Chapter 2. Consulting with a problem.

The night went as planned; the feast was delicious as it was every year. Harry and Ron stuffed themselves to a bloody pulp. Hermione hardly said anything during dinner. Her friends tried to talk to her, but she remained silent. It was hard for her to act normal, and happy. Because she wasn't, and she didn't want her friends to know.

Hermione met up with Professor McGonagall, accompanied with none other than Draco Malfoy. Hermione was already notified of this. She was hesitant, but I don't have to befriend him, she thought.

Hermione listened intently to her professor. She talked about the usual rules, behavior, patrolling halls, etc.

She led them to a portrait of mermaids. The background was a cave, with sea creatures, plants, and rays of sunlight streaming through the blue water.

The main mermaid was a brunette with endless pearls around her body. "Password," She asked, while eyeing Hermione.

McGonagall immediately said, "Everlasting rain, but you may change it if you like."

Hermione smiled, it seemed like the first time in years. Hermione lately, rarely smiled. Draco noticed this.

"I might as well get back to my duties, enjoy." McGonagall's voice jerked their thoughts back to attention.

The professor stalked away disappearing around the hall. The portrait was swung open Hermione stepped in first.

She silently awed at the sight of the common room before her. The marble fireplace matched the floor, with various rugs around the room. The flames glinted. There was a white velvet couch with matching chairs. A bookcase full of different books, paintings of nature hung on the wall.

They looked to the right to find a portrait of a cloudy sky with rain pouring down onto a plantation of grass; the top of the portrait had gold engraving with the words: Hermione Granger. Hermione disappeared into the room.

Draco looked to the left to see a picture of wind swirling in different directions, sloshing water on the rocks of the ocean, on the top of the portrait he also had gold engraving with the words: Draco Malfoy. He also disappeared into his room.

Hermione wandered in her new premises. So far she found that the room was decorated in her Gryffindor house colors. She had a queen bed with fluffy pillows scattered in different areas. She even had a canopy to go with it. Bookshelves, Entertainment center, paintings, and a bedside table were also arranged neatly around the room.

There was a door leading to a beautiful balcony. She always wanted to have one.

Her entertainment center consisted of a TV, DVD player, C.D. player, and various pictures of her family.

The picture that she envied most was when she was eleven years old, with her mother on the beach horseback riding. The picture was moving, showing them smile and laugh. She touched the picture feeling her mom's soft hair, her reassuring brown eyes.

She gently set it back down.

Meanwhile in Draco's room, he too discovered it was decorated in his Slytherin house colors. He also had an entertainment center consisting of the same things Hermione had, except there was no pictures on it. He also had paintings on the wall, and a balcony identical to Hermione's.

'What am I going to do? How can I confront her? It's hard to believe that she hasn't yelled at me yet. Wow, I haven't either! Are we just going to not say anything to each other?' He thought, and then sighed. He decided not to stand around, and to at least do something. So he went to the main room.

Hermione was sitting on her bed lost in her thoughts.

'He hasn't said anything to me, and why was he staring at me like that? Did he hear me sleep talking or something? He can't know, he just can't! It would ruin me! Only mom knew about it, plus the counselors.' She rolled her eyes. 'They never helped. Maybe they'd understand if they actually went through being raped.'

Her fingers clenched, as her eyes averted to a picture on the shelf, anger surged through her. It was a picture of her step dad, mother, and her gone camping.

She grabbed the picture hearing his voice in her head. "You're mine; I'll never let you go!" She screamed and threw it against the wall. It shattered and fell to the floor with a clunk.

She was breathing ragged, as she tried to swallow the tears. 'Don't cry, just don't, please, he can't see you like this!' But she couldn't hold it back as the tears started to fall.

Suddenly she heard a knock on the door, followed with his voice, "Um...Granger, what was that crash, and did you just scream?" He demanded.

"Go away." She shouted.

"Granger, look, I know we, err, never got along, but what is going on, you seem. Different.

He uttered the words slowly, as he hesitated for her to answer.

"Malfoy, it's none of your business, and why the hell would you care?" She yelled.

"Fine! I guess I can't ask one single fucking question! I'm trying to cope with the fact that I have to live with you, why don't you try doing that!" He spat.

"Fuck off!" She screamed, jumped off her bed and got her C.D. Three days Grace. She shoved it in her C.D. player and played the song "I hate everything about you."

"Bitch!" He shouted.

The steady tone turned to rock, as she turned it up to full blast.

Draco was sitting in his room, fuming.

"I tried!" He yelled. It didn't matter anyway because her room was blasting with music.

He groaned. "Accio equipment." He said with his wand in his hand.

His punching bag appeared in his room. He strapped it to the wall, put on his gloves, and started to work out.

He punched it repeatedly at full force to release his anger. His face started to drip with perspiration. He panted, and got a drink of water. This always seemed to help. 'Why does she have to be such a bitch?' He still heard her music blaring through the walls.

'Is this going to continue the whole fucking night?' He thought. 'I might as well leave her alone. She's changed maybe even for the better.' There was a knock at the portrait. "Hermione! It's me Ginny! I really need to talk to you." Her voice seemed desperate.

He walked to the door, and opened it. Ginny looked taken aback.

She started to stammer but he interrupted her, "You hear that music?"

She nodded.

"That's Granger in her room, she won't come out." He replied simply.

"O.K. then, tell her I stopped by then." She blushed, and walked back down the hall.

He shook his head and closed the portrait door. Draco decided that there was no way in getting Hermione out of the room, so he watched some TV. And collapsed on his bed.

Hermione was breaking down on her bed, and turned the volume down; she put on the slow music of Jessica Simpson. She needed a depressing song to try to get to bed. The lyric's of "Underneath" came on.

She slowly drifted off into a peaceful sleep, so relieved that it wasn't a nightmare. Crackling of the fireplace was burning out. She had her curtains drawn. Wind bustling through her room. Draco heard the soft tune of her music.

'Well at least it's something I can sleep through.' He thought. On a cold, quiet night they were consulting with a problem.

Authors Note: MUST READ:

Well, thanks to all of you who reviewed, I'm glad I posted back up, too bad about the lyrics thing, which means I have to delete all of my songs in the story? Doesn't really make a lot of sense. But thanks to all of you who reviewed!

Ladymalfoy730- The song was cold- by Crossfade

Profet, LadyTaliesin, Kiaroxmysox, gothhottie, yep that's me, Ally-Kat722, Sandy, sugarbaby09, Anonymous, myself, xputteckx