A/N: Hello again! Chapter 2 is here! I have a load of plans for this story which I look forward to writing. Enjoy this chapter, it's a bit longer than the first.
Harry Potter is owned by the magical JK Rowling, who is, funnily enough, not me.

Last Chapter:

"Can she not? I think I'm allergic to know-it-alls." Draco murmured while rubbing his temple. Blaise, who sat in front of him, laughed silently, his shoulders shaking, as two accusing brown eyes shot a disapproving look Draco's way. A knock at the door interrupted these events and the school secretary entered and spoke.

"The headmaster would like to see" she consulted her list, "Draco Malfoy."

Dragging himself through the deserted hallways, Draco racked his brains for a reason behind this sudden summoning. Coming up blank multiple times worried him more than he liked, however - not to mention the increased severity of the dull ache in his forehead – so he busied himself matching the clip clop of the secretary's shoes with his own endless steps.

On reaching the head's office, Draco took a deep breath and knocked. The sound rung through the surrounding silence before he was permitted to enter.

"Ah, Draco," the head addressed him, "take a seat." He gestured toward an orange and plum-purple squishy chair beside his desk. Draco lowered himself into it, wishing it would engulf him slightly more than it did, preferably swallow him up completely. His leg bounced uncontrollably as he waited in tantalising anticipation.

"Relax dear boy, you are not in trouble." His shoulders dropped suddenly, although he was unaware of them being hunched initially.

"I assume, by this point, you are wondering why you are here." Draco nodded. "Well, you have been selected to take part in a project that hopes to improve your behaviour by, essentially, pairing you up with another student in your year.

"We have noticed that you, quite frankly, are one of the worst behaved students in your year. So, you would be accompanying this student everywhere: between lessons, at break and lunch, plus any lessons you have together. It would last a week, perhaps more if all goes well. The before mentioned student has shown exceptional academic attainment and general behaviour so far this year, so will hopefully have a positive effect on you," His eyes twinkled behind his spectacles and he smiled surprisingly genuinely at Draco. Draco sat, apprehensive, less than willing to be a part of this 'project'.

"All this, of course, depends on whether you comply. We will not force you to do anything," continued the head teacher, "would you like to know who your partner would be, should you accept?" Draco, who had been momentarily staring at a very interesting spot on his laces, looked up despite himself.

"Really? OK then," he said, before hurriedly adding, "Sir".

"Very well. You would be spending your week with Miss Hermione Granger – I believe you know of her?"

"Know her?" Draco spluttered, outraged, "know her? We despise each other! I can just about bear being in the same room as her, but being in her company for a week? I'm sorry sir, but I must decline – there is no way – I can't believe – it'd be impossible!" Draco searched for words heated enough to convey his complete opposition to the idea.

The head looked straight at the boy and said, "well, if your mind is made up, you may go." Draco rose, extremely aware that the look on the old man's face said this wasn't over. He made his way to the door and reached out a hand to open it. As if triggered by the touch of the boy's palm on the cold brass handle, the head teacher spoke for a final time.

"Be aware, Draco, your mother will hear of this little conversation." Though his tone was light and carefree, Draco heard the threat in his words. He bit the inside of his cheek, thinking of his mother's reaction, and then decided to push it to the back of his mind. He would cross that bridge when he came to it.

"Goodbye sir," He exited the office without another look back.

Draco meandered around the school, unwilling to return to maths. There were only a few minutes left until lunch started, but if anyone saw him out of lessons he would be severely punished, so he walked in the vague direction of the canteen without going in. The whole time, his mind wouldn't stop racing angrily. It was bad enough being singled out and paired up with your worst enemy, but having his mother know about it? He tried desperately to think of ways to convince her that the project was not a good idea. He only ended up trying to think of ways to escape Granger for when his mum forces him to go through with it anyway.

The bell went and a defeated, dejected Draco Malfoy joined the hordes of students making their way into the canteen. He quickly claimed his group's usual table and took out a plain chicken sandwich. He sat there brooding without taking a bite, one hand tracing his initials which had been carved into the table in his second year. Blaise arrived first with Pansy Parkinson, his girlfriend, latched onto his arm. They sat, completely engrossed in each other while Crabbe, Goyle and a few others arrived too. Soon the table was alive with chat and raucous laughter. The only one who didn't join in was Malfoy.

"You alright mate?" Blaise muttered to him as the others laughed at Crabbe.

"I'm fine."

"Talk about it later?" he asked hopefully.

"Maybe."

Double Geography dragged on as usual, and for a while it seemed to Draco like Monday would never end. It did, however, and Draco was finally free to go home. Almost.

"I do recall you have a detention with me Mr. Malfoy." His Physics teacher gestured to him with her finger and he made his way, against the tide of teenagers, to her.

"Yes, miss," he sighed.

"I shall keep you for five minutes. I daresay you have enough on your mind." She smiled knowingly and led him to her classroom.

Five minutes passed and Draco escaped through the automatic double doors that imprisoned him every day. Most of the kids had left by then, but there was still a steady stream of students making their way home. Draco looked round and saw with surprise that Blaise was leaning on the sun-faded wall to his left, staring down at his phone.

"Blaise! Where's Pansy?" Draco calls, knowing that Blaise and Pansy always walk home together.

"I told her I needed to talk to you," he began apprehensively, as if Draco were about to explode. The blonde opened his mouth to say that he was fine, but the other knew him too well, "you're not fine. I've known you all my life, Malfoy, do you think I can't tell when something's up? Hmm? Exactly." He nodded triumphantly when there was no answer. "So talk to me." Draco turned with his friend to walk home. Eventually, he relayed the whole conversation he had had before lunch. Once he had finished, Blaise was almost as annoyed as Draco had been.

"Nuh-uh. Nope. No way! That is so unfair. Hermione. Bloody. Granger." He exclaimed.

"She will be the death of me, I know it." Draco returned fervently.

"Surely you can appeal or something? I do not want you turning into her."

"And my mother knows," Draco interjected, irritated.

"And your mother knows! This is appalling, I can't believe it – I won't believe it!" Blaise ranted, with extravagant hand gestures and facial expressions.

"I'm glad I'm not the only one who sees it that way." Draco chuckled at his best friend. Blaise shoved him playfully with an elbow.

"How can you be laughing right now?"

"I've never seen you take something so seriously in your life, that's all." Draco looked at him, struggling to keep a straight face. Spontaneously, they both burst into loud guffaws of unstoppable laughter.

"We must be mad," Blaise said through laughs, "it's not that funny, really."

"Well, I wouldn't like to give her the satisfaction of getting to me…" Draco sighed, wiping tears from his eyes.

They continued walking home in near silence, laughing and joking now and then. As well as being best friends, Draco and Blaise were near enough next-door neighbours, having only two houses in between them. When they reached their road, Draco bade the other boy goodbye and turned onto his drive.

His house stood before him, vast and dark. It was stunning, he couldn't deny, but it held too many memories for him. To Draco, it was empty, cold, without love. Everything a home shouldn't be. Stepping inside caused a different flashback every time, each as painful as the last. He put one foot into the porch and his eyes glassed over.

Flashback:

A middle aged man, his platinum blonde sheet of hair hiding his face, storms through the ornate front door. He holds a trunk in one of his gloved hands and a cane in the other, a hissing snake adorned on the end.
"Narcissa, you're delusional! Think rationally for a minute." He says superiorly, turning back to a slight woman in the doorway. Her eyes are red with tears, but they blaze furiously with his words.
"Don't talk to me about rationality! How can you! Just leave, Lucius." Her tears spill over again and she turns her head as the man gets into one of the two sleek black cars on the drive. With a swirl of a coat he has disappeared from view, and soon enough the car speeds down the road.
"Just go." The woman murmurs as she takes one last look at the car.
"I'm still here, mother." A boy in his early teens sits on the stairs, the shine in his eyes giving away the sadness behind the encouraging smile. He tries hard to give his mother a look of comfort.
"YOU'RE NOT ENOUGH!" she screams in reply, the sharp shards of her broken heart sounding in every syllable.
And the door slams.

(End Flashback)

Draco sighed sadly and took out his phone. With the recipient set to 'Blaise' he quickly typed:

Thanks for putting up with me mate, you actually have made me feel better somehow. Wish me luck with mother.

The reply came almost instantly:

It's a pleasure, as always (Draco could practically see Blaise's sarcastic look) and you gave me a good laugh.

You think luck's going to help you now? Rather you than me. Keep me updated though.

Draco snorted at his friend's levels of encouragement and unlocked his front door. Opening it, he shouted: "Mother? It's me."

"Draco, honey? Come in here." She called back from where he knew was the living room. After dumping his bag down by the stairs he moved to her voice.

Narcissa Malfoy sat, legs crossed elegantly, drinking a cup of coffee. She wore a simple but sleek black dress, the long sleeves velvety and the neckline high. She nodded towards the dark leather sofa next to her, identical to the chair she sat in. Draco sat silently, waiting for a lecture. Placing her mug on the glass coffee table in front of her, she began speaking.

"Three years ago, when your father left, I swore I would never hurt you the way he did." Her voice didn't tremble - she spoke evenly, but sadly. She gazed wistfully into space, her eyes unfocused. "I want to give you every chance to do well. Why do you make it so hard for me?" she looked him straight in the eyes suddenly and Draco had to push down the lump in his throat.

"Because I'm not enough." He replied simply.

"Draco, you are a better person than your father or I could ever be. When I said those words I was broken, I didn't mean them. All I wanted was your father back, I wanted the Lucius Malfoy I had married. The one I had fallen in love with. Draco, I'm so sorry."

"It's-it's OK. I forgive you," Draco stuttered, shocked to see his mother tearing up before his eyes. For the past three years, she had gone through life an emotionless, hollow shell of a person.

"Please, for me, go through with your headmaster's plans. Just this once." Draco nodded reluctantly and stood up, adamant not to cry. His mother rose too and, before he could walk away, she wrapped her arms around him in a tight embrace. After recovering from the initial shock, Draco hugged her back, holding her protectively and finally letting the tears fall freely. She drew back and rested a hand on his cheek, looking up at him.

"I love you very much, Draco Lucius Malfoy, and I am endlessly proud of the man you have become. Always remember that." She said. She left the room and Draco went to the bathroom, splashed his face with cold water, and then made his way to his bedroom, already starting to dread the next day.

Thanks for reading! Please review - I appreciate any comments and, you never know, the next chapter might be up sooner if I get inundated with reviews!