Chapter Two

Disclaimer– I own nothing.. JK Rowling is the lovely owner of these wonderful characters.. Unless you see any new ones that you don't recognize )

As Hermione tumbled to the floor of the Head's common room, she looked at Malfoy with a look of pure uncertainty on her face.. She then noticed that on her fall she scraped her face on her wand. She reached up to touch it..

"I said not to let go, Hermione.. I meant it, I know how those things jerk you about" Draco said.

"Draco, since when have you completely ignored my being a mudblood? Since when have you felt the need to touch me? Hell, since when have you even considered being nice to me?" Hermione almost shouted.

"Hermione, I told you that I'm not as bad as you think.. Just believe me, right now we need to get to Dumbledore's office.. I can explain later."

They walked rather quietly to the Professor's office. As they got there, they realized that they needed a password to get in, but had no idea whatsoever what the password may be.. Just as Hermione was about to exclaim this to Draco, Professor Dumbledore walked up behind them, shouting a humorous "BOO!"

This gave them both quite a jolt, but neither really showed the expression except in their faces. Professor Dumbledore said his password (candy) and led them into his office.

"What did you need us for, Professor?" Hermione asked suddenly.

"Now, now, kids.. I'll get into that.. First of all, would you like a lemon drop?"

Both students shook their heads, confused, but the meeting proceeded.

"Actually, Miss Granger, I only needed to speak with you, but I didn't want to leave Malfoy there himself. Would you like him the leave the room, or do you mind him being here as I give you some news?"

"Well, not to be rude.. But just in case it's anything personal, I'd like him to leave momentarily," Hermione said, rather professionally.

"Alright," Draco said, getting up from the comfortable chair in the office and walking nonchalantly to the staircase leading out of the room.

"Miss Granger, I have news for you.. Terribly unpleasant news, especially for it being your first night back at Hogwarts.. But I must tell you, and I give my deepest sympathies.. Your parents.. Mr. and Mrs. Granger were found at your house this afternoon.. Dead.." he trailed off..

Hermione immediately burst into tears. "Wh-what d-do y-you meann?" she stuttered.

"As I said, Miss Granger, I sympathize deeply.. They died of unnatural causes.. The works of dark wizards or witches.. But them being muggles, there was really nothing that St. Mungo's could do for them.."

Hermione bolted from the office and ran to her dormitory. She blurted out a password, which just made it the password for their room, being as there wasn't one yet. She ran to her room and cried into the pillows.

She awoke a few hours later, looked at the clock beside her, and saw that it was 11:00 PM.

"Oh shit!" she thought, realizing that she had missed the feast.

She sat there, mesmerized, for a minute.. And then thought about her parents..

Her mind was made up on her choice of action. She walked into the bathroom that connected hers and Draco's rooms, sat on the toilet, grabbed her wand, and said, "Accio, pearing knife." A pearing knife glided towards her from thin air.. She took it to her wrist, and with no intention of killing herself, made several neat slashes across her arm; they were deep, but not deep enough to touch the artery.

She looked down at the blood slowly filling her lap and passed out.

-The Next Morning-

"Hermione! Hermione! Wake up!"

Hermione stirred from the deep sleep she was in, yet again, to find Draco Malfoy sitting beside her. Her last memory was sitting on the toilet with the blood all over her.. But now, she was in her bed.. She looked down at her wrist and saw many deep cuts, all of which had stopped bleeding, and saw new pajamas on herself. She thought Draco had probably cleaned her up, but then she blushed at the thought of him changing her pajamas.

"Draco, did you do this for me?" she asked, her voice shaking.

"Hermione.. I told you before, I'm not as bad as everyone thinks.. And I know what it's like to be a cutter.." he cut off, looking away for a minute, then continued his conversation. "I walked in the bathroom around midnight and saw you laying on the floor with blood all around you.. At first, I didn't know what happened.. But then I saw the knife laying on the floor next to you, and the slashes across your wrist.. And I knew what must have happened.." he trailed off.

"I did the best I could to make it stop bleeding, and yes.. I changed your clothes, but I promise that I promise I didn't take advantage of it, don't worry.. Then I carried you to bed, and I've been sitting here watching for you all night."

"Wow, Draco.. You really did that, for me? A mudblood?" Hermione asked innocently.

"Hermione, people look at my father, and they automatically assume that I'm just like him.. And I'm far from it. I have a heart, unlike him. And I care about people other than myself.."

Hermione looked at him and noticed that he had tears in his eyes.

"Draco.. Why did you cut?" Hermione asked cautiously.

Draco took his time answering, but not too much time, because Hermione was quite impatient.

"I started because my dad used to beat me and my mum.. That all started when I was 13.. But then it continued, even after his death, because it was the way I could express my pain, and it was the only controllable pain I had.. It continued because I knew that since my father was dead, it would mean I didn't have to be a death eater, but it didn't mean that people would see me in a new light.. Like I said before, they only saw my father in me, not me at all.. I'm not a death-eating clone, I'm honestly a very nice person.."

Hermione butted in, "But your cronies.. Crabbe and Goyle.. They're so evil, why do you hang out with them, and why did you still call me mudblood?"

"I didn't choose to hang out with them, my father put an inseparable cure between us three.. Because he said they were good enough to be body guards, and he didn't want his son, the future spawn of Voldemort, getting hurt by anyone but him. And the reason I called you mudblood.. Because my father was constantly in my mind, taking over, seeing and hearing what I did and said, and if he knew that I didn't have a problem with mud– I mean.. Muggleborns, he would beat me worse than he already did.."

Hermione started to cry. "That makes me feel so bad, for always hating you.. I'm sorry, I didn't know you went through that.."

"It's fine, now I'm worried about what you're going through.." Draco said. "I don't really know what you're going through, because when my father died, I didn't care.. It made me and my mum both very happy."

"I just.. I want to see them one more time.. Dumbledore said I was excused to go to their muggle funeral, but.. I don't want to go alone.. I would go insane," Hermione said.

"I could go with you.. If you want," Draco replied, as if on cue.