A/N: Hey! Sorry for the long wait, I've been pretty busy lately but I finally got this chapter down. I really hope you enjoy it and I'll try to update sooner next time.

Last Chapter:

She shrank back into the protection of the house, still clutching Malfoy's blazer.

To her, that was the only part of him she had left.

By Friday morning, Hermione Granger was officially going mad. She was driven to despair by many factors, most (well, all) of which involved a certain 'Malfoy'. He hadn't been seen again after leaving Blaise's house the night before until she arrived at school and he was waiting in the normal place. He greeted her with silence, apparently not even noticing her, and the morning continued like that. Hermione was overly attentive to the fact that this would inevitably be the last day of the head's project, and that after that, Malfoy would never have reason to even look at her again. Despite having openly hated him five days ago, she knew she couldn't let it end so stupidly. Her feelings for him had crept up on her and, whether she liked it or not, she wouldn't be able to let him go.

She was oblivious, however, to the fact he was going through a very similar inner conflict. To Draco, the silence was an unnecessary disease. He was the cure, and she was the dying victim, yet he was too cowardly to end her suffering. Because that would mean opening up, and leaving himself vulnerable, unarmed and weak. And he didn't trust anyone to see that side of him. Not even her.

He too knew that getting through this day would mean she would never have motive to talk to him again, and it pained him no less than it pained her.

So, by midday, they were both struggling to do two opposite, though very simple, things. Hermione wanted more than anything to speak to Malfoy and relay the whole speech which she had been mentally preparing throughout the day. Though she tried many times to say something, the words wouldn't come out, scared away by the memory of yesterday's argument as well as the look carved on the boy's face. All the while, he was forcing himself not to speak. He knew why, of course, though he hated himself for even thinking it. If he spoke to her, he wouldn't be able to help becoming her friend. But for him, that wasn't enough. He wanted more than that – he wanted her to look at him like she had during their dance but he knew that that hadn't been real, and he would prefer to be silent than tormented over being her friend. It was selfish, but it was what he needed to do.

His day was going so slowly it was almost backwards. Every second lasted that little bit longer, increasing the time he had to keep his mouth shut for. Again, for Hermione it was opposite. Her time was running out like sand slipping through her hands. Holding on tighter wouldn't make any difference, which is how she found herself outside the school fence at the end of the day, staring at Malfoy's retreating figure.

Typically, it was raining and her hair was already damp as she turned away from her route home to follow him, in a last act of despair. She caught up with him relatively quickly, but remained behind him for some time, working up the courage to speak. By the time she had calmed her nerves they were the only two people on the small side road, and the now heavy rain was battering down on the pavement, puddling in places.

"Malfoy," she called, now a few metres from him. He sped up suddenly, shoulders hunched with his hand shoved into the pockets of his tailored coat.

"Malfoy." She repeated urgently. Still, he continued walking and she sped up too.

"Draco, please!" he stopped abruptly and paused. Hermione held her breath. He turned around, eyes shut. When they opened, she finally saw all the pain he had been trying to hide, concentrated in two silver orbs.

He felt so small, standing there in the rain and looking at her face, alight with defiance.

"Nothing I can say, or do, will ever be any help to you, Granger." He said quietly.

"I don't want you to say anything. I don't need your help. Just… listen?" he breathed out through his nose and then nodded weightily.

"OK." There was a pause before she began.

"I hate- I hate that you think I'm too 'perfect' to understand whatever it is you're hiding. Like I'm too innocent or- or unblemished to get it. Yes, you may have been through more than me, but that doesn't mean I haven't lived. It doesn't mean I've never been hurt in my life. The only difference between us is that you're scared. Scared of caring, scared of losing someone, scared of being hurt again."

"You talk like you actually know me," he muttered despite himself, so that the words were only just audible over the wind.

"And you act like you know me, but you don't! We were on the edge of civility and suddenly you know what's right for me? You think you know what'll 'help me'? You're so unpredictable and I really can't figure you out, even though I've tried so hard." She finished in frustration.

"I wish you wouldn't try. I'm not worth it." He replied.

"But that's not true. You're worth everything and more, Malfoy, you just won't let anyone tell you so." He could see she was on the edge of tears, though didn't understand why.

"Why? Why don't you just give up?" he asked, interrupting his racing thoughts.

"Because I've seen the real you, and I care about that Draco Malfoy. A lot." She admitted, looking terrified to say it. Draco couldn't quite believe what he was hearing. He stared disbelievingly and she turned her face away, but not soon enough to hide the stream of tears running down her face.

"Forget it." She turned to walk away and then turned back, saying as afterthought: "See. Not so perfect anymore." Though she laughed shortly, he hated how obvious it was that she was hurting. She angled herself away once more. A second later, Draco had gently placed a hand on her arm in a kind of elated yet desperate trance. She faced him, surprised, and he enveloped her in a cautious embrace. After a moment, he felt her head rest on his shoulder and he entwined his hand in her hair.

"That's just it, though. You're always perfect to me." He murmured in her ear, knowing he'd never be able to leave her again, and being perfectly content with that.

Thanks for reading and please please please review with thoughts. I hope this lived up to expectation, it was tricky to write but I got there eventually. That's not the end at all, there's plenty more to come! Leave a review! Much love!