AN/: Over 2000 views already and in only two days! :D I'm so happy :) I know it's early days but I'd promised I'd give a shout out to shaymars, thanks for the reviews and support! :) x okay so this chapter is kind of sweet :) Read it! And then review it! And tell me what you guys think! :) x x x

Chapter 8 : What Did Your Mother Say Hermione?

Draco was at a loss of what to do. Seconds ago he witnessed tears spill over Hermione Granger's cheeks and watched her as she brought her hands up to cover her face as her head fell. No noise was coming from her but Draco could clearly see her shoulders shaking. It's Granger, I can't... Mate, seriously?! The internal battle still went on, one side of him didn't even want to believe that had seriously considered getting up and going to bed. He couldn't just leave her.

"Granger..." His hands travelled up from her arms to rub her shoulders. By doing this, all he achieved was making her cry out loud. The cry was heartbreakingly painful. So Draco decided to do something more drastic. With the state she was in, she allowed him to uncross her legs for her without putting up a fight. He shuffled forward and by hooking his hands under her dainty knees, pulled her onto his lap. His arms automatically went around her and his hands started to make small, soothing circles on Hermione's back.

Hermione was clinging to the front of Draco's shirt for dear life. Her head was buried deep in his chest, tucked under his chin whilst her legs were wrapped tightly around his waist. Between his comforting, musky scent and the small patterns he was making on her back Hermione started to calm down. Her breathing became shallower and she was able to notice how his hands were travelling up and down directly over her tattoo and the feeling she got was something else entirely, it burnt its way up the inside of her chest from the pit of her stomach.

Whilst Draco was rocking himself and Hermione back and forth, in front of the dying fire, he was able to work up the courage to speak, albeit it in a now very husky voice.

"Do you want to tell me what's wrong, Granger?" He managed.

It took her a moment but Draco was patient.

"You know Harry, Ron and I didn't come back for 7th year..." Draco silently nodded and continued to make little circles on the small of her back. "Well before we went I had to take precautions, being the number one desirable muggleborn, my parents were in more danger than most and I wouldn't be there to protect them." She paused. "I obliviated them. I made them forget that they ever had a daughter and sent them to Australia." By this point Draco had stopped his ministrations on Hermione's back and was listening intently, she sounded so deflated. He had no idea about any of this... "I spent all summer looking for them..." Draco's breath hitched, the way she said it just didn't sit right with him.

"Tell me you found them, Granger." Despite the fact that they had never got on, Draco never truly wished anything bad to happen to this girl, despite how much she could be an insufferable know it all.

"Sort of..." At this Draco pulled back to look Hermione in the eyes. They were filled with tears and his bore into her delicate, gold ones.

"Did something happen?" She nodded, still looking at him. "Was it Voldemort?"

She let out a breath and gave a weak smile. "No, I found my mother in Melbourne in the middle of August and gave her back her memories. She cried a lot and wasn't making much sense, she said that she had missed me but she was so angry whist telling me it was hard to believe that she was even telling the truth. It was so confusing at first because she was just mumbling about how that if I had been there then we could have been strong together and she said that she was sorry but...she was so cold when saying all of this. I mean her daughter had just been through a war, she didn't even hug me or anything...she wasn't the mum I remembered." Hermione was silent for a while. Draco didn't tell Hermione that he rarely received hugs whilst in his teen years, though that probably had something to do with being roomies with You Know Who for a significant amount of time.

"I asked her what on earth she was talking about and then she said...She said that..." Her eye filled with tears again.

"Hey, hey, it's okay. What did she say?" He began rubbing her arms again in encouragement but her arms fell from their place on his chest and into her lap. He missed the contact so took her hands in his and asked, "What did your mother say Hermione?"

At the sound of her given name, Hermione found new strength. "She said your father's dead Hermione." She let out a shaky and wheezy breath. "My mother told me that my father had died from a heart attack two months prior and that basically she was ashamed to even look at me again."

Hermione told Draco the words that were forever engraved into brain, she told him exact what her mother said...

#Start Flashback

You obviously thought that you didn't need me or your father in your life for a whole year Hermione and in that time we built a life for ourselves here before he passed away that is. You obviously decided that you could take care of yourself and because of your little stunt your father died not knowing he even had a daughter! Well honestly, I think that's probably the kindest thing you selfish lump of a girl could have ever done for him because I think it would have broken his heart to know that his own flesh and blood was ashamed to even have her parents live in the same country as her and Lord knows it's breaking mine! Take them away!

What?

I said, take my memories back Hermione! ...I don't want them and if you didn't want me or you father then why should we be obligated to want you too? Take them away, I don't even want to remember your face...You are no daughter of mine.

#End Flashback

"So that's what I did. As far as most people know Grayson and Jean Granger never had a daughter. She turned round and never looked at me again." She had said it rather breathlessly, but she had said it nonetheless. Hermione let out a shaky breath and fell back into Draco's chest no longer making a sound but the tears still remained to fall down her cheeks. He wasted no time at all pulling her closer to him and hugging her tight whilst her arms found their way around his neck.

"Granger, I'm so sorry. Truly I am."

"S'okay." she mumbled through tears and her voice was muffled by his chest

"No it's not. You've been through so much, last year, the manor, Bella..." On the last word his voice broke and his eyes were covered with a glassy layer of moisture.

"Draco, it's really okay. It's not like it's your fault. I don't blame you for anything." She didn't even realise she had called him Draco. Her voice was quiet but strong. Draco was making small circles with his thumb just below her ribs. It was comforting, soothing and highly distracting.

"Do you mean that Granger?" She didn't reply.

"Granger?"

"Huh?" She seemed dazed.

"I said, do you mean that?"

"Every word." She nodded. "I guess I've just had some bad luck. At least I'm not the one dead or dying." Draco nodded in agreement and his heart felt heavy at the tone of her voice, it didn't sound like the strong, confident Hermione Granger he'd known for seven years of his life but saying that, for the past two years, he too had barely been a shadow of his former self.

"I'm really sorry." She didn't say anything in reply, just merely nodded.

The two unlikely students sat there for a while, going over their recent conversation in their heads until Draco asked...

"Why the hell haven't you told Potter, Granger?!" He said rather harshly.

"How do you know I haven't?!" She retaliated, pushing away from him.

"Well have you?"

"No." She said almost in a whisper.

"WHY THE HELL NOT? You've clearly been struggling with this on your own..." In a calmer voice he asked, "Why didn't you talk to Potter?"

She was crying again, her facial expression was hurt and raw.

"Because, you are the only one that has asked." She had clearly been hurt by everyone else but she spoke firmly.

With that Hermione stood up and went to make her way to her room for the third time that night, only to be stopped by Draco Malfoy yet again. He placed a firm hand on her shoulder, spinning her around gently.

"No one else asked you?" She shook her head, her eyes were puffy from all the crying.

Malfoy quickly went off on a rant... "Ugghh! That's typical Saint Potter for you, isn't it?! Only thinking of the fame and Weasley! Isn't he supposed to be in love with you or something! He's always been such an oblivious wanker..." He was marching round the room, yelling obscenities.

"It's not their fault..." Hermione started but Draco wouldn't let her finish.

"Not their fault? NOT THEIR FAULT?!" He stalked over to where she was standing. "Of course it is! Harry Fucking Potter and the Weasleys are suppose to be your best friends Granger...They can defeat a powerful and psychotic wizard but they can't take ten minute out of their precious day to pay attention to the witch who made it all possible?!" Hermione was shocked at how highly he appeared to think of her. Draco stared at her in disbelief. "They should have asked. Don't you dare blame yourself, okay? Just promise me." He pleaded.

Hermione swallowed and she saw how serious he was being. "Okay, I promise." She nodded.

Draco sighed. "I'm sorry, I just...no one should ever have to go through what you're going through, Hermione. I know I'm very capable of being a little shit," She smiled and Draco's chest swelled. "and a first class arse hole." They both let out and exasperated laugh, she didn't disagree. "But I swear, I'm not an evil bastard." He smiled and so did she.

"I know, Draco. Thank you...for everything." he nodded.

"Are you going to be okay?"

"Now I am." She said sincerely. Then she surprised him with a kiss on the cheek. "Really, thank you. Despite how I'm probably looking right now, I actually feel a lot better."

"Naaah. You look great." He let out a lopsided grin. She really does, he thought.

"Cheeky bugger!" They both laughed. "Goodnight Draco."

"Goodnight Hermione." He smiled and watched her retreat up the stairs. Draco followed shortly after, the fire had long died out in the common room and he went to bed with a lot on his mind. The last thing he thought about before he fell into a deep sleep was the sound of his given name on her lips.

AN/: I really hope you enjoy this chapter, I'm not too sure about it, I would really appreciate some feedback :) Please review :) x x x