Same old, same old.

I walked down the hallway, through the entrance hall and out of the school building. Trying to ignore all the stares I got wherever I went. It's been three months since I came back to school to do my N.E.W.T and graduate so that I can be finally free from the curse that was put on me two years ago.

Nothing was the same when I came back, I was different and I was treated differently. Everyone was whispering behind my back all the time. I tried to ignore them but it was too damn hard. I would occasionally hear a few unpleasant comments as I headed to class but I just ignored them and walked in silence.

I stopped my track of thoughts when I reached "my" spot; it was a grassy, well hidden spot under a cherry tree right by the lake. It was always empty and quiet over there; I found the peaceful silence rather welcoming, well at least it was better than the noisy Hogwarts corridors that seemed to bother me now more than ever. I still find it funny how I've never noticed this spot for six years but ever since I came back at the beginning of this year it had become my favourite place to escape the glares and the remarks that haunted me everywhere.

I sat down with a sigh of relief; now that I'm out of everyone's sight I can finally work on my potions' essay that Professor Slughorn had gave us last week.
I looked up from the paper I've been working on to look at the lake, the view was mesmerising; the way the sun made the water glister and the wind moving the grass around me ever so lightly. It was just beautiful.

I brushed a blonde lock out of my face as I drifted in thoughts, I thought of the way I was treated by my classmates. I did see some of that coming after the Great War last May, I have made the wrong choices and it was payback time now. I was a death eater but my parents and I abandoned the Dark Lord before his downfall and we were forgiven but unfortunately some students still saw me as the Death Eater that I was destined to be two years ago. If it wasn't for my mother's wish for me to be properly educated by doing my N.E.W.T, I don't think I would've come back. I wanted nothing more than to travel abroad to another country where no one would know anything about me or the person that I once was.

The sound of footsteps heading towards the tree had caught my attention, as the person sat on the opposite side of me, behind the tree. I was about to move away quietly when I heard the sound of soft, muffled sobs. Normally, I would've ignored the crying person because it is none of my business but since I spent half of my time wishing that I could cry to get some of what I was feeling out, I sympathised with this person. It felt weird that I, Draco Malfoy, former death eater and Slytherin's ex-prince actually felt sorry for someone.

I quietly made my way around the tree to wherever the sobbing person – who I assumed was a girl – was sitting. My assumption was correct; it was a girl and not just any girl, I could recognise the bushy brown hair anywhere. It was Hermione Granger, the chosen one's best friend. I cleared my throat hoping that she'd notice me standing there. She looked up, once she realised it was me, she quickly turned her head and started wiping hear tears with the back of her sleeve.
I just stood there; I didn't know what to do so I did the first thing that came to my mind, I handed her a tissue. To say that she was shocked was an understatement; she looked as though she was about to faint out of pure astonishment. She wasn't the only one, I was also surprised, if this would've happened in our earlier years, I'm pretty sure I would've mocked her and made her feel ten times worse. It's not like I didn't like picking on them (Granger, Weasely and Potter), hell yes, I did. But after the war, everything seemed stupid, blood statuses weren't as nearly as important now. There was no reason for me going after the three heroes, not that I could even if I wanted to.

I noticed that I was staring at the mud-No Draco, bad boy, Granger while I was thinking. She stood up and gave me a firm nod with a very quiet "thanks" before she started to walk away.
It seemed as though my body was acting on its own because the next I knew was me saying "Wait!" she turned around with a questioning look and then I said "Are you OK?" She seemed to be taken back by my question, she then whispered a quiet "Yes, thank you." as she left.