It was a warm and sunny day in June, and the brilliant weather had driven almost the whole school out of the castle to enjoy the end of the lessons of the school year. The only exception seemed to be Hermione Granger, who was returning a few books that she'd borrowed from the school library. She supposed she was the only one inside, and she was so lost in thought, humming to herself, that she didn't hear the light, quiet footsteps approaching her and coming to a stop a few metres behind her.
"Granger, can't say I'm surprised to find you here in the library even with the weather being how it is."
Hermione let out a small squeal as she was slightly startled, and turned around to face the tall, platinum blonde Slytherin that had an amused smirk on his face. She frowned, and her cheeks turned just slightly red. She had noticed the tone of his voice wasn't at all cocky and jeering as usual, just politely amused. She was surprised greatly by it, but she paid it no further mind.
"Malfoy! I'm- I'm just returning a few borrowed books before summer, now that I still remember to. What're you doing in here?"
"I was actually looking for you."
"What would you possibly want from me? Maybe you've come to make up for not remembering to bad-mouth mudbloods- especially me- loudly because you don't have the chance to do that all summer? I have to admit I've found your sudden silence about pure and dirty blood rather peculiar. There must be something very strange behind that." Her expression was hard.
Draco leaned his forehead on his palm as he inhaled and exhaled slowly. The look on his face as he lifted his head to look Hermione in the eyes again was not amused in the least anymore.
"You talk too much as usual, Granger. For your information, I have stopped it... because of you."
Hermione almost lost her grip of the remaining books and she raised her brows. Draco hadn't turned his head away but kept staring at her intently. The frown slowly returned on Hermione's face, and she shook her head and took a deep breath.
"That must be the greatest joke I've heard all year, Malfoy. Besides, haven't all your fellow Slytherins started wondering why you're not so loud about hating muggle-borns anymore? Aren't they suspecting anything?"
It was Draco's turn to blush.
"No, they aren't. They just think I've done it enough for now, that I just don't have enough interest in bullying loudly anymore. They don't think it means anything. And for the record, what they think doesn't matter to me anymore."
Hermione just shrugged, going on with her task. She couldn't believe Malfoy was being serious. When she had put the last book into its place, she took a deep breath, blinking slowly before facing Malfoy again. She was frowning slightly, and the tone in her voice was stern when she spoke again.
"Why this sudden change of heart after years of hatred and verbal bullying? Come now, I don't believe you've suddenly started to simply endure the existence of muggle-borns."
"That hatred towards muggle-borns has been an idiotic act all along. I've had to keep it up because of social pressure," Draco started, not a hint of insincerity in his voice, "I would blame part of it on how my father has raised me but it would sound like a stupid excuse because I always had a choice to defy the expectations. However, I'm finally tired of it. It's not like I'm gonna start a muggle-born fanclub but I'm sick and tired of hating all the time. And most of all, sick and tired of hurting you."
Hermione listened to every word Draco said, and frowned just slightly more by every word. The word choice Hermione found strangest of all was muggle-borns instead of mudbloods. When Draco was done talking and kept looking at her, quite obviously expecting some kind of response of her, Hermione folded her arms, turned her head away and closed her eyes. She was almost getting emotional but decided to remain tough in front of Draco Malfoy, no matter what it took.
"Don't you have anything to say, Granger? Do I sound dishonest to you?"
Hermione turned to look at him, her frown gone, and she breathed calmly through her slightly parted lips. She was looking almost sad.
"You seem strangely honest to me. This... This is just a lot to take in, you must realise that. I want to blindly believe what you just told me but you have been quite believable in your 'act' since day one. I can't help thinking that you might be a brilliant actor right now."
Draco sighed.
"Yes- I'm aware of all that, Granger. But I stand by what I said- you are the greatest reason why I want to be who I am, deep down, and act like it, too. No worshipping muggle-borns but no more idiotic bullying either. That's what I wanted you to know, and I hope I've done enough for you to believe me, at least someday."
He turned around and started walking out of the library with his hands in his trouser pockets. Hermione noticed that he wasn't walking as tall and proud as usual.
"What about Harry and Ron? Will you leave them alone, too?" Hermione asked quickly. Draco stopped on his tracks but didn't turn around. Hermione saw him let out a deep breath.
"Yes, Granger, I will let them be because you wish it."
He kept walking and had just disappeared behind the corner when Hermione snapped out of her trance-like state. An inexplicable urge was quickly spreading through her and she acted on impulse.
"Draco!" she shouted after him before she could stop herself. She was in an inner turmoil but she couldn't help herself.
Draco stopped at once and stepped back into her sight. He gave Hermione an incredulous look, and before he could move, she had run towards him and thrown her arms around his midriff. Draco placed his arms around her a little tensely and bit his lower lip, turning his eyes to take a small look around the two of them. Then he relaxed in Hermione's arms, lowered his head to lean his chin on her left shoulder and closed his eyes.
"I'm so sorry for all the bullying you've had to endure, Hermione, and I'm so sorry for offendi-"
He was stopped by Hermione's soft, warm lips on his. She had backed from the hug and reached up to kiss him too fast for him to notice.
The sudden kiss made him go tense again and to look wide-eyed at Hermione's closed eyes too near for him to see clearly. After a moment, Hermione parted their lips and looked at him, blushing and taking one step back.
"I'm sorry, I-I don't know wh-what got into me, I..." she mumbled, looking at their toes and scratching the back of her neck. He lifted her head with two fingers and kissed her in return. He felt her succumb to the kiss and wrap her arms gently around his midriff again. He tightened his arms around her shoulders and leaned down to deepen the kiss that spoke more than a thousand words to the both of them.