A/N: Hey, guys! So, just had this floating around in my head and finally decided to do something with it!

Chapter One
Tell Me Your Story

Harry slipped back behind the curtains when the door to the infirmary burst open. He had been hoping to sneak out without anyone the wiser. What he had done to Malfoy sickened him. He still hated the git, but he couldn't help but feel guilty. He wasn't a violent person, he should have listened to Hermione. That book was dangerous. And speaking of Hermione...

He watched in wonder as he realized he knew the bushy mane of curls that belonged to the girl who had just entered the room. He frowned as he took in her puffy eyes and red cheeks. She was sniffling as she ran into the room. He didn't understand her presence. The only one in the room was...Malfoy.

With a hand over her mouth, no doubt to muffle the sobs wracking through her body, Hermione hovered over the offending blonde's bed. Harry strained to hear them and risked shuffling closer, still hidden by another bed's curtain, head peaking around it.

"Oh Merlin, what did he do?" the brunette cried. At the sound of her voice, Malfoy stirred. He let out a pained moan. "G-Granger? What are you doing here?" Malfoy asked. Harry wanted to know the same thing. What on earth was Hermione doing visit the ferret in the middle of the night?

"I-I had to see that you were okay. I heard what happened earlier. I wanted to come sooner, but...it wasn't safe until now," she answered quietly. She was wringing her hands nervously as she looked the boy over. His pale chest was bare save for the white bandages wrapped tightly around it. Vivid crimson had seeped through in certain places and she could see the agony in his face every time he moved.

"So, you've decided to talk to me again, is it?" he questioned coldly. Hermione sniffled and attempted to keep her tears at bay. "I thought you wanted nothing to do with me. Do you remember that? I do. I can't forget it."

Harry continued to watch in fascination.

Hermione seemed to shrink into herself at his words. "I do."

"Then why are you here, Granger?" Malfoy's demanding voice sounded weak. Harry could see that he was trying to avoid looking at Hermione.

He stared past her, jaw locked in an angry fashion.

"I miss you, Draco."

Grey eyes snapped to Hermione. Harry hoped the two were so absorbed in themselves that they missed his audible gasp.

"Oh, so I'm suddenly Draco again?" the Slytherin sneered. Hermione seemed to ignore his harsh question. Instead, she took a seat on the bed next to him. His white face reddened when she gently took one of his hands in both of hers. Harry was in a shocked awe. "Yes. You've always been Draco to me. I'm sorry for the way I acted last year. I never meant to hurt you," Hermione whispered softly.

Malfoy scoffed only to recoil in pain at the action. Hermione squeezed his hand. "Oh, please hold still. I hate seeing you in so much pain."

"Well, that seems to be all I get from you and your blasted friends, so I don't see why you care," he snapped curtly.

She once again ignored him. She raised a hand to his face. Malfoy didn't dare breathe as she ghosted her fingertips over the dark bags under his silver eyes. She frowned as she cupped his face with one hand. His eyes fluttered shut and he leaned into her touch. "You look terrible, Draco."

He smirked, and without opening his eyes, retorted, "You don't look quite so fabulous yourself."

"I admit, I was rather...distraught when I heard what happened. Now please, tell me why you look like the living dead," she scolded. Malfoy turned his head away and Hermione placed her hand in her lap.

Finally, he returned his gaze to her. "You know I can't." He sounded troubled, like he wished that he could.

"You can trust me. I know-"

"You didn't hurt me," he interrupted suddenly.

"I-what?"

"Last year. You didn't hurt me. I-I understood. At least, I do now."

"I didn't mean any of it. I was upset and not thinking and I-" Hermione rushed. Malfoy cut in again. "What my father did was unforgivable, Granger. You had every right to tell me to stay away from you. I wasn't hurt because I had been expecting it all along. I mean, what we had was more than I ever could have asked for. But I always knew it was going to come to an end. So when you told me to go, it was all I could do to accept it. Resignation, I guess. It was good of you to do, though. At least it wasn't over something I had done myself. It was my father. I'm afraid if that hadn't happened, it would be because of me now."

"Draco, I was a fool. What your family did never should have affected our friendship. I knew that you didn't know anything about what happened that night, even as I accused you of everything. I was wrong then, and I know I've been wrong this year. It's obvious there's something upsetting you, but I was too proud to apologize and find out what's wrong." The girl didn't appreciate that he wasn't looking at her when she finished. He looked pained, but not because of the blood soaked bandages across his chest.

"No, you were right," he insisted, his eyes trained directly on her. "You shouldn't even be here now, Granger. You shouldn't concern yourself with me anymore. As much as your righteous Gryffindor ways both fascinate and repulse me, they have no business here. I am the worst kind of person. I am a wretched coward, Granger."

"Stop it, you're no such thing!" Hermione admonished. She only fell silent when he raised a shaking hand up to her face. He wiped away a stray tear. "You don't know me anymore, Granger. You don't know what I've become," he murmured sadly.

She shook her head. "Draco, we were friends from fourth year on, I think I at least know you a little."

"Not anymore. That Draco is gone. He was a coward, too."

"You were my best friend," she exclaimed, "I was overwhelmed last year and took my confusion and anger out on you. I've regretted it every day since."

A silence settled upon the two giving Harry time to comprehend what he was seeing. It was clear now that Hermione had somehow been friends with Malfoy. How had he not noticed? Was he that wrapped up with what was happening to himself that he missed what seemed like a very close friendship and a nasty falling out?

"Granger. You should hate me right now. I hate me right now," Malfoy said suddenly.

"What are you talking about? Does this have anything to do with why you've been acting so strangely all year?"

"No. Yes. Yes, it does. Hermione, I've done something terrible. Something I can't take back. I wish I could, but..." Malfoy's voice was thick with emotion. Harry had never heard him sound anything but bored or angry.

As usual, Hermione was much faster putting the pieces together than he was because realization dawned on Hermione before Harry could even begin to comprehend.

"You didn't."

Malfoy choked down the lump in his throat at the hurt accusation in her voice. He couldn't answer. His silence was all she needed.

"How could you?" she shouted, jumping to her feet. "After all those years telling me you'd changed! How you didn't believe in any of it anymore! Was it some kind of game to you?"

Malfoy winced away from her harsh tone. "You have to believe me, I never wanted this. But you have to understand. It wasn't a choice. It was a punishment."

Hermione paused, her heart racing dangerously fast. "Punishment?" she echoed, her fury remaining.

"For my father's failure at the Ministry," Malfoy explained, "He knows I'm going to fail, too. He just wants my parents to suffer while they wait for the inevitable."

She took a deep breath. "And what's the inevitable?"

He couldn't look at her. "My death. He's going to kill me."

Even Harry started at his words.

"Draco! No! Why would he kill you?" she cried, returning to her spot on his bed.

"Granger, it doesn't matter, does it? It's going to happen no matter what I do. I told you, he wants to punish my father for failing."

Her sobs renewed.

"Granger, please don't cry. I'm not worth it," Draco murmured, grabbing her hand. "I'm not worth your tears."

"But you are. You're worth so much more to me!" she cried. "How did this happen? How did things get so far?"

Malfoy offered a tragic smile. "Things are going the way they were always going to. The only difference is that a little good snuck its way in there. And now it's making it harder to go back to the way things were supposed to be."

"No!" she argued reverently, "It doesn't have to be that way. Not anymore. Because of the good that happened. It changed things."

"But not enough, I'm afraid," he answered softly, wistfully.

"Draco." Her voice was nothing more than a cracked whisper.

"I'm going to die, Granger. And there's nothing you or anyone else can do about it. Thank you for giving me what we had. It was…most needed."

"I-I can't believe you're giving up so easily. I can't believe that you're just going to-" she stuttered, her sobs receding. "Maybe you're right. Maybe I don't know you anymore. Maybe I never did. If you're going to be like that, then I guess this is good-bye, Malfoy."

He hadn't heard her call him by his surname since she told him to stay away from her the year before. It crushed him.

"Granger! Don't go!" Malfoy pleaded as the Gryffindor girl made to leave. The only sign she gave that she heard him was a slight falter in her step. Harry winced for the blonde as he struggled to sit up. His already pale face had gone deathly white with the pain that struck him. But he'd be damned if he didn't finish his conversation with Granger. He cried out in pain as he rose to his feet, his shuffled gait a pitiful sight to watch. Harry wanted the floor to open up and swallow him whole. He had caused that.

Amazingly, Malfoy caught up to Hermione. "Wait," he said, grabbing a hold of her arm to both stop her and steady his shaking body. And at that point, Harry really shouldn't have been surprised, but he was still flabbergasted when Malfoy proceeded to kiss his best friend with the hungry desperation of a doomed man.

His cheeks flushed scarlet as he witnessed Hermione kiss Malfoy back with the same fervor. Her fingers tangled themselves up in his white blonde hair as he cradled her cheek in one hand. His other was on the small of her back, holding her tighter to him than Harry was comfortable with. And yet, he couldn't look away. Suddenly, he began to wonder what was real about the past three years. He had thought Hermione had hated Draco as much as he did. He thought Malfoy was a prejudiced git bound on the path to becoming a Death Eater. But the passionate embrace the two were currently locked in begged to differ.

He was only dragged out of his thoughts when they pulled apart. Malfoy rested his forehead against hers, their panting breaths mingling. "Hermione," he murmured. God, he loved her name. "Hermione, I never stopped loving you. I will never stop loving you. It's always been you. I'm afraid you're it for me."

What?

Hermione slid her hands down his neck and wrapped her arms around him in a fierce hug. "I love you, too, Draco. I never stopped. It killed me to act like I didn't care anymore."

Malfoy's beaming smile faded into a stern line. "I'm afraid you're going to have to continue that."

"What? Why?" she wondered, taken aback.

He gave her a disapproving look, though he still held her in a tender embrace. "Because while it's certain that he's going to kill me, you're safe from him. As long as no one ever knows about us, about what we are-were, then he has no reason to hurt you. Not because of me at least."

"You tell me you still love me only to say that pretending not to will keep me safe? Newsflash, Draco. None of us are safe. So, if I'm going to be in danger regardless, let me be happy. At least let me be happy." She was torn between her annoyance at his logic and how good it felt to be in his arms again.

"Hermione, love, you have no idea what you're talking about. I know you're in danger because of Potter. But I wouldn't be able to live with myself if something ever happened to you because of me," he tried to explain, his feelings not willing to translate themselves into words.

"Draco, if you just let us help you, you wouldn't have to worry about any of this," she implored, knowing he wouldn't listen.

"Honestly, what would even be able to do? Tell me, how would you be able to help?"

Harry couldn't take it any longer. Stepping out from his hiding place, he said, "I think that's where I come in."

The couple sprang apart from each other. "Harry!" Hermione gasped, hand over her pounding heart, "W-where did you come from?"

"I've...been here a while, actually," he admitted sheepishly.

"H-how long?"

"Long enough. Now, if we're going to be helping the ferret, someone may want to enlighten me as to how this came to be," he said, gesturing at the pair of them.

The Boy-Who-Lived stared at the unlikely pair expectantly. "Well? You better have a damn good story as to how I found my best friend making out with who I thought was our enemy. I have half a mind not to listen, to run off and tell everyone about you, Malfoy," Harry warned dangerously. He hid the guilt he felt as Malfoy's silver eyes widened in panic. He pretended not to notice that Hermione's hand entwined itself with Draco's once again.

"Harry, I-" Hermione began.

"How? I was utterly convinced these past few years that you hated this git as much as I did. And now I find out that you actually love him? How could you not tell me? I mean, how did I not notice?" he questioned, his voice rough.

She had the decency to look ashamed. "I knew you and Ron would hate it. But we became such good friends, Harry. And we got to know each other when you two were having that ridiculous spat in fourth year. I needed a friend. And Draco became that. I'm sorry for not telling you, I just knew it wouldn't end well."

"Is this why you've been convincing me he isn't a Death Eater? Because you're in love with him?" he sneered, much like how the boy in question used to.

Draco's eyes flashed charcoal. "Don't put that on her, Potter. Don't you dare."

The blonde's sudden entrance into the conversation startled Harry. Draco's glare chilled him to the bone. "My mistakes are mine. She had nothing to do with my decision. You can't blame her for her ridiculous ignorance to the darkness in people."

"I'm going to ignore that last remark, you utter fool, but it wasn't exactly your decision, was it? It was a punishment. Would have taken the mark otherwise?" Hermione cut in, scolding him.

"Of course I wouldn't have taken the bloody mark!" was his enraged response. Hermione remained unflinching. "I just said you're it for me, didn't I? Becoming a Death Eater would rather obliterate the already miniscule chance I have at being with you, wouldn't it?"

Harry shifted uncomfortably as Hermione attacked Draco with a fierce hug. The boy staggered back with the sudden addition of her weight. His pained moan had her reeling back. "Oh, Draco, I'm so sorry! I just-that was-what you said-" she sputtered like a lovesick fool, much to Harry's dismay. Draco managed to offer her an adoring smile through his agonized grimace.

"And you," Hermione suddenly shouted, spinning to Harry. "What the hell were you thinking, using that bloody curse? I may have hid what he and I had from you, but I never risked anyone's life for a childish feud!"

It was his turn to hang his head. "I know, I know. It's killing me, knowing I did that. And that's why I haven't hexed him into the next century. That's why I'm willing to hear you guys out. If you really have changed, if this isn't really what you wanted, Malfoy, I am here to help you. Hermione's my best friend, and though I forget it sometimes, her happiness is important to me. You just have to explain to me why it's you that makes her happy."

Draco's eyes were unreadable to Harry, his expression blank, nose stuck up, shoulders back in that haughty stance of his. But the tender grip on his friend's hand hinted at a multitude of emotions just under the surface.

"Well, Potter, if you must know, Hermione and I became friends because of your and Weasel's tendency to disregard her. During the-" Draco began in a monotone voice.

"Hang on, we didn't disregard her, we-"

"Were so caught up in your own petty feud that you let her research all your tasks, act as a messenger between you and Weasel, and let mental fans threaten her?" Draco's flat voice silenced Harry. "You two are not perfect, Potter. And that's okay. It gave me her. It gave me a whole new life. For a while anyway."

"But you can't just tell me that I-"

"Oh, shut it, Harry," Hermione groaned in exasperation. He was startled at her abrupt tone. "He saved my life in fourth year. That's why we became friends."

His eyes flew to the blonde who was staring steadfastly at the floor.

"Maybe…maybe you should tell me your story now," Harry said quietly.

A/N: So, what do you think? This is m first multi-chapter Dramione fic, so I'm pretty excited! Let me know what you guys think!

~Jericho'sRiot~