Author Note: Well I at least got two encouraging reviews. That doesn't really matter anyway. I would like to point out it might take a bit so I doubt this story is going to end up short like I wanted it to, but that's okay. Draco needs a little more time to open up I guess so that's why it would move slowly, but after that it should go pretty quickly. Thank you, the two that reviewed, means a lot. Since I never have written this type of story before. I am a horror person. Anywho, on with the story.

Chapter One:

Hermione sat in the Gryffindor common room working on her last bit of homework for the whole year. The next week all seventh years would get a lot of review and then spend their last days testing in each of the classes.

"Hermione it's been about five minutes since you've added anything to that assignment of yours," Ron said, pointing to the last spot she had written anything. It was true, Hermione had been having a great amount of problems concentrating. She was highly frustrated at it because she never once had a problem concentrating on homework, or anything for that matter.

"I know Ron, I just need something to drink. I'll be back in a few," she hoped that it was good enough for them and it was, for both Harry and Ron went back to working on their assignments. Hermione smiled at the both of them and walked out of the portrait hole.

"Where will you be going this late?" Hermione looked around and smiled at the Fat Lady.

"I just need a little fresh air and something to drink," the fat lady nodded and Hermione went back on her way. She walked the empty halls, breathing in the sweet air and she smiled to herself. This next week would be her last time ever step foot in Hogwarts, or so she believed. She was planning on going back to the muggle world and living there for a while. She wasn't quite sure if she wanted to work in the wizarding world or the muggle one. When she was younger, before she new about her powers, she always dreamed of leaving secondary school and going to college to be an author. It wasn't exactly what people nowadays could see her doing. Most of them, she was sure, expected she would immediately leave to work at the Ministry of Magic and somehow work her way up to being the Ministress of Magic. As great a job that would be, Hermione wanted to do something more fun with her life. She wanted to be an author of fiction, not reference books. She sighed at her torn thoughts. She loved the wizarding world with a passion. It gave her so much that she never had, but she also felt home in the muggle world. She knew that no matter which one she chose in the end she would never fully be dedicated to it because part of her heart would be yearning for the other. Hermione laughed at herself. It really shouldn't be such a hard choose.

Before she realized it, she was standing at the bottom of the staircase and right in front of the oak doors to the Great Hall. She was about to walk down the dungeon stairs when she heard a voice. She paused only slightly to see if she could hear anything more, but nothing. She shrugged it off and started back down the dungeon stairs, but she heard it again. It was just barely audible, but it was someone not something. Hermione crept back up the dungeon stairs and stood before the oak doors again. She didn't feel natural sneaking around like she was, but if she had learned anything for Harry and Ron it was definitely that.

She slowly walked closer to the oak doors and grasped the handle to the door. She stopped slowly to listen and it had gone quiet for a moment. She thought about just letting it go and going back down to get her drink, but she didn't. She, however, hoped to god that the doors weren't going to creak when she opened them up. She pulled the door open just a bit and stood in the doorway. When she stepped in she didn't find what she expected, but she did find the reason she hadn't be able to concentrate while doing her homework.

Draco Malfoy was sitting on the table that would normally be Ravenclaw's with his back facing in her direction. She stood and watched him as he grabbed the cup that was next to him and took a drink from it.

"Bloody hell!" He yelled as he threw the cup at the wall and watched it hit the ground. It rolled past him towards Hermione. She stepped out of the way of it and realized that was an extremely dumb thing to do for she was no longer standing next to the door to hold it open. The door closed with a bang and Hermione watched as Draco stopped moving. He didn't turn around, but he stopped moving, probably to listen.

Hermione began to panic and quietly walked over to the door, but she tripped over Draco's cup and stopped. She could feel him staring at her now and she froze.

"I would think that you, of all people, would know that it's not right to spy on people," he said calmly. She turned, watching her feet, to face him. "Look at me, Mudblood, or are you scared?" Hermione's head shot up and she glared at him.

"I am not scared of you, Malfoy!" She folded her arms across her chest and continued to glare at him.

"You have one nasty temper," he smirked at her.

"Well you are one nasty person, Malfoy. I have never met someone who takes so much pleasure in people's pain, until I met you that is."

"Is that what you believe?"

"That's who you are!" Hermione yelled, annoyed at the whole situation.

"Have you ever played pretend Granger? Pretended that you were something bigger or rather better than you are?" Draco watched her intently.

"Why does that even matter, Malfoy?"

"Answer the question, Mudblood."

"Every child plays pretend," She said, ignoring the 'mudblood' again.

"I didn't ask if every child did, I asked if you did," He stepped closer to her.

"Maybe once a twice."

"You lie Granger."

"Okay yes, but what's the point?"

"Pretending, Granger, what does it mean?" He once again stepped closer to her.

"You already answered that!" He just started at her expectingly. "Fine, it's when you imagine you are something or someone you aren't."

"Right, now answer this. Do you still do it?"

"Still pretend?" He nodded. "Of course not, it's a child's game."

"Okay then why would someone of your age pretend?" He asked.

"To get away," Hermione couldn't even believe that had come from her mouth. It wasn't the first thing to come to mind, but it was the only one she could say. Draco nodded.

"From what Granger?"

"I don't know."

"You need to stop lying. It's a bad habit," He was quite amused. He had cornered her and it was a really uncomfortable place for her.

"I guess it would to escape reality, a reality they didn't want to be in," Hermione stood rooted in her spot as Draco stepped closer and closer to the door. He walked past her, but before walking out he turned towards her and nodded. He smirked and quickly left. Hermione looked around the Great Hall and suddenly very alone in the world. What Draco said had really gotten to her. She needed to ignore him from then on and she was dead set on doing just that.

She wrapped her robes around her body a little tighter and decided against getting anything from the kitchens. She headed back up the grand staircase and back to the Gryffindor common room. When she got back Harry and Ron were still up but now they were holding her homework and looking at the answers. If she was any bit like herself at the moment she would have noticed it and yelled at them, but she simply walked past them and up to her dorm. Harry and Ron noticed that, but figured she was just really tired and let her sleep. They left shortly after her.

Hermione laid in her bed and thought. Was Malfoy trying to tell her something? Was he try to tell her that he's pretending, but why? Hermione groaned and rolled onto her side. She was really starting to hate Malfoy more than ever. He had her constantly wondering what the hell he was talking about and it was annoying her more than anything. She almost wished that he was the same bastard Slytherin boy he used to be, the one saying such horrible things. If he were she would just have continued to ignore him rather then think what in the world was going on in his head.

"God just leave me alone!" She whispered fiercely. She once again rolled onto her back and waited for the sleep to come, she truly needed it so she pulled the covers up and over her body and closed her eyes. She slowly drifted off into a dreamless sleep, completely forgetting about the homework she left on the coffee table in the common room or to get out of her robes.