"Harlot!" a growling voice accused. Hermione was shaking Draco, who had fell to the ground. "You fool, step away from him with your filthy hands!"

Narcissa towered above her, staring into Hermione with a killer intent. She was wearing a full dress robe array and her hair had been pulled into a tight, neat bun on the top of her head. Tear-dropped green emeralds dangled from her long earlobes. She had had the same complexion as Draco had when he was enrolled in Hogwarts and their eyes remained the same stunning blue that could not be dulled nor darkened by the sun. It was chilled by their own hearts.

When he had been kissing her and she had had her hands pressed so close against his warm skin, she never wanted to be anywhere else. He tasted like wine but Hermione could only guess was that even without the influence of liquor his lips would taste like the sweet sensation she had felt moments ago. In her stomach, little fireworks exploded and she had felt so hot, her face felt flushed with hot embers. He had put his knee out and in-between her legs, setting her senses on high. It had barely grazed what lie between her thighs. The moment had been so brief and fleeting. What would a minute of his hands on her do to her?

"How embarrassing," Narcissa moaned, shattering Hermiones thoughts at once. "A mudblood; not one ounce of magical blood. Why, alone, should I bear the burden of my son's foolish mistakes, once again?

The long-faced woman snapped her fingers and ushered her room maids to carry her son to his quarters and pack his bags immediately.

"No," Hermione whispered into Draco's sleeve.

"Speak up if you wish to be heard, Mudblood."

"No, you will not take him. He SAID he likes me. He's old enough to choose his own lovers, friends, and even.wives."

Narcissa almost seemed taken back but was too regal to show it. "You will regret talking back to me. Yes, I can assure you that you won't be pleased with what I have in store for you. Please, mention to everyone I have threatened you because I have. Do you not see the state my pathetic son is in? Behaving like a half-blood in front of all of these.people. You could have been many of Draco's lovers. His befuddled eyes did not see you. Be gone with you little girl."

The words Ms. Malfoy uttered seem to hit the same dead strings in Hermione's heart that Draco hit when he was lashing out painful insults at her.

The room maids pulled the drunken boy out from under Hermione's dead weight. She didn't seem to have many reflexes as she let herself fall to the floor in easy defeat. Neville attempted to help her up but she lay anyhow, drowning in a sea of staring eyes. She drew her legs against her chest and shook violently - eventually the old bartender assisted Neville in carrying Hermione back to her room.

"Oh.is she sick? Sir, may I pry and ask what is wrong with my temporary mistress?" Egoise was fluttering here and there, wringing her hands with nervousness.

As much as Hermione wished it, her heart would not turn to stone. She had hoped so much he had wanted her. She was hoping he had changed his mind. She knew he had slapped her but it hurt so much more badly inside her chest.

"Listen to me, Hermione Granger, you are ok now. When Harry and Ron get here you will be ok. Egoise, please run down to your sick room and see what they can brew up for a stressed woman to sleep."

"Neville?"

"I am here, what is it?"

"Do you think he could love me?" she asked softly, staring at the wall.

Neville seriously thought on it. "Granger, even dragons have hearts. I think only a huge amount of strength to purge the heart of the flames that surround and protect its weak spot, could make a dragon see beyond its pride."

"Such wise words," she said, her voice cracking.

"Yeah, well, it doesn't happen often," Neville muttered, blushing. He tapped his watch and took a double take. "4 a.m.! Gram is going to have a heart attack! Hermione I'm sorry to leave you on a limb but I'm sure Gram was up all night worried about me."

He stood up to leave. He got up to leave and said, "Ron's heart is an open book, if only you took the time to study it. You think you can see your future with Ron as clear as crystal but anyone with half a mind can also see yours and Draco's." He sighed.

The door clicked but the sound was deafening to Hermione. It felt like Neville had hit her with a sledgehammer. She imagined her heart and brains lain out in the open, all broken up and mixed together.

Neville was good to send Egoise away to get the potion. Hermione's eyes stayed wide open until her room maid urged her to drink it the gray, frothy liquid. She would begin sip but drift off into a daze until Egoise had to tip it so she was forced to drink or choke.

The next morning Hermione was awoke by her sweet, short haired Egoise bringing in the Belgian waffles and smoked sausages. She had nearly forgotten about the ridicules and heart wrenching scene that had occurred.

"May I butter it for you, ma'am?"

Hermione sighed and shook her head. "Why are you serving me like a house elf?"

The maid only smiled with stars in her eyes. "I won't go into details of coarse because how becoming would it be for me to do so? No, I won't. I will just say, Ms. Horris is quite the sympathizer for dreaming Muggles."

"What do you mean by that? Really, I'm interested. It will get my mind off other things."

Hermione could almost swear Egoise went slowly scarlet as she spoke. "Very well then, the mistress is always right. Well, when I was young I always hoped I was special for something. I was never friends with any of the kids in school. I was always painting canvas's full of witches on brooms and cats that could talk. I believed in unicorns and dragons. When I was outside I would pray to the sky that my special place in life could just appear in front of me.

"Sadly to say it took many more years and a near death experience to land me in one of the many Bermuda Triangles, or black holes in the ocean, that had been set up to protect places like these. Holly Horris hired me right away after I told her how much I wanted to be apart of her resort chain. Sometimes I wonder if she messed with my memory but.all in all I'm here with whom I should be, right? I'll settle with that," she finished curtly.

"And this pleases you? Instead of getting to be a witch, you are content with serving them?" Hermione asked, appalled.

"Well, if I wasn't ma'am, and I didn't settle for second best then I would be alone again wouldn't I?" She clamped her lips together to silence herself and left Hermione to a cold breakfast and new things to think about.

**

I'm sorry if there are a lot of grammatical errors.I'm not one to boast about being good in English and I don't know too many people who want to sit and read through and edit all my mistakes. Please just take this story for what it's worth and if you don't like, please tell me what I can do to change it.