A/N: Hey, y'all! Thanks soo much for the reviews and alerts! :D Sorry I'm late on the update. I've been very busy lately, I was gonna post it at around 9 PM but we had an awful storm that knocked out our power. :\ Also, a quick note- School is starting soon, so I won't have as much time to update. So, starting tomorrow, new chapters will be posted every Friday.

Also, I've been getting reviews asking to speed the story up a little. I know it's boring right now, but the next chapter will have some more action, I promise. (:

Disclaimer: Anything you recognize, I don't own.

You don't have to believe me,
But the way I, way I see it,
Next time you point a finger
I might have to bend it back
Or break it, break it off.
~Playing God by Paramore

"Move it over a little," Malfoy's distinct voice reached Hermione's ears. Muffled, but distinct. Hermione sat up, her eyebrows knitting together. Who is he talking to?

Quietly, she hoped off her bed and cracked open her door a little. "Yes, Master Malfoy," replied a high-pitched, shaky voice. "I told you not to call me that!" Malfoy snapped.

Is that a house elf? Hermione wondered, new anger alighting inside of her. It was against the rules to use the house elves for personal matters! The fact that he was using a house elf at all made Hermione angry. Why, the way house elves were being treated, it was just cruel. She slipped through the open door and peered down the stairwell. What she saw made her toffee-colored eyes widen in disbelief and ignited her anger further.

"Is that a piano?" she cried as she walked down the stairs for a closer inspection.

Malfoy's head shot up and he glared at Hermione. "What does it look like, Granger?"

"Is that even allowed?" Hermione said shrilly.

Malfoy shrugged. "Makes no difference to me."

"Do you even play?" Hermione continued, his words falling deaf upon her ears. There was so many things wrong with this picture! "Not to mention, using a house elf to deliver it! Why, the poor thing! This is exactly why I started S.P.E.W-"

"Nobody cares about your stupid organization," Malfoy snapped. "Why do you think nobody joined it?"

"People did too join it," Hermione huffed, crossing her arms.

"Probably so they could laugh at you," Draco muttered. "You were the laughing stock of the entire Slytherin house that year. Even the Hufflepuffs found your attempts pathetic and weak."

"You don't know that," Hermione protested weakly.

Malfoy threw Hermione one of his infamous smirks. "You'd be surprised by what I know, Granger."

"I don't want to hear about your love life, Malfoy," Hermione said.

"Really?" Malfoy replied, feigning shock. "I thought I was every mudblood's dream." He smirked. "At least, it's what I'm told."

"Since when did you converse with mudbloods?" Hermione shot back. "I thought you were too good for them. You know, being a Malfoy and all." She said it as if it was the most revolting thing in the world. Which, in her opinion, it was.

There is was again. That look. As soon as Hermione mentioned him being a Malfoy, his mask of indifference would break and his true feelings would emerge. His cold, stony-colored eyes would soften and his pale, hard face would crumble into something different. Something so... Un-Malfoy-like. Was that agony? Anger? Hermione was still unable to identify what it meant. But, like last time, it faded before Hermione could make sense of it.

"I'm conversing with one right now," Malfoy said lazily. Was it just her, or did his voice hitch a little?

Hermione had a witty comeback on the tip of her tongue, but she found herself hesitating. She couldn't forget that look in his eyes, that small moment of vulnerability of which his mask crumbles and the true Malfoy would show through. The insult died on her tongue, and instead, she found herself saying, "Look, Malfoy. I know I'm not your... Most favorite person," -at this, Malfoy snorted- "But you know what McGonagall said. The entire school's welfare depends on us! We have to be a good example for the other houses. I don't know about you, but I don't think this bickering is going to get us anywhere."

Faint surprise traced Malfoy's features. He raised an eyebrow skeptically. "I don't have time to listen to you preach, and quite frankly, you're boring me. What are you trying to say, Granger?"

"What I'm saying is," Hermione took a deep breath. She couldn't believe she was about to say this... "Truce, Malfoy?"

Malfoy's eyebrows shot up further. "A truce?" He repeated. Hermione nodded, sticking her hand out. Malfoy scoffed and shook his head. "What makes you think," he said slowly, "I'd ever made a truce with you?"

Hermione's hand slowly dropped back down to her side. "Well then," she said, trying to keep her voice calm. "That's too bad, Malfoy. I really had thought, for a second, that you weren't the selfish git you always made out to be." As she spoke, she made her way to the portrait. "That's too bad."

And with that, she left.

Draco watched Hermione leave, an amused expression on his face.

She really thought that a few well-spoken words would suddenly erase a lifetime of hatred? "The entire school's welfare depends on us!" The words rang in Draco's mind. He scoffed and shook his head. Really, Granger, he thought, I don't have time for your public service announcements.

"Master Malfoy?" inquired the house elf quietly. "Is this okay?"

"Yeah," Draco said, waving the house elf off. "You can go now."

Before the words had even left Draco's lips, the house elf vanished. Draco rolled his eyes. Stupid creatures.

He took a seat at the piano's bench, delicately running his fingers down the keys. A smile lit up his face as he fit his fingers in their familiar positions, his posture immediately fixing itself. He pressed down on the keys, slowly and gently, getting familiar with the piano. Then, he began to play.

Draco had always enjoyed playing the piano. For as long as he could remember, he had played the fine instrument. Granted, his father tried to get him interested in other things, like sports or languages or other instruments, but Draco wasn't interested. When given a French tutor, he wouldn't give the teacher time to teach. Instead, he'd ask questions like, "How do you say 'piano' in French?" or, "What kind of French symphonies do you know?" When taking guitar lessons, he would ask, "How do you translate guitar notes to piano notes?"

His obsession over the unique instrument befuddled and annoyed the Malfoy sire. And anything that ever befuddled or annoyed Lucius would anger him. So Draco was forced to attend piano lessons in private, arranged by his mother.

And oh, did he ever enjoy those lessons! Draco had always looked forward to the mere 30 minutes every week where he could let himself go into the deep, melodious tones of the piano. Every night he would practice adamantly -by putting a muffliato charm outside his door and using a small wooden piano figurine from his bedside that was charmed to become a full-sized piano when Draco commanded-. By the time he was ten, Draco could probably play every Beethoven piece if he was introduced to them. By the age of twelve, he was producing his own songs.

Nobody knew about his love for pianos, however. No, if any Slytherin ever heard about his secret passion, his reputation would surely be ruined! That was why he was so uncertain about bringing one here, so visible to Granger's muddy eyes. He had often thought about keeping it in his room instead, but it reminded him of when he hid his piano music from his father. No, he would not hide in fear like that ever again. From a mudblood, no less!

Granger would probably tell people about it, but who would believe her? No one but the Weasel and Scarhead. He would simply wave them off as rumors. No one would ever be able to fathom the cold-blooded Slytherin prince as a soppy music lover.

It was just another thing that the world would never know about him.

"Draco Malfoy? With a piano?" Ginny said in disbelief.

"Yes," Hermione said, "Preposterous, isn't it?"

"Does he even play?"

"That's what I said," Hermione agreed.

Hermione was in the Gryffindor common room, sitting cross-legged on the plush red couch and facing her red-headed friend, who was seated on the cushion beside her in a similar fashion. The common room was generally empty, as most of the Gryffindors were either unpacking or out in the hallways socializing with old friends from other houses, or getting to know their roommates.

After Malfoy's cold rejection, Hermione instantly found herself seeking out her companions. She had told them the entire story of Malfoy's unnecessary -and rule-breaking- use of house elves and the large grand piano that now occupied their common room. She had left left out the part about the truce, however, and Malfoy's strange behavior.

"Maybe it was just for decoration?" Ron asked. He was currently engaged in a game of wizard chess with Harry.

"Why would he buy a piano for decoration?" Hermione said.

"To flaunt his money?" Harry guessed as he watched his knight be destroyed by Ron's bishop. He swore under his breath and moved another piece forward.

"Sounds like Malfoy," Ron agreed and he moved his queen out without hesitation, destroying Harry's.

"I don't know," Hermione sighed.

"He's such a git," Ginny said. "I feel so bad for you, 'Mione."

Hermione's thoughts returned to that look in Malfoy's eyes that she had seen earlier. "Does Malfoy seem...," she began slowly, uncertainly, "...Different to you guys?"

"What do you mean?" Harry inquired.

"I mean," Hermione hesitated. "Does he seem like he's... Changed this year?"

Ron scoffed. "Not hardly," he said. "He's still the same bloody nuisance that he was last year."

Ginny and Harry made noises of agreement.

"Why do you ask?" Ginny wondered.

"No reason," Hermione said quickly. Ginny's blue eyes narrowed and she looked as if she wanted to ask more, but a sudden outburst from Harry interrupted her. "Darn it, Ron! You beat me again!"

Rom grinned smugly.

"Wizard chess is so violent," Hermione said, glad for a subject change. "It's so unnecessary."

"Better the chess pieces than us," Harry reasoned, reminding Hermione about their first year adventures. Hermione smiled slightly and shook her head, allowing herself to get lost in her memories.

An hour and a half later, Hermione bid farewell to her friends and made her way back to the Head Dormitories. She figured Draco would be out causing trouble with his fellow Slytherins, but when she stepped through the portrait, she found the surprise of her life.

There was Draco Malfoy, seated at the piano's bench, the sunlight catching his hair and reflecting upon his soft, mercury-colored eyes. His fingers flew gracefully down the piano's keys, emitting the most harmonious sound Hermione had ever heard. The song rang soft and gentle, sounding almost bittersweet, and Hermione found herself near tears as she listened to it.

What got her attention more than the song, however, was his expression. For once in his life, Malfoy did not look indifferent, nor did he have a sneer on his face. No, Malfoy's face was alighted with the same bittersweet-ness as his piano music. A small smile graced his features, yet his eyes held a distinct type of sadness. He seemed relaxed yet vulnerable as he played on, almost hesitantly, pouring his feelings out through the music.

Hermione was so mesmerized by this image that she didn't hear the portrait slam shut behind her.

Malfoy looked up, his song coming to an abrupt end, and his cold mask back into place. The lighthearted mood the music had created instantly shattered. "M-Malfoy...," Hermione stuttered. "That music..."

"Tell anyone," Malfoy interrupted her, his voice dangerously low, "and I'll kill you."

With that, he stalked out of the room, leaving a still-shocked Hermione standing there, in a daze.

Draco stomped down the hallway, an icy glare permanently residing upon his face. He was late for the Slytherin party; he had gotten too caught up in his piano music that he had lost track of time. He decided to blame it on the mudblood; if she had interrupted him sooner, he wouldn't be late!

Of course, he knew an accusation of that sort was childish. He was only throwing the blame on her because he didn't want to take the blame upon himself. But in a way, it was somewhat true.

He muttered the password, glaring at the portrait. She gave a little "hmph", muttering how she didn't like his attitude and she had a right to deny him access to the common room, but after a few colorful remarks from Draco, she swung open wordlessly.

Instantly, loud bass music reached Draco's ears, a band that he instantly recognized as The Whomping Willows. There were many Slytherins who were up and dancing, mainly consisting of energetic first years. The smell of sweat and firewhiskey filled the air.

"Draco, mate!" Blaise slurred, swinging his arm around Draco and spilling the drink in his hand over Draco's white shirt in the process. "I didn't think you'd make it!"

Draco pushed his drunk friend away. "Watch it, Zabini!" he growled as he surveyed the stain on his shirt.

"Hey, take it easy," Theodore -somber, thankfully- came up behind Draco and placed a hand on his shoulder. "You can fix the shirt."

"I'm not that drunkard's drink disposal," Draco snapped.

"Hey, relax, will you?" Theodore said.

"Don't tell me what to do, Knott!" He growled.

"Looks like somebody's a lil' tense," Blaise hiccuped. "I know what'll cheer you up..." He conjured a bottle of firewhiskey and grinned at Draco lopsidedly.

Draco snatched the bottle away from Blaise and took two large gulps. He felt himself relax a little as it sizzled down his throat and sending his vision in a frenzy.

"That's my boy," Blaise said, slapping Draco on the back.

Imagine how angry the mudblood will be when I come back drunk. Draco thought, groaning internally at the thought. He mentally scolded himself for allowing his mind to drift back to the filthy being. He came here to have fun and forget about all his problems; like his father and his horrid dorm mate. And he knew just how to do it...

He took another large gulp.

A/N: Fun fact here... The Whomping Willows is an actual band that was inspired by Harry Potter. I've never listened to them before, but I've heard good things about them.. They have songs about Draco! :D "Stand By My Side" is supposed to be a really sad and melodramatic Draco song...

It was either the Whomping Willows I was going to mention, or "Draco and the Malfoys", "Harry and the Potters", "The Weird Sisters", or "The Remus Lupins" XD