A/N: Everything in this chapter will be explained later ok! I know it seems a bit weird but I promise you will have all the answers by the time this story has finished. I dedicate this chapter to Lilspitfire, it was she who encouraged me to get this up so quickly! Oh and I have over 100 reviews, yeah . . . I feel so happy!! Thank you people for getting me this far!

P.S. Daunting Darkness, I have accepted your cookie. . . it was very nice and I have now decided to forgive you as it was a double chocolate chip one! Here is this chapter and I hope I don't have to threaten you again missy!

I love you . . . I hate you

Hermione sat, her smile dying on her lips as she watched Draco.

"What?!" Hermione was sure she had misheard him. She had to have misheard him. Holding her breath she waited for his answer. As she did she could have sworn she heard a faint laughter. Perhaps it was just someone laughing outside. She forgot about it instantly.

"I said 'I don't'." Draco told her, his voice had almost a bored tone in it. Hermione began shaking her head, she couldn't believe it. She was sure he felt the same way. Had all those months been for nothing?

"No. That can't be true." Tears sprung to Hermione's eyes, "Did I do something wrong?"

Draco gave her a look she hadn't seen in ages. His boring, why-am-I-talking-to-you look. He drawled "Well when the female just gets too clingy, that's when you know you have to change." His whole manner had changed. She couldn't see Draco anymore, just the cruel boy who had taken his place. It was as if the Draco she had known had never existed.

Hermione looked at him. He was sitting there indifferent as if they were talking about the weather. "You can't change your feelings for someone . . . just like that" She clicked her fingers. "You don't suddenly decide you don't like someone in the space of a moment!"

"Of course you can. Life is hard and so is love" Draco was trying to be as ruthless as possible. "I just had a change of mind ok? Just accept it" He turned his back on her. So he would not look at her face. It was always harder that way. And he would know; he had had a lot of experiences with this sort of thing.

Hermione was just staring at the back of his head. Thinking how things had been. Believing that this was all just a joke. He was going to turn around and ok – not admit he loved her, but at least say he cared for her. But even then she knew, even as she was gathering solutions, she knew that the Draco she had known would never do that. She just had to say one more thing.

"But I said I loved you!" She whispered, tears streaming down her face. He looked back at her then looked away quickly and said quietly "Well get over it, I have already" That's what set Hermione off. She stood up and raced to the doorway. Just as she was about to walk through she turned back to Draco.

"I HATE you!" She ran out bursting into tears. The wall closed silently behind her.

Draco was still sitting on the sofa, and reviewing how things had gone. But always he would have her hurt, broken, tear streaked expression in his mind as she said those three heart wrenching words; which would echo in his mind for eternity.

Ron and Harry were just on their way to see Hermione, they knew it was late but they just had to see if she was alright, when they saw a figure hurrying in their direction. The person had their hands over their face and seemed to be crying loudly. Harry and Ron just stared, as the person came closer into view. The person looked like a girl, all their doubts went away as the girl bashed into them without seeing who they were. Luckily no one fell down, but Harry and Ron were looking at the girl terrified. It was Harry who sorted out the situation.

"Um . . . Are you alright?" Harry asked. The girl stopped crying for a second and quickly took her hands away from her face.

"Hermione?!" Harry and Ron yelled in unison. Hermione covered her tear streaked face again and spoke through her hands.

"I need to talk to you. Come to the room of requirement with me . . . now!" Her whole attitude worried Harry and Ron. Her shoulders were trembling and her voice was shaky. All in all she looked like she was going to have a nervous breakdown.

"Sure, sure, we'll come." Ron said. So They began to lead Hermione to the room of requirement. One on either side of her, with their arms round her shoulders. There was no talk until they got there and it was Harry and Ron who conjured up the room of requirement.

When they got inside Hermione saw they had done a good job. There were comfy sofas everywhere, and surprisingly a box of tissues was on a table by one of the sofas. There were even boxes of Hermione's favourite chocolate! Hermione gave a little smile then made her way over to the sofa with the chocolate and tissues near it and sat down in the middle. Harry and Ron went and sat either side of her.

"Would you like to tell us what has been going on?" Harry asked. Not pushing for her to answer just a question that any good friend would ask.

"Yes I will . . . I'll tell you" Hermione's words were muffled with tears and Harry and Ron knew she was extremely upset about something, they had never seen her this upset since . . . well since before she went out with Draco.

"Is it anything to do with him . . ." Ron said, "You know . . . Andre?" Ron said in hushed tones.

Hermione shook her head "No, no this has got nothing to do with him but

. . . Draco!" She burst into tears again. Harry and Ron went into big brother mode, saying things like: 'has he hurt you? If he has we'll kill him', 'I knew he was no good', 'He'll pay if he's hurt you'.

Hermione slowly told them all that had happened that day and over the past couple of weeks. She even told them about the tattoo, which she was going to tell Draco about, but now . . . she didn't need to. It was her problem.

Harry and Ron listened to her story with growing concern, concern for their best friend and then hatred towards Malfoy for the cause of Hermione's pain.

"And you know . . ." Hermione was saying, "I thought I would finally be happy now, after all that's happened this year." And silent tears began to creep down her face as she closed her eyes in anguish. Harry and Ron put their arms around her resting their heads against hers. Trying to be there for her, making up for the pain the had partly caused. And they stayed that way and ended up falling to sleep like that, slowly one by one, somewhere they heard a clock chime 11.

Hermione was dreaming:

She was in a barren landscape, which suited her mood, everything was grey and dull looking. There were no bright colours to be seen. Even as she stood there lost for words and still thinking of her pain she saw a figure approach.

"Hello? Who's there?" She called. The figure stopped then carried on walking, the person was continuing to walk towards her. She just stood there watching them come closer. At last she saw who it was.

"Go away I don't want to see or talk to you!" She hissed venomously. She took a step backward and shouted into the air. "Wake up, wake me up, Harry, Ron wake me up" It didn't work she was still stuck with her own tormentor and betrayer . . . Malfoy.

"What do you want?" she said coldly. It took every effort not to run and press herself against him. She stood their, as cold as ice.

"Do you think I am happy with this, Granger?" He spoke back harshly.

Ouch. Hermione thought. Back to last name calling. "Well I don't care Malfoy. Just go away. I can't believe I still have to see you in my dreams, I never want to see you again . . ." She began crying losing control "Just go away and leave me, go away . . . leave me with my misery which you caused . . . my beloved tormentor."

She turned her back on him, not aware that he was moving to stand behind her, she was crying, she was pouring out her heart through her tears.

"Is that what you think I am?" He said softly, "You think that I am . . . your beloved tormentor?" He spoke low, as if he were ashamed of himself.

"Yes" Hermione replied just as slowly, "You are the sole benefactor of my pain . . . I still love you . . . yes that's true . . . but . . . I still hate you. Nothing will change that. I would not go back to you, even though it will cause me pain. I won't . . ." She began crying again "get . . . hurt again. Stay away from me" She ended whispering.

Malfoy looked like he was going to say something more, but she cut him off. "No, go away, don't talk to me or touch me, go away!" She yelled.

Hermione felt a sudden tug, a jerk pulling her upwards, she looked at Malfoy in surprise, her first impulse was to run to him, but no she would not do that. Then she was being jerked upwards, she was being pulled into nothing, there was nothing around her. She felt a jolt and woke up with a start.

Hermione opened her eyes and realised it was morning. Harry and Ron were standing over her, with concern on their faces. She rubbed her face.

"I'm wet . . . why am I wet?" She looked at them both.

"You were crying in your sleep, it was horrible we couldn't stand there and watch you cry! So we woke you up." Hermione looked at them both, smiling.

"At least I'm glad that I have such good best friends!" she stood up and drew them both into a hug. "What would I do without you?" She whispered. Pulling back to look at them both with teary eyes.

"Now stop that Hermione, you'll get us started to" Ron and Harry made gestures with their hands as if they were about to cry. (A/n: If any of you have seen Miss Congeniality you will know what I mean. Lol)

Hermione laughed and they exited the room of requirement to go down to breakfast together.

"By the way what were you dreaming about?" Ron asked. They both looked at her.

She spoke one word: "Malfoy"

Hermione was sitting in her room waiting for Harry and Ron to get back from lessons. It had been a dull day for her. She just sat there, not doing anything, staring at the wall in front of her. She knew she should get up and do something, but . . . she couldn't. She felt so miserable. Draco – Malfoy was the only person she had opened her heart to and the only person she had ever got as close to. She tried to shake herself out of her depression.

In the end she just read. She could not go to lessons as Madam Pomfrey said she couldn't, so after she had breakfast with Harry and Ron she went back up to her room, where she told them she would wait for them. She hadn't looked over at the Slytherin table and wouldn't. Just in case she saw . . . him.

Since it was Thursday, and so close to the end of the week, she decided she wouldn't go to lessons on Friday because that would just be pointless. She would start on Monday. She began thinking of her dream. If she had to dream Malfoy every night she would go mad. She couldn't stand it. If she dreamed of him tonight then she would not sleep again. She was interrupted from her thoughts by a knock on the door. She leapt from her bed and opened her door.

"Harry, Ro-" It was not Harry or Ron. It wasn't even Malfoy, it was Andre.

"What do you want?" She asked. She put her hands on her hips and looked at him in annoyance.

"Just to talk to you. I need to tell you something. You need-" He began before Hermione cut him off.

"You don't know what I need. I don't want to talk to anyone! Go away!" She slammed the door in his face and locked it. She was in a bad mood.

Everyone was preaching to her. She had changed, she would not usually snap at someone if they were trying to help. It didn't even occur to wonder how he had gotten in.

Harry and Ron came back shortly after the Andre incident, but she didn't want to worry them about it so she didn't tell them. They came and they told her about their day, putting lots of detail in so that she would be able to keep her mind off Malfoy. It worked. Harry and Ron told her each little detail, including what they had for lunch.

"Then I chewed my sausage 5 times, no wait, was it 5 or 6 Harry? Anyway, then I swallowed and then . . ." Ron continued. It made Hermione laugh. But it made her happy, it showed that she had two great friends who cared about her a lot.

Hermione didn't want to go down to the Great hall for dinner, so Harry and Ron went down on their own and bought her back up some of her favourite things. All of it seemed like dessert and all of them had chocolate in it. They stayed after their dinner but this time was spent doing homework. Hermione, even though she had missed loads was so far ahead that she was level with the year now. So like a good friend she helped them with their homework.

Hermione didn't want to go to sleep that night she just didn't. What if he was there? She wouldn't be able to stand it. She had managed through the day without seeing him once. She didn't want to see him. But still it was night, and anyway she wouldn't be dreaming of Malfoy because she wasn't thinking of him. Oh . . . but she was . . . she was thinking of not thinking of him . . . things are just too confusing. While Hermione was thinking this through she fell asleep.

She was dreaming:

She wasn't in a barren landscape this time, quite the opposite, she was in a meadow, one full of colour and warmth. Hermione quite liked it. The grass was up to her knees and there were flowers everywhere. Every kind imaginable. She picked a deep red coloured rose beside her and held it in her hand. It was beautiful. She looked down and noticed she was wearing a white summer dress. It fit her perfectly and trailed on the ground at the back. It was beautiful.

Through all the wonders of the meadow she saw a rippling in the grass, then there was a puff of air and who was standing there? None other than Draco Malfoy.

"You just gone to sleep?" She called to him. She was angry with him, and disliked him, but it was also very interesting the way he had just puffed into her dream.

"Yes . . . and great another night stuck with you." He said nastily.

"Well I didn't drag you here. You're ruining my dream!" She shouted back just as nastily.

"Oh" He came striding towards her, "and what would your dream be about? Hmm? Didn't it occur to you that perhaps this is just a landscape built for me and you to meet?" He was standing right in front of her panting, waiting to see her reaction.

"No it didn't, and I don't care I am going to sit right here and turn my back on you. Don't bother to talk to me!" She replied childishly.

And she did just that. She turned her back on him, sat down and began to arrange some flowers. Malfoy looked at her open mouthed. She had changed, a lot. He turned his back on her and just looked around the landscape.

He turned around a couple of hours later and found she had gone. Hmm, he thought, at least no I can have some peace and quiet.

Hermione woke up, what's more she had flowers in her hand. The ones from her dream. Ok, how had she managed that? she thought to herself. She was about to ponder on it some more when she heard a voice.

"Seven days" And then a cruel cackle. Seven days till what?

A/N: There you go. I think that this story will draw to a close, but I still can't make up my mind. Happy Ending . . . Sad Ending. Which shall I chose. Hmmm. Well please read and review. And I will get the next chapter up as quickly as possible!! Luv Water Demon xXx