Okay the long awaited well maybe not..Chapter TWENTY-ONE Ohh yeah and a special thanks to my Beta reader LILIAN

Disclaimer: Roses are Red; Violets are Blue

I wrote the plot; But that's all that I got, don't sue

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Falling Head Over Heels ~The Story of Hermione Granger and Her relationship with Draco Malfoy~ By: Befuzzled

Chapter Twenty-One ~ Persistent Letters

"I'm writing to you, not to tell you that I still hate you; Just to ask you how you feel and how we fell apart? How this fell apart? Are you happy out there in this great wide world? Do you think about your self? Do you miss you little girl? When you lay your head down, how do you sleep at night? Do you even wonder if we're all right? But we're all right; we're all right. It's been a long hard road without you by my side. Why weren't you there all the nights that we cried? You broke my mother's heart; you broke your children for life It's not okay but we're all right. I remember the days you were a hero in my eyes, But those were just a long lost memory of mine. I spent so many years learning how to survive Now I'm writing just to let you know that were still alive." ~Good Charlotte

They were walking away from the infirmary, without any sense of where they were going; they were silent. Hermione was quiet because she felt bad for revealing her dreams to Draco and Draco was still in shock. Dumbledore had dismissed them from classes for the day so they had a lot of free time to ponder over the day's revelations.

" Hermione?" He startled her when it broke the stillness in the desolate hallway.

"Yes?"

"Please don't hate me, I didn't want to tell you."

"What happened after you saw me, hanging on the wall? Who else was in the room?"

"I'm not sure. I blacked out, I think. The next thing I remember is waking up in the bed next yours." Her voice was quite, barely audible, unstable.

"Do you think you know who the man in the hood was?"

"It could be lots of different people, I guess. The voice sounded strangely familiar, like I heard it a long time ago or something." They were approaching the third floor corridor.

"Can we stop talking about this, please? It was just a dream, and none of has come true. I don't know why I got so worked up about it; I don't even believe in that kind of stuff anyway. Don't take it too seriously, and please don't be mad at me for even thinking about that sort of thing happening to you. And don't tell anyone else, I already have enough on my platter I don't need to hear whispers in the hall about how I've lost it or gone crazy or anything li-"

"Hermione, we'll drop the subject okay. I know how hard it is on you and I don't mind that much. We can't control are dreams can we?"

"Well there is that dream potion. You know you just add a few ingredient to the sleeping draught and you can be dreaming about any number of things."

He took her hand. They popped into their common room, alone again. "Do you have to prove me wrong about everything?" Draco asked in a joking voice.

"Would I be me if I didn't?" The both gave a small laugh he sounded a little forced, but they were relieved that they were able to change subject so easily.

"I guess not." He sat down on the couch and pulled Hermione next to him. His arm wrapped around her, "Who's Matilda?"

"Matilda? Oh yes, Matilda! She's a character in book. She discovered she had magical powers when she started school."

"How do I know about her?"

"I read the book to you while you were in your coma state. I wasn't really good at the one way conversation thing, I felt stupid, and I couldn't study because I felt like I was leaving you out, so I read to you. My mother read that book to me many times when I was sick, I thought it was rather appropriate."

That's not all you said to me either 'I'm absolutely in love with the changes and I think I am falling head over heals for you' he thought. "I see tell me more about your mother, please. Is she anything like you?"

"There's not much to tell... She looks a lot like me, except for the hair and the eyes. I get the hair from my dad. And the eyes... I don't know, they seem to have a mind of their own. But, anyway she married when she was eighteen, she's been married to my dad for seventeen years, and they had me. They have a dentist practice together. As far as I know, and thanks to you, the whole school knows, I have no magical roots."

"Sorry about that. Do you have any other siblings?"

"I wish. But, no I'm the only one. It gets lonely sometimes but occasional solitude is a good thing. That's why I retreat to the library. It reminds me of home."

Draco was raptly listening to every word. "Anything else I should know about you?"

"Like what?"

"When's your birthday, what makes you happy, your favorite color, food, pets, hobbies, fears, and I've been wanting to know this for a long time what type of shampoo do you use."

"My shampoo?"

"Yeah your hair smells so great." He ran he hands through her hair and then buried his face into it.

"It's freesia, a type of flower."

"Yum."

"You are so weird. You're excited about a shampoo. You should go talk to Lavender and Parvarti; you'd get along nicely."

"I can't help it. All, wait most girls smell good but you're intoxicating."

"The scent of my shampoo turns you on?"

"In a way, yes."

"Oh brother. Speaking of which - what about you? Any siblings?"

"In a way, but not really."

"Is it like a close cousin or something?"

"No, nothing like that. I have a six-year-old sister."

"I never knew"

He continued talking. "But I haven't seen her since the day she was born. It is not adequate to have female off spring in the Malfoy chain." The last phrase was said in a harsh mocking tone. His body became rigid. "Stupid family traditions."

"Is she, is she still alive?" Hermione was tentative, she didn't want to upset him anymore today than she already had today.

"Yes, last time I heard she was at a wizarding year round boarding school. They send us a picture every year on her birthday. Father usually burns them, though. My mother had just named her when my father took her away. It's part of the reason I hated you; you're name reminded me of her to much. Hermia Arissa Malfoy."

"I'm sorry Draco, I had no idea."

"No one did."

"Thank you for sharing that with me it means a lot. More than you could know. I swear I won't tell a soul. I promise." She wrapped her arms around him. She sensed that he was near tears. "You'll see her again someday." And I will make sure of that

"Yeah, maybe. There's something else I should show you too. I know we are both digesting a lot right now but this needs to be out in the open." He got back off the couch and went to his desk. He pulled a key from his robes. "This was the only safe place I knew I could keep them." He pulled out a sheaf of papers, all covered in words. "They're from Lucius. They're letters, I've been getting them since October I guess."

He handed them over to Hermione and she began reading them:

Draco, There will be a meeting on all hallow's eve. I expect you to be there. Make up some excuse to that loony head master of yours. Professor Snape may be of assistance there. I heard that damn mudblood made Prefect as well. Show her up and make her wish she was never born. She is a disgrace to the school, to the whole damn wizarding community. Make her pay for tarnishing it. Lucius

Son, Where the hell were you last night? Our Lord was expecting you to be there, and you failed me. I suffered the Cruciatus curse and the same will befall of you when you return home. But for now your mother will make a good practice too. See what you have done to her? To me? I warn you: do not disgrace this family. Is that clear. Lucius Hermione stopped reading, tears were welling in hers eyes. "Have you shown Dumbledore these?" Draco shook his head and she went back to reading.

Boy, You are pissing me off. That Parkinson brat wrote me that you were giving that mudblood bitch flying lessons, VOLUNTARILY! That better not be true for your sake. There will be another meeting on the ideas of this month you best be there, or else.

Word just reached me that you danced with the mudblood bitch?!? I'm glad you were voted king or whatever the hell it was, you finally did something right. But then you messed it up by dancing with that piece if muggle born ass. Punishments are in order. What have a told you about associating with trash like her?!!

Lucius

There were at least fifty letters telling Draco what a disgrace he was to the family, the announcements of meetings, and the abuse his mother was getting.

"Oh my god Draco. I'm so sorry, so, so sorry. How could someone be so evil!" She dropped the letters and threw her arms around his neck, crying onto his shoulder. "I'm done more damage to you, and all you've been to me this year is nice. I've made your life a living hell, and those are just words. Oh my, I'm so sorry Draco."

"No, no. Shh. Hermione, you have been nothing but a god sent gift to me this year. I couldn't have gotten through it without you. He's just pissed off because I have joined as a Death Eater yet."

"Yet?"

"Well u have to let him think that, but I don't want to be one. I wasn't sure but now I am. I don't want to be like my father."

"I know, I know. Are you going to talk to Dumbledore?"

"I don't know what good would that do?"

"I know you don't like him much, but he's good at protecting people. Look at Harry." Just then a onyx eagle hawk flew in, and dropped a letter in front of Draco.

"Oh look another letter from our pal Lucius. I'll read it out loud:

The thread your life hangs by grows thin, boy. How could you embarrass yourself, not to mention me like that? How could you not see the bloody bludger? That damn Potter got the snitch again! Maybe we need to have practice? Just avoiding the bloody damn bludgers. You're pathetic. You got knocked out pretty bad as well. You deserve it. TRY not to fuck things up again.

He's in a lovely mood."

"Stop being so sarcastic. Would he really get that mad over a stupid game?"

"No, but this wasn't a stupid game. It was a chance to show up the Gryffindors, an opportunity that should never be passed up. I'm surprised he didn't include something about Potter's ability to catch the snitch with a broken arm back in second year."

"I remember that. Lockhart did a nice job 'fixing' he's arm for him, didn't he?"

"Yeah, that old clown was worse at magic then that old fool we have teaching care of magical creatures."

"Hey, don't insult Hagrid. Hagrid has not done anything to you or anybody else in this school for that matter to make you hate him so much. We proved that in second year too, when Harry was inside Tom Riddle's journal of memories. So stop insulting people for the fun of it, I mean, you stopped making fun of me. It wasn't that hard was it?"

"No Mina, it wasn't. You, you're just different from everyone else though. You gave me a chance when everything you learned since when you entered into this magical world is the exact opposite of what I was raised to know. Hagrid doesn't like me anymore that Snape likes Potter-"

"Yes but that's because you exaggerated that injury from the hippogriff after YOU didn't listen to him."

"Point taken, but all I'm saying is that it's not a one sided thing. Keeping things how they are is easy. Everybody's comfortable with it, so why change if everything flows."

"Yeah, I guess, but it stills seems a little strange. You know the Slytherin prince with the Gryffindor Princess. If you can accept that, how come you can't accept the others?"

"We just went over that. You're special," Draco said wrapping his arms around her shoulders. They just sat there like that for a while.

"Draco, I hate to cause a ripple in the lake, but what are you going to do about those letters? I know everything else is "comfortable", and I understand that. I just think you need to do something about your father verbally harassing you and threatening your mother-"

"I know Hermione. I'll go talk to Dumbledore today."

"Perfect."

"Not yet, but it's getting closer."

~*~

Hermione was pacing outside of Dumbledore's office talking to herself the gargoyle guardian there as well. A million tiny things were running through her head and she tried to sort out each one with reason.

Should I have gone up there with Draco? Will he need my support? What am I talking about? This IS Draco Malfoy after all - the big, bad Slytherin. He'll be fine. I'll be fine. Mrs. Malfoy will be fine. Dumbledore will know what to do if anybody does. EVERYTHING will be fine. No need to panic. Not that I'm panicing. Just...nervous. Ya, nervous. Anyone can get nervous. Why am I even here? We're friends, that's why I'm here. Because we're friends.

Suddenly the gargoyle started moving, and Hermione thought Draco was going to come down but instead a puff of smoke instructed her to come up. So she carefully, walked up the stairs, uneasy and rather queasy in her stomach, trying to think why the Head Master would want to talk to her.

She knocked as she approached his office, "Sir?"

"Oh, yes come in Miss Granger," She walked in throwing a worried glance over to Draco who didn't help, just shruggs passively.

"I was waiting in the hall and there was a message telling me to come up so I'm, um, well I'm here."

"Yes, yes. Please sit down, can I get you anything."

She shook her head, "No thank you, sir." She was still rather confused and bewildered.

"You're probably wondered why I had you come up here?"

"Yes, sir, just a little curious. Does this have anything to do with the letter's Mr. Malfoy has been sending Draco?"

"Very much so. Mr. Malfoy here told me that he showed you the letters." She nodded simply. "You probably noticed you were referred to several times." Another quick nod. "He also told me that you told him to come see me and I thank you for that. I have not always trusted Lucius and this deepens the wall between us. I wouldn't put him past him to do the things he drawled out in the correspondence. I think it calls for immediate action. I have asked Draco if he wanted any protection charms or potions, but it appears that he's not the self centered young man people make him out to be."

Hermione took the pause to glance over at Draco. He was staring straight ahead, past Dumbledore, through the jumble mess around him, just allowing his eyes to linger on the molecule of air in his presence. Hermione decided to grab his hand. He responding with a gentle squeeze and his face flickered into a fake, reassuring smile, as he glanced at her momentarily.

The wise man watched this go on before he continued. "Apparently, he says we should be more concerned with your safety then with his or his mother's." Dumbledore stopped again turning to Draco to explain and ease the confusion from Hermione's face. The young girls eyes followed the path of Dumbledore's.

"Draco?"

"He wants me Hermione. He needs me to become a death eater so he will only hurt me as a final resort. My mother serves her own purposes to him and will be used only as a last ditch effort. But you, you're muggle born. You mean absolutely nothing to him. You're interfering with the big picture and he will not let a worthless witch wanna-be allow him to be stopped. If he thinks you are the problem, he'll kill you, as easily as you or I would say hello."

His face was strained he looked worried. And all of a sudden he looked exhausted, like he hadn't slept in several days. Hermione tried to cheer him up.

"Draco, if I can last through six years of Harry Potter being my best friends, fighting with you, and trying to do my homework, don't you think I can handle your father. I wasn't placed in Gryffindor for nothing you know." She squeezed his hand offering her reassurance. She lowered her tone to something more serious, in an attempt to keep herself from crying Have to be strong for him, he should be worried about himself not me "We'll make it through this."

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Okay I hoped you liked it, some what...at least a little. I am really sorry for the delay, for those of you who I don't have your email fanfiction canceled my account for some unknown reason but with a new year's mirical I got it back, or maybe that was me sending a hundred of the same email to the support staff I don't know but I want to thank you for staying with this thing.

Again another thanks to my beta, Lil.

Next Chapter to look forward to:

1) Hermione and Draco find out about the charms and potions involved with their protection

2) How could you do a potion with out Snape?

3) Hannah and Terry finally find a fault in Draco and Hermione

4) They make some rough arrangements for their newest project

As always please review.

Oh and so I don't have to add an author note after this: I am currently working on revising the first chapters, I know again. I have set a new goal for myself that no chapter can be under 2,000 words and some of those chapters are rather short in my standards so I have to fatten them up. It's also a chance to make sure the story is flowing and matching, blah, blah, blah. I'm working five chapters at a time so the first 5 should be revised right after I post this.