Train, bumps, and Potions was all it took
Hermione smiled as ran through the brick wall to get into Platform 9. However, as she walked through the train to find an empty carriage, she couldn't help feeling lonely and depressed. Her best friends, Harry and Ron, wouldn't be joining her in their last year at Hogwarts.
The Golden Trio had a talk sometime after the Battle of Hogwarts. Vanquishing the dark lord had been a great triumph, as well as a giant relief for the wizarding world. However, it had unsettled them, as they now had no goal, nothing to look forward to, nothing to anticipate. They were lost. They had dedicated 6 years of their lives to defeat Lord Voldemort, and now that they had attained success, they didn't know their next move in life.
"So, what next?" Hermione asked Harry and Ron. Harry took a sideward glance at Ron.
"Actually, Hermione, Ron and I have been accepted to start auror apprenticeship at the start of September. I'm so sorry, Hermione, we really should have told you earlier." Harry said, looking down at his shoes, with a look of remorse on his face.
Hermione was shocked to hear that but she quickly collected herself. She was happy for her friends. "But actually," she started "I've been given an offer to attend Wizengamots University, School of Fine Witches. But I'll have to take my NEWTs and attain an overall outstanding, which also means I'm going back to Hogwarts to complete my 7th year."
Ron looked at Hermione incredulously, "Oh for Merilin's sake, Hemione! I'm so proud of you! I've always known you could do it!" Harry gave a bright smile, sincerely happy for his friend.
"Hermione, you'll come and work at the Ministry right? For Wizengamot?" Ron said, suddenly depressed. Hermione looked at him as if he were dumb.
"So I guess it would be good-bye for us, Hermione?"Harry said.
"I guess."
Hermione was jolted back into reality when the horn blared, signaling that the Hogwarts Express was leaving soon. Hermione realized that tears were welling in her eyes. Although they had promised to owl often, Hermione couldn't bear the thought of not seeing her friends for 3 whole years, one in Hogwarts, and two in University. She would miss Ron and Harry so much.
"Is this seat taken?" A voice snarled. Hermione looked up. It was Malfoy. Draco Malfoy.
Hermione stared through Malfoy's eyeballs, but said "yes" in the end. Malfoy took the seat without expressing any hint of gratitude.
"So, where's scarhead and Weasel?" Malfoy asked Granger, with a completely innocent look on his face.
"Letting you sit with me doesn't mean I want to talk to you, you know." Granger glared at him and crossed her arms. She shouldn't have let Malfoy sit with her. How was she going to endure the long hours in the same compartment as Malfoy?
"Fine, fine, be that way." Malfoy held his hand up as if to say he "surrender". Granger thought that was quite funny but she suppressed her giggle, not wanting Malfoy to know that she cared about him.
The train ride was pleasantly peaceful, all until 30 minutes later. It was too silent for Hermione to take. It reminded her of how she wasn't with Harry or Ron. Putting down a shed of self-dignity, she asked Malfoy, "So why aren't you in Azkaban already?"
Her question took Malfoy completely by surprise. He hadn't expected Granger to be the first to speak up. "They thought I was young, insensible and under the influence of my father, and became a death eater because of fear. And that's pretty much the truth." Hermione raised her eyebrows and looked out of the window.
Malfoy is so much nicer today, he hadn't called me a mudblood, not once.
"So, Granger, where is scarhead and Weasel?" Malfoy repeated his earlier question.
"Off to auror apprenticeship." Was Granger's reply. Malfoy rolled his eyes and scoffed, a tint of jealousy in his eyes. Hermione was quick to spot it and chuckled. "Jealous, Draco?" Malfoy just shrugged casually and turn to look out of the window.
The rest of the train ride was pretty much a pleasant one, with Malfoy behaving himself. Except for the fact that he kept staring at her.
My, Granger looks prettier than ever! Malfoy thought. Why hadn't I noticed her earlier?
When Hogwarts express was nearing Hogwarts, both Hermione and Draco had changed into their robes. Hermione was just putting on her Head Girl badge when she saw Malfoy taking out a similar one, just that it said HB instead of HG. "You, a Head Boy, Malfoy?" Hermione raised her eyebrows incredulously and gasped.
"What? I can behave myself, you know." Malfoy retorted, and shot Hermione a playful smile.
The start of term feast was better than ever, the house-elves had really outdone themselves. Delicious smells of roasted chicken, roasted beef, lamb chop, sausages, steak, boiled potatoes, Yorkshire pudding and many more filled the air. Hermione's stomach growled, yearning to be filled with the array of food set in front of Hermione. She literally gorged her food, swallowing big chunks of meat without even chewing. The food was too palatable to be true! Oh, if only Ron and Harry were here, they would have enjoyed this! Up next was desert, and no doubt the best in the world.
With her stomach full, no, bloated, Hermione dragged her tired body back to the dormitories. Exiting the Great Hall, she accidentally bumped into Malfoy, who was helping Professor Flitwick carry rolls of parchment.
"Hey, watch where you're going!" Malfoy said, picking up the rolls parchment that had dropped due to the impact of the bump. "I'm so sorry!" Hermione quickly apologized and helped Malfoy pick up the mess. There was only one roll of parchment left on the floor, and both of them reached out their hands to pick it up subconsciously. Draco's hand accidentally touched Hermione's. They both looked up into each other's eyes and stared into each others' gaze for a moment. When Hermione realized what had happened, she quickly drew her hand away and stood up. She hastily passed the parchment back to Malfoy and brisk walked back to her dormitory.
While on her bed, she was going through the events of the day. What had exactly happen between her and Malfoy just now? She had felt warm and fuzzy when she had looked into Malfoy's eyes. She felt like she belonged there.
Hermione woke up bright and early in the morning, eager to start classes again. She quickly washed up and swiftly braided her hair. She was certainly in a very good mood. Galloping towards the Great Hall to have breakfast, she saw Malfoy mid-way and stopped in her tracks. Malfoy had spotted her too and ceased walking. They just stood there and looked at each other for a few seconds, looking like idiots. It wasn't long when awkwardness set in and Draco started speaking.
"Yesterday, about that, it wasn't on purpose." Malfoy started. He had noticed that Hermione had put her arms behind her back, and started rocking on her feet, looking everywhere but him. She's cute like that, he thought. Oh, and I say she looks beautiful with her hair in a braid. Oh, merlin, he was started to fall for that girl.
"So… I'm sorry." He finished. Hermione looked at him and raised her eyebrows. She opened her mouth to say something then she realized that Draco had already walked away. Oh my god, did Malfoy just apologize? That's so unlike him! Hermione was impressed by his changed attitude. There was something about him that made Hermione want to speak to him more, get to know him better.
Hermione arrived at the Great Hall a while later and settled herself beside Neveille, who had also decided to finish Hogwarts. He declined his invitation to auror apprenticeship as his grandmother insisted that he finish his NEWTs. Hermione took very little food as she was still full from the previous day's dinner. Throughout her meal, she felt someone staring at her. She turned around and true enough, she found Malfoy staring at her. She blushed, heat rushing to her face. To her own surprise, she wasn't annoyed, or angry. She was… pleased.
Hermione received her schedule from Professor McGonagall and quickly checked her first lesson of the day: Potions. She hastily made her way to her dormitory and proceeded to the dungeons. She'd taken the front row seat, and nobody was willing to seat with her since they all didn't like sitting in front.
It was barely a minute later when Professor Slughorn trudged into the classroom with his reference book. He looked at his class. It was a mixture of Gryffindor and Slytherin. However, they were still not many people in the class as some of them had chosen not to take Potions as a subject.
"Alright, class, today, we are going to brew antidotes for -" He was abruptly by interrupted by a loud noise. Malfoy had just forcible opened the door, huffing and puffing. He was breathless and sweat trickled down from his neck to his chest, Hermione realized. God, he's so sexy!
"Sorry, Professor, I was helping Angela Hopkins, a Hufflepuff first year. Her friend accidently hexed her and the hex went wrong so I had to bring her to Madam Promfey. Professor Slughorn nodded his head. "So fast taking on Head Boy duties, eh?"
Draco gave him a smile and sat down beside Hermione, as Slughorn had pointed him to. Hermione didn't mind it at all. In fact, she was inwardly pleased.
Potions had gone perfectly well. It was an awkward and shy one for Hermione but she felt happy, too. The duo had an unbelievable chemistry between them both, and they had work flawlessly well with each other while brewing the potion, eventually having brewed the best potion in class, as Slughorn had said.
Potions came to an end and Hermione packed her things, making her way slowly to the class room door.
"Ganger, wait, I want a word with you." Draco said. Hermione turned back, looking at Draco, blushing, pleased.
They made their way to an abandoned classroom and settle themselves down.
"Hermione, I know this may be awkward, you know, having this talk," Draco started, "but I want to clarify some things with you."
Hermione nodded, encouraging him to go on.
"Actually, Hermione, I've fancied you for a long period of time. Since the 3rd year. I know I'd been nasty to you, but I guess that was my way to get your attention. And by the fifth year, I wanted already to confess, but the evilness from the Dark Mark was starting to eat me up, not allowing me to show any feelings, apart from hatred." Hermione looked down at her feet, thinking hard. So it wasn't his fault that he was mean! He was a young insensible brat, and then he was consumed by evil. But now he was nice, a chivalrous, young man, who had just confessed to me.
Draco, sensing some discomfort, said, "we could do with being friends -"
"No!" Hermione said on impulse. "I want us to be more than that." She smiled. "You've changed, really changed. And it wasn't your fault that you were so mean in the first place. I forgive you. I could sense your sincerity when you apologized to me. I could sense you earnestness when you told Slughorn you helped a first year. I like someone like that. I want to be with you. Why don't we try us?"
Draco beamed and leaned over to hug her. They walked out of the classroom holding hands.
A/N: I hope you like it Please R&R!
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, even in my dreams.