"It's Malfoy's birthday."
"What?"
Hermione hadn't realized she'd spoken out loud. For some reason she'd remembered today was Draco Malfoy's birthday. She'd apparently commented on that fact and her friends had heard.
"It just popped into my head. Today's his birthday."
"Ooooo-kay." Ron gave her a look and continued flying around with Harry on their brooms.
In the previous month the trio had discussed every aspect of the war over and over again trying to figure it all out. One of the people whose actions still confused them was Draco Malfoy. From their earliest days at Hogwarts, Draco had been mean and arrogant. And yet, he'd undergone a change by the end of the war. So much of what he'd done had been for his parents' approval. Hermione could still picture Draco's expression from the Quidditch World Cup when he and his father had run into her, Harry, and the Weasleys. Draco had bragged about being in the minister's box for the match. Lucius Malfoy had immediately criticized Draco for showing off. His face had fallen at his father's comment. Hermione also knew that the fact that she had higher grades than Draco had been a source of anger for Lucius Malfoy. Earlier it had been all too easy to dismiss Draco as some sort of evil caricature. Now Hermione knew that it was much more complicated than that.
During this period, Hermione and Harry had been staying at The Burrow with the Weasleys. Everyone was trying to make plans for the future. Ron and Harry were in talks to begin Auror training. Hermione wasn't sure what she wanted to do. Professor McGonagall had approached her about returning to Hogwarts for an 8th year since their learning had been interrupted in the past year. She was strongly leaning towards that option since she was otherwise undecided and she enjoyed school. She secretly looked forward to the fact that there would be plenty of learning that could happen since Harry would be gone. She laughed as she thought about this. It was quite unfair to blame Harry, but it was still true.
The flirtation she'd had with Ron hadn't gone anywhere and she was beginning to think the time away from the boys would be good for her.
"Do you think he has anyone to celebrate with?" she asked the boys.
"Malfoy? Who cares?" Ron responded.
"I can't imagine there's much celebration going on at the Manor," Harry said. "Lucius was just sent to Azkaban on Monday."
Hermione knew that she shouldn't let this bother her, but she couldn't help but feel bad for Malfoy.
"Ron, can I borrow an owl? I'm going to send him a message."
Both boys groaned. They knew Hermione had a keen sense of right and wrong and that they wouldn't be able to talk her out of it.
Hermione took a quill out and began to write. Almost immediately though, she realized she had no idea what to say.
Malfoy,
Happy Birthday.
After staring at these words for a few minutes, she shrugged. She signed her name and sent the message on its way.
xxxxxxx
In the days since the war had ended, Draco Malfoy had been cleaning out his parents' home. Voldemort and the Death Eaters had lived there for too long and it was his goal to get rid of all last traces of them as soon as possible. The Malfoy family existed in a no-man's land. They had been Voldemort's followers, but had defected at the last minute so neither side wanted anything to do with them. Lucius had been gone for 4 days. Narcissa Malfoy had spoken to her remaining sister, Andromeda Tonks, a couple times and hoped that they would be able to repair the relationship that had been damaged almost irrevocably a long time ago.
As Draco sat on the front steps of the Manor, he saw an owl flying in from the west. The owl dropped its letter as he sailed over Draco's head. Draco saw that it was addressed to him and ripped it open to find the birthday wishes from Hermione Granger.
Draco had pretended that he didn't remember it was his birthday. The only other recognition of the day he'd had was from his mother. He flipped the paper over to see if the Mudblood had written anything else. Mudblood. He didn't have energy for that anymore. Where had his father's ways gotten him? Here, pulling other people's trash out of his house with no one except the Mudblood to tell him happy birthday.
The owl sat perched on the edge of the roof, waiting to see if he would have a return letter to take home with him. "Oh, come on." He stood and walked in the house for a sheet of paper.
Thanks, Granger. -DM
xxxxxxx
"Why are you writing Malfoy again?" Harry, Ron, and Hermione were sitting at the Weasleys' large dining room table. Hermione was writing a fourth letter to Draco. He'd responded to her first letter, the birthday wishes, but not the other two.
Hermione shrugged her shoulders and answered Harry's question. "I don't know. I just think he's got to be lonely and I feel bad for him."
"He's a git, Hermione." Ron rolled his eyes. "You shouldn't waste your time."
"Probably, but it's cathartic."
Her latest missive was full of chatty nonsense: what they'd eaten for dinner, an upcoming trip to Diagon Alley, her thoughts on returning to Hogwarts in the fall. She didn't really expect a response. She just liked putting some thoughts to paper and if that helped someone else then good.
At Malfoy Manor Draco opened his fifth letter from Hermione. He still hadn't responded to any of her correspondence. It was the middle of July and he hadn't heard from any of the people he thought were his friends since the Battle of Hogwarts. Hermione had remained the only one to acknowledge his birthday. He wondered why she was writing to him. Of all the people who should be nice to him, Hermione was at the very very bottom of the list. He wanted to write back, but couldn't figure out how to apologize for treating her terribly for years in a letter.
Her fifth letter was mostly about Hogwarts. She'd decided to return in the fall for an 8th year. She was excited to return so she could make up for the year she'd lost while on the hunt for horcruxes. She even made a joke about actually being able to learn since Potter and the weasel wouldn't be there. A few other students in their year were also going to go back according to Hermione's letter, but most seemed to want to leave the trauma of the school behind. Draco would also be returning though Hermione hadn't indicated she knew that he'd be there too. At his trial, the ministry decided that even though he'd spent his 7th year going to classes, they could keep better tabs on him at Hogwarts to ensure he had changed. If it kept him out of Azkaban or home arrest, Draco was in. He had to get away from Malfoy Manor.
Hermione considered ending her letters after her fifth letter had gone unanswered. She decided to send one last note. If she didn't hear back after it, she'd stop writing to Draco. Harry and Ron thought she'd lost her mind. Harry seemed to understand better than Ron though. Ron had never felt truly lonely like Hermione and Harry had and what she thought Malfoy might be feeling. Ron had a large and loving family. He always knew about magic and hadn't been judged by other kids as weird when odd things happened around him. Harry knew that sense of isolation, but while he wanted to move on from the past, he struggled with compassion for Malfoy.
Hermione's guesses about Draco were correct. Every day at Malfoy Manor was like the previous one. No one visited, no one wrote, no one cared. Lucius was in Azkaban leaving Narcissa and Draco alone in the cavernous house with only two house elves. Society viewed the Malfoy family as poisonous.
Draco decided to write her back because he wanted to acknowledge that he'd appreciated her letters and ask some questions about Hogwarts. Once he started writing, he couldn't stop. He wrote about cleaning up the Manor and how his mother was in a deep depression. He talked about how he was relieved his father was gone and what he wanted to focus on at school. Draco finished the letter and wondered about all the feelings he shared and reflected on the fact that Hermione Granger seemed to be the only person who cared about him. He realized that he'd been very wrong in his impression of her. She was funny and caring. She asked insightful questions and was so strong. He'd seen Bellatrix crucio her, so he already knew she was physically strong, but after everything she'd been through, she still remained hopeful and willing to look for the best in people. He even started picturing her in his mind differently. He thought about how cute she was despite the fact he'd ignored it for years.
"Hermione! You got an owl from Malfoy!" Harry and Ron ran the letter to where Hermione was sitting outside reading a book. The boys looked at her expectantly, waiting for her to read it to them. However, Hermione got a feeling of possessiveness about the missive. She wanted this all to herself. Upon opening the letter, she was surprised to find many pages of writing.
"Go away and let me read this."
Ron looked confused. "Why? We want to know what he says."
"I'm sure you do, but I've been the one writing to him. This is for me. I'll fill you in later."
She heard a comment about stupid ferrets, but the boys walked away without argument.
Granger,
You were the last person I thought I'd hear from, but I have appreciated your letters a great deal. My life is deservedly in shambles. Recently…
Hermione sat for a long time after reading and rereading the letter. She wondered where this person had been the last seven years. If Malfoy had been thoughtful and humble, life would have been so different. She didn't think that he'd have been able to stop the war, but maybe things wouldn't have been so bad. Her heart hurt for the lost opportunities. However, Malfoy couldn't have become this person without life having occurred the way it did.
After Malfoy's first letter, the pair traded letters nearly every day. They discussed books and planned their Hogwarts schedules. Hermione spent hours writing and reading their letters. Harry watched as Hermione eagerly awaited the mail. He could see her smile at the paper when she read Malfoy's words.
After seeing Hermione read Malfoy's letters for weeks, Ron still couldn't understand her motivation, but Harry could. "We all are grieving and recovering differently, Ron. It's Malfoy, but Hermione has found some sort of connection with him. She feels less lonely and she said she's been able to think about the future instead of mourning the past."
"It's so weird."
"Yes, yes it is."
xxxxxx
On September 1, the Weasleys and Harry took Hermione and Ginny to King's Cross station to meet the Hogwarts Express. The Weasleys had jumped through the wall to go to the platform, but Harry grabbed Hermione's arm.
"Hermione, I wanted to say that I'm excited for you to go back to Hogwarts. And if something happens with Malfoy, I won't be upset."
"Malfoy? Nothing is going to happen with him."
Harry looked skeptical. "I've seen you when you read his letters. You two have shared a lot. I'm just saying, life is weird and if something were to happen between you two, I'd be happy for you."
"Oh Harry, I'm so nervous. I won't know how to act when I see him. We've shared so much, but I haven't ever had a conversation with him. I think this is something I want, but it's Malfoy!"
Harry laughed and hugged Hermione. "Come on, you've faced down much scarier things."
The group stood by the tracks chatting while waiting for the train. The boys would be leaving for auror training within a few days and thinking about that helped Hermione to stay calm. And then she felt it. She turned to her right to see Malfoy standing 20 yards away watching her. She felt his gaze run down her whole body. She drank him in. He seemed taller and broader. He was so handsome. And he had a real smile on his face. Not a smirk, a genuine smile. She wasn't sure if she'd ever seen him smile. Her heart felt like it was going to burst. She had what she knew was a cheesy grin on, but couldn't help herself. He walked to the Weasley group. Hermione could see he was alone.
He greeted the group politely. The Weasleys were wary, but Harry shook his hand. They spoke quietly for a bit and then faced everyone. Mrs. Weasley asked Malfoy about his plans for school. Everyone engaged in small talk until the train rolled in. Hermione still hadn't said anything to Malfoy, but she didn't want to until they were alone. Students began boarding. Harry grabbed Hermione's hand and squeezed. She didn't hug him. As much as she wanted to, her emotions were so high that she knew she'd cry. She squeezed him back. Ron held her other hand. She didn't think Ron would be able to say the words that Harry had earlier, but she knew he was ok with whatever happened next with her and Malfoy. She loved these boys so much.
"Granger, can I treat you to some chocolate frogs on the ride?"
"Yeah, I think I'd like that a lot."
They continued to grin at each other like idiots and boarded the train.
Molly Weasley looked to her youngest. "Best to let them have some time alone."
Ginny laughed. "If this train's a-rocking, don't come a-knocking?"
"Ginevra!" Mrs. Weasely yelled at her daughter, but she was trying to stifle a laugh. Ron made a choking sound. Harry looked at the Weasleys and the other families around the train and realized he hadn't ever been as hopeful for the future as he was now.
Hermione and Draco found an empty compartment, entered, and Draco locked the door behind him. They began talking at the same time.
"I'm sor-"
"I want-"
"Please let me go first, Hermione." She nodded. "I am so sorry for how I treated you. I-" He was going to continue but Hermione interrupted him.
"I know. I'm glad I know the real you." She reached out for his hand. They knew this was the beginning of something important.