A Gesture with Meaning

It was almost the end of his last year at Hogwarts. But he wasn't sad about leaving the school, or at least that wasn't the main reason why he was sad. It had been a week since Hermione had stopped talking to him. He had tried time and time again to get her to talking to him so that he could explain himself, but no matter what he did, Hermione never let him back in. Once he had tried holding on to her arm again, but that just made her so mad that she cursed his lips together with a Permanent Sticking Charm. Madam Pomfrey couldn't force his lips apart so he did the only he could. He used a silent Sectumsempra, causing his lips to be forced apart and start bleeding like mad. Luckily Madam Pomfrey was good with wounds and blood so the only reminder of the incident was his wounded pride and a small silvery scar on his bottom lip.

Since the year was almost at an end, finals had already started and he wasn't going back anymore, Draco was beginning to feel more and more desperate. He needed to get Granger to talk to him again. Perhaps she would never be his after what he had done, but he was a selfish creature and he needed to be forgiven if he was to live with himself.

But it seemed impossible to him. Hermione was stubborn much like himself. 'Even so,' he thought to himself as he was sitting under his tree 'there has to be something I haven't tried yet. There must something I can do, to make her change her mind about me.'

Well, it sounded like it could be done, but he had no idea how. It would have to take a major gesture, much like the thing he did to make her mad in the first place. And then it came to him as mischief comes to a pixie. He knew then what to do, but it was going to take a lot of courage to do it. Courage and humility, the latter being a concept Draco hadn't had much experience with.

It was exactly one week since his outburst during breakfast in the Great Hall. During dinner this Saturday Draco was on the edge of his seat worried and anxious about what he was about to do. Blaise was eyeing him nervously but he kept his mouth shut.

After Hermione and Draco's fight Draco had went back to the Slytherin Common Room where Blaise was waiting for him. He had tried to apologise but Draco refused to talk to him or accept the apology. Since that day Draco had cut himself of from all Slytherins and put all his energy in studying, exams and Hermione Granger. The studying paid off and his exams were going great. But Hermione was a different matter. Her stubbornness was the reason he was doing what he was.

Soon Headmistress McGonagall rose to say a few words before dinner, just formal stuff not the crazy things that the nutter Dumbledore would have said. But before McGonagall could reach the platform, Draco got up.

"Professor," he said loudly making McGonagall freeze in place.

"Yes, Mr. Malfoy?" her voice was somewhat stern, but Draco tuned that out.

"I was just wondering," he started "if I could say a few words… uh… Please?" the word didn't feel right when the entire school was staring at him.

McGonagall looked very befuddled but nodded and sat down again. Draco took a deep breath to try and calm himself down.

"Erm," he stammered "perhaps you all remember what I said last week?" Okay, not a good thing to start up with, because suddenly the entire Hall was either laughing or grinning widely.

"But what I said," he quickly said to make the laughter stop "was a lie."

The Hall went somewhat back to normal. There was still a few people smirking, but Draco carried on.

"I have never been with Hermione Granger in any other way than a friendly one."

"That's not really true either," it was the Ginny Girl speaking. "How about all the years of teasing her?"

Draco felt his cheeks heat up and he was sure that his face was deep red.

"Oh, yeah that," he mumbled. Then he raised his voice again. "I truly am sorry about how I have been behaving towards her. And her friends… including you, Ginny." Saying her name was harder than he had imagined, but when it was done he looked away from her and met Hermione's wondering eye.

"Hermione," his voice was more hushed but still the Hall heard him clearly. "Hermione, I am so sorry for everything I have ever done to you, I really am. I am sorry about calling you names and I'm sorry about what I said a week ago." He looked around in the Great Hall. "The truth is… that I am in love with her. I am in love with Hermione Granger."

There, he had said it. It was no longer a secret. The silence in the Hall was so thick that Draco had no doubt that he could have cut it with his wand. Then suddenly, out of nowhere, the Hall burst out in applause lead by Minerva McGonagall. He let his eyes wonder across the Hall till he saw Hermione, for whom he had done all this.

"You and me outside!" she mouthed to him and strode out of the Hall with long steps. He sighed and followed her, making the clapping hands in the Hall clap even louder than before.

He had only just closed the door to the Great Hall behind him when a fist hit his chest hard.

"What was that about?!" Hermione yelled at him. She grabbed his sleeve and forcefully pulled him with her through a labyrinth of corridors.

"What the hell were you doing back there?!" she resumed yelling once they were standing still again in an abandoned corridor.

"I was apologising to you," Draco said calmly.

"Oh Merlin!" Hermione exclaimed and threw her hand in the air. "And you thought the best way to do that was to do in front of the entire school?"

"Well, yeah" Draco defended himself. "It was the only way I could get you to listen to me!"

"I have a reason for not listening to you, Draco Malfoy! A very good one!"

"I know…" but she was having a tantrum that he couldn't stop just yet.

"You made me seem like a whore!" she yelled. "I actually trusted you, and you betrayed me, and I have never felt more stupid in my entire life!"

"Hermione…" he tried to calm her down, but she wasn't finished yet.

"I should have known better than to trust a snake like you," she hissed. "I should have known that no matter how friendly a snake seems it can still be poisonous."

She didn't continue and Draco saw his opportunity.

"You aren't stupid," he began saying and ignored the snort she made. "You have every right to hate me and distrust me. But that's why I apologised to you in front of all those people back there. I wanted you to know that I am serious. This isn't a joke to me; my feelings for you aren't a joke. And now everyone in this school knows that Draco Malfoy was wrong and has been for several years."

She turned her face towards him and revealed tears in her eyes. But Draco couldn't sense any anger anymore.

"Hermione…" he said once again.

And then he couldn't contain his desire anymore. He leaned forwards and pressed his lips to hers. First she didn't respond to him, but slowly she started moving her lips against his. He sighed against her lips and pulled her to him. Suddenly she drew her head back from his. She looked at him with confusion before she started hitting his chest with her palms. But Draco felt the lack of force behind the blows and kept holding on to her.

"What is wrong with you?" she tried to yell, but the words were hoarse. "You can't just kiss me and think everything is all right then!"

She continued hitting him for a while till she got tired of it. Then she let herself fall into Draco's embrace. He clung onto her like she was his life vest and the corridor was filling up with water.

"This doesn't mean that I have forgiven you," he heard her mumble into his robe.

"I know," he whispered.

"It just means that I don't hate you anymore. At least not as much as before."

Okay, so I hope you weren't disappointed with this chapter. I just really felt sorry for Draco and I wanted to see their relationship evolve. I know that Draco is quite out of character by now, but in my mind he seriously wants to change, and not just because of Hermione, but also because of the wrongs he has done in his life. I think that this change was already visible in the 6th book. But… tell me what you think about this chapter, and then I'll start writing the next.

7