A/N: This one is a bit longer, yay! I got my mojo back! Anyway, hope you haven't missed me. I have a song for every chapter, if you haven't noticed. How many of you have checked out the actual songs? Thanks for the lovely reviews, by the way. Hope you keep enjoying A Prelude to an End.

Summary: In 6th year when Hermione discovers that Harry's baseless acusations about Malfoy are more true than she had anticipated, she goes to Dumbledore who stages Draco's death and sends him into hiding. But thats not where her part ends. Dumbledore expects her to tutor him on the 6th year material. Left with more time together alone then ever before, they begin to see things differently, in this, the prelude to their end.

Chapter 8: The Pretense is Second Nature

After a week of their petty silence, Hermione was at her wits end. They needed to grow up. It wasn't as if she had declared her undying loyalty to the Dark Lord himself. Though, she was curious to see what they would actually do if she had. Regardless, she was pissed.

Anyone who had the misfortune to cross her path in the hallway as she paced got quite an earful. They were holed up in their shared room discussing Harry's latest lesson with Dumbledore, conveniently not telling her about it. But she knew.

It was more than likely just Ron's idea and Harry was just riding the wake of his anger. Harry probably wasn't mad anymore; thats just how he is. But Ron's childishness was pretty infectious. Oh how she wanted to slap that smug smile off of his weasel face!

She made a sharp turn to pace the other direction in the hallway.

Referring to Ron as 'the weasel'? She certainly had been spending too much time with Malfoy. The realization that she had somehow picked up his offensive naming habit didn't take away from the fact that it felt good to call Ron that. The whiney brat!

She made another sharp turn in the hallway only to nearly bowl over Harry with her angry pacing.

"Oh!" she gasped, "Sorry, Harry."

"Its okay." he said, "I'm actually the one who should be sorry."

"Why?"

"Because I shouldn't have been mad at you. Dumbledore asks me not to tell you any information about delicate matters too sometimes. Ginny gave me quite an earful about it, actually."

Hermione visibly relaxed.

"Thank you, Harry." She smiled.

"This doesn't mean I trust Malfoy, though."

Hermione chuckled, "I don't either."

"So, was I right, then? Malfoy was up to something?"

Hermione rolled her eyes and laughed "Yes, Harry. But he didn't want to be, which is why Dumbledore did what he did. He doesn't want Draco to become a cold-blooded killer."

"Wait a second, did you just call him 'Draco'?" Harry tilted his head.

"What?" Hermione opened her eyes wide, "What are you talking about?"

Harry frowned, "That's what you said! I heard you!"

"Harry Potter, I did no such thing." Hermione tried to laugh it off.

Harry looked at her like the was crazy. "Alright, Hermione..."

Hermione coughed uncomfortably, "Anyway."

"Anyway. You said Dumbledore didn't want him to become a cold-blooded killer? What do you mean?"

At this Hermone's face relaxed into a thoughtful expression. "You-Know-Who gave him a mission. His misson was to kill Dumbledore, a mission that he expected Malfoy would not survive."

Harry nodded solemnly. "Sounds like something Voldemort would do."

"Exactly!"

"So how did you find out about it?" He crossed his arms in a realxed pose.

"I overheard him..." She paused for the right word, "Discussing it with Myrtle. I immediately went to McGonagall about it. I'm sorry for not telling you. I was afraid you would blow it out of proportions, and if I were wrong, who knows what could have happened."

"I understand, Hermione. You're right, I would have. Ginny yelled at me about that too." He scratched the back of his head in embarassment.

Hermione smiled.

"So, you think Ron will stop being a git anytime soon?"

"Not likely. Its Ron." Harry shrugged apologetically.

-:-

Christmas day dawned bright and early. The boys were dismayed to find out that presents would be waiting until after dinner. Despite Rons dour mood at Malfoy's presence at the dinner table, Hermione told herself she would have a evening, no matter what. It was christmas after all.

In fact, if she remembered correctly, this was the first meal since break started that Draco shared with the rest of them. It was by the insistence (a very loud and screechy insistence) of Mrs. Weasley, and was by no choice of his own. He'd done a good job of making himself scarce when it really came down to it. Ron's death threats had not helped one bit.

Draco was sitting across the table from her, frowning into his food as he pushed it around his plate. When he noticed her watching him, she gave him an encouraging smile. He tried to smile back, but it came out as a grimace, and he looked more constipated than anything. She giggled at her own mental image of a constipated ferret.

Done with watching the conversation she decided to join in, and was welcomed into an immersive intellectual debate with Remus and Kingsley. As she was far more concerned with defending her argument on the domestication of dragons, she failed to notice two pairs of eyes grace her unwitting countenance.

One pair, grey, calculating, and hard as steel - yet holding indicernable emotion.

Another pair, as blue as the sky, glowing with the angry fire of jealousy.

-:-

As soon as dinner was over, Hermione only caught a glimpse of Draco as he slipped out to whatever hidey hole he had found in his stay. She imagined he would prefer christmas alone, after all, he had not much to celebrate. Being surrounded by 'bloody former gryffindors' probably didn't help.

She sighed, and joined the others in the living room where gifts were being passed around. The gifts she received were of the practical and studious kind and she wouldn't have it any other way. When the boys were off in the corner playing with their new exploding snap game, Ginny came and bumped her shoulder.

"Hey." She said.

"Hi, Ginny." Hermione bumped her shoulder back.

"You've been pretty quiet all day, whats up?"

"Nothing, really. I just don't have much to say." Hermione shrugged.

"The Hermione I know always has something to say." Ginny said, "This wouldn't have anything to do with a certain prettyboy slytherin, would it?"

Hermione shrugged, too tired to deny it.

"I feel guilty celebrating when he's off hiding somewhere, probably depressed. He still doesn't feel welcome. I don't blame him either given the circumstances."

"Now thats the Hermione I know, caring about everyone regardless of who they are. I wouldn't be at all surprised if you even tried to help You-Know-Who become a better person!"

Hermione laughed out loud, "Only if he didn't kill me first!"

Hermione and Ginny laughed at the ridiculousness of it, not stopping until their sides hurt.

After they calmed down, they noticed the boys had stopped their game and were looking at them curiously.

"Whats so funny?" Harry asked.

"Oh, nothing. Too hard to explain." Ginny wiped a tear from her face.

Ron looked at Harry and Harry looked at Ron, and they both shrugged at eachother as if to say: 'women!'

"Do you want to play with us? Playing with only this git isn't any fun!" Harry laughed.

"That's alright," Ginny said, "Its more fun trying to watch you kill eachother."

"Suit yourself. Hermione?"

"NO!" Ron exploded, "I don't want to play with her!"

"Ron!" Ginny and Harry chided.

"I saw you two making eyes at eachother across the dinner table!" He turned to Harry and Ginny, "She was making eyes at Malfoy at dinner and he was too!"

"Ronald, I did no such thing!" Hermione exclaimed.

"Yes you were, you little slut! You probably slept with him already haven't you?"

The sound of a loud SMACK! ran across the room and everyone fell silent as Hermione ran from the room with tears in her eyes. A large red handprint was begining to show on the side of Ron's face, and Ginny looked at him with contempt.

"I'm ashamed to have you as my brother." and she stormed out as well.

She heard Harry chime in with a "What the hell is wrong with you, mate?" before she turned a corner and heard no more.

"Go unnoticed
Let the freedom wash away
Losing focus
The pretense is second nature
It's a broken life that I cling to
Trying to make right

I feel dismay just like you do
I feel decayed

So find me a way
To leave this wasted life
Behind me
Find me a way
To leave this wasted life
Behind me after all"

Waste, Seether