Warning: Mentions of suicide

Hermione leaned against the tree, staring up at the school while she waited for Draco. The downpour was a bit heavier now, her hair and clothes clinging to her skin. The sight of Daphne's lifeless body hanging from the tree was something that would forever be burned into her memory. She swallowed, wrapping her arms around herself as she heard his approaching footsteps.

"I can take her by myself, Hermione."

"No…no," she swallowed again. "I want to go, I have to."

She didn't look at him as she began walking towards the castle, vision blurring from the rain and her tears. Hermione had failed her, and that was a revelation that was very heavy on the Gryffindor's heart. Seventeen years of life… Was that really all that Daphne got? She clenched her jaw, eyes troubled as she noted three figures running towards her.

"Hermione, what's going on? Did you find her?" Ginny called, running towards them.

"Oi! What's Malfoy doing here?"

Hermione rolled her eyes, ignoring Ron's question.

"Why is Malfoy here? What was he doing in there with you?"

She noticed Harry's scowl the closer they got, and it drove her mad. Before he knew it, she had stomped towards him and shoved him in the chest, satisfaction coursing through her veins when he stumbled back, eyes wide.

"Shut up, Harry. Just shut up! There are far worse things than my coming out of the Dark Forest with Draco sodding Malfoy," she spat.

She could see it in his eyes when he finally noticed the limp body in Draco's arms. She brushed past him, heading inside the school.

"Hermione," Ginny called, running to catch up with her friend. "Hermione…she looks…"

"She is," was all Hermione said.

She paid Ginny no mind as the redhead stopped in shock.

"…and that was where we found her," Draco finished.

Hermione was numb in her seat, fingers picking at a loose string on her skirt. She didn't have to look up to see the solemn look on Dumbledore's face. He'd returned to Hogwarts as soon as he could via word of McGonagall, but he was too late. She heard Professor McGonagall's shaky breaths, tears caught in her throat as Draco recounted what had happened.

"This…is a very unfortunate incident. The fear and hopelessness one must feel to…," Dumbledore trailed off, rising from his seat.

He came to stand in front of his desk, gazing down at the two of them, eyes twinkling.

"She did indeed bear the Dark Mark, as you said, Ms. Granger."

Hermione slowly looked up, meeting his eyes.

"I have to wonder if there are others in the school as well. It's certainly an understandable concern, wouldn't you agree?"

Before Hermione could properly open her mouth, Draco answered for her.

"I think that's doubtful, Professor. It would be much too risky. After all, look how this situation turned out…"

Hermione glared at him, only to frown slightly as she noticed the way he and Professor Dumbledore's eyes locked and held. Her eyes flickered between them, and with a blink, Professor Dumbledore was moving to sit back down.

"Perhaps you are right, Mr. Malfoy. Perhaps this tragic matter was all simply a trial and error test gone horribly wrong."

"I had your friends sent to bed, Ms. Granger. Merlin knows Mr. Potter and Ms. Weasley would have stayed outside all night if they could. You two best try to get some rest as well. We'll speak with the two of you more on the matter tomorrow," McGonagall sadly added.

The tears came all over again as soon as they stepped out into the corridor. Her fingers dug into Draco's back as he wrapped his arms around her, burying her head in his chest.

"I failed her," Hermione murmured.

"She wasn't yours to save," was Draco's reply.

Hermione pulled away to glare at him.

"She came to me-!"

"And she should never have done that," he hissed.

She took a step back, glowering up at him.

"You don't look the least bit sad. She was your housemate, after all," Hermione whispered.

Draco's jaw ticked as he looked down at her, eyebrow raised.

"I shagged her twice. That hardly made us friends," was his response.

Hermione scoffed in disgust, turning away from him.

"Hermione, wait," he said, grabbing her wrist.

"I don't feel like basking in the presence of your insensitivity, right now."

"I'm sorry," he slowly said, gently turning her around to face him.

She reluctantly looked up at him, face pinched in a frown.

"I'm being a right git, I know. I just… You can't expect me to focus on her when she meant little to nothing to me, and you-," he cut himself off.

"I what?"

"You're hurting because of her mistakes. You're in this mess because of her problems, problems that she had no business involving you in," she had the strangest feeling that that wasn't what he was going to say. "It was selfish and stupid of her to include you. I don't give a rat's ass about her."

"Classy as always, Draco," she sneered.

"What do you want from me?" he hissed, face incredibly close to hers.

She sighed, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Nothing…"

"I'm sorry that you had to see her like that. I'm sorry that was something you had to experience. I'm sorry that you're hurting right now because of her. Most of all, I'm sorry that she felt the need to drag you into her troubles, putting you in even more danger than you already are. That is all that I am sorry about in this situation," he harshly said.

Hermione chewed on her lip, resigned to admit that she couldn't make Draco be something that he wasn't. Draco sighed too, running his hands over his face before resting them on his waist.

"Let me walk you to your dorm," he offered.

She glared at him before thinking better of it and simply rolling her eyes.

"Whatever," she said as she led the way.

"You made an Unbreakable Vow with her…"

"I did. She made me vow to do everything in my power to protect her and her sister from others who wished to do them harm. I can see now that she was very careful with her word choices," Hermione answered.

Hermione wondered if Daphne already had plans to do what she did if things didn't work out like she hoped.

"Daphne always had problems, Hermione. This isn't your fault," he said.

"That's what I keep hearing," Hermione murmured, eyes somber.

Draco stopped her before they reached the portrait, standing in front of her. Something unknown was swimming in his eyes as he looked down at her.

"What?"

He ran his eyes over her before reaching into his pocket, pulling something out that was small enough to be completely enclosed in his fist. Hermione frowned in confusion as he gripped her hand, transferring whatever it was into her palm, not letting go.

"I'm sorry," he said, the words dripping with sincerity and conviction as he gazed into her eyes.

Her eyes widened just a bit, shocked, as she caught onto what he was referring to.

"It was sleazy and stupid and wrong. I thought that it was a good idea at the time," he whispered. "I thought… I thought that it was the only way."

She blinked as he walked past her, shoulder brushing against her own as she looked down at what was in her hand. She held the small vial up in curiosity, gazing at the strange substance inside before it finally clicked.

It was an extracted memory.

"I am sure that by now, you all have heard of the unfortunate news that has been spreading throughout the school. I regret to inform you that it is true. The young Ms. Daphne Greengrass was discovered late last night in the Dark Forest…"

Hermione tuned out the murmurs and cries that began to fill the Great Hall. She had barely gotten any sleep all night, her mind replaying the moment when they discovered Daphne on repeat. She sighed, fingering the vial in her robes, wondering just what it was that Draco could possibly want to show her. His words weighed heavily on her mind, throwing her mind into a tailspin.

She brought her lip in between her teeth, eyes troubled as Dumbledore continued to talk. She wondered if Daphne's parents would be coming later, curious as to what they were going to do with Astoria. She'd made a vow to protect her too, and she'd be damned if she ended up with Daphne's fate. She looked up, glancing around and suddenly feeling a raging headache, chest aching as she thought of Daphne.

She abruptly stood up, ignoring the eyes that landed on her as she did so, and exited the Great Hall. Hermione couldn't sit there as they talked about Daphne's suicide with her friends all staring at her, pleading for answers to their questions. Or perhaps they were just waiting for her to break down. The corridors were empty, hauntingly so as she made her way to the Astronomy Tower. She took the stairs slowly, recalling the last time that she'd been up there, saving Daphne's life.

A sigh escaped her lips as she approached the railing, grabbing onto it and kneeling down. She stared down at the ground, wondering how Daphne could've swallowed whatever fear she had in order to try and jump. Perhaps her fear of Voldemort and what he would do to her outweighed her fear of the unknown. Then again, maybe she wasn't like Hermione, and had no fear of the unknown, at all.

Hermione had always been afraid of the unknown. She feared not knowing, being unsure. It had been that way ever since she was little. Ever since she could read and fully understand what was going on, she hated not knowing. Anything that required blind faith unnerved her, put her into an unfamiliar element.

It was why she had no problem fooling around with Blaise. The prospect of something more had never been an option. They both knew they had an expiration date, and despite how much it had hurt at times to think about, it was something that was inevitable. They were going to have their fun and part ways when the time eventually came. It was simple.

Adding Draco into the mix complicated things, especially since they both had seemed to make it clear that they wanted all of her. Draco was a Death Eater, she was Harry's best friend, and Blaise… Hermione honestly didn't even know what to think of Blaise sometimes. She'd always liked how mysterious and ambiguous he could be at times, but now it just unnerved her.

She frowned as she heard approaching footsteps, and she didn't have to turn around to know who it was. His presence was something she could pick up on.

"Why did you leave…?"

"I wasn't enough," she murmured into her arm. "I'm sure Draco told you all of the ugly details. She came to me for help, and I wasn't enough."

She heard him stepping closer, exhaling.

"Daphne was messed up long before you came along, way before she even got the mark."

She stood, tired of hearing that.

"This wasn't the first time. It was only a matter of time before she succeeded. Her parents had been covering it up for years," he continued.

"Why?" she spat.

"…because it was embarrassing for them," he answered, standing beside her now.

Hermione shook her head, disturbed by that before looking at him. She reached into her pocket, pulling out the small container that Draco had given her, and held it up to his face.

"Draco gave me this. Apparently, it's something that he really wants me to know. Any ideas of what it could be?'

Blaise hummed, taking it from her hands and rolling it around between his fingers.

"It's obviously something he deems to be important, important enough for you to see for yourself," he murmured.

"That's all I get?"

Blaise chuckled at her frustration with his lack of answers, handing it back to her.

"The only way to know is to find out for yourself, Hermione. That's usually how it works," he said.

Hermione rolled her eyes, shoving it back into her pocket. She glanced up at him as he gazed down at her, eyebrows furrowed. She looked away when he reach out to brush his thumb along her jaw.

"I miss you," he suddenly whispered.

Hermione didn't respond, glaring out onto the school grounds. She heard him sigh.

"I know that the feeling is mutual…"

She turned to face him, eyes hard.

"I may miss you…but that doesn't mean that I should."

He stepped closer, taking her face in his hands, eyes desperately searching.

"What do I have to do to make this right?"

She backed away from him, holding her hands out.

"Blaise," she sighed. "Even if I did forgive you, what would that really change? I'm not so sure that I can even fully trust you anymore! Not to mention that I am in no way ready for what you want from me. This isn't like before where it was just fun. You're asking a lot of me and… What would people say? How would I explain this to anyone?"

"Why do you always feel like you have to explain yourself to anyone? Fuck them," he said, grabbing her hands, eyes blazing.

"I can't just- heh. Why am I even entertaining this?"

"…because you want to."

Hermione huffed, looking away.

"What do you want, Hermione?"

She looked down.

"It doesn't matter-."

"Yes, it does! What do you want?"

"What I want doesn't matter! We can't have everything we want, and just because we want it, it doesn't make it right. This…it's not happening, Blaise," she said, turning to face him.

His nostrils flared, skin stretching around his knuckles as he gripped the railing.

"Why, because you don't want it to? Or because you're afraid?"

Hermione didn't answer, crossing her arms over her chest as she glared at him. He took another step towards her, staring her down.

"If this isn't what you want, then I'll back off. We'll both stop, accepting the fact that neither one of us can be with you. We'll all move on, and years from now, this whole thing will just be a memory," he said.

Hermione dug her nails into the palm of her hands, biting her lip.

"Look me in my eyes, and tell me that that is what you want. Tell me that you don't want this, and we're gone," he whispered.

She didn't respond, simply glaring at him, unable to make her lips move. Blaise took a step back, a humorless chuckle escaping his lips.

"Yeah…that's what I thought."

Hermione exhaled, turning to face the school grounds again, mouth suddenly falling open as her mind began to spin. She pursed her lips, leaning over to glare at the ground.

"Are you serious about making this right? Are you going to do anything it takes?"

"For you, Hermione…anything," he confirmed.

She straightened up, turning her head to stare at him.

"If you want to make this right, then there's something that I want-. No. If you want to make this right, then there's something you are going to do for me…"

Hermione stepped off of the staircase, entering Dumbledore's office, slowing down at the sound of McGonagall's voice. They appeared to be having a discussion.

"I was told that she had received a very upsetting letter from the both of you! A letter, that had her frantic and-!"

"We hadn't Owl'd our daughter in months. Surely, you aren't blaming us for her demise," a deep and unfamiliar voice hissed.

Hermione frowned as she realized that they were talking to Daphne's parents. Her frown only deepened once she registered what Mr. Greengrass said, confusion taking over.

"What are you insinuating, Mr. Greengrass? That I am making this up?"

Hermione could hear soft sobs through the arguing. Mrs. Greengrass, no doubt.

"Show me this letter then! I want to see it."

There was a brief pause, one in which Hermione could hear paper rustling. A minute or two passed before she heard Daphne's father scoff in disbelief, the flutter of paper ripping through the air a second later. She assumed he tossed it.

"My wife did not write this. Neither one of us did. What kind of game do you think you are playing at, Dumbledore? Do you take me for a fool? You expect me to believe a word of this?"

Hermione involuntarily took a step forward, unaware that she was now visible.

"Ah, Ms. Granger. Do, come in," McGonagall said, waving her over.

Dumbledore and Mr. Greengrass exchanged a few more harsh words before he grabbed his wife and headed for the exit. Hermione stumbled back, giving them room to pass. The blonde man glared at her as they passed, the sight of familiar piercing blue eyes striking through her like a knife. She looked at him with wide eyes, mind going a mile a minute as his words played on repeat inside of her head, wondering what they meant.

"Have a seat, Ms. Granger…"

"Hey! We hadn't seen you all day, and we were growing worried," Ginny said, sitting up at the sound of the portrait closing.

The Common Room was empty, Ginny being the only occupant. There was a dying fire in the fireplace, and she could see Ginny wrapped up in a blanket.

"Were you asleep?"

Ginny chuckled.

"I was waiting up for you. Trying to, anyway. How are you?" she quietly asked.

Hermione ignored her question, sitting down beside Ginny in a daze. She wondered if her face showcased her inner turmoil at the moment.

"I just came back from Professor Dumbledore's office…," Hermione slowly whispered.

Ginny straightened up, eyes inquiring as they rested on Hermione.

"…and…?"

Hermione swallowed, eyebrows pulled together.

"Daphne's parents were there, and they…they said that they never sent her an Owl," Hermione repeated.

Ginny scoffed.

"Well, obviously they're lying. To admit to it would be admitting to being involved with Voldemort, and knowingly getting their daughter involved."

Hermione slowly shook her head.

"That is true, but… I don't think that they were lying," she quietly said, almost too afraid to speak up.

Ginny didn't respond. Hermione replayed the scene over again in her head.

"You didn't hear her father, didn't see his face. I believe him…"

"Well, then Voldemort must have sent it, letting Daphne know that he knew, and that she was in a shitload of trouble," Ginny responded.

"Ginny…"

"What?"

Hermione opened her mouth, slamming it shut as she clenched her teeth.

"Hermione, what is it?"

"Something tells me that Voldemort didn't send that letter, either," Hermione whispered, almost inaudibly.

She raised her eyes, meeting Ginny's wide ones as Hermione's words sank in. Ginny let out a disbelieving breath, fear climbing onto her features.

"W-what? You think someone else did? You- you're telling me that you think someone else sent her that letter?" Ginny demanded.

"So many people have been telling me that everyone knew about Daphne's issues. Everyone knew that her sanity and mental wellbeing was…fragile."

Ginny shakily stood up, completely thrown.

"Whoever sent it knew that it would have her reeling, spiraling downward faster than she could blink," Ginny murmured.

Hermione swallowed, staring into the fire.

"Daphne killed herself…but I think she definitely had some help along the way."

Let me know what you think!