First the story, but be sure to read my a/n at the bottom for all my apologies!

-sorry for ooc hermione, believe me, there's more to her behavior than my poor writing-

And he stared up at her, aghast, falling on his stomach, the gritty floor grating his cheek, unable to look behind him.

And as he watched her, the only thing in his sight, he was suddenly thankful that he was paralyzed- for he would have never wanted her to see the look of ghastly surprise that gripped his heart in terror, watched her mutter the binds on her wrists away, silently magicked into replacement the obscene tear of the thin fabric of her pajama pants.

She removed the bruise on her cheek that had nearly caused him to lose wind before he even hit the barrier she had conjured.

All the while keeping her eyes on him.

She kneeled before him, upside down and twisted within his own vision. Her fingers found the scalp underneath his hair so gently that it was momentarily ambiguous whether she were to caress him or kill him-but her movements tensed and pulled his hair until his head was hanging just underneath her.

"Oh," she said as though cooing a child, "you're more fun when you're capable of giving in to how pissed off you are."

And as he felt his stiffened body fall even flatter against the floor below them.

Only to stiffen again, immediately.

He did not move, for she had done nothing to prepare for an outward attack.

She dropped his hair and his head hit the brick.

Not allowing his vision to blur, he was beginning to recognize the karmic realignment of her actions.

Crouched behind him, still looking to his face for a reaction he would not give her, she suddenly frowned.

"Why is it that you get so passionately angry with me, Malfoy? I may sound rather sure of myself, but am I correct in believing that you're quite nearly pissed off now?"

Sure to keep the latter disposition from crossing his features, he tried to carry on the conversation, if that was what it would turn out to be. Another fight.

Honesty, he decided, watching her and knowing there was something ferociously ready in her, honesty was a prudent concept.

"When you do something that grates me, I realize how close I came to letting you affect me."

Hermione did not react, presumably expecting Malfoy's attempt at a surprise attack.

"Does nearly raping me affect you at all?" Hermione feigned smirk faltered slightly, a slight twitching glitch in her façade. Malfoy failed to keep his eyes from widening, upon realizing she had known of his intentions the other night. "Is it some part of regime, or am I just particularly-" -she spat the word- "masochistic to you?"

He let his eyes narrow, finally putting up his defense. "You're not dirty enough to escape your humility. Breaking you might have motivated me enough to never look at your Mudblood face again."

"Oh?" So stoic she kept herself to be, watching him. "Then why hold back, if for nothing else?"

Malfoy steeled his face and paunched his lips. He looked up up up at the ceiling. She was right above him, breathing through her nose, glancing between his drifting eyes. "You want to play oblivious to these past two weeks. I'll keep to your wishes and keep my mouth shut, even if you must attempt to hurt me."

Just one glance to her, her drama splitting between crying and screams. But she held his gaze, and her face did not change.

She was going to leave.

He was halfway up before he lunged for her, pinning her writhing body below him.

Knowing she still had her wandless magic, even if she was unsure of what to do to him, what with her new found confusion, Malfoy did not hold her, only made sure she did not succeed in her struggle.

Finally, he looked at her when she seemed to be giving up, raised his head only just high enough from her shoulder to keep eye contact.

It was only slightly reassuring that she had chosen on anger.

I am so sorry to all of you!

Has it been forever yet?

And to leave the story off at such a TERRIBLE chapter! Yuck!

Basically, I don't have a legal residence anymore. So I've been living with Bonnie-i loves you-but my story was in middleborough without an internet connection! Yargh!

But hey, I'm back, and I'll post another chapter because I am so very sorry!

I would love to thank my reviewers SoulJewel (you're i fantastic/i ) and someone named 'me' who kept me smiling on what may have been a dreary existence of a day!

Thank you so much, enjoy the next chapters, and review!

-mary