everything I write gets so depressing? I'll try and lighten up, promise...

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Chapter 2 - Grim Reality

And what went so wrong? thought Hermione, staring out of her window. Her private chambers had a picturesque view of the Hogwarts Grounds, now partially hidden by a fine sprinkling of early snow. It had been a long time, though, since she had found anything beautiful about it.

A bitter smile crept to her lips. Oh, she knew what went wrong. Death Eaters had killed her parents, only three weeks after the start of her sixth year at Hogwarts. After Voldemort was killed. After all the Death Eaters had supposedly been caught and taken to Azkaban. It seemed that Lucius Malfoy and his supporters had somehow slipped the net.

Hermione sighed, and left the comfort of the window seat to place her book back on the shelf. She did not feel like reading.

Draco Malfoy. She shivered with disgust at the very thought of him. She hated him, despised him more than she had thought she could another person. With the possible exception of Snape. Hermione shivered again and moved to stoke the dying fire in the hearth.

The pair of them had made her life hell for the past year. Even after his father had been arrested, Malfoy made it quite obvious that he was involved in the murder of her parents, tormenting her day after day. And Snape. How she loathed the venomous Potions master. While every other Professor had sympathetic and supportive, Snape had simply told her to get on with her life. Get on with my life! thought Hermione, furiously. How dare he! But none of them really knew...

Hermione was surprised as she felt a single tear make its way slowly down to her chin. She thought she had long hardened herself to the emotion that ever threatened to overwhelm her. But it was true, none of them knew just how much her parents meant to her. They were her life, everything she did, everything she achieved, was all for them.

Without her parents, she had nothing to live for. Harry and Ron were wonderful friends, and she loved them for it, but never in the way she knew Harry loved her. She could see it in his eyes, in his every movement. But she would not love again.

She knew what she had to do

*****

"We really need to talk to Hermione."

Surprised, Ron looked up from the game of Wizards Chess to meet Harry's gaze. "I was about to say the same thing," he said.

"She's depressed. I mean, well, who wouldn't be, but it's just getting worse. I'm worried about her." Indeed, worry was etched into Harry's face. "I can't believe she missed out on Head Girl." His own hand drifted unconciously to his own Head badge.

Ron shook his head, "I can. She was close to bottom of every one of her classes last year. She didn't even turn up to most of them."

Harry ventured a look towards the stairs. "It was nice of McGonagall to give her her own room, but now she hardly ever comes down."

"Perhaps we should go see Dumbledore. It's getting pretty serious, and she'll fail her N.E.W.T.'s if she doesn't snap out of it soon."

"Don't forget it's her parents deaths we're talking about. How would you react if your parents were killed by Malfoy's father?"

Ron turned scarlet and leapt up, scattering the angry chess pieces. "Malfoy! Ohhh, what I woudn't give to see the grin wiped off the ugly face of that...jerk," he finished, noticing the looks he was getting from the other students in the Gryffindor common room.

Harry carefully picked up the fallen pieces and returned them to their box. "I think we should go see Hermione before we talk to Dumbledore. She'd be mortified if we talked to him about this. Best if we can avoid it."

"So we don't tell her! He probably already knows. He doesn't miss a thing in this school!"

"No, we see Hermione first. Besides," he added, "I have something to give her."

"Alright, do we go tonight?"

"Now. I just have to get something from the dormitory."

Ron nodded and followed Harry up the stairs.