A/N: Wow, first chapter! I wasn't sure about starting this, but well, now it's here. Without supporting Realization isn't here waiting you to read it, so thank you! And sorry if there is bad English, I'm from Finland, so I'm not so good in English :) Thank you, read and review!

Chapter 1: Tears

Hermione walked to her potions lesson. The war was over. Voldemort was dead, and everything were like before whole war. Only thing what wasn't like before were people. Everyone were still scared about what happened, and there weren't so much people. Some were dead and some were in Azkaban.

Death Eaters, they who supported Voldemort.

And Hermione - she was in Hogwarts like nothing happened, but in her mind was some problems. They weren't about war or died people, they were selfish problems in time like this. They were about she and Ron. They were falling apart. Hermione didn't feel same like before: she didn't love him anymore. Ron was just friend to her, nothing more.

Hermione went to the lesson. She saw little bunch of Slytherins in corner of the classroom. Almost all Slytherins were gone. In Hogwarts were just one quarter of them. When Hermione sat down, she saw well-known face next to her. She never thought she could see that face again.

It was Draco Malfoy.

The boy who ran away the war with his parents.

Coward, she thought.

Malfoy didn't look like he was before. He looked sad and tired.

And he was alone.

Slytherins were in their place, but Malfoy was separated from they. That were the biggest thing what got Hermione's attention.

What happened when he was gone? Hermione thought.

New potions teacher, Charles Sweetcheek, came to the classroom. He stood in front of noisy students and said with loud voice: "Silence, everyone! Today we're going to do two different potions."

Hermione looked Draco. Professor Sweetcheek continued his explain about potions. One of Slytherins said something bad about professor and all of them laughed. Professor had weird name, but Draco was still sad. Hermione believed Malfoy would say something about his name, but he didn't say anything. And that's weird.

Malfoy have big problems, she thought.

Draco turned his eyes to Hermione. Hermione panicked and looked to her potions book, but she was too curious and looked to Draco again. He looked to his feet. She saw panic in his eyes. Draco closed his eyes and sighed.

She wanted to go to him and hug him. She wanted to whisper to his ear and ask what happened to him.

What I'm thinking, Hermione thought, He's Draco Malfoy. Bad. Annoying. Bully. Coward. Death Eater.

Professor Sweetcheek walked to Hermione. She didn't notice him, and keep her eyes still in Draco.

"Miss Granger, you should make your potions, not looking boys", he said.

Hermione blushed. She mumbled: "I'm not looking boys, professor, I'm just thinking how to make this potion..."

"Do you know this is wrong potion what you are thinking? Page thirty."

Hermione's cheeks went more red. She take right page and started to make right potion. She was sure Draco looked to her when Sweetcheek talked to her.

Draco made his potions slowly. He couldn't made them good. He had too much things in his mind.

War. Voldemort. Mom. Dad. Hogwarts. Fear.

And now Hermione too.

Why she looked to him? Did she know something? Something about him and his parents, about what happened when they left Hogwarts when others fought?

About he was scared?

Draco was scared. Before the war, in the war and after the war. Always. He knew he can't stand it anymore.

The lesson was over. Hermione wanted go out. The yard was empty. The weather was cloudy and dark. She was alone. She went under a tree. She sighed and looked to sky, but then she heard something. Someone was crying. She turned around and looked to other side of the tree. It was Draco.

"Malfoy?" She asked.

Draco jumped up to his feet.

"Granger! You scared me!" He said sound vibrating. His eyes were red and his cheeks were wet.

Hermione stood up. She asked: "Why you are crying?"

"I... Nothing."

"Draco, you can tell to me."

"I have nothing to do with you Mu-Mudblood."

"Don't ever call me Mudblood!"

"I can call you what I want!"

"No!"

"Yes, because you are Mudblood."

Hermione sighed. "Okay then. If you tell me why you are crying, you can call me Mudblood. I'm sure if you tell to someone you feel better."

He looked Hermione sharply, but then he looked like he had broken. He fell to his knees and cried. He looked to his feet and closed his eyes.

"I'm scared", he said, "I'm just scared. Anyone didn't like me anymore. Everyone think I'm just coward and I'm so scared I can't fight and things... You know... But they're right. I'm just pathetic coward."

Hermione felt bad. She thought: Malfoy really isn't bad. He's just so scared.

"Why you are so scared? I'm sure there is something more", she asked.

He moved his gaze to Hermione and said: "Yes, there is. I fear the war. I fear Voldemort and Death Eaters. And my dad can do terrible things to me, if he knows."

"If he knows what?" Hermione asked.

"I never wanted to be Death Eater. I must. I didn't want to betray my parents. And Slytherins."

Hermione sat down and put her hands to his shoulders. She hugged him, and he hugged back. They cried together.

"You don't tell to Potter and Weasley?" Draco whispered.

"Never", Hermione whispered.

When Hermione woke up in her bed, she thought what she heard yesterday. In her mind was just Draco.

Draco. Draco. Draco. Draco.

She tried read one of her books, but she couldn't focus.

Draco was trying to eat, but he just looked his food. All he could think was Hermione.

She was right. I feel a lot better now, he thought.

Hermione sat between Harry and Ron. Draco looked Hermione. Now he could look everything he want, because there wasn't people who care anymore. Other Slytherins talked loud and ate much, but Draco just sat there.

Hermione couldn't eat much. She ate a bit and then just looked her food.

"What's wrong, Hermione?" Harry asked and tried to look Hermione to her eyes.

She shook her head and said: "Nothing."

Really she was worried about Draco, but she couldn't say it to Harry. She thought that when they hugged each other and cried. Draco asked she not to tell them, and she don't tell.

Ron was still very sad about their situation. He couldn't believe their thing just didn't work. And Hermione couldn't do anything to it. She tried to tell Ron not to be sad, but he didn't listen. Hermione didn't stand it. Ron didn't speak to her anymore, but she was still friends with Harry.

It was almost night. Draco went again to the tree. He hoped she was there.

What I'm thinking, he thought, she's just a filthy mudblood.

Draco sat down and thought. He thought a lot things, about everything. He, Granger, Voldemort, the war, his parents, Hogwarts, Slytherins...

He rolled his sleeve up and looked his Dark Mark. He felt tears in his arm.

She couldn't be with Harry and Ron. It was dark, but Hermione went to the yard. Deep in her heart she hoped to see Draco there. Hermione walked to the tree where she was with Draco yesterday, and like she hoped, Draco was there. She walked fast towards Draco, but then she stopped. Draco's sleeve was up and he looked his Dark Mark. And he was crying. His arm was wet. She went to the tree and sat next to Draco. Then he saw Hermione and put the sleeve down and dried his tears.

"Why you are here?" He asked.

"I just felt like it", she replied.

"Felt like it?"

"Yes. Why you are here?"

"I... Felt like it."

He grinned.

First time after the war.

Hermione touched his hand. He take her hand to his own and closed his eyes.

"Be with me couple minutes", he said.

"Okay", she said and closed her eyes.

A/N: Must say one thing: sorry about shortness! I'm trying to do longer chapter next time, okay?