Chapter 1: A new friend, An old enemy

It had only been a few months after the war and Hermione was already returning. She was one of the ten or so students from her year that would be returning to Hogwarts. Harry couldn't go as he was busy with aura training, and so was Ron. not that it would matter if Ron went, his and Hermione's relationship had come to it's inevitable end. Hermione grabbed her trunk and said goodbye to her parents before apperating. 'CRACK' She appeared in an alleyway a street over from Kings Cross station. She made her way to platform 9 ¾ were she met Neville, Hannah, Luna, and Ginny.

"Hi." She said brightly greeting her friends. Ginny ran over and gave her a hug.

"Hello." Luna said in her dreamy voice, also walking over to give her a hug. Neville and Hannah were holding hands. Hermione was happy for them, it was nice to they had someone. Hermione felt strangely alone. On the train Luna and Ginny went off to sit with a group of their friends, so did Neville and Hannah. Hermione was alone again. She found an empty compartment and went inside. She took a seat and pulled out her new book and began to read.a few minutes later she heard a knock at the compartment door. She looked up to see Draco Malfoy and Blaise Zabini.

"Can we sit in here? We need to talk." Draco asked. Hermione wasn't sure at first, but decided there was no harm in letting them in. she nodded putting her book away.

"So what is it you want to talk about?" Draco and Blaise sat across from her.

"We wanted to apologizes for everything we did to you and your friends." Draco looked down at his toes not wanting to look her in the eye.

"I never wanted to do any of that. It was my father that made me. I hope you can forgive me." Hermione looked at the two boys, not sure whether she should believe them.

"Why now?" She asked crossing her arms.

"What?" Draco asked, looking up at the sound of her voice. He had expected her to yell or shout, but she was calm, almost sweet sounding.

"Why now? Why are you choosing to ask for forgiveness now?"

"I was never really on any side, but I see now that my choices had an effect on all of you." Blaise spoke in soft, calming tones. He sounded sincere.

"Thank you Blaise. I understand how hard that must have been for you." She gave him a small smile. Then she turned to Draco. There was no anger in her eyes nor was there pitty. She was not mad at him, she looked at him merley with longing.

"My father is in jail now and I'm can't say I'm sorry for him. He tortured me, ignored me, and forced me into a life controlled by this." Draco pulled the sleeve of his left arm up, revealing the dark mark tattooed on his arm. It looked like it had been there for years.

"My life is a ruin because of his mistakes. I can't even get dressed in the morning without feeling contempt and hatred." He could not tell, but Hermione's eyes had begin to water.

"I am apologizing now because I couldn't earlier. I couldn't over the break as I didn't want to see the looks on your parents faces while I apologized to their daughter for standing by and watching as my own aunt torture her. Watching and being able to do nothing, no matter how much I wanted to." Draco's hands were now curled up into fists of rage and anger. When he was finished he looked up to see Hermione crying.

"Oh I'm so sorry Granger. Here." He pulled out his handkerchief and handed it to Hermione. Hermione took it and began to wipe away the tears.

"Draco I had no idea what you were, are going through. I accept your apology, both of you. I hope we can be friends after all of this." Hermione, Draco, and Blaise spent the rest of train ride talking and laughing.

After a few weeks the names Blaise Zabini, Draco Malfoy, and Hermione Granger were all said as one. They were seen together almost all the time. They had become so close they were almost like a second family for all of and Draco were sitting in the library working on Transfiguration, Blaise was ill and in the hospital wing.

"Hey do you have a spare quil I can borrow mine broke?" Draco asked pulling out a scroll of parchment and a bottle of ink.

"Yeah, here." She said handing him her quil. For a brief moment their hands touched, Hermione felt a warm tingly feeling shoot through her arm, she was sure Draco felt it as well. They looked at each other, just staring into the others eyes, wanting and needing to know if the other felt the way they that moment Ginny took a seat beside Hermione and their gaze was lost, both still wanting the answer to their question.