A/N: Wow, you guys are incredible! Thank you all for taking time to review, it means so much to me! Suggestions for events in later chapters are hugely welcomed because I'm not really sure where I'm going to take this story. So, tell me any ideas you have! I can't guarantee I'll use them but you never know… Many thanks to:

Emi-Bum: I didn't know I was capable of being deep so thank you!

Spazzletaz: Thanks! Yeah, I personally don't like first person point of view either unless it's really well done. I don't know, I just felt like this story would be better told from Hermione's point of view.

seghen: Oh, thank goodness! I would have been quite upset if you were talking about me! Eww, shot in the face? I'm not sure anyone deserves that, even Jason.

kionkichi: Oh no, don't cry!

Rhonda21: Lol, you've certainly got your opinions straight! Thanks for reviewing!

luv sean faris: Thank you so much! You're so great! By the way, I'm not sure if I've told you this before, but your name rocks! I didn't know who Sean Faris was before and then I finally saw him in a movie and he looked sexy in it and he's a good actor too.

allie00: Yeah, she's in a pretty tragic position, but I'm glad you like the writing style.

XXDarkest AngelXX: Thanks!

modelicious: Thanks a lot, I'm glad you think so!

DancingBabe: Thanks very much! I plan to keep writing this story for as long as possible.

XXDREAMING OF YOUXX: Thanks!

pxleno52: They sure do and thanks!

Koyuki 14: I don't like how the books make him seem like such a brat so I try to make him as nice and mature as possible without going out of character. Usually, I would agree with your cousins becausemost of the time, Ihate Draco and Hermione stories but, I don't know, for some reason, I just couldn't resist doing this one. Thank you!

Anon: Thanks a lot!

shirleybobo: I know but I'm glad that you like it!

his-lil-shortie: I'm thrilled you like it so much! You're just going to have to wait for some more info on Draco.

Rainan Strife: Lol. Yes, I guess it is a bit of a relief, isn't it? I like Draco's nice side too.

yay: Thanks, I shall!

CareBearErin: I completely agree with you. I think that it's especially true for Draco because he's been through a lot in his life and has learned how to put up a shield and block his emotions in order to hide the pain he's experienced.

I'm glad that you think all of this fits. It's a real challenge to make it realistic but I'm doing my best.

angelraine: It's true, unfortunately. I'm not sure if this constitutes as 'soon' for you, it probably doesn't, in which case, I'm sorry I didn't update earlier. But, I'm updating now and I hope you like it!

xxlightningboltxx: Yeah, I know, but sad's good sometimes. I absolutely love that you're a person who says why they like it. I don't like writing responses that are just 'Thanks!' It's on your favourite list? I'm so honoured! Anyway, I thought that someone would show Hermione as being a little weaker than the freakishly strong character that other authors perceive her as. I personally don't see Hermione as that strong of a character, even in the books and I don't like it when writers make her go through all this traumatic stuff and then brush it off like nothing. I don't think anyone can really know how she would react in a situation like this in the actual books so I'm just writing it as Ithink it. I'm glad you like it though!

Hermione-Potter-52036: Lol, yes, I suppose it is. Thanks for reviewing!

xfailurebydesignx: Thanks very much!

Chapter 4: Return

A few days passed. Madam Pomfrey insisted on keeping Malfoy and I here for awhile so that she could keep an eye on us. Not only had she seen my scars, but Malfoy's as well, so despite his head being completely healed, she kept him here with me, desperately hoping that we would open up and talk about it. Unlikely.

On the first day, after I had brought Malfoy here and after my scars had been revealed, Madam Pomfrey had spent a lot of time spreading the cooling gel over all of my injuries. Even as the hours passed, Malfoy's eyes had never left me. There had been something odd about them, something I couldn't place. It seemed like sadness and anger and somehow, recognition.

After that, my relationship with Malfoy had been strange. It almost felt like our hatred for each other was put on hold while we were in the hospital wing and while we very slowly began to get to know each other. It seemed that we had more in common than we thought but were both reluctant to talk about it. I had flat out refused to talk about my scars so far and so had he but we talked about other things. Anything that popped in to our minds. I found out that he was really quite intelligent and very perceptive. He noticed everything and was very good at reading people.

One morning I awoke very early and slid out of bed. I felt refreshed for once. I had been sleeping quite well the past few nights, no new injuries colouring my body, no unwelcome body pressed against mine and best of all, no fear. I almost snorted at that. Sure, I was unafraid now. Why shouldn't I be? Jason wasn't here and I had Malfoy with me.

That thought startled me. Having Malfoy around made me feel safe for some reason but it made no sense. Despite our odd sort of friendship, he was still my enemy and I was still his the second we left the hospital wing. But for now, I didn't want to think about being his foe.

Much to my dislike, I couldn't stop admiring his beauty. My ever present crush had caused me to do and say some rather stupid things but I couldn't help myself. I padded over to his bed and studied his sleeping form as I brushed the pale hair from his face.

"Must you always watch and touch me while I sleep?"

I stepped back, startled, as I looked at his face and saw his glinting silver eyes staring back at me intently. His eyes fascinated me, I got lost every time I looked in to them. There was so much in there, so much intelligence and pain and cruelty. I knew that no one else saw what I saw when I looked in to his eyes as his skilfully practised shield was virtually always in place. I constantly wondered why he let me in to his eyes while he shut everyone else out.

I looked at the floor, knowing that my emotions and thoughts were written all over my face. Well, to his eyes anyway. I too could put on a fairly good mask but somehow he always seemed to cut through it.

"You never look straight at me," he told me. It was true. I just couldn't, I knew that if I looked him straight in the face, I would be lost.

"I know," I said. I didn't know what else to say to him.

"Why?"

"Because if I do, you'll see right through me," I gave him the honest answer and when I peeked up I saw that he looked mildly surprised but shrugged.

"I already see through you," he said and I couldn't help but look up. His eyes teased and taunted me. "You attempt to put up a shield but you're too easy to read."

I frowned at his words. I didn't particularly like the thought of him reading me. It made me uneasy knowing that my enemy could see dark things inside me that no one else could, not even my best friends.

"Go back to sleep," I said at last. "It's early still."

"Come sit with me," he said, ignoring my words. I had learned that it was something he did frequently, ignore the things he didn't want to hear. And yet, I still walked over to him. He sat up so that I had space to sit cross-legged on his bed. I rubbed my arms absently as I looked out the window, drinking in the clear morning.

"Look at me."

I did. I met his clear grey eyes and began to lose myself. I fought it, putting up my defences and tightening my jaw. He lifted an eyebrow ever so slightly but said nothing about it. His gaze then flickered briefly to my arms before returning to my eyes.

"Are you going to tell me about it now or what?"

I considered it briefly for a second before shaking my head. He looked away.

"Why not?"

I shrugged, looking down at my arms. I felt strangely comfortable around this guy, unwisely trusting him, but I still couldn't talk about my scars. I was extremely private about them. They were one of the few things that were my own and I felt a strange and disturbing comfort in that.

He wasn't satisfied with that answer. I knew he wasn't. I could feel his gaze burning in to me.

"I just can't talk about it," I continued. "It's… it's just very personal."

"You can talk about it with me," he told me.

"Can I?" I said, looking him straight in the eyes. "Why can't you talk about your scars?"

I watched as his eyes hardened and his jaw clenched. He opened his mouth to speak but realised that he would only be saying the exact same things I had just said. He closed his mouth and neither of us talked for awhile. The silence was uncomfortable and I didn't like it one bit. I missed talking to him already.

"One of us is going to have to start," I said eventually and he just shrugged, his cold demeanour back in place. It was one of the things I hated about him. He could be kind one minute and then could return to his icy, cruel, emotionless self the next. It was a classic Slytherin trick, yet Malfoy had truly mastered it.

I got off of his bed and went over to my own. I flopped down on it just as there was a knock on the door. I looked up excitedly. It was most likely Harry and Ron, who had come to visit me often, bearing treats and bringing me up to speed on everything that was going on while shooting death glares at Malfoy.

Madam Pomfrey went to the door and let the person in. She pointed to my bed and went in to her office. My heart sank when I saw who it was. Jason. I had been expecting this visit for awhile now but hadn't been looking forward to it.

Jason strode over to my bed and barely restrained himself from striking me. The only reason he didn't was because Malfoy's narrowed gaze was boring in to him. Jason promptly sat down and began to speak in a furious whisper.

"Why the fuck are you here?"

"I-I'm sorry, Jason," I whispered, disgusted at how weak I sounded. "I didn't mean to. I just brought Malfoy here-"

"I bet you slept with him too, didn't you, slut?" He said, still keeping his voice down so that only I could hear him.

I shook my head frantically. "No, Jason, I swear! He was hurt and unconscious! And, well, Madam Pomfrey just ended up seeing my scars."

"Isn't that convenient?" Jason sneered. "Did you tell her how you got them?"

I shook my head again.

"Christ," Jason said, running a hand through his hair. "The second you get out of here, we're going to have to have a little chat. That ought to teach you."

I couldn't help it. Tears began slowly running down my cheeks.

"Stop it, you weak bitch," Jason snapped. Suddenly, his head was yanked back.

"I think it's time you left," Malfoy drawled, his voice icier than I had ever heard it. I looked at his face. It was hard with fury and his eyes were a dark and steely grey, filled only with anger. His strong fingers were wrapped around Jason's hair so tightly that if Malfoy had pulled just a little harder, Jason's neck would have surely broken.

Malfoy shoved Jason towards the door. My boyfriend sent me a fury-filled glare before leaving. I shivered and continued crying. Malfoy sat next to me. He didn't rub my back or try to comfort me. I knew that wasn't his thing. I eventually calmed myself down enough to look at him. When I did, he fixed me with a perplexed look.

"Now you definitely have to talk to me."

A/N: I am feeling very excited right now because my birthday's coming uppretty soon and it's making me quite happy, so I decided to update. This was a tricky chapter to write because it's difficult to envision what Hermione and Draco would act like and say to each other in a situation like this. I hope that I did an ok job with it and that you guys liked it. Review!