TWO.

Hermione loved her room. The windows opened out over the mountainside and in the distance she could see Hagrid's cottage. There was a queen sized four poster bed, a desk, a dressing table and a full length mirror. The bathroom was fantastic: a large bath with taps that gushed out lush, multicolored bubbles, a strong pressured shower, and a bathroom cabinet with the most amazing extent of supplies. Placed carefully on the bench was a book called "Magic and Herbs for Make Up and Hair", and she had a good read through it before falling asleep that night.

Her eyes opened slowly, first morning as Head Girl. Her robes were pressed and hanging over the chair beside the desk. After showing, she slipped them on and packed her bag for the morning. She left her room, only to bump into Draco on the way down. He had a towel wrapped around his waist, exposing his very nicely defined chest and abs, his hair was messy and wet and he looked very, very nice.

"Morning." He said, haughtily.

"Hi." Don't check him out. He's Malfoy. He's horrible, awful, rude, evil... He gave her a weird look and turned around, going back into his room. Hermione shook her head. She walked to the Great Hall and sat down between Harry and Ron, her mouth still slightly dry.

"So who is it? We've been guessing all morning." Ginny leant across Harry.

She swallowed. "You're not going to like it."

"Goyle?" Ron laughed. "Oh come on Hermione, it's not like it's going to be Malfoy or anything."

Hermione didn't look at them. She pulled some cereal over and started eating. The other three were staring intently at her.

"Hermione... It's not Malfoy, is it?"

She only nod. "I have to room with him!" Tears were welling up in her eyes. She hadn't realized how confused she was, how terrified she was at the thought of living with someone who had worked for Voldemort, who had nearly killed Dumbledoor. Someone so evil, so dark, so cruel, yet so undeniably attractive...

"What happened?"

"He got really angry when I told him he was like his father. Saying that he's nothing like him and then he showed me his Mark -"

"I told you he'd still have it, Harry." Ron interjected. "You can't get rid of one."

"No..." Hermione looked up. "He doesn't have one. He just had a big gaping wound where the mark should have been."

Ron and Ginny looked at each other, shocked.

"What?" Hermione asked.

"You can't just, get rid of a Dark Mark." said Ginny, "It's not something you can just cast a simple spell to get rid of."

"You can't even do magic on it." Ron put in.

"So how do you get rid of one?" Harry leaned in too.

"I'm not telling you while I'm eating." Ron put his head down and shoveled food into his mouth.

"You have to cut it out. It's the only way it'll come off. We got told about it when the Dark Ones were ruling over Hogwarts, before the real war broke out last year. People die trying to get it off."

"Seriously? That's revolting!"

"It's dark, Hermione. If Draco hasn't got a mark anymore, it means he put a metal knife into a fire to heat it and carved it out of his own arm."

The four of them looked at eachother.

"That's awful."

***

Hermione was shattered at the end of the day. N.E.W.T classes drove her crazy, there was so much to learn and she craved to understand it all. One two three, one two, one. The door popped into visibility and she swung herself into it, getting across the room in two strides and collapsing onto a couch. For a while, she didn't move.

"Tough day, Granger?"

Draco was leaning against the back of an armchair, watching her. Hermione sat up, looking at him.

"You've got red eyes. You've been crying." It wasn't a question.

"I have not!"

She tilted her head to one side, scrutinising him. "You have."

He was silent for a while. "You care?"

"I need to ask you something, Draco." He looked up when she said his name.

"What?"

"You're not going to like me asking it."

"Then why ask?"

"Why didn't you kill Dumbledoor?" She spat the words out, the words that had been haunting her thoughts for so long. Expecting him to hex her, she pulled out her wand, looking up. Draco hadn't moved, he was looking at the floor.

"You know what, Granger. I've often wondered the same thing myself. It was so simple, just say the words. Avada Kedavra!" There was a flash of green light, and a spider flipped onto it's back. Hermione was too shocked to make a sound, or move, but she could only stare intently at the spider.

"The problem is that I didn't want him dead. I knew the spell would be too weak to kill him so I couldn't do it. I was trying so hard to psych myself up when I realized something..." He stopped, "What the fuck? Why am I telling you this?"

She paused. "I asked."

He sighed, and pulled the armchair around to face her. He threw himself into it, running a hand through his hair. "You're the only person who has."

"People can be full of surprises, can't they."

He continued, as if there hadn't been a break in their conversation. "I realized that maybe there was more to life than killing people. Maybe that muggle-borns and half breeds and other magical creatures weren't lower than us. And suddenly... I thought of Dobby."

Hermione couldn't help but snort with laughter. The idea: Here he was, about to murder one of the greatest wizards of all time, and he thought of his ex house elf. The black humour nearly killed her.

"Dobby?"

"He had so much... personality. My father was so high and mighty, always saying that we were so much better, so much higher, how creatures were merely the scum of the earth. I remembered all the times when Dobby had been the one to give me potions when I was sick or hurt, and Dobby was the one to play games with me or look at the stupid things I drew. Never my parents. As I got older I learnt how cruel I could be to him, how he would torture himself, how he would always be faithful. How does that make him less worthy of fair treatment?"

Hermione didn't know what to say. The Slytherin King, the arrogant young man famous for his cruelty, was getting close to pouring his heart out to the girl he despised? Draco looked up, as if he had just realized where he was and who he was talking to.

"That goes no where." Hermione snapped her eyes to him, and saw that his wand was pointing at her. The menacing look in his demeanor was back.

"No where." She repeated, keeping her eyes level. She didn't feel afraid. He lowered his wand, his eyes dropping to the floor. He put his head in his hands, rubbing his eyes with the base of his palms.

"You called me Draco," he murmured.

She laughed "Well, that's your name isn't it?"

"Is it?" He had a funny expression in his face. "I'm going to bed."