Hermione walked along the second floor, her wand held loosely in her hand as she patrolled the school, just another of her many prefect duties. It was late, after midnight by now, and she had yet to catch a student out of bed.

She paused by the second floor bathroom, smiling as she reminisced about her second year. With Harry and Ron, Hermione had spent a whole month in there brewing Polyjuice to infiltrate the Slytherin common room. They had been so reckless.

A muffled sob came from inside the bathroom, and she stilled, instantly wary.

'Nox,' she whispered.

Silently she crept forwards until she could see into the bathroom. Bending over one of the sinks was none other than Draco Malfoy. As she watched, he cried loudly and brokenly, his shoulders heaving with the force of each sob. Her eyes dropped to his arm, and widened when they noticed the tattoo on his forearm.

He had the dark mark.

Draco Malfoy had the dark mark.

Earlier that year Harry had been certain of it, but she had thought that Harry was exaggerating, seeing things that weren't really there. All she had seen was a young boy, lost and confused, desperate for a way out of the darkness that was slowly dragging him down. She should have known that after all their years of enmity, years of watching with suspicious green eyes that Harry would know him better than they all had.

She felt sick to her stomach. What should she do? He was a death eater, the enemy. Yet there he was, right in front of her, breaking down. She disliked him, was repulsed by what he had done, but she didn't really know him. Perhaps he had been forced to do it. From her own research she knew that you didn't have to be willing to get the mark.

He certainly didn't look willing.

Indecision kept her frozen. She should tell someone, Dumbledore, probably, but she couldn't help but feel that this boy needed her help.

Hermione bit her lip and finally turned away. Maybe she could help him, but he'd only lash out at her if she called out to him now.

Just as silently as she had entered, she left. As quickly as she could, she made her way back to the Gryffindor tower and to her own bed.