I'm here with yet another story! But this one is different from the others-it wasn't my idea. Yes, after years of asking, I have received my first story request! Actually, it's only been a few months of asking, but whatever, that doesn't matter.

So, xxfallblossomsxx, one of my readers, wants this as a story: Ron is abusing Hermione, and some of the Slytherins find out and want to help. The characters she wants involved are Hermione, Draco, Marcus Flint, Blaise Zabini, Adrian Pucey, Seamus, Dean, Neville, Fred, George, Lee Jordan, Daphne, Pansy, Parvati, Lavender, Angelina, Alicia, and she wants Ginny in the story, but she wants Ginny to be mean. I told her I'd see what I could do! She's the idea person, and I'm the humble wordsmith. So, here's what I've got for you, xxfallblossomsxx, and you, fanfiction! Hope you enjoy!

I don't own Harry Potter or xxfallblossomsxx's ideas. ^^ Oh, or the song Face Down by Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, which I've wanted to use as a songfic for a long time, and xxfallblossomsxx gave me the perfect idea to do so!

Ps, just like in the Life Project, everyone's the same age. It just makes things a whole lot easier.

...

Do you feel like a man when you push her around?
Do you feel better now as she falls to the ground?
Well I'll tell you my friend, one day this world's going to end
as your lies crumble down, a new life she has found.

Face Down-Red Jumpsuit Apparatus

...

It felt so strange, coming back to Hogwarts to repeat my seventh year, only to find myself an outcast for switching sides. I still had a few friends. Those who had nearly worshipped me before now saw me at their level, though, so I was just a friend, no longer a leader. It didn't really matter to me anymore. After seeing what leadership doest to you, I wasn't so sure being a leader would be all that great. Leading people meant that you had complete control over them-they did anything for you, and that could make you feel better than them. It could make you want to do things that probably weren't the best for those following you.

"Draco!"

I noticed everyone was staring at me: Pansy, who I now noticed was saying my name, Blaise, Theo and Daphne. The one's who had stuck with me. I shook my head and forced myself to focus on what they were saying. "Yes?"

"What's going on?" Pansy said, obviously repeating herself. "You've been staring at the Gryffindor's for, like, the past ten minutes. Are you okay? Just because you've changed sides doesn't mean that you have to go all red and gold on us."

My eyes narrowed. "I thought we'd agreed that we've all changed sides."

She rolled her own green eyes. "We have changed sides, Draco. But, like I said. We don't need to turn into Gryffindors just because we've changed."

I shook my head. "That's not evem why I was looking there. I was just sort of...zoning, I guess."

"On Granger?" Daphne questioned, one eyebrow raised.

I looked back in the direction I had been staring and realised she was right-Granger was directly in my line of vision. Now, it could have been argued that I was staring at Neville Longbottom, but it was more likely that I'd be staring at the girl, rather than the geek-turned-war-hero. I had respect for him for that, but really, Granger was far more easy on the eyes.

But Granger was far more likely because, after I'd resigned to myself that I'd most definitely changed and that blood had absolutely nothing to do with person, I'd noticed very strange things about people I'd never even thought to spit in the direction of. Like how the Weaslette had the prettiest, silkiest red hair I'd ever seen. Being a blood-traitor had nothing to do with that, did it? I'd noticed that Granger had stunning brown eyes, and how intriguing it was to watch her study. These were things I wasn't sure it was normal to notice or not, but being a changed man, I figured it was alright.

And with certain things I'd heard about her recently, I'd taken even more of an interest in her, trying to decipher wether or not these rumours were true or not.

I eventually shrugged. "She just happened to be in my line of vision, that's all."

"Right," said Pansy, shaking her head. "Well, whatever. I think it's time I head back to the common room. I've got loads of homework." She growled, then added bitterly, "Should be easy, considering I did it all last year!"

She managed to slip something about the fact that she'd made it nearly the full way through her seventh year when the Battle of Hogwarts happened, and she now had to redo all of seventh yea,r into every one of our conversations. I rolled my eyes and stood up as well, choosing to escort her back to the common room so she could rant and not have any need to tirade on about her angry feelings later that night.

As we passed the Gryffindor table, my eyes slid across the occupants, and I spotted Granger, the target of all of my thoughts lately. For a split second, her eyes met mine, and it was like the entire planet froze in that tiny time fragment. Her eyes were dreadfully sad, and I noticed something beneath them-dark circles. And to me, they didn't look like they were from lack of sleep, either. They looked like she'd done a poor job covering up black eyes.

Maybe what I'd heard was true? The thought that it might be caused my stomach to clench, making me feel sick. What were you supposed to do when you found these things out? Tell a teacher? No, it would just embarass her. And what if I was wrong? What if she was just not getting enough sleep?

The second ended when Pansy pulled me along, out of the Great Hall, and Weasley unconsciously wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She moved her head, staring down at her empty plate.

Once we'd left the room, Pansy's angry rant stopped, and she looked around, making sure no one was around.

"Alright, Malfoy, I've had enough."

I looked at her, trying to smirk and give her my mildly amused gaze. "Okay, you've got me. What have you had enough of?"

"You're distantness!" Pansy exclaimed, throwing her arms into the air as we continued to walk. "And don't think I didn't see that look you gave Granger. Is something going on between you two?"

"What?" I exclaimed, nearly blowing my cool cover. I crinkled my nose. "Of course not! I haven't spoken a word to her all seventh year. What makes you think something's going on between us?"

She shrugged. "Not sure. Just small things. Like how she's the only things your eyes are ever on. In class, at meals, when we pass her in the hall, out on the grounds, at hogsmeade-"

"Okay, I get it!" I grumbled.

"But the strange thing is that it started just a few weeks ago," Pansy mused. "That day when you went back to Transfiguration on your own, because you forgot to hand in a paper."

I swallowed. She was a bit more observant than I'd noticed before. And I didn't like to talk about that day, so I wasn't going to say anything.

"Not sure when you're talking about," I quickly replied. "I-"

"Drop the act, Draco, I know something happened when you went back to hand in your paper, and I want to know what it is!"

I made a strangled growling sound. "Listen, it's not really any of my business..."

"Who cares?" Pansy replied. "Draco, I'm probably the biggest gossip in this school, next to Patil and Brown. I don't care whose business it is, I just want to know what on earth you heard, or saw, or whatever else could have happened to make you so interested in Granger all of a sudden."

"Funny you should mention Patil and Brown..."

"So it is gossip?" Pansy nearly squealed, forgetting for a second that I wasn't one of her girly gang members, and that I don't do that. She cleared her throat. "What did you hear?"

"First," I said, swallowing and turning my head to look at her from the corner of my eye. "How much do you know about Granger and the Weasel?"

She shrugged. "What everyone knows, I guess. They hated each other for almost all of first year, slowly became friends, kissed at the Battle of Hogwarts, and have been seriously dating ever since. Why do you ask? Is it about him?"

I sighed, looking around once to make sure we were still alone, before I stopped walking and turned to her. "Pansy, swear you won't tell anyone. Not even Daphne or Blaise or Theo. No one. I'm not even sure if it's true."

She rolled her eyes and flipped her hair. "Draco, if it came from Patil and Brown, I can almost bet my life on the fact that it's not going to be true. Now, what did you hear?"

I wouldn't look her in the eye. "I heard that Weasley's been beating Granger."

She looked shocked. "B-b-but...I thought..."

I nodded. "I know. I can't be sure it's true. But don't tell anyone. Please, Pansy."

She nodded, her eyes far away. "Draco, we've got to do something! I mean, I know we aren't really on the best of terms with Granger-or any of the Gryffindors, for that matter-but we need to help her. No one deserves to go through that."

I nodded. "I know."

I suddenly realised that telling Pansy was probably the greatest thing I ever could have thought to do. Pansy would know exactly how to get through this, exactly how to help the poor girl.

But what neither of us would have bet on, is that maybe Granger didn't want our help.

Why Gryffindors had to be so proud, neither of us would ever know.