And the sadness begins..

Hermione wasn't sure what she had expected to happen after her encounter with Draco. But this wasn't it.

She was sitting in the Great Hall between Harry and Ron. She was watching from across the room as Draco wrapped his arm around Pansy Parkinson. Every few minutes or so, Pansy would laugh at something Malfoy said and lean possessively into his shoulder. Hermione's blood boiled.

She didn't expect him to ask her to be his girlfriend. She knew that was ridiculous. But she had hoped that he had enough respect for her to treat her better. If she was being perfectly honest, she was impressed with herself for getting him in bed in the first place. He's the Slytherin Sex God for goodness sakes. But she didn't realize how much of a let down it would be to realize that she was nothing more than another notch on his belt until it actually happened.

She felt like there was a lump at the back of her throat. And everytime she tried to swallow it, tears would start to burn her eyes. She quietly excused herself from the table and headed back to her bedroom. On the way there she did a lot of thinking.

I feel disgusting. I feel like one of those whores in the movies who just gives it out to any guy that comes her way. Except he's not just any guy. I've really gotten to know Draco over the past few months.. They say that the line between love and hate isn't hard to cross.. I've hated him before and I could do it again. Except I don't know if I could now.. I know him too well. I'm so used to seeing him all the time and I await our flirting after class everyday. I don't know if I could really hate him again. I think I may love him. But I still should stand my ground. I shouldn't let him use me like that. And yet.. if he touched me again.. I don't know that I would be able to say no. I have too much of a weakness for him. How did this happen?! After living with him for almost 6 months.. how does somebody fall in love in that short of a time period? But I'm sure it's love. There's no other explanation.

Hermione was frantic. She didn't know what to do with herself. She had fallen in love with Draco Malfoy. Slytherin Sex God. Badboy extraordinaire. She told herself that she wouldn't let him touch her again. That he didn't deserve her. But the question in her mind was, did she really deserve him?

Hermione was laying quietly on her bed. She was staring at the ceiling and trying to process all the thoughts and feelings she was having. She heard the portrait open and rolled over, pretending to be asleep. She couldn't deal with Draco right now. Not when her resolve was so weak. But sure enough, he was never one to accomodate.

Her bedroom door opened and she heard soft footsteps approaching her bed. The covers were lifted and his warm body slid under the sheets next to her. He wrapped his arm around her midsection and cuddled his face into her hair.

"Hello love."

How could he make her feel so special and so rotten all at once? It wasn't fair.

"Hi." She was trying to seem distant. Trying to pretend like nothing mattered. Like his arm wrapped around her didn't make her heart sputter.

He started to kiss her neck. "I had fun yesterday." His kisses started dipping lower and lower until eventually he was kissing down the spine of her back. That was it for her. All rational thought went out the window and thoughts of anger and betrayal were pushed to the back of her mind. She was in love. And that was for certain. Because there was no other reason that Hermione would let a man use her that way.

But that's what love is, isn't it? When you're so in love that even though you know you should be telling yourself that you deserve better, that you shouldnt be treated this way; you can't comprehend it. Because to you there is no better. There is only them. Because even with their flaws, they are somehow still perfect.

Hermione lost all her resolve. She gave into him completely. She let him have her in any way that he wanted. From that day on, she was his. If he wanted sex, she gave it to him. If he wanted to cuddle, he got it. But when she wanted these things, she held back. She didn't dare ask for them because they both knew that this was on his terms. They were no longer friends. She was hopelessly in love, and he was oblivious to it. Until one day in late June.

Ever since they had started sleeping together more consistently, Draco had stopped sleeping with other girls. Or as far as Hermione knew anyway. If he was still sleeping with them, then he was keeping it very low-key. For this, she was grateful. It allowed her to pretend that maybe he did love her and that maybe he did want more than this meaningless relationship. And for that reason, she still held out hope.

It was about a week before exams started, and therefore two weeks before the students went home for the summer. Hermione was passing through the Great Hall and laughing at something Harry was saying. She was having a good day. She had slept in Draco's bed last night and got to wake up to his face this morning. She even got a kiss goodbye when they left for breakfast and a promise for another round that night.

They were passing the Slytherin table when Hermione slipped on something and fell.

"Hermione! Are you okay?" Harry grabbed her arm and helped her up. Hermione laughed slightly before replying.

"Yeah I'm okay. A little embarrassed though. I slipped on something. Ah, this." She picked up a folded piece of parchment. "I think I'd better move it so some first year doesn't kill himself on it." Without thinking, she put the folded paper into her pants pocket and continued on with her day.

When she was getting undressed for bed that night, she pulled off her pants and the parchment fell onto the floor. Curiousity got the better of her and she decided to open it.

Pansy,

Meet me in the old place. I want to have a little fun ;)

-D

Hermione didn't know whether to cry, or light the thing on fire. It may have been discreet but she knew exactly who that D was. And it broke her heart. She lay on her bed and stared at the ceiling, feeling completely numb. Eventually she fell asleep that way.

She awoke what must have been hours later to her sheets being ruffled. She sat up straight and put her back against her headboard. Draco stopped trying to climb onto the bed and gave her a strange look.

"I want you to leave please Draco."

"I'm sorry it's so late. I got caught up with some homework in the library."

"I'm not doing this anymore Draco. I'm not waiting up all night to see if maybe you have some extra time for me."

"I dont understand.."

"I like you Draco. No, fuck that. I love you. And I'm not doing this anymore. I'm not going to get hurt anymore."

Draco looked like he wasn't sure what to say.

"Why do you love me? I'm an asshole."

"I know. I don't know why I love you. It's not something I can explain. All you need to know is that I've finally realized that I deserve better and I'm not letting myself get hurt anymore. I'm not doing this."

".. I'll miss you."

"No. Don't do that. Don't tell me things you don't mean. It's cruel and after everything I've put up with and everything I've gone through for you, I hope you would respect me more than that."

"Okay. I'm sorry." He slowly got up and left her room.

After that night, Hermione avoided all contact with Malfoy. She would take different routes to class, eat all her meals in the Great Hall, and stay locked securely in her bedroom when she had to be in the same vicinity as him. The few times that they did come into contact, she avoided eye contact with him and acted as if nothing had happened. Until finally, she had finished her last exam and packed her things to go back home. She was finished Hogwarts and as much as she would miss the school and the proffessors and the classes, she was glad to be free of Draco Malfoy. To finally have the time and space she needed to get over him.

To be continued! Not sure if it will be a happy ending or not.. I guess we will find out. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW ! It would mean the world to me :)