a.n. Hello, people! I didn't post a chapter last night as I was a chapter ahead of PunkQueen123 so I waited to post this chapter tonight. I am kind of releaved because now I have more time to write the next chapter after this, chapter 43. I hope people don't mind me making Hermione act all sassy and stuff, I found it rather funny and amusing but she should be back to normal soon. Acctually...no. She'll most likely be stroppy Hermione. But she will return back to normal eventually!

Disclaimer: Am I JK Rowling? No. Is PunkQueen123 JK Rowling? No. Do Tallulah and Titus belong to anybody other than us? No. You get the idea, right?

Chapter 42

"Draco, you have to talk to Granger. You've started acting like each other and it's creepy. You gotta talk to her, neither of you are even talking." Blaise reasoned on their way back to the dungeons after Transfiguration.

"I know. I'll do it tomorrow." Draco said sadly.

"That's what you've been saying for the past few days and you never do. So we're going now." Blaise grabbed Draco's wrist and dragged him up the stairs.

"What? We? No!" Draco warned.

"Yep."

Draco Didn't know How Blaise knew how to get to Gryffindor common room, but he didn't really care. He was just full of dread.

He was about to break Hermione's heart how couldn't he feel bad? Hermione didn't deserve this though-she was safer this way.

"Oi! Weasley!" Blaise shouted at Ginny Weasley. She turned her red hair flying behind her.

"What do you want Zabini?" She cocked an eyebrow.

"Where's Granger?"

"Oh. Ohh…" Realisation hit her. "The library."

"Of course." Draco laughed slightly. The boys turned to leave when Weasley called out again.

"Malfoy, I hope I don't have to tell you what'll happen if you hurt her." A wave of guilt surged through him. Why was it him?

"I get it Weaslette." Draco rolled his eyes. She seemed to buy his bored tone, but he didn't fool himself. They set off again.

"Zabini, you don't need to get anywhere near 'Mione." Blaise stepped back and Draco nodded goodbye.

"Ahh. Young love-annoying isn't it." Blaise said coming to stand by Ginny.

"Tell me about it." Ginny groaned. Blaise snorted in response.

"I think I could come to like you y'know Weasley." Blaise nodded thoughtfully.(AN-as a friend btw)

—

"Hermione." Draco said in a low voice so not to attract attention.

"Draco?" Hermione's eyes lit up when she saw him. Guilt once again made him grimace.

"Listen we need to talk." Draco sat at the table where Hermione was sitting reading.

"About which issue." Hermione grimaced.

"We need to stop...this." Draco said weekly.

"What is 'this' Draco." Hermione frowned. She sensed the tears she would for sure soon cry.

"I don't even know. But it's for your safety Hermione. If I distance myself from you then they won't go after you." Hermione just sat frowning. "I don't want to do this-"

"Then don't." Hermione suggested.

"I won't let you die." Draco hissed angrily. "Hermione do you even know what'll happen to you? What they'll do to you?! Torture-torture then death. I won't just sit here and let you die."

"Draco, we'll figure something out." Hermione said urgently.

"No we won't." Draco gave a sad laugh. "That's not going to happen, not even you could come up with some way to fix this. So goodbye Her-Granger." What hurt most was that last word. Granger.

"Draco please." Hermione felt the tears she had predicted finally fall from her cheeks.

She felt silly really. She was crying over a boy-a boy who was breaking her heart. He had brought her so much happiness and she would've moved mountains to be with him. She had been sure he would've done the same. Apparently she was wrong because here he was turning to walk away from her and not just out the library, but out of her life.

"I'm sorry." Draco's voice broke slightly and he continued walking. His icy unreadable expression back in place on his face.

The world was crumbling down around her. She couldn't breath. So she just ran. She ran out the library and up the stairs to Gryffindor common room. She ignored the stares from others, she ignored Harry and Ron. She just ran up to her room after giving Ginny a look. She ran into the room and fell onto her bed. The great, strong Hermione Granger was finally broken.

Draco was in his room with Blaise once again. He was just sitting there as Blaise looked at him worried. He didn't know how to feel-so he just felt numb. He felt like the world was slowly swallowing him. It was breaking all around him and soon it would kill him. He didn't know what to think, what to feel, what to do.

'Sorry Hermione. I'm so sorry.'

Then he set his old snarl back in place.

PunkQueen123