DISCLAIMER: I am not J.K. Rowling. All characters belong to her.
She really hadn't meant on sneaking up on Draco Malfoy. She really hadn't. It was Harry and Ron's fault really. They had been bickering and she didn't want to hear the rest of their useless banter. So she decided she'd take a stroll around Hogwarts. She was nearing the edge of the lake when she heard it. Sobs. She scanned the edges of the lake looking for the source of the sobbing, and then she saw his unmistakable white-blond hair. She made her way towards him as quietly as possible and when she stepped on a leaf she let out a quick swear. Draco looked around and hurriedly wiped away the evidence of his tears and he tried to calm his breath. His eyes settled on her and he whipped his torso back facing the lake. She made his way towards him and sat down beside him.
"What do you want, Granger?" His voice was low and raspy and unlike all the other times she had heard him speak he had no anger or hatred or any other emotion in them .His grey eyes were red and even though she had just witnessed him crying a mere few minutes ago, they held no emotion.
"Just clearing my mind Malfoy. You?"
"Same." His voice cracked as he said the mere word.
They sat there in silence and they watched the sun set, its image mirrored on the lake. They both knew that a war was coming next year. They both knew it in and felt it in their guts but they kept that piece of information within themselves.
Draco felt so much emotions running inside of him just then. Worry and fear, for his best mates and his mother that they might get killed the next year. Anger, at the Dark Lord and his father for putting him in a situation like this. He was young, he was barely seventeen and he wasn't supposed to be given such a large task like this. Envy at everyone in the castle for none of his school mates had been given his task. There were more emotions and some of them were those that he had no explanation for. He felt broken and used but, most of all he felt numb and overwhelmed.
"What's wrong Draco?" Hermione asked quietly, fearing that he might yell at her.
He looked at her questioningly, trying to find her motive for being there beside him. They were never on the best of terms really.
"Nothing." He said his voice so low Hermione had to lean closer to him to hear.
"I can help you, you know." She said just as quietly.
"How can you help me Granger. You have no bloody idea what I'm going through. You don't know the first thing about me. And now you're telling me you can help me. Just fuck off Granger and go back to your little friends." He said harshly.
She stayed there beside him; they sat there for what seemed like hours. The sky that was previously a brilliant orange had turned dark and cold.
"Why're you still here Granger?"
"You need company." She said simply, shrugging her shoulders.
"I don't need anyone Granger." He said harshly, his eyes narrowing as he said this.
"You do Draco. You don't know it but you do."
When she said this Draco looked at her. He studied her face and noticed that she was beautiful. Then he noticed the warmth in her eyes. The warmth reminded her of his mother. The very thought oh his mother brought tears to his eyes. He fought them and he threw his torso backward landing onto a heap of dried leaves. Hermione looked at him and laughed when she saw the bits and pieces of leaves in his normally slicked back hair. He enjoyed her laughter and surprisingly found himself smiling. He threw his robed arm across his eyes, an attempt to wipe away the tears that had threatened to spill moments ago.
"Tell me why you were crying." She asked again, looking solemn.
Draco hesitated, he thought about the consequences if he told her. If he told her she might be able to help him.
"I just felt overwhelmed. That's all." He said quietly, his voice was muffled by his robe but Hermione heard him nonetheless.
They stayed there in the silence, something that seemed common for them now.
"Harry thinks you're a Death Eater." She said she immediately regretted it. She bit her lip and stared at him while his figure tensed.
"What makes him say that?" he asked lifting his arm off his face, staring at her.
"When we saw you and your mother at Diagon Alley, Harry, Ron and I followed you into Borgin and Burkes." She said her cheeks burning. She wondered why she was saying all these things.
Draco shrugged at her statement he had known that. He had seen them on the roof of a building.
"I saw you." He said and noticed that her cheek's were flaming. He smirked and threw his hand off his face once more.
"Is he right then?" Hermione asked, the heat in her cheeks subsiding.
"Who is?"
"Harry."
"If I tell you will you tell them?"
"No" she breathed. She bit her lip as she waited for his answer.
"Yes." He said simply.
"Why?"
"Why?" he echoed. Anger built up inside of him.
"Why." She stated
"I was assigned a task. I was arrogant about it at first. The Dark Lord had chosen me himself. But now..." he trailed off and he sat up. They sat there once again in silence.
"Now..." she continued. He didn't answer her and for a moment she thought he had fallen asleep but she knew she was wrong when she heard. They were soft at first but they grew louder bit my bit. His frame was shaking and Hermione felt for him. She put her arms around him and Draco sank into her.
He let himself cry into her arms. Why?
He was vulnerable and he craved for human affection.
She rubbed his back and held him in her arms.
"I'm scared Hermione." He said.
"I know." She whispered.
His sobs subsided and he looked up at her and they studied each other's faces.
She noticed his eyes. His eyes were gray but if you looked closer they held blue flecks.
He noticed the few freckles that decorated her delicate nose. Then he noticed her mesmerizing eyes. Her eyes were hazel and they were hypnotizing all the more.
She brushed away an eyelash on is cheek and she smiled. And that's all that took.
He kissed her and she kissed him. They lay there in each other's arms disappearing into the night.