Help or Hindrance?

Looking out over the tower, nose touching the ledge due to a petite structure, she noticed the beautifully calm night out in front of her. It was a shame that in a few minutes she would be too dead to appreciate it.

There was no stepping-stone to the next level to sit on the windowsill and jump. Hermione pondered how she would manage to do this. She didn't have her wand with her, and cursed her lack of common sense. Without her wand, there wouldn't be the option of turning back mid-fall and saving herself. She was most certain that she wanted to end her life.

Tears of frustration were bitterly cried and she wished she'd just done it all with a knife or a rope. Hermione would never have cut herself, no matter how blue she felt. Somehow that gave her too much control over her fate. At least with jumping out of the highest window, she could look back in heaven, purgatory or hell and kid herself it was some kind of accident.

Did she really want to end her life just because she had no friends and was unhappy at school? How could someone so clever be so stupid? There was a life for her, ready made in the Muggle world, but she didn't want... that life. Neither did she want this. Nobody truly wants to die.

Hermione pounded her fist on the ledge. She regretted it. It hurt and her knuckles were swollen. Pressing her forehead against the stone, she sobbed in despair - what would she do? She couldn't go back to bed and forget about it, feel rather silly in the morning when it all looked so much brighter.

There was no way that her peers were ever going to accept her. To go back to the Muggle world would be her gamble failed. Death or serious injury would be the only option. Hermione breathed in and attempted to heave her body to the ledge and jump or fall off.

"That is a fucking awful attempt at dying, Granger," a voice called out. Hermione turned around. It was too dark to see, but a small, slim shadow of a boy stopped not far away from her and the wall she was now lying on top of.

"Who are you?" she asked softly.

"Never you mind. Hurry up and jump so I can kill myself after associating with your filth."

"Malfoy," she growled.

"Yes." He took a step closer to her and slowly. His face became more visible. Pale and certainly not interesting, Hermione ignored him and carried on struggling with the wall.

"You realise that if you jump, your undeserving magic will save you and make you bounce instead? Aren't you supposed to be clever?"

"And aren't you supposed to be a snotty little rich brat? Go bother daddy for some sweeties, Malfoy," she hissed. She had no time for him.

"What's your problem Granger? Nasty hormones? On the blob are we?"

"Shut up Malfoy! Stop talking about girl things... you're a boy!"

Draco sighed. "Pansy talks too much," he said with an air of regret in lost innocence.

"Why are you here?" Hermione's voice diminished in venom and volume. She was still annoyed at Draco's presence, but it was preferable. It gave her thought of why she should try and end it all - pricks like Malfoy. It gave her an excuse to live too - idiots like him needed bringing down, and mere mortals of this world needed saving from his stupidity. Did she just notice a smirk then? Was he finding this fun?

Draco folded his arms and sneered at Hermione. She jumped off the side of the ledge and stamped up to him.

"You're making fun of me."

"You only just realised."

"Go to hell."

"That's when your sort die."

"Get knotted - I don't need someone like you laughing at me."

"You fail at this school... so you die... how tragic."

"What would you know? Why are you even here?"

At that moment an eagle owl swooped past them and dropped a letter in Draco's hand. It perched on his one arm that Hermione hadn't noticed had been wearing a stiff leather glove that allowed the bird to rest on him. Draco put his other had in his pocket and brought out some owl treats. He fed the animal, which then nodded at him and flew away.

"Now my business is done, I might as well tell you Granger that this isn't the highest tower in the school. Go upstairs a bit more. You might have more chance of dying." Draco turned and walked away from Hermione quietly chuckling to himself, then ceasing and swaggered off with a huge greedy grin on his face.

He would never tell his housemates he talked to a suicidal Gryffindor. It was their little secret.... He hoped she would jump.

Hermione stood there seething. She looked at the empty space that Draco had stood. She then peeked out into the night again. She said out loud, "I wouldn't give you the pleasure Malfoy."