Chapter 7: A Terrifying Night.

Before Hermione knew it, it was October.

Draco had made sure that whenever she saw him, he kept his limping and wincing to a minimum. But during the weeks that everyone went to bed, Draco had a brilliant idea or one where he should have thought of it sooner. He slept in the Room of Requirement. It was a slog going up and down 7 floors at the age of 11 but, it helped.

He soon healed a little and didn't have to watch his back during the night.

During the time that they were in the Room of Requirement, Draco has asked Hermione on how they could still do non-verbal magic.

"I honestly don't know. It could have been from the spells hitting the massive time turner, pocket watch….whatever it is, when we got sucked in. It does help but, to what extent, I have no clue," she had answered him, biting her lower lip, thinking.

Draco wasn't complaining that much. It made things a lot easier that's for sure.

Since Draco had upended the traditional of students sitting within each of their houses, he saw Hermione try to be friends with Harry and Ron. At times Draco had to bite his tongue whenever Ron made a nasty comment to her.

The glare that was sent to Ron was enough for him to shut up.

The bullying to Hermione had lessened to some degree. Draco would always hate his house for making it "open season" for other students to start to bully Hermione.

"Honestly, Granger, if you want I can-"

"Draco, it's enough already!" she hissed low at him in the library.

"I don't care! You don't want to see me limping anymore, than I want to see you take this...this…this …shit from everyone?" he threw right back at her.

"For now, I will," she whispered low, eyeing Madam Pince walk around with a harsh scowl to anyone who so much speak loudly today.

Draco glared at her and then hissed really low "No, Granger. I won't bend until you agree to learn some new spells,"

"I'm not going to drop to their level, Draco," She replied back, glaring at him.

"I know Potter wouldn't want you like this, if he was here right now," Draco mumbled to her.

With a loud SNAP, Hermione took her books into her book bag and put everything away.

"I'll see you later," she hissed in anger, walking away from him.

Draco sat there in stunned silence for a second. Why was it so hard for her to do just this one tiny request but, heaven forbid if he doesn't listen to her?

He went back to his school work, glaring at it.

Hermione was under pressure from school work, remembering what happened in her time line, trying to avoid Zabini since he didn't find her that night and keeping an eye on Draco.

Draco was paired up with her during Charms class as he watched her try to make their feather float or "fly".

"You seem out of it, Granger," he whispered to her.

"Not now, Malfoy," she whispered back, getting the wrist movement wrong for the 8th time.

"Oh yeah, just show off, again, Hermione," she heard behind her.

Turning around, Hermione saw Ron waving his wand around in wild movements.

"Stop! Stop! Stop!" she said reaching out for him to stop, just like before.

"What?" Ron asked her, getting impatient.

"You're saying it all wrong while waving your wand all wrong," she told him.

"I don't see you getting it," he retorted back to her.

Hermione glared at him and then said "Just watch what I do and copy it. Like Professor Flitwick said, it's swish and flick,"

"If you're so smart, you try it. Go on!" Ron snapped at her.

Rolling her eyes, Hermione did the swish movement and flicked her wrist at the end, stating "Wingardium Leviosa,"

Her feather started to move upwards as Professor Flitwick said in excitement "See here! Miss Granger has done it! Well done dear!"

Another feather floated upwards as Draco smiled.

"Well, well! Mr. Malfoy! Excellent job dear boy! Excellent job! 30 points to Gryffindor and 30 Points to Slytherin!" Professor Flitwick exclaimed, happily beaming at them both.

Hermione smiled back at him, turning around to Ron who glared at her.

The rest of the class tried to get their feather to float in the air, but Professor Flitwick then said loudly "That's it for today; we'll continue this spell throughout the rest of this week. Off you go!"

Out in the hallway, Hermione walked hurriedly after Ron and Harry.

"It's Levi-o-sa, not Lev-io-sa. She's a nightmare honestly. It's no wonder Malfoy is her only friend," Ron said loudly as Shamus and even harry snickered.

"Want to say that again, Weasley," Draco's voice spoke up behind them.

Hermione was stricken with fear as the group of Gryffindor boys stopped and turned around to face him.

"Draco," Hermione hissed low at him, tears slowly trickling down her face.

"No, Hermione," He told her, holding her hand in his.

"Look, Malfoy has a Girlfriend," Ron said, laughing at him.

"Honestly, Weasley. Did you just sleep through Professor Flitwick's speech at the beginning of class? Because I didn't see your feather floating up in the air," Draco sneered back at him.

Ron glared at him then as Harry then said "He does have a point, Ron. And Hermione did get us 30 points,"

"Oh, Shut up harry!" Ron snarled at him.

"Hey! I'm siding with Hermione on this one. Just because you failed to get your feather to float doesn't mean you have the right to take it out on me or her or Draco," Harry snapped back at him, walking over to Hermione.

"Fine! But if the Slytherin-wanna-be stabs you in the back, don't come crawling to me saying that I was right!" Ron yelled at him "And who needs a stuck up buck tooth know-it-all,"

Hermione gasped as Ron turned around and walked away.

"Ignore him, Hermione," Draco told her, standing in front of her.

"I…I…" she stammered, looking around.

Harry gently took her hand into his and said "Draco's right, just ignore him. Ron is just being stupid,"

Harry didn't see the hurt flash across Ron's face yards away from them, but Hermione did.

"Harry," Hermione tried to reason with him.

"No, Potter is right. Weasley wasn't the one who had his feather float in the air, Hermione," Draco stepped in, ignoring some shouts from other students.

"But, he's your friend, Harry," Hermione tried once more.

"No one should be treated like that, Hermione" Harry told her "thanks Draco, for standing up for Hermione,"

"It's the least that I can do since she's been struggling here," Draco said, smiling at her.

"I have not!" she huffed at him.

Draco snickered at her.

"Uhg!" She huffed again, walking away.

When she was completely out of ear shot, Draco then whispered "I hope I didn't mess anything up with you and Weasley, Harry,"

"You didn't. You helped me to see how he truly is. I keep forgetting that you know this world better than I do and, more like an adult then any of us here," Harry said, walking with Draco to their next class.

"I wouldn't put it past Weasley or his family, Potter. He's the youngest boy of a very large family. Trying to compete within that kind of environment ….can't believe that I'm saying this….is tricky," Draco then said, knowing that he has to fix this somehow.

"You really must not like him," Harry said, looking at him.

"Well, we're actually related to each other," Draco then said, guiding him to the great hall for lunch.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked sitting down next to him when they found a spot.

"Well… you know that there's pureblood, half-blood and muggleborns, right?"

"Yeah,"

"There are also family trees that actually matter too. Like I'm not just a Malfoy, I'm also a family member of the ancient and noble house of Black, from my mother's side of the tree,"

"Alright,"

"The Weasley's are related to the House of Black by tapestry,"

"The what?"

"Come on, Harry. Keep up. The Black Family has a tapestry that holds all of the names of family members who are...upholding the mind set of being pureblood. Septimus Weasley married Cedrella Black. They had three sons, one of them was Ron's father," Draco explained to Harry.

"And on his mother side?" Harry asked, chewing his lunch.

"The Prewett's have always been considered the Blood-traitors of our world. Even when the first war was going on, they sided with the Light. Molly Prewett before she got married to Author Weasley, had twin brothers but they died during that war," Draco said, eating his lunch.

"Whoa. So you really want me to be friends with Ron?" Harry asked him.

"Hermione wants us all to be friends, honestly. She knows that Weasley and I will never be best of friends, but at least respect each other," Draco told him, eating some grapes.

Harry heavily sighed and said "I'll try, but if he does something like this again, I won't be friends with him anymore,"

"Oh come on, Potter. Don't be like that. He is probably your first friend here," Draco said, looking at him.

Harry looked down and sighed.

"If you can, try to make things better, this is important to Hermione. And whatever Hermione wants…well…it's not pretty for me," Draco lamely said to Harry.

Harry smiled with a chuckle "Yeah, I feel sorry for you already, Malfoy,"

"Oh Please, Potter!" Draco said back, pretending to be hurt by this.

Harry laughed and then asked "So…if they are related to you…am I?"

"You are actually. Dorea Potter nee Black," Draco said to him.

"What? You're…me…?" Harry stumbled over his words.

"Yeah. Dorea Black is your…great aunt. Or was your great aunt," Draco told him.

"Whoa…so what does that make us?" Harry asked, looking at Draco with wide eyes.

"Distant cousins," Draco supplied.

"Whoa," Harry said in awe.

"Yeah. But, honestly Harry, you need to be friends with Weasley," Draco urged him.

Harry sighed and then said "Fine,"

Draco nodded and they walked away with their book bags hanging across their chests.

Soon it was the feast; classes were a little difficult since all of the students were excited for that dinner.

Draco looked around the hall; floating jack o lanterns were carved and decorated around.

"Hey, Potter," Draco said, looking at him.

"Yes?" harry asked him.

"Where's Hermione?" Draco asked him next.

THUD!

Everyone turned to the double wooden doors as Professor Quirrell came running through yelling "TROLL in the dungeon! Troll in the dungeon!"

Everyone did nothing as Draco stood up in worry.

"Thought you ought to know," Professor Quirrell mumbled and then flat out fainted.

Everyone started to scream, panic and rush towards the doors.

"SILENCE!" a loud voice carried over them all.

Everyone turned to look at the head table.

"Everyone must remain calm, please. Now, Prefects, please take the other students back to the common rooms, while the professor come with me to look for the Troll," Professor Dumbledore told everyone.

The prefects soon got everyone to stand and follow them back to the common rooms, but two people had hidden themselves among the Hufflepuffs with one on their trail.

"Where's Hermione?" Harry asked when they were in the empty corridor.

"Didn't you say that Neville overheard one of your own that said Hermione was in the girl's bathroom?" Draco asked him instead.

"Yes?" Harry said, but then gagged.

"Quick Potter, behind this pillar!" Draco pulled him behind it as they both heard the thumping of large feet.

They stayed silent as the smell grew more horrid; even breathing in their sleeves wasn't helping. Draco looked around when the shadow fell past them.

"It's heading into the girl's bathroom," Harry whispered in horror.

A loud scream could be heard next.

"Hermione!" Draco and Harry said at once, running towards it now.

BANG!

The door stayed against the stone as the bathroom was completely destroyed by the massive smelly and ugly Troll.

"Hermione move!" Harry yelled at her when he saw that she was still on the ground.

"Help!" she called back.

Draco at this point didn't truly care if Harry saw him do non verbal magic; he just had to get Hermione to safety.

'Wingardium Leviosa!' he yelled in his mind and the broken pieces of the bathroom stall floated up.

Harry stood in utter awe as Draco had them all circling around him like the planet Saturn and fly off towards the troll.

Slowly, the pieces hitting it in the face made it turn around.

THUNK!

A roar came from the troll as it was now highly mad.

"Potter, get Granger and go!" Draco told him, jumping out of the way of the massive club that came down just inches from him.

"Are you mad!?" Harry snapped back, but already was getting Hermione away from there.

Draco jumped and rolled away, the pieces that he kept using against the troll were dwindling down, but he wasn't giving up.

'You keep going; even if I'm not there,' Hermione's words echoed heavily around in his head.

"Wingardium Leviosa!" they all then heard a different voice.

THUMP!

Turning around, they saw Ron holding his wand pointing at the troll. Draco dropped his spell as did the pieces around him.

"Look out!" Hermione shrieked, pulling Harry and Draco against the wall.

CRASH!

The heavy body of the troll came down at their feet.

"How …" Harry began, looking at it in confusion.

"You used that spell," Hermione said, looking at Ron.

"Well…I can't have Malfoy take all of the credit," Ron said, shrugging.

"If you didn't call her those names, Weasley, we wouldn't be in this mess to begin with," Draco seethed at him.

"Is this true?" Professor McGonagall's voice cut in then.

All four of them whirled around to see Professor McGonagall standing there.

"Yes, Professor it's true," Draco spoke up to her "I couldn't find Hermione at all after professor Flitwick's lesson. I'm sorry for not following orders, but I had to make sure that Hermione was alright,"

Ron glared at him as Harry and Hermione looked really sheepish.

"You will have to answer to that of Professor Snape, for you are not in my house, Mr. Malfoy. Although I highly think you should have been," Professor McGonagall told him.

"Yes, Professor," Draco said to her.

"Explain yourselves now," Professor Snape's voice entered the bathroom.

"It would seem that Mr. Weasley had said some things to Hermione Granger and she was in here all afternoon. When the troll came in here, I'm guessing curiously on the noises, she was in trouble. I am sure Mr. Weasley will have time in the evenings for his detention," Professor McGonagall smoothly said to them all.

"If he wasn't such an ass!" Ron spoke out of anger.

"15 points from Gryffindor," Professor McGonagall told them.

It silenced Ron on his outrage.

"Now, I am sure you know the way to your dormitories," Professor McGonagall said with a pointed expression.

They all walked outside of the bathroom as the adults talked in the bathroom on what to do with the knocked out troll.

"I can't believe you just ratted us all out, Malfoy," Ron snarled at him.

"I wouldn't have to, if you would just grow up, Weasley," Draco pushed Hermione behind him, holding his wand lazily in front of him.

Ron took a step back when he saw Hermione gently took Draco's robes near his waist.

"Apologize, Ron," Harry told him next.

"What? You've got to be kidding me!" Ron said, looking at Harry.

"No, we're not," Draco chimed in next.

"Face it, if it weren't for you, Hermione wouldn't have nearly died tonight because of your hurtful words of who she is," Harry said, glaring at him.

"Fine! Sorry, Hermione," Ron said, stomping away from them.

"Leave him be," Hermione softly told Harry and Draco.

"Why do you want me to be friends with him again, Draco?" Harry asked him.

"Because, he needs one," Draco mumbled, putting his wand away.

Harry heavily sighed and said "Alright. But, if he messes up"

"He will Harry. Just, don't break the friendship," Draco cut in.

Harry stared at him and said "We better get back to the common room,"

"I'll walk you there, Hermione," Draco said, walking with them.

"But, Draco, the dungeon is the other way!" Hermione protested.

"Just humor me, alright?" Draco said, smiling at her.

Harry smirked and then said "You two really are for one another,"

"OH shut up!" Hermione protested and walked a foot in front.

Draco and Harry chuckled.

The news of how Gryffindor lost 15 points and the scene with the troll spread faster than you could blink. Everyone ignored Ron; except for Shamus and Dean. While Draco and Harry were patted on their backs for trying to save Hermione from the troll.

Draco had every right to strut around the castle; his chest puffed out, smirk on his face as Hermione just shook her head at him.

They were in the great hall doing their homework.

"Really?" she said to him, smiling.

"Hey, you're looking at your hero," he winked at her.

"Uhg, this is so much worse than 4th year," She hissed at him.

"How? They're not here, yet," Draco mumbled back, still smirking.

Shaking her head, Hermione went back to writing things down for her essay.

Harry walked over to them as Hermione then asked "Can you please get this …peacock…stop strutting?"

Harry chuckled and said "Can't Hermione,"

"What? Why not!" she said with wide eyes.

"Because he's your boyfriend," Harry told her, chuckling.

"Uhg! I can't take this anymore. I'm going to the library," She told them, gathering her stuff and marching away.

Draco snickered and shook his head.

"So, Ron and I are talking to each other whenever he feels the need to do so," Harry informed Draco.

"Need to do better, but it's a start," Draco replied back.

Harry heavily sighed and asked "Then what can I do to make it work better?"

"Talk to him about Quidditch. I'm sure you two can relate to that," Draco brought up.

"I'm not trying to blow you off, since you're my friend too, Draco," Harry told him.

"What?" Draco said, looking at Harry in confusion.

"You're my friend too, Draco," Harry repeated to him.

"I…I…I am?" Draco asked, almost in awe.

"Yeah. You're a good person Draco and I would hate to be on the other end of your wand as my enemy," Harry said, locking eyes with that of the only heir to the Malfoy family.

Not knowing what to do, Draco slowly nodded. This was what he wanted from the very start of his journey. Of course his father had to whisper in his ear to get Potter to come over to the dark side of things and ruin it all.

Harry smiled as he got to work on his homework.

Author's note:

Hello! Hello! Liked this story so far? Give it a follow! I update every Wednesday's, so don't miss out! Is it your favorite? Why thank you, you are too kind. No, really, you are too kind for favoriting it. Want to tell me what you honestly think of it. I got my shields ready, so don't be afraid to give me a review! (Don't forget, if I miss an update on Wednesday, you can in a joking manner, Blast me in a review for being late)

MY GOD! I hate how I struggled with this. If it's too Out of character for you, sorry, that's what the AU means.

If you find any errors, I'll come back to them later.

Alonia143.