A/N: Chapter 8 is finally here. Hooray, I hear you cry! Well I hope you enjoy this because it felt like hell to write. So many ideas and yet…well you'll see. Let's just say some questions have been cleared up.

Acknowledgements:  My first goes to jennieslife, who brightened up my day with her HUGE reviews! I loved them! In fact one of my fellow writers was jealous that I had such long and great reviews. Keep them up! Next we have MoonTrail who is always there, thank you. And finally all the rest of you! I would name you all, but I'm sure you want to move onto this weeks exciting instalment… This chapter as always is for you guys.

Chapter 8

A picture paints a thousand words, or so they say. The question is does it? Is everything that we see as basic as an image portrayed by our eyes? A greater influence is at work here. It is the need to be proven right. For all your convictions to be completely accurate. Love is blind…

A soft wind trickled through the trees, brushing back each leaf in an elegant arc. In the east the delicate, translucent gold rays of the early morning sun were beginning to peek over the horizon. A new day was dawning at Hogwarts and with it came a new threat. Be it lessons or more, there was always a cutting edge to the time that added danger and excitement.

The corridors of the famous school were crowded with the hustle and bustle of students, each one trapped in a world of their own thoughts. An insight into one of their minds would reveal the pain of a lost passion. A guilt big enough to consume them whole, yet to glance upon them striding along the corridor would fool the eye. Complete confidence shined from the figure, self doubt seemed beyond recognition. Beyond the exterior though was something worse then self doubt. It was the knowledge that one decision had resulted in hurting the person who meant the most in the world to him. Now he had to live in a world full of consequences. The bitter looks across the corridor, the hurt look in her eye, the fighting. All of it was the consequence of his one decision. Severing his love from the source hurt, it had been a week and still the wound had not healed. If truth be known, it had got worse.

Earlier had been the worst for him. Sitting at the Slytherin' table, he had been able to see her clearly. Her long chestnut brown hair had been swept back from her face in its long waves, revealing a beauty that she tried to hide. The smile that had lit up her face had enchanted Draco beyond words. Never had she smiled at him like that. Never had she laughed and been so completely open. The small pleasure of watching her though, was also denied. If he was caught then there was no saying what would happen. Would she be angry? Would she be pleased? He didn't know, but he knew that the answers would come at a high price. There she had sat, happy and content with the world and for a second Draco's pain had eased. Maybe he hadn't hurt her as badly as he had first thought. Then it had happened. Weasley had leaned over and kissed her. His lips were on hers. They were kissing each other. It had been too much for him. Tearing his eyes away, he muttered a silent prayer and stormed out of the Great Hall.

A million pictures could not describe the aching of his heart now, as he walked down the corridor. The image of his loves kiss with another was imprinted in his mind. He felt so betrayed by her, even though he knew she had every right to move on. Had he meant so little to her though? He wasn't even allowed to show his anger and jealousy, like he wanted to. Instead he had been forced back into his usual, heartless self. At least this way he could get to Weasley, without having to care whether the consequences would matter. He didn't give a damn about them anymore, it couldn't get any worse then it already had.

What annoyed Draco the most was the knowledge that he was being pathetic. All he could think about was Hermione and how he felt hurt. Well it was his own fault! What had he expected; her to come running back to him, begging for his love? He couldn't believe he was being so stupid about something so small in the big picture of life. It angered him that he was so weak and mild, that all this pain was coming from a mudblood girl. He was angry that he felt like this. Disappointed with himself for being such a bastard all of the time. The one word that summed up all his emotions was confused.

Now, as he walked among the crowds of people, he felt more confused then ever.  It had all been so easy before Hermione. He had lived from one day to the next, letting the world pass by him in a multitude of blacks and greys. Then there had been her. It had been like seeing colours for the first time, and it felt wonderful. Now he couldn't block out the colours. He couldn't move back to the blacks and greys of his past world.

Suddenly he was pulled away from his thoughts by a tap on his shoulder and the sound of laboured breathing. He turned to find himself outside. A sigh escaped, he had been so preoccupied that he hadn't thought about where he was going. Looking down at the owner of the tap, he smiled slightly. She was out of breath from trying to catch up with him, and the colour of her cheeks seemed to match her hair. Red.

'Yes Weasley?' He drawled.

'I've been calling your name since you left the Great Hall! What are you Malfoy, deaf?' Ginny retorted angrily, 'And stop calling me that! I do have a name you know!'

'Ok, Ginny,' Draco said smoothly, 'No need to re-enact the last time we spoke.'

At that the petite red head looked away, obviously embarrassed by his words. Draco regretted making her feel so bad. Last time they had spoken he had realised that she wasn't like the rest of the dream team. In fact she had seemed more real then them. Her emotions were raw and had good intentions. All she wanted to do was be respected, and for that Draco found himself respecting the littlest of the Weasley's.

'Look, I just wanted to say…' She glanced up at him, 'Thank you…for you know…helping me out last week.'

'Don't thank me, Wea… Ginny,' He muttered, 'it just reminds me of what I've done.'

'Well I wouldn't expect you to understand this, but I am thankful. I shouldn't have confronted you about…'

'Don't,' He snapped.

Ginny looked up at him and he couldn't help but avoid the eye contact she was trying to make. He was afraid that his eyes would betray him and she would see what he felt. It had been a mistake to help her in such a way, but she had been hysterical. Never the less, he thought, I shouldn't have let her sleep it off in my bed.

'What is done is done. You can clearly see that I no longer have….designs on Hermione. Leave it be. Concentrate more on… Potter or something like that.' Draco said finally.

'You used her first name…' Ginny whispered. He winced at her words. It would have to be a habit he got out of. There was no point changing the system.

'Now remember what I said. This is our little secret. If Granger finds out she won't exactly be happy.'

'Just when I think you've changed, you go and turn on the Malfoy charm again,' Ginny said as she rolled her eyes. Draco laughed, for what seemed the first time in days.

'I'll take that as a compliment then,' He drawled.

'Take it how you like.'

With that she spun on her heel and walked back up to the school. Draco watched her receding figure and the smile slowly fell from his face. That tragic night, only a week ago, Ginny had told him that he had no right to use Hermione to get at Harry. No right at all. He had wanted so badly to explain to her, tell her that he loved Hermione. Instead he had watched her fall apart, the stress of being lied to by, who she considered to be, her best friend taking its toll. Ginny had seen the kiss out in the rain. She had watched that first meeting of a boy and a girl. She had felt betrayed and an outcast. Draco had comforted her in what little way he could.

'Idiot,' He muttered.

***

Heaving the huge book on to the desk, Hermione coughed as a cloud of dust hit her. Earlier that day, she had decided the perfect place to escape her troubles and now here she was, as usual, in the library. Glancing round her, she smiled. No-one was around, she assumed they were all still in the Great Hall eating whatever they could lay their hands on. It hadn't been the greatest of days so far for her, and she hoped that somehow she could lose herself within the words of her books. That way she could be anywhere but there. That limbo that represented her present state of emotions. Surely it didn't have to be that hard?

All through Lunch he had watched her. His silvery grey eyes burning into her and making her want to wilt away and cry. Why was he torturing her like this? It was he that said they couldn't be together. She had found herself almost flirting with his gaze, trying to tempt him, and she was embarrassed. Somehow it mattered what Draco thought of her. She wanted to look happy and content. She wanted him to think she didn't need him. She wanted him to want her. Nervously, she bit down on her lip. Then Ron had gone and kissed her in front of everyone. The guilt that had been building up all week welled up in her and she let out a little sob.

Ron was everything Hermione thought she wanted. He was sweet, kind, generous, and good looking. He loved her for who she was. Most of all though, he made her smile. The problem was that every night when she went to sleep, it would not be his face she would dream of. Instead her thoughts would be of the boy who had captured her heart, then crushed it. In the land of dreams it would be like it was that night out in the rain. He would take her in his arms and kiss her gently. So gently that she could feel his restraint and somehow that made everything more meaningful. His kisses were perfection in her mind. They were everything she had expected. Ron's however were clumsy and sloppy. It made her feel less then romantic. Another thing that annoyed Hermione was that she was sure it was all her imagination. They were probably better then Draco's, but it just didn't work. When she was with Ron she couldn't feel the spark. It all seemed so dull compared to the danger of Draco's embrace.

Plopping down gently into a chair, Hermione opened the book up to the first page and looked down at the intricate picture that lay before her. The book was a collection of Muggle fairytales. Sometimes, when she felt at her worst, she needed something to bring her back home. Closing her eyes she was almost transported back to a place where there only fear was of the dark. In some ways she felt she was still afraid of the dark. The light gave her comfort that no other thing could. The dark on the other hand was unforgiving and cloaked you in its masses. She eased herself further into the chair and flipped forward to her favourite story. The Princess and the Pea. It had always made her wonder why only a princess would be able to feel a pea through all the mattresses.

'Thought I would find you here.'

Hermione looked up and smiled. 'You know what I'm like, Gin. Can't keep me away.'

'Only you would be this predictable!' Ginny said with a grin. Quickly she slumped down into the chair next to Hermione and looked at her curiously. Hermione laughed at her little friends actions and turned back to the book. With a longing glance at the picture, she gently closed the book.

'So Gin, what can I help you with?'

'I was just wondering…' Ginny looked down at her lap and frowned in concentration. 'I was just wondering why you and Ron are suddenly an item, when you don't love him.' Hermione felt her jaw drop. Ginny glanced up and smiled. 'Oh come on Hermione! I'm not stupid you know. I saw you with him and it just looked so… wrong.'

Nodding slightly, Hermione looked back down at the book. 'It might look wrong but it feels right. And I do love your brother. I love your brother a lot.'

'Not like you love him,' Ginny said softly.

'Pardon?' Hermione said looking up.

'I tried to tell you that I saw you. I tried to… warn you off him. Then when I went to see him… he…' She broke off and sighed.

'What did he do to you?' She asked quickly, concern laced in her voice. If Draco had done a thing to her, she would…

'He used your first name,' Ginny whispered. 'He called you Hermione. And I realised I had been stupid and jumped to conclusions again. Of course he tried to fob me off with some story, but I saw it.'

'Saw what?' Hermione said softly, closing her eyes.

'The spark,' she replied simply.

Hermione stood up swiftly and took a deep breath. 'That's over Gin. I'm with Ron now,' she gulped back the tears forming, 'What ever he may have seemed he isn't. He's nothing but an empty shell of a man.'

Picking up the book, Hermione ran out of the library. Her heart felt like it was on fire and the pain was ripping her apart. The flood gates had opened and now she couldn't keep them closed. Nothing would ever be the same again. Her friend had seen right through her. She had seen everything she denied.

Hermione craved solitary confinement in the dark, where her tears were nothing but a feeling. Sometimes the light was too bright.

…it leads you through the light when all you can see is darkness. Trust is all it takes to take the steps forward. Utter trust in your heart to guide you where it is safe, but once scorned the heart will betray you. It'll lead you to places you wished it hadn't. All in the name of Love.

A/N 2: As always I would love to hear your opinion. Should Hermione break poor little Ron's heart?