Disclaimer: I still don't own them. L The song in this Chappie is Nothing Compares 2 U by Sinead O'Connor.

Hermione was falling. It was as if she had fallen between two huge canyons, into a bottomless pit.

Draco's slow drawl echoed off the canyon walls, saying the same nasty, vile, malicious things to her that he had in school. Except this time they penetrated deeper; her knight in shining armor was not there to defend her. Hermione woke with salty trails of half dried tears on her cheeks. Her clock was playing the Weird Sisters latest hit as she slid on her slippers and entered the bathroom. She glanced into the mirror and sighed faintly, those salt-trails had shown up all to often in the mornings lately.

"Oh, dear, you'll be alright; there are other fish in the sea," her mirror said sympathetically. She had gotten the mirror as a graduation present from Ginny, after being named valedictorian for her class. It had stayed with her since then, and knew her almost as well as Ron did.

"Yes, but Weasley bachelors are an endangered species." Hermione responded faintly as she turned on the hot water in the shower.

A few moments after she had soaked her bushy hair she heard the mirror murmur, "Poor girl, you won't even sing for me anymore, what a waste of a lovely voice."

So Hermione started singing a song she had heard several times on the muggle station she sometimes listened to. You can only take so much of the Weird Sisters.

*It's been seven hours and fifteen days
Since you took your love away
I go out every night and sleep all day
Since you took your love away
Since you been gone I can do whatever I want
I can see whom-ever I choose
I can eat my dinner in a fancy restaurant
But nothing - I said nothing can take away these blues
Cause nothing compares - Nothing compares to you*

*It's been so lonely without you here
Like a bird without a song
Nothing can stop these lonely tears from falling
Tell me baby where did I go wrong
I could put my arms around every boy I see
But they'd only remind me of you
I went to the doctor n'guess what he told me
Guess what he told me*
*He said girl you better try to have fun
No matter what you do - But he's a fool
Cause nothing compares, Nothing compares to you*

*All the flowers that you planted, Baba
In the back yard
All died when you went away
I know that living with you baby was sometimes hard
But I'm willing to give it another try
Nothing compares, Nothing compares to you
Nothing compares, Nothing compares to you
Nothing compares, Nothing compares to you *

Hermione sang with her whole soul as she washed her hair. If the mirror had been human she would have been crying by the end of the performance. As it was the mirror was fogged up from more than just the warm water of the shower.

Hermione's beautiful voice was a talent that only those who had lived with her knew of: Hermione had sworn Lavender and Parvati to secrecy within their first week at Hogwarts. Her parents knew, Ron knew, because they had been living together, and Ginny knew, because she had heard Hermione on one of the rare occasions she'd slipped up and began singing in the shower at the Burrow.

Hermione grabbed her towel and stepped out of the shower. She walked into her room and dressed in light blue robes. She pulled a blueberry muffin out of the cupboard for breakfast and ate it slowly.

Hermione stood up and wiped the crumbs off her robes before apparating to work. She put on a strong front as she arrived at work. She smiled at everyone she met that day; a smile that never reached her eyes. She went back and forth in the office, doing research, reading reports, performing her magic, and writing reports. An hour before Hermione got off Ginny caught her in the hall. Hermione gave Gin her fake smile and said "Hello."

Hermione went to continue down the hall and Ginny lightly grabbed her by the wrist. "Hermione, this isn't you." Hermione's strong front faltered when it was directly confronted by her best female friend, and her assumed smile fell. "I'm taking you out tonight, girls night out. We're going to have fun, and I'm going to make sure you give me at least one real smile before we go home!"

"OK." Hermione responded. At least it would take her mind off of Ron.

A/N: Thank you for the wonderful reviews! You cannot imagine how worried I was about this story! I'm very glad you like it. Don't forget to review!

A/N 2: To answer a question, this isn't my first story, my first was A Ride with Ron, but this is the first multi-chaptered story I've ever written that I have confidence I'll finish.