A/N: I've written this until Chapter 18, and I'm still going strong. I've posted quite a bit, so I'm going wait for some love to flow in! Not posting until some more reviews to READ AND REVIEW!

Chapter 8:

Curses were flying everywhere. Hogwarts was in ruins. Men and women in dark, black robes were fighting others wearing school robes and Muggle clothing. A man – someone she didn't know – fell right in front of her, dead. The victorious wizard admired his kill and cackled, "What a pity, another little blood traitor killed. Do you know this one, Narcissa?"

She glanced at the dead body briefly. The wizard was young, perhaps a student, covered in scrapes and bruises. He had been fighting hard. She looked back up to the Death Eater, "No. Have you seen Draco?" she tried to keep her tone nonchalant and cold, but she couldn't help but sound frantic.

"No, I haven't, but I assume he's having a ol' grand time. This is what he's been waitin' for hasn't he? Hopefully he's got Potter's little Mudblood all to himself." He cackled once more and stomped away, scouting for his next kill.

Narcissa wanted to gag. Her son would never stoop that low. She knew he was good and that he would never abuse a woman that way. She knew that he was scared out of his wits right now. She just wanted it to be over. She walked briskly towards the castle, maybe he was in there!

"Where you goin' Cissy?" she heard an evil drawl behind her. She turned to see her maniacal sister, Bellatrix wand in hand. She was standing over two Aurors, who Narcissa remembered to be Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks. Her heart sank, Bella had killed family.

"Bella, I need to find Draco, have you seen him?" she looked at her sister's crazed stare, "Please, Bella, have you seen him?"

Bellatrix's eyes went dark, "Why no, Cissy, I haven't. Why? Planning on ditching?"

"Bellatrix, please, I must find him." Narcissa pleaded once more.

Bellatrix humpfed, giving Narcissa the notion that she had no idea where her son was. She quickly turned and started running towards the castle. She would find her son if it was the last thing she did.

Bellatrix raised her wand towards her own sister, "Now, now Cissy. Didn't mother tell you, you must stay for the whole party?" she cackled as Narcissa looked behind her shoulder, "Avada Kedavra!"

Draco jolted up out of bed, lying in what seemed to be soaked sheets. He heaved ragged and strained breaths as he laid back once more to rest his head on the pillow. He blinked again, trying to get to image out of his mind. All he saw was his mother's dead corpse on the grass, face etched in worry, hand reaching for the castle's stairs.

ooooooooo

A few more days passed and Hermione's terrible hangover eased slowly. She had woken up the next morning in nothing but a T-Shirt, make-up from the night before smeared across her face. She had felt better after taking a nice, hot shower, but it still took her a day to fully recuperate. She saw nothing of Malfoy, although she would occasionally hear him shuffle down the stairs for his meals. She had tried relentlessly to remember what had happened in Malfoy's room, but the entire night was fuzzy. All she knew is that she had been in his room, and that at one point, had been straddling him. She winced – that was probably the reason he was avoiding her!

She glanced at the clock: 7pm. She stomach grumbled and she raised herself from her spot the couch and walked into the kitchen. Tonight, Hermione was cooking one of her favourites: Spaghetti Bolognese. She smelled the meat sauce that she had been working on the entire day and smiled. This was going to be a fabulous dinner and a fabulous night! She stirred the red sauce with a wooden spoon when she heard something shuffle behind her. She turned around to see Ron Weasley stepping out of her floo.

"Jeez, Ron! You startled me!" She said as she bent down to pick up the wooden spoon she had dropped. He looked at her nonchalantly and sat down at the kitchen table as though he was living in Grimmauld Place as well. Hermione was instantly put off by his attitude.

"I came here to tell you something Hermione" he started. Hermione swallowed nervously as he continued on, "I just wanted you to hear it from me…Lavender and I have gotten back together."

"Are you kidding me Ronald? That's what you came here to tell me?" He nodded indifferently clearly trying to remain above her and the whole situation. "Well for your information, your little relationship was published on the front page of the Prophet – which I still happened to read – last week. I can't say that I am surprised. I would have liked a day's notice, but I wasn't really upset about that."

"Good, then I'll be going" Ron said anticipating what was coming next.

"No, Ron, you won't. I really did enjoy reading the Prophet that day; you had such kind things to say about me! What was it again? Sexual maniac?" Hermione said in an angry tone.

"Well she treats me well 'Mione! It's an actual relationship; we do more than sit around, read, and talk about the war. We have conservations about our interests and current events." Ron answered standing up from his chair.

"She is a TRAMP Ronald!" Hermione screamed. She wasn't sure why she was getting so upset over Ron, who she had broken up with. "You should hear the things that Malfoy told me about her school days! She snogged most of the Slytherin boys her fourth year…and did other things with GOYLE!"

Ron's eyes darkened and he glared at her maliciously, "Don't talk about her like that. She's changed. She's sweet now, not crazy like she was in school. Plus she's better than you! She actually likes me!" Hermione was getting angrier and angrier, but Ron beat her to the punch, "And I suppose you believe everything Malfoy tells you now. Look at you, you're PATHETIC!" he yelled, "He just wants to make you another notch in his bedpost! One last go before he's locked in Azkaban for the rest of his life. He's not good for you Hermione! He's using you!"

"WHY DO YOU CARE? It's not like you have feelings for me anymore." Hermione was furious. Her breaths were ragged, and her chest rose and fell quickly. He had called her pathetic. No one had ever called her pathetic…not even Malfoy.

"'Mi…" Ron started, voice soft now.

"JUST LEAVE!" she screamed. Ron nodded and backed into the floo, leaving her seething in the kitchen. She leaned against the kitchen counter and saw Malfoy standing in the doorway. She let out an exasperated sigh, "Great."

oooooooooo

Lavender Brown sat on her sofa waiting patiently to hear the faint pop outside her door. She spent the time observing the split ends in her curly, golden hair, and observing her painted red nails. The faint pop eventually came, followed by three light knocks on her flat's door. She opened it to see her boyfriend, Ron Weasley, with a grimace on his face.

"Well? How did it go?" she asked as he walked into her door and plopped himself onto the nearest couch. She gingerly took a seat next to his lounging form.

"How do you think it went? She already knew! Then she proceeded to tell me some shit Malfoy had said about you. Then we got in big row, then she screamed at me to leave." She could tell that he was stressing about it.

She lightly touched his arm, "Ron, you already knew that this wouldn't go well. Harry told you she already knew! You expected a fight, we prepared for this," this didn't seem to help, "It's alright. She'll come around, and Malfoy will be in Azkaban in no time. You really shouldn't worry about her Ron." He seemed to relax at her touch.

He sat up abruptly, pushing her arm away, "I'm surprised that bloody wanker didn't even show his face. Probably too scared after last time." He paused in thought, "You know what Lav, Ginny told me that he was just living there and that nothing is going on, but I bet you there is! She hated him! How can she willingly let him live there?" he stood pacing around the small room. Lavender was about to interject some reassuring words in efforts to calm him but he continued on, "You know what she said to me? She said that Malfoy told her that you snogged most of the Slytherin boys! Malfoy told her that! That means they've been talking. They're probably planning against us this very second!"

Lavender blushed, trying to hide it from him, "Did you snog those Slythering boys?"

"Yes," she whispered, avoiding Ron's widening eyes, "But I was young! But doing that in fourth and fifth year gave me a lot of confidence. It's that confidence that gave me the courage to kiss you that one night sixth year…" She glanced over to him, his eyes had softened slightly, but he was still frantic and red, "Ron you really need to calm down," she said softly, "You shouldn't worry about her. You're with me now."

"You're right." He said stopping in the middle of the room and approaching her, "I am with you now. And I'm happier with you." He placed a small kiss on her lips and wrapped his arms around her. She hoped he was right.

ooooooooooo

For the past few days, Malfoy's head had been spinning. He had awoken abruptly in the middle of night Friday to see Granger stumbling around his room. He had never seen her this way. Sure, she was drunk and talking nonsense – dancing around his room at one point – but she looked so different. She was wearing something fashionable that clung to her amazing body, flattering her every curve. Her hair was straight and smooth. She was even wearing makeup! The young Malfoy had barely recognized her, thinking some lost model had somehow fallen into his bedroom. All he could do was stare at her in the darkness. He felt the tingling of excitement as she told him about how she had left the man she was dancing with – who had wanted to take her home – because she was a good babysitter. He had fought the urge to smirk.

He had almost lost it when she had taken off her shining gold shoes and climbed on top of him. She had placed her small hands on his shoulder and leaned toward his face. His throat went dry: this was happening: Hermione Granger was coming on to him. He would have never imagined this in his wildest dreams, he blinked a few times, to make sure he was really awake. He was. She was turning him on. Her silky hair has falling in his face, tickling his ears, and he breathed in her sweet scent. She had whispered loudly, "I came back for you, Malfoy." Draco wanted her. He wanted to flip her over right there and ravage her. Her lips were beckoning him. He wanted to feel her body, her smooth skin. He wanted to tangle his hands in her thick hair. But he couldn't. She was drunk. He was the one who had pushed him away not two days ago. This was Hermione Granger for God's sake! No.

His hands had found her hips. He doubted himself once more. He could do this. She was willing. His mind flashed back to Wednesday, "Stay away from me" she had said with such malice and hate. He knew what he had to do. Not saying a word, he pushed her off the bed, handed her her shoes, and pushed her out of the door. He stood rooted to the ground for several seconds, hearing her head thump against the door. He had done the right thing, he reminded himself. He had crawled back into his bed, not falling asleep until a few hours later. She was starting to mess with his head again. The only way was to avoid her.

The next few days had been very quiet for Draco. He had stayed mostly to the confines of his room, only emerging with absolutely necessary. He glanced at the clock: 7 o'clock; he was starting to get hungry. Granger's meals were always ready around 7. He got out of bed for the first time that day, slipping on loose fitting pants. He was pulling a t-shirt over his head and grabbing his book when he heard Hermione's raised voice, "She is a TRAMP Ronald!" Weasley was here…again. He emerged from the room and silently made it to the bottom of the stairs, staying concealed in the darkness of the doorway.

"And I suppose you believe everything Malfoy tells you now. Look at you, you're PATHETIC!" the redhead shouted at her. Draco frowned; that was a low blow, "He just wants to make you another notch in his bedpost! One last go before he's locked in Azkaban for the rest of his life. He's not good for you Hermione! He's using you!" He really wanted to knock some sense into Weasley then, just a few punches, but he stayed hidden. Revealing himself now would do more bad then good.

"WHY DO YOU CARE? It's not like you have feelings for me anymore." Hermione screamed loudly at Weasley. Draco watched at Ron's eyes softened and looked up at her small, seething frame. Shit – he was going to tell her he still loved her and they would get back together. Perfect. The young Malfoy heard the redhead mutter something followed by Hermione's angry scream booming through the house, "JUST LEAVE!"

Draco watched as Weasley retreated back into the floo. Finally, he stepped forward into the light. Draco watched as she turned in his direction, leaning against the counter. She sighed clearly annoyed by his presence, "Great."

Draco walked into the kitchen and held up his arm with the book, "I was just coming down to get dinner…and read a little." He moved into the reading room sitting down on the couch and started to read.

Several minutes later, Granger shuffled into the reading room with two plates of spaghetti. She handed one to Malfoy and sheepishly sat at the other end of the sofa. They both started eating in silence, the awkward sound of chewing and slurping filling the room. Draco felt so uncomfortable. She had not been happy to see him earlier, and she was clearly still upset from her argument with the Weasel. He really was just that – a Weasel. He was always stringing Granger on and hurting her at the worst times. Anger swelled in Draco's heart; it wasn't right. He finished his plate, and set it gently on the small side table next to him, and reopened his book.

He heard Hermione sniff and shift in her seat. He questioned whether he should look up, see if she was all right. She cleared her throat, "He called me pathetic" she whispered. Draco looked up at her, she was indeed crying, tears falling silently down her cheeks. "No ones ever called me pathetic before…nerd, stupid, ugly, awkward, mudblood, but never pathetic. Not even you…" Draco wondered if he should answer her. Their relationship was already so strained, and every time they got somewhere, one of them would ruin it. But she was crying, he thought to himself. No man can resist a crying woman.

"You're not pathetic Granger," he answered quietly. Those small, soft words were all it took. Hermione closed the space between them, sobbing into his chest. His strong arms gradually closed around her as she cried. It was not long before she had wrapped her slender arms around his torso, clinging to his old white shirt. It seemed as though she was crying out all the tears that she had been holding in since the last time Draco had seen her crumpled on the kitchen floor after the Weasel-king had visited the first time. He wouldn't let him come back, not when Granger ended up like this.

He comforted Hermione, softly rubbing her back until she stopped crying. He focused on the small circles he was forming in her cotton white shirt. Eventually, she looked at him. She sniffed a few times and wiped her bleary, red eyes. She sat back next to him looking straight ahead. Draco wondered what she was thinking. Was she scolding herself for opening herself up to him? Was she mulling over what had just happened? His mind raced into overdrive imaging what would occur next. Would she scream at him? Would she slap him? Would she kiss him? He braced himself as she blinked twice and stood up, looking down at him for a second. He released the breath he wasn't aware he had been holding in as she turned and walked towards the stairwell. Hermione stopped right before exiting the room, "You're not so bad, Draco." She said calmly looking back at him. He watched her as she turned and ascended up the stairs. She had used his first name.

A/N: BREAKTHROUGHHHH! what do you guys think about the sexual tension? what do you think is coming next? REVIEWS NEEDED FOR NEXT CHAPTER! muhahaha