Thank you all so much for all the views! I'm glad that you're liking the story! I know that Hermione may seem kind of helpless in this story, but I needed a good way for Draco and her start something. And, as for Draco and Annabelle... you'll just have to keep reading. ;) Cheers!

Chapter 5

Draco jumped in his chair when Nagini the anaconda bit and sank her fangs into Professor Burbage, professor of muggle studies at Hogwarts. The woman fell to the table, hitting it with a thud, and Draco saw the life drain from her eyes. He swallowed something disgusting as his chest tightened and the backs of his eyes were starting to sting with tears. This is the very first time that he has seen another human being die in person. And she died—got murdered—right in front of him, and on his own family's dining room table. He's never going to eat at it again.

"Now that that's taken care of," said The Dark Lord in a skin-crawling, slithering voice as he stood at the head of the dining room table in Malfoy Manor, "onto more business."

Draco didn't pay attention to what was said around the table, and stared in horror at the female professor on the table. Lifeless. Her blank eyes were looking directly at him, and he seriously felt like he was going to vomit all over the table in front of him. He had a feeling that something bad was going to happen at this meeting, just not something... like this. He looked around. People eyed the lifeless professor, but they did not seem all that disgusted. He looked over at his mother sitting next to him. She eyed the body in front of him, and gulped, like she was trying to keep her own breakfast down. Her eyes were wet with tears, but she didn't let them fall.

At least his mother and himself were the only ones with hearts in the room.

Draco breathed harder through his nose as the meeting went on, mouth sealed shut, and his lips turned white as he pressed them hard together. Not only did he feel extremely ill, he wanted to scream and run from the room. His chest constricted to a painful degree as those blank blue eyes looked at him, almost pleading with him to bring the body back to life. Of course, it was impossible. He clung to the arms of his chair, his knuckles turning white as well.

Cold blood. This woman was murdered in cold blood. Just like a lot of others. He thought of Professor Dumbledore, and the task of killing him.

Those eyes still stared at him. He saw the woman there, but then she turned into Dumbledore in his mind's eye. He stared at Draco blankly, lifeless. Because he murdered him.

Draco's jaw clenched, and his heart pounded through his head, which gave him a throbbing headache. For the rest of the meeting he faced Professor Burbage, her lifeless gaze on him. As soon as the meeting was through, Draco said a quick goodbye to those there and immediately apparated back to Hogwarts. He leaned against the wall near his common room door. He knew it was late and everyone was already in bed.

Hot, stinging tears spilled from his eyes and dripped from his jaw and chin, and he tried to suppress his whimpers, but they came anyway with every spasm of his chest. He has to kill Dumbledore. He has to kill this innocent man and face his lifeless eyes. Eyes that he caused the life to drain out of.

Suddenly, his mind went back to several instances when he bullied random people with his posse—people who didn't deserve to be bullied, and people he didn't even know. He had no qualms about bullying them. He liked it, was satisfied by it.

Has he really come this far? Has he come to the point where he's bullied so much that he agreed to kill a person? Another human being? How much longer will it be until he's like the Dark Lord and will hurt or even kill someone without a second thought?

His hands balled into fits. He's a monster. A ruthless monster. Sure, he did some things in the past days that one would consider kind, but in reality... he really is a horrible person.

No wonder so many people hated him, and still do.

People dodged his steps as he walked through the corridors. He's never really noticed people doing that until now. They were that scared of him. He doesn't blame them, considering what he has done in the past. It almost disgusted him that he was the way he was. He recalled the first time that he had called Hermione a mudblood. She had stared at him, and tears developed in her eyes. He really hurt her. He hurt others as well, and not just physically, but emotionally, like Hermione. And for years.

He seriously hates himself for the kind of person that he was.

It has been two days since he witnessed Professor Burbage's murder, and he even heard a few students walking by talking about how there was suddenly a new muggle studies professor. His gut twisted whenever he heard that deceased woman's name, and envisioned her death in his mind. He hated it. But he found himself thankful that those kids didn't know she was killed, and who killed her. He surmised that a story would be made up stating that she died of a heart attack or some-such.

Draco's posse followed behind him. Both Crabbe and Goyle talked with Pansy, and Goyle was flipping her hair around with his wand. Draco snorted. Goyle's always had a thing for Pansy, but she wants nothing to do with him since she's infatuated with Draco. Too bad for her. They entered the Great Hall for lunch and sat in their usual spots at the Slytherin table—right in the center and facing all the other tables. Draco happened to face Hermione and her friends at the Gryffindor table. He looked away when Hermione looked his way.

Throughout lunch, he glanced at Hermione now and then as she was laughing with her friends. He was curious as to what they were talking about. He looked away. No. He didn't care. He looked back. Hermione was laughing harder at something Ginny Weasley said. What could make a person laugh that hard? Maybe he'll just...

He pulled out his wand and held it out under the table. He muttered a spell, and Hermione and her friends' voices became audible to him, as if they were sitting right next to him.

"That was hilarious!" Hermione squealed. "Golly, my stomach hurts from laughing."

"It's good to laugh hard enough that your stomach starts hurting," said one of the Indian twins, and Draco couldn't remember her name. He felt jealousy pinch his stomach. Since when has he laughed so hard that his stomach started to hurt? When he was a young boy? How depressing.

"Have you finished that essay for Defense against the Dark Arts, Hermione?" asked the other Indian girl, the twin to the other.

Hermione's smile faded, and she took a deep breath through her nose in frustration. "Yes, I finished it. Finally. I would've finished earlier if it weren't for someone who stole all my books when I said I would be back for them."

She looked his way and he looked away. He smirked, amused at the memory. She retrieved those books almost the second after he put them back. In fact, after he finished his essay and levitated them into the return box, Hermione was right there to retrieve them, like she knew he was going to return them at that moment. Did she know? No, how could she? But still, he vainly hoped that she followed him. His pride shot up a bit.

"Who?" asked Potter, referring to who Hermione was talking about.

"Nobody. An arrogant snob."

Draco frowned. She's the one to talk.

"Was it McGilliagn?" asked Weasley. "That chap's always fancied you, and his too full of himself for his own good."

"No, not him, but another arrogant snob."

For some strange reason, Draco felt his chest constrict at the mention of another guy fancying Hermione. Wasn't one enough? And by one, he means Weasley.

"Those guys are after you, Hermione," Ginny said, and nudged her arm and gave her a sly look. "Better watch out."

Hermione stared at her with wide eyes. She made a glance at Draco, then immediately went back to Ginny when she noticed he was looking in her direction. Why on earth did she glance at him after Ginny's comment? He shouldn't think about it... but he is. He forced himself not to smile at what Hermione's looking at him may mean.

"By the way," Ginny said, "have those pigs Crabbe and Goyle stopped bothering you?"

"Hey, can't you let her finish her lunch in peace?" Weasley asked his sister. "First you say that boys are after her, and now you mention those two thick-heads."

"I'm just curious," she quipped. "Those brutes are horrible, along with their master."

Draco frowned again. He knew exactly who she was talking about.

"No, they've left me alone for the past few days," Hermione said. "After..."

She stopped, and Draco perked up a bit. He saw her glance at Weasley and Potter.

"What?" Ginny prodded.

"Nothing," Hermione said. "Nevermind." She glanced at Draco, then quickly glanced back. "Let's just finish lunch and get to class."

Ginny nodded, and Draco stopped the spell. So she was aware that he helped her out. Well, she isn't stupid, that's for sure. In fact, anyone could figure out that he stopped Crabbe and Goyle from harassing her. Annabelle sure did, and Crabbe and Goyle even clued into that as well when he pulled them away from her.

Great.

"Draco, what are you looking at?"

Draco blinked and looked at Pansy. Her dark eyebrows lifted on her fair forehead, indicating she wanted an answer. "Nothing," he said, and went to eating his lunch of beef stew, and went straight to class after. On his way to class, he spotted Annabelle, but he didn't bother talking to her. She looked at him in almost a dreamy way.

"Unnerving," he said, remembering that she fancied him. There are times when he sees her and she stares after him but never talks to him. The male in him appreciated the attention from a beautiful girl, but he had to remember that she's only the spirit of one. So he can't touch her... and that irked him. But there's another girl here capable of touching, but he's not going to think about that. It's unbelievable that he would come to fancy someone that he once loathed the sight of, and wanted dead just four years before.

No. He doesn't fancy her. Does he?

No. He doesn't. But he's able to admit that he fancies Annabelle. Just how many girls can a guy fancy all at once? It annoys Draco that he even has to think about it now, not after Hogwarts like he was planning.

Once in class, History of the Wizarding World, he did all that he could to pay attention, but his mind always reverted back to the conversation at lunch. Or more the last part of it. He couldn't get over the fact that Hermione noticed the motive behind his actions. What does she think of that? Does she think that he's starting to protect her? Or worse... fancy her? He hopes not. He really really hopes not.

The rest of his classes for the day were a blur because he didn't hear all the lessons because his mine was preoccupied since Hermione was in all of them. Why did she have to be the same year as him? He refused to think back to what Annabelle said about how they being in the same year was meant to be and not coincidence. They were meant to change things, like his family's traditions and change the Wizarding world.

Rubbish. It was all a load of rubbish. Nothing can change how his family does things. If Draco were to present a non-pureblood to his parents, they would dismiss it hands down. Annabelle really didn't know what she was talking about.

Evening came about, and as he was heading back to his common room alone, he heard shouts coming from the upcoming corridor—shouts that were in a familiar voices.

Not again. Will this ever stop?

He walked faster and peeked around the corner. He gasped and stared open-mouthed at what he saw. Hermione was suspended in the air upside-down, with her bushy light-brown hair dangling down, and her hands trying to keep her skirt from falling. She wasn't being all that successful since he could see right up her legs to her bare hip, and saw a hint of her undergarments. She managed to keep her front and backside covered, though. He tried not to focus too much on her bare skin and curvy legs, mainly because it was making his pulse rise. He spotted Crabbe and Goyle, laughing hysterically and shouting inappropriate, suggestive comments at her about her legs and undergarments. Crabbe had his wand on Hermione, while Goyle was making a mess of her books with his wand, with her wand in his other hand.

"I demand that you give me back my wand!" Hermione shouted at them, holding her skirt.

"What, mudblood?" Goyle shouted. "I can't here you!"

"Those idiots..." Draco muttered, and pulled out his own wand, but stopped. He already vowed not to rescue Hermione again.

Goyle sent a spell at Hermione, one that seared her arm. She screamed from the pain it produced, but she was silenced by a charm Crabbe cast. Draco saw the uniform sleeve on her arm shine with blood. His pulse rose, debating on whether he should got out there and stop his oaf friends from hurting her more.

"No one can hear you, mudblood!" the pudgy boy yelled, oblivious to the fact that people could hear him since people were walking around in the next corridor. "What'd you say?!"

The two commenced to torture her as she was in the air, twirling her around, and moving her up and down. Her mouth was open—she was probably screaming, and cursing, but no sound was coming out. The blood from her arm dripped to the floor.

Draco had enough.

He pulled out his wand and muttered a spell that pushed both Crabbe and Goyle down. Hermione fell from a few meters in the air, and landed on the stone floor on her side. The silencing charm was off her, so she yelled, "Ow!" at the impact. Crabbe and Goyle immediately got up and pointed their wands at Hermione, herself still wandless, but Draco shouted "Expelliarmus!" which sent their wands flying all the way to the other end of the corridor, and hers landed right in her hand. She got up and pointed her wand at them, and they stared at it.

"You think we're scared of that?" Crabbe scoffed.

She didn't say anything, other than a spell that sent them flying and they landed on their backsides several feet away. Draco walked around from behind the corner, and his friends spotted him. "Draco!" they said in unison as they scrambled up. Hermione's eyes widened and she looked to the back of her. He walked right on passed her, ignoring that flowery scent, as well as the stench of blood.

"Don't you two listen?" he demanded as he picked up their wands. "I told you she isn't worth it!"

"She's a mudblood, Draco!" Goyle protested.

He stayed silent, then said, "Fine. I'll take care of her." He shoved both their wands into Crabbe's hands. "Now scram before I start suspending you both into mid-air."

They scrambled away and were out of sight in seconds. Draco sighed long and hard through his nose and rubbed a hand over his forehead, hoping to subside the headache starting. He heard Hermione stepping behind him. "Don't you know how to defend yourself, Granger?" He turned to her and found her glaring at him.

"I was fine until you showed up," she quipped, and cast a charm on her arm to make it stop bleeding.

He laughed in disbelief. "Fine? You call being suspended in mid-air with your arm a bloody mess, and your undergarments showing, fine?"

Her cheeks flushed pink and her lips puckered. She stood tall and dignified. "I could've handled it."

"Yeah, right. Maybe after they killed you. You couldn't even keep your wand in your hand."

She glared at him, and frowned. "They caught me off guard! I was minding my own business when they came up behind me and snatched my wand right out of my pocket. Immediately after, they suspended me into the air. What was I supposed to do since they silenced me after only a minute?"

He snorted. "It's a wonder that you're passing Defense against the Dark Arts. You couldn't even keep two bullies off of you."

"I told you they caught me off guard! And you're the one to talk! Who's the boy who bullied me and countless others since year one, huh?"

That stung, since he knew it was true. He couldn't deny it. "Yeah, and you were able to keep me at bay. But obviously, not the two of them!"

"I'm only human, you know! Unlike you."

He was in her face now, and he could see the green in her hazel eyes. "Me?! Who's the one who saved you, Granger?! Someone had to stop that spell!"

She stared at his blue eyes for a moment and the corridor became thick with silence, other than the chatter going on in the other corridors. "Why would you care, after all the hurt you caused me in the past? You hated me."

He looked away from her and folded his arms. Images of that snake killing Professor Burbage came to his mind, making him feel slightly ill. "Because I witnessed someone being killed right in front of me by an evil hand, an evil hand that has killed mindlessly, and who hurt who knows how many people. That evil hand's not ever going to be me."

He didn't know why he revealed that to her, but he felt like she needed to know that he's no longer the person that he was before. At least, not the bully. He still has to kill Dumbledore, as much as he doesn't want to do it.

"Well..." Hermione let out after that, "I'm sorry that happened to you. But—I was fine. I can handle things on my own."

She picked up her books and held them in her arms, but they immediately fell once she had them all in her hands. "Ow!" she yelped.

"Blymee, Granger, are you really a genius? You broke your arm."

"No, more like you broke it when you stopped those two trolls."

"Fine. I did." He held out his wand and said, "Episky." Hermione's arm cracked, and she shouted again. "Good as new. That's the last time I'll rescue you. Twice was enough."

Hermione held her arm. "Twice? What do you...?" Her eyes widened in realization and shock. "The pillar! That was you?"

"You know, not paying attention to your surroundings can get you hurt. Mind that." He muttered, "Maybe you do need a babysitter."

He left her to gawk after him. Lovely. Now what's he going to do? She's going to tell the whole school he's going around saving a girl he once hated, that he's gone soft, and that he hates bullying. Basically, that he has completely made a180 to his past self. She may also reveal that he witnessed the Dark Lord kill someone. She's not stupid—what other evil person would kill without a second thought?

He stopped and turned his head to her. "Don't even think of telling anyone about this."

He was off before she had a chance to say anything.