So, I already mentioned that I had already had much of this story written, so I may end up publishing several chapters at a time when I am able to get on to upload!

Enjoy!

Alas, I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters within this story, all I own is my imagination and where these borrowed characters are temporarily residing in my mind.

Chapter 2

Hermione Granger rushed through the corridors. She had been packing up her bag in the library at the end of her morning break and was preparing to make her way to Arithmancy when she realized that Numerology and Grammatica was not in her bag. She remembered taking the textbook out of her bag the previous night to double check her number charts that were due today, but she could have sworn she had put it back in her bag. Thoroughly irritated with herself, she had raced back up to Gryffindor Tower and grabbed it off of her bedside table, shoving it into her already-stuffed bag that was nearly bursting at the seams. It was so full of books that the only way she was actually able to carry it around the huge school was thanks to the featherlight charm she had placed on it. She had then darted back down the Tower stairs and was currently making her way through the corridors, which were empty at the moment as nearly everyone was already at their next classes.

As she made her way down the next corridor, she heard a sound that made her pause. She stopped to listen for a moment and heard someone crying behind the doors to the lavatory. This wasn't a regular cry, though; this was the deep, aching cry of someone in utter agony. It also wasn't something that she could simply move along and ignore. Knowing that she could always let Professor Vector know that she had been detained due to one of her Prefect duties and feeling like it was her moral obligation to make sure that whoever was in there was okay, and that no one was injured, Hermione reached out for the door. Not caring that she was going into the boys' lavatory, she pushed gently on the thick wooden door and was surprised when it didn't budge. Whoever was inside had locked the door, which served to make her even more concerned. Raising her wand, she wordlessly unlocked the door and pushed again, stepping inside.

To her astonishment, she saw a very familiar shock of white-blonde hair: Draco Malfoy. He was leaning over one of the sinks and from his reflection in the mirror that hung on the wall in front of him, she could clearly see the tell-tale streak of tears on his pale cheeks.

He looked terrible. He had looked terrible all year, actually; she and Harry had talked about it several times already since September. Now she took a moment to really look at him. He had lost some weight, and the clothes that used to fit his lanky body like a second skin now draped loosely on his too-thin frame. His cheeks looked a little too hollow and nearly bloodless, his skin was even paler than usual and taking on a sickly hue, and his normally perfect hair was tousled as though he had been running his hands through it compulsively for hours. In short, he looked as though he were shattering into pieces.

Suddenly, as if he could physically feel her eyes on him, he looked up, silver-grey eyes clashing with brown in the mirror. He spun around and his wand lifted on reflex but, listening to the quiet voice inside that told her that he wouldn't hurt her right now, she kept her own wand down by her side, gripped loosely and non-threateningly in her hand. He stood frozen for several heartbeats, just watching her and pointing his trembling wand hand at her until finally his arm dropped, and he collapsed to the floor.

Unbidden, she remembered back to one summer a few years past when she and her parents had volunteered to help with some of the animals at a local animal shelter. One of the dogs had been terrified of anyone coming near her, shrinking back against the back of her cage and snapping out in fear. Hermione had sat with the dog for nearly an hour, just talking to her and slowly moving closer until the poor dog had become comfortable with her, finally crawling into her lap to allow Hermione to comfort her. That was the thought that came into her mind as she looked at Draco Malfoy, now sitting in a heap of the floor in the middle of the lavatory: he needed comfort, but could be dangerous if he was startled or felt cornered. She put her wand away and began to slowly move closer to him.

"Malfoy?"

Her voice was soft, but the room was silent and so was he; she knew that he had heard her although he did not react to the sound of her calling his name. She stopped a few steps away from him and knelt on the floor, waiting. She knew that someone as haughty and rigid as Draco Malfoy would never break down in such a place, if indeed he would ever break down at all, unless there was something horribly wrong. Slowly she moved closer, inch by inch, until she was close enough to reach out and touch him, although she did not.

"Malfoy, are you okay?"

She waited for him to say something, but he remained silent, head bowed. So, she tried one last time.

"Malfoy, I want to help you," she said softly. "If you will tell my what's happened, I will do my best to help you."

Still, he did not speak. With a sigh of resignation, Hermione shifted on the floor to rise to her feet. Just as she turned to leave, she felt his hand grab her wrist gently, stopping her from leaving. She turned back around and saw him looking up at her, despair and hope battling in the depths of the mercurial eyes that were looking up into her own.

Song Inspiration: You Found Me – The Fray

Hope you are all enjoying this one so far!

sbz