It's late at night, and once again she finds herself sitting alone by their shared fireplace. She doesn't know what it is, but there's something about tonight. Something strange, something almost… something almost unbearable. She doesn't know why, but she knows that the day that she's been dreading is about to arrive. She knows that when he walks through that door, late as usual, that the blow will be struck, and that her heart will be broken into a thousand pieces, like shards of glass.

Looking at her watch, she realises that it isn't even ten o'clock yet. He'll be at least another two hours, no doubt shagging whichever Slytherin groupie has taken his fancy this week. Although many people called Hermione and incredibly talented and intelligent witch, when it came to Draco Malfoy all of her intelligence left her, leaving her breathless and strangely afloat in a world where nothing existed except him. Any of the witches or wizards at Hogwarts would tell you that Hermione was outspoken, passionate, and maybe just a little bit bossy. They'd inform you that she stood up for what she believed in, and never let anyone get in her way and make her feel inferior.

When it came to him though… Hermione thought back over the past year, as she allowed herself to become entranced by the dancing flames of the fire before her. Their relationship had started one night after patrol, when he found her crying about the death of her parents after an unexpected Death Eater attack towards the end of their sixth year. Expecting him to mock her, she had been surprised when he had taken her in his arms and held her until she had calmed down.

The following year had flown by, their relationship obviously kept a secret due to past circumstances, and the fact that she knew that had Harry and Ron found out, Draco would not be alive today. Not to mention what his father would do to him - or to her. Although she hadn't particularly enjoyed the niggling feeling of shame, of suspicion that he didn't truly want to be with her, on a logical level she understood where he was coming from.

The details of their relationship seemed insignificant to her now. Brushing a lonely tear off her cheek with the back of her hand, she knew that it would end tonight. They were graduating in two weeks, and although he hadn't told her, she knew that he had plans to join the ranks of the Death Eaters. He was spending an increasing amount of time in the Slytherin common room at night, instead of studying for his NEWT's with her. Or doing other things with her…

Their sex life had completely dried up over the past two months. Thinking back on how passionate he had been at the beginning of their relationship, of how he had worshipped her body and taken her to places she had never even imagined, she knew that he had someone else. Not even the Slytherin's, desperate to prove to their perfect Pureblood families that they were superior to all others in the school, would study until three in the morning. Something else was occupying his thoughts… and all other parts of his body.

She wasn't even able to talk to Ginny about how she was feeling at the moment. The redhead had distanced herself from Hermione recently, although they were still friendly with each other. Hermione assumed that Ginny was busy with her new boyfriend - she'd heard from Ron that she was dating someone new, although he hadn't told her who. She was happy for Ginny, but still… she needed someone to talk to. And Ginny was the only other person who knew about her relationship with Draco, having accidentally walked in on them snogging during patrol one evening.

Hearing the portrait to the entrance of the shared common room of the Head Boy and Girl swing open, Hermione pulled herself out of her reverie. Normally she stood to greet him with a smile and a kiss, but tonight she stayed where she was in her chair, staring at him as if she had never laid eyes on him before.

"Draco." A simple statement, displaying none of the emotions that threatened to tear her heart out.

"Hello, Hermione. Hermione, we need to talk."

She watched him as he moved to the chair opposite hers, and pulled it closer until their knees were almost touching. She didn't say a word, for once rendered silent by the emotions she was feeling. Afraid that if she spoke that she would break down completely.

She refused to cry in front of him.

Taking her hands in his, Draco looked up into her eyes. She could see no love there, no passion, no warmth. His eyes were cold, as if someone had reached inside him and taken everything good and let it drift away into the wind. His hands over hers were cold. She could tell that any words that came out of his mouth now would, although veiled in concern and love, be words that would hurt her. He didn't love her anymore. Maybe he never had.

"Hermione, I'm sorry to do this to you. But you're an intelligent Mud…. witch, and I know that you knew this was coming. I've found someone else, someone I love."

Barely listening to him as he apologised for hurting her, as he told her of his plans for the future to marry this girl - he hadn't yet said her name, she wondered how he could be so callous. Didn't he realise that he was speaking to the pieces of her heart that now laid underneath his feet?

"Hermione. Say something, please."

He must have realised that she wasn't paying attention. And then she realised that he hadn't realised that she wasn't listening to what he was saying, but that he wanted her to reassure him that this was the right decision. That she had found someone else too, that she was happy and preparing to move forward with her life.

"What would you like me to say Draco?"

"Well, I suppose I'd like you to say that you understand. Maybe even that you forgive me."

He must be truly callous, Hermione thought, to expect her to be able to say something like that. Maybe her original impressions of him in First Year hadn't been so far off the mark.

"Fine, that's what I'll say then."

"Pardon?"

"I said, that's what I'll say."

"But you don't mean that."

"We all say things that we don't mean, Draco. You told me that you love me. You told me that you love me last night. But you didn't mean it."

"But I did, in a way."

"So maybe I mean this, in a way."

Seeing that Draco had finally understood where she was coming from, she knew that he was about to depart. She sat completely still as he stood, and walked towards his bedroom door. Suddenly a burning question seared through her. Although she knew it was suicide to ask, she had to. She had to know.

"Draco? Who is she?"

As he turned to look at her, a strangely malevolent look in his eyes, she knew. Before he even opened his mouth, she tried to prepare for the ultimate betrayal that she knew was coming.

"Ginny. Ginny Weasley."