Chapter 14

Hermione slipped around the corner, looking behind her every few seconds. If she had been any more paranoid about this, she would have stayed in her dorm. She bit her lip and squared her shoulders, moving towards her destination. She sighed, relieved, when she saw him standing by the window, moonlight pouring over him.

"Draco." She smiled.

He turned and embraced her as she came into his arms.

"I hope you haven't been waiting long." She said to him as she looked into his eyes. He only smiled and kissed her forehead.

"I'd wait forever for you." He replied smoothly.

Hermione blushed. "Did you happen to…um…?"

"Break up with Summer?" He answered before she could open her mouth. "She beat me to it. I was so afraid of hurting her feelings it didn't occur to me that I'd been doing it already by being so distant."

Hermione frowned. She didn't like hearing about Summer. She didn't have anything against her, but knowing that it took so long for Draco to break up with her was a sore spot.

"But now we can-"She stopped, knowing that saying it out loud wouldn't make things any different.

Draco pushed away from her softly. "I'm sorry my sweet, but I do have to keep up appearances. Dating a Gryffindor is just not going to set well with my status."

Hermione crossed her arms. "I'm so sorry I'm blight on your popularity." She said bitterly.

Draco shook his head. "I told you from the very beginning that it would be like this. You know that no matter what, in the shadows is where we have to hide. I love you, Hermione. Did you know that?" He looked up at her surprised face. His was bitterly torn into pain and agonizing love for her. He knew he could never have the one thing we wanted most.

Hermione fought back tears. "I have to go Draco. We'll talk about it later."

Draco grabbed her arm before she could run from him. "I want to be with you."

Hermione broke her defenses and tears began to roll down her cheek. "You've made it painfully clear that it isn't possible. So why are we playing this foolish game?"

Draco let her go. Hermione stared at him angrily. "I'll tell you why Draco, because you CAN'T have me and you aren't the type to be told 'no'." She turned on her heel and stormed off, a ball of emotions colliding together.

Draco hung his head. How could he make this right? He spent his whole life hurting others, following orders, and searching for his purpose. Now he had hurt two people he cared about in the same year, broken conduct and he knew the minute his father heard about this he would never hear the end of it. Of course, there was no way his father COULD hear about it, so that much he didn't have to worry about. He stalked off towards the dungeons, lost in terrible thought. He never even noticed the shadow that crept off in the opposite direction.

Ginny blew out a breath. "This WHOLE time and no one even knew?" She said unbelievingly, trying very hard to keep her voice down.

Alex bit her lip and looked up at Ginny guiltily, "Well actually, just about everyone knows at this point."

Ginny shook her head. "You mean except Harry."

"Especially Harry." Alex moaned.

Ginny grabbed her hand. "Well I approve!" She said, suddenly happy.

Alex smiled through tears. "At least you are. Hermione is disgusted; George doesn't believe it and Summer is so wrapped up in HER drama that I don't really think she knows much about what's going on."

The door opened and Hermione dragged herself in, her face red and splotchy from crying. Ginny and Alex sat up straight and stared at her with wide eyes.

"Are you alright!" They both asked at the same time.

Hermione looked at Alex. "I just want you to know, that hiding your relationship isn't the answer because it only causes pain and if you follow any advice you should follow mine, tell Harry or break it off."

Alex stared at her for a moment confused. Her words had come out as a jumble of nonsense because Hermione was crying so hard. She had heard, 'break it off', however.

"Hermione, he's already broken it off with me." Alex said solemnly, she bit back more tears.

Hermione burst into an even more pitiful cry and flung herself on her bed and shut the curtains around her.

Alex and Ginny, too surprised for words, just stared at each other.

"Hermione?" Ginny asked gently.

"LEAVE ME ALONE TO DIE!" She moaned tragically.

Alex shook her head. "I knew from the very beginning I was asking too much when all I wanted was a QUIET year at school." She wiped her face dry of tears and went towards the door.

"I'm going to get him back Gin. I don't know how, but I'm going to. First, I'm going to have a little chat with my brother." Alex took a deep breath and walked out the door.

Ginny sat awkwardly on the bed looking at the door and then to Hermione's bed.

"I'll just uh….stay here…I guess." She said to herself as Hermione wailed into her pillow.