Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot, everything else belongs to J.K. Rowling.

"Ron and Harry were sitting in a corner of the common room whispering. I moved to sit at a table near them making it look like I was just going to work on homework. I overheard them talking about how the best way to get him was during a quidditch game, so that it would look like an accident. I don't know what they are planning Hermione, I don't think that they would really hurt anyone, but they seemed really upset. Especially Ron, if you could have seen the look in his eyes Hermione...it was scary. Maybe I could try to talk to Harry. I don't think Ron would listen to me right now, he hasn't talked to me since I stood up for Blaise. I just wanted to come and warn you that they were planning something. I'll do what I can, but I just thought that you should know." Ginny took a deep breath and looked up at Hermione. "I'm sorry that everyone is acting like this. It's really not their business."

"I can't believe those two. All of this because I'm going out with Draco? I know that they have always hated each other, but they have to realize that people change. Draco went against his father, he turned his back on the Dark Side. They know that he fought on our side during the war. They know that it was him who turned his father over to the aurors. How can they be so damn stubborn. If they try to pull anything they are going to get themselves expelled. I hope that they think of that before they do anything stupid. Please try to talk to Harry, Gin. I don't want to see my two best friends throw everything away over a stupid immature grudge. I would talk to him myself, but that would be like admitting that I am the one who's wrong here, and I'm not. You're right though, I think that it would be best to not bring it up with Ron. It will only make him more angry with you. Let me know if you hear anything else. I'll tell Draco."

"Anything that I can do to help 'Mione. Can I ask you a question though?"

"Yeah, sure, anything."

"When did you start 'going out' with Draco? I thought that you were just friends."

"Oh...he just asked me now to be his girlfriend." Hermione blushed and looked away.

"Hermione! That is so great! Do you have any idea how jealous every girl in the school is going to be? I'm jealous and I don't even really like the prat. Hermione he is the hottest guy in school." Ginny was holding Hermione's hands and bouncing up and down.

"Why would you be jealous, you have Blaise don't you? You realize that after Draco, and maybe Harry he is the next most wanted guy in school? At least that's what I heard Pansy and Lavender saying. Did you know that they keep a running list of every guy in the school and where he ranks? Isn't that disgusting? It's like–. What?" Ginny's jaw had dropped open. She was looking up over Hermione's shoulder. Hermione turned to see what had caught Ginny's attention, and saw Draco walking out of the bathroom with nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist.

"Hello ladies, I hope that I'm not interrupting anything. I'll just head to my room and get dressed. Nice seeing you again Weaselette." Draco flashed his gorgeous smile at them and headed off in the direction of his room. Neither girl spoke until after he had entered his room and shut the door.

"Um...wow...what were you saying 'Mione?" Ginny was still looking at the place where Draco had just been standing.

"No idea... Hey! Don't look at my boyfriend like that Ginny Weasley!" Hermione playfully punched Ginny in the shoulder. "What would Blaise say if he saw you looking at another guy like that? His best friend no less."

"'Mione just let me say that you are a very, very lucky woman. Besides Blaise and I aren't really officially a couple yet. I mean, we just started talking today. Do you really think that he likes me?"

"That's what he told Draco. Draco asked me if I thought that I could help him hook you two up, but it seems like you two did just fine on your own. Listen Gin, I'm going to go to bed. I'm beat, and I have a lot going the rest of the week. I'll see you tomorrow on the quidditch pitch to watch our men practice." Hermione stood up stretching and yawning.

"Yeah I should get going anyways, I want to get back before curfew. I heard the new head girl is pretty strict. I wouldn't want her to catch me out after hours. I'll let you and Draco get back to whatever it was you were doing in here before I barged in. Night 'Mione."

"Ha, very funny. And I've told you we weren't doing anything."

"If that's the story you want to stick with. You're a horrible liar. See you." Ginny winked at Hermione and hurried out through the portrait hole.

Hermione shook her head and turned to walk back to the couch. Draco was coming out of his room. "Do you still want to watch the movie, or call it a night?" He walked down the stairs and sat on the couch. Hermione went and sat beside him.

"I need to tell you something. Ron and Harry are planning to do something to you during the Gryffindor-Slytherin quidditch match. I don't know what it is, but Ginny overheard them saying that if it's during quidditch they can make it look like an accident. Ginny is going to talk to Harry, and try to reason with him about us. I'm really sorry that they are being such prats." She just let everything whoosh out. She figured the easiest way to say it, was to just say it.

"I'm not worried about what those two gits have planned. I'm an excellent flier Hermione, I can take care of myself on the pitch. Don't worry about it. If they are really your friends Hermione, they'll get over their egos. They are dumber than I thought if they are willing to jeopardize their friendship with you, over me." Draco pulled her over to him, and she rested her head on his shoulder.

"I'm sure that you're right, I just don't want them to do something stupid. I don't want to see you get hurt because they are angry with me. I don't understand why they can't see what I see. You really have changed Draco. I don't know what brought on the change, but I'm glad that it happened."

"I've never really been quite the arse that I've portrayed myself as you know. I just had to maintain my reputation. I'm a Malfoy. I was trained since birth that I was better than everyone else, and to look down on my inferiors. I was raised by Lucius Malfoy, one of Voldemort's most trusted Death Eaters. I started attending Death Eater meetings as soon as I was able to walk and talk. True, by that time everyone thought Voldemort was gone, but his loyal followers continued to meet. If I disobeyed my father, the punishments were severe. When I was seven I told him that I didn't want to be a bad wizard, he told me that the only bad wizard was a wizard that didn't come from a pure blood line. I was locked in my room for a week after that. My mother would bring me small plates of food at night after my father went to sleep. My mother is a very good woman, but she was weak. Her parents forced her to marry my father because of his blood. There was never love between my mother and father. My mother took most of the beatings for my behavior while I was young. As I got older my father turned his wand on me. He tried to tell me that it would make me strong. He said that I was born with my mother's weakness and he would have to curse it out of me. After awhile it became easier to pretend to be what he wanted me to be. It was important to portray that image to everyone at Hogwarts, because my father seemed to know every move that I made. After Voldemort's return, my father offered me to the Dark Lord, like I was some possession of his. I was to become one of his inner circle. I knew that wasn't what I wanted, so I went to Dumbledore. I offered myself as a spy for the force against Voldemort. If my father knew he would have killed me without a second thought. I continued attending Death Eater meetings, and bringing information to Dumbledore, and the rest of the Order. After we had enough information, I turned my father over to the Aurors. That was the only way that I knew that my mother and I would be safe. I have always regretted the way that I treated everyone. I guess in some ways I have changed. I'm much stronger now then I used to be, I'm much happier now that it's just me and my mum, and I'm relieved that I can finally be myself. I'm just glad that you are a good enough person that you could forgive me for all of the years of hell that I put you through. I really am sorry Hermione." Tears had started to well up in Draco's eyes.

"You didn't have to tell me all that Draco. It was enough for me to know that you had changed. Thank you though for feeling that you can open up to me. I never knew exactly how horrible your father was to you. I knew that he was a terrible man, but I never would have thought that he would treat his own flesh and blood the way that he treated others. That must have been awful for you and your mother. I'm so sorry Draco, I really never understood." Tears had started to run silently down Hermione's cheeks. She looked up into Draco's eyes. She could see the tears that he refused to cry. She reached her hand up and placed it on his cheek, and felt a single tear trickle down onto it.

"I wanted to tell you. I've never told anyone before. Not even Blaise knew the extent of what my father did to me. I feel like I can trust you, and I want to be completely honest with you. I feel that I owe you that much. You've given me a second chance, that I probably don't even deserve. That is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me. Thank you." Draco leaned down and kissed the tears off of Hermione's cheeks. "Please don't cry."

"I can't help it. I just can't imagine how awful it must have been for you. If something like that happened to me, I don't think that I could survive it. It took a lot of guts for you to come to Dumbledore. If it were me I probably just would have endured it until I went mad." She buried her head in his chest and let the tears fall freely.

Draco scooped her up into his arms and held her. The tears that he had been trying so hard to keep inside started falling slowly down his cheeks. He heard Hermione yawn, and looked at the clock. It was almost midnight. He held her close and stood up. "I'm going to carry you to your room. It's late and we have classes tomorrow. You need to get some rest." He walked her up the stairs and into her room. He laid her down on her purple velvet bed. (Hermione had changed the colors from the Scarlet and Gold as soon as she got the chance.) Draco started to pull the comforter over her.

"Draco...will you stay with me?" Hermione looked up at him, and noticed him quickly wipe the tears from his face. She did the same with hers, and gave him a half smile.

"Are you sure that you want me to? I don't want to put you in a situation you're not comfortable with."

"I'm sure. I just want you to hold me." Hermione didn't know why, but she couldn't stand the idea of him being all the way across the dorm. She wanted to be close to him.

"Ok. I'll stay." He crawled into bed next to her and she instantly snuggled up to him. He laid on his back looking up at the black drapes that surrounded the bed. In no time at all Hermione had fallen asleep, her head resting on Draco's chest. Draco listened for a while to her steady breathing before also drifting off to sleep.

I hope you liked it. I just wanted to give a little more background as to why Draco became the guy that he is today. I hope it didn't seem like it came out of nowhere. Anyways please read and review. I'm going to try to update more regularly now. Sorry I've been slacking so much.