Chapter 3: Practice, Practice, Practice!

The next morning, Draco Malfoy yawned widely before sitting up in his bed and rubbing his eyes hard. He stalked to the bathroom and with his eyes still closed, he ran the water to the shower before stepping in and allowing the water to cascade down his back. He stood with on hand on the wall and the other using a bar of soap to clean himself off.

In the months since the war, Draco's world had changed significantly. His father had moved to the family's chateau in Northern France at the request of his mother. She said she could not look at him for a while, and she also said he could use the brisk Northern air. Without any resistance, Lucius Malfoy had packed one bag and left the following day. His mother seemed significantly, genuinely happier with the absence of his father, and Draco thought it had to do with the fact that his father was a constant reminder of the war that had lost them so much, and his mother could not bear it.

At school, things were different for Draco as well. His friend—if you could call him that—Vincent Crabbe had died in the war, and his other friend, Gregory Goyle, had not returned to school this year. This caused Draco to seek out a new group of friends—friends that his mother hoped would be better than the sort he had previously spent time with. For the most part, Draco now kept to himself, although he did still hold acquaintance with many of his fellow Slytherins. For the first Hogsmeade visit of the year, Draco had surprised nearly everyone by spending a significant amount of time in Madame Puddifoot's with a very pretty sixth year Ravenclaw girl. Although she was indeed a pureblood witch, Draco had never been known to fraternize outside of his house. Nothing came of the relationship, however, because she had seemed to bore him.

The war had changed Draco. He had seen things a man his age, or any age, should never have to see. He was hardened and matured, and things he used to care about no longer mattered to him. He did not talk much, and being around too many people made him irritated and on edge. As for his relationship with the trio, he tried not to think too much about any of them. He knew that he owed a debt to Harry for saving his life in the Room of Requirement, and although he did not want to "repay" this debt, he figured he could at least lay off of all them for the rest of his time at Hogwarts. Each of them were surprised at Draco's complete absence of snide remarks in their direction during the first class of the year with Gryffindors and Slytherins, which happened to be a double Charms class. He steered clear of them. Draco had made many mistakes in his life, and he was trying to make his new chance at life a good, albeit somewhat lonely, one.

Draco turned off the faucet and stepped out of the shower, then summoning a towel and wrapping it around his waist. He brushed his teeth and stared back at his reflection blankly. After using a quick drying spell on his blond hair and throwing on his school uniform, he grabbed his schoolbag and walked down to the Great Hall for breakfast without even a second glance around the room.

When he entered the Great Hall he walked purposefully in the direction of the Slytherin table. He glanced over at the Gryffindor table and when his eyes made contact with bright green ones, he nodded curtly at Harry Potter before taking a seat next to a group of Slytherins who began to recount to him an event from the previous weekend.

After eating a quick breakfast and making a bit of small talk with a few of his classmates, Draco walked alone to his first class of the week—double Charms with the Gryffindors. Professor Flitwick had assigned the class Disillusionment Charms, which they were now practicing in pairs. Draco had not listened fully to Flitwick's instructions and was now suffering the consequences as his partner, a fellow Slytherin, continued to sigh in frustration as Draco tapped her head continuously with the tip of his wand, attempting to disillusion her. He was invariably reminded of Hermione Granger each time she sighed exasperatedly and demonstrated how it was done properly.

At the thought of Hermione, Draco glanced over at the Gryffindors and saw Hermione paired up with Ron. She had already successfully disillusioned him, not to the surprise of anyone, and he was now trying to tickle her, taking advantage of the fact that she could not see exactly where his hands were. Draco's smile was virtually unnoticeable as he looked at them with slight amusement. He stared at Hermione's flowing, curly hair that had changed so much since he had first met her years ago. He cocked his head slightly to the side and squinted just a little bit, as if he was seeing Hermione for the first time.

Suddenly, Draco was brought back to reality as his partner rapped him hard on the head with her wand, and it felt like someone was slowly pouring a cold glass of water on the top of his head.

"Well done, Miss Blackturn," Flitwick said as he strode past them, nodding in approval. Draco glanced down at his hand and observed that he was not totally invisible, but he rather looked somewhat like a chameleon, blending in with his surroundings. Amelia Blackturn smiled smugly and thanked the Charms professor.

"Okay, class," Flitwick said with a clap. "That's all for today. We will continue this at our next lesson. As homework, practice, practice, practice!"

Draco gathered up his things and left the room with the rest of his classmates. Although the Slytherins and the Gryffindors had a free period right now, instead of heading out on the grounds and playing in the snow or to the warmth in front of the fire in the Slytherin common room, Draco walked in the direction of the library, knowing that he needed much more practice than his cohorts with the charm they had just learned.

After he set his stuff down and opened his charms book, a few minutes had passed before he heard someone at a table a few in front of him set her stuff down. Feeling eyes on him, he looked up and saw Hermione quickly look away when he nearly meet her gaze. Realizing how desperate he was for help, without thinking, he stood up and walked toward Hermione, whose back was now to him. She nearly jumped out of her skin when Draco tapped her on the shoulder lightly.

"Dr—Malfoy," she stuttered. "Yes?"

He stared deep into her mahogany eyes for a moment before speaking.

"Er—I—erm," he could not quite say the words he needed to say. Deciding to just get it over with, he said, "I need your help."

"Oh?" she said. She looked curious and confused.

"Well, I wasn't really paying attention in class today, and I missed the explanation on how exactly to do the Disillusionment Charm," he said quickly.

"Oh," she said again. "I think I can help with that. Shall I join you?" she said as she nodded toward the table he had been occupying.

"I'll come to you," he said. He was extremely thankful despite who he was asking for help. For one, he simply did not have time to spare to ask anyone else for help as he had so much other work on his plate as most of the seventh years did. Draco walked back over to his table and after gathering up all his things, he joined Hermione at her table. Second of all, although he was still incredibly hesitant about this, he did not think he could endure the taunts of any of the Slytherins if he asked for their help.

"Let's see here," Hermione said as she opened her charms book. It did not take Draco as much time as he had expected to learn and master the charm. When they finished and he took the charm off of Hermione, she asked if there was anything else she could help him with. He told her there was not anything presently, but that he would take her up on the offer if he needed it. She smiled warmly and nodded. He moved to gather his things and move back to his table when Hermione said, "Nonsense. The free period will be over shortly. There's no use moving." She began reading one of the many books stacked in front of her, while Draco gave her a puzzled look. He wondered many things. He wondered why she had helped him and why she was being so kind to him. He expected the war had changed her as well, but he did not think that would mean that she would forget all of the awful things he had said and done to her in years past. He also wondered if he should stay or go and he wondered above all why he was overcome by the scent that she seemed to be radiating.

When the free period was up, Draco was due in Astronomy with the rest of the Slytherins, while Hermione was due in Muggle Studies.

"See you, then," Hermione said as she finished packing up her things and prepared to leave.

"Yeah," Draco said. "See you."

When she was about to exit the library, Draco called out, "Hey, Granger," when she looked back, he said, "Thanks," with a small smile.

For the rest of the day, Hermione considered her encounter with Draco and she was extremely puzzled by it. She had studied him as he looked down at one of his school books with a furrowed brow, and she wondered about him. The old Draco Malfoy would have never asked for her help and he certainly would not have stuck around after he got what he wanted. But this new Draco… She didn't even know what to think. Deciding she would think about it no further as she sat picking at her dinner, she left the Great Hall and headed back to Gryffindor tower with Ron.