This is my first attempt at a hp story. I don't really have anything to say except I hope you enjoy it, oh, and I don't own anything. Wish I did but I don't.

Also the story is AU since the 6th book does not exist in this story.

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Chapter One

The summer had changed Draco greatly. In a way you could say it altered his whole outlook on life. For as long as Draco could remember, he had wanted nothing more than to grow up to be just like his father. Lucius Malfoy, most prized death eater to Lord Voldemort. That all changed however when Lucius gave his son a taste of what that life was really like. The summer after fifth year was a horror filled nightmare for Draco. After witnessing his first ever death eater meeting, Draco spent the night in his room puking his guts up. The never ceasing rape, killing, and torture that took place night after night were slowly chipping away at his sanity.

On the train ride back to Hogwarts, Draco decided once and for all that he would never grow up to be like his father. As soon as he reached the comforting halls of his old school he sought out Dumbledore. In a meeting including, Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Snape, Draco explained how he would be willing to testify, anonymously of course, to the position of his father and several others in Voldemort's ranks. To say the three professors were shocked would have been an understatement; in all their life no one would have pegged Draco to be someone to switch his loyalties. They were so skeptical in fact, that they requested Draco take a veritaserum test. By the beginning of the feast, there was no doubt in their minds, and Draco now had a ray of hope. He was offered protection by Dumbledore and he took full advantage of it, opting to leave his previous ways to start anew.

"Drake, why don't you sit and talk to me?" Pansy's shrill shrieking voice pierced the air as Draco took a seat at the far end of the table. This was one part of his transformation he wished he could skip, he was already a traitor, but he would soon be friendless.

"Go away Pansy, and for Merlin's sake stay away." It was more of a pleading request than a command, and had it not been for his somber face, Pansy might have laughed at his joke. But after a look at his empty eyes she only nodded and went back to her end of the table.

And so the weeks went on, Draco becoming a little more detached each day. The hearing where Draco confessed the identity of eight death eaters, his father included, passed by in a blur. Although everyone present was sworn to secrecy, the feeling that his punishment was inevitable was like a dead weight in his stomach. Soon after he cut ties with his friends, people started to notice something else new about him.

"Say Ron," Harry leaned over to whisper one day at lunch, "you notice Malfoy's not said one word to us since we've been back?" Ron gave him a skeptical look before reluctantly nodding his head. "I wonder what he's up to."

Of course the two boys weren't the only one's to know, Hermione had realized before them, but kept to herself about such a touchy topic. She had also noticed something the boys were too thick to see. He no longer hung around with his friends, he barely ate, and he seemed to share more meaningful looks with Dumbledore than Harry did. She was so perplexed by him that when she accidentally stumbled upon him in the astronomy tower one evening during her prefect patrols, she froze.

At first she thought she had stumbled onto a late night couple rendezvous, but when she heard the familiar sounds of someone crying her thoughts flew to the worst. Whatever she could have been expecting was not what she found though. The first tip-off to who this really was, was the striking blonde hair. He was leaning on the wall of the balcony, his shoulders shaking slightly. Hermione was at a loss, if this had been anytime last year she would have marched right up to him and handed out a detention. But this was now, and so far as she could tell this was not the old Malfoy. The final and best decision seemed to be to act like this never happened, to just turn around and leave. Right before she took her eyes off of him, he spun around and stared at her. The movement was so unexpected Hermione was barely able to contain her scream. The intense, almost scary look on his face melted as he saw the fear in her eyes.

"S-Sorry, I'll just go." If she could just make it to the door she'd be ok.

"Please," the voice was pleading and that scared her even more, "please don't go." Hermione had only heard a voice that desperate once before, when her mother prayed out loud for god to bring her grandmother back. It was that same broken voice she was hearing now that stopped her in her tracks. He must have taken that as a go ahead, because he continued with his talking.

"I have no friends anymore; they have no idea what it's really like. To have nightmares filled with the screams of his victims. To see a person tortured in the most inhuman ways possible." Hermione turned to look at him, he had not exactly told her what he was talking about, but she figured she could guess. Draco didn't notice her coming closer as he went on.

"Everything he told me, everything I believed was a lie. They weren't the good guy's, their devils. He took me this summer, told me I needed to prepare for my future. I had no idea." Hermione had reached him by now, and when he started to shake again she took a seat next to him on the ledge. He looked up to her with bloodshot eyes.

"Why are you telling me this?" The question seemed harsh and she placed a hand on his shoulder to prove her sincerity. Draco was silent for a moment before he spoke again.

"I need to tell someone, anyone, but preferably someone who will understand." He glanced at her a moment then carried on. "After, after my father brought me back I knew I could never do that, I'm no saint but I'm not heartless." Hermione couldn't contain a snort, which was quickly followed by a sympathetic look after seeing Draco's face.

"Sorry," she mumbled.

"No, I'm sorry. You have every right not to believe me, I've wasted the majority of my life being an asshole. Especially to you."

"I'm still here, that must mean something." She gave him a small smile which was returned by, perhaps the first smile he had given in a long time.

"Well, anyway. The first thing I did when I got to back was to find Dumbledore and tell him. I gave the names of several death eaters and my father, and in return received protection. It seems though; I've sacrificed more than I thought I would. My father is in Azkaban and the reason for my current situation is a letter from the ministry explaining my mother's suicide." He lost his composure once more and did the most bizarre thing. He grabbed Hermione around the shoulders, pulled her close, and buried his face in her neck. She managed to resist the urge to shove him off, when she felt wetness on her neck and soaking through her robes.

"I'm sorry," she cautiously put her arms around him, giving a feeble attempt at comforting. "I'm really sorry Mal-Draco." She had no earthly idea what possessed her to say his name, but it seemed to do the trick. He raised his head to look at her, his usual smirk replaced by a grin.

"Thank you, Hermione." Right there on the astronomy tower the two enemies became friends.

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The next few months were some of the strangest Hogwarts had ever played host to. It was as if Hermione and Draco hadn't spent the last five years hating each other. The morning after their fateful meeting in the Great Hall, Ron coughed so hard on his pumpkin juice Harry had to slap his back several times. Curious as to what had startled Ron, the majority of the hall looked over to see Hermione and Draco pulling out of a hug.

Unbelievable would have been the right word, although the only thing that the two received were death stares from the others houses. When Hermione finally reached Ron and Harry, Ron seemed to have gotten his voice back.

"Hermione! What the bloody hell is wrong with you! What the fuck do you think you're doing?" This seemed a good enough exclamation for Harry as he sat there giving her an accusatory stare.

"Ron, and you too Harry, would you both kindly grow the hell up." There she had said it, she wasn't sure she had it in her, but she did it. There was no reply, and the rest of the day was spent in silence. It seemed no one else felt the need to question her about her newfound friendship.

The end of November was drawing near before Ron and Harry tried to talk some more sense into her. It was one of their worst rows ever, not to mention in the end Hermione made complete fools of the both of them in front of the entire Gryffindor common room. Their plan to accuse Draco of tricking her to get close to Harry backfired when she unexpectedly told them that Draco had not mentioned them at all. And to finish them off she basically told them to get over her and Draco, or get a new friend, and left them speechless with the slamming of the common room door with her departure.

And true to her word she stayed clear of them, sitting at the other end of their table, pairing with Draco in class, and ignoring them in the halls. When Dumbledore bumped into the young men moping in the halls one day, he did the only thing he could think of.

"You know, perhaps we have been a little too hard on Mr. Malfoy." The familiar twinkle held the life in his eyes as he spoke. "Seeing as how a few more seats in Azkaban are taken thanks to him." He was gone as quick as he had come, leaving Ron and Harry to ponder his advice.

"Maybe he's right," Harry mused as he and Ron watched Draco and Hermione working on homework in the library, "if he is you know what that means."

"Yeah, we've got some major pleading to do. Come on let's get it over with." They made their way over to the couple at the table, clearly immersed in whatever essay they were attempting to complete.

Sounding eerily like Umbridge Harry's hem seemed to get their attention.

"Yes." Hermione's tone was cold.

"Look," Ron was shaking with the control it took to keep his voice neutral, "we came over to apologize, to both of you. We're sorry we didn't believe you,"

"But can you hardly blame us?" Harry finished lamely. She gave them a thoughtful look before deciding they were being as sincere as was possible for them.

"I forgive you, but I need to finish my work now, so if you don't mind." The two boys muttered thanks as they turned to leave.

"This doesn't mean we still don't hate Draco right?" Ron puzzled as they exited the library. Harry's smirk was his only reply.

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Well, tell me what you think please. Leave a review and I'll be very grateful