A/n: I started writing this after I posted the second chapter, but I didn't expect to get all these terrific reviews… Well, all but that one bitchy flamer, but that's another story. I'm in a bad mood cuz someone I knew hated this story. Well, whatever. Forget her.

Chapter 3… Orphans of the Shadow

Previously

Mrs. Jones is so fucking biased… Draco thought bitingly, playing with a lock of Hermione's hair, twisting it in his fingers, watching the light dance across the strand. Hermione looked over at him and he smiled at her when he saw her cheeks heat.

"Ms. Granger, I must insist… You can't be around trash like that without getting infected." Mrs. Jones glared over at Draco and he glared back.

"You can't stop who she wants to be around, you fucking bitch! You should know better!" The room fell silent after Hermione's loud gasp and she looked fearfully at Mrs. Jones while Draco returned to his book, his bitterness of Mrs. Jones in waves.

Mrs. Jones was scribbling something on a pink sheet of paper and left the room with such a flourish the loud bang of the doors could be heard in the Elementary School Building about sixteen meters away.

"Holy shit, Draco… Do you realize what you've just done…?" Hermione whispered to him while he just continued reading his book.

"I know exactly what I've done." Draco closed his book, the bang rivalling to the bang that Mrs. J made.

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Moments later, Draco and Hermione were in their flamingo-loving principal's office, trying to explain what had happened.

"You see, I was sitting next to Draco and Mrs. J noticed. At first, she was nice, but she quickly lost her temper when I refused her offer to come and learn with the other students. I said I wanted to be-I mean sit…" Hermione swallowed, not looking over at the appalled Draco. "…Next to Draco. She started saying that he was filth and his gothness would rub off me."

The redheaded woman nodded, the green eyes beneath the huge glasses looking over to Draco. "And what did you say, Mr. Malfoy?"

Draco scowled deeply and responded in a steady voice, though Hermione could see his blood was boiling, livid still with Mrs. Jones's actions: "I defended Hermione. I told Jones that Hermione could decide who she wants to be around, not her. She made me angry, so what could I do?"

"And your teacher said you called her a, quote, 'fucking bitch.' Is this true, Mr. Malfoy?" The teacher leaned forward and stared inquisitively at Draco, who looked over to Hermione.

"She made me angry. And, yes, I did call her that; but she knew I had anger management trouble and social anxiety disorder…" He scowled deeply, his sapphire eyes focused on the book in his hands. Hermione took the chance and read the cover: How to Get Rid of SAD

"You're merely using that as an excuse, Mr. Malfoy… Tell me, would your mother care if you got expelled?" Mrs. Johnson seemed fair enough, though in Draco's mind you could have sworn she was being heartless.

"No, she wouldn't." He answered bluntly, causing Hermione to turn her head sharply at him, her mouth agape at his boldness. "I'm not her son, so it doesn't matter to her. I'm not their blood. I'm only their adopted son. That's all I am to them. I could be in the mental hospital with a white jacket with sleeves that are tied in the back and they would still be celebrating Alicia's birthday, all their joy with no mirth to spare." His voice was so detached, but Hermione could see the restlessness in his eyes and frowned in frustration. Stupid adoptive parents… They both thought.

"Well, it seems as if there's a problem with your family… How about you, Ms. Granger? This is for district purposes only, so you don't have to answer if you don't want to." Mrs. Johnson looked at the curly-haired girl who was looking at the floor, her head bowed.

"Yes, ma'am…" She had been trying to wipe away her tears, and her voice was muffled.

"Yes, Miss Granger?"

Hermione rose in her seat and looked at her Principal, Draco looking coolly at her, a pale eyebrow arched, a sneer on his lips, though the book in his once tight grip fell from his lap to the floor with a small thud which went unnoticed.

"I said, 'yes ma'am.' My adopted family doesn't even know I exist. When I moved to my new home with my best friends Harry and Ron, they didn't even protest. In fact, they seemed joyful that I was moving. They helped me and the whole time Julia and Ashley were grinning and talking to another in murmurs. I can guess what they were saying. 'Look at Ms. Know-it-All go.' 'Let's help her and get her out of here, because I can't stand her.' They only come to parent/teacher conferences because they have to." When Hermione was finished, there were two lines going down her face, two single tears climbing down. Draco blinked several times and stared blankly at her, a perplexed look on his face.

Afterwards Mrs. Johnson dismissed the pair and they walked together through the hall to their lockers, not looking at the other.

"So, do you think you'll be expelled?" Hermione inquired a still livid Draco, and she stopped walking to try to get his attention when he didn't answer her. He continued walking and she scowled, and started walking after him. "Draco!"

"She makes me angry. She knows Jones should be told off to the School District system for being narrow-minded, but I know she won't tell. They're all against me and I can't stop arguing and defying because I'm fucking stubborn. Brainless fucking bitch…" He cursed bitterly, and stopped walking when he reached the Library's menacingly tall doors, the only sounds now in the halls Hermione's furious trainers hitting the floor.

"Draco, not everyone's against you. Can you stop being so fucking sulky? If that's what Goth people are then-" She was cut off short when Draco turned around. His eyes were filled with malice and pain, and his book was making a disturbing sound, that of ripping clothing. His mouth was in a hard scowl, his pale brows furrowed, the once sapphire eyes beneath a coppery colour. She fought the urge to turn away and started walking towards him; a grim smile on her lips, chocolate curls moving gently with every step.

"Stupid, stupid, Hermione…" He murmured and she forced the urge to escape even more. His eyes were luring her like a fish to bait, her being the fish. "There's a Goth in all of us. Even the people that are Happy-Go-Lucky. We all have bad days, and this is my bad day. Don't you see? It's my dying day. My day to get rid of this hatred of the world and burn in hell." He smiled at her before opening the Library door and entering.

"Draco…?" She looked helpless for a moment before it hit her. Holy shit, he's going to do suicide! She rushed to the door and tried to pull it open, but to her utter terror it was locked. She immediately released the knob and ran towards the one person she knew who had the keys, Mr. Hill. She hurriedly punched in the code for his room and ran inside.

"Ms. Granger?" The plump man looked up to see her standing in the doorway, her chocolate eyes looking frantic.

"Quick! Where are the keys to the library, Mr. Hill?" She looked behind her, a worried scowl on her lips.

"Mr. May has them and I'm afraid I don't-" He was cut off by Hermione slamming the door shut.

She didn't stop the tears that she knew were running down her cheeks as she ran towards the last place left- the teacher, which did the intercom, Ms. Hall.

"Ms. Hall! Please ask if Matthew can come at the Library on the intercom? Please! It's an emergency!" She pleaded with the dark-haired woman, and she didn't even ask what was wrong, knowing if the nicest and truest girl in school said something was wrong, it was an extreme crisis.

"Matthew May to the Library. Matthew May to the Library. Please go there. This is an emergency."

Hermione thanked her with a rush and ran quickly to the library, where she could already see the dark-haired boy fumbling with keys.

Hermione watched Matthew open the door and arch his eyebrows at her. "Was that all you needed?"

"No, follow me. I'm going to have to need another person with me to prove this. Also, please don't tell anyone about what you see…" Her eyes begged him and he nodded reluctantly, a part of his curious about what he was going to see. He followed her into the library, but lost her in the kiddie section.

Hermione, though, had intended this, and got on her knees and crawled towards the one place she knew Draco would be, the Goth section. Draco and his friends had made a secret place in the library, and the librarian was never in the library anyhow, to go when they were 'ready.' She crawled under a bookshelf to the room and abruptly stood.

The only light in the room was a torch in the corners. The rest of the room was dark, though she could expect about thirty kids were attempting to suicide in the room. She started walking slowly, looking around at her surroundings. She didn't feel the arms around her waist until she heard the menacingly cold voice behind her.

"Get out, Hermione…" Draco whispered, and she could smell the metallic smell of blood.

"No, Draco, I'm not, until you come with me! I came to save you, not to argue! Now please! I don't want to loose my only connection to happiness!" His grip on her waist tightened and she winced.

"They don't want me here. They want me dead, can't you see? You have friends Hermione…" Hermione felt him press his head into her shoulder and reached up to touch his blonde hair. "You have happiness. You can feel happiness… All I feel is pain…"

"Not true, Draco. I feel pain. Lately Harry and Ron haven't been able to understand me and they never pay attention when I really need help… They never stop me when I try suicide, but you did. I'm thankful for that… I owe you, and now I can pay you back." She felt herself being spun around in his arms until she faced him.

"I knew you were no normal girl… But no, you can't pay me back. My pride won't let me allow it. I'm sorry, but this is the way it must end. Go…" His voice gradually grew quieter and Hermione saw, from what little light, his bleeding wrist.

"Draco!" She cried, and was answered by an eerie echo of: Draaacooo! Draaacoo! Raacooo! Cooo! Her eyes widened when he collapsed to the floor, taking her with him. Her head slammed into his chest, her breasts pressing hard into his toned chest, right on his abs. She felt a chill go through her and she forced herself not to fall asleep; he was that comfortable. She swallowed and was relieved to hear a steady heartbeat, though she didn't know how long it would last. She felt so much belonging in his arms that she would have stayed, in other conditions, so she pulled herself out of his hold and started pulling him towards the hole. She crawled out first, reached in with her left hand, and pulled him out.

"Hermione… I owe you more than I can give…" He murmured and he nodded, pulling one of his arms around her waist to support him. Only then did she notice his legs were injured as well. She took his left hand in hers and started her way towards the library door, only to be confronted with Matthew, Mr. Hill, and Mrs. Johnson.

Oh shit! Hermione thought while Draco just scowled into her back, his sapphire eyes on Matthew. That traitor… He thought. He'd better not have told them…

"What happened to you, Mr. Malfoy? Get attacked by the school blood hounds?" Draco directed his eyes to the greasy haired Science teacher and Hermione felt him tense behind her.

"He can't talk, Ms. Fisher." Hermione stated coolly. "He's wasted his energy because your Aunt made him depressed."

"How delightful. Well, I suggest you take him to the hospital quickly, Ms. Granger. Hurry up, now, wouldn't want your boyfriend to loose his blood, now would you?" She sneered at Hermione, and she did her best not to loose her cool. Draco, on the other hand, was ready to hit the bitch. That is, if he could just fucking move!

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That's one fucking mean teacher… I'm sorry about the wait, but I got grounded… Now, if I get thirteen reviews I'll continue. Also, IM me or e-mail me of you have any ideas, because I now have writer's block…