Disclaimer: As much as I would like to own many of the characters I own nothing in this story but the plot. Everything else belongs to no other than J. K. Rowling's brilliant mind.

Summary: At the end of year six Hermione made herself a promise to change. Year seven is slowly drawing nearer and Hermione has kept her promise and has gone even further to change her past and live her future to the outmost. As her plan goes astray who will help her find the right path in life…Rated M for later chapters

Chapter Rating: This chapter is rated R and can be read by everyone.

Note: I tried my hardest to make this chapter come out as I intended it to be. I hope it did touch some feeling in some of you, otherwise I'm a failure.

Wish Upon A Star

Chapter One:

Who am I?

Hermione pointed her finger accusingly at the young man sitting in an armchair in the far corner of the large head boy and girl compartment and glared down at him furiously, "YOU! What the hell are you doing here Malfoy?"

Malfoy smirked enjoying the overreacting of the Mudblood Granger, silently without attracting her attention he pulled out his wand behind his back and held it at the ready just incase, "Have a problem with that Mudblood, do you now?"

Hermione's face turned a deep red; she turned and looked for anyone who could help her, "The TRATOR is here! Malfoy is HERE on the TRAIN! Somebody he-" Hermione's plea for help was cut off as Malfoy jumped from his seat and stormed towards her. She screamed and searched for her wand, only realizing that she had left it in the compartment with Harry and Ron. Malfoy was almost in front of her now, and as a last resort she desperately tried to slam the compartment door shut and prevent him from reaching her. Before she could slide the door shut completely Malfoy's foot blocked the rest of the way. He smirked and pointed his want through the gap at Hermione. Hermione gasped and kicked his toe distracting him for a second.

Draco growled in pain as Hermione stomped at his foot with her stilettos, but didn't move. Recovering, he quickly pointed his wand at her through the gap, sending a disarming spell at her. Even though she had no wand the force of the spell sent her flying in the opposite direction. Draco shouted in triumph and wrenched the door open, "I always win, never mess with a Mal-" He stopped in his tracks realizing that Hermione wasn't moving. The force of the spell made her hit the train wall on the opposite side. She had slid down the wall in a heap on the floor. Draco stood there taken aback by what happened, he had meant to scare her or bruise her slightly as a last resort, but never hurt her seriously. She may be a Mudblood and he may be a Malfoy, but he wasn't going to sink so low as to hurt a girl, Mudblood or not. Not after his father was not there to monitor his every move and beat him for what he thought was wrong. He was different, he didn't want to become the monster his father was…at least he though he was different. Draco moved to Hermione's side and sunk down to his knees next to her. He stuck his wand back in his cloak and gently grasped her wrist. He breathed out in relief when he felt her slow heartbeat. It was weak, but it was there. He looked along the train corridor for someone who could help her, but everyone was in their compartments by now, "Damn this." Draco carefully lifted her up in his arms and stood up trying to keep his balance and not drop her. He carried her into the head's compartment and placed her on a long sofa opposite the armchair he was sitting in before. Unlike the normal compartments which had the built in train seats along both walls the head's compartment looked like a large bare room. For the comfort of the head's there was regular furniture in the compartment instead of the built in ones. Draco sat down next to her on the sofa and felt her pulse again. It was normal now. He looked up at her face and saw that there was a bruise forming on her left cheek, almost by the ear. He gently ran a finger over it and tuned his head in disgust. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea for him to come back after all. He had gone with the deatheaters that night, with Snape. During the summer, he became a fully fledged deatheater and was now supposed to be present at all of their ceremonies and big events. He survived the first two, but by the third one he knew that his father was wrong, he realized what they were doing. He didn't want to be part of them, not him. During one fight this summer against the order, he tried to escape, to let them think him dead. He was reluctant to seek the help of the order, but he accepted. They understood him, and they gave him a second chance. Making sure that he and his mother receive the top protection he was sent back to Hogwarts. The order still believed that it was the safest place, and now he hoped so too. Draco sighed and turned back to Hermione. She was stirring now, so Draco got of the sofa and walked to the door. He heard her moan quietly and shift on the sofa. Turning he saw her slowly open her eyes, at that moment she was so beautiful to him…like a goddess. He shook his head, 'Why am I thinking this? She's my enemy, a Mudblood…we were never meant to be.'

Hermione gathered her thoughts and slowly opened her eyes. She saw that she was on a sofa in the head's compartment and no longer on the floor. She suddenly remembered what had happened to her and turned her head sharply towards the door. She saw Malfoy shake his head and slide the door open, 'Why is he still here? And why am I here? He had the perfect opportunity to kill me out there…he looks so sad and angry at the same time. I wonder what he's thinking…MIONE, what do you think your saying…I need to know though…' Hermione sat up and swung her legs over the edge of the sofa, "Malfoy…wait…"

Draco flinched as he heard her call him, suddenly feeling hurt at her calling him Malfoy and not Draco. He turned his head in her direction meeting her warm hazel eyes. She was confused and scared at having addressed him just a second before, he knew he had hurt her and he wouldn't forgive himself for that. He was his father after all, 'Or am I not? The previous years I was brought up with pain, I was taught to hurt others, to cause pain. But now…my father is gone and I hoped it would change. Well it didn't Malfoy, live with it. You will always be the bastard you were born and brought up to be. I can change that though can't I? I control my feeling and my actions…I am responsible…You are what you are, and it will always be that way. What do you want to change? You hurt the Mudblood just like you should. Your father would have been proud of you Draco…I AM NOT HIM…what makes you feel so sure about that?...Because I can feel sorry, I have pity, and I can FORGIVE and BE forgiven…you cannot say sorry Draco, you have never sunk that low…I CAN…prove me wrong then Draco…I will, you will see, I will.' Draco shook his head and focused on Hermione's face, 'Since when do you think of her as Hermione Draco…I don't…you just did Draco, is it because you lo-…SHUT UP, NO!'

Hermione watched in awe as Draco stood in the doorway, unsure of his actions and thoughts. She could see he was fighting with himself, there was a big battle going on within him. Dare she hope that he really didn't mean what he has done, the pain he caused her? Was the proud Malfoy even able to feel pity and say sorry? Hermione looked at the floor and closed her eyes, 'Malfoy doesn't feel anything, he is empty. He MEANT what he did…what if he changed, everyone changed…not Malfoy…what of he realized what crime he was participating in? what if, what if, MIONE, stop hoping!' Hermione snapped out of her trance and looked up at Malfoy's face, he was also staring at the floor, but then he shook his head and focused on her. Their gaze met, and it was no longer those expressionless cold gray eyes she was used to seeing, they were alive with emotion. Pain was radiating out of them. Hermione felt herself open up to him, her pity for him overcoming her anger at him having hurt her.

Malfoy stared into her eyes, watching as her angry gaze changed to a look he couldn't quite place. By now he had made up his mind, he would leave her be and not bother her or anyone again. Draco broke the eye contact and stepped halfway through the door, he stopped just as he was outside.

Hermione watched as Malfoy walked out and slowly turned around to face her again. His eyes locked on hers and what she saw in them made her eyes begin to water. She watched as his mouth slowly slid open as if in slow motion and he uttered just one word, sorry, the word that broke her defenses around her heart. The one defense she had against him. Draco stood there a second longer and then vanished into thin air. A single tear ran down her cheek as she curled her legs up to her chest and cried, cried out of pity for Draco…

-sniffs- I didn't expect I would be able to make any text sound quite so sad…jeez. I know this chapter is rather short, but I thought it would have a more powerful impact if I left it at that tearful moment and just this incident instead of combining it with the arrival at Hogwarts as I previously intended. Hope you enjoy, and I want some REVIEWS guys. I want to know what you think, and if you think its worth continuing with this story ) –p.earl-