A.N- Well, here is the next chapter. I am guessing that you readers didn't like the last chapter of the story, hopefully you will enjoy this one better. This chapter will be Draco's break through of his feelings for Hermione.

Disclaimer: Don't own anything but my ideas.

Chapter 7:Breakthrough

Draco walked slowly down the halls, a million and one different thoughts running through his mind. None of these thoughts he wanted to deal with yet. He was not worried about that bastard Dolohov or his band of defeated death eaters. Draco knew that he could take them all blindfolded. What he worried about was if he would carry out his threat. His mother was perfectly safe at St. Mungo's, but Hermione was not safe. If they ever found out that she was there, they would surely come back. Draco had to get her somewhere safe, and fast.

He let this thought drift out of his head as another quickly replaced it. This time, he was thinking about his childhood. He was a different person then, of course he had grown up and gotten older, but that was not it. He used to be happy when he was younger. He remembered laughter through the manor, his mother and father's laughter. He could recall when his father would take him into his lap and read him books about magic and spells. His father always telling him how proud he was of his little "dragon." His mother and father were completely and totally in love then as well. He then remembered what had stripped him of his childhood happiness; Voldemort. Voldemort had seduced his father, promising him power and respect. (A.N- LOL, reminds me a bit of Star Wars..) Lucius had easily fallen for the trap and continued to become the bitter and cruel man he died as. Always talking about the great Dark Lord, and mudbloods and how they should be removed from the Earth. Draco had never heard the word mudblood until he was seven years old. He could remember his sweet mother, begging his father not to go with Voldemort. He would never strike his mother, but he threw hateful words at her. Draco remembered her pleas so well.

Draco came out of his memories long enough to open the doors to the library, the place where he often came to think. How like Hermione, he told himself. However, Draco was not there to read, he was there to remember, remember when he knew what happiness was.

As he looked about the library, a fresh wave of memories hit him. It was the night his father was killed and Voldemort was defeated. Draco remembered that night like no other night before. He had stayed at home because his mother was scared and he did not want to fight a war with someone he hated, be it Potter or Voldemort. The one thing he remembered the most about that night was what his mother told him, and what he had promised her.

"Draco, please don't ever become him," she said softly, tears brimming her eyes. "I couldn't bear to see it son. You are my life Draco Adrian Malfoy, the only thing I have ever done in this world that was perfect was having you. I know you will never disappoint me."

"Never mother," he answered.

He then remembered her giving him a hug and a kiss, the last that he would ever have from her before she was taken away to St. Mungo's. He could actually feel her hugs and her kisses.

Draco returned to his search of the library, he was growing more irritated by the second.

"Where is it!" he yelled. "Tilly, get in here!"

Tilly ran to the room frantically, she knew her master was very upset.

"Where is it?" Draco asked.

"Where is what, Master?" she said, timidly. Tilly hoped she had not misplaced her master's things.

"The photo album Tilly!" he yelled. "You know where I keep it and it is NOT there!"

Tilly could not remember moving her master's photo album. Then it suddenly dawned on Tilly, she must have accidentally given it to Miss Hermione.

"Well?" Draco said, impatiently.

"It in Miss Hermione's room, Tilly take her books like you say master, and I is accidentally giving it to her," she said, fear increasing in her voice.

"Hermione has it, does she," he said, eerily calm. "And she also told you I said she could have books."

Tilly nodded her large head at him.

"Very good Tilly, you may return to the kitchens now," he said, walking past her. Draco's blood burned through his veins. He was unable to describe the anger he was feeling. He stalked out of the library, only one thought on his mind now; to make the mudblood pay.

Hermione was sitting in her usual chair by the fire when she heard him coming down the hall. She immediately knew there was something wrong. She turned towards the door as she heard it unlock. He opened the door and quietly stepped inside, shutting the door behind him.

The sight of her made him see red in anger. He slowly began to approach her.

"So," he said. "Tilly told me something very interesting tonight."

"She did? And what would that be?" she asked, voice shaky. She tried to remain calm but her fear was getting the best of her. She could tell that he was very angry, and it was probably with her.

"That you have been reading books for sometime," he said. "And that you have something of importance to me, and I am NOT referring to the books."

Hermione could feel her heart sink in her chest. Before she could utter a reply he snatched her out of the chair and slammed her against the wall. He held her to it with his weight, holding both of her arms over her head.

"I TOLD YOU NO, MUDBLOOD!" he screamed. "DO YOU NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT NO MEANS!"

"I am sorry, the album was an accident," she sobbed. "I was lonely and afraid, you locked me up for so long I had nothing to do!"

"SILENCE!" he yelled. "I am going to put you in your place mudblood, I should have done this a long time ago.." He ripped off her shirt and threw it to the floor, leaving her in her bra.

"Draco! Please, don't!" she pleaded. "I have never done this before!"

"Then it will be a memory you won't soon forget!" he said, ignoring her sobs.

"Draco, think about what you are doing! You and I are alike, you know it!" she yelled. "I can see past your hateful facade!"

Draco then ripped of her skirt and pressed himself against her. She could feel his hardness.

"Beg me, beg me not to hurt you," he said cruelly, through gritted teeth.

"Draco," she whispered.

"BEG ME!" he yelled.

Hermione moved to his ear and slowly whispered, "If you do this you will be just like him."

Her words were like a slap in the face to Draco. He could feel his heart stop beating in his chest. He looked at her, dead into her beautiful eyes. He could see fear, sadness, and anger in them, realizing that he was the one who instilled these feelings in her. He did not say anything to her, for he could not find his voice. He knew that he was a monster for what he had just tried to do. And he wasn't entirely sure if he would have even done it. He released her and she gently slid to the floor. He still said nothing to her as he walked out of the room. He ran when he got past her door, forgetting to close it behind him.

Hermione saw a window of opportunity open before her. She quickly pulled on the first article of clothing she could find, which happened to be one of her gowns. She walked over to the door and poked her head out. After she saw that the coast was clear she ran, ran as fast as she had ever ran. She didn't stop as she met the front doors, she threw them open and ran into the storm.

Draco sat in his room, waiting for his breathing to return to normal pace. He rubbed his head, trying to make the throbbing pain in his temples cease. He thought of Hermione, the bond they shared, the pain and loneliness in both of them. He wanted, no, needed to explain to her. He wanted her to know that he cared about her deeply. He burst out of his room and ran down the corridor. His heart stopped for the second time that night when he saw that her door was wide open. He knew that she had run, and it was his fault.

"Hermione!" Draco yelled, as he ran down the stairs, and out the open doors.

Hermione could hear Draco's voice not far behind her. Her adrenaline kicked into over drive and she ran faster. The rain was pelting her, she could barely see and her clothes were drenched. Her feet were aching terribly as well, she wore no shoes. As she crashed through the bushes her foot got caught on a root and she fell hard to the ground. Her chest hurt; her head was flooded with panic as she heard him drawing closer. She was too scared to even feel the pain in her ankle. She tried to scramble to her feet, only to find that her ankle would not support her weight. She stumbled on her unsteady feet and fell back and hit her head on the tree behind her. Her vision started to blur, she could barely make the outline of her surroundings. She could vaguely see Draco as he approached her, and she immediately started to kick and scream, using the last bit of her energy. He grabbed her by the shoulders and looked into her eyes. When she looked into his eyes, she could tell something was different, something had happened to him. She then heard him say, "I'm sorry Hermione." Then everything around her went black.

Draco looked down at Hermione's helpless form. It reminded him of their first meeting when he brought her to the manor. He tenderly picked her up and carried her once again, back to the manor. Except something would be different this time, this time he didn't want her to suffer. He wanted to take care of her.

A few hours later Hermione awoke to the sound of a door being shut. Through her blurred vision she could see pale blonde hair, and she knew right away that it was Draco. She blinked and tried to sit up, her body not obeying her. She was very disoriented and her entire body ached. The room around her was freezing and she shivered from the cold.

"Don't sit up yet," Draco's gentle voice instructed. He turned to her and offered her a potion. She cowered away from his touch, but was to weak to pull away.

"I won't hurt you," he said softly, as he wiped her brow with a damp cloth. "Drink this." He held the cup to Hermione's lips and she drank deeply.

"I'm so cold," she whispered, teeth chattering.

Draco immediately got her a few warm blankets and tucked her in them. As soon as he stood up, Tilly burst in the room.

"Master, Master!" she cried. "Bad wizards is here!"

"Bad wizards?" asked Draco. He walked into the hallway and peered over the banister. His eyes grew large when he realized who the "bad" wizards Tilly was talking about. Standing in the entrance were Dolohov, Crabbe, Goyle, and the Parkinsons. Draco ran back into his room and locked the door behind him.

"Tilly, get downstairs now, tell them anything, stall them!" he said, throwing items into a trunk. "I am getting Hermione out of here, you know where to find me."

"Yes master," Tilly said loyally.

Draco walked over to Hermione and started to pick her up. Immediately she began to protest.

"Hermione, I know you are very sick and very tired but I MUST get you out of here, you are not safe," he said as he retrieved his broom from the closet.

"Draco, where are we going?" she asked wearily.

"Somewhere safe," he whispered, wrapping her tight in the blanket. He mounted his broom and placed Hermione in front of him. He placed his arms around her and grabbed the broom's handle. He kicked off the ground and flew into the night sky, and quietly hoped that he was bringing them to safety.

Dolohov watched angrily as Draco and the mudblood got away. He however was not set back, he now knew what Draco loved, and he was going to destroy it.