Veritas

Draco had been watching Hermione. He was the one that was staring at her. She had changed over the summer. He couldn't help but look at her; even if she was a mudblood, she was still hot. Outside the portrait hole when he grabbed her arm, she winced. He couldn't help but wonder why, what had the mudblood done over the summer, get a tattoo?

* * *

They entered the portrait door and gasped. It was gorgeous. The walls and floors were a dark wood paneling. Bookshelves, there must have been at least a dozen. There were two arm chairs, one red and gold and one green and silver sitting in front of a giant fireplace and a fully equipped writing. They each walked towards their separate rooms. There was a four- poster in both, with a comforter of their house colors. And to the pleasure of both, their bedrooms had locks on the doors. Hermione quickly shut her door and opted for a razor blade instead of her knife. She pulled up her robe and ran the razor blade lightly on her skin; it was sharp enough to where she didn't have to apply a lot of pressure. She felt all of her emotional pain disappear with the sting of her cuts. Satisfied she went through the common to the bathroom; where she found that Draco was already in there . . . taking a shower. 'Great, I'm going to bleed to death while ferret-boy is being vain'.

"Malfoy! Hand me a bandage, I'm bleeding!" she yelled banging on the door

"Just a minute mudblood damn!" he said.

His head poked out and handed her a box of band-aids {copyrighted to . . . the company that makes band-aids **shrugs**}, she grabbed it out of his hands and gave him a sarcastic smile. She grabbed a bandage out of the box and put it around her arm. She hadn't noticed it, but Draco had continued to stare at her. After she had gotten up and returned to her room did her go back to his shower. 'What was Granger doing? She couldn't be a cutter could she? Nah, that's the most absurd thing I have ever thought'.

* * *

Hermione quickly tended to her wounds. She went out into her common room and discovered that there was a door into the Gryffindor common room. She scanned the area quickly for Ron and Harry, seeing them sitting on the couch in front of the fire she made her way down to them.

"Hey 'Mione!"

"Hi Ron"

"Are you okay 'Mione you seemed a little out of it today on the train?"

"I'm fine, I just needed to clear my thoughts is all"

* * *

Hermione continued to sit with her two friends for the rest of the night, she almost regretted being there. She hated the way that they never noticed anything about her, like her hair going straight, or her front teeth becoming smaller. She wished that for once someone would just notice that she had changed. She had herself to blame as well, she acted withdrawn and shy, and so people wouldn't reject her, but then she would never get anyone to notice her. It's a vicious cycle. While she was thinking that life couldn't possibly be more unfair, Ron had scooted as close as he possibly could without being in her lap, if Hermione was oblivious to the whole thing; what she did notice, was that he had put his arm around the back of the seat. 'Shit, Shit Shit!' she yelled in her mind, 'What is he doing? Oh god help me!'.

"Yo Granger!" she heard a disgustingly familiar voice call, "Dumbledore wants a word with us!"

"Right then Malfoy" she called back, "Oh, jeez you guys I have to go, bye bye then!" she said quickly

She bounded up the stairs to her quarters, and when she saw Malfoy, she wanted to just throw her arms around him and kiss him. "Does Dumbledore really want to have a word?"

"Yeah, in an hour" he said slyly, "looks like Weasel has found himself a mudblood wench, eh?"

Hermione narrowed her eyes, smiled sarcastically and gave him the finger.

"Well, Granger couldn't come up with a comeback?"

"Yeah, two words: Fuck and off"

"Hmm, well you looked pretty tense down there when Weasel had his arm around you"

"I could have handled it myself Malfoy"

"Okay, go back down there and handle it yourself"

Hermione walked to the door and reluctantly pushed the door open, "No, I have some work to do, I'll fight off Ron later" she said as she flipped her hair and walked out of the common room.

* * *

Draco got out of the shower and saw that Hermione was gone. He looked out of one of the doors, and saw the Gryffindor common room. He looked down and saw Hermione sitting on the couch, a million miles away. He saw Weasel move closer to her and put his arm around her. He chuckled to himself when he saw her tense up, 'Hmm, mudblood doesn't like the Weasel to touch her, must be pining for Potter. Potter doesn't seem to pay a lot of attention to her though, Ahhh maybe I'll help her out'. When he did, it was weird the way her face lit up; it almost felt good when she smiled at him. 'No! She's a mudblood remember? No, that's what Lucius thought. You can't turn into your father Draco! She's still a mudblood though'.

* * *

An hour later the two made their way to Dumbledore's office. They walked up to the gargoyle and spoke the password

"Violet Crumble" Hermione said calmly

Hermione looked at Draco and walked through, they sat down in chairs in front of Dumbledore's desk. Dumbledore watched cheerfully as the two sat down.

"Good Evening Miss Granger, Mister Malfoy" he said with a sparkle in his bright blue eyes, "I wanted to discuss the year's business. After the feast today I received several requests for some sort of dance or social activity. I have no problem with this, I will leave it up for you two to plan and arrange, just give us a head's up" he chuckled "there is also a concern among the younger students of a Voldemort attack, I wish for you two to show them that they are safe here, and I want you two to come to some sort of a truce, okay?"

"Okay Professor" they murmured

"Good, now go and make your truce in your common room! Go"

The walk back seemed to have taken longer than it did to get to Dumbledore's office. Neither of them said anything until they got to the door.

"Veritas" they both said at once

Once inside, Hermione plopped down on her chair and looked up at Draco.

"Well, Granger looks like we have to form a friendship of sorts"

"Or just a truce"

"Very well then, truce"

"Truce"