Man, it's been a loooong while hasn't it? I hope people are still reading this, or for that matter even still interested in it at all! Please enjoy. All comments are accepted! 06/08/04

Closer

Chapter 5:

Harry hesitated, he wasn't sure if he should follow after Hermione to see if she was alright, or if he should go and sit with the rest of his shell- shocked friends. Ron looked at him expectantly, and Harry decided on the latter. He could always talk to Hermione later when she had cooled off some.

Hermione felt like complete crap and she was completely enraged. Se wiped at her hot tears angrily as she stomped down the halls. It seemed no one could ever be trusted, if you couldn't even trust your best friend.

'Those rotten little worms will pay... hate isn't strong enough a word... I abhor them.' She thought bitterly.

"Dammit!" Her shout echoed as she threw herself against the wall and gave herself up to her own relentless despair.

Draco kept receiving dirty stares from the table across from him, mainly from one Ronald Weasly. He also made sure his own eyes bored into their damned foreheads as well.

"What's the matter Draco? You don't want to eat?" asked Goyle.

Draco glared at him. "No, a few certain ugly faces have caused me to lose my appetite. I'll see you guys in class." He said getting up and leaving the Hall. He was growing bored with the little staring contest, and that had been a perfect excuse to get away from it .

'With any luck I'll have broken up that damnable trio once and for all...' That particular thought brought a genuine, if not caustic, smile to his lips. No one had ever accused him of being a saint anyway. 'Nor will they ever.' he hoped.

He made it out of the Hall and began making his way down to the dungeons. He would be early for Snape's class, but it would be better to wait outside his door than to sit with the load of idiots he had for 'friends' while Pot- Head and The Weasel glared daggers at him.

As he continued on his way he heard muffled sobs. He raised a brow interest, 'Must be the little whore herself...' He turned a corner and sure enough, there she was, head bowed and crying her pathetic little eyes out.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" He said as he stopped in front of her. "A little, lost Gryffindor. What's the matter Granger? Is it that heart- breaking that little Weasly didn't come running after you? I mean after all, what did you expect? Even that low-life knew enough not to mess with something as dirty as you more than once."

Hermione had grown unbelievably still, but she kept her head down, looking at the floor. If she had looked up, one would have seen that she was fuming.

"Shut up Malfoy, the only thing dirty around here is your piss-worm little face. Now, if you please, LEAVE ME ALONE!" She finished in a distinct shout, head up, and eyes flashing at him.

He smirked, but didn't move.

"I'm warning you Malfoy..."

"Warning me of what? Are you going to cry some more?" He laughed. "I actually find it quite a-"

"I said shut up!" She was on her feet now, wand pointed right at his throat. Although she was a whole head shorter than him, she was imposing enough just with the look on her face.

"Do it. I dare you." He glared down at her, and she glared right back, but she didn't move. "I thought as much. You don't have the gall. Besides, you would be kicked out of here in a heartbeat if you did."

She lowered her wand slowly, reluctantly, "Please, just go away..."

"I can't do that. Not until you answer a question for me..." His steely grey eyes bore into hers. "Was he your first?"

Hermione gaped. What the hell kind of a question was that? If he meant to make her life a worse hell, he sure as hell wasn't getting this opportunity. "That's none of your business."

"Humor me."

She got a dangerous glint in her eye, "Why do you care? Are you jealous?"

Her sneering tone was evident, and he practically scrunched up his nose in disgust but refrained himself from it. "Don't be ridiculous. Why would I be jealous of vermin like you?"

Hermione scowled at him, "Probably for the same reason I would ever feel inclined to nswer you absurd question."

He lifted his nose in the air, "You disgust me." With that he turned and left her in peace.

Hermione let out a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding as she watched him stalk away. She shook her head an d looked at the time. 'Oh great, and now I'm going to be late thanks to that snobby git.'

She picked up her books and ran down the corridors. Unknowingly she had planted a seed in Draco Malfoy's brain. Albeit, a seed neither of them would ever wish to be placed there, but either way it was nestled deep in his mind.

And what of Harry and Ron? Well, you'll just have to wait for the next chapter because I have school tomorrow, and it's getting rather late. I hope you all enjoyed it.

As always, please review. Again, I apologize for taking so long with this. I guess one could say I was vacationing from it.

Love,

AngelicEmpress