A one shot based on a story prompt from Tumblr. Hope you guys enjoy it.

It was hard to believe that a year back she was a medical student struggling with the studies. Did all the all-nighters and late night caps help? Did anything help? She just wasted 2 years of her life. Lost a perfect opportunity to do what she really wanted; become a writer. Let's not even mention the fact that she had to suffer utter humiliation from friends and family.

"Are you really sure that's what you want to do?"

"Yes. I don't think I can be near anyone who knows me at the moment. I'll call you" She told her best friend, before walking towards the boarding gate, ticket in hand.

"Ireland is very far"Harry had called back in a desperate attempt to make her stay.

She wouldn't. It's not that she wasn't smart. She was the top from high school and had scored so well that the medical faculty had no qualms about accepting her. Now does she accept medicine as a career?

That would be a no.

"Dad. I don't want to do medicine"

"Honey, that's the only career choice with a successful future"

"That's not true and I won't be happy doing that"

"Writing is not a career" Her father had decided. And that was that. John Granger was a strict man one tends to avoid getting riled. He was also a sick man. A heart patient. Thus remained the root of why Hermione Granger, went through with it. Her dad's health came before anything, even her own career.

It didn't do any just, not to her and nor to her father, when her 2nd MBBS results came back.

FAIL.

In all the subjects that she's done so far. It was so low that she has begun to question her intelligence. Surely, a smart person would not fail anything, right? Even if it's something she didn't like at all?

"Ticket, please?" She was nudged back from the memories she has the tendency to slip back to ever so often nowadays. Hermione handed the person at the boarding counter her ticket, still wondering how she came up with this ludicrous idea of going to Ireland. It was completely out of her norms. But perhaps, that was exactly what she needed to do. Some may call it fleeing, she wanted to call it a rendezvous with what life has to offer before she came back to reality. Even thinking about it made it certain to her, this was total and complete bull. She was bolting. Running away. Not a very Hermion-ish thing to do but it was the only thing that she could think of that would keep her sanity. If she wasn't insane already.

"Have a safe trip" Her phone beeped just as she was getting on the plane. It was from her other best friend, Ronald Weasley. He hadn't bothered coming to drop her to the airport, because he didn't want her gone at all. It was his way of showing tough love, she guessed.

Hermione didn't bother to reply, knew that it would break a little of them both if she did. So she switched off her phone and off she went. To Ireland.

"Honestly I couldn't be bothered but thanks" The dashing man said and then winked, which managed to get a giggle from the maid. "This is all too much Sandra…"

Actually her name was Cassandra, but oh well Sandra was close. Anything for the silver eyed god. "It's no bother at all sah" She mumbled after she tucked in the corner of his bed. She then took a quick glance around his room and gave a satisfactory nod. This was by far the best service she has ever provided, and not counting the freshly cut lilies that she brought him, that is.

The man smirked and reached into his pocket and pulled out $100 and handed it to her. "For all the trouble"

"Oh pish posh sah, its el on meh" Her accent gets a little thicker whenever she gets nervous. And boy, was this man causing an uproar in her stomach? "Wal Ai betta be goin'. A wondaful day sah" He closed the door behind her and it was just a pity for Sandra that she didn't get to hear his answer, "That I intend to have. That I intend to"

He then lazily walked up to the bed and sat down. Malfoy men don't stumble on their beds like beasts after all. It was very uncharacteristic of them. As he gently laid down, he heard a 'pop' right next to him. He didn't bother to turn in the direction to see what brought on the noise. He knew exactly what did it.

"So do you like it so far?" An elderly woman with features similar to the man said coming to sit beside him. He let out a disgruntled groan before saying, "Mother, I've literally been here for 15 minutes" She didn't deem it significant to reply as she went about her inspections on the room. "Muggles really do keep places clean don't they?" She said in awe.

The blonde gave her side sarcastic glance, "They're not baboons, mother. Although I'm guessing my room being this clean has less to do with muggle morals and more to do with my looks"

She didn't look surprised at all by how egotistical her son was being. She seemed to expect it even. "Do take this seriously Draco" She said in all seriousness. "You're here to-"

"Yes yes. Mingle with the muggles and learn that muggles are not inferior to us. And it's somehow supposed to make me seem the mature one between me and father. Tell me mother, how exactly is this going to help me in the real world?" A slight twitch across her brows were the only sign that showed that she was exasperated. "Your father and your headmaster, Dumbledore-"

"Professor Dumbledore" Draco corrected out of habit.

"Professor Dumbledore, wants to u to go on to become the Minister of Magic. And in such occasions-"

"I'll have to deal with the Muggle Minister" Draco cut in again. She smiled as he caught on so fast. "Right"

Draco Malfoy, who was still lying on his bed closed his eyes and mumbled, "Alright but just one week. That's it. And you're not disturbing me until I'm done"

"When have I ever disturbed you?" At her son's raised eyebrow, she continued on, "Well, I'll be going then"

With another pop, Draco was left alone again. He didn't open his eyes, instead letting himself drift into a dreamless sleep.

"Thank you so much" Hermione Granger said when the maid gave her the room keys. She smiled in return.

"Here's the telephone, call me if you need anything ma'am" She noticed her impeccable English, her accent hardly discernable. She nodded and smiled again and waited for the maid to leave the room. She then went to lie on the bed with a thud. The long journey quickly catching on her. She wanted to sleep, oh god she wanted to sleep her life away but some manners are stuck with her no matter what. With a self-loathing groan, she made her way to her luggage and took the necessities. She then made her way to the bathroom which was surprisingly small compared to the large room. As the first wave of water hit her right across her face and chest, so did her tears abandon her.

The tears that she has kept at bay kept pouring out of her and there wasn't a single thing that she could do to stop it. Her frustrations with herself, with her life, at her father for causing so much pain, everything dissolved and came out as tears. Her whimpering filling the small bathroom as she slid down the wall. She had truly reached rock bottom.

After sleeping like a log for the past 12 hours Draco Malfoy had got in for a shower, sure that if the Malfoy men were of whistling type, he would be whistling by now. As they were not, he resorted to humming and that was when he heard it. Someone entering the bathroom from the next room. He wrinkled his nose in disgust, one more thing to hate about muggles. Can't they make the walls thick enough?

He was just about to make his shower quick when he heard it. At first it seemed so soft that he thought he imagined it. But then the cries grew loud enough that there was no doubt in his mind that whoever that was in the other side was deeply troubled and maybe the waterworks was just one way to get it all out.

Draco Malfoy wanted to get out, Merlin knows how much he despised women who cry, yet he couldn't make even a muscle move. So he stayed till whoever it was, was done crying. It took a good 15 minutes for her to completely get it over with. After that it was soft, "Oh gods!" which Draco found endearing. He imagined her to wipe at her face while saying so.

In the other side of the bathroom, Hermione Granger was doing exactly so.

"Oh god!" She mumbled again dabbing at a tear that escaped without her say-so. She then quickly showered and went out unaware that she has left a man rooted to the ground in her wake.

The days went on accord and much to Hermione's chagrin and Draco's dismay, she would cry every time she showers. Draco has become a nuisance stalker that would wait for her to shower so that he could join her. Not in any perverted way of course, but it was to him, the only way to show comfort. To tell her that whatever she was going through, she was going to toughen it up. That she could, that she would brace the storm and come out the victor. Of course a stranger saying all of these would only get her all freaked out and maybe get his ass thrown to jail.

He wouldn't tell her. No, he wouldn't.

This decision was made before that night though. The night she lost it all.

Draco was on his bed, trying to sleep when he heard her shower go on. He hates to acknowledge that he now knows whenever she gets in her shower. But so was the sad life of stalker Draco. Or so he thought to himself. Despite himself, he made his way towards the shower and waited. There was no sound this time though. He heard no crying.

"I know you're there" Came the soft voice. The same soft voice that would keep on saying 'oh god' after every crying session. What followed was one of the longest, most awkward silences Draco had ever encountered.

The shower tap was still on but there was no telltale sound of water hitting flesh. He could only guess that she was leaning against his side of the wall. He gently touched his forehead on the said wall and sighed, "Yes"

It was now or never. She was probably out of the door running to call the manager and report , he heard her say, "How long have you been listening in?"

"Long enough" If he was going down, why not hit rock bottom?

"Why didn't you ever try to talk to me?"

Either she was completely mental or he was, he couldn't decide. "I didn't want to freak you out"

He heard a gentle chuckle, one that was full of self loathe. "I guess I should be. Freaked out" She clarified.

"Do you want to talk about it?" He asked gently, unsure if he should be breaching in. Her silence on the other end was enough of an answer for him.

"It was nice to meet you…?" She said at last.

"Draco" He offered, seeing no use to lie. Her knowing his name is nothing compared to him listen her cry every day. He didn't ask for her name in return. She didn't volunteer.

The sound of shower stopped and then her door opened. She didn't bid him good bye and he was left to ponder his thoughts.

That night, that conversation, brought a change in dimension for them. It was no longer creepy Draco listening into a damsel in distress. It was one neighbor helping the other, if you could call it that.

"He still doesn't know that I'm here. Nor that that I failed" She finished her story one night.

Draco, for the umpteenth time that night, wished to take her in his arms. To offer comfort. He didn't know how she looks like, hell, he doesn't even know her name, yet this strong sense of companionship was too intimate for his comfort. "When will you tell him?" He asked as comfortingly as he could.

A sob followed her all too soft, "I don't know"

"What about your boyfriend?" He asked. The word somehow tasting sour in his mouth. She chuckled. "Ron? No, he's not my boyfriend. He's just…"

"What?"

Hermione ruffled her hair in frustration and replied. "He's a very protective, possessive friend. He likes to think that he can make my decisions for me"

"Sounds like a boyfriend" Came the reply.

"No, he means good though" He didn't say anything to that. Hermione wasn't surprised. She seemed to have that effect on people. Make them acutely awkward so that they would not know what to say.

"Have I read anything of yours" his question caught her slightly off guard.

She thought of lying but then thought better of it. He has already heard her entire life story. Why hide this? "Well I have written for my blog. If you have come across it then yes…"

There was silence from his end and then, "…blog?"

She found herself nodding, "Yes. From the internet"

On the other side Draco Malfoy was a mess. His eyebrows were scrunched up as he tried to think whether he has ever heard of those words. Surely he must have from Muggle Studies. "Of course" He mumbled.

"Thank you" She said. "For not asking for my blog link"

He went with the safe choice, "Of course. Feeling better?"

"Much"

Draco used all of his strength to ask his next question. "Do you mind…Do…uhmm if I stopped by your room someday?"

He wanted to take the words back as soon as he said them. "Oh…I…uhmmm" She babbled. "Maybe some other time"

And he knew. That was how she always turn people down. Not a direct and deliberate 'no'. No she cares too much for other's feelings to say that.

"It's alright"

Draco spent the days going out an about the muggle society as he had promised his mother. It was one such day, the last day of his stay that he came back to the hotel, after his stroll across the village bazaar. He went straight to the receptionist and asked, "Any messages for me?"

A young brunette came to stand to the right of him just then. "No, mister Malfoy" He smiled at the receptionist and then at the girl who wasn't paying him the slightest bit of attention.

"Ok then" He mouthed and started to head towards the lifts.

"Hey there" He heard a voice say. "Was there any messages for me?" He would recognize that voice anywhere even if there was no wall separating them. His pace slowed down until he was just fixed in one place.

"A Mr. Ronald Weasley called" He heard the receptionist say. "Alright. Thank you"

He was still rooted to the spot when she passed by him. She waited by the lift and when it came she got in. It was by mere luck that Draco's feet moved swiftly so as to get on the same lift.

"Which floor?" She asked him after pressing their floor. He nodded not trusting his voice. He knew that that was a stupid response to his question. She gave him a puzzled smile but let it be at that.

When the lifts opened to their floor, she got out and Draco followed. Sure enough she went to stand in front of her room, the one next to Draco's. He made no move to tell her that he was Draco. His befuddled brain was too numb to do anything. She fumbled with her keys before finally opening the door and going on. She closed the door, closing any chance for Draco to introduce himself face to face.

Hell, he was a Malfoy. Abraxes Malfoy would be turning in his grave if his grandson had no strength in his bone as to introduce himself to a lass. A muggle at that. Huffing slightly, Draco made move to knock on her door.

And then her door opened.

"Draco" She mumbled, her face void of any emotion. He wasn't sure if he smiled. She backed away from the door as if to invite him in.

"I'm Hermione Granger" She said at last.

"Malfoy. Draco Malfoy" He said, stepping inside the open doorway.

How was it?

Read and Review!

xx

ZC