CHAPTER 5 – Stevie, I wonder.

As the months wore on, all the relationships in the castle seemed to be feeling a little tension. Ron and Lavender, arguing like usual, nothing new there. Harry and Ginny were feeling the stress too. Harry's involvement with Dumbledore and all this new information about Voldemort was taking it out of him, and Ginny kind of took a sideline. Hermione knew she couldn't tell Ginny anything Harry told her and Ron, but it hurt her to see her best friend left out in the cold. But even Hermione and Draco seemed a little rocky too. Draco's mind was constantly somewhere else, he was getting more and more jumpy and Hermione didn't know how to react to him anymore. He was being more secretive as the days wore on; even Harry was becoming a little obsessive with his movements. Yet again, Harry had been suspicious of Malfoy all year.

Hermione and Draco didn't even have to pretend to ignore each other in the halls anymore, Draco was always off with the pixies, and Hermione rarely even got to see him anymore, and when she did it was always so short. She didn't like it, and she knew the up coming exams were nothing to do with it. She just couldn't put her finger on it.

Draco sat, with his head in his hands, on the chesterfield 3-seater in the Slytherin common room, thinking. He always thought these days. He always contemplated everything. He movements, what he said, what he ate, anything could give him away, anything could give Dumbledore a reason to suspect something. His wonder boy Potter seemed to be on his tail, but Draco could deal with that. Potter was too simple to work anything Draco was doing, out. But Hermione, Hermione on the other hand, was very capable of figuring him out, and he hated that. If she ever found out what he had to do, she'd be heartbroken, and Draco would be very well dead. Buried along side Dumbledore for treachery no doubt. She could read him way to easy, and it hurt Draco to cut things so short with her, to distance himself from the inevitable doomed ending they were to sustain, to distance himself from her. Sometimes he wished he was dead, so he could stop hurting, hurting the one he loved, to keep her safe, to keep them safe, just to stop all the pain of his betrayal. Draco was pleased, though, that Hermione was slightly more occupied then usual. That he could slip away to his workshop in the Room of Requirement, to work, so he wouldn't disappoint the one person who could kill him as slowly and painful then ever imagined, before then killing his family and his love even slower. Standing, Draco walked out of the common room, it was time to get back to work again. The vanishing cupboard wasn't going to fix itself and he had very little time to do it in. Even Snape offered to help, but Draco still declined. He couldn't get more involved. Snape even bought up the unbreakable vow with his mother, Narcissa, to try and get him to help, but Draco was sick of hearing it. Pushing bad thoughts out of his mind, he walked the corridor before the door to his retched job opened up. Spotting Potter out the corner of his eye, Draco stepped inside and watched the door vanish. Thankful Potter wasn't as fast as he was on his broom.

Back in the common room, Harry was going on and on about Draco, yet again. Hermione and Ginny sat next to the fire as they listened to him and Ron rant about what he could be doing. Hermione was sick of hearing the same shit, over and over again. Malfoy couldn't possibly up to everything they're thinking of, it's just not physically possible.

'They don't even have any evidence' Hermione sighed to Ginny, as she wrote a 3-scroll essay for Snape due tomorrow.

'But do you?' She whispered back, slightly distracted,

Hermione sighed, sitting back in the lumpy recliner.

'Well, no… Draco's been so distant lately'

Hermione couldn't really say anything else on the matter. She's been so kept up in Harry's involvement with Dumbledore, that maybe to Draco, she too was space cadet sometimes. Hermione drifted back to the last time she saw Draco, about a week previous.

The classroom still lay messy and in disarray, the way it had always been as Hermione and Draco sat in silence, hands entwined, heads rested against each other's. That's all they did, just sat in silence. Hermione didn't mind it, it was peaceful, it slowed her down from her fast paced day she'd had. And Draco didn't seem to mind, as he was on vacation with the pixies again… Again. Hermione looked at him, skin white as marble, like his parents got her boy personally chiseled from the best they could afford. To her, he was priceless though, no possession could ever mean as much. No slab of marble could ever be worth as much. It was soon coming up to Hermione and Draco's 6-month anniversary, if you'd call it that. That seemed so exclusive from what this had started out as. Hermione had no idea that it could've ever become such a deep and powerful relationship, like it had. There was love involved now. Not just sex.

Draco drifted off to the sickeningly sweet aroma of Hermione, his thoughts drifting to what he wanted, not what was ahead of him. Hermione was all he could see, his eyes closed; he began to hum softly.

'Isn't she lovely, isn't she wonderful, isn't she precious, lets spend one minute more, id never thought, through love would be making one as lovely as she, but isn't she lovely, made from love' Hermione whispered to Draco's tune.

Draco rolled his head up to face her. Her soft skin, so creamy and delicate, like porcelain, seemed to glitter in the fading light from the window. She looked like pure honey, so sweet, such a rare wonder of nature. Everything about her, her golden brown hair, and her porcelain skin, her warm brown eyes, her scent; all personally weaved from the world's most talented bees. Draco knew she could see right through him. It was a scary thought, but Draco knew a special talent of hers was to see the world in a good light, and that's what she was doing as she looked into his stone cold gray eyes.

Hermione could only see Draco. That was everything she saw. She saw every aspect of him, from his harsh mannerisms to his soft temperament that no one else really saw. But she knew there was something she couldn't see, and she didn't really want to see that part of Draco. Ever.

The fire was burning low in the common room when Draco arrived back from the Room of Requirement. Very few students were left in the common room, mainly just random couples making out in the corners, and then there was Goyle. Standing, when Draco approached him.

'Goyle' He said smally, walking past him to the boy's dormitory.

'Malfoy, stop!'

Turning around to face his faithful friend, Goyle looked glumly down at his feet, which he was shuffling slightly.

'Goyle? Spit it out!'

Pointing at the door, Goyle muttered 'Your Father'.

Draco's color drained from his face, as he turned to face the solid wooden door. Pansy must have said something.

Oh god

Draco's mind filled with terrible thoughts as he climbed the stairs,

What's going to happen to them? Being the main one.

Draco was trembling as he placed his hand of the brass knob to the dormitory.

Turning it slowly, Draco stepped into the darkened room, and walked to the fireplace, in which is father was standing in front of, looking as majestic as could be while he was on house arrest, Voldemort's own orders.

'Draco, my son' He smiled, his sunken eyes scooping out his son.

'Father' Draco nodded,

'How is everything?'

'Moving along swiftly' Draco muttered, moving past his father's hand, which was outstretched for him to kiss.

'Swiftly? Progress then?'

'Yes father'

His father laughed, 'Well, that is a little different that what Narcissa has heard from Snape'

Draco glared at his father,

'Snape knows nothing but the small details; I am not keeping him in the loop, so to speak. He is the last person I need help from'

Lucius Malfoy looked at his son, he's becoming a strong warrior, like his father, he grinned.

'Father like son ay! No helped need from anyone!'

'Father, you can't even be trusted by The Lord to do the simplest of tasks at the moment, and you exclaim we are alike?' spat Draco,

Stepping forward, Lucius grasped Draco by the neck,

'You will not talk down to me, boy! You are but a pawn! I am a lead Death Eater, capable of things you can't even imagine!'

Pushing his pathetic father away, Draco stepped towards the window,

'Snape says you have been distracted from your task. This can not happen, son'

'Snape knows NOTHING!' roared Draco,

'Draco, drop the act, and drop whatever is taking your attention, the plan is in to be executed in 2 days time while Dumbledore is away'

'I KNOW!'

'Do not speak that way to me!'

Draco turned to face his father, his wand raised to his father's throat.

'Get out! Now!'

'DRACO! Do not make me…'

'NOW!'

Lucius glared at his son before throwing floo powder into fire and stepping in,

'2 Days Draco!' he spat before disappearing.

Draco sunk down next to the closest bed. He knew what he had to too, and how hard it would be too, but it must be done, he thought, it must be done.

A single tear trailing down his pale cheek, glittering in the firelight.

The fire was burning low in the common room when Hermione headed to bed, her thoughts leaving her exhausted.

Humming to herself as she stumbled up the stairs, she tried to wake the girls as she clambered into bed, singing in her head,

'I just called to say I Love You, I just called to say how much I care, I just called to say I Love You, and I mean it from the bottom of my heart.

I just called to say I Love You, I just called to say how much I care, I just called to say I

Love You, and I mean it from the bottom of my heart.'

Hermione's muggle upbringing sometimes had more of a cheering effect on her than any spell could. Her favorite artist, Stevie Wonder, just knew how to write the perfect love song. Something that in Hermione's books; could never go out of style. Closing her curtains, Hermione placed her wand on her bedside table, and her thoughts drifted to Draco, before she slipped into slumber.

Hermione drifted off to a rocky sleep. Something big was happening; she could feel it. Her dreams were filled with violence, gore, pain, and torture. It all scared her. It was all happening to her friends and family. Harry, Ginny, Ron, The Weasley's, Her parents… Draco. Everyone was in danger, and Hermione couldn't help them all.

Debris flying through the air, she could her screaming, voices, feel bodies moving around her. She was hurt, physically, emotionally and mentally. She felt broken, but she was strong, she fought on. Her friends fell around her, her family all destroyed until one was left. Then everything stopped. All she could see, and hear was he, who had hurt her. His back to her, his blond hair half hidden by a thick dark band, a loose hood hanging behind his head. Turning around, the thick glimmer of the mask shone in her eyes. Flames reflecting in his gray eyes. Draco stood before her. The pain it caused to see him dressed as one of the most hated people in the world, for him to be one of the people that was destroying the world around her, trying to kill her best friend by association. In one hand, covered in blood, was his wand pointed straight into the face of Ron. She felt panic. Nothing in the other, he lifted his free hand; and slipped off the thick mask obscuring his marble face. A grimace chiseled on his features, his eyes dark, a hiss escaping his thin and blood cracked lips. All she could hear now was her heartbeat, even as Draco roared 'AVADA KEDAVRA' into the scared face of Ron, nothing but her heartbeat.

The brilliant flash of green woke Hermione with a start. The early morning sun broke through her thick curtains as Hermione wiped the sweat away from her face, her body shaking she didn't know how to act. What was that? It felt so real.

Hermione rose early, dressed and walked down to the common room before any of the other students had woken. Hearing taps one the nearest window, Hermione found a majestic owl waiting. Lifting up it leg, the note was addressed to her, in Draco's elegant scrawl. Patting the owl softly, she removed the note, and closed the window.

Opening it, it read:

Hermione, Meet me in the classroom class this afternoon, before dinner. We have something of importance to discuss.

Signed, Draco.

Hermione's nerves grew as the day wore on, she had no classes with Draco today so she couldn't work out what was so important. Walking towards the classroom, Hermione felt jittery, as she opened the door.

Draco stood with his back to Hermione as she entered the familiar classroom. Dressed in all black, Draco's marble figure looked so powerful as he stared out the window.

Walking up behind him, Hermione placed a hand on his shoulder, which he shrugged off suddenly.

'Draco, you wanted to see me?' She asked politely,

'Granger… I don't think we should continue this little charade' he said, his voice solid, as if he'd rehearsed his lines a million times over,

'Charade? Draco? Is everything ok?'

'Everything is fine, fucking peachy' he spat, turning around the face her,

Hermione looked abashed, this wasn't her Draco.

'Then what is it?' She asked timidly,

'I can't keep seeing you!'

'Why?' Hermione whispered, this has to be a joke, right? She thought.

'People are talking and I can't be seen fucking a Mudblood, do you know how badly the reputation would be ruined?'

Mudblood? Fucking? He loved her.

Hermione couldn't believe what she was hearing. Mudblood. A mudblood? After everything that had happened between them?

'Draco? What's is wrong with you?' Hermione said,

'Nothing, you're little love potion has finally warn off me!' he spat back at her,

'Love potion? You said you honestly loved me!' Hermione said, hurt,

Draco looked back at the window, as he spoke,

'I lied, Granger. Im a Malfoy, remember?'

'YOU SAID YOU LOVED ME!'

Draco turned and faced Hermione.

'And you believed me?' he laughed,

'All you were, was a fuck to me, Granger! I lower my standards significantly, and you were the one who I picked!'

Hermione sunk to her knees on the floor, her breathing harsh as she looked up at the man who was breaking her heart. Her eyes were filling with tears as he walked towards her. Hermione held out her hand, and place her fingers softly on the tip of his polished black shoe.

'Get off me, you filthy germ!' He spat at her, kicking her away.

'How could you? HOW COULD YOU?' Hermione roared from the floor,

'Stay there, that's where your kind belong, kneeling in front of us!' Draco spat,

Kneeling down beside her, Draco grasped her hair, and pulled it back harshly,

'You're nothing to me' he whispered

He said he loved me.

I love you, Hermione

Draco walked out of the door, and turned back to Hermione.

'Now I'm the one to walk away' he whispered.

A/N: I hope you guys liked this chapter. I didn't know how to really end their relationship; I hope this was cruel enough. Believable? ;p