I'll always catch you when you fall.

Hermione has a secret, only Draco Malfoy manages to find out what it is. But is there anything he can do to save her from life of death and misery and how romance takes over them both.

Chapter 1. the beginning of the end.

Draco's POV.

As I leaned in towards the window I gazed out at the rain, the endless beauty of the countryside covered by a veil of water,it seemed blurred, as the train sped onwards up the track that led to Hogwarts.

I couldn't help but think about my Mother, she was the only person who ever treated me like a child when I was one. Everyone else just regarded me as a tool to fulfill the dark Lord's plan.

Now I was alone without her forever my Father banished me from the house when I refused to continue serving Voldermort and being a death eater. I had been pushed into every mistake I have ever made by him and I'd had enough.

There was an argument between us 2 weeks before the end of the Summer holidays, it had gone on for hours and I have never seen my Father more angry than he looked that night.

"You can't make me do anything, I'm not a child anymore! I am sick and tired of serving him, You pushed me down that road when I never wanted to lead it!"

He looked at me sending what seemed like a thousand daggers in my direction. His cold silvery orbs burnt holes in the floor. Biting down on his lower lip and gritting his teeth he looked directly at me.

"How dare you even contemplate speaking to me in such a manner! You should be ashamed of yourself, you're a Malfoy it has always been your destiny to be a death eater and to serve him. And as your Father it is my place to make you do whatever I see fit."

He didn't raise his voice once but his tone was foreboding. I heard my Mother trying to open the doors my Father had slammed shut to prevent her from defending me.

"You may be my Father but that also means you're supposed to behave like it. Hiding and lying to me about my destiny, ruining my childhood and disturbing and corrupting everyone who got in your way."

"What ever I did regarding the prophesy that foretold your destiny I did because it would have destroyed you and made your life a misery, and that is why I destroyed the prophesy, before you could witness the outcome."

I stared down at my feet trying to suppress the rage building up inside me. I remembered what I had seen in the glass ord that day.

My lips were pressed firmly against hers, and then tears where streaming down her alabastor cheek before I saw her lying in a river of her own blood.

I remembered the anger I was feeling and responded

"I am leaving, you have already done all that you can to mess me up and now I've had enough. I am no longer your son I was just a tool in a deeper conspiracy that has only just been revealed to me. Goodbye Father!"

I made my way to the jet wood double doors that led into the passage way where my mother was residing.

"You couldn't last five minutes in that world without me! Stop being so foolish and I will forgive you in time for your previous outbursts."

I carried on walking and did not face him when I spoke

"I do not seek your forgiveness and I can't last another minute with you the world out there does not scare me, only a world with you present does!"

I pushed the doors aside and heard the sound of glass shattering against the door as he though his glass at me.

I clenched my knuckles remembering the hotel room I had spent that fortnight in and the day I heard the news of my Mother's death. Another one of Voldermorts victims.

I vowed that day I would never forgive my Father and never serve Voldermort another day of my life.

The compartment door slid open and Blaise Zabini waltzed in retrieving his leather bag from an over head shelf before clicking his fingers in front of my face awakening me from my subconscious state.

"Oi Malfoy! We're here"

I rose from my seat and also picked up a similar leather bag and followed Blaise out of the gloomy compartment.

Moments later freed from the rabble of eager first years I stepped out onto the platform and saw her.

She was sitting on her old battered trunk with her cat languidly splayed across her lap. She stood once Ginny Weasley stepped onto the platform and I lost sight of her in the sea of heads before me.

Realising I had been standing in the same position for about five minutes and that most of the others had already begun their way to the carriages. I half heartedly made my way up the long winding path that lead to the unpredictable year I was about to endure.

About half and hour later I was sitting in the great hall with all the rest of the school waiting for the evening to end. The first years were placed into their houses,but I noticed the amount of new students was dramatically reduced.

The evening went on for what seemed like an eternity and the candles seemed to be burning brighter than ever. The constant sound of muttering, shouting and eating was driving me crazy. I needed to get somewhere quiet and fast.

I decided I had stayed long enough not be noticed when I left. I casually strode out of the great hall and descended the endless flights of stairs.

I was thankful that my Father had forgotten to dissolve the agreement he had with Snape about my private dormitory. More than ever I needed the seclusion and to be let to drown in my own thoughts and emotions about my Mother's death and what I was going to to about my recently revealed destiny.

I drew the silky curtains to a close and decided to leave the window slightly open, letting a sharp breeze abolish the intense heat of the fire that was making me sweat.

I tugged my shirt over my head and fell into the heaven of sleep, where troubles, worries and fear lay dormant until the moment of my awakening.

I awoke bathed in the silver moonlight in the confines of my bed. The emerald and silver embroidered silk fell from my skin like a waterfall as I stood.

I shuddered in the cold breeze intruding from outside, I remebered I had left the window open and strode across the room to shut it again restraining winter on the other side of the glass.

I walked away from the window and decided to get dressed. I slung my school uniform away from my clothes.

I pulled my jeans up over my legs and then started to fasten the buttons on my black shirt and then rolled the sleeves up to just above my elbow.

I stepped towards the open door and made my way down the stairs to the Slytherin common room. It was still dimly lit by candle light that just made everything visible.

I plunged into the dark green couch and gazed upon the fire that was glowing,desperate to be revived. My eyes waltzed over to a small mahogany table, that had about four books resting on the top of it.

The first book was encased in a black leather cover with a silver buckle preventing the coffee coloured pages from breaking free. The spine of the book had "The History Of Famous Slytherins" written across in a Gothic silver type face.

The second book was red and had gold writing splayed across the side reading "Gryffindor and Slytherin the Eternal Conflict". I didn't need to look any further before I realized that these were the books I had borrowed from the restricted section of the library over the holidays. I propped myself up when I realised they were due back last night, normally I wouldn't have worried but books borrowed from the restricted section had to be returned on time,otherwise I would suffer an hour of detention.

I swept the books under my arm and rushed out of the porthole and down the antique staircase. As I reached the penultimate flight I could see the passage that led to the library, it was amerced in golden light which meant someone was already in there. I crossed the entrance hall and followed the light down the narrow passage.

When I came to reach the large oak door It was leaking a bright light from the library, which lay on the otherside of the door and I could hear quiet sobs,so figuring it wasn't a teacher I decided to enter.

So I wouldn't disturb the person inside I quietly opened the door and crept to the nearest bookshelf, not wanting to be immediately noticed. I casually leaned on the bookshelf and turned to look at the person huddled over in the corner.

Whoever she was, she had long brunette hair that was rather untamed and messy, her skin was an ivory colour and tears were spilling over her closed lids. I coughed to make my presence known to her.

Her lashes fluttered open and she gazed at me. It was Hermione,

"What are you doing here Malfoy and w...w...what do you want?"

Her voice was slightly shaky and uneasy as she was obviously trying to barocade a river of tears from breaking free

"What's wrong Hermione?"

She looked taken a back by the fact I had referred to her by her name and not Mudblood or Granger.

She stepped back before she spoke

"What do you care? leave me alone"

The years of torment I had inflicted upon her suddenly came flooding back into my mind, and unless I was going to reveal my true feelings for her I would have to keep an heir of subtlety in my concern.

"I was just curious to know why you are crying and why are you down in the library this early in the morning"

"I could ask you the same question"

"Well I was returning some books that were due back yesterday"

She flinched at my blunt and simple explanation to her question.

" Well you hate me anyway so why should you care where I am or what I am doing?"

I felt so sorry for her, she looked so vulnerable. Harry and Ron had been gone for months searching for horcruxes and she didn't really have any other friends, apart from Ginny and Mrs Weasley had not permitted her daughter to return to Hogwarts this year,due to the severity of the times.

"I don't hate you"

I hoped my voice sounded sincere but I knew my few words provided little antidote to the fact that years of hate and conflict said otherwise.

Hermione let out a high pitched laugh.

"Oh well I suppose that all those years you attempted to make my life a misery are only recolectable to me at this current point in time. Forgive me, my mind seems to have put me under the false pretense that you have called me a mudblood, nearly everyday of my life and that you would leave me to die in a ditch at any given opportunity!"

Her voice was not loud or angry but merely sounded as if she was giving a lecture on the evidence that pointed to her being right, about the fact that all these years were proof of my hatrid for her.

"Ok Ok, you have made your point. But I am not the git I used to be"

Her face scrunched up in confusion of the fact that I was admitting to the fact that I knew I had been a git.

I knew I couldn't at this point in time let her know why I had forced her to endure spitefulness and cruelty from me at every opportunity, but she would find out one day and maybe just maybe it would make her see me in a different light.

"I don't know why I am even talking to you, I am wasting my time, just finish what you are here to do and leave me in peace!"

It was evident that it wasn't just my presence that had been upsetting her and I wanted to know the reason for her distress, and I wasn't leaving until I did.

"Tell me what's wrong? I am not leaving until you do"

"Well then you will be here a long time, because I am not going confide in you of all people!"

I loved the tenacity in her words as she spoke, she was one of the most confident girls I knew when it came to standing up for people, but not so good when it came to standing up for herself. Her words were confident and defensive but her tone was meager and uncertain.

She moved to turn away from me and her cardigan slipped from her shoulder. That then revealed a maze of bruises smattered all over her ivory skin that had clearly not been the result of an accident, but inflicted by force.

She quikly returned the cardigan to it's original place over her shoulder. But now I knew something that she clearly didn't want me to know. When she checked to see where I was looking she saw me staring at her shoulder.

"Look what you saw... it's nothing, just forget about it"

I was worried and angry to know that someone had been hurting her and that worry was visible in my voice when I spoke.

"How did that happen Hermione? Who did that to you?"

She shuffled around to meet my gaze and as she did so another maze of bruises was revealed to me, that wondered all up her legs and she pulled her skirt back down to conceal it from me.

"Why do you even want to know? Nobody cares about me and no one has even noticed until know"

I wanted her to know that I cared and I wanted to help.

"Hermione, tell me."

Her voice became tearful and distressed once again

"I can't tell anyone"

With that she fled the room and I could he her footsteps running up the stairs.

I was going to find out who was doing this, maybe not with Hermione's assistance but I was going to find out. I slipped the books onto the desk and made my way back to the Slytherin common room, my mind now swimming in possibilities and motives that people would have for abusing Hermione.