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Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters
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Hermione looked down the bridge as the group of seventh years returned to Hogwarts. Images of last year flashed through her head, the large pieces of marble and rock that littered the floor. She could still hear the screaming of students trying to flee, Lavender being attacked. She wasn't sure if she would ever forget it, nor did she want to. Someone needed to remember what happened even if it was just her. She pulled her robe around her, she wondered if he would be here. She thought about him over the summer, how he had decided to change his mind and come back. He even gave Harry his wand to fight. She wanted to see him, know what he felt.
Draco ran his fingers through his blonde-hair, he kept wondering if he was making the right decision by coming back. He still remembered everything like it had just happened, the cackling of the Death Eaters as Voldemort announced Harry's death, the gasps and stares from all of the students as he walked to join his family. Only a few students had seen Draco decide to come back so he knew what his reputation would be like. It was going to be worse than what it had been years before. Draco shook his head, shook the sounds and images back where they needed to go. He only cared about what one witch thought of him, and she was the only reason he really decided to come back. Hermione.
"The castle looks like nothing ever happened." Harry threw his arms around Hermione and Ron. "Here's to maybe having a normal year for once? No chambers, no horcruxes. No Voldemort, no one trying to kill us." Harry's voice was optimistic for once. "Hey don't jinx us!" Ron smiled softly. The loss of Fred was still weighing on him. Hermione chuckled. "And lets not forget our new Head Girl." Ginny polished off the badge with the sleeve of her robe, smiling ear to ear. "Just don't go roaming the halls after hours, I won't give you any favors just because you're my friends. And boyfriend." She glanced at Harry and smiled.
"I wonder if Malfoy will be coming back this year." Hermione thought out loud, her cheeks turning a rosy red. "Why do you care?" Ron asked. "He's scum." She frowned. "Hey, he ended up coming back to the good side."
"Yeah at the very last second! Doesn't really give him many points, Hermione." Harry pointed at Ron. "You got a point there." Hermione glared at them. "Guys really? It counts for something. At least I think it does." She couldn't tell them her secret, their secret. That since second year they had been secretly meeting in the library, during the Yule Ball. She could only imagine what they would do if they knew that she had kissed him. "Hermione, don't go getting a soft spot for that jerk. Don't forget everything he's done. I can't imagine McGonagall would even let him back in here." She rolled her eyes.
The group finally reached the large staircase leading up to the massive castle doors. They opened up, welcoming the students. Draco walked with his only remaining friend Blaise. Goyle had been killed in the Room of Requirement after he set it on fire. Crabbe had fled with his parents after the war, his parents knew they would mostly likely be thrown in Azkaban with the rest of the Death Eaters caught and questioned. Then there was Pansy. She was a prefect this year and she now hated Draco. "Blood traitor." She spat at him as she walked by. She and Draco briefly had a relationship. If you could even call it that, she never forgave him for ditching her at the Yule Ball fourth year. After what happened last year, and if she knew who he had ditched her for whatever they had friendship or otherwise was gone. Blaise was all he had left, he was also probably the most level headed out of his friends. Everyone filed into the Great Hall, the entire school inside and out appeared as if no war had ever taken place. Draco and Blaise sat down at the Slytherin table. He started over at the Gryffindor table. Scanning the entire table till his eyes finally landed on her, she was laughing.
Hermione looked over at the Slytherin table, her eyes met his gray blue eyes finally. He was here, she took a deep breath. "See you around." Played over and over in her head, it was the last words he spoke to her before he vanished. Part of her wanted to talk to him, but another part of her didn't. What happened in his home would forever stay with physically and mentally. "Hermione!" Ron was yelling at her. "I'm here, yeah." Ron looked at her confused as to why she was so zoned out. The new first years were sorted, and the feast began. Hermione remembered what the Great Hall looked like after it was all said and done. She saw Tonk, Lupin, Fred, Collin. Everyone who lost their lives that night she was them still laying there in her head. She knew that all of them would have wanted it to be this way, they would have wanted for Hogwarts to continue.
The feast ended, and students exited the Great Hall heading to their common rooms. "I'll catch up with you Blaise." Draco hung back, hiding behind a column. He wanted to talk to her, hear her voice. Prove to her that he could be the man she wanted. "Psst." He whispered as she walked by. "Uh, I'll meet you guys in the common room." Hermione approached the column where Draco was hiding, he grabbed her arm and pulled her behind it. "Jesus Malfoy! Just say something next time will you?" He smiled at her flustered cheeks. "I'm sorry. I needed to see you." He stared at her.
"Well you've seen me." She began to try and leave. "Hermione, wait." She stopped at the sound of her name, she missed how it sounded coming from his lips. "Malfoy, you have a lot of making up to do you know. Not just for little things, but bigger things." Draco grabbed her arm pushing the sleeve in her robe up, exposing her healed scar. Hermione looked away. "I wish I could go back and change it. I really do. I will never forgive myself for letting my aunt do this to you while I stood back like a coward." He leaned down, bringing his lips to meet her forearm. She felt fire shoot through her body, matching the feeling she had the first time they kissed.
He pulled her sleeve down to cover it back up. "I promise to you, this year you will see. I am not the monster you thought I was. You'll see." Draco backed away from her, giving her an exit if she wanted it. "I hope so." She turned on her heels and walked towards her common room. She wasn't sure if she trusted him yet, but she was willing to let him try and get that trust back. Draco walked back to his common room, a small smile creeping on his lips. There was hope, it was small but it was there. He was determined, by the end of this year Hermione Granger would be his girlfriend. He had loved her since he started Hogwarts and he would leave the school with her.
Hermione woke the next morning, she was excited. It was the start of the term, she could focus on her classes, just her classes. While she didn't mind the extra knowledge she gained from all the things her and her friends would have to try and solve she was glad to focus on just the studies at hand. Ron and Harry were sitting on the couch in front of the crackling fire, Ron looking like he was still asleep. "Oh wake up sleepy heads!" Hermione shouted. The boys groaned. "Somethings never change I guess." She smack Ron across the chest. "Come on, don't tell me you're not excited."
"Well, since we aren't off trying to save the world some of us have to actually study this year." said Harry. Which he was right. He wasn't given a free pass on his studies, but he fared well with all the things he had to do. Now that he had all the time in the world to study he should do much better than what he had before. "And whose fault is that for not paying attention for seven years?" Hermione laughed. "Shut up Hermione." Ron playfully punched her arm.
Draco watched her from the Slytherin table. "Oi Malfoy. What are you staring at?" Blaise followed his gaze. "Granger? Really?" He shoved toast into his mouth. "She'll never go for you, ya know mate." Draco glanced over at him. "You don't know that, you don't know what I've done all these years. I'm not with you guys all the time." Draco spat at him. Blaise shrugged, he didn't really care about his best friend's love life. Whatever he wanted to do. The Great Hall dismissed and Draco followed behind Hermione and the rest of her friends. He just wanted to be close to her. Their first class would be potions with Slughorn.
Hermione paid close attention to what Slughorn was talking about, carefully taking notes hanging on every word. Draco had no interest in what the professor was saying, he knew he should but she was clouding his mind. Something she did a lot. Slughorn dismissed the class. Harry and Ron were the first to be packed. "Want us to wait for you Hermione?" She shook her head, carefully placing books into her bag. "No. I'll catch up in Charms." The boys shrugged. "Suit yourself."
This was it. Draco quickly threw his books into his bag approaching her. "Hey Hermione." She didn't have to look up, she knew who it was. "Hi Malfoy." He frowned. "Still Malfoy?" She chuckled. "For now." She slung her bag over her shoulder and finally met his stormy eyes. "What do you want?" He ran his fingers through his hair. "I..um." He stumbled over his words. Hermione had a way of making that tough mask Draco wore crumble. "Well, I figured I could walk with you." He paused. "Ya know. To class."
Hermione's eyes widened. "You know that means you will be seen with me right?" Draco couldn't hold back his laughter. "Yes, I know that. I may not be as smart as you but I'm not dumb." Hermione crossed her arms over her chest. "I never said you were dumb. Just wanted to remind you who I was, and who you are."
"You remember that whole trying to show you I'm not a prat thing? Yeah, this is kinda another step in that. Honestly, I don't care anymore. I really don't. I let myself push you away for too long. However, decide fast. You don't want to be late you know." Hermione checked her watch. He was right. "Okay fine." He couldn't help but smile in triumph. She walked next to the tall blonde-hair, wondering what Harry and Ron would say when she walked into the class room with Draco Malfoy of all people.
The pair entered the classroom, all eyes were glued to them. "Well, this is awkward." Hermione looked at Draco. "Again. I don't care." She took her seat in between Harry and Ron. "We leave you alone for five minutes and you find Malfoy?" She glared at Ron. "He really isn't that bad." The boys just stared at her, both of them were speechless. Was she really defending Draco of all people after everything he did. As Ron went to respond, Flitwick cleared his throat. Hermione sighed in relief, she hoped her friends would come around. Because she wasn't going to let go of this. Neither was Draco.