Author's Note: Hello! So, for some reason I got inspired to write another dramione out of the blue. Let me know what you guys think or if I should continue this story. :)

Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns it all. I only own this plot.

Summary: Story takes place during HBP era, mostly AU.

Chapter 1: Shoulder To Cry On

It had been raining nonstop all Saturday afternoon and Hermione noticed that Draco had yet to come back inside. Ever since that morning, when she had seen him from across the great hall, she hadn't been able to look away when he'd received that owl or avoid his subsequent reaction. It was pure coincidence when she had looked up in the first place. And now, she didn't even know why she cared so much. Draco was far from pleasant to her or her friends but she couldn't help herself. Especially since she saw his facial expression before he abruptly left. Usually, he was so good at keeping his face deviant from emotions. But in that one moment, his perfectly composed masked had slipped off and in its place was a face of pure sorrow.

So she made a choice at that moment. Right after breakfast, she tried to excuse herself from Ron and Harry, claiming that she needed to speak with Professor Slughorn. But that proved to be a big mistake. She realized then that she should have said that she needed to go to the library because she had to pretend to walk towards his office with both of them. For some reason, they had insisted that they should walk her over. She assumed it was their attempt to be more chivalrous. So with a roll of her eyes, she let the boys walk her over.

However, once they had turned the corner and sent her a final wave of goodbye, she walked back towards the main entrance as stealthily as possible, keeping to the shadows. She watched from a hidden corridor as people walked in and out of the door. But still there was no sign of that tall, silver blond haired boy. After waiting for an hour, she finally made her way towards a window and saw that he was actually sitting by himself near the black lake as the rain drone on.

Is he crazy? she thought to herself. Why on earth is he still sitting there in the open?

With a final sigh and a cast of a water repellent charm, she walked out of the building and towards him.

She tried to be as quiet as she could while making her way over but, to her dismay, she still couldn't avoid the branches and leaves that crunched under her feet. She argued with herself that she should have casted a muffilato charm but it was too late now.

Though, as she got nearer, she noticed that he was soaked through and that his shoulders were actually shaking softly as he was gasped softly. She also noticed that he had a bottle of firewhiskey in one of his hands. As she got closer, his shoulders frozed in their shaking however.

Oh no, she thought.

But it was too late. He had heard her coming. Without even turning his head around, he spoke up:

"Well, well, well. If it isn't my favorite know-it-all Mudblood? To what do I owe this pleasure?"

"Who says I'm here for you?" she replied nonchalantly.

At that comment, Draco turned his head towards her and lifted an eyebrow. "Are you telling me that you just decided to come out for walk in the rain, for your own amusement?"

He then scoffed. "And you're supposed to be smart."

Despite her worry for him, she felt her face get red and her lips curl at his last comment.

"I don't have to defend or explain my actions to anyone. Least of all you, ferret-face,"she snapped.

At her retort, he gave a single mirthless chuckle and shifted his grey eyes towards the lake. She took that moment to take in his face. Instead of keeping his usual blank composure, he didn't seem to care that she was seeing his red puffy eyes or the tears that seemed to drip down his face along with the raindrops. She felt her heart break for him at the sight.

After staring at him for what she felt to be a long time, she turned her face towards the lake like he.

They watched in silence, with Draco still sitting and Hermione standing. At that moment, the giant squid was breaking the surface every other minute as it seemed to relish the rain. Currently, it had decided to make flips as they watched on. But their temporary truce didn't last long.

"I bet you're loving this," he said in a bitter tone, breaking their silence.

"Loving what?" she asked.

He looked back at her. "The fact that you've caught me in this state. Tell me, are you going to run back to Potty and the Weasel and tattle on what you've seen?"

She rolled her eyes at him. "What are we in? Primary school? Why would I do such a thing?"

He smirked then. "Oh yes, I forgot. You're a Gryffindor," he quipped, "all compassion and bravery. Empathy and love..."

At these words, she noticed that his tone carried none of the fire or spite it usually did. Instead, he trailed off at the last word he called out as he returned his gaze back to the lake.

Hermione had no idea what to do. She felt uncomfortable. Never before had she seen Draco in such a vulnerable state. Or seen him drinking.

Just as she was debating what to do next, he answered for her.

"Just go. I don't care who you tell what you've seen. Leave."

At his words, Hermione made her way over to his left and sat down next to him. The smell of the Firewhiskey wafted over but she ignored it.

He looked over at her and frowned.

"Are you deaf? I said leave. Not stay, Mudblood."

"You know, that word doesn't really affect me as much as you think it does," she answered.

She then ignored him as his frown deepend and turned her gaze back to the lake while she clasped her arms around her knees.

They continued sitting together despite Draco's reprimand, both of them lost in their own thoughts. Draco took another swig of his bottle as the rain had reduced itself to a drizzle.

After a few more moments of silence, she decided to break it.

"You know...my mother always says that when it rains, it means that God is sad."

He scoffed at this."Right."

"I, on the other hand, believe that's a load of rubbish. Especially since we are in a country that rains for more than half the year. If that were a true statement-my mother's statement-then God is never happy."

"What the hell is your point?" he asked in irritation.

"Didn't really have one honestly," she answered sheepishly.

Draco chuckled softly and took another drink.

She then decided to take that chance and asked, "Malfoy, what's wrong?"

"Huh. What makes you think something's wrong?" he countered in a slur.

She looked at him expectantly while his neutral face turned to a scowl.

"What's it to you? And what makes you think I'm going to share anything with you?"

"I'm just curious," she answered, "this behavior is so unlike you."

"And? You think I'm just going to open up to you and spill my guts to you? Wake up, Granger," he snapped, "just because you've decided to follow me out here doesn't mean that I appreciate the gesture."

"I didn't expect you to-"

"And while we're at it", he continued while cutting her off, "You and I are not friends and never will be. So just go back to your two idiot lap dogs and let me be."

At his retort, Hermione got angry and stood up.

"You know what? I am a prefect. I can report you for this behavior."

"Yeah? Well, go ahead. I don't give a fuck on what you do," he retorted.

He also stood up, albeit a bit shaky, and came closer to stand in front of her face.

"Better yet, run along and do it now. I want you to," he said in a low voice.

Despite her anger, Hermione stood there, standing her ground and staring back. Her deep brown eyes challenging his grey ones.

Her prefect mindset kept telling her that she should just run away and do as he says. But her empathetic side kept telling her to stay and disregard his prevoius words.

It has to be the tone of his voice, she reasoned. And his behavior overall wasn't letting her leave him alone she concluded.

He just seemed so…sad. She couldn't help but stay.

Meanwhile, Draco kept his penetrating gaze on her while he asked himself in furstration, Why isn't she running away yet? Why the fuck does she even care?

And then suddenly, like a light switch, he relaxed his scowling features as he really took in her face.

She's actually quite pretty, he mused, No wonder Potter and Weaselbee are always around like guard dogs.

And then, without thinking it thoroughly, he leaned in the few inches between them and kissed her.