Vonne: Only two more chapters left, everyone! You can definitely expect a relationship to start between Hermione and Draco before the second part to this. Perhaps in the next chapter? ;)

Lily18dm: Thank you so much! I'm so glad that you liked it. And I definitely agree with you on the gradual bits. It's just far more realistic that way. Hermione and Draco used to despise one another. If I want to make a relationship possible than I have to consider what would have happened realistically. The next chapter is when I'm planning on end the flirting-- if you catch my drift. So I'm hoping that all the gradual flirts will have made for a more convincing moment. It builds anticipation that way, you know? :)

Anavell: HA thank you! Of course Hermione would spot him. It's silly how sly Draco assumes he is, when really, he's not that great at it.

Doni: Exactly. Goyle's actions were actually rather justified. Besides, he was drunk beyond belief and Draco may have just needed a friendly punch in the face to snap him out of things. I tired to make this chapter more of one where the two come to an ever deeper agreement. So they're not only just on terms, but are friends again. Draco needs friends, I think. ;)

Isabella120: I'm really glad that you liked the last chapter! :) I love that you review on all my chapters. It's so nice to read all of them, even the tiny ones. It's all good HA. Thanks again, girl! I really appreciate it!

Jade2099: Exactly! It is definitely important that Draco's realizing that he needs help. And his relationship with Hermione is vital because she's actually the side of him that has all the common sense. She just about balances him out. :) But you're definitely on to something there- Hermione still needs to figure herself out, too. They both went through the same war, the same horrible experiences. I'm definitely going to touch base on that in the second one. That, at Draco's sanity aspect. ;)

Mellowy Candescent: Aw! I'm so exceedingly glad that you're enjoying this! It seriously makes me want to write more. I'm sorry that it took a little bit longer for me to update, but I hope the wait was worth it! :)

Chapter Twenty Eight:
Loss of Words

Goyle gave a heart-filled groan. He lifted his large hand up to his head, which was throbbing much more fiercely that he'd expected. He shut and opened his eyes, blinking up into the light that shed down in the living room of his house. He'd been covered in a blanket and there was a rather squished pillow at his side. The imprint of his massive head was still ever so present. In the way he rubbed his balled up fists at his eyes, he winced at the soreness that stung them. His throat was dry and scratchy and he'd figured that he had never been more hungover in his entire life. Muttering drowsily to himself, Goyle grunted, pulled himself up from the floor, and swallowed nothing in particular. "Draco," he said with a tired tone, "what are you doing?"

In the corner of his lit up house, Draco Malfoy seemed to be not even slightly affected by the bright lights. However, he took instant note of Goyle's discomfort and with his wand, dimmed the lights. He put on an apologetic face and then turned back to the kitchen, where he'd been fixing some tea. He scooted over and, as he advanced towards his friend, the sleep-deprived Goyle had to do a double take. Draco was swimming underneath Goyle's kitchen apron, and he looked a bit silly in it. His blond hair was matted and unkempt and, despite the robe, he looked a right mess. "You're wearing my cooking apron?" Goyle asked, raising an eyebrow. He still had to squint to get a better look at Daco as an entirety.

"If I spilt anything else on my clothes I wouldn't hear the end of it from my mother." He looked down as if he was trying to peer through the apron fabric to get a better look at his spoiled button up. "There's blood stains on it already." Then, after he'd finished examining his awful state, he sniffed, continuing towards Goyle with a slight limp. Draco's nose was still significantly covered in dried blood, his eye was just turning yellow from previously being black and blue. "Here," he said, extending out a cup of tea.

Considering the tea, Goyle ran a hand through his head of short hair. His eyes caught sight of Draco's nose once again and, sloppily, he asked, "I did that?"

"You did!" Malfoy said, his mouth upturning in a sly little smile. His eyes brightened, as if a father proud of his son for hitting a home run. He reeled back slightly and then lifted his free hand to touch his swollen nose. "But, let me tell you, mate, I think you've still got that strength in you somewhere. You may not know it but, really, you got me good." He lifted his chin, glanced down at Goyle to see if he'd made any sort of impact. "Take a look at this, huh? You knocked my entire nose out of place!" Looking thrilled, Draco showed off his slanted nose, kept the brilliant beam pitched on his face. "Quite the arm you got there."

But Goyle was far from amused. He stared at Draco's face begrudgingly and narrowed his eyes. Looking sour, he said seriously, "it's not funny, Draco."

Malfoy's face melted. Going a bit morose, he glanced down at the floor, drew his sleeve across his face, and shook his head. "You're right," he said conclusively, "absolutely right. Not funny." With a timid sigh, Draco placed Goyle's tea cup next to his friend on the floor. He droopily took a seat next to him, looking just as limp as Goyle. Exhaling, he tried to avoid his reflection in the surface of his own tea cup. In all honesty, he'd been a little repulsed by the sight of his nose when he'd first seen it this morning. Nonetheless, Draco made a slight grunt, tossed his head back, and then turned back to Goyle. In all his dismantled glory, he said in a tone that he deemed helpful, "I meant what I said last night, Goyle. I am sorry."

"Yeah," Goyle responded back stiffly, "I meant what I said, too." Draco's face faltered. Goyle had remembered saying that? Perhaps that only just spoke to the vitality of his comment the night before. However, Draco chose to ignore it, stifled as if he'd only just barely heard him. The moment of saying nothing passed on heavily. Neither of the two seemed to think of anything important that needed to be put out there. Goyle had said all he'd needed to say and Draco, of course, was completely out of ideas to throw out. Nonetheless, Goyle breathed in. He stared down at the tea cup, looking sorry for the trouble Draco had gone to prepare it. Picking it up would be a sign that he'd been forgiven, but it took moments for Goyle to decide if he was going to even touch it. His mouth moved minutely. He turned to Draco and asked with a drowsy grumble, "what even motivated you to break off the engagement in the first place? Then come to apologize to me about it?"

Digging feverishly into the depths of his pocket, Draco produced the tiny radio, tossed it lifelessly on Goyle's lap. He didn't bother to look for the curious expression on Goyle's face, instead, he picked up his own tea cup and faced his reflection dead on. Perhaps he'd keep the broken nose. "This toy?" Goyle said, staring down at the black object, "a children's toy?" He lookde back up, blinking in Draco's direction. "I knew it. You were spending way too much time with this thing." Goyle's voice reeked with suspicion, as if he wasn't completely sure whether or not to consider the toy a good thing or a bad thing. Still, lifting his shoulders, he added inquisitively, "I don't understand."

"You speak into it..."

Goyle's eyes narrowed. "Yeah," he said unamused, "I get that part, Draco. Who are you talking to?"

Still, Draco Malfoy didn't bother to look up from his cup. He considered lying only for a moment, but then helpfully decided against doing so. What was the use of such a thing? He'd only just started to crawl out of his self-made hole and he wasn't, of course, looking to sink any further within its depths. "Promise you won't say a word to anyone?" he asked, allowing himself to stay frozen.

Considering this, Goyle lifted an eyebrow. His eyes were still soft from the glaze of alcohol, but he managed to look as attentive as utterly possible. "Alright," he said timidly, pushing back his own hair in nervous anticipation, "alright, I promise."

Malfoy didn't even adjust his focus. He examined his black eye, figured that it may still take a while to heal on its own. And with the new wound that Goyle had added to his face, there was not much hope for the appearance of Draco's exterior. He lowered his shoulders, adjusted his jaw and said solemnly, "Hermione Granger."

Goyle's mouth twitched slightly. In disbelief, he said with a shaky voice, "be serious." However, he turned back to his tea, sipping it as if he'd only managed to slightly find what he'd considered to be a joke as funny. But Draco didn't say a word. Instead, he shrugged, averted his eyes, and downed as much tea as he possibly could. "Hermione Granger?" he said, getting serious. The smile on his face melted away at once. His glossy eyes froze and he tilted his head as if to try and get a better look at Draco. His mouth moved simply as he asked his friend slyly, "Draco, what are you talking about?"

"I've been getting... advise." He paused, dabbed at his nose, "... from Hermione Granger."

"Granger!" Goyle said, whisking himself up from the ground. He lifted the radio up to his face as if to examine it. "Hermione Granger... Harry Potter's friend? That Hermione Granger?"

Malfoy stared at the soles of his scuffed shoes. "I was unaware that you knew another," he said flatly.

Running his meaty palm over the front of his face, Goyle appeared to be both a mixture of horrified and impressed. He dropped the radio to his side and stood above Draco Malfoy, his big shadow covering Malfoy entirely. Standing still, he looked down at Malfoy, and then back at the toy. And for a long while he continued to carry on this way. His left eye twitched ever so slightly, he seemed rather lost completely. His face mellowed. His breath finally grew less and less intense. "You're not kidding."

Shaking his head, Malfoy considered how long it would take for his split lip to mend.

"I-Is t-that a good thing?" Goyle asked, leaning forward, still staring down at the radio, "is talking to erm-- Hermione Granger... helping you out?"

Malfoy snorted. He finally seemed to loose interest in his beaten reflection. As if he were in disbelief himself, he snorted, "ha! actually, she's more help than I could ask for." He looked back down, a solemn expression regrouping back on his pale face. "Go figure," he said again, sadly.

"Well," Goyle said, his hand still up on his head, "such a thing would happen to you, Draco. It's karma." Then, after breathing out conclusively, Goyle decided out loud, "well, I think it's good for you. Yeah, to have someone you've grown comfortable talking to. I mean, why not?"

Throwing up his hands, a bit defeated to tell the truth, Draco Malfoy mimicked Goyle's tone of voice, said with a falsely hopeful smile, "why not!"

Goyle's face twitched up into a smile. His eyes gleamed and he seemed not to take any such notice nonsense. Instead, he straightened himself up, reached for his tea wistfully, and said with a lovely little smile, "that's the spirit!" He looked up from the edge of his tea cup and gave Draco a slightly curious glance. However, he ignored Malfoy's obvious sarcasm. He was, in fact, starting to feel less and less hungover. At the new revelation of Draco's companionship, his mood seemed to have been lifted. Sure, he was utterly shocked at first, having unexpected such an event in the first place, but now he'd evolved. Perhaps more keen to the idea, he tilted his massive skull to one side and waited for Draco to say something- even if it were to be something contradictory.

Malfoy looked up inquisitively. He seemed both a mixture of embarrassed and frustrated. "Aren't you taking this a little too well, Goyle mate?" he asked, lifting an eyebrow. As he did so, he could feel the cut at the top of his forehead stretch with the merely minute movement.

Lowering his tea cup, Goyle swallowed his drink quickly. He winced at the warm liquid falling down his throat. A little too eager to speak, he said as the tea poured down the front of his face, "perhaps, Draco, perhaps. However, it's not my life. I'm not getting friendly with Hermione Granger. No, no, don't get me wrong, Draco, I think it is great that you've found someone you enjoy talking to-- what?"

"How do you know that I enjoy it?" Malfoy challenged, raising his shoulders. His face took on the expression of having been completely grossed out. A hypothetical chill might have gone up his entire body if he had been disgusted by Goyle's comment. However, the movement was only a pretend one. Rather, he hadn't been absolutely comfortable with Goyle knowing every last detail about his 'relationship' with Hermione Granger, if there even was a relationship to investigate. Although still, he wasn't ready to be scrutinized. Despite this, Draco Malfoy's acting was not, as usual, up to par. Goyle's face melted and he caught on to Draco's faux feelings right away, made a quick sarcastic expression with the muscles in his face.

"How do I know it?" he asked with a brand new smile. This one seemed to only layer on top of the previous one, making it twice as grand. "Well," he said again, "you carry that radio around with you where ever you go, for starters."

Malfoy's face fell. His eyes dropped to the radio that was sticking out of the top of his jacket pocket. He felt his face flush or, rather, actually blush. He quickly forced himself sane, shaking the red tint away from his visage with harsh aggression. "You're..." he said almost practically at an utter loss for the proper words, "you're mental."

"Draco, mate, you're the mental one. Don't forget," Goyle added, lifting a finger. He advanced towards Draco, offered him a hand, and when he'd pulled his friend up into the light, his joyful expression completely faded. "Oh Merlin!" he said, wincing, "I actually broke your nose. On top of all that other shit you have going on, too." Concerned going on completely consumed by pity, Goyle reeled backwards reaching out a hand to softly poke the exterior of Draco's lopsided nose. Malfoy watched him furiously, his eyes merely just two narrow slits. Then, pulling his hand away, Goyle wiped his newly bloody finger on the front of his liquor sod shirt. "I only added to your err-- facial dilemma." He took notice to Draco's unamused grimace, looked around desperately for his wand, "you want me to fix it for you?"

"I'd rather you stay several feet from my face for a long while, Goyle, actually," Draco responded, backing up. He bent forward and retrieved his coat off of the ground. Picking up his tea, he inched towards the kitchen table, set the cup down on the top of it, and slipped each coat sleeve over his individual arms. "Or else you'll never be able to recognize me due to the bloody pulp you'll have made of me."

Goyle's shoulders fell. Begrudgingly he said with a monotonous tone of voice, "glad to see you've got your personal sunshine back again."

However, Malfoy wasn't given much of a time to respond. From the bottom of his jacket pocket, the all too familiar static noise sounded out into the kitchen of Goyle's unusually messy home. At his place, Goyle froze. Malfoy did the same, his eyes locking within his friend's in an utter instant. Then, as the two stayed lifelessly still, the voice of Hermione Granger said in a tired tone, "Oy! You there? Oy, Malfoy!"

But Malfoy was the first of the two to move. His long, slender fingers plummeted into his pocket and he produced the tiny thing. "Yeah," he said, matching her slightly rushed tone, "yeah, I'm here." He ignored Goyle's taken back expression. He watched Draco fumble with the radio, his head tilted cautiously to one side. Then, curious, he kept his mouth shut, deciding upon not saying a word at all. Although Draco had turned his back away from Goyle completely, slightly embarrassed about his excitement over the silly toy. He arched his shoulders upwards, spoke into the radio as if he were telling it something absolutely private.

"Hey, err-- I'm sorry I couldn't help you yesterday. Did you manage to sort things out with Goyle?"

On impact, Malfoy flushed. He breathed out, running a clammy hand through his mop of blond hair. "... yea," he said sheepishly, ignoring Goyle's chuckles from behind him.

Even Goyle could hear Hermione almost audibly smile through the speakers. He waltzed around Draco, bending over so he could get a better look at Draco's embarrassed expression. But Malfoy kept his head down, his visage more than obviously beet red. "See!" Hermione said with a slightly victorious yell, "I knew you could do it!" Finally looking up, Malfoy only glanced up at Goyle with his eyes. His pitched down head did not move even slightly, but certainly Gregory Goyle got the hint. He covered his obviously loud laughing with a false fit of dry heaves. "Well, anyway uh, Draco... I was in the clearing earlier and I was wondering what you were doing currently."

"Now?" Draco blinked, his face slipping. He went from being absolutely annoyed to ravishingly dumbstruck. "As in right now? I'm... I'm wandering," he lied.

"Oh, well, if you wanted to meet me here." Once she'd suggested it, however, she instantly took it back. With lively aggression, she covered her foolishness up with a slight cough of her own. "Strictly for business reasons, of course. To, err, work out the next... step in..."

"Moving forward?" Malfoy offered, feeling slightly helpful.

"Yes," Hermione said, "that."

Goyle raised his thick brows. He had, of course, received quite a kick out of listening to Draco's conversation. He was forced to bite his bottom lip, cross his arms across his chest anxiously. "Sure," Draco said, "I'll... uhh... be there."

Hermione's voice was a bit loud and somewhat thrilled. "Alright, brilliant!" she beamed, and then, without another word, her line went completely silent.

"What conversation!" Goyle said, his face completely taken over by his smile now. However, his amusement went completely ignored by Draco, who finished putting on his jacket and chose to ignore Goyle's antics. He swallowed his pride and decided against saying anything in his defense. Still, there was something uplifting about being able to see Hermione. And though he didn't know why he'd had such a desire to meet her in the forrest clearing, he continued to fully compose himself. Having completely forgotten about his beaten face, he kicked on his shoes and tied them messily. They were battered in their own way, scratched from the previous night before. Goyle watched Malfoy revive himself, remaining frozen in his hypnotized scrutiny. With his smile slightly beginning to fade, he put on a newly concerned facial expression and remained nothing but surely quiet.

Then finally, when he was sure Draco was simply just going to bolt out of the front door, Goyle said worriedly, "don't do something stupid, Draco. Remember that you're not even in the right state of mind right now, okay?"

Malfoy's eyes narrowed. Still rushed, he said with a lack of breath, "you were the drunk one, Goyle. And don't patronize me."

But Goyle was unconvinced. Watching Malfoy rush out the front door of his living room, he was hot on his heels. "Hey, Draco. Draco! L-Listen to me! Oy!" As Malfoy made his way completely out of the front door, Goyle pushed his body out of his home along with him. However, he only clung to the front doorframe. He called out over the sweep of wind that rushed around him, "Remember who you're talking to, Draco! Hermione Granger!" But Draco was long gone. Sighing, Goyle dropped his hefty arm and watched Draco wander off in a hurry. "Dammit," he spoke to himself, defeated, watching Malfoy's slender figure quickly subside. And as Draco Malfoy went off on his own way, Goyle watched worried until he could no longer make out Malfoy's shadow at all.

The sky was just beginning to turn orange. It was fading in such a way that made it seem as if the world around was desperate, ready to end with a beautiful bang. As the day hung on for as long as it possibly could, Draco Malfoy was moving with fast feet. His hands plunged into the depths of his pockets, he was, quite honestly, at very much of a loss. His anticipation to go see Hermione Granger was, quite frankly, a mystery to even him. Nonetheless, he was still anxious to meet with her. And for some reason, it seemed as if even the short walk was a bit prolonged. Perhaps it was only his curiosity and, decisively, he told himself that his excitement was simply only just that. Still, that did not shorten the pace in his leap-like steps.

Nippy, the wind hit his face like a spray of pins and needles. With each prick, he winced ever so slightly. Still, he didn't bother to fix his awful exterior. He wasn't really thinking about such a thing, however, couldn't possibly take up the time to even consider it. There was too much going on in his buzzing mind to worry about such nonsense and, funnily enough, Draco considered this lack of concern as quite a character flaw. Once upon a time, Draco Malfoy cared greatly about his appearance. Back in those days, he would never have stood for even the slightest blemish on his flesh. He would have never allowed his hair to have become to exceedingly greasy. But now? Now was different. Now was a different time and, perhaps, a significantly different Draco. And who was this new being? This new person, who couldn't give a damn whether or not his face looked strange or awkward, was still quite foreign to him. Draco Malfoy had almost not a clue as to who he was. But one thing was for certain: there wasn't much of a chance to going back. But whether or not he was actually able to convert back to his old ways, Draco was helpless to such a decision. And, absolutely, he'd come to terms with that much.

This new Draco, he was heading towards the clearing in the middle of the forest he'd visited on often occasions in solitude. This new Draco, he was ignoring the ugliness that had taken over his once flawless face. He didn't care about looks and he didn't care that his mouth tasted of nothing but iron. The flimsy lifeless strand that was a piece of his blond hair fell in front of his sweaty forehead and he knew he probably reeked. He was making his way on foot, his destination now in full sight. And none of that superficial nonsense could bother him, especially not then, when he was sure he saw her sitting there. Her slim shadow on the forest floor, she'd pitched her back against a rather fat tree stump. Her wand was out held and, in front of her face, she had been waving her wand around in small little circles. Wordlessly, she'd hexed up bright white little flashes of what looked like tiny fireworks. Her her magical delusion, she did not notice Draco as he pushed his way through he trees, sniffling the runny snot that clogged his broken nose.

But Malfoy didn't say a word, and perhaps it was due to the soreness that was plaguing his jaw. Nonetheless, Hermione finally glanced up, a smile on her rather pale face. "Well," she said with a beam that was truly a beautiful one, "that was actually very fast."

"I was in the neighborhood," Draco lied for the second time. But Hermione only patted the spot on the forest floor next to her, permitting the tiny fireworks to fade in the space of air in front of her. Malfoy only hesitated for a moment. Then, floppily, he slunk to the ground, sliding down the thick tree trunk with a large sigh of his own. He said with a bit of sarcasm that he couldn't quite help, "how was your lunch with Potter and Weasley?"

Hermione raised a brow. "Fine," she said in a matter-of-fact tone of voice. She swallowed, not informing him that it was actually not at all becoming to hold a grudge. Instead, she looked back at his face, tilting her head to get a better view of it in the light of the protruding moon. She was sweet as she neared him, her expression melting into that of a merely curious one. Her eyes sparkled with absolute wonder and her mouth only slightly parted. Then, over, when she'd gotten a full view of it, she reeled backwards, her hair flying slightly about her appalled face. However, she neared closer towards him again, aggressively inquisitive. Her hands flew out and she took a strong hold of his chin. "What the hell?" she asked in a blunt tone, "Malfoy, what the hell?"

But Malfoy only winced. He didn't draw his face back, but he lifted his own hands that shook with the soreness of it. Her reaction was forcing him to actually consider his appearance. "Ah," he yelped slightly in a hoarse way. "A-A wee bit sore, actually!" he pleaded.

Hermione's face fell. Her horrified expression melted and she looked at him only with pity. "Sorry," she said, and she whisked her hands off of Malfoy's face instantly. "Sorry." But Malfoy didn't say a single word. Instead, he dropped his eyes, continued to stare at the ground. But Hermione was not about to let the subject drop. She looked at him with sorrow, her voice a slight whisper. "Draco, what happened?"

"Goyle and I made up." Malfoy offered.

And Hermione's shoulders were the next to fall. She shook her head, but then regained herself, still managing to feel an immense amount of pity towards Draco, nonetheless. She lifted her hands again but before touching his face she asked with care, "may I?" and Malfoy only nodded, looking up from the ground. Hermione leaned forward and Draco Malfoy watched with completely quiet interest. His heart beat faster in his chest, but he remained still as Hermione's fingers took ahold of his jaw. This time, her grip was soft and gentle; the feel of her fingers made him warmer. And curiously she ran her hand over the deep scrape in his jaw, ran them up to his broken nose and then found his black and blue eye. She seemed captivated only in the sweet scrutiny of Draco's face. But Draco was only watching Hermione watch him, a two way exchange that was unnoticed by each of them.

Still caught up in her examination, Hermione's soft fingers merely trailed up towards Malfoy's forehead and she brushed her hand across his sweaty forehead, though she didn't make a face at his perspiring stature. Instead, she slipped her hands into in white blond hair, following the long cut that traveled up into his scalp with her hand. Her fingers were like that of a musician's, only graceful with her contact. And when she reached the end of the scrape, she stopped, averting her eyes into Draco's, who remained completely dumbstruck, his eyes wide and curious. Hermione inhaled, nodded slowly, but kept her hand put on the side of his head. She swallowed, breathing out finally. "I can fix this," she said convincingly over the whisper of the mellow wind.

Malfoy watched her closely, informed her quietly, "they'll scars."

However, Hermione reached down next to her, pulled her up skinny wand from the floor and pushed Draco's sweaty hair behind his ear. "Trust me," she said and then, calmly, she instructed, "hold still. Episkey." In a crack, Malfoy could hear the pop of his nose shift back into place. He jolted up, blinking slightly, and then he slightly adjusted his face. Hermione didn't smile, but she remained looking sincerely concerned for Draco. "Okay," she said, "now lie down."

"Lie down?" Malfoy asked, but Hermione only nodded. She took off her dull pink jacket and bundled it up in a slight ball. Hesitant, Malfoy obliged, positioning his head on Hermione's balled up jacket as if it were a pillow. "Good," she said, and she advanced towards him on her knees. She lifted her wand, hovering it over his face. "Vulnera Sanentur," she whispered soothingly, and then finally scooted back. She breathed out, sat down on her shins, and placed her hands in her lap. "There," she said, meekly.

Malfoy didn't move. Instead, he reached his hand up to his face, touched his smooth skin curiously. He said in a slight daze, "when you talked to me earlier this afternoon, I wasn't expecting that I'd be attending a doctor's appointment."

Hermione watched Draco examine his face, now almost just as flawless as before. The dried blood was still present around his eye, which still was bruised. However, she'd made very much of an improvement. She did not smile. Instead, she ran her hand through her hair, looking tired. "When I talked to you earlier this afternoon," she said, quoting him, "I wasn't expecting you to look completely unrecognizable."

Draco lifted his heavy head. "You try making up with Gregory Goyle and come out of it looking completely flawless." Huffing, he slammed his head back down on the ground, looking just as tired as Hermione herself. "Utterly impossible," he murmured to himself begrudgingly.

Shifting slightly, Hermione chewed her bottom lip. She pushed her own hair behind her ear and said defeated, "beyond the point."

Malfoy scrunched up his face. "Whatever," he breathed out. He couldn't help but grow a little bit frustrated. It was undoubtable that he'd been grateful for the cleaning act she'd done with his front, but nonetheless, Hermione Granger did have her own significant way of getting to him. But despite being uncanny, he squinted in her direction, still wiping delicately at the dried blood that remained on his pale face. The soreness was, in fact, still ever so present. "Why did you want to meet me here, anyways?"

Hermione flushed. He seemed to have caught her by surprise. However, she shook her head, looked up at the sky and said whimsically, "I didn't get the chance to help you out yesterday morning. I was concerned, that's all."

"Ah, well... thank you, Granger," Draco responded, feeling slightly guilty for snapping. However, Hermione laid back, still far away from him on the forest floor. She tossed her arms out, very much like a spilt pile of milk.

It was Hermoine's turn to bitterly say, "whatever."

The two sat without a single word for a long moment, the silence wearing on them rather heavily. On the ground Hermione's brunette hair was sprawled out, loose in its own curly way about her head. And Malfoy's white blond hair was sprawled out behind him, having not moved since he'd brought himself to the ground in the first place. Neither of the two quite fancied the silence, but their pride seemed to consume the both of them. Neither Hermione nor Draco could manage to buck up enough courage to say something suitable. Still, Draco's head buzzed. He considered an entire book of things to say, but none of them seemed to appear fitting. Nonetheless, he opened his mouth, looked hypnotized at the stars and said flatly, "Why are you helping me?"

This caught Hermione. Having been inspecting the stars as well, she didn't gaze elsewhere. Instead, she answered truthfully with the same bluntness as she'd received, "perhaps I believe in the idea of redemption. You may not realize it yet, Malfoy, but I see that something is different about you. You're not that seventeen year old boy anymore. You're just not."

Malfoy watched the dark sky, hadn't really noticed the evening shift completely to blackness at all now that he'd considered it. But either way, he responded, "how do you know that?"

"The radio helped," Hermione suggested.

But Draco ignored Hermione. Instead he asked out loud, "so if I'm not that same seventeen year old kid, then who am I?" However, he was not inquisitive in his question. On the other hand, he seemed to ask her in a demanding voice, as if angry that she'd come to assume such an idea about him.

Hermione's attention shifted. She turned her head towards Malfoy and sat up, almost challenging him. Malfoy did the same, picking himself up slightly and watching her with a slightly angry gaze. "You're a twenty-two year old man. You are not your father and you are not your aunt. You are miserable because you can't handle to think about those sort of things and I actually consider that to be a good thing-- yes, a good thing, Draco Malfoy. If you were going to go on living and act completely normal, then you'd have something to worry about. You'd have been the same exact person that you were five years ago. In a way, you being miserable is probably idealistic."

Draco huffed. "Tell that to my therapist," he snorted ungratefully.

Hermione's mouth twitched up into a slight smile. "Ah," she said, flopping back down, "you'll figure it out." And with that, she finally kept her mouth shut, feeling slightly superior knowing that Draco Malfoy was, for once, at a loss for words.

Vonne: TWO MORE CHAPTERS LEFT! Then I'm moving on to the second part. You can definitely expect Hermione and Draco to begin a relationship. Perhaps even next chapter? :)