I woke up with a start. I was laying on a soft bed in a room that was light and feminine in feel. I looked around and found a note next to my wand on the nightstand. I picked up the note and read it:

Hermione,

There is an en-suite with all the things you may need to freshen up. Feel free to take as long as you need. Breakfast will be ready at 8 am, but there is no rush, it can wait with a nice stasis charm. I hope you slept well.

DM

Frowning, I took my wand and did the charm that told me the time, it was currently 6:32 am. I stood up and looked around the room. The bed was covered in a lovely purple duvet. The headboard was a light wood with a canopy of a darker purple tulle. The walls were painted a soft grey. All in all, it was a peaceful room. Hermione walked through the open door that led to the en-suite. And what a lovely bathroom it was. Wide and white, the bathtub could double as a small pool, so deep and large it was. With her wand, she turned the water on and immediately smelled a mixture of lavender and chamomile. This must be set up specifically for relaxation.

I stripped and lowered into the bath. My muscles that had long been tense started relaxing. My mind, which had long been dark and pained, was free of thought. I was relaxing for the first time since before going on the run in 7th year. I swam a few laps in the decadent pool. After a while, I grabbed a towel that was on the edge of the pool and wrapped it around myself as I got out. Looking around, I saw that there were clothes laid out on the vanity. I picked up the blue t-shirt that was made of the softest material I had ever felt. There was also a simple bra and underwear set with a pair of jeans. I dressed in the clothes provided and brushed my hair. Sushi mouth was not my favorite way to wake, and I should have brushed my teeth as soon as I woke, but now would do. At least the toothpaste was a normal mint flavor and not some gross fruity flavor that most magical people seem to favor. Ugh…Ron always loved strawberry and rhubarb flavored toothpaste.

Finally finished, I walked back through the room and down the hallway, which led to a set of stairs. The hall was light and airy. If anything, Draco Malfoy's house is nothing like the Manor. It was lovely and peaceful. I investigated the first room and saw a sight that I never thought I would ever see. Malfoy was wearing a black apron and was standing over a stove, cooking. To say I was shocked was an understatement.

"Hello," I called from the doorway. To his credit, he didn't jump, just looked up at me with a soft smile.

"Hello, how did you sleep?"

"I haven't slept for that long in a very long time. It must have been fifteen hours of sleep. I didn't have nightmares either, just slept," I said walking toward him.

"Good, I'm glad. I hope you didn't mind me carrying you upstairs and putting you in the guest room. You were so tired, I didn't want to wake you," he explained.

"No, I was in no state to apparate home. Thank you for providing a room for me to sleep in. How did you know what size clothes I wear? Or do you just have random clothes laying around for female visitors?" I asked because Draco Malfoy piqued my curiosity in a way that no one else had. I sat on the stool that was on the island with Draco cooking on the other side.

"After you fell asleep, I flooed to Potter's house and explained what happened. Ginny told me what size you wear. I bought the clothes and brought them back. I wasn't sure what style you like, so I picked something simple that I had seen you at school. Potter and Ginny are worried about you but glad that you were able to open up a little, by the way. I asked that they give you space to sort yourself then talk to you," Draco said dishing up two plates of food and setting one in front of her on the island.

"Um…well thank you. How much do I owe you?" I asked him incredibly shocked by his kindness, not just in the clothes, but last night as well.

"Why do you think you owe me anything?" Draco asked.

"Because you didn't need to do any of the things that you did for me. You have been so kind. I appreciate the calming draught yesterday and the sushi. Where is my purse? I have some galleons in there. Would five galleons suffice?" I asked looking around for my purse. I wasn't sure where we were in relation to the library.

"No, I will not take any money from you. Your purse is on the shelf in your room," he said as I walked away from him and ran to the room I slept in the night before. I need to pay him back and get home. I'm too curious and talkative around him. I don't need to be around people. It's so much easier when I'm alone. I don't have to worry about putting on a façade of 'everything is ok.' Arriving at my room, I find my purse, go to the bathroom and pick up my dirty clothes and put them in my purse to be washed at home. I run back to the kitchen, but he isn't there.

I look around and see books through a door and assume that is the library. I run in there, but he isn't there. I go back to the kitchen, pull out the galleons and a piece of paper and quill to write a note thanking him for his kindness and hope that the money covers all I owe him. I leave them on the counter by the breakfast plates. The food smells delectable. Should I stay for breakfast? I know I'm being rude, but I can feel my walls collapsing in my mind. I'm on the verge of another panic attack. I dredged up the pain and memories last night and it will take me time to push them back down.

I walk out of the room and try to find a door to the outside. The problem is there are about seven doors in the hallway. I walk toward the end of the hall and hope it's the way out. Draco walks out of a door on the left near the library.

"Where are you going? Don't you want to stay for breakfast?"

"No, thank you for everything. I really need to go," I say heading toward the door.

"Why?" he asks, and I stop. Why? WHY? I scream in my head.

"I need to go," I repeat and start walking again.

"Hermione, why do you need to go? Were you just going to leave without saying goodbye? Really? I thought the great Hermione Granger would have better manners than that, but I guess I was mistaken," he said walking with me to the door, "Accio dreamless draught. Accio calming draft." Six bottles float to him from a room down the hall, "here, these should hold you over for a few days. I can have more made in a few days if you want to meet up and get them," he said handing the bottles to me.

"I have manners. I just need to go. I can't stay here any longer. I need to go," I repeat a little angrily. I know I'm being a hypocrite, but I don't care. I don't take the draughts but run to the end of the hall.

"Hermione, don't leave," he says to me as I get to the door, "You can stay here for as long as you want. Please, I want to help you. You don't need to be alone anymore. I won't stop you if you leave, but I'm asking you to stay." He had his hand on the back of his neck and was looking at the ground when I looked at him.

"Why would you want to help me? I'm nothing to you," I said spitefully. I know I should just walk out the door, but he sounds so damn sad. I somehow made Draco Malfoy sad. I'm so confused that I had to figure out the mystery.

"Because you deserve peace. You deserve to be whole again. And damn I think I can help you. I know that you live in your house alone. That you barely eat anything. That you scream yourself to sleep at night. I know because I have been there. But I found a reason to live again. I got out of my head and decided to be a part of society. And do you know who helped me? This may be the biggest fucking shock of your life, but Potter and Ginny were the people who helped me. I ran into Potter in Diagon Alley, drunk off my ass. And Potter took me to his and Ginny's house. It's a long fucking story, but they helped me. The pain you feel, I may not know the exact pain you feel, but I understand depression. I understand that it makes you feel only one emotion and you stay there. You need to feel angry. You need to feel so fucking mad that you throw things or hell, hex things. I have a room built just for that. You need help. Or Hermione, you. Will. Die. And I will not allow you to hurt Potter and Ginny because you are too damn selfish to see the pain you will leave behind," he said calmly but was walking toward me until he was standing right in front of me. He put his hand over my hand on the doorknob. I just stared at him. He didn't raise his voice to me once, but I could feel the pain and anger in his words. But I could also hear hope.

I don't know what to say. I just look at our hands on the doorknob. I am so confused. I look up at him and hope that he can see the confusion in my eyes.

"Harry helped you?" I finally say.

"Yes, if you stay, I will tell you the whole story. I know its probably blowing your mind right now. Believe me, I get that. It blew my mind as well. I think the reason he helped me is because of you. He couldn't help you and he needed to help someone. He has a hero complex. He hasn't wanted to give up on you, but he didn't know how to help you. I want to help you," he said pulling my hand away from the door and walking me toward the kitchen.

"I don't have a choice, do I?" I ask him. I feel like my choice has been taken away. He already made the decision for me.

"You do. You are free to leave. I'm asking for you to make the right choice," he let go of my hand in the hallway and walked toward the kitchen alone, "If you walk through the door to go home, you are saying that you would rather die than live. But if you stay, we can go get some of your things after breakfast and you can stay here for as long as you like. I will help you. Harry and Ginny will help you. You won't be alone, and you won't be leaving those who love you to grieve for you."

I stand there, in the middle of his opulent hallway. He is giving me a choice. But there is a definite wrong choice. My mind is reeling. I thought that Harry had given up on me. I thought that I needed to die. I didn't want to live anymore yesterday. But that's a lie because I still went to the grocer to get food. I want to live. I just don't know how to anymore. I feel so overwhelmed by the feeling of not knowing how. I hate not knowing how to do something. I walk towards the kitchen slowly. I stand in the doorway, not walking in and said, "I have nothing to live for."

"Then our job is to find a reason for you to live. Right now, a very good reason to stay for this amazing breakfast that I made." He says with a smirk.

I take a breath, "It does smell good." I say taking a step into the kitchen. My stomach growls. He smirks again hearing my stomach.

"Let's eat. Do you want to eat in here or in the library?" he asked me, standing next to the plates.

"Do you mind if we eat in the library? I like your library," I say staring at my feet.

"Sure, you grab the glasses. I gave us each orange juice. Is that ok?"

"Orange juice is fine," I said as I pick up the glasses and follow him to the library.

We sit down on the rug by the couch. I take the chance to look around again. It really is a lovely room. I feel peaceful here. We eat in silence. I don't want to talk. I feel like if I talk now, I will break apart. Draco seems satisfied to let me eat in peace. I eat far more than I should. I feel fuller than I did the night before. If Draco doesn't accomplish anything else, he will put a few stones of weight on me before this is over.

Draco picks up our dishes and carries them all to the kitchen. I stand up and wipe my hands on my jeans. I walk to one of the bookshelves and look at the titles. I pull a book off the shelf and leaf through it. I want to read it. Draco walks back into the room, and I put the book back on the shelf.

"You can read that if you want. Read anything. If I'm using it for research, the book is probably already on my desk or in my room. Do you want to go to your house and get some of your things?"

I nod. He walks to me, and I hold out my arm for him to take. We side along apparate to my living room.

A/N: Do you want anything from Draco's perspective or all from Hermione's? I'm not sure where this story is going at all. I'm not sure if this will be more friendship relationship or romantic relationship yet. It's going to take a lot of healing to get there. More of Draco's problems will be revealed though. Harry and Ginny will make an appearance at some point as well. This all just came of me being depressed and having a random idea for Hermione. Please read and review!