I do not own the Harry Potter Franchise. As much as I wish I was even a tinsy bit part of it…. I don't.

A/N: Dang guys… I got a lot of feedback in a really short amount of time. I've been writing all day at work, yes I'm skipping out on my duties; to get you guys this update. I hope you like it. I'm still not a hundred percent I like this story so I'm just going to work with what you guys put out for me. Acciojean: Do you really want me to ruin the story like that for you? Haha and to AllWasWell07: I know, I know but I'm going to start pumping them out.

The next weeks went by without a hiccup. Hermione threw herself into her coursework, as usual. She pretended to be interested in Harry and Ron's conversations. And, of course, she took pleasure in her own ways. She reveled in her idea to tell Hailey and Aiden she was a witch so that she could owl them. They had thought she was joking at first but after a little demonstration they were quick to take to the idea. So she wrote them letters, they were her new lifeline. She told them all about her annoyance with Ron and Harry since she had returned and her addiction to the blade. They wrote back about the parties they were going to that she was well missed at and the activities they did, trying to keep her up to date while she was gone. She really missed them. They were the friends she'd always wanted. She was sitting in the library working on her newest letter to both of them when she was confronted.

"Granger, we need to talk."

"Shove off Malfoy, I'm busy."

"Granger, now."

"No, ferret. I'm busy."

"Hermione," he said softly. "Please, humor me."

That had thrown her off. What was she going to do? Malfoy wasn't going to leave her alone but she wasn't about to explain her behavior in the Room of Requirement either.

"Malfoy, please. Don't make me do this."

He grabbed her wrists and dragged her out of the library. Dragged her up the stairs to the seventh floor and paced in front of the magical wall. When he pulled her into the room, it was set up the same as before. She had been dreaming of this room. He gently set her down on the middle couch and had the room create a chair for him to pull up right in front of her.

"Hermione. Talk to me."

"Why would I talk to you, of all people," she yelled, her temper starting to take over. "You've done nothing but torture me my entire Hogwarts career! Why should I talk to you about anything? For all I know you're in the dungeons making fun of me with your two goons and your pug faced girlfriend."

"Are you done? Are you ready to talk?" He asked.

"I won't talk to you. I won't."

"Hermione, please. I know I haven't been the kindest to you but I need to talk about this. I need to know what you're going through so that I can share what I'm going through." At this she snapped her head up to look into his eyes. Stared straight into them and questioned what he had said.

"What?"

He yanked up his sleeve and showed her angry red scars that covered his entire forearm. "Hermione, I need to talk to you because I need to understand why I do this to myself. I need to know it's okay."

"Oh, Draco, why?"

"I don't know. It just feels right," he managed to squeeze out as his throat started to close up and tears started to well up in his eyes. "It makes all the pain inside of me disappear."

Hermione got up off the couch then and pulled Malfoy up with her. She pulled him into her and hugged him tight.

"It's okay, Draco. I mean, it's not okay but I understand. I know what you're going through. I don't know why I cut either but I understand what you mean about the pain. It takes it all away."

"Yeah, like everything hectic becomes calm again."

The sat back down, both of them on the couch this time, and thought in silence.

"Why," Hermione asked, eventually.

"I… I don't know. It started this summer. I was so sick of father telling me what to do, what to believe, who to talk to. I was sick of my father beating me within an inch of my life and then bringing me back to laugh at what he had done. It was too much. It's all too much. I accidently cut myself one morning on a broken mirror father had thrown me into the night before and I felt immediate relief. I started cutting myself a little, once a week at first, then moved to once a day. Now I feel like I can't go ten minutes without digging a blade into my skin."

"I'm so sorry. I didn't know any of that happened in your home," she said, genuinely sorry.

"No one knows. I'm sorry I forced you to come here; I needed someone to talk to, especially after seeing what you were doing the night of the welcoming feast. I felt like I could possibly have someone to talk to but I had no idea how to reach out to you."

"I've been so busy. I threw myself into classes and haven't given myself much time to think. I don't want to think about what I've been doing or why I do it. I just want to cut and live my life."

They sat together again in silence. The quiet calming both of them. What were they supposed to do now? Knowing each other's dirty secret gave them real insight into the mind of the other. After an hour of sitting in silence, Draco stood up and walked behind the couch. He asked the room for a bed and a beautiful four poster bed arrived in the room. Two sets of pajamas were sitting on the foot of the bed. Draco handed Hermione a pair and went to change into his own. When they had both changed and looked at the other across the bed they knew they had made an unspoken agreement to become best friends. They would share everything in the future. They were both broken and they both needed the other. Both climbing into bed, Draco put his arm around Hermione and they both fell into a calm sleep.

So, I know my chapters are short but it's because I'm highly impatient. I'm updating more frequently though, that's a promise. Send me some reviews so that I can have some inspiration. :D