A/N: So after years of reading fanfiction, I am finally writing my own. I know this plot has been done and redone countless times, but we've all got to start somewhere, right? I am obsessed with Dramione and hope my story can contain just a fraction of the beauty as some of the others I've read in the past.
I'm not entirely sure how long this story will be. My intentions were to create a short, 5,000-word story, but as soon as I began writing, the words began flowing like wine. We shall see!
And, as most of you are aware, I do not own Harry Potter or the Harry Potter universe. I just pretend to in my spare time. Please read and review! I hope you all enjoy~~
Hermione looked up as she heard an owl swoop into the Weasley home. The Burrow was quiet that particular morning. Harry and Ron were training as Aurors for the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, George had moved out after the end of the war, Molly was upstairs, bed-ridden and heartbroken, and Arthur was upstairs lying with her before she took her nap. Ginny was sitting at the table with Hermione, drinking a cup of tea and sitting in pure silence.
The family was grieving the loss of Fred and the countless others that had died just months ago. Once George left the home felt as if it was taken off life support. Hermione could practically see the dust forming on the couch, on the counters, on the chairs surrounding the wooden table she and Ginny were sitting at.
The sound of the owl had shocked her from her reverie and she set her cup down and stood up from the table. The sound of the chair scraping against the hardwood floors startled her and she wondered how long they had been sitting in silence. Sometimes she felt her brain was shutting up off to protect her from falling apart completely, like a defense mechanism against extreme danger. She pulled the two cream-colored envelopes from the owl's beak and replaced them with a treat. Hermione simply stared at the contents in her hands.
"What is it?" Ginny asked.
Hermione looked at her and gave a slight smile. "They're letters from Hogwarts. I suppose McGonagall is offering Eighth Year spots at school this year." She handed Ginny her letter before tearing her own letter open. The truth was, she had been hoping desperately for an escape from the Burrow. She couldn't leave on her own accord because of her deep admiration and love for the Weasley clan, but she also couldn't bear to hear Mrs. Weasley's cries at night. She was happy to be alive and happy to have won the war, but the aftermath of it all was unsettling.
Ginny, on the other hand, was quite uncertain. She wanted to be with her family through this grieving process, even if it meant giving up her final year at Hogwarts. Her mum and dad needed her now more than ever, and, now that Harry was in training, she wouldn't see him near as often if she left now. "I don't think I'm going." Ginny slid the letter back into the envelope and looked at Hermione, waiting for her response. She knew what Hermione would say, but she needed to hear the response directly.
But Ginny was surprised when Hermione simply nodded and told her she understood. "I need to go back, I think. Pick up where I left off." She chuckled during her pause. "As if that's possible."
She let her mind imagine how Hogwarts looked now. She had helped rebuild the school immediately after the war, but when her shock faded to realization, she went back to the Burrow to surround herself with her friends and family. The trials were taking up the majority of her time as she was eagerly waiting the outcome of Malfoy's lawsuit. She knew as a Death Eater he had been guilty of some crimes, but she also knew and recognized his innocence in Dumbledore's death and those moments in Malfoy Manor when he easily could have given up Harry's identity. Draco Malfoy was not her favorite person in the world, but she appreciated his hesitance in the grand scheme of Voldemort's reign.
She needed some semblance of familiarity, and the only other home she now had access to was Hogwarts. Even if her best friends wouldn't be joining her. At the very least, it would give her the structure she needed to rebuild her life and recover from all of the drastic changes.
She stood up from the table and went upstairs to the room she was sharing with Ginny. She scanned the room, taking note of everything she was going to take with her to Hogwarts. All she could do was wait. It felt like all she ever did these days.
~ { oOo } ~
Finally after weeks of consistent routine, Hermione was finally headed to Hogwarts. She was currently sitting aboard the Hogwarts Express, but hadn't yet seen anyone she recognized well enough to sit with and was in an empty compartment staring out at the platform. She held a copy of the Daily Prophet in her hands that she had read and reread several times. "Former Death Eater Draco Malfoy Found Innocent" was in big, bold letters across the front page.
Another win, she thought.
She finally spotted his bright blonde hair in the crowd. He was dressed in all black and pulling his trunk behind him. Next to him was his mother and Blaise Zabini. Hermione watched as he kissed his mother once on each cheek and gave her a tight hug. Blaise waved goodbye to Narcissa, and as they turned to secure their luggage on the train, Draco looked up and locked eyes with Hermione, who was now staring intensely at the pair. Hermione blinked and Draco was looking away. She jerked suddenly and sat back in her seat, moving the newspaper from her lap to her pocket.
Moments later the platform cleared and she felt the train start up beneath her. She closed her eyes and listened to the sounds around her, thankful to be heading to her second home. The last image in her mind before she drifted off to sleep was the picture of Draco Malfoy on the cover of the Daily Prophet the moment his innocence was announced. It was the first time in years that she saw actual joy on his face.
~ { oOo } ~
The first thing Draco noticed while standing on Platform 9 3/4 was how few students he recognized boarding the train. He knew there were many eighth years coming back to finish out the school year, but he hadn't seen or heard from anyone since before the war began. Instead, he'd been in courtroom after courtroom listening to people discuss him and his actions as if they were him. He was thankful for the fall of the Dark Lord, thankful for Harry Potter in those final moments, and thankful for his life. He did not mind sitting through the trials if it meant he would be spared from Azkaban, and, according to his team of lawyers, it was actually possible.
When Hermione Granger's name was brought up he was worried she would get him locked away for the rest of his life. He was shocked to find her words were in his favor. She was helping him stay out of Azkaban. He watched her speak with confidence, her voice breaking slightly only to strengthen as she continued her story. Her hair was tied up in a loose bun and her wardrobe was simple. Her eyes looked tired and her body neglected. He was confident his own didn't look so great at the moment either.
The war was rough for both sides of the war, particularly for those on the Dark side who were only participating to avoid death at Voldemort's hands. Draco was performing his rightful duty as a Malfoy but had no desire to kill his fellow students and professors. Hell, he struggled killing the muggles and muggleborns he was constantly berating. His hesitance in destruction made him rethink his behavior up until then. It was as if he had been participating in a months-long near death experience and was finally in a position to make his own decisions regarding his life. He was no longer being held captive, and the freedom he so wanted was so close he could taste it.
Granger was the last person to testify, and, after two days of consideration, he was granted freedom from this horrendous event and placed on a probation of sorts. He was to continue his education at Hogwarts for the next year, under the condition that he make next to perfect grades and must participate in various clubs on campus. He eagerly agreed, thinking this was nothing compared to being kissed by dementors until his body gave up on him.
A week later he received his official letter from Hogwarts with a message from McGonagall reiterating the stipulations of his probation, and he was finally able to breathe the relief into his lungs he had been reaching for for months.
And now, standing on the platform in front of the Hogwarts Express, all he could feel was nervousness and a slight sense of dread. He would feel the stares from everyone around him. His entire life he was proud of his characteristic Malfoy traits, knowing they would gain him recognition; now he cursed them. It didn't hit him until this very moment that not everyone in the wizarding world would except his innocence in the war. He knew how the situation looked, and knew his behavior in his formative years didn't necessarily help his case at all. But he was different now. Everyone was.
After hugging his mother goodbye, he began loading his trunk on the train. He looked up and caught Hermione Granger looking at him from an otherwise empty compartment. He felt himself freeze but willed himself to look away. "It looks like Granger came back," Blaise commented as he looked up at the train. He patted Draco on the shoulder and walked towards one of the doors of the train. "C'mon, mate," he smiled confidently at Draco and disappeared. Draco steeled himself and followed his best friend.
As he and Blaise passed several empty compartments Draco wondered if Blaise was looking for other Slytherins or just looking for seclusion. When they passed Hermione's compartment Draco couldn't help but pause for a moment. He wanted to thank her, but he couldn't bring himself to initiate contact with her either. He knew she testified out of justice and not for kinship. Up ahead, Blaise slipped into a compartment and slid the door closed after Draco walked in. They sat and talked about their classes and professors, discussing who was returning for their final year, and which of the younger female students they would plan to seduce. Draco held a grin for the first time that day.
Later, after the trolley stopped by and the sky began to darken, Draco excused himself and was walking the length of the train. He knew what he was looking for but refused to admit it, even to himself. Hermione's compartment door slid open and she was stepping out right as he was passing by, nearly colliding with him. She opened her mouth to speak but he cut her off.
"Granger, I should have figured you'd be back this year. Just can't keep away from the books, I see." She shrunk a bit at his words but remained standing where she was.
"It's lovely to see you as well, Malfoy. How was your summer?" She spoke with a bite to her words. She knew his summer had to have been miserable, what with everything that happened with him and his family. She held his gaze and refused to look away. She wasn't putting up with any of his shit this year, her final year, especially after the events that took place over the past few months. She saved him, for Merlin's sake!
Draco reached out his hand to Hermione and she looked down as if he was offering her a marriage proposal. "Follow me, Granger." When she didn't move, he grabbed her left hand and pulled her into a nearby compartment and shut the door behind them. He sat down while she stood, shocked, in front of the closed door. "Thank you.. for helping me. And my mother. She appreciates it more than you or Potter know."
Hermione finally sat down across from him and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. She felt her brain do that shutting-down thing again but managed to find her voice. "You're welcome, Malfoy. You basically did the same for us." She looked out of the window but she felt him looking at her intensely. "Why didn't you say anything when you had the chance to?" She looked up at him again to see his face studying her own. He looked handsome, albeit slightly exhausted. His body was more muscular, but she couldn't remember if he had picked up the weight before or after his trials. She wondered briefly what he thought of her current state.
"I don't know," was his response. He was lying, of course. He had had plenty of time that summer to find an honest answer to that exact question.
She looked down at his shoes, noticing how clean they looked. She wondered if he had gotten new shoes for the start of the term. She began to stand, and, with a low voice, muttered, "Well, thanks anyway," and started towards the door. She turned around to face him while he himself was beginning to stand and follow her out.
"Hermione—" he started but didn't finish.
He closed his mouth and reached a hand to tuck that same strand of hair behind her ear. The intimacy of the motion surprised Hermione, considering just a year ago he was calling her some of the most demeaning names that existed in the wizarding world. He reached behind her, slid the door open, and slipped out, leaving her standing there alone and surprised. She sat back down where he had just been sitting and smelled the fragrance he had been wearing. Hermione waited until she felt the train pull up to the station before she moved again.