A/N: Hey again everybody! Well now you know why Chapter twelve of Strange Love is being delayed! I thought up a new plot line and am in the process of making a new story! Okay anyway here's the first chapter of Despair and Destiny.

Chapter One: The Blood Red Blues

Hermione sat on the cold floor of Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. A tiny glint of silver shone in the darkness that surrounded her. Her hand slowly opened to reveal a small piece of some kind of metal. She shuddered as the cold metal touched her soft skin. This was her release in times of despair. She pushed the knife harder onto her skin and it pierced through; she watched as the blood ran down her arm yet again. Her eyes sparkled with tears for a moment as the pain came at last.

"Hermione…" a voice said.

"Go away." Hermione said softly.

A tall red-haired figure stepped out into the light tiny sliver of light. He had a concerned look on his face and he frowned.

"Why do you do that to yourself?" he asked.

"I said go away." She replied angrily, her eyes still locked on the blood on her arm.

"Let me help you…" He whispered as he knelt down and reached for her arm.

He looked at her in shock when she shot him a death glare and pulled her arm away. His face flashed with a plethora of emotions as he continued to stare her down. Her face held pain and hatred, most likely for him.

"Hermione, please…" his voice was full of sorrow and misery.

She frowned as more blood rushed to the surface of her self inflicted cut. This wouldn't even be happening if he could have minded his own business. Damn him.

"Draco…I need you here…with me…" Hermione said sadly, as her hand ran through his silvery, wet hair.

"I wish I could be with you Hermione but…my father would have us both killed. I can't let him hurt you." He replied sadly.

Draco slowly pulled away from her. She tried to reach out for him but he backed further away. Her eyes shone with tears as the moonlight glittered on the wet Quidditch field. His face reflected the pain that he felt deep in his heart, and the sky even seemed to be feeling their pain. Rain poured down from the dark sky as the two fought. He desperately wanted to be with her but if she was hurt due to his wanting then it wasn't right.

"Draco I would do anything for you. Your father doesn't scare me. The thought of being without you is the scariest thought in the world. If I don't have you with me…my life will fall apart." She whispered through tears.

"I know…but I can't let you get hurt…you just don't know what it's like…"

"I would if you'd just tell me."

"You wouldn't understand."

"Fine…"she whispered in defeat, "I guess…I guess you don't feel the same way about me as I feel about you…"

She made a quick move to turn and run but a pair of hands roughly pulled her back around. Draco looked down into her eyes and she could practically feel the pain radiating from him. A lone tear made its way down his cheek before he spoke.

"Hermione, please don't be angry. I love you more than the air I breathe, more than the earth I walk on! If you got hurt I could never forgive myself. You…you have to understand that. If I lost you I would have to kill myself." He whispered.

Realization hit her, much like the lightning bolt that had just flown across the sky. She had accused him of not loving her when she knew very well that he did. She just couldn't handle the fact that she wouldn't be able to see him ever again because of his father. His evil, hateful, rotten, disgusting, rat of a father was keeping them apart.

"What the hell?!" a voice called out.

Hermione gasped and quickly tried to hide Draco from view, though that was difficult since he was at least a head taller than her.

"What are you doing here with Malfoy? Are you hurting her?!" Ron yelled.

She shrank back at his words, she had always been a bit scared of him, and now her fear was only intensified. He was so much taller and stronger than she was and she knew he was as arrogant as anyone could be.

"You foul little rat!" Ron yelled, "Hurting an innocent girl."

"Back of Weasley, Hermione and I are together now. You can't do anything about it!" Draco shouted back.

"Want to bet on that Malfoy?"

In an instant, the two boys were rolling across the muddy Quidditch field. Punches landing and grunts of pain could be heard echoing along with the pounding of rain on the ground. A huge moan of pain emerged as Ron stood up and wiped the mud from himself. Draco lay motionless on the ground beside his feet.

"No! Draco!" Hermione cried.

With a burst of energy she ran over towards the two but Ron pushed her away. He kicked Draco again, causing him to sputter in pain. Hermione watched awe struck as Ron picked him up and punched him again, with a crooked smile on his face. Now Draco lay spread eagle in the middle of the muddy field, Hermione was crying behind Ron who was about three feet away from Draco. Ron turned back to Hermione with a triumphant smile which flipped when he saw her sobbing form.

"What's wrong? He was hurting you, Hermione!" Ron said.

"No Ron, you're hurting me! Look at what you've done!" Hermione yelled in reply, pointing towards Draco's motionless body.

Ron frowned as he watched Hermione run past him towards Draco. She hugged his muddy body and sobbed loudly over him. Suddenly Dumbledore was on the field carrying Draco to the hospital wing. Hermione was dragged back to the Gryffindor dorms by McGonagall.

"Listen Hermione, I didn't mean to…I just…"

"Ron! I'm tired of it! I don't want to hear what you have to say. I don't care anymore! You've ruined my life Ron!" Hermione yelled back.

Ron finally cracked; he let out a sob and fell to the ground in the pool of blood from Hermione. He threw his arms down to the ground and cried by her side. Hermione was shocked at his actions but still felt horrible hatred towards him. The movements caused a head rush and Hermione fell backwards into her own blood. Ron rushed up and stared down at her, his was the last face she saw before her vision blurred out.

"Hermione…hold on!" he said.

Hours later in the hospital wing Hermione awoke to Harry, Ron, and Ginny sitting by her side. Her eyes slid open slowly, vision blurred and out of focus. She frowned when she saw Ron above her, was she still in the bathroom? No, the others were there, and it was much brighter.

"Get away from me Ron…" she muttered "…get him away…"

Her gaze had turned to Ginny and was pleading. Ginny returned her gaze with a confused one but, nonetheless, she ushered Ron away with a bit of help from Harry. Now the faces of her best friends hovered over her with curious expressions mixed with worry and anxiety.

"Hermione…what's going on? How could you do this to yourself?" Ginny asked, reaching for Hermione's arm.

She yanked her arm back and winced at the pain she caused by doing so. She shook her head dismissively at Ginny before looking about the Hospital Wing. Her eyes became worried when she did not spot the one person she really wanted to see.

"Where's Draco?" she questioned, trying to sound casual.

"Hah! Ron beat that ferret boy up pretty bad, said he was attacking you or something. Anyway Malfoys' daddy had to come and get him. Personally I hope the little bastard dies." Harry replied.

Ginny glanced at Hermione carefully, as if trying to tell her she was sorry about Draco. She looked at Harry and gave him a look that clearly told him that she and Hermione needed to talk alone. Harry frowned and left the room quietly.

"Hermione…I'm so sorry." Ginny whispered.