Disclaimer: I don't own Draco or Hermione, or the Astronomy Tower. I just own the letter )

This is my first Harry Potter story i've posted, so be nice please.

Dear Hermione,

You're probably wondering why I'm writing this to you. I guess I feel like someone should know and since nobody will care anyways, I might as well tell the person I need to apologize the most to.

I won't be around anymore to taunt you, I won't be there to tease you, make you feel like scum. I won't be there to hurt anyone anymore after tonight; I just won't be there period. I'm sorry for all of the hurtful things I have done. You were just an easier target than the rest; an easier person to hurt so I could forget about all of my own pain; the pain no one knows I carry. No one knows how much my father hurts me; no one knows all the scars that maim my body.

I don't know why I'm telling you of all people this, but like I said, I guess I just feel like someone should know.

You're not just an easier target, also the perfect target. Not only are you a muggleborn and the smartest witch of our age, but you're best friend to Potter.The only reason I taunt Potter is because my father makes me. Your marks are the highest in our year, mine are right behind. If I don't do what my father tells me, then I'm…'reminded'…that I should always listen to him and being second best is unacceptable.

I'm just tired of the fact that, no matter what I do or how hard I try, I'm never good enough for him. All I've ever really wanted to do was make him proud of me. You probably don't know what that feels like, do you? You're so perfect in every way; your family probably is too. That's probably where you get it from. Don't get me wrong, I know that no family is perfect, but your parents are probably proud of you no matter what you do and love you unconditionally, like all parents are supposed to be. Mine on the other hand…I always feel like I have to prove myself to them for them to even care about me. You don't know how that feels. It feels like someone plunged a dagger deep into my heart and gut and are constantly twisting it.

I'm just tired of all the pain and hurt. I just want it all to end; it's too much for me to take. I have no one to talk to, I can't trust anybody. I guess that's another reason I'm spilling my guts out to you. You seem like the only person in this entire place that I can trust with all of this, and the sad thing is I don't even know you that well.

You also seem extremely innocent to all of the horrors in this world. You don't know what it's like to be crucioed over and over and over again, for the littlest things. I was once crucioed for an entire hour straight. I was so scared and I couldn't move for nearly an entire week. I don't even know how I ended up in my own room. I blacked out sometime during the torture but hewouldn't let me rest. He 'ennervated' me and started beating me senseless. I must have blacked out againsometime after he was through with me. (He likes to "completely imbed my lesson" into my head).

That's the whole reason that I'm in Slytherin actually. My father told me that if I got into any house other than Slytherin, he'd kill me. I knew the sorting hat took into consideration what you wanted, so I repeated 'Slytherin' over and over in my head. I guess the fact that all the hatred and fear I had/still have for my father had something to do with it as well.

Don't tell anyone this, not that it'll matter or anything anyway, but after the sorting hat declared what house I'd be in, it whispered 'or Gryffindor'. I guess it was trying to tell me that it was debating between Gryffindor and Slytherin.

Well, you're probably getting sick and tired of reading all this, if you still even are. I wouldn't be surprised if you thought I was lying about all this, though I swear to you (though that probably doesn't mean much to you) that I'm telling you the absolute truth. You don't have to believe me, I just want you to know why I did the things I did and for someone to finally know the reason to my constant fears.

Again, I apologize for all of the meaningless (on my part) words, all the 'mudbloods', all the insults on your looks (I actually think you're quite pretty), and all of the other hurtful things I've said and done.

Don't go near the Astronomy Tower tomorrow; I don't want your innocence corrupted by my dead (and more than likely mangled) body.

Sincerely (and truthfully) yours

Draco Malfoy

Hermione let the letter slip out of her trembling hands and onto the floor. Without a second thought, she grabbed her discarded wand and flew out the portrait hole in the direction of the Astronomy Tower. She prayed to all the gods, mythical creatures, ANYONE who was listening that Malfoy was still alive. She hoped she would get there just in time if by any chance he still was.

Hermione whizzed up the stairs to the tallest tower in the castle; the perfect tower to jump off of if one wanted to affectively kill themselves. With that thought and image in mind, Hermione ran even faster. As she approached the doors, she founds them to be locked and so, therefore, blew them open.

As she dashed into the room and quickly searched it, her heart fluttered as her gaze landed upon Malfoy huddled in a corner, eyes red from crying and filled with shock at the sight of her bursting into the room.

As she spotted him, she slowly made her way over to him, his eyes never leaving hers.

"Come to make sure my letter was real? Wanted to make sure I really did kill myself?" his voice was filled with venom, but she heard the hurt, and more importantly, she saw it in his eyes. She saw the tears that were threatening to fall from them.

Hermione crouched down next to him and, instead of making some snide remark to confirm his accusations like he expected, he got pulled into her embrace. At first he stiffened and when he came to his senses he resisted and tried to pull out of her grasp, but after a moment he could no longer hold the tears back and he completely broke down in her arms. After nearly an hour of him crying and her comforting him, telling him that it would all be ok in the end, Draco Malfoy was lying in Hermione Granger's lap fast asleep, with her combing her fingers through his hair.

Two hours later Draco slowly woke up and found himself on the Astronomy Tower floor in her lap. He gazed up at her with puffy eyes and gave her a confused look.

"Why did you come?" he asked. He had to whisper because his throat was so soar from crying.

"Because I couldn't let you go through with it" her smile was soft and oddly caring.

"But why not? I thought you hated me." now he was even more confused. Why did she save him if she hated him?

Hermione's smile widened as she gazed down at him and replied, "Just like I assumed you had the perfect life, being rich and spoiled and all" he snorted when she called him spoiled.

"But you always acted like you did"

"So did you," she retorted.

"Point taken…"

"You also seemed like you looked up to your father" she countered. "Things are not always what they seem." He nodded in agreement.

There was a long, tense silence and all at once Hermione became serious.

"So are you still going to try to kill yourself?" she was hoping against all hope he'd say 'no.'

"I'm still tired of all the pain Hermione. I can't take it anymore. There's no other solution to my father's torture except…that. And…" he looked down as if he were ashamed "I…still don't want to be alone." He looked back up into her eyes. "I've been alone my entire life. I've never had anyone to talk to, and I doubt you would want to be my friend…or anything"

She wondered what the 'or anything' could be but chose to ignore it for the moment.

"Why would you doubt I would want to be your friend? I came here as soon as I was through reading your letter, didn't I?" he nodded slowly; he didn't want to get his hopes up like he always did. He was tired of his hopes and dreams being thrown back in his face.

"I just don't want to get hurt again" he said softly and sat up, not meeting her piercing gaze as he did so. He was ashamed at what he had just admitted.

Hermione grabbed his chin gently and brought his face around to meet her gaze. She was shocked as she saw tears running down his cheeks and smiled warmly.

"You're not alone Draco," she said softly, "not anymore."

And the small gap between them slowly closed as they leaned towards each other…

ok, so it seems i've left you guys hanging. I'm thinking that i might make this a 2-shot, or make a sequal. Leave a review and tell me what you think.