Breaking Out, Breaking Down

A/N

Sorry for taking so long to update! Between a new job and a move across the country...it's been hectic! I hope you enjoy this new chapter! Review replies are up at http://www2.adult-fanfiction.org/forum/index.php/topic/51699-breaking-out-breaking-down-review-thread/



If you see any misspellings, please let me know!



Enjoy! And don't forget to review! 



~Draconis



Hermione groaned as she awoke. She looked toward the window and noticed it was still dark outside. She didn't even want to know the time. She scrambled over to her chair and summoned the vodka and pumpkin juice. She took an empty glass, cleaned it wandlessly, and poured herself a cocktail. 



She then just looked at the bottle. She took a swig of straight vodka without even cringing. 



"Snape is dead." She spoke silently looking at the bottle. "Fred." Taking another drink straight from the bottle. "Lavender." This is when the tears started. "Mum is dead."She took a longer drink. "Dad is dead." Another long drink. She curled up into her chair and sobbed. She hadn't told anyone about her parents. About how the death eaters had found them in Australia. Killed them in cold blood. She didn't know how. She didn't care to know. She just wanted to mourn in peace. 



The day she had gotten the owl from the ministry in Australia was the day she'd lost it. She broke up with Ron and disappeared. She made trips every once in a while to restock on necessities. But she rarely left her flat. 



She sat in her little plastic chair, facing the door, with a bottle in one hand and her wand in the other. She looked around and saw how empty her apartment was. And how untidy it was. Books were everywhere. Some were open, in the middle of being read, some just thrown around after being read. She's read every book at least ten times. 



She'd be embarrassed if anyone were to see her place. It was so uncharacteristic for her to be like this. She let out a sigh of discontent and looked at the bottle and took another drink. 



She went and laid down in her bed, thinking about how she'd become a failure in everyone's eyes, before she drifted off into a restless sleep. 



/She had just gotten Harry with a stinging hex as they were caught by the snatchers. As they walked up to Malfoy manor, and Bellatrix had taken them inside, she felt the fear building up inside her, unsure of the outcome. Draco refused to identify Harry, saying he wasn't sure if it was him or not. They'd been taken to the dungeons. Hermione stood at the end of the deranged woman's wand.



"Crucio!" Was all she'd heard before she was engulfed in pain. It felt as though her body was set on fire, like every bone was breaking, and that she was being torn limb from limb all at once./



She woke with a blood curdling scream. 



She sat up, breathing heavy, trying to put together that she had just been dreaming and that it was all over. After she calmed down, she made her way to the restroom and managed to get get hair into a ponytail. 



She grabbed her coat and keys and walked towards the door. She wasn't sure where she was going but anywhere was better than here. She stumbled down the stairs quite loudly, despite her best efforts to be quiet. She walked out to the street and couldn't decide which way to go, so she just sat on the sidewalk. 



She sat there for a while, her knees pulled to her chest. She couldn't help but feel like a failure, and even worse, a disappointment to her friends and the wizarding world. Here she was, a war hero, and this is what she'd become. 



"Better watch yourself Granger." She heard a voice say from behind her while she was lost in her thoughts. She jumped up and pointed her wand at the source. She found herself standing next to a tall, blond haired, grey eyed -



"Malfoy! What are you doing here?" She all but shouted at him. 



"I live over there." He spoke calmly as he gestured off to the right towards another apartment complex. "And I'm out for a walk." He said looking at her in the eyes. "Why were you sitting on the sidewalk alone? Where's your overprotective group?"



"No idea. I haven't spoken to them in months. I don't want them to see me." She looked down. "Not like this."



"You look the same to me. Lost, confused, frazzled Granger." He stepped past her, waving a hand. "Have a nice night."



She stood there, shaking at his last comment. "You arse!" She said storming after him. She stepped in front of him. "You know nothing of me other than what you saw at Hogwarts! And what your bitch of an aunt did to me while you just stood there and did nothing. So don't you EVER act like you're better than me again!" Tears stung her eyes and she glared at him. 



He raised an eyebrow at the irate woman in front of him as she shouted at him. At the end of her speech his eyes hardened. He stepped toward her and put his hand under her chin making sure her brown eyes were looking into his grey ones. 



"Those words haven't left my mouth, Granger." He spoke in a cold and hushed tone, chilling Hermione to the bone. "So I'd appreciate it greatly if you didn't put words there that never existed." He straightened back up and waved his hand, almost as though he was dismissing the whole situation. "Also, your friends are worried about you. They're ready to send out search parties. You may want to owl them." 



Hermione stood there in shock, her mouth slightly open and her hands at her sides. She couldn't find the words to talk to him. 



"That look doesn't suit you." He drawled, looking her up and down. 



"And what look would that be, Malfoy?" Her hands curled up into fists, wondering what insult would come out of his mouth this time. 



He sighed, and shook his head slightly. "I'm not here to insult you, or even be around you. Go home, eat something, and for the love of Merlin please owl Potter and Weasel. They won't stop pestering me."



So he was following her that night! She knew it! "Fine, I'll owl them. But you're not my...my..." she couldn't bring herself to say the word 'father' and just shook her head. "Don't tell me what to do." She said and turned on her heel and walked back towards her flat.