Hermione couldn't sleep. Ron didn't understand why she was so torn, but she supposed he wouldn't. She'd hidden so many things from her best friends, from her boyfriend, over the years. All things considered she wasn't sure she understood it herself.

Every time she imagines testifying against him, Hermione flashes back to her third year at Hogwarts. Fighting with Ron and Harry, meeting Sirius Black, trying to save Buckbeak, and a friendship so tenuous it barely existed at all. But it did, it did exist, and it's colored her opinions ever since. Logical, or not.

She realizes not altogether quickly that sitting here stewing is doing her absolutely no good. She can't do this alone, if she should even do it at all. She makes up her mind in an instant, deciding she'll have to talk to Harry. He'll insist she tell Ron of course, but that honesty is long overdue anyway. Then, before she can change her mind, she turns on her spot and apparates to Grimmauld Place where Harry has once again taken up residence.

The loud crack of her arrival jars him from his sleep. "Oh Harry, I'm sorry! I wasn't thinking. I just… I could use a friend."

Harry fixed her with an exasperated stare. "Do you have any idea what time…" He stopped then, noticing the look on her face. "Are you finally read to tell me what's been going on with you the last few weeks? It's not like you to keep secrets. We won Hermione, we actually won. We're free. No more war, or horcruxes, or evil. It's our turn to be happy.

She could barely hold back her tears. Merlin, she felt so guilty. And he was going to find out just how much of a liar she was. "I can't… The trial…."

"The trial?" He questioned with a tone of surprise. "The Malfoy trial?"

When she nodded he continued. "Really? I know you think there's good hidden in there somewhere. Maybe there is but Godric knows it's deep enough that I don't see it. I don't understand how you can either. He was awful to you Hermione. He was more of a prat to you than anyone. The things he said, the way he treated you…I'm furious now just thinking about it."

"I need to explain that to you," she conceded. "Ron and you both deserve the truth. But Harry, are we having him thrown in Azkaban for being a bully or his acts as a death eater?"

"Aren't they one in the same?" He retorted quickly. "Why do you think he was such a prat? It's because he was always going to be a death eater. It's been ground into him his whole life, sometimes people can't be helped. Merlin Hermione, I hate him. Okay, yes, he didn't identify me when we were held captive at the manor, but I saved his life in the room of requirement, that makes us more than even. I don't have any lingering feelings of obligation where he's concerned. Maybe he didn't utter the curse, but he let the death eaters in. He needs to pay. Seven years at Hogwarts together. In that time can you name one other time he's even remotely resembled a decent human being?"

"Third year," she whispers before breaking out into sobs.

Harry just holds her then, clearly waiting for the tears to subside. She can tell he's at a total loss as he tries to figure out when she's talking about. When her tears finally slow the corners of his mouth turn up slightly in confusion as he begins to ask, "Hermione…?"

"Yes?" she sniffled.

"Isn't that the year you slapped Draco?" he asked, honestly confused.

"She smirked a bit at the truth. "Maybe I shouldn't have done that. Things might've… oh I don't know, I'm so confused Harry, so very confused."

"It was brilliant Hermione, the prat deserved it. I'm confused too, so you'd better start from the beginning. You're the one who explains everything to me, remember? But I'll try, oh Merlin, I'll try. You know I'd do anything for you Hermione. You're like my sister."

She gave him a brief smile, hoping desperately for that to be true, before she began her story. "We spent a lot of that year not speaking remember? Me and you, me and Ron? You were both so mad at me. You had each other, but I was so alone, just like I was before we became friends in the first place. Merlin knows I didn't have an easy time making friends those first few year. I spent a lot of time working on Buckbeak's appeal, but I needed friends too, especially since I'd gotten used to having some.

"Hermione, I know that year was pretty rough, we were all a bit wrong, but I hate that you were so alone."

"That's just it Harry, I wasn't truly alone. Malfoy helped. Godric, there's a sentence I never thought I'd say aloud. He was there for me when I really needed someone though." She put her hand up to stop him from interrupting, knowing exactly what his argument would be. "Maybe there was some ulterior motive. It hardly matters. To be fair, that brief friendship or whatever it was, he never used it against me. Not ever. This about it, if he had you would have known, Ron would have known. Maybe he wanted to forget it too. Make it like it never happened. I did effectively end it when I slapped him after all. It was just too much. Every waking moment I didn't spend with him was dedicated to saving Buckbeak, in direct opposition to his desires. I was a silly little third year, how could I know how things would turn out? It was a friendship that could never be for so many reasons, but it was…. It was."

Harry's eyes had kind of glazed over as she explained. She knew he had never seen it. Not then, not in the following years at Hogwarts, and not even as they prepared to testify against him at his trial. The wheels in his head were turning though. "Just one question." When she nodded bleakly he continued, "sixth year…" She hung her head knowing what was coming. "You argued to fiercely against him being a death eater… is this why?"

She knew he'd ask. How could he not? Carefully, she tried to explain. "I honestly didn't believe he would ever take the mark. We'd actually discussed it. There's no doubt being raised by death eaters, that plenty of their logic had been instilled in him from a young age, but he hated the mark, thought it was stupid. Announcing to the world something they mean to keep secret. He'd actually laughed at the fact they wore masks when they were willing to permanently put proof of their affiliation on their person. Maybe this should be evidence that I was wrong about him, that I never knew him as well as I thought, but I think that night at the manor proves otherwise. Obviously he's made plenty of mistakes, but he's not his father, and you'll never convince me he's evil. But to answer your question, yes in that brief period of camaraderie I formed an opinion of him that still influences my thoughts about him today. Maybe I was wrong about the mark, but I'm not wrong now." As she finished speaking she realized how much she believed what she said. There was no way she could testify against Malfoy.

"You need to tell Ron."

"I know."

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters, settings, or other Harry Potter related concepts referenced in this story.

Authors Note: This is my first attempt at fan fiction so please be gentle. That being said I do love constructive criticism, this story has been floating around in my head for awhile so I'd like to do it justice. As for the story itself, my goal is to alternate between Hermione's and Draco's perspective. Things will likely advance rather slowly but I think that's the only way to do their relationship justice, I promise I'll get to the M rating eventually.