I'm SOOO sorry I didn't update this sooner! The bloody Internet went whack and I couldn't submit this bloody chapter! I had done this chapter much earlier and I really wanted to submit it. Sorry again! Ok, so anyways... this chapter is kind of slow moving and boring, so don't get mad. I've already finished Chapter 8, but due to my annoying behavior and selfish attitude, I won't give it to you until you review. Chapter 8 has revelations about Oblivion! I think I'm really getting somewhere here, people!

By the way, you guys ROCK! Please accept a token of my appreciation – have a cookie! :) Don't forget to REVIEW because I won't continue unless I get 5 or more reviews. It really depends on my mood. More reviews = faster outcome, got it? REVIEW!!

DRACO'S POV :

I walked briskly down the hallway, carrying Granger's unconscious body in my arms. The hallway felt a lot warmer than before and I was sure this was Dumbledore's doing.

Once I arrived at the Hospital Wing, I looked around for a vacant bed to place her on. Many of the beds were empty, but I was a very picky person. The bed by the windowsill looked nice, but she might heat up by the sunlight, the bed in the corner was probably too dark for her, the bed by the medicine cabinet might be a bit distracting (by all the smells I mean), and the bed I was standing over looked uncomfortable.

One of the beds however, looked perfect – all nice, soft and comfortable looking. Granger needed a bed like that with the form she's in. Sadly however, that bed was occupied.

I snorted, the person asleep on that bed didn't even look badly injured – only a black eye, bloody nose and a few broken ribs. I decided – no matter how brutal – to place Granger on that bed anyways.

I gently put her down on the broken bed for a while, walked over to the boy sleeping on the comfortable bed, pushed him off and replaced Granger on it.

Yes, that's more like it. I grinned; feeling satisfied with myself. Now Granger can rest easy.

I stared down at Granger for a bit, feeling considerably weird and empty without her in my arms. Sighing, I bent down to inspect her.

Bruises covered her skin, some old and some new, a few scars were burnt threw her flesh like a hot iron... cuts looked like an everyday thing for her and she had a huge swollen bump at the left corner of her forehead.

I frowned, still staring at all the scars, cuts and bruises drawn (Not really drawn) roughly on Granger's small body. They had never been here before... so why were they here now? Then, it hit me. Those bruises had always been there, lying painfully around her body – the only reason I didn't notice it was because Granger had hidden it so well. Still, the only question that still toyed my mind was, who, or what for that matter, did this to her?

All of a sudden, I heard footsteps drawing closer to where I stood. I murmured swears, draped a cloak (The one Granger lent me) over Granger's body, and walked swiftly out of the Hospital Wing.

Boy, today has been a long shot. Hopefully I'd rest better tomorrow.

"Ugh..." I groaned, pulling the covers over my head. "What time is it...?" I rolled over under my blanket and tried hard to fall asleep, but to no luck, I was wide-awake and aching all over.

Sunlight streamed down my bed, highlighting parts of my body with a rich golden colour. The intensity made me grimace and even the slightest movements made me sting. Memories of last night's events replayed in my mind over and over again.

I tumbled out of bed, cursing everything around me in the process. "Damn heat... damn floor... damn walls... damn blanket... damn nose... damn headache..." and so on.

I crawled over to the bathroom, got a quick bath, and slipped into my school uniform. The only words that seemed to form out of my mouth, were either cruel or should-be censored. I was in a bad mood all right.

Grabbing my bag and slinging it over my shoulder, I grudgingly walked out of the Head Dorm to curse the rest of the world.

The Not-So-Great Hall was so jammed full with students this morning that it irritated me to hell. Everyone was so noisy, gossipy, and happy... I felt like strangling each of them and throwing them into a wardrobe together with a Boggart.

Of course, the day didn't get any better after. I had to put up with glares from the Gryffindore table, drools from the troll-faced girls in my fan club, a disturbing Pansy and a bunch of other crap.

By the time it was Transfiguration class, I was out of my mind with shit. I could think of nothing but how stupid this place was and how much I wanted to run away from it!

"Mr. Malfoy, have you anything to say?"

Eh? I stopped swearing under my breath to put on an innocent look at McGonagall. "Oh, of course not professor," I said, enlarging my eyes for effect. "I was only... uh... concentrating hard on your lesson. You see, that's the kind of thing you do in class." I shot Longbottom a withering look to make it look like I had done nothing wrong. Longbottom cowered under my stare.

"Oh?" spoke McGonagall, clearly unimpressed by my innocent act. "Well if so, would you repeat what I just said about transfiguring a teapot into a replica of your head?"

I bit my bottom lip. She got me there.

"No? Well then, as for lying and not paying attention in my class, you may serve detention with Weasley tonight at eight."

I narrowed my eyes in deep anger and disgust. That was injustice! I felt so sick and tired of this day that I just NEEDED to escape. Unconsciously, I closed my eyes, anger still boiling deep down inside my chest, and pictured an escape. I pictured a place all to myself, a place of comfort – somewhere nobody could find me. I pictured Oblivion...

The place was burning hot, dizzy and dried. I couldn't even feel myself under all this heat. I felt exhausted, barely awake and extremely washed out. Fire flickered and shot bellow my feet, startling me at how different everything seemed.

I looked around, trying to take in to the surroundings. My vision was slightly blurred and everything looked like a mirage. This was Oblivion – that I knew of – but why was it so... different?

The grounds bellow me sparked like a roaring fire would every Christmas night, the sky was red – blood red with streams of hot orange. It surprised me that Oblivion wasn't as cold and blue as it was with Granger.

I tried searching for a clue, any reason to why I was here. My fingers subconsciously drew a delicate pattern in front of me. The pattern was that of a blurred golden triangle.

Without realizing why, I muttered something under my breath, something that sounded a lot like, 'Show me the Truth", and suddenly, the floating golden triangle burst into a flash of white light and reformed itself into a projecting hologram-like thing.

Images of the moon at all its different stages sprang to life through the Truth-Triangle.

I stared in awe as the moon turned from crescent, to half. It looked miraculous and simply breath taking. But as the moon reached its full form, the original moon colour changed to half midnight blue and half blood red.

I frowned, puzzled at this new change. Half the side of the moon (The right side) looked strangely like my birthmark. How odd was that?

Suddenly a flying shadow flew up high in front of the moon, spreading its wings wide.

I squinted my eyes, trying to figure out what the heck this all meant. The flying-shadow-thing looked a lot like a phoenix... hmm... perhaps it was a phoenix... but what is a phoenix doing trying to protect a moon? Did this mean the moon is going to explode? Naah... I shook that thought out of my head, chuckling a bit at my silliness.

Sick of staring at something I couldn't solve, I waved an arm out in front of the Truth-Triangle, thus making it disappear in a bright white light.

Well, this was boring. I couldn't understand why Granger loved Oblivion so much; all it does is produce pain. Oh, but I guess the fact that nobody is around to irritate you is cool...

Sighing, I closed my eyes – concentrating hard on Life. I've had my little 'To-Myself Time', now it's about time I went back to where the rest of the living lay.

HERMIONE'S POV :

PLOP! The sound of Madame Pomphrey mixing potions made me shudder. PLOP! I winced, biting my lips tightly in disgust. PLOP! I shut my eyes and tried to fake being asleep. PLOP! I sighed. I give up...

"Now, dear, here you go!" said Madame Pomphrey, shoving a jug of Anti-Bruises under my nose. "Drink it all up, dearie! Don't want those nasty bruises now, do we?"

I opened my mouth to tell her that I didn't mind the bruises (It was the medicine that I wanted to avoid), but before I could, Madame Pomphrey forced my mouth open and dumped the nasty liquid in.

"Ugh!" I said, spitting the flavour from my tongue. That was nasty – worse than Malfoy even. Then, a thought struck me. Where was Malfoy? And who brought me here?

"Madame Pomphrey," I said, catching the Medi-Witch's attention. "Er... do you know how I got here? Who brought me, that is?"

Madame Pomphrey shrugged. "I simply don't know, dear," she said, bustling around the Hospital-Wing like she was in a rush. "I just found you here last night – covered in bruises and scars. What happened to you anyways?"

"Er... fell down a ladder while trying to reach for a book," I mumbled. It seemed like a good enough excuse... sort of. "May I please leave now, ma'am? I'd like to thank my, uh... 'Savior' for last night..."

"Ooh... Do have any clue of who it is than?" asked Madame Pomphrey. Sigh... women can be such busybodies.

"Kind of," I said, pulling myself off the beds and ruffling the sheets. "May I go now please?"

"Oh, all right," huffed Madame Pomphrey. "Your savior must be one heck of a man, to carry you all the way here."

I raised an eyebrow, questioningly. "He... carried me all the way?" I inquired. I had a hunch it was Malfoy, but now I wasn't so sure. Why would Malfoy carry me all the way to the Hospital Wing when he could've easily levitated me? Then again, Malfoy is the only one who knows about Oblivion and me. "Are you sure he didn't just levitate me or something?"

"Very sure," said Madame Pomphrey. A dreamy, far-away look suddenly spread across her face. "Seems romantic, doesn't it? I wish I could have a man carry me all the way to safety! Just like a prince! You know, I always wanted to be a princess when I was younger... live in a castle... getting saved by a prince... I dreamed about it every night. But I never got my wish. You are a very lucky one, you are... to have a man hold you in his arms... hugging you closely to his chest... some people get all the luck!"

I rolled my eyes, obviously disgusted. If she thinks I'm a lucky person, she's damn crazy! "Okay, I'll just be going... now," I muttered, before taking off.

Up the steps I went, wearing nothing but the nightgown and cloak from yesterday night's adventure. Just as my foot was about to touch the next step...

BAM!!

I fell on the ground, wincing at the painful contact it made with my sides. "What the hell...?" I started. Looking up, I saw Pansy Parkinson's ugly, pug-like face, grinning wickedly at me. "What d'you want, Pug-Face!" I growled.

Parkinson glared at me, eyes filled with disgust and nose scrunched horribly. I almost barfed. "Listen Mudblood – you ungrateful piece of leftover shit!" she snarled at me. I winced – that was worse than Pug-Face. I should've thought of that. "Rumors are; you're getting a little snuggly with MY Drakie!"

"Snuggly?" I repeated, a smile tugging at the corner of my lips. "You're kidding, right? I would NEVER even TOUCH that crappy pig-headed oaf – much less get SNUGGLY with him!"

Parkinson's eyes widened. She grinded her teeth together, picked me up by the collar of my nightgown (This really surprised me, I never knew a skinny little crap-head like Parkinson had the strength to pick me up by the collar), and slammed me against the wall. "How DARE you call Drakie that!" she shouted. She raised a bony arm, and slapped me across the face.

I laughed. "That's all you got, Miss Ugly 2004?" I said, putting on my annoying smirk that never failed to annoy. "A SLAP? You make me laugh! I was expecting something physical, for God's sake! Come on, Pug-Face! Throw me some shit already!"

Parkinson almost cried in fury. I suppose words couldn't explain how she hated me... actually it could – disgust, anger, hatred, vehemence, fury... etc. "Y-you B!!!" she screamed, raising a shaking fist.

I closed my eyes, waiting for the same pain I often felt. But... none came. I opened my eyes, wondering what the hold up was. Instead of Parkinson's glaring eyes and flaring nostrils, I saw Malfoy – staring at me with caring steel grey eyes.

"Are you alright?" he asked, hoisting me up to a better position. "How are your bruises?"

"Fine," I muttered, trying to look at anything but Malfoy's eyes because for some reason, it seemed to attract me. "Er... thanks."

"No problem," said Malfoy, shrugging like it was no big deal. "Pansy's an annoying slut anyways. I deal with her everyday..."

"Not for that..." I said, my eyes still avoiding his. "F-for... you know... last night..."

"O-oh..." Malfoy stuttered. He looked kind of sheepish. "Yeah... that was nothing either. I er... you know, just did the right thing."

I snorted. "Right thing? Since when do Malfoys do the 'Right Thing'?" I chuckled, almost smiling.

Malfoy grinned. "Hey, we have our bad days too, you know!" he said playfully.

I couldn't help it. My eyes immediately turned to his. We locked eyes for a while – my chocolate brown mixing with he's steel gray... It seemed like forever that we stood there, just staring into each other's eyes.

"Er... right then," I mumbled, breaking the contact. My cheeks turned a little pink, though I didn't know why. I coughed a bit and scratched my red nose, feeling a little chilly. I should really sleep with a sweater on – after all, nightgowns suck – especially the light, almost see-through types.

"Are you okay?" Malfoy asked, looking at me.

"Yeah..." I lied. "Just dandy."

The frown on Malfoy's face told me he didn't believe me. "Here," said Malfoy, taking his robes off and placing it over me. "Let's go back to the Head Dorm. I expect you wouldn't want to go back in the Hospital-Wing, right?"

I smirked. "You're not the only stubborn person around here, you know."

Malfoy said the password to the Head Dorm and gently shoved me inside. I mumbled thanks and took his robes off to return it to him.

Malfoy shook his head no, and pushed the robes back in my hands. "You take it," he said. "Your normal school robes look a little short anyways."

I mumbled thanks, hating the fact that he was being so nice to me. It wasn't easy to be cruel and cold to someone if they were being so caring and thoughtful. "I'm going to get some rest," I said, tying Dra... I mean MALFOY'S robes on. "Thanks for everything, Malfoy..."

"Draco," said Malfoy, correcting me.

I raised an eyebrow at him. "What?" I asked, confused.

Malfoy looked at me. "My names Draco, Hermione," he said.

I shook my head no. "No," I mumbled, loud enough for him to hear over the cackling fire. "Don't call me that. You're not..." I bit my bottom lip, almost regretting the next thing I was about to say. "... You're not a friend, Malfoy."

There. I said it. No matter how dirty and selfish I felt at the moment, it's been done. Malfoy has to understand. Warming up to somebody, even as a friend, pained me... maybe even more than the heartrending look on Malfoy's face...

DRACO'S POV :

I stared after Hermione's retreating form, wondering what on earth I did wrong. I thought she was warming up to me... everything seemed fine just a minute ago.

I groaned. Gee, Draco, you sure did it again... 'My names Draco, Hermione...' How incredibly smooth... not!

Maybe I should just... just give up... After all, it's none of my business that Granger's covered in bruises and obviously in pain... right?

Pushing myself off the couch, I walked over to Granger's bedroom door and knocked on it gently.

"Come on, Granger," I said, returning to my usual self. I decided that if Granger doesn't want somebody to worry about her, than that'll be just fine by me. Who cares about a filthy little Mudblood like her after all? Snort. I don't, that's for sure! "We've got some research to do. It's about Oblivion."

Granger peeked out from her room, chocolate brown eyes fixed on my impatient glare. "So it's back to last name basis, is it?" she said. I nodded, causing Granger to sigh. "Fine then. Give me some time to change and I'll be down in a few..."

"Yeah, yeah..." I muttered trying to act disinterested although when Granger said she was going to change, I kind of got a mental picture. "Just change into something decent, will you? I don't want to be seen with a Mudblood – even if it is in the deserted corner of the library," I said, trying to hide the blush that was creeping up my neck.

"Nice to have you back, Malfoy," mumbled Granger, giving me a sharp glare before slamming the door in my face.

A few minutes later of impatient waiting (and a mouth full of swears some never knew existed), Granger's door creaked open and heels were heard clanking against the cold, marble floor. As Granger's footsteps drew nearer, I slung a bag over my shoulder and stuffed some sheets of parchment into it. "Finally," I said, without bothering to face her. "Shall we go now?"

"Alright..." said Granger's jaded voice, all tired and worn out. "Come on... I don't have forever."

I sneered at her. "Yeah, and like I do..." I said.

The library looked – as usual – empty and arduous. Not many students chose it as the new 'Cool Spot'. Four students sat around a large, oval table, minding their own business silently.

That's a good sign, I mused, beckoning Granger to follow me to an empty table that was slightly hidden behind two bookshelves.

"So... how to begin this?" asked Granger, eyes tracing for any sign of eave droppers.

"Geez, Granger..." I sighed, rolling my eyes at her over-defensive attitude. "Nobody's around and we haven't even started on anything... don't draw attention! Act natural. People might get suspicious."

Granger narrowed her eyes at me in deep loathing. I had obviously started on the wrong foot. "So where do we start then, Mister I-know-everything-that-people-can't-tell-me-what-to-do-especially-not-a-Mudblood-who-has-enough-power-to-turn-me-into-ashes-and-dig-up-my-grave-in-Oblivion?" she goaded.

Wow. I never knew anyone could say that in one breath – I'm impressed.

"Let's try searching for rare powers or something... perhaps anything about Oblivion or the Full Moon Symbol," I suggested. "Come on. The faster we get to work, the faster we figure out the mystery to this supernatural ability we've got."

"Shh!" said Granger, slapping her hand over my pale lips. "People can hear you, damn it!"

I rolled my eyes and pushed her hand away from my mouth. "Honestly, Granger!" I said. "Can you stop being so naïve? Nobody's listening!"

But little did I know... for behind one of the bookshelves, somebody sat, digesting every single word we spoke...

See! I told you it was stupid and extremely not to the point! Please give me your comments and reviews. You guys ROCK and don't forget it! Hey, just for the fun of it, can you guys guess who the eavesdropper is? Tell me through your reviews, okay? 5 or more, that's the deal! Wait... just to be greedy and show my natural colour, I want 7 OR MORE REVIEWS! You give me the reviews – I give you the story! That's the way it works, man!

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