Hey guys, hope you like the story! Sorry if Hermione seems OOC.
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any other character, J.K Rowling does. I do however own the plot.
Hermione awoke with the warm morning rays of the sun shining through her curtains onto her face. She sat up and slid to the edge of her sapphire and thought back to all that had happened after the war.
After Harry had won, it had been revealed that the Malfoys and Professor Snape were actually on the side of the light. Everyone had returned to Hogwarts and she had been made a Head alongside Draco Malfoy. She smiled as she remembered their first conversation after the war.
*FLASHBACK START*
After Professor Dumbledore had said his annual welcoming speech, he had called both Hermione and Draco to his office. From there he had led them a portrait of a phoenix rising from silver flames.
"You will be able to choose your own password, so I suggest you choose wisely. Now I have to be going, there is an urgent matter to deal with, I trust that both of you can find your rooms," the Professor had said before leaving with a twinkle in his eye.
Hermione looked at her feet, as the silence between the pair grew awkward. Draco had not said a word when they had been walking and he was still silent as the pair looked at everything else except the person standing next to them.
When the silence finally grew to be too unbearable, Hermione pulled together the famous Gryffindor courage and spoke. "Well Malfoy, what do you want to set the password as?" she asked in a somewhat indifferent voice, which did not reflect the emotional tempest that ran wild inside.
"Whatever you want Granger," Draco said softly in his silky voice.
Hermione considered the possibilities for a few moments before saying, "how about 'Tandem Redemptio'?"
Draco tilted his head as he thought the words through, for a few minutes, before nodding his head in agreement.
Hermione drew a deep breath and looked at the phoenix, "The password we have chosen is 'Tandem Redemptio'."
The phoenix gave a soft cry before stretching out its wings and flying upwards in a blaze of scarlet and silver. The door to the head dormitories opened quietly and the paired entered.
Hermione entered first and gasped at the splendour of the common room, with Draco on her tail. The room was a mixture of earthly tones and midnight shades. On the near right stood a reddish brown couch in front of a roaring fireplace, further ahead lay a jet black grand piano with a reading chair next to it. On the left of the room there was a cosy-looking kitchen nook consisting only of a sink and fridge, joined by a pair of kitchen counters with two bar stools placed in front of it. A small table and an identical reading chair stood further down the room. Hermione took a few minutes to evaluate the room before her attention was dragged towards the gigantic bookshelf that was between two spiral staircases. The bookshelf started from the floor and continued straight up to the ceiling, each shelf packed with thick, ancient tomes.
Hermione felt her mouth open in shock but before any drool could escape, she heard Draco clear his throat. Looking at him, she noticed the look of discomfort he kept shooting in her direction. "Sorry Malfoy," Hermione said sheepishly as she tried, discreetly, to wipe her mouth in an attempt to hide her awe. "It's okay, Granger," Draco said before looking at the two staircases, "Left or right?" he asked. Hermione considered the two structures for a few minutes before pointing to the right staircase. Draco nodded and begun to walk to the left staircase while Hermione began running her fingertips, lightly, over the spines of the books.
She was so lost in scent of old pages and the feel of crackled leather beneath her fingers that she nearly jumped when she heard a crash and a muttered curse. Looking in the direction of the sound, she stifled a laugh. Draco had attempted to walk up the staircase but it had been charmed so instead of stairs his feet had found a slide. Unfortunately, this transformation had occurred when he was halfway up and his fall had resulted in him landing flat on his back.
"You… uh… okay there Malfoy?" Hermione asked behind a hand. Draco grunted before gesturing, non to gently, towards the staircase, "I think that's yours." Hermione simply nodded before beginning to walk up the stairs. Predictably, the stairs stayed as they were and she was able to reach her room door. Looking down she noticed that Draco had reached his own door and was looking at it nervously. Their gazes met and with wary glances to the door, they simultaneously opened their doors and stepped in.
Hermione breathe caught in her throat as she entered her room. The walls were a pale blue and the surrounding furniture was a dark crimson shade of wood. The sight that took her breathe away was large French windows at the back of her bed. Hermione stepped forward and looked past the crème curtains to the view that awaited. Her gaze ran across the Lake and the beginnings of the Forbidden Forest. The sun had long since set and the moon was high in the darkened sky, joined by small groups of stars. The moon's glow sparkled upon the fine layer of mist that had begun to cover the Lake, resulting in an enchantingly tragic scene. Hermione tore her gaze away and began a quick walk around her room. She trailed her fingers over the dresser that stood against the wall and the reading chair and table, at the corner of the room. She skipped over the entrance to her room and glanced at the door on her right before walking up to the bookshelves that dominated the corner of her room. Hermione was pleased to find that all her books from her trunk, now at the foot of her bed, were already placed upon the shelves. Satisfied with the order of her books, Hermione's gaze once again sat on the second door. Giving in to her curiosity, she gently grasped the handle and opened it.
The room contained a shower, bath tub and a toilet, along with a washbasin and mirror. Hermione jerked in surprise when a door appeared on the opposite wall. She looked up in shock as Draco stepped through the door and stared at her. "Well, I suppose we're sharing then," Hermione said with a shrug before she started to return to her room.
Moving quicker than she thought he could, Draco walked through the bathroom and grasped her wrist. "Wait, Granger…Please," he said almost pleadingly. Hermione nodded her head in acquiescence before gesturing towards her room. Draco looked at her for a moment before stepping through her doorway and letting his door disappear.
"Listen Granger, I have something to say, and I don't care if you believe me or not. I just have to say this," Draco said before looking straight into Hermione's eyes. "I'm sorry, and I know that I've been a git to you for the past six years and nothing will ever make up for the hurt that I've caused you, but I'm really sorry. For everything. I was just a small boy trying to act big to impress someone who didn't care, and I'm sorry that I used you to do that," Draco said. And when he had finished, he looked at Hermione breathlessly.
Auburn eyes gazed into silver eyes and saw the remorse they held.
Hermione smiled softly, "You're right Malfoy…Draco you were a jerk, but I'll try to forgive you. Friends?" she said as she held out her hand.
Draco looked at her for a few minutes before reaching forward and clasping her smaller hand in his.
"Friends."
*FLASHBACK END*
She shook her head free of the memories and walked towards her bathroom door. She had a quick shower and walked over to the common room. As she entered she saw that Draco had already gotten ready and was sitting on the couch in the middle of the room with a book in his hand.
"Good morning," she said, as she walked past him to the portrait.
"Morning," Draco said quietly.
Hermione grinned as she walked through the portrait. Draco didn't converse a lot but she found that she could talk to him about anything. And that even their petty squabbles seemed to brighten up her day.
She walked over to the Great Hall and sat down next to Harry and Ron who appeared captivated by a story that Ginny was telling them.
"Morning," she said quietly.
The two boys barely nodded their heads in acknowledgement and went back to listening to Ginny.
Hermione was used to this reaction. After the war it seemed that Ginny had attracted the attention of most of their peers. She shrugged before picking up a slice of toast and eating it. As she finished she saw that the trio had gotten up to go to class. She quickly dropped the slice of toast that she had been eating and walked up to them. This scene was familiar to Hermione, the group would forget about her and she would be left trying to join in on their conversations.
Ginny had split up from the group to go to her class, leaving the trio to go to transfiguration. The boys quickly immersed themselves in talks about Quidditch, once again leaving Hermione alone. Hermione cast a nostalgic look at them before walking off to the class by herself.
The lesson didn't intrigued Hermione like it usually did because she had already read up on it. So Hermione took to jotting down notes as the teacher spoke. Soon the lesson ended and as Hermione packed her bags she noticed Harry and Ron already walking out of the class without a single look back. Hermione quickly packed her stationery and raced out the door to catch up to them.
"Hey guys, wait up," she shouted. But to her dismay neither boy paid her any notice. And it was at that exact moment that something seemed to snap inside Hermione.
She clenched her quivering hands into tight fists as she fought back the tears that were forming in her eyes and ran to the Heads Dormitories. When she reached she quickly muttered the password and entered, flinging her bag down next to the doors and throwing herself onto the couch.
"I hate this! I hate being invisible!" she proclaimed through a tear soaked voice.
Her tears continued for a few more minutes before she felt a light tap on her shoulder. Looking up she was met with concerned silver eyes, Draco knelt in front of her.
"Granger," Draco said softly as he brushed a stray curl off her face, "I see you," he whispered as he leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on hers lips.
The password means 'redemption at last'
Ps: sorry for any errors.
Au revoir!