A/N: I wrote this fic over a three day period on little sleep and with a screaming, teething child in my ears, so if it runs a little off, please forgive me my ignorance to detail.

It is rated R mainly for the few swear words and a little bit of graphic sexual content, so please, if you aren't old enough to hire out an M18+ video, then don't read this.

Don't forget to R&R when you are done, I really would like to know what you all thought of it. Maybe if I get enough good reviews I'll write another on little sleep and see if I can recreate the magic (or not-so magic) of this one... ~laughs~ No, I have no idea exactly what I mean.

Your friendly, neighbourhood cat, briskit.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own the characters, unfortunately, that privelage belongs to J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. I do however own the story line and any ideas going with it. Please don't sue because I am only a poor girl whose imagination cannot come up with any original ideas for a world she could write in.

Love and Other Passions - Chapter One - In The Beginning There Was Depression

Ankle-length skirts and large sports jackets in the colours of a person's favourite Quidditch teams were back in fashion. The cold winds and early snow that year had made the normally enjoyable trip to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry all the more exciting for the students. Hermione however was feeling particularly depressed, although that was no real surprise. In the last year, she had lost one of her best friends and her year at Hogwarts had diminished by almost half.

There had been a series of wild attacks on the sixth year students that year, a spree of bungled attacks. One of Lord Voldemort's newer lackeys, whom he had selected personally, came to Hogwarts with the simple task of murdering Harry, Ron and Hermione. Little did Voldemort know, this Death Eater knew almost nothing of the trio, and rather than just murder the three targets, he made violent attacks on any sixth year student, hoping he had gotten one of them. Then, when the Daily Prophet published the name of each of his victims, he would try again and again.

Ron had been the last of the unfortunate victims of the insane psychotic and Hermione still felt like it was her fault he wasn't alive today. The Death Eater chose not to use the traditional method of killing them, the wand, the symbol of wizards and witches everywhere, instead opting for muggle weapons, a long, thin-bladed scimitar and scythe partnership. He was trained exquisitly in both weapons and knew how to commit the crime, however he did not bet on Ron and Hermione being as calm and collected as they were, when faced with a maniac. Ron certainly didn't give up without a fight, doing what he could to keep the perp busy. Through their almost six years as friends, Ron knew that if Hermione could get her wand out, then this psycho could be dealt with easily, and that's what he hoped would happen. Hermione definately dealt with him, a simple freezing spell stopping him in his tracks. Not fast enough. Ron had been sliced, diced and beheaded like the other victims, right before Hermione managed to get the spell off.

She took the rest of the year off, unable to concentrate on anything. Hermione thought she'd almost lost her mind. It was almost too much for one young woman to handle.

~~~~

The Great Hall was decorated lavishly in ribbons and crepe flowers for the first banquet of the year. Banners, one for each of the four houses, hung flowingly on the ancient stone wall behind the teachers. Hermione sat at the end of the Gryffindor table, Neville and Seamus opposite her and Harry beside her. They were the only seventh year Gryffindor's this year. The others had all been murdered last year, except in the case of one, who went insane and had to be commited over the summer holidays. There was not a single Hufflepuff left and only one or two Ravenclaw and Slytherin who still attended Hogwarts for their seventh year. Some of the remaining students had even transferred to other schools, not able to come back for their last year.

None of the Gryffindor group spoke during the Sorting Ceremony, or the feast that followed. Hermione let her eyes wander over the room, each table full of eating and talking students. On the other side of the room, at the Slytherin table, her eyes were met with the steely, cold gaze of one Draco Malfoy, who surprisingly hadn't been killed the year before. In the last two years, Draco had changed drastically, starting with the murder of his father, Lucius Malfoy. Draco now had long, pale-blonde hair which ran down to his waist in a neat ponytail and made him look more like his father than ever before. He was more muscular now, defined arms starting to show beneath his Hogwarts shirt.

If anyone had the audacity to tell Draco how much he looked like his father, they would have been met by that hungry gaze and a snide remark. Lucius Malfoy had been murdered by Lord Voldemort two and a half years ago, for failing to convince his son to become a Death Eater. The fact that Draco hadn't snapped up the opportunity surprised most of the students at Hogwarts, as he was known for being particularly malicious. After his father's death, there were suggestions that Draco was going to give up his schooling and start work instantly, so that he and his mother, Narcissa, could still live comfortably at the Malfoy Mansion. He refused to give up his schooling, only having two years left, but he knew full well that Voldemort would do all in his power to have Draco destroyed for his insubordination and as soon as wizardly possible. Draco decided that he would be safer at Hogwarts and became the first permanent occupant in the school, gaining his own room.

Hermione met that gaze strongly, holding it for as long as she cared and then looking back to Seamus, who was now digging into a large chicken drumstick.

"Hermione, don't bother with him. Malfoy isn't the least of our problems this year. With any luck, although I wouldn't wish it on anyone, maybe Voldemort will catch up with him this year." Harry sighed, putting a hand on her shoulder gently.

"I wouldn't wish it on anyone either Harry. But Voldemort himself couldn't get within the grounds regardless of how hard he tried." Hermione said, her face plain and emotionless.

That was the extent of their conversation during the feast. Afterwards they all trudged back to Gryffindor Tower silently, except for Seamus who showed the new first years where it was. Due to the size of their year, all seventh years were immediately promoted to being Prefects and where needed, some of the sixth year students were given the opportunity to make up the required number of Prefects so that each year would have their own.

Hermione paced around her almost empty dormitory alone, at the bottom of the tower. She couldn't sleep, and this wasn't the first time either. Hermione hadn't slept well since the night of Ron's death, it had been so shocking. She knew she had to stop relying on hope to get some rest. Every time she closed her eyes, there was Ron's face, staring at her, that terrified look of knowing he was about to die in his eyes. It was too much, too soon.

~~~~

Dawn was quickly approaching by the time Hermione started to tire, but she knew that there was no way she would be able to sleep and get up in time for her first class, Arithmancy. Gathering up her towel and a change of clothes, Hermione made her way down to the Prefect's Bathroom. She muttered the password and entered, looking around to see no one was there and started to undress, leaving her clothes on a nearby seat before folding her towel over the edge of the steaming bath and slipping in under the calm waters.

Ducking her head under the surface, Hermione came up, her hair wet and flat upon her head. She rubbed her eyes and blinked a few times to get her focus back. Her arms instantly went to cover herself under the water as she saw the figure before her, although, through the bubbles, there was no way they could have seen anything.

"Don't worry, I'm not looking." the familiarly sly voice assured her, "I know we're both here for the same reason though."

"Malfoy, go away." Hermione sighed heavily.

"Why should I? This is my bathroom too you know." Draco replied, she could hear him smiling as he spoke, "I know you haven't slept all night, just like me, I know you haven't slept properly since Weasel's death. I know that every time you close your eyes, you see him. I know that you think you are losing your mind. So why did you come back?"

Hermione looked at him curiously, how could he know that? She wasn't daring enough to ask, it was too much of a loaded question, "I came back so that I could finish my schooling, not that it's any of your business."

Draco sighed, "I'm sorry Hermione. I can't keep my secret any longer. The night Ron died, I was there. I was waiting for the two of you to go your separate ways so that I could ask you something, but I..."

"Don't Malfoy, I neither want, nor need to hear what you are saying. You have ruined most of the last six years with your deviance and spite and I do not need you making my life any worse. But I would like to know one thing." Hermione interupted.

"Anything.." Draco said.

"Why can't you sleep? If you were there that night, how could it affect you, you who apparently don't care about anyone but yourself?" Hermione asked flatly as she exited the bath and wrapped the towel around herself.

"I care... I care more than you believe or think that I could." Draco replied, removing his shirt.

Hermione waited for more, but there was only silence. She dressed, quickly drying her hair and collected up her things, just as Draco was starting to sit in the bath. She caught a quick glimpse of his chest, muscled and strong. He wasn't bad looking under the clothes, but there was no way.

She left the bathroom confused and disgusted at herself. How could she consider thinking of Draco like that?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A/N: Don't forget to read and review! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~