You were responding too positively to someone who is not me. That was like a stab to my stomach. Now with blood oozing out of my system like a monsoon rainfall, I doubt I would have the strength to hold on to you anymore.

I jotted that phrase down in my notebook as I watch Pansy crawl all over you in the Great Hall. It was bad enough that you were not resisting it, but you had to respond to it? That was too much for me.

Hermione made a lame excuse, which hardly concealed her distractedness, and left the Golden Boys to their dinner. Harry wanted to call her back but Ron did something highly unexpected of him. He pulled Harry back down. With a stern shake of his head, Ron expressed that they should just Hermione to her problems. She would come to them if she needed their help.

Hermione's hasty exit was not left unnoticed at the Slytherin table. Blaise elbowed Draco to get his attention and pointed at the retreating back of Hermione Granger. Draco excused himself from Pansy's clutching claws and left in search of Hermione.

Surprise of all surprises, Hermione is in the Astronomy tower. She was just sitting there, playing with the hem of her shirt. Draco cleared his throat to make his presence known. Hermione remain silent and unmoving.

"I gathered you saw me with Pansy."

"Uh huh." She was eerily calm.

"What can I do to make it up to you?"

"First give me your reason then we would talk. I want to see how creative you are."

"She is a spy for my mum."

"Couldn't you be more creative? Say something stupid to humor me at least. Like you are peddling drugs to her or something."

"You want me to lie?"

"If it sounds nice, yes. I'm starting to want to commit to this relationship, but you have disappointed me greatly, Malfoy."

The voice of her calling him by his family name again chilled him to his core. He never knew the true power of words until today. It was not even loud. But it was so powerful. It was heart wrenching. It was heart breaking. It was so hurting.

"What can I do to make it up to you?"

"Nothing. I do not need anything from you anymore. I want nothing to do with you anymore."

That was it. The end of whatever they had started not too long ago, destroyed by the obligations of a pureblood wizard.

Hermione pushed past him to exit the tower, preferring to seek solace with the heart broken Ginny still receding in her dorm. However when she opened her room door, she did not see a sad Ginny. No, she saw Ginny on Blaise's lap, engaged in a battle of the tongues.

"Great job guys." Hermione voice was drenched in sarcasm.

Ginny turned at the sound of Hermione's voice just in time to see her closing the door.

"Hermione, wait." Ginny caught up with he in the common room. "I can explain."

"I don't need your explanation. Who you date is your own freedom; I have no say about it. I just feel sorry for Harry."

"You confronted him huh?"

"Yah. And guess what? He was drugged by Lavender, he did not do it on his own free will. A guilty Lavender admitted to that when I went to ask her what happen."

Guilt-stricken, Ginny did not try to stop Hermione when she left the dorm through the portal.

"Gin," Blaise called from Hermione's door. Ginny did not answer but ran out of the dorm instead.

Hermione sat under the tree by the lake and indulge in the quietness of the area. She needed to unwind badly. It was so long since she had any peace. Leaning her head against the tree truck and closing her eyes, Hermione listened out for the sounds of the insects, the murmur of the creatures from the forbidden forest and the rustling of leaves against the light breeze.

She should not have gotten herself tangled up with Draco, which was not a wise decision. But he was the only guy that made her feel like a woman, noticed her as a female. She felt flattered then and she just wanted to have some fun. She would not go to the extend and say that she loves him. No, she doesn't, but she likes the company of him. She is beginning to weaver in her decision to end off with him already.

Don't give in Hermione. You can't be stupid and let him do what he wants with you like that.

Hermione sighed audibly and sat there looking at nothing in particular. Soon, she drifted off to sleep.

i hope it is not too crappy.