Author's Note: Apologies for not posting anything sooner and thank you's to everyone who reviewed. Hermione being too forgiving was planned. Because- well, I guess I shouldn't give anything away for this chapter or future ones, now should I? Any way, the Death Eater's name will be arriving. How sooner and in what chapter? I'm unsure. Some may be a little disappointed about Hermione's future, but it was in the cards in the very beginning. This note is very secretive and doesn't give much, but that's all I can say about the story. On another note, the poll is still open for anyone who hasn't voted. And if you already have just shout out one of the ships in a review. (PSSSSSST... Already Planning for another Hermione/Draco...)

Chapter 11

September 21st, 1996

Days passed and Hermione threw herself into her homework, so she wouldn't drive herself crazy. She became reserved once again. Not so much that she didn't talk to anyone. She just didn't put herself into conversations much... She had to be dragged into them. Not only were her inner thoughts dragging her down into a pit of turmoil, but Harry and Ron kept being insistent about keeping away from the Slytherin's.

After their apologies, she had thought maybe they could all get along well. Sit together and eat lunch... Take the weekends and go to the lake for the day. But that was just too much to hope for, now wasn't it?

Another morning she was walking down to breakfast, meeting Harry and Ron at the doors of the Great Hall. Pleasant greeting were spoken, but this time while Harry and Ron began to walk towards the Gryffindor table she caught both of their arms with a frown.

"Please, you two," she asked, she had too much on her plate, too much to think about. She needed them now, more than ever, even if they didn't know it.

Ron looked to his shoes, obviously trying not to speak, and Hermione looked to Harry when the golden boy sighed. "Harry..."

"We can't 'Mione..." Harry said with a shrug of his shoulders and a grimace on his face when he glanced past her shoulder. "We try to be civil for you. But sitting with them..."

"It's just not going to happen," Ron finished for his mate, looking up.

Hermione nodded, not liking what she heard at all and letting go of them. "Fine," she nearly spat, quietly. Turning around on her heal, she sulked back towards the table she'd sat at since she had shown up at Hogwarts this year. Not all of the Slytherin's welcomed her with open arms, but four did with smiles on their faces.

She sat down, giving them all a small smile, but she knew they were worried. Even Malfoy, though, he was still as emotionless as ever. They hadn't spoken since there night out by the lake, and she had nothing to say now. But his incessant staring told her he was worried.

She turned to the boy she sat next to, as he huffed. "Something wrong, Theo?" she asked, taking a drink of her pumpkin juice.

Of course, he didn't waste any time in telling her just what was on his mind. "I just don't understand how you can forgive them so easily. When you were at your worst they didn't give a damn, none of those precious Gryffindor's gave a damn," he only paused when Ginny cleared her throat and raised a ginger eyebrow. To which, his frown fell immediacy and was replaced with a smirk. "Well, aside from you, Ginny," he said, giving her a wink that caused the ginger haired girl to blush.

"They were the first friends I made when I came to Hogwarts," Hermione told them, regretfully getting the attention turned back to her. "The first people who accepted me for who I was," she continued, her throat getting tight. "We have a bond, just as I have a bond with all of you," she said, looking to each one of them. Pansy, Theo, Blaise, Ginny, and finally Malfoy. And it was true, just because they decided to believe a rumor rather than her, didn't mean she had to give up on them. She was giving them another chance, trusting in them that they wouldn't abandon her once again, if the time ever came.

And hopefully, if or when she ever found the truth that she was pregnant or not, they would stay at her side. She hoped her faith in them wasn't for nothing. She really did.

/-/-/-/

September 22nd, 1996

Hermione woke up to another day, another Sunday. And her hands were flat on her stomach. She looked down, her expression full of distaste. If she was carrying a child it was the child of a Death Eater, the one and only person she'd ever been with. The person who took her parents and innocence away from her in one night with a chuckle from his throat and a grin on his face. She swallowed back the bile that rose, how could she be a mother at such a young age.

No! She wouldn't think of it!. A couple more days, maybe another week. Her monthly never came on record time.

She wasn't going to be a teenage mother. She wasn't going to give birth to her rapist's child.

She would marry a nice man. She would have his children in years to come. Once the war was over. Once the wizarding world was put back together and she was working for the Ministry and the Order in secret.

Yes, but that was only a fantasy wasn't it. Her nice man had blonde hair so bright one would have thought it white, his eyes a stormy cloud of gray, his skin the palest of alabaster.

Her nice man, her knight in shining armor... She would never marry him. No matter how much she had learned about him. Nor how far apart he was from the people who harmed her the most. She never got what she wanted, she'd strive and strive and come up empty handed. She might be a know-it-all. But, where would that get her? No where, that was where.

She threw the covers off and sat up, rubbing her hands over her face, before she got up and got ready for the day. Diverting her thoughts, into who she would spend time with, and how she could split it between her friends. She was sure that if Harry and Ron just gave the Slytherin's a chance... But, no. They wouldn't. The little gits.

When she was dressed and she spell dried her hair, she headed down to the Great Hall. Only once she got to the doors, she turned and headed out of the castle. She wasn't hungry and she really just wanted to be alone. She thought maybe the lake could give her some peace. Everyone knew to find her there though. And as much as she would like to be found my a certain blonde haired boy, she needed some time by herself.

So that's why she sat on top of a hill away from the castle. She could see Hagrid's hut just off in the distance; the man tending to his pumpkins and his dog, Fang, following after him like a lost puppy.

With a deep, long sigh, Hermione looked to her hand. Eying the crease of her life-line. It was strong without a single hair fracture to show it would end any time soon. And while at one time she was dead set for it, ready to meet her maker... Now she only had those thoughts when she remembered that frightening and horrible day.

Well, maybe she thought about it a little more now.

She glanced to her stomach and the tears came almost immediately. Covering her face, hiding her emotions from the sun that peeked out from behind the clouds, while she sobbed mercilessly into her palms. She tried so hard to keep the 'what if's' back. But, what if she was pregnant? And what if he found out? He was still out there. Still working for the dark side. Most likely gloating about his deeds. God, why? Why her? Why her family?

She knew why. She was one of the best friends of Harry Potter. And while she thought she was part of his strength, if Harry ever found out what happened to her, he would barge into something and get himself killed. She would be his greatest weakness. She could see the headlines now: 'The Girl Who Let Harry Potter Die' , 'The Chosen One's Weakness', 'Why The-Boy-Who-Lived Is Now The Boy-Who-Died'...

She cried harder at the image of Harry dead. She would never forgive herself, ever, if he died and it was her fault. He'd never know of what happened. He couldn't.

Hermione jumped when she felt warmth about her shoulders. Her frightened look soften at the sight of Theo. She could practically smell the worry that rolled off of him. The poor guy, but she probably looked liked she was having a mental breakdown. Hell, she might as well be.

The tears didn't stop, she just turned into Theo. Clinging to him, as she cried into his chest. His arms circled around her, holding her close. He was probably one of the best friends she'd ever had. Right up there with Harry and Ron. Even more so, if she really thought about it, but she was too busy thinking of the 'what if's'.

Theo ran his hand up and down her back, soothingly. She fed off of his comfort, bringing it into herself. Until the sobs subsided, the tears dried, and she was just left in Theo's arms, as he kissed the top of her head and spoke soft words of the greatest comfort.

He didn't ask her if she was okay. Didn't even bother asking what was wrong. And she loved him for it. Her and Theo were much more alike then they would ever notice. They suffered quietly and to themselves. They didn't allow others to know their pain, only to see it. They were both stripped of their innocence before they were properly ready. And while they didn't feel romantically for one another, it didn't stop them from holding each other.

/-/-/-/

He watched her from afar. Highly aware he was acting very much like a stalker. But, bloody hell, he was worried about her. Then one of his best mates came around, and he frowned. It was immediate. He'd always noticed the way they were around each other. Like they knew each other from the inside out.

And he was fired up with jealousy.

Especially as he watched Theo take her into his arms as she continued to cry. His wand almost drew blood when the wood bit into his hand from his grip.

Dammit.

He hated how he felt so fucking jealous. How he noticed every touch and glance that other boys gave her. He also noticed her responses. She was jumpy with the other boy who surrounded her. Except with Theo. She always allowed Theo to touch her and comfort her.

And goddamn it, he was a bloody fucking mess over it.

Why didn't she allow him?

And that question was easily answered. Well, because he always switched attitude's with her, that's why. He was nice for one second and then a cold hearted son of a bastard the next.

Slowly he turned away, almost getting sick of the sight. He wanted to hold her. He wanted to be there for her when she felt like her life was turning upside down. He wanted to be confused because she wouldn't speak about whatever it was that was bothering her.

But, no.

Theo seemed to be doing a very fine job.

It was when he'd been in the Slytherin common room for a while and watched Theo walk inside shaking his head with worry and concentration. Most likely trying to figure out what was wrong with Hermione. He knew nothing would happen between the two of them. He knew that Theo only held onto brotherly affections for the bushy haired girl (that had seemingly gotten under his skin) and that he was currently having doe eyes for one Miss Ginevra Weasley.

Of course, that didn't stop what came shooting out of his mouth the moment Theo plopped down onto one of the black leather chairs. "Creased brow, lips pinched," Draco drawled, his voice full of nothing good. "I'm guessing she didn't let you fuck her, hm?"

There was no immediate reaction. Did Nott really grow a set and learn to ignore him for once, instead of trying to start up some cat fight? With that thought he knew he was a ponce, a dick, a horrible friend even.

Slowly Theo's head turned towards him, his face it's normal color, but his look was absolutely murderous and very much like his Aunt Bellatrix's. So, the bitch had imprinted some attributes to the boy after all. Yeah, fucking dick. Draco knew exactly was he was.

"Go stick a broom up your ass, Malfoy," he said in a low hiss, that was even scary to him. Then the other boy stood and stalked to the dormitories.

Draco sighed and looked down to the book opened up in his lap. God, what was wrong with him that he couldn't just be nice? Did the Imperious have lasting damage. He didn't feel trapped in his own mind. He only felt completely ashamed of himself for the things that poured out of his mouth.

Especially when he was well aware of the horrors that had happened to Theo.

Slowly his quill moved away from his homework parchment and moved to the Potions book, scratching the words 'DRACO MALFOY IS A HEARTLESS DICK' into the top left-hand corner, placing spells on it so the page could never rip or the ink ever removed. What he was needed to be documented. A memento to anyone who came across it.

/-/-/-/

September 23rd, 1996

Another breakfast, another day.

Hermione passed through the Great Hall doors and then suddenly stopped, turning on her heal and walking over towards the Gryffindor table where Harry and Ron had just taken a seat. She didn't care that people were looking at her, some maybe hoping she'd sit with her own people for once.

She was going through hell at the moment, too much bloody crap on her plate and not enough mentality to deal with it all. She stopped behind them and tapped them both on the shoulder. Their smiles and 'Hey Hermione's' flew past her and she shushed them with a hard look.

"You know, I'm so sick of this. You say one thing to get back my friendship, and then you completely turn the other cheek when I go over to that table," she said pointing behind her to the Slytherin Table where she knew her other friends were watching her from. "Like during meals I don't exit. I've been through so much with the both of you. You can't even imagine what this summer has been like. But, you wouldn't even know, now would you? Because you couldn't even recognize that I was nothing but a shell of what I used to be when I only said I was fine. If you don't get you're acts together, and make some progress with the house unity that I seem to be the only one lending any to the Slytherin's-" she said and this time she raised her voice and looked around to the other tables, catching Ginny's eye. "Besides Ginny Weasley", she added, before her heated gaze returned to the two boys who had just wanted to eat breakfast. "Then I don't know why we're even friends," she spoke more quietly.

She walked off, leaving both of them with their mouths hanging open, and the tables murmuring. But, she didn't care. Maybe she snapped a little dramatically.

But if the boys didn't even ask about her summer after this.

She was done.

She wanted to protect them. There was a very good reason for protecting them.

But, would they protect her and step up to the plate and really be her friend when they now knew something was up.

She knew she was done if they didn't. She also knew that if they did ask... She would lie.