I realize it'd been so long since I updated and everyone probably hates me but it's cool.

I've just been really really insanely busy with college and work and drama in general. But here the next chapter and it is by no means edited cause it's 4am where I am now.

But regardless.

Enjoy and review.

xx

True to his word, as I had heard people comment that he always was, Draco Malfoy did not speak to me for 30 days. Weekly sponsor meeting informed me that he had done as he had promised. He had attended every one of his classes without fail, and unfathomably without leaving early either. He handed up assignments early without as much as a grimace on his every placid face.

30 days. And in those days I realized there was a thin line between hate and incomprehensible curiosity. He remained agreeable with his studies. But that didn't stop him bringing back different girls most nights. He drank most nights too. But never once in those 30 days did his hand fall heavy upon my bedroom door. Never once did he tarry long enough near my door.

I was grateful in a way, for the silence, the ease. I was thankful to be left alone. But a small part of me was inexplicably curious. Curious about the life Draco Malfoy lived. Not a single part of me even understood why. Therefore, secretly and hesitantly, I watched him. I kept tabs on his whereabouts, when I could of course. And I overall tried to understand - even remotely- the life that was the Slytherin Prince. The life that is innately Draco Malfoy.

I found him to be different than what I expected. He was characteristically a quiet person. He almost always wore a hard, contorted expression when he was among his peers, perched in the center of the Slytherin table. He had a habit of biting his bottom lip but I could never quite tell what that signified as he almost always did it. After two weeks I learnt not to rely on his facial expression or his lip biting to read him. It was on day 15 that I realized that his eye were the key. Draco Malfoys tempestuous grey eyes held the answer to the question I couldn't fathom why I was asking.

From then on, I measured him. His character, actions and reactions, mannerisms and the heavy fall of his eyelashes during particularly dull conversation.

When the month of not speaking had ended I imagined he would appear back into my life like the low rumble of thunder before the flash of lighting. But he didn't. He kept his distance.

I thought back to that night, in the bedroom and shunned myself for doing so. Things people do when they're inebriated shouldn't ever be brought forth for reasoning. I tried to let go, I truly did. But a part of me, that part of blind curiosity just couldn't. I needed to know the answer.

On a Monday he spoke, small words, in even shorter sentences. But he spoke. He lay a crumpled piece of paper down in front of me in the common room. Rested it upon my charms notes to get my attention.

"I've arranged a dress. You will wear it. You will not complain and you will most certainly fix your hair. I will not have you embarrass me in front of everyone. Do you understand me?" he said.

I sat frozen in place, unable to think of any response. He shook his head angrily at me.

"You will not speak unless I tell you to speak. Do as you're told and things will go back to the way they should be. Don't and," he stopped, leaving me think up my own horrible scenario. I tried to find his eyes but he immediately hid them from my gaze. I looked away and simply nodded. He turned quickly and strode away, his shoulders hunched.

"Ginny I don't know about this, I mean is this all really necessary?" I sigh. Ginny flutters around the room, putting all sorts of things on my face.

"I'm not really comfortable with this," I say, somewhat whining.

"Oh shove off Hermione! I won't get to do this again until like your wedding day!"

"Hey, let's not get ahead of ourselves okay," I laugh.

"Are you nervous?" Ginny asks, pulling my hair back into a clip.

"I mean he hasn't really spoken to you in almost 6 weeks, and you have to sit beside him all night and it's recommended that the sponsor and the assistant share a dance. Dumbledore usually forces it too. Last year at the Assistant/Sponsor Ball he forced Katie and Ethan Whelan up onto the dance floor." Ginny moves behind me, pulling the dress tight to the point of breaking.

"I won't be dancing Ginny, I doubt Malfoy will want to be seen with me longer than necessary."

"Now, I think we're done here," Ginny beams from behind me.

"Would you like to see yourself?" she asks, holding a mirror ready in her hand.

"Not really," I say embarrassed.

"But Hermione you look so beautiful, please, just a little peek?" But before I can reject again she throws the mirror up in front of me and I hardly recognize myself.

"Oh no Ginny, it's far too much, please!" I say, rushing towards the mirror.

"Oh god, let me take some of it off Ginny. Everyone will be laughing at me Ginny!" I cry, attempting to dive for a cloth to try rub off some on the dark eye make up. Ginny grabs my wrist and pins my hands behind my back before I can even lean forward.

"Trust me Hermione, laughing is the last thing anyone will be doing when they see you tonight!"

I wished terrible things upon Ginny the moment I walked into the hall. It wasn't that people looked at me differently. It was that people actually stopped to stare. People stopped in their tracks to stare at me.

I tried to move as quickly as I could through the crowds of people to where I knew Malfoy would be standing. He had told me to meet him at the back of the hall, where the slytherin tables were located. Moving through the crowd I admired the decoration of the hall. The overall effort of the ball. Girls who I had never spoken too before stopped to compliment me on my dress and hair, and even shoes. But I didn't know what to say to them. I just thanked them and continued on my journey.

I found him where he said he would be. Not knowing what to do or say, I simply made my way to the syltherin table currently occupied by pansy, Blaise and Theodore Nott.

"Holy shit Granger!" Blaise said when I slid out the chair from the table.

"Well I'll be damned," Theodore laughed. I sat down, nervously, brushing my sweaty hands on the edge of the chair beneath me.

"I didn't know you had a body under all those layers you used to wear," Theodore said, continuing to chuckle deeply.

"Wouldn't mind getting my hands on-"

"Enough," Malfoy said. His voice low and emotionless. But it caused a ripple in the conversation. Like a rock being thrown into a lake his words reached everyone at the table in waves. They reacted as if his word was final, absolute.

"It's okay Draco, they were only teasing," Pansy smiles, leaning into Dracos arm. He barely reacted, but didn't brush her off either. Which told that he had grown used to her affections. Like his hair bristling in the breeze. Inevitable.

I sat in silence for most of the ball. Ate when food was put in front of me and answered direct questions, all the time watching him. Never once did his eyes ever stray to me, or my body, like the two other boys at the table. Never once did he even look.

It was at 9pm that Dumbledore took to the top of the hall and announced that it was time for the Student/Assistant dance. Both Blaise and Theodore snickered beside me.

A cold hand wrapped around my wrist, pulling me up from the seat. He guided me unwillingly out of the mess of tables and chairs and eager eyes to the center of the dance floor. Alongside other faceless purebloods with their assistants. Malfoy pulls me close, resting his hand on the small of my back.

"Don't embarrass me Granger," he whispers as the music began. Malfoy pulls me with him to the music, guiding me as best as he could.

"Sorry," I mumble, embarrassed as I step on his foot. He grunts, angrily pulling on my hand.

"Move quicker Granger will you, the other group is going to bump into us because you can't lift your feet!" He growls, yanking on my arm. I wince.

"Did you put on weight or something?" he growls.

"Excuse me?" I shout a little louder than intended. The ring on my finger seems to tighten, causing the blood in my finger to thump. I try to pretend like it doesn't affect me.

"The dress, it fits you very…." Malfoy coughs and stops mid-sentence.

"It fits me very?" I push, trying to excrete any bit of talk out of him. It's been many weeks since I've heard the rustle of his voice, the arrogance that so heavily laces each of his sentences.

But he doesn't answer. He lowers his head to mine and for a second he allows me to look at his eyes. I say 'allows' because I know everything Draco Malfoy does is measured and planned.

I see a little flicker of something as he tightens his hands on my waist. But it's gone, as it always is. Before I can ever really see it. The song ends and he pulls me gladly back to our seats. I notice the attention he gets as we weave through the crowds of students. Almost each girl takes a healthy turn to gaze upon him. Even the ones I've heard swear they think him horrid. I begin to think I'm not the only one who watches Draco Malfoy. But maybe I'm the only one who keeps watching after the lights go low and the noise settles. I think that is the time to truly watch him. When the mist settles. After the storm.

"Draco," a chime like voice hums beside me. Annabeth Walsh strides towards Malfoy wearing the most beautiful dress I had ever seen. It wraps around her like silk. I fold my arms over my chest and sigh, feeling dreadfully stupid and insecure. I stare at her chest, pouring out of the dress perfectly. She brushes the blonde streak of hair in her fringe back out of her eyes, curling it behind her ear. It stays and sits perfectly.

"I'm just going to go to the bathroom," I mumble, trying to move past Malfoy and Annabeth. He grabs my hand, pulling me back.

"Where are you going Granger?" he barks. I turn to look at Annabeth who looks embarrassed for me. I recoil, trying to pull away from his grip.

"I'm just going to the bathroom I said," I say, pulling away from his death grip.

"Come right back!" he warns, leaning away from Annabeth to glare at me without her seeing. I pull my hand from his grip and stride away.

I make my way to the bathroom absolutely fuming. I shove open the door, sending it flying into the back wall. I don't care if it's left a mark. I don't care about anything. I lean against the sinks, staring at my reflection in their mirror feeling stupider than I've ever felt. This ball is just another event for the sponsors to make fun of their assistants. I pick up the candle lighting on the sink counter and throw it as hard as I can against the wall. It shatters into thousands of pieces, falling like ash to the ground.

"Never pegged you to have such a strong temper Granger. But I like an angry woman!" a voice snickers from behind. I turn around to see Theodore Nott standing behind me. He lingers by the door, kicking the back of his boots against it.

I sometimes find it hard to describe emotions to people. To fully describe what I'm feeling at any given point. But more than anything I've ever known. Fear was the look on my face when Theodore Nott turned and locked the bathroom door behind him. I saw it clearly reflected back at me in the mirror. I turned to face my reflection fully in the mirror. With a whip of wind he was behind me, his hand on my wrist.

Fear completely paralyses my body. I stand staring at my reflection. Unable for any logically thinking. Brightest witch of her age? What a joke. I can't even move when it counts. He slides his fingers horrifically slowly up my inner arm.

"Christ Granger, I'm surprised Malfoy hasn't made you his own by now. With a body like this," he smirks, grabbing my waist roughly and spinning me around.

"To bad Malfoy is governed by an inner turmoil of what's right and what's expected of him. Lucky I don't give a fuck what people think," Nott whispers close to my ear. When his hand slides up to my chest Fear is replaced with anger. My legs pull free from my mental concrete. I whip my right leg back and catch him behind the knee. His leg pushes forward against my kick and he starts to lose balance. Before he starts to fall though, he grabs my arm, pulling me down with him.

On the ground it turns into a full fledged fight and Theodore Nott doesn't hold back. I try my hardest to crawl away but he has my ankle before I know it. He rips me back, knocking me off my knee. I fall down hitting my forehead off the ground. My vision rolls from side to side until I feel him crawl on top of me. Sweat pours down my back when I realize what he's trying to do. I had had a notion, somewhere deep in my subconscious. But even at that I had thought that maybe he just wanted to rough me up a bit. I never expected…

Nott grab my hips, using his legs to shimmy up my dress a little.

"Nott please, don't do this. Come on!" I beg, terrified.

"I always love it when they beg," he laughs, kissing my neck. I try to lean away from him as much as I can but all attempts are futile. His weight over powers mine by at least 70 pounds.

I'm going to lose. He's going to win.

I don't know what to do.

He slips the dress up around my waist regardless of my kicking. I begin to scream but he only laughs.

"Scream, it'll get me off quicker. Do you think I didn't cast a charm?" Nott smirks, stroking my inner thigh.

"Fuck me Granger, frilly underwear and all. You must have known I was coming. Or that I will be," he winks flirtatiously.

I feel the cold stone of the tile beneath me. The ring on my finger suddenly grows cold. I feel its coolness running up my vein. It's almost soothing. I think of Malfoy for a moment. Just a moment.

"Are you a virgin Granger?" Nott smirks, pulling down my underwear.

"Looks like it," he says as I feel two fingers between my legs. I scream and scream until the breath inside me burns my throat on the way out. I scream until no more sound will come.

I feel him slide down his own trousers, the bareness of his knee rubs against my inner thigh. I feel my stomach churn and I will myself to get sick. Maybe If I puke all over myself he'll be so revolted he'll have to stop. I try to stick my tongue back down my throat willing the vomit to come.

"You put up more of a fight than Ginny Weasel ever did!" he laughs before I feel the most horrific tearing between my legs. I cry out in agony. Nott grunts in pleasure hovering above me.

I let go then and float away from my body. I let my head roll to the side. The coolness of the tile brushes against my cheek. I see the dust rise from the ground as the bathroom door flies off the hinges and smashes off the wall behind me, but I don't hear any sound. Just ringing.

Tears roll uncontrollably down my face as I try to make out the face of the man standing in the door way. The dust eventually settles and he emerges, sweating, buttons open on his shirt. I move my arm out towards him, reaching. I extend my fingers when I see his face looking down at me.

"Malfoy," I plea, reaching for him. He stares at me in disbelief. The ring on my finger turns to ice and I feel a slight pinch and suddenly I'm calm. It doesn't hurt between my legs anymore. It feels like the ring has pierced my finger.

Malfoy bends down to me as Nott scurries back into the bathroom stall.

"Granger," he whispers softly, pushing the hair out of my eyes. He strokes my cheek once. I stare into his pained stormy grey eyes and smile. Emotion. It's very rare I get to see real emotion in his eyes. Even in this crazy scenario I'm happy to have seen a new emotion in those beautiful eyes. Because they were just that- beautiful. Malfoy's face contorts into menacing rage as he stands up.

He devilishly slowly rolls up the sleeves of his white shirt, with a look on his face I've never seen before. Nott claw his way back as far as he can get into the toilet stall.

"Malfoy come on, we're like brothers. What are you going to do to me over some fucking cheap mudblood aye? We're family!" Nott yells.

I try to move back against the wall but my arms are so weak. The ring grows even colder on my index finger. It feels like something is leaking out of it into my finger. My arm begins to feel numb as I try to slid my dress down.

Malfoy walks ever so slow towards Nott.

"Why do you even care? She's nothing but some filthy little-"

"Crucio," Malfoy says completely passionless. As if it was an everyday word. As if it didn't put Nott screaming in agony.

"Crucio," he says again, this time a little more malicious.

"CRUCIO!" he screams, his voice exploding out of his chest. His face is wicked and wild and he terrifies me. I move back as far as I can go to the wall.

Nott spasms on the ground, blood leaking from his nose.

"MALFOY STOP PLEASE!" I shout.

"MALFOY STOP YOU'RE KILLING HIM PLEASE!" I scream.

But he doesn't stop, nor does he listen. He continues to scream and scream until Nott stops moving. Blood flows from his nose like the early crack in a dam.

Harry rushes in the door, feet a flutter on the floor in confusion. He stops and accesses me before grabbing Malfoy.

"Stop Malfoy!" Harry screams pulling him back.

"Stop it! You'll kill him," Harry says, yanking Malfoy around. Malfoy spins around with harrys pull. Harry grips Malfoy by the shoulders. He leans over and begins to laugh. It starts as a low rumble, slowly building in his chest, until Harry drops him and he falls to his knees in front of me. He whips his head up, his eyes ablaze with the thrill of torturing Nott. He moves forward, pulling me up into his arms. He picks me up and carries me out the door. I wrap my arms around his neck and lean into his chest as he carries me out of the bathroom. Crowds of people move past us into the bathroom to see what has happened. I barely see them as I bury myself as much as I can into Malfoys chest. He pulls me close.

He continues to carry me the entire way back to our room even when Dumbledore appears and tries to stop us and question Malfoy. He moves past him without a sound. Without even a word. A terrible fear washes through me after that. I try to make out the expression on his face but he's a blank canvas. His eyes are darker than usual and that scares me even more.

He carries me into the dormitory and past the sitting area into his room. He doesn't turn on the light when we enter. He moves towards the bed and drops me gently on top of his covers. I'm immediately over power with the earthly scent that is innately Draco Malfoy. He pulls off my dress against my wishes and pulls the covers up around me. I'm grateful for the darkness.

He leans down gingerly and places his cheek against mine.

"I'll fix it Granger. I promise you." He whispers before turning to leave.

"Malfoy please, please don't." I plea. He pauses by the aperture, the light illuminating his silhouette.

"Draco, please?" I beg. I cannot read his expression in the dark.

He leaves.

I don't sleep. I wait long into the early morning for him to return. I think at one point of the night I hear him talking outside with Dumbledore but no one comes to get me. He doesn't come back and at 7am my mind drifts to his face as he screamed that unforgivable spell at Nott.

But one of the scariest things about the whole night causes a chill to emerge deep within my bones. I sit up in bed to confirm my question. Upon the dresser to the left of the wardrobe it sits. Where it looks like it hasn't been moved in a while. Draco Malfoy's wand.

I think to Malfoy screaming that spell, a wand nowhere in sight.

A true identifier of a Death Eater.

Wandless Magic.

Well there you have it! The next chapter to Student Assistant programme. Hope you enjoyed it.

Please review and let me know what you think?

Sorry it took so long. Don't be too angry with me!