He was worried about her; probably more so than her two supposed best friends. She hadn't been sleeping well (Ginny had snitched on her to him because she was the only other one who knew) and she hardly ate anything at meals. He saw them when they tried to force her to even eat toast in the morning, maybe a sandwich during lunch, and something other than pudding at dinner. She wouldn't talk to any of them about what was wrong, she kept her head down in class, and she no longer voiced her opinions. Her tears were just driving him plum nuts. He didn't know what he was supposed to do anymore.

She used to be at the top of their year and in the running for head girl next year; but something had changed her and she wouldn't budge on telling them what it might or might not be. She kept a daily journal, but magicked it so no one could break the password; not even the headmaster who was worried about her as well. Madam Pomfrey wouldn't tell them why Hermione was not herself and she couldn't break the healer's code of silence. She slept in the girl's dormitory but since she was a sixth year, she had an option for a private room and she took advantage of it.

No one would tell him anything and he was really worried about it. Those closest to her thought of him as her sworn enemy and for all he knew, he was. After he had hurt like he had, he would give anything to erase those shadows from her eyes, chase away the nightmares he himself had on a nightly basis, and to see her eyes light up because she saw him. Her eyes had gone from the beautiful amber color he remembered to a dark chocolate that no one could see into. It seemed she had built a wall around herself that even her closest friends could not get through. If they caught any hint that her current misery was his fault, he had a feeling that he would not be granted an instant death but a slow and torturous demise.

He had even tried goading her into fighting form but nothing worked anymore. She had gone into herself, where no one could find her. Her only refuge, he personally knew, was her music. No one would have guessed it, but she had the most beautiful voice. From the time she was five years old, she had taken private singing lessons and had studied to where she wrote and composed her own music. Every time he had heard her sing, it was like a siren's call; he was always rooted to the spot and he was so mesmerized by her that he wanted her all over again, even though he had probably taken her only moments before. At the best of times, she was so achingly beautiful it hurt him to look at her and wonder how he could have been blessed with the smile she so freely granted him.

All he wanted to know was that she was going to be okay. A Malfoy was not keen on waiting and every time he had tried to get her alone, it had not worked; his last attempt ended with a bloody nose (courtesy of Ron) and a stunning charm so strong by Potter that he had ended up in the hospital overnight. He had tried to send her owls when he was certain she was alone but only ended up being returned back to him unopened, with the seal not broken. He had even tried to send her favorite flowers, Calla Lillies, and she returned those too with a stinging hex that had him hiding in his dorm for three straight days.

She fought back on rare occasions when no one was watching, but it wasn't good enough for him; he wanted her back and he was prepared to do whatever it might take. His father had deemed him ready to join the Death Eaters and he didn't want nothing more to do with them. He had broken her heart and he didn't want anything to do with what his father had planned for him. She had told him on more than one occasion that she wanted to do away with whatever terms and placement that the wizarding world had put on her and she wanted to be what she had wanted since she was a child; a singer.

Ever since he had done what he had not wanted to do, his heart had been broken as well. He only functioned on a daily basis because he knew that if he moped around as badly as she was, he would be busted; big time. He wanted to wipe the tears from her gorgeous face, kiss her silly, and feel her come alive in his arms like only he could. He didn't want anything to do with the hurt he had done to her. Watching her walk out of Potions with her head down and tears streaming down her face, he knew he had to do something. Draco couldn't let this go any longer but the moment he attempted to approach her, she finally did something that he was hoping she would do for a long time.

She spun around on her heel, dropped everything she was carrying, and swung her fist at him like she had done their third and gave him a bloody nose.

"How dare you," she hissed under her breath.

"You have no right to even try to talk to me like a human being. After you broke my heart and threw me to the wolves, you shouldn't even be walking this planet. If you value your life, and your balls, stay the bloody hell away from me."

She summoned her books into her arms and waltzed out of the classroom before Snape could catch up to her.