Description: Draco Malfoy was awaiting trial after the Battle of Hogwarts, preparing for the worst he attempts to mend old wounds. In the midst of this, he finds an old crate full of unsent letters he's kept over the years addressed to one very unlikely person. Seeing as it was a great possibility of himself being locked in Azkaban for the rest of his years, he gains his courage and sends them all.
Letters
Hermione was sitting in her home, reading, when she received it. A large box with her name on it. She checked it for spells and curses but found only concealment charms from certain people, who they were she wasn't sure. She opened the box to find what must be a hundred letters old and new, she picked one up at random and began to read..
"Dear Granger,
I'm sorry for calling you a mudblood and making you cry.. my father says that word so much I didn't think it was such a big deal. I wish I could take it back, I wish we could be friends, and that things just could've been different. But it isn't and we can't, I have to be what my father wants me to be and that means calling you names and such. I'm sorry.
Sincerely, Draco"
"Dear Granger,
I'm so sorry for putting that spell on your teeth, that was meant for Potter not you!
Sincerely, Draco"
"Dear Granger,
I lied. I didn't want the Basilisk to get to you or any of the other mud-muggleborns. I hope you found the piece of paper I left for you, so you know what happened or you could've given it to Potter or Weasley.
I hope you wake up.
Sincerely, Draco"
"Dear Hermione,
I know I deserved that punch, hell I deserve more than that, but did you need to break my nose?
Sincerely, Draco"
"Dear Hermione,
It's been a week after you punched me and, I don't know what's happened to me. When I enter the Great Hall or a classroom we share, I look for you. I get nervous when I'm around you and I hate insulting you so much more, it aches.
Sincerely, Draco"
"Dear Hermione,
It's not been a few months and I've consulted with my closest friend about this, Blaise wouldn't tell anyone. And we've concluded and I may starting to...fancy you. I don't know what to do, it's not like we can be together. That'd be absurd. It's not like you'd give me the time of day no matter what I do. All I can do is watch from the other side of the room as you live your life oblivious as it slowly kills me inside.
With love, Draco"
"Dear Hermione,
I already hated going to the Yule Ball with Pansy, why'd you have to look to beautiful and make it worse? Even she caught me staring. Not that it would've been odd...everyone was staring. I wish things would've been different so badly, so that perhaps in some other life I could've had the chance to dance with you. That I could've even been your date, it hurts to know there will never be the case.
From the bottom of my heart, Draco"
"Dearest Hermione,
It's bad enough not being able to be with you but now you have to go out with Viktor Krum?? Are you trying to kill me? And then you have to go and be who he saves in the bloody Black Lake! I wonder if you'd be who I would have to rescue should I have been a champion...
With love, Draco"
"Dearest Hermione,
It pains me to watch my father get higher in His ranks, doing unspeakable things to innocent people. My only peace is you. Imagining another life where we could've been friends when we met, that I could run off with you and get out of this mess, that you'd show up in my home and take me far off. I'd join Dumbledore's bloody Order if I could, to be with you and start a life that's solely mine and not my father's.
With love, Draco"
"Dearest Hermione,
Please forgive me. I didn't want this to happen, I thought I still had time...I was given the Dark Mark. I'm one of them now. Even the thought makes me want to vomit. I hope you're happy and safe, that's all that matters. Stay safe and win this bloody war. I hope you find someone to make you happy.
With love, Draco"
These among many, many others, were the sort of letters Hermione Granger received on one seemingly insignificant Saturday afternoon. From Draco Malfoy no less! She was beyond surprised. Hermione supposed she hadn't given too much thought of what his preventive of everything looked like.
She sat and read each letter, going well into her day. Hermione had even found herself crying for the boy, the boy with no choice. The boy who had to go through so much all at once, it reminded her of Harry Potter. They were so different and yet, so alike.
Then Hermione found, at the bottom of the box, one last letter. This one had been enveloped, with perfect handwriting it read:
"Dearest Hermione,
I do hope you've read this far, so you can begin to understand all I've done even if it doesn't make up for it. Even after all these years I hold you close to my heart, how I wish things were different. Though that is not why I send these to you.
You may have heard but I'm awaiting trial to be help in two days for my crimes as a Death Eater. I don't ask you to witness for me or anything of the sort, I deserve my fate. I simply want you to understand, even if no one else will. Before my trial, I wish you could find it in your heart to come visit me. Tell me how much you hate me, how much I'm a foul loathsome evil little cockroach, maybe that you understand, whatever you want. I just want to see your face one last time, hear your voice. That will be enough for me, no matter what the Ministry dishes out.
However, if I don't see you than I won't blame you. I wish you the best, most happiest life you can have.
With love, Draco"
Hermione was speechless. He still cared for her after all these years, yet she only finds this out when she may lose him forever.
Don't get her wrong, she didn't feel the same way about him as he did her. All those years of harsh words and hexes don't go away so easily, but there was something about seeing his point of view so purely that made her see him differently.
Towards their last years in Hogwarts, Hermione noticed the change in him despite it being seemingly unnoticed by everyone else. How he'd stay more to himself rather than going out of his way to bully someone. How he was always spacing off or subtly doodling on his paper. Hermione had even caught him looking at her a few times, though she didn't think much of it as she assumed he was mocking her in some way.
Though Hermione wasn't fond of him, after finding out what was happening to him and see how it was affecting him. She couldn't help but feel her heart go out to him and wish, as he had, that things could've been different.
Now, after reading it all first hand, she wasn't sure how she felt.
But one thing was for sure, she wasn't going to let him spend the rest of his days in Azkaban.
So, she grabbed her coat and went straight to the Potter residence. If anyone could help her, it was Harry, the only problem would be convincing him that Draco is worth it. As Hermione walked up to the door to Grimmaulds Place, she took a breath and prayed he would put his pride aside and listen.
Draco Malfoy was brought into trial alongside his mother, Narcissa Malfoy. If he didn't get to walk free once more, he hoped his mother would. Lucius had already been sentenced to Azkaban, and rightfully so as he had been the one to bring them into this mess in the first place.
Hermione hadn't visited him like he was hoping she would. Suits him right, he supposed. Still, Draco hoped one day she could understand and have someone that loved her like he couldn't.
He looked around the room at all the unfamiliar and shockingly familiar faces. Draco had been to the Ministry before and met many of the workers there through his father. But these weren't what caused him surprise.
There, sitting where witnesses should, was Luna Lovegood, Ginny Weasley, Harry Potter, and Hermione Granger.
As if on queue, Hermione turned to look at Draco across the room and gave him a small smile. He felt his heart thud loudly. She'd never smiled at him like that but more importantly, why was she here? What was she up to? He was frozen but felt his hope renewed. If only he could make it out of here...
Through the trial, the witnesses had spoken on both their behalf's and the two Malfoy's had given the names of all the Death Eaters they knew. Narcissa were sentenced to temporary house arrest while Draco had a more lengthy house arrest charge as having Auror's regularly check on them. It was much better than either had anticipated and Draco almost fell from relief.
He was almost free. He could see her again.
Draco searched for her face again, hardly able to hide his joy and found her smiling brightly at him. Unfortunately, someone else had took notice to this.
"You love her, don't you?" He heard his mother tell him softly. Draco turned to her worriedly only to find her with a gentle smile gracing her face. "No need to worry, my boy. As long as you're happy it no longer matters," Narcissa told him.
Draco felt tears welling in his eyes, though he didn't dare let them fall. He embraced her, "thank you, Mother."
It's been two days since the trial and Draco was sitting in his room contemplating everything that's happened when there was a tap on his window. Curious, he opened it to reveal an owl with a letter attached to his leg. He gave the owl a treat and took the letter from the creature. Draco sat down, his eyes going down to see who had written this letter and read:
"With love, Hermione"