A/N: Well, here it is! Another chapter! I most admit, however, that I've failed miserably with the one chapter a day thing – oh well, no one's perfect. I've decided to put the rest of my comments at the end of the chapter, at least for this one, because I don't want to give anything away. So, I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Disclaimer: I own only the plot and any new characters not belonging to J.K. Rowling.


As Malfoy's arm moved in the familiar swoosh, the words 'Accio Wand' escaped his lips, and Hermione's wand moved a few inches, but didn't leave her hand, thanks to the quick 'Protego' she had muttered. "Ahh…" murmured Malfoy, "the mudblood knows how to play."

Hermione's eyes flashed – and suddenly she remembered the last time she had seen this man – it had been just a few days ago, but it seemed like a whole other lifetime…

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It had been right before she had run to Harry's aid; Lucius Malfoy had showed up with his master and his other little 'friends' hoping to be rid of both Harry and Dumbledore, and then moving to take over the school. On her way out of Hogwarts, Hermione had run into Draco. Hermione, expecting some sort of snide remark from the boy, was surprised when she saw tears in the young Malfoy's eyes.

"Draco…?" asked the confused Hermione. "Draco, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, Granger," was the reply, but Hermione noticed the lack of spite in his voice.

"Draco," repeated Hermione a bit more sternly, "I'm not stupid. Come on now, you can tell me. What's wrong…?"

"My father! – Alright? Are you happy!" asked Draco, without waiting for a reply. "My father dragged me off to another Death Eater's meeting… he… he g-gave me to the Dark Lord… as an offering! Vol-Voldemort was going to punish my father, but he made a deal with him… if I became a Death Eater then my father would be let go…" Draco turned to Hermione for the first time, allowing her to see the tears pouring freely down his face. "Hermione, I… I don't want to be a Death Eater – despite what you may think, I'm not my father…"

"Oh, Draco!" sighed Hermione, partly from realizing she had never given him enough credit, and partly because she was touched that he used her first name. "Did you get it? Did he – did he give it to you?" asked Hermione as her own tears were released. She had never taken the time to really give Malfoy a chance, and the poor boy didn't deserve the pain he was going through.

"Yes Hermione," choked Draco, clutching his left forearm, "and then he put me under 'crucio' … twice." After that, Draco seemed to have lost all will to keep talking, because his knees gave out and he collapsed to the ground, sobbing. Hermione quickly knelt down and took Draco in her arms and rocked him back and forth.

"Don't worry, Draco," whispered Hermione. "I promise you, he will pay. I promise you. You won't have to do anything you don't want to – especially tonight. Don't worry, Draco, your father will wish he was dead when I'm done with him," vowed Hermione, "don't worry…" Hermione suddenly stopped when she heard the sound of a cloak swishing.

"What's this, Draco? Crying? Malfoys don't cry," Lucius Malfoy spat at his son, "especially not to mudbloods! One day you'll thank me, Draco – one day you'll wish that you'd bee accepted earlier!" As he said that, he pushed Hermione off his son and had whipped out his wand and had it pointed at her. "And you – you worthless mudblood!" Lucius was stopped, however, when Draco had placed a Jelly-Legs curse on him. Before his legs gave way completely, Malfoy muttered the counter-curse towards his les, and jumped back up.

"Traitor!" he screamed, "you blood traitor!" Lucius closed the distance between himself and his son, and punched him on the nose, creating a deafening crack as the bone broke.

"No!" yelled Hermione as Draco fainted. "How could you? He's your son – you bloody ass hole!" Hermione continued to screech. Lucius looked at Hermione with a completely clear conscious. "Easily," he replied, "allow me to demonstrate," he continued as he pulled his fist back.

"Oh, no, you don't!" yelled Ron as he came up from behind and kicked Malfoy where it hurt.

"Come on, Hermione," Ron declared exasperatedly. "We have to get to the Forbidden Forest!" He grabbed Hermione's hand and helped her up, smiling a little as he heard Malfoy moaning something that sounded a lot like: 'future kids' while bending over his middle area. Ron and Hermione ran down the last of the corridors towards the giant oak front doors. By the time they had reached the forest, however, Lucius had caught up with them, bringing a 'friend' with him. His 'friend', the 'blood-sucking-bitch-from-hell', went straight for Ron, leaving Hermione with the man she loathed.

"Come on, mudblood; let's see what you're made of!" With that, he sent a 'crucio' curse at Hermione, causing her to wither in pain. "Hah!" yelled Lucius, "don't like that, do you?" When he had removed the curse, Hermione jumped up and yelled "Petrificus Totalus!" causing Lucius' body to seize up. Looking down on him, Hermione hissed "you horrible… thing. You're less that a man – no real man, or wizard, would have given up his son to protect his OWN life, and then beat him up! Impedimenta!" Hermione watched as Malfoy's body was knocked back a few feet. She was about to curse him again when she heard Ron's cry of "Harry!"…

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The memory came back to Hermione in a second, but it was just long enough for her to let her guard down – which Malfoy noticed. "Petrificus Armas!" Malfoy yelled, causing Hermione's wrists and arms to freeze up. When he was sure that she wouldn't be able to move them, Lucius walked up to Hermione and prodded her wand from her fingers, but not without receiving a stinging hex. With a yelp, he dropped her wand and started nursing his hands.

"Violet!" he snapped, "get her wand! Dolores, guard the doors! Severus, watch her! I'm going to teach this mudblood not to mess with the Slytherins!" As the words left his mouth, the other three Slytherins jumped to do as he said, forcibly reminding Hermione of very obedient lap dogs. As soon as there were three wands pointing at Hermione, Severus' and the two that Violet were holding, Malfoy started to walk around Hermione, talking as he went.

"Alright – listen up! No mudblood has ever been in Slytherin – and as far as we're concerned, you aren't going to be the first! To us, you're nothing more than an annoying piece of furniture, that happens to be able to move," Lucius stopped his circular pace right in front of Hermione face and leaned in to hiss at her. "You won't sleep in the dormitories, you won't sleep on the couch, if fact – you won't sleep at all. You'll be too scared to, because you know that the second you close your eyes, I'll be there, bending over you…" he trailed off as he stepped a little bit closer, pressing himself onto Hermione. Then, faster than Hermione could think, Malfoy was forcing her lips open with his own, and shoving his tongue down her throat.

Hermione eyes opened wide with shock, and she quickly brought her knee up, connecting it with his private, taking a leaf out of Ron's book. "YOU ASS!" Hermione screeched at him, while trying in vain to remove his taste from her mouth. She then remembered the other three people in the room, and ducked just in time to avoid a spell coming from Snape.

Violet lunged at Hermione, successfully punching her in the eye, causing Hermione to give a small yelp of pain. Violet, who seemed to be encouraged by the pain she was inflicting, started to scratch and hit every part of Hermione she could reach, while she hissed in her ear. "That was a mistake, mudblood. You NEVER hit a Slytherin, much less Malfoy!"

While Violet went to swing at Hermione again, Hermione noticed that she had dropped the wands on the ground. Thinking fast, Hermione, who was lying on the ground at that point, swung her shoulder into Violet's hip, causing her to fall over. She then rolled onto her side and put her arm on her wand the best she could, and muttered, almost inaudibly, a freezing charm…

Everything in the room stood still. Hermione looked up to see she had acted just in time, for Malfoy was right on top of her with his wand pointing down, and Snape was next to him looking on with interest. Interestingly, however, Umbridge was frozen in mid-run, with her mouth slightly open, as if about to say something. Not wanting to waste anymore time before the spell wore off, Hermione muttered the counter curse to un-lock her arms, and grabbed her wand.

She then stood up, marched over to Malfoy and punched him hard on the right side of his face, then took off running out of the common rooms…

Hermione didn't stop until she was in front of the painting of the bowl of fruit, in front of the kitchens. Once there, she realized that she had been crying, and the tears were mixing with the blood coming from a cut above her face where Violet had hit her. Fear finally taking over her, Hermione dropped to the ground and starting crying harder than she had ever cried before. In fact, she was crying so hard, she didn't hear the quiet footsteps coming down the hall from her right side…


A/N: hehehe – well, I tried to make it less of a cliff-hanger this time, but I couldn't resist the urge to put one on. I must say that, although it was a kinda mean chapter, I liked this one a lot. It was really fun to write, and I think it turned out pretty well. I'm REALLY looking forward to the next one, which I'm writing right now, and I hope to have it up today as well, to hopefully make up for the long wait you guys have had!

I have a few questions for all of my faithful reviewers, and I'd really appreciate it if you'd answer them, so I'll be able to make this story even better! Ok, here they are: (1) Should I put in some chapters that go back to the 'present'? For example, should I continue the beginning of the story (the fight with Voldemort) or should I just stay in the 'past' with a few memories, and deal with the 'present' later? (2) Do you like new characters? I made Violet the sister of McNair, hoping that it would tie in, but I've gotten a few e-mails complaining about not using solely "Harry Potter people." Let me know what you think. (3) Am I milking the characters? My friend said, for example, that in no way would Draco cry like that, but I thought that, if under enough pressure, it's completely understandable for Malfoy to break down.

Oh well! Please review, if you have time, and I'd like it if you could answer my three (ok, LONG) questions! Everyone who reviews gets a giant cookie 'cause I love you! Thanks for all of the wonderful reviews so far, and I hope no one thinks I'm too big of a meanie!

elektrikstorm – I'm sorry, but like I said, I'm a sucker for cliff hangers! PS: I hope she 'neutered' him enough for you ;)

seamermaiden – hehehe… well, there you go! (It makes sense now…?)

KGdiva – aww thanks so much! It means a lot to me that you like it :)

Raspberri13 – thanks! I think that you're the first person who thinks my idea was interesting… everyone else said that I suck… oh well – I'm glad you like it:)

Sexy Flying Unicorn – gee, thanks 'little peach' ;) I hope you don't really come after me with the sporks, I happen to like my eyes… ;)

lilchick – I'm glad you like it!

Padfoot Lover – BIG smile – thank you so much! After reading your review I couldn't stop smiling! Reviews like yours really bring up a depressed writer (PS – I was feeling kinda down due to all of the readers who think I'm a meanie…) Anyway, thanks again, oh, and, by the way, I think that you're going to like the next couple of chapters… I can't be too mean to Hermione, she one of my favorite characters! I won't say anymore though… you'll just have to read and find out! Hehehe…

elsie777 – thanks! I'm glad you liked the idea!

bloomsgrl – here's your update! I hope you like it :)

jadevictoriariddle13 – hehehe – the nice side of me is sorry for making you wait, but my evil Slytherin half is laughing an evil laugh, gloating in the anxiety of the readers! Hehehe…