Thank you for all the wonderful reviews, they really make my day (:

I've decided I'm going to continue this, but I'm not sure exactly where it's headed. I was thinking maybe doing a kind of semi-alternate version of The Half Blood Prince, and then maybe onto The Deathly Hallows? Yeah, I don't know, you tell me what sounds good. (:

If you have any suggestions, feel free to tell me. And another thing, if I'm going to be writing a lot of chapters for this story (which is probably going to be the case), I'm going to go pretty slow with their relationship development. With this couple, I think that it is necessary, since they have sure a rough start.

The sentences in *asterisks* are lines from the song "The Reason" by Hoobastank, just because I felt they fit in here a little. (:

I don't own Harry Potter. JK Rowling does.

She stepped into the warmth of the Gryffindor common room, fearing the worst. Her eyes searched for Harry's and she immediately found him resting in one of the less comfortable chairs, with Ron opposite him. Both looked furious with her. She plopped down into the chair beside them and attempted a small smile to lighten the mood. Harry's eyes glowed with anger.

"You've been gone for more than two hours," started Harry haughtily.

"What the bloody hell were you doing with Draco?" chided Ron.

"He gave Katie that necklace."

"He poisoned me!"

"What's he up to?"

"Why did you want to go in there, to talk to him?"

The comments rolled off one another's, the two boys talking in a rush, getting only half of their frustration and questions out, but Hermione cut them off.

"Shut it!" she wasn't mad at them, after all they did deserve answers. But she could barely register what one of them was saying before the other started screaming something else at her. She took a deep breath, feeling relaxed already.

She wasn't going to tell them everything.

"Harry, you already know why I stopped you from coming in there, and I reckon you've told Ron as well. You would lose your temper, I know you would." Harry and Ron scowled, but didn't say anything.

She wasn't going to tell them how his tears cascaded down his face, how he showed her how vulnerable he really was.

"You were correct; he did do all of that. But he didn't want to."

"And you believe that?" Ron asked, wondering when his best friend had lost her sanity.

She wasn't going to tell them how his eyes spoke of the deepest pain and sorrow.

"Yes, I do, Ronald. He doesn't want to be a death eater, he was sucked into it," she looked at Harry too, trying to get them to understand, to believe her.

"He's tricking you, Hermione," Harry said through gritted teeth.

She wasn't going to tell them how he shook at the sense of her mere touch.

"He's not," she stood up, towering over them.

"The only reason he's not lying in the hospital wing right now is because I went in there after you hadn't returned for an hour and checked. If I saw any indication of him hurting you…" Ron trailed off.

It was sweet how he was protective of her. She smiled at Ron and realized she still fancied him, a lot. But she couldn't help feeling as, if it was any other night, if the previous events with Draco hadn't happened, she would feel different. Something had changed.

She wasn't going to tell them how they sat on the floor of the bathroom, mostly in silence, but sometimes making polite conversation.

"Thanks, Ron. But really, he's…different. I know neither of you approve, but he's changing."

Harry started to say something but Hermione cut him off.

She wasn't going to tell them how weak he was, how sorry she felt for him.

"I really am tired, I'm going to bed. We can talk about it tomorrow."

Ron and Harry wanted to press the matter but she was rushing up the stairs to her dormitory already.

She wasn't going to tell them how he never asked her to leave. She wasn't going to tell them how it seemed he needed her, just a little bit.

*I'm not a perfect person. There's many things I wish I didn't do.*

He felt comfortable lying in his silk pajamas, under warm covers and an overly fluffed pillow. His eyes were shut and he was on his side, trying to clear his thoughts before bed just like Bellatrix had taught him. Truth was, he loathed his aunt and her so called "lessons", but they were necessary. Now was certainly a crucial time to block his thoughts from the Dark Lord. But he couldn't do it. Each time he tried to rid his brain of thoughts and memories, the scene kept playing back in his head. She had touched him so gently, leaving a lingering feeling afterwards on his cold body. She had hugged him. She had seen him cry, and of that, he was embarrassed. She didn't mention it, though. She seemed to know what topics weren't right for her to talk about.

He had reached a calm when she was there, and he felt at peace with her present. He didn't tell her to leave, and she didn't ask if she should go. Once or twice one of them brought up a safe topic, and they dwelled on it, wishing there were more things to say. But they both knew something had changed. He wasn't "Malfoy" or "The Amazing, Bouncing Ferret" to her anymore, he was just Draco. And she wasn't "Granger" or "Mudblood" either, she was just Hermione.

He couldn't help but linger over her suggestion. After all, if he wasn't going to follow through with The Dark Lord's orders, he would need him and his family to be protected; he would need a refuge of some sort. He thought he knew why she stayed; they both knew what she said was right, that that was what he had to do. He had found his resolution. Ashamed but willing, he would go to Dumbledore, there was no other way to put a stop to it.

*I've found out a reason for me, to change who I used to be.*

*A reason to start over new.*

*And the reason is you.*

Note: Sorry if it might be a bit out of character in some places, I've just watched the amazing "A Very Potter Musical" for the third time, and I can't seem to stop thinking of the characters as they are in a parody musical rather than the books or movies (:

It's also rather short; it's pretty much just a filler chapter, but I think it was needed for what's to come. Review because it would make Draco happy :D