****Welcome back everyone. Sorry I haven't updated in a while - school is pretty hectic. Now, I have a request of you: please review the story! I'm desperate for some feedback here! Good or bad, let me know what you think. I'm open for critique. Thanks heaps guys xx****

My feet dragged as I walked through the seventh floor corridor towards the common room.

Why had I been so thoughtless? After all Hermione's done for me. I gulped before pushing against the grand oak doors.

Poking my head inside, I called out, "Hermione?"

From the flickering shadows of the fire came a sniff. I stepped inside and closed the door gently behind me. Spotting Hermione sitting straight-backed in front of the fire, I walked carefully over, not wanting to make a wrong move.

"Hermione, I'm really sorry. I'm just about to go to Professor McGonagall to tell her it was my fault. I didn't mean to get you in trouble."

She refused to look at me, facing the opposite wall. I knelt behind her and stretched out my hand to touch her shoulder.

"'Mione? Please look at me."

As my hand met her crisp white shirt, I felt her trembling.

"Hermione? Are you alright? 'Mione, look at me, please."

Slowly, she turned to face me. Her face was blotchy and red, wet with the tears that were still coursing down her face. She was shaking violently and her right hand was clutched around a letter.

"Hermione!" I exclaimed, scooting over and pulling her into my lap.

"Baby, what's wrong?! 'Mione, talk to me."

My hands cupped her face as I stared intently at her, alarmed at the pain evident in her eyes. "Hermione. Please. What's happened? Was it me?"

"N-no," she whimpered, "the l-l-letter." Consumed by her tears, she sagged against me, her shaking form limp in my arms.

Panic-stricken, I reached behind her and picked up the letter she had dropped. Peering over her trembling shoulder I read:

Hermione,

I am sorry to inform you that, last week, your parents were murdered by an escaped Death Eater. The Death Eater in question, Rodolphus Lestrange, was released from Azkaban in the mass break-out three years ago. Lestrange continued to avoid incarceration beyond He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named's defeat. Please be assured our team of Aurors have now captured Lestrange at the scene of your parent's murder, in Australia. We believe it was an act of revenge for your involvement in You-Know-Who's demise.

Please accept oursincerest condolences,

Kingsley Shacklebolt

Minister for Magic

"Oh, Hermione." I whispered. "Baby, it's going to be alright. Oh Merlin."

I gently scooped Hermione into my arms and stood up, her head resting on my chest as she sobbed relentlessly. I walked carefully up the stairs to my dormitory, murmuring comforts in Hermione's ear.

"It's going to be okay, baby. It's going to be alright."

Pushing the door open with my foot, I sat down with Hermione on the edge of my bed. Slowly I leaned back, pulling her with me, as she cried into my shoulder. I drew her close and she wrapped her arms around my torso, burying her face into my neck. My own arms encased her shivering body, trying to hold her together.

We stayed together for hours, my hands softly stroking her back. Eventually, her crying slowed and she opened her eyes, warm, brown and streaked with pain, to look at me.

"W-what am I going to do, Draco?" She hiccupped. "They were all the family I had."

I sighed and pulled her closer.

"Hermione, I know it's hard but we're going to make it through this, together. I'll be by your side all the way. I'm never going to leave you, ever. We're going to make this right."

A solitary tear silently rolled down her beautiful, soft cheek as she whispered, "I love you, Draco."

I kissed her forehead gently as her eyes closed and she drifted to sleep.

With Hermione resting, my own feelings of tiredness became pronounced. Slowly, my aching eyes drifted shut, blocking out the dormitory around me.

It felt like moments later that I stirred awake to the sounds of sniffling.

"Hermione? Why didn't you wake me?"

Hermione was sitting on the edge of my bed, her hands over her face and she cried softly into them. I stepped out of bed and moved around to kneel before her, removing her hands from her face.

I leant up and kissed a tear that was trickling down her cheek whispering, "We need to see McGonagall. She'll help us."

Hermione stood up, shakily. I wrapped my arm around her and she huddled into me for support. We walked down the stairs and through the common room, to the seventh floor corridor. We continued all the way to the gargoyle on the third floor, the tears on Hermione's face still flowing freely.

"Tartan," I muttered.

The gargoyle before us leapt aside and a moving spiral staircase was revealed. We ascended the large stone steps, reaching the griffin door-knocker quickly. I rapped three times on the hard wood.

"Enter," came Professor McGonagall's voice.

Hermione and I stepped inside, my arm still clasped tightly around her.

"Ah, Mr Malfoy, how pleasant to- what's this?" Professor McGonagall stood quickly and hurried over to us.

"Professor McGonagall. Please, help us. Hermione's parents have- have been… It was Rodolphus Lestrange. They're gone." My voice shook with fury at the name and Hermione emitted a stifled sob beside me.

"Oh my- oh my goodness. Draco, Hermione, please take a seat." She gestured to a comfy looking chintz loveseat in the corner of her office.

"Who told you this?" Professor McGonagall questioned, sitting down opposite us.

"Hermione got a letter from Kingsley Shacklebolt."

"Do you have it with you?"

I drew the letter out of my pants pocket and handed it to her. Her mouth thinned to a sliver as her eyes darted across the page.

"Hermione, I cannot express how sorry I am for your loss. Is there anything I can do for you? Would you like to visit the Minister?" Professor McGonagall's voice was quiet and gentle.

"N-no," Hermione sniffed. "I- I just want to get on with school. They'd have- have wanted that."

Professor McGonagall gave a slight, tight-lipped smile and said, "Of course you do. However, for the moment, you are excused from today's lessons. Mr Malfoy too; I don't want you to be alone."

She looked at me and gave a small nod, signalling our release. I rose slowly, my arm still gripped around Hermione, and we departed from the office. We walked in silence back to the common room, our shuffling feet the only noises in the empty corridors. As the grand oak doors swung shut behind us, the bell rung for the first lesson.

I walked Hermione over to the glowing embers in the fire grate and we sunk onto the plush carpet.

"I love you, Hermione Jean Granger."

Her head turned as she looked up at me, a wan smile curving her soft lips.

"Ditto."