A/n: Here's chapter two! I hope you enjoy this story darlings Thanks to my beta JDeppIsMyLovely!

Guys, I have over 100 alerts right now for this story, and it's chapter 2! That's... craziness! Thanks so much for it :) I wasn't sure if people would like that first chapter since its so different, but I'm glad you did! Keep up with those amazing comments! You guys made me feel so good coming off that last chapter :)

For several seconds Hermione didn't really know what to do about the situation. Was Draco's mother hurt? Did something happen? Was there a break-in she hadn't heard? Was she just mental? Everything flipped through her mind quickly, the questions following each other one after another.

The woman moaned again, curling her legs up against her. The shadows gave a creepy feel to the situation, and Hermione took a few steps closer to get a slightly better look, comfortable since there was still quite a bit of hall between the two. She wasn't entirely sure what was wrong or how Narcissa would react if the woman actually recognized her, but the brunette decided she didn't really want to find out.

It appeared that the blonde woman didn't even realize Hermione was there, and brazenly the girl dared to step forward again, again closing the gap between them. There were still several rooms between the pair, and the girl knew the only reason her light spell worked so well was because she was a powerful witch. Otherwise, she would probably have to be a lot closer.

Now curled in on herself, Mrs. Malfoy didn't really seem like she planned to move at all. Hermione didn't think that it would be wise to speak, uncertain how the person in front of her would react. It didn't seem likely that the woman would personally remember her voice, not when the only time they really ever crossed paths Hermione spent the majority of the time screaming at the end of Bellatrix's wand.

But she didn't feel right just leaving her there. Only, she wasn't sure that she knew what to do either. Her parents had always been mentally sound, tooth-loving people. This type of reaction wasn't something she was accustomed to, and ruining Draco's mother didn't seem like it would be the best course of action. Deciding to not take chances with something she was uncertain about, she walked backwards slowly until her original hallway came into her peripheral view, and she bolted down that way, in search of a certain door that she knew very well.

"Draco!" she said the moment she entered the room. She jumped on the bed, jarring the blonde from his comfortable sleep. He grunted, reaching for his wand in the same moment, stopping when he noticed who was sitting on the bed, staring down at him.

"You can't wake people up that way," he groaned, but she was already pulling on his wrist. "What do you want?"

"You have to come see something," she sat, hopping over him to land on the other side of the bed before she vanished the bed sheets away, unsurprised to see that he wore only boxers. "Put on some trousers and then come with me- you need to help me."

He grumbled, sitting up. "What the hell did you do woman? You must've done something if you-"

"I haven't done anything," she snapped, crossing her arms. It was annoying to think that he only thought that she would awake him like this because she did something. That wasn't even the case! She just wanted to know what was wrong with his mother without taking a dangerous chance and causing more problems, and it bothered her that he seemed so certain that she would've done something to cause a problem. "Just get dressed."

After throwing on a pair of trousers that Hermione supposed could only be used for sleepwear, the duo left the room, with Draco following Hermione down the fairly dark halls, the nightly torches almost done burning for the night. When she came close to the end of the hallway she lit her wand, and then turned back to the blonde.

"Before you make any more hideous accusations about what I must've done, I would like to point out that I didn't do anything. I was in a daze and kept walking, and in the process I stumbled across something." She nodded her head in the direction she had seen Narcissa. "I found your mother crawling up the stairs, and I didn't know what to do so-"

His eyes flashed the moment she mentioned his mother, and before she could even finish her sentence, he had shoved past her, his wand glowing as he rushed off in the direction she indicated. Hermione didn't need to recover from anything before she turned and followed him, minding her distance. This did seem like a touchy matter.

The woman sat where Hermione last saw her, and she was still huddled against the wall, moaning. Unlike his brunette counterpart, Draco didn't seem worried at all about getting up close and personal to the woman. Brushing her hair from her face, he studied something on her briefly, muttering words Hermione couldn't hear before he swore loudly.

"Are you willing to help me even though I've been a prick tonight?" he asked, glancing up at Hermione. She nodded once, curious about the entire situation.

"Glad to hear it," he said gruffly before returning his attention to his mother. "Mother," he said in a gentler tone, holding her shoulder, "Mother, I'm going to take you back to your room now, okay?"

Narcissa didn't respond, and Hermione got the impression that Draco didn't expect her to since he didn't wait for one as he pulled away and aimed his wand at the woman, levitating her above the ground with ease, the poor soul still curled in against herself.

"I'm just taking you back," he reminded, grabbing Hermione's hand with his other as he began walking. In such close proximity the brunette was really able to take in the woman's appearance.

Her clothing, which was known to have been made from the finest of materials, looked old, dirty, and tattered. The skirt of what must've been a lavish dress at one point was shredded at the bottom, long strips of material replacing what was once one piece of fabric. The skin that she could see looked drawn and taunt, as though Narcissa didn't spend much time drinking. She was even paler than her son, and her hair lacked a healthy shine, replaced by dirty- not greasy- locks. Several questions appeared in her mind at once, but she held her tongue and kept silent. Now wasn't the time to be asking things, not when Draco looked distraught like that, and his mother was a right mess.

Narcissa's room was on the opposite side of the Manor from Draco's. On the walk the brunette saw more of the place than she had ever seen which was distressing considering the entire structure was cloaked in shadows. It was tiresome to even embark on the walk across the building, and Hermione's feet were sore and cold by the time they reached their destination, her flimsy slippers inadequate shoes to be trekking around in.

Draco released her hand to open the largest door in what had to of once been an extravagant hallway. Narcissa still huddled away from them, and once the door was open her composure didn't change. Inside Draco beckoned for the brunette to light some of the candles surrounding the room, and Hermione did just that, watching as he sat the woman down on the bed, removing the spell.

All at once, Narcissa squirmed away from her son, diving into the center of the bed to pull the blankets tight around her. These fabrics weren't worn through and tattered, but remained the picture of what Hermione expected in a pace like this; rich fabrics decorated in hideous designs, lush and preserved and quite soft looking. It was hard to watch the scene however when she was busy lighting candles, trying to keep from lighting herself as well.

The room itself was decorated richly as well, everything very beautiful and pristine. What surprised the girl was the lack of items that seemed to hold any personal value adoring the room. There was plenty of furniture, but very few accessories and nick-knacks around the space. Aside from the candles she was lighting, and a book, nothing else small adored the space. It was surprising. When she finished, she turned back to observe.

Draco seemed to be observing his mother as well, though he wouldn't utter a word. For many moments, she wondered if he would say anything at all.

"Hermione," he said, not turning around. She was a bit shocked by how dull his voice sounded. "Do you think you could step out in the hall a moment, just a moment? I need to speak with my mother."

The girl's face screwed up, thinking that was quite an odd request. But nonetheless, Draco seemed very distraught by what he was seeing, and she decided to give him some privacy for a moment. Agreeing, she left him alone, closing the door behind her. The moment she was gone, he balled up his hands, attempting to keep from breaking something.

"Crink! Grink!" Immediately, the two elves popped into existence. "What is the meaning of this!? You're supposed to always be watching her! So why did I have to have Hermione find her?!"

The two little elves looked rather terrified in that moment, and if the brunette had been in the room she probably would've vouched for the poor creatures. "We are sorry Master, but-"

"No buts," he replied hotly, running a hand through his hair as he began pacing the room. "You know that she can't wander the halls anymore, you know! My wards must be out of date if she was able to walk so far from her room, and I must update them, but that doesn't excuse the fact that she got out in the first place! Why did she get out exactly?"

Crink spoke this time, seeming to be just as terrified. "She went on about apples, and she demanded she get some-"

"You left my mother unattended because she babbled about apples for too long!? You idiots, she always babbles. Just because it's a fucking food related task doesn't mean that you both go! If the wards are as weak as they are, I don't want her left unattended. I don't want her getting hurt anymore."

"Yes, Master," the pair agreed at the exact same time. Draco nodded to that, brushing past to ward each candle and its flame, just in case his mother thought they were pretty again.

His mother, the woman he just had to move back to her own bedroom. His mother, who half the time didn't even realize that she was speaking to her son. His mother, who would never really be the same again, not after everything that happened.

He couldn't stand the way things ended up for her.

"Are the other wards anywhere weak?" These weren't the wards his ancestors created centuries before, using raw magic to configure spells that even Voldemort hadn't been able to crack. But on the inside of his ancestral home, things weren't quite so perfect. Draco himself created the wards at the end of each wing to try and keep his parents divided from both themselves, as well as himself sometimes. These were spells constructed from modern magic, magic that wasn't as pure and powerful anymore. His spells did not match up to the density and power as those of his ancestors did, and he couldn't stand that. He had to keep things separated.

"Yes, Master, all of them," Grink replied, looking a bit apprehensive about responding.

"Then I guess I'll handle that before going to bed," he muttered. Glancing over his shoulder now that the candles were warded, he sighed. "I'll visit soon mother; I know I've neglected to for a while."

No response came, and he didn't hold out for one. Dismissing the elves, they disappeared with a pop, leaving Draco and his mother alone. But he didn't have anything left to say to her, considering that she wouldn't give a response. Without another word, he left as well, shutting the door before Hermione could peer back inside.

"What… what exactly was that?" she asked, several moments after he entered the hall and slumped against the door. "I mean-"

"Hermione," he said tiredly, leaning his head back against the door, "Please, not now."

As though sensing his distress towards the situation, she shut her mouth, ending the rest of her question before it began. For several seconds they stood in the hallway together, no words passing between them. Then Hermione stepped forward, hugging the blonde loosely. When he responded by crushing her to him, she hugged back just as tightly.

"I won't ask anymore," she said quietly.

"No," he replied, closing his eyes, "Not for a while, anyway."

A/n: We'll get to hear about Narcissa soon enough!