Author Note:

Hey,

This is written for the 30 drabbles; in 30 days challenge on the HPFC forums, in which you have to write a drabble/oneshot every day for 30 days and include specific quotes. This is kind of a series of oneshots, but I'm putting them all in the same story - the oneshots may follow on from each other/ or they may not. It all depends if inspiration strikes me.

I hope you like. If you read, please take the time to leave a review.

Thank you

Leanne

Disclaimer: Sadly, Harry Potter is the property of J.K. Rowling. I do not currently/ will never own. I am however borrowing the characters for my own and your enjoyment -- well hopefully. :]

Synopsis: Set just after the final battle was won. Draco is sitting contemplating what's left of his life when his parents are arrested and sent to Azkaban. Hermione is feeling more alone than ever.

Mending Their Hearts [Working Title]

It was nearing midday on the day the battle was won, and everyone was still sat huddled together in what remained of the Great Hall. Tables groaned under the weight of the food – courtesy of the house elves – although no one felt remotely like eating. Their loss had been heavily felt, people were beginning to grieve and Hermione Granger had never felt more alone than she did then. As she looked around the hall, she saw families and friendship groups and her eyes welled up with tears. Her parents were still safely in Australia, when the time was right, she could remove the memory charm placed upon them nearly a year ago. Ron was with his family, as they tried to come to terms with the loss of Fred, and Harry was around somewhere – Hermione suspected he was busy consoling those who were suffering.

Her eyes landed on a guy slumped alone at the end of one of the tables, who upon closer inspection she recognised to be Draco Malfoy. His shirt was ripped in several places, and his once blonde hair was matted with dried blood. As she watched him, she realised she couldn't help but feel sorry for him – the whole hall had watched as Kingsley Shacklebolt had escorted his parents away to await trial in Azkaban. They all knew it was only a formality now – for Lucius, at any rate. A month ago she wouldn't have dreamed of approaching him, but now, she figured they were all in the same boat. She walked over to him cautiously and dropped down onto the bench beside him. He didn't look up. "Come to gloat have you Granger?" Draco commented dully.

"Of course not," Hermione said patiently, "you looked lonely, I decided to come and see how you were doing." He didn't respond. "I'll leave you alone then." She said finally.

"Why?" Draco questioned. "Why do you care how I am? I don't deserve anyone's concern." His voice was heavy with remorse, and his dark rimmed eyes had glassed over. "I don't deserve to live."

"You still have a chance Draco – it's all over; we've won. You can have a future now; you can make something of your life. Even fall in love. But only you can be the one to make it happen." Hermione tried desperately.

"Love? What do I know about love?" Draco gave a hollow laugh.

Hermione met his eyes, "more than you realise," she said quietly. "It was your love for your mother and father that led you to where we are today; you wanted to make them proud, and did so the only way you knew how – by becoming a Death Eater."

"You're wrong!" He said bitterly. "That's not why I did it – she made me do it," Draco finished forcefully.

"Well she's going to Azkaban now, along with your father; you'll never have to see them ever again."

Draco just stared at her. "Who are you talking about?"

"Your mother…Wait, who are you talking about?" Hermione echoed.

"Bellatrix Lestrange – she put me under the imperius curse," his voice shook and his lips trembled. "At first I admit, I learnt and agreed with my family's pureblood principles but then,-"

"You don't have to tell me all of this, not if you don't want to." Hermione interrupted softly.

Draco shook his head, "no it's okay," he said, surprising even himself. "To tell you the truth, it's a relief to get everything off my chest…so I agreed with my family, but then that time at the Quiddich World Cup, I saw my parents for who they really were, and I guess you could say it was a bit of an awakening for me."

Hermione grimaced at her recollection of the event; muggles hoisted into the air, tents burned to the ground and the dark mark hovering above the trees. "I'm not surprised," she murmured. It made her sick to think about it.

"By that point I was in too deep; I couldn't get myself out of the mess I'd gotten into and my father was breathing down my neck about joining the Death Eaters. I tried to refuse, and so he knocked me out. When I came round I'd been branded with this." Draco pulled up his sleeve to reveal the ugly dark mark on his forearm. He scowled.

The young Gryffindor witch reached out a hand hesitantly, before changing her mind and drawing back. "I'm sure Madam Pomfrey will be able to remove that," she supplied helpfully. "She can heal most things in a matter of minutes."

"Why are you even talking to me?" Draco asked. "Ever since we first started at Hogwarts, all I've done is insult you and –"

"Be an arrogant jerk?" Hermione supplied for him, a glimmer of a smile across her lips. "I don't think you're a bad guy Draco, just mislead."

He snorted, "I suppose that's one way of putting it," he paused looking uncomfortable. "Listen – I'm sorry for everything that's happened between us; I'd – I'd like to put it behind us."

"I already have done, I knew there was some good in you somewhere." Hermione answered; she knew how much it had taken for him to apologise and there was no doubt in her mind that he was being serious. She reached out a hand and laid it tentatively on his arm. They shared a small smile. "I'm not promising it's going to be easy Draco – you'll have to earn people's trust again and it's going to take a lot of time to recover from this."

Draco looked up from the table, the beginnings of a hopeful smile forming on his face. "Will you help me?"