Chapter 10

October goes by rather quick and relatively uneventful. Some of Hermione's and Ginny's suitors get a little more desperate which results in more desperate proposals including charms and love potions. Both no longer open their own mail and carry a love potion antidote with them at all times. Other than that the only eventful thing that happens is a conversation during tea time with Minerva near the end of the month.

"Girls, I need to ask you for a huge favor." Minerva starts the conversation a little apprehensive.

"I'm sure it will be no bother." Hermione says.

"I wouldn't be to sure Hermione. As you know Mr. Malfoy has been sorted into Gryffindor and me and the rest of the staff are worried about him. Several teachers have expressed their concern since he seems to be totally isolated. The most worrying though are the reports I've gotten from the house elfs. They tell me he sleeps in the common room instead of in his dorm room. I was hoping the two of you could try to find out why he isn't sleeping in his dorm and maybe hang out with him every now and then?"

"You want us to become friends with Malfoy?" Ginny asks shocked.

"I am well aware that friends is to much to asks at this point but maybe you could go from enemies to acquaintances?"

"We'll look into it Minerva. I'm not promising anything though. He has to be willing too." Hermione quickly says before Ginny can complain.

"I really appreciate this Hermione. I know this must not be easy for you with everything he put you through during your years at Hogwarts and what happened at the Manor." Minerva tells Hermione while Ginny looks at the two puzzled. She has no idea what Minerva means by 'what happened at the Manor' but the way Hermione's eyes turn sad it can't be anything good. Deciding now is not the time to bring this up she gets back to their conversation.

A few days after their conversation Hermione finds a moment to talk to the boys in her year about Malfoy. They're sitting in an empty classroom to practise some spells when Hermione brings it up.

"What is it like to share your dorm with Malfoy?" Hermione asks and the boys look at her surprised.

"Why are you asking?" Ron wonders

"Just wondering. It's weird having him in Gryffindor I can only imagine what it's like to share a room with him." Hermione shrugs.

"We don't share a room." Neville tells her.

"You don't? Why not? Did something happen?" Hermione immediately starts interogating.

"He never comes up to our room. From the start he never has. At first I thought he didn't need much sleep and maybe he wasn't really comfortable with us yet. I figured he was the last to come to bed and the first to get up. But then one night I woke in the middle of the night and he wasn't in his bed. The next night I got out my invisibility cloak and used it to hide in the common room. After the last student left Malfoy conjured up a blanket and curled down on the floor in front of the fire. I checked a couple of times after that and it seems like he made the floor his bed." Harry explains. Everybody looks at him in disbelieve and they all start talking at the same time. Wondering why he didn't tell them.

"I didn't know how to bring it up. I did try to talk to Malfoy about it, I figured I should tell him that we won't hurt him or anything if he sleeps in his bed, but everytime I try to talk to him he remembers something important. Anyway, you know now. What should we do?" Harry elaborates and asks. Hermione looks at him for a few moments before she explodes.

"Seriously Harry? One of you house mates is sleeping on the floor and when he doesn't want to talk to you you just let it be? It never occurred to you to tell a teacher or better yet go to Mcgonagall? Seriously Harry, did you forget what the Dursley's did to you?" By the time Hermione has finished her tirade Harry is looking down ashamed.

"I'm sorry." He mutters

"You're saying that to the wrong person. What's done is done now. I'll talk to him you guys just try and be civil to Malfoy alright?" Hermione tells them before walking out of the room in search for Malfoy.

"Why would we be civil? The guy bullied us for years and now that he's a Gryffindor we should all just forget about that?" Ron exclaims.

"Hermione is not asking you to braid each others hairs, she's asking you to be civil. Don't forget Malfoy did make the first step. He apologized and it has always been a two way street. We gave as good as we received." Ginny tells her brother. "Now trust Hermione to make things right while we continue with our homework." Ginny ends the discussion.

Hermione does not manage to talk to Malfoy, every time she tries he has something important to do. Not knowing what to do she decides to bring it up during her weekly tea with Minerva.

"Minerva, last week you asked us to hang out with Malfoy and try to find why he isn't sleeping in the dorm room. We're not having much success." Hermione brings it up right after they have sat down.

"What Hermione means to say is that we do know he hasn't slept a single night in his own bed. Harry figured this out a little while back and has tried to talk to Malfoy about it, but every time he tries Malfoy has something important to do. Harry has since realised he should have come to you when he found out, but what's done is done. He regrets his decision. Hermione has tried to talk to Malfoy as well but again every time she gets close Malfoy has to be somewhere." Ginny gives a little more explanation.

"So there hasn't been a fight between the boys?" Minerva asks.

"No." Ginny answers.

"I just don't know what to do the get him alone to even start a conversation." Hermione sighs.

"I think I can be of help. This week your Transfiguration homework has to be done in duo's. I originally planned to let you make your own duo's. Instead I'm going to pair you up by your results. This will pair Hermione with Mr. Malfoy since they are first and second in my class." Minerva comes up with a solution.

"Now that that's settled there is something else I want to discuss with you girls." Minerva continues. "I received a letter from Molly asking for special permission for her kids, Harry and Hermione to come home for a weekend. She would like to have all her kids, biological and adopted, home when they receive their match from the ministry. I'm willing to give permission, however it is up to you whether or not you want to go."

"I think I would like my mum to be there when I get my letter." Ginny says.

"As much as I love the Weasley's I'd rather be with my own parents. I got a letter a few days back, they're ahead of schedule and will be back from Australia halfway through november. So I should be able to go home. Is that possible Minerva?"

"Actually Hermione dear, Molly mentioned in her letter that she wants to invite your parents as well." Minerva answers.

"Really? Well in that case I'd love to go to the Burrow. It would be amazing to be surrounded by my family and friends when I get the letter. More shoulders to cry on if I'm unhappy with the match."

"Hermione, I've told you before, there is no reason to fear your match. It might be somebody unexpected but it will be somebody who will fit. Somebody who wants the same things you do, has hopes and dreams for the future that work well with yours."

"I know, but I can't help but wonder, what if they lied on their form? All death eaters may have been caught, but there are people who secretly supported Voldemort and they weren't sent to Azkaban." Hermione starts to panic.

"Listen to me Hermione. Yes there are people who support the ideas of blood purity who were not sent to Azkaban, simply because they did nothing illegal. This doesn't mean you get matched with them. Every test parchment was charmed so you couldn't lie or leave out important facts. So a blood purist would have been compelled to write down blood purity as an important quality in their spouse, or answer another question in a way that reveals their ideals." Minerva tries to calm Hermione down. Hermione thinks a little about this before nodding her head. "So even if they didn't think blood purity one of the five most important qualities in a partner they still wouldn't be matched with me, because I wrote blood prejudice down as one of the things I would avoid in a partner."

"Indeed."

During the next Transfiguration lesson Minerva brings up the assignment. "When you've graduated from Hogwarts, you'll venture into the real world. Part of the real world is a job. A job that usually requires working with colleagues, not necessary the colleague you would like to work with. So in all my wisdom I've decided it is time to mimic this situation in Transfiguration. Your next assignment has to be done in duo's. And you don't get to chose your duo, I assign a partner based on your results thus far in Transfiguration. This means the people first and second in my class will form a pair, as will numbers three and four and so on. Now if you would please take a seat with your assigned partner." Minerva waves her wand and the duo's appear on the board. Hermione moves to sit next to Malfoy. Once everybody is sitting she explains further. "Theme of this assignment is human transfiguration. Each pair will get assigned a different kind of human transfiguration and in one week I want an 5 foot essay on this. You essay must contain the spells and description of the wandwork needed to perform the transfiguration, history and risks of the transfiguration and a description of how to reverse it. It is not allowed to split the work, you have to do everything together. I will know if you don't work together on this. In order to make working together and research easier you're not required to attend your Transfiguration lessons this week." Minerva explains the assignment before waving her wand again to let a piece of parchment appear in front of every pair. Both Hermione and Malfoy reach for the parchment at the same time. They both startle a little and it's Hermione that speaks up. "I've never gotten around to thank you for your apology at the beginning of the year feast. I really appreciate it."

"It was long overdue. I wanted to apologize earlier but I didn't think apologize through a letter would go over well." Maldoy shrugs.

"You're right Malfoy I don't think I would have appreciated that nearly as much as a personal apology." Hermione laughs.

"Draco."

"I'm sorry?"

"You can call me Draco, it's my name. Besides I don't think you would be calling colleagues by their last name."

"What do my future colleagues have to do with me calling you Draco?"

"Didn't Mcgonagall say she wants to mimic work situations with this assignment?"

"Yes…"

"Well that means we're colleagues and colleagues address each other by their first names, Hermione."

The two of them work on their assignment for the rest of the period and decide to meet at the Library during their next Transfiguration lesson.

During their next Transfiguration period Hermione and Draco spend some time in the library searching for books to use before retreating to an empty room to start on their essay. Hermione finds that Draco is a good match for her academically speaking. He is nearly as intelligent and holds himself well in a debate. Somewhere during this period things stop being awkward between the two of them. By the time there is only half an hour left Hermione decides to bring up Draco's sleeping arrangement she is not as nervous as she was anymore.

"Draco?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I ask you something?"

"Isn't that what you just did?" Draco retorts smirking.

"You know what I meant."

"I do. Ask away."

"Harry told me you haven't slept in your dorm room. Why is that?"

"Ehh… It's personal."

"I figured. But sometimes it helps to talk to other people about stuff."

"You might not be the right person to give me advise Hermione. Seeing as you still hide what my aunt did to you."

"That I hide my scar does not mean I haven't told anybody." Hermione tells him softly. Draco looks at her for a little while contemplating what to say.

"I'm sorry." He eventually comes up with.

"For what?"

"For what happened at the Manor, for not helping."

"You did help though. You told them you didn't recognize Harry."

"I should have done more."

"By doing nothing you made sure you and your parents stayed alive and by doing so your mother was able to help Harry when he most needed help."

"I still feel like I should have done more."

"You have to let it go Draco."

"Is that what you have done?"

"I'm working on it."

"I guess I'll have to start working on it as well."

The two sit in a comfortable silence for a few minutes before Draco speaks up.

"Come december first something I've kept a secret for a long time will become public knowledge. This might make the other guys uncomfortable. I figured not sleeping in the same room might make things a little less awkward."

When Draco is finished Hermione opens her mouth to speak but Draco cuts her off.

"What I just told you is all I wish to say to you about this subject."

Hermione closes her mouth sensing the finality in Draco's tone.

"Okay."