What do you fear most?

"You filthy little mudblood!"

Malfoy pulled off his tie in front of the bathroom mirror. The pretending was absolutely exhausting. He put his hand down slightly, the tears choking his throat. He saw her face in his minds eye, saw the tears well up in her eyes as he insulted her in front of their peers. He hated it..hated this..

But knew, in the end, it would be the only thing to save her.

He felt a slight twinge as his forearm alighted with pain. He grabbed it and pulled his sleeve up, the ugly mark was moving slightly, making his blood run cold. He absolutely hated the brand, he always scrubbed and scrubbed that area when he was in the shower, as if it would release him. It never would, and he would always end up breaking down..

Draco looked back into the mirror, and wiped his face off.

Pathetic.

He remembered when all this mess had started. It was months before staring into the same mirror..

Draco sobbed pitifully and brokenly. His fingers clutched frantically at his vest ripping it over his head. He felt the walls start to close in on him, suffocating, he almost clawed at his throat as he felt the air leave his windpipe.

He took deep breaths, steadying his heartbeat into a normal rhythm again. It didn't work, the only thing he could was sob pathetically into the sink. The plan with the necklace had gone completely wrong, it was not supposed to happen to Katie Bell. He had almost killed that girl.

He choked on another sob that rolled through him. And he knew that Potter, nosy ,intrusive, perfect Potter had caught onto him. In the Great Hall he saw his eyes clash with his own, seeing nothing but disdain dance in the other wizards, it ate at him, he knew what Draco was, what he had done.

Hermione grabbed Harry's arm, trying vainly to pull him down onto the bench again. He was rigid as stone, his eyes staring ahead still, contemplating whether to go after Malfoy.

"Harry, stop it." She told him, trying to distract him.

"I want to go after him Hermione."

She looked at the door, and then to him. "Yes but you will pick a fight with him Harry, and we don't need that right now."

"We? Hermione, he poisoned Katie!" He all but yelled at her.

She glared at him, "We don't know that!"

"Then you're absolutely delusional!"

Hermione almost gasped, but didn't have time before Harry was trying to weave out of the Great Hall. She swung her feet around and went after him, her blood boiling.

She grabbed his sleave as soon as he reached the exit, and spun him around. "You're acting absolutely foolish Harry Potter! What are you going to do, go in there wherever he is and demand answers?"

"I'm going to talk to him."

Hermione sighed and let go of him, "I understand you want answers, but if you go now, you'll do nothing but fight with him."

He glared at her, but didn't move to continue pursuing Draco, instead he stormed past her and plopped back at the Gryffindor table. Hermione watched him and sighed, why was the voice of reason always the one who had to suffer? How aggravating.

No longer hungry, she left the Great Hall and decided a nice trip to the library would clear her mind. The corridors were clear now, leaving her to mull over what just happened. What if Draco had really poisoned Katie? The thought sent icy trails down her spine, she never figured he would be capable of such a horrid action.

She wrapped her arms around herself, her thoughts keeping her company, when suddenly she heard a sobbing coming from around the corner. She stopped and slid a long the stone wall until she came upon a boys lavatory. She listened for a split moment, pondering who it was. She had a hunch..

'You're a Gryffindor you ninny, where's your courage?'

Hermione poked her head around the corner and saw the platinum hair. The sight made her stop for a moment, her feet no longer moving forward. She knew this confrontation could end many ways, most of them badly, OR it could end in a relatively positive way and she could maybe console Malfoy and get the truth from him.

Her decision was made and she pushed onward.

Draco was too engrossed in his emotions to notice the petite girl slip in. His shoulders shook as he lost control of his mask that set upon his features so finely.

"M-Malfoy?" She squeaked.

He stopped suddenly, the remaining tear slipping out. He whipped around to see the stupid mudblood staring at him in that pitiful way.

"Get out of here Granger!" He barked at her, trying to put himself back together again.

"I don't think so." She said, this time with a little more conviction.

"You followed me. No doubt for Potter." He spat his name with venom, almost making Hermione wince.

"No. I came on my own. What's wrong Malfoy?"

He watched as pity swam in her eyes, her features were softened, and the sight made him slightly ill. He never asked for her damn pity, and he didn't want it.

"I won't tell you again to leave before I force you." He threatened her, taking a step forward.

Hermione saw a wild look about him, and it didn't help that his outfit had been pulled apart in some areas, his hair was no longer properly groomed, it stood on end, some of it falling in his grey eyes. He looked dark and menacing, making her defensive, her hand instintively going to her wand.

Malfoy was faster though as he raised his and yelled, "Expelliarmus!"

Hermione moved at the last second, and fell onto the floor.

She looked up at him, wide-eyed, stunned that he had tried to disarm her. Little pricks of tears sprang up, but she pushed them back. Angrily, she raised her own wand, "Stupefy!"

The curse hit Draco, but only knocked him down, Hermione climbed up and stared at him menacingly.

He got up, "Petrificus Totalus!"

"Protego!"

He stared at her, his mind racing. He suddenly dashed out of the lavatory and starting sprinting down the corridor. Hermione ran after him, her wand out and ready.

His legs were long, and he was fast, but Hermione could not help the blood that rushed through her body and gave her adrenaline. The anger coursed through her in waves, she'd teach him for sure...

Suddenly, Draco turned a corner and a door appeared in the wall before him. He darted to the handle and pulled it open, swinging it shut behind him. Hermione clutched the door and flung it open, following him in. There was no floor, and it suddenly felt as if she was falling. She screamed when she only felt air, and was plunged down...down...down until the cold ground met her.

The air rushed from her lungs in a nasty woosh, knocking her senses every which way. She touched her side, desperately feeling if she had broken any ribs, they might have been bruised but they were not broke.

The darkness met her eyes, it was pitch black, she rolled onto her knees and fished for her wand, she raised it up, "Lumos."

It lit the room up, and she suddenly saw Malfoy laying not too far away from her. She glared at his prone figure and opted to leave his sorry behind there. But, she wouldn't sink to his level and knelt down beside him. The fall had obviously knocked him unconscious. She gingerly felt his wrist, and found a steady pulse. He would be fine, but she would not be anywhere near him when he woke. She turned her light looking for a door, there was none.

Hermione knew where they were. They were in the Room of Requirement. She had been in here before, and it had never flung her down into a black hole like it had done. She couldn't shake the feeling that there was something very wrong..

A few more minutes of investigation, she had given up on finding the way out and stepped into the blackness of the rest of the room. There were piles of lost items everywhere, clocks, cameras, she even saw a small cage of birds. What an odd thing to lose?

She suddenly heard something to her left? She spun in the opposite direction, it sounded like a growl? Malfoy? Maybe he was trying to play a stupid prank on her. She marched forward, ready to end this silly duel of theirs once and for all.

The sound got a little bit louder this time. It sounded almost like an animal?

Something was in here and it sent a cold chill down the center of her spine.

She hastily walked back over to Malfoy, he was stirring slightly, she nudged his shoulder. He growled at her and pushed himself away, moving so he could get off the floor.

"Oh that's bloody perfect Granger, you followed me in here." He winced as he climbed off the floor.

"To right I did, you attacked me!"

He grimaced, "I thought you were in there to harass me. I was only trying to disarm you encase you got a little to friendly with that wand of yours."

Hermione had forgotten about the sound in the room and sucked in a breath, preparing herself for the slew of hateful words that were about to tumble out of her mouth.

"Idiot. I went in there to make sure you were alright!"

Draco heard something, blocking out the words of the woman beside him.

"Shut up." He said to her.

Hermione drew back, affronted, "I most certainly will not. I am not do-."

He turned to her, his grey eyes steely, telling her with his expression to shut her mouth.

"There's something in here."

Hermione suddenly remembered why she had walked back over here with him.

"We need to get out of here Granger."

"There isn't a door, I've checked every wall. You know where we are right?"

Draco nodded, and lit his own wand.

Hermione heard the sound, closer this time.

Draco was looking at the wall, feeling it with his hands, why had the door disappeared?

Hermione could suddenly make out something in the distance. She raised her wand higher, squinting her eyes. She saw the outline, and almost shrieked. She grabbed Draco's sleeve, her hands trembling.

He snatched his arm away. "Don't touch me mud-."

She grabbed his forearm then and started to pull him away.

"What is it?!" He yelled as she dragged him.

"W-Werewolf!" Granger screamed, her grip on his arm getting tighter. Draco turned and pulled his wand up, his feet gaining momentum, he saw the creature, its fangs protruding from his mouth, drool dripping down them.

"Bleeding Christ!" He yelled.

Hermione dodged and ducked among the piles of objects that littered the floor. Her chest was beginning to burn, she heard the pants of Draco beside her. "I don't know where to go!" She screamed at him, jumping over a suitcase that was in her path. She stumbled and almost lost her footing when a hand reached out and grabbed her forearm, his nails bit into her skin and she screamed, hearing the roars behind them.

Draco suddenly saw a broom ahead of them. He tossed Hermione forward and picked up the end of it. Turning, he sent a spell at the animal, "Stupefy!"

He heard a yelp and then a crash. He stopped and grabbed the end of the broom, throwing it between his thighs, "Get on Granger!"

Hermione wasted no time, and hopped on. She kept her wand raised so they could see.

Draco whizzed off, narrowly missing the top of a junk pile. Hermione screamed, and shut her eyes tightly. Her hands were gripping the wood of the broom so ferociously she knew she'd have a splinter. They were in a giant room, she didn't know where Malfoy had planned to go..

There was suddenly, a clock chiming in the distance. Suddenly, light filled the room and Hermione put her wand down, then suddenly it became brighter and brighter, until she had to shield her eyes. Draco could see only slightly, and he could see the wall of the end of the room getting closer. He moved his hand to pull the broom up but it wouldn't budge. Hermione moved her hand away from her eyes and saw the wall too.

"Malfoy what are you doing!" She yelled back at him.

He kept trying to move them out of the path of the wall. The collision would be brutal if he didn't.

Hermione gasped as the broom picked up speed.

"Malfoy!" She screamed again.

"MALFOY!"

"Draco!" She yelled, right before they hit the wall.

Hermione squeezed her eyes shut, waiting on the impact to crush her, but she felt nothing, nothing but air hit her skin as she looked down to find nothing beneath her. She yelled and clung onto her wand, they were falling once again to the ground. Hermione screamed, clawing desperately at the air. Draco moved his hand to grab her arm, when they were flung into a force field before hitting the floor.

Tell me how you like it so far. More chapters to come, almost done with chapter two.