Hey there only the plot is mine and all that other really interesting stuff we put at the beginning. READ THIS ITS VERY IMPORTANT ALL THAT HAPPENED IN DH FOR THE STORIES SAKE HAPPENED DURING THE SIXTH YEAR SO HERMIONE HARRY AND RON GO GET THE HORCRUXES BEFORE SCHOOL ENDS AND THE FINAL BATTLE IS AT THE END OF THEIR 6TH YEAR, I.E HERMIONE WAS TORTURED. ALL JUST HAPPENED IN A SPEEDY VERSION. AFTER THE FINAL BATTLE THE REST OF THE SCHOOL YEAR WAS SPENT CLEARING UP AND PROMOTING THE EXCHANGE PROGRAM.

Sorry about the massive intro and on with Chapter 8.


Draco POV

I woke up just as we were going through the gate up to the house. I turned and looked at Granger, she was still asleep but she had the camera next to her. So I carefully leaned across and picked it up so to not wake her and copying what I saw her do repeatedly today by pressing the button to turn it on then pointing it at her and taking a picture.

I have to admit that I'm pretty proud of myself for figuring out how to work it. I mean she didn't look terrible sleeping but it's just a picture of people sleeping always seems funny, for reasons I can't explain. She had one arm wrapped round herself whilst the other was resting against the door with her face resting in her hand and she'd pulled her feet up onto the seat so they she was practically lying down.

As I was placing the cameras back where it had been I accidentally knocked Granger, in turn waking her up.

"What're you doing Malfoy?" She muttered sleep lacing her voice.

"I was just erm, waking you up since we're back"I lied smoothly impressing myself with the quick response.

"Oh okay, thanks" She said whilst stretching her arms above her head.

Hermione POV

Once we all got inside, Malfoy went to his room to put his pictures down and to write his parents. And I went to my room to go change into my jodhpurs and new hoodie since the horses needed exercise I'll take them on a hack this evening before supper. I suppose I should ask Malfoy if he wants to come. So I walked down to his room and knocked on the door, this time I waited for him to answer instead of barging in after this mornings incident.

When he opened the door I said "Hey I was going to take the horses out and I was wondering whether you wanted to join me or whatever, it's fine if you don't want to."

"Yeah that sounds good to me" He answered and started to walk out of his room when I stopped him.

"It's probably best to change into some long pants" I said pointing at his chino shorts.

"Jeans okay?"He asked confused at being told to change.

"Yes jeans are fine, I'll just wait down stairs, you should also put on some comfortable yet practical shoes" I informed him whilst retreating away from his door towards the stairs.

"Mum, Dad I'm going to take the horses out for an hour, Draco is coming with me he's just upstairs getting changed" I told them whilst walking through the kitchen to get my ridding boots out of the shoe cupboard. I then sat down on the indoor bench next to the patio doors to put my boots on. Just as I stood up Malfoy walked into the kitchen.

"Right come on then" I said to Malfoy "See you in a bit" I called over my shoulder to my parents.

Whilst Malfoy gave them a small wave and a "See you later". We then walked to the stables in silence, when we got there Malfoy cleared his throat and asked "Just out of curiosity, what are horses?" I looked to him to see if he was joking but when I realised he wasn't I thought for a moment before answering.

"They're like unicorns without the horn and they don't have magical blood" I answered. "Come have a look" I gestured for him to follow me. "We'll take jazz and lelly out, the other 3 get ridden by professionals who are now teaching, these two are retired"

I went over to jazz opened her stable door picked up the bridle and get bits from the hook next to the door before going in and closing the door behind me.

"Malfoy this is Jazz, Jazz this is Malfoy and he'll be riding you today" Malfoy nodded his head and obviously mistook my introducing them as an indication of some sort that horses could talk because he said in a polite voice "Hello how do you do?"

As I burst out laughing I finished putting the bridle on her and brought her out and looped her rein through the hoop outside her stable door and fastened her there whilst explaining to Malfoy "She can't talk, gosh I talk to the animals because it feels natural to me. Wow that was amusing" I said grinning and shaking my head as he just looked at me with a moody glare.

"Come on and follow me to the tack room to get the saddles" I walked into the tack room and went straight to Jazz's usual saddle, breastplate and stirrups picked them up and gestured for Malfoy to do the same with his arms before I set them on his arms.

"Merlins beard Granger you're stronger than you look" He stated as the full weight of the tack weighed in his arms.

"And don't you forget it" I replied with a smirk on my face that could almost rivals his. I got lelly's things and head back through to where jazz was before setting down lelly's tack on the stand outside of her stable doors grabbing her bridle and and bits, I went into the stall and put them on her. I brought her out as I had with jazz.

"Granger what do I do with this? " He shrugged his shoulders meaning to gesture towards the saddle.

I walked over to Malfoy and said "Put it on her back with the stirrups either side like this, then stand to the side reach underneath and grab the strap and buckle it on this one" I point at what I'm talking about as I say it and when I think he's got it under control I go over to lelly and repeat what I just told Malfoy to do. Once I'm done I head back over to him and check over what he's done to make sure it's all done properly. I then put a helmet on his head and fastened it so he couldn't protest.

"Safety precaution. Alrighty, that's all okay now time for you to mount her" I said turning to him with my hands on my hips.

"To do what?" He questioned looking bewildered.

"First you grab both the reins in your left hand just above the withers, grab a handful of the mane, hair, so you don't put extra pressure on her mouth. Turn this here, the stirrup, towards you with your right hand. Good now put your left foot through here, so the ball of your foot is resting on it. Now grab the cantle of the saddle, this bit, with your right hand and on the count of three you will bounce on your right leg so you're standing up on your left leg, when you've done that bend your right leg to swing it over her, okay ready? " I waited for him to nod before I counted "one two three" and he did exactly as I told him and I walked round the front of Jazz and put his right foot through the stirrup.

"Right before we go I'll give you a quick lesson on how to ride, okay you'll need to know how to walk and trot and if you get those two gaits then I might even show you how to canter" I said whilst taking a step back from them.

Draco Pov

After Granger had shown me 'the basics', including how to dismount, we headed out of the stables and down a path next to a field which was shaded by tree's. I glanced over to Granger and saw how at ease she was and as I glanced down at her hands my eyes caught something. Her sleeves were rolled up to reveal the scar that my dear aunt Bellatrix had given her that read 'mudblood'. I winced at the memory.

And before I could stop myself I blurted out "I'm sorry"

She turned to look at me clearly extremely confused.

"I beg your pardon?" She said.

"Erm you know for that night at Malfoy manor, I'm sorry I didn't stop her. I should have done something. I was wrong, I was a stupid selfish coward. And I'm sorry you didn't deserve it. You didn't deserve any of the abuse is gave you over the years in fact" I rambled looking at her before looking at the path ahead.

"Malfoy look at me. Malfoy look. Draco Malfoy you look at me now or so help me Merlin I will hex you" She snapped at me when I wouldn't look at her. "That was in no way your duty to stop her. I understand"-"but"-"no I am talking. I understand that it was difficult to try decide what to do. You would have gotten the same perhaps worse punishment if you had of said anything. You may not have done the right thing then but you did do the right thing when you chose not to go over to Voldemort when he called. That's what matters, that's what counts. You did the right thing when it mattered the most. And I'm not ashamed of it, it's telling the truth I am a Muggleborn and I'm proud of that. Besides what's a war without getting to keep a few battle scars" She joked at the end trying to make light of the conversation.

I didn't reply to her because I truly don't know what to say. She is honestly remarkable the way she's so..so..so humbling.

But it seemed as though she didn't want to dwell on the situation because soon she changed the conversation to everyday chit chat.

As we were walking in from the stables talking about our favourite subjects, I'd just revealed that mine was potions and she was telling me that hers was charms.

"So do you like quidditch?" I asked.

"Yes I like to watch quidditch" She answered sounding genuine.

"You ever played it?" I quizzed her.

"No well you see I can't actually fly "She said sounding rather sheepish.

"Are you afraid or something?" I said trying to figure out how she can't fly since everyone took lessons in first year.

"Not exactly, I managed to persuade Professor McGonagall that my time would be better spent doing something else like studying so I managed to get out of the lessons. Okay don't laugh at me but I learn everything from books right? I exceed in all things because I read ahead and like know everything about the subject or project. And well I'm afraid because flying isn't something you can learn from a book, I couldn't be great at it by reading ahead. I was afraid of not being amazing at something so I decided not to try. Which now I regret because that's no reason not to do something, I wish I could tell 11 year old me to put my pride aside and do something that's fun and not have to feel like I'm a failure because I wasn't top of the class"She shook her head whilst finishing up what she was saying. We were now coming up to the back of the house.

"Well how about I make you a proposition? You teach me to ride well because I actually enjoyed it and I'll teach you to fly and play Quidditch. Deal?" I held out my hand for her to shake. I watched as she thought about my offer for a split second before taking my hand and shaking it whilst saying "Deal, now come on let's go eat I'm starving"

Hermione Pov

After supper I went upstairs to get changed into my pyjamas and into bed since it had been a long day and I was exhausted. I got into bed and decided to go through the pictures of today and when I turned the camera on a picture of me sleeping popped up onto the screen. Malfoy I thought, of course he was up to something he wasn't waking me up he was putting the camera back. I just shook my head and thought about how it was such a.. normal thing to do as a teenager. Maybe Malfoy is a relatively normal human after all I thought whilst turning the camera back off and turning out my light.


Tadaaah another chapter done. I hope you all enjoyed it and please leave your reviews good or bad. I will also take anything you say into consideration so if you have any suggestions or constructive criticism I'm down with that. Okay doke thankyou all for reading, favouriting(not even a word) my story and/or putting me on your author/story alert, means a lot to know some people are interested.

Love you all

Libby ~oxo