Disclaimer: No I don't own them.

A/N: Attention!!!! You must re read chapter 21 before you read chapter 22. I've made some changes for the plot's sake. Then read and review. I really appreciate all those who have been reading and reviewing. I love all of you kisses the story's is coming to and end is going to be a very……how you say…interesting end. I want to beg for your forgiveness now because you might want to kill me when you read from this chapter on.

Chapter 22: Adding fuel to the fire

            Hermione walked to Potions class, alone. She knew Draco was with her last night. She had felt his presence the night before. This morning his side of the bed was empty, but it was slept on the night before. She found it odd that Draco would leave before her especially since they had the same class that morning. There was most likely a reason for it, she thought.

            She walked through the student body in the dungeons. Harry, Ron, Neville, and Seamus sat on one side of the room, which was mostly populated with Gryffindors, arguing about a recent Quid ditch match. She waved at her friends and continued her search for Draco. A crowd of Slytherins populated the back of the Potions class room. Pansy, being one of them, sat on the table in the center of a circle of hungry 7th years who wanted to have what she offered.

            It seemed as though as soon as Hermione made an entrance, Pansy had her eyes glued on her. Hermione did not notice she was being watched until the two made eye contact. At that particular moment, Pansy detached herself from her conversation, stopping in mid sentence, to glare at Hermione. Hermione returned the favor. As she continued to walk, turning her head a few millimeters when necessary, Hermione never broke the eye contact. She wanted Pansy to know that she was not being intimidated.

            As each woman concentrated on the other, everything else in the room seemed to dissolve. The noise level in the class room decreased, but only in their minds. The one sound that was most eminent to each other was the rhythm of their breathing, which was similar to one who was fighting back the urge to attack.

Hermione looked at Pansy and saw an emotional wreck. She was not the type to judge by appearance, but Pansy's appearance showed more of her character than any one she knew. She was not a person with much depth, which Hermione could tell. She was a slut because she wanted the attention. She wanted to feel like she belonged to someone, someone like Draco.

Rejection was not something she could handle well. Hermione knew the type; she was dating one like them. Pansy would definitely be one to cry herself to sleep every night because she truly was not happy. However her escape from tears was among wild nightly escapades in which she would leave slicked in body fluids that did not belong to her. The only thing she deserved was pity. However, Hermione found that hard to provide for a person who was constantly out to get her.

On the other side of the classroom Pansy was internally growling "All she has to do is step out of line. Just one wrong move and it's over for the bitch." However as she thought this a new thought dawned on her. She had the mudblood wrapped around her finger. She had control over not only Hermione but Draco as well. It would be nice to see Draco bend to her will finally.

As the minutes passed, the noise in the volume in the classroom increased as Hermione and Pansy returned from their momentary lapse in silence. Before turning completely away, Hermione saw that the last thing to grace Pansy's face was a sickening smirk. It was almost like she had some type of knowledge no one else knew and she felt powerful for knowing so much.

            Spotting Draco in the front of the classroom, Hermione approached him from the back. He was unaware of her sneak attack. Being very cautious, she slid her hands on his shoulder and let them drop in front of his chest and leaned in to whisper in his ear.

 "I missed you this morning." Hermione said, nibbling at his ear. She expected Draco to turn around and greet her with a charming smile that she missed. Instead of responding to her love bite, Draco firmly grasped Hermione by her arms and moved his ear away from her lips.

            His actions were reluctant but it was not visible to those far away. Draco felt like he was being torn away from body tissue although there was no physical pain. Hermione's eyes widened in surprise and she caught Draco's eyes. He challenged her but did not speak. It was almost as of he was saying "do not ask question because I'm not giving any answers." In the corner of his eye he could see that Pansy had stopped trying to please the salivating Slytherins and turned her attention fully on the pair in the front of the room.

            "Sit down Granger, you're disrupting class." Draco said harshly. Hermione sank into the chair next to him, shocked at his change in attitude. She had encountered a side of Draco she had not seen in months.

 Behind their heads, Pansy was smirking with satisfaction.

            Class that morning was uneventful but it was hard for Hermione to keep her concentration on page 351 in her Potions text book. Suddenly everything she did felt wrong around Draco. It was an uncomfortable feeling she had around strangers.

It was a relief when a bell sounded into the distance, indicating that class was over. Hermione let Draco leave before her and she did not dare look at him as he left the room. Finally when she left, the hallway was beginning to empty. She walked in her solitude, thinking, when someone placed a warm hand over her mouth and dragged her into the near by abandoned dungeon classroom.

            "Look Hermione, you can't do that. You just can't" he said sounding desperate. He placed his hand on both her wrist, holding them firmly. Hermione looked up into the eyes of Draco. His eyes bore into Hermione's, pleading with her to listen. 

            "What are you talking about?" She asked in genuine curiosity.

            "You can't touch me like that….you do not know what it does to me and how hard it is….." he trailed off as his voice began to crack. Hermione opened her mouth to ask questions but he cut her off.

            "Look don't ask any questions just do me that favor." Draco said trying to be as firm as possible. He could not prolong this conversation. It would cost him too much. He might say things to her she did not need to know.

            "I'm not doing anything until you explain what is going on!!"

            "Hermione please….just do it." There was a silence in which she seemed unyielding

"Hermione I'm begging you." He leaned his body closer to Hermione. The slight touch of her fingers on his arm brought him comfort. He could feel himself falling through and his lips drawing closer to Hermione's. They were close enough for their lips to slightly brush against each other's. Draco lingered there for a moment taking in her scent.

Finally allowing himself this one moment of pleasure, he captured her lips with his. She pressed herself into his muscular form like she was in desperate need. Draco responded with a slight moan. It was then that he knew he had to end the kiss. They parted slowly as if they had the time to enjoy the aftermath of a heated kiss.        

"Who's forcing this on you? Tell me. Draco you don't have to do….." Hermione blurted out remembering what she had intended to say before her lips got caught up in something else.

            "Hermione!" Draco yelled noticing the stray tear falling from the corner of Hermione's eye. Instantaneously a sharp pang hit him in his stomach. "You're making trouble for me….just please"

            The entire mood shifted from a moment of bliss to urgency in its worst form.

            "Please, I just need you to……" Draco continued pleading. He could see the muscles in her face relax and fall into a frown. Slowly she was letting go. She moved her line of sight to a cobweb in the far corner of the room. She refused to look at him.

Hermione nodded after a long silence. She was silenced.

            The day was spiraling to an end. The intense heat of mid June was taking its toll on the Hogwarts student's, making them lazy and groggy. Classes ended early due to a staff meeting. Hermione had a few more hours to spare until she would retire to her room for the night. She decided to take a walk around the grounds.

She traveled the grounds and met many 7th years taking advantage of the great weather. Hermione was strolling past the Quiddith pitch just in time to see a figure clad in gold and red Quidditch robes speed through the air and tumble off his broom from a rough landing. Harry lay grabbing his shoulder in pain a few feet away. Hermione ran to him.

            "Harry!" she screamed.

            "Hermione?" Harry yelled looking at the figure running towards him. He immediately sat up and blushed harder than she had ever seen him blush.

            "I was hoping no one would see that." Harry said as Hermione came to the aid of his injured shoulder.

            "I don't understand why all of a sudden you're embarrassed. It's not like I've never seen you fall off your broom. Everyone has their flaws, Harry."  Hermione offered the advice that Harry was so used to hearing.

            "This really hurts, but I don't think anything is broken. I would know." Harry said and Hermione discontinued her examination.

            "Well there is bruising. We do not have to go to Madame Pomfrey for that. I have something for it." Hermione voiced while she got up off the grassy Quidditch field, wiping the remains of dirt off her skirt. "Follow me." Hermione instructed and Harry obeyed.

            It took Hermione five minutes to lead Harry back to her dorm. When she entered she noticed that Draco was not in his dorm or anywhere else in the Head's quarters. Harry noticed his absence as well.

            "How is Mr. Wonderful?" Harry spat sarcastically at Hermione. She chose not to take his comment seriously and let it remain as a joke between friends.

            "It's funny because I don't know when was the last time I remember I could call him that." Hermione yelled out to Harry who was sitting in the common room while she busied herself in her bathroom.

            "Really? Why is that?"

            Hermione reappeared in the common room with a tub of electric blue gel. Harry noticed she had rid herself of her robes and sweater.

"He's just been acting strange lately, that's all" She shrugged casually as if it were nothing. This gesture, however, did not stop Harry from asking more questions. She should have known the casual shrug was not enough to sway his attention.

Harry stripped of his robes and was now bare-chested in front of Hermione. She hardly took notice of his well toned chest. Draco would have some competition only if she would acknowledge him. Hermione proceeded to rub the gel on the bruises along his shoulder and back as if the situation was not awkward enough.

"Why do you have this gel anyway?" Harry asked trying to lessen this tense air in the room. However he felt Hermione's hand go rigid on his back. The pads of her fingers were lingering on his back, heating his skin. It took her a while to respond to his question.

"Accident's happen." Hermione's response was short but needed no further explanation. Her voice had raised an octave and it cracked slightly. Moisture began to build in her eyes as she left the room for a minute and traveled back to early September, when she would cut herself regularly.

Harry did not see her face but took her silence as a signal. He had hit a chord of hers that was not meant to be played with. Clearing his throat, he changed the subject. He felt Hermione jump slightly.

"Malfoy has been acting strange, you say?" Harry questioned

"Slightly" Harry could hear the apprehension in her voice. It was now that she realized that she had to watch what she said around him. The slightest comment can send him on a trip to snap Malfoy's neck.

"Hermione," Harry said turning to Hermione and taking her hand in his and placing it on his chest. "The school year is over. Why not just give up?"

Hermione stared at the position of her hand. She felt the sudden urge to remove it but found it hard to do so because of the pressure Harry was applying to her hand. With every passing second she felt more inclined to move away from Harry.

"Why not?" Hermione said, chuckling softly to herself. "I wish it were that easy." She said making eye contact with Harry. She tried to look past the intense green and see more than she was supposed to. She tried but did not see anything. Of course, Harry was not Draco.

            "You're too attached" Harry said showing pity for her.

            "Maybe I am a bit too attached."

            "Have you thought about what will happen after graduation?"

            "No, not really, I know it's not like me to do so but I haven't had the desire to plan ahead. I want to take everything as it comes. You can't plan, things just happen."

            "Do they?" Harry trailed off and then started again his voice rising with every word. "What next Hermione. Will it be a marriage proposal, a baby? Tell me now because I don't like unpleasant surprises."

            With that said, Harry threw her hand aside as if he was touching acid. He grabbed his shirt and began dressing with his back turned on Hermione. He dressed himself roughly and Hermione decided it would be best to stay silent. Harry's anger was the explosive type of anger. She had much experience with that.

"Look, all I want to know is what you expect to get out of this relationship?" Harry asked with his back still turned on Hermione. He had brought his anger down enough to talk with out yelling.

"I expect a little of everything." As Hermione spoke these words she could not imagine how true these words were.

"What do you see in the future?" Harry continued his interrogation. The anger was seeping away into the cracks.

"I don't know. Draco is unpredictable." Hermione replied. The minute she responded she saw the laugh lines in Harry's face disappear and replaced with wrinkles of worry and disappointment.

"So, Draco will be there in the future." Harry said sounding hurt. It was more of a statement more than a question. It was a statement of confirmation that was open for a response. It was his first step to accepting that Draco and Hermione had become something more than a fling. It would be very selfish of him to admit he wished it had not gone so far.

"Forgive me for saying this but yes he will be there." Hermione finished strongly. It was the final verdict and there was nothing that could change that….yet.

Harry stood, with his shirt open, in front of Hermione. It was as if there were frozen in a moment where they had time to contemplate on the emotions racing through them. If only it had seemed that way to Draco. He had just waltzed into the room, but still walking in as if he had some where to be.

"Potter." He spat. Draco took a moment to take in the scene before him. Slowly his face settled into a scowl.

"Malfoy." Harry spat back with just as much venom.

"What are you doing here?" Draco said, inching near to Harry by the minute. It took him thirty seconds to cut through a table and Hermione to get close enough to see the pupils in Harry's eyes.

"I was here paying my friend a visit," Harry replied in a mock cheerful tone. "Since, you seem to disappear a lot lately." Harry's tone took a dark and frightful air. Draco's eyes flashed stormy grey as he looked across to Hermione. She went rigid but held his gaze for moment longer than she intended.

"She told you that, Potter, or do you have that much time to sit and find things to say that'll piss me off?" Draco said through clenched teeth. He didn't like the fact that he was being discussed behind his back by the one he trusted most.

"You forget that she trust me, Malfoy and always has." Harry responded gaining the upper hand in the verbal feud.

"What is with you and constant competition, Potter?" Draco bit back the urge to call him Potty face. He was too old for name calling. This was serious.  Harry was treading in deep turbulent waters.

"I always find the need to fight to protect." As Harry said this Draco could not help at think how similar they were in their endeavors. He was fighting to protect Hermione, but in ways that Harry could never protect her.

"Give up Potter you're not needed anymore." Draco spat low enough for only himself and Harry to hear.

"Whether I'm needed or not is not your decision." Harry said switching his line of sight to Hermione in the background.

Draco tsked and let his head drop into a slight bow. "Hero instincts." he spat "Foolishness! It'll be the same thing that will bring you down. I wish I live to see that day."

"There are some who think differently"

"Then again there are some who don't know any better." Draco said directing his comment toward Hermione before storming out of the room. Before letting the portrait door close he yelled over his shoulders at Harry.

"Potter you might want to button up that shirt before someone else notices."

"Are you going to go after him?" Harry inquired. Considering how strong she felt about Draco he would have thought she'd be out on a hunt by now. Hermione eyed Harry wearily. Do not follow him, she chided her self but her mind told her differently. As if in a trance Hermione went into her room, leaving behind a very confused Harry, and returned with her robes.

She dressed herself while never breaking eye contact with Harry. His only response was a look of concern. Swinging the left sleeve over her arm Hermione replied "I won't even bother to." She was going to do the opposite of what her confused 17 yr old brain was telling her. She wanted to see where it would get her.

He waited around the bend for Hermione, knowing she would follow him. However as the minutes passed the certainty of the situation faded, Draco found him self hoping she followed him. He needed to discuss what just happened with her, just to clarify things. It was his way of gaining some comfort and knowledge. Although they were supposed to have no contact with each other, he was willing to forsake that for a five minute chat in which she would deject what he was thinking and tell him the truth. He waited anxiously around the bend for Hermione to come and tell him that she was not doing anything drastic with Potter, for comfort reasons.

Draco stopped breathing after a while of trying to listen for her footsteps in the distance. There were not any noises except for the rush of blood in his ears. He pressed his mind trying to find reasons for her absence. He tried to disregard that nagging voice in the back of his mind screaming "She's given up on you. You wanted her to stay away and now she is. It's time you give up too."

Before the voice of emotional defeat could take any toll on Draco, he caught the slight sound of feet against the marble floor. It was a female's foot because her step was light, causing no extra rumbling. And then the extra rumbling came. Draco looked around from his hiding spot and saw Hermione walk off into the other direction with Potter by her side. 

The familiar feeling of thorns pricking him all over came rushing back to him. His heart raced faster as his sanity and patience left him. He would have liked to think Hermione was not that type of girl. He would like to think that she would realize how wrong this was, but his anger would not let him.

            There was a lot of mad behavior in the dark, gloomy, Slytherin dungeon. Almost no one was sober, leaving lots of room for drunken entertainment. Heads were spinning and the drinks and drugs were circulating the room. It was like any other night in the common room, just on a grander scale.

            Pansy sat on the top step of the staircase leading to the girl's dormitory. She was less than pleased with her entertainment, a desperate 6th year on the Quidditch team. She did not bother to catch his name. After tonight she would never look or talk to him ever. Although he was a sixth year Pansy found that he was worthy of her time. He might have been a dull person but not as dull when it came to other things.

            The Slytherin talked about nothing other than his social goals for the seventh year, mostly trying to be the next Slytherin Quidditch captain. He ran his hand up Pansy's thigh, stopping every now and then to massage certain spots. She hardly took notice of this. Pansy was not listening but it was unnoticeable to no one else. Pansy had the uncanny ability to put every sound around her on mute if she wanted too. Sometimes quiet was good.

            The only thing that broke her concentration was when Draco walked in through the heavy silver dungeon door. He entered and all eyes followed him, especially Pansy's. She noticed how he entered and stood on top of the stairs leading into the dungeon and how he stood out from every one else. She noticed how he walked with an appealing type of strut that said "I run all of this."

Draco took himself to Blaise, who was managing the distribution of liquor. Draco and Blaise had a very short chat at which in the end Draco was provided with a mug of fire whiskey. It seemed to Pansy that Draco was not in the socializing mood tonight, judging from the monotone voice and his expressionless face.

Despite all of this Pansy found herself drawn to him. Surprisingly to herself it was his very demeanor that attracted her to him. Again tonight she would let go of her principles and allow herself a few seconds of pleasure in the arms of the man she could not resist.

            As Pansy made her way towards him in the shadows, she could not help at think how desperate she was being. Tonight, like many others, he would probably call her a slut and tell her to go find some one else to please her. She was ready to have Draco send a blow to herself esteem. She knew how to deal with it by now.

After years of his insults, she had grown immune to it. He could not hurt her any more. Pansy wished she could hurt him and get retribution for what he had caused her for most her teenage years. She would have liked for Draco to know how he hurt her but he would think of her as a weak person for revealing that. Sluts like her were not worth his time, but yet Granger was. At the thought of Granger, Pansy's blood began to boil, causing her to be more determined.

            "Hello stranger" Pansy said, slinking into the chair across from him.

            "Parkinson." Draco caught a glimpse of her face in the firelight. He always remembered Pansy looking better in the dark.

            "What brings you down to the dungeons? I haven't seen you here in a while." She was taunting him. It was her only means to agitate him.

            "What do you want?" Draco downed another mouthful of the whiskey. He grimaced as it burned the lining of his trachea.

            "Nothing I just fancy a chat, that's all." 

            "So why come my way? You have loads of people here you can chat with."

            A heavy silence followed Draco's comment, being that they both were too upset about the previous comments to talk.

            "I saw what happened in Potions today, between you and Granger." Pansy spoke in attempt to grab Draco's attention. He was drifting; she could see that. It was only a matter of time until he was fully drunk.

            "I know you did." His gritty, relaxed manner made the conversation easier.

            "I'm glad you finally put the mudblood in her place." Pansy let the smirk playing on her lips extend into a wide smile.

            "She needed a reality check." Draco may have been half drunk but he was not too drunk not to know what Pansy needed to hear. He couldn't afford for her to go running to Voldemort with news about him.  The image of Hermione and Harry walking, hand in hand, was still floating about in his mind. He brainstormed for answers to his question but somehow the nagging voice in his head overpowered everything else. "She's given up on you. You wanted her to stay away and now she is. It's time you give up too."

            "I'm the one who needs the reality check." Draco thought to himself and he complied with the voice saying, "It's time to give up too."

            Pansy, taking liberty of his current state, slid into his lap. What was a plus was that she did not get a negative response, only a blank look on Draco's behalf and a stir of excitement from the depths of her.

            "You are such a somber person, Draco." She whispered in his ear, running her slender finger against his jaw line, creating a path of own, leaving her own fingerprints. He did not take long to succumb to her touch.

            "I have my reasons." Draco was exuding as much sexual energy as Pansy needed to confirm that she would be spending the night with him. He placed his hand on a soft spot on Pansy's body. She shivered in response and started adding pressure on his groin. Draco laid his head back against the plush green armchair, watching Pansy's face contort in the name of pleasure.

            "Care to explain that to me?" She said breathily leaning evermore closer to his body.

            "No" Pansy was shocked not by his response. "I do not feel like doing much talking tonight."

            It was then Draco had a revelation. There were other ways to relieve stress. With that thought in mind, he swooped in on Pansy's lips, hungrily taking in all of her like he never touched her before. Draco expertly and ravenously kissed Pansy, putting all his anger into the kiss. Pansy, who was more than pleased with his response, took the liberty of running her hands though his soft strands of blond hair. Possibly after tonight she would never get to do that. He would wake up tomorrow and realize he had slept with Pansy again, and for what cost?   For Draco it's a typical night for Pansy it was another reason to hate her self. She dismissed these idea's as Draco began running his fingers gently on her lower stomach. Pansy was addicted, she could never say no to him. She could cry in the morning but tonight she was going to do her drug.

            "How much time do you have?" Pansy breathed, breaking away from the lip bruising kiss.

            "As much time as we need." Draco pushed away from Pansy to show her his famous smirk playing on his lips.

            "Good, let's take this some place private" she suggested feeling a rush heat up her skin after meeting his blue gray eyes. She'd seen it so many times, lust embedded in those very pools of blue grey.

            "I know a place." Draco grabbed Pansy's hand and led her out of the Slytherin common room.

            Draco guaranteed Pansy that he could sneak her into the Head's quarters with out a problem. Granger would not be around to object, she was most likely with Potter. Dumbledore did not say "visitors" were prohibited. Tonight Draco would follow his own rules.

            He did not wait to tear Pansy's shirt open before closing the room door and separating himself and Pansy from the rest of the world. The pair of them was too eager to think about moving onto the bed covered in green silk sheets. Draco and Pansy remained pressed against the mahogany door as he worked his way up her inner thighs, stimulating her femininity. Moans resonated through out the silent room. Draco could not help at think at this moment that Pansy's voice sounded dull and it fell through the silence, almost being swallowed by it. With Hermione it would ring through out the room for as long as the room would retain the sound.

            Pansy shivered as Draco's fingers creep up the inside of her thighs, getting closer and closer. Soon Draco was playing with the waist band of her thong, gently touching her skin. His hands waited a long intensifying moment at the sides of her hips; Draco was playing with time. He had the upper hand in the situation as always. After this there was no way Pansy would not do what he asked of her.

            In one swift movement, Draco ripped the black thong off Pansy and pinned her down on his bed. Deciding it was her turn, Pansy flipped herself on top of Draco. She fumbled with his belt, successfully unbuckling it revealing what lay underneath. It seemed as though neither party could wait for the maximum pleasure. As Pansy slowly slid onto Draco, she ran her fingers down his chest thinking about the next time Granger would touch him. The next time she would know Pansy had walked her territory. Traces of her touch and scent would be enough proof.  

            The long forgotten interaction between the two suddenly rebuilt its self on the same old foundation. Pansy, having already placed herself on top of Draco, started rolling her hips. Draco's allowed his head to drop back onto the pillow as a shock of pleasure twisted his insides. Pansy, also feeling the same sensation, bit her lips hard to prevent herself from yelling out.

            Draco closed his eyes and allowed him self to drift away from the bedroom and into his own mind. As more sharp pangs of pleasure ripped through his body, disturbing his thoughts and altering his senses, he saw images of Hermione. Her soft skin in the golden fire, her brown eyes, and the passion embedded in them, her delicate curves.

            Pansy began to increase the pace. Draco could feel the muscles inside of Pansy contracting and he felt the same sensation. He knew she was close to climaxing and so was he. Pansy's volume increased as she let her self have the liberty of eliciting moans. Draco's breathing was now increasing, along with his body temperature and blood pressure.

            In between his own heavy breathing and Pansy's throaty moan, Draco heard a tiny gasp from the other side of the room. He looked up at Pansy, who immediately froze. The streak of light that fell across Draco's chest was enough to confirm their suspicions. The door creaked open and Hermione revealed herself.

            Hermione stood shocked at the scene before her and she felt pain like she had never felt before. A bullet ripped through her body and she felt the need to crawl up and die. "Move! Leave now!"  Her mind commanded but her feet would not allow it. Surely tears would come soon if she continued to stare at Draco and Pansy, together, and half naked. However she could not find the strength to look away.

            Pansy's face split into a smile when she saw Granger walk in. Although she was upset that she was interrupted, she was more than pleased to see the reaction they got. She did not bother to leave the bedroom; she remained on top of Draco waiting for the heat to subside. "Shall we send her away Draco?" Pansy asked. Draco did not answer. The alcohol in his system would not let him process the information. 

            Hermione looked from Pansy to Draco, letting the tears built up freely. No matter how many times she blinked, Pansy was still there with Draco inside of her. After a prolonged silence Hermione let realization sink in. How typical of her to deny that Draco was no longer capable of using her, that he had suddenly changed, that this relationship would last. Ideas in her mind scrambled as a new thought and plan of action set in.

            "You son of a bitch." Hermione growled so fiercely that it surprised both Pansy and Draco. Hermione stepped through the door allowing more light into the dark room. Inside of her robes she grabbed for her wand. Hermione's statement broke the previous silence and brought on a stronger silence.

            Hermione kept her eyes on Draco, not daring to look at Pansy. She might just hex her on the spot if Pansy so much as looked her way. Pansy was not the main problem however, Draco was. Hermione's eyes pleaded with Draco but the connection was lost. Through the slits she could see the hue of his eye change from blue to stormy gray.

            "Leave Pansy." Draco's deep voice thundered through the room. She looked at him trying to find an excuse for why she should stay. Draco did not want to hear Pansy's objections. He had business to handle and her presence was not needed.

"Get out!" Draco yelled getting more furious by the second. Pansy jumped at this command and fled out of the room while dressing her self on the way out. They were alone now. No one was there to stop them or witness what would happen tonight.

            "What is wrong with you?" Hermione yelled at him, asking the question she wanted answered for the entire day.

            Advancing on Hermione, Draco spat "How dare you embarrass me like that. When you talk you forget who you're talking too sometimes, Granger." He was so close Hermione could smell the faintest trace of liquor on his breath. Catching her wrist before she could effectively push him away, Draco whispered in her ear "Certain things you say to me, you can get your neck snapped for that." 

            "I'm sorry I'm upset Draco. I was not aware that we were sleeping with other people."  Hermione spat sarcastically and immediately wanted to take her words back, the term "we" did not seem appropriate for Draco and Hermione anymore.

            "I wasn't either until I saw you with Potter today so I thought I'd do Pansy a favor." Draco was still hovering in between the realms of intoxication. Hermione looked at him, his drunken smirk, tussled blond hair, body slicking in his sweat…and Pansy's. Her heart dropped. "What was happening?" Hermione asked herself.

"Why! Just tell me why Parkinson of all people. Why are you constantly trying to hurt me after I've given you so much?" Hermione screamed in between fits of tears. She was trashing against Draco and effectively breaking his grip on her. "Draco I've done things no one would ever do for you because they would think you're worthless. Why do this to me after I've put myself through all of that just for you! Is this my reward?"

            Hermione's words stung Draco as she continued raging. Every second that passed and every hurtful word she threw at him brought him back to reality.

            "I'm starting to think everyone else has the right idea. You're nothing Draco. You're an emotional wreck. Your not strong Draco, you're not a god. You have weaknesses and I know each and every one of them. You're no one Draco. No one at all and the sad thing is no one cares for you! I was stupid enough to let me myself fall for you. AND THIS IS WHAT YOU DO TO ME. Gods, it hurts. It really hurts."

            Hermione whipped out her wand and advanced on Draco. If he was stable enough he would think to grab the wand away from her. She was an armed witch with a cause to hurt him. He was weapon less and wished more than anything that he could go back a few hours and fix this mess. Hermione stood her ground in front of him with her wand held at his chest. Her patience was hanging by a thread, a thin fragile thread at that.

            Staring into his soulless eyes set a blaze of fire through Hermione. They were deep, but she could see nothing there. Not even the slightest hint of remorse. And then she saw a twinkle, a little flash of glee run through him and it showed up on his lips as he spread them into a smirk. That triggered her fury.

"Crucio!" Hermione yelled letting all her anger into one curse. The unforgivable hit Draco square in the chest and he crashed to the floor from the unbearable pain. Hermione found slight satisfaction from this; she wanted him to feel pain. Hermione needed to be assured that Draco would feel what she felt.

"CRUCIO!" Hermione yelled finding a fresh spot to hit. This time it sent Draco flying across the room and he landed on his vanity mirror. Before the glass burst into pieces, Draco dramatically slid down the mirror, leaving a single trail of blood. Pieces of glass flew everywhere before piercing the skin on Draco's back.  

            "Hermione please," Draco pleaded rolling over onto his back. This fueled Hermione's anger even more. How dare he ask for mercy? Hermione walked over to his groveling figure on the floor and stood over him. Draco looked up and saw a Hermione waiting for vengeance. He would let her have it, for comfort reasons.

            "CRUCIO!" Hermione spoke the unforgivable and held the curse longer than the others. She watched as Draco's body twitched and curled because of the pain. Draco's body was on fire and she knew it. He tried as long as he could to hold back a scream, she could tell by the traces of dry blood on his lips.

            Hermione saw Draco arch his back and his eyes roll in the back of his head. His face contorted with pain beyond the norm. A glow of red circulated that Hermione's wand emitted outlined Draco's body. The end of Hermione's wand began to smolder her palm and the tip shook violently. If she held the curse any longer she could kill Draco. Hermione decided it was time to let go, let go of Draco, her anger, the pain. She broke the curse.

Draco fell to the floor with a deadening thud. Blood gushed out of Draco's mouth and she heard something inside him crack. He was on the brink of tears. She could see them shining in his eyes. Draco was stubborn he would not let her see him cry. Hermione walked over to Draco looking down at him, a blank expression on her face and her wand hanging loosely in her hand. Her eyes roamed over his bruised body and she hoped he would recover soon.

            Draco spat the mouthful of blood on her robes. "You're a whore for sleeping with Potter, but you are my whore. You are mine!" Draco's voice echoed through her head, bouncing back and forth. Soon Draco's voice began to die and a familiar voice circulated through her head. The voice of the man she wanted dead more than anyone else, her father.

            Blood raced through her veins and rushed to her head. All sanity was lost to her.

"Avada Ka –." She paused as the green glow heated up the end of her wand. The longer she held her wand the more it burned her.

            "Say it." Draco said awaiting his fate. He looked at Hermione, boring through her. He knew did not have the heart to kill him. She still loved him, otherwise she would not hesitate. The longer she waited the more he knew she would spare him, and that he did not deserve.

            "SAY IT!! All Hermione could do was look at Draco, the one she had loved. Her arm trembled along with the rest of her body. She did not have the heart to do it. That was the only thing reminding her that she was still human.

            "Do it you coward….I've got nothing to lose." Draco yelled his voice dying as he struggled to talk. Draco held her gaze for as long as she would allow it. She was slipping away from him more and more each time. He would rather die than lose what he had with Hermione. In the end would it all be worth it? Would it all work out?