DISCLAIMER: Nope, he's still not mine. I'm flattered that you think he is, though.
A/N: Thanks for the reviews everybody! Remember that this chapter is still a flashback so Hermione doesn't really like Draco at the moment.
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Chapter 10: Leaving Hogwarts
However unlikely it seemed, Hermione saw Draco Malfoy a lot over the next week. Of course, it was only because both had remained at the castle for the memorial service that was to be held at the end of the week. Every time she did see him, he quickly became interested in the paintings lining the castle hallway, or looking at the stone floors. Hermione did the exact same thing, both not wanting to even see the other.
It wasn't the fact that he was a Slytherin and she was a Gryffindor and by some unwritten rule they were supposed to hate each other and not ever have a civilized conversation, it was that one had figured something out about the other that should not have been found out. Hermione had learned that Draco was ashamed to have the name Malfoy (not that she wouldn't be either). She had figured out the one thing that Draco didn't want anyone to know. And the fact that Hermione knew was enough to stop the name-calling and any contact at all.
Not that Hermione minded at all. She rather enjoyed Draco being a little scared and ashamed whenever she saw him. It gave her an advantage that she had never had before. She didn't bother telling Ron or Harry; things were a bit awkward between her and Ron (who finally realized that they were too much like brother and sister after that kiss) and Harry was busy with hero business.
It felt very strange to be back at Hogwarts again. It was almost like old times, but Hermione felt like a huge chapter in her life had ended.
Her years at Hogwarts were over. All the drama and excitement of teenage life seemed like some distant memory, fading more and more every minute. The castle seemed to be different. Yes, large parts were still in ruins, but Hermione realized that she would never see it as a mere place of learning. How could she go back to seeing it as it used to be when she had saw so many loose their lives within its grounds?
Hermione could tell that many people were seeing the castle in the exact same light. She saw many people just staring at the area in the Great Hall where history had been made, or sitting in the grass beneath a tree staring at nothing. All of this was overwhelming for her, and she ended up in the same place as always, the library.
Reading had always made her feel better. No matter how bad she felt, she could rely on a book to brighten her mood. But apparently, she wasn't the only one. Walking through the rows of books, she caught a glimpse of that platinum blonde haired boy with his nose stuck deep in a book, eyes moving rapidly across the page. She was caught off guard; it wasn't everyday that Hermione saw another being sitting on the floor, leaned up against the shelf absorbed in their own imagination, let alone Draco Malfoy.
He was reading The Catcher in the Rye, one of Hermione's favorites. "Since when does he read muggle books of all things?" she wondered quietly.
"Since when have you had this unnatural obsession with ruining what little time I get to myself?" Draco asked snottily.
"Since when have you read in your free time?" she returned. "No. Since when have you read period?"
"Are you telling me that you think I can't read?! Of course I can read. If they let trash like you learn how to read, why wouldn't I? After all, Mudblood, I am of a higher class." He stood up and looked at Hermione defiantly.
Before she knew what she was doing, Hermione had marched over to him and slapped him very hard on the cheek, leaving a hand print. "That's for calling me trash," she said, "and this," SLAP!, "is for all the things you have ever did that hurt my feelings."
Draco looked at Hermione for a moment. He had one eyebrow arched and his mouth was twisted in a half smirk, half smile. "I suppose I deserved that," he remarked.
"You bet your ass you did."
Draco sighed and put the book on the shelf. "Look. I'm really sorry for not helping back at the Manor, but you have to understand that I was powerless when it came to that stuff. Aunt Bella was a nasty woman and the Dark Lord," he openly shuddered, "you have no idea the things he was capable of. I couldn't have helped you even if I tried. My family was nothing to him."
"I see," Hermione said. She sat down on the floor. Draco sat down beside her. Unwilling tears blurred her vision as she remembered that night. Draco put one arm around her in an uncomfortable effort to console her. "W-what are you doing Malfoy?"
Draco, as if waking up from a dream, saw what he was doing and snapped his arm back and quickly stood up. "Sorry, I don't know what I was doing. I forgot that we are supposed to be enemies for a second."
Wiping her eyes on the sleeve of her shirt, Hermione looked at the blonde, trying to figure out what was happening in his head. She could practically see Good Draco and Bad Draco fighting inside his head. Bad Draco was getting tired after years of beating down Good Draco, who was starting to fight back finally.
"It's fine. I was just a bit shocked that you were actually being nice to me."
"I think that it's time I take your advice and make my family name good and not bad," Draco said thoughtfully. "You were right. I should be helping the world, not destroying it. See you later, Granger."
Hermione watched as he walked away. All the rest of the afternoon, Hermione couldn't help but think of Draco as she read.
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When Hermione awoke the next morning, she immediately felt heavy with sorrow. The air seemed to be thick with sadness and everyone was somber. The memorial service for all those who lost their lives fighting in the Battle of Hogwarts was happening that morning.
Dressed in black, Hermione and Harry left the Gryffindor common room together to eat breakfast, even though neither was feeling very hungry. Ron and Ginny were with their family in another part of the castle where they had been staying that week.
The Great Hall was silent as the two entered. No one noticed that Harry Potter had walked into the room which they were both relieved of because he was swarmed every time he walked somewhere.
They sat at the one large table that went the length of the room. "Dumbledore would have been proud," Hermione said sadly, "he finally got his wish of inter-house unity."
Harry only nodded. He mostly blamed himself for all the deaths, and was upset.
After staring at her plate full of food for twenty minutes, Hermione excused herself and went to splash some water on her face. Emerging from the bathroom feeling a little better, Hermione ran into someone. "Sorry," she said, looking at the floor and turning red.
"It's fine Granger." He had grabbed her by the shoulders to keep her from falling. "You know, I think you keep finding me just so you can talk to me. Who can blame you? I'd want to talk to me too."
Hermione felt very angry. "Shut up! Stop being so self centered and rude! The world doesn't revolve around you, you know."
"What ever happened to being nice? I thought we were being polite to one another yesterday," he said. He sounded upset and confused.
"Just because we were nice yesterday doesn't make us friends. We can't. It just won't work Malfoy. We're way too different."
"You know, you aren't always right, Granger. Maybe there was a reason we bumped into each other in the library yesterday."
"I know I'm not always right, Malfoy," she exclaimed, pulling her shoulders free of his vice-like grip. "But I do know that I'm right about this."
"Get your head out of the sand, Granger. We are more alike than you know." He proceeded to walk away.
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Hermione spent the next three hours crying at the memorial service. It was too much for her to see the Weasley family and her other friends' families weeping over their lost children. Mrs. Weasley had fallen to the ground sobbing when she had seen her son lying in the casket. Hermione hugged Harry and cried on his shoulder.
After the service, there was a dinner in the Great Hall, but Hermione and Harry didn't go. They were leaving to go to the Burrow with the Weasleys. Hermione packed her bags and left the castle one last time.
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The next three days Hermione spent alone at the Burrow, wrapped in her own thoughts. She thought about what Malfoy said to her, about her parents, and about her friends. She was a little worried because Harry and Ginny hadn't come out of Ginny's room since they had gotten there. Ron had spent most of the time on his broom, and George was no where to be found. Bill and Fleur had gone back to their house taking Charlie with them. Mr. Weasley was busy in his shop tinkering with Muggle things, and Mrs. Weasley had baked so much food that it was hard to maneuver through the kitchen.
Hermione was worried about Mrs. Weasley's sanity. She had taken the news extremely hard, as is expected with the death of a child, but had taken to talking to Fred while baking. She made all his favorite foods and kept saying that he was going to be there for supper. Hermione had started crying the first time she had heard this.
Hermione decided she needed to leave. She couldn't stand the depression anymore. So once again, she packed her bags and left the Burrow. She went to Australia and found her parents, who were very grateful to see her again.
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The day after her parents and her got home, Hermione noticed while reading the Daily Prophet in the early morning that Malfoy had helped catch a few Death Eaters.
Draco Malfoy, 18, son of Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy, has captured two persons who
were known to be associated with Lord Voldemort. Fenrir Greyback, a vicious werewolf known
to have infected hundreds with the curse, was found by young Malfoy in the Forbidden
Forrest conspiring with Agustus Rookwood, planning to attack Hogwarts School of Witchcraft
and Wizardry. The teen took them into custody and took them to Azkaban personally.
Says Draco, "I just feel that it's time I help make things right. It's time to improve the magical
world and bring these people to justice. These excuses of wizards and witches need to pay for
the pain and devastation they caused to so many families."
Hermione set the paper down and pondered what she had just read. Maybe, just maybe, she had helped knock some sense into him! She smiled smugly at herself. "What's so funny, dear?" her mother asked.
"Oh nothing," she said innocently.
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A/N: Sorry to cut you off, but you know how much I like those cliff-hangers… lol anyway, please review! I want to know what you think.
Thanks for the reviews: loser.x3, thefunkybubble, MaskOfComedy, maripas, Cardboard, Verbally Enhanced, Dociuscan, nellz21, Jill-Bloom89, Fallen Angel of Hell, and The Evil Sheep
Oh yea, I almost forgot. To those of you who received an email that said that chapter 10 was up when it wasn't, I apologize. I was going through and I saw that there was a mistake in chapter 9 and I went to fix it and being the girl that I am, I loaded the fixed chapter up instead of doing the whole replace the content thingy. lol Sorry!
Well, I'm off to carve a pumpkin. Please review!