Chapter 2: Broken

A/N: I want to thank you all for your reviews and kind words. It has definitely kept my spirits up and I thank you so much for that. Your reviews kept me from taking my story down. As always, enjoy and please review! =)

When we walked off the Knight Bus I was in total awe seeing the Malfoy Manor since the fall of Voldemort. The outside of the Manor was huge, like a castle only stories smaller, but it didn't make it any less grand. There was a beautiful garden to the left and right front side of the Manor that seemed to be well cared for, that was either not there before or was replaced. I also noticed that on both the left and right side of the Malfoy Manor, there were big bay windows that looked out onto the gardens. I couldn't even begin to name all of the flowers that were there.

As we started walking up to Draco's home, I found myself clutching his arm in fear again. Fear of what, I'm not sure. I just knew at some point that Ron would find me. How and when, I'm not sure of that either, but I could feel it in my bones.

Finally we were inside and my mind and body seemed to relax a little. Draco led me to what looked like a sitting room, over by the fireplace that had a nice fire going. My body seemed to relax completely when I sat in a love seat by the fire. Finally letting go of his arm I put my hands to my face, noticing that my face was wet as was my hair, my bare feet and dark blue cotton nightgown. It must have been raining and I was too scared to realize it.

Thankfully Draco was back with a giant beach towel and a warm fleece blanket. I didn't even notice him leave. He must have called a house elf to bring them to him. As I was drying myself off, I thought back to our conversation that Draco and I had. I knew at some point I was going to have to answer his questions that he had asked on the Knight Bus, but right now all I wanted to do was cry in relief. So I did.

I cried for what seemed like hours. I was finally warm; with the blanket that Draco wrapped me up with; and felt safe for the first time in almost a year.

Draco, not knowing what he should do now that I was breaking down in front of him, he seemed to go with his instincts and went to sit beside me at some point.

Pulling my head towards his chest, he whispered quietly yet passionately, telling me that everything was going to be alright. Somehow I believed him. I felt safe in his arms, more safe then I ever did with Ron. Even when we were friends I never really felt safe in his arms. I know now that my instincts were trying to tell me that he was dangerous to be around, that he was and still is two faced.

Thinking of Ron brought on a whole other set of tears. What was I going to do? I knew that I wouldn't have an abortion, for the thought of killing an innocent, be it the child growing inside me or anyone else for that matter made me shudder in disgust, but I also didn't know for certain that I wanted to give the baby up. Although I didn't want a reminder of what that monster did to me.

I must have been thinking out loud most of the time while I had been crying because Draco was asking questions now. Questions I didn't know if I could or would answer. One of the first questions that he asked was, "What happened with Ron?" Another was, "Why are you scared of him?" Of course the last was, "What did he do to you?" Draco asked these questions more to himself than me but I knew I owed him an answer, He did just save my life and take me in after all.

"That monster raped me." I answered quietly. "He turned into a drunk after Harry, and Ron's sister, Ginny, were killed by what looks like a lone Death Eater, but Ron blamed himself I think because he had fought with them earlier that night." Tears started to roll down my face when the memory of seeing them dead fluttered through my mind before pushed it as far back as I could in my memories. My breath hitched and Draco gently took up my left hand and squeezed it gently urging me to continue. "Unfortunately Ron was there with me when I found them later that night and being a concerned about his drinking and yet frustrated because he wouldn't talk to me anymore, I would ask him what the three of them fought about that night. He would never tell me saying that I would never understand. I tried so hard to understand, but I just couldn't no matter how much I tried. I wanted to know what happened to my husband and best friend, the guy that confided in me, and when I got the courage to ask him that very question, two months after Harry and Ginny's death he hit me and screamed at me saying "That man is gone and he is never coming back." When he hit me I was in complete shock, so much that I didn't even cry, and that made him even angrier. After that night is when he started to beat me, and every morning afterwards he would come to me and tell me that he loved me and that he didn't mean the things he had said and done. That was until he raped me." Heaving out a sob I wrapped both arms around my waist curling in on myself and I remembered the pain and complete and utter terror of the man I once loved raping me. "Ron seemed to get off on seeing me crying, pleading, screaming and hitting him to try and make him stop." Sobbing, I admitted my worst nightmare. "I am now pregnant with his child. The child of my rapist."

I sobbed even harder after that. I couldn't look at Draco as he held me close and told me that he would never let that happen to me again. That he wouldn't let Ron near me. That seemed to settle me down some but still I cried. It felt like a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders now that I had admitted what Ron had done to me. I'm not even sure why I was crying anymore. So I stopped. Whipping my tears away, I looked deep into the eyes of Draco Malfoy.

"Thank you." I whispered.

"For what?" He asked back in a whisper.

"For letting me come here with you. For saving my life. I haven't felt this safe, here with you, than I have in months in my own house. You have changed Draco Malfoy. I can feel it. You aren't the same person that you used to be, but I also know that war will do that to a person."

Draco looked thoughtful for a few minutes looking back at me with same intensity. For a while I thought that he wasn't going to say anything back and for some reason it hurt my feelings. But then I heard him say, "Your welcome." he smiled a gentle smile. It was the first real smile that I had seen in all the time that I had known him.

"Do you want to hear a confession of my own?" He asked me.

I looked up at him with curious eyes and nodded, not trusting my own voice at the moment.

"When I was younger I had always looked up to my father. I wanted to be powerful, to be just like him, and respected him. Later on he became such a cruel man and abused my mother and me. One summer I had even spent my time in the dungeons because my father didn't like who I fell in love with. Do you want to know who it was?"

I nodded again still not trusting my own voice.

"It was you. I don't remember when I had fallen in love with you, but Crabbe thought it would be funny to tell my father. I was trying to get my feelings out on paper to tell you but Crabbe found me writing it. He took it from me and immediately sent it to my father and that is how I mostly spent my summers there on."

I gasped. How could any father do that to his child? "Oh god, Draco, why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you tell me that you were in love with me? I am so sorry. I wish things had turned out differently. And a parent should never do that to their child. No matter how angry they are with them." Grasping his hand, I squeezed it gently and tried to encourage him to continue.

"I was scared. I was scared of being rejected and I didn't think that my heart could take that rejection."

Running my other hand though his soft silky blond hair, I pulled him to my chest and kissed the top of his head.

"It was almost the beginning of sixth year when Voldemort came to see me. He didn't really care that I had fallen in love with you, and instead had a task for me to do. But first I was to take the Dark Mark. He threatened to kill my mother if I didn't take it but that didn't mean that I did it willingly. I did it to save my mother, just as she saved Potter to know that I was safe. In the Astronomy Tower I begged Dumbledore to understand that if I didn't kill him that they were going to kill my mother. He had offered my mother and me help and protection. But in the end Snape killed Dumbledore. My mother was safe from Voldemort and so was I." Draco's shoulders started to shake and I knew that he was crying.

I was shocked to say the least by his confession. I began wishing that I had seen Draco's love for me sooner. If I had just saw his love for me sooner…

Then what Hermione? My conscience questioned my inner voice.

Then maybe things wouldn't have happened the way they did! I could have saved Draco from becoming a Death Eater, as he clearly didn't want that. Harry would have come around if he really saw the Draco that I am seeing now. But…

But Ronald would have gone apeshit, and you were in love with him at the time and you couldn't have been able to deal with that. Everything happens for a reason Hermione…A voice that sounded suspiciously like my mother's voice of reason answered my inner voice's ramble.

As my thoughts began to head that direction of what could have been, I held Draco tightly in my arms as my own tears started to fall. I would have never believed that my life would have ended up as it has. Harry and Ginny were killed by some unknown Death Eater that could still be on the loose, Ron who had become a monster, and now Draco Malfoy was telling me his darkest secrets.

"Oh Draco, whatever are we going to do? What am I going to do? Ron will come looking for me and I can't let him find me with you. He already thinks I am cheating on him and if he finds me with you he will certainly kill you." I was running my hands through his silky hair and mumbling into his shoulder.

He looked up at me with such love and compassion my heart could hardly take it. Then turned his head and growled. "He actually thinks that you are cheating on him?" Looking back at me, Draco had such anger in his eyes that I have never seen before in him, and it wasn't directed at me either. It was meant for Ron.

"Yes. He found out that I was pregnant tonight and he can't even remember raping his own wife! He thought for sure that I was cheating on him."

Draco shook his head with a deep frown on his face. Looking back up at me with such love but he also had a questioning look about him. Like he wanted to say something but not sure if he wanted to say it or not.

"What's wrong Draco?" I asked.

"I don't want to upset you anymore, but I was wondering if you were going to turn him in?" He asked with the same frown on his face that he had before. "I could help you with an attorney and I know that he will never see daylight again."

"That's really sweet Draco, I just haven't given it much thought, and I don't think there is much to think about. Do you think that the Ministry will still be open at this hour?"

"No, but I could pull a couple of strings. I think you should tell the Minister. Since Ron works for them, and so do you, I think the Minister should hear about this. I also have a friend in the Special Victims Unit that could be here to take your statement. There isn't a Wizengamot member that wouldn't convict him Hermione. He is a dangerous man that needs to be off the streets."

"You would really do all of that for me?" I asked in quiet awe.

"Yes," He answered without hesitation, "and believe me there isn't a person who isn't in their right mind who wouldn't."

I began to sob again in pure happiness and relief. I had found someone that took me in and believed me. Draco put his arms around me and started to rock us back and forth. Someone must have come into the room because he started to talk to someone. Telling them to get Kingsley and Ramona. Looking up I saw Narcissa Malfoy, Draco's mother.

Narcissa nodded slightly and gently rubbed her hand on my back. "You're doing the right thing dear. You have great courage. More courage than I ever had to stand up for myself, and for my son."

I didn't really know what to say to that so I nodded to her. She left without another word and was off to see about getting the Minister and a woman named Ramona.