Hello my little ducklings xD

Sooooo here's the new chapter to this story. I want to take a few seconds to say sorry for the delay and also to say a big thank you to anybody who has reviewed or put this story in their favorites or in their alerts! =) You guys just make me too happy! =D And also! Everyone who was waiting on this chapter needs to say a very special thank you to LauLizS for kicking my butt and making me finally get to writing this chapter. I had actually started it 3 weeks ago but i hated what i had written so i had to start all over again and well i just could not find the inspiration! But i'm glad to say that i think I've found it again.

But be warned, i don't specially like the beginning of this chapter :/ It sounds funny to me and i feel like my writing is also lacking a bit but i do like the second part though so... Yeah that's my story!

Well,time for you to let me know what you think!

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Chapter 4

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The next day, Hermione found herself in Draco's room once more. Only this time the blonde wasn't there. She knew from the day's schedule that he was still out chasing deatheaters with Blaise.

But that didn't stop her from going down to his quarters. For a brief instant, she wondered if it was actually a good idea to be in his room without his approval but then, she realized that lately, when it came to her being anywhere near him, she never got any approval, from him or her friends.

Sighing, she looked around the room, trying to gather any information that could tell her more about him, because despite having spent 6 years in school with him and having lived in the same house together for the past two years, she knew very little about him.

As her eyes swept the room slowly, it dawned on her that she had never seen him smile… His facial expression was always serious, bored, hateful, angry or derisive.

Thinking about it actually, she couldn't really remember him looking sad either… He seemed to always refocus those feelings to anger.

She tried to imagine what it would be like to control all her emotions constantly and gave up at once. It wasn't normal to do so and one day she was sure, Draco Malfoy would just explode.

She spent the next hour thinking about him. She didn't know why but her mind just wouldn't stop. She wondered what his childhood was like. She wondered if he'd ever had any real friends. Or what career he wanted to pursue if the war ended before they all died. Or even if he wanted to get married one day.

She had so many questions she wanted to ask him just for the sake of curiosity. But she knew he wouldn't let her do so.

Lost in her thoughts, she didn't hear the door open.

"You've made yourself comfortable I see…" he said, sending an annoyed glance her way.

"I couldn't sleep…" she lied.

She hadn't tried to sleep at all. Once she had taken a shower, she had come straight to his room. It was becoming some sort of habit.

Without acknowledging her answer, he walked to the bathroom and locked the door behind him only to come back out a short while later after his shower.

He hadn't sat down yet that Hermione asked:

"Can I ask you a question?"

Exhaling slowly, he glanced at her from the corner of his eyes.

"What?"

Shocked that he actually answered, Hermione gave a small smile.

"Where did you learn to play the piano?" she inquired.

"My mother…" he whispered.

"Oh…"

She didn't expect that to be his answer and knowing how touchy he got whenever his mother was mentioned, she quickly looked for something else to say to change the subject.

"She loved the piano" he continued, seeming to be lost in his thoughts, "Whenever my father wasn't around, she'd take me to her playroom and play for hours and eventually, when I was old enough she started teaching me…"

"Well… You play very nicely" she said softly, fighting the odd urge to hug him.

"Thank you."

For a while none of them said anything more. They simply sat there, immersed in their own world were the members of their family they cared for the most were present.

"Do you play any instrument?" he wondered out loud, for the first time finding their conversation quite pleasant.

Shaking her head slowly, Hermione looked away to an invisible object on the wall:

"My dad kind of forced me to play the violin when I was little. But I never really liked it. And when I went to Hogwarts, I had to stop the lessons, which I was quite grateful for really. But now, I regret it deeply…"

"Why didn't you like it? The violin I mean…"

"Well… My first teacher was very old and grumpy. She used to hit me all the time and when my parents finally decided to send me to another school, I had it already engrained in my head that I hated the bloody instrument."

Returning her gaze to his, she smiled softly and brought her legs up to tuck them under her.

"Would you mind playing something for me?" she asked with a nod in the direction of the piano. "I do love it when you play… It's so soothing and peaceful."

He looked at her, his expression just a bit less cold than usual before getting up slowly and making his way to the piano.

After he sat down on the stool, he seemed to take a moment to think before his hands finally went up to the keyboard.

Then, another beautiful, melancholic piece started floating into the air.

But although it was a gripping piece, it was more cheerful than the one she had heard him play the first time. The notes were not as low and the rhythm had less of a funereally speed.
Closing her eyes, Hermione imagined it to be the soundtrack to her life. And as the notes followed each other ever so smoothly, she let herself be transported to another world.

After what felt like not enough time, Draco lifted his fingers off the keyboard and looked over to Hermione.

She was asleep.

Her eyes were closed. She looked like she was at peace with herself. The million thoughts that usually clouded her pupils were hidden; that air of permanent fatigue that usually tainted her face was absent.

With envy, Draco stared at her.

He felt angry all of a sudden. It was unexplainable. He just felt like everything was against him. He wanted to see his mother. He wanted the war to be over. But most of all, he just wanted to go somewhere far away and be by himself.

Getting up angrily, he left the room and ventured outside the property. After a long while, he finally reached his destination, dropping down disgracefully on a rock.

Letting his eyes roam indecisively over the calm water, he made to analyze his life… if it could even be called that.

He couldn't even remember the last time he'd been happy. The war was sucking every single one of them raw. And all he had left was his anger which Granger was so desperate to eradicate.

But she didn't understand… If she did take that away from him, he really wouldn't have anything else to live for. Why couldn't she see that? Why was she choosing now to meddle into his life?

He was so tired. Everyday seemed to pull him further down this abyss from which salvation seemed almost impossible.

And every time he looked at the mark on his forearm, the void just seemed to extend a little bit more.

Rubbing his eyes lazily, his mind wondered away to the gryffindor that just wouldn't leave him be.

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When Hermione woke up, the cold temperature that had settled into the room sent shivers up her spine.

Something was strange.

Malfoy was nowhere to be seen. And from the time showing on the clock, she knew she hadn't slept for more than 30 minutes.

Getting up slowly, she checked the bathroom just in case. But he wasn't there.

Deciding to go look for him, she slipped one of his sweaters on and left the room.

As she walked down the hallways, the barely noticeable smell of his cologne seemed to trace a path leading to where he might be.

So she followed it.

It took about ten minutes until she got lost. The tall trees surrounding her gave her chills as they were so unfamiliar to her. And the darkness engulfing the woods didn't aid in calming her jumping nerves.

For a brief instant, she closed her eyes, pushing the fear away and trying as best as she could to relocate the very distinct musky scent that had led her up to here.

She couldn't even really remember when she had associated a smell to Draco. But now wasn't the right time to indulge in such thoughts.

She needed to find her way back either to the manor or to Malfoy. She was sure there were creatures that lurked around the woods at night and she sure didn't want to cross their paths. Especially without her wand.

Without realizing it, she arrived at a small clearing with an even smaller pond towards the left which was dimly reflecting the light from the moon. And sitting on a rock, was the very person she had come looking for.

As she took a few steps closer to him, the sight of the red liquid tainting his arm stopped her abruptly.

"Malfoy…" she tried, unsure of what exactly he was doing.

"Why can't you just leave me alone Granger" he snarled, he eyes focused on the water. "I do not want you around me! Why is it so hard for you to understand such a simple concept?"

Simply ignoring his statement, Hermione sighed annoyingly and walked slowly towards him.

"What are you doing Malfoy?"

"It's none of your business so I would greatly appreciate it if you could leave…" he spat.

"It might be none of my business as you so eloquently put it but I would still like to help…"

"Why are you so adamant to be friends with a deatheater?!" he all but yelled, throwing what looked like a knife angrily into the pond.

Taking a step back in surprise, Hermione sat down on the nearest rock and stared at him.

"You're not a deatheater…" she whispered.

"You must be even more stupid than I thought then" he muttered mockingly. "Is the mark on my arm not clear enough?"

Shaking her head frantically, Hermione moved over to sit next to him:

"I'm not interested in befriending a deatheater. I want to get to know Draco Malfoy. The boy who thinks he can live all by himself. I want to be friends with the person that joined the order and decided to act as a double agent on our behalf. You're not a deatheater Malfoy… You're one of the most important agents we have. And that mark on your arm simply means that you are brave enough to risk your life for our side and betray Voldemort."

At that, he snickered, angrily throwing a rock into the woods.

"Your obsessive need to always see the best in people even when it's not really there will be the end of you Granger"

"And your stubborn need to reject the people who are trying to help you will also make you miserable" she said seriously, looking at him from the corner of her eyes. "You're not a deatheater. You're one of us."

He wanted to tell her that she was wrong. That once somebody had the mark it automatically meant that they were just like every other deatheater so proudly attached to the Dark Lord. But he also desperately wanted to believe her.

"I tried to remove it" he said, his eyes dropping to the tattoo that moved slowly under his skin. "It won't go away."

The pain in his voice almost shattered Hermione's heart. She didn't know his feelings towards being a deatheater were so strong seeing as he almost became one just 2 years prior.

Taking off the sweater she had borrowed from him, she dipped the sleeve in the water and took his arm in her hand.

The color in his pupils seemed to dilate a bit more as his anger towards the tattoo surged once more. But Hermione didn't let his thoughts get any further as she slowly wiped the blood away.

"This mark is just ink in the form of a tattoo. It doesn't define who you are unless you allow it to. If you were a real deatheater I would've been long dead. I know you would've rathered not have it but you need to understand that war requires sacrifices, and we have each made at least one. So…" she said, bringing his now clean arm to her mouth and dropping a small kiss on it "do not ever let me hear you say that you're a deatheater. Because you aren't."

In complete shock, Draco watched as she slowly let go of his arm. The spot where her lips had previously been in contact with his skin seemed to burn intensely. He couldn't believe the gesture he had just witnessed.

When her eyes met his, she smiled sweetly at the expression on his face.

"I want to be your friend Malfoy… So I'll ask one last time that you let me in. But if you say no, I promise to never bother you again…"

"I don't know how to have friends..." he whispered once he had regained his train of thoughts. "Blaise is the only person close to a friend that I have and that's just because we grew up together."

"Like I said… I'm willing to offer my help, free of charge" she said with a grin, trying to lighten the mood.

Looking at her from the corner of his eyes, he tried to make a list of all the reasons why he didn't want her friendship but even when the list was complete, some voice deep in the back of his brain kept screaming that he at least give her a chance.

"I'm going to hurt you Granger…"

"I'm a big girl, I can defend myself" she said as she slipped her hand into his.

Taking a big breath, he let her eyes embrace his before saying:

"Ok then…"

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Hum...

Well... I guess now it's time for my judgement... :S Yikes! Let me know what you thought of the chapter pretty please. Your feedback actually do help so hopefully you'll take a minute to give me some =)

I'll have the next chapter posted by next friday. I'll try my best to have it up by tuesday but it's midterm week so i might not have enough time! And if i spend two weeks without updating, feel free to kick me in the butt with a PM =D

Goodnight loves,
MrsMalfoy