Disclaimer:  All of this you are about to see, belongs to some one who is not me. 

Confrontation

A/N:: I am putting Hermione's words in quotes, and Eve's in these~.

            Hermione took a step away from the railing.  She couldn't believe what just happened.  Did Draco really just fall to his death?  Was this really happening?  Her head was pounding, and the laughing wouldn't stop.  "Stop it!" she shrieked, "Stop it!"

            ~Oh come on Hermione!  Don't be such a stick in the mud,~ droned Eve in a slow drawn out voice.  ~I'm just trying to have a little fun.~

            "Fun!  You call that fun!"  Hermione's voice was cracking,  she was still in shock about everything. 

            ~I enjoyed myself.~  The words were so cold, so heartless. 

            Hermione was disgusted, she didn't know what to say.  "Look, your game is up ok.  Leave me alone, I don't want any part of you!"  She would have liked to seem as calm and collected as Eve but her voice betrayed her. 

            ~You don't have a choice in that honey.~

            "Go away!"  Hermione could feel the tears welling up in her eyes.    

            ~Mmm, Sorry, but I can't do that.  You see, I am you.~ 

            "No," she shook her head; it wasn't true. 

            ~I'm everything that you don't want to admit you are.~

            "No," her knees gave out and she sank to the floor. 

            ~I'm everything you're afraid to be.~

            "No, stop," by now her voice was barely audible, and the tears were streaming down her face. 

            ~Oh, but I don't want to stop; I've only just begun.  And from here on out, I'm gonna be in control.~

            "No, you can't!"  Hermione couldn't let this monster take over,  but she was so helpless; what  could she do?

            ~Oh but I will,~

            "No, I wont let you!"  The words came out as sobs, and poor meager Hermione knew she was no match for this other power that was defeating her. 

            ~I suppose you can stop me?~

            "I'll…control it" she paused to breathe, "I wont…let…you win."

            Eve's malicious laugh filled the balcony, ~You can't control me.  All your hidden desires, your inner secrets, I own them; they make me.  As long as you have anything to hide, I will be here; and the more you have to hide, the stronger I grow.  And guess what else, the more I do the more you have to hide.  You can't win!~  more laughing. 

            Hermione was hugging  herself and shaking.  She was so weak,  Eve was right. 

            ~You've played with fire, my friend, and now its consumed you.  This is the game of life, and YOU LOSE!~  She took the time to really annunciate her last two words. 

            Hermione gathered up all the strength and will left in her feeble body and with it tried to gain control,  "Not…if I… can  help…it."  She ran, ran away from the balcony, out of her room; she didn't know to where, but she had to keep running.  Down the halls, past the rooms,  Eve's laughter in her head the whole time.  But she had to keep running; she had to get away, away from the laugh, away from the evil.  Hermione kept running, don't stop, don't let her win.  She kept going until she collided with something rather hard. 

            "Harry!"

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Hello to all my wonderful reviewers!  I heart you guys so much!  I love that I'm getting reviews now, I posted my first eight chapters at once ( bad move) and then posted at very inopportune times, but I think I've got the hang of things now.  So tell me what do you think?  Do we like?  Lemme know!  Thank you to all of those who did review!  Until next time! 

~Atiannala