Authors Note: Thank you to TheDarkLadyofSlytherin, Alisme, dramonie1028, xXMizz Alec VolturiXx, and Grovek26 for your reviews I appreciate the continued support so much from you guys it is most definitely what keeps me going even when it takes me this long to get out a new chapter. Thank you to Dramionelover26, Sakura-n-Syaoran, ally123456, and padfootsgrl79 for adding the story to your favorites. Also thank you to Thelostfairytale, Dramionelover26, aungethiemgmail, HarryPGinnyW4eva, mesa24, Sakura-n-Syaoran, ally123456, pattign, kaykaylala98, Bookworm0611, and HarrietMitchellx for following the story.
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The next day Hermione spent the majority of her time staring at her homework, that wasn't due for another week, and thinking about Draco. The boys were out playing Quidditch and Ginny was off in Hogsmeade with her friends. She had asked Hermione if she had wanted to go with them but Hermione politely refused saying she had too much homework to catch up on. Not being the most believable excuse she could have used, she was thankful that Ginny didn't push her to go.
She was currently sitting at her table in the library, lost in her thoughts when Blaise sat down beside her and startled her.
"You never came back to the party last night…everything ok with you and Draco?" He asked, pulling out his homework and setting it out on the table.
"Everything is fine." She stated simply, like there was no explanation needed for Draco's reason to want to talk to her alone the night before.
He eyed her curiously. "What did Draco want to talk to you about?"
Hermione battled internally with whether or not to tell Blaise of Draco's strange confession or of the kiss. The fact that this was something she was even thinking about puzzled her to no end. If she was being honest she had always thought Draco had been one of the best looking male specimens she had ever laid eyes on. Physically anyways, but his attitude was what had always kept her from being attracted to him. However, now with so many things changing so quickly she didn't know what to think. She had kissed him, his face had been so close to hers and she had reached for him to pull him even closer and it felt more right than she ever thought it would feel wrong. They seemed to melt together in those few moments, like they were made for each other. Just as quickly as it began it had ended though and he was gone. She had felt cold watching him walk away, not responding to her cries for him to stop. Like he was taking all her warmth away with each step.
"Do you feel like Draco has...changed at all this year?" She answered his question with one of her own.
Blaise leaned back in his chair as if contemplating every move he had watched his friend make so far that year.
"Can I be perfectly honest with you Hermione?" He asked her. She nodded in response and set her quill down she had been holding. She turned towards him giving him all her attention feeling as though Blaise was about to start a very serious conversation.
"Draco has had a hard life. I know it doesn't seem like it, spoiled rich prat and all, but at home Draco is just an obedient punching bag for Lucius. He has been all his life. I remember when we were little Draco looked up to his father so much, has so much respect for him, he idolized him then over the years Lucius grew more violent. He tried shaping Draco into a younger version of himself but he showed him no signs of love whatsoever. The only love Draco has ever known is from his Mother. He doesn't know how to process feelings very well. His Mother doted on him when he was younger but as he got older Lucius got more strict with her as well. She wasn't allowed to see him all the time, couldn't comfort him when Lucius had hurt him. Then one night Lucius turned his attentions towards Narcissa. I'll never forget that night, Draco showed up on my doorstep a broken bloody mess. I didn't think he was going to make it through the night but somehow he pulled through. He told me that Lucius had laid hands on Narcissa and Draco had stepped in to defend his mother. He used nonverbal magic to stun his father and get Narcissa out of there. He took her to Professor Snape's and then went back to the manor. He and his father dueled it out and Lucius won. It's a miracle Draco even was able to get himself out of there. He should have gone back to the Professor's house but he didn't want his Mother to see him so he came to my place instead. It was too risky to take him to St. Mungos, no matter what had happened he didn't want it getting out and ruining their name. So he kept silent at my house for a while. Eventually both he and Narcissa went back. Lucius was furious but never laid a hand on her again. Now he's just even more unrelenting when taking things out on Draco. Draco would love nothing more than to be rid of his Father but with the Dark Lord on the rise Lucius is never alone anymore. Even as he sits in Azkaban he's still got his connections."
Hermione felt tears stinging her eyes. How could someone live like that? Day in and day out letting their own Father beat them? It was no wonder he was such a bloody prat all the time. Things started to make sense to her as she thought about the ways he had treated her, Harry and Ron over the years.
"Years of having it beat into you that anyone who isn't Pureblood is beneath you starts to take its toll." Blaise continued. "But with Lucius being away from the manor its given Draco time to clear his thoughts. Look at things from his own point of view. Make his own decisions for once. But it's only a matter of time before Lucius will be back. Who knows what's going to happen then."
Hermione thought about all she had just learned. It made her look at Draco in a whole different way now hearing of his past.
"How have you stayed such good friends with him over the years if your family wants to stay neutral in the war? Surely Lucius has a problem with Draco being friends with anyone other then other Pureblood elitists?" She asked him.
"I'm one of Draco's oldest mates. We've been friends since we were basically born. Lucius thinks Draco can influence his friends to go to the dark side, those of us who aren't on it already."
"If he thinks Draco can influence you then he must believe Draco wants to be a part of the dark side and follow in his steps…make him proud…prove himself to his father by gaining the Dark Lord more followers." Hermione stated more than asked the question.
"Draco is going to do whatever he has to, to ensure the safety of his Mother. I have a feeling Lucius uses her against him to force Draco into doing whatever he wants. If I ever have the displeasure of being in his presence I play my part and get away from him as quickly as I can. Draco is thankful and grateful to have Hogwarts as an escape, even if he doesn't show it. And he's grateful to have people like Weasley to pick on cause it gives him a sense of power he doesn't have at home." Blaise finished with what seemed like a forced chuckle.
Hermione looked down at her parchment sadly as she processed everything in her mind. If there was one thing she was definitely sure of now it was that she felt sorry for Draco. All previous grievances she felt towards him faded away into the background of her mind and all she could feel now was a deep sense of regret for not even attempting to see why he had acted the way he did.
She briefly wondered if she should share this news with Harry, but quickly decided that perhaps right now it wasn't the best idea. She quickly decided that she was going to try and befriend Draco and get past the walls he had created around himself. Voldemort had become who he was partially because he felt alone. Sure Draco had Blaise, Pansy and some of the other Slytherins, but the difference between them and her could make all the difference in whether Draco actually did follow in his father's footsteps. After all, she was a Gryffindor.
Draco walked along the streets of Hogsmeade slowly taking in his surroundings. He had awoken to a letter from his Mother telling him to meet her at Madam Pudifoot's Tea Shop that afternoon. It was unusual for his Mother to leave the manor, but he had no doubt it had something to do with McLaggen. Now that his father was gone his Mother had to be the one to discipline him when he got out of line. Usually that just meant a slap on the hand accompanied by some sweets. Now that his Mother could freely dote on him without his father around, she did when it was just them at the manor.
His mind kept replaying the kiss with Hermione from the night before. How soft her lips felt against his, how her body felt as if it were meant to be molded to his, how she was the one who had closed the distance between them and initiated the kiss. Never in a million years did he think he would be snogging Hermione Granger of all people in a corridor in the middle of the night.
He had been so lost in the moment that when he heard voices from down the corridor it had snapped him back to reality and he couldn't even bring himself to look at Hermione. He had just walked away as fast as he could without running. What shocked him even more was the fact that she had called out after him trying to get him to stop.
His thoughts were cut short as he entered the tea shop and spotted his Mother. He waved off the hostess that was trying to get his attention and walked towards Narcissa taking a seat across from her. He noted that she had gotten a table near the back of the room that was a little more secluded than the rest of the tables.
"Mother." He greeted her with a kiss on the cheek.
"Draco darling, you look well, despite getting into some trouble last night I hear?" She got straight to the point.
"Depends on what you consider trouble." He flashed her a charming smile.
She gave him a stern look before it turned into a knowing smile.
"You know I dislike the McLaggen's just as much as you do Draco darling but I have to ask what Cormac did to deserve you hitting him in the face?"
The way she said it had Draco believing she already knew what had happened. Or at least knew whatever it was that Cormac had told his father.
Draco looked down at the table not sure what to say. He didn't know what his Mother knew so he wasn't exactly sure how to proceed. Narcissa could see that Draco was having a hard time figuring out what to say. Not liking to see her son in any kind of turmoil, especially now that her husband was no longer a constant presence in their lives, she decided to just elaborate on what it was that McLaggen had sent her in his letter.
"The letter expressed that the altercation with Cormac had to do with his date for Professor Slughorn's Christmas party? Something about how you should have minded your own business when it came to Cormac and his date, which was a fellow Gryffindor? You can imagine how surprised I was to hear of you coming to aid of a Gryffindor? A muggle born Gryffindor at that?"
"Merlin Mother was there anything that wasn't in the letter?" Draco was annoyed, more so because his Mother knew he had defended a muggle born and he was sure she was going to be upset at him having done something to tarnish their name.
Narcissa smiled at him a very motherly knowing smile. "The name of the muggleborn girl wasn't in the letter. So I mailed Professor Slughorn to find out who accompanied Cormac to the party. Imagine my surprise when I find out it was Hermione Granger, Harry Potter's best friend."
Draco's blood froze in his veins. He forced himself to meet his Mother's eyes after what seemed like an eternity. He was confused when he saw that instead of the disapproval he was sure was going to be on her face, instead he was met with a genuinely large smile.
"Draco, I'm not your father my love. I don't necessarily disapprove of the same things he does. While I'm not thrilled at your choice of…conquests…it could be worse. While Miss Granger is a muggle born witch Professor Slughorn tells me she's top in almost all of your sixth year classes. Odd choice if you ask me, I thought you despised her."
Draco just stared at her like she had grown another head. If he hadn't just heard it with his own ears he would have never believed what she had just said.
"She's not a conquest I assure you Mother. She's a bossy, know it all, pain in my arse. McLaggen was trying to force himself on her…I did what any respectable man would have done." He turned his attentions back to the menu in his hands.
Across the table Narcissa looked at her son with sympathy in her eyes. She knew that look on his face, she had seen it on her sister's once upon a time. She wondered how long it would take for him to realize that he had fallen for the 'bossy know it all' witch. While she wouldn't be the first choice Narcissa would have picked for her son she certainly wasn't the worst. More than anything all she wanted in life was for her son to be happy. She knew that wasn't going to be possible while her husband was around. With the Dark Lord rising in power now she wasn't sure how much time any of them had left to be happy; while her son's happiness meant more to her than anything maybe the fact that he hadn't figured out his feelings quite yet was better. Not only for his sake, but for Hermione Granger's as well.
Authors Note: Thank you to those of you who push me to continue I appreciate the support so much. The reviews are what keep it going. I was really stuck with this chapter…some of these filler chapters to get to where I know I want to go are hard to write. The support from you guys though help with the creativity flow. To know that there are those of you out there who are enjoying Hermione and Draco's journey in this story means the world. I'm trying so hard to keep the characters IN character haha. It proves to be quite difficult, much more than I ever thought it would be.
