Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters from it... If I did do you really think I'd be writing 'fan' fiction?

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The war had ended, and Draco Malfoy had been released from responsibiility for his actions since he was a minor and acting on others will, also, although he had been ordered to kill Albus Dumbledor he had not done so. There were many who thought he should go to Azkaban like many of the followers of Voldemort had, but since he had been exempt due to his age he was allowed to return to Hogwarts and resume his schooling.

Draco had been back for three days, but had people not seen him they would have never known, he didn't make his smart remarks, and his once ever-present smirk was gone, many people speculated that it wasn't the real Malfoy, others glared at him when he'd walk past them to his classes many of them saying 'Don't look at him.', but he either didn't notice or didn't care until one day he was walking down a hall alone and someone called out his name. Draco stopped dead in his tracks, but resumed his purposeless stride when the person had caught up to him. he glanced over at the redhead walking beside him. and opened his mouth to why she had called out to him, but promptly shut it again after not being able to form a single word, they walked in silence for a few minutes before Hermione turned to him 'How are you?' She asked, as if she was worried about something. Draco was taken aback by her question and it took him a moment to gather himself to answer 'I'm... fine... why do you ask?'

Hermione laughed 'You haven't been your usual chipper self, I was getting worried.'

'Oh... Why? Would you like me to insult you, your friends, your family?... again...' He said, refusing to look at her.

'Well... No, but... It's just not the same...' Hermione sighed.

'It's a good thing though, isn't it?' Draco asked, trying not to lash out at the unsuspecting girl.

'Well... Yeah, I guess but don't you think it's better to just be who you are?' Hermione asked, secretly wondering if Malfoy had ever been himself. Draco stopped walking, coming to a halt as if he had stepped into a wall. 'And what if this is what I am, and who I was before was just who my father wanted me to be?' He asked looking down at his shoes, Hermione noted that his hair had grown a lot because when he looked down his entire face was hidden behind a veil of white-blonde hair. '...Malfoy.' Was all she was able to say before he turned away from her and started talking in a low voice. 'Granger... Why are you even talking to me? Don't you know... what I did to Dumbledor?'

'I know you were supposed to kill him, but you didn't.'

'But I did kill him...'

'What?'

'I disarmed him... that's just as much as killing him...'

'Malfoy, it wasn't your fault.'

'Oh really? I let the death eaters in... I disarmed Dumbledor and I was too much of a coward to kill him... even if it meant saving my mother... But he still died... because of me...'

'Malfoy, we all make mistakes... how were you supposed to know that what you did was wrong when your father had told you all your life that it was what you should do?'

'Common sense... I knew exactly what I was doing... but I didn't even care anymore... I was too afraid of my father to step out of line.'

'...What did he do to you?' Hermione asked carefully.

'Why do you even care?'

'Because nobody should have the look in thier eyes that you have in yours.'

'What are you talking about?'

'The look that says "I shouldn't be here".'

'Hn... I should be in Azkaban.'

'Why do you say that?'

'Because if it wasn't for me Dumbledor and a lot of others would still be alive... none of this would have happened if I had just stood up to my father...' Draco sighed, leaning against the wall.

'From what I hear he would have killed you if you had done that.'

'So, what's your point?'

'You would really rather you had died.'

'Nobody would miss me.'

'What about your mother?'

'She's dead now... like I said, nobody would hav-' Draco suddenly let out a strangled cry and stumled forward catching himself with one arm, the other firmly clutching his stomach.

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Author Note: This is not a one shot!... Review!!