J.M.J.

Chapter 3

Fade Into the Background

The next morning Draco rolled out of bed still wide-eyed, even now that he knew his mother was safe he couldn't go to sleep. It was awful knowing what had become of her so suddenly, and Malfoy had to strive to be strong through it. He couldn't let it hold him back, he had a life. After brushing his teeth, combing his hair, and making his robes to perfection he raced up the stairs and out of the Slytherin Dormitories. He ate little breakfast when he arrived at the Great Hall and talked little from now on. Yes, he wanted to change and show his good side, but he didn't know how. He had been so used to his rough exterior taking hold of him that he never let anyone get close to his soft, meek, gentleman side.

"Yo, Draco!" Duncan called amidst the crowd in which Malfoy was lost.

"Hey, man," he gave Duncan a handshake. Malfoy had found out that Duncan was born and raised in America, and only came here because his father was promoted high in the Ministry. Duncan, himself, was rich with gold and never lived a day without it. Although he was Slytherin he loved mudbloods, probably because while in the U.S. he hung out with them so much. He was a 'bad boy' replica and had high standards for himself, and he always made sure to achieve his goals with flying colors. He was headstrong and forthright, but like every boy of that age had his own little quirks that showed through vibrantly. He always had to be right and make sure everyone knew it. His hair was green because he was rebelling against his mother. Duncan's mom hated the 'punk' look and fumed at every chain that Duncan bought and tricks that he performed on his skateboard and the music he listened to. Duncan was pure punk at heart and loved to be so because of his mother's hatred for it.

"You seen that Hermione Granger this year, dawg?" Duncan went on.

Draco looked at him awkwardly, "Yes... dawg..." he said uncomfortably, not exactly knowing where he got that language. Malfoy looked around him at the other people walking; they were all looking at him uneasily. Draco just brushed it off and finished listening to Duncan.

"She's hot, huh?"

"Uh... I guess so."

"Oh come on, dawg, I seen you looking at her at breakfast. You like her don't you?"

"Uh..."

"Ai-ite, ai-ite, I can see you don't want to admit it, but you better do something fast, before I take her."

"Duncan," he called after him, "Have you ever... you know... wish for something that could never happen?"

"Well, of course! I wished that the babes off of the T.V. could come and...."

"No, no, no!" Draco stopped him.

"Then I don't know what you mean."

"Okay, well see.... I've been wishing lately to like go back in time," he said slowly hoping not to come off too stupid, "to maybe make right what I did."

"Aw, dawg! I know what you mean!"

"Oh, thank goodness, I'm not the only one."

"Well how for back?"

"Far enough to get... a girl."

"I knew it! You DO want Hermione!"

"Well anyway the point is..."

"Say no more, bra! You're wish is my command," and with that he turned the corner.

*That was weird* he thought.

During the next couple of weeks, Draco skipped a couple of classes due to loss of energy from crying all the time. He was devastated! He wanted to accept it so bad and just move on, but he couldn't, Narcissa was still in the back of his mind.

On a Friday afternoon, after classes let out, he saw Hermione walking with Harry, he didn't see Ron in sight, he wanted to go talk to her so bad, but knew it would only start trouble. But, unexpectedly, she came up to him.

"Hey, Malfoy," she said innocently.

"Hi, Granger," he rolled his eyes, he didn't want to look desperate, "What do you want?"

"I seen you weren't in Defense Against the Dark Arts today."

"You're right, I wasn't."

"Well, I was just worried about you."

"Why?"

"Well, because of what happened... I wanted to make sure you were okay. I know what you're going through."

"Have you ever lost a parent, Granger?"

"No, but..."

"Then you don't know what I'm going through. She was the only person that I loved and he took her away from me!"

"Who? I thought her death was an accident..."

Draco opened his mouth, but closed it suddenly again. He waited a little while, thinking of what he was going to say, but all he could mutter to cover it up was, "I shouldn't have said that," and he raced away dumbfounded.

That night he sat at his window watching the stars in the dark sky.

"Are you up there?" he questioned aloud, "If you are I want you to know that... that... I'm going to change who I used to be. I know you didn't like what I did here, I know you thought I was going to turn out like my father, but I'm not! I swear! I'm not going to be like him. I just want to go back and redo everything I did. Maybe you would still be here!"

Tears blurred his vision from the twinkling stars, "I want to redo it," he kept repeating. He said it over and over again, hoping that she heard him. He wanted his mother to hear so badly. He wiped his eyes and looked around on the ground from something that caught his glare.

"There she is," he whispered. He raced outside to see who this disturbed girl was. When he arrived outside the wind was cold and the ground damp. It was darker then usual due to the half crescent moon. He looked around him for the red hooded female.

"Hello!" he called out into the swollen darkness. He heard a gasp come from a crevice in the wall. He peered into it and there muzzled in the corner was a young woman with her head between her legs and her hair wrapped around her body. She was white as ice and as cold too.

"Who are you?" he asked silently, trying not to scare her.

She looked up when she heard the angelic voice and Draco jumped at who he saw, "Granger? What are you doing here!?!?" he grabbed her by the arm and pulled her from her place.

"Oh, like you care!" she screamed.

"I do. What's wrong?"

"No," she turned to walk away, "You have enough on your plate, and I'm better off dealing with it by myself."

"Wait, no! You were there for me... no questions asked when I was hurting. What's wrong?"

She looked around making sure no one was watching, she looked petrified to be out there alone, but for some strange reason she was, "I-I-I-I got into some real bad trouble," she stuttered.

"You? Trouble? ... What kind of trouble?"

"Uh..." she came closer to him so she could talk at a whisper, "Uh... I lost... I lost..."

"What? What did you lose?"

"My-my..."

"Oh, bloody hell just say it!" he said getting rather perturbed.

"Okay, but you have to understand how-how you would feel if you were me!"

"What? You lost a book?"

"This isn't a funny matter, Malfoy!"

"Okay, sorry, what is it?"

Hermione took a deep breath and whispered in the lowest tone she could muster, "I lost my virginity."

Draco was about to crack up laughing. He honestly thought it would something way worst than that! But he realized how much she was hurting right now so he tried to console her, "Who with? I mean, it must be someone you didn't want to do it with otherwise you wouldn't be this... sad."

She took another deep breath, as she got closer to him to tell him the culprit who stole it, "Ron..."

"WHAT!?!?"

"Shh!"

"Sorry... what made.... What happened that... why him!?!?"

"It just happened so suddenly! You saw me this morning! How I wasn't near him!"

"Explain," he demanded.

"Malfoy, I... to you? I hate to 'state the obvious', but we're not that great of friends. Bloody hell, we're NOT friends, why would I tell you something like this?"

"Because #1 you already have me intrigued so you can't leave me without details, #2 you obviously need to talk to someone and..." he looked around the wet grounds, "I'm the only one here."

That night Hermione let her heart out to Malfoy about everything that happened between her and Ron (that's in another chapter) and Draco, since it was only fair, told her everything he was feeling also. They bonded a little. Hermione saw a new side of the devilish boy that no one knew before.

"It's getting late," she said as when she saw that the moon was about to sink.

"Yea," he looked down at his feet not wanting to be tempted by her lips.

"Good night, Malfoy, thanks for talking with me."

"Night, Hermione..."

"What did you call me?" she said as she swung around.

"Uh... Granger..."

"No! You called me something else... say it again!"

"What? .... *I can't believe I just did that!*" he wrestled in his head, *She might take that as we're friends and... oh, but I want to be so much more... NO! Come on, Draco you didn't call her by her name!*

"Please?"

*Yes you did* "Hermione."

She gave a small whimper as she ran up to him and pulled him into a sweet embrace and pressed her lips upon his. Malfoy had a few encounters like this before, but this time it meant something, he liked the kiss. He was 'into' the kiss. It felt different from all the other girls that he made out with. It felt nice and he was sad when she departed from him and went back to her dormitories.

****

*Do I dare ask her out?* he thought the next day at breakfast, *I'll ask Duncan what he thinks about it lat.... wait a second, come to think of it, I haven't seen that asshole since... I can't remember the last time* Malfoy pondered over this more a moment more, until he was hit hard in the rib by a large hand

"Come on, Malfoy, get out of my way," Goyle said angrily.

"What? What are you doing here?"

Everyone looked at him in awe and confusion, "What do you mean what I'm doing here?" Goyle retorted, "What are YOU doing here? Go back into Gryffindor where you belong!"

"I thought you were being sent to a different school.... wait, Gryffindor?"

"We're right here, bastard," Crabbe said cracking his knuckles menacingly.

"AHH!" he screamed as he ran from the Great Hall. SMACK! He had ran face first into a person and hit the floor hard.

"Ugh, Malfoy... watch where I'm walking," the boy laughed.

"Weasel?"

"Where you off to in such a hurry anyway," he said helping him up.

"Why are you touching me?" he quickly said as he pulled away from Ron's grasp.

"Are you okay, mate?" Ron's eyes were confused and bug eyed, "What's wrong?"

"What in the bloody hell is going on here?"

"Uh, Draco?" a timid voice came from behind.

"Oh, thank God, Hermione! What's wrong with Weasel? Why was he trying to help me? ... Why are Crabbe and Goyle here? .... Where's Duncan!?!?!?" he screamed at the top of his lungs.

"Honey, are you playing a trick or something? Because it's not funny...."

"What did you call me? .... Oh my gawd!" he looked down at his robes and noticed the Gryffindor emblem in the place of his Slytherin patch.

"What in the world am I doing in Gryffindor!"

"Baby, baby, calm down," Hermione said, "I'm going to take you to the Hospital Wing right now."

"WHAT? I'm not crazy!" Ron and Hermione both grabbed him by the arms and legs and pulled him towards Madam Pomphrey.

"Oh dear," she whispered, she then injected the flailing Draco with some morphine to calm him down.

"What happened?" he said as the drugs were kicking in, "Why are you calling me 'honey'? Why is Weasel being my friend? ...." Draco then fell into a doze as everything went black.

A/N: Duh-dun-dunnn! OMG! What happened!?!?!? Hehe! You'll see.. *evil snicker*