Disclaimer: Again I don't own Harry Potter
Also a little note before I start this chapter, I hope you guys enjoy and please do Review. It let's me know if I'm doing something right or wrong even! Some nice constructive criticism would be great! Also characters may be a little OCC but oh well it's my fic and I like the way I've written it! And sorry for this chapter being soooo late, I know I suck. My excuse is I am getting used to a new college and having more classes but I really want to actually finish a story here on fanfiction and I really want it to be this one, so I am going to do my best to update as frequently as possible! Thank you for reading :D
Her happiness was about to be destroyed though, as an owl came flying towards her. This confused her...why was this owl coming to her so late when mail had already been delivered this morning? She carefully took off the letter and then fed the barn owl a small piece of meat. It flew off and that's when she noticed the undeniable red envelope of a Howler. She looked at the address quickly and grimaced, it was from Ron. "What the bloody hell?" Hermione thought, confused. She sighed, she knew she had to open the thing; it had already begun to smoke like crazy. She took a deep breath and broke the seal of the Howler. She let it fall onto the table as it formed into a mouth. "HERMIONE ARE YOU KIDDING ME? YOU TRULY ARE THE SADDEST SLUT EVER AREN'T YOU? IT'S BEEN A MONTH SINCE YOU CEASED OUR RELATIONSHIP AND NOW YOU'RE OUT GALLAVANTING WITH MALFOY. YOU CAN'T WAIT MORE THAN TWO MOMENTS BEFORE YOU'RE OFF RUNNING AROUND WITH ANOTHER MAN. ARE YOU REALLY THAT DESPERATE? YEAH THAT'S RIGHT HERMIONE, GINNY TOLD ME ALL ABOUT YOU AND THE FERRET. THAT DEATH EATER SCUMBAG IS THE LOWEST OF HUMAN BEING POSSIBLE, WELL HIM, AND THEN YOU! YOU DISGUST ME GRANGER! IT'S NO MATTER; YOUR DULL ASS WILL CAUSE THE FERRET TO RUN FROM YOU AS WELL. YOU'LL NEVER BE ABLE TO KEEP ANYONE INTERESTED WITH YOUBECAUSE YOU DRIVE EVERYONE AWAY! YOU LOOK DOWN AT THEM AS IF THEY'RE STUPID! HOW DOES IT FEEL TO KNOW THAT YOU CAN'T EVEN KEEP A GIT AS EVIL AND UGLY AS MALFOY?! HAVE FUN BEING FOREVER ALONE HERMIONE!" The letters screams ended and the letter tore itself up.
Hermione's face was unbelievably red as she found her already wet eyes searching the Slytherin table for Draco. He was already standing to come to her while she heard the Gryffindor table begin to murmur about Hermione amongst themselves. Hermione's breath hitched as she saw Draco come closer. She quickly stood up and ran out of the Great Hall. She didn't know where she was going, all she knew was she had to get out of there.
Hermione found herself atop the seventh floor facing the familiar picture of a unicorn settling in a small corral. Thankfully, her need to escape was grand enough to allow her entrance into the room of requirements.
She walked slowly around the room. The place looked as though it had never been burned down last year. Also all the items that had more than likely been destroyed, now looked good as new. The objects stole her focus, which allowed the tears in her eyes to subside a bit as she gapped at all the things she had never noticed before that the room had held. Then her eyes fell on something that seemed to slowly darken the entire room. It sat there, now chained to make sure students could no longer use it. The vanishing cabinet sat there, looming over her ominously. Her breath hitched and she found her hand unknowingly running along its smooth wood.
She was so entranced with her thoughts that she didn't hear the footsteps come closer to her, until she heard a throat clear behind her. Her head swiveled around and her eyes landed on the silver gray ones she had grown so used to seeing just over these past couple of days. "Kind of entrancing, isn't it?" Draco said with a weak smile. Hermione nodded. "How... how and why did you find me Draco?" "Are you alright Hermione?" He asked, shaking his head and walking closer to her. Her lip quivered and she remembered why she had run to hide in the first place. "Don't cry Granger, you're stronger than that." Hermione shook her head and Draco frowned. "You're not?" His tone hinted his disbelief. "Granger, you are the strongest girl I've ever known, you can't tell me you're not." "I'm not Draco! Ever since the war all I've been is broken, damaged goods." Draco pointed towards his own face, forcing a small smile onto his face. "Join the club Granger." Despite herself, Hermione's mouth twitched into a small smile as she moved closer to Draco. "I just... Ron and I had been through so much together. I never thought I'd lose him, or at least not completely." Her voice trailed off and died. Draco looked a little angry at what she had said. "Hermione, Weasley is not worthy of you. You deserve someone who will appreciate all that you have to offer. Hermione's ears perked up and her tears lessened. "And what exactly do I have to offer Draco?" Draco's eyes darted away from hers and his hand ran through his perfectly sleek blond hair. Hermione smiled, picking up on the completely obvious nervous tick.
When Draco didn't say anything, her smile only grew larger. "Come on Draco, what do I have to offer?" Draco gulped and took a deep breath. "Everything Hermione. You are annoyingly smart, talented, and damn near the most tantalizingly beautiful thing I have ever seen." The last part came out slightly strained and only just above a whisper. Hermione's eyes widened." I-I'm beautiful to you Draco?" Draco looked down at her again. "Well yeah, it was one of the reasons why I was always so mean to you and your friends. I was jealous of Potty and Weaselbee." Hermione frowned, not believing a word of it. "So it wasn't because I was a mudblood then?" Draco sighed. "Well... I mean... Granger, erm no Hermione, you have to understand something. I always wanted so badly to have my father's approval. I would have done, or believed anything just for him to say he was proud of me for once in my life. He obviously never did though." He said his head casting down to the ground. "Wow, even after you successfully got all those Death Eaters into the school?" Hermione wished she had shut her big mouth because the look he gave her told her instantly that she had misspoken. Draco's eyes flashed to hers and she saw that cold glare that she had grown so accustomed to over the years. "Don't you dare talk about that year as if you know what happened." He said, his teeth barred and hand raised, looking as though it was going to strike Hermione at any moment. It actually made Hermione flinch away from him. Draco noticed her retreat and the way her face panged with fear and instantly softened his expression. "Hermione wait that came out a little harsh." He moved towards her but she quickly stepped back to get further away from him. "I can't believe that I thought for a moment that you had changed Draco, but you still want to invoke fear on others to get what you want." Draco couldn't believe that her words actually made him start to sting with the familiar feeling of tears. "No... Hermione, I didn't mean to lash out at you, I promise." Hermione just shook her head. "And to think I almost let my guard down... to think I actually thought you thought I was beautiful. I can't believe I almost trusted a Death Eater like you." She turned on her heels and quickly left the room, ignoring Draco's pleas for her to come back.
That weekend Hermione stayed up in the common room, and only went down to the Great Hall for a quick bite to eat. Nevertheless, she knew deep down inside that she would have to face Draco again. She knew he'd be there at Mystical Creatures on Monday, and that was what truly frightened her. They had potions together on Friday and neither of them had dared to even look at one another. What was she going to do now that Hagrid had insisted to sit them so close to each other?
Nothing could prepare her, however, for the sight that was bestowed upon her when she saw Draco. His eyes were red and puffy, and the bags that lined his eyes made it seem as though he hadn't slept a wink all weekend. Hermione tore her eyes away from him and sat down at her normal desk to the left of him.