Draco had taken to wandering the castle at night; he found it less distracting without the constant noise of Hogwarts students. He strode along the hallway, and then overhearing a noise from the nearby bathroom, pushed open the door curiously. Hermione was sitting in a corner, her arms wrapped around her knees, her head buried in her arms. He turned to leave, unsure if he would be welcome but the door creaked and Hermione looked up.
"We have a habit of crying in bathrooms don't we," Draco said, trying for a joke. He'd never seen Hermione cry before. She gave a weak smile and attempted to wipe away her tears. Draco strode over and sat down beside her.
"Why are you crying?" He asked simply, his face expressionless.
"Ron was snogging Lavender Brown at the party," she said.
Draco looked at her, frowning.
"You're crying over the Weasel?"
Hermione didn't bother to correct him and nodded.
"He's not worth it, Granger," Draco said.
She sighed, "I know." She looked at him, with her big doe eyes and shifted closer to him, resting her head on his shoulder. Without thinking, Draco wrapped an arm around her. They sat in a comfortable silence.
Suddenly, Ron and Lavender came in laughing, holding hands.
"Oh," Ron said, noticing Hermione and Draco. His eyes narrowed at Draco's arm around her. He dropped Lavender's hand and started towards the pair.
"Get your hands off her, Ferret!" He exclaimed angrily.
Hermione and Draco shot up; Draco's unconsciously slipped his arm protectively around her waist.
"Oh shove off Weasel," Draco sneered.
Ron glared at him, not moving.
Hermione looked desperately sad. "Please just go, Ron," she said quietly. A look of betrayal registered in his eyes.
Lavender grabbed at his hand. "I think this room's taken," she said, and pulled Ron from the room.
Hermione let out a soft sob. Draco wrapped his arms around her, comforting her. She buried her tearstained face in his chest. After a few minutes she looked up.
"Why are you being so nice to me?" She asked.
"No one deserves to be this unhappy," Draco said, with a small smile. She nodded and returned to the warmth of his arms.