So hi, it's been awhile since I've been on here. I was going through some old stories of mine and I found this one. Now a couple of things with this:

1)this was originally a short story I wrote for an English class. As I re-read it I felt that the characters were similar to Draco and Hermione so I changed the names. So with that being said they might be a little OOC

2) his is a muggle AU set in 1939 Pre-WWII. giving that this is muggle and WWII I made Hermione Jewish, instead of muggleborn, and that is the reason why draco has issues with her.

So with all that being said I hope you enjoy this

PS I don't own Harry Potter

October, 1997

Hermione Weasley nee Granger heard the back door slam from where she sat in the living room. Looking at the clock on the wall she realized that it was her granddaughter coming home from school.

. "Emilie is everything alright?" she asked.

Emilie sighed as she heard her grandmother call out, she knew she shouldn't have slammed the door that hard, she was just too upset.

Every afternoon after school Emilie went over to her paternal grandmother's house, who lived only a few streets away before her parents came home from work.

Emilie had been going over to her grandmother's house since she was in the second grade when her mother went back to work full time. She no longer had to since she was old enough to stay home alone, hell Emilie was fifteen she didn't need a babysitter anymore, no she liked her grandmother's company. To Emilie, her grandmother Hermione always made her feel better. Today, however, would be a challenge.

Emilie huffed as she sat on the couch opposite from her grandmother's chair. "Hi grandma," she said gruffly.

Hermione looked at her disgruntled granddaughter, taking in the frown that was across Emilie's face. Emilie reminded Hermione of herself so much. They had the same curly dark brown hair, though Hermione's was becoming lighter with age, the same honey brown eyes. They also had the same petite build with the same temperament.

Repeating her earlier question she asked "Is everything, alright sweetheart? Why are you so upset? And don't bother telling me you're not since I can see it all over you."

Hermione was patient as Emilie contemplated telling her grandmother what was wrong.

Finally, Emilie threw up her hands in exasperation "What's wrong? Everything is wrong. As, you know, Sophomore year we take biology. Anyway, Mrs. Thorne, the teacher, assigned our lab partners today, she told the class that these would be our partners for the rest of the year and" Emilie took a slow breath before she continued. "And my partner is Kevin Morrison. Grandma, he is the absolute worst! He spends all his time trying to torment my friends and me. It's like he thinks it is his job to be rude to us. I refuse to buy into the myth that guys are mean to you when they like you. No, he is just a jerk. I guess the only good thing about this whole thing is that he's smart. Though he never puts it to use."

"If he doesn't put it to use how do you know that he is smart?" Hermione asked, trying to hold back her smile.

Emilie frowned again "Because the jerk gets straight A's. It's like he doesn't even have to try." Emilie grumbled to herself. That caused Hermione to laugh.

Emilie glared at her grandmother "Grandma none of what is happening funny!"

Hermione tried to stifle her giggles "I'm sorry dear, of course, it is not funny. It just reminds me of when I was your age, I had a boy who was mean to my friends and me. He drove me crazy as well. He was the bane of my existence. Did I ever tell you about him?"

Emilie pushed her hair behind her ear and pulled her legs under herself as she shifted on the couch "No. do you have any advice? Was he absolutely awful? Probably not as bad as Kevin."

Hermione rocked in her chair thinking of the boy who used to be the one she hated the most "Yes he was awful, but he wasn't always what he seemed."

Emilie looked at her grandmother with anticipation, almost willing her to continue with her story.

Hermione had a small smile on her face "We had known each other since we were little, but our feud didn't come to a head until we were in high school. Then, the summer before my senior year is when everything started to change…"

Summer, 1939

"Hermione Granger, will you please get your nose out of that book? We promised Ginny that we were going to meet her at Nate's at one o'clock, it is now one-ten." my friend Luna said to me as I flicked through a book that was on a cart out front of the bookstore in town.

"Calm down Luna, Nate's isn't going anywhere, besides Ginny was late the last time we got together, which was yesterday at the same fountain shop we are going to now. I'll only be another moment." I flipped through the pages of the newest Nancy Drew; I had enjoyed them since I was nine years old. Closing the book and placing it back I turned to Luna "See? All done. Now let's go, I am dying for a chocolate frappe." I interlocked my arm with Luna's, and we headed to Nate's.

The bell rang as we entered, Ginny was sitting in a booth looking out of breath, her red hair out of place.

I laughed as we joined her "Ginny, did you run here?"

Ginny took a moment to catch her breath before answering me "Yes! I didn't want to be late again and come to find out you two were late. My hair is a mess now thanks a lot" she grabbed a compact mirror from her purse to try to fix her hair.

"Why are you even trying to fix that mess that you call hair? Might as well just put a hat on and call it a day." a voice from behind us sneered.

I recognized it right away as Draco Malfoy. I turned to look him in the eyes, he was not going to ruin our day.

"Aren't you too old for childish insults?" I glared at him. I eventually roll my eyes at him tired of him being even close to my friends and me. "Is there something you want Draco because if no then you can be on your way since your presence is unwanted by everyone at this table."

Draco was in the same grade as me, Ginny and Luna at Hogwarts, we are all going into our final year. At 5'10, Draco was the star of the school's basketball team. His blonde hair and blue/gray eyes also made him the star with the cheerleaders.

We had been to school together since we were young, though we didn't have any classes together until we were in junior high. Since I first had any interaction with Draco in the sixth grade, he had been rude, obnoxious, and thought he was better than everyone else just because his father was the CEO of John Hancock Insurance. His father was also a man who left little to desire.

Lucius Malfoy was one of the few people to not lose his job during the depression. He could have donated some of his money to the shelters to help those in need or at least hired people, but no, he kept it all to himself.

My family was lucky to not have been affected harshly by the depression since my father was a doctor at St. Mungos. Which happened to be one of the best hospitals in London; if not the country. This, however, didn't stop Draco from saying that he was better than my family and me.

Draco turned to look at me with a scowl on his face. "Was I talking to you? No, I don't think I was, and if you were a real friend, then you would agree with me and tell her to not even bother. But how would you know what it means to be pretty?"

I didn't mean too, but I couldn't help it, I reached up to my own hair and tried to smooth my curls.

Draco burst out laughing, not saying anything else as he walked to the table where he was initially headed where his friends Blaise Zabini, Theodore Nott and current girlfriend, Pansy Parkinson were sitting.

"Mione don't let what that jerk says get to you, you are one of the most beautiful girls I have ever known. Look Pansy is staring at you right now with her ugly mug since she knows that you are prettier than she is" Ginny said trying to make me feel better.

"Thanks, Ginny, I'm madder at myself for letting that jerk upset me so much. But he shouldn't have talked to you like that. How does Pansy put up with him? He treats her just like arm candy. He doesn't really like her."

I was still playing with my hair despite my best efforts to stop.

"Perhaps he is nicer to his friends? The teachers seem to love him," Luna said.

Luna always tried to see the good in people, she kept trying to get me to do it too, but I just couldn't see anything good about Draco Malfoy.

I shook my head "No, they all just sat and watched as he was blatantly rude to us. Perhaps he has the teachers fooled with his nice guy act, but his friends and his girlfriend know how much of a jerk he is."

Luna only shrugged, and Ginny patted my hand. "I'm not phased by what he said, my hair does look like a birds nest, if I were so concerned about fixing it, I would go off to the powder room. Now let's order our drinks" she smiled at Luna and me.

I smiled at my best friends and pushed any thoughts of Draco out of my head. I put all my focus on enjoying the afternoon with Ginny and Luna since they each were going on vacation for two weeks the day after tomorrow.

"What am I going to do while you two are away?" I sighed into my chocolate milkshake.

"Oh, Hermione it won't be so bad. We're only going to be gone for two weeks, you can catch up on your reading" Luna said.

I smiled "That's true."

A loud laugh came from Draco's table, causing the three of us to turn and look at them. Draco was miming that he was reading, apparently trying to be me, causing his table mates to laugh.

I wish it didn't bother me as much as it did to have him continuously tease me. I was no fool in thinking that it was his way of saying he liked me. No, when someone is fond of someone they treat them with kindness, not name calling. It was just that after six years it was getting very tiresome. If I were a braver person, I would've walked over to his table to give him a piece of my mind.

Ginny, like myself, didn't always see the good in people. She turned back to us "You know I think I have lost my appetite. Why don't we go bowling?"

Luna and I nodded. We put our money on the table and left.

Two days later I was sitting on Luna's bed while she finished packing for her family trip down the cape. Her blonde hair was in a ponytail, she was wearing a pair of denim slacks and one of her father's old Oxfords.

She was the first of the three of us to start to wear the men's fashion trend, but soon it was something we'd all adopted. I was wearing my own denim slacks that were rolled up to my knees and a green polo shirt. My loafers were on the floor next to the bed.

"Must you be away for two whole weeks?" I sighed as I moved to lay on her bed. "Do you need any help by the way?" I asked as I watched her walk back and forth around her room grabbing everything she needed.

"No thank you, though. And I'm sorry Mione I know you'll be bored with both myself and Ginny being gone. But look on the bright side- you can go on your own adventures that neither of us wants to do. Like, spend hours in the library, or the art museum. You know I don't have an eye for classical art. Also didn't you promise your dad that you would meet him in town one day and go to lunch? You've kept putting that off to hang out with us. Your father wants to show off his amazing daughter to his co-workers." She finished putting items in her suitcase taking one more look around her room to make sure had everything she needed.

I threw one of her pillows at her "Must you always be right?"

She caught it with ease "Yes" she laughed as she threw the pillow back to me.

Luna clicked her suitcase shut "I think that's it."

She looked at me who was still sitting on her bed "These two weeks are going to seem like forever without you Hermione. Maybe next summer you can come with us!"

I stood up to give her a hug "Perhaps. You are going to have a terrific time, you are going to be on the beach every day, meet cute beach boys. Don't worry about me. Let's go I'm sure your parents are wondering what is taking so long. You do have a train to catch." I grab her small makeup bag and head out the door followed by Luna.

I waved at their fading car until it rounded the corner.

"Waving at nothing I see. That is a sign that you might have something wrong with you" a voice drawled.

I had to bite my tongue before I turned around, I would not stoop to his level, I would however not make pleasantries with him. "Is there something you want Draco? What are you even doing in this neighborhood, you live over on Garrison?"

Draco smirked at me, damn his smirk "So you know where I live? Looks like someone is clobbered" he snickered.

I shifted uncomfortably, and he continued "Besides can't a guy visit one of his friends? Or is that something you are only allowed to do?"

I frowned wanting to end this conversation, but a part of me wanted to keep talking only to defend myself.

I rolled my eyes "That's a ridiculous thing to say, of course, you may visit your friends. As for knowing where you live we've been in school together for almost seven years, something like where you live is going to come up. Now I'm leaving."

I turn back around and begin to walk home, I feel a body next to me. I stop and look up at Draco, he has the look of confusion on his face as if I was the one doing something weird

"Can I help you with something?" I ask.

"You're not even going to ask whose house I was at?" Draco asked.

I shook my head my curls bouncing as I did. "No, because I don't care. Unless you somehow forgot, we" I said pointing to the two of us, "Don't like each other so what you do doesn't concern me, Draco."

I began walking again, but he continued to walk next to me. I tried to ignore him, but his presence made it nearly impossible.

He spoke first "I was at Daphne Greengrass'."

I internally groan "I repeat myself I don't care. But since you seem to want to have a conversation with someone you once called, and I quote a Hedy Lamarr wannabe, whos cheap Jewish father wouldn't pay even a nickel to buy me nice clothes. So against my better judgment I'll indulge you. What happened to Pansy Parkinson? You were just with her two days ago, when now that I mention it you called me ugly. So you know what I am done talking to you." I picked up my pace to get away from him.

I had reached the end of Lunas street, mine was only two over to the right. I proceeded to cross the street to head home. He once again caught up with me.

"You are beginning to annoy me Draco, and that is saying a lot since I loathe you," I told him, over my shoulder trying to stay at least two steps ahead.

"You loathe me? Isn't that a bit harsh?" he asked once again next to me.

"What is the emotion you would use to describe the person who seems to make it part of their daily routine to make a snide comment about me and my family? I feel the word loathe fits perfectly. Did you miss when I recalled you calling me a daughter of a cheap Jew, ugly, and let's not forget the pantomime yesterday of me reading a book as if I'm the only person on earth to pick up a book! Why are you even following me?" I cross my arms over my body in an attempt to separate us even a little bit.

"I called you that Hedy Lamarr joke years ago when I was immature," Draco said trying to brush it off.

"Was immature? You called me ugly yesterday. Perhaps you should pick up a dictionary and find out what immature means because it doesn't mean what you think it means. And you're not even going to address the fact that you are racist against Jewish people. You're no better than the Germans." I turned away.

Draco held me back. In a deep dark voice, he said "I am not racist!. I might've said something in the past but that isn't the kind of guy I am." His body relaxed and he pushed his hair back with his hand. "I'm sorry for yesterday, sometimes my mouth goes off before my brain tells it to stop."

I was not prepared to hear an apology, but it didn't relieve the years of hurt he had caused me. I gulped unsure how to answer.

Draco didn't wait for me to answer he went on with his previous story. "Well as I was saying I was over at Daphne Greengrass house."

I rolled my eyes not believing I was being sucked into some form of conversation with Draco Malfoy. We began to walk in tandem again.

"I went there with my friend Marcus Flint, well Daphne's friend Tracy was supposed to meet us, and we were all going to go to the movies. Anyway, long story short Tracy canceled, Marcus left with Daphne leaving me at Daphne's without my car which is still at Marcus' since we drove to Daphne's in his car so we could all go to the movies. And since you know where everyone lives you will be aware that Marcus lives in your neighborhood. As for Pansy, she was never my girlfriend just a girl I occasionally to took to the movies and one dance." Draco walked with his hands in his pockets.

"Oh" was all I said.

I didn't even comment that Draco knew where I lived.

"Oh, is that all you have to say?" Draco asked.

"What is it that you want me to say to a story that I didn't really need to or want to hear. You're the one who volunteered all the information. Hows this 'Wow that's fascinating Draco, you are the best storyteller in the world please tell me more'" I said with fake enthusiasm.

"I was trying to be friendly, jeez Louise a guy can't win with you, can he? Either I am too rude and immature or too friendly" Draco shoved his hands deeper into his pockets.

I felt an instant sense of guilt, but the logically part of my brain reminded me that Draco had never said a nice thing to me so I shouldn't feel bad that I was rude back to him. But it wasn't in my nature to be mean.

We walked in silence until we reached the house before mine.

Draco turned to me he looked like he wanted to say something important to me. He kept opening and closing his mouth.

"Are you alright?" I asked raising my eyebrows in confusion.

I was just about to apologize for what I had said when Draco seemed to have changed once again from the boy who was trying to have a conversation with me back to the boy who teased me.

"I'm fine, I'm just in awe of myself for talking to you without losing my lunch" he snickered.

My eyes filled with tears "You are the absolute worst Draco Malfoy."

I ran across the neighbor's yard into mine and bolted up porch steps. I turned slightly to look over my shoulder to see what he was doing, from my view it looked like he was laughing to himself, but I can't be sure. I could only see him shaking his head as he walked further down the street. Though knowing Draco like I think I do he is definitely laughing at me.

"Grandma he sounds awful, but why was he so nice to you or at least trying to have a conversation with you to just insult you once again?" Emilie asked.

"At the time I didn't know. It wasn't until a few days later during family dinner that Draco's name was even brought up. By my father, no less" Hermione said as she leaned her head back in the chair recalling the memories that weren't that far in her mind.

"So did you enjoy your talk with Ginny today?" My mother asked me as she placed the plate on the table for dinner. "I know you are missing them since they are really your only friends."

Like usual my mother has me in her corner until the very end. Ginny and Luna are my best friends, I have other friends just I'm just not friendly enough with them to call on them randomly. I called them my school friends. The friends I sat with at lunch with, talked to during break, but I didn't seem them outside of school.

These past few days have been torturous without anyone to do anything with.

It was especially torturous to have to analyze what the deal with Draco Malfoy was the other day all alone. I needed to talk to someone about it, so I was ecstatic when Ginny called today. She had no words on what was causing Draco to act friendly one minute and then go back to being the creep he always was the next.

"Not to sound like Luna but maybe he was trying to apologize for everything and chickened out, I mean he did apologize for the other day at Nate's," Ginny said.

"Ginny don't be ridiculous!" I practically scream into the phone. "Draco Malfoy wasn't trying to apologize. Sure he said sorry for calling me ugly the other day, but I don't know. Ugh, I shouldn't even be thinking about him. Enough about me tell me about your trip."

"Yes, mom Ginny and I talked for over an hour. She just told me about her vacation down in Bristol. She's really having a nice time. She did reiterate what Luna had said when she left that I need to find something to do with myself." I took a bite of my mashed potatoes.

My father wiped his face with his napkin and looked at me. "Yes, you do need to do more than just sitting around all day. You are now seventeen almost eighteen in only a few months. You need to start to gather skills for your future. We also don't know what the war in Europe will mean for us. Perhaps they will need young ladies to help in some sort of way. In the Great War young girls left school and became nurses, I can't see why they wouldn't need nurses this time since it is war and there will always be causalities."

He scooped up his potatoes and chicken together before saying "The hospital has some volunteer work that you can do. In fact, I believe someone from your school is there, what is his name? Dustin Malloy? No, that isn't it, all I know his initials are D.M. he is quite good, very popular with the patients."

I nearly choked on my peas "You can't mean Draco Malfoy?"

He was the only one in the upper school with those initials.

My father clapped his hands together "Yes that's him. What a nice young man. That boy has a real knack for working in a hospital. I had lunch with him the other day, trying to convince him to take the medic course. Even if we don't end up going to war with Germany, though it seems inevitable, he will have a skill that will make him more likely to survive. Do you know him well?"

I blinked rapidly for a few seconds, how could my father ever eat lunch with the scoundrel that is Draco Malfoy. How could my father say the words nice young man to describe Draco? Was this what Draco was trying to tell me the other day?

My father's voice pulled me from my thoughts. "Hermione, I asked if you knew him well?"

"Uh? We're in the same year. I don't know him that well I guess, but we don't really get along" I said.

"That's a shame he is a very polite young man. Anyway, tomorrow I want you to come to the hospital and sign up for volunteer work, they are always looking for help in all areas of the hospital." With that, my father concluded the discussion.

My head was spinning, it was as if my whole world was beginning to crumble and there was nothing I could do to stop it.

The train ride to the hospital the next day was a quick one, too quick. I needed way more time to process possibly seeing Draco. There is no way in hell that he is as pleasant as my father said he was. No, he was a jerk and got his kicks from making my life miserable. This was probably just a ploy to catch me off guard, well I am not going to let that happen. Logically I knew that was unlikely, but at this moment my mind wasn't thinking rationally.

I took a deep breath then pushed open the front door of St Mungo's anxious and yet excited what lay ahead.

I have known Cheryl Wells since I was nine. Cheryl is a plump woman around fifty- five, her husband had passed away, so she began working at the hospital as the greeter at the information desk.

When I was nine, she used to give me a piece of candy every time I saw her. Now that I am older I only visit my father every couple of months, so Cheryl was very excited to see me as I walked through the doors.

"Little Hermione Granger! Well, you are no longer little are you, come give Ms. Cheryl a hug!" she rose from her chair and pulled me into a very tight squeeze.

"Hello, Ms. Cheryl how are you today?" I said being polite.

"I'm wonderful darling, even better now that I saw your face. Which by the way is getting prettier and prettier every time I see you. If I had a son I would try to get you to marry him" she chuckled as she ran her hand down my hair and face. Causing me to blush.

"What are you doing here today? Having lunch with your father?" she asked as she retook her seat.

I shook my head and clasped my hands around my small purse "No actually I am here to sign up to do some volunteer work. My father thinks it will be a good learning experience. Do you know where I go?"

Her face beamed "Your father is quite right. You never know what skills you may need. Now the department who deals with volunteers is on the seventh floor B-side. You need to go down this hall here, take the elevators that are on your right not left. Once you are on the seventh floor, you are going to be looking for room 752. There you will ask for a man named Remus Lupin, he is the one in charge. I wish you all the best dear."

I smiled as I thanked her and walked away.

Mr. Lupin said that help was needed in the pediatric ward. I was to be an inpatient volunteer. He told me that my duties included playing and interacting with the young children who were admitted to the hospital. It was heartbreaking to think of the children that were stuck inside all day every day. I was given my rota and was sent off.

"So you were forced, in a sense, to work at least indirectly with Draco. Did you end up working with him?" Emilie fired questions at Hermione leaning closer and closer trying to pull the answers from her grandmother.

"Let me finish" Hermione chuckled.

Emilie sighed but leaned back on the couch so her grandmother could finish her story.

The first few days were Draco free. I would go straight to the pediatric ward, and I would go visit with the children. My favorite was a little girl named Katie Bell, she was being treated for polio. She was only a few years younger than I was.

We sat and talked for what felt like hours. Katie would tell me about what she was going to do when she left the hospital, her favorite books, boys she had crushes on. I would share my favorite books, my favorite actors. She was just wonderful.

On the third day, I walked into Katie's room to find that she had a new roommate a boy named Ernie Macmillian he was only five, and he was having his tonsils removed. He also had a volunteer aid, and it was none other than Draco.

Draco looked at me, but he didn't say anything, and neither did I.

I went straight to Katie's bed, and I took out the book I had brought with me which is Anne of Green Gables. I had brought a book each day for us to enjoy.

Today though Katie couldn't and wouldn't pay attention. "What is wrong Katie?" I asked.

"That boy is so scared. I remember when I first came here, and I was so afraid, and then I met you, and I was no longer afraid. His person is going to make him not afraid just like you did with me."

I looked over at the pair, and I could just barely hear what Draco was saying to Ernie.

"Hey, Ernie don't worry about this. It is such a simple surgery they do it every day. You are the champ of this game don't forget that." Draco ruffled Ernies soft blonde hair.

The boy had a smile on his face, and I could tell that Draco really was helping.

I smiled, maybe I had been too cynical towards Draco. I turned back to Katie "Are you ready to read the story now?" I asked.

She nodded and asked me to adjust her pillows. We read for another half hour then it was time for me to go to one of my other rooms.

"I'll see you tomorrow Katie," I said as I headed to the door.

Draco left the same time as me and was holding the door for me. I looked at him then mumbled a thank you as I walked past.

"I was wondering if I was going to bump into you," he said as we walked down the corridor.

"How did you even know I was here?" I asked.

"I had lunch with your dad yesterday, and he told me that you were now volunteering here."

I frowned "What are you doing eating lunch with my father? I thought you thought you were better than my Jewish family and me. Why are you lowering yourself?"

Draco was taken aback by my outburst. " I told you I don't think like that. I never thought I was better than you and your family. I'm sorry if I ever made you think that. I was just taught from a young age that certain people were destined for greatness, while others were riding on those peoples coat tails. I am aware that none of this makes sense on why I picked on you since your family is very affluent as well, it's just my father… it's complicated." Draco sighed in exhaustion at the mention of his father.

He looked over at me as we walked "I would like to apologize for any and all harm that I have caused you. I never intentionally set out make you my target of my hatred, you were just there and I was just copying what I heard at home and from friends. After a while, it just became expected that I was to be mean to you. It made my friends laugh, and I understand that this is a weak explanation but can we have a fresh start?" he said as shoved his left hand in his pocket while his right combed through his hair.

I looked at him, perhaps for the very first time really looked at him and saw someone I didn't know. It pains me to admit it, but he really is handsome. I sighed taking in everything.

"To be mean to someone just because their father and friends do it isn't a good enough reason. You should be a leader and not a follower" I said.

He smiled "I guess your right."

His smile was warm, and it was something that I hadn't seen before. I have seen him smile before, I've seen him smile when he had just won the basketball championship last year, I've seen him smile when he thought his jab to me was funny, but I have never seen his smile be warm.

"That was sweet of you, you know what you did in there with Ernie" I pointed back to where we had just come from.

I can't believe it, I am having a normal, civil, conversation with Draco Malfoy.

Draco only nodded in thanks.

We walked in silence for a moment, I stopped at the room at the end of the corridor "I have to go in now. This is my last one of the day." I pointed to the door behind me.

"The room I'm supposed to go is actually in the other direction" he laughed.

Which caused me to laugh "Then why did you come all the way down here?"

"I liked talking to you." He shuffled his feet.

I stared at him, not believing that what was happening was real. That I had also enjoyed talking to him.

"Would you like to meet me for a late lunch in the café after you are done?" he asked timidly.

I have every reason to say no, but something was drawing me to him. "Sure," I said. I smiled at him and quickly entered the door and close the door behind me, so I didn't have to see him, and he couldn't see the excited grin that was on my face.

I finished rather quickly since my last patient was sleeping. I decided that I would go down to the café early and wait for Draco there.

I found a table in the far back corner that would be perfect. I don't know why, no I know why I am nervous, Draco has never been kind to me, so I need to keep my guard up.

This could all be just an elaborate plot to embarrass me so he can tell his friends about it.

I must have been making facial expressions as I talked it out in my head since when Draco came over, he laughed.

"I see you are once again imagining something or someone is there when there is clearly nothing." He began to pull out a chair.

I hold up my hands before he could sit down "If you are going to be a fat- head and be cheesy then you can just walk away right now. I took up your invitation to this because I thought that maybe you aren't the jerk that I believe that you are. I've been told to try to see the good in people, and I am trying to do that with you, but you are making it rather difficult."

"My apologies, some habits die hard. May I buy you something to eat? The turkey and cheese sandwiches that they have here are surprisingly good." He asked as he smiled.

"Yes, Thank you," I said.

"I'll be right back" he turned and went to get the food.

I watched as he grabbed the tray and gathered all the food and drinks onto it. Perhaps Luna was right I should start to see the good in people more often.

The first lunch was awkward, but somehow it became a regular routine for us. We would visit with our patients then we would meet each other for a late lunch.

"Your father has convinced me to take the medic classes. He thinks I'll be good at it." Draco said to me on our fifth lunch, taking a bite of his sandwich.

"My father is always telling people what to do. Everyone in the hospital knows about Dr. Joseph Granger and his not so secret advice. What do your parents think of you doing that? Your mother can't be too happy to think that you are learning to be a medic to go over and fight if we ever enter into this war. She wouldn't want to think about you in danger like that," I said.

Draco's face turned sober "My mother won't mind since she passed away when I was ten. It has just been my dad and me for all this time." He quietly took a sip of his drink.

I instinctually reached my hand to his and held it "I'm really sorry Draco, I didn't know. I shouldn't have said anything."

He shook his head, though he kept his hand on mine when he said "Hermione honestly it is fine. It's not like I walk around with a sign that says my mom is dead. It's not something that my dad and I like to talk about. After her death, my dad became obsessed with work, he became meaner and so did I."

"Why do you say you became meaner?" I asked.

Draco didn't say anything.

"Draco?" I said quietly.

"My father blamed the doctors for my mother's death. She had had a bad cough, and the doctor told her that it was just the change of seasons. Turns out she had Pneumonia. My father said all doctors were the same, he said they were greedy Jews who were only after money and not trying to cure people. So he became more negative towards everyone especially Jewish people, and I became meaner to the only person I knew who was the child of a Jewish doctor." Draco stared at his feet.

I paused, floored by his confession. I wanted no needed to know why his sudden change of attitude towards me.

"I have a question if I don't ask it now I'm not sure if I ever will, and I will be wondering what the answer is for probably the rest of my days."

"Go ahead, the floor is yours," he said.

He released his hand from my hold and leaned back in his chair. My hand, and honestly the rest of me missed the warmth of his hand. "I want to know what made you change your attitude towards me? Why are you so nice to me now? When for so long you haven't been"

He thought about his answer, I could see his blue eyes turn darker in thought "To be honest, I grew tired of it. It was too much for me to always have to come up with an insult. I knew deep down it wasn't the doctor's fault my mother died, they just didn't see that she had anything other than a cough since she had no other symptoms. It wasn't because he was Jewish, it was just a terrible accident. I knew it wasn't who I really was, or at least who I am now. Maybe at the age of fourteen and fifteen, I was a creep then. I also knew it wasn't who my mother wanted me to be. She didn't raise a boy to be mean to girls, or anyone for that matter. I wanted to stop being the person she wouldn't like and be a person she would be proud of. I know I said it before, but I truly am sorry for all the awful things I did and said to you all these years."

I didn't know what to say, I didn't want to say it was all right since it wasn't, but I forgave him. I did the only thing I could think of, I rose up from my seat leaned across the table and kissed him on the cheek.

"You kissed him!" Emilie screeched as she slammed her feet on the floor leaning towards her grandmother.

"It was only a kiss on the cheek dear" Hermione chuckled.

Emilie shook her head "Still…" she took a moment to process everything "But that can't be it. What happened when Luna and Ginny came back? Did you and Draco still have lunch together? What about when school started again?"

Hermione smiled "Of course that isn't it. When Luna and Ginny returned from their vacations, we went back to hanging out as seventeen-year-old girls did. However, I still kept my job at the hospital. Draco and I were able to have lunch together every couple of days, he was in the medic course which took up much of his time. Luna and Ginny were very supportive of my budding friendship with Draco. Being in school was no different, Draco and I still sat with each other at lunch, then he would walk me home. It was a shock to his friends, this sudden change. He lost a few, but he gained more so it wasn't that big of a loss. The hardest one he had to come to terms with was his father. Who after meeting me stopped talking to Draco. It took a while for his father to forgive him, for what his father thought as a betrayal." Hermione sighed.

" It's not very clear when it happened, but one day I realized that I loved him and loved being around him. He asked me to go steady on October 27, 1939. I was happier than I ever was in my whole life. Then things changed. We had been at war for six months." Hermione closed her eyes, forcing the tears to stay away.

Emilie started to tear up at the sight of her grandmother "Grandma what happened?"

"Draco, why are you doing this?" I asked him, he had just told me that he was going to volunteer to be a medic.

"You're still in school, you don't need to go. You just need to fill out the draft card, but they won't call you since you are still a student." I was crying, I didn't want to lose him.

"Hermione I can't just sit back while people die and it is possible that I can save them. I love you, but I have to do this." He kissed me as he left to go to the recruiter's office.

"So he chose to join the army? What happened to your relationship?" Emilie forgot about her problems with Kevin Morrison. Perhaps like Draco Malfoy, he wasn't such an awful person, maybe there was an underlying reason for him to be so mean.

"Well Draco joined the army, he was due to leave for basic training on May 31, 1940. I was distraught, but I loved him and supported his decision despite being afraid. On April 13 he asked me to marry him. I, of course, said yes. My mother helped plan this beautiful small ceremony which was held a few weeks later."

Hermione closed her eyes picturing it all in her mind. "We had just about a month as a married couple. It was the happiest I had ever been. We moved into my parent's house and we acted like a real married couple."

" He shipped out and was deployed to the western front. He was fighting in France. He wrote to me as much as he could for ten months. He saved numerous men's lives. I received a letter on May 20, 1941, postmarked May 3, that his platoon would be heading to England at the end of the month."

"Oh mom, he's going to be England for at least a month! He'll be able to call when he is there. I've missed the sound of his voice." I was in tears of joy. I tried to keep busy while I waited to hear from him, but it was close to impossible.

June 1 rolled around, and I still hadn't heard anything. I tried to get rid of the feeling, but I knew something was wrong.

"Hermione give them time to get to England and settle," my father said to me.

I wanted to believe that everything was fine, but I knew it wasn't.

On a cold Tuesday morning, the doorbell rang. I ran down the stairs dreading who was on the other side of the door. I knew who it was going to be, it was going to be a soldier holding a telegram that would say the words I feared in my worst nightmare.

I stopped at the bottom of the stairs unable to go any further. My mother came and wrapped her arms around my shoulders, while my father opened the door to reveal what I had been dreading.

A young man in full uniform was standing there "I'm sorry" was all he said as he handed my father the telegram.

"No, No, No he's in England. He told me he was in England. He's going to call any minute" I started to hyperventilate as tears poured down my face, I tried to run away, but my mother held me in place.

My father read the telegram to himself, wiped his own eyes turning to me all he could say was "I'm sorry sweetheart."

I screamed, and I crumble to the floor.

"Oh, Grandma!" Emilie cried, tears pouring down her face as she rushed to wrap her arms around Hermione.

"It's alright my dear, I didn't tell you this story to upset you. I told you this story because Kevin might be mean because he has issues that no one has taken the time to listen to. You could be that person, promise me you will try to see the good in Kevin, it could change your life" Hermione patted Emilie's head.

"Draco will always be a part of me, and I love him still to this day, but I also loved your grandfather, whom I met because of Draco. They had been friends in the army, we bonded over Draco.

"You see I saved Draco from being a cruel, vindictive person, and he saved me from being a cynical, and intolerant. We were each other's salvation."

Emilie gave her grandmother one more squeeze before returning to the coach. "I promise."

Emilie got up to go work on her homework, leaving her grandmother alone.

Hermione rocked back and forth, with her eyes closed thinking of the handsome boy she loved.