Disclaimer: I still own nothing. I wonder why……

AN: Sorry it's been a while. And thank you everyone for all your reviews. It's always nice to read them. So thank you everyone again. Here it is. I hope it'll be long enough for you.

Someone once called me Selfish. I just laughed at them. Everyone in the entire world is selfish, not only when they are children but also when they grow up.

There is nothing that we don't want. There is nothing we don't do just for ourselves. I have never just helped someone out from the kindness of my heart. There is always a reason behind our actions and they are always our reasons. No one cares about anyone else. Everyone is interested, but they don't care. Everyone is selfish in this world. We do things for no other reason, but for ourselves.

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Chapter 5: Selfish

"Pay? " Hermione sneered summing up all her Gryffindor courage. "My most favored stupid pureblood, why would I pay you? From what I've heard, you have all the money you want, unless of course that was put away with your ickle daddykins." Hermione's taunts were cut off when he slapped her.

"Watch your tone mud blood." He said icily and stepped back. Hermione held her cheek and felt a trickle of blood. She wiped it off and met his angry eyes.

"You seem to have forgotten I found your little diary and I've seen your spell in the Library." Draco Malfoy sneered down at her. He liked to see her in pain. He wanted her suffering to last long after she left tonight. The thought of the mud blood in pain always made him happy. Aroused even. What could he say; Draco Malfoy lived off other people's pain.

"Well I did your homework." Hermione said and removed her hand from her cheek. "What more do you want me to do? Get on my hands and knees and tell you just how wonderful you really are for making me do this?"

Draco Malfoy smirked at his prey. All week he had been thinking up ways to torture her. He hated her with such a passion any pity he might have had for someone in her position always fled.

"Why don't you just do that Granger?" He drawled and inspected his fingernails. "Kiss my shoes and tell me how wonderful I really am. We'll see where it goes from there."

Hermione's hand shook with rage. Just because she lied didn't mean this ferret faced rat would get the better of her. No; not at all. Instead she did as she was told. Draco smirked and waited to see what she would do. Hermione smirked at him and remained silent.

"Well Granger? Don't you have something to say?" He snarled frustrated.

"No. There is nothing wonderful about this person in front of me." Hermione said simply. "Oh, apart from the fact he has the biggest ego I have ever seen. Bigger even than the famous Harry Potter's." Draco lost it and lashed out. His foot connected with her angelic face.

"SHUT IT!" He screeched and kicked her again, foot getting her stomach. Hermione was winded and couldn't move by herself.

"You think that you are so wonderful Granger." Draco sneered and kept kicking her. "You think you're better than any of us. Don't you?" Draco stopped and picked her up by her hair. She was as light as a feather.

"If you are all that mud blood," He whispered pulling her in closer. Hermione closed her eyes. "Then why do you have all those nasty scars?"

Hermione felt a tear trickle down her face. Again she was at his mercy, and couldn't even defend herself. All the walls she had against this sort of thing came crashing down as that one tear fell. She felt every wound Draco Malfoy had made for once. Her despair came back and she thought not of Malfoy, but of Andrew and her family. Right now all she wanted was the lie back.

Draco watched that single tear until it fell onto the cold stone. He smirked and was glad this was making an impression. The girl thought highly of herself. Too highly to ever think of him as anything more that what he was. She deserved all the pain he was causing her.

"That's right sweet heart." Draco whispered sadistically. "Cry you pathetic heart out, and see who comes to comfort you."

Hermione opened her eyes and looked at him. A real soul searching look.

"And when it all falls away Malfoy," she said softly. Draco leaned in to hear her. "When it has all gone, what will you have? A drunken mother. A pisspoor father; and no friends. The lie is better than reality Draco, but you will never know anything but the cruel life you lead. No friends, no father. No answers. One would think you should give up." Draco snarled and flung her away from him.

"You won't speak to me again without using the term 'Master'. Is that clear?" Draco straightened his robes. Hermione nodded slightly. He frowned. "Pardon?"

"Yes Master." She whispered and curled up into a ball. Draco gave a slight nod.

"Good girl. I'll see you same time next week. The homework's in the corner. Do you better job this time okay?" And with that he strolled out. Hermione had one this time round, but she wouldn't always beat him. This was his game, not hers.

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Hermione eventually left the tower. She felt weak and exhausted. She felt like everything had crashed down on her all at once, and the pressure was something she just couldn't bear all by herself.

Walking through the very annoyed portrait she went into what she hoped was an empty common room. It wasn't.

"Hi Hermione." Ginny said gingerly. She was frowning slightly and she put down her book. "How're you?" Hermione groaned inwardly and put on her best false smile. Ginny would hopefully assume since the fight with the boys, that she was upset and ragard because of that.

"I'm just a little tired so you don't mind I'd like to-"

"Hermione wait!" Ginny said softly and patted the seat next to her. Hermione went caustiously over and sat down. Ginny sighed and looked away.

"You're not alright at the moment are you?" She asked softly and Hermione's eyes widened. Why would Ginny of all people ask questions like that? Had her false-ness in the Library that moring taken such a toll that now Ginny of all people didn't trust her??

"You've been distant ever since we started this year Hermione. Please tell me, why can't you trust me?" Ginny continued and Hermione's heart starting to beat again. It ached though. It relly ached.

"I love you like a sister, so why have things changed between us all?" Ginny's voice broke and she put a hand on Hermione's shoulder, finally meeting her eyes. Ginny was crying and Hermione felt a tear fall down. She wanted to trust Ginny with all of it. She would understand.

"I am so sick of the lie Ginny." She whispered and Ginny's teary eyes widened. "I want it to all end now, but it won't." And another tear fell.

"Hermione I-"

"What are you girls doing up? You know its not alright to up at this hour." Ron's voice came from the top of the stairs. Hermione jumped up.

"I'm allowed to be here Ronald. So get your big nose out of my bussiness." Then she turned to Ginny. "G'night Ginny. Sleep well." And she went up the stairs, trying with all heart to pretend that nothing had happened at all today. Nothing at all.