Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any of its characters. That rightfully belongs to J.K. Rowling and her wide imagination I one day wish to have.

Summary: You can't shatter what's already broken. But this heart seeks for the one thing that will make it whole. Can Hermione pick up the pieces and start new? Or will she look for help in all the wrong places?

Please excuse any misspellings or grammar mistakes. I accept any type of reviews, especially the ones that support me and help me out with my story. Flames are accepted, apparently.

Enjoy!

Because of You

Chapter One: The Return

It had been an echo from the previous years before. It was her normal routine upon arriving to school. She felt as if her life would never change. Something new would happen to her, something exciting. Maybe she would exceed beyond her goals for the future. Or maybe she would fall in love, and be loved back. If only…

But there she sat in her normal seat, in the normal train, going to her normal school of witchcraft and wizardry, with her normal friends. She looked out the window like she usually did the passed six years.

The quiet chatter coming from her three friends. Then there was the cheery voice from the aged woman pushing around the trolley from compartment to compartment. Ron, a boy she befriended her first year, jumped up excitedly at the idea of candy. Out of the corner of her eye she saw him rustling through his pockets to buy the new and improved candies.

Hermione sighed, patiently waiting for the train to come to a stop. It seems like hours since they took off. A single kiss and hug from each of her parents, hugs from Mr. and Mrs. Weasley and hellos from her friends. It had seemed so familiar to the years before.

"Ey, Hermione! Do you have another sickle I could borrow? I swear I'll play you back!" An all too familiar voice spoke from across the compartment. Her eyes scanned for him and saw him standing up next to the impatient woman.

Hermione reached into her bag that sat between her two feet on the floor. She took out a smaller suede bag and pulled out two sickles. "Here," she replied, "Keep the other for the next round."

"Thanks, Mione."

She let a heavy breath out of her lips and she leaned back against the soft leather on the chair. Her eyes closed and she soon drifted off into a slumber, hoping never to wake up. But like always, she did.

Malfoy's Compartment

"Holy crap, this ride is to damn long!" stated Blaise Zabini, a sixth year boy in Slytherin. "We should just apparate there." He had dark black hair and dark brown eyes. He was about 5'8 and well fit. He also had a slight Italian accent.

A giggle was heard from the other side of their compartment, "Yes, we should. But of course you know Dumbledore is a fucking git and won't let that." said a shorter female named Pansy, also in sixth year Slytherin. She had shorter black hair and dull blue eyes. Her face structure was similar to a pig's. She had a pointed up nose, beady eyes and a big mouth.

Pansy had her head on another boy's arm and her leg on top of his. Her skirt rode up slightly and her shirt pulled too low, trying to get as much attention as possible. The boy she leaned on had platinum blonde hair and grey eyes. He was also about 5'9 and well fit. His green and silver tie hung around his neck and the top buttons of his shirt were undone. This was Draco Malfoy, the Slytherin Sex God.

He snickered, "He's just afraid that Voldemort will come and eat up little Potty and his two friends, Weasel and the Mudblood." The compartment burst out laughing at this statement towards their rivals from Gryffindor; Harry, Ron and Hermione.

"Oh look, we're finally here! About time…" Remarked Pansy again.

Harry's Compartment

"Hermione" A gentle voice came, "Wake up, we're here." She opened her eyes to meet gazing blue eyes. Hermione groaned slightly before sitting up and rubbing her swollen eyes. A yawn escaped her mouth.

"Hurry up and put your robes on! Everyone is leaving." Another voice came, more masculine than the last. Ginny helped the sleepy girl up and grabbed her bag.

"Harry, why didn't you wake me up earlier? You know I'm a prefect and my duties are to help the new first years to the boats with Hagrid. If Professor McGonagall hears about this she'll be so disappointed, oh what am I waiting for? Where's my trunk?" Hermione rambled on, trying to sound as normal as possible.

Ginny giggled as Ron reappeared into their compartment. "You looked like you needed some rest, so we let you snooze for the extra ten minutes." Harry replied, grabbing her trunk from the wrack above. She quickly grabbed her red and black robe and threw it on, not caring if it remained unbuttoned and wrinkled. They all walked out of the train and put their luggage with the rest. Ron and Hermione walked off with the other prefects to continue on their duties from last year.

"We'll see you guys in the Great Hall for dinner!" Yelled Ron, the red headed boy with many freckles. They all waved and went their separate ways.

The group of prefects gathered up the first years and introduced them to Hagrid as they were told to. They all grouped up into boats and rowed to Hogwarts. Upon arriving, Hermione quickly jumped out of her boat and onto land, directing the young ones inside.

Once entered, Professor McGonagall thanked the prefects from each house and turned to give a speech to the first years. Hermione and Ron trotted into the filled great hall. The ceiling was designed as light clouds and snow was falling all around them, but disappeared once it came close to their heads.

Ron walked off to sit with Harry and his sister, Ginny. But Hermione stayed back and waited for her Professor. Her eyes crept around towards the falling flakes. Her hand extended as she tried to catch one in her tiny palm. Her pointy fingers we're so tiny that three small flakes fell onto her fingertip. Hermione giggled as she put her hand to her side again, welcoming the first years looking around in amazement.

This all seemed to familiar to when she was eleven…

Hermione sighed yet again, and started to walk back to her table. She held tightly onto her open bag which carried her notebooks and summer projects. She would kill herself if the elves had lost this when bringing up her baggage.

Looking straight ahead and deep in thought, she did not notice the group of people following her. A foot had reached in front of hers, making her stumble and soon fall to the floor. She dropped her bag and fell onto her back. Her papers scattered everywhere as the group laughed loudly at her. She quickly grabbed various parchments as they flew everywhere.

That same group walked passed her, stepping on her work with their muddy shoes. A tear escaped her eye and ran down her cheek as she saw her work get stepped all over. Why did they do this to her?

"Malfoy! You slimy git, look what you and your mob of retards did." Yelled Ron as he got out of his seat quickly. Harry also rushed over and helped pick up her notebooks that were scattered around. "You've got some nerve!" Harry yelled, too.

"That's funny, Potter, for a second I thought you were talking to me! But then I thought: how could such a low life scar-faced bastard have the nerve to talk to me?" Malfoy's posse all laughed and walked off with him, not giving Harry time to respond and defend himself.

"You okay, Mione?" Asked Ron as he, too, got on the floor and helped retrieve her things.

"Yes," she replied very quietly. She sniffled and rubbed her nose, "I'm fine. He's just so mean to me. I hate him!" Harry and Ron nodded at this. "Look at this! Everything is ruined. My summer projects are destroyed. The Professors will think so badly of me when I don't hand anything in. Oh, what do I do! I need to rewrite some of these, but that will take forever." Hermione rambled on again. Harry put a finger to her lips to quiet her, and smiled.

"It's okay Hermione. I don't think they'll mind if you don't hand in one assignment. I think all think the extra ones you already do are enough."

All three stood up after packing everything safely back into her bag. The two boys tried not to talk about what had happened that much. They were afraid she might get upset again.

"So... Mione how was your summer?" Asked Ron, "We invited you to stay at the Burrow, why didn't you come?"

Because he wouldn't let me go. "I was busy doing my work, you know that Ronald." Hermione rubbed her eye as they became very heavy. The Headmaster of their school stood up, asking for silence.

A small speech was heard from him, then the dividing of the first years into houses, and then dinner. Hermione didn't eat much, there was too much on her mind. A question had resided in her head and she couldn't get it out.

He was right, I'm just so normal. Why can't I just be good enough for anyone?

"You didn't eat much." Harry pointed out with a concerned look on his face. Hermione faked a smile and stared into his bright green eyes. "I ate a lot before I left, so I'm not really that hungry. Oh Ron, we should leave now! The first years are waiting." She replied quickly then running off.

"That's our Hermione! Always rushing- Give me a second before I choke on my food!- she never takes her time- I said I'll be right there!- I can't stand it sometimes- OKAY! I'm coming, I'm coming!" Ron tried to talk to Harry, but Hermione had been pulling at his arm and motioning for him to come. "I'll see you in the dorms, mate." He added in before being dragged away by Hermione.

"If only I could say that she was our Hermione. But today… she just wasn't." Harry spoke to himself. He walked off to his dorm and went straight to bed, not waiting for Ron like he had asked. What was so different about Hermione this year?

The Slytherin Common Room

"They just shouldn't be allowed in this school. Dumbledore is such an idiot." Blaise remarked, referring to muggleborns.

"I agree, don't you Drakey?" Pansy said and she attached her arms to Draco's. They all were sitting on the green velvet couches in the Slytherin common room. Draco had the burden of Pansy next to him. "Don't call me that" He replied before pushing her off and standing up.

"What's your problem?" Pansy yelled, now angered by his attitude. "You're my problem; just leave me the fuck alone!" Draco yelled in return, now walking off to his room quietly. What was his problem? Maybe he was just in a bad mood.

"Asshole!" He heard Pansy mumble before he slammed his the door to the boy's dormitory. He dropped his pants and jumped into bed. He needed some serious rest.

"Well thank goodness it's a fucking Friday!" Draco said to himself. He closed his eyes and soon drifted off to sleep.

Author's Note: So, how was it? This is my first Harry Potter fic ever, let alone Hermione/Draco. The plot is really unknown to me right now. I'm just trying to make everything work in one story. I hope this works. Please support me into writing more if you think I should. I really don't like updating when no one reads my story. So please review and let me know that you care! All reviews are accepted. Please and thank you! ;D

Ari