Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

A/N Ack, I can feel the dirty looks from all my reviewers. I know IÕve taken forever, and IÕm really, truly sorry. I guess I just havenÕt been in a writing mood lately, and IÕm not quite sure where the story will go in this chapter just yet. I hope you enjoy this. ItÕs a belated Christmas/Hanukah/Whatever present for everyone.

No song this time. Now, itÕs a poem.

~Zsa Zsa

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~0~*Chapter Nine Ð Love Shattered*~0~

~*~Love Shattered~*~

You ruined me

You hurt my light

YouÕre dead to me

I want you to die

I broke myself

I hurt myself

Simply to make you happy

You kicked my heart

You sliced my soul

IÕve lost myself again

IÕve lost myself again

I donÕt know if sheÕll still love me

I donÕt know if she thinks I care

I want to be around her

Even if sheÕs not really there

SheÕll wake up hollow soon

To see me in her light

I hope sheÕll have me

Otherwise she could die tonight

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ÒShe knew what would happen. She knew how heÕd feel. She felt his heart shatter at the sound of his voice. He hurt him for so many years. SheÕd find a way to make him better. She was lost, but he found her. Now sheÕd do the same for him.Ó

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ÒSmile, Hermione.Ó

ÒI canÕt. . . I know I should be happy, but something doesnÕt feel right. I feel cold.Ó Hermione shivered and Draco wrapped his arms tighter around his frail sweetheart. She snuggled in further, but Draco could tell from the look on her face that whatever didnÕt feel right was something big. Hermione looked nearly in tears.

The rain fell lightly around them, making HermioneÕs thick hair weigh down on her head. DracoÕs blond hair was stuck to the sides of his head, plastered in an odd way and every so often, there would be a random bit sticking up at strange angles. They didnÕt mind.

Draco kissed HermioneÕs head, and she turned to face the blond Slytherin. His arms were still wrapped protectively around her. Hermione whispered, ÒIÕm scared.Ó She buried her face in his robes and he could hear her breathing raggedly. He felt, even in the rain, the hair on the back of his neck prickle and the goose bumps on his arms were even more prominent. Maybe Hermione was right. . . Something was wrong.

He felt the air nip at his skin as the world around him turned icy. He felt Hermione go limp in his arms and he felt the tears threaten to escape his cold eyes. He didnÕt know what to do. He tried to move, to pick Hermione up and take her up to the castle, but his legs were stationed on the spot. His hands shook with fear. Something was very wrong. . .

He dropped, his knees giving way. The girl, the diseased girl, hit her head on a rock nearby. Her hair was turning red. He pulled her from the ground and into his lap. Draco took his robes off and shivered when the wind and cold rain touched his bare skin. He cushioned her head, and attempted to stop the blood from flowing.

ÒWhat do you want?!Ó He yelled, ÒLeave me alone! Let me be with her!Ó He felt the tears come, as he knew what was going to happen next. He held onto the fragile girl as if she were his only hope, a ray of sunshine, his lifeline. He began to whisper in her ear, ÒDonÕt die on me. I love you. You canÕt die. . . I love you so much.Ó

The air grew still. Everything was silent. Draco lifted his head in amazement, only to drop it when the wind came back with such force as to nearly knock him over.

ÒGet up.Ó A cold voice seemed to come out of nowhere, somehow audibly louder then the howling wind around them. ÒOh come on, you silly child. Up! Now.Ó Lucius Malfoy, standing there in all his undeserved glory. He looked at his son as he looked at Muggles and Muggleborns. He kicked DracoÕs side and saw the girl that was once in his arms now sprawled, unprotected, on the cold, hard ground. Draco let out a sob.

ÒI did not raise you to become a sissy, Draco. Get up!Ó Lucius bellowed. Draco got up slowly, but nonetheless obligingly. His head bowed, his eyes averted, he faced his father with a slumped figure. He was still taller then his father by two or three inches. But Lucius Malfoy was not intimidated. He stood his ground and watched his son cower in front of him.

ÒWhat is this?Ó The senior Malfoy asked, pointing at Hermione. Draco didnÕt answer. He stood, cold in his skin, alone in his heart, facing the man heÕd called father, ready to kill him if he said anything else demeaning about his Hermione. ÒWell, you stupid boy, answer!Ó

ÒHermione, father,Ó Draco whispered, his voice barely heard with the wind howling so ferociously, ÒI love her.Ó

Lucius looked taken aback. Fury played across his features and then he kicked her. He kicked her. Draco looked at his father with a look of utmost disgust and then he pounced, ÒI let you control my life, I let you mock me, I let you yell at me my entire life! But I will not allow you to hurt her in any way. SheÕs already on the edge of death. DonÕt hurt her, you fucking idiot!Ó He punched his father, then, Draco put his hands around his neck and proceeded to choke him to death. ÒYouÕre the scum here. She deserves to live and you might have just cut her lifeline. SheÕs the only thing that makes me happy and you might have just killed her. Does that make you happy? You just killed her a little more.Ó

With LuciusÕs last gasping breathe, he whispered, ÒGood.Ó

Draco stood, looking at his hands as if they belonged to someone else. He looked down at his father, dead, cold. Lips blue. Then, he shifted his gaze to Hermione. He could see her breath was ragged. He lifted the unconscious girl into his arms and ran. Ran faster then he ever had in his life.

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Draco paced. Harry paced. They walked apart, in the opposite direction, each deep in thought. Harry looked at Draco from time to time, to see whether or not he was sad, or merely pensive. DracoÕs face was molded into a pained expression, one that showed no emotion other than that: pain. He sat down. Harry followed suit.

ÒYouÕve got to sleep with her, you know.Ó Harry said bluntly.

ÒI know. But sheÕs so frail. IÕd feel like I was violating her, or raping her or something.Ó Draco answered him quietly. He looked at Harry, fear in his eyes. He shook his head. His life had changed so much. His parents were both dead. He was now the head of the Malfoy line. He was having a perfectly civilized conversation with Harry Potter. He was in love with a Muggleborn. He was a Deatheater.

He was so many things.

ÒYou know she loves you, mate. Technically, you wouldnÕt be violating her.Ó Harry said, smiling slightly.

ÒYes, I know. But I donÕt know. Look at her.Ó Draco put his head in his hands. ÒSheÕs been through so much. SheÕs so sad all the time.Ó

ÒWhat does that have to do with sex?Ó

ÒNothing I suppose. IÕve never done it with someone so broken before.Ó Draco replied honestly.

Harry got up, ÒYouÕve also never done it with someone you loved.Ó With that he left the room.

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He watched her smile in her painful sleep. He saw her turn over restlessly, gasping for air. He felt her presence near him even when he wasnÕt in her room. She was everywhere in his heart, following the sounds of his footsteps silently, trailing behind like the lost soul she was. Her spirit in all actuality had died months ago, but her body still lived on with one ounce of hope that she might be saved before her death day.

Her death loomed over him, reminding him everyday of what heÕd have to rob her of. He knew now that he had a love so pure that could quite rightly save his beauty. He was still and would always be her beast. He knew she was still frightened of him, of what he was capable of, even in their most tender moments. He could see the fear in her eyes. He watched her grow steadily weaker as the terror of what might happen started to really sink in. She was falling ever so slowly into a dark abyss of worry and lost hope.

Draco walked into the Hospital Wing, HermioneÕs vanilla shampoo smell lingering in the air. He walked over to her bed, and saw a small cut on her finger. He touched the bloody cut with his thumb. This movement elicited a small cry from what he thought was HermioneÕs closed mouth. He looked at her, and then heard a noise behind him. He turned and saw Madam Pomfrey frantically searching through a drawer in her desk, flailing her arms around in despair and confusion.

ÒMadam Pomfrey?Ó Draco probed, walking towards her, rubbing a tiny drop of blood between his fingers, and watching it dissolve into his skin. He then stopped dead. He remembered something Hermione had done when heÕd last touched her blood. SheÕd searched for that tiny vial just as frantically as the nurse was now. He stood still, about 4 feet away from the desk. He looked down at his thumb and forefinger, a look of mild concern on his face.

ÒOh dear boy, stupid you are!Ó She muttered wildly, making little sense. She continued rummaging through her drawer, until at last she sighed in relief, hurrying over to DracoÕs side and pulling him towards abed. She pushed him down a little too roughly for his taste onto the bed and poured a little of the liquid onto his fingers and down his throat. He coughed slightly and felt himself getting slightly drowsy. The last image he had was of the nurse looking relieved and motherly. He cried out and then fell asleep.

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Draco awoke the next morning to see the nurseÕs large backside knelt over HermioneÕs bed next to him. He cleared his throat, but she took no notice. He lay back down on his bed, remembering the dream heÕd had. It was a perfect reenactment of LuciusÕs death. The only difference being Draco had watched it from behind a bush. He shuddered thinking of everything heÕd put himself through thanks to that man.

ÒOh good, Mr. Malfoy. YouÕre up.Ó Madam Pomfrey said jovially. She walked to his bed and put her hand to his forehead. She nodded primly and walked back to HermioneÕs bed. ÒYou may go, Mr. MalfoyÓ, She said, her back still turned, ÒOnly, I think you and Miss Granger should start the, er,Ó She looked uncomfortable, ÒOh, you know what I mean. Her end is near, I can see. If she isnÕt pregnant by the end of the month, sheÕll, er, sheÕll die, Draco.Ó For that, she had turned around and was looking at Draco gravely. He nodded, noting that the end of the month was merely a week away.

Just as he was walking out of the door, he turned to face the nurse, ÒWhen weÕll she be up?Ó He asked.

ÒOh, quite soon I should think.Ó Madam Pomfrey answered, her voice muffled.

Draco nodded, more to himself than to anyone else. He looked back up to Madam Pomfrey, who was deeply immersed in working for Hermione, a sad smile on her face. Draco looked at HermioneÕs face. He gasped silently when she opened her eyes. With them, she told Draco not to make a sound. She smiled and mouthed, ÒI love you.Ó

Her eyes closed upon a tear she chose not to set free.

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A/N Please review. Thanks for everyoneÕs kind support. I hope the next chapter wonÕt be too awful. Sexual activity will be included!

Thanks Jem!!! YouÕre a wonderful beta!