Author's note: Yes Yes. Again, I must say that I do NOT own any of these Harry Potter characters. JK Rowling does. Though I still do wish that I own Draco Malfoy. =X Haha. Well, hope you guys will enjoy this chapter. Please read and review! Thanks to all those who have reviewed so far yea? Thanks a whole big bunch!

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When this began

I had nothing to say

And I get lost in the nothingness inside of me

I was confused

And I let it all out to find/

That I'm not the only person with these things in mind

Inside of me

But all the vacancy the words revealed

Is the only real thing that I've got left to feel

Nothing to lose

Just stuck/ hollow and alone

And the fault is my own, and the fault is my own

I wanna heal, I wanna feel what I thought was never real

I wanna let go of the pain I've felt so long

Erase all the pain till it's gone

I wanna heal, I wanna feel like I'm close to something real

I wanna find something I've wanted all along

Somewhere I belong

And I've got nothing to say

I can't believe I didn't fall right down on my face

I was confused

Looking everywhere only to find

That it's not the way I had imagined it all in my mind

So what am I

What do I have but negativity

'Cause I can't justify the way, everyone is looking at me

Nothing to lose

Nothing to gain/ hollow and alone

And the fault is my own, and the fault is my own

I will never know myself until I do this on my own

And I will never feel anything else, until my wounds are healed

I will never be anything till I break away from me

I will break away, I'll find myself today

I wanna heal, I wanna feel like I'm somewhere I belong

I wanna heal, I wanna feel like I'm somewhere I belong

Somewhere I belong

Linkin Park - Somewhere I Belong

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Hermione left Professor Vector's desk, trying hard to ignore the nasty comments that Malfoy had just made.

'I can't believe this. What's up with Malfoy anyway? Hasn't he learned his lesson yet? His father is already in Azkaban. And he's still acting so pompously. That haughty prat! And I can't believe Professor Vector would actually partner us up. Malfoy and I? That's the one of the most ludicrous ideas I've ever come across before. Oh nooo. Why? Of all houses, Slytherin? And not just any Slytherin, It's Draco Malfoy! How am I going to get through this year with his incessant taunting?'

Hermione sighed as she gathered her books, determined to leave the place as soon as possible. She dreaded the thought of staying in the same room as that git Malfoy any minute longer. She picked up her canvas, muggle bag, that her parents had sent to her as a Christmas gift the previous Christmas, and stuffed her quill and books into her bag. As quickly as she had gathered the books, she left the room, blatantly ignoring the fact that Malfoy was trailing behind her.

Suddenly, Hermione tripped over a stone tile, and was descending upon the floor, when she felt someone placing a warm arm around her waist, hoisting her up before she fell down. She gasped, and turned around to face a pair of blue grey eyes. She came face to face with Malfoy who had a very confused expression on his face. A pale shade of crimson soon came over his face.

But his confusion quickly twisted into a smirk, and he said to her, "Careful Granger. This is the second time you've fallen down today."

"Um. Thanks Malfoy."

"No problem. It's just my perfectly gentlemanly nature to do things like this. Don't expect more of this in future though. Malfoys don't do anything for mudbloods. I just happened to be in a good mood, Granger."

*Piack*

Hermione shouted as she struck Malfoy's left cheek, "Shut up Malfoy! Stop calling me a mudblood if you don't want me to call you a deatheater. Just get lost! Why did you even bother?"

She was furious. 'How dare he? Just when I thought that he had a little good in him. But nooooo. Malfoy has to strike again. And I thought he was changing for the better. Why on earth did he bother to catch me anyway? He should have just left me alone. Left me alone to fall down. Why did he have to catch me? Wouldn't he have been pleased to see me fall down, and humiliate myself? Urgh.'

However, Hermione was more furious with herself than furious with Malfoy. She had let her guard down. When Malfoy had caught her in his arms, she had felt so secure. A sense of security had overwhelmed her. And in his eyes, she found peace. There was something, she didn't know what, but there was something in his eyes that brought tranquility to her soul. It was as though a void had been filled in her heart. For a moment, she had felt that he, Malfoy, was the one.

'Damn it Hermione. What on earth were you thinking of anyway? Malfoy? Helloo? This is the idiot that you've hated since your first year. This is Draco Malfoy we're talking about. Harry and Ron's arch enemy. Goodness Hermione. You are going crazy. Maybe you need to go to saint mungo's hospital. Wait. No. There's nothing wrong with me. It's just the books that are getting to me. Yes. It must be the exam stress.'

Hermione let a soft wail escape from her lips. "What's happening to me?!"

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Draco pushed a stray strand of hair back against the rest of his perfectly slicked hair, trying to ignore the foreign emotion he had just felt rushing through him as he caught Granger. He didn't know what had gotten into him to compel him to catch her as she tripped and fell. His actions just came in sync with what was happening. It wasn't pre-planned. God, it wasn't.

It just came naturally to him to protect her from getting hurt. She had looked so vulnerable as she turned to face him. Her face was so pale. The warmth in her brown eyes replaced with an unreadable fear. He couldn't decipher the feelings she was experiencing. Lucius had taught him, when he was slightly younger, to watch people. He had once said that expressions on the face, and the actions people took, were the ones that betrayed them the most, not the words that they said. Draco had a special gift in analyzing people's expressions, and had always used his skill to his benefit. However, this time round, he felt that he could not read Granger. She was just so unpredictable.

One moment, she was saying thanks to him, looking completely gratified. And the next, she had given him a tight slap on his left cheek.

'Just what is wrong with her? So much for helping her anyway.' Draco thought as he rubbed his sore cheek, gingerly massaging the aching skin.

'My. She does slap well doesn't she?'

Sighing, Draco continued on his way back to the dungeons, to go for his next lesson with Snape.

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Hermione hurried down to the dungeons where her potions lesson was taking place. To her greatest dismay, she realized that the Slytherins were sharing the lesson with the Gryffindors. She rushed into the dungeon, just as Snape was taking the register. Following right behind her was Draco Malfoy.

"Sit down Mr. Malfoy. Please don't be late again. Ms Granger. You're a Gryffindor prefect. Would you like to explain why you're late? This is an utter disgrace to Gryffindor isn't it? Tut tut. Not that there's much honour left in Gryffindor for you to ruin its name. Tsk. Ms Granger, I demand to know the reason why you're late for my lesson. And yes, ten points off Gryffindor for a prefect being late for my lesson"

Hermione opened her mouth, wanting to protest against Snape's obvious prejudice against the Gryffindors, since he had let Malfoy off the hook so easily, yet he was doing all he could to humiliate her. But she knew better than to argue with Snape. To win Snape in an argument was as possible as Professor McGonagall getting into a relationship with Snape. So, she just kept quiet, lest Snape decided to take more points off her house.

"Professor Snape, Professor Vector had requested to meet Granger and I after our arithmancy lesson regarding our work. It's not her fault." A slow drawl filled the air, lazily. It was Draco Malfoy.

Hermione whirled around in disbelief, as Harry, Ron and the rest of the Gryffindors did. Malfoy had just defended a Gryffindor? That was truly unbelievable. The rest of the Slytherins just gawked openly at Malfoy as he explained to Snape the circumstances.

Apparently, Snape was as shocked as the rest of them were. Startled, he just muttered, "Alright then. You're certain then, Mr. Malfoy?"

"Yes, Professor Snape. Do you doubt my words?" a slightly annoyed Malfoy asked.

"No, Mr. Malfoy. Alright then. Ms Granger. You may sit. But I do not wish to see this scene repeating itself again." Snape said. But Hermione wasn't sure whether he was referring to her being late again, or the scene of Malfoy coming to her defense.

Snape did look rather annoyed though. After all, his plans of humiliating the Gryffindor had been foiled by one of his favourite students.

Hermione turned to look at Malfoy with a questioning look, and as their eyes met, Malfoy just shrugged his shoulders.

. After the lesson . "Hermione! What was that all about? Has Malfoy gone daft or something?" Harry asked with confusion, but a look of triumph was still prevailing in his face.

"I don't know anything. Don't ask me." Hermione replied, with equal apprehension to all the questions posed to her after the potions lesson. Apparently, Malfoy's 'little' action had caused some controversy amongst the Slytherins and Gryffindors.

As Hermione walked out of the dungeons, Pansy Parkinson gave her a glare and sneered at her. She had a feeling that the act of animosity was due to jealousy.

'Hah. Pansy Parkinson's jealous of me because Malfoy had defended me. This is totally ridiculous.' Hermione thought to herself, with a slight grin on her face, feeling slightly triumphant that she actually had a foothold over Pansy.

"Now Hermione, don't tell me that Malfoy's not the only who's gone mad. You've got a silly look on your face now. Oh dear. Do you both need to go to St. Mungo's? You're acting a little strangely today Hermione." Harry said, with concern, and a certain degree of amusement hidden in his voice.

"I'm okay Harry," Hermione said happily as she linked hands with her two best friends, Ron and of course Harry, "What could possibly be wrong with me? I think it's you guys who need to go to St. Mungo's!"

The three laughed merrily as they headed for their next lesson.

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"Dracooo," Pansy whined, "Why on earth did you defend that mudblood anyway? You could have let them lose the ten points. What's wrong with you?"

"Pansy, I just did what I thought was right. Do you want to argue with me?" Draco said, in a dangerously annoyed tone.

"Oh okay. Dracooo. Do you want to go to hogsmeade with me this weekend? The school is letting us go on a trip to hogsmeade. What say you? Just you and I. It will just be the two of us. Won't it be romantic?" Pansy said, in a semi whining voice.

But Draco seemed to be lost in thought, in his own little world. His eyes had darkened mysteriously.

"Dracoo? Are you listening to me? So do you want to or not?" Pansy tugged at Draco's robes, fervently trying to get his attention, and slightly annoyed that he wasn't paying any attention to her, which was actually quite normal.

"Huh? Whatever you say Pansy. Whatever." Draco said, hoping that whatever he had agreed to was not going to be another torturous session of Pansy's endless flirting.

He watched darkly as Granger disappeared off into the compounds of the school, with Harry Potter, the wonder boy, and Ron Weasley, the weasel.

He was still feeling sore, even after six years of bullying and picking on the trio, that Harry Potter had actually preferred to hang out with that poor weasel and mudblood, than to hang out with the great Draco Malfoy.

He had no idea what led him to vouch for Granger's reason to why she was late for Potions lesson. But he knew that he couldn't sit back while Snape was berating her for being late, while he got away scot-free. And besides, it wasn't even her fault that she was late. He knew that the teacher in charge of his house always had a soft spot for him, and would listen to whatever he said, no matter how unreasonable it was. So he used it to his benefit often, to get the 'wonder trio' into trouble with Snape, over the last five to six years. However, this time, he just felt that Snape was being unjust, and thus, he defended Granger.

He hadn't thought of the complications when he had done that. He was deemed as a hero in Slytherin. After all, his father was a martyr for the dark lord. And he also knew that many other Slytherin families were also lackeys for the dark lord. Pansy's parents were one example. So were the Crabbes, Goyles and the Zabinis. And his action of defending Granger, who was a mudblood, was regarding with great distaste by the other Slytherins. Some of the Slytherins cast him looks of disgust, though they didn't dare to openly declare their disapproval of his actions. Now that people were looking at him with a not-so-positive view, Draco was able to understand how Harry Potter had felt when he got fifty points deducted from his house.

Then, realization hit him. He had actually helped Granger. This was all too strange.

'Draco. Draco.!' He silently screamed to himself, "Just what on earth did you think you were doing? And what on earth is happening to you? Why am I behaving so strangely? ARGH.'

Pansy tugged at Draco's robes, looking very annoyed, that Draco hadn't been paying her any attention at all.

"Argh. Just get lost Pansy!" Draco said angrily, as he stormed off, back to the Slytherin dungeons where he could seek solace, by himself, in his own private time.

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Well well. This is my longest chapter by far. How is it going? Do you guys like it? Please review alright? So I can know what areas to improve on. Thanks! I love you all and I love Draco! -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=