A/N: Revised chapter 6.

I would like thank Lya Darkfury for reviewing on the last chapter.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

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Chapter 6

Draco tossed and turned in his sleep. He was having another nightmare about Lucius again.

A five year old Draco was playing out in the backyard of the Malfoy Manor while Narcissa sat on the deck watching him. Lucius walked through the door, he had just come home from work. Draco saw him and ran to him. As he went up the stairs, he tripped and hit his head hard on the stairs. He started to cry. Narcissa quickly jumped up from her seat and cradled him in her arms. Lucius glared at his wife as she did this. "Put him down, Narcissa!" he yelled at her. Narcissa looked at her husband. She slowly put Draco back down. "Why did you do that? He is not a baby! He needs to learn to grow up and get over it. He can't do that if you baby him." Lucius pulled out his wand. "Crucio." he only did it for a few seconds because he didn't want to hurt her too much. Draco cried more as he watched his mom in pain. Lucius stopped and looked down at his son. He roughly picked him up and held him at eye level. Draco stopped crying, he was too scared to cry or do anything. "If I see you crying again, I'll give you something to cry about!" Draco shook his head yes. Lucius placed him back on the deck. His arm started to burn. He looked down at his wife. "I have a meeting to go to. I'll be home later and there better be dinner on the table when I return." and he was gone. Draco scooted closer to his mom and hugged her.

Draco bolted straight up in his bed. He hadn't thought about that day in a very long time. That was the day that changed everything for Draco and made him become the Draco he was today. From then on, he learned how to hide his emotions from everyone and act like nothing affected him. He lay back down to sleep but he couldn't get the image of his mother being tortured by his 'father' out of his mind. He laid there for what seemed like hours unable to go back to sleep. He glanced over at his clock, 4:15. He sighed, realizing he wouldn't be going back to sleep anytime soon, and throw his blanket off of him. Draco placed his feet onto the cold floor and exited his room. He walked down into the common room and over to the bookshelf. He grabbed a random book and sat on the couch. He hoped he could get the images out of his head.

Hermione awoke when she felt the rays of the sun shining in her face. She glanced over at her clock and saw it was a little before lunch. She sat on the edge of her bed and stretched the kink out of her back. She rose from her bed and processed to her dresser. After deciding for a couple of minutes, she pulled out a red, fitting polo shirt and a pair of faded jeans. She carried the clothes with her as she walked into her bathroom to take a quick shower and get dressed. When Hermione was done, she walked back into her room. She pulled her hair back into a loose ponytail, slipped on her shoes, and exited her room. She walked down the stairs into the common room, humming to herself, and came upon the sight of a half naked Draco asleep on the couch. Besides his body being really pale, she couldn't help but noticed it looked great from playing Quidditch. Hermione couldn't help but stare at him. She noticed how peaceful he looked just like how he looked on the train.

Hermione soon came to her senses and realized she was gawking at the Slytherin. She quickly continued on her way and out of the common room, down to the Great Hall where she met her friends.

Once they were finished eating, the four Gryffindors walked outside to the lake and found a tree to sit under. They stayed there all afternoon just relaxing, talking, and forgetting about school, the coming war and any responsibility they had. They were just being normal teenagers for once.

Draco had awoken soon after Hermione had left. He stood up and went back to his room to put on some clothes on before going down to lunch. When he sat down at the Slytherin table, Blaise walked over to him.

"Hey Draco, where've you been man?" the other Slytherin asked.

"Here like always." he replied in a bored tone. He did not want to be talking to Blaise at the moment because he knew where this conversation was already going.

"I mean, how come you I don't see you around after classes or anything?"

"I've had a lot of things going on lately."

"Well, are you doing anything today? If not, why don't you come down to the Slytherin common room and hang out?"

"Not today, maybe some other time."

"Is everything ok ,Draco?" Blaise asked. He was concerned about his friend.

"Things just haven't being good ok. I need to relax and be alone that's all."

"Ok the. I'll see ya around."

Draco finished his lunch in peace after that. When he was done he decided to take a walk around the lake. If he'd known that four Gryffindors had gone out there, he would have gone with Blaise to the common room.

As the four Gryffindors laid there, Harry saw Draco walking their way alone. An evil grin spread across his face. "Look who is coming over our way." he said. The other three looked in his direction and saw Draco. Hermione didn't like the smile on Harry's face. Harry jumped up and so did Hermione. She grabbed his arm and held him in place, "Don't do anything Harry."

Harry just smiled at her, "Don't worry Hermione. I'm not going to hurt him." He pulled out of her grasp and walked toward Draco. Ginny and Ron stood up as well and the three of them followed behind Harry, but kept their distance because they didn't know what he was going to do.

Draco slowly walked next to the lake with his hands in his pockets just enjoying the beautiful day. He kept his gaze toward the lake and didn't see Harry making a bee line for him.

"Hey Ferret." Harry called.

Draco stopped in his tracks and looked at Harry. His hand tightened around his wand, just in case.

"Lovely day isn't it?" Harry asked as he slowly closed the distance between himself and Draco.

Draco didn't reply and kept his eyes locked on Harry. He didn't like the smug look on his face. He now wished he went with Blaise to the Slytherin common room instead.

Anyone who was around stopped what they were doing and watched with great interest. Hermione crossed her arms across her chest. She wasn't happy with what was going on but she couldn't bring herself to stop Harry. Part of her wanted to see Draco humiliated in front of everyone like he did to her so many times.

Before anyone knew what happened what had had happened, Draco was suspended upside down in the air. He pulled out his wand but Ron had his out first and said, "Expelliarmus." and stood beside Harry.

Draco glared at the two. There was nothing he could do while everyone around laughed.

Hermione had enough now, "Ok Harry. You've had your fun let him down."

"Not yet Hermione, he needs to know why he this is happening to him." he turned his gaze back to Draco, "Now Malfoy, while you are just hanging around, we would like to have a few words with you. If something gets back to either of us that you have done anything wrong to Hermione, we'll come after you. No one, not even filthy little ferrets like you, get away with messing with her."

Hermione was livid. She loved Harry and Ron and Draco deserved every last bit of this, they didn't have to be so damn protective of her. "Ok Harry let him down now."

"Just a few more minutes, Hermione." Ron said.

"I wasn't talking to you Ron, I was talking to Harry." Hermione was Head Girl. She was stupid for letting this happen in the first place but her own friends weren't going to defy her authority in front of others.

"I agree with Ron, Hermione." Harry said not even looking at Hermione. He flicked his wand and Draco started to rotate in a circle, getting more laughter from the crowd of students.

"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?" Someone yelled. Everyone stopped laughing and looked around scared. Snape pushed his way through the crowd. The crowd slowly backed away but still stayed to see what would happen next. Snape gazed up at Draco spinning in the air and looked at Harry, who still had his wand out. The memories came back to Snape but he shook them away.

"Put him down now, Potter." he said through gritted teeth. Harry quickly released him and Draco fell to the ground hard. "I want you three and Miss Granger," he continued," to follow me. And the rest of you, go back to your business."

The crowd dispersed without needing to be told twice. Ginny stood there and watched her three friends be taken off with Snape.

Snape was livid. I was like it was happening all over again. Harry didn't have any regret for what he did. In his mind, he thought he was in the right. But when he looked over at Hermione, he felt guilty. He didn't think of it affecting her. He should have listened to her. Ron still walked on with a stupid smug look on his face. Draco pale was flushed with embarrassment.

They soon were inside of Dumbledore's office, the four students seated in front of the three professors behind the desk. Draco was in a staring contest with the floor, Hermione had her gaze anywhere but on her anyone else in the room, Harry had his arms folded and felt extremely guilty, while Ron sat there still smiling like he won something. Snape glared at the three Gryffindors and was already thinking of their punishment. Dumbledore and McGonagall looked at them disappointed.

"Please explain to me what happened." Dumbledore didn't direct the question to anyone in particular.

Harry decided to be the one, "Me, Ron, Hermione and Ginny were lying underneath a tree by the lake and we saw Malfoy not to far away."

"Did Mr. Malfoy provoke you in any way?" Dumbledore asked with his hands folded in front of his face.

"No sir, I don't think he even notice us." Harry could feel his face redden.

"Then why did you attack him?"

Harry paused before answering. He glanced at Hermione sitting next to him, but she didn't even acknowledge him. "He has been giving Hermione a hard time the past couple of weeks since school started so we thought..." but Dumbledore interrupted him. "So you decided to take it upon yourself to handle him? Is that why you joined in Mr. Weasley?"

All Ron could do was shake his head yes. It finally sunk in what was going on. Dumbledore's gaze fell onto Hermione. "I had nothing to do with it. I tried to stop them." Hermione protested.

"I don't need you to protect me, Mudblood." Draco shot at Hermione, speaking for the first time. Snape closed his eyes and forced the memory from his mind. It almost was like last time.

"I wasn't protecting you, Malfoy. I just wanted Harry and Ron to stop cause I don't need them to always defend me all the time." Both of her friends looked at her. "It's true. I don't. It gets annoying. I can handle myself."

"Well Granger, if that was true we wouldn't be sitting here right now." Draco said looking at her.

"Shut up, Malfoy." the trio said together.

"Quiet!" Dumbledore said standing up. The four young adults looked at him. "Regardless of why you did it Mr. Potter, you openly attacked someone and the Head Boy. There will be serious consequences for your actions. And you too Mr. Weasley."

"I think," Snape began, "points should be taken first from Gryffindor then Weasley can work with Fitch every night for a week, doing whatever he says. And Potter can work with me for two weeks. And when I say a week I mean Sunday through Saturday. So that means we began tomorrow.

Hermione looked at Snape, "Am I not going to be punished either?" she asked. Snape, along with the other two professors, looked at her slightly confused. "No."

"I am as much to blame. I didn't stop them at first."

Snape didn't answer right away. What student asks for a punishment? He smiled, "That is true, but why do you ask? Do you want detention with your friends?"

"I'm the reason they did."

Harry mentally cursed himself. Hermione wasn't supposed to get in trouble. He should have just listened to her and not done it. Snape mauled over it for a minute. He really didn't intend on punishing Hermione but since she asks. "Well, I guess you can work in the Library."

Hermione rolled her eyes. Is that supposed to be a joke? She thought.

"It's settled then. 100 points taken from Gryffindor by Harry and Ron and 50 points by Hermione. I will inform Mr. Filch and Madam Pince about the detentions. Now, go and enjoy the rest of your day." Dumbledore said with a kind smile.

Draco was the first to leave. The trio silently walked to the Gryffindor Tower. Before they entered the common room, Harry held Hermione back. "We'll be in a minute, Ron." Ron nodded and entered.

Harry turned back to face Hermione, "Why did you do that Hermione? I didn't want you to get into trouble. It won't look good for you to be Head Girl and have detention."

"Why didn't you think about that before you did it right in front of me and defy my authority? Besides, who's going to now I have detention? It's in the Library. I also couldn't let you and Ron get in trouble and not me. I'm the reason you did. And we're in this together remember?"

"But..."

"No buts. I was serious though about what I said about I don't need you to stand up for me all the time. I know you and Ron care for me but it makes people think I can't do anything for myself and I have to have you two."

"People don't think that and since when did you care?"

"You aren't the one hearing the stuff about me."

"I'm sorry Mione. It's just you've been so miserable since school started with Malfoy. I know you're still hurting about Ron."

Hermione held back her tears. "It's like you are the only person who understands."

Harry pulled her into a tight, bear hug. "I'm always here for you Mione, don't forget that."

Hermione slowly pulled out of the hug.

"Come on. Let's go inside."

Draco sat on his bed, head buried in his hands. He never had felt this embarrassed in his life. Being turned into a ferret didn't seem that bad now. He loathed Harry Potter and Weasley too. But why did Granger try to stop them? His door opened and Snape entered. Draco turned to see who it was and he quickly wiped his tears of his face. Snape sat down beside him on the bed; "I know exactly how you feel right now." his voice wasn't cold or harsh, but full of emotion.

"Care to explain?"

Snape looked at his godson, "Because they same thing happened to me, except by a different Potter."

Draco looked at Snape with a questioning expression.

"Yes, James Potter, Harry's father, used that same spell on me except he embarrassed me more."

"How?" Draco asked looking at Snape.

Snape sighed, "He ... pulled my pants down in front of everyone"

Draco didn't know whether to laugh or not. He decided it was best not to, "Was that when you started hating him?" Draco was now interested in Snape's school years since he never mentioned it before.

"Oh no, We didn't like each other since the first day on the train coming here." Just like me and Harry. Draco thought. "Kind of weird the same thing happened to us."

"That day was horrible for me more than just that. I lost my only true friend and love."

Draco raised an eyebrow at Snape. Snape did not seem the type to have a girlfriend.

"You had a girlfriend?"

"No, but I wished she was mine. I'm not getting into that right now. But I called her something I never should have. I did it out of anger and humiliation. Promise me you will stop using the word 'Mudblood'."

Draco shook his head yes as he started trying to piece the parts together.

"Also, try and actually do some work in your classes, especially the classes with Hermione."

"It's only two classes", Draco protested.

"I know it's only two classes but still. You are Head Boy and Girl and you need to work together. You don't have to be buddy buddy but just get along and set a good example for the school."

Draco rolled his eyes, "I can try but the door does swing both ways. She's not Miss-Perfect-Know-It-All."

"Well, maybe spending a week alone will give you some time to think. Use it. I better see an improvement soon. Good night."

"Night."

Once Snape was gone, Draco laid back on his bed. Why does it matter so much for him and Hermione to be friends? He could give it a chance but he knew it wouldn't do any good.

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A/N: Thanks for reading.