Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Draco Malfoy[not that I don't want to], Severus Snape, Voldemort[not that I'd want to], Death Eaters and anything else involved with the Harry Potter series. J.K. owns EVERYTHING!

A/N: Please don't spear me for the short chapters and weird format. This is my first Fanfiction. Please don't hurt my poorly developed ego any further with flames. But seeing as I could do with some criticism, be truthful. I will try to update regularly and really do wish to hear your views and opinions.

The rating is R just as a precaution. There will be lots of language, gore, and sexual content. But the latter will not be incredibly detailed.

Chapter 3: All's Fair In Love And War

"Eric, go get me a soda."

"Sure, of course Hermione! Whatever you want!"

Hermione laughed at Eric's eagerness. The movie in itself was crap. Some stupid fantasy about witches and wizards. If the wizarding world only knew how Muggles perceived them. These wizards worked without wands, throwing balls of flame at each other after muttering horribly written lines. Hermione was far more interested in Eric.

She watched him with amusement as he fumbled around giving her her drink and making sure he didn't spill it on her. It was a shame that a nice boy like him didn't have a clue what he was getting into.

"He-hermione?" Eric stammered.

"Yes, Eric?" she answered.

"W-w-w-w-would y-y-you..." His stuttering reminded her strongly of Neville Longbottom. And try as she might, Hermione couldn't help but look forward to the upcoming school year. It would be their 6th year at Howgarts. But it would never be normal again. Well, as normal as the school could be. What with the basilisks and possessed teachers, the cornish pixies and the tournaments, the death toll piling up and Harry Potter. Oh, Harry.

"Hermione? Are you okay?" Eric's voice dragged her away from her thoughts and slammed her right back on earth.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Do you mind if we go home?"

"Sure Mione."

Mione? That's what Ron and Harry call me. Well, what Harry used to call me. When he still talked to us. No one could say that Harry Potter had been through things most wizards never go through in their lives and call it an overstatement. More like an understatement. Harry had never been the same after the rescue mission to the Department of Mysteries. After witnessing the death of Sirius and battling Voldemort again. Right after Dumblemore had subdued Voldemort, Harry was whisked away and came back to Gryffindor with a sad forlonged face, the face of someone who learned something they hadn't wanted to learn. Hermione didn't want to pressure him into telling them what was wrong. He had already bitten their heads about 30 times before then. But no matter how patient she was, Harry wouldn't tell. When he wasn't at the end of the year feast, they became uneasy. But he wouldn't tell them where he had gone. It was as if he wanted to be completely shut off from the world.

Then on the train home, he pulled Hermione into an empty compartment. He spoke to her with his voice full of urgency.

"Hermione, Hermione. You know as well as I do that I am the one Voldemort's after. Listen, Mione, it's going to be me that kills him. It's either I kill him or he kills me. Mione you are one of my best friends. I don't want him coming after you." Voices went past the the compartment and Harry spoke hurriedly. " Mione, look at me. I have to do what Dumbledore did with me. He distanced himself from me to protect me. I can't be as close to you and Ron without endangering your lives. If I lost you two I don't know what I'd do."

He took a breath as his emerald green eyes started to shine. Hermione's brown ones were filling up as well. "Harry," she whispered, "What are you saying? We are not going to let you go through this alone."

"It's the only way Mione. I will tell Ron the same later. Though he might pummel me when I say so. But Mione, I brought you a present."

He handed her a black velvet box and placed it in her palm.

"Open it."

Inside was a magnificent silver pendant. It was shaped exactly like Harry's scar, and was on a silver chain.

"Oh Harry."

Harry leaned in and kissed her cheek. Not a romantic kiss. A brotherly kiss. He whispered into her ear:

"If something happens, anything...Something to remember me by.

* * *

As Eric's car pulled into her driveway, Hermione screamed.

"Mione, what is that?!"

A green skull with a serpent flowing out of its mouth floated above her house. The Dark Mark was floating over her house.

Hermione ran inside, hoping against hope. No, no, no! Dad will be home, asleep on the couch and Mother will be in her bedroom sleeping and David.... oh no David please not David.

She ran into the living room-and stopped. And stared. At the 2 bodies lying on the floor.

She sank to her knees. And felt the tears flow down her face. Eric came in and sat beside her, then jumped up to call the police.

Before he could, Hermione took out her wand from her side pocket, used especially for her wand and shouted, "Obliviate!" Eric stopped in his tracks.

"You never saw any dead bodies, we went on a wonderful date, and you got to kiss me goodnight. Understood?" Eric nodded dully, and went home.

Hermione raced to the phone and called the Dursleys.

"HELLO?" a gruff voice answered.

"Hello, this Hermione Granger may I please speak to Harry?" she replied in her sweetest voice, trying to keep the crying out of her voice. Why me? she thought. Duh...because you're best friends with Harry. But it is NOT his fault!

"He is not here! He went with those crazy people. Wouldn't tell me where. Not that I'd want to know..."

Hermione hung up the phone, and cried. She crawled up into a ball on the floor and cried and cried.

"Well, well, well. For once know-it-all Granger didn't know something would happen." A cold voice came out of the shadows.

Hermione jumped up and pointed her wand.

"WHO ARE YOU? SHOW YOURSELF!" she yelled.

"No. I don't think I will just now. Expelliarmus!" the voice cried suddenly. Hermione flew back into the wall and her wand flew into the hands of- Draco Malfoy?

"Ah. That's a tad better. Don't you think Granger?" His smirk was as poisonous as ever, and his ice blue eyes were narrowed. She should have known it was him. Who else called her a know it all? Besides Ron.

"What the hell are you doing here? If you did this to my parents I'll kill you with my bare hands." she replied, her voice dripping with anger.

"Unfortunately my dear, I didn't have that happy privelege. I don't know why they spared your brother though. I would have killed him as well. But I suppose its so he lives with the knowledge that his parents are dead. Survivors live a much more lasting impression than the dead. Just look at Saint Potter." Draco spat the name out.

"Wizards will be here soon and you will go to prison just like your scum father!" Hermione shouted, her back killing her.

Draco's face contorted with fury. He grabbed her by the hair and slammed her against the wall, making her gasp in pain. He shouted, "DON'T YOU DARE TALK ABOUT MY FATHER THAT WAY! MUDBLOOD SCUM LIKE YOU SHOULDN'T EVEN BE LOOKING AT HIM!"

Hermione spat in his face. He glared at her and slapped her. "You think you can fuck with me?" he whispered. "Trust me, I will make you and your little friends pay for everything you have done. You don't know what the fuck I've been through. You're father didn't put the Cruciatus Curse on you when you were 4 years old! But judging by these bruises, he hurt you without magic." His hands trailed the bruise on her arm to the one on her chest, and his hand lingered longer than necessary. He eyed her with an expression that made Hermione feel as though her were raping her with his eyes. "You didn't have to suffer at the hands of the Dark Lord and endure the pain of the Dark Mark being put onto your skin." He released her and she slumped down the wall.

He crouched down and lifted her chin. His voice was now eerily calm. "Don't try and tell people that I was here. Or I might come back for your brother. By the way he's stunned. Lying in his room. You know Hermione," saying her name in a way that made her never want to hear it again, "You would be pretty bloody gorgeous...if you weren't a filthy Mudblood bitch." He kissed her softly on the lips, then slapped her across her face again. She merely whimpered this time, determined not to give him the satisfaction of making her cry out loud again. With one last smirk, he Disapparated. Hermione dully noted that he was underage, before falling into a deep sleep, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth.

Only one thought swam to her mind as she struggled to stay awake.

A certain voice that whispered to her, "Something to remember me by."

And then all was black.