Author's Note: Okay, so just to warn you, there may be vampires here on out, along with original, made up characters if I so choose. There is evidence of vampires among the wizarding world, so this is still Harry Potter-esque. Also, my main characters may do things out of character that they don't do in the book, i.e. smoking, self-destructive behavior, etc. I hope I don't lose any of you with all of this :) It's my story, my choice.

Oh yeah, and I don't own anything except the plot.

Chapter Three: Trust

- - -

Hermione glanced at the clock on the bedside table as it read seven-thirty. She sighed, having not slept for more than ten minutes at a time. She couldn't get Blaise out of her head for nothing. It was like he was embedded in there now, and haunted her dreams as soon as she closed her eyes to sleep.

Knowing she wouldn't be able to try and go back to sleep, she reluctantly got out of the bed, grabbed her shower supplies, a pair of jeans and a sweater and then quietly crept into the hallway bathroom, the only one in the whole apartment. As she stripped down, she instantly averted her eyes from the mirror to the floor. She felt disgusting and gross. This was what Blaise had done to her. Hermione turned the shower on and slipped inside before she began to wash her hair of the cologne that stained her body. She scrubbed it out before washing her bare body with the body wash. Once she was done, she got out of the shower, wrapped a towel around herself, and then bit her lip hard as she forced herself to look at her body in the mirror.

She looked thinner than before, there were dark circles under her eyes from lack of sleep, and the girl staring back at her looked broken and sad. Hermione sighed to herself and got dressed before walking out into the kitchen, not seeing any sign of Draco being awake yet. She opened the fridge and instantly noticed the lack of juices and milk. Beer bottles rested on the top shelf while basic food necessities rested on the second shelf.

"Umm… sorry about the lack of drinks. I don't have company over very much," Draco apologized, rubbing the back of his neck as he looked at Hermione.

"Oh, it's alright. I don't even know what I want," Hermione replied, closing the fridge and then sitting down at the kitchen table.

Draco stood there uncomfortably for the longest time before he sat down across from her. He started to nervously pick at the skin on his fingers, quiet.

"W-Who's room do I have?"

There it was; the million Galleon question. He knew it was coming but it was just a matter of when. He looked away with an unreadable expression in his eyes but looked vaguely of sadness. She waited patiently until he finally looked back at her.

"It was my sister's room. It was… Adrianna's room."

Hermione was surprised by this. She had no idea that he had a sister. Where had she been all these years? Why hadn't he mentioned her before?

"W-Where is she?"

Draco finally looked back at her. "She is… dead. She was killed last year by… by her boyfriend."

Suddenly everything added up. The way he had kissed her forehead last night when Blaise had come inside her house, how Draco felt so protective of her… she reminded him of her sister.

It was her turn to look away now and looked down at the black and white tiled kitchen floor.

"O-Oh. I'm sorry. That must… be pretty rough for you, Draco."

He nodded and took a deep breath before clearing his throat again. "Y-Yeah. Thanks… it really has been difficult."

"I don't mean to be rude but why d-don't you have the Dark Mark anymore?"

Draco looked at her now with a weariness and awareness. He impulsively touched his arm with his other hand, his body tensing. "W-What?"

"W-When you were arguing with Blaise… you said that you don't have the Mark anymore. Do you really not have it, or were you just lying?"

Hermione watched as Draco rolled up his sleep with reluctance and then stepped towards her as he held out his forearm to her.

Her stomach dropped when she saw scars covering the place on his arm where the Dark Mark had been. She looked up at him with confusion in her eyes. "But… how? How did you get rid of it?"

Draco rolled his sleeve back down. "I burned it off, Granger. At first, I tried everything to get rid of it after Severus killed Dumbledore. I tried cutting it out. But, it didn't disappear until I tried an Incendio spell on it. It scarred me, but obviously I'm still alive, and I'm not a slave to anyone anymore," Draco explained.

Hermione took a step forward and gently took his sleeve and rolled it slowly back up his arm so the plethora of scars were visible. She gingerly ran her fingers across it innocently, but then seemed to remember how easily Blaise had gotten if she did something wrong, and then quickly stopped, looking back up at Draco with apprehensive eyes.

"I-I'm sorry," Hermione stammered, taking a step back away from him. "I'm…I'm sorry. I-I just… I wanted to…"

Draco took a slow step towards her and gently grabbed her hand before he placed it back on his forearm again, looking down at her softly. "Shhh… it's alright. It's fine. You can touch them."

Hermione relaxed a little and let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding. She looked up at him again before she looked back down and ran her soft fingers over the rough scarred area. For some reason, it fascinated her. She never knew that one could get rid of the Dark Mark, and the fact that he had found a way but had also damaged his body in the process was an enchanting thought.

Draco watched her do this and sighed inwardly, sensing that Blaise had done more than she had told him. He watched her retreat again and then put his sleeve back down.

"Are… are you thirsty or anything, Granger? I can make tea, coffee –"

"Tea is fine, thank you," she said in a soft voice, nodding.

Draco smiled softly and then walked over to the stove before he filled the kettle with water and placed it on the burner and turned the fire on under it. He took out two mugs and placed a teabag in both.

Hermione watched him with intentness and then looked down at her fingers, still feeling the roughness of the scars on her skin even though he had taken his arm back. She wanted to tell him what had happened, what else Blaise had done, but she couldn't. Not when she wasn't sure that Blaise had even done anything else to her at all. She felt so confused, so torn up inside. Hermione felt like she was being punished for not letting Blaise have sex with her. She was strong, or had been at one point and usually, she never would've thought these crazy, ridiculous thoughts but Blaise had corrupted her. He had fucked with her mind and had screwed her up mentally in the process. Now she had to be careful, in case Draco was secretly like this way too.

Hermione broke out of her reverie as Draco set the cup of tea down in front of her before he sat down with his. He took a sip of the tea before he looked at Hermione.

"Are you afraid of me? Is that why you're so quiet and careful around me, because you think I'm like him?"

Hermione shook her head but knew he wouldn't believe her. "I-I'm sorry, I just… he really got into my head," she answered in a quiet voice.

Draco was silent for a few minutes before he finally spoke.

"It's okay, I understand. I don't blame you. You've… you've been through a lot, I'm sure. If you don't mind me asking, what else did he do to you, Granger? Him forcing you to do what he did and him hitting you is pretty sick and awful but, I don't know. There must have been more…"

Hermione almost choked on her drink of tea as he said this. Why did he think this? Did he already know? She had to get away from him, out of the room. He couldn't know her secret.

"There's nothing, Draco. Please, just… just stay out of it," Hermione spoke, somehow finding strength behind her words as she said them to him. She was feeling defensive now and she didn't care if Draco could sense it.

He leaned forward to her now, seriousness and worry touching his eyes. "I can't stay out of it when you're in my life now! You're in my apartment because you're too scared to go back to your own house! There's something else wrong. He did something else to you, didn't he?"

Hermione stood up quickly now and felt her chest tighten, breathing harder. "I-I have to get away from you right now…"

He suddenly grabbed her arm firmly as she stood up and she seemed to panic more, looking at him fearfully. How Draco hated when he saw that fear, and the last person he wanted her to be afraid of was him. He growled in frustration and let go of her.

She swallowed hard and then walked quickly out of the kitchen and down to her room. She didn't let herself relax until she walked in and closed the bedroom door, locking it. Her breathing was uneven and her chest felt tight with panic and fear. Hermione slid down the door and curled into a ball on the floor before she cried herself to sleep, suddenly feeling so exhausted physically.

* * * * *

Draco started to worry about her. It had been hours and he hadn't seen or heard from her since she had hurried out of the kitchen earlier. He stood up from his place on the couch and then walked down the hall until he reached her room and gently knocked.

"Granger, are you awake? I'm sorry that I interrogated you earlier. I'm just… damnit, I'm worried. Please, open the door. We can talk."

When there was no reply for several moments, Draco sighed and then turned the knob as he tried to open the door but hit a barrier. He peaked inside and then looked down to see what was stopping the door and then saw Hermione lying on the floor. His heart stopped for a second until he realized that she was just sleeping. He knelt down to where her head was and gently stroked her hair.

Hermione suddenly sat upright, gasping in fear, terrified that it was Blaise. When she recognized Draco, she let out a breath and looked down as tears pooled in her eyes.

Draco felt his heart break for her and he stepped inside and then easily lifted her in his arms as he carried her over to the bed and gently set her down. He sat down beside her but she still remained sitting up.

"I'm sorry for how I acted earlier. I'm just so scared that Blaise did something more than you're telling me," Draco said, running a hand through his hair anxiously. "If that's the case, I want you to tell me. Y-You might need medical attention."

Hermione knew she didn't need medical assistance. She wasn't as sore as the day before and she didn't give Blaise time to finish, so she knew she wasn't pregnant.

Tell him. Tell him; he can help you…

She couldn't listen to that voice in her head. That voice belonged to someone she didn't know. That voice could get her into trouble. It could make her fall subject to trusting men again, and Hermione couldn't let herself do that.

"I-I'm okay, Draco. Please… i-it's my life and… I'm just fine," Hermione lied, but looked at him undecidedly.

"I don't want you to be just fine. I want you to be confident that you're okay. Don't lie to me, Granger," Draco begged. "I can see the doubt in your eyes. You're not alright. You're not fine. I know that we haven't gotten along in the past, but we're both adults now. The Dark Mark is in my past. It's not who I am anymore. I want you to trust me."

Hermione looked down at her hands. How could she tell him that she couldn't trust him? It'd tear him apart. She wanted to trust him, though.

"Draco, I… I'm not fine, you're right. There's something tearing me apart but I can't tell you, not yet. I will tell you, someday, but that day won't be today or tomorrow or the next day."

He seemed to accept this answer and he nodded. "Okay. As long as you tell me eventually and not before… it's too late."

Hermione met his eyes now and watched as he looked down at her stomach. She shook her head, understanding what he was talking about.

"It won't be too late. I… I won't get pregnant."

"How sure are you, Granger?" He asked curiously, needing to know.

"I am… one hundred percent sure."

Draco nodded now, biting his lip. He believed her and her answer put him a little at ease

It made him wonder what Blaise had done to her. Had he broken her down with harsh, words? Had he physically hurt her in places that Draco could not see? These questions ripped him apart and tortured his mind but he was so afraid of watching her walk out of his apartment and then end up in the wrong hands that he couldn't let himself continue to badger her with questions about it.

He searched her face and then slowly reached up and placed his hand on her cheek, gently thumbing it. When she flinched, he swallowed hard and placed his hand on her cheek again, this time a little bit firmer. Hermione whimpered and reached up to stop him.

"No, no… it's only me, Granger. I'm not going to hurt you. I'll never hurt you. I'm not Blaise… I'm not a monster. If you only trust one person, please trust me," he pleaded.

She stopped trying to stop him now but her breathing remained uneven as she let him touch her skin. Her body tensed as he did this, but she wanted so badly to trust him. Draco became aware of her body movements and continued to gently caress her cheek, never taking his eyes off of hers.

"It's okay. You're safe. You're safe with me and you're safe here. Please don't leave me here alone. I know you're scared, and I know you can't trust me fully yet, and I get that. I do… but you're safer here where I can protect you, than at your house where I can't."

Hermione felt solace in his words again and she nodded slowly in understanding and knowing. She knew she was safer here with him. She nuzzled her cheek against the palm of his hand affectionately, just needing to feel his touch. Not even in a sexual way, but in a comforting way.

Draco smiled at her reassuringly as she did this. It was a start; she was beginning to trust him. If she trusted him, then there was hope. He couldn't screw this up. He couldn't let his father be unleashed from within him, not like he had done at Hogwarts. His father's words had planted itself in Draco's head, and brainwashed him with propaganda about how he had to do the Dark Lord's work to prove Draco's loyalty.

"What do you want to do now?"

Hermione thought for a minute. "C-Can we go for a walk? I need some air."

Draco's smile grew in relief and he nodded. "Of course we can. That sounds like a good idea."

The two stood up and put on their coats respectively before making their way out into the cold winter air. Hermione breathed in the brisk air and appeared to let herself relax. The cold felt nice, it made her feel alive. But most of all, it made her feel something other than pain, fear, and confusion. Feeling in the moment, she suddenly skipped and spun around, feeling carefree for now. She felt like a small child again, feeling like nothing could hurt her.

Draco watched her, staying close and she behaved like she had not a care in the world, as if whatever happened with Blaise, never happened at all. He wished she could be like this every day, but knew it wasn't an option yet. Not until she told him the truth. But for now, this temporarily relief would do.

"Bet you can't catch me!"

Draco looked up now and watched in horror as she began to run out of Hogsmeade and running towards the Hogwarts grounds.

"Damnit, Hermione! Come back here!" Draco yelled, running after her.

All he heard was her sweet laughter of joy as the wind blew at his face. He felt his stomach sinking as his visibility of her was diminishing quickly. She was running out of sight. He ran faster, fear pumping through his veins. He knew it only took a wrong move on Hermione's side to get into someone's territory or to be kidnapped forever. This thought forced Draco to run faster, his legs tired but never ceasing.

"Hermione!" He called out, but just heard her laughter dying away.

Then he heard a sound he prayed to never hear: her scream. Draco ran as fast as his legs could take him until he reached the castle grounds and saw Hermione staring up fearfully at something he had hoped to never encounter in his life.