Chapter 4

Hermiones point of view

I nursed him back to health. His bruises mere flushes on his skin and his cuts barely distinguishable scars. He was strangely charming and not once did he call me Mudblood. We got along well and I picked up his homework for him: we worked on it together. It was nicer than doing it with Ron or Harry as they always wanted me to do it for them and they knew that if they did it wrong i'd correct it for them. With Draco however we bounced of each others ideas and I, for once, didn't feel like I was the only one doing the work. Weeks passed until Draco had fought all of the side effects of the Cruciatus curse. (I was outraged when he told me a week ago, I thought he would be ready to go back to school and he had replied,"no because I am still suffering from the Cruciatus curse." I didn't even know about it and if it had been used for longer he would live with the everlasting damage of the curse. I had tried to explain this but he wouldn't listen, as always) Tomorrow he would be going back to school and i dreaded it. He would become the cold uncaring Malfoy once more and i'd never see a glimpse of Draco- the boy who cared.

"Are you okay Hermione?"

"Yeh."

"Your not I can tell." I hated the fact that he could read me like a book. But spending a lot of time together allowed me to learn his mannerisms as well.

"I'm just... I...um...well..."

"Just tell me Hermione."The sound of my name on his tounge was like silk and I couldn't help but answer him.

"Well, I feel that if you go back then you will return to being Malfoy- not Draco."

'I was worried that you would become know-it-all Granger when I go back."

"Oh my god. I suddenly realise how stupid I'm being. I shouldn't have said anything."

"It wasn't stupid if I thought it as well. I am a Malfoy after all." He joked. I pushed him lightly, feeling the taunt muscles in his arm. I relaxed knowing that I was being silly. We spent the rest of that evening laughing and joking around before he excuses himself to bed and I remembered the mountain of homework that i had waiting for me in my room. I trudged up the stairs reluctantly and started my Transfiguration homework on human transformations.

Draco's point of view

I felt the burn of the letter in my pocket all through the evening. Father had sent it me and I was unsure about what was in it. It coukd be anything but it was probably a letter explaining to me how worthless I was and how big a disapointment I was to the Malfoy name. I opened the letter with the flick of my wand and began to read :

Draco,

Your Mother and I need to speak to you . I hope you are not angry at me for punishing you- It's what you deserve for the way you spoke to me on Platform 9 and 3/4. If I don't see you in a week, I will write to Dumbledore to tell him that you are going to transfer to Durmstrang. You know I always wanted you to go there...but unfortunately your Mother wanted you a little closer to home

I expect to see you Draco

Lucius Malfoy.

Never Father, never Mother either. They did not act like other peoples parents. Other peoples parents hugged their child, didn't force them to do anything they didn't want to do. My left arm seared with the memory of a wand casting a spell so painfully so mercilessly onto it - what was left was an ugly tatoo that reminded me of the lack of love my father had for me.

I decided to see him, better go now than later he would only just get more annoyed at me. I put on my cloak and made sure my door was locked. I picked up my broom and when I was outside of Hogwarts grounds I apparated to Malfoy Manor.

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