A/N: This is for the fortnightly song challenge at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and the prompt was 'and all I've learned has overturned/I beg of you' from Lay All Your Love On me by ABBA. It's also for the fanfiction writing month and is 451 words.

Hermione Granger was completely astounded by the confession she had just heard.

It seemed that everything she had supposedly learned about Draco Malfoy wasn't entirely true. Throughout their school days Hermione had always seen Draco as a bully who only had two redeeming qualities; how much he loved his mother, and his inability to kill. After the war she hadn't seen or heard from him but had heard that he kept mostly to himself.

"Are you okay?" he asked frowning.

"Yes, I - I'm just a little shocked that's all. I never thought…" she trailed off.

"I treated you the way I did to hide everything from you, your friends, and from my father. If any of the Death Eaters had ever found out they would have done more than just torture you in front of me," Draco said thickly.

The words he had left unspoken hung heavy in the air.

Hermione knew what some women suffered at the hands of his former brethren and thanked Merlin that Draco was able to keep his feelings for her hidden.

"I can't imagine what it was like to see her do that to me," Hermione said quietly as she reached over and took his hand.

"It was hell and I had nightmares for weeks after," Draco admitted unabashedly.

Hermione squeezed his hand comfortingly as a silence enveloped them.

"I'm glad you told me this, Draco. I can't imagine what it was like having to hide it all the time. If you don't mind me asking, how do you feel now?" she asked nervously.

"I still care for you, Hermione, and I would love the chance to see where we could go," Draco confessed.

Hermione could tell that it was almost painful for him to be so open and honest, but hoped that he saw it could be worthwhile in the long run.

"I will give you a chance, Draco. I will try to keep Harry and Ron in line but I can't promise anything," Hermione said softly.

It was obvious that Draco had changed and that he could be the person to make her happy. No one else she knew would understand why she agreed to do this, but the look of pain in his eyes and the emotion in his voice when he had talked about what they would have done to said everything. There was no way you could fake that kind of emotion.

Draco's eyes went wide as if he couldn't believe what he had heard.

"You won't regret it. I promise," he said adamantly.

The rest of the evening was spent talking and getting to know each other and they only parted once the sun came up the next morning.

It was a new experience for the both of them, and Hermione thought that maybe, just maybe it could work.