Chapter 5

(Rewritten July 06)

Hermione ran when those words left Draco's lips. She grabbed ten branches and made a mad dash for the path that would sooner or later lead to her freedom.

Tears were pouring from her eyes. Why? She didn't even know. She just knew that she had to get as far away from Draco as possible.

'How could he,' she thought, 'What the hell? Why am I crying? What's wrong with me?'

'You like him, honey,' her intuition whispered.

'Ha, right,' Hermione sniffed. Her chest ached with the crisp, night air of the forest but she didn't stop. She couldn't.

Behind her, she could hear the heavy footsteps of Draco. He was cursing beneath his breath. If it was at her or the situation, she couldn't tell, but it was more than likely the former.

"Hermi -, I mean, Granger, stop now," Draco screamed from behind her. He sounded quite distant but was slowly catching up.

'Oh, he almost called me Hermione again,' Hermione thought. 'I mean, shit, he shouldn't be uttering my name to begin with. Fucking Malfoy.'

'Don't get so angry, sweetie,' her intuition replied, 'Don't deny the inevitable.'

'Watch me,' she thought. And with that she heightened her pace.

It was difficult, running, crying and carrying ten branches with a knapsack attached to her side but Hermione managed. She was determined to leave that boy to eat her dust.

'You're falling for him,' her intuition muttered softly.

'Am not,' Hermione retorted.

'You are too. Look at your reaction. You're mad that he wasn't 'the one'. Don't deny it cause I am you. I know what you're thinking. Just let it be.'

Hermione cried out. From behind she heard Draco pick up speed.

'He must be worried,' Hermione thought.

'He is, of course he is. He's falling for you too.'

'Ha, now that's a lie. You may have caught my feelings for the boy, which will soon disappear, but he will never feel the same towards me.'

'You would be surprised,' her intuition explained. 'Love is a crazy thing. You just happened to stumble upon it in an unexpected place.'

Hermione shook her head and continued jogging. Draco was catching up or he was purposefully staying a few yards behind. She didn't mind though as she saw the edge of the forest only yards ahead.

Had it really been so long?

"Gra - Gra- Granger," Draco sputtered as he reached her side in the shadows of Hogwarts. "What's wrong with you?"

Hermione spun around and hit his arm. "How could you," she screamed, "How could you kiss me like that? What the fuck do you think you're playing at?"

Draco's eyes widened as she continued. Never had he heard Hermione curse beyond the occasional 'hell' or 'damn'. He was in serious shit and he knew it.

"For six fucking years you've hated me. You think you've heard everything I've said about you, well, I know a hell of a lot more about what comes out of your mouth. In case you forgot, you have a tendency to shout things across hallways, like, 'Oh, look, it's that fat ass of a monster. Fucking mudblood, they're good for nothing. Why don't you just drop dead and die?". Yeah, I've heard it and just because I have muggle parents, doesn't meant that I don't have feelings. But then again, you can't comprehend any of this anyways. Compassion isn't part of your anatomy."

Hermione glared at him and then stalked off towards the castle. Draco stood in the same position, completely and utterly stunned.

"Holy shit," he muttered, "Why have I been such a cold-hearted bastard?"

He shook his head and yelled. Anyone awake at this hour would only think it was a beast of some sort.

"Fuck," he whispered, "I think I'm falling for her. I shouldn't give a shit about her and yet I do. Fuck, fuck, fuck."

'Then go tell her how you feel,' his intuition replied.

"I'll do what I want." And with that Draco began sprinting up towards the castle just as Hermione's tiny body disappeared inside.

Hermione stampeded into Snape's office and threw the branches upon his desk in a flurry of hair and robes.

"Very nice," he drawled from his seat. "But I asked for twenty. Where are the other ten?"

"Malfoy has them," she replied. Her eyes must have been considerably blotchy since Snape grimaced even though the tears had been wiped away before Hermione had entered. "He's on his way, so, they should be here shortly."

"Good. Go to bed," Snape demanded. Hermione left and dashed to the common room.

"Professor Snape," Draco gasped as he ran into his office only minutes later, "Where is Granger?"

"She retired," He explained with distaste as he waved his hand in the air. "It's about time I received the other ten. Try to stay together next time, Mr. Malfoy."

"We will," Draco hastily replied. He then turned and sprinted to the common room.

"Mystify," he shouted at the portrait. When he entered he found an unconscious Hermione laying on the ground.

"Hermione," he yelled and grabbed her hand. At first she didn't stir but after a few attempts she rose.

"Herm -, I mean, Granger, are you alright?"

"Splendid," Hermione grumbled. "Now let go of my hand. I want to sleep in my bed, undisturbed by the likes of you."

"Well -," Draco began.

"Oh, save your bullshit for some other girl who'd kill to hear it. You don't care about me, I don't care about you, let's keep it at that."

'Tell her now,' Draco's intuition screamed, 'Tell her how you feel!'

"You're right. I don't care," Draco growled. "The only reason why I showed a hint of remorse was because if you died on this couch then I'd never hear the end of it. Thanks for almost fucking up my reputation."

"Send me a memo next time and I'll try my best to comply," Hermione retorted. She pushed past him and walked up to her dorm.

After her door slammed he bowed his head.

"Fuck," he whispered, "I wish you knew, Hermione, what I really meant to say. Goodnight, to you too..."

Draco then retired for the night but he promised that tomorrow he was going to tell Hermione how he felt and he knew the perfect way to do it.