Disclaimer: I don't own anything, it all belongs to the wonderful J.K.
Rowling.
Summary: Draco is lost in a world he doesn't understand, but has no choice but to stay. Hermione finds him and doesn't have the heart to turn him down.
~His Turn Around~
It was a beautiful summer day out as Hermione walked down the street to one of her favorite places to shop. Although she didn't like shopping all that much she did on accession and this was always where she went.
As she walked in, one of the salespersons greeted her. She walked toward the back where all the t-shirts and shorts were. It was a split store with the lady's clothes on one side and the men's on the other. Hermione was currently looking for a new tank top, when she glanced up and saw the last person she would have expected to see. Draco Malfoy was in the men's section looking very lost.
She quietly snuck up behind him on the other side of a clothes rack to get a better look at him. He was wearing black pants with a plain dark green shirt underneath one of his school robes. That puzzled Hermione to no end. Why would Malfoy of all people be in a muggle clothing store wearing a wizards robe. She knew that he didn't know too much about the muggle world but she would have at least thought that he would know better.
Hermione slowly stood up and walked around the other side and reached out and taped him on the shoulder. He jumped in the air from shock and hit one of the racks behind him. Draco had a terrified look on his face. Hermione was startled by his reaction but pleased that she could scare him so much. She decided to just stand there until he calmed down a bit.
"Malfoy?"
He just stood there staying at her with a look of relief on his face. Hermione wasn't sure this was the same Draco she knew at school, he looked so different.almost normal. Everyone know that Draco was a cruel and prejudice Slytherin, but right now at that moment he looked nothing like that. He looked so frightened a second ago that it made Hermione wonder what happen to him. But not concern of course, she still hated him. Just wonder.
"Malfoy?" Hermione said a bit louder this time trying to snap him out of the daze he seem to be in at the moment.
He blinked a couple of times like he was just now seeing where he was. He faced her with a look that made him seem childlike. No hate, no malice, or any other sinful look. He couldn't believe that he happen to go in the same store as the one person who hated him the most. The last thing he wanted at that moment was for her to start yelling at him, he had enough problems as it was.
"What are you doing here Malfoy? You do realize that you're in a muggle clothing store. Or has that not gotten through your thick skill yet?" Hermione was starting to get really annoyed that he was just standing there and not saying anything. She would even be glad that he said something hateful to her, as long as he was speaking.
"I...I had no where else to go...this is the only place that I knew of that he wouldn't find me..." Draco said in a soft voice that it made it hard for her to hear him. He wished that she wouldn't hate him so much. He needed a friend, not an enemy.
"Who wouldn't find you?" Hermione inquired.
"Lucius."
"Why would you be running from your father?" Hermione scrunched up her face in puzzlement. She was starting to think that something was not right with this...at all.
Draco was starting to look very uncomfortable and was fidgeting with the edge of his robe. He didn't want to tell her what had happened to him. He was afraid she would laugh and tell him that she didn't care and just walk off. He didn't want her to leave so soon, he felt safe at the moment and didn't want that to go away.
"Its...a long story." He said looking at anything but her, afraid to see hate like he did from everyone else.
"Ok." For some reason Hermione couldn't find it in her to be mean to him. He just looked so harmless. That scared her, she wasn't use to him being like this...ever.
"Well.what do you plan on doing, do you have anywhere to go?" Hermione resolved to be somewhat nice to him.
Draco almost thought he had heard concern in her voice but didn't want to get any high hopes. He shook his head still looking at the floor. When he decided to look up he was amazed to that she really was worried, maybe even concerned to some point about him. He could see it in her eyes.
When he finally looked up she saw that he looked very tired and she just noticed that he had bags under his eyes like he hadn't slept for awhile. Hermione stepped closer to him.
"How long have you been here, in the muggle world?" Hermione asked quietly, making sure no one heard her but Draco.
"I came here yesterday." He answered her softly.
"Where did you sleep at?" Hermione asked shocked.
"I didn't sleep, I just sat in one of the alleys that was on this street."
"What happened Draco? Why would you run away and come to the muggle world, which you so clearly hated the last time I checked?" Hermione was becoming more puzzled by the minute. She wanted to know what happen to Draco that made him the way he was.
Draco didn't want to answer all these questions that she was throwing at him. He was starting to think she was warming up to him and he didn't want to ruin it by telling her what had happened. He thought that maybe he could just lie to her, but it didn't feel right to lie, that wasn't who he was anymore and he wanted her to see that. Draco started to back up and hit the wall that was behind him. He winced when he made contact. He was still sore for the damage that was done.
Hermione stepped forward when she saw him wince. Now she denfenatly knew there was something he wasn't telling her.
"Whats wrong? What happened to you?" Hermione was now started to get the impression that someone, more then likely Lucius, had hurt him in some way. And she had to admit that she was worried about him.
"I...I told him no...he got angry..." Draco was stuttering words out. He looked very flustered. And frightened. He was looking at the floor again, as if afraid that Hermione has going to hit him or something. Whatever happened to him, it had scared him pretty badly.
Hermione reached out her hand and touched his shoulder. He flinched but didn't pull away. She didn't want to push him to far. She decided to give him a brake. He didn't have to answer them if he didn't want to.
"Its ok Draco, I'm not going to hurt you. Whatever happened to you before isn't going to happen again, I'm going to make sure of that, ok?" Hermione said softly as to not startle him. He slowly looked up at her and smiled ever so slightly.
"Thank you...Hermione." He breathed out.
"Well I'll do you one better. How about you come back to my house for awhile. Its not to far away from here. You don't have to if you don't want to, but it will at least keep you off the streets. What do you say?" Hermione couldn't believe she had just asked him that, but she thought it was the least she could do. She felt like there was really something different about him. Like the Draco she knew at school wasn't the real Draco that everyone else knew. She had this sudden compulsion to get to know this knew person that she saw before her. And protect him from whatever had hurt him so badly.
She wanted to get to know the real Draco.
Draco looked at her liked she had just given him a million dollars. He couldn't believe it. She was actually giving him a chance to redeem himself without her even knowing about it. "Would you really let me stay with you? You...you don't have to, I'm sure I could fine someplace to stay..."
"I know I don't have to. I want to. What ever happened between you and your father is your busyness until your willing to tell me. I won't push you. I just want to give you a chance to get away from what ever you've been through." Hermione said with a smile on her face.
Draco couldn't possible turn down this offer she was giving him. He couldn't believe that she was willing to let him in her home, after all that he had done to her in the past. 'But that's exactly what it is, the past. And that's what I want it to stay as.' He silently thought. Draco promised himself that he would be himself around her. He felt safe around her and was starting to trust her enough to let himself known.
"Thank you."
As they stood there in the back a department store they both felt there was a silent promise that went between them. Willing each other to forget the past mistakes they had made and finally be able to get to know each other without the tension between them. It would be awkward at first considering their past, but it was nothing that time couldn't fix.
~well there's the first chapter.I hope it was ok. Reviews would be appreciated, but no ones going to force you. :)
Summary: Draco is lost in a world he doesn't understand, but has no choice but to stay. Hermione finds him and doesn't have the heart to turn him down.
~His Turn Around~
It was a beautiful summer day out as Hermione walked down the street to one of her favorite places to shop. Although she didn't like shopping all that much she did on accession and this was always where she went.
As she walked in, one of the salespersons greeted her. She walked toward the back where all the t-shirts and shorts were. It was a split store with the lady's clothes on one side and the men's on the other. Hermione was currently looking for a new tank top, when she glanced up and saw the last person she would have expected to see. Draco Malfoy was in the men's section looking very lost.
She quietly snuck up behind him on the other side of a clothes rack to get a better look at him. He was wearing black pants with a plain dark green shirt underneath one of his school robes. That puzzled Hermione to no end. Why would Malfoy of all people be in a muggle clothing store wearing a wizards robe. She knew that he didn't know too much about the muggle world but she would have at least thought that he would know better.
Hermione slowly stood up and walked around the other side and reached out and taped him on the shoulder. He jumped in the air from shock and hit one of the racks behind him. Draco had a terrified look on his face. Hermione was startled by his reaction but pleased that she could scare him so much. She decided to just stand there until he calmed down a bit.
"Malfoy?"
He just stood there staying at her with a look of relief on his face. Hermione wasn't sure this was the same Draco she knew at school, he looked so different.almost normal. Everyone know that Draco was a cruel and prejudice Slytherin, but right now at that moment he looked nothing like that. He looked so frightened a second ago that it made Hermione wonder what happen to him. But not concern of course, she still hated him. Just wonder.
"Malfoy?" Hermione said a bit louder this time trying to snap him out of the daze he seem to be in at the moment.
He blinked a couple of times like he was just now seeing where he was. He faced her with a look that made him seem childlike. No hate, no malice, or any other sinful look. He couldn't believe that he happen to go in the same store as the one person who hated him the most. The last thing he wanted at that moment was for her to start yelling at him, he had enough problems as it was.
"What are you doing here Malfoy? You do realize that you're in a muggle clothing store. Or has that not gotten through your thick skill yet?" Hermione was starting to get really annoyed that he was just standing there and not saying anything. She would even be glad that he said something hateful to her, as long as he was speaking.
"I...I had no where else to go...this is the only place that I knew of that he wouldn't find me..." Draco said in a soft voice that it made it hard for her to hear him. He wished that she wouldn't hate him so much. He needed a friend, not an enemy.
"Who wouldn't find you?" Hermione inquired.
"Lucius."
"Why would you be running from your father?" Hermione scrunched up her face in puzzlement. She was starting to think that something was not right with this...at all.
Draco was starting to look very uncomfortable and was fidgeting with the edge of his robe. He didn't want to tell her what had happened to him. He was afraid she would laugh and tell him that she didn't care and just walk off. He didn't want her to leave so soon, he felt safe at the moment and didn't want that to go away.
"Its...a long story." He said looking at anything but her, afraid to see hate like he did from everyone else.
"Ok." For some reason Hermione couldn't find it in her to be mean to him. He just looked so harmless. That scared her, she wasn't use to him being like this...ever.
"Well.what do you plan on doing, do you have anywhere to go?" Hermione resolved to be somewhat nice to him.
Draco almost thought he had heard concern in her voice but didn't want to get any high hopes. He shook his head still looking at the floor. When he decided to look up he was amazed to that she really was worried, maybe even concerned to some point about him. He could see it in her eyes.
When he finally looked up she saw that he looked very tired and she just noticed that he had bags under his eyes like he hadn't slept for awhile. Hermione stepped closer to him.
"How long have you been here, in the muggle world?" Hermione asked quietly, making sure no one heard her but Draco.
"I came here yesterday." He answered her softly.
"Where did you sleep at?" Hermione asked shocked.
"I didn't sleep, I just sat in one of the alleys that was on this street."
"What happened Draco? Why would you run away and come to the muggle world, which you so clearly hated the last time I checked?" Hermione was becoming more puzzled by the minute. She wanted to know what happen to Draco that made him the way he was.
Draco didn't want to answer all these questions that she was throwing at him. He was starting to think she was warming up to him and he didn't want to ruin it by telling her what had happened. He thought that maybe he could just lie to her, but it didn't feel right to lie, that wasn't who he was anymore and he wanted her to see that. Draco started to back up and hit the wall that was behind him. He winced when he made contact. He was still sore for the damage that was done.
Hermione stepped forward when she saw him wince. Now she denfenatly knew there was something he wasn't telling her.
"Whats wrong? What happened to you?" Hermione was now started to get the impression that someone, more then likely Lucius, had hurt him in some way. And she had to admit that she was worried about him.
"I...I told him no...he got angry..." Draco was stuttering words out. He looked very flustered. And frightened. He was looking at the floor again, as if afraid that Hermione has going to hit him or something. Whatever happened to him, it had scared him pretty badly.
Hermione reached out her hand and touched his shoulder. He flinched but didn't pull away. She didn't want to push him to far. She decided to give him a brake. He didn't have to answer them if he didn't want to.
"Its ok Draco, I'm not going to hurt you. Whatever happened to you before isn't going to happen again, I'm going to make sure of that, ok?" Hermione said softly as to not startle him. He slowly looked up at her and smiled ever so slightly.
"Thank you...Hermione." He breathed out.
"Well I'll do you one better. How about you come back to my house for awhile. Its not to far away from here. You don't have to if you don't want to, but it will at least keep you off the streets. What do you say?" Hermione couldn't believe she had just asked him that, but she thought it was the least she could do. She felt like there was really something different about him. Like the Draco she knew at school wasn't the real Draco that everyone else knew. She had this sudden compulsion to get to know this knew person that she saw before her. And protect him from whatever had hurt him so badly.
She wanted to get to know the real Draco.
Draco looked at her liked she had just given him a million dollars. He couldn't believe it. She was actually giving him a chance to redeem himself without her even knowing about it. "Would you really let me stay with you? You...you don't have to, I'm sure I could fine someplace to stay..."
"I know I don't have to. I want to. What ever happened between you and your father is your busyness until your willing to tell me. I won't push you. I just want to give you a chance to get away from what ever you've been through." Hermione said with a smile on her face.
Draco couldn't possible turn down this offer she was giving him. He couldn't believe that she was willing to let him in her home, after all that he had done to her in the past. 'But that's exactly what it is, the past. And that's what I want it to stay as.' He silently thought. Draco promised himself that he would be himself around her. He felt safe around her and was starting to trust her enough to let himself known.
"Thank you."
As they stood there in the back a department store they both felt there was a silent promise that went between them. Willing each other to forget the past mistakes they had made and finally be able to get to know each other without the tension between them. It would be awkward at first considering their past, but it was nothing that time couldn't fix.
~well there's the first chapter.I hope it was ok. Reviews would be appreciated, but no ones going to force you. :)