Chapter 3
Draco's point of view
Blearily I opened my eyes and took in my surroundings- I was buried deep under tartan blankets. Somehow my arm had gotten around Hermione's waist and her back was to me. She was fast asleep. I slowly removed my arm and tried not to disturb her as I rolled onto my back into the path of the sun. The windows were slightly frosty so I was very reluctant to crawl out of the bed but I did. I was very hungry.
The second that my bare feet touched the floor- wait bare feet I couldn't remember taking my shoes off. Anyway, the floor was so cold that I wanted to jump back onto the bed but I soldiered through it and felt grateful when I finally got to the fluffy rugs on the lower floor. I sunk back into the sofas after grabbing a book. 5 minutes later I decided that I would go and get breakfast.
Downstairs the Great Hall was alive with noise, the minute I walked in I was met with silence and glares. They hated me. Great. I piled breakfast onto two plates: some sausages, eggs, beans, bacon and I made sure to get some ketchup too. It all looked so mouthwateringly delicious. Trying to balance the plates was difficult but I slowly made my way out of the hall when all of a sudden I was on the floor both plates of food splattered all over me. A crowd of people had swarmed around me, all their faces unfamiliar.
Laughter suffocated me as I gathered what dignity I had left, pushed past the crowd and walked back to my rooms.
"Oh dear what happened to you," Dominique asked her face full of pity, I hated pity. I was furious how could I have been so deluded to forget that everyone here wanted my blood, I had become too blinded by my hope for forgiveness from Hermione. She was not the only one that mattered, I needed to make it up to everyone.
"Phoenix." I stalked into the living area and headed to the stairs, I needed to get out of these clothes. But I was stopped in my tracks by the appearance of Hermione. The sun from the window behind her haloed her head and injected gold into her untamable curls. Her face was a picture of concern as she took in my stained clothes.
"Draco are you okay? What happened?" I felt my face flame red. How embarrassing this was, the girl I liked seeing how much everyone hated me.
"Nothing." I tried to walk past her but she put a restraining hand on my arm. Old habits nearly took over but I pushed them down.
"You can tell me you know." I knew I could, I trusted her. Yet there was something so undignified about having to explain a shameful experience to someone. I was ashamed by myself and my actions and I didn't want to show Hermione this weakness.
"I know, but you don't need to concern yourself with this." I again tried to get past her but again she stopped me and gave me a sassy yet worried look. She wouldn't let me leave without an answer.
"Draco?" She called me Draco.
"I just tripped okay, I was getting us breakfast because I thought you might be hungry when you woke up. I just tripped, okay?"
"Okay." I could tell that she didn't believe me but I was very grateful that she let it lie and let me finally head upstairs. I peeled my top off and then I jumped as I felt hands taking the shirt from me and picking food out of my hair. I tried to pull away and then she said;
"Stop moving I don't want you getting food all over the floor."
"Sorry." I was surprised that she was being so nice to me. It was nice for her to help me but I couldn't help feeling that she pitied me and I hated pity.
"Stop apologising it is not your fault."
"But it is, I deserve this after everything I have done to you and these people. I have made these peoples lives hell. I deserve this." Our eyes met and I quickly looked away. I was so ashamed of myself.
"No one does." She continued to pick food from my hair and then she huffed. "You're gonna need a bath." She grabbed my hand and pulled me up to the bathroom. I had never been in here and I was shocked at how modern the room was. The bath looked so big and it even had seats on the side. Hermione pushed me into a chair and began to draw a bath. The scent of sandalwood and rosewood flooded the air and the water looked so warm and inviting. She even went as far as putting bubbles in there. I loved bubble baths!
"Thank you for your help."
"It's alright ...um... I got an owl earlier and our ceremony is the last one this evening so take as long as you want."
"Again thank you." She blushed prettily and shut the door behind her. I pulled off my jeans and pants and climbed into the bath and rinsed the ketchup and grease from my skin.
Hermione's point of view
I was so warm, it was like I was in a cocoon and I didn't want to leave but the cocoon moved making me realise that Malfoy was the source of the warmth. I stayed still as I felt Malfoy pull his arms off me. He then proceeded to get up and I stayed completely still and pretended to be asleep. I didn't want an awkward conversation with him this morning.
I stayed under the warm covers slightly missing Draco's presence. I mean Malfoy, Malfoy's presence. I heard him leave so I decided to get up. I pulled on a pair of worn blue jeans and a frayed baggy hoodie- my comfort clothes. Then I decided to investigate in my new desk. There was a lot of parchment paper so I pulled out a bottle of ink and dipped my quill into it and began to write:
Ginny
I'm so happy for you and Harry but I'm so scared to get married.
I always thought that I would fall in love first and that I'd choose who I'd marry but now I can't and I don't know what to do. How to act and behave. I know you won't believe me but from what I've seen from Malfoy, well I hardly recognise him as he's changed so much. I need your advice, I was never any good with guys. The only guy, I've been with is Ron and we both know how that went.
I paused in writing as I heard an owl tapping at the window. I offered it a treat and then read the letter- mine and Malfoy's wedding was this evening. It was the last one.
My wedding is this evening. Could you maybe come see me before and give me some advice.
Hermione
I was about to go to the owlery when I heard the portrait open. I headed down the stairs and was shocked to see what I saw. Malfoy was covered from head to toe in what looked like breakfast.
"Draco are you okay? What happened?" He looked down as his cheeks turned crimson. I immediately wanted to comfort him but I stopped myself.
"Nothing." He tried to get passed me but I needed to know what happened, I needed to know what had dimmed the fire in his eyes.
"You can tell me you know."
"I know, but you don't need to concern yourself with this." He again tried to get past me but I couldn't let him go upstairs when he looked so distraught. I could only imagine what had happened to him. People could be cruel when they wanted vengeance.
"Draco?" I called him Draco.
"I just tripped okay, I was getting us breakfast because I thought you might be hungry when you woke up. I just tripped, okay?" He was getting me breakfast? That was...nice of him to think of me.
"Okay." I didn't believe him, but I knew pushing him too far would make the while situation worse. I could see that desperation in his eyes to move past this situation and get cleaned up. I would get it out of him eventually but now I would give him some peace. He walked upstairs and I felt myself following him up. He pulled off his shirt and I tried to avoid looking at his perfectly toned body but it was hard. I then began to pull food out of his hair and he recoiled away, shame so evident in his face. I hated whoever did this to him, no one should ever have to feel the way he was feeling now.
"Stop moving I don't want you getting food all over the floor." I was surprised that I was being nice to him. I tried to tell myself that it was because I felt bad for him but actually I didn't recognise the person before me. He had changed and I felt more willing to accept this humbler, kinder person. This man before me wasn't Malfoy. This was Draco.
"Sorry."
"Stop apologising it is not your fault."
"But it is, I deserve this after everything I have done to you and these people. I have made these peoples lives hell. I deserve this." This shocked me, maybe he did feel bad about everything he did. I hoped that he would continue to be nice and I hoped that this was not an act. That he was being genuine with me because I needed, no wanted, to open up to him more and I couldn't handle the betrayal or the pain at forgiving him and finding out that he hadn't changed at all.
"No one does." I was struggling to get the food out of his hair. "You're gonna need a bath." I pulled him up to the bathroom and began to run him a bath. The earthy scent of sandalwood filled the room- it smelled like him.
"Thank you for your help."
"It's alright... um...I got an owl earlier and our ceremony is the last one this evening so take as long as you want." He just looked at me sincerely and nodded before repeating his thanks.
"Again thank you." I blushed embarrassed at the way Draco was making me feel with his earnest remarks. I had only done what anyone else would have done. Right?
A/N: Please let me know what you think x.