Velvet: Draco? Oh crud muffins.

At the entrance to Hogsmeade

I was sitting on a bench at the entrance to Hogsmeade. I was in a t-shirt, and a pair of jeans that Harry had loaned me, since Hermione had specified nothing she might see at a dance. Unfortunately that was all I had. Oh yeah, wondering why I called him Harry? Well I told him what happened between me and Hermione and he offered to help. He loaned me some of his clothes, and magic'd them to fit me. It just seemed fair to stop calling him 'Potter'. I still call Weasley, Weasley though, and Harry still calls me Malfoy.

"Draco!" I turned my head, and saw Hermione. She was wearing a pair of skinny jeans, with black sneakers and a black long sleeve shirt. I stood up, and the two of us wandered aimlessly through the very beginning of the streets of Hogsmeade. Unfortunately she seemed intent on trying to get me to eat more. And she is the cleverest witch of our age? Honestly... even though it made sense, she wasn't thinking. She knows I don't eat much. "Please Draco?"

"Why should I?" She looked at me pleadingly.

"You need food! You're putting yourself at risk!" She kept trying to reason with me. I kept ignoring her pleas.

"Hermione, I told you, i'm just not that hungry anymore!" She was trying to reason with me, and dragged me to Honeydukes. "Why are you taking me here?" She just grinned, and walked to the back of the store. She came back with a large bag, and I already was not liking this. We walked to The Three Broomsticks, and took a table in the back. She ordered two butterbeers and hauled the giant bag on to the table. She stuck her hand in, and handed me a chocolate frog. I didn't take it.

"Please, Draco! I hate seeing you like this, you're starving yourself!" I shook my head. She just didn't get it, I really wasn't hungry. Besides, even if I was hungry I wouldn't go for candy! Let alone chocolate! She wasn't kidding about the cake, was she? Did she have a cake in there too? Dear Merlin, I hope not.

"If I eat that, you'll make me eat more. You'll make me eat until I puke, and I am not hungry!" The waiter came by with butterbeer, and set them on the table. I picked up one, and took a sip, placing it closer to me when I put it down. She begged to desperation point, until she gave up. "Thank you." She didn't seem too pleased that I had won. Then she handed me the bag. "What's this for?"

"Just in case. It's all sweets, so they won't go bad. Whether or not you ate them here, they were for you. I... asked around, and these are your favorites according to my sources." I looked in the bag, and sure enough all my favorites were in there. Chocolate frogs, Sugar Quills, Licorice Wands, and Pumpkin Pasties.

"W-wow. Thanks..." She looked red as a tomato. We walked back fairly quietly, with the occasional sentence every now and again. "So... you wanna meet here tomorrow at the same time?" I was actually hopeful. It was something to look forward to. She looked unsure for a moment, then nodded. I could've danced/sung/cheered. I didn't though, that would have been odd. So I went down to the Slytherin Common Room, and put the bag in my trunk.

I laid down on my bed to think. What was going on here? The sweets, the Three Broomsticks, everything seemed more date-like with each passing minute. I didn't completely understand. Then again, I never really understood love. Crushes? Nonexistent. Malfoy's don't do that. Just then, an owl flew in through the window. I opened the letter it had brought, and sighed.

Draco,

You have not responded to any of my letters yet this year. It is coming up on Halloween, and I expect a response no later than the holiday. If I do not receive a letter before midnight on that day, your punishment will be most severe. Also, I expect you to be studying in your spare time. Your marks were not as good as they needed to be, and I expect you to do well on your NEWTS next year. If they do not improve I will promise you the cruciatus curse will be the least of your worries.

Don't Forget.

Don't forget. That's how he always signs his letters. I scribbled a note, with false apologies, and promises of O's on his NEWTS next year, and left for dinner. Well... not really. I just left the common room, and wandered the school. I was somewhere near the Charms corridor when it happened. I felt extremely dizzy. It lasted five seconds tops, but I had trouble standing. I groped the wall, trying to regain my footing, when another wave of dizziness hit. This one longer, and stronger. I fell to the ground, clutching my head. I heard a faint noise though.

"Malfoy? Malfoy!" I heard distinct footsteps, though everything was starting to sound kind of off. "Malfoy what happened!" I spoke, and my voice sounded strange. Everything was odd. My eyes were open, yet I couldn't see.

"I-I don't really know." My head wasn't hurting, but I grabbed it anyways, trying to get rid of the dizziness. I groped the wall, trying to stand up so Harry would remain the only person who had seen me like this. Unfortunately he put a hand on my shoulder, and gently pushed me down.

A.N. This actually happened to me, though it wasn't as severe, and they assumed dehydration. Which was odd since I had cereal that morning, and I normally don't. More liquids then usual! *Shrugs* Either way this is somewhat of a memory, with the senses at least.

"Harry, is everything alright? Why did you leave li- Oh my god! What happened?" The voices were so distorted that I had no Idea who was speaking. "Draco?" Okay, so it was probably Hermione, since the Professors wouldn't have asked Harry why he left. "Ron! Ron, go get help!" I heard fast footsteps leaving the corridor. "Harry, I need a glass of water." Hermione was frantic, trying to help me.

"Hermione this is like Devils Snare all over again! Are you a witch or not?" I honestly wasn't quite sure what he was talking about, but I didn't need to. I heard her conjure up a glass, and then I heard her cast aguamenti.

"Draco, drink this, it's water, it'll help." She held out the cup, obviously not realizing I couldn't see her. I reached out feeling for the glass.

"W-where are you?" She gasped at that, and I heard a shatter of glass. I assumed she dropped the glass. She was silent for a few moments.

"Y-you can't see me?" It was then that I heard footsteps. Lots of them too. I was pretty sure Professor Snape, and Madam Pomfrey were there, but honestly I wasn't positive. I shook my head at where I thought Hermione was. I groped the wall, trying to stand up again, totally blind. "Draco sit down! What on earth makes you think standing up will help this situation? You. Can't. See." I heard more gasps after that. Joy. I heard Hermione again, casting reparo and aguamenti. I took a drink, but I soon realized that there was food too. I could smell it.

"Hermione I told you I won't eat it!" She sighed, and pushed away some of my hair. It must've been in my face. The move didn't feel forced, or anything. It felt... natural and caring.

"Stop starving yourself! I haven't seen you at a meal in weeks!" More gasping. I had forgotten the Professors were here. I felt myself growing weaker. "Draco, you're blacking out. I've seen it before, mostly with dehydration, but I know what will help. Eat the food or I promise you, you'll fall unconscious!" Obviously no one in the room understood this, except for Hermione. She handed me a piece of chicken and, reluctantly, I ate it. I blinked a few times, and still saw nothing. Hermione then positioned me with my knees up, and head between them. She said it would keep me from fainting.

"Why are you so intent on saving me Hermione?" She had a hand on my shoulder, and immediately removed it. She must've been in shock. I had a point though. What did she have to gain from being my friend? All I did was pull her down with my problems. For all I knew her parents were on their deathbeds and she was helping me.

"What do you mean?" I remembered the letter. I took it out of my pocket, and handed it to her. I heard her whispering it. When she reached the part about the cruciatus curse, she screeched. "WHAT? Draco you never said- I never knew-THAT F****** BASTARD!" She then continued on with many words that would land her detention for a year. The Professors watched her, and i'm sure they were wondering what she was going on about. They didn't give her detention for some reason though. I heard a rustling of paper.

"Hermione did you give them-" I hoped she hadn't given them the letter. I didn't want whoever was there knowing my father had tortured me with an unforgivable curse. They'd call in "family healers" to work out our "issues". I bloody well didn't want that.

"Yes Draco. They need to separate you from that monster. You can't keep living there." She had forgotten about my need for food, and now that I knew it was helping, I began to feel around for more. She took my hand and placed more meat in it. I bit in, and chewed. I didn't care how full I felt. I knew I wasn't full. I wanted my eyesight, and my strength back. I wanted my life back. I then realized something. Hermione had given me something I had lost long ago. Hope.

Velvet: Alright, pretty good I thought, well not that good at all actually. I got writers block halfway through though. :( But I still think it was good. And very crucial. By the way, the idea of this came to me from an idea from a review! Thank you lilylupinpotter! (I apologize if I spelled that wrong.) And... OH YEAH! New story coming up! I'm planning on finishing this first though. I didn't expect this to be very long, maybe fifteen chapters max. but the new story is an AU. I will be posting it (Though i'm unsure of the date yet. Maybe close to Halloween? I dunno.) but I want to know if you guys would be interested, so here's my current summary, which is subject to change. The title is also subject to change.

What if James and Lily never died? What if Voldemort never learned of the Prophecy? What, and who, does that affect? Alternate Universe story. Find out in... Total Darkness, Year 1.

As you can tell by the title it will most likely be seven years long. Seven stories long anyways. Like the idea? Like the summary? Like this story? Review! Please! In fact... if five people review saying they are interested in my new story... i'll post a little excerpt at the end of my next chapter! Sound fair? Thanks for reading!