It was raining outside. The darkness in my room reminded me of the cold hark marble on which I was tortured... I shuddered. It was becoming increasingly cold. I felt claustrophobic in my head girl room and walked out to the common room. The head boy, Blaise Zabini was sleeping... on the couch... Why? i gently woke him up and asked the same.

'Draco visited and he doesn't share' he mumbled. Draco Malfoy. How much I had hated him. Not for being a Death Eater but for making my life a living hell. For always making me feel worthless. It all changed last year, when I saw him cast an untraceable protection charm on me when I was tortured by his crazy aunt. He had prevented me from going insane.

He had saved me from trauma. I was beginning to see him in a different light. As a boy who was fed things about blood purity and filthy blood. Who was tortured because he was beaten by a mudblood. The boy whose conscience did not disappear despite the circumstances of his living. The boy who regretted.

but he had too much pride to apologize, so I understood that the tiny helps he had done, returning our wands in his house last year, Informing Dobby of our whereabouts, making his mom lie to the dark lord and so on. even now, he smirks and walks around with pride but I never miss the small genuine smile and the minuscule nod he gives me when we cross paths.

His reformed family, on probation, now strives towards developing a potions company to help all people with medicines at a cheaper rate. I had the luck (I'm still trying to figure out if it's good or bad) to meet Lucius Malfoy. He looked so defeated and weak. When he saw me, he put up his cold mask but I could see the regret in his molten eyes. I gave him a small smile and I could see his mask melting.

it's funny how people change when they find their ideologies destructive. Lucius Malfoy's idea of blood purity did not exceed insults and occasional duels. Voldemort's was much more than that. His idea was that of Hitler's. Clear the unwanted. free the world of impurity. Murder. Cold emotionless Murder. I realized that it probably affected the doers as much as the receivers.

The sight of someone dying by our own hands is not easy. I had suffered the same while dueling against death eaters. i felt that the killing curse was the best protection i can give everyone. So I did it. I did feel remorse but I will still do the same if I went back in time. That moment of breaking Lucius's mask had given me more satisfaction than Voldemort's death. there were people who deserved to survive. Who deserved to be accepted in the society. They do not deserve to be shunned because of their path. Not everyone willingly followed the dark lord.

These thoughts led to the 'great hall' incident, as everyone calls it. That incident changed my life to what it is today. All Thanks to harry and Ron for not blowing up.

I had to walk past Blaise's room to get myself a glass of water. I was still scared of thunderstorms after what happened in the Manor. As I crossed, I could hear whimpering from Blaise's room. I looked back to the sleeping head boy and figured out I'm not doing anything illegal. Curiosity will seriously end me, I thought, as I opened his door. Inside was a very pale, unnatural looking Malfoy, whimpering and thrashing around. I froze. I couldn't move until i heard what he said.

'Not her. Please Bellatrix. Take me... Hermione... Sorry... Please *gasps for breath* No... nooo... please... I don't want to be here... I...regret...Malfoy...Heir...Blood...no...'

I started. He was having nightmares of me. My heart melted. Instead of walking back to my room, I went near him. I saw silent tears in his eyes. i sat down next to his head and started whispering to him.

'shh... I'm ok Malfoy. I'm here now. It's all okay... there there... Do not worry'

He slowly calmed down and rested his head on my lap. An occasional whisper of 'I'm sorry' was there. Once he calmed down, i left his room, shocked beyond belief. the spell he had performed on me had prevented any nightmare attacks on me but he had also been deeply affected...

He had sacrificed his peace for my sake. He had regretted being a Malfoy, something he was so proud of, just because he had to watch others suffer in the name of blood purity. At least we all had a choice to go to the Light side or the Dark side. But Malfoy did not have that choice. Beacuse he was a Malfoy...

I kept thinking and did not realize that I had reached my door. the thunderstorm had not stopped but I had performed a quite complex charm on both the Head boy and the Head Girl rooms.

the next morning, I had used the common bathroom and i came out to Malfoy. He was flustered and blushing. The moment he saw me his eyes widened. He looked at me and started smirking. What was with the mood swings? i quickly looked down to see I was in my bathrobe, with no underwear, which stopped right above my knee. It was my turn to blush. I rushed to my room and pulled on my robes and clothing. When I came out, Blaise was nowhere to be seen but Malfoy was waiting for me; or so it seemed.

i walked passed him to the entrance. I would have missed what he said if not for my keen ears.

"thank you" he whispered.

I turned back to see a regal looking Malfoy with his mask of indifference, but nothing could cover the slight blush dusted on his cheek. i gave him a smile and said 'Anytime.' I swear he smiled. not much. just a tiny lift of the corners of his lips and it was gone as if it never existed in the first place.

I had seen him at his weakest and had not found it funny. I found it quite endearing and selfless of him. That was how he burrowed into my heart without both of us knowing it

Hullo! I surprisingly got inspired to write this recently. I've also planned a consistent update so i have at least one finished story in my hand...

Read and Review Please.

Preview

I saw the invite from the granger family mocking at me. Bitches. Calling me over to make fun of me. I will not allow it. Then I had a brilliant idea. I flooed Draco and told him my plan.