A/N: Sorry about yet another short chapter, the next one will be out later today and it will be longer I promise. Once again sorry about any mistakes I am way to tiered to proof read as it's 1:35 am in the UK.

Chapter 8: The friendship formed

"I'll see what I can do St Nick," Hermione said with a sweet smile, hosting her bag further up her shoulder. "But no promises, I'm expected elsewhere tomorrow evening."

The ghost smiled, "I'm sure you'll have time to pop by Miss Granger, we'll be awaiting your arrival." he bowed slightly to low, before turning his back to the witch and floated off down the hall.

With a heavy sigh she turned to face Draco, "Don't even think about it." she snapped after seeing the smirk spread across his features. He raised an eyebrow to which she rolled her eyes and bumped him with her shoulder as she began to walk.

"I think it's sweet." He said in a sing-song like manor, his smirk becoming cockier.

Hermione groaned, "He's been inviting me to his death day party since second year. We went that first time, it was awful. Moaning Myrtle wouldn't leave me alone." Draco laughed and Hermione had to stop herself shoving him down the stairs, with a smile she turned her head to him and stuck out her tongue.

Draco rolled his eyes, "Sorry, do you want me to pull out my tiny violin?" he asked as they reached the bottom of the stairs. With a quick glance at one another they both burst out in a fit of hysterical laughter, both coming to a stop and leaning against the wall to keep steady. To everyone else they looked like lunatics, totally and utterly out of their minds. If they were honest, the pair weren't really sure why they were laughing so hard but it felt nice to relax and let their problems just float away for a minute. Or at least until a group of seventh year girls walked passed, staring at the head boy and girl with bitchy looks. And at the front of the group, was the one and only Ginevra Molly Weasley. Turning her nose up at them, Ginny whispered something to the girl next to her who giggled sourly before following the red head up the stairs, the rest of the group following closely. "What was that all about?"

Hermione chewed the inside of her cheek, with a shrug she turned her back to him and carried on down the hall towards McGonagall's classroom. Ginny had been acting... like a bitch ever since their falling out at Hermione's birthday party. She was convinced there was something between Draco and Hermione. Thankfully for the head girl, not all her friends seemed as mad as the Weasley; in fact, the boys where just as fed up with Ginny as Hermione was. They'd stopped sitting with her at meals, stopped studding together, no longer hung out together in the common room. It seemed the only time that Ginny, Seamus and Dean interacted was at Quidditch practice.

From what she could tell, Ginny hadn't gone to Harry and Ron with her suspicions. Their letters just seemed to consist of boring training exercises and ministry drama. And Hermione loved every single one. It brought some mundane to the craziness of Hogwarts, knowing that life was just as dull as it always had been outside the walls of the castle was refreshing. The world wasn't changing and she wasn't missing it change.

"Hermione?" Draco grabbed her by the arm and spun her to face him, she flinched as he did so. Instantly he let go of her, cursing under his breath he began to apologise. "I'm so sorry, I didn't think... Is your arm-"

"It's fine." Hermione glanced around to see if anyone was watching, once she was sure that everyone was just passing, she looked him in the face, except he was staring at her arm. She glanced down to see a trail of blood running across her hand, dripping into the stone floor beneath them. "You must have a really strong grip." She pulled out her wand and pressed the tip against the cut.

Draco didn't respond. He was once again lost in the memory of her in the manor not so long ago. Bellatrix's dagger was dripping in her red blood. Red. Not brown. Not muddy. Pure and muggle... Mudblood... Yet he could see no difference between his blood and hers. Granger's blood was just as red as his. The tip of the blade was against her throat, in response she stayed as still as she could. The complete opposite to what she'd been doing moments before; thrashing as much as she could, trying to free herself from his evil aunt. "I didn't do it! I didn't take it!"

"Draco!" Her screams faded and soon all he could hear was her, he blinked a few times before looking up at her.

"I'm suddenly feeling rather faint." He stated with a blank expression. "I think I might go see Madame Pomphrey. Let McGonagall know, will you?" Hermione didn't have time to answer, the moment he had finished speaking, he turned and scurried back down the hallway towards their dorm.

Mumbling a "Yeah, will do." to the air, she continued towards the Transfiguration classroom. That was odd right? He did stuff like that a lot, just zoning out, looking horrified and then running away. Pansy was usually around when it happened and she'd go off after him, the pair returning later both perfectly fine. They'd both made it clear that they were just friends, best friends but she couldn't help but doubt that. Then again, people said the same about her and Ron or her and Harry. Pansy, Blaise and Daphne where at the front of the line to go into class when she arrived. The two witches waved at her, Blaise raising an eyebrow to ask where Draco was. Merlin, he was not a man of many words. As she reached them, she just shrugged at him. "He froze up, blinked, told me he felt ill and buggered off."

Both witches shared a look, "We should tell her." Daphne gestured her head towards Hermione. Pansy and Blaise shared a hopeless look before the dark-haired woman gave a nod. Blaise placed his hand flat on the Gryffindors back and guided her away from the door, Pansy and Daphne leading the way.

"We noticed it first when we all moved in together." Pansy began in a hushed voice, cautious of the other people in the hallway. "He's been doing it since he was marked, zoning out, having flashbacks... The nightmares are worse, his screams, night after night..."

Hermione knitted her brows together; she'd never heard him screaming in the night. Blaise placed his hand on her shoulder, "He hasn't been having them since we got back here." he stated as if he'd read her mind. Blaise opened his mouth to speak again but closed it as the classroom door opened and McGonagall stepped out; bring a quick close to their conversation. Yet Hermione couldn't stop herself wondering what the wizard would have said next.

Draco couldn't figure out if he needed a hot shower or a cold one.

He glanced down at his watch, he had twenty minutes until transfiguration class finished and Hermione would come back to ditch her books before dinner. He'd already spent half an hour pacing around the dorm, debating where or not to go down to the Slytherin dorms and find someone to suck him off. He'd decided it would be a bad idea seeing as he couldn't get the image of Hermione dying in Malfoy manor out of his head.

The thing was, he felt like he owed her something after all his family had put her through. He knew it was an irrational thought, but he was trying to make amends with everyone he'd hurt and Hermione Granger was at the top of that list. Every word he'd placed in her direction since they were eleven had been mean, snobby, rude, insulting and every other word in the world along those lines.

At some point, he'd began to enjoy her company. They'd become friends, just like what he'd wanted at the beginning of the year. They enjoyed each other's company, they confided in each other and their darkest times. He jumped off his bed, eager to do something, to keep himself occupied when one of the children from the door came rushing into the empty frame next to the door, letting him know that Professor Roy was wanting to speak to him. With a groan he made his way out and opened up the portrait for her to enter. "You know you could just tell me the password."

The wizard rolled his eyes, "I wouldn't want you walking in here while I'm wanking now, would I?"

"That's revolting!" The American cried, smacking him around the back of the head before taking a seat on the sofa. Draco followed her but didn't sit, instead he hovered by the fire, his arms crossed and eye brows raised. "McGonagall told me you didn't go to class."

"I'm sick."

Felicity snorted, "You look it." they were both silent for a minute. Felicity stood, stretched and sighed heavily, "Look, I just wanted to ask if you'd come back to mine for lunch at the weekend."

He watched her closely as he debated his options. Now he could tell her that he had plans already or just out right said no. But he could see on her face that it meant a lot to her. Since she'd turned up a few months ago, all she'd wanted was to get to know her brother and he'd been stopping that from happening. Maybe if Hermione could forgive him, he could find the courage to get to know his sister. "I'll be there."