Hello everyone! I'm back! And I'm collaborating with my dear friend FamousNoOne on a NON-ROMANTIC Dramione. I will warn you now, and no matter how much you beg and plead, there will be no romance :) sorry for all of you out there who enjoy it.

The gist of the story is that they write letters back and forth to each other, the reason of which starts in the prologue below. I am writing as Hermione (or the "Dear Draco's") and FamousNoOne is writing as Draco ("Dear Hermione's"). This is a companion to her story and we will be posting at the same time, one every Saturday. Her's is titled "Dear Hermione, That Which Went Unsaid" and can be found on her page, which you can find under my favorite authors section.

Below is the beginning of our story in Hermione's POV, a scene that is mirrored in FamousNoOne's story in Draco's POV. Read and enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, promise ;)

Dear Draco, That Which Went Unsaid

~Prologue~

Hermione walked along the shore of the Black Lake, her footsteps following the path that she had walked many times earlier in the year; a path that always took her to the same person.

She would be lying if she said she wasn't wary about the meeting, that she wasn't worried that it might be a clever trap, but the meeting place had always been a sort of neutral ground and each had always mutually understood that when they were there, outside prejudices and forces were to be left behind. When they were there it was just her and him. Hermione and Draco.

She was scared and angry and confused and when she reached the beech tree that marked their spot she turned and stared out moodily at the water. She didn't know what he wanted and she hadn't even wanted to come out to talk to him, but he had said he had wanted to explain. Explain what, she wasn't sure. What was there to explain? He had done it, end of story.

A cool breeze blew off from the lake. Hermione shivered slightly and wrapped her arms around herself, deep in her own thoughts.

"Hello, Hermione."

She whirled around at his voice. Her wand rose almost without conscious thought. When did his name become synonymous with the enemy? Since the night of the attack, she supposed. The night of his betrayal.

He watched her with a resigned expression in his eyes. So he was aware that he was her enemy now. Good.

"Draco." It wasn't really a greeting. It wasn't meant to be inviting. In fact, it was almost threatening. She was not happy to see him, and if she had to see him, she wanted him scared.

"I want to explain," he said.

"Explain what?" she asked heatedly. "Explain why you let Death Eaters into the castle? Explain why you betrayed my trust? Explain why you killed Dumbledore?"

Harry had told her that it was Snape who had really killed the headmaster, but Hermione was too fired up at the moment to care. Draco played a major role in Dumbledore's death and ultimately he was the one to blame. He had been planning it all along, something she had realized after the attack. All those times they had talked as almost-friends and he had been planning to betray her the whole time. And to think she had given him her sympathy.

She was confused and she was angry.

"Why did you do it?" she asked him. "Just tell me that."

She watched him sigh, and her anger spiked. Of course, asking why he killed the most powerful wizard of the century was too much to ask from the pure-blood prat. He didn't answer, just stared down at his feet. She could practically feel steam pouring out of her ears.

The confusion and anger and betrayal swirled inside her, not content without an answer and she demanded him to answer her again. "Tell me, Malfoy."

She saw him tense at the use of his surname. She saw that as a small victory. He had hurt her and everyone she knew so much, it felt good to return the pain, however small it was.

"I just… I can't… I don't know how to explain it," he answered.

She tensed. "Are you saying that mudbloods can't understand the actions of such a prestigious wizard as yourself?"

He flinched at her words.

"No, Hermione, that's not what I—"

Her anger spiked, knowing the words that were about to fall off his lips and causing her to shout and take a step closer. "Then what are you trying to say!?" she cut him off.

"I DON'T KNOW!" he yelled, throwing up his arms. His yell took her off guard, but his words pushed her over the edge. Without conscious control her fist happily rushed up to meet his face. He collapsed to his knees under the impact.

It felt good.

Hermione took a step back, unable to understand why it was always Draco that caused her to start throwing fists. He deserved it, of course but… but now her anger was dissipating at the sight of him on his knees, clutching at his face. She didn't understand anymore.

She wanted answers, she decided after a few moments, watching as he slowly rose again. She wanted answers and she needed to stop letting her anger rule her. Wizards did that, and she was most definitely not a wizard. She relaxed the grip she had on her wand. She would give him his chance to explain, that was why she was here in the first place.

He looked up at her. "I'm sorry I yelled," he apologized, "but you weren't exactly letting me speak."

He was right, she wasn't. She was angry and confused and she was taking it out on him. She had to do better.

She supposed she should apologize.

"I'm sorry I… punched you," she said reluctantly, really not that sorry, grinning slightly at herself and her response.

Draco chuckled, raising an eyebrow. "You don't sound very sorry, but I suppose I deserved it."

"Yeah, you really did." She looked at him, and then started to laugh. He joined her for a brief moment before turning serious again.

"I really want to explain myself…" he said, begging with her with his eyes to listen to him.

Hermione waved her arm. "Alright, go ahead."

Draco hesitated. "I don't want you to punch me again," he admitted.

Hermione burst out laughing at his response, Draco joining in. This felt normal, this felt like that almost-friendship they had had for the past few months. It felt good.

Hermione smiled. "I promise not to punch you again…" she raised her eyebrow for effect. "Unless you make me."

"Well then I will watch my words but I'm not quite sure how to begin," he confessed, scratching his head nervously.

"Then why don't you try the beginning, Draco," she told him kindly, as kindly as she could really, since he was trying to explain why he had murdered Albus Dumbledore.

He looked a bit flustered. "Understand this, Hermione." Sigh. "I love my family very much, you know that." She did. How many times throughout the year had he admitted the only reason he was working for Voldemort was to protect his family? "Surely you can understand why I made the choices that I did." He was playing with his fingers, not meeting her eyes.

Hermione bit her lip. "I know you said that he was threatening your family and forcing you… I don't know what I thought he was forcing you to do, but I never thought it was this." I never thought you would betray us all. Even yourself.

He looked up, giving her a pleading look. "How would you feel if you were faced with killing your family or your morals, Hermione? That's not a decision most seventeen-year-olds want to make, myself included."

"I can't…" She couldn't accept his decision, even when his eyes were begging her to, even when she herself wanted to grant him that gift… but she couldn't.

He threw up his arms. "I don't expect you to accept it and move on, Hermione. I just need you to understand that I had no choice. He would have killed parents. And me. You can't deny that you wouldn't have done the same thing if you were in my place. I regret it, but my family is alive because of my sacrifices." His eyes were burning with emotion.

"…But you betrayed me."

And that was it. That's what really got her. She had always known that he was doing something bad, but never had she thought it was that bad. Part of her hurt that he had kept something that big from her, even if telling her meant… meant her inevitably going to Dumbledore and the Order and ruining his mission. He had betrayed her… but his betrayal only stopped her own betrayal. She didn't know what to think. But he had betrayed her and it hurt. It really hurt.

"I know," he said, "but you have to think about the bigger picture, Hermione. I kept him happy; I kept him from waltzing in and destroying the entire school." He motioned wildly at Hogwarts.

"You may as well have destroyed it," she told him, almost coldly. "You killed Dumbledore."

"No, Hermione, he offered me help. I was going to take it, but the rest of the bloody Death Eaters arrived and then Snape took over and… well, you know." He looked down.

Yes, she did. Dumbledore died and everything changed. Hogwarts was no longer safe. Without Dumbledore, Voldemort would slowly take over. She wouldn't be safe anymore. No one was safe anymore. She didn't know what she was going to do, only that she would be wherever Harry and Ron were because that's where she always was and always would be, Voldemort be damned.

But she didn't want to think about all of that. Not yet. Not when everything was still a mystery and she was overly emotional. She needed to deal with the here and now.

"Why are you telling me this, Draco?" she asked, in an effort to change the subject. "Why did you ask me to come here?"

"Because harder times are ahead, and it's only going to get worse. You… " He seemed to have trouble here, "you're all I've got," he admitted. "Mother and Father are catering to his every need and… I need you. You're the only friend I've got."

Hermione became very, very sad at this admission. "But we're on two different sides, Draco, we can't be friends." And no matter how much she thought how easy their friendship could be between them, that's what it all boiled down to. They were on two different sides.

"Dammit, Hermione," he started to pace, gesturing with his arms. "I've got no one else but you. I can't do this alone!" He gave her another one of his pleading looks, but she couldn't cave. Not this time.

She walked forward and put a hand on his shoulder, looking deep into his eyes, trying to convey strength to him. "But sometimes we have to," she told him quietly, knowingly.

He jerked back, as if insulted. "What are you on about? You have Potter and Weasley! You don't know what it's like to be alone." He almost looked angry. Maybe he was. Hermione didn't know if it was anger or fear that was acting up in him now, but it didn't matter because she would deal with it either way.

"Yes I do, Draco," she told him softly, watching him calmly as he began pacing again. "I can't talk to Ron about everything, he's too thick to understand some things and Harry has so much else to worry about…" She held up her hands in a defeated gesture.

He stopped pacing and gave her yet another one of his pleading looks, causing Hermione to worry just how much their almost-friendship meant to him and if he could handle being surrounded by such a dangerous crowd. "This is why I need you," he said. "And you need me."

It was true. She did need him, though she was loathe to admit it. Draco's friendship (because it was a friendship, she realized, no matter how distorted and corrupt it was), his friendship offered her logic and reason she normally didn't get with Harry and Ron who always ran headfirst into everything they did and stopped to think things through later. They didn't understand how to release the stress and frustration with calm words like Draco did, they usually vented themselves through shouts and hurtful actions that they apologized for later (of course) but they still hurt. They could hardly deal with their own feelings, much less hers. But Draco could deal with hers, and she with his, and together they were able to push through the tough times in one piece. They needed one another.

"But I'm not coming back next year Draco," she said. "It would be too dangerous. We're on our own now."

"But we don't have to be," he insisted, taking a hopeful step towards her.

Hermione frowned. "What do you mean?"

"We can write letters to each other."

She was already shaking her head. "It's too dangerous, Draco. They'll be looking for the three of us, I know it. If we write letters back and forth I'll be giving away our location and I refuse to sacrifice Ron and Harry just to make you feel better. I won't do it."

Draco rolled his eyes. "We won't actually send them. It will just be a cathartic way of purging our feelings when we're in over our heads. We can just address the letters to each other so that we won't feel alone but we won't send them."

"But what if someone finds them?"

Draco raised an eyebrow. "Simple concealment charm, works every time. Honestly, Granger," he snorted and gave a small smile.

Hermione rolled her eyes and smiled slightly. "Alright, we can write letters…" she was starting to feel somewhat hopeful about the whole thing now. Maybe it was silly, but… it made her hopeful somehow.

Which of course caused her to start to worry. She shot Draco a piercing glance. "How did you get in here?"

He shifted uncomfortably. "I uh, I apparated into Hogsmeade and then just sort of hoped..."

If the situation hadn't been so dangerous, Hermione would have rolled her eyes. "Draco, someone could come out here and see us at any moment! You could've upset the wards; they'll send you to Azkaban, you need to leave!"

Draco looked very much like he didn't want to leave.

Hermione surged forward and gave him a semi-gentle, semi- rough shove in the direction of the school gates. She was not about to let him get caught. "Draco you need to go."

He sighed and his whole body sort of slumped in on itself. "I suppose you're right. Don't forget about me, eh Granger?" He gave her a sad, pathetic smile as he started to turn away.

"Just be careful," she told him. While sending him into the lion's den.

Draco snorted. "You, too."

Hermione almost snorted herself. They both knew the other was going to be dodging trouble at every turn, always in danger. Their words to stay out of trouble were useless. But as she watch him walk away, away to the path that he had chosen and was forced to tread for the safety of his family, she couldn't help but whisper softly. "I'll try."

Then she turned and walked back to the school.

Well there it is! The first letter can be found in the next chapter.