Chapter One:Friendship Begins

Draco's POV

I had just been ditched by Pansy, she used the excuse of leaving a book in one of the classrooms, when I heard the sound of sobs. I walked down the corridor and into a classroom. The sight before me both shocked and pleased me, Hermione Granger. She had never been one to let her guard down. I knew this from experience.

"What's the matter, Mudblood? Weasel ditch you?" I said. Being clever to leave out the fact that my patrolling partner wasn't here either. Her head snapped up and she was up in an instant. Her eyes were bloodshot and swollen. Her hand, I noticed to late, was on her wand. The door behind me swung close with a loud bang and I heard a click. A knife appeared beside her. I stepped back, now I was in fear of my life. She placed the knife to her wrist. I watched her, preplexed. I couldn't help but wonder what it was she was about to do. But I had my answer when she pulled the knife across her arm. Blood began to pour. I knew that my face must have lost color. Hermione Granger had just cut herself in front of me.

"Does my blood look dirty to you?" She asked. All I could do was shake my head. "You call me a mudblood only because I am from muggle hertiage, whereas you are from a pureblood heritage. No matter what hertiage we come from, Draco, we all bleed the same color. We all have a choice. Wheter it's to go with good or evil or what to believe. I won't judge you on whatever you do. You can choose to follow in your father's footsteps and either get killed or live a life of misery. Or join Harry, Ron, and I. The chances of being killed are high, but at least you'd have someone who cares enough about you to protect you." With that she started to sway. I noticed how much blood she had lost. On reflex, I suppose, I caught her in my arms. I picked her up bridal style and began to walk. "Where are you taking me?" She whispered to me.

"To the hospital wing. I know what you are saying and I know that it's true. But I can't just walk away from everything just like that. They'd find me where ever I went. Who's to say the moment I leave they'll come looking for me?" I asked her. I blinked in surprise. Now I am talking to the girl that used to be my worst enemy like she's my best friend. I came to the realization that I didn't have friends and I also realized that she said at least you'd have people that care about you enough to protect you. Did that mean she cared about me?

"Are you a deatheater yet?" She asked me. I shook my head. "Then you could come live with me. They would even consider living with a muggleborn." I looked at her in shock. "I know, you don't know me. But we are in this together wheter you like it or not, Draco. You don't even have to go home. All you have to do is get off the train with me. Your parents would just think you went missing or ran away. I always go early to get my school supplies anyway, you wouldn't even have to run into your dad. My family can afford to take care of another person." She told me.

"But would they?" I asked her.

"I'll ask tomorrow." She said. "That is if you want to. Draco, I'm not saying that you have to. It'll just be away out. There are ministry officials and members of the order posted at my house. So'd we'd be safe." She said. "That's why I'm not pulling my hair out about the whole leaving my parents unprotected thing."

"Okay. You really are something you know that. You hate me yet you offer me to come stay with you. Even though you don't know me." I said.

"You see that's the beauty of getting to know someone. You figure out things about that other person that you didn't know. I didn't hate you nor do I now. I understand that the reason you act the way you do, is because of the way you were raised. Who am I to judge someone by the way that their parents taught them? That would make me no better than Voldemort." I flinced when she said his name. He was back, there was no denying it. But she could openly say it without a shudder or speech problem where as I was scared to even speak his name. "I may not know you, Draco, but I do know that you have been through hell. Having a deatheater for a father is no fun, but it's made you smart, wise, and mature." She said.

"How do you know that?" I asked. Looking down at her, she opened her eyes and I saw myself in the reflection.

"Because I can tell." She said. "Draco, I've studied the way people have acted ever since I got to this school. I saw that you'd flince at the slightest touch from your father. I saw that regret that would flash through your eyes each time you'd call someone what you have called me for the past five years. You don't like that way you were raised. I probably know you better than any of your roomates or classmates, only because I took the time to study how you act." She said. A normal person would have thought this to be creepy. But I was amazed by what she said. She was so much more than her friends and herself let on. She was amazing. And I told her so. She smiled at me. "Thanks, Draco. You're pretty amazing when you get bad the angry shell." She said. I laughed. We reached the hosptial wing.

"What happened?!" Miss. Promfrey said, rushing toward us.

"I fell and cut my arm. All it needs is to be healed." Hermione said.

"You've lost a lot of blood, dear. Mr. Malfoy," I looked in her direction, "Can you walk Miss. Granger to her common room when I am finished. We don't want her passing out." She said.

"Yes, ma'am." She looked shocked that I had show some signs of respect toward her but continued working on Hermione. Hermione looked at me and I looked at her. Our stares were interrupted by Madam Profrey.

"Alright, Miss. Granger, you can go. And please be more careful next time." She said. Hermione nodded.

"Thank you." She said. We walked out the door together.

"Do you think we should go talk to Dumbledore?" I asked her. She looked at me.

"Yes. Oh, and I was thinking about it. In the event that someone should notice you. I think that you need to change something about you. She said. Like you're hair could be a darker blonde and eyes a different sheen of gray? To where you wouldn't be that noticable." She said. "We could play it off like your a friend of mine that moved in." She said.

"You are deblical." I said, she blushed. "Are you sure they placed you in the right house?"

"What do you mean?" She asked me looking at me, preplexed.

"Well, with the way you plan, I think you would have been suitable for Syltherin or any other house for that matter. But then again I've seen your bravery frist hand, and I must say I don't think the hat got it wrong." I said. She smiled.

"And how would you say that you know this, Draco? Have you been watching me?" She asked. I laughed.

"I'm obervant. And anyone who can stand up to my father without so much as a flince is worth being in Gryffinidor in my book, well there's also the troll and three headed dog that you guys went up against in first year, then there's the balisk that you looked at through the lens..the list goes on and on. You are a brave girl." I said. She stared at me. I said the password to Dumbledore's office.

"Ah, Mr. Malfoy, Miss. Granger, to what do I owe this pleasant surprise?" He said. I could tell that he was shocked at this new development. Hermione launched into our plan and told him everything. I added my insight on parts. But Dumbledore was shocked to say the most. "I agree with everything you two have told me. I will grant access for you to use magic out of school, the both of you. Just use it, wisely. Do not use it to do little things, Mr. Malfoy. I remind you that you will be living with Hermione and in a muggle neighborhood. So, it is especially important that you do not use magic outside the home. You are also going to have to be resorted and have a name change." He said.

"Oh, how about Derek Booth?" Hermione asked. Dumbledore blinked at her interjection.

"What do you think, Draco?" He asked her.

"I like it." I said.

"Do you think that it would be wise to have him resorted? I mean if he is put in Slytherin, it wouldn't take them long to notice some similarities?" Hermione said. Dumbledore nodded, I was suprised that she was thinking this through so thoroughly.

"Yes that's right. Sorting Hat?" Dumbledore said. "I trust that you've been listening?"

"Yes." The hat said.

"Do you think that you could sort Mr. Malfoy into Gryiffindor after the Christmas break is over?" He asked the hat.

"Yes." He said.

"Well, then it's settled. Mr. Malfoy at the beginning of the semster next year, you will follow Miss. Granger into the Gryffinidor common room and be a Gryffinidor. I'll let Miss. Granger decide what she wants to do on the train. Is that all?" He asked us. During our conversation, I had gained a new respect for Dumbledore. We nodded. "Then you may go." He said. We got up at the same time and walked down the stairs.

"You did it." I said, picking Hermione up and swinging her in a circle. She laughed. I set her down. "Sorry about that, burst of exictment. I can't believe we are actually going to do this." I said, rubbing the back of my neck.

"We did it. And what we are going to do on the train, is you are going get away from your friends and meet me in an empty compartment there I'm going to but an invisiblity charm on you and for the remainder of the ride we will stay in the compartment together and you are going to walk out with me. We are going to make it look at though you ran away from Hogwarts. Until then we are going to have to act as enemies still. Act as though nothing odd is going on. We'll communicate until then by owls to our rooms. Leave no room for suspeion." Hermione said. I blinked. She smiled. "We need to get back to our common rooms, Draco. Bye." She said.

"Bye Hermione." She turned to walk away. "Oh and thank you." I said. "For everything." She smiled.

"Don't mention it, Draco." She said smiling at me before walking away. I came to a realization as I walked back to the common room, this whole time, I had became friends with Hermione Jean Granger. Somehow though the thought of being friends didn't quite do it for me. I wanted more. I blinked in the realization. Somehow it didn't mean as much as it did if it would have been two years ago when I would have said that. Two years ago I would have been disgusted with myself. But now, I didn't have to worry about my family looking down upon me. If I actually ran away the sad thing was that they wouldn't miss me. I was going to live with Hermione Granger. And she has been the kindest to me than anyone has been in years. It felt as though a ton had been lifted off my shoulders. I couldn't wipe the smile off my face as I entered the common room and climbed up the staircase. Nor could I wipe it off when I climbed into my bed and turned off the light. I believe the moment I closed my eyes was the moment I realized that I could be falling in love with Hermione Granger. The moment I fell asleep dreams of this girl haunted me.

Hermione's POV

The moment I reached the common room I came to a realization, I had just offered someone I thought of as an emeny a place in my home. I don't know what possessed me to offer him a place in my house. But I knew already that it was going to be something I wouldn't regret. I knew now that their was more to him than meets the eyes. I just hope that Harry and Ron could forgive me for this. If Ron thought that was fartizing with the emeny in fourth year, then this would be just blowing the lid off of the Victor situation. But he's not going to know because I'm not going to tell either of them. They wouldn't understand. The moment he hugged me was the moment I realized that he wasn't as creul as people thought and that maybe, just maybe in those few seconds or minutes I spent with him, that I was indeed beginning to love him.

I skipped threw the portrait. The sight that greeted me was Ronald and Harry. Ron was sitting in an armchair while Harry was on the couch.

"I actually beat you back this time." Ron said.

"Nice hickeys." I said noticing the marks. "Get attacked by a misquote." I asked with a smile. Harry fell out laughing.

"Shut up." He said. "Anyway what took you so long to get back? Having a secret night revendous?" Ron asked me.

"Wouldn't you like to know? And you actually said a big word! Oh my, Harry check him for a fever!" I said in false urgency. Making Harry laugh all the harder. Ron just glared at Harry and me looking as though he wished us to drop dead. I stuck my tongue out at him. He blinked in surprise.

"Seriously, were you? And what is with the acting childish? You never act childish. It's always mature. What's going on." Ron asked, looking at me in shock. Then looking at Harry then back at me.

"No. I was just talking to someone. And I'm entitled to some imaturity. I do alot of work and I'm just really happy at the moment." I said, smiling to myself. They honestly had no idea.

"For a very long time." Harry said. Looking at me as if he was trying to figure out a very difficult puzzle.

"Oh, so your finished with you laughing fit? And yes. Quit staring at me like that, it makes you look like a stalker." I said. Ron snorted trying to keep from laughing. Harry began to glare at me.

"With who?" Ron asked. He looked at me in confusion. 'Oh yes, Ron. Act as though you guys are my only friends. So nice. Well Ginny and Lavender were an additional group that I considered friends and that was about it. But now, I'm considering Draco as a friend on the down low.' I thought, smiling.

"I'm not telling you." I said. Before getting up and walking into the girl's dormitory leaving Ron and Harry staring at me in my disappearance. 'I wonder what it's going to be like living with Draco Malfoy?' I thought as I climbed into bed. Ingoring the looks I was getting from Lavender and Ginny.