Chapter 4 to 'Death by an Angel'

Disclaimer: I don't own anything

"Touching, really Hermione, but there are more important matters that we must discuss." Said Draco Malfoy.

She stared up at his face. His eyes, cold like ice, stared down at her with equal intensity. If he hadn't looked up at that second Hermione was sure he would have burned a hole in her.

"Unforgivable." She whispered.

"Hermione.." And said and his voice trailed on.

She didn't speak again, she knew what sort of situation she was in; she knew that danger of speech.

"Say something, damn it!" he roared. Her silence was like death, and it was quickly spreading to him. He shook her shoulders, willing her to speak. Was this what he had traded a life in for? A girl who wouldn't love him?

Hermione breathed in a sharp breath, ragged and hoarse, that made a small mist in the air when she exhaled. The castle, which hadn't been lived in for days, was cold and stuffy. Free from freshness.

He looked into her eyes and saw nothing. A bleakness of a person who had experienced something that was only kept in a person's core. Nothing could free her from what she had done. The chains of death were slowly strangling her. He needed to free her.

"We're alone in this world, you know. We're the only ones. Two of an extinct race. A race of survival. We have to endure this." He said. The strange thing was that he was right.

They were the same and yet different. They possessed the vitality of survival. They had the means to endure anything.

"Hermione listen to me. You know what I say is true. You're afraid that you can live without him. You know you can."

At that remark she felt something inside her heart. Something struck it hard. She knew that he was telling the truth. Something inside of her didn't want to think it was. She had loved Harry, and she always would. But she was a survivor. Harry had left her behind.

"No, no." she said trying to convince herself. Her mind flashed back to the dying face of her love, the face of horror when she killed him. She hadn't meant to, she loved him.

"Hermione, look at me." His voice turning soft. He reached down and touched her cheek gently.

But she slapped it away and said, "Get away, you don't know anything about love, you've never lost someone like I have. You can't understand."

He concentrated on her eyes; his own eyes were squinting, as if he hadn't seen the real Hermione before.

"I'll go then." He said and left Hermione leaning against the cold wall. He walked away.

Hermione wished he had never been a part of her life, she wished everything would go back to the way it was before. Before it all started.

* * * * * Flashback * * * * *

She walked clumsily into the abandoned Great Hall, tears streaming from her eyes. How could it get any worse?

"Harry." She said amid the bursts of tears. And Harry Potter looked up from his book. She didn't like the way he looked at her. Hollow and emotionless. He had been like that ever since Ron's death.

"Hermione, what's wrong?" he asked.

But she just ran into his arms and cried. Why did things have to be like this?

"Hermione, where is Dumbledore?" he asked, trying to get information from her.

"In his office." She said.

"I have to go now. Go to the common room, now. Lavender should be there." He said.

"No Harry, don't leave me." She cried.

"I'm not going anywhere. Trust me." He said and kissed her on the forehead.

He trugged out the door and shut it quietly behind him. She heard a sharp laugh from the corner. Draco Malfoy.

"What do you want Malfoy?" she asked.

"That's no way to treat your love, Hermione." He said.

"I don't love you."

"I know, but anyway, about Mr. Potter." He said.

"No." she said firmly, "he is staying here with me."

"Why do you insist that he stay? Almost everyone is gone. Why isn't he in hiding? Because of you, Hermione. He loves you." He said.

"Voldemort can't touch him here. He's safe with me." She said.

"Really, do you think he'd be so safe if he knew what you did?" he asked.

"We are over, Malfoy." She whispered angrily.

"Well, I just hope no one finds out where he is, especially Voldemort." He said slyly.

"Go away, before I call Harry back." She screamed.

"I'll go then." He said. And walked out. He left her sitting there, alone.

* * * * * Flashback * * * * *

"Wait!" Hermione cried down the hall, "Wait."