A/N: Thanks for all the reviews, once again! And I got about three ideas from the reviews. So thanks again, I really wouldn't be inspired with all of you guys. So, how was that last chapter? Angsty enough? I think so.

Disclaimer: While I love Tom Felton, if someone gave me David Cook, that would be awesome. My birthday's in June! Keep that in mind.

Chapter 7: The Letter M.

Hermione stared at the wall, still stroking Draco's hair. He had long since fallen asleep, his tears had been dried, and the sobs had quieted. She had never dreamed she would ever see him cry, and in a way, had hoped she wouldn't. She didn't want to ruin his stony reputation, for lack of a better term. Now, he just seemed like a lost boy, and she wasn't sure how to fix him. Though one could argue it wasn't really her duty to fix a heartbroken Death Eater's spawn, she couldn't imagine not doing it. She chalked up the feeling to a side effect of the bracelet.

She quietly moved from her spot on the couch, laying Draco's head on a couch cushion and quickly scribbled a note. She stuck it to Draco's chest, and walked out the portrait hole to the kitchens. She stared ahead, not really seeing what she was walking past; caught up in the indifferent and cold letter Lucius had sent his only son. The way his father could just tear up his son's life with no regard to the consequences made her fists clench and her jaw tighten in anger.

She had almost made it to the kitchen when a strong arm had reached out and yanked her into and empty classroom. Ron.

"Hey," she said, avoiding looking him in the eye. Instead, she fixed her gaze to a spot next to his nose.

"Where have you been, 'Mione?" he asked. He didn't sound concerned. He sounded angry. Hermione looked up and finally caught his gaze, and Ron stepped away from her. She imagined she looked terrible; her eyes were red-rimmed, her hair was tangled, and all her makeup had been cried off. But Ron squinted his eyes and stepped closer, looking into her eyes.

"What happened to your eyes?" he asked. Her hand immediately jumped to her eyes, and she frowned.

"What are you talking about, Ronald?" she asked.

"They're gray. They're normally brown." He took a step back. Hermione's eyes widened. She conjured a mirror and gazed into it. Ron was right. Her eyes were gray. The exact color of Draco's. Another side effect to the bracelet, perhaps? But, while she was staring, she had to admit, she looked a lot more striking with Draco's colored eyes.

"Draco," she said quietly, without thinking.

"I knew it!" Ron almost shouted. "Why did you two run out of the Great Hall this morning and skip all your classes? And now you're calling Malfoy Draco?" Hermione flinched. She brought her hand up to her hair to push it out of her face when he grabbed her wrist.

"What is this?" he asked, his voice low and dangerous. He was looking at the bracelet. The bracelet that, Hermione was terrified to see, had turned almost white instead of silver and had a cursive M engraved on underside, where the clasp should have been. Ron ran his fingers over the M, and Hermione tried to flinch away, but he held tight.

"WHAT IS IT?" he roared, and Hermione jumped back.

"It was a-a-gift," she stammered. She'd never seen Ron this angry before. "My uncle gave it to me, his last name is…Malone." That was true. She did have an uncle with the last name Malone, but she hadn't seen him since she was a little girl, and there was no way he could afford something like that.

"Don't lie to me, Hermione," Ron said, sounding calm, but Hermione could hear the anger. "Lies don't suit you."

Hermione caught her breath quickly. "I'm not lying to you, Ronald," she spat. She turned to leave, but Ron caught her. He tried to kiss her, but she pushed him away, the too familiar nauseous feeling enveloping her. She had gotten so used to the feeling every time Ron kissed her that now she felt it without Draco sending it her way.

"And to think I love you," Ron sneered, shaking his head. "But I'm not pure enough for you, am I, Granger?"

The use of her surname was like a slap to the face. She flinched. "I never take blood status into account for anything, Weasley," she replied.

"Well, don't waste your time, he won't have a Mudblood," Ron shouted.

All the breath Hermione had left her. Her boyfriend, the supposed love of her life, had just called her a Mudblood. She shook her head and walked out, trying to be calm. She muttered the password to the kitchens and walked inside, in a daze.

"Hello, Mistress Hermione," squeaked one of the houselves. "How may I help you tonight?" It was Winky.

"Hey, Winky," Hermione said weakly, taking a seat. "Can you just get me a few leftovers, I need to take them to a friend. He's sick."

Winky nodded and disappeared, and returned moments later with a small satchel filled with food. Hermione thanked them and walked away, slowly, like she was trudging to the gallows. When she muttered the password to the Head's Tower, she was surprised to feel more tears on her face. She touched them, as though she couldn't believe they were really there, and walked through the portrait hole. Malfoy was sitting up, rubbing his eyes. He stopped when she entered the room.

"What's wrong now?" he asked, not rudely. She shook her head and set down the food.

"I thought you might be hungry," she said softly.

"And this depresses you?" he asked, trying to lighten the mood a little. She shook her head and put her head in her hands, her elbows resting on her knees, not unlike the way Draco had been before he told her about his mother.

Draco, instead of pulling Hermione to him, like she had done, reached out and pulled her hand to him. "What happened to you?" he asked.

He was looking at the wrist with the bracelet, which, Hermione was alarmed to see, already had a bruise where Ron had gripped her.

"Ron saw the bracelet," she said quietly.

"And bruised you for it?! Did you tell him it was an accident?"

"I told him it was from my uncle. He didn't believe me. He thinks I'm…" she paused. "He thinks I'm in love with you or something. He said…he said you were too pure for me. That you would never have a-a Mudblood," her soft voice cracked on the last word.

Draco's mouth fell open, and he quickly snapped it shut. "He called you…" he stopped, unwilling to use the word now. "That?"

Hermione felt the pity coming from him, but ignored it. It just flared her anger. "This wasn't the way it was supposed to happen!" Draco looked taken aback. "I was supposed to finish the top of my class, become a respected Ministry official, and marry Ron Weasley!"

Draco leaned into her side teasingly. "You wanted to marry him?"

"It seemed like the right way to go, you know what I mean?"

"But did you really WANT to?" he asked, pressing.

"I don't really know," she admitted. "That was the way it was supposed to go. I was supposed to marry Ron, Harry would marry Ginny, and we would all be happy. I wasn't supposed to get stuck like this!" she thrust her hand out. "I wasn't supposed to think you were a decent human being. This wasn't supposed to happen!"

Draco pulled her onto his lap and held her to him like a child, rocking her back and forth. She struggled against him. He let her go, curious, and raised an eyebrow.

"No!" she shouted. "I can't get that close to you!" his eyebrows practically jumped to his hairline. "When I'm that close, I can't think about anyone but you! And I shouldn't. I should be thinking of Ron. I should think HE has beautiful eyes. I should think HE is handsome, I should think HE is smart, and charming, and intriguing. I'm not supposed to think of YOU that way!"

She pointed at him accusingly. He stood up, and she immediately backed away.

"Hermione," he said calmly. "Let me comfort you. You're hysterical."

She backed herself all the way to the wall.

"Hermione," his voice came at her in nothing but a whisper, and her whole body trembled.

He was standing right in front of her, a few feet away. She closed her eyes, hoping when she opened them, he would be gone, an apparition. But when she opened them, he was standing closer.

"Draco," she pleaded, her voice barely audible.

He reached out his hand and touched her face lightly. She leaned into it, without realizing what she was doing. He smirked, the first facial expression she had seen that reminded her so completely of the Malfoy she had known for so long.

And then he kissed her.

A/N: FAVORITE CHAPTER, BY FAR! Lol.