**I was thinking about continuing this, but I'm not sure. Let me know what you think, and if I should continue!**

No one understood why she always kept to herself. No one understood why she would hurry off once class was dismissed. No one understood why she really didn't have any friends. No one understood her.

Hermione Granger was a simple girl, well, as simple as a naturally born genius and artist could be. Other then the smarts, she really was a simple girl. She didn't ask for much in life. Only to get through life in Hogwarts, make her parents proud, start a family some day, have a steady job, whether it be in the magic world or not. That's not too much to ask, was it? Hermione just wanted a simple life…

She never asked to be a genius prodigy. She never asked to be a witch, a muggle-born. She never asked to be in Gryffindor. She never asked for that night to happen… That night…

"Hey, Hermione!" Ron Weasley walked up to Hermione, his red hair seemed to be on fire due to the sun beaming down on it.

Hermione was leaning against a tree on the grounds of Hogwarts reading. She looked up from her book, "Yes, Ronald?" She asked in annoyance.

"Wanna come watch Quidditch practice?"

Yes, because I want to sit in the stands, all alone, watching a bunch of boys and a few girls fly around on brooms trying to catch and beat and score with flying balls. "Actually, I have a paper due tomorrow and I was planning on going over it to make s-"

"Fine, fine. Seriously though, you need to at least have some fun. This is our sixth year, and with You-Know-Who out there, who knows what'll happen."

"Ron-"

"All I'm saying is, get your nose out of the books and-"

"Well, if it isn't a Mudblood and Blood Traitor. Aren't you two an ugly couple?" Hermione and Ron both looked at the group of students approaching them. Draco Malfoy, their adversary since they began attending Hogwarts, was leading the group, but it was Pansy Parkinson that spoke. "Or is it the Chosen One you're shagging? And I'm speaking to you Weasley, not Granger." The pug-looking girl smirked, and the Slytherins behind her chuckled. All of them but one. Draco stood there emotionless.

Hermione rolled her eyes, "Honestly, Parkinson, don't you have a different hobby other then being a mean girl?"

"Oh, look! Little Granger is standing up for herself." Pansy smirked, "Does the Mudblood feel like showing her Gryffindor courage now?"

"Sod off, Pug-inson." Ron retorted.

Pansy's face fell into a glare, and turned as red and Ron's hair. She quickly pulled out her want, "How dare-"

"Stop it, Pansy." Draco Malfoy had finally spoken. He kicked himself off the tree he was leaning on and walked up to them, "They're not worth it."

His words had a hidden meaning behind them. He was saying 'they're not worth it,' but Hermione heard the true meaning behind his words. You're not worth their time. Hermione looked at Malfoy with a mix of a calculating and confused look. Was he… protecting them? No. Malfoy only protects himself. So why…?

"Draco!" Parkinson whined.

Malfoy's eye twitched with anger and annoyance, "Do you ever shut up?" He turned on his heel and headed the other way. The group of Slytherins were quick to follow, but Pansy lingered, glaring at Hermione and Ron. Soon enough, though, she turned and ran to catch up with the Slytherins.

"… What the bloody hell was that?" Ron asked. He was just as perplexed as Hermione was.

Hermione turned her gaze towards her redheaded friend and shrugged, "I have no idea. Maybe he's tired of all the fighting between our Houses?"

"It's Malfoy, Hermione! He lives off of the constant fighting. He lives off of making people feel terrible."

She rolled her eyes, wanting to just be left alone. "Okay, fine Ronald. If you don't mind, I'm busy…" Hermione gathered her things, shoving them in her messenger bag, and began walking off. She didn't even look back at him.

There were so many things running through her head at the moment, and she just needed to be alone before she had a mental breakdown. She could see something in Malfoy's eyes that reflected something that she knew very well was in her own. Distress. Malfoy was going through something, she knew it. Perhaps that is why he told Pansy to stop.

With all this running through her mind, Hermione started thinking about her own sorrows, and she was nearing a mental breakdown. She couldn't contain it anymore. That's all she did. Day after day. She held it all in, only to spend her nights crying. She's been suffering from insomnia. She's been barely eating. All because… because of…

Hermione made it to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, and completely broke down. She leaned against the wall and curled up, crying and crying. Thankfully, the ghost was not there. Where was she? Who knew. But at the moment, Hermione didn't care. She kept crying.

She kept crying tears for the abuse she's been through her whole life. She kept crying tears for the one's she lost through her life. She kept crying tears for the failures in her life. However, most of the tears she cried were due to an event that happened the summer before this year, their sixth year. A night that changed her life. A night that caused her to lose her grip and fall into the hole of depression she had been struggling to stay out of for so long.

Hermione's sobs and whimpers caused her to not hear the bathroom door open. If she had heard it open, she would have seen a boy with platinum blonde hair standing there, his own eyes fighting off tears.

Hermione did, however, hear his shoes click on the marble floor, and her head snapped up. "M-Malfoy…" She didn't try to wipe the tears off her cheeks. She didn't try to stand up, yell at him, or do anything. She just sat there, looking utterly broken.

Malfoy looked down at her, "Granger…" He blinked and Hermione saw a tiny tear glide down his cheek. He leaned against the opposite wall and slid down it and sat down, one leg outstretched in front of him, almost touching Hermione's knee, his other bent to his chest. "What?" His voice was soft, yet it still held it's Draco Malfoy power, "No demands about leaving since this is a girl's bathroom?"

Hermione merely sniffed and shook her head. Never had she thought she'd be crying in front of Draco Malfoy of all people. After all the things he has done to her over their years at Hogwarts…

Malfoy studied her face. Even when she was crying, she still held the same beauty he had come to appreciate since their fourth year. Draco had never 'crushed' on Hermione Granger, rather, he just thought she was a girl of potential beauty, but she was tainted by her dirty Muggle blood. This year, however, things were different. His hatred towards Half-Bloods, Blood Traitors, Mudbloods, and Muggles were only greater than they had been in the past. Draco wanted nothing more then to rid the world of these disgusting human beings. He had never knew how strong his hatred was until he was handed the task he was given. Realizing all this was brought on by the that thing that was now on his left arm. Yet… his animosity towards the blood impurities were nonexistent when it came to Hermione Granger.

"If you don't mind me asking, why are you crying?" He asked softly.

Hermione cracked a small smile, "Draco Malfoy is being polite?" Her smile faded as soon as the sentence left her mouth, "I just… It's a long story…" The tears welled up again in her eyes.

Draco felt the sudden need to hold her. He knew it was something more than one of those buffoons of the Golden Trio, or something dealing with her classes, or even Slytherin bullies. "I'm listening."

Hermione's head snapped up to look at him. He's listening. No one's ever said that to her, no one's ever been willing to sit down and listen to what she has to say. She gazed into his deep grey eyes, and she began spilling her soul to him.

"I've always put on a strong front around everyone… My home life… it use to be perfect. My parents are wonderful, well… up until I was fourteen. They support me being a witch… they just don't understand anything about it. My father… he started being abusive… towards my mother and me. He kicked me out of the house one time, calling me the product of a devil. He was drunk…" She sighed and brought her knees closer to her chest, "I hid the bruises and cuts with makeup, but when that wasn't doing it I used a Charming Spell. Hogwarts was my outlet, my escape. I could throw myself into my studies. I could be with Harry and Ron. I could do girly things with Ginny. I could be tormented by you and the other Slytherins. It was all okay, though. I was happy… Happier than at home at least.

"Then… over this summer… I went to this party. My friend dragged me there, I really didn't want to go. I was trying to leave… I was… a-and…" Draco could see her hands start shaking, could hear her voice start cracking, "I was trying to leave… and this guy… h-he… followed me… a-and…" Hermione sobbed at recalling what had happened.

Draco has never seen her like this. He's only ever really seen her angry. He could tell what she was about to say, and it made him tighten his fists.

"He followed me… a-and he…" Her chocolate brown eyes looked up in his grey eyes, "… He raped me…"

Draco clenched his jaw. Before he knew what he was doing, he was holding her. Hermione was crying into his chest, and he was holding her, stroking her semi-tame hair.

Hermione had never had anyone in her life that sat down and said 'I'm listening,' and the fact that it was Draco Malfoy overwhelmed her. However, she felt like she could trust him. Even with Harry's suspicions of Malfoy being a Death Eater, she felt like she could trust him.

It was hard for her, saying what had happened. The guy had followed her once she left the party, and took her into the woods. He raped her there, and left her. She had no idea who he was, nor had she seen him since. What scared her probably more than being raped was the fact that she wanted to take her wand and cast the Killing Curse at him.

Hermione looked up at Malfoy, "… Why were you crying, when you walked in?"

Malfoy seemed a bit taken aback, but his face and eyes softened. He sighed softly and slowly continued to stroke her soft ringlets. "Since were pouring out our deepest secrets here… my father basically gave me over to the Dark Lord. I never was a supporter due to his hypocrisy. He's always so anal about ridding the world of all the blood impurities, and yet he's a Half-Blood. Anyways, my father gave me over to him, trying to save his own ass. Voldemort had trained me in the Dark Arts, at least, his Dark Arts. He gave me the task, upon arriving this year at Hogwarts, to kill Dumbledore."

Hermione's eyes widen, "Mal-"

"Let me finish." He flicked her head slightly, and his hand resumed it's caressing of her locks, "He branded me a Death Eater, something I never wanted." Malfoy pulled his sleeve up to show Hermione the Dark Mark on his left arm. He watched Hermione stare at it a while, then she lifted his arm and began to trace her lithe fingers over the black design. He continued, "Your little friend, Potter, is right in his assumptions. I'm a Death Eater. My task is to kill Dumbledore. The cursed necklace, was me. Before I came in here, I saw that Bell girl, she was talking to Potter. I guess… all that's been going on sort of came down on me. I got a letter from one of our House Elves saying Voldemort was punishing my mother… My mother… she's the only reason I haven't already killed my father."

Hermione looked up at Malfoy, and saw the soft glistening of fresh tears in his eyes. "… Draco…" She reached up and cupped his cheek.

Draco's eyes snapped down to hers. She had never called him Draco before, it was always Malfoy.

"Draco, I don't think you're a bad person for this." She traced her finger over the Dark Mark again. "The fact that you've taken this on, and haven't let it change you, makes you a better person. As for killing Dumbledore…" She sighed, "You know I'm going to say don't do it, but I'm not going to sit here and chastise you about not doing it." She looked up at Draco, "Maybe if you talked to Du-"

"No. I can't stand the old idiot, and him talking to me like I'm some fucking charity case will probably just make me go ahead and kill him." Draco suddenly got to his feet, shoving Hermione away, and walked over to the sink and gripped the sides, looking into the mirror.

Hermione stared at his back, she could tell there was an internal conflict going on, and it was tearing Draco apart. She slowly got to her feet, and carefully walked towards him, "Draco…" She laid both of her small hands on his back, and then hugged him from behind, resting her head on his back. "I'm here for you…"

Draco's chest tightened, and he was overcome with an odd feeling he had never felt before. He snapped. How dare this girl be vulnerable around him, act as if she cared? He whipped around, and shoved her away, "I don't need your pity!" He pulled his wand out, pointing it at Hermione. "I don't need you to fucking feel sorry for me!"

"Draco-"

"Shut up!" He jabbed his wand forwards, his silent threat to cast a curse or hex at her.

Hermione held her head high, not showing the fear. This is why she never trusted men, other than Harry and Ron. They lower their walls one moment, then the next they push you away, or even hurt you. Hermione wasn't going to let Draco hurt her.

"You don't know anything! You're just… you're just a fucking foolish girl! You're weak! You're a witch and yet you let someone rape you? Everyone says you're the brightest witch of our generation, and yet you don't do anything to help yourself in that situation?"

Hermione felt the tears sting her eyes, she could see the images of that night flashing through her mind. She couldn't handle it. The tears started to flow, the sobs started to echo, and she fell to her knees.

"You're weak. You need to learn to be stronger." Draco's voice was softer, but it still held a venomous tone to it. He knelt beside her and lifted her chin to look at him. "I'll teach you, I'll help you to be stronger."

His lips pressed against hers, and Hermione froze. She was terrified. The memory of the nameless man was causing her to want to scream, want to run, but Draco's soft yet firm lips were slowly pushing the memories away. Hermione soon found herself welcoming his tongue into her mouth, his hands onto her skin. He lifted her shirt slightly, squeezing her waist, rubbing his thumbs against her creamy skin.

Hermione moaned softly into Draco's mouth. She rested her hands on his chest, but soon wanted skin-to-skin contact. She bunched his shirt up, and slowly ran her hands up under his shirt. She felt his abs and pectorals, his muscles nicely and perfectly shaped due to years of Quidditch.

Hermione gasps as Draco slid a hand up her thigh. He pulled away from her lips and trailed his kisses down to her neck, marking her. "Draco…"

"Let me help you. Let me make you stronger." Draco kissed her deeply, "Join me, Hermione. Be mine."

Hermione stared into his grey, hypotonic eyes. Who could say no to a man that made you feel this way? Who could say no to a man that could protect you forever? Who could say no to Draco Malfoy? "Yes… yes Draco…"