Draco Malfoy had been hovering outside the door for a while now, trying to fix his face into its usual mask of nonchalance and detachment. He knew that Harry Potter was inside the Great Hall because he could hear the intolerable Gryffindor girl, Faun Delcy, practically throwing herself at him. It was disgracefully really, and Draco couldn't decide whether Potter was amazing or stupid to not have noticed the girl's affection. Stupid, he decided- somewhat maliciously.

As the blonde heard soft footfalls approaching him, he stepped out from behind an over sized statue of some mythical creature Draco had neither the time nor interest to investigate. With a jolt, he hurried back behind the creature, going as far as arching his back to remain undetectable.

It was Hermione- Granger, he corrected himself. He didn't want her to see him in this state. Hermione was too smart not to notice the difference in the young man, and cunning enough- he suspected- to use it against him. The brunette passed his hiding spot, with only a brief glance his way- looking again at the magnificent animal. Draco felt the usual impact of guilt.

He always felt guilty around her. The memory of Hermione screaming as his late aunt Bellatrix tortured her sent chills down his spine. Draco had been in bedroom at the time, and the Malfoy Manor's acoustics had delivered her shrieks up the staircases and left them to pound at his skull. Draco knew that what was happening to Granger was wrong, and although he wanted nothing to do with it, and longed for the familiar girl to escape, he did not step outside his bedroom- for fear of the dark lord or his father killing him for his traitorous thoughts. So he sat as still as a statue.

The noise had gone silent all at once, ending with one of Hermione's whimpers. he had feared the worst, and stayed in his room for hours. He felt that it was his responsibility to mourn for the innocent girl he had allowed to die- to be murdered. His own cowardice had killed a brave and quite blatantly lovely human being.

Sure, she was annoying and impossible, but Draco had felt he had a likeness with the girl, and a similar sense of confidence and arrogance. Different people wore that differently: Draco with a cruel and ignorant forwardness, but Hermione wore her confidence like a brilliant crest, kindly and with the kind of modesty only the blonde had only ever seen possessed by that one brunette.

When Draco heard the news of how a house elf (whom was previously enslaved by his own bloodline) had rescued the Potter squad, he was secretly glad. He only really cared about Granger's rescue, but he supposed he was glad that the golden trio hadn't been killed by Malfoys.

He was sure that that would have made his reputation and family name beyond salvation. Of course, Draco was still a Slytherin and a Malfoy. He still had to live up to his parent's expectation, so he had acted maliciously before his parents, then returned to his bedroom where he felt himself grin like a complete fool. It had been a long time since he had smiled, and the muscles in his face welcomed the change from his resident spiteful scowl.

Towards the end of Voldemort's reign, Draco could no longer regard the Malfoy Manor as home. Voldemort had transformed it to a dead carcass of its former glory; it was a prison that confined the youngest Malfoy, and Draco had secretly wished and prayed for the dark lord's downfall- even if it was Potter who reaped the rewards and Draco who was hated and branded as a Death Eater.

Having said that, Draco did possess a certain amount of pride from knowing that if he had of given Harry Potter in to Bellatrix, many would now be under the dark lord's control and influence.

To be brutally honest, there was no love lost between the Malfoy family. Draco knew that his father never truly cared for him, and if he did, it wasn't in the way a father should care for his son. Lucius had not been a regular father. He had been cruel and had created a monster from his son.

Draco frequently worried over whether he really was like his father, and that he would be a terrible father too. Narcissa Malfoy had worried that her only child was transforming into an emotionless death eater, much like his father, and he had made his mother proud by risking himself at the cost of Harry Potter and a peaceful Wizarding World.

Draco blinked, bringing himself back to reality as Hermione scoffed in amusement and irritation, "Very Subtle, Faun."

Draco didn't have much time to wonder what Faun Delcy had said in the first place, though he imagined that it had something to do with Harry's pretty eyes, or humour. Faun snapped back at Hermione, "What is your problem, Hermione?" she seemed really angry, and as Draco peered around the statue, he saw that the girl was seething. "You have been on my case twenty-four-seven lately."

"I don't know, Blondie." Hermione said, sounding bored. She swerved to face her friend, "Harry, how do you feel about Faun?"

The boy stuttered, "Wh-what do you mean? I think she's a great friend. Why?"

Even Draco flinched, that was brutal.

Faun was staring at Harry, heartbroken, as Hermione harshly spoke, "Must I continue?"

Obviously not, Draco thought as the blonde girl ran past him, crying ugly tears as she went. Draco chose then to enter the room and head towards the Slytherin table. He could hear Potter querying Hermione over what had just happened. Wow. He really is an idiot. Draco was marvelled by the fact that this moron had managed to outsmart the dark lord.

The rest of the day passed in a tiringly boring blur, although, he did notice Hermione staring at him on more than one occasion. Odd.

A/N: Ta-da! Or not. Whatever.

So, chapter 2, there it is! I had som questions in a review, so if you don't mind, I'll just quickly clear any confusion!

1) First of all, I am not altogether sure myself when this story is set. You see, at first, I was thinking it would be set in their sixth year (around the time of The Halfblood Prince), but one of the crucial elements of this story is that Hermione has been mentally effected by the war. While I haven't read all the books yet, I know that there is no Eighth year, but I'm afraid you'll just have to use your imagination for this one, because that is the only way this story works in my brain. Apologies if that angers you... Soz.

2) Aside from the HUGE error in the timeline, everything else is the same as the original story (or, at least, I think it is...); Snape is still dead; Dumbledore is too. McGonnogal has taken over as headmaster.

Again, I'm sorry if I have offended you true Harry Potter fans. I really love the story and the idea, but I have SO many series' that I'm reading at the moment, so HP is on the back-burner for now. Forgive me for any errors I might make! I'm trying my best!

Bye, Kate xxx