Still bruised and weak from last night's beating, Draco stumbled out of his room. Narcissa was still lying in her bed, afraid that her husband had come home. Like Draco's, her body was wounded and weak. Draco peered into his parents' room. He found his mother looking battered on their bed.

"Mum?"

Startled and relieved at the same time, Narcissa turned to see her son's pale face poking through her door.

"What is it, dear?"

"Are you alright?"

"I will be."

"Where is he?"

"You know your father is a busy man. He had something to attend to."

Draco headed to the bathroom without another word to his mother.

"But, I guess he's not too busy to down all his Firewhiskey and beat the fuck out of us, right mother?" he muttered to himself.

The water stung his face. No one would have to know. As he washed his face, he was drowned in his thoughts.

'Like anyone would truly be concerned.' Draco thought to himself.

But, he knew a certain Mudblood (as he was forced to call her) would. Draco hated himself every time he called her it. He knew he could trust her. But, yet she was the one he was forced to humiliate in public and he hated himself for that.

She was perfect and he knew he could never find a kinder person. If only he wasn't a Malfoy or a Slytherin in that case, he knew he would be with her.

Ever since she approached him in their 4th year at the library he knew he could never let her go. That day when she came to his lone table at the library and it was only them and Madam Pince, who was busy at her desk, Draco knew that Hermione saw right through him. He thought his being an arse would keep her away but she was the only one who probably knew it was all an act, a good one at that, but none the less an act. He remembered that day clearly. It was the day after his father was suspected of spying on the Death Eaters for Dumbledore. That day Lucius beat his family for the first time in years.

Flashback

Draco was at the library trying to hide behind a book. His father had struck him so hard on his face his mother couldn't heal it even with her most complicated spells. So, Draco tried hard not to be seen with his black eye that day. He thought none of his dim-witted friends would think he would be at the library so, that is where he chose to hide out.

He saw Mudblood Granger at one of the tables by him. Madam Pince was busy at her desk, apparently some of the 6th Years thought mixing the children's books with the restricted books was funny.

He heard footsteps approach his table. Hermione sat down across from him.

"What the bloody hell Mudblood!"

"Malfoy, could you at least be decent for a minute?"

"What does Muddy want?"

"Ugh! Well I just came to ask you if…if… you're alright."

"What do you mean? Of course I am."

"Have you even seen your face today? I know why you're hiding behind that book. What happened to you?"

"Why the fuck do you care? I'm fine ,ok? Now could you leave?"

"I'll leave, but I know you're not okay. I might just be a Mudblood to you, but I know when something's wrong. Anyways, you know you can't tell your big-mouthed friends. I can already see Pansy spreading the rumors. Good luck with that."

They sat in silence for a minute. Draco had a pained expression on his face. Hermione showed a genuine look of worry.

'She's right." He heard him say to himself.

Hermione stood up to leave. She knew he wouldn't listen any longer.

Just as she was walking to the library's exit, Draco let out a faint whisper.

"Wait"

But, it was too late Hermione had already stepped into the halls.

End of Flashback