As Hermione slowly made her way down the stairs, she noticed the general hum of noise quietened as she made her way into the common room which had now adapted to accustom a large table in the middle with eight seats around it. There was a space at the head of the table and as this was the only one that wasn't vacated, Hermione had no choice but to sit at it. Draco was sat opposite to her but she doubted he would have chosen the head of the table either, he must have come down just before her.

The spread before her was magnificent. Succulent chicken, colourful salads and a large joint of gammon with steaming vegetables on the side. She started to help herself when herself and Justin reached for the same bowl.

"Oh sorry, you go." Justin apologetically gestured.

"Thank you, how have things been for you Justin? Since…" She paused not quite sure what to say next.

"Oh you know how it is, everyone I think is still trying to put pieces back together. It has been hard but I think after the nightmares stop we should be alright. It's just hard when you can't even escape things in your sleep you know?" He looked downwards and Hermione was shocked at his very honest response.

"Yeh I know…" She uttered whilst realising that Draco had paused from his huddled conversation with Blaise to analyse her answer. His eyes darted towards her arm and Hermione had to refrain from touching the scar.

She started to eat and slightly tuned out to the conversations taking place around her. When they had finished their main course, the table inadvertently switched to mouth-watering desserts. Hermione picked a few profiteroles but due to her now shrunken stomach she couldn't manage to eat them so instead proceeded to rolling them around her plate. She felt a set of eyes boring into her but didn't dare look up and face whom she thought they belonged too.

"You ok Hermione?" She looked up to the face on her left to find herself looking into Neville's concerned face.

"Yeh, I'm ok, just adapting I suppose." She gave him a small smile.

"I get it, I bet it's even harder for you without Harry and Ron. You three were inseparable. Did you stay with them after… or go back to your parents?" Neville asked innocently enough, after all not everyone knew she had obliviated her parents and couldn't have gone back to them if she tried.

Neville must have noticed her eyes welling up as he tried to quickly retreat his question.

"Hermione I'm sorry, I didn't mean to intrude or anything." He looked so apologetic that Hermione felt the need to explain.

"No Neville, please don't apologise, it's just…" she lowered her voice to a whisper, "I couldn't go back to my parents. Before we left, I had to obliviate their memories as I tried to keep them safe. I sent them away and now I have no way of finding them. I spent the summer with Harry and Ron at Grimmauld Place and… well yeah coming back here has been strange and I do miss them but we all knew what we had to do so yeah… that's about the brunt of it." She tried to make a bit light of the situation but didn't quite succeed.

"Herm, I am so sorry. I had no idea." Hermione just shook her head almost in dismissal of the situation but Neville grabbed her hand. "Any time you need to talk you know where I am, I mean it."

"Thanks Neville." She replied with a squeeze on his hand. "So, you looking forward to starting lessons again?"

"I am actually, especially…"

"Herbology." They both stated together and as they both laughed, Hermione noticed a puzzled look on Draco's face making her wonder just how much of the conversation Draco had heard.

As the food dwindled down and the yawns commenced, the students retreated one by one mumbling good nights to one another. Blaise left and soon Hermione and Draco realised they were the only two left at the table. Neither seemed to want to leave yet and they both had a slight inkling of why. The thought of reliving the chaos within their slumber was a lot less attractive than a few moments of awkward silence in the common room. Hermione pushed her chair from the table and moved to settle on one of the settees in front of the fire.

As she lost herself in the orange pattern of the flames, she heard the scrapping of a chair along the floor and the sound of leather squeaking as Draco placed himself on an arm chair facing the fire also. Although it should have been, nothing felt awkward in the silence that ensued. Hermione took a chance and snuck a glance at Draco. He looked slightly older then he had when she last saw him but less haggard. He looked, dare she say it, older but more handsome without the constant worry lines on his face. He must have sensed her gaze as he looked up at her and she turned away flushed.

"How are you?" He asked and as she looked back up at his face she was surprised to see genuine concern cross his features.

"Erm, not bad I guess. You?" He seemed slightly surprised she had reciprocated the question.

"You don't have to be nice to me you know. I know I put you through hell." Was that remorse on his face?

"Look Draco… I know that we haven't always had the best of memories but you heard what McGonagall said…" she started.

"Typical Granger. What did the teacher say? Let's follow by the rules." He ran his hands through his hair in frustration. "I was wrong about you ok? I was brought up thinking that you were less than me and somehow inferior. I heard what you did to your parents… to protect them and I don't know how any person could find the courage to do that. You beat me in every lesson and although I grew up hating you for it, there was a sort of admiration. You really are the greatest witch of our generation and hopefully one day I hope you can forgive me because you want too and not just because some teacher told you too." With that he rose from his chair and made his way up the stairs leaving Hermione open-mouthed on the settee.

Did that just happen? Did Draco Malfoy just open himself in that way to her and tell her that he wanted her forgiveness? When she eventually made her way upstairs to her room and grabbed Alice in Wonderland to read in bed, she drifted into a sleep with the book still rested in her lap. Oddly enough it was the best night's sleep she had had in a long time.