Draco woke up earlier than he usually did and since he couldn't get back to sleep he walked down the spiral stairs to the Common Room to look for a House Elf and get some food. He got to the bottom step and saw Hermione's crumpled body curled up in the edge of the couch. Draco couldn't help but feel bad for her. He was only human; after all he had been in her position before huddled up in the corner of the room, defenseless against his father's rage.

Unconsciously he walked over to her; she was laying there, her eyes puffy from crying, something jolted inside of Draco as he felt an emotion that he had never felt before. Pity. Draco was confused more so that anyone else would have been. He was feeling something for this girl, this mudblood, that he had never dreamt of. Hell he never knew he would feel anything other than despise for anyone for that matter, it just wasn't in his blood.

More tears escaped Hermione's eyes, as she lay there defenseless in front of the 7th year Slytherin. Draco stepped back; afraid that, in some way that he had awoken the sleeping girl they lay beneath him. Draco ducked behind the couch, not knowing what else to do, and listened to what ever would happen next. Hermione began another fit as the nightmare gripped her fragile body.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to. Please take me back. Don't leave me here, please. MOM, DAD, PLEASE!" As Hermione kicked and screamed Draco couldn't bear to see her in this torment. He was heartless but not so much as his father. Even though he despised everything that this girl dealt with he couldn't sit back in glory and watch her suffer. It was cruel, something his father would do, and since the first day his father had hit him, Draco swore to never turn into the vile man.

Hermione woke up rocking with her arms around her knees, pulling them to her core, and crying horribly. To her surprise Draco was beside her, with one arm over her shoulders, and rocking her slightly, all the while shushing her. Hermione would have pushed herself as far away as she could but she hadn't the strength. Instead she buried herself in his shirt and cried as he patted her back the entire time. Draco looked at a near-by clock seeing that it was 2 in the morning. He rocked her as if she were just another child trying to get to sleep after a horribly vile nightmare.

They sat there like that for a while until Hermione had finally fallen asleep and Draco stood up lying her down and pulling the blanket up, over her cold, shaking body. Draco had become drowsy from the rocking, like a child becomes sleepy after a bedtime story, and walked back to his own bed and went back to sleep.

The rest of the night went by, for Hermione, without anymore nightmares. Instead she slept peacefully for the remainder of the night. The sun came shining through the window and onto Hermione's face in a mocking way, reminding her that she had to pull herself together and get ready for her classes. Draco came down groggily from the stairs acting as if the previous night had not happened, which was perfectly ok since Hermione thought it was a dream anyway.

"Granger how do you use this thing, I didn't sleep well." Hermione walked over to him sighing to herself in defeat. This boy would never change, so she thought. She turned to him and took her own time turner.

"Since these have a limit to them, you needn't worry about over turning. Just twist it around until it stops and let go."

Draco did so and he was gone again. Hermione called up to Draco who was now sleeping in the dorm, "Draco your hour's up."

Draco came groggily down, again. Looking at Hermione pleading with his eyes to let him sleep later. He tried to turn it again but found it locked so he just continued down the stairs to Hermione.

She left him there at the bottom step and walked to the mini-coffee machine and poured herself a large mug. She savored the flavor and walked up to her own room to get her sack for the day's classes. Draco followed her, trying to get to her coffee and when he got to the door Hermione turned around in amazement.

"DRACO? How did you get up here without the stairs… I mustn't I go into detail? You know what they do." Draco shrugged signaling he had no idea.

"I don't know, I guess these stairs are more trusting. Now give me your coffee, you took it all and I need it more that you do. Draco grabbed for her coffee and turned to descend the stairs again.

"Great, the Slytherin has access to my room and he feels that coffee isn't my thing. Living with him is going to be hell for him if I don't get my coffee." Hermione thought aloud as she reached to the floor of her room and grabbed the bag that lay on the floor.

She headed back down to the common and found Draco there sitting on the couch with her coffee halfway gone. Hermione grabbed another mug from the counter than walked over to Draco, grabbed "his" coffee and poured it in the new mug.

"Hey!" Draco protested.

"Ferret, next time make your own before stealing mine, now go wash this, I don't want to get fleas."

Draco looked thoroughly offended at her words and was going to fight back but she was out the door with what was left of the morning's coffee. Instead he sulked back into his room and grabbed his own sack. He was off to breakfast praying that he only had to see this witch at night.

Hermione entered the Great Hall to find Harry and Ron. She was still mad at Harry for being so jealous but realized that eventually he would get over it. Maybe he already had! Hermione sat down next to Ron and grabbed a piece of toast that sat on a plate in front of her. Ron looked eagerly at Harry, making the latter roll his eyes.

"Ok Hermione, I'm sorry that I was jealous. I'm proud of you, you will make a good Head Girl." Hermione laughed at how robotic it sounded, like Ron had Harry memorize something verbatim the previous night.

"Wow Ron I could feel the emotion, it was so intense," Hermione wiped away a nonexistent tear, "But really thank you, even if you didn't mean it." Ron laughed and Hermione swore that she saw Harry's cheeks puff a little like trying to fight back laughter. In spite of himself his muscles gave in, and a line of laughs emitted from his reluctant mouth.

The 3 friends laughed together as they were on speaking terms again. Hermione shoved the nightmare deep inside of herself to keep from ruining the new happiness that had developed between them. Hermione told them about how Draco was still being a git and told them of the coffee story.

"You really said you didn't want to get FLEAS!" Harry laughed. Hermione nodded and both Ron and Harry roared in laughter. Ginny came up to Hermione and told her to stop making Ron laugh, she was leading him on. Ron stopped very suddenly; making a weird face in confusion, when it all made sense his ears turned the shade of the crimson Gryffindor scarves and buried his face in his robes out of embarrassment.

From the table 2 places away from the Gryffindor's, Draco was watching Hermione and the other two. He laughed inside at how clueless they were. Even he could see that the Brunette that they called their best friends was faking their joy. He could see it in the way that she sat, and the way that her eyes were. She was hiding something from them, the dream most likely, and Draco wanted to know why she hadn't even told them, her best friends, what was bothering her. The blonde turned back to his breakfast and his group remaining quiet as they spoke about the normal, the worthy being the purebloods, and the unworthy being everyone else. Draco just now realized that they were so naïve but joined in to combat any suspicions that they were feeling about him.

The entire time he was thinking, "There is something horribly wrong with her that makes her feel that nobody can relate, I am going to find out what it is." Pansy looked at Draco in a worried way but he shook the worried expression from his face and Pansy smiled flashing Draco her rotting teeth. He shuddered.

"Now that is what I call filth, forget the muggle-borns, not even a rat would touch Pansy." Draco thought to himself as he smiled back awkwardly back to her.