In an instant my life had changed completely, with just a few words from Dumbledore and a visual experience that I could never force from my mind everything had been turned upside down. For a month everything went on without incident. Every Monday I snuck out of my quarters to have a secret meeting with Draco Malfoy, and every Tuesday I reported to Dumbledore what we knew. Malfoy and I didn't linger too long, but each time we began to speak a bit more beyond what was absolutely necessary. We were slowly learning more about each other than we had managed in seven years of coexistence, and I was gradually learning to trust him.

None of my friends had the faintest idea what I was doing. They were too wrapped up in the messes of their own lives to notice what was going on in my life. Though I know they didn't mean anything by it, the bitter pain came anyway. For six years I'd been a cornerstone of what I knew everyone called the Golden Trio, and now I barely spoke to Harry and Ron outside of homework. Though I tried not to let it bother me it did, more than I would have ever admitted. Between all the emotion and the late night meetings I was completely exhausted.

One Monday night I went to the Room of Requirement as always and was surprised to find a couch waiting for me along with the customary table and chairs. I guess I'd projected my fatigue when I'd sought admittance into the room. Eternally grateful I sank down into the couch to wait. Within seconds I had fallen asleep. The next memory I have is waking up to a huge crash. I sprang up from the couch and moments later Draco quite literally fell through the door. I hurried across the room to his side as he slumped to the floor, clutching his side.

I fell to my knees next to him. "What happened?"

"Would you believe me if I told you I ran into something?"

I frowned. "No."

"It's really safer if you just don't know what happened," he told me.

"Whether you like it or not we're in this together, and I can't help you if you don't tell me what's going on."

He sighed and winced as he slid a bit down the wall. "Okay, I'll tell you, just help me to the couch first, okay?"

She nodded and slid herself under his arm to help him up. It took them a minute but they made it across the room and when he was settled he finally told her. "There was a meeting tonight. One of the others accused me of being a turncoat. I pretended to be outraged, I even punched the guy. Then he pulled a knife on me."

"Oh my God!"

"I know, I can't believe the dumb ass had a wand and he chose to pull a knife," he said derisively.

"I was thinking more of the fact that you got stabbed," I cried, shaking my head.

"Well there is that. Anyway, Voldemort had the other guy taken away for punishment after he dared to question one of his most loyal followers," he snorted. "Ironic isn't it?"

"I suppose," I told him, though not without a hint of sarcasm. "How bad is it?"

He shrugged then winced again. "I don't know I didn't look."

"You didn't look?" I yelled.

"I was a bit focused on getting back here in one piece," he said with a frown.

"Well at least let me see it then." He nodded and closed his eyes. I pulled his cloak aside and before I had gotten it fully open my hands were already coated in blood. I tamped down the panic that immediately rose and pushed on. His shirt was black but I could tell immediately that it was worse than the cloak. With a steadying breath I ripped his shirt to about half way up his chest, splattering myself with his blood in the process. The wound was at least four inches long, and judging by the amount of blood it was deep, too deep. I couldn't hold back the horrified gasp.

"How bad is it?" he asked.

"Open your eyes and look at this. You mean to tell me you can't feel that?" I asked incredulously.

He opened his eyes and looked down. "Yeah I can feel it, it hurts like a bitch. But I've felt worse." His voice was beginning to slur and his eyes were getting cloudy. I didn't know a lot about medicine but I knew enough to know that wasn't a good sign, and I couldn't stop the bleeding.

"Malfoy." He seemed to have nodded off and I yelled the next time. "Draco!" He focused on my face and I breathed a little sigh of relief. "Okay, focus is good. I need to go get Madame Pomfrey so she can help me get you to the hospital wing. Try and stay awake and I'll be back as soon as I can."

I practically flew through the halls to the Hospital wing. Madame Pomfrey wasn't thrilled when I woke her up at one in the morning but when I explained what had happened she threw on a dressing gown and we got back to Draco as soon as we could. By the time we managed to get back to him he had passed out. Madame Pomfrey checked the wound and with a cry she instructed me to levitate him and rushed out with me behind her coming as fast as I could while still managing the spell. When we got him to the hospital wing I lowered him to the bed as gently as I could and waited for Madame Pomfrey told me what to do. I didn't have long to wait.

"Take these shears Dear and get that shirt off of him, I'll need it out of the way to work on him."

I took them and carefully continued cutting the shirt along the line I'd ripped earlier. I raised him up off of the bed as gently as possible and pulled the shirt off of him. After I settled him back on the bed Madame Pomfrey took over.

"My goodness, all those old scars, poor boy," she said briskly.

I nodded and looked down at him as she siphoned off the blood so she could see his wound more clearly. It was an angry mark against his pale skin and I was suddenly overcome with an immense sadness at the thought that he could have another scar. "Madame Pomfrey?"

"Yes Dear?"

"I know it's not the most important thing, but could you try and make sure he doesn't get another scar? I know it seems so small, but…"

"I understand Miss Granger. The injury is deep but I'll do my best to make sure we don't add to this. Now if you don't mind, I need you to sit here next to the bed and hand me the things I need."

I settled myself on the stool next to the bed and absently handed Madame Pomfrey something when she asked for it. Suddenly I was all too aware of how close my seat brought me to Malfoy. I had realized by then that he was attractive but the full impact only really hit me then. When he was relaxed, with all of that impossibly light hair falling over his unguarded face he looked almost angelic. I took advantage of the rare moment and studied his face thoroughly, barely even noticing when Madame Pomfrey walked away. As I continued my intent scan of his face I came across the slightest of imperfections. Under his right eye there was a small scar shaped like a tear. I'm still not sure why, but something about that single scar made my breath catch in my throat. I was struggling to breathe again when his eyes slowly opened. He blinked a few times and then turned his head to focus the full intensity of those incredibly blue eyes on my face.

"What happened?"

"You passed out. Madame Pomfrey's doing her best not to leave you with another scar but the wound went pretty deep."

"Thank you. You look like hell, you should go and get some sleep," he told me. I began to protest but he held a hand up wearily. "I'm a big boy Hermione, I'll be fine and we can meet tomorrow. Get some rest."

I set Madame Pomfrey's supplies down and walked out. When I got back to my quarters I immediately headed for the bathroom and suddenly I was ecstatic that I hadn't run into anyone in the halls. I was covered with Draco's blood; it was all over my hands and splattered on my face from when I had torn his shirt. My clothes were ruined and the parts of my face that weren't red with blood were red from tears I hadn't even realized I'd been crying. I was scrubbing myself off when it finally hit me. He'd called me Hermione.

We met the next day as if nothing had happened. Neither of us talked about the previous night and though I was burning to, I managed to hold back the desire to ask about the tear. I also tried to forget his use of my first name, though it was constantly on my mind. Ever since that day our discussion had remained fairly formal, and I had remained Granger. We kept up the same routine for weeks; meeting, discussion, report to Dumbledore. It was all impossibly tedious and I began to retreat even farther into myself. It got bad enough that people I had been convinced no longer knew I existed had begun to take notice. One day I caught Harry staring at me looking rather worried.

"What? I asked irritably.

"You've been staring off into space for going on fifteen minutes, without blinking."

I shook my head. "I didn't realize."

He scooted closer. "Are you okay Hermione? You seem so distant lately. You never talk anymore; we've all been worried."

The laugh I let out was harsh. "I'm surprised you even remembered I'm still here." Pain lanced through his bright green eyes and I immediately regretted saying it. I sighed and patted his hand. "I'm sorry Harry. I understand that everyone wants to take the time they have in case…" I didn't need to finish the sentence, these days it was implied. 'In case we all die.'

"It's true, I love Ginny and I want all the time I can have with her. But that's no excuse for how we've been treating you. You deserve so much better."

I shook my head. "It's okay Harry, really. I've got a project I'm working on so I'm not lonely. I wouldn't mind seeing you and Ron more though, I won't lie."

"We can do that."

"Go find Ginny," I told him with a smile. "Take the time you can get."

He dropped a kiss on my forehead as he rose. "Thank you Hermione." He stared to leave then turned back. "I love you, Hermione. You know that right?"

"I know. I love you too Harry."

That night I went to my meeting with Malfoy feeling better than I had in months. It was wonderful to know that someone really cared about me. Evidently my happiness was obvious. When he finished telling me all he could Draco regarded me with interest.

"What happened today?" He asked me.

I stared for a moment before I could find an answer. "What do you mean?"

"I mean this is the happiest I've seen you since we started this whole intricate partnership."

Though I wasn't sure why, I told him the truth. "I talked to Harry today," I said with a smile. "It's nice to know that someone still loves me."

He nodded. "I get it. Glad to know Potter's not a complete idiot."

I rolled my eyes at the little jab at Harry but it didn't wipe the smile from my face. "I'll see you next week."

He nodded and I started off. "Hermione," he called after me. I couldn't help the shiver that ran down my spine when he said my name. But by the time I turned my head to look at him I had erased all the traces of pleasure from my face.

"Yeah."

He smiled a bit bemusedly. "I'm not sure why, but it's good to see you smile."

I couldn't seem to form any kind of actual sentence so I just nodded and left, but the little tingle of joy stayed with me for a long while.