Sorry for the long update! I thought Id already posted this one days ago...

Anyways, on with the story-

Chapter 10- Purple and Thank You

"Hungry, are you?" Blaise asked. Draco was busy piling food onto two plates at the Slytherin breakfast table.

"A bit, yeah," Draco answered, not really paying attention.

"Granger sick or something?"

"She didn't want to come down."

"Why not?"

"I don't know." He wasn't going to say anything about the previous night, until he was absolutely sure of what happened. "She just didn't."

"Well, I'm heading off to do the potions essay. It's the first class and I have not started yet. Maybe I'll copy Pansy's," Blaise added with a grin.

"Good luck with that," Draco said.

"You finish it yet?" Blaise said, getting up from the table.

"I finished last night."

"Lucky bastard," Blaise said.

Draco grabbed the plates and followed Blaise out of the hall.

"Draco," someone called as they let the doors to the Great Hall slam behind them. He turned and saw Ginny bounding towards him, her red hair billowing out behind her.

"See you later, Draco," Blaise said, giving Ginny a quick nod and heading down to the dungeons.

Ginny turned to Draco. "Where's Hermione? She never came down to breakfast."

"I know. I'm bringing it up to her." He motioned at the plates in his hands.

"Can I come with you? I wanted to talk to her," Ginny asked.

"Well, you can come up if you really want to, but I'm not sure if Hermione will be able to talk to you. She's…er… not feeling well."

"I'll take a chance. You want help?" She pointed at the heaping plates in either of Draco's hands.

"I think I can handle it. You might have to open a door or two, though."

"No problem."

They slowly made their way to the common room. Draco was wishing that he had let Ginny help him; the plates were hot and burning his hands, and he couldn't shift one without dropping both. I'm not asking her now, though. He tried to focus his mind on something else as they came to the portrait, after what had seemed like a longer walk then usual.

The portrait Draco winked at Ginny, making the portrait Hermione glare at the redhead. The little Hermione giggled and smiled at Draco, all the while watching her companion out of the corner of her eye.

"Draco Malfoy," he said clearly.

"Anything for you," the portrait Hermione said sweetly, as the picture swung open.

"Hermione, I'm back!" Draco called as he entered the Common room. "And I've brought food, and Weas- Ginny."

Ginny eyed him suspiciously. She knew exactly what he was about to call her.

"Sorry," he apologized. "Won't happen again."

She nodded. He set the plates down on the end table. "Help yourself; I'll go see if she's awake."

Ginny nodded again. She watched as Draco bounded up the stairs, quietly knocked on Hermione's door, and walked in.

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"Hermione?" he whispered.

"Mmmm." She rolled over on the bed, pretending she had been sleeping and had just then opened her eyes. "Draco?"

"Yeah. I brought up breakfast and Ginny."

"Ginny's here?"

"Yeah, she's downstairs. I told her you were still asleep, but she said she needed to talk you."

Hermione sat up, and pretended to rub her eyes sleepily. She winced when she touched the bruise by her left eye.

"Careful," Draco warned, sympathy on his face. "Are you sure you want to talk to Ginny? I can tell her to come back later, if you want."

"No, no. I want to see her; I just don't really know what she'll say when she sees me."

"You're still the same, Hermione. You're just a little more-" he looked for the right word, not wanting to upset her, "purple?"

She chucked a pillow at him. He neatly ducked, then sat down next to her on the bed.

"Are you hungry? I brought up a little of everything." She nodded.

"I'll be right down."

"Okay," he said, giving her a kiss on the cheek. "I'll be downstairs." He left her room.

She pulled herself out of bed. Her whole body ached. What is Ginny going to say when she sees me? Better yet, what will she say when she finds out her brother did this?

She pulled on her bathrobe. At least it will hide some of the bruises.

"What in the hell…" Ginny said when Hermione entered the room. Draco elbowed her discretely. "Oww," she complained, glaring at Draco.

"It's fine, Ginny. I'm fine." The words left her mouth, though her mind screamed otherwise. She grabbed a piece of toast and sat down.

"Hermione," Ginny said, coming to sit down with her, "You don't look fine. What happened?"

"I fell," she lied again. I cannot believe I am lying to my best friend. "I slipped and I fell."

Ginny shot a look of confusion at Draco. He shrugged.

"You fell?" Ginny asked. "And it gave you that many bruises?"

"Uh huh." A tear made its way slowly down Hermione's cheek. She carefully brushed it away.

"Why don't you go back up to bed?" Ginny suggested.

"But, you said you wanted to talk to me, didn't you?" Hermione asked.

"It can wait," Ginny insisted. "You should go back to bed."

Hermione nodded.

"I'll see you later, okay?" Ginny said, giving Hermione a smile. Hermione slowly walked back up the stairs and into her bedroom, shutting the door quietly behind her.

"So what really happened to her?" she asked Draco, once Hermione was out of earshot.

"I have no idea," Draco said. "She keeps insisting she fell."

"When'd she tell you that?"

"Last night. I came in here looking for her, and found her knocked out on the bathroom floor."

"And you have no idea who did it?"

"Not a clue in hell. She is not going to say anything to anyone about it until she wants. Hermione can be quite stubborn when she wants to, and right now she must really want to."

"Yeah, I know she can," Ginny said.

"I hate thinking that anyone would hurt her," Draco said. "I'd love to beat the ever-loving shit out of whoever did, but I can't." He began to subconsciously kick the leg of the end table, kicking it a little harder each time.

"I know you would, and Hermione does too."

He nodded. "And when I find out who did do this to her, I will." He gave the table an extra hard kick, and the whole thing came crashing down. "God damn it!"

"Draco, shush," Ginny said, laughing. "Hermione is trying to sleep." She waved her wand and the table came together again. Draco looked as though he would like to give the table another kick, but thought better of it and sat down in one of the armchairs.

"Can you talk to her?" Draco asked. "I need to know what happened."

"I'll talk to her when I come back after classes," she said, as she walked to the door. "I'll see you later, okay?"

"Bye," Draco said, as Ginny sped out the door.

Draco picked at the food he had brought up, only to realize he wasn't hungry. He was more worried than anything else. Why won't she tell me?

Did you ask nicely?

Yes I did, but-… wait, why am I talking to you?

What's wrong with me?

Let's see, you're a voice inside my head that's giving me advice?

Don't blame me, you're the one talking to yourself.

He sighed, then slowly got up and went upstairs. Opening Hermione's door slowly, he saw that she was lying on the bed, her eyes open, and tears running down her face. He walked over and sat next to her.

As soon as she saw him, she brushed away the tears. "I…err…poked myself in the eye."

"That's bull shit, Hermione."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me," he said. "Something is wrong with you, and I want to know why you won't tell me what that is."

"I can't tell you," Hermione said quietly.

"Why not?"

"I just can't." A tear slipped down her face. "I'm trying to protect you."

"From what," he spat.

"From hurting someone."

His eyes softened. "What are you talking about? I'm not going to hurt anyone."

"If I tell you what happened, you'll hurt someone. I don't want you to get kicked out of school because of me."

"Baby," he said. "Please just tell me."

"I can't Draco."

"Then you are going to the Hospital Wing," Draco said, standing up. "I'm taking you, let's go."

"I'm not going there either," Hermione said.

"Then I'm bringing McGonagall to see you here," Draco threatened. "You won't eat, and you hardly slept last night. You just shook and kicked and tried to attack me every time I touched you. Something is wrong with you."

"I know."

"Then why won't you let anyone help you?"

Hermione was silent.

"Well," Draco said, getting angry. "When you figure that out, you just let me know." He stood up from the bed and began to walk out the door.

"No, Draco," Hermione called. "Come back. I don't want you upset with me."

"What would you like me to be? I try to care for you, get you help, and you won't even tell me what happened. How am I supposed to act?" Draco said.

"Please Draco, I'll tell you when I'm ready, but not before," Hermione told him. "And please stop asking me about it."

"Fine," Draco said, remembering that Ginny promised to talk to her as well. "Go to sleep or something, you look like you could use rest." He helped her climb under the covers.

"Draco," Hermione called as he left. He turned and grinned at her.

"What?"

"Thank you, for everything."

"Don't worry about it, just go to sleep," he said.

Hermione snuggled deep in the covers, but she very much doubted she would be able to sleep.

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A sort of pointless chapter, I know.

Have any of you guys ever had a conversation, similar to the ones Draco has, with a voice in your head? I don't know if Im crazy or what have you, but I have. In fact, I often will practice conversations or presentation in my head, and someone else in there asks questions about what I said.hmm...maybe I'm just another insane writer...

Okay, like I said at the beggining, Im sorry for the long update. The next installment should be up soon, and until then keep up the fabulous amount of reviews! Virtual Cookies for everyone!

Hugs,
Emma

A last note, a couple of you asked if this was my other story. My other story was deleted, but I luckily had the chapters saved on my computer. So, I am reposting them (making them longer, more interesting and believable, and also combining a few chapters while im at it) and that is the story you are currently reading.