A/N: Hey, I've updated. Thanks again for reviewing. It means a lot. DISCLAIMER: I own nothing, yadda yadda blah blah blah. K, so here's the story.

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Before Hermione could say a word, she was falling straight towards the stone floor of the Astronomy Tower.

"Pertrifcus totalis!" the voice shouted.

Hermione hit the ground, and everything went black...

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The darkness ebbed, and Hermione came around. She opened her mouth to speak, and was surprised to find herself without a gag.

"Malfoy, I should have known! Ron would never have someone else write a note for him." she mentally chastised herself for not thinking clearly and stumbling through her sentence. She was still a bit groggy.

Malfoy had Hermione propped against the wall, and was holding her there with one hand placed on her shoulder. She was still magically tied, but could speak freely. Unless she began to irritate him, that was.

"What do you want?" Hermione inquired suspiciously.

She assumed he wished to kill her, and was eager to fight. She knew Malfoy would untie her, because he would get no joy from killing her when she was bound. Hermione was determined to fight and win. She wanted it over with.

"I know what your thinking, Granger, and you're right. Partly, anyway. You think I want to kill you. I do, and I will, but not the way you think. What I'm going to do you will be worse than death. Just you wait."

He glanced at his watch, which Hermione found a bit odd.

"Now, you see, I don't have a problem saying this, because I'm about to take away all you live for, but you are a brilliant witch. So brilliant in fact that you will most likely figure out my plan as soon as they key act comes into play, so once that happens, Mudblood, I'm going to knock you unconscious."

This being said, he leaned into Hermione, and planted a passionate kiss on her tight, pursed lips. As if on cue, Ron came up the stairs and into the tower to see Malfoy kissing Hermione, and Hermione putting up a tremendous struggle. His dopey grin turned into a scowl, and he rushed towards Malfoy. Malfoy, sensing Ron was there, but acting as though he had no idea, groped Hermione and said clearly,

"Mudbloods like you are only good for one thing, Granger."

Hermione's eyes widened as she indeed did figure out his plan, but, as promised, was knocked out by a blow to the head. At this point, Ron reached Malfoy, and without even thinking reached into his robes for his wand.

"Expelliarmus!" Malfoy shouted, and Ron's wand flew to him. This was going exactly as he planned.

"She was so easy, Weasley. There's nothing she won't do, you know. If you threaten her with the right things, I mean."

Ron lunged at him.

"I'll kill you Malfoy. You put your hands on her! I'll break your neck, cut out your heart-if you had one-and feed it to Buckbeak!"

Malfoy was thoroughly enjoying this show, and was almost sad to begin the next part. However, the hate he had for both Weasley and Granger built up inside him until he had to shout,

"Extremtifus phonally kadavra!" Malfoy shouted the spell his father had not him- not two weeks ago- with all the hate, evil, and rage he had inside him. He watched as Weasley fell lifeless to the ground, muttered a charm to awaken Hermione, and apparated.

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Visions flashed before her eyes in her unconscious state.

That boy with the red hair is just so adorable; I have to look just once more. "You've got dirt on your nose. Just there." He was so cute when he was embarrassed.

He was so sweet, even in the light of something terrible, I can admit that much. "Nobody asked you filthy Mudblood!" "You'll pay for that one Malfoy!

He was burping up slugs for her!

Oh, even when he makes me mad he's cute! "You're fraternizing with the enemy!" "Oh, Ron next time just ask me first and not as a last resort!" He has no idea that he's jealous, but it's so adorable!

"Hermione, will you be my girlfriend?"

Ron's face flashed before her eyes, as the scenes played in her head. Ron Weasley, I love him more than life itself! Then came a terrible slash of pain across her heart, so that she awake with a start and let out a piercing scream. She sat up, shook her head, and tried to figure out where that pain had come from. She glanced around, suddenly remembering what Malfoy was planning. She saw Ron's limp, lifeless body laying not twenty feet from her. She let out an anguished cry, and shuffled towards him. She checked for a pulse, though she knew he was not alive. She collapsed over his body, unable to find breath in her body so that she could draw air and keep on living herself. She lay her head on Ron's chest.

"Ron, my Ron, please wake up. I'm.right.here." She said gasping the words out between racking sobs.

"I. love. you .so. much. Ron! Please.come.back. I-I-I need you."

She couldn't stem the flow of tears that were falling, leaving a huge wet spot on Ron's Quidditch robes.

"I said the practice went badly, I didn't say it was my fault, Hermione!" "I didn't mean.I only thought." "You thought wrong."

Ron loved Quidditch. Another flood of tears came until Hermione thought she would waste away. She caught a glimpse of Ron's pale face. It was twisted in a face of horror. There was no sign of the goofy grin she loved. And Hermione began to think how pointless her life would be without him. She thought of all the times they'd quarreled over everything, homework, Harry's well-being, even their pets. Ron's life was her life. Malfoy was right, there were other ways to kill a person, and he had done it. He had killed Ron, and with him Hermione had died as well.

A/N: Tear, I sobbed while writing this, so I hope I got the same reaction from you readers. I have an idea for one more chapter. Should I do it, or does it end well enough here? Please review, so that I get some idea of what you readers want. XOXOXO Tori