Welcome to Chapter 2 of 'Blood Feuds'! I hope you enjoy it. This is a revamp of the original, but not much is really different. Characters as always are copyrighted to J.K. Rowling.

.:Chapter 2 – Chance Encounter:.

The front door slammed shut causing Hermione to jump as the noise reverberated through the caverns of the apartment. There she was abandoned and alone. She could feel her bottom lip quivering, urging her to just let go and give into her tears. It was an offer that in the end she couldn't refuse.

Tears poured from her bloodshot eyes, spilling onto her cheeks. Their warmth, somehow, seemed to comfort her at first, but then they turned cold reminding her of Harry. The apartment was steeped in deadly silence with only the ticking of the clock intermittently breaking it. The seconds turned into minutes as the clock continued its monotonous rhythm over and over.

Tick. Tock

Hermione wiped away the tears from her eyes and face, and began to remember...

Harry and she had started dating when they were both made Head Boy and Girl.

Tick. Tock.

It was a chill night when he had told her how he felt about her under the starlit sky.

She thought her heart would explode when she heard him say I love you for the first time and then kissed her.

Tick. Tock.

But then he changed. Voldemort changed him. The nightmares, the anger; it was more than she could bear.

She was nothing to him anymore. She was just a duty he had to fulfil. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.

She needed silence. She needed to compose her thoughts, but the teasing ticking of the bedside clock was more than she could handle. In a moment of anger, she grabbed the clock and hurled it against the wall. However, the clock didn't hit the wall; her ears instead were greeted with the shattering of glass crashing onto the wooden floor.

Hermione's eyes grew wide with disbelief as she looked at the shattered picture of Harry, Ron and herself with their N.E.W.T results except they were no longer waving or smiling. They were still, stationary... dead. Slowly, she climbed down off the bed, stooping to pick up the splintered pieces of glass. With every piece she picked up, she felt like she was picking up the broken pieces of her heart; the one which Harry had shattered. A sharp feeling of pain sliced across the top of her finger as a fragment of glass cut her. Blood began to ooze and trickle down her finger.

Pain.

This was her reality, the only thing she knew now.

Slumping against the side of the bed, Hermione drew her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. She buried her head into her knees and sobbed, remembering...

The midday sun was glistening on the lake; in the far distance you could make out the giant squid flailing its tentacles in the air. A cooling breeze swept through her hair as she sat underneath the tall oak tree, revising for her next exam. A shadow cast itself over the pages of her Charms book, looking up she saw the slim, tall figure of Harry Potter.

"How's the revision going?" he questioned playfully as he sat down beside her, placing an arm casually around her shoulder.

"Okay, I guess," she sighed, resting her head on his shoulder.

Harry rested his head on top of hers and sighed peacefully. The day was so beautiful and he felt so lucky. He felt her fingers intertwine with his – so dainty and soft.

"Harry?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you... so much," she whispered softly.

Harry smiled to himself – after so much loss those words meant so much to him. He wrapped his arm tighter around her.

"I love you too. Nothing will ever stop me from loving you, Hermione," he whispered back. "You know that, right?"

"I know. I just get so worried about you, especially because of You-Know-Who," she murmured.

"Don't worry about me," he reassured her. "I'll always be here for you no matter what."

Hermione smiled to herself and nuzzled deeper into his shoulder. It just felt so right being there with him, surrounded by the freshness of spring. Harry lifted his head and shifted himself to face her. Hermione smiled at him and saw the happiness that danced in his lucid green eyes. He cupped her face in his hands and slowly leant forward. She could feel his soft lips against hers, closing her eyes, she wrapped her arms around his neck and allowed herself to enjoy the moment.

The shrill ring of the telephone brought her back from the depths of her memory. She didn't know how long it had been ringing for, all she could remember was the warmth of a kiss all those years ago. She reached for the phone that lay on the bedside table next to the redundant space where the clock had once sat.

"H-hello," said Hermione quietly.

"Hermione? It's Imelda here from work," came the jolly voice at the other end of the telephone.

Realisation hit Hermione... she was late for work.

"Hi, Imelda," replied Hermione quickly, coughing for added effect.

"I was wondering whether you would be coming in today, but you don't sound too well."

"No, I'm not feeling to great at the moment. I'm sorry I didn't call earlier," she answered, her voice quivering.

"Hermione, is... is something wrong?" probed Imelda gently. Everyone at the Ministry knew the great deeds Harry Potter had done, but they also knew the great price he and Hermione had to pay.

"No, no, everything is fine," Hermione lied. "I'm just feeling a little under the weather, that's all."

"Well, if you're sure. Get plenty of rest and I'll see you on Monday," replied Imelda.

There was more to this situation than met the eye but it wouldn't have been fair on Hermione to question her any further.

"Ok, well, goodbye," and with that Hermione put the phone down.

She needed to get out. She needed to get away from this apartment and if needs be away from Harry for awhile. She felt like the walls were closing in on her, trapping her and condemning her to live in this emotional prison forever. Well, she wasn't going to let that happen... perhaps she could stay with her parents for awhile until she felt strong enough to go back and face Harry? No. They would probably worry... Hermione didn't want to risk upsetting them; instead she got showered and decided to go to for a walk. Maybe the walk would help her to get her thoughts in order...

It was a blustery autumn day outside; the sky was no longer blue but grey. Walking along, she saw the leaves with their orange hues danced about on the pavement, jumping in the wind. Hermione watched them and envied their freedom, their lack of responsibility. Her thoughts still lingered on the hours that had just passed. In her heart of hearts, she knew she couldn't leave Harry; there was no way he could deal with this on his own. However, she needed to think about her life and her happiness for once... the thing that was being most neglected in this situation. She was so deep in thought when...

"Hey, would you watch where you're going?" asked a tall, blonde man exasperatedly as Hermione abruptly collided with him

"God... I'm sorry," replied Hermione, bending down to help pick up the man's paperwork. However, just as she was about to give the paperwork back to him, she stopped dead realising exactly who it belonged to.

"Draco Malfoy!" she exclaimed, her mouth falling open slightly.

He had changed so much... he had grown a lot in height and his shoulders had broadened out. Instead of the usual slick backed hairstyle he used to sport, it now lay tousled and windswept. However, right now this was all she needed. An encounter with her least favourite person...

Draco looked at Hermione, frowning with a somewhat puzzled look plastered across his face, but realisation suddenly hit him.

"Hermione Granger!" he questioned, a slight hint of amazement in his voice. "You look so..."

He looked at the floor as if searching for an answer; quickly he glanced back up at her.

"...so different."

She had changed considerably since he had last seen her. Her face had lost its childish roundness and had become much more angular. Her eyes remained the same, two orbs of stunning amber, but now they seemed to convey an inexplicably haunting sadness. She had a dishevelled look to her as if she hadn't slept properly in a long time.

"Well, you've changed a lot yourself!" she retorted.

She had still not forgotten the way he had treated her at Hogwarts. Right now, this was a conversation she did not want to be a part of at all; a confrontation with Draco Malfoy was not on the top of her list of things to do.

"So, what are you up to now?" asked Draco politely, glancing over her rudeness,

Hermione looked at him in complete disbelief since when had he ever cared what she did with her life? In fact since when had he actually cared about any other human being except his self?

"Huh. Well, your manners certainly have changed!" she replied. "I remember when you wouldn't even give me the time of day at Hogwarts! What was it you called me?" she questioned sarcastically. "Oh yes I remember, a mudblood. Now, if you don't mind."

"Still dating Potter?" questioned Draco, trying to hold back his anger. He knew that mentioning Harry's name would get a response out of her.

Hermione felt herself bristling with anger.

"How dare you? How dare you even presume to know what goes on in my life! You have no right!" she shouted.

Feeling the sting of tears, she turned away quickly and started to walk off. However, to her surprise she felt a hand on the back of her shoulder.

"WHAT?"

She glared at him, a combination of anger and exasperation flaming in her usually placid amber eyes.

"Look, you're right, I'm sorry," began Draco sincerely. "It's just, well, I'm not the same person you knew back at Hogwarts. My views on certain things..."

His eyes faltered on her for a second. How could he explain this to her without her thinking he was lying?

"Well, let's just say they've changed," he finished. He ran both hands through his tousled blonde hair. Hermione bit her lip and remembered who else did that exact same gesture. Nonetheless, she scoffed at his answer. There was no way she could believe that someone like Draco Malfoy could possibly change especially after the way he had acted all those years ago.

"And did you make this life choice before or after Harry blew your precious Voldemort to bits?" retorted Hermione angrily. "Oh, believe me, I find this Malfoy reformation quite touching. No really I do," she mocked, "but just how gullible do you think I am?"

She could see Draco's steely grey eyes narrow. Before she thought she could perceive a certain softness in them, but they had now swiftly transformed into the cold and piercing glare she was so accustomed to.

"I don't have to explain myself to anyone," whispered Malfoy dangerously, "least of all to you, Granger."

Snatching his paperwork off her he turned around and began to walk away. Hermione glared after him remembering all the spiteful things he had said to her at Hogwarts, yet she felt a niggling sensation in the pit of her stomach. Was it guilt? She didn't know, in some respects she was no better than him. Her comments just then had been harsh; they were adults now, so surely they could discuss their problems like adults.

"Yeah, well, I see that Malfoy charm hasn't completely disappeared," she called out after him sardonically.

To Hermione's great surprise Draco stopped dead in his tracks and turned around slowly to face her. He began to walk towards her, almost predatorily, the smallest grin tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"Tell me the truth now Granger," he teased, growing ever closer to her stationary position. "I bet you missed it."

Hermione's mouth dropped wide open, unable to respond. She was completely flabbergasted and found herself looking around as if searching for a witty comeback.

"Don't flatter yourself, Malfoy," she managed sternly.

"Hey, look, can we bury the hatchet for just a minute?" he asked, cocking his head to one side.

"Fine," replied Hermione obstinately.

"Listen, how about we meet for dinner this evening about 7 o' clock?" proposed Draco earnestly.

"Dinner! Am I hearing you right?" exclaimed Hermione. "Three years ago you wouldn't be seen dead talking to me, now you're asking me to dinner!"

"Look, I said I've changed," he began. "What can I do to make you believe me?"

Hermione rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.

"I don't know," she sighed, tired of the cyclical nature of this conversation. "I just... don't know."

"Here's my card." He handed her an egg-white business card with his name and work address embossed in black ink. "If you want to meet for dinner just write 'yes' on the back of the card, but if you don't want to meet... well, I understand."

Something stirred deep in Hermione's subconscious. She was being given a choice – an opportunity to do something for herself. Over and over in her head she kept telling herself that this was the same Draco Malfoy who made her first years at Hogwarts hell. However, she felt compelled to go, to hurt Harry maybe? To get back at him for treating her like he did? She studied the card.

Draco watched her as she stood in silence, a frown creasing her brow as she pondered on his proposition. He had changed, that was no lie, but his interest in Hermione lay deeper than she knew.

"You don't have to make a decision now. Go home and -"

"Where shall we meet?" Hermione interrupted with a defiant gleam in her eyes.

A/N: Chapter 2 done! A bit of a cliffie, but not really. Roll on Chapter 3! Hope Draco and Hermione are fairly IC, it's my first outing with those two characters. Anyway, please feel free to give me a review.