Hello readers! This chapter is a little bit longer than some of my previous chapters as you might notice. I really wanted to keep writing, but I'm going to save the other stuff for the next chapter! I actually based some of this off a song called Face Down by Red Jumpsuit Apparatus. I hope you guys enjoy it! :)

As morning arrives, sunlight begins to flood the apartment. Hermione still lays on the couch breathing softly as she sleeps. After everything that happened the previous day, she was exhausted. Draco had already been up for several hours now and was just getting back from running a few errands.

'Hmm… she's still sleeping. Guess it's a good thing I called off work today and sent that owl to her work', Draco thought to himself. He had a feeling she wouldn't wake up in time for work so he figured it'd be best to just tell the Ministry that she was ill and would need a few days off. It wasn't a complete lie. Hermione was definitely in no condition to be going to work. He took a few days off for himself as well because he didn't want to leave Hermione alone. Draco wasn't sure where Hermione would be mentally and he didn't want to take any chances.

'Guess I could go bathe as I wait for her to get up.'

Draco went into the closet to grab a few towels to replace the dirty towels in the bathroom. He gently turned on the water for his bath hoping that it wouldn't be too loud for Hermione. As the tub finished filling and the water shut off, he checked to make sure Hermione was still asleep. When he saw that she was, he started to close the bathroom door but opted not to. Draco figured she would be asleep for awhile so he didn't have to worry about anything.

The bath was refreshing to Draco, and as he positioned himself in the tub he began thinking once more about the night before. It still seemed strange to him that Hermione would ever think it was her fault that Ron abused her. To Draco, it didn't seem right at all and he wanted to do something about it.

After Draco finished bathing and relaxing, he finally drained the tub and proceeded to dry off. Still deep in thought, Draco was oblivious to the fact Hermione had awoken. He had just finished drying off the rest of his body when he heard footsteps. Without thinking, Draco turned to see what the noise was only to find Hermione in the doorway staring at his crotch while her entire face turned red from blushing.

"Oh my… oh my God I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to! Oh my God, oh my God…" Hermione shouted as she quickly covered her eyes.

Draco attempted to cover himself the best he could and said, "No! I'm sorry! I just wasn't paying attention. I didn't realize you were up yet! I'm sorry! There I'm covered now… you can open your eyes."

Cautiously, Hermione uncovered her eyes to see a towel now covering Draco's once exposed lower half. She still felt extremely embarrassed, however, and continued to look at the ground as she walked back to the couch.

"Just go get dressed. I'll wait for you out here," said Hermione.

Hermione was still sitting on the couch as Draco walked into the living room, now fully dressed. Draco noticed Hermione was reading a letter as he approached her.

"Hey, Granger, I told the Ministry you wouldn't be in for a few days. Told them you were ill… so you don't have to worry about work for now."

"Oh… well that was nice of you, I guess. I didn't really notice what time it was so I didn't even realize I was late. Thank you."

"Erm, what are you reading there?" asked Draco.

Hermione looked up at Draco with a slight smile and responded, "A letter… from Ronald. He said he's sorry… for last night. He wants me to come back home!"

In sudden disbelief, Draco shouts out, "What? That bastard thinks he can do and say everything that he did and then just say sorry? Hermione, toss the letter out. He obviously doesn't care about how you feel."

"What? No! You don't understand! It was all just a mistake. He didn't really mean it. He apologized…"

Draco can feel the anger building up inside him, but he tries to contain it. After he finally calms himself again, he says to Hermione, "You drive me crazy! You know that? I mean you're supposed to be the brightest witch of our age. You're really going to go back to that stupid Weasel?"

"You just don't understand, Draco! I love him and he loves me. You think you know what happens between Ronald and me but you don't. No relationship is perfect. We have our issues but Ronald really isn't as bad as you think," replies Hermione, on the verge of tears.

"I don't… I don't understand? You really think that? Alright fine! I don't understand. I'll never understand. I will never understand why you hang around… why you give that bastard what he wants. I see what's happening. I know you're trying to protect him, but you don't need to, Hermione. He's a big boy. Let him deal with the consequence of his actions. Let him defend himself. I know you're constantly trying to hide it, but I'm not stupid!"

Hermione looks down at the floor again and says, "I don't know what you're talking about…"

The frustration in Draco begins building up so much that he shoots out of his seat and starts pacing. As he tries to collect his thoughts, the room remains in silence. Finally, Draco sorts out what he wants to say.

"I know what you've been doing, Hermione. It's clear to me even right now. Especially right now. You cover up with make up in the mirror. You try to convince yourself that it'll never happen again. I mean you told me yourself that it's your fault anyway, not his. Of course you're trying to convince yourself. You still love him. The beatings keep coming anyway though, don't they?"

Draco waits for Hermione to speak, but she continues to stare at the ground without making a sound. Realizing she's not going to say anything, Draco continues.

"You cry alone. You never let him see you cry, do you? I heard you last night. You cried yourself to sleep. Is that what you do every night? I think it is. But then, he swears he loves you. That makes everything he's done go away, right? That's how it seemed to work this morning. You cry alone all last night and suddenly this morning he sends you an owl with a letter saying he still loves you. That he wants you to come home."

Tension fills the air as the silence remains between them. Draco has said all that he needed to say. Soon he feels that getting Hermione to respond is a losing battle, so he turns to walk away into his bedroom. Just as he reaches his doorway, Draco hears Hermione's soft voice whisper to him, "Why do you care?"

Draco stops in his tracks and processes what Hermione just said. 'Why do I care?' thought Draco.

Once more, he hears Hermione's voice, "You've said it yourself… years ago. I'm just a stupid, little, mudblood. I'd be better off dead. You wanted the Basilisk to kill me off in our second year, didn't you? Maybe I should just die. I seem to be nothing more than a burden on you and everyone else…"

Draco feels his heart shatter. He knew she was right. There was no denying what he had told her back in their school years. He shouldn't care what happens to her. He should be happy that "mudblood Granger" is getting what she deserves, but he's not. Things have changed. Draco has changed. No longer is he the school boy that believes he is better than everyone. No longer is he the child who did everything to impress his father, including things he did not believe in.

Draco turned to look at Hermione as it connected to him what she had said about dying. Just as he was about to say what he was thinking, he saw a knife in her hand. She was going to slit her wrists and take her burden of a life away.

"Hermione, no! Don't do it!" shouted Draco as he rushed to her side and struggled to get the knife away.

"What are you doing? Just let me die! Why can't you just let me die? No one wants me here. You don't want me here! I'm trying to do everyone a favor," screams Hermione.

When the knife is finally freed from Hermione's grasp, Draco sighs. He places his hands on Hermione's and says to her, "Hermione… I don't want you dead. I've never wanted you dead. I know I said a lot of things back at Hogwarts, but you have to believe me when I say I never meant it. I can't really tell you much more than that right now, but you have to believe me. Think of your friends… of your parents. Honestly, I love having you here. It makes the place a lot less lonely. I look forward to your visits. Hermione, to be honest, I sort of view us as friends… I don't know if you do, but I know I do and as a friend I care about you. I don't want to see you hurt."

Hermione still says nothing, but looks up at Draco with tears streaming down her face. Draco hesitates for a moment, worried he might make things worse, before finally embracing Hermione. As he holds her in his arms, Draco lets Hermione cry until all of her tears are gone. Before letting go of her, Draco whispers into Hermione's ear as if worried someone else might hear. Hermione feels a slight chill go up her spine as she feels Draco's warm breath in her ear.

After they separate, Draco has an idea.

"Hermione, we're going to give Weasel a little visit," Draco tells Hermione.

Before Hermione can question or object, Draco grabs her hand and in an instant they're gone.