WELL this is a very quick update! Don't expect these all the time, I just had this chapter written and was so pleased with my three new reviews and the amount of favourites/followers the story has!

So, I also thought I'd update cause it's a bit of a short chapter anyways :)

A HUGE thankyou to: "dutch potterfan" "MemoirsofaLostCause" and "ariadne0318" for your reviews, THIS CHAPTER'S FOR YOU GUYS!

(I've also replied a lil bit to your reviews at the end so if you wanna go check that out hehe)
Please review for me, I love opinions, criticism, plot ideas, character development, whatever the HELL you want, I'll take it;)

Description: This chapter is purely about the exchange in the Owlery, we learn a little more about the Malfoys!

Disclaimer: Nope, I'm still not a genius millionaire writer.

ENJOY xo

Chapter 3

Hermione smiled nervously at Lavender and Parvati as she mumbled some excuse about meeting Ron before quickly leaving the dormitory in case they wanted any details.

She blew off Ginny's attempt at conversation, even though she'd missed speaking to her best friend pretty desperately, and hurried out of the common room before anyone else noticed she was leaving.

She managed to get away just before 8, and was heading up the spiral staircase to the Owlery, already feeling the cool breeze of the autumn air before she even opened the heavy wooden door.

He was waiting for her, leaning against the cold stone sill of the window, looking out over the lightly frosty grounds as his hair blew slightly in the wind.

"I want to know how it happened." He said, simply, coldly as if he were merely mildly insulting her, not asking a deadly serious question.

Hermione coughed slightly and shuffled her feet.

"What do you mean?" She asked tentatively, futilely hoping he hadn't noticed that large, blackened bruise on her chin.

He spun round, icy rage in his eyes as he glared at her.

"Don't even try and pull this over my eyes Hermione, you will tell me what's going on if I have to steal some veritaserum and choke it down your throat." He snarled, his anger surprising Hermione. But there was one other thing shocking her even more.

"You, you called me, Hermione." She choked, looking at him in utter astonishment as his cheeks reddened slightly. He looked away, ruffling his hair from the back like he always did when he was nervous.

"Don't try and change the subject." He said quietly, although he was clearly avoiding that subject himself.

He flicked his wand lightly, and the glamours Hermione had been building on, piling one on top of the other for the past few days slipped away like a scarf in the wind.

It only revealed two bruises though, the large dark one that was fading slightly on her chin, and a fairly new one that had just began to darken giving her a rather noticeable black eye.

Draco looked at her, his expression not changing, although Hermione could see the turmoil in his eyes.

"Take off your jumper and the scarf." He snapped, looking her in the eye as he spoke.

Hermione gasped, and glared at him, scandalised.

"It's cold up here, you complete utter arse, besides there's nothing to hide anyway so,"

"So you don't mind proving it." Draco interrupted, as Hermione sighed, and removed her scarf, robe and jumper, displaying a few bruises on her arms.

Draco nodded stoically, and moved towards her, for an instant, Hermione almost thought he was going to hug her, envelope her in his strong arms, but instead he lifted up the side of her shirt, displaying yet more bruises that had been hidden away, kept a secret like the rest.

He broke.

Furious, Malfoy thrust her jumper and scarf at Hermione, and turned away before slamming his fist into the door, a sickening crunch echoed out over the room as Hermione gasped, looking on at him dumbfounded.

"How could you be so stupid?!" He bellowed, turning on his heel to glare at her, stare her right in the eye as she held her ground.

"Me? What about you! You idiot you could've broken your hand, or worse, damaged the door!" She snapped, glaring back defiantly.

"You know what I'm talking about Her- Granger," He spluttered angrily, "I'm not stupid, I know the Weasel's been beating you." He spat fiercely as Hermione dropped her scar in shock.

"H, how do you, I mean why? Why on earth would you think that?" She gasped.

"The way you look at him, with pure fear in your eyes, the way once you would have hugged him as your best friend, and now you shy away as he pulls you towards him. Not to mention the goddam bruises, Granger I know the signs." He muttered, moving towards her once more, gazing into her warm, chocolate eyes, brimming with tears.

He tore himself away, returning to the sill as she sniffled softly behind him.

"You're wrong. He doesn't beat me, Ron's not a monster," She whispered as Draco spun round, fury blazing in his eyes.

"Then what would you call it? Discipline?" He snarled nastily as tears ran down Hermione's cheeks.

"It, it's my fault, I abandoned him, I should have been there for him, should have helped him get through hit all but instead I left him and now, I don't even know who he is anymore. It's all my fault." She gasped through her tears.

"No, it's not you don't understand that you've done nothing wrong, he's the monster, it's not your fault he's changed mother you have to," They both froze, Hermione wiped her eyes and touched his shoulder, gently, carefully.

"Mother?" She whispered, as Draco's shoulders shook in anger, or maybe it was repressed tears.

"She never listened, she always said," He took a deep breath, as a single silvery tear slipped from his eyes. "That there was something she should have done, some way she could have helped him, saved him from himself."

He looked out over the grounds, as the moon appeared slowly from behind a grey cloud.

"My mother is dead Hermione, did you know that? Died in hospital. She just wasted away. He hurt her, beat her so bad, I tried to get him to go, to stop but I was nothing, just a child.
And then I realised after the war, after his leader, his idol was gone. That I was stronger than him.
I wasn't a filthy coward, who too his anger out on his own family. I made him leave, forced him to go.

At first, it was ok. He left, never came back, I think he was afraid of what I might do.
But that was when Mother got sick. Because, after all he put her through, after everything that happened, she still loved him. Still thought she deserved every punch he threw.

She wouldn't eat, wouldn't talk, and spent most of her days in her chambers just gazing out mournfully over the grounds of the manor.
She collapsed one day, and I took her to St. Mungo's, but of course it was already too late.

She let him win, Hermione, let him rule her, control her, and in the end, even after I thought I'd saved her life, it was him who took it away from her."

Hermione turned and faced the blonde haired boy, the one who'd tormented her for years, been her enemy, hated her with a fury and watched the silvery tears as they slid down his cheeks.

"I want to help you Hermione, I truly do. But I have to know if you'll let me." He whispered, looking in to her eyes, mercury meets chocolate.

"Do you still love him? It was her love that killed her, it drove her to the grave not being with him."

Hermione looked away sadly, and sighed.

"I stopped loving Ron the first time he pushed me down." She said quietly, realisation hitting her hard.

"I never truly loved him that way to begin with, he was always just my friend, I thought we'd be able to date and get over it, but after Fred I just felt like I couldn't leave him, and"

Draco pulled her towards him, hugging her close as they cried silently for a moment.

"Hermione Granger, will you let me save you?" He whispered, looking at her earnestly.

"If you'll have me." She smiled weakly, up at the friend who would save her life.

:) Just an FYI, there are just kindafriends right now, not much sexualnesss ;)

So: ariadne0318: ! You literally made my week thankyou sososooo much :')

MemoirsofaLostCause: Yeah :( and defo, she couldn't even believe that wittle won won would do something like that? And yeah he helped her cause she was a bit dazed :( Poor 'Mione!

dutch potterfan: Hereeeeeee's your update! Hope you like this chapter too :)

REVIEW? xo