I know I edited this like a thousand times, sorry. I have some serious OCD issues.

Chapter Seven

Hermione locked herself in her room, bursting into a new set of tears. She hated him. She hated him so much. She hated him with a passion. It was the first time in months, no, years that she's been able to open her heart and put her guard down. And the moment she's unguarded, she's stabbed…right in the heart.

She had nobody. She needed somebody to talk to, or at least to comfort her.

She thought about her three closest friends, but Harry could hardly be considered someone Hermione would open up to at the moment, Ron had the attention span of a hippopotamus, and Ginny wasn't exactly the most comforting with advice due to her bluntness.

The one person she thought she had, and trusted, turned out to be a bet. A huge lie.

With these thoughts, Hermione began to sob even harder.

Her throat ached from the tears. Her face burned with the tears. Her eyes became sore from the tears. She cried all by herself, sitting with her back against her bedroom door. She bawled until she ran out of tears.

The sudden lack of tears brought her back to reality.

I am a Gryffindor.

Gryffindors are supposedly known for their courage, strength, and loyalty, but after the incident with Draco, Hermione realized she lost all those characteristics. She lost her courage. Here she was crying her eyes out in her locked dorm room, and unable to gather up the nerve to face her friends. She lacked strength. Despite her past experiences, she was no longer brave or strong enough to stand up to Malfoy. She didn't even want to think of loyalty. She knew she had practically traded in her closest friends for a Slytherin. Hermione had honestly never felt so ashamed of herself in her seventeen years of living, and didn't plan on living the same miserable way forever.

With all the strength she could muster, Hermione stood up abruptly with determination. She was determined to get her old life back. She wanted nothing to do with Dra---Malf---Ferret. With that in mind, she purposefully strode to her bathroom, and turned on the shower, and washed all the remnants of the weak and dependent Hermione down the drain, with everything else unwanted.

-:-

Draco had been standing outside Hermione's room with his ear to her door, listening to her cry. He couldn't breathe. He messed up big time, and he knew it. He had desperately wanted to break down the door standing between them as he heard the continuous sniffles. He wanted to hold her and apologize profusely and hope that she would forgive him, and they could just restart. But he knew. He knew it would never be that easy. Nothing is ever easy.

Draco nervously thought back about what had happened. My friends came over and Hermione had heard me boasting about the bet. They all left at the sight of Granger, and left me to deal with the effects. Some friends.

He was so angry with his stupidity. Hermione would never forgive him.

All his thoughts were forgotten as he heard Hermione move towards her bathroom and then proceed to turn on the shower. Showering was never a good sign. Why is she showering? Is she cleansing herself of me or something?

Draco knew something was up, so he planned on camping himself outside Hermione's room, until she came out. He was determined to explain everything to her so they could kiss and make up. When he saw her bedroom door slowly creak open, he was totally prepared to win her back.

That is, until he saw her. Hermione's hair was tied half up and some curls fell to frame her face. She was wearing a slight hint of make-up and a simple shirt and jeans that hugged her curves. She looked effortlessly beautiful. Draco was speechless. The long explanation he had been practicing was completely forgotten. Hermione coldly glared at him, but suddenly smiled an evil smile to match her eyes. She brushed by him purposefully and said a quick "Hey" before descending the stairs.

Draco was completely taken aback. She was acting like nothing had happened.

As Hermione neared the common room exit, she heard Draco cry out to her. A smirk crept onto her face as she noticed her plan working.

"Hermione! Wait!" Draco yelled as he ran down the stairs after her. He was shocked that she actually stopped and turned to face him, but what she said threw him off a bit.

"For what?" she asked rudely.

"I have to explain something to you."

"I already heard all your "explaining" earlier, so if you don't mind I'd like to catch up with my friends." She said icily, but with a hint of innocence to piss him off.

"Just let me explain." Draco said with desperation and frustration in his eyes and words.

Hermione found this new side of him unnerving, causing the smirk to leave her face. Just an hour ago, he was anything but desperate. He was a cocky and arrogant ass. Despite those facts, she couldn't help but to want to stay and hear him out.

Malfoy noticed that Hermione was watching him, eager for him to continue, so he began his little speech, nervously. "Hermione, I--- I never meant to hurt you like that. I—"

"Then why did you?" Hermione interrupted with so much bitterness it sent shivers down Draco's spine.

"It was Blaise's stupid bet. You know I never turn down a dare or a bet." He said with an attempt of humor, but Hermione didn't look at all amused. "Well Blaise promised me 32 Galleons and his shoes if I was able to make you fall for me, but I ended up really liking you in the process. I know the bet was really crude, but after I won it, I thought it would just pass and we could still be together. I wasn't lying that night I told you that I like you." Draco finished quietly.

Hermione's eyes softened at the last sentence, but hardened as remembered she was talking to the same ass who had called her easy. "Too bad" she replied with a smirk.

"What's too bad?" Draco asked confusedly.

"Too bad you didn't win your bet." Hermione said as she turned away from him, hoping her eyes wouldn't give away her lies.

"What are you talking about?" Draco asked, creasing his eyebrows.

"I never fell for you. I don't even like you." Hermione said, her voice quivering a bit. "You shouldn't flatter yourself." She added with confidence, as she left the common room. She had just lied to his face, and judging by Malfoy's reaction, he had believed her. She was glad that she had regained her strength to piss Malfoy off again, because she had to keep it up if she wanted to get over the git. She strode to the Gryffindor common room with her head held high, and ready to make amends with Harry and Ron, and leave the past behind.

But the past didn't want to stay behind. Draco wasn't planning on giving up that easily. When did he ever? He didn't even know why he needed her so badly, but he knew that he needed her. He felt a happiness that couldn't be explained whenever she was around.

"We have detention every night this week, and that ought to be more than enough time to win her back." He thought happily.

Draco Malfoy always knows exactly what he wants, and he always manages to get whatever it is. This time shouldn't be any different

Should it?

-:-

I'm back! Sorry for leaving you guys hanging at the most climatic chapter ever, and then leaving you with this transition chapter. I really wanted to capture the Hermione's and Draco's emotions, and I didn't want the story to suddenly move on too quickly, so this chapter slows the story down a bit while moving it forward. Know what I mean? I know I'm totally psycho.

I have this gut feeling that you hate Hermione right now. Am I right?

REVIEW!