Disclaimer: none of these characters are mine!!!

A/N: The chapters so far have been rather short so I'm going to try and make them a bit longer from this chapter onwards. I should be studying for my exams right now but that is just so boring, Geography is not my favourite subject and right now it is driving me round the bend so if I fail its my own fault for writing this and not studying enough. ;o)

Fully dressed and ready to face the world, Hermione looked around the hospital room that she was in, her back to the door. This was the one room that had been her sanctuary, but it had been for such a short while. Now she had to go back to classes, to constant questions from her friends and the one thing that hurt her most, constant digs from Malfoy. Se had no idea why she loved him, but she did and the way he was treating her just tore her in two.

She wanted to be with him but they were two completely different people. It worked for a short time, but theirs was not to be a long-term relationship, there was too much at stake for them to risk it. She would loose all of her friends and he would loose his family, a no win situation for all. "It wont hurt forever." She told herself for what seemed the hundredth time.

"What won't?"

Tears sprang to her eyes. "What do you want Draco?"

"Look at me and ask that."

"I can't."

"Why are you doing this to yourself Hermione? Why deny yourself the one thing that you truly want?" Malfoy came up behind her, his arms wrapping tightly around her waist, his body pressed against hers. Hermione tensed her every muscle, her heart filled with emotions that she couldn't begin to express in words. Being held in his arms felt so right, so natural, but she had to curb her emotions, she wanted him more than anything, but he was not to be hers. They could never go back to the way they were. A relationship bathed in secrecy was not something that she wanted and that was the only type that they could have.

"Can you? How do you know what I truly want Draco?" Having forced back her tears, Hermione faced him. His arms were still wrapped around her; her head was tilted back as she spoke. Her eyes searching his cold blue eyes for any indication of kindness, finding none she pulled away from him. "I told you what I wanted days ago, Draco."

"Ah, yes." He smiled at her, but there was no warmth in it. "You told me that you wanted to break up with me, and look what has happened since then. You haven't eaten, you have barely slept, and you were going to try and disappear into the Forbidden Forest."

"How do you know about that?" Fear filled her, what if he told someone?

"Never you mind how I know, but I do."

"Please Draco, please don't tell anyone." She asked desperately.

"Who could I possibly tell?" His words were filled with mockery and contempt.

"Why are you doing this to me?"

"For the same reason you are pulling away from me. You hurt me, now I am hurting you. I told you that I would not give up on our relationship as easily as you did."

"I gave up nothing easily. I am hurting myself as well, Draco. Like you said, I haven't eaten or slept since I made the decision that my friends were more important to me than a relationship with a cold and uncaring person like you. You hurt them on purpose, revelling in the pain that it put me through. What kind of relationship is that? Huh? You hurt me on purpose because it made you feel good, it made you feel like you were in control. Well you're not in control of me anymore Draco."

Her words had hit a place deep within. The pain that her words caused was not shown on the outside, but inside Malfoy was beginning to understand, he was beginning to see that she was right. But he would not let her see that she was right, holding the look of contempt on his face Malfoy pushed himself away from her.

"You are the only person that I have ever loved Hermione…"

"You don't even know what love is."

"I know what it is." Anger flashed in his eyes. "But it was wasted on the wrong person. I know now that we should all stick to our own kind. Pure-blood and Mudblood, don't mix well, you have taught me that."

When Hermione said nothing in return, he turned to leave, placing a blood red rose at the foot of her bed. "We could of worked Hermione. If you would only try." Not waiting for an answer, something that he did not want from her anyway, Malfoy walked quickly to the door, anger bubbling inside of him. Slamming his hands on the door, he pushed with all of his might, the door rebounding as he stormed down the corridor.

Hermione listened to the click of his shoes, as he walked quickly down the corridor, until she could hear them no more.

Her heart felt like it was going to burst. Anger and hatred filled her head, he always had to have the last word. Propped against the wall, trying to steady legs that had turned to jelly, she slammed her fist against the wall with a single scream of anger. God I hate him! I hate him! I hate him! I hate him! Resting her head on the wall by her hand, Hermione could see the rose from the corner of her eye.

"Thought you could buy me with a stupid flower?"

Picking up the rose, she looked at it, looked through it. "Asshole!" Hermione threw the rose across the room, as it hit the floor it shattered, petals falling everywhere. Grabbing her bag she stormed to the door, leaving the fallen petals strewn on the marble floor. Pushing the door open she stopped just before setting foot outside of her sanctuary. If she left the petals people would know she had been visited by someone, more importantly, Harry and Ron would know. Not wanting anyone to know about Malfoy's visit, Hermione returned to the room, throwing her bag on the bed she had occupied she began to pick up the petals, her hand becoming a pile of blood as she did. The pile grew and grew, until there were only a few petals to get. As she gathered the last of the petals, Hermione saw a shimmer in her hand, a glittering of something…gold. She dropped the petals as she saw what it was, littering the ground at her feet in a river of blood.

Her fingers lightly traced the line of the thin gold a chain. A locket on the chain was inscribed with her name, a message was written on the back, simple and to the point.

For all the pain

I cause you,

I'm sorry

xxx

"Hermione!"

Turning toward the voice, Hermione saw Harry and Ron staring at her, worried expressions on their faces.

"Are you alright?" Ron asked breathlessly. "No one would tell us anything, just that you were in the hospital."

Smiling weakly she said, "I'm fine. Just burned myself out from all the extra course I've taken." Her hand closed tightly around the locket, hiding it from view.

"Are you sure?"

"Positive! Lets get to class."

Hermione left the hospital wing, grabbing her bag as she did, leaving her friends staring blankly after her. He always had to have the last word! Ron and Harry stood silently looking at the door, at their feet a pile of red petals, destroyed. Just like Hermione's relationship with Malfoy now was, now and forever.