A/N: SOORRRRY I HAVEN"T UPDATED IN A WHILE!!! AHHH!!!

Mah crazy teachers have been loading on the hmwk right before winter vacation even tho we ALREADY got our report cards!!! NOOOOoooooo!!!!!!! Anyways, now, back to mah USUAL clazy rants!!!!!

Since you guys know me so well, and you KNOW I'm usually ALWAYS hyper.*go hyperness!!!* *Does the dkc dance for moment* I'm gonna tell you about a CLAZY dream I had, so CLAZY!!!

Er...see, what happened was that I was like tarzan/supergirl!!/spidergirl!!! And then I had to save the world from evil buffalo, and the evil witch who controlled them...er...yeah...and then...OH and then my mom gave me a strainer (you know the ones for pasta?) to combat the evil buffalo and witches...and then she said sumthin like

'everyone in our family KNOWS how to USE the sacred STRAINER' like stuart little, and how all the littles find the Little house and then-

Actually that's pretty much it...I woke up...and I decided to tell MAH WONDERFUL READERS WHO REVIEW ALWAYS!! *nudges a few ppl who read but don't review* eh? Eh???? YUP, so review!!!

Chrissy: WONDAFUL!!! I'm SOOOO happy u like mah story!!!!!! :DDD Review MOOOORRREEE when ya GOTS the time!!!!! YayayaaaaaYY!!!!

StarpearL: THX for reviewing!!! :DD anyways, I dunno what I'll do about Draco, I'll see how it goes, and KAZAAM, I will HAVE it figured out...REVIEW again!!!! Muaha!!!

Silve: AHHHHHH!! ANOTHER chappie comin' UP!!!!!!!!! DUM DUM DUM!!! What will happen between crazy Draco and CLAZY hermione??? Ahhh! REVIEW PLZ!!!

LCA: *shows off a new revised, and more CLAZY way of DOING mah DANCE 4 reviews* yayy!!! I SEE the many D's and I SAY :DDDDDDDDD!!! Muaha!!! YAY!!! YAY!!! THE HYPER SMILE is INFECTIOUS!!! HHEeeheee...neways, before I freak ya out, THX for reviewing!!!! :DDDDDDDD

Sanaria: hehe.yep yeap, them and their CLAZY, CLAZY, confusing shenanigans, eh?? Heehee..review again!!!!!

Draco Lover: WINGS are SOOO cool...man, I DUN LIKE evil HERMIONE and Draco, but they gotsta stay that way for a bit more!!!! Neways, REVIEW, DL, REVIEW!!!! :DDDD

Anonymous: thx a bunch!!! :DDDD

willowfairy: *firstly, dodges the rotten looking tomatoes in a bucket at willowfairy's feet* Phew! Cool name! I HAVE UPLOADED!!! *smilez* Thanx a bunch, and don't forget to review again! :DDDD

Felicity: Merha.you will find out soon.maybe in the NEXT chappie!!!! *hint: rellwings.* :DDDDD thanx for reviewing, don't forget to review again.I LUV reviews!!!! :DDDDDD

Hermione18: YAAYYYYY!!!!!! UR BACK!!! :DDDDD WOOHOOO!!! Glad u like zeee LOD story!!!!! :DDDDDDDDDD

Maura Plaid: YEAH dude, I'm a continueing!!! THX FOR ze review, don't forget to review again!! Merha!!! :DDDDDDD

ecco815: *rubs bruised rib* ouch, u got one heck of a pointy elbow..Lols...i'm just feelin' crazy and hyper!!! :DDD thx for reviews!!!! LUV 'EM!!!!!!

HAPPY WINTER HOLIDAYS, AND TO BE POLITICALLY CORRECT, A FESTIVE TIME OF ENJOYING-CERTAIN-HOLIDAYS-WHICH-WILL-REMAIN-UNNAMED-BECAUSE-WE'RE-BEING- POLITICALLY-CORRECT~!!!!

:DDDDDDDDD

story time!!!!

~*~

Light of Darkness

Hermione touched a hand to her still tingling lips, and stared out into the distance. She shivered slightly as the cold wind buffeted her brown hair about her shoulders. Sighing softly and shaking her head to herself, Hermione turned around and slowly slid the glass door open and walked inside. The girl suddenly bit her lip savagely, and plonked down onto a large oaken chair by her desk.

Why was this happening to her? She didn't need any of this! Hermione wallowed a while in her self misery, and finally withdrew a shuddering breath. This was all too confusing!

She furrowed her brows as she took her fingers away from her burning lips, and bit her mouth in frustration.

~*~

Draco vigorously paced his room, his black wings billowing behind him. He tried to organize his scattered thoughts, as they broiled around his head. Draco licked his lips slightly, as they continued pulsating with emotion. Pausing momentarily in mid stride, he hesitated slightly. Then he coiled his legs gracefully and sat on the floor. Rubbing one of his shoulders savagely, the boy began to let his thoughts ramble.

What had he done? He had kissed her, that was certain. But what had it meant to her? Was he disgusting or maybe...just maybe...she had enjoyed it? As much as he? Draco suddenly growled to himself. He knew the implications of his actions. He had to stop talking to her, stop even looking in her direction. Draco still had to protect her, from all the Malfoys.

Suddenly he was filled with emotions of stupidity and unfulfillment.

He was terrified at what he had almost done.

Draco had almost killed himself. Now that was stupid. There hadn't been a reason for it anyway...or had there? The boy groaned and rested his chin on his hand, realization hitting him. One thought stood out first and foremost, as he began to remember what he had been thinking. He had done it for her.

For her to be free.

Draco suddenly unfurled his sleeve, and glared at the multiple cuts burning on his arm. He slowly traced the scars with a finger, mesmerized by the lines of flesh. With a anguished groan, he threw himself on the bed. He just had to escape it all. In semi-consciousness, Draco continued to mull over his unorthodox parents. Draco had no doubt in his mind who was controlling him in the morning.

Lucius, of course.

And now he was faced with another challenge, although Draco looked forward eagerly to solve this one.

How was he going to reciprocate Lucius' lack of affection?

Draco smiled, and closed his eyes to a dreamless sleep. His wings slowly disappeared from his back.

The Slytherin portal in his room opened quietly.

~*~

One thought stood out clearly in Hermione's mind. She had to talk to him. There wasn't much time before they both would die from the potion, and she needed his help. She didn't want him to ignore her anymore, she felt different around him, safer. Those short few moments in the dungeon when he had comforted her...he had been so different. That was the boy who was Draco, that was who he had always tried to hide.

She still remembered the warm feel of his arms spreading tingling sensations up and down her spine. And that had been her first kiss. Hermione let herself revel in the outburst of emotions flooding deep within her.

Hermione couldn't deny it any more. Her feelings were imminent. She had confessed at the door, and she was going to do it now. To him, to Draco. With quick gait the determined girl headed toward his room. Every footstep seemed to take a million years, and Hermione disciplined herself to walk calmly past the echoing red-carpeted hallways.

The hall wasn't very long, as both her and Draco's room were on the same floor. Various paintings of stern looking wizards and witches glared at her from between thick wooden frames. Hermione jolted to a stop, and glanced nervously at his door. The torches on the sconces in the walls flickered merrily, and Hermione hesitated slightly.

Her heart quailed slightly as her fist was poised at the doorknob. It was now or never, before he closed up again. Taking a deep breath to calm her shaking nerves, her hands gripped the cold metal knob, and she turned it. The door squeaked on its hinges when it opened.

Suddenly Hermione's mouth dropped open in betrayal. Tears started forming at her eyes, and she angrily blinked them away. Her whole world crashed down on her. How could she have been so stupid? Draco had never cared for her, he showed that now. Her hands balled into fists, and she turned her gaze away.

Draco wasn't alone.

He was locking lips passionately with a girl.

Pansy.

Inevitably, Hermione's eyes were once again drawn to the couple making out. Her eyes started watering, and her lower lip to tremble. Suddenly like a burst dam, tears started pouring from her eyes, and Hermione leaned onto the door frame for support. He couldn't do this to her! She let out an anguished cry, and Pansy dislocated her mouth from Draco's to turn and smile sickeningly at her.

Pansy's pug face had now grown into elegant, womanly features, and her body made men drool over her. Pansy was pressed into Draco, and he against the wall of his room, totally engrossed on the girl in front of him. His fine messy blond hair was now invaded by two of Pansy's slimy elegant hands, and Hermione just wanted to rip those fingers away from her Draco's hair.

The sight of Drac-no, Malfoy, betraying her took a moment to sink in. Her Draco was dead. He had never existed, all a neat plan concocted by the deatheaters to screw with her mind. Probably to get at Potter. Hermione clenched her teeth as these thoughts ran through her mind, the truth in them almost bringing her to tears. He was never an angel, never anything...but Malfoy.

Hermione staggered backwards and out of the room, closing the door behind her. Once outside in the chillier air, her eyes hardened. She saw all through it now, his cheap façade of innocent boy tortured into dark ways. It wasn't true. Nothing about him was. She had been wrong about...him. He would always be a Malfoy, forever.

And Malfoys never love.

The girl turned swiftly in the flickering light, and walked bitterly back to her room, her heart turning cold to the only man she had ever loved.

~*~

Snape doubled over as another blow was delivered to his stomach. He spat out blood from the impact. His hair was disheveled in a wild array above his head, and red blood was pouring from gashes on his arms, legs, face, and nose. His black cloak was damp from blood and sweat and reduced to rags. Snape's head lolled uncomfortably, his chin touching his chest, which was an infected red from whip marks.

Snape stood with his back pressed against the wall, his ankles and wrists manacled tightly against it. His resulting spread-eagled position rendered him vulnerable to all the snake faced man could throw at him. Snape was leaning down heavily on his bindings, and his wrists were already bruised and chafed. He looked unconscious.

In front of him stood Voldemort, who fiddled idly with the sharp metal implements in his hands. To his right stood Wormtail, eyes mad from power, and grin dripping with malice. In Wormtail's glowing artificial hand was a spiked whip, tips glinting red in the sparse light.

"I don't know...what...you're talking...about." Snape gasped quietly, his dark eyes glaring from underneath his mob of unkempt hair. His breath came in haggard gasps, and though his tone no longer held power or authority, it still held the biting lilt of determination.

Voldemort fingered one of the multiple knives in his hands. Without warning, the man suddenly slashed Snape across the chest with it. Snape withdrew a sharp breath, but did not cry out. Another dark welt appeared on his permanently scarred chest. Voldemort frowned at Snape's lack of response, and gripped his face in between two of his fingers. Snape's gaze was rebellious, though tired beyond measure.

Voldemort smirked, the action weaving sinuously from one side of his mouth to the other. His grip tightened around the man's jaw, until there was a distinct crack of bone. Voldemort's fingers loosened, and the expression of glee on his face widened. Snape glared at him, mouth open, his lower jaw slackened. Voldemort snickered, and tapped his own cheek lightly with one hand.

"You know, Snape, I could make this easy for you. Now, just tell me all of Dumbledore's plans." Voldemort glanced at the wall beside him, almost lost in thought. "What is he planning now, that old oaf?" Shaking his head, the red-eyed man turned his gaze back on Snape, as his servant watched on with glee. "Or," here Voldemort paused from dramatic effect, "We could do this the difficult way. You could stay like this," he indicated the dungeons, "Until I find a way to dispose of you." The man grinned again, and punched Snape in the cheek. "I don't believe in the Verisitas Potion, do you? It's so much more fun this way."

Snape growled at him, not daring to give up his secret agent position for the Ministry of Magic.

"Think about it, old boy," Voldemort said by way of parting, patting Snape in his broken jaw. Snape visibly paled from the pain. Wormtail grinned as he watched Voldemort leave the dungeons. Swinging his head around, the sniveling man turned his beady little eyed gaze on Snape.

He raised his whip.

~*~

WHOO!!!! THAT's zee END of this CHAPPIE!!! WHOA!! I had writer's block for SUCH a LOOOONGGG time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NEWAYZ, hope you LIKE the CHAPPIE!!!!! U PPL ARE DA BEST!!!! REVIEW PLEEEZ!!!!

:DDDDDDDDDDDD *heehee, LCA, many D's!*

-dkc