A bird screeching nearby wakes me up.

What the f-

Ah crap, it wasn't a dream; I'm still here in this God forsaken rut. I blame Snape for all of this.

Arggh! Why can't I hate him?

I mean I do hate him, but I don't.

I mean I do.

I do.

I do.

I do.

I do.

No you don't.

Shut up, I do.

Don't.

Do.

Don't.

Do.

Don't.

I look down over the balcony, Lucius Malfoy is coming. Shit.

I hear his footsteps echo up the stone stairwell.

Shit

"Granger" he shouts out.

I'm in the corner pretending to be asleep.

"Granger, I know you are awake"

crap.

I pretend to stir, still asleep.

"Granger if you don't get up now I will come in there and-"

"OK….ok, I'm up, I'm up" I call over.

"Good" he sneers.

I glare over at him, what a complete halfwit.

"You will come with me Granger" he orders.

I bloody well will not.

He waves his wand and the barred gate opens with a creak.

I don't move.

"Granger, you are testing me patience". He says through gritted teeth.

I nod my chin up as if to signify that I am, in fact, ignoring him.

"One last chance Granger". He snarls.

"I'm not going anywhere with you" I spit at him.

"What, would you prefer your Severus to come and get you?" he teases me.

"He is not my Severus, he is not my anything" I can't help myself saying.

"Really? And there's me thinking you two were at it" he jeers

I shoot daggers at him before looking down at my feet, I couldn't help it, my eyes were beginning to fill up with fresh tears at the betrayal that was swelling in my chest.

"Awww, poor little mudblood has feelings" he cooes.

I take a deep breathe and look him straight in the eye. "I'm not going anywhere with you" I sternly tell him.

"So. Be. It." he spits, and turns on his heal and leaves closing and locking the gate behind him.

I watch him go from over the balcony.

Arse.

I turn back to Snapes old diary and decide to skim through it again. Opening it on the last page I left it on, however I see a new entry.

Hermione are you ok?

Severus.

I notice that it isn't a new entry at all; it's in Snape's handwriting. How is he doing this?

I find a tiny pebble on the ground, and instinctively scratch a note back;

Peachy, yourself?

Miss Granger.

I don't know why I wrote that, but if it worked, and my theory was that he would get the message wherever he was, I was glad to emphasise the fact that he could no longer call me Hermione. No more Missus nice girl.

I received a reply almost instantly;

Very well, 'Miss Granger',

I was just wondering if Lucius had been yet.

Severus. Snape.

Lucius? How could he know about that?

And why would that interest you?

Hermione. Granger.

I waited eagerly for his reply.

Because he was bringing you food.

S. Snape.

Damn it.

Im am not hungry. Besides he did not seem to be carrying any food with him.

H. Granger.

I actually am starving, but I probabily wouldn't have accepted anything to eat anyway.

As you wish, I just thought that you would be hungry.

Snape.

Hmmmm.

Ha, As if you would care, don't tell me you sent him.

Granger.

I look down at the page expectantly, waiting for his reply

I did as it happens. I still care 'Miss Granger', and am not to proud to admit it.

S.S

What? The nerve of him.

Sure you do, that's why you lured me and Harry here, that's why you killed Dumbledore, that's why you are a death eater, it's because you care, right?

H.G

His reply takes a while but eventually comes.

Have you read my Journal?

S.

Oh the git, can't he even come here and say all this to my face?

I have, and I find it as full of lies as you are, now, if you don't mind, I have found some rather interesting dirt I wish to study.

H.

Ha. That'll teach him.

In that case I'll leave you alone with your dirt…

S.

Wait, he can't do that. The arrogant little…

That would suit you just fine wouldn't it? Well fine, I'll starve, and freeze, and die of a broken heart along with broken ribs, but it will be alright because I'll have my DIRT. You have no idea what I'm going through so don't get cocky with me Severus Snape, out of sight out of mind. Is that it with you? Well fine, you leave me alone, it's not like I would expect you to be there for me anyway. I was a fool to even have loved you in the first place. You are dead to me, as I should be to you.

H.

There I said it all, and think I got my point across. I look down at the diary. Nothing, he hasn't even bothered to reply. Well at least now I know where I stand.

A fresh tear rolls down my already sodden cheeks. My voice quivers in my throat.

I look over towards the balcony, taking a deep breath I stand and begin to walk over.