Sitting across the great hall from her, Draco wondered how he had gotten himself into this situation. The Prince of Slytherin, romantically involved with the Gryffindor Weasel's little sister? If you had told him that this was what was going to happen 5 years ago, he probably would have hit you.

But watching her sitting at the Gryffindor table, in the middle of a group of friends, hardly picking at her food with a sullen expression on her face, Draco felt a pang of guilt hit him. It was because of him that this vibrant, happy, wonderful girl was acting so miserable on her first day back to school.

Looking back down at his plate and hearing the dull conversation of the students around him, he remembered how it had all started.

……………………………….

Walking out of the Slytherin common room, Draco seethed and could hardly walk straight because of the anger he was feeling. How dare Lucius…how could he even…? ARGH. It was fine when he took out his anger on his son, but on Narcissa?

She had sent him a letter that night, telling him of what had happened. How Lucius had come home late one night so angry that he had taken it out on her. She had been severely beaten but written to Draco to tell him that he shouldn't worry. And that he shouldn't confront his father about it, because that would only make matters worse.

As the letter swam into Draco's focus, he could hear his mother's screams and pleas. He could almost see her tears falling onto the paper as she wrote the letter to her son. His anger subsided into sadness. All those horrible memories of his father's tantrums from when he was a child came flooding back to him and he couldn't take it anymore. He ran, full pelt, not knowing where he was going.

From across the corridor, Ginny Weasley could see Malfoy struggle to stay upright and then break out into a run. Out of her own curiosity, she stopped to see what was wrong instead of continuing to make her way down to the kitchen. But when he started running toward her and didn't stop, Ginny was too surprised to move. A second later, the wind was knocked out of her and she was lying on her back on the cold stone floor.

Draco was in shock. He had just collided with something hard and now he was feeling pain. Pain was never good.

He looked up to see a shock of red and instantly recoiled. A Weasley. But then he noticed that the Weasley was of the female sort and moaning in pain. Without thinking, he helped her up and watched as she brushed herself up.

"What the hell? You moron, can't you watch where you're going? Oh…" She faltered. She knew who it was but instead of the normal contempt she usually saw in those cold blue gray eyes, she saw something else. A look in his eyes that she only knew too well. He was hurt, and trying to get away from it. He didn't make any move to hurt or insult her so Ginny did the only thing she knew to comfort someone hurt. She put her arms around him.

He was tense at first, probably in shock by her actions, but he slowly loosened up and eased into her embrace. He buried his head into her hair and just cherished the feeling of being touched so lovingly by someone he hardly knew. She whispered words of comfort into his ear and stroked his hair. She could hear the sounds of his muffled sobs and could feel the tears falling onto her neck.

When he finally pulled away, his face was tear streaked but he quickly wiped them away. His face flushed but Ginny slowly reached up to move a strand of his hair that had stuck to his wet eyelashes away to show that she wasn't going anywhere. She let her hand stay on his cheek and watched for his reaction.

She didn't know what she was doing, but she liked the feeling of being able to be there for someone. To hold him in her arms and, even for a little bit, ease whatever pain he was feeling. She didn't know why he was so distraught but she felt compelled to comfort him in any way she could. Silently, she led him away to the only room she knew of where they could be together. She led him away to the Room of Requirement.

………………………………

Draco relished the memory of how she had stayed with him that night. She had held him and just let him cry. She hadn't asked any questions, just stroked his hair and held him until he had fallen asleep. In the morning, Draco had awakened to an empty single bed in the Room of Requirement with a note left on the dresser.

Draco, I don't know what happened last night. But I'm here if you want to talk about it.

Ginny

He still remembered the look of surprise on her face when he had walked into the Room of Requirement again that night. As he walked up to her, she stood from the armchair she had been sitting on and held out her arms.

"I'm glad you came."