Hey everyone, apologies that it's been a little bit since I've written. Huge thank you to everyone who has reviewed, favorited, and/or followed my story! I really appreciate the feedback and support. As always, I really appreciate feedback and constructive criticism so please review. I don't own anything from the HP universe! Enjoy the next chapter :)

Chapter 5

"How did you get into my vault, you filthy mudblood?! How did you get this sword?!"

"I didn't! Please, no, I didn't take it! It's a fake! Please! PLEASE!"

Bellatrix dug her knife into Hermione's arm and slowly carved the word MUDBLOOD into her smooth skin…

Hermione's screams woke her up, and she scrambled to a sitting position in her bed while cradling her left arm. She sobbed while she calmed herself down. Drenched in sweat and breathing heavily, she traced her fingertips over the lumpy pink scars that Bellatrix left on her forearm. She was grateful that she had cast a silencing charm on the curtains of her four-poster bed before she went to sleep. She was quite sure that the entire rest of her house would have woken up if she hadn't. She looked at the clock and sighed. It was only 1:45 in the morning. She got up and walked to the bathroom to rinse her face and get some water.

"Hermione?"

Hermione spun around and whipped out her wand. Ginny raised both of her hands in surrender, "Whoa, just me. Please don't hex me."

Hermione's shoulders slumped as she relaxed. "I'm sorry. Reflex."

"I know, me too. I accidentally got Charlie in the face with a Bat-Bogey hex over the summer when he startled me. I felt awful, but he just said that he was really impressed with my hexing skills."

Hermione laughed, "Bet he announced his presence to you from then on."

Ginny shrugged. "It was an accident. Anyway, why are you up, Miss Head Girl? Shouldn't you be asleep and preparing for classes tomorrow?"

"I could ask you the same thing. It's almost 2am, Ginny, why are you awake?"

"I've been planning quidditch tryouts. We're going to need an almost entirely new team this year. Worst comes to worst I'll play seeker, but I'm hoping to be able to be a chaser again this year."

"Glad you're on top of the important things in life, Ginny…"

"Hermione! Classes have barely started! And, I already finished my homework for this week so far!" Ginny cried out in exasperation. "Besides, I love quidditch. I'd love to see if I could play professionally after Hogwarts. I doubt I could make it as a seeker, but if I train hard enough I might be able to play chaser!" She lowered her voice and added excitedly, "Quidditch has got to be a priority for me this year. Professor Slughorn said that he might invite Gwenog Jones to the next Slug Club dinner for me so that I can try to network with her. I'd love to play for the Holyhead Harpies someday."

Hermione was impressed with the younger red head witch. She knew that Ginny was an excellent quidditch player, so she was happy that the girl was ready to work hard for her potential future in the sport. "As long as you keep on top of your school work. Your mum made me promise to make sure that you were studying and not just playing quidditch everyday."

Ginny groaned and made a face. "Of course she did." She shook her head, "You still never answered my question though."

"Oh? And what question was that?"

"Why are you awake, Hermione?"

"Oh, um, I just needed to get some water."

"Right… And there's no other reason you're awake right now?"

Hermione put on a smile and moved to walk towards the bathroom. "Nope, just needed some water." Ginny frowned.

"You're sure?"

"Yes."

"Positive?"

"Yes."

"Hermione?"

"Yes?"

"Why are your eyes puffy and why are you covered in sweat?"

Hermione sighed. "It's nothing Ginny, I just had a bad dream, that's all. I'm okay, I promise."

Ginny gave her a hard look before sighing and shrugging her shoulders. "Okay, I'll believe you this time. Please talk to me if you need anything though, Hermione. We're all dealing with the after effects of the war now. I know you've been on your own almost the entire summer looking for your parents, and maybe that's been a distraction for you. But remember that it's okay to let someone help you every now and then. Not just with your search for your parents. For everything." Hermione nodded her head, not trusting herself to speak. Ginny sighed again before smiling, "Alright I'm going to bed now. Goodnight, Hermione, I'll see you in the morning."

Hermione bade her goodnight and then quickly walked into the bathroom and shut the door behind her. She sank to the tile floor and cried. She stayed there for what felt like hours before she decided that she needed fresh air. Being Head Girl had its perks, and one of those perks was the permission to be out of bed after hours.

...

Hermione made her way to the Astronomy Tower and leaned on the railing. She stared at the quarter moon hanging in the inky black sky.

"Granger?"

For the second time that night Hermione whipped around in defense and found her wand pointed at Malfoy. Malfoy froze in the doorway and slowly stretched his hands out to show they were empty. Hermione lowered her wand but kept it in her hand, "Malfoy? What do you want?" she asked harshly.

"Easy, Granger, we're supposed to be a team this year remember? Head Boy and Head Girl working to restore Hogwarts." He sneered, "This is a pairing for the books," but Hermione noticed that there didn't seem to be any venom behind his words.

"What do you want, Malfoy?" Hermione repeated.

His shoulders relaxed a little and he looked past her at the landscape that stretched out into the night, "Same as you I suppose. Head privileges, we can be out of bed after hours. I'm guessing you were having trouble sleeping." Hermione frowned. He smiled knowing that he was right. "So," he continued, "you came up here for fresh air, privacy, to relax. I don't know, pick one."

"So what if I did?" She challenged, "You're up here too!"

"I am," he agreed. He walked to the railing and sat next to her staring at the grounds below. She eyed him cautiously but stowed her wand and sat down. They sat in silence for a while, and Hermione allowed herself to ignore him while she got lost in her thoughts.

"I'm sorry."

Hermione jolted at the almost inaudible apology. "What?"

"I'm sorry," he repeated, not looking at her.

She looked at him cautiously, but he turned his head away from hers to look at the moon's reflection on the surface of the lake. "And what exactly are you sorry for? Being a nosy little ferret? Interrupting my peace and quiet?"

He still didn't look at her, but hung his head. "I'm sorry for what happened to you at my family's manor." His shoulders slumped even lower. He took a deep breath and continued, "My Aunt Bellatrix… She tortured you. I'd seen her torture and murder other people, but they were people I didn't know. I still hated it," he added quickly with a desperate glance at her, "but it could block it out for the most part. When it was you, well, you were a classmate. I'd been in school with you for years. You weren't someone I liked very much, mind you," he gave a small sneer that, again, lacked the venom it held when they were younger. "But you were still a classmate," his features contorted to a distant frown again as his eyes returned to the dark horizon. "She was horrible. She was my aunt," he said with disgust. "I've been wanting to apologize since then for everything that happened that day. I've just never been able to make myself talk to you about it. I heard you and the Weasley sister talking in the library today. I decided I had to talk to you the next chance I got. Just to, you know, say sorry. I'm sorry." He finished with a sigh, shut his eyes, and buried his face into his hands.

Hermione listened while he spoke, and slumped into a shocked silence when he finished. "Well, you at least helped us," she finally said. Malfoy looked up in confusion, "No I didn't. I didn't do anything, I didn't move or defend you or-"

"Yes you did," she cut him off as she continued. "I know you recognized Harry. You didn't turn us in though. You said that you couldn't be sure, and that gave us a chance to escape. Why did you say that you couldn't recognize him?"

Malfoy frowned and turned away again. "Probably because I was hoping Potter could actually beat the Dark Lord. And I didn't want our only chance of victory to be tortured and murdered in my living room."

"Our only chance of victory?"

Malfoy looked her in the eye, "I didn't want to be a death eater, Granger. I didn't have a choice. My father made sure of that." He looked up at the brightening sky. Streaks of gray were starting to spread into the darkness. "I ought to go. Breakfast is going to be starting in a couple hours." He got up and left quickly, leaving Hermione alone to think about the strange conversation that just happened.