Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Harry Potter or J.K. Rowling

"Arriving Home" Ch. 1

The moment Hermione Granger got off the Hogwarts Express for that summer vacation, the first person she saw was none other then Draco Malfoy. He was surrounded by his two friends Crabb and Goyle. She wondered what he saw in them even if they were in Slytherin with him. While the two so called friends of his were arguing over something, Malfoy just stared down at his feet with a look that Hermione couldn't help but notice was a face of sadness. "Is it possible that Draco Malfoy actually has feelings?" Hermione thought.

His father was recently caught again and sent to Azkaban again for being a Death Eater. Hermione was sure that even a heartless Slytherin could be a little concerned about a family member being sent to a place where dark, scary 'things' live off of your worst memories. She quickly turned away from him realizing that she was staring. "Why am I feeling sorry for that pric? He never cared how I felt about anything." She thought to herself, but still she couldn't help feeling sorry for him.

After snapping back to reality, Hermione picked up Crookshanks and ran threw the wall between platforms nine and ten and was greeted by her mother and father. "How was your trip home sweetheart? We missed you so much." Her mother said with a hug that caused Hermione to grunt in pain from not being able to breath. "Fine mum!" she answered getting her breath back. Her father finished loading all of her things in to the trunk of their silver mustang. She was glad to be home but couldn't wait till next August when she would be finding herself back on the train heading for her seventh and final year at Hogwarts.

She glanced back at her friends getting into their cars one last time. Ron was being stuffed into a car that Mr. Weasley had clearly barrowed from the Ministry with his little sister Ginny and his twin brothers Fred and George who came along for the ride. Harry, on the other hand, was being pushed in a wheel chair to a van that was recently bought just for him. Harry had become temporarily paralyzed from the waist down. The part of his brain that controls his legs had suffered minor damage due to the unforgivable curse that Voldemort had used on him over and over again. Harry barely survived. He did, however, manage to kill the dark lord before passing out. Hermione didn't know how he was going to survive the summer at the Dursley's in his condition. She made a mental note to go and visit him. With that she got into the car.

After an hour of driving the silver mustang pulled into the drive way of a two story house. It was panted white with dark blue shutters. There was a solid oak door for an entrance, which was under a wreath that read, "The Grangers." Hermione grabbed her belongings and headed straight for her room she plopped down on her queen sized bed and fell asleep. That night she couldn't sleep. Her dreams were haunted by Malfoy's depressed face. She sat up and went to her roll top desk in the corner of her room, grabbed a piece of parchment and a quill. She sat down and stared to write...

Dear Malfoy,

I am really sorry about your father being sent to prison. I know that I am the last person you would ever want to talk to about this. It must be really difficult for you. I can't help but have this felling that you are putting on an act trying to hide your feelings. I know that you are hurting inside. Please don't hate me for figuring this out; I am sure you will anyway, you already do. I just thought that I could try to be nice. I am here for you if you need someone to talk to. I'm sure your friends aren't the kind of people to be open with. If you don't want to talk, I'll understand. If you won't talk to me, I wish you would find someone to talk to.

Hermione Granger

After signing her name to the bottom, she folded it up and went to find the owl that her parents had bought for her when she had gotten her O.W.L.S back. She named him Bo. She attached the letter to his leg and told him to deliver it to Draco Malfoy. Bo nuzzled up against her arm lovingly as a sign that he understood then took off out the open window and into the bright night sky. Hermione sighed as she watched him fly out of sight and tiptoed back into bed and fell asleep.

The next morning Draco Malfoy awoke to a tapping sound on his window. He rolled over trying to ignore the dumb bird and tried to go back to sleep. His dreams were the only place he could be alone and happy at a time like this. However, the owl would not give up. Draco gave in and walked to the window to open it. When he saw the owl, he didn't recognize it. It looked like a mix between a barn owl and a snow owl. It was dark brown with a white chest and face with a few white feathers scattered along his back.

Draco took the letter it was holding and hesitated to open it. He had received cruel and threatening letters from people ever since his dad had been sent to Azkaban. Something about this particular letter caught his attention. The handwriting that spelled out his name was in perfect print and the parchment was also in tightly folded creases. Holding his breath, he unfolded the mysterious letter and began to read.

After reading the name at the bottom of the letter, he stared at it in shock and had to reread it over to make sure he wasn't imagining it. "Why the hell would Granger give a fuck about me?" He thought to himself. "Of all people, she, scar-head and weasel, the 'perfect' trio, would be the first to rub this in my face. Could this be some kind of joke?" He pondered over this for another hour or two and realized that Granger's owl had not left yet. At this he made a quick decision, sat down at his antique, wooden desk, pulled out his own parchment and started to write back...

Dear Granger,

Is this some kind of a joke? Do you want me to tell you all my feeling so that you can have blackmail on me? How dumb do you think I am? I think the only one that is putting on an act, is you, mudblood. I don't need your sympathy. I am perfectly fine.

Draco Malfoy

He folded up his letter, attached it to Granger's owl and sent him back to her. He decided that there was no point in going back to bed, so he got dressed. He put on a pair of black jeans and a forest green silk shirt. On his feet he wore a pair of black, shinny, dress shoes. He brushed his hair, not bothering to put gel in it, and walked down stairs to the dining room where his breakfast awaited him.