All Characters Belong to J.K. Rowling.

PART 1

For years, Hermione wondered if it was worth telling the truth. Her classmates already knew her as the insensitive know-it-all anyway, so what difference would telling the truth make?

Facts calmed her. The calm of the library, where there was no hustle and bustle. Books gave her facts. Facts she could retain. Arithmancy was the easiest. It was just numbers and letters. Spells became more complicated, but in the end, she would always have it stored away and ready to use when needed.

"Go on Granger," the sly tone of Pansy Parkinson goaded her, as she sat in the classroom along with a select few people that Headmistress McGonnagal had called upon.

This meeting was supposedly about inter house unity and getting to know each other, but Hermione saw it as a hindrance. She had much better things to be getting on with, and since she was back for her final year after the defeat of Voldemort, she may as well make the most of the fabulous library and its books.

"You're meant to tell us something no one knows about you. So spit it out." Hermione stared at her before moving her gaze around the room. Harry shot her a supportive smile, feeling just as uncomfortable as she was. Ginny and Luna sat opposite her, Anthony Goldstein to Luna's right. All three of them looked bored, having already shared their secrets. Pansy, Draco Malloy and Theodore Nott completed the circle, Pansy to her right.

Pansy has just finished telling her secret - that despite what she told people, she had never actually slept with someone (like Hermione cared about that) - and it was now her turn. But was it worth it? Telling people wouldn't make a difference, they wouldn't know what it was. Well, Harry might, but he wouldn't understand. Bless his kind heart, he really would not understand.

Hermione glanced around the room again. The Slytherin's were giving her a pointed look, Draco's more of a scowl for having to be there and waste his time with a bunch of people when he could be doing something else.

"Get on with it Granger, as soon as you are done the door will finally unlock itself and we can leave." Malformed drawled, pinning his glare on her even more.

"I have Asperger's Syndrome," she finally declared, only to be met with multiple blank faces and a gasp to her left. The door clicked open behind her, and Anthony made a move to leave, but Harry's shocked shout of "what?" made him stop.

"Harry..." Hermione avoided his gaze, feeling really uncomfortable with all the eyes on her. She wasn't ashamed, far from it. This made her who she was, and she was proud of that, but having all eyes on her made her want to dart from the room and never be seen again. She shifted uncomfortably in her place on the floor.

"Why did Harry shout as though you were dying?" Ginny piped up, still looking confused. Her eyes widened. "You're not dying are you?" She asked panicked. Hermione continued to stare at her feet. No, she couldn't do this. She bolted upright then tore from the room as though it was on fire. A few shouts of her name followed her as she fled the room, the door slamming closed behind her.

She ran. She didn't know where she was going, but she took staircases and corridors up, down, left, right, probably doing loops without realising it, until she skidded to a halt outside the familiar door. The library.

Without a second thought, she went inside and retreated to the far back section of the library where the Arithmancy books were held. Without even bothering to glance at the title - something very un-Hermione - she sat down in the seat furthest at the back and began to read. The numbers and equations washed over her, her mind relaxing almost instantly. This, this she could deal with.

Hermione had no idea how long she'd been there before someone took the seat next to her. She glanced out the side of her eye, instantly knowing who it was, his shoes giving him away instantly. No one wore such expensive shoes. She turned back to her book. Why was he of all people here? Hermione continued to read whilst her companion sat in silence. Again, time passed, and Hermione did not know how long, but no one made a move to address the other, but she could feel eyes darting to her every now and again, and it was starting to bother her.

"What?" She whispered. They were in a library after all.

"Potter told us." He admitted. Hermione turned her head away from the book to look at him. He looked uncomfortable being there.

"Okay." She paused, unsure how to continue, but didn't give it much thought before saying, "you don't have to sit there. You can go." She turned back to her book. Her blunt tone of voice caused him to raise his eyebrows in question. He was used to bluntness from her, but he was expecting her to be upset with tears streaming down her face, not calm and reading a book.

"Granger, look at me." His demanding tone was gentle. She raised her eyes, looking at him sceptically. This was where the jokes should start. This is where he would treat her differently. Even more differently than before. This is where she regretted even opening her mouth. Why didn't she just say she was born with six toes on both her feet? She grimaced. That would have caused laughter and jokes too. What if he told everyone? What if someone knew what it was and then berated her for it? What if she was thrown out of Hogwarts? Her panic started to rise. She turned back to the book in her hands, reading the same paragraph over and over again, trying to calm down.

Her companion noticed her tense shoulders and her rereading the same section of the book over and over again. "Granger." Nothing. "Hermione?" Her eyes shout up.

"Why are you here still?" She blurted. Social situations had never been a strong point. It's one of the reasons her parents has started to suspect her Autism. She had never been a social child, but when she would fixate on subjects and go on about them for months at a time, and barely had any attention span for anything else, her parents knew. But it wasn't until after she started Hogwarts that she was actually diagnosed. The summer between first and second year had made things so much clearer for Hermione, after test after test, when she sat down at the Doctors with her parents and was told. It was almost a relief.

Her companion stood up, raising another eyebrow without even looking the slightest bit bothered by her. "This does not define you Granger." He said, shocking her. Now this was new. And Hermione hated it. "And just because I know Potter and Weasley are going to be treading on egg shells around you for weeks now, I will do the good and honest thing of acting like this never happened."

It was Hermione's turn to raise eyebrows. "Pardon?"

"In other words Granger, I couldn't care less that you have a slight learning disability. I have one too." With that, Draco Malfoy waltzed off, not even looking back to see the extremely confused look on Hermione's face.