So I know things are progressing slowly, but it's for a reason! This chapter needed to happen, and here it is!

I would also like to thank those who reviewed, I really appreciate the feedback:) Please keep doing so!

Enjoy xx

Chapter 3: I Ain't Callin' You A Truther

Draco

He'd just walked into his dorm room when his mother's owl knocked on his window. It was an all-black owl and had a silver and green collar around its neck, obviously. He opened the window and scoured his drawer for some treats for him that he had left over from Bubo (his eagle owl).

Upon treating the owl for his voyage, he took a letter that his mother had sent from him. He waited for the owl to leave before opening it, and was very disappointed after doing so.

The letter read, "My dearest Draco, I was worried when you did not reply to my last letter concerning your future. I hope you can find it in yourself to be happy with Pansy, and to appreciate her as one of the sacred twenty eight still a part of our society. I will be having lunch with her family, and I do hope you will try your best to get along with her as you have in the past. With love, Mother. P.S. Invite her to be your date to the Halloween Ball"

He had almost forgotten about his mother's arrangement with the Parkinsons, but of course she had to remind him. He summoned his owl and replied back to his mother simply obliging to everything she asked of him. He knew he shouldn't let her dictate his life, as the last time someone tried to do that he became his worst nightmare. The thing that made him soft with his mother was that she had nothing else to live for.

After the war, his father had essentially lost his mind and was staying at St. Mungos, and no one knew when he'd be back. Draco knew marrying Pansy and keeping his bloodline pure would be the main source of happiness in his mother's life, so he would do anything to keep her happy.

Draco decided to try and make the best out of this situation, even though Pansy could be a downright shallow prat. He made it his goal to try and find the good in her, after all, she was at least pretty.

'Not as pretty as Granger,' he corrected himself. What the hell? 'Stop thinking about her, you hate her!' he tried telling himself.

And obviously, as soon as he was thinking about her, he heard her enter the common room downstairs.

He decided he was going to speak with Pansy tonight at the prefects meeting (as she was a prefect) and see if she would go with him to the ball…but before that, he needed to eat something.

Hermione

She was drained. After her excruciating encounter with Draco, and utterly confusing conversation with Ron, she'd just about had it with everyone. As she walked into the common room, she noticed it was empty. 'Thank the Gods' she thought.

Hermione then plopped herself down onto the couch they had right in front of the fire place. Their common room was rather nice. It had both Gryffindor and Slytherin colours decorating the entire place in a way that stayed chic, yet had an old vibe to it. Very Hogwarts.

She also remembered that tonight was the last prefects meeting before the Halloween Ball, and she would have to interact with Draco again. 'Ugh' she thought, 'let me speak to him now then, so we're prepared.'

She walked up the staircase leading to his quarters, aware of the fact that she had never walked up there and when she got to his door, she was actually nervous. She really didn't want another altercation, and was almost hoping he wasn't there.

Hermione, mustering up all the Gryffindor courage she had left knocked on his door and to her dismay, Draco opened the door immediately.

He almost looked happy to see her.. which was weird, but that look was gone in a split-second. Instead, he decided to wear his world renowned smirk. "Granger…" he began, "this—this is very unexpected."

She sighed, "Yes, believe me I am more surprised than you are, but I wanted to talk to you about something before the prefects meeting."

He raised a brow, "I'm listening."

Hermione was taken aback by his politeness and almost forgot to ask her question but she reminded herself that she hated him. "I just wanted to ask you if your part in planning the Halloween Ball is complete? I wanted to make sure that as Head Boy and Head Girl we'd both be prepared for our final meeting tonight." She tried not to look into his eyes, because she knew she'd get lost; hate him or not.

"Yes, Granger, I've completed my part in planning the ball, I've spoken to the kitchen staff, as well as the entertainers… everything is set," he replied casually.

She felt relieved, the Halloween Ball would go as planned, and she was happy she could count on someone other than herself to get the job done to her standards.

"Good," was all she said before starting to walk away.

"Granger!" he called, "can I speak to you for a second before we head down for dinner?" he seemed defeated.

She hesitated. What if he was rude again? There was no way she could handle any more insults. Then again, she needed to be stronger than this, she was the brightest witch of her age for crying out loud. "Okay Malfoy, but I'm warning you now, I have my wand and will use it if appropriate."

His smirk had just smirked itself…if that was even possible. "No need, come in," he replied.

She hesitantly walked into his dorm room, and observed the darkness of it all. Aside from his Slytherin green walls, everything was black. His canopy bed was black, the drapes were black, as well as the sheets, the floor and everything else. She thought it was very Draco.

Before Hermione could make any sort of remark, he began, "Look, I am not one for cheesiness or being nice for that matter, but I just wanted to apologize for how I reacted to you last night, and the word I used."

His smirk was now gone, and he now showed her something she had never seen from him, and that was sincerity. "I'm not excusing what I did, but I just want you to know I was having a wretched day and I took it out on you," he continued, "and for that I'm sorry Granger."

She was at a loss for words. Hermione Granger, getting an apology from Draco Malfoy… she was in a parallel universe. No other explanation could be plausible. Never in her life did she expect this, and never in her life would she had believed a word he'd said if she didn't know him. But she did. And she knew that Malfoy was even worse than Ron when it came to apologies, so she knew he wasn't lying…but then why be nice to her?

"Did you mean what you said though?" was all she could say in return.

He swallowed, "No. I didn't. To be quite frank, after I witnessed what my aunt did to you back at the manor…" he looked down, "and after the war, my ideologies have drastically changed to say the least."

"It's been hard to change them," he added, "when you believe something to be true all your life it is difficult to believe something else, but I'm trying. I hope you can forgive me, seeing as we have to spend a lot of time together, and we had made progress in the last month and half."

For some reason, Hermione really wanted to believe him. She knew she and Draco could never truly like one another, but she really wanted this year to run smoothly. Despite his past, she knew he wasn't completely horrible, but she also knew she shouldn't trust him.

"I forgive you Malfoy, and I hope you are being sincere because I would like for us to continue our head duties in an enjoyable manner," she finally said. He looked almost relieved, but it might have just been her imagination.

"I agree Granger, and I do mean what I said. I may not be your number one fan, but I don't think badly of you anymore," he honestly replied.

Hermione gave him one of her dazzling smiles that she usually saved for Harry or Ron, and told him she'd see him later.

Draco

"I agree Granger, and I do mean what I said. I may not be your number one fan, but I don't think badly of you anymore," he said honestly. He felt a weight being lifted off him, he had not been this honest with someone in a while and it felt good. He really hadn't hated Granger in a long time, and would rather getting along with her than not.

Hermione then shot him a beautiful smile, and said something about seeing him later. He was too stunned to even reply, as he was still caught up on her smile. She had never smiled at him, and he hadn't realized what he'd been missing. She was definitely the most interesting girl he'd ever encountered, partly because she had become so pretty out of nowhere, but also because she was so bright.

He'd never had anyone adequate enough for him intellectually when it came to friends or girlfriends, but she was. But they were from different worlds, he thought. He was going to marry Pansy, and Hermione was free to do anything she wanted. He laughed at that.

Draco found it ironic, how he had judged her for being trapped with the mudblood title, when she was able to do anything she wanted, while he was the one actually trapped with the pureblood title, forced to fulfill his parents' wishes.