This is written for the QLFC Kestrels round 13. Prompt is Phoenix: write about someone turning over a new leaf or being "reborn" metaphorically.
Disclaimer: Sadly….just no
Hermione smiled, as she walked into the old worn down church that wasn't far from The Leaky Cauldron. She hadn't been going to this particular one for long, but it was small and cozy and reminded her of the one she used to go to with her parents. Taking a seat near the back, she got lost in the Priest's words and closed her eyes as she listened.
She'd started attending more frequently since the war ended. It helped her cope with the loss of so many people she'd known, with the loss of a part of herself. It was soothing to sit and listen, to be reminded that there was still so much good in the world, to feel so connected with her Muggle heritage.
An elderly lady sitting to her right stood, and smiled down at her before making her way to the front to kneel down, when the priest gave an invitation for alter call. Hermione, for a moment, felt as though maybe she would go up as well. But in the split second she was about to stand, a glimpse of shocking white blond hair froze her to her seat. White blond hair that she knew belonged to a certain Slytherin.
The rest of the service, she fidgeted nervously in her seat, barely able to pay attention as she kept glancing over to the man who seemed to be completely content in the Muggle church. When it was finally over, she stood and made her way to where he was silently waiting his turn to step out from the pew.
"Malfoy," she called out, startling him.
He looked like a deer caught in headlights as he spotted her, a pink tinge coming to his cheeks. "Granger, what are you doing here?"
"I suppose I should ask you the same question? You are aware of where you're at, right?"
He nodded as he looked up and around all of the stained glass windows slowly, "I do indeed know where I'm at."
She looked at him with a confused expression on her face, waiting for him to explain himself. They weren't friends, but they were definitely no longer enemies. In the two years that had passed since the war ended, they had become somewhat of acquaintances. They'd both gone back to finish their final year at Hogwarts, barely speaking except for when he had thanked her for testifying on his behalf, and eventually had gone on to work in different departments at the Ministry.
A few seconds went by and Hermione could tell that Draco was struggling with an explanation, she felt rather bad just putting him on the spot like that. "Would you care to join me for lunch?"
He looked back to her, surprise evident on his face, "why would you want to have lunch with me?"
She smiled softly and tucked a curl behind her ear, "I know this great café just down the street. I usually go there after service. I wouldn't mind if you don't mind."
He looked at her apprehensively before finally nodding his head, "ok then. Lead the way."
o0o
"So you just started attending after accidentally coming across it? What made you decide to keep going back?" Hermione sipped her tea and tore a piece off her scone. Surprisingly, she found it was easier to talk to him than she imagined. He'd been nothing but polite to her so far, it was almost unnerving. Like she was waiting for the other shoe to drop, but in the last thirty minutes they'd been in each other's company, he'd not said or done anything hateful or hurtful to her.
"I had no idea what I was walking into, I had just liked the glass windows from outside and wanted to get a better look. When I walked in, everyone turned to look at me, and the Priest said 'Come in my child.' I'll admit, I had a moment where I was reminded of Voldemort and it scared me. I was just standing there, frozen. So he came to me, all the while talking about how all of God's children were welcome, whether they wanted to simply listen to his word, or be born again."
He picked up his own tea and took a long drink before continuing. "I had absolutely no idea what he was talking about, but when he said born again, I must have looked at confused as I felt. He asked me if I wanted to repent my sins, if I wanted to be born again and do the Lord's bidding."
Hermione let a breath she didn't realize she had been holding go. She was completely intrigued by his story and found herself asking, "what did you say?"
Draco laughed, "I told him I never wanted to do the bidding for any Lord ever again."
She found herself laughing as well, "you did not!"
"I did, and he looked at me for a few moments before asking if I had come to be reborn." Draco shook his head, "it was like he was looking right into my soul. He took me by the arm and led me to the front, all the while going on about a dream he had the night before about a man coming to the church to be washed of his sins. He told everyone that he believed I was this man he had dreamt about. Then he asked me again if I wanted to repent my sins and start anew."
Hermione found herself in complete shock at the story that was unfolding in front of her. But he was being so unguarded, and it seemed so truthful, that she found herself not doubting one word.
"I asked him if starting anew meant that I could have the chance to become a different man, a better one that I had been. He told me that I could, as long as I followed the Lord. So I told him that sounded like a Lord worth following, then he splashed water on me. It was very odd."
Hermione let out a light laugh, "Draco Malfoy, I think you got baptized."
"Well, whatever it was, when it was over he told me that I could go forth a new man and sat me down in the front to listen to the rest of the service. The words he said, the stories he told, when I left I actually did feel like a new man."
"And you've been going ever since." Hermione finished for him. He nodded and popped the rest of his scone in his mouth.
"Do you feel like it helps? To go and listen?" she asked.
He nodded again, "I do. And I've done my best to try and follow the words."
"The words?" she cocked her head to the side for a moment before it dawned on her. "The Bible?"
He nodded slowly, "I just wanted to start over. Make a fresh name for myself, show that I can be a better person than what I was."
Hermione thoughtfully watched him for a moment before sticking out her hand towards him, grinning when he looked at it then to her in confusion. "I'm Hermione Granger."
He smiled a small genuine smile after a few moments as he realized what she was doing, and stuck his own hand out to shake hers, "Draco Malfoy."
"Pleasure to meet you, Draco."
"Please, Miss Granger, the pleasure is mine."
I'm actually really proud of how this turned out considering I wrote it in an hour.