I still can't believe I got 23 reviews. This is a lot for me, thanks you guys.

Lady Paine: I'm glad things are clearer now. Just e-mail me if you ever need anything cleared up. That goes for all of you guys.

Megan: Glad I was able to interest you. I don't usually do things like everyone else.

Liza: Don't worry, you'll find out. The only question is what's the significance?

holly20: I'll update as much as I can.

Jtangel: I keep them short but I try to update at least once a day. I'll try to make them longer though.

piedermort: why sad puppy eyes? I can't leave people hanging in suspense for too long.

paprika90: they'll probably get less suspenseful for a while, but its good to know someone likes cliffhangers.

chiLlinpNaY: here's the next post like you asked. Enjoy!

Keddababy: read and find out!

I'm going to try to keep updating once a day, but a friend of mine has recently had writers block on another story I'm authoring with her and I said I'd write the next chapter for her. Anyway, here's the next chapter so enjoy!

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Chapter 3

Hermione realized her mistake too late. She grabbed her sleeves and tugged them down, or at least tried to. Draco wouldn't let her. He grabbed her wrist and yanked up left sleeve of her robes. She was silent, not having the energy to put up a fight. They had already seen anyway, so it didn't really matter anymore.

Draco was horrified, though he wasn't sure why. He shouldn't have given a damn about the Mudblood, but for some reason seeing those marks bothered him. Her whole arm was covered in blackish silver scars.

They weren't really scars, more like oddly shaped patches, but it still disturbed Draco. He didn't need a medical expert to tell him where these scars had come from. They were burns. Draco tried to keep his mind from jumping to conclusions as he completely examined her arm, but it was hard. Chances were she was in a fire when she was little, and he tried to convince himself of that. But something nagged at the back of his mind, claiming there was more here, that there was more to the story.

Draco shook his head and dropped her wrist; he wasn't even sure why he cared. He pondered it for a few seconds before deciding that being in close confines with the Golden Trio had caused him to go temporarily insane. He contemplated rendering himself unconscious but decided there was nothing in the room heavy enough to do the job. Damn Granger, why couldn't you have brought one of your text books?

While Draco had been contemplating Hermione's injuries, their possible source, and his personal mental health, Harry and Ron had been sitting, frozen, on the seat across the carriage, unable to imagine how their best friend has sustained such injuries.

Finally, Harry managed to shake himself from his daze and moved to sit beside Hermione.

"'Mione," he said quietly "are you alright? I mean, how...?"

"Promise me you won't tell," she said quietly "All of you swear you won't tell a soul about these." Hermione gestured at the old burn marks and looked at them all pleadingly. Everyone nodded, not sure what else to do.

Hermione smiled weakly at them and settled back in her seat to stare out the window. Harry moved back across the carriage, realizing this was not a subject that he should pry about, and Draco returned to his seat by Hermione. He turned his body so he was looking at her, not even trying to hide the fact he was staring.

There was something there, in the back of his mind, which was probing at his thoughts. Something old and long forgotten that now screamed to be remembered. Curse that head injury.

He sighed and rubbed his temples, suddenly exhausted as always happened when he tried to remember something from back then. He lay back more on the seat. More then anything, he wanted to stretch all the way out, but Ganger made that impossible. He sighed and shifted more, trying to get more comfortable. Then, he heard something shift near by and felt something lifted up his legs onto the seat. He opened one eye, to see Granger sitting on the ground, her head resting on the little bit of seat at the end right near his legs.

Draco turned his head wondering why Potter and Weasley hadn't objected. Potter was staring out the window in a deep reverie and Weasley was asleep with his head leaning against the window. Draco then turned back to Granger to tell her she shouldn't sit on the ground. She might have been a Mudblood, but she was still a female and a strong witch. Plus there was something about her...

Draco shook his head to clear his thoughts and snuggled into the seat. He glance once more at Hermione, but his exhausted mind couldn't think straight anymore; lucky for Hermione.

However, just before he fell asleep, an image of two emerald green eyes flashed through his mind. A memory from long ago.