Dying Inside

A/N: Guess who's back...back again...I'm back!!! Well, here's chapter 4! R&R! Thanks to my reviewers!!! And now finally, I'm adding a song to this chapter!!! It's Breaking The Habit by Linkin Park! Actually, I think that's the song that inspired me to write this story so you can thank Linkin Park if you like my story!

Edit: Disregard this A/N. It's old.

.-.-.-.Chapter 4.-.-.-.

Mild light from the moon glinted off Draco Malfoy's silvery blonde hair as he continued to slash both of his wrists nonstop, though getting weaker each time. He cried, but didn't sob or make any noise, just cried silently as tears fell down his cheeks and into the edge of the lake or ground, one or two occasionally dripping onto one of his bloody wrists.

Memories consume
Like opening the wound
I'm picking me apart again
You all assume
I'm safe here in my room
Unless I try to start again

Hermione slowly began to approach him, still not knowing his identity. She squinted her eyes slightly, trying to figure it out as she came closer, her shoes collected dew from the cool grass as she walked. When she was close enough, about 8 feet away, she noticed his trademark blonde hair and very pale skin, and knew right then he was Draco Malfoy.

I don't want to be the one
The battles always choose
Cause inside I realize
That I'm the one confused

Hearing footsteps, Draco wiped away his tears with one hand, streaking one if his cheeks with crimson red. He held the knife in his right hand, blood dripping from the end while his hand shook nervously.

Then she saw it. The dagger shining brightly in the moonlight and the tiny, glittering emerald eyes of the dragon. She couldn't hold it in and gasped slightly, half expecting him to turn around and bitch at her for bothering him, but he didn't. Hermione ran over and stood, hovering, beside him.

"Malfoy, what the hell are you doing?!" she asked, almost yelling.

He had turned his wrists downward when he heard her, so she hadn't seen them yet. Draco looked up at her, his faced smeared with tears and a smudge of blood.

"I'm ending it. Everything......" he muttered, barely audible enough for her to hear. He was too upset to make up some lie about being fine and shooing her away.

I don't know what's worth fighting for
Or why I have to scream
I don't know why I instigate
And say what I don't mean
I don't know how I got this way
I know it's not alright
So I'm breaking the habit
I'm breaking the habit
Tonight

"What? What in the world are you talking about?!"

Hearing her question, he turned over his wrists, blood still trickling down the sides of his arms and covering his hands. Hermione's mouth fell open and her eyes widened. She dropped to her knees beside him.

"You can't kill yourself! I know I'm not particularly fond of you, but I can't just sit here and let you die!" she yelled and without warning, grabbed his wrists tightly to try cut off the bleeding.

"I have to! I want to! You just don't want my blood on your hands, to feel guilty, though I don't know why you would anyway!" Malfoy yelled back.

"Why would you want to?! You have everything you could possibly want!"

"No, Granger, I don't!" said the blonde, his eyes filled with tears, but he didn't let them fall. "No one likes me! My mother's dead! My father hates me! He only wanted me so he could give me to Voldemort! That's what he told me…" Draco trailed off.

Clutching my cure
I tightly lock the door
I try to catch my breath again
I hurt much more
Than anytime before
I had no options left again

Hermione still held his wrists tight, even though he tried to pull away.

"Th-that's awful!" she shrieked. It hurt her to see anyone like this, even if he was Malfoy. She felt her throat tighten like she was going to cry herself.

I don't want to be the one
The battles always choose
Cause inside I realize
That I'm the one confused

"And he tried to force me into becoming a Death Eater..."

Her eyes widened again.

"But...my mum saved me..." he explained, not knowing why he was telling her all of this.

Hermione was about to sigh in relief, but before she could...

"...so he killed her...right in front of me..." Draco choked out, but still didn't let himself cry in front of Hermione.

I don't know what's worth fighting for
Or why I have to scream
I don't know why I instigate
And say what I don't mean
I don't know how I got this way
I'll never be alright
So I'm breaking the habit
I'm breaking the habit
Tonight

She looked into his gray eyes. She used to look into those same eyes with hate, but now she saw the tears, and she too, felt like crying.

"Oh my God...Malfoy..I...I'm so sorry...." Still staring into his teary eyes. "It's okay to cry..." she assured him.

And with that, he broke down crying. Hermione never did, nor thought she ever would, see Draco Malfoy this way. She watched him for a few seconds then pulled him into a hug, letting him collapse into her arms, weak from blood loss.

"Please...Hermione..." she was astounded at hearing him say her first name for the first time since probably their first year at Hogwarts. "...just let me die...I can't stand living like this...my mum was all I had left.....I'm tired of getting tortured by my dad...It's killing me..." he sobbed into her shoulder. "I'm dying inside."

I'll paint it on the walls
Cause I'm the one at fault
I'll never fight again
And this is how it ends

"No....I can't do that. Let me try to help you. I don't know how yet, but I will. I never knew what your life was like all those years we fought...I guess that's why. It's all your father's fault. Just give me one try.", the girl pleaded.

Draco pulled away and looked into her eyes. His own pleading with hers just to let him go, but after a short silence he nodded, too exhausted to argue any longer. Hermione smiled weakly, took out her wand, and conjured magical bandages that wrapped around his bloody wrists and arms. He looked to them then back to her.

"Mal--"

He cut her off. "Draco." he stated plainly, tired of being called by his last name.

"Draco, I promise I'll try my hardest to help you get through this..." she told him reassuringly.

He glanced at his arm and put a hand over his tattoo, which she hadn't yet seen. "Wait. before you promise anything...there's something you need to know..."

Hermione cocked her head to the side, the cool night breeze blowing her long brown hair about. "What?" she asked skeptically.

Draco took a deep breath and showed her his tattooed arm. "Hermione, I'm a Death Eater."

I don't know what's worth fighting for
Or why I have to scream
But now I have some clarity
To show you what I mean
I don't know how I got this way
I'll never be alright
So I'm breaking the habit
I'm breaking the habit
I'm breaking the habit tonight

.-.-.-.TBC.-.-.-.

A/N: Wow! How was that? I don't really expect it to be that great, seeing as I wrote in the early AM. Review!