"Malfoy, please wait" Hermione scrambled up off her couch and swayed as another wave of fatigue hit her.

She fumbled and grabbed onto the closest thing which just happened to be Malfoy's shirt sleeve.

"Granger… honestly"

Malfoy had half turned when she had swayed and now held her by the arm and helped her back down onto the couch.

"Sorry… I just feel so tired. It's because I used magic and I'm not supposed to" Hermione knew she was rambling, but she just wanted to keep Malfoy in the library until she could explain herself.

"Well then don't do magic" Malfoy muttered, as he tried to straighten up.

"Wait… look, I'm sorry if my questioning felt intrusive or if they offended you in any way" Hermione looked up at Malfoy, still clutching his sleeve.

"I just… I needed to know. I didn't know you when we were at Hogwarts, I doubt we've ever even had a single decent conversation. And I haven't been on any cases with you before this. I… I just needed to know" she said, finally letting go of his sleeve.

"But just what is it that gives you that right Granger? What makes you feel like you can question that part of my life? Because your side won? I have to bear being judged by you?" Malfoy asked, limping away from her couch and then turning to look back at her.

"And yes, you're right, we never did have a single decent conversation at Hogwarts. And that's because the prejudice that you are so fond of accusing me of was operating wholeheartedly on both sides" he continued.

"What? What on earth are you talking about? You were always mean to us. Me especially" Hermione squeaked.

"I wanted to make friends with Potter on that very first day. And yes, maybe my methods were a little skewered, but I was fucking eleven years old. I had never needed to make friends before because all my friends had already been made for me. I didn't know how else to talk to him. And then practically as soon as school started, and I was sorted into Slytherin that was it" Malfoy threw his hand up "I became the bad pure blood while you all became the hero's"

"Well you hardly helped your case Malfoy. Don't stand there and act like a bloody victim. You weren't always eleven, you chose to call me names, you chose to pass on lies to Skeeter and then you chose to become a Death Eater. Harry was who he was because he made the right choices" Hermione sat up as straight as she could without actually standing because she didn't want to fall flat on her face.

"What would you know about choices Granger?" Malfoy asked scornfully "All your life you were given options, you were given choices, choices that I never had".

"That doesn't even mean anything Malfoy. Everyone has a choice, you just couldn't make the right ones. Maybe if you had actually taken part in school, you would have learned that" Hermione said, trying valiantly to keep her tempo in check.

"Actually taken? Actually… you don't know shite about what I did in school Granger. I tried my bloody best, but the best was never good enough. I was right behind you in every single class, in every single test but did that matter? It didn't make an inch of a difference. Not to Dumbledore, not to my father…" Malfoy stopped himself, breathing heavily.

"So, what? You're saying that you becoming a Death Eater, allowing Death Eaters into a school full of children, torturing people, all that was because no one paid attention to you? Because no one wanted to be your friend?" Hermione asked.

Malfoy stared at her for a few long moments as if he couldn't believe what she had just said.

Hermione stood up and walked slowly up to him, grateful that her legs were now strong enough.

"You can't excuse all your past behaviour because of what happened when you were a child Malfoy. You were not a child when you took the mark, when you tried to murder Dumbledore, when…"

Malfoy grabbed Hermione by the shoulders, his fingers digging into her skin so tightly she winced at the pain.

"Stop" he whispered "Please… just stop"

He closed his eyes for a minute before opening them to look at her through hooded eyelids.

"I am not trying to excuse my behaviour" he whispered through gritted teeth, so close that his breath tickled Hermione's forehead.

"I have paid with my blood and my sanity for what I did. All I wanted in return was to be left alone. To forget that part of my life. To be treated like anybody else" he released her and hobbled backwards, "but, I guess that's just too much to ask of some people" he said bitterly, turning on his heel.

"Malfoy wait" Hermione's voice was equally quiet.

"I said you can't excuse your past behaviour. I'm not saying you're a bad person now" she touched his shoulder "I believe in second chances, I honestly do and I daresay you more than qualify for one" she tightened her grip on his shoulder.

"And you're right, maybe I don't have any right to question you or to bring all this up, but I want to know you, to be your friend, and I can't do that without getting all of this out in the open, without at least discussing it" she continued.

Malfoy let out a short laugh and leaned his head back as if trying to gather himself.

"You? You want to be my friend? Why?" he asked without turning around.

Hermione considered that question as she stared at his back.

"Why? Because I think you're interesting. There's so much I don't know about you. I didn't know you studied under Allen Vercloft or what you did at Durmstrang. I don't know about your defence academy or how it operates. I… I want to get to know you" she said hesitantly.

Malfoy finally turned, leaning heavily on his cane as he stared down at her. Hermione's breath caught when she realised just how close they were standing.

"I don't make friends easily Granger" he said quietly.

"I'm sure you don't. But we can try" she replied, looking into the stormy grey depths of his eyes.

Malfoy's shoulders slumped as if he was releasing pent up energy.

And still Hermione couldn't break away from his gaze.

She knew what was going to happen before it did.

Which was why she automatically moved back when Malfoy moved in.

He froze, grey eyes darkening.

"Malfoy…" Hermione began in a dazed whisper.

But before she could get any words out, he had turned and strode out of the room.