Author's Note: Again, I have decided to skip the watcher and move on to a more taxing matter. The meeting at the willow. And here it is. I promise (again) that I will reveal all in the next chapter. Have been suffering a little bit of writers block so I apologise now if it doesn't live up to the rest.

Acknowledgements: As always, my reviewers! Also to my friends who have made my life that little bit more exciting recently. This one, as always, is for you lot!

Chapter 7

Reality is cold and harsh. It confines us to what we know is real. Yet half of our being craves to be free of the confinement. Craves to live in a fantasy as the world passes them by. Only when we close out eyes are we taken to the land of dreams. Anything and everything is possible. The world cannot touch, or even taint, this land. A dreamless sleep can be bared…

Hermione pulled the covers closer as she tried to block out the drone of silence with soft rustling. It amazed her that whenever there was something on her mind that she was avoiding thinking about, silence sounded like the loudest noise on earth. It drove her to the point of distraction. If only she could get the words out of her mind. If only she could close her eyes and not see his face. If only she could fall asleep in the knowledge that he wouldn't haunt her dreams.

Sharply, she rolled over and scrunched her eyes closed, willing her hurt away. A single tear began to form in her already puffy eye. She wiped it away quickly, denying that what had happened had had this effect on her. Chewing her lip nervously, she opened her eyes and stared into the darkness. The memories flooded back through.

His words had hit her like a tonne of bricks, each one sending her on an emotional rollercoaster. "I love you!" The thing that had struck her most was the disbelieving look that had crossed his face as the words came out of his mouth. She could tell that he hadn't meant to tell her that. Maybe he hadn't even known himself, but something told her his words were true. The little doubt she had was quashed instantly by her overwhelming emotions. Once her mother had told her that the most wonderful feeling in the world was when someone told you they loved you. At the time Hermione thought that this was just looking at it all through rose tainted glasses. She didn't believe that mere words could have such meaning. They were after all, just words. Now she had experienced it she had to agree with her mother. Wonderful didn't even begin to describe it.

What had surprised her most was her own reaction. Instead of blushing and looking away, which she was sure was the appropriate way to receive that news, she had stood up and pinched him. From what she could remember, he'd seemed pretty surprised too. At first he had stared at her questioningly, his eyes seeming to see right through her. The seriousness of the moment seemed so powerful that she couldn't speak. All she could do was feel and she had stepped closer to him, wanting to touch him. Make sure he was really there. Her fingers had clumsily brushed against his cheek, and he had sighed softly letting his eyes close. Draco had surrendered himself for seconds release but was sharply bought out of it. A frown was tugging at his eyebrows. That was the moment he had stepped away.

The hurt that had wracked through her body was unbelievable. She loved him and hated him with a passionate fury. He had stepped away. Stepped away from her. From what she was about to tell him. She had fought the urge to get angry with him. To scream and shout. Nothing could disguise the look of hurt in her eyes. He had seen it and sadness had swept over him. In a flash it was gone. Instead of Draco, she saw Malfoy. The boy who had teased and bullied her throughout her time at Hogwarts. Now she knew though, that it was nothing but a poker face. His one defence against people getting close to him. And even though she knew this, the anger had swelled to uncontrollable amounts. Her mouth opened but he had cut in.

'Its over. You have a life ahead of you and all I have is death. What kind of world is that to live in? Not one I want you to be part of. Not you. Your too good for it.'

Hermione rolled over again and the tears spilt out of her eyes at the raw memory. Her head told her that his reasons were not meant to hurt her. Draco had genuinely wanted to protect her from himself. Her heart on the other hand, was smashed to pieces. She tried to cling onto it, but it was gone in a flash. Now all was left was the consuming ache.

Sitting up, she pushed back the wild bush of hazelnut hair. A heavy sigh escaped her lips. Why did it have to be so hard? She glanced round the room. The other girls slept soundly with only soft mumbles piercing the silence. Occasionally, Hermione found comfort in the sleepy ramblings of her fellow sixth formers, but tonight it held no ground. She needed to escape the feeling of loss that was seeping into her body. A feeling of extreme stupidity swept over her. She had only had Draco for less then a week, and she was feeling loss? Why?

'Why?' she whispered, hoping for a reply.

The answer came to her almost instantly though. Love had hit her like a hurricane. It had been sudden and violent, yet the exhilaration of it all had made her feel alive. Now all she wanted was the boy with the grey eyes and the ability to see inside her soul. The kisses that were as sweet as honey yet as bitter as a lemon. It was almost like an addiction.

Pushing her feet out of the bottom of the duvet she shivered as the cold hit her. She hoisted herself up and tried to shake the fuzzy feeling that occupied her body. Stepping forward cautiously, she steadied herself and made her way out of the dorm. Lavender mumbled something about skirts and frogs as Hermione closed the door gently behind her.

Descending the stairs slowly, Hermione noticed a figure slumped on the couch. A smile tugged at her lips as the light hit a red shine. Ron sat alone, the fire blazing before him. As she neared, he stirred and opened an eye sleepily.

'Hermione…' he muttered, trying to bring himself round.

She placed a finger over her lips and sat down next to him. Her fingers quickly sought the comfort of his, and she rested her head on his shoulder. Ron chuckled softly. 'Must have been a really bad dream,' he said softly.

'The worst,' Hermione replied coolly.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, both staring into the dancing flames of the fire. Hermione sighed, taking in the comfort that Ron provided. Everything that had happened between them seemed to have disappeared in that sleepy moment, and Hermione was left with a content feeling. Glancing up she saw the stony look on his face and she sighed, removing her head from his shoulder. Looking straight at him, she turned his head towards her. His eyes seemed hardened and dark. Something was bothering him.

'Hermione…' He began. 'I needed to talk to you…'

'I know. I'm sorry about the other day I just couldn't take anything too taxing. It had been a really, really, hard day…'

Before she could even finish her sentence she was cut off by warm lips brushing against hers. She pulled back, her eyes widening slightly. Ron smiled childishly. To her he looked like a child in a kitchen, caught with his hand in the cookie jar. She studied his face and felt raw pain flush through her. This seemed all too familiar. This time it would be different though. She would follow her head and lets her hearts ache numb itself.

Slowly she leaned in and allowed the comfort of Ron's kiss sooth away the pain.

***

The reflection in the mirror stared back at him coldly. What had been done had been done. It had had to be done. At least that is what he had thought at the time. The reality of his words had chilled him to the bone. He, Draco Malfoy, was in love. Madly, deeply, truly in love and it scared him. It scared him that he could feel so much in such a short space of time. It consumed him as the darkness did now. All around him was the darkness; the only light was a pale glow from the moon. Blinking, he tore himself away from the recurring memory.

He rested his hand on the table before him, reclining further into the chair, but not taking his eyes away from the reflection. His fingers clasped round a glass filled with an amber liquid and swiftly Draco brought it up to his lips. It had been difficult to come up with the stuff, but he knew a man who knew a man. He paused, a frown flitting across his face. Her words drifted back into his mind and the decision was made. Knocking back his head, he downed the liquid, gasping as it hit his senses hard. His only desire now was to not feel. He didn't want the pain or the hurt. Most of all he didn't want the self loathing. It was driving him to the edge.

'No! No… Don't do this. Not to me. Not to us. You say you love me, so don't do this. We've survived worse, why not this?'

He refilled the glass slowly, his eyes watching the liquid flow from the bottle to the glass. If only it had been that easy. If only he could just hold her in his arms and never let go. Protect her from everything that life would throw at her. All the hatred and pain. All the suffering and desperation. Everything that he himself embodied, or at least would do. It was almost written in the stars that he would become everything that was expected of him. His father would make sure of that. Sure, he could deny it, but he would never be free of it. It would haunt him to the grave, stealing away everything he loved until it had him.

It hadn't been a problem until the words had spilled out of his mouth. Nothing had ever meant anything to him; he made sure of that at least. He never let anyone get close. If they did, ultimately they would be hurt. Or worse. That fear had lingered since Draco was a little boy. He'd once had a puppy that had been his only friend. When he denied his father something, the puppy was disposed of. Draco had cried for days. The anger and hatred building up within him. He wanted revenge. He wanted his father to feel the same kind of pain he had. It had all been useless though. Nothing could hurt him; he had not a heart to care. So Draco had decided the only way to stay safe was to live in solitary confinement while the world passed by him.

Hermione had got through though. She had cut through the hard exterior he had built up. He looked up at his reflection again. 'Fool,' he muttered bitterly. Why had he let her do this to him? Let her get to him in such a way. It had come to the point where he could almost feel her presence from across a crowded room.

He shifted his weight in the chair and sighed as his thoughts went back to the meeting. She had almost jumped forward and clung to the front of his robes. The desperation of her hope made his heart brake. He had to get her away from him. Get the touch of her skin out of his mind. Pushing gently, she had stumbled back, ensuring his escape. Turning sharply he had tried to walk away. Tried to keep his heart within his chest. All the pain within her was visible. He had committed the worst crime ever. He had hurt the one person who meant anything to him.

'Don't walk away from me!'

Pausing, he had thought about taking it all back. Letting himself become lost in her intoxicating scent. Once lost though he would never return. Malfoy would have taken her cruelly, and that's what he had wanted to do. He wanted to vent out the frustration she caused, but there was something else. He knew that if he did that, she would end up being hurt more and he couldn't let her be in pain. Not for those reasons anyway. Hermione needed better then him. Instinctively he had turned to glance at her.

Attentively he ran his cold fingers along the slight hollow of his cheek. With the other hand he took another sip of the devil's fuel. Only hours ago had her hand become connected to his face in a sharp slap. A smile played about his lips at the memory. The spark within her had shone out and he knew that she cared. If it hadn't of mattered, she would have turned away without a care. It was so much more then a fling.

They had parted ways tragically. Her going one way, to find solidarity with her friends in the light. Him going the other, to be alone in the darkness.

'Alone in a world full of people,' He whispered dozily, 'what a terrible shame Malfoy.' He took the final gulp of alcohol and leaned forward to stare at the boy looking back.

'Tell me you don't love me! Tell me you used me! Tell me I'm nothing…'

The parting words that lingered on his mind. None of it was true. He had not turned back though. He had walked away, his back turned to her pleas.  The horror of the events would never leave his mind.

A soft rustling came from behind him and Draco focused his eyes on the reflection of his bed. The dim light bounced off the ebony white skin of the girl lying in his bed. He scowled and dropped his head back releasing a sigh.

At least he hadn't been alone.

…but when your dreams are just out of reach you begin to die inside. You realise you could have had so much, but now it is an echo in the loud scream of life. The search is on for a drug that will numb you. Take away the pain of the real world. Only one such drug exists. Denial.

Author's Note 2: I know what you're thinking! I am a very bad person. Oh well. You can all enlighten me with your opinion. Should they get back together?